Little Booger's New Tricks

Have I mentioned just how "busy" Nikos has been lately? And how he just gets busier all the time? This morning, he figured out how to do two new things that will definitely keep Mommy and Daddy on their toes for a while:

1. He has discovered that he can get out of bed during his naps. We have been lucky so far in that he seemed to think that he was stuck in his bed. Funny thing is, he has always climbed in and out of it, no problem, during playtime. But there was some sort of psychological barrier that kept him from climbing out at nap time or during the night-- some sense of "I was put to bed, and this is where I am supposed to stay." It was great! But... Not any more! This morning, I put him down for his nap and walked out of the room. Minutes later, I heard him playing with one of his toys... then sliding open the closet door (there's nothing he can get to in there)... then banging on his bedroom door, calling, "Mama! Mama!" in his sweet little voice. I went back in, put him back in the bed, and thought we were good... Ten minutes later, he was up and playing with his toys. We just let him be until he fell asleep who-knows-where (I'm afraid to go peek-- what if he's right on the other side of the door?). He's been asleep almost an hour now. Here's hoping this doesn't become a trend!

2. As I was washing dishes this morning, he was playing peacefully in the kitchen. He had opened a low drawer in our kitchen island, the one containing paper goods (paper plates, napkins, etc.), and was proceeding to empty and refill it. Then it got quiet, so I peeked over to see what he was doing. And this is what I saw:Little booger!!! He was so proud of himself, though, that I couldn't help but think it was completely adorable. He sat in there and played with a plastic spoon for a good 20 minutes. Then he tried standing up in the drawer, and I ended that game. Still... Aack! We are doomed! :)

Odds & Ends

It's Friday night, and we have the entire weekend before us... Is there any better time of the week? :) In honor of this great time, I thought I'd share a few random-type-things that have been percolating in my brain for the past few days.

Words: It never ceases to amaze me how quickly Nikos picks up new words/sounds. In addition to all the words I wrote about back on January 4th, he now says broom ("boom"), yay!, cookie, bubbles ("bubba"), dinner ("di-duh"), and thank you ("tah-you"), he makes a bunch more animal sounds (monkey, snake, tiger, etc.), and he has his own Nikos-ese words for other items (shoes are "ees," outside is "ai-ya.") Not to mention the fact that he understands a million other words ("open," "close," "no," "bring here," "go get ___," "brush hair," "brush teeth," "bath time," etc.)

Actions: He is now obsessed with opening and closing doors, turning light switches on and off, pushing any sort of button (including the one on the surge protector that's connected to this computer), dumping things out and then putting them back, chasing bubbles around the backyard, getting things from the refrigerator, pushing his pack-n-play around (and the dining room chairs... and the piano bench...), sweeping, standing on the floor while playing the (real) piano while singing along, dancing every single time he hears music (hilarious!), eating with a fork, playing with refrigerator magnets, playing hide-and-seek with Charlie, draining the bathtub on his own when it's time to get out, snuggling in his bed after gathering every stuffed animal he owns, and running around in the bed of Gus' truck while it's parked in the driveway. I'm sure there's more, but I just wanted to make the point: he's a very busy little person these days! And Mommy is tired!

Anyhow, I think that's it. We're staying close to home this weekend, which will be very nice. I plan to get Nikos some more shoes (since he officially lives in his Nikes, and I'm thinking we need another pair just like them but in a different color), a toy broom, and some other "outside" toys. This kid LOVES being outside-- walking has really opened up a whole new world for him!

P.S. I forgot one of the cutest things he started doing this week: fake snoring! Sometimes, when we're playing, I'll pretend to go "night-night." I lie down on the floor, close my eyes (mostly because I really DO want to rest, haha!), and make fake snoring noises. Well, Mr. Smartypants has figured out the connection! The other day, while he was eating dinner, I leaned back in my chair and closed my eyes for a sec. And he started making snoring noises for me! I opened my eyes, and he stopped... only to start again as soon as I closed my eyes. It was HILARIOUS!

30 Weeks!

75% cooked... And feeling "swell" (haha!).

We have a due date!

Well, I already had a due date, but now we know when our baby girl will actually be here! I had an appointment with my Ob/Gyn today, and we talked about scheduling my c-section. I had the option of attempting a VBAC, but I'm not a great candidate (since I never went into labor on my own and then, when induced, never dilated past 6 centimeters). Anyway, it's not official yet, but she will most likely be born on Friday, May 1st! That's a mere 9 weeks from this Friday, folks! I can't even believe it! I think it's cool that she will be born on the 1st, too. Nikos already has a special birthday-- he was born on the ninth anniversary of when Gus and I started dating. But being born on the first of the month will match her two parents quite nicely (my birthday is April 1st; Gus' is July 1st). There is something sort of zen about that. It just sounds right, you know?

Since I'm on the topic of our baby girl, I suppose I should give a little pregnancy update. In the past week or so, I have gone from barely remembering that I am pregnant to being fully aware of it, 24/7. I have moments, especially after a big meal, where I feel like I am literally going to burst open. My pelvic bones are incredibly sore, and now I have this lovely sciatic pain that periodically shoots down the back of my right leg (I didn't have this with Nikos). My round ligament pain across the bottom of my belly is much worse this time around, probably because the muscles are still stretched a bit from last time. It's enough to make me wince in pain if I have to walk too much at any given time. And with my school under construction, I have to hike to and from my car every day. Ugh! In short, things are starting to get unpleasant. But with the end so close, I think I can make it!

The good news is that I have been sleeping so much better than I ever did when pregnant with Nikos, and haven't had to get up to use the restroom a million times at night. That, and our baby girl is doing great-- measuring exactly 30 weeks, heart rate 152bpm (normal range). I can't wait to meet her in just over 9 weeks!

Three Short Stories

Tiny Tumble: Last night, Nikos went to bed at around 7:15 (as usual), and Gus and I decided to catch up on some of the shows we missed while we were gone. At almost 9:00, I heard an almost-inaudible thump (I don't think Gus heard it at all) followed by miserable wailing. We both rushed back to find a groggy baby sitting on the floor next to his big boy bed, bundled up in his blanket with big tears rolling down his cheeks. He must've rolled right out while he was sleeping! Poor little guy. After some hugs and kisses from mommy and daddy, we put him back in his bed and he slept soundly for the rest of the night. So the inevitable finally happened, but it wasn't nearly as traumatic as I thought it would be!

He Loves Me: After hearing nothing but "Daddy! Daddy! Daddy!" for months and months now, I am happy to say that Nikos says MY name quite a bit these days! He even asks about me when I'm not in the room! This morning, I woke up to the sound of "MAMA!!" followed by Nikos crawling across the bed to see me (Gus had put him there, obviously... our bed is really high!). I asked him to give mommy a kiss, and he leaned down right away to plant one on my lips. And yesterday, at the zoo, when he wouldn't ride in the stroller or walk anymore, who did he want to carry him? Mama! Gus carried him most of the time (seeing as I'm in my third trimester and all), but he kept reaching for me and whimpering my name. And I have to tell you, it feels pretty good. Worth the wait, I guess!

Mommy's Helper: I just wanted to record this one for posterity. Whenever Nikos goes grocery shopping with me, he has to help me out or he gets very antsy. So every time I pick up an item, I hand it to him. He then twists around and drops it into the big part of the shopping cart. Sometimes he misses and drops the item on the floor, but he's gotten pretty accurate-- even with heavier things! I think it's hilarious, though I definitely help him when I pick up something breakable (like, say, eggs or milk). This is something he came up with completely on his own. He is such a good little helper!

Nikos' Vacation

So while we were on our cruise, Nikos had fun with Gus' parents! I just got these pics from them this morning, and some of them are too cute not to share. Clearly, this child was miserable and neglected all week! :)
All dressed up

Fun in the rain (until his face got wet... then he was done!)

How many loveys can we fit in this chair?

Helping run the family restaurant ("Let me make a sign for today's special!")

Day 1 and he's already got his hand in the till... uh-oh!

Zoo!

When we woke up this morning and saw that the weather was once again very nice (warm, slightly overcast) we thought, "What a great day to go to the zoo!" And so it was. Although Nikos can't seem to decide whether he wants to be in the stroller or not, we still had fun. He loved petting the goats, seeing the orangutans, and (of course) seeing the llamas! We thought he would have grown out of his llama obsession by now, but alas, no. He really does love them! Anyway, prepare for picture overload... I brought the "good" camera with me today! :)

Babymoon

So... We're back! And I bet you didn't even know we were gone! :) I didn't want to post about us being away from home beforehand, in the off chance that some weirdo might come and rob our house or whatever. But Gus and I just got back today from a 4-day cruise down to Mexico and back. I have this entire week off from school, and we thought it would be nice to get away for a bit before baby #2 arrived-- a "babymoon," so to speak. Neither one of us had never been on a cruise before, and the prices were too good to resist. So we dropped Nikos off at Yia-yia and Pappou's house, off we went!

We left on a cold and cloudy Sunday, and were fully prepared for the cruise to be chilly. We knew there was a huge storm coming (the forecast said it would dump 2-4 inches), and that we'd be sailing right into it. And that's exactly what we did! As we cruised out of the San Diego harbor, things were fine... But by bedtime, the ship was rocking pretty significantly. It was hard to sleep, because I kept thinking that we were having an earthquake! When we finally rolled out of bed in the morning, it was awful. Here's what we saw out of our window:

Yup: whitecaps. Not exactly what you want to see out in the open ocean. Everyone was staggering around the ship like they were drunk (though some of them definitely were). The staff members were passing out barf bags all over the place. Gus (who gets sea sick to begin with) and I were not feeling so hot. We bundled up in our warmest clothes and sat for a long time at a table on the upper deck, so we could get some fresh (freezing) air. After about lunchtime, things started to settle down and we were feeling a lot better. We even got dressed up for "formal night," and had our picture taken together!

Actually, we were supposed to stop at Catalina Island for the day, but that had to be postponed because the port was closed down. We ended up having our "fun day at sea" a few days earlier than planned, and then going to Catalina the next day.

Catalina was an experience, too! We'd been there before, a few years ago, so we knew what to expect as far as what the town of Avalon had to offer. We did not, however, know what to expect when it came to getting from the cruise ship to the island. The Port of Catalina is way too small for the cruise ship to dock there, so we dropped anchor outside the harbor and had to take small boats, or "tenders," in to the pier. There was quite a wait to get onto the tenders, since the water was still pretty rough and there were some strong currents to contend with. At one point, the tender service was shut down entirely while the cruise ship turned to face a different direction. When we finally got onto the island in the afternoon, we looked around in the little shops for about an hour before it started to rain again. We didn't know how long the rain would last, or if it would start to pour, so we got back in line to take a tender back to the ship.


The next day (yesterday), we woke up in Ensenada to find (gasp!) a blue, sunny sky overhead! Eager to explore someplace we'd never been before, we showered, wolfed down a quick breakfast from the omelet bar, and headed down to the gangway. Though the weather was great, Ensenada was... Ensenada. Pretty typical Mexican tourist city: lots of grubby little kids trying to sell you Chiclets, panhandlers (all children), street vendors trying to sell the same exact items on every corner (a bracelet with your name on it! sunglasses! your name on a grain of rice!), street taco stands, and drugstores everywhere advertising pain killers, muscle relaxants, and all sorts of prescription-only items in the U.S. We walked up and down the length of Avenida Lopez Mateos (the main drag), got a t-shirt for Nikos and an ornament for our Christmas tree, and then walked back to the boat for lunch. We then opted to spend our afternoon enjoying the warm weather by laying out in the sunshine up by the pool. That, I think, was the best part of the entire trip! Whenever we got too hot, we could pop in and grab some lemonade or some ice cream at the buffet. We definitely didn't go hungry, that's for sure!

Then, last night, we were packing our suitcase and getting it ready to put in the hallway outside our stateroom for collection. I went to zip up one side and POP! The zipper came off in my hand. Gus was carefully zipping up the other side, and made it more than halfway, when POP! The other zipper came off. Talk about an "oh crap!" moment... I found our cabin steward and asked him if he had rope or twine or something, and he was able to procure some masking tape. We wound tape all around the bag, but there was no way we could let the baggage handlers take it (I could just envision my dirty underwear floating in the harbor... doh!). Gus ended up carrying that massive suitcase down six flights of stairs to the gangway when it was time to get off the boat, and we managed to make it home without further incident.

Anyway... We're home now and, even though we had fun, it feels good to be back on land. I missed our baby boy like crazy, and can't wait to see him again tomorrow!!

Another Look!

Here she is, in all her cuteness! Well, to be honest, many of the pictures look slightly creepy/distorted-- but that's the nature of the beast. Little Rainbow wanted to keep her hand near (or in) her mouth through much of the experience, but we still got a good look. She is definitely a girl (yay!), her heart rate was 144 bpm, and she is currently breech (transverse-- her head is on my right side, and her rear is on my left). Not that the breech part matters, since she'll be a scheduled c-section, but it was still interesting (Nikos was sunnyside up, if you'll recall... apparently my babies both have a rebellious and/or confused streak).

Anyhow... I am posting a link to the album, rather than putting the actual pictures on here, since I know there are a few people who don't want to see her until she makes her real arrival. And like I said, some of these pictures are creepy... But nonetheless, enjoy! :)
Our Baby Girl's 3D/4D Ultrasound Pics

Happy Valentine's Day!

Here are some pics of the little guy I took last night before dinner... We were playing a new game-- he repeatedly closed the door to his room, and I opened it again, causing endless giggles of delight. It was the cutest thing ever!

Next, he had to give Sugarbear some lovin' (sorry it's blurry)

Also, these are the Valentine cards that Nikos decorated for his friends at daycare. I think he did an excellent job!

Tonight, Gus and I are going to go have a 3D/4D ultrasound done of our baby girl in lieu of spending money on flowers or a fancy dinner. I can't wait!!

More Good News & Bad News

The good news is that I passed the 3-hour glucose test with flying colors! I do not have gestational diabetes, and am free to continue indulging my gigantic sweet tooth as needed. YES!!

The bad news is that it poured today, and that the rain will likely continue throughout most of the week. While this is normally something to celebrate where we live (we can always use the water!), it makes for a really miserable work week. Especially when the place you work happens to be undergoing massive construction. Not only is the whole school located in one giant mud puddle, but the convenient parking lot is shut down for the year-- meaning that everyone has to park in the upper lot, which is quite an uphill/downhill hike (depending on which way you're going). Throw in some blowing-sideways rain and a raincoat that won't close since it's not maternity-sized, and you've got one soggy and freezing teacher. And that was at 7:15am-- not a great way to start the day! The good news is that at least they have finally fixed the heat in my building. Oh, and that my ceiling didn't leak (my neighbor's did-- in two spots). I am going to be so glad when this construction is finished and we have a nice new school, but getting there is pretty miserable on days like today!

Metamorphosis of a Room

So Rainbow's room isn't done yet, but the basic stuff is all there. Here are some pictures, by request! They go all the way back to when we first moved in (and Gus had to remove the hideous wallpaper), through the room's life as our den, and finally its change into our second nursery. What a difference four years makes!

3-Hour Glucose Test

Well... I survived! I was able to get a Saturday appointment (very convenient!), so I arrived at the lab at 7:30 this morning. They did a baseline blood draw, made me drink the same lovely orange-flavored beverage as last time, and then drew my blood every hour for three hours. My poor arm is all bruised from the needles, and I won't find out if I passed until Monday, but still-- I survived! And it was not fun!

The first hour was actually the hardest. I had no problem gulping down the glucose drink, but it did not settle well in my empty stomach. I kept burping and felt like I was going to throw up, yet somehow I kept it down. It didn't help that Rainbow was doing acrobatics in my belly, either! The second hour went by very quickly, since I was feeling a lot better and had enough energy to read my book and play games on our Nintendo DS. The third hour, I was just trying to stay awake. I felt weak and hungry (since I hadn't eaten anything for well over 12 hours), and I stared at the clock every minute or two. But once it was all said and done, and I was able to eat the tortilla chips I had stowed in the car, life was good! I ran a few errands, and was home just in time to feed Nikos his lunch.

Speaking of Nikos... He took his first two naps in his toddler bed today! After having no problems at night all week, we were still worried that the daytime naps would be a different story. Nope! He took a great nap this morning, and a slightly shorter one this afternoon, but he stayed in the bed the entire time! I just hope he keeps it up! He's been Mr. Crankypants the past few days, because it's been raining and he hasn't been able to go outside. So a good nap is a very desirable thing!

In other news... Gus is being manly today. He replaced our dead garbage disposal (hooray!) and is about to work on installing hard-wired ceiling lights into both the kids' rooms. He's been studying his Home Depot books on plumbing and electrical projects. :) Go Gus!!

Failure Times Two

First, a video of my little "failure to thrive" kiddo. Really, he is the poster child for malnourishment, don't you think? Ugh... Still so annoyed!

(FYI, Gus was hitting him with the washcloth because, up until I started taking this video, it was making Nikos laugh hysterically. Of course he had to stop when the camera was rolling!)

On another note, I found out today that I failed my one-hour glucose test yesterday. Doh! After one hour, my glucose level should have been somewhere between 80 and 130. Mine was 150, which is considered "slightly elevated." Slightly enough that my diet yesterday could have affected the results, since I was not required to fast prior to the test. And, being the sweet tooth that I am, I could not pass up the lovely sugary cake that was sitting in the teacher's lounge at recess. So I think I pretty much shot myself in the foot on that one.

So what does it all mean? It means that I could possibly have gestational diabetes, though I honestly doubt it. I have to go back in for a three-hour glucose test, which I have heard is decidedly un-fun. I have to fast all night, skip breakfast, and go for the test first thing in the morning. If my glucose levels are normal, then all is good. If they're not, then I have to set up an appointment with a dietitian and go on the diabetic diet (which also sounds quite unappealing). So... let's just hope I pass, because I'm tired of "failing" at everything this week! I will call tomorrow to set up the appointment.

New Due Date, etc.

Well, I had an appointment with my OB today, and he officially changed my due date from May 11th to the 7th. Which means I will most likely have a scheduled c-section sometime the week before that. Which therefore means that I have officially lost a week, and that it's time to panic! Ok, not so much. But still, this pregnancy is going at warp speed, and I feel like May is just around the corner. This is such a change from last time, where the weeks seemed to stretch on forever. I guess it helps to work full-time AND have a toddler around!

Speaking of said toddler... I am still mad about his appointment on Monday (the whole "failure to thrive" business). When Gus left the appointment, he also happened to forget Nikos' immunization record and the information sheet they give at all the well-baby appointments (with his stats, etc.). So it arrived in the mail today, promptly causing me to become irritated all over again. For the record, our "failure to thrive" child is now eating two (2) breakfasts-- one at home, one at daycare, gigantic snacks, and all the milk we can get in him. Bonnie, our awesome daycare lady, is aware of the whole situation and is attempting to fatten up the little goose as well. It really upsets me, because I don't want him to have an unhealthy relationship with food or become a kid who expects to eat 24/7 (a "grazer"). We are pretty much just trying this out until March 2nd, when he has his follow-up appointment. I guess we'll see what happens then. Personally, I think that he is a very happy and healthy kid as is, and that he is not "failing to thrive" by any stretch of the imagination. (oh, and for what it's worth, Nikos is the same exact size as an 18-month-old little boy he goes to daycare with-- who is also happy and healthy.)

But back to happier things... Like I said, I had my appointment today, and was measuring at almost 27 weeks (right on target for a May 7th due date). Her heartbeat was strong and fast, probably because I had just chugged the lovely orange-flavored glucose drink for my gestational diabetes test. I should get those results back fairly soon, but am pretty confident that I will pass (since I did last time). I talked with my doctor about getting my tubes tied, which I will most likely do if I have a repeat c-section. And other than that, the appointment was as routine as ever. I got the pre-admission paperwork for the hospital, and scheduled my 30 week appointment for the 25th. Yes, that's only three weeks away. And I will be in the third trimester(!!). Like I said, time is flying... Yikes!

Good News & Bad News

First, the bad news... Gus took Nikos for his 15-month well-baby appointment today, and it turns out that our wiggle-worm has not gained a single ounce since his 12-month appointment. He has, however, grown taller. I attribute the lack of weight gain to his newly discovered mobility, but the doctor still thinks there is some cause for concern (or vigilance, at the least). She wants Nikos to be on a high-calorie diet for the next month, and then come in for a follow-up visit. She used the words that sounded so terrible: "failure to thrive." Essentially, it means that he has temporarily fallen off of his normal growth curve. While his weight is generally at about the 50th percentile, he has dropped to the 10th-25th percentile. I find it so frustrating, since he is a great eater and eats many of the foods that are on the high-calorie, high-nutritional-value list she provided. Her one suggestion was to put Nikos in his highchair for snacks, so that he focuses on eating the snacks rather than playing. She also suggested adding powdered milk or Carnation Instant Breakfast to his milk at breakfast time to boost his calories. Still, I feel like I have somehow failed at one of the most basic aspects of parenting. And it's really upsetting! I am certainly not starving my little guy... Maybe he just takes after his daddy and is meant to be skinny??

The good news, however, is that Nikos likes his toddler bed! He thinks it is great fun to climb around on during the day, but has conked out right away two nights in a row. In fact, he even slept until 6:40 this morning (which was okay because he had his doctor's appointment, and didn't have to get ready for daycare). He was so excited to play in his room today, too! He loves his beanbag chairs, and was so excited to have his books moved to a different area with easier access. We still have to wait until this weekend to see how things go during naptime (when he's much more likely to attempt to climb out and play), but I am cautiously optimistic. I can't believe how quickly he adapted to this big change-- I am impressed!

Busy Saturday

I. Am. So. Sore. I am fairly certain that almost, if not all, of my joints and muscles are screaming at me right now. The good news is that we got a TON of stuff done today! I actually took Nikos up to my parents' house this weekend, so that he could get in some quality Grandma and Grandpa time and we could really focus on our home improvement projects. And that is exactly what we did all day today!

I started the morning by scraping the "popcorn" off the ceiling of Rainbow's closet. It's not a difficult thing to do (spray on water. wait. scrape off.), but it involves working with your arms over your head, which can get pretty exhausting. And it makes an awful mess, though I did have the foresight to throw down a vinyl dropcloth beforehand. Once that was done, I handed the closet over to Gus to work on his built-in drawers. It took him almost the entire day, but it's finished! Well, the installation, at least. It still needs paint (as does the rest of the closet interior), but that will be on the "to do" list for tomorrow. It looks fantastic!

Meanwhile, I removed and painted the closet door, and hung new white curtains over the window. I then assembled Nikos' toddler bed. I convinced Gus to help me move the bed into Nikos' room, and then I proceeded to disassemble the crib so that we could move it to the new baby's room. We ended up moving the crib, the rocking chair, and the changing table all into the new baby's room, which meant that Nikos' room got a makeover of its own! He got two new beanbag chairs (one that looks like a football and one that looks like a baseball), the toddler bed, and some new drawers in his closet for storing his clothes. I even made him a little reading area, with his comfy chair, stuffed animals, and lots of books. I can't wait to see his face when he sees what has happened to his room!

His sister's room is looking great, too. There is still a lot of junk in there (remnants from the room's former life as our office), and the closet needs to be finished inside, but everything else is looking fantastic! I made up her crib with all the linens and everything, and it is just how I imagined. I also attached a mirror to the back of her closet door (which I repainted and reinstalled with new hardware this afternoon). Oh, and I found a really cute little message board while I was out shopping that totally matched the colors in the bedding, so I will be mounting that on the wall, too. So much to do!

Anyway, that was our day... Tomorrow should be a little slower, since we got the big stuff finished today. Plus, our friends Bryce and Aditi are back in town for the weekend (they live in Texas now), so we'll be meeting them for brunch. I can't wait to see pictures from their big wedding in India!