Ballet

Diana started a ballet class today - her very first dance class ever! I'm so excited to finally have my little twinkle toes in a dance class! Growing up, I ALWAYS wanted to take a ballet class but never could because they were way too expensive (I grew up in California, in the Bay Area, and for those of you who have lived there or been there, you know EVERYTHING costs a fortune). My one dream, aside from my lifelong dream of being a professional singer, was of being a ballerina. I used to watch the Nutcracker all the time and dance along to all the songs. My mom and Grandma would buy me ballet slippers every Christmas and birthday, and I loved each pair so much that I'd literally wear them ragged. I'd wear them everywhere...even school. I was super flexible, I (thought I) was graceful, I could even walk on my tip toes (literally, on the tips of my toes, and I still can, though it hurts like a bugger!). But, alas, for me, it was never meant to be. However, when I had this little beauty of mine and she began to walk and I saw how she walked everywhere on her tip toes, I KNEW when she was old enough I just HAD to put her in ballet classes, because I felt in my heart that she would grow up loving ballet just as much as I did. So about a month or two ago, Mike and I started looking around trying to find a good ballet class for a good deal for her and found a class for her age group at the Desert Breeze Community Center near us for $14 for 6 weeks, so we signed her right on up, and here we are today!
When we first walked into the dance hall, she seemed a little intimidated, but I tried to act as confident and non-coddling as I could. I didn't want her to think there was any reason to be nervous or afraid. At one point as the teacher was finishing up giving instruction to us parents I had picked Diana up at her fervent request. A few minutes later the teacher asked me to put her down (since they were about to start) and I realized I wasn't doing her any favors by babying her. I knew if I didn't start expecting her to be brave and confident that she wouldn't be. So, after I put her down, I pointed to her teacher, told her her teacher's name, and explained that her teacher was in charge and she needed to listen to her teacher, and that she was going to be ok, because she was a big, brave girl.
For the first couple of minutes after the actual dancing started, she acted a little shy and uncertain as to what she should do, so her teacher invited me (and the other parents of kids who were nervous) to join in with the dance moves. So, I stood next to Diana and began following the teacher with a smile on my face, trying not to distract Diana from her teacher's instructions. After about 2 minutes, I walked back and sat down and Diana continued to participate, but now she was looking a lot less nervous. After that exercise ended and as they were switching to a  new one, Diana started to look a little uncertain again and walked over to me, and as I told her to follow the other kids into a circle in the middle of the room, a sweet little girl in the class ran over, grabbed Diana by the arm and with a big, sweet smile said "Come on!" and pulled Diana into the group. The girl's mom was sitting next to me and seemed embarrassed that her daughter was being so forceful, but I assured the mom that a friend is what Diana really needed to warm up, and sure enough, it was EXACTLY what she needed. After that, Diana had no issues and happily followed the teacher's directions. It was so fun to watch her try to mimic the teacher's movements, even when I could tell she had no idea what the teacher was doing and would just stand there staring. By the time class ended, she didn't want to go and had even started to talk a little (she's like me, when she's nervous, she clams up tight and when she's comfortable she won't shut up). The teacher openly praised Diana for her participation and with amazement asked me if Diana had ever taken a dance class before, or was/had ever been in Preschool or Daycare, to all of which I answered no. I explained that she spent two hours in Nursery every Sunday, to which the teacher replied, "Whatever they're doing, they, and you, are doing it right! She listens so well and is SO attentive!" She kept saying how amazed she was about how well Diana paid attention and participated, especially since this was her very first day. I was so proud, especially since I was nervous as heck before I brought her to class about her acting like a wild animal since lately she doesn't listen so well to me when we're at home. But there's a lot more to why Diana doesn't listen so well to me lately. Anyway, bottom line is, after a few minutes of getting comfortable with her surroundings, she did great, and I'm so proud of her! I was under a bit of anxiety the whole class, hoping she wouldn't act up or have a melt down, or run around aimlessly, and trying to not distract her from her teacher while the teacher was instructing, but Diana really did well, and that makes me so happy.
The whole way home Diana kept telling me how much fun she had dancing. It was so cute to hear and it made me happy because I felt like that was confirmation to me that putting her in the dance class really was a good decision. On the way home, we stopped by Target and bought her a brand new dace outfit for her to wear to her classes and when we got home she wanted to wear it around the house. With my help, she showed Mike some of the dance moves she learned today and she was so proud of herself.
I'm excited to have her in this class and for all the good it will do my little music-loving, toe-walking dancer! And now I'm kicking myself for not getting any pictures of her. Maybe next week. :)

6 Months!

This past Saturday, the 13th, Daniel hit the 6-month mark! This handsome little devil is now 6 moths old. It's so crazy to think that it's only been six months, and that it's already been 6 months. He feels like he's been a part of our lives so much longer, and at the same time it's crazy to think he's already so big. I took him in for his 6-month well-check on Monday. I can't find his growth charts with all his new stats, so I'll have to post those later. BUT, I do remember his weight. The doc pulled up his charts, said his height was right on track, then switched to his weight and says "..Oh.."  Apparently his weight went from the 34th percentile to the 9th percentile. She even weighed him again just to be sure the numbers were right, and sure enough, he only weighs 15 pounds. She asked me questions about his eating habits and activity level, and determined he's just a super-active baby and has been burning off all the food he consumes. So, that means more food...and a weight-check in a month. Sigh. She made sure to assure me he's still a healthy weight, they just need to check his weight again in a month to make sure he's growing ok and doesn't have any problems. When I got home and thought more about it, I came to the realization that it's not only his activity level that's to blame for his weight...it's my milk. A few weeks ago when I pumped some milk for him, I made a comment to Mike that it looked like skim milk..yet more watery..almost see-through. There was BARELY any fat in it, which I also thought was weird, and I could only get 2 ounces out of one side. By the time Diana was 4 months old I was getting 4 ounces out of each side, more if she went longer than normal between feedings. I just don't think my body has been doing a very good job keeping him fed, which explains why he still wakes up 2-3 times a night, and maybe why he spits up so much...it's not heavy enough to stay down. So, because of that, and the fact that he has two teeth, Mike and I decided we're going to start moving him to bottles. Hopefully that, along with the 3 jars of stage 2 foods he's eating every day, will be enough to help him start gaining weight again. Unfortunately, he's not too happy about giving up nursing. I'm still nursing him in the middle of the night, but I'm trying to get him completely switched over soon. It's hard, and he's a lot more resistant than Diana, but this is really the best for him. I can at least say I gave him 6 good months of nursing, giving up all dairy and chocolate to keep his tummy happy (which has been SOOO hard!), but still, I feel a twinge of guilt because he really doesn't want to give it up yet. It's weird. 

Other than that, the little monster is doing great! And we love him to death!! Here's what he's been up to lately:

*He's in the 9th Percentile for weight, 24th Percentile for height, and 9th Percentile for head circumference (He's small, but we love him that way!!)

*He started sitting at 5 1/2 months (2 weeks later than Diana started)
*He got his first teeth (two front bottom ones -  at the EXACT same time) at 5 1/2 months and has two more bottom ones coming in
*He's been trying to crawl since he was 5 months old, and is SO, SOOO close, it's only a matter of days now..
*He can sit up from the crawling position (5 1/2 months) and can go from sitting to the crawling position (a week after he went from crawl-to-sit)
*He still LOOOOOOVES baths and now takes them sitting up
*He holds out his arms when he wants to be held
*He can and loves to hold his own bottle

*He's in 6-9 month clothes
*He loves Diana the most and thinks she's a comedian
*He loves when Diana wrestles and is rough with him (Mommy doesn't like it so much, though)
*He's going through a stage of separation anxiety and freaks out if I walk away from him or if someone else has him and he sees me from a distance
*He loves to be rocked to sleep every night
*He loves his little musical sea horse that we turn on every nap and night time
*He LOVES watching movies (just like his sister and his mommy)
*He loves to be held, but loves to look around and /or down at the ground while he's being  held..he doesn't want to miss anything
*He loves car rides and will usually either fall asleep in the car or silently play with his moose while we drive and rock out to music
*He LOVES eating real food, but loves nothing more than mom's milk (poor kid)
*He's VERY picky
*He's terrified of the vacuum, the Roomba, balloons, and very loud, quickly-moving objects
*He's a pro at pulling and inching his way around the house and finding things on the floor to put in his mouth.
*He loves to reach for things, like outlets, hanging clothes, blankets hanging off the bed, etc....He's trouble
*He still doesn't like binkies and it took some trial and error to find a bottle he would actually take (latex, wide nipple)
*He can say "Mama"
*He LOVES blowing raspberries (he especially loves doing it with his hands on or in his mouth so he can feel the vibrations)
*He's SUPER ticklish and LOVES to laugh
*He has fantastic hand-eye coordination and has since about 5 months old
*He loves being tossed in the air
*He's a SCREAMER and will scream bloody murder until he turns purple if things don't go his way...I've seriously never heard anyone scream louder than this kid can scream
*He LOVES to be outside
*He loves playing with his toys (His favorite right now is his 'Lamaze' brand Moose), and Diana's toys, too
*He loves to bite everything, especially me
*He hates having his nails clipped...unless he's taking a bath at the same time
*He's still nursing/eating every 2 hours during the day and is still waking up 2-3 times at night
*He takes 2 half-hour naps and 1 one-to-two hour nap a day
*He's a little love-bug and is ALWAYS full of smiles!

Five Months

Yesterday, Daniel turned 5 months old. He's getting so big, and yet, is still so little! It's funny how with Diana I was so anxious to teach her new things and to get her to grow up quick, but with Daniel, I've learned to enjoy each stage and not try as hard to rush him to the next milestone. Plus, he's pretty smart (as was Diana) and learns on his own...just like all other babies. :) Here's what he's up to currently:

• He is trying SOOO hard to crawl. He gets up on his hands and lifts his whole torso off the ground, but right as he starts to put his knees under him, he begins to slide backwards and his pelvis hits the floor. He'll go around in circles backwards trying to get up on his hands and knees. For a while, he was scooching across the floor like an inchworm, it was pretty funny to watch. He'll be crawling in no time!
• He's not sitting yet, but he's pretty close! Diana was sitting by the time she hit 5 months, so this was one thing I really wanted Daniel doing by 5 months too. Only thing is, because he spits up all the time, especially when he uses his tummy muscles, I've been reluctant to work with him more than occasionally. So, at this point, if he's leaning back against something (ie, the couch), he'll use his tummy muscles to pull himself upright and he'll sit there for a few seconds before he topples to one side. If I sit him up it's pretty much the same thing, and mostly because he gets excited and likes to kick and wiggle, which of course, instantly sends him toppling over. Hopefully he'll get the hang of balancing himself soon, because he's so much happier when he's upright!
• He's a pretty silent boy, well, other than screaming when he's mad or sad and laughing when he's happy or being tickled. He'll get really REALLY talkative at times and make all sorts of noises, but for the most part he doesn't say anything. Diana was saying "Mama" by 4 months, so I figured he would too, even though many warned me that boys talk less than girls. I guess it IS true. Hopefully he'll start talking soon. I'd love to hear his little voice saying "Mama", "Dada", or even "DiDi". :)
• He LOVES his sister, more than anyone else. He'll laugh just looking at her, she doesn't even have to do anything! He gets excited and smiles and kick-kick-kicks when he sees her. And she LOVES him back! You can tell these two were best friends before they came to Earth, and that they'll be best friends for their whole lives. I love it!
• He loves his toes! A few weeks ago he discovered them and he discovered that he liked the way they tasted. If he's bored, he'll instantly go for the toes!
• He found his "fifth appendage" earlier this week. I guess Mike was bathing him when he reached down, grabbed it, and pulled, then began to scream because it hurt. Since then, always during bath, he reaches for it, like it's just another thing to grab, and I'm trying to be diligent in keeping his little hands off it (especially since he apparently is rough with it). Ah boys, SO much different than girls!
• He's eating one meal a day of baby food and he thinks it's pretty great. He's pretty picky already, which has me worried...Diana wasn't very picky, so I was hoping he wouldn't be, either. He loves applesauce, he likes sweet potatoes, peaches, mangoes, and pears, and he really dislikes peas and green beans, and he has NEVER liked rice cereal or infant oatmeal. He'll straight up spit it out if he doesn't want it! He also LOOOOVES graham crackers, which is cool with me. He's only had probably 3 small squares (and he never eats it all), but he's always so excited to feed himself.
• When you feed him, he grabs the spoon and helps you stick it in his mouth, although he likes to try to stick it too far in. He gets really anxious when he's hungry
• He's a power-eater. I've never, ever seen an infant eat as fast as this one. If they had a competition for this sort of thing, I'm betting my kid would win, every time! He'll even cry and start to gnaw on his fingers if you take more than a second to get the next spoonful in his mouth...no joke.
• He still prefers nursing about any other form of food. For example, I tried a couple of days ago to start giving him a second meal during the day and he was SO angry about it. Finally after trying for a half hour with no success, I gave in and nursed him and he attacked that food source like it was running away from him. We've tried giving him bottles and he gets ANGRY! He won't have anything to do with a bottle, so I have a feeling it will be a while before I can get him on formula, which is ok with me as long as he's still getting up in the night.
• He still wakes up at least once to eat every night. I swear by 4 months Diana was over getting up in the middle of the night, and at 5 months I switched her to formula. Not this kid, he won't have any of that!
• Since 3 1/2 - 4 months, he's been very good about grabbing things (and the first time he reaches for them, too, he doesn't miss very often) and putting them into his mouth. He loves to chew on everything, and he's got great coordination. He's also been really good since about 4 months about passing things easily from one hand to the other. He's going to be intelligent like his Dad, I can already tell. 
• He still loves to roll around everywhere like a mad man, and prefers his tummy. Although, if he's on his tummy on a hard, or harder, surface for too long, the last thing he ate will eventually come back up.
• He LOVES to be held. One day a little while back, he decided that being held was what he wanted and now he'll spend a good chunk of every day screaming until I pick him up. Sadly, I can only hold him for a couple of minutes at a time because I have another kid and a house that also needs my attention, so he spends a lot of time screaming. But, that floor time is good for him, because it teaches him to be mobile, and way early. I mean, the kid was rolling at 3 months! So, as bad as I feel at times, I remind myself that it's ok, because he's getting held some of the time, especially when we're around family.
• He loves being outside, and still LOVES his baths. If he's ever cranky, all I have to do is either give him a bath or take him outside and he turns into the happiest baby on Earth. It's great!
• He's still in 6 month clothing and size 2 diapers, although some of his clothing is starting to get too small, so he'll probably be going to 9 month clothes soon, and even size 3 diapers. I'd say probably by 6-7 months. It's strange, too, because he's only about 15 pounds, and both the size 2 diapers and the 6 month clothing should last until he's 18 pounds. We'll see, I guess.
• He loves sleeping on his tummy. When he starting rolling from back-to-tummy at 3 1/2 months, he discovered he liked sleeping on his tummy WAY more, and from that moment on, whenever I lay him on his back, he'll instantly roll to his tummy. He spends an awful lot of time on his tummy..I wonder if it makes it feel better.
• He's still taking his reflux medication. Without it, he's a crabby little puke monster, and with it, he's happy and rarely spits up. I'm hoping he outgrows this soon..he really hates his medicine and grabs the syringe and pulls it away from his face as soon as you try to give him his medicine. 
• He cries if you walk away from him. He does NOT like the thought that you're going somewhere (like, 10 feet away into another room) without him. 
• He recently started crying when I send Diana to her room, and will cry until I bring her back. Mike thinks it's hilarious, I think it's evil. These two are too young to gang up on me like this!
• He's still a little love bug and LOVES to be hugged and kissed. If you go to kiss him he'll open his mouth wide, grab your face and pull it towards his. He loves to be held and kissed and have his back scratched. He loves to snuggle and just loves everyone. If you love him, he loves you.

These past 5 months with Daniel have had their rough points, but I wouldn't trade any of it for the world. I love having him in my life and seriously wonder how we lived without him before he came. He's such an amazing addition to our family and I look forward to all the years I get to raise him and watch him grow into a handsome adult. Then, I'll have to pass him off to a beautiful girl, who I hope will take good care of him...thinking about that makes me sad, but then I remember that still a long ways away, and I just need to focus on enjoying him now, so when he grows up and gets married, I can feel satisfied that I didn't miss out on his life. I love my little man! 

"Hero" Plaque

So, I'm very excited because this is the first project that I'll be posting on Pinterest - YAY! I always see so many good ideas on there, and when I had the idea for this project, I felt that it was something I had to document and share.

My little Daniel is 4 1/2 months old, and since before he was born I've been trying hard to decide what I wanted the theme for his room to be. I love Football, but didn't want to be ultra-generic and have a sports-themed room (although he does have a Chicago Bears jersey and a Brazilian soccer jersey hanging in his room - my husband served a mission in Brazil and loves soccer for those who are confused by that one).  Finally, after much thought, about a week ago I decided I wanted to do it Captain America/The Avengers themed. Yes, I know, super-heroes can be a generic boy-thing too, but I love Captain America and some of the other Avengers characters. I'm sort of a super-hero nerd (as my husband can attest), so I felt that would be the perfect theme for his room. Plus, I love how Captain America was created in a time of old-fashioned values...with the way the world has gone, we could use some super heroes with good morals and values. And, I wanted to incorporate some church-y things to help keep my son's eye on the ball as he grew up (for example, I'm bought a cheap wall map and am having my sister-in-law print up some vinyl lettering for me so I can make this - Thank you, Pinterest!).

Anywho, I've been wanting to make a plaque for Daniel's room with a piece of wood and my wood-burner (I've used it on a few other projects in the past and LOVE it!) which I've had FOREVER, but couldn't decide what to do with it until I picked a theme for his room. My husband and I batted around a few ideas, and the finished product that you see below is the brain-child of my dear husband (what would I do without him??). So, here's what I made...

Cute, right?? I thought it was perfect for my little guy's room! Captian America shield, Book of Mormon, Missionary tag, I thought it sent the perfect message. Obviously, the choice of super-hero and other features (like the name on the missionary tag) can be interchanged, but for what I was planning, this was PERFECT! I love my smart husband!!

Here are the steps I took to create this plaque:

First, start out by drawing down what you want on the plaque on a piece of paper. It's easier to erase on paper than it is on wood, plus, you don't have to hang up your drawing, so you can make lots of mistakes and adjustments in order to reach your final design, with no worries. Also, you'll, of course, need a wood plaque. I bought mine years ago from Wal*Mart in the craft section, near the clock parts. If I remember correctly, it was pretty cheap.

Once you have a final drawing, transfer it on over to your piece of wood. Sometimes the pencil doesn't want to erase completely off the wood (I drew free-hand onto my plaque, so I say this from experience), so if you're nervous about mistakes, use transfer paper and trace it onto your plaque.

 Once you have your drawing finalized, start with the wood burning. If you don't have a wood burner, these can be purchased at Wal*Mart or pretty much any craft store. I bought mine when I bought the wood plaque years ago and it, too, was pretty cheap. If you don't want to do this step, you can skip it, it's not necessary..I just like the way the burnt wood looks and feels. But, it is a time consuming process and requires a bit of patience. Unlike pencil, once you burn the wood, it's permanent (obviously). You won't be able to erase any mistakes.

Once you have it all burnt, go back and erase any stray pencil marks. I used a Gum eraser, and with some hard work, I got all my stray marks to disappear. Here it is all burnt:

Once you've got that finished, you can move onto coloring everything in. This step, too, is optional. I personally preferred this particular project to be colored. Now, you can use any medium you want to color this project (marker, pencil, paint, etc), but I personally chose colored pencil because I like the way it looks and the range of colors I had to work with. Plus, I had WAY more pencil colors than paint colors.

On the word "HERO", I wanted to make it stand out a little more than the rest of the words (to help make my point), so I drew in colored dots with pencil all over the word. These colors coordinated with the Captain America shield.

 Once it's all colored, you'll want to seal it to keep it from getting dirty and to keep the colors from smudging and/or fading. You can use varnish or any clear sealer. I personally chose to use Mod Podge because it's what I had on hand...I didn't really feel like going out to buy some clear sealer and I knew the Mod Podge would work just fine (which it did!).

Because I used colored pencils, I Mod Podged each individual color first, so as to not smear my colors and ruin the project that I had spent hours on.

Once I did that, I went back and Mod Podged the entire thing, applying a couple of coats to make sure I had it sealed up nice and good. If you wood-burn the plaque, the sealer will pool in the cracks. I simply went back over the deepest cracks with a very fine paint brush and brushed most of the Mod Podge back out, that way it wouldn't fill up the cracks.

Now you'll want to install a hook on the back so you can hang it. You can get these little picture hanging kits almost anywhere - literally. I've even seen them in Walgreens. They're cheap and very useful, so if you don't have one, I recommend getting one. You'll definitely use it for more than just this project.

I used a hanger with teeth and nails that were about half as long as the thickness of my piece of wood (you obviously don't want your nails to stick out of the front of your project). Measure out where you want your hook, make sure it centered and level, and then hammer away!

And voila! Once you've got the hook on that bad boy, you're ready to hang it. Here is the completed work, hanging in my little boy's room:

Adorable, right?? I'm in love with it!! Though this project was a bit time-consuming, it was SO much fun, and SO worth it to have a custom piece of art-work hanging in my little man's room.

I hope you all enjoy making ones of your own for the little guys in your life!  :) 

Potty Trained

Diana has now been fully potty trained for over a month now. That means no diapers whatsoever. And I couldn't be happier about it!

On July 14th we began our Potty-Training Boot Camp. Mike had had enough of changing Diana's diapers (and I was about 5 billion times more annoyed about changing them), so he declared that on Friday, July 13th, we were going to buy a BUNCH of juice, then on Saturday, July 14th, we were going to pump Diana full of juice and sit her on the potty every 10 minutes until she got the hang of it. So Friday night we headed to Glaziers, picked up a bunch of juice, and Saturday Morning, the moment Diana woke up, we started a fun day of potty training. Mike and I took turns sticking Diana on the potty (every 10 minutes), and Diana was really enjoying all the juice and attention she was getting. After a few times of us putting her on the potty and cheering for her, giving her candy, and letting her putting a sticker on her chart after she went, she got the hang of it and started telling us when she felt the need to go. That day she peed over 40 times on the potty (she made a lot of ''tinkles'', but they definitely counted), with only one accident. It was amazing! I didn't think we'd ever get to that point. She had been so hard to potty train before that..I had literally tried for over a year to potty train her, to no avail. I was so excited!!

#2 on the potty was a bit trickier to get her to do on the potty, although not too much more difficult. After we cheered WAY more and gave her some loving encouragement, she starting going on the potty. For the first 2 days, she didn't do #2 at all, so I was nervous that she was holding it in because she was scared, but sure enough, that Monday she went on the potty all on her own without even telling me. I was thrilled and couldn't stop telling her how proud I was! In fact, I told her, in my high-pitch, squeally voice, while clasping my hands together, that it was "absolutely great!", and that made her so happy that she, to this day, will mimic what I did every time she does #2 on the potty. She had one #2 accident that same Monday, and was so disappointed by it that she couldn't stop crying. I had to keep telling her it was ok, that accidents happen and that we'd go on the potty next time. Since then, not one accident. I'm telling you, that taught me that fear of disappointment works way better than old-fashioned discipline sometimes.

We were still too nervous to let her go to bed without a diaper, so at night and nap times for the next week she wore a diaper. After she started to wake up dry/wake up to pee, I put a waterproof pad on her bed, over her sheets, and let her sleep with panties on. After two more sleep accidents a few days apart, she was finally fully potty trained! I couldn't believe that in such a short time we had her fully potty trained. She was so good that we had her in panties even away from home from the first day, with no problems! That first Sunday, I was going to take her home after Sacrament Meeting because I was afraid she was going to have an accident in Nursery and I didn't want to set her back, but as we tried to leave, she begged to go to Nursery, so I reluctantly let her go, and to my amazement, she had ZERO accidents! She was even asking to go to the potty at church. It was the best feeling ever!! 

Over a month later and here we are; it feels like she's been potty-trained forever. She does so well, even away from public. She goes on the big toilet now (it only took her a few days to go from the potty chair to the toilet) and even goes all by herself, we don't even have to help her - although I still wipe her after #2, of course. I love having a potty-trained child, it seriously makes life SO much easier! Well, except when it comes to grocery shopping...she always has to go at least twice while out grocery shopping, so Mike has been taking us grocery shopping the past month - thanks, Honey!! :)  I'm so proud of my sweet little girl and I can't believe how fast she's growing up...she turned 2 1/2 two days ago. I look back at photos of her from a year ago, two years ago..my bald little baby, my cute little munchkin, and I can't believe how much she's changed in these two and a half years. It's crazy!! But I'm so grateful for every moment, even when she's driving me up the wall. I'm just glad I have two years before I have to potty train again, although next time it will be a boy I'm potty training, and I hear from my mom that they're harder (having 6 girls and 5 boys, I think she would know), so we'll see how that goes. But again, I have a while before I have to worry about that. Thank goodness! :)

Daniel - 4 months!

Daniel is 4 months old!












Monday, the 13th, Daniel turned 4 months old, and yesterday he had his 4 month well-check. Here are his stats:

Weight: 14lbs (32%)

Height:  24.5" (34%)

Head:  16.3"  (25%)

He's still a tiny little bugger, but he's in much higher percentiles than he was at birth, so technically, he's growing like a weed!! Look at it this way...at his last check up 2 1/2 months ago, he weighed 10.6 lbs. I think 3.4 lbs in 2 1/2 months ain't too shabby!

Here's what our little man is like at 4 months old:

• He can roll from his tummy-to-back AND back-to-tummy. I know, he's so awesome. ;)
• He babbles and coos a ton. He loves to be vocal and to talk to anyone who will listen...or even, sometimes, just to himself.
• He loves to be tickled and he loves to be scared. He's got such a sweet laugh.
• He loves to smile and he LOVES attention. A lot of the time he'll just cry so that you'll look at him and then once he sees you looking he'll get real excited and laugh and smile. In fact, the other day I had to eat my dinner while looking at him so he wouldn't cry. He's hilarious.
• He loves to grab things and stick them in his mouth. If you put it within his reach, it'll make it into his mouth.
• He has excellent head control and is so strong (always has been). I'm hoping he'll be sitting on his own at 5 months old just like Diana.
• He tried infant oatmeal for the first time a couple of weeks ago and....he hated it. Like, he gags like he's being tortured. SO, I don't feed him on a regular basis. In fact, he's only had a teeny bit about 4 times because I keep testing to see if he's changed his mind. Sunday night I tried it again for the 3rd time, but this time put applesauce in it, and he seemed to like it better, but not as much as when I gave him just applesauce. Its so funny, Diana was eating at 3 months and though she didn't take to rice cereal right away, she never, ever hated it as much as Daniel hates this oatmeal. It's so weird to me! I figured he was ready for food since he puts everything in his mouth, but apparently he needs some time to get used to the new texture, so I won't force him. When he's ready, he's ready, right?
• He loves his sister, Diana. I mean, loves her. The bond between siblings when they're infants always amazed me, and it still does. How that little person seems to know all these people around him every day belong to him. I know there's an easy explanation for it all, but it's amazing nonetheless.
• He LOVES his baths. We make a nightly routine with bath time, just as we've always done with Diana, and he absolutely loves it. In fact, if it gets near bath time and he's not being bathed, he'll get VERY cranky! Diana was the same way. Once he's in the bath, he'll splash and laugh and coo. He could be in there all night! I love that my children love this routine, because as long as they live with me, they're getting a daily bath! ;)
• He's pretty much in a set sleep pattern and I love it. He takes a couple power naps in the morning, and then takes a loooong 2-3 hour nap in the afternoon, at the same time that Diana naps. WOO HOO! Only problem is, sometimes Diana won't nap, so there goes any chance I had at having alone time. Lame. Anywho, back to Daniel...he also is sleeping better at nights. He still has his nights where he'll be up every 3 hours eating, but then he'll be good and do like he did the other day and sleep for 9 straight hours before waking up to eat! Because he loves me. His long stretches are usually 6-7 hours before the first nightly feeding, so the 9 hour one was shocking and amazing. Hopefully he'll discover that 9+ hour stretches of sleep are the way to go and I'll start getting a full night's rest again! We'll see.
• He's half morning-person, half not. The first half comes from his Dad and the second half comes from me. Some mornings he'll wake up happy and smiling and then other mornings he'll be the biggest grouch you ever met. The grouchy mornings I definitely feel his pain.
• He's a gassy little beast, but we all know where that comes from.
• He still has brown hair (well, what little hair he does have), and he still has gorgeous, big brown eyes!

I love my little man and am so very thankful every day that I get to have him in my life. He's a sweetheart and a huge blessing to our family. I love my Monkey!!

Daniel @ 1 1/2 Months

Daniel is a month and a half old! I took him in this past Tuesday for his one month check up, but since he was so close to two months, they decided to count it as his two month check up too, which means he got shots. Oh boy. This kid is very sensitive and has a low pain tollerance, so shots were interesting. He was very grouchy over the next 24 hours and ran a fever, which was really weird for me because Diana never had any reaction to shots, ever. She'd cry as they were sticking her, but once the needle came out, it was like nothing happened. Anyways, I'm glad it's over for now and that I don't have to take him in again until he's 4 motnths old (especially since this time I had to wait over an hour and a half to get to see the doctor because they were running behind). Yay!  Here are his stats:

Weight: 10.6 lbs (47%)
Height: 21.5 in (23%)
Head: 38.5 cm (36%)

Here are his NEWBORN stats for comparison:

Weight: 6 lbs 13 oz (10%)
Height: 18 1/4 in (18%)
Head:  35 cm (37%)

So, my little guy is still pretty little, but considering how small he started out, he's grown quite a bit!
We think he has a chocolate intollerance, which means no more chocolate for me for the next 4 months. Boo. But hey, if it makes him happy then it's worth the sacrifice.
Other than him crying and spitting up a lot, he can smile and laugh a little, he loves to be in his swing (that's where he sleeps at night), he LOVES baths (yay!), he's very good with a binky, he has always been very alert and loves to look around, and he likes to coo and 'talk' when he's feeling good. His gross umbilical cord finally fell out when he was a month and a day old..it took forever to go away and now he's got a super-cute inny belly button. He's still got dark brown eyes and his hair is still dark brown, but its thinning out now.

We love our handsome little monkey, crabbiness and all!  :)

Happy Birthday to YOU!

Daniel Michael Steadman

Friday, April 13th, 2012

@ 9:10 a.m.

6lbs 13 oz, 18 1/4 inches long

born with a good amount of dark brown hair and dark hazel/brown eyes.

Michael and I both agree that we're very glad we decided to bring this little man into the world via c-section, especially after the fact that he was born with the umbilical cord wrapped not once, but TWICE around his neck. He's a tiny little angel who's usually very alert and seldom fusses...he's just always very content, we love it! Diana loves being a sister and takes every opportunity she can to hold, kiss, and try to calm the baby. I'm so glad these two have each other, and more importantly, that Mike and I have them!  Welcome to our family and the World, little Danny Boy!! I love you!

2 years old!

Diana turned 2 last Sunday, February 26th. I can't believe it's already been two years since I had her...it definitely doesn't feel like it's been that long.
We had a birthday party for her on the Saturday before her birthday and invited all her family..and most of them came. She was so excited, but was a bit overwhelmed at first by how many people were in her home. After Mike and I traded off holding her and kind of letting her absorb what was going on, she relaxed and went off to play with all her cousins. It was a GORGEOUS day outside (LUCKILY!), so we kept our back door open and let the smaller kids play out back, while the older kids spent most of the party in the front yard playing around the neighborhood. This made SUCH a difference and the house didn't feel as crammed as it usually does at my parties. I'm so glad all our family members (or, most of them, at least) were able to come and celebrate with us. Diana got LOTS of fun gifts and loves to play with all of them all day, every day. She is one lucky girl! I made her a mini-Winnie the Pooh cake and she was so excited (she LOVES Winnie the Pooh)! I made sandwich cookies, cookie dough balls, and cake pops for everyone else...they were all VERY sweet treats, I guess I should have toned down a bit on the sugar. :) All in all, the party went great, Diana had a good time, and I think so did most everyone else!
On Diana's actual birthday, we let Diana choose everything for the day (food, clothes, etc) and she made some great choices! She chose Milk, fruit & veggies, and some turkey bacon for breakfast, she chose to wear her favorite grey knit dress to church, and she was SO excited to go to Nursery after Sacrament meeting (as always!). After we got her from Nursery, we asked her if she wanted to go home, to which she promptly replied, "NO!" We then asked if she'd like to go straight to Grandma and Grandpa Steadman's (We go every Sunday for Sunday Dinner), to which she excitedly exclaimed, "Uh, Yep!", so we headed home to change (She passed out in the car on the way) and then went out to G & G Steadman's. She was so excited to be there and to spend time with her Grandma, Grandpa, and aunt Julie. She got lots more gifts there (most being clothes - she LOVES clothes, such a girl!) and enjoyed another mini-cake, courtesy of G&G Steadman. (It was essentially two white cupcakes SLATHERED in frosting to create a dog, and she DEVOURED it!) She was a good girl that day and Mommy & Daddy promised not to get angry at her for anything, so she had a GREAT day! :)
I took Diana this morning for her 2 year check-up and she's developing great! She's 25.5 lbs (32%), 34 in (55%), with a head circumference of 47 cm (37%). She got one shot today, which she was a little upset about, but in true Diana fashion, within 60 seconds of her shot being administered she was all better and forgot all about it. They never really phase her after the initial pinch. She got a purple paper crown and some Disney Princess stickers from the Nurse for the shot. OH, and today was her first time with her new doctor - we LOVE her!! Her name is Dr. Clifford with Southwest Medical Associates and she's FABULOUS!! I will admit, I usually don't like female doctors, but she was so sweet, so personable, so informative, and SO good with Diana! Diana seriously loved her and talked her ear off, and that's huge because Diana was always scared of her last doctor. I'm so excited to have her as Diana's new pediatrician, and to bring my baby boy to her once he gets here. So, if anyone's looking for a good Pediatrician, I HIGHLY recommend her!

• Diana's talking SO much lately, it's crazy. She learns at least one new word a day and loves to sit Mike and I  down on the stairs individually and have heartfelt conversations with us each day. 
• She's very affectionate and loving, and loves to be silly and give big, squishy kisses and hugs to Mommy and Daddy. 
• She still LOVES babies, and I'm so excited for her to have a brother soon. 
• She's FINALLY starting to learn names, and it's fun to watch her associate a person (in picture and in person) with a name. 
• She loves to color and will ask to color with her pencils at LEAST once every day. 
• She LOVES to sing and sings a million different Nursery songs throughout the day, especially on car rides (and especially when Daddy's in the car, because he'll sing along). 
• She loves movies and quotes her favorites both while watching them and at random (she is SOOO my child in this respect...I'm sure it drives Mike NUTS!). 
• She's getting SOOOO much hair -FINALLY!- and she loves to have it styled, especially in Pigtails (or, as we call them, Piggies). 
• She loves to go to the store. Target is her favorite and every time we go, without fail, she will head STRAIGHT to the jewelry section and look through all the bracelets, watches, necklaces, and earrings, exclaiming piece by piece, "Ooo, so pretty!" and "Oooo, so cute!". She's such a girly-girl!!  
• She can put on and latch her own shoes and she loves to put them on. 
• She can buckle herself into her car seat (Mommy LOVES this!) and is very proud of herself every time she does it. 
• She loves to play pretend with her teddy bears, babies, kitchen toys, doll house...anything she can get her hands on she'll play with it, and she's got QUITE the imagination! 
• She still loves to brush her teeth and is starting to get REALLY good at it on her own. 
• She loves cheese and yogurt, even though she still has a bit of a Milk allergy (poor girl!). 
• She's still very much a Daddy's girl and can't wait for Daddy to get home from work every evening. 
• She can and loves to dress herself, although she usually needs a little help getting her shirt on...she's a bit dyslexic with her shirts.
• She now prefers showers over baths, and still gets a shower every night before bed, although now she tries to sneak in a morning shower too with Mommy.
• She got moved from her toddler bed into a twin sized bed right before her birthday, and she LOVES her new bed! She got to pick the blanket - it's a plain purple blanket (Mommy LOVES it, it's so pretty!), and then she just has plain white sheets...this makes for an easier time come laundry day, plus they're versatile, so no matter what she changes her room theme too, I can keep using the same sheets!
• She's leaning more and more of her ABC's and still loves to count - she can still only count to 5, but she does great at it. She loves to pretend to write her letters and numbers.
• She's so smart and she gets bigger every day...it's amazing to literally see her intelligence grow day by day. I love her and I'm so thankful Heavenly Father trusted me enough to send her to me. She's my angel and brings a smile to my face every day. I love her with all my heart!!

Ants In My Pants

I've got 8 weeks left - I am 31 weeks today - and already I'm feeling antsy. I've been antsy for a week or so already (every since we started getting the baby's room ready), but now my antsy-ness is full blown. I got exactly like this at about the exact same time when I was pregnant with Diana...I guess it doesn't/didn't help that both this time and last I had a few people very close to me who had their babies 2-3 months before me (last time it was sisters/sister-in-law, this time it's close friends in our Ward). I can't wait to see, hold, and kiss my little guy, I can't wait for Diana to see him and hold him and learn his name, and I really can't wait for Mike to see and hold his son. You see, like I mentioned a moment ago, we have a few friends in our Ward at church who have had their babies in the past 2 weeks and Mike has already gotten to see two of them (both boys) in person and I haven't, so he likes to rub it in my face a little, but only after he finishes gushing over how freaking adorable these babies are. Now, for those of you who know Mike know that him gushing over a baby at all, let alone it's cuteness factor is WAY unlike him. I always joke that Mike gets way more excited for the newest piece of technology to come out than he was when our daughter was born. Seriously, this guy is like my Dad...I swear they were born without an 'emotion' chip. It's not so bad, because I don't like sappy, mushy guys, but I would like my husband to at least get a LITTLE excited for certain things...like his children coming into the world.  Anyways, I think him having a daughter has started to turn him into a bit of a softy, because seriously, he couldn't stop talking about how tiny and cute (yes, he actually said "cute" - shocking!) these little baby boys were..I've never seen that from him. I'm excited though, because it's getting him warmed up for his son's arrival in 8 weeks. I'm hoping he gushes over our own son's tiny-ness and cuteness the way he's done with these other adorable babies. Although I have a feeling my baby won't be as petite as these other babies were, considering that when I went in for my one ultrasound my baby was weighing in a little above average...but only a little. But, it was enough, and early on enough, that I'm convinced he won't be born tiny.  Anyways! Basically, what it all comes down to is that I love seeing Mike act this way over little babies and am curious to see how he reacts when our son gets here. 8 more weeks!
See, antsy! I can't seem to help it. I'm so intent on getting the baby's room finalized and getting the crib (which is now in the form of a toddler bed) and changing table out of Diana's room and into the baby's room, getting Diana's big-girl twin size bed all set up in her room, getting more clothes for my baby boy (Although I have yet to personally buy him anything more than one t-shirt in size 12 months - it was a Star Wars shirt from Target, I couldn't resist!!), getting all his room decor, swings, bassinet, etc, all set up and ready, as if he's going to be here in the next week or so. Psh, yeah right! Like I said..I still have 8 weeks. I was jealous that I didn't get to see those babies in person like Mike did, but I keep reminding myself that it's a good thing, because I know once I do when they all return to church in a month I'm REALLY going to go crazy!  Luckily, I've got an adorable, very rambunctious daughter and a calling in the Young Women's organization in our Ward that should keep me busy (along with all my other responsibilities, of course). My calling should keep my extra busy, considering my 3 friends who just had babies are all in the YW's presidency with me, so me and the 1st counselor will be handling things on our own for the next month. :) I'm still antsy and anxious to have my little boy here already, but I do have to say I'm very grateful this time around to be having my baby at the END of cold and flu season, rather than right in the middle of it like I did with Diana (she was born February 26th), especially since I have a kid this time, and one that seems to pick up a million colds a year. And, I guess I'm just glad I've only got 8 weeks left. C-sections make my life so much easier to plan. They're a PAIN to recover from - literally - but like I told Mike, it's a good trade off from the uncertainty, long wait, and long, painful labor of a normal childbirth. I went through 26 hours of evil labor once...I never want to do that again! Well, let's see how long I can keep from going absolutely dstir crazy...8 more weeks! :)

Diana..in a nutshell

It's hard to believe Diana is less than 2 months away from turning 2 years old. Where has time gone?? Over these past almost two years I've seen my little baldy bean sprout into a rambunctious toddler with beautiful blonde hair. She's definitely a giant ball of energy and personality, and I wouldn't have her any other way!
She's getting so smart and is saying so much, and it's made life SO much easier being able to actually communicate with her! She can say a lot of her ABC's, she can count to 5, she can say over 70 words and phrases, she loves to sing along to many of the songs from her favorite movies (although she's still a little tone deaf, so it sounds more like monotonous chanting of a couple of words over and over again from each song), she loves to wash her hands, feed her teddy bear and dolls and get them dressed, she loves to pick up her stuff and sing "The Cleanup Song" as she does it, she LOVES to watch movies, and her new favorites are the new Winnie the Pooh movie and the Kung Fu Pandas (Although she does still LOVE to watch all her old favorites, too), and will ask to watch them by saying "Bear", "Pooh", or "Bearyair"...not sure what the last one is supposed to mean, but she has said it several times. She knows several animal and object noises and will proudly recite them when asked what a certain thing says. We got her saying "Ho Ho Ho" for Santa RIGHT in time (she said it for the first time on Christmas Eve), although she actually says "Woah Woah Woaaaah!" Close enough for me. She likes to laugh in an obnoxious, fake manner (JUST like her Daddy) and exclaim "I faowt!" while pointing to her bum whenever she passes gas. Ohhhh, so classy. She knows where her feet, toes, tongue, ears, eyes, mouth, and nose are, and likes to say "Foooot" (imagine the sound while saying it with super-puckered lips) whenever we get her dressed or she wants her shoes on or off...or if she wants a foot rub. She loves having her tummy, head, neck, back, arms, legs, hands, and feet rubbed and will demand (yes, demand) that we rub them. We make her ask "please", though, before we rub anything. She has a little white stool that she carries around the kitchen so she can get her own drinks (from the fridge water dispenser), wash her hands, get something off the counter, pretend to do dishes, and so on. She loves to help us unload and load the dishwasher and will immediately stop whatever she's doing and come running if she hears or sees us doing it without her.  She also loves to help with the laundry and sweeping the floors. I'm getting anxious for the day when she's big enough to do these things all on her own. One day, one day...  Sadly, though, with all she can do, it seems there's always a million kids months younger than her who can do all that and more. Some have people's names down and will say their name when they see them. Some know their full alphabet.  Some have a more advanced and clearer vocabulary. Things like that. It makes me sad because I don't want Diana to be behind, but then I get angry and remind myself that she's right on track. Yes, the fact that she isn't more advanced is 100% my fault because I do not sit with her and teach her things,( I like her to learn through experience) and I know if I spent all my time teaching my kid like other parents do, I'd have a mini-Einstein on my hands, but I know I need to learn it's ok for her to be as smart as she is on her own, and that I'm ok for balancing my time with my child/the way I spend that time, and my housework the way I do. I love her, she feels my love and loves me back, and really, that's what truly matters.
Her Terrible Two's have been attacking full force for a few months now and it hasn't been so fun. She likes to thrown full-blown tantrums about absolutely nothing several times a day. At first it frustrated me and her and I would get into a mini shouting match, but now I've learned to ignore her and let her tantrum away, as long as she isn't doing something bad, like throwing things or hitting...when she does those things, it's an automatic time out, nothing said. She calms down REAL fast after she comes out of time out and is always ready for me with a big kiss and a hug. I remember being small and throwing tantrums. My mom would put me in my room and shut the door, and I'd kick and scream away until I got so tired I'd pass out. Then, when I woke up, I always felt like a million bucks and was in the best mood. My mom knew what she was doing, and I always remember that when my kid starts driving me insane. Though she can be a total handful, I love her to death and feel so horrible whenever I get mad at her.
She's a VERY rough and tumble little kid, and loves to wrestle with Daddy and Mommy and whoever else she feels like it. As a result, most kids are afraid of her, because she has been known to body slam and tackle innocent toddlers. She isn't trying to be mean, this is just her way of having fun. I don't know why, we don't wrestle around with her or play rough with her..I'm guessing it's just a product of so much energy! But, she does have a sweet heart and loves to dole out lots of hugs and kisses to everyone. If she senses someone is sad or upset in a movie, she turns to us with a concerned look on her face and says "awwww" in a very quite, sad way, like she wishes she knew what to do to make them better. If someone in real life is sad, she does the same thing, but also responds with a gentle hug, pat on the back, and soft kiss. Most of the time, if I get sad or frustrated about something (which, sadly, seems to happen a lot), she walks up to me, places her hand softly on my cheek and rubs it, and gets a tiny, soft smile on her face...it's purely a look of "Mommy, it's going to be ok." and it lifts my spirits every time, because I know she really feels that and that's really what she's trying to express to me at the time. I love her compassion and her sweet heart, she may be obnoxious and rambunctious, but she's a true angel at heart.
Well, other than what I've already said, plus the fact that she eats like a bottomless pit and runs around like a mad man all day long, that's pretty much Diana in a nutshell lately. I wish I could write more, but my brain's a little fried from being sick (my second time in two months, Diana's 4TH time in the same amount of time), so I'll end here and I'll try to stay up to date of her and my pregnancy from here on in. Wish me luck ;)

25 Weeks

I haven't posted much about this pregnancy...in fact, I haven't blogged about much of anything lately. My lazy genes have taken over, I'm actually surprised I have enough drive to override my lack of energy in order to keep my house clean. But, I thought I'd take this opportunity (since I'm home sick from church..stupid cold season!!) to blog a little about this pregnancy...try to get up to date.
So, I've got about 3 months left (I'll be delivering -hopefully- a week early since I have to have c-sections with all my kids), and I like to tell people that instead of saying I'm 25 weeks, because 25 weeks doesn't sound as far along (to me) as only having 3 months left. I'm getting really excited and have been working to get our tiny house in order and things moved around and ready for the baby. I know if I wait too long, I'll lose my ability to do anything based on the fact that I'll be bigger than the Titanic. Therefore, if I want things done my way, I better do them within the next two months. Luckily, this time around, I don't have to paint the baby's room...we're going to hire some of the Young Men from our ward to come paint it for us...Mike doesn't want to paint it either..we have way too many painting jobs in this house still left to do. Since we only have 3 bedrooms, and Mike refuses to entertain the idea of putting both kids in the same room, we're moving Mike's computer stuff into our closet (thankfully we have a walk-in closet with just enough room to fit him and his stuff in there along with all our clothes and other crap). I feel bad so bad for him, but sadly this is our only option for now. He's a good boy. I never realized how much stuff we have and how little space we have until I started this project of getting ready for this baby. I'm starting to throw/give stuff away, and am learning to maximize ALL empty space.  Mike's actually kept me from getting rid of a lot more than I was willing to. I think once we get to cleaning out the garage, we're going to end up with a lot more space (hooray!). Anyways, I'm afraid it's going to take me the full 3 months to get everything all ready, so luckily I still have 3 months to do it all.
Our little guy is quite the ninja, I love it. I don't know much about his development because I went so long between doctor's visits due to Mike switching jobs & insurances, and therefore I had to get a new doctor and wait for an open appt. I've been to my new doctor once (5 weeks ago) and have another appt tomorrow and am hoping to learn more about how my little guy is doing and where he is in his progress personally. I haven't had an official ultrasound since I was 7 1/2 weeks along, so I don't know how fast he's growing, how big he is, how well everything is developing, stuff like that, and it makes me anxious. I want to know how he's doing. That's why I'm so thankful he's so active, it gives me a large element of relief to feel him move so much and know that he's at least alive and well. I really am hoping tomorrow I can learn more, but I'm not going to hold my breath..I'm going to count on not having an ultrasound for a few more weeks, that way I don't get too disappointed if I leave there tomorrow without one. I like my new doctor, he's great! He was very personable and gave me all the time I wanted with him. He made sure he answered all my questions and he NEVER made me feel rushed or silly about my concerns or decisions. His wait time is like 30-40 minutes, but I have to say, it's so very worth it! Plus, his office is right behind the hospital I want to deliver at (Summerlin) and very close to Mike's work, so if Mike needs to go in while I'm in the hospital he won't be too far away. I'm so glad I chose him as my doctor, and am thankful for the friend who recommended him to me!
Going back to my ninja...we decided to name him Daniel. Mike chose this name -after his best friend since childhood-, and I definitely approve. I've finally decided on a middle name, but I think I'm going to keep that secret until after we have him, just in case, for some reason, I flip-flop and change my mind on the middle name.  Anyways, like I said before, he's quite the ball of energy and strength (although he's not quite as energetic as Diana was) and his powerful kicks can be seen perfectly clear from the outside...it's been like that for weeks already. He gets either jealous or annoyed when Diana sits on my lap and/or leans against my stomach and will kick her over and over again (REALLY hard, too) until I move her. But, when I want Daddy to feel him kick, he freezes up and won't move again until Daddy has moved away. I mean, all I've got to say is "Mike" and the little man will freeze up, mid kick. Like I said, Ninja. I don't know if this means he does or doesn't like his Daddy, but Mike's convinced he's just a soothing agent to his son. Yes, that's it Mike. You're so soothing that the mear mention of your name puts him in a zen-like state. :) Mike's convinced that this boy with love him more than me, just like Diana does, but I'm saying he's going to be a Momma's boy and love me more. He better be!
We've been trying to prepare Diana for her brother on the way and we taught her months ago that there's a baby in Mommy's tummy, so now she'll walk up to me at random times, point to my round tummy and say "BABY!" and give it a big, sweet kiss. I'm hoping there won't be jealousy issues with her and him. There never were between me and my 10 other siblings whenever a new one is born, so I think it is possible to keep a kid from getting jealous, the real question is HOW. Diana will be an awesome big sister..she's very affectionate and loving, and she NEEDS a friend. I know Daniel will be the best thing for her.
I'm so excited to be adding another baby to our little clan. At first I was so nervous (though VERY happy) and didn't know how I was going to do it, but as time gets closer, I get more confident and excited. Unfortunately, I already feel like I've blown up like a Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade Balloon, and have already cried about my weight many times. See, I gained 48 pounds while pregnant with Diana, and I started out that time at 133 pounds, so by the end, I was (yep, you guessed it) 181 pounds. I was and am so mortified by that that I can't look back at pictures of myself...I can't believe I got so big, it was traumatizing. Thankfully I lost all my baby weight, and more, and got down to 106 lbs, before gaining back 10 pounds before I got pregnant again. So, this time I only started out @ 116, so even if by some evil twist of fate I manage to gain 48 pounds again, I'll still be 17 lbs lighter than I was last time. I'm PRAYING I don't gain that much (My goal is between 35-40 lbs max), but I'm slowly seeing that goal slip through my fingers, as I have gained - I think - about 20-21 lbs already. Again, now you see why I've cried about my weight many times already, and I've actually been a LOT better about counting my calories and watching what I've been eating this time as opposed to last time...and yet, still gaining weight like it's in style. AND, I've still got a ways to go. Oy.
I know these next 3 months will go by so slowly, as they did when I was waiting for Diana to arrive, because I'm so anxious to hold this little guy in my arms and shower him with love and kisses. But, I know the wait will be worth it, and I'm so thankful for the opportunity to be a mom, not only to Diana, but soon to this handsome little man, too.

(I'll post a belly pic soon... hopefully)