There are 50 states...

See how West Virginia is NEXT to Virginia? Yes, it really is its own separate state!

I can't tell you how many people I've seen, back home or just out-of-state that say

"oh how do you like Virginia?"

and I say "Well, Virginia is ok, but I live in WEST Virginia."

"Oh... Isn't that just western Virginia?"

"No. No it's not."

It's a state people. I promise.

26 week midwife appointment

There is the obligatory belly shot. 26 weeks and I'm actually measuring at 28 weeks. Of course I've also gained 8 lbs in the past 5 weeks since my last appt, so my midwife was not surprised, she said a mid-late 2nd trimester growth spurt is very common. Plus it brings my total weight gain up to 12 lbs so far, so really it's not that bad. I figure even if I gain 1 lb a week for the next 14 weeks it puts me up to 26lbs, which is normal. Granted it's more than I'd like, but still only HALF of what I gained with Victor, so I'll be thrilled.

They also checked my blood sugar at this visit. One of the great things about midwives is that I don't have to drink that nasty sugar stuff and have them draw a billion vials of blood. I just fasted for 8 hours before the appt and she pricked my finger to check it on a monitor. They like it to be below 95 and mine was 97, so just slightly elevated. They are checking me again in 2 weeks (they would be checking me again no matter what) this time 2 hours after I eat. If still just slightly elevated they'll probably just give me a monitor so I can check it on a regular basis to get a better baseline of what's really going on but I wouldn't be sent to a specialist or labeled GD or anything.

Cadie was actually head down this time, which I knew from where she was kicking me, and I certainly don't expect her to stay that way yet. She's still my little hurricane! Did I mention that this was a home visit? Yes, my midwives came to see me :-) I love them. So I was afraid that Victor was going to freak out with them touching me, he doesn't really like that. When they checked our iron at our WIC appt 2 weeks ago, he was more upset about them pricking my finger than he was about them sticking his. So yes, I was afraid he wouldn't handle it well and had my neighbor on stand by in case I needed her to watch him. Thanks to a fluke where Victor was up for an hour and a half in the middle of the night, he actually slept through most of the appt. He woke up just while she was measuring my belly. He came down with Matt just as she was starting to find Cadie's heartbeat. For just a second we thought he was going to cry, but then we were telling him that "it's Cadie's heartbeat, it's your sister! Doesn't it sound like a train?" and he just sat there watching with a slightly perplexed look on his face. So cute though, I had to look away from him because I kept laughing!

I see them every 2 weeks now! Crazy!

And so I shall leave you with these:

Victor was watching Toy Story, so he lined up his cars and told them "Sit! watch!"

Yep. that's Victor wearing my red heels. He walks pretty well in them. Love him :-)

Hear me roar!

This. A thousand times this.

I remember getting my first three little stripes with Victor. I was putting lotion on in front of the mirror and happened to see them on the underside of my belly. I cried. I had stretch marks just from going through puberty so I knew I was probably going to get them, but still... I cried. Eventually I ended up with them pretty much everywhere. One day I had 3, the next the were everywhere, or so it seemed.

This time, I don't care. First of all, they are already there. For 2 years now we've gotten to know each other, they are simply a part of me. Secondly, I've come to see them as evidence of what my body is capable of. I grew a HUMAN BEING in my womb! How cool is that?!?

So bring 'em on!!

Trick or Treat!

Victor had soo much fun! Until he got cold anyway. Then he was a screaming tantrum throwing little stinker (though I can't blame him, he hadn't had a nap either). But I digress. I originally wanted to make him a costume like this:

The main component of this costume is an oversize red sweatshirt with it's arms cut off. BUT, did you know that it's apparently IMPOSSIBLE to find a plain, red sweatshirt anywhere?!?! I mean seriously, it's such a basic thing I honestly did not think it would be an issue. yea, it was. So i kind of had to go a different direction:

He's my "Handsome Lil' Devil". Red turtleneck, red sweater vest, red boots, tail (that you can't see, but I think that was my favorite part), horns ("hat!") and scepter ("stick!"). I still think he looked adorable, but still wish I could have made the other one work. Maybe next year when I have a 3 year old and 8 month old (*faint!*) I'll try to plan a little better in advance.

Once I finally got him dressed and handed him his bucket, I tried to explain what was going to happen. He was really excited and dying to go outside. Even though we were waiting for the neighbors we went ahead outside for him to run around a bit. He kept yelling "Tri! Tree!" and running up and down the sidewalk. One of the neighbors tried to give him some candy but he freaked and ran back to me, haha! At least he knows he shouldn't take candy from strangers! I tried to explain to him that it was ok this time because it was Halloween. Once the neighbors came out and we were all ready, he got to watch Andrew (almost 4 y/o) and picked up on the idea real quick.

He had SOO much fun running from house to house!! It was kind of cold, and once it got dark it got much colder pretty quick. We were out for about an hour and a half and only made it around 3ish blocks? He was pooped and so cold by the time we called it quits and headed back. He climbed up in the stroller and I pulled his sweater over his head. That made him soo mad!! But he was so cold he wasn't moving his hands anymore :-) so I made the executive decision that he was going to wear the darn sweater for the 3 blocks it took us to get home.

He threw a tantrum of course, he wanted me to carry him, partly because I could help keep him warm, but I just can't carry him like that now. Once we got him home and he sat on the couch and warmed up, he was fine. We'd had dinner before going out so he got to eat a few pieces of candy and Matt and I freely pillaged his candy as well, Ha! Shortly thereafter we did bath and then he pretty well passed out for the night. I wish we could trick or treat every night so he'll always sleep that well, HA!

Happy Halloween everyone! I hope you all had great nights!

P.S. I didn't think that trick or treating for 3 blocks would be that physically tiring, but I am sore this morning! I guess I'm just THAT out of shape right now, ugh!

belly comparison

24 weeks with Victor
24 weeks today with Cadie

i think I look closer to my 27 week pic with Victor.

What do you think?

I've been feeling great up to this point so I really can't complain too much. I finally hit that spot where I'm really feeling pregnant. I can no longer work around my belly as if it's not there, she's definitely in the way!! Or to feel her kick me every time I bend over, apparently I'm in HER way! I've started having some sciatic pain this past week. I've also noticed it's worse at the end of the day, especially if I've been holding Victor a lot. Unfortunately I'm trying to cut back on that, which I hate, but my body doesn't need an extra 33 lbs sitting on one hip, ya know? We're trying to do lots of lap hugs and cuddling on the couch while mommy rests.

What ways did you find to help your toddler through this transition? Any ideas for me?!

Hurricane Cadie

Victor wanted to get in on the action :-) He stood there yelling "CHEESE!!" Why couldn't he have done that when we took family pictures last week?!

23 weeks now! I still feel great, although just realized tonight that I'm starting to feel a bit..um.. heavy? awkward? not sure what the right adjective is here, but all you mommies now what I mean :-) But I really do feel good, other than the occasional ligament pains and some back pain when I've been holding Victor too long, it's been a great pregnancy so far. As my midwives and I like to say, "I'm boringly normal." And can I just say, I freaking LOVE my midwives. They are amazing and I could not ask for any one better to help us birth.

Cadie (Cadence Marie) is a maniac! I had an anterior placenta with Victor and never really felt regular movement until my 3rd trimester. This time my placenta is placed properly in back and she's just crazy! I felt her for the first time at 14 weeks, started feeling her regular daily little taps at 16 weeks, felt her on the outside of my belly at 18 weeks and a few days later at barely 19 weeks she was kicking hard enough that Matt got to feel her. She moves SOOO much. At my 20 week ultrasound the tech was hilarious, she kept laughing because every time she'd get a shot of something she needed, Cadie would move on her. it took her a good 15-20 minutes to get the right shots of the heart because Cadie was moving soo much. She completely flipped position at least twice while we were there.

At my last midwife appt it took about 5-10 mintues to find her heartbeat because she was moving around so much. The midwife-in-training said that it sounded like a storm in my belly and I said "oh yes, Hurricane Cadie is coming!" and I've been calling her that ever since. I've never once had a moment where I wondered if she was ok, because I seriously feel her moving ALL. THE. TIME. And I just LOVE it. Although a little part of me is scared because, what's it going to feel like in 5 or 6 weeks when she's even bigger?! But I can't wait, I'm so excited. I sooo love being pregnant this time around. Bring on the babies!!!

2 Years Old!

It just doesn't seem like it's been 2 years! He's still my baby, my sweet lil angel.... It's hard to believe that he's really growing up, I mean, in just 4 months he's going to be a big brother! *sigh* So strange...

But these 2 years have been wonderful. I wouldn't change them, not one minute, for anything in this world. The awful nights with his reflux at first, then the ear infections, the tubes surgery, finding the lump in his hand, the MRI, then surgery on his hand, HFM now twice.... All the hugs and kisses, cuddles, giggles, tickles, falling asleep next to him and waking up with him cuddled up next to me, all those hours spent nursing and just holding him in my arms....

Oh I love my little boy so much, he's so sweet, so funny and he's going to be such a great big brother!