Danny's favorite

Danny is so talkative right now. Usually it is good, other than the other night at dinner when he told Stephen and I who was mean and who was nice in my family. That was hilarious, but a little scary to know he could easily tell the "mean" people what he thinks of them!

He is saying more and more words and making small sentences. I once thought he would never put two words together, but now he says "Home Depot" and "Old Bay" about fifty times a day. If you know my husband, than you know that those two statements means he is a small chip off of Stephen's block for sure!

Today is my husbands birthday, we celebrated by going to the zoo. Danny was so excited to go to the zoo (and get popcorn). We had a great day, a hot day, but it was still a wonderful time. Tonight at the dinner table my husband starts to ask Danny who his favorite animal at the zoo was. He didn't get past "Who is your favorite. . ." when Danny shouted out "JOE." Joe, of course, is my oldest brother, and one of my best friends. He is Danny's Godfather, and definitely one of Danny's favorite people on earth. Danny adores Joe, and I love seeing how much fun they have together. I thought it was so cute that Danny didn't even wait for my husband to finish the question, he just shouted out that Joe was his favorite.

There is a lot of pressure here, though. Now I have to find a way to one day make Joe's child love me as much as Danny loves Joe. I am not sure how I will accomplish that, but I am sure up to the challenge!

Uncle Joe/Godfather/Uncle Stompy

Nursing

If you know me, you know that I am a big breastfeeding advocate. I nursed my son, Danny, for ten months before he quit on his own. I wasn't devastated that he self weaned before a year, pumping was hard and I was going to school at odd hours, so my supply was always confused. I would have liked to get him to the magical year mark, but I knew that since he stopped on his own it was his time to stop.

I can't write about my nursing experience without giving credit to my wonderful cousin, Kathryn. She is a labor and delivery nurse, and she gave me so much support before my son was born, and after. I had a very, VERY hard time nursing in the beginning, and I can say with complete honesty (and no shame), that I would have quit after the first week had Kathryn not shamed me into continuing no matter how hard it was. She, after all, nursed her first child even though she had a much, much rougher delivery and recovery than I had. I knew I couldn't face seeing her at the annual family reunion if I was giving Danny a bottle of formula. I am so thankful for her encouragement and support, because I know how good BFing was for Danny. Nursing Danny helped keep him well even though he was seeing three different babysitters a week, and I was bringing home germs from my college campus. It really was our liquid gold.

If you really know me, then you know that I had to listen to a lot of static about my decision to nurse my son. I had people pushing formula on me, telling me how gross it was that I nursed, how weird my boobs looked, how my baby (at 8 weeks old) was "too big for that." I even had people in my own family show how appalled they were when I would nurse at family gatherings.

All of these naysayers really put a damper on my experience as a new mom. I didn't know how to stand up for myself, and I was so shocked by some of the things that were said to me that I couldn't even muster up words of response.

I have been thinking about this a lot lately. My due date is at the end of next month, I know I'll be nursing around a lot of the same people who gave me hell when I nursed Danny. All I can say is those people might want to watch what they say. I am a seasoned mom now, I am not too shocked by any of the rude things people say to me to come up with a response now, and I am very much ready to stick up for myself and my choice to breastfeed my daughter. I am certainly not looking for a fight, but I am not going to take any of the abuse that I took last time.

I know that the female body wasn't designed the way it was to be looked at and admired, although it is a beautiful thing. We were designed to grow babies and nurse them through infancy. It angers me when people, especially other women, act as if breasts were meant to be decorations, and nursing your child from them is gross, obscene or inappropriate. If you see me nursing my daughter, know that I am only doing what my body was designed for, and giving my daughter the absolute best nutrition that she needs.

Happy World Breastfeeding week!

Oh Danny Boy

My son, Daniel Thomas, was not named for the traditional Irish ballad, but he was given his nickname for the song. He is just now realizing that he has a song of his very own. He found it quite entertaining when I made the Irish dressed snoopy doll dance and sing "Danny Boy" yesterday.

This morning while playing his soon-to-be baby sisters song, he came running to me saying "me, me," I had no clue what he was talking about. Then he brought me the snoopy and said "mine, sing, me," I figured it out after that :).

It is so cute how he wants to listen to "Danny Boy" over and over again now. He knows that it is a sad(ish) song, so he pretends to get all weepy and puts his head down every now and then during the song.

He really brings so much joy to me every day. We have yet to have a perfect day in the life of Danny and Mommy, but everyday we have special moments where he shows how sweet and loving he is.

Oh Danny Boy, Oh Danny Boy, I love you so.

What a difference!!

What a difference NOT having undiagnosed Gestational Diabetes makes:

32 week comparison

The left picture is me 32 weeks pregnant with Danny (this was about two weeks before my doctor told me "oops, it looks like you DO have Gestational Diabetes), the picture on the right is me 32 weeks pregnant with baby girl. I am wearing the same shirt in both pictures (if you couldn't tell).

What a difference being healthy makes in my physical appearance!!

About a week ago I started to think "weren't my boobs sitting on my belly by this time in my last pregnancy?" I LOL at that questions, but I was really thinking it. And I noticed that my husband kept making comments about how much smaller my belly is now. At first I thought maybe we were both just remembering the very end of the pregnancy. I finally dug out this old picture from my cell phone at 32 weeks. I noticed that I looked pretty puffy, then I had my sister take a picture of me in the same shirt to compare. I certainly see a difference. I feel like I look much much more tired in the current picture, but the rest of me is smaller. I feel so much better during this pregnancy (other than the back issues I am having), it feels good to know I beat the diabetes this time. My midwives keep reminding me how rare it is to do that.

Here is to hoping I continue to feel good (and can keep wearing my wedding rings!).

Just when I think I am going to lose it. . .

My little boy shows me that he wasn't put on this earth to gray my hair and make me a crazy person.

Today while Danny was have a very irrational meltdown at my Grandparent's house (are they ever rational??) I took him out to the woodshed (literally) to give him a good talking to. I thought he was going to climb up a tree and start chittering like Curious George because he was freaking so much. As I sat him down on the steps leading up to the woodshed he suddenly calmed down and listened to his little toddle lecture. He typically flips a bit longer as I try to give him a good talking to. He also typically wont apologize for whatever he did wrong, even when I ask him to. Well today he not only listened to me, but he gave me a hug and a kiss and said he was sorry. When I asked him if he would try to be a good boy for the rest of the day (he usually says no), he said yes and gave me another kiss.

He stayed true to his word and was a sweetheart the rest of the day.

Sometimes I really don't know how to get through the day, but today he reminded me just how sweet, innocent and amazing he is. I am lucky to be his mom, and even more lucky to spend every day taking care of him.

My heart and soul, right here.

Haircut

Yesterday we took Danny to have a haircut. It was his fifth haircut to date, and they have gotten more traumatizing each time. This time we decided to skip going to Pigtails and Crew cuts, a haircut place near us that specializes in kids cuts. Not only do they have a million fun things going on to distract kids, but they have police cars and firetruck chairs for the kids to sit in. P&Cc is a fun place, but after the last two cuts with Danny flipping out we decided it might be too overwhelming for him.

We took him to a real barber shop, where he got to watch his dad get a cut first, he got to play while he waited, and he got to sit in a cool (?) horse chair. Well, as soon as the lady barber came near Danny all hell broke loose. He went nuts, so nuts that we had to move him to an adult chair where he sat on his dads lap for the whole cut. He screamed the whole time, and by the end of it we were all covered in Danny's hair.

Danny's haircut. July 27th, 2012

It was totally worth it, I hate to say that, but his hair looks so cute, he isn't as hot when we play outside, and he looks like a big boy.

Danny is growing up so fast, I know it is going to be all too soon where he doesn't want to be around me because moms aren't cool, so I will cherish the time I have with him as my little boy, even if that means he is crying out my name in terror during a haircut!

Preparing for baby girl

Diaper prepping

The most tedious part of preparing for the arrival of my baby girl is getting the cloth diapers ready. To get the diapers ready they need to be washed several times to ensure they will be absorbent enough for use. It isn't hard work, it is just a big pain in the you-know-what. The first load of laundry was fun, I got to look at all the cute diapers again, but now that I am on the third load it is less fun.

Still, I love knowing that I am almost ready for this girl to make her appearance. The crib and pack and play are both set up. Clothes are washed, the swing, exersaucer and bouncy chair are all clean and ready to go. I still have some odds and ends (I need to make my homemade moby wrap, among other things).

The only problem is that all of the baby-1st year toys we have are total boy toys. There are teething toys and rattle type things that can go either way, but I can't imagine she is going to want to play with a musical and light tool bench, or a basketball hoop. If she does, she is SOL, I am giving them away to Danny's cousin, and going to give the three-month-old baby that I will have at Christmas time girly toys to replace them. Typically would think to just give a tiny baby like that diapers for Christmas, but that doesn't really work when you cloth diaper!

All and all I am feeling pretty good about my accomplishments this week.