1) Frog - pronounced "f*ck"

2) Truck - pronounced "c*ck"

Unfortunately "truck" is said very very often and very very loudly.

No progess still...no dilation, no effacement. Sigh. What is going on here? I feel like the baby is sitting RIGHT there. This is not looking good for my VBAC attempt. I need to go into labor naturally by 40 weeks otherwise they're scheduling a repeat c-section. And I would like to be somewhat dilated if I do go into labor since most doctors will avoid using pitocin at all during a VBAC if they can (can increase the risk of uterine rupture) and who knows how long it will take me to dilate all the way on my own.

With Tyler, I went into labor being fingertip dilated and it took 40 hours of labor for me to reach 10 cm (they turned off the pitocin during half of it since Tyler was having cardiac decelerations from the pitocin induced contractions). I really would like to avoid another 40 hour labor if I can. That was no fun...I did the first 24 hours or so without the epidural, but then I knew I would be too exhausted to push if I didn't get some sleep. Anyhow, thank goodness for the epidural (even though it only worked on one side) since they didn't have to knock me out completely with general anesthesia when I had the few medical concerns during the pushing stage (meconium in the fluid, I spiked a fever, Tyler was have pretty major decelerations at that point).

Someone asked me afterwards if I had prayed for a quick labor. I did not. The only the we prayed for on the way there was a healthy baby, which we got despite everything that happened. Somehow Tyler made it out without aspirating any meconium (he came out crying, which they prefer NOT to see when there's meconium since the baby can suck in the poop) and he didn't seem to suffer from any oxygen deprivation.

Hopefully things will not be as dramatic this time. If I end up needing a c-section, then that's how it's going to be. We'll pray for a healthy baby again

My growth ultrasound got pushed back to the end of next week since my OB had to deliver a baby when I was supposed to have my last appointment and it threw all the future appointments off.

I finally started nesting...albeit forced nesting. I have no desire to wash the baby's clothes or get the room ready (since it entails moving furniture around) or wash the bottles and other stuff. We did two loads of laundry this week and the last load left is the baby's clothes, which looks very unappealing after having done the previous 2 loads. I have even less desire to fold them and put them away hahaha. How different things are the second time around. Laundry is just laundry now. But hey, at least the clothes are next to the washing machine for when we feel motivated to do it.

We finally took BB in for his 18 month visit. tee hee.  With all of my own doctor's visits, it was hard to find time to fit him in.  We had the most unfriendliest nurse ever.  She had no patience whatsoever and I think his measurements aren't accurate at all.  First of all, he knows the doctor's office now, so he flipped out as soon as we walked in.  Getting him on the scale? Yeah right.  So he was basically half hanging off trying to get to me and she was just like, oh I'll just use that weight.  I was like uh...what?  Half of his weight isn't centered on the scale, so he's going to measure lighter than he is.  She didn't care.  So he weighed in at 23 pounds, 12 oz...only 12 oz more than 3 months ago.  The for the length, he was basically flipping back and forth and squirming like crazy and she just took like a random measurement.  Then she complained that he wrinkled the paper underneath.  So she said he was just under 33"...I was like, he was 33" last time...did he shrink?  Anyway...so this visit's height and weight will be a mystery.

He met all of his milestone requirements. I love our pedi.  She's a mom of SIX, so she doesn't really freak out over much.  haha.  She doctors and advises a lot from experience.  So when we voiced our concern about his picky eating...she was like eh...it's okay.  She was like out of 21 meals a week, if he eats 3-4 tremendous meals and basically picks at everything else, it's pretty normal.  She said this usually lasts from about 18 months to 3 years.  I was like 3 YEARS?! ugh.  Usually when he doesn't eat well, we'll try again in a half hour, or we'll feed him little bits as he plays.  She told us not to do that since it'll develop a "grazing" habit where he'll just nibble here and there throughout the day.  I've read that before too, but I always feel like I have to get the calories in him.  She said to not feed him again until the next meal time...he'll make up for it if he's really hungry.  I guess we'll try that...and we should probably cut out his snacks...i think he eats more snacks than meals!

He can handle eating a whole fruit if it's ripe enough.  So we can just hand him an entire apple, pear, peach, slice of watermelon, etc and he can hold it and bite into it and eat it just like we do.  For some reason, he eats more of it that way.  I wonder if this is one of those choking hazard things.  Now that made me paranoid about what I give him.

She said that if we wanted to, we could start disciplining him.  She said time outs worked best for her kids, but whatever we decide, we just have to be consistent.  She warned us that it will get harder once the baby arrives.  And if both him and the baby are crying, to tend to him first.  Otherwise, he'll remember that I turned him down to take care of the baby....the baby won't remember.

He is picking up a lot of words.  He has maybe 50? or more words and will readily repeat words after we say it.  He has 3-4 phrases, oh no, all done, read a book and uh oh.  He knows what to call each relative: A-ma, A-gong (my parents), Pau-pau, gong-gong (PB's parents) and auntie and uncle.  We didn't teach him the formal names for each aunt and uncle because...well, we don't really know them ourselves.  He responds to commands in english and some canto.  But for some reason, he thinks mandarin is funny and he will always start doing the gong chi fah tzai hand motion when I speak to him in mandarin.

He is still sleeping well.  He'll sleep from 8PM ish until 6:30-7 AM and take a 2-3 hour nap around noon.  He'll play in his crib for a little bit before starting to fuss.  Our bedtime routine is so smooth now. After his bath, we just let him finish his water while watching the projector thing on our sound machine.  That usually take about a minute, sometimes less...then we dump him in the crib and that's it.  He is awake for a little bit and then drifts off to sleep on his own.  Same with naps...although sometimes he'll cry for naps because we'll interrupt his playtime.

He is less shy now and will wave to people and will go up to certain women to play with them (only women...and only certain women...usually attractive!)

We had to put our dining room gate back up since he can climb on the dining room chairs now.  We don't let him on there without us being nearby since he will attempt to climb from chair to chair.  ugh.

WE took him to Sesame Place last month and he had a blast. We bought a 2 day pass since it was the same price as a single day.  We'll probably go back in the fall.  We went in late May on a weekday and the place was pretty empty.  It was great.  Very short lines, easy parking, no crowds, great spot for the parade.  I can't imagine being there during peak season.  I wish we lived a little closer, then would could get the season pass, which is a great deal.  It is technically about 45 minutes away, but with traffic, it took us an hour.

I also found out about an indoor water park in Mount Laurel, NJ (south jersey...right across the bridge from Philly) which sounds awesome.  It's attached to a Marriott hotel and you can buy a special package that lets you stay 1 night and gives you passes for 1 day to the water park and 1 day to the Camden Aquarium (which is close by).  I think that will be great for next summer...Tyler is still a little too small for most of the rides.

We spend most of the nice days outside where Tyler is the happiest.  Even with the sunscreen, Tyler is one dark little boy now.  I am dreading the winter already!  He loves his water table and toys and being sprayed with the hose.  He'll usually drag the hose over to us and tell us, "more."

He loves picking his nose and thinks it's the funniest thing in the world.  I guess I don't do much to discourage it because I can't help laughing when he does it.  PB gets mad at me because I'm encouraging it, but it's so funny!

He loves his train set.  All day, all we hear is, "choo choo."  We only allow him 1 train at a time since he gets SO mad when he lines up the magnets with the same polarity and they repel each other.  Sometimes we let him have 2 haha.

I am now 36 weeks!  1 month to go.  I went in for my first internal exam today.  I am no where near ready to have this baby yet...but I know that can change overnight.  There's no dilation, no effacement, but the head is down.  If I don't go into labor on my own by 40 weeks, I'm going to have to schedule a c-section because they will not induce a VBAC since it increases the chances of uterine rupture.  We still have nothing done for baby #2. haha. oh well.

 

   

 

 

 

  

The America Association of Pediatrics now wants the FDA to put warning labels on certain foods as a choking hazard.  Some of the big no no's are hot dogs, raw carrots, whole grapes, peanuts, popcorn and raisins.  You are not supposed to attempt them until after the of 4, which is when a child develops the ability to chew and swallow correctly.   I read a few mama forums and most mom's think it's common sense to not give your little one these things.  But is it?  I have to admit that I am one of those no common sense moms then.  We've been giving Tyler raisins/craisins and whole grapes since his molars grew in...raw carrots and hot dogs are more recent.  The popcorn is more of an inhalation risk...since it breaks up into tiny airborn pieces and they can inhale it.  I didn't know that....but Tyler has eaten bowls full at a time, although I have stopped giving him it since reading that.  Although, if it's really that harmful for the tiny bits to be airborn...wouldn't it be dangerous in adults too if too much is eaten at one time?  It's not like we have built in popcorn filters in our lungs that prevent the bits from entering.

But really? FOUR?  Tyler is a great chewer...that's actually why it takes him like an hour to eat each meal.  It takes him forever to chew each bite (he gets that from me...I'm the same way).  He's not a food wolfer-downer.  Everything he puts in his mouth gets chewed down very well before he swallows it.  And I know because he thinks it's funny to chew with his mouth wide open...so I can see everything in there.  I'm not sure what more he can to do "correctly" chew his food.  We do take the skins off of the hotdogs and slice them before giving it to him (same with apples and harder fruits), but only because he doesn't like the texture of the skins and will spit them out after he's chewed the flesh off.

What exactly are we allowed to give our toddlers to eat in terms of solids then?  I mean, can't anything be classified as a choking hazard if it's not chewed well?  There aren't that many super soft, dissolve in your mouth foods for toddlers.  I find that he has a harder time eating meats than he does these no-no foods, but that isn't mentioned at all other than the hot dogs.  Aren't hot dogs easier to chew than lets say chicken meat?

So after much thought...I have decided to return to work after Baby #2 part time still.  As nice as the extra income from the full time position would be, I know I would be absolutely exhausted.  I'm already pretty pooped now working part time with just T, especially on the days that PB works since he's gone all day.

I'm actually thinking about dropping down to 3 days a week...we're kind of crunching the numbers now to see how feasible that is.  It's a pretty big cut to our income...but we're fairly practical and frugal, so I think we'll be okay.  I guess that gives me incentive to get back into my pre-preg clothes (I never made it back into my pants after Tyler) since that will mean no new clothes for mama (unless, of course, it's an amazing deal...right? right?)

I'm happy with my decision.  I took last week off just to spend some time with Tyler before the baby came and I would totally miss the kiddos if I worked full time.

*see protected for the other reason*