i am crazy.

this week we are:

• transitioning audrey to whole milk from alimentum
• transitioning audrey from bottles to the sippy exclusively
• potty training olivia.

WHAT IS WRONG WITH ME?!?!?!

ps. we're pretty much going to have to burn our rug after this potty training endeavor.

swoon

am in some sort of parenting denial. is this common? it must be. my teeny newborn is nearly one:

my OTHER teeny newborn is three months shy of THREE. As in YEARS. OLD!!!!!

i... just can't process it. AND YET:

already they are laughing at me. ALREADY.

eleven months

my sweet audrey beans. yesterday she turned eleven months old. where did the last year go? no, seriously. i'm asking.

this kid is incredible. i mean, let's not rewrite history. the first four months were a nightmare. so colicky. so barfy. i feel like i didn't even meet her until september. but OHMAIGASH was she worth it.

i remember thinking no way would i ever want to have another kid after she was born. i mean, her birth experience was AWESOME, but everything after that was really, really, really difficult.

but then... it changed. somewhere around nine months she fell into this completely awesome stage and i want a million more of her. (HIGHLY unlikely there will be more, but i've still named my hypothetical third daughter all the time anyway.)

miss audrey at eleven months:

• is crawling like crazy.
• puts everything in her mouth. if she sees that you've spotted her with something she shouldn't have (usually a sticker) she jams that thing in her mouth SO FAST it's actually pretty impressive.
• eats like a champ (see above). loves absolutely all food - eats almost entirely table food with the addition of her happy bellies cereal in the morning. 
• weighs about 22 pounds - only four less than her big sister and they essentially wear the same size diaper.
• wants to walk, but hasn't figured out how to move her feet. 
• trying very hard to pull to a stand. i'm sure i'll find her standing in her crib within a week or so.
• claps.
• mimics olivia. they have nightly screeching matches after dinner. 
• WORSHIPS her big sister. 
• also madly in love with her daddy. she gets crazy excited whenever she even hears his voice. 
• hasn't gotten the hang of sleeping through the night yet. sigh. 
• is a total and absolute LOVE.

i can't believe it's almost her first birthday.

aw

i have to say it. I HAVE TO. these kids? SO. FREAKING. CUTE.

but, can i also add? how tired do tom and i look? because whoa. we are so. very. tired. i guess audrey looks a little tired (or pissed) in this picture, too. she is, yet again, fighting a losing battle against her sinuses. the sheer VOLUME of snot that comes out of this child's face has got to be some sort of record. it's like there was a water main break in her nose.

topic? EASTER DRESSES, YAY!!!

olivia: audrey, i know this photo-taking business is bullshit, but i have a stash of mini eggs in my shoe. just smile so they'll free us.

oh. my. GAH. look at those delicious legs. I LOVE HER.

happy easter, self. (and swistle and sage.) ;)

psst

anyone still have this thing in their reader? yeah, i didn't think so. it's ok. i'll just write my first post in nine months to myself.

you know.

at 12:28am. when BOTH of my children are asleep so I SHOULD BE, TOO. because yeah. they don't do that much. remember that post way, long ago where i said audrey was a good sleeper? oh, ha, ha, HA. ten months old as of two days ago and still wakes anywhere between one and four times a night. no, i don't nurse. no, i don't find it amusing however common it might be.

my older kid slept through the night (and i mean REALLY slept, like 11 hours) from ten weeks on. i am still in denial over this shit. and yet. here i sit. ON THE COMPUTER. instead of sleeping for ten minutes.

like ten minutes is going to refresh me. anyway. welcome back to me. i don't even have any pictures because i post every damn thing to facebook and you know what? i blame my iphone. it's too easy. sorry, fb.

you know what else? the last time i posted audrey weighed nine pounds. hee! she weighed 21lb 5oz at her nine month check up. NOM.

phew!

these little munchkins are wearing me out!!

i'm learning that in order to eat dinner (me, not olivia) before 10pm, i need to make ahead. like while olivia's in school kind of ahead. even that won't guarantee anything, but at least i won't be STARTING to cook at 7:45pm after she's in bed. today i'm making beef tips with rice and broccoli and it's a recipe that requires being in the oven for three hours. SCORE. and olivia even EATS THIS. wahoo!!

speaking of eating, my little audrey bean is having a tough go. she went back to the pediatrician yesterday (visit number 7 in less than four weeks) and was diagnosed with GERD (gastroesophageal reflux disease). her symptoms are freaking TEXTBOOK (frequent vomiting, persistent wheezing, difficulty/crying out while eating, gas, abdominal pain, severe hiccups) so i'm not sure why it even took this long, but whatever. we know now.

she was already on nutramigen, but the doctor switched her to alimentum since some babies respond better to the subtle difference in the formulas. she's also on zantac now. we sent a stool sample off to check for bacteria and if it comes back positive and/or she doesn't respond to the new regimen, they'll switch her to neocate and refer us to a gi specialist.

i'm hoping this does the trick. she seems to be a bit better already. sleeping quietly and breathing easier (she was sleeping very fitfully before and holding her breath, crying out, etc.) so that's good.

she's also continuing to gain weight throughout this, so that's awesome! little monkey is up to 9lbs 10oz! love that girl!!

it's going by so fast!

poor audrey... you don't even have a baby book yet. but don't feel too badly. your big sister has one and it's mostly empty. most of olivia's big milestones are recorded here. lame, i know.

so let's keep the tradition alive! woot!

audrey will be four weeks old tomorrow. FOUR WEEKS!! what thaa?? she's had FIVE visits to the pediatrician already. her tummy, like olivia's, said hell to the NO to regular common-folk formula. she's on nutramigen. and we are in the middle of fighting it out with insurance to have it covered. sigh.

otherwise, she is awesome. she's 9lb, 4oz, little chub! she's officially out of newborn diapers. ;)

she can lift her head and hold it steady very well for short periods of time, which is a huge departure from big sis. olivia was completely lazy town on all of this stuff. she didn't want to lift her head, she didn't want to roll over or sit up or CRAWL. she was like, "f it. come to me, bitches."

audrey spits up. a LOT. which is also new for us. she spits up after every. single. feeding. but that's ok, because SHE IS A GOOD SLEEPER!!!! and now watch for the the dark clouds to roll in and lightning to strike me dead. whatever.

she's had a pretty good stretch of sleeping MOST of the night. going down between 8-10pm and sleeping until around 4am. waking to eat only once and she'd sleep for who KNOWS how much longer, but the megaphone better known as olivia wakes up at 6am SHARP, PEOPLE and lets the world know about it.

sorry baby ahjee.

we also had newborn photos taken a few weeks ago. olivia was not a willing participant so there are NO adorable sister shots. zero. but here are some adorable other shots:

and LOOK at olivia's face here... little stinker...

all photos by crista acosta photography

SHE'S HERE!

well, she arrived two weeks ago. i've been a little busy! olivia did finally respond when we asked her if she was getting a brother or sister... and she was spot on. BABY SISTER!!!

audrey elizabeth arrived on may 12 at 2:17pm and it was incredible. i only pushed for 17 minutes and she was born with no drama. just joy. seven pounds, fifteen ounces. nineteen and a half inches long. just incredible.

we love her so much.

38 weeks. this ride is almost over.

yesterday i had my last regular ob appointment - maybe ever. probably ever. i'm 2cm dilated and the baby is head down and waaaaaay active (tell me something i don't know!). heart rate is in the 140s. my cervix is soft, but still pretty long and omg the internal? YEOUCH. my b/p is great.

they estimate this bean at seven pounds. which is surprising because olivia was 8lbs, 10oz. i know this baby will be born at least four days earlier than her (induction is scheduled for 39w1d and she was born 39w5d), but i can't imagine a seven pound baby. that seems teeny! i'm not complaining; i'm just not getting my hopes up for that. ;)

this is me at 38 weeks pregnant with our beloved "carlos" as tom has been calling him/her since our very first ultrasound:

that looks like a bigger-than-seven-pounds baby, doesn't it? ;)

then i went back through the notes from my pregnancy with olivia. yes, i have notes. shut it. in my opinion, i DEFINITELY look bigger this time. here i am at 38 weeks pregnant with our beloved bean:

and guess what? they estimated olivia at six pounds at my 38 week appointment.

i hope they aren't off by TWO POUNDS this time!

carlos, we cannot wait to meet you. we are all so so so excited to have you join our family. we ask olivia all the time if you are her baby brother or sister. she completely ignores us. please give her a couple of days. i'm sure she'll come around. :) we love you! not long now!!!

i got da pride in my ride...

ok, so she isn't potty trained. in fact, putting her on the potty at school caused a twenty minute meltdown so we backed away sloooowly. :) she'll only be 22 months on friday, so i'm not pushing her. she still has interest at home on her little bjorn potty chair, so we'll just see where it leads.

in other news... we DID get a new (to us... it's a 2009) minivan! i know we are the biggests dorks around. i know. everyone hates minivans and i'm not even sure why? i mean, are you trying to hide the fact that you have kids? because pssst, everyone KNOWS YOU HAVE THEM. this thing is a freaking family dream. there are nine MILLION storage compartments, seven passenger seating that is a piece of freakin cake to get to... and the third row is a REAL third row. with reclining seats. 60/40 split and still the trunk area even with those seats up? is ENORMOUS. there are 8 cup holders... IN THE FRONT SEATS ALONE. why do *i* need 8 cup holders? whatever! i'll take them!

we're really so happy with it. and olivia thinks it's a fort. she loves to just walk around in it and sit in all the seats. adorbs.

mah swagger wagon. 

peepees in the pot-tay!

ok, so not yet. but olivia has started showing a FAREEL interest in the potty. she runs to the bathroom and asks to go potty... she's sat on it quite a bit lately and while she hasn't actually produced anything YET, we're taking it as a good sign.

so we've told daycare to go ahead and start putting her on during the day. EEEEE! of course this all comes 17 days before her younger sibling's scheduled arrival. i'm not expecting big success just due to all the chaos that's about to rock her little world, but i figured if she's interested, i'm not going to hold off. who knows? she's surprised us before!

and oooooh would mommy and daddy be happy to update our budget to only include ONE child in diapers!!! maybe we CAN afford that new minivan. HA.

oh and for anyone who's reading... this is what the first day back to school is like after a long weekend:

but once she remembered that she's now riding in her car seat FORWARD FACING (yes, i finally caved...) she was READY TO GO (the entire car ride i hear, "wheeee! woo hoo! yay!!!!" from her. so cute.):

yep. there are TWO car seats in the back of my car now. insanity!!!

almost time!

36 weeks today.

as ready as i am to meet this bean, this pregnancy has FLOWN by for me. i've been pregnant since AUGUST but it doesn't feel so long to me. i guess when you're chasing a crazy toddler around you are distracted. :)

i think we're ready. ish. we have three weeks until my scheduled induction. the room is just about done (missing a rug, but that'll come after we know if it's a boy or girl!), clothes are washed, diapers are stocked, bouncy seat and swing are up from the basement, clean and ready to go... formula is purchased, bottles are washed. i still need a few little things like binkies and nipples for the bottles - those are important, ha!

the double stroller is just WAITING for its second occupant! the carseat is being installed tomorrow. EEEEEE!

and i've gotten THE most important thing... a new, giant diaper bag:

yum. it's the skip hop studio. i can't wait for it to get here!!!

and finally, i am obsessed with smoothies. i ALMOST made tom go out at 9pm tonight to get me one, but thought MAAAAYBE i had some ingredients in the house. all those bags of frozen fruit i tried on olivia turned out NOT to be an epic fail! i made one tonight and it was delicious!

i see many more homemade smoothies in my future. YAY!

words = she haz 'em

olivia is a late-talker, in my opinion. you know, with all my vast parenting experience. i am clearly an expert on these matters.

anyway, until very recently she didn't really say much. don't get me wrong, girlfriend is VOCAL. always has been. but more of a secret robot language than anything decipherable as english.

the new words and phrases are coming like crazy now, just like my friends said they would. i can't keep up, but i'm going to try because SOMEDAY i will transfer this stuff to her woefully empty baby book.

here are the latest, in no particular order (and their translations, if necessary):

"i yuv you!"
"mah-mee"
"dah-deeeee"
"kitty? whey ah you?" (wait a moment, then) "i oh know!" (i don't know!)
"hun tah? ah you?" (insert a variety of names here...)
"hun tah!!!" (she thinks EVERYONE she sees is hunter. she ADORES him.)
"pah pah" (purple)
"yeh yow" (yellow)
"boo" (blue)
"oh nooooo!"
"boo booooo" me: olivia, do you have a boo boo? olivia: yeah (ALWAYS followed by her pointing to some fake boo boo that needs kissing.)
"i see it!"
"yaaaay!"
"wheeeeee!"
"potty!" (yes, it's a potty. no, she doesn't do anything other than sit on it occasionally.)
"no no!" (her friend noah)
"kee kee!" (her friend kaitlyn)
"milk"
"wa wa" (water, obvs)
"cheer-ohs"
"ceer-oh" (not to be confused with cheer-ohs, ceer-oh means cereal aka oatmeal)
"out DIE!" (where she always wants to be: outside)
"teeth!"
"eyes"
"ears"
"nose"
"toes"
"hyman" (SIMON! OUR CAT.)
"keh yee" (keli, our other cat.)
"max" (auntie heather's dog)
"poops" (sigh.)

there are so many more. she has a ton of animal noises, probably most of them? and makes a monster face and growls if you ask her for it.

2.0 is trying to kick his or her way out of me. this kid has got to weigh 19 lbs. 33 weeks this week. OMG.

spring fever!

olivia got to use her cozy coupe outside for the first time since she got it at christmas yesterday. let's just say it was a HUGE hit.

so much so that she did not want to come inside for dinner. or ever, for that matter...

march madness

finally almost all of the snow is gone. FINALLY. i took olivia for a stroll on saturday and we were both GIDDY over the fresh air and the impending time change. there is still a glimmer of light left at 6:30pm now and it's only going to get better.

it's crazy to me how sunshine honestly changes the mood in this house. we're all so much cheerier, optimistic and just HAPPIER. yay!

SIDE NOTE: OMG i just looked out the window and it's FLURRYING. ARE YOU F'ING KIDDING ME, MOTHER NATURE!!?!??!?!?!

ok, choosing to ignore that. REJECTING THE WEATHER RIGHT NOW. BACK TO THE HAPPY PLACE.

...and, of course, that means it's springy springtime people. almost 31 weeks here. getting close to 2.0 time! i got the bookcase painted over the weekend and all that's left of the "big" projects is to paint the tall dresser for beanie bean's room and do the switcheroo. then i can get down to the business of washing teeny baby clothes and blankets and squeeeeeeing with delight. ahem.

and FINALLY, it's TOURNAMENT TIME!!! shock of all shocks, the huskies reclaimed the title we haven't had in what feels like FOREVA... big east champs!!! insanity. olivia was supah excited.

bring on the big dance.
bring on the warm weather.
bring on... the baby? well, in about 8 weeks, please. :)

updates

so i'm trying to get ready for this new bean. it's march 1 today. meaning thank GOD spring is on its way because like everyone else in new england, i want to MURDER winter.

i seriously am wondering if the snow will be gone by the time the baby is born. IN MAY. cripes.

we've done a lot of work on 2.0's room. i wish i had more pictures, but i'll post them when we're through. i will say that both olivia and tom approve. in fact, i think they both like this room better than their own.

olivia in 2.0's crib:

she thinks it's hers. along with the glider and everything else in the room.

so far we've painted -- i used benjamin moore's natura paint in shaker beige and OMG while this paint is very spendy, it's FANTASTIC. the room was previously a terra cotta color and i didn't even use a primer because i wanted to stay 0% VOC. i only needed two coats of this paint and it was good. LOVE.

put together the new crib -- what a difference from livie's dainty classic white dropside to a stationary rail lifetime style convertible in ebony! i love them both, but BOY is it different!

ordered a nice, new mattress (since livie's staying in her own crib and will eventually need to keep her mattress for her toddler bed anyway)

and put together a new glider in beige and ebony. it's not as dreamy as olivia's but we're on a budget, people! it's just fine. and i'm happy we were able to get another glider at all.

next up is to transform the closet into something that utilizes the space more appropriately for an infant. one hanging rack doesn't really do much for me, so we're going to use the closetmaid storage system we have in olivia's closet and set up multiple racks and shelves for storage. woot!

i also have to paint a tall chest of drawers to move into olivia's room and move her current dresser (which doubles as a changing table) into the baby's room. the dresser is white and i contemplated painting it black, but thought a) i'm too lazy and b) a little white might look nice so i'm just switching out the silver knobs for black ones and maybe that'll work! i also am painting a tall bookcase black to have in that room, too.

oh yeah, so far the color scheme is beige, white and black with pops of green. if 2.0 is a boy, we'll run with the green and if she's a girl, pinkification will be in full effect. i'm really loving the way it's coming along so far.

and FINALLY, i'm trying to get more organized. i've found the most amazing website and today she's listed a BUNCH of awesome links to help us all get our butts in gear and get our homes de-cluttered. i thought i'd share for the 1 reader i may still have... ENJOY:

Link-tastic from I'm an Organizing Junkie

23 weekies = GIGANTOR

so what do we think? am i carrying differently or WHAT this time!?!?

the picture on the left is 2.0 and on the right is olivia. both at 23 weeks. YOWZA.

some other highlights... my rings came OFF by 23 weeks with olivia and still are fitting decently now. to be fair, my wedding band was sized up 1/4 because nine months post partum w/ livie, i almost had to have my finger amputated trying to get it on and i was tired of waiting. they both are still spinning and fitting ok despite my (to me) MUCH larger belly. i do weigh less than i did with livie, but seriously? that belly!

in other crazy news, in my hospital at least, the new kid is now considered VIABLE. they consider 23 weeks viable. insanity. while i'm happy and grateful to have made to this milestone, do NOT take that as a cue to be born, giant baby. for like, at least 15 more weeks. your room? a hot mess still. your crib? well, it's picked out, but not purchased. your dresser? still in use by your big sister. aka: NOT READY.

speaking of big sister, she does seem to have had a little language explosion. she's still not talking TOO much, but she repeats us now, which is cute. she has a lot more animal sounds, her two favorites being BAAAAAAAAAA and NEIGGGGGH NEIGGGGGHHHH at the top of her little lungs.

she can climb up on the couch herself while chanting, "up! up! up!" and does all the hand gestures for itsy bitsy spider and then promptly yells, "YAY! MORE!" after you finish singing.

we sing that song a. lot.

did i ever update on the amniotic situation? everything looks great now. PHEW. baby is breech. whatevs. i can't control that. do what you must, little bean. we'll figure it out.

the trouble-making second child at 22 weeks:

my pelvis is already busting in half but it pales in comparison to the sciatica. OMG. i have fallen a few times and now have to wear a HOT back brace whenever i'm walking to keep myself from just crumpling to the floor in pain. oh tiny children, how you wreck my body.

i love you beasties so much.

18 months old!

she celebrated by having her little tub ducky give his mama a kiss.

for the first time EVER IN LIFE ( i know this sounds dramatic, but it's a big f'ing deal in this house), olivia's ears were clear at a doctor's appointment. not even any fluid. NOTHING. i believe the words were, "PERFECT."

YAY, TUBES!!! i mean, i hated having to do them. and i hated the 4 infections that followed. and i hated the goop and that the drops didn't work and that the ORAL antibiotics didn't work and then... different drops... MIRACLE!!! wahoo!

anyway.

here are her stats:

she is in the 93rd percentile for height (what up, bean stalk?!) at 2'9.5" tall. she's going to be taller than me by age five.

she's in the 60th percentile for weight at 24lbs 15oz. i'm surprised she even weighs that much on her self-imposed all-fruit-all-the-time diet.

her head is 18 1/2 inches and puts her in the 64th percentile. the doctor is very happy with her growth chart, so yay!

the doctor is not at all concerned with her speech at this point. while we were chatting, olivia was playing with my iphone and having a full on conversation with nobody (in olivia language) complete with hand gesturing and the doctor said not to worry, that the words were On. The. Way. she shows that she understands us, can follow simple commands (if she feels like it), points to objects we ask about and signs. she knows all her body parts and can make two (ish) animal sounds (neigh for horse and roar for lion). only about 6-8 words (mama, dada, yay, no, yeah, and more -- does TA DA!!!! count?) <-- that was from my notes as of last week. she's since learned "up" and "car" and can i tell you MY MOM WOULD BE SO PROUD OF HER ACCENT.

"CAHHHHHHH!"

hee.

as we were leaving the doc said, "OK, see you in four months!" and i was like, "um isn't her next appointment at age two?" and she goes, "not for olivia, for the new one!" FOUR MONTHS. YIKES!!!

speaking of the new kid, we have an ultrasound on thursday to recheck my amniotic fluid. i hope everything looks good. HEAR THAT, CARLOS!?

what day is it?

the last six weeks have been SO INSANE. i just finished a work project that had me literally up for 38 hours at a TIME and 2.0 definitely got pissy about it. High blood pressure, low amniotic fluid... YIKES.

i am happy GRATEFUL to report that things are looking good for our second kiddo despite my horrifying lack of care. sigh. here's a peek at our olivia look-a-like at our 18 week ultrasound:

they look like twins, don't they?? chubby cheeked goodness up in here! and a wave! we have to go back in two weeks to have another look at the fluid to make sure everything's ok there. seriously. what is UP with my kids and amniotic fluid? olivia nearly killed herself by pooping in hers and INHALING IT and this one? just decided, "ya know what? i'm all set w/o it." um, no, dear. you actually REALLY NEED IT. sigh.

and speaking of insanity, somehow, today i am TWENTY WEEKS PREGNANT. halfway through. already.

i don't know what's crazier... that i'm halfway through cooking this bean or that my shower curtain is STILL WRINKLY two-and-a-half years post-hanging.

we still don't know if this is a boy or girl... waiting till birth date! but we each have our guesses. i think it's a boy and tom thinks it's another girl. people assume we (or at least tom) WANTS a boy because we already have a girl, but honestly, we don't even care. sisters would be great. brother and sister? also great. we still don't have names picked out. not even a girl name. or a single thing done to prepare for this baby. i mean, we know which room will be the nursery, but it's still currently an office. it needs to be emptied, painted, furnished, etc.

we decided to leave olivia in her crib and get a new one for the baby. she's not currently showing any signs of wanting out and to be honest? i'd like to keep her safely tucked behind bars as long as she'll allow it. i'm sure the day after we set up this new crib and throw the receipt away, she'll scale her crib and escape. that's our girl.

OK, so this pregnancy vs. last one... in some ways they are very similar. and in some, totally different.

same: no morning sickness, i think i'm carrying very similarly, pubic bone separating agony.

not the same: no bleeding this time at all, WAY more tired in the second tri (but that is likely due to stress and ya know, a toddler), this baby is way less active than olivia was at this point, food aversions in the first tri (chicken = gag), with olivia i was all about mac n cheese... this baby wants BEEF. specifically cheeseburgers. olivia was mostly in the 160s for heart rate and this one varies: 140-160. not that it makes a bit of difference!

ahhh yes, i mentioned the pubic bone of doom. i think i made it to about 30 weeks before it was painful last time. i started having trouble walking/standing at 19 weeks this time. i have a physical therapy appointment scheduled for next week that i hope brings some relief, but we'll see.

ok, that's all for now. the beastie is sleeping. god, i hope this new kid takes after his/her sister in the sleep department. PLEASE!!!

me likey

first of all, i love this blog. let's just get that right out of the way. i hope i can muster up enough energy (courage???) to try about, oh, EVERYTHING she makes.

one of TDC's favorite tools is the silhouette cutter and omg i want one. you can make SO MUCH AWESOME STUFF.

and guess what? she's hosting a giveaway! i'm all over this... you should get up on it, too!

enter to win one (and if you win, i will die from jealousy).

and if you don't win, you'll still thank me for introducing you to thrifty decor chick. AWE. SOME.