Silas scoots across floor (PIC)

This afternoon, I had left Silas on the changing pad on the floor. He was happy as a clam - looking around and kicking his cubby arms and legs. Sydney and I had left the room for a few short minutes. When we came back, Silas had pushed himself across the floor (on his back) - a few feet away from the changing pad.

Out of curiosity, I let him keep scooting on his back to see how far he would wiggle. Over time, he managed to push himself from our diaper changing corner over to the wood floor by our television set. (I did NOT let him try to slide across the wood floor. His tour of the living room was over at that point.)

What a funny little man! Good thing his crib will contain him from scooting on his back like that.

Now, if only we could get him interested in lifting his head during tummy time... he thinks tummy time is a much better opportunity to fall asleep instead.

Speaking of sleep, he fell asleep when we were outside enjoying grilled dinner tonight... chicken sandwiches and sweet corn.

When Sydney was a baby, my parents (Nana & Papa Olson) had coined Sydney as LBG... Little Big Guy.

Mike has now coined Silas as the BLG... BIG Little Guy.

At 95th percentile for weight, it is rather fitting; don't you think?

Sounds like a guinea pig with sleep apnea

We have a playpen in our room for Silas to sleep in. Once he starts sleeping for longer stretches, we will consider putting him into his crib in the nursery, but for now, we didn't want to interrupt Sydney's sleep.

Sadly, we are finding it difficult to sleep with Silas in the room. He makes A LOT of noise when he sleeps. In fact, with all of his rustling around, little squeaks and breathing patterns, sometimes we think he sounds like a guinea pig with sleep apnea.

Mike is thinking that his playpen may make its way into the hallway (so that we can still hear him, but he won't keep Sydney awake.) I remind myself that THIS is why we never bothered with a baby monitor... as babies DO make A LOT of strange noises when they sleep.

Speaking of sleep... I am hoping that the cute little guinea pig is sound asleep now so that I can fall asleep without listening to him wiggle and squeak. One thing is for sure... he SURE IS CUTE!!

35week belly

Here's what 35 weeks looks like:

Baby feels as if he has dropped - as I have (finally) NOT been having problems with indigestion at all. I am, however, noticing more pressure and pain in my hips and low back again, most likely caused from the weight of him lowering into my pelvic region. 

I still sleep rather upright... propped up by a pile of pillows: This seems to help the hip/back pain that I had been previously having (from sleeping on my side and from the pregnancy hormones causing my spine/hips to slip out of whack). It also seems to help some of the sinus congestion that I had been having (also from sleeping on my side). Although, my right sinus feels congested almost round-the-clock... thanks to my wisdom tooth being impacted in that sinus cavity.

Mike would beg to differ on the sinus congestion being better with upright sleeping, as he claims that he's been sleeping with Darth Vador. (A few nights he has slept in the other room because my snoring was keeping him awake.) Thankfully, when I am NOT PREGNANT, I only snore when I have a cold.

Earlier today, Mike informed me: I think you snore when you are close to falling asleep or close to waking up. (I reminded him that I must be snoring an awful lot - since I feel as if I am awake and looking at the clock every 60-90 minutes throughout the night and have been taking frequent bathroom breaks as well.)

I look forward to welcoming Baby Silas... it will be SO NICE to be rid of all of these extra hormones that are relaxing my veins, my joints, my nasal passageways, etc AND it will be nice to be able to sleep on a horizontal plane again.

Having a child brings SO MUCH JOY into my life... the toll it takes on my body is TOTALLY WORTH IT!

34 week appointment

This morning, we started our day at the doctor's office for my 34 week check-up.

My blood pressure was great. My weight gain was respectable (x+32). No protein in my urine. Baby's heart rate was perfect. Again, my uterus measures SMALL.

We've got doctor's ON CALL dates marked on our calendar for late April and early May - in hopes that Baby Silas will cooperate with doctor's on-call schedule so that Mike will have an opportunity to "CATCH" both of his children as they enter into this world. (We've been forewarned that not all of her colleagues would be receptive to the idea of letting DAD "catch" so, we keep HOPING that our doctor will be on-call when the magic happens!)

Because of my uterus measuring small... AGAIN/still... she has ordered us to repeat an ultrasound at our next appointment on Wednesday, April 13th to guarantee that Baby Silas is growing properly and that there are enough fluids inside. Chances are, I am still carrying a large baby in a small uterus - which is what we learned earlier this month and at our 35wk appointment with Sydney's pregnancy; although, we just want to make sure that Baby Silas is doing well in there. Doctor felt badly ordering a repeat ultrasound, in case it adds financial burden to us, but we assured her that we agree with the statement "it is best to check - just to be sure". (I'm sure that since she is liable for my care, it is important to keep an eye on it instead of assuming that everything is fine, despite measuring small.)

We look forward to seeing Baby Silas again (at the ultrasound) in a few weeks. (Mike reminds me that WE WANT HIM TO STAY INSIDE FOR AS LONG AS POSSIBLE BECAUSE HE IS SAFEST/HEALTHIEST IN THERE.) Doctor hopes that Baby will stay inside until 36, 37 or 38 weeks - when considered "term" and most ready to greet the world. 

In the event that NATURE does not come first, doctor has proposed a scenario where we can "make a reservation at the spa" to make things happen before she goes out of town. (Originally, she was going to be ON CALL on the weekend that we are due, which happens to be Mike's weekend off, but has since taken vacation time to attend her cousin's wedding on a cruise ship in a tropical environment.)  The "eviction notice" has been posted for 39 weeks. She has suggested that we go ahead and cancel our 40wk OB appointment that had been scheduled with a different OB/GYN because she states "you won't be needing that one."

Today, I made my phone call to the insurance company for pre-certification and delivery guidelines, as well as confirming that we can deliver at the hospital of our choice. (I have up to 3 days for vaginal delivery and 5 days for c-section; although, I can't fathom the thought of being away from home for that long in either scenario.) 

I still need to fill out my pre-registration papers for the hospital, as well as my "birth plan".

I also just got the pregnancy email update - reminding me to pack my bags for the hospital.

Now, time will tell... to see WHEN Baby Silas would like to make his grand entrance into this world. Does he want to be an APRIL shower or a MAY flower?

Doctor says OK, 33wk belly

Above: 33 week belly

Yesterday afternoon, I had been experiencing a series of painful contractions. I'm getting QUITE used to experiencing the Braxton Hicks "practice" contractions, but THESE actually downright hurt! While making dinner, I had a handful of them - lasting 15-20 seconds each - and happening every minute-or-two. Eventually, I took the hint and decided "Perhaps it is best to go sit down for a little while."

After a small break, I noticed that my uterus had calmed down for the most part and I returned to make dinner. While we ate, I had another handful of them. I questioned if I had been over-doing it. I questioned if I had drank enough liquids during the day.

After dinner, I had Grandpa Lowell entertain Sydney while I showered/shaved. (That was, by the way, DELIGHTFUL and the most relaxing time I have had in a while... normally, my shower curtain flies open and "BOO!" or "Hi, Mom!" bombard me with surprise, as well as a blast of cold air on multiple occassions. So, thank you - Grandpa Lowell - for that nice change of pace, as well as running the vacuum after dinner for me!) 

I had NOT been wearing my support hose during the day and noticed that my ankle was pooling over in a fold by my sock and my left foot appeared slightly puffy; hmmmm, fluid retention and swelling... NOT SO GOOD! 

MENTAL NOTE: wear support hose tomorrow, regardless of how much I plan to be on my feet.

I drank some fluids and continued to have contractions on & off throughout the evening, most of which were not painful. I did wake during the night for a couple of "good ones" however so, decided it was best to call the doctor this morning to mention the recent series of events.

They assured me that "it is probably nothing, but it is best to have you come in to check things out - just to be sure". Because Baby Silas is still moving around, despite the extra uterine activity, they didn't feel the need to do a FST (fetal stress test) unless it would make ME more comfortable. He's moving a lot less than the past 2 weeks, but he is most likely also running out of free space in there. (She's predicting that he's still moving a lot, but since I have been busy cleaning, etc - that I probably just haven't noticed his movement as much.) I was also informed that the recent full moon - being the closest to the Earth in 18 years time - had done some CRAZY THINGS over the weekend to women's bodies because Doctor was on-call and VERY BUSY! (That's funny!)

I have also noticed that Baby Silas has shifted positions so that the banging that I used to feel solely on my right can now be felt on my left and I have a hard protrusion (likely a butt or leg) near my belly button. (The indigestion that I had been suffering from the past 2 weeks has also subsided with the position change; now, I have just been having an occasional pinch of the sciatic nerve.)

My weight is good (down a little from last visit, despite my recent case of "the hungries" over the weekend). My blood pressure is good. My urine looked good, no protein. Fetal heart rate is good. 

According to doctor, Baby Silas is head-down and there are no signs of softening, ripening or dilating. His head is not engaged low into my pelvis; it pushed away when she was doing her exam. She also took a swabbed culture to make sure that there isn't any infection in the area - which can sometimes cause overly active uterine contractions. I have my normally scheduled appointment one week from today. 

She told me that I should drink plenty of fluids and perhaps I need to do a little less cleaning for a few days. Perhaps a 20-minute "Power Nap" is in order while Sydney sleeps...

Two Number 2's...

Aunt Sue called the other night to report that my cousin, Rachel, is working at the local daycare during spring break for extra spending money. 

Rachel knew our name selection for Number 2 and had never heard the name Silas before that. (Honestly, before meeting Mike and seeing his SILAS license plates, I had never heard the name Silas before either.)

Rachel was SHOCKED to discover that there are not one, but TWO little boys named Silas at that daycare in small-town, WI. (One of them was spelled with a Y instead of an I.) That's crazy... what are the odds of that?

Babynames.com reports that SILAS, Latin for Man of the Forest, was most popular in 2009 - ranking #254 in baby name popularity. So, perhaps, this name - SILAS - won't be nearly as unique as we had intended, but it DOES have history on our family tree and THAT is what is important to us.

We look forward to welcoming yet another SILAS into this world.

Naming Rights for Number 2 revealed

We're pretty sure that we've FINALLY decided upon a name for Number 2.

When someone at work questioned Mike about our baby name selection this week, Mike shared the name. The guy said "Oh, so you're going with the S-theme?" (I teased Mike that if he was thinking quick enough, he should have told him that it starts with a silent P - as does the word psoriasis, but spelling is NOT Mike's forté; quick-wit, however, DOES tend to be a specialty of his.) Instead, Mike told his co-worker that both of our boys will have names that are off of our family trees, to which the guy replied "That's cool!"

Drum-roll please.....

PHOTO DETAIL: Silas

NAME SELECTION: 

Silas Jacob

HISTORY: We did NOT want a name off of the 100 Most Popular List; we wanted something unique and with some meaning so, we're picking names with family history. 

This way, both of our children (Sydney Michael and Silas Jacob) will share part of their father's name... MICHAEL SILAS... as well as names off of our family trees. (Sydney's name is same as his Grandpa Olson's middle name, great-grandpa's first name and great-great-grandpa's first name.) 

Silas is Mike's middle name (that comes off of Mike's family tree - Mike's paternal great- grandfather's name.) Jacob, in the top 5 for popularity, is from Mike's maternal family tree and honors of our Dubuque heritage. (Silas' great-great-great grandfather, a 4th Street Elevator Board of Directors member, was named Jacob Frederick Ris and his son... Silas's great-great grandfather was named John Jacob; Jacob being a common name for both of them.) 

Hence, our name selection for NUMBER 2: Silas Jacob!

A photo I found on the internet - of the 4th St elevator plaque that currently hangs on the building at the top of the Fenelon Place Elevator in Dubuque, IA. (NOTE: JF RIS)

We're in the process of teaching Sydney how to say SILAS. Normally, he just calls him BABY.... or BELLY BUTTON. (Betta-butta)

• • • • •

Today, while shopping with Grandma Olson, we purchased a brand new outfit for Silas to wear home from the hospital. (It has puppies on it; Sydney LOVED the outfit for his baby brother!) We bought it in both newborn size and 0-3 month size, figuring that Grandma Olson will be able to wash the appropriate size (while I enjoy my spa-like stay in the hospital) and bring it to the hospital for our discharge - depending upon how big the little man is when he is born.

Only 56 days until his due date...

I was also pretty excited that we picked up matching shirts for the boys... one saying BIG BROTHER and the other saying LITTLE BROTHER. I'm anxious to see them in their shirts together; it will be SO STINKING CUTE!!!

Counting down... 60 days until Number 2!

Yesterday, I talked to Annie (the wife of Mike's boss) who is a labor & delivery nurse at our hospital. I hadn't thought of it this way YET, but she assured me that my stay at the hospital will feel spa-like since I won't, for once, have to worry about taking care of anyone else and will have my meals brought to me. (I also find that it is VERY NICE that the nursing staff comes to your room and reminds you "it is time to feed your baby now" and if I opt to have Number 2 in the nursery so that I can get a little sleep, they will bring him to me when he needs me. NICE.) 

I will also be able to go to the bathroom BY MYSELF - without a potty chair crammed next to the toilet and without someone's hand/arm resting on my leg. (Don't get me wrong, it IS VERY SWEET, but other than my middle-of-the-night trips to the bathroom, I don't typically get to GO alone; even then, a lot of times, one of the cats will join me.) Thankfully, Sydney has stopped his toilet paper fetish and no longer tries to wipe my butt cheek or hip while I sit on the toilet. 

AND... I will be able to soak in a bathtub - BY MYSELF - without the fear of someone pooping in the tub. 

Ah, yes.... thank you Annie.... it sounds LOVELY!

Right now, Number 2 could be up to 19" long from head-to-toe and SHOULD weigh close to 4#, packing on more fat every day. (Funny because they say that FAT helps regulate body temperature; therefore, I, myself, must be well-regulated, right?)

Tomorrow's ultrasound SHOULD give us a better idea how long Number 2 REALLY IS and how much he weighs. (We'll be sure to post an update and pics, if possible.) I'm sure that after having the opportunity to see Number 2 in 3D tomorrow, I will be all-the-more-anxious to meet the little man and these last 60 days may suddenly slow down.

It certainly is AMAZING (and a little bit scary) how quickly our ticker countdown is moving: SIXTY DAYS LEFT!!! (And how many more things I would like to get done - around the house - before his arrival.)

Nursery for TWO (photos)

Last weekend, we installed new carpeting in the nursery and the master bedroom. (It was DELIGHTFUL to step onto new carpet when I woke on Sunday morning.)

Here, you can see the difference between the ratty old hallway carpet and the plush, new nursery carpet as Mike starts to assemble the second crib for the nursery. (We'll eventually have the hallway done, too and the threshold between the two will be better.) It makes an AMAZING DIFFERENCE!

Here is a view from the hallway/door... 2 cribs make the room appear MUCH SMALLER and slightly off-balance. Thankfully, for us, we have TWO CRIBS! (When one of the slats FELL OUT of Sydney's original crib, the company sent us an entire new crib. We assembled our new crib and Mike was later able to Gorilla Glue the fallen slat into place on the old crib. Lucky for us... they convert from a crib, to a toddler bed and then, to a full-sized bed with head & footboard.)

Seems SO REAL seeing two cribs

This morning, Mike and handy assistant Sydney assembled the second crib in the nursery. 

(We're missing one part so, we HOPE that Mike can find "a widget replacement" at the hardware store.) When he was done, he placed a piece of cardboard in the bed of it and laid a comforter inside - making it look like a bed. 

I felt a slight wave of anxiety seeing TWO CRIBS in the room; that visual makes it feel SO CLOSE and SO REAL! Soon, there will be TWO OF THEM calling us momma and dadda. (OK, I realize that Number 2 isn't going to come out talking, but still... you get the idea.)

We've got our crib mattress picked out and are waiting for a sale.

Next Wednesday, I am SUPER EXCITED to get a Sneak Peek inside my belly at our ultrasound. Chances are, despite my uterus measuring small on a regular basis, we will discover that I hide it well - just like what happened with Sydney. It gives us the opportunity to make sure that he's developing well and perhaps to even see his little face. (Last time, he looked like a bony, little chicken, but he's been packing on the pounds now!)

Number 2 should be around 3 pounds already and 18" long. He's VERY ACTIVE inside my belly. I'm convinced that he's excited to meet his big brother because I think they can sense each other; Sydney exposes my belly and rubs it (or lays his cheek on it) ALL THE TIME! And Number 2 tends to move around a lot more when he can hear Sydney. 

So far, Sydney seems pretty excited that BABY has a bed JUST LIKE HIS!

I hope they will be great friends! 

28wk checkup and (sad) lab results

This afternoon, I had my 28 week appointment and glucose/iron tests.

My weight was up .4 pounds from last time, which was A HUGE RELIEF to me, being that I feared additional gain after 14 pounds worth over the past 2 months. YAY!

My blood pressure was low, like always.

No protein in my urine, which I'm told is good. 

Fetal heart rate was good.

Uterus measured small. Doctor ordered an ultrasound for my next appointment to check fetal growth, fluid levels, etc. - to make sure that he's doing well in there. Although, like last time, perhaps I just hide it well. (Like she says... better to be safe and check things out.)

Was disappointed this afternoon when I got my lab results back by phone. Turns out that I did NOT pass the preliminary gestational diabetes test; therefore, I need to fast for 10 hours and go in for 3.5-4 hours worth of further testing. However, given Mike's work schedule, this is NOT going to happen until NEXT WEEKEND on Saturday morning. (I'm not looking forward to it really; although, I guess it will give me a little down-time... without having to worry about Sydney... and allow me to sit and read a book. (I've already decided that menu planning for the week wont be the best idea since I will be starving and thirsty.)

So, fingers are crossed that all goes well next weekend... I don't know much about gestational diabetes and hope to keep it that way. I have heard of plenty of people who failed the first 1-hour test and passed the 3-hour test with flying colors so, I am hopeful.

Off to bed...

3B's

Bath, Boob and Breastfeeding...

This morning, I woke before Sydney and had hoped to take a bath so that I could comfortably shave my legs. With just a few inches of water in the tub, I heard him start yelling "Up! Up! Mama! Up!.... Mama! Mama! Mama!..." When I went into his room, he insisted that we go downstairs to EAT right away. I showed him the tub of water, but he INSISTED that we eat so, we ventured downstairs to have some cinnamon raisin toast, sliced apple and some banana. The whole time we sat downstairs, I dreaded that the tub would cool off and that we wouldn't have enough hot water left to take a warm shower.

Thankfully, it was still warm enough for us by the time we were done with our breakfast snack. Sydney and I hopped into the tub together. Not feeling overly attractive anyways (with my growing belly and bulging leg veins), I opted NOT to shave my legs because Sydney probably didn't want to play in water that had stubble floating in it. After I had washed both of our hair in the tub and scrubbed him with baby body wash, I got out and started to dry off.

Sydney started talking. To me, it sounded almost like he said POOP.

"Poop?" I questioned (as my heart and thoughts started racing... NO, please DON'T poop in the tub... I HATE having to clean poop from the tub!) I decided that he had been in the tub long enough and didn't want to take any chances so, I quickly scooped him out and bundled him in his towel.

He shook his head NO and attempted to say the word again.

"Poop?" I repeated.

NO (shaking his head). Then, he reached his hand out of his towel and touched my boob, saying his word again.

"Oh, you said BOOB!" He smiled and proudly nodded his head YES! I confirmed "Yes, that IS mommy's boob."

I immediately took him into his room to dress him in a diaper and some clothes. As I knelt on the floor in front of his dresser, partially covered by my towel, I stood him back to his feet again. I was caught off-guard when he reached out to touch my boob again; I was downright SHOCKED when he leaned towards it - with an open mouth - and attempted to make contact with his mouth. "What do you think you're doing?" I questioned.

Ironically, just last Monday - at the library - I had talked to another mom (of 2 girls - about 2.5 years apart) about the thought of nursing NUMBER TWO and wondering if Sydney would remember it at all. She assured me "He wont have a clue!" Hmmm, now I am starting to wonder if perhaps she is mistaken in her analysis. (She had stopped nursing her first child at a much younger age than what Sydney was and her first-born was 7 months older when their second child came around .) It has been 5 months since Sydney last nursed; once NUMBER TWO comes around, it will be about 8 months since Sydney last nursed. I wonder what will happen once he sees his little brother doing it... or once he gets a whiff of that familiar (and comforting) "mommy smell".

I guess things will be interesting...

I did learn, however, that it is WISE to have an assortment of activities that Sydney can do while I am nursing NUMBER TWO. She said that her first-born wanted to sit near them while the new baby nursed, but needed to be occupied. I was also warned that I will most likely be nursing while doing TONS of other things around the house. We'll have to see how it goes...

Sydney noticed the baby kicking, now says BABY

The past couple of days, Sydney has been saying a new word: BABY! (He knows there is a baby in my belly, but I'm not sure that he knows WHAT that actually means.)

This morning, after he woke (around 8am) we were sitting in the recliner together as he was resting against my body. I could feel Number 2 kicking and kicking up a storm as Sydney's back was pressed up against my belly. Finally, I asked "Do you feel the baby moving around in there?"

He sat up, turned around and looked at my belly (with a furrowed brow) - as if saying "THAT's what that is..." Then, he started poking and prodding at my belly with both hands. 

It was kind of funny.

Closer to a baby name... (pic)

We purchased paper maché letters for Number 2; however, since we hadn't yet agreed upon a name - we bought the letters for TWO NAMES:

We've discussed that we really SHOULD pick a name soon. A few days ago, Mike DID talk to my belly and used one of the two baby names.

"Does this mean you've decided or are you just trying it out to hear how it sounds?" I questioned.

"That's the name you like, isn't it?" he replied. "It would be fine; it's OK."

(Still, I hope that he likes the name better than "fine or OK". This is a BIG DECISION; Number 2 will have to live with this name for the rest of his life. We want it to be a name that we LIKE and that has some thought/meaning to it.)

I think it's growing on us more each day... if only *IT were easier for Sydney to say. (He can say the other name... and NO, it's NOT Oscar, Elmo or Abby!) Sydney DID just say the word BABY yesterday for the first time; we'll have to keep practicing that, I guess, since he doesn't do it on command yet.