Baby bump - 25 weeks / Boyd update

Our little baby girl is definitely growing - we're at 25 weeks now and in a few more weeks I'll hit my 3rd and final trimester. YAY!

My last appointment with the specialist consisted of an ultrasound and it looks like she is weighing around 1 pound, 4 ounces (as of last Friday). At my regular OB appointment yesterday, her fetal heartbeat was 154 beats per minute. My blood pressure was good at 118/68 and belly is measuring right at 24 weeks (24 cm), but my iron levels are slightly below normal and the nurse suggested I take an additional supplement. The glucose screening showed no signs of gestational diabetes so we are in the clear!

• Feeling lots of kicks and movement throughout the day, and we can even see my belly moving slightly. D has been able to feel the little one kicking from time to time. 
• My sleep hasn't been very restful as of late - it's difficult to get comfortable so I've been sleeping with a body pillow. My hands/arms get tingly and my hips ache in the morning. Both D and I have become unhappy with our current mattress so we tested a few and pulled the trigger on a memory foam model, which has arrived! I really like it so far - D says it's too early to tell for him. 
• It was pretty hot here in the AK during these summer months, so when I'm not at work I have a pretty steady wardrobe of leggings and tank tops! Otherwise I have stretchy tops, cardigans and maternity pants to wear at work. 
• Posterior pelvic pain - which is just a fancy way of saying aches and pains in my bottom and down my legs. Doc says my ligaments and muscles are loosening up and getting ready to birth a baby in a couple of months.
• Shortness of breath
• Sour taste in mouth - didn't experience this during my last pregnancy!
• Pressure on bladder = many trips to the restroom (2-3x during the night)
• I was pretty sick until about 16.5 weeks into this pregnancy, so the last 7 weeks haven't actually been so bad in comparison!

Boyd update: have you heard the term "three-nager"? It's like having a teenager but they're THREE so it's obviously much, much worse, right?. Well we have one in our house! Oh the tantrums about NOTHING. Or it will start out about something (no more TV, time for bed, come in the house, yes you must wear underwear, etc.) and then I really believe he forgets what he was so upset about - which means crying or whining because of a residual feeling. We usually tell him to go in his room when he's having a fit and when he's ready to calm down he can come out. It's funny because all of a sudden he'll be fine and will let us know that he's not upset any more. Poor kid - so many emotions and changes going on in his life. We're just trying to deal with this development the best we can.

First day of preschool, August 19, 2015, at 3.5 years old!

His first day of school was this past Wednesday. We were prepping him for it for at least a week, with little talks and reminders about how fun school was last year. Boyd woke up in a good mood (hallelujah!) and I made sure to give him plenty of time for breakfast and playtime in the morning before we left. He was pretty happy leaving the house and then got a little quiet when he realized we were at school. We held hands and walked to his new classroom to see his new teachers (Miss Connie and Miss Lisabeth). After finding his cubby I gave him a big hug and kiss, and told him I'd come pick him up from the playground right after school. Oh I felt so bad after seeing the look on his little face, with the lower lip quivering like the tears were going to come! He held it together though and pretty much stood just inside the doorway of his classroom, looking inside and taking it all in. He looked so small and fragile to me!

When I picked him up from the playground later on, I saw no trace of tears and he was happy to see me. I know he'll be totally fine with going to school again once he has time to adjust but it's these first days that are difficult. What's funny is that as I was driving to my mom's house, he freaked out about going there instead of to "his house." Like maybe he had a delayed upset reaction to school? Or seeing me for a short period in the middle of the day was off-putting. The rest of the week has gone well during drop-off. The lead teacher gives him a hug to welcome him in class and says that he is slowly warming up, playing with other kids and participating. I do drop off in the morning and then my mom picks him up at 11:15. Wish us luck for next week!

Freshly bathed and ready for storytime. 

We went to dinner downtown at Simon & Seafort's (one of my favorites!) since I had some dining credit. Boyd ate like a champ, which is always nice. Next door is a cute little B&B with a bridge over a water feature. 

Boyd - 3 years

Our tiny little baby has grown and blossomed into an awesome 3 year old. Boyd is overall still very sweet and good-natured. The only time we have major problems is during sickness - then all bets are off and our kiddo turns into a little demon!

• He is fully potty trained during the day. At night he wears pull ups because he sleeps too deeply for a visit to the bathroom. He has started to wake at night after a poop, so I go in and change him and we lay down in his bed until he falls asleep again. 
• In the mornings he will pop out of bed between 7 and 8 a.m., open his bedroom door and walk right out into the hallway! That just started a few weeks ago - prior to that he would wait in his room for one of us to get him. 
• Our nighttime routine usually consists of me giving him a bath around 7:30 or so, and then Darin reading books starting at 8 and bedtime at 8:30 p.m. 
• No more consistent naps during the day! If he is totally wiped we'll let him sleep for 30-45 minutes but otherwise the daytime sleep cuts into his evening bedtime. 
• We initiated a huge room makeover to celebrate his 3rd birthday. Gone are the crib, rocker and old changing table/long dresser. I found an Ikea convertible toddler/bunk bed on Craigslist for $80 (a total steal since retail is $250!) so we set that up and moved his bookcase around. Darin re-stained an antique dresser I also found on Craigslist for $40 to add to the room, plus a train table and toys. Boyd seems to enjoy the new setup. 
• One of his favorite activities is to have us chase him around. He says "I'm gonna get you Boyd!" and that is our cue to say it back to him and then commence the chasing. 
• He can sit for longer periods of time and watch movies - some of his favorites are Finding Nemo, Toy Story and the Lego Movie (thanks Grandma Mim and Papa Don for that one - the parents like it too!). 
• Much more talking and singing. 
• School ends on May 20th and we aren't doing the summer program so Boyd won't be back in school until the end of August. He'll still attend from 8:15 - 11:15 a.m. but we're bumping him up to 5 days a week, so a big change! The Montessori method has been a great introduction education-wise for our quieter, more introspective child. The instructors really embrace his temperament and personality, and I love how this school focuses on individual work and hands-on learning instead of the traditional classroom style of teacher at front and really structured learning.  
• My mom was in a car accident last December so Risha was Boyd's nanny for about 5 months. Thankfully Mom pretty much recovered and got her neck brace off in late April. 

Boyd - 2 years, 2 months

Our 2-year old is a pretty great kid. Funny, sweet and good-natured for the most part!

• Says "ewwww"
• Really likes busses as of late - but pronounces it "bus-shhhh". We look for them on the road when driving. When one passes us he says "more bus!"
• He's all about the new rocking chair - he sits in every night when we read stories before bed. I have to get in real close so his feet rest on my legs and then we read book after book.
• Sleep has been challenging lately. It never goes smoothly when he's overtired, sick, or going through a milestone. We've tried and tried to get him to fall asleep before 9 p.m. but he's not having it. I figure he'll have an automatic 8 p.m. bedtime when Daylight Savings Time ends in November!
• We've been telling Boyd that his Grandparents from South Dakota are coming to see him this summer. He says "Papa" for Grandpa and I'll say "Grandma Mim" to distinguish from Grandma Ann. Well now he says "MIM!" everytime we say Grandma. I think he might have called my mom Mim the other day. So now we call my mom "Hahma" (sort of a mangled version of the Korean word for Grandma) and Mim can officially be Grandma! On the plus side, he's pretty excited about all of his grandparents. 
• This kid loves oatmeal. He asks for it every morning that I make his breakfast (Monday - Friday). And sometimes he requests it for dinner! On the weekends that D is home, he gets Boyd up and they have peanut butter toast together. :-)
• Much more talking is going on - lots of 2-word sentences and he always likes to know that we understand what he is saying. 
• In the last month we've had lots of adventures - Museum excursions, a trip to Chuck-E-Cheese with daddy, a Cabelas store opening in Anchorage (D is thrilled), and many MANY days outside as the temperatures get warmer and the snow melts. 

We love the weekends. Jammies, no makeup and leisurely mornings at home. Plus, Daddy makes breakfast!

Peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. Yum. My friend Tina gave us a cutter that turns sandwiches into 2 dolphins and a heart. 

Why yes, that it a bacon band-aid on Boyd's tummy. Someone got into the bandages. 

This is from a couple weeks ago. Most of that snow is gone!

D put together some shelves for our master closet and Boyd RAN to get his tool kit in order to "help" his daddy.

Shopping at Home Depot for aforementioned shelves.

At the Museum weeks ago. My GQ little man hanging out in the elevator. He was SO good that day. 

Never too young to teach young'ins the way of the world. Don't worry - the safety shield was on the razor!

Playing with his new net from Target. Only $1!

I took a wrong turn and we ended up in the Target toy aisle by mistake. Only took us 20 minutes to escape and I got off easy - no toy buying necessary!

Except for the net, but did I mention it was only $1?

School is going so well now! The first week was very hard (for everyone). During the second week the tears began when we walked into school, and one day he started crying before we even get out of the car! I'm not sure how to explain this, but he even had a good attitude through the tears during the third week. Like he knew I had to leave him but he was ultimately ok with it. His teachers say he is the sweetest thing and I know they are being very gentle with him and his feelings. The other kids have been in this class for months so they are totally well-adjusted to school and fine with being dropped off - which is great because Liz and Pilita were able to devote a little more time to Boyd in the beginning. Now he directs me to put his fox backpack away in his cubby (or grabs it to do it himself), and then points out his classroom shoes when I ask if we should put his inside slippers on. He goes straight to his teachers and gives them hugs. When I say goodbye he smiles brightly and gives me a hug and a kiss. It's awesome that he is happy at school!

I drove D's truck around for almost 2 weeks since mine was in the shop after getting hit. I finally have my car back but it's still not totally fixed! We're convinced the auto shop procrastinated on my car. When I called last Friday to let them know I was coming to pick it up AND THEY BETTER HAVE IT READY it seemed like they scrambled to produce it. Even then, it hadn't been detailed and I noticed the next day that the rear door lock didn't work. So frustrating. Since I have Mondays off, Boyd and I dropped my car off after his gymnastics class and walked home with the Chariot stroller (we took the long way - 3 miles!) so they could finish the detailing and address the door lock. Turns out they need to order a part for the door. OMG. No apologies, of course. Now we need to take it in AGAIN. I'm so over this place. Oh, and the Chariot got a flat tire! We were so close to home and I had managed to dodge most of the broken glass on the sidewalk (what kind of idiots throw bottles in the street?) before I realized the left tire had totally gone flat. Here's hoping D can fix it - there aren't many replacement tires for this stroller out there.

What a couple weeks it has been. Boyd was sick earlier this week and then D and I both caught something. I'm exhausted. Sometimes I think I'm ready for another baby - then I think about how crazy my life is with just 1 husband, 1 baby, 1 diabetic cat, and 1 job!

Boyd - 2 years, 1 month

I guess this is the point where I stop referring to Boyd's age in months - so no 27 months, 32 months or 125 months!

• Boyd started at Anchorage Montessori School on Wednesday. He was actually supposed to attend last week but he got sick (again) so we delayed it a week. I was really sweating his first day and honestly a little relieved when we pushed back his start date! Overall the first day went very well. We got there early so Boyd could get familiar with the place and then all of his stuff was put in a cubby. His 2 teachers are very kind and welcoming (fully trained in Montessori education) but I was still surprised when he almost immediately sat down with Ms. Liz (head teacher) to play with wooden trains. I kissed him and told him goodbye (and for the hundredth time said I'd come back for him later). He actually told me "bye bye" and went back to playing with Ms. Liz! I stood there like an idiot thinking "is it going to be this easy?" Then I left. No tears, from either of us!
• Today was a little rougher, I think because he knew what was coming. He was a little more clingy when we walked into the classroom but Ms. Pilita pulled out the trains again and they started playing. Another kiss and then I left. Later Liz told me that he had some tears on and off (his sweet little face was red from crying) but that he did very well. 
• So he'll be going Wednesday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. until 11:30. I drop him off in the morning and then my mom will pick him up. I think this transition is harder on my mom than me and D! It's her first grandkid so she's pretty attached to our little bug. School will be very good for him - he definitely needs more interaction and socialization with other children his age. 
• Seems like Boyd is more comfortable around Risha. Sometimes he is just so weird with her and it's great that their relationship is getting closer. And instead of saying "emo" which is the Korean word for aunt (technically, mom's sister - the word for dad's sister is "gomo"), he calls her "momo." Way cute. 
• I'm not quite sure how this happened, but Boyd knows 5 letters of the alphabet! We have magnetic letters and numbers down low on the side of the fridge where he can access them, and he brought the letter T over to me and said "T!" I looked around like, did this just happen?! My kid knows letters! Other than T, we've seen him identify B, D, O and N. Maybe H and F too. 
• Numbers - he can count to 3. And we'll ask, "how many hands do you have?" and he'll say "two!" Or answer "one!" to a question like "how many boats are outside?" So he's pretty familiar with the concept of one and two. 
• Says "ah huh!" for yes. 
• Instead of saying no, he's on this "nope" kick - which he says very emphatically.
• TV is "veevee," phone is "wone," and computer is "poopoo" - all of which he loves. This came out of nowhere. All of sudden he started asking to watch things on TV and my computer/phone. I try to limit it, but his current favorites on YouTube are Teletubbies (ugh) and Shawn the Train.
• Still obsessed with going outside and checking the mail, which has been tough lately with his awful cold and hacking cough. 
• Takes medicine like a champ and sometimes even asks for it!
• Very sweetly says "hi" and in the morning he'll say "meh meh" after I greet him with a "good morning"
• Quite a bit of imitation of our behaviors. 
• Continuing to be a good helper - most of the time his "assistance" is more work for us but it's good practice.

Boyd matched up these magnetic letters to the correct flash cards. 

This boy follows his daddy around like a little puppy. 

Two weeks ago my sister took Boyd for a few hours on her day off so my mom could get some errands done. The two of them met friends at a nearby greenhouse and then stopped by my workplace. Look at this guy taking over my office!

The kid is going to put me out of a job if he looks any more efficient (or adorable). 

Did I mention that my car was hit last month? Thank goodness neither Boyd nor I were in the car. We were inside the museum for a free event (which turned out to be sort of a bust – super crowded, rude kids, inattentive parents - the worst trifecta ever). When we got back to my car I saw the damage and just stood there for 30 seconds like "is this real?" Then I heard someone come up behind me - it was the guy who hit me! He stayed around to exchange insurance information. I couldn't believe it - he could have totally driven away and no one would have known. He said the intersection was super slippery and he just slid right into my car. 

So, I have an appointment with the auto body shop to take my car in on March 31st for at least a week of repairs. The estimate is around $2,500 but insurance should cover all of it. Gabe says I can borrow his truck since he'll be on the Slope working, which is great. It's a big inconvenience but it could have been way worse! 

I picked this little rocking chair up at a liquidation sale put on by a preschool moving to a new space. It was only $5! I should have taken a photo of the previous color - an awful bright blue. I had some free sample paint from Lowes so I used it to refinish the chair. D primed and sanded it for me and then I painted it while Boyd was napping. It looks great in his room!

A pre-storm walk. Boyd insisted on bringing these scrap pieces of wood with us. 

The roads were practically bare. Some portions of the sidewalk were ice while others were pavement. 

Bathtime antics...

Helping me make oatmeal & chocolate chip cookies. 

No surprise, his favorite part was making a mess with the flour and sugar!