Stay-home Day...

The wonderful thing about teaching is that I get the best of both being a working mom and a stay-home mom. I get to work at a job I love, but I also get long vacations at home with my boy - a week at Thanksgiving, nearly two weeks at Christmas, a week for spring break, snow days {we had a ton of those this year!}, and of course, roughly 10 weeks during the summer. It's kind of the perfect mom job. I am absolutely loving my summer at home with Leland.

However, I have a confession to make: I would make a terrible full-time stay-home mom. I get restless hanging out at home, and anxious to be out doing things. I worry that Leland will get bored, so most days, I fill our days with all kinds of activities.

We go to the park {there are a few great ones near our house}, take walks, visit the Children's Museum, have play dates with friends, and play in the pool/sprinklers. Sometimes we run errands, but my mommy guilt kicks in and makes me think that Leland will get bored with that, so I try to not do much "boring stuff" in one day or too many days in a row. Which is kind of silly, because Leland loves riding in carts, and Target popcorn is always a hit.

The point is, we have lots of busy days. This is great because I know we're both having fun. But it's also kind of a problem because I always end up spending money. It drives Dave bonkers. He asks me almost every day what we did, and even though he doesn't say much, I know he's calculating the money spent on gas alone. It also drives me a little crazy because I always have things to enter into the checkbook, which I hate, and I have to get ready {because whenever I go out looking slob-ish, I see everyone I know}.

I decided to make today a stay-home day. We would not drive anywhere. We would not spend money. We would have fun at home. And bonus? I wouldn't have to wear makeup.

So, here's what we did to beat the boredom at home.

We took a walk around the neighborhood. Leland loves looking at trees and flowers. And he pointed out all the animals we saw too.

And he crossed his little fingers. He does this all the time.

I got out some toys that we haven't seen in a while. Leland had fun with his stacking cups and tupperware.

I got out the laundry basket, and not to do laundry. Leland loves playing in the laundry basket. He climbs in it and on it. He pushes it around the house. He puts it upside down by the living room window so that he can look outside.

We busted out the stickers and finger paint and got down with our artsy side.

We played chase through the house, which we pretty much do every day about a hundred times, but it never gets old.

And after nap, we're going to play in the backyard.

Staying home all day is kind of exhausting. But we managed to escape boredom, I think. However, it won't be a complete and total stay-home day, as we have a family date to go out for ice cream tonight. So, we will be spending money, but it won't be all my fault.

27 weeks...

How far along: 27 weeks

 

Total Weight Gain: +18 lbs.

Size of Baby: Rutabaga

Maternity Clothes?: Definitely. Some regular shirts still fit, but just barely. They are getting way too short!

Sleep: Hasn’t been great. I can’t get or stay comfortable very easily.

Food Cravings: Sugary treats. It’s getting bad. I need to really start limiting myself in this area.

Food Aversions: None. Finally.

Gender: Little man.

Symptoms: Some heartburn, lots of peeing.

Milestones: Only one more week til the third trimester.

Movement: Lots of rolling and kicking. Best feeling ever.

Best moment this week: Picking out paper for little one’s scrapbook.

Looking forward to: My OB appointment next week. I love hearing that heartbeat.

Extra Notes: I thought we were getting close to figuring out a name, but it seems we’ve still got nothin’. My new favorite, since Dave doesn’t like Cohen, is Walker. Dave isn’t entirely sure about it, but hasn’t said no way. We both still like Alden, but we’re not sure. It’s a lot of pressure to name another human being! It has to be perfect.

Baby Talk...

I mentioned before that Leland is starting to really talk a lot more these days. I wanted to share some of the cute ways he says things so that I don't forget them.

yah-wer - water (This is my favorite. I think I will be very sad when this changes.)

kwaaahhhh-ker- cracker (He always draws out the first syllable. Hilarious. I keep trying to get it on video but he won't let me.)

owen - orange

minnuh-minnuh - I think he's trying to say "in a minute" because he probably hears that phrase a lot between home and daycare. He usually says it when he wants me to pick him up and I can't, like when I'm making dinner. So he probably hears me say "In a minute," and thinks that means "Pick me up."

bobble - bottle

bah - pacifier (I know a lot of kids call them this, but it's usually because the parents call it that. I always call it a paci, so it's funny that he calls it "bah" all on his own.)

mana-bana - banana

no no - when he does something he knows he's not supposed to do, like mess with electrical cords.

uh huh - yes (I am realizing that I say this a lot instead of yes. So cute when he says it though.)

Pee - please

He tries to copy a lot of what we say. The latest is "I love you." I'm pretty sure this is the most common phrase he hears. We say it, like, a gazillion times a day. Well, he has started to try to say it back to us. I know he doesn't know what it means, but I love that he says it anyway. And it is usually accompanied by a kiss, because usually when we say it, we're giving him kisses too.

And somewhere along the line, Leland has modified the signs for "more" and "please." He now uses the same (incorrect) sign for both. It looks like "more," except he uses his pointer finger on one hand to touch his other hand. Too funny.

They say it comes in threes, so we should be done now...

As much as we were looking forward to saving a little extra money with Leland only being in daycare two days a week this summer, it's not working out in our favor. This is quickly becoming an expensive summer.

A couple weeks ago, Dave was noticing that part of our yard was looking a little less "green" than the rest. It was actually looking a little brown, and he decided to set the sprinkler for that area a little longer for a few days. Well, come to find out, that sprinkler head wasn't working at all. It's impossible to notice something like that unless you look out your window at specific times of the day to check each irrigation zone, which we don't do.

So Dave called our irrigation guy and, long story short, the sprinkler head had to be replaced. We're not sure what happened, but Dave thinks it was struck by lightning a few weeks ago. Who knows. Either way, we had to pay to get it fixed. Not much, but we paid nonetheless.

The next day, Dave went downstairs to feed the cat and our laundry room was flooded. Our water softener {that we bought 6 years ago and is the top-of-the-line in softeners} had some issue and started spraying water all over. Thankfully, the floor in our laundry room is just concrete, so it didn't ruin anything, but it did spread to the wall connecting to our extra bedroom downstairs - the room Dave just finished. It leaked into a closet and the carpet and a few of my crafty things got wet.

So Dave had to go out and buy one of those fans that looks like a snail, specifically for drying carpet. It dried the carpet really well, which is nice, because those fans, while not cheap, are much less costly than renting one or calling a flood company to come take care of it. But then we also had to call Culligan to get our softener fixed. While this ended up being more than our irrigation fix, it wasn't a terrible expense. It was something we could manage without dipping into our savings.

I mentioned something on my facebook about how hopefully this wasn't one of those "It comes in threes" things. I thought we were safe. In the clear. These things were taken care of over a week ago, so surely if there was a third, it would have shown itself by now. Well, friends, it most certainly did show itself.

Last week, when our temps were in the 90s, our air conditioner was having a hard time keeping up and our house was about 75-76 degrees most of the week. I was okay with this - that was still more comfortable than 95, and I just figured it was really hot out, so it wasn't quite as efficient. It was really bothering Dave though. He wants our house at 72 degrees all the time. I just thought he was being a baby. Until yesterday when it was only about 85 degrees outside and our inside temperature was still 76. Dave was not happy.

We called our heating and cooling guy, Bill. Bill is Melinda's brother {Melinda is my brother's wife}, so he's like a family member. He always takes good care of us. He said our unit should be able to keep our house at 72 degrees no matter what the temperature is outside. He looked at our unit, did some testing and came to the conclusion that we need a new one. He felt bad because we haven't had this one too long - maybe 5-8 years {we can't remember when we got it}, but sometimes these things just happen. So he's getting a price quote for a new unit for us. Like I said, he always takes care of us and I'm sure he'll get us the best deal possible, but this will be in the $1000-2000 range - quite a bit more than the sprinkler and the water softener. Not something we can manage without our savings. Boo.

I'm not complaining about any of these. Stuff breaks and needs fixing. It's a pain, sure, but it's all part of life and owning a home. And I'm incredibly thankful that we even have these things. Irrigation and central air are pretty much awesome. Seriously, once you live with them, you will not want to live without them.

But it's still a bummer. Like I said, this is turning into an expensive summer. Ah, the joys of home-ownership. But at least all three have been/will be fixed and we shouldn't have to worry about them anymore for a while. Silver linings, right?

26 weeks...

How far along: 26 weeks

 Total Weight Gain: +17 lbs. I'm really starting to feel the weight gain lately. It's hard work carrying it around, especially when it's all concentrated on one area.

Size of Baby: lettuce

Maternity Clothes?: Our town has the worst selection of maternity stores in the world. I did get some pants and capris from Old Navy online last week…and found some cropped yoga pants. Yay! For shirts, I just went out and bought a few bigger shirts from the Gap Outlet.

Sleep: Getting up two million times a night to pee. Okay, more like about 3, but it feels like two million.

Food Cravings: Any baked goods, really.

Food Aversions: Nothing really. Meat hasn’t been terrible.

Gender: Sweet boy.

Symptoms: A little heartburn. Peeing constantly. And the other day I had a major episode of low blood sugar at work. I honestly thought I was going to pass out, and it hit me really suddenly. So I grabbed a juice and sat down. My boss, Chelsea, was a midwife until she started the coffee shop, so she jumped right in to help me by grabbing a bowl of yogurt and granola to get some protein in me, and I was fine within a few minutes. She told me if I ever feel that way again to just sit and not worry about it. It’s pretty awesome having her for a boss, because she just gets it, and wants me to take care of myself. Not everyone cares sometimes, you know?

Milestones: 26 weeks equals half a year exactly. Pretty exciting…and crazy to think about. As much as pregnancy seems to go slow because you’re waiting on a baby, it’s weird that I’ve been pregnant for half a year! It kind of went fast!

Movement: He moves so much. I love it.

Best moment this week: Going out to dinner this weekend. Leland has so much fun when we go out. Everything is an adventure to him. Also, getting my maternity clothes was pretty exciting. I finally feel “cute” because I have clothes that fit.

Looking forward to: Enjoying another month of summer vacation.

Extra Notes: My weekly progesterone shots are really starting to hurt, but only on the right side. I alternate sides each week so that hopefully one side doesn’t get too tender, but the right side is definitely more tender than the left. The poke always hurts more on the right than the left, and the injection site still hurts today {I got the shot on Thursday last week}. I think I’ll stick with the left side for a few weeks.

Beach Baby...

This summer, Leland has enjoyed lots of time in the water. He has his little pool on our deck that he goes in anytime we're outside. He loves to splash around and climb in and out over and over.

He has also enjoyed the sprinklers on several occasions.

We have visited Long Lake, where my friend, Kristina, rented a house for a week. And we have visited other friends' pools. He loved these places, but didn't like using his floatie thing that we bought him last year. He much prefers to stand and move in the water as he pleases. 

This weekend, Leland went to the beach for the first time this summer {the house on Long Lake didn't have a "beach" - we went in from the dock}. We were waiting to make sure the water was warm before going to a beach, and considering last week's temps in the nineties, we were pretty sure the water would be warm enough.

This weekend, we went to Elk Lake. My mom works at a little vacation resort there in the summer, and so we can use the beach whenever we want. It was awesome to go on Saturday, because that is the day that guests leave and arrive {it's a week-long vacation resort}, so we had the beach to ourselves.

The water was WONDERFUL! I didn't even flinch when I stepped into it. It was perfectly comfortable.

I think the beach is Leland's favorite place for water play. He can walk in and out as he pleases. 

He and Ella were ready to hit the water. Madeline, not so much. She hates the sand and the water.

He can stand up or dive right in. 

He likes to have control, and he has more control when he's at the beach than when he's in a pool. He doesn't want to "float," so the beach is his thang. Also, he liked the waves when the boats went by.

I love that my boy is a beach baby. Because I'm a beach girl {thank goodness we're surrounded by them here in Traverse City!}. I see many, many beach days in our future!

Stuck...

Dave and I bought our house nine years ago. I was 20 and he was 23. It was about four months before our wedding, and we bought a freaking HOUSE!

Our house was perfect for us. A ranch-style house with a full basement. The basement was unfinished, which we wanted so that Dave could finish it the way we wanted it. It had three bedrooms and one bathroom upstairs, and an open floor plan.

We loved that our house was small enough for a couple just starting out. It was really nice inside and out, but there were also lot of ways we could work on it and make it our own. Throughout the years, we have upgraded a lot of things, like flooring, wall coverings, light fixtures, cabinets and hardware, etc. Dave finished the basement {mostly...he just has to finish the basement bathroom}, we paved the driveway, installed central air {AMAZING! I don't know how we ever lived without it!}, and a few summers ago, installed irrigation. We also have a big, fenced, backyard. Our house is pretty much exactly what we've always wanted it to be.

Our house - after driveway, before irrigation - in early spring several years ago.

Oh, and a couple years ago, we refinanced to go from a 30 year mortgage to a 15 year, and we got such a low interest rate, that our payment only went up $11/month. Seriously. We cut our payback timeline in half and are paying nearly nothing more for it. It's perfect!

Except that now that Baby #2 is on the way, it's a little on the small side. With just Leland, it has been fine. We had our bedroom, his bedroom, and an extra little playroom to keep all of his toys. Since our bedrooms are small, there isn't much room for toys and such in Leland's room. In the playroom, we also have a desk where we keep our bills and such.

Now that we're planning for another little one to join us, we are realizing how little room we will have. Leland will move into the playroom, and the desk will have to move to the basement. The toys will likely stay in his room, but we'll have to downsize how many are in there. The baby will be in Leland's current room because that is the only room that will fit the crib, changing, table, dresser, and recliner comfortably. It will be cramped compared to what we're used to.

We have talked about buying property and building a house, which is what we want to do eventually. But right now, it just seems like an impossibility. There is no way we can pay our mortgage while paying a building loan or another mortgage. Not to mention our amazing, unheard of interest rate we have now. How does one give up 2.5% interest?! Ummm...they don't!

So right now, as much as we would love a bigger house for our growing family, we are stuck. Now, I love our house. But we are outgrowing it, and I hate that feeling of being "stuck." I like to daydream about building a new house, and really daydream about having a big enough bedroom for a king size bed {You know that 6'6" gigantor husband I have? I share a queen size bed with him...not always comfortable, especially when pregnant.}, and I get a bit jealous when my friends buy or build a new house. I really wish it could happen soon, but I just don't see it happening anytime in the foreseeable future. So, for now, I will continue to be thankful that we have a house, and hope for a bigger one in the future. I guess if I have to be "stuck" in a house this is a decent one to be stuck in.

So Fast...

I know every parent says this, but time goes so fast when you have a little one. Leland is growing up right before my eyes, and I have always felt that this time is just zooming right by. But in the last month or so, it seems to be going even faster.

In the last month, I really feel like Leland is changing more and more. He's no longer a little baby {even though he's still my baby}, but he's really a toddler.

He is saying new words every day. I thought maybe it was just me that was hearing it, but Mindy, our daycare provider, told me the same thing today. His words are more easily understood, though he still has his complete babble sentences, which I love to hear. I am actually going to be sad when he doesn't babble like this anymore. But it was so cute this morning to hear him say "oc-puh" when he pointed to the octopus on his shirt.

He is understanding so much more of what we say. He follows simple directions, like when I ask him to bring something to me or put something away. He answers, "uh-huh" when I ask him questions, like if he wants a snack or if it's time to go night-night.

He loves using silverware! I have given him silverware with his meals for a long time, but in the last month or so, he is using it more than his hands. He even uses his fork for his blueberries.

He climbs everything!

He is finally interested in books. For the longest time, he only liked them as teethers. Now, he grabs them and brings them to me to read all the time. We don't always make it through a full book, but he's definitely listening and points at all the pictures.

I just can't get over how much he has grown and changed in the last few weeks. It definitely makes it feel like time is going by even faster. Too fast, really, but it's still so fun to watch.

Children's Museum...

We've had a hot week here in northern Michigan. Temps in the 90s with heat index hovering around 100. When it's this hot, I worry about Leland being outside for too long; we're just not used to this kind of heat and humidity. I've been limiting our outside time to 30 minutes or less at a time so that neither of us gets too overheated.

Today, to escape the heat, we met a friend of mine {whose son, Kellen, was born just a few days after Leland} at the Great Lakes Children's Museum. We've only been there once before for my nephew's birthday party {well, I had been there with kids I babysat many times before, but not with Leland}, but Leland was kind of little for most of the activities. Now that he's more stable and climbing and everything, it's a great place for him.

Because it's the "Great Lakes" Children's Museum, the activities all have to do with water, conservation, ships, etc.

They had "Toddler Time" today, so they had a little play grocery store set up in a separate room. Leland had fun playing with the food, grocery carts, and cash register.

{All pictures taken with my phone. Decent pictures, but lots of blurry ones.}

Mmmm...steak

 Can we get this, mom?

He went back and forth from the museum part to the "store." He had me running all over the place, but it was fun to see him exploring.

Fun magnetic map of Michigan and the Great Lakes.

Checking out the ship's engine. 

He loved this little toy dog. Pulled it around everywhere for a solid hour.

Driving the ship. 

It took him a while to actually go through this tunnel to the other side. He kept going back and forth. But eventually he did make to the other side where the slide was.

A little blurry, but see this face? This is the face of a boy who has decided to run down the slide instead of sit down, while his mom nearly has a heart attack. He went back up a few more times and sat for the slide, and then once he went down on his tummy. Sheesh...he sure keeps me on my toes! 

Water table

Climbing through a different tunnel

Driving a different ship.

Kellen going down the slide and being nice to his mama's heart by going on his bottom!

Kellen and Leland didn't quite play "together" because they're not really at that age yet. So Sarah and I just kept meeting up in different places. I think it's safe to say that they were both tuckered out, as they were both rubbing their eyes before we left. We got home and ate lunch and Leland went right to sleep, about 45 minutes before his usual nap time.

Successful trip to the Children's Museum, I'd say. Looking forward to going back again soon.

25 weeks...

How far along: 25 weeks

Total Weight Gain: +15 lbs.

Size of Baby: cauliflower

Maternity Clothes?: My Old Navy order should be arriving today and I am SO excited to have some shorts and capris that fit!

Sleep: Not so great the last few days. Lots of trips to the bathroom and it’s hard to get comfortable.

Food Cravings: Carrot cake. Super weird, since I’m a chocolate-dessert kind of girl, but I made some last night and it is DELICIOUS!

Food Aversions: Meat actually hasn’t been so bad this week. But I’m not that hungry at meal times. I seem to be snacking throughout the day; grazing, if you will.

Gender: Boy!

Symptoms: Haven’t had any heartburn over the last week, which is nice. I’m not looking forward to its return.

Milestones: Another wonderful week.

Movement: All the time. J

Best moment this week: Movie date with Dave.

Looking forward to: Still looking forward to picking a name. Not exactly close yet, but at least we have a few we both like at least a little bit.

Extra Notes: Some lady came into the coffee shop yesterday and said, “So how does it feel to be having a baby at the same time as Kate?” I was super confused. I don’t know anyone named Kate! I said, “Kate who?” Apparently, she was referring to Princess Kate. Um…I don’t really follow the royal family that much, but I do know we’re not having babies at the “same time.” We are both pregnant, but she’s due, like, now, and I’m only 6 months along. And I guess I never thought {or cared} about the fact that we’re both pregnant. It was just a really weird question, I thought. But I guess some people are really interested in the royal family, and she must be one of them. Me, not so much. Maybe if they lived next door, or even on the same continent, I would pay more attention.

You're Welcome...

Sunday night, I went grocery shopping after Leland went to bed. Dave and I have always gone grocery shopping together, but the last few months, it's just been easier for me to go alone because Leland doesn't do so well in the cart for that long. So, I've been going alone. I hate grocery shopping, and especially hate going alone, but it's what I have to do. If Dave went alone, we would have a lifetime supply of frozen pizza, Pop Tarts and Mountain Dew.

When I got home, Dave helped me unload the groceries and, as we were putting them away, he said, "You're welcome for me doing the dishes." In my head, I was all, Um, there were only, like, four dishes, because I did all the dishes right after dinner. There were only a couple of pans left. But I just said thanks and continued with the groceries.

A few minutes later, he said, "You're also welcome for me taking out the trash." Again, in my head, I'm like, Well, you didn't replace the trash bag, because I had to do that. But I didn't say anything.

Dave does this all the time. Just randomly tells me "You're welcome" for him doing some sort of chore or something around the house. It irritates me beyond belief, because I do a ton of stuff around the house, but I don't feel the need to say anything about it, because...who freaking cares as long as it got done?

Then he said, "You're welcome for..." I don't even remember what it was, but I was annoyed. So I said something. I said, "You're welcome for me getting the groceries by myself. And you're welcome for me doing tons of dishes today. And you're welcome for all the other stuff I do all the time, but never say anything, because it doesn't bother me if you don't notice."

That's when Dave explained to me that he wasn't telling me "You're welcome" to be snarky or expect an actual thank you. He feels bad that I go grocery shopping by myself, so he wants me to know that he didn't just sit around doing nothing while I was gone. Well, dear, I guess that's better than the snarky "You're welcome" comments. Perhaps next time you should just say, "I'm sorry you had to go by yourself, but I got such-and-such done while you were gone."

A lesson in communication for both of us, I guess.

Transitions...

With every transition for Leland, I have spent so much time thinking about the "right way" to do it. I worried about how it would go, and I had a huge plan in my head for what to do if such-and-such happens.

When he transitioned from strictly nursing to eating baby purees, I spent hours looking up the best first foods and how to prepare them. When he transitioned to different daycares {twice}, I worried about how he would do. When he starting drinking milk instead of just breastmilk, I was nervous that he wouldn't like it, and that I wouldn't produce enough breastmilk for him anymore.

With every transition, I worried. How will he do with this change? Will he notice? If he does notice, will he even care? What if he does care, what's my plan B?

A few weeks before school got out, I decided it was about time to start weaning Leland off his bottles because he was starting to refuse milk in his sippy cups. He would only drink milk from a bottle, and I didn't want that trend to continue. But I wanted to wait until school was out so that I wasn't leaving the transition completely up to his daycare provider. I started by taking a bottle away at his morning nap. I was super worried that he wouldn't be able to fall asleep without it, but he did. He did fine.

I waited a few weeks before taking his afternoon bottle away. That was this weekend. Again, I wasn't sure how he would do. When it's bed time or nap time, he always runs to the kitchen counter and points to where his bottles are, saying, "Night-night, night-night." To make this transition easier, I moved his bottles out of sight. I knew he would still go and look for them at their usual spot, but maybe not seeing them would help. To my surprise, he went down for naps easily and perfectly without a bottle. So now he just has his bed time bottle, and I'm not really worried about taking that away quite yet. It doesn't bother me that he has a bottle, but I don't want him super dependent on them. My plan is to have him weaned of his bottles before Baby arrives in October, so we have some time still.

My point is that with every transition, big and small, I worry. I fear that it won't go well and we'll have days or weeks of difficulty. But it has never happened. I guess transitions are harder on parents than on kids. So maybe I shouldn't worry too much about Leland becoming a big brother? I've been nervous about how he will do this huge transition. But I guess I just have to take it as it comes, and surely all will be fine in the end.

Mini Freak Out...

I had my 24 week OB appointment today. At this point in my pregnancy, I don't get nervous before my appointments. I did a lot in the beginning, but I can feel the baby move all the time, so I know he's in there and doing fine.

However, today my doctor walked into the room and she had another woman, a medical student, with her who was pretty much just observing today. I think this probably wouldn't affect most people, but it did affect me. Because the one other time that a med student has accompanied my doctor was the worst day of my life. It was the day we went in for our first ultrasound for our first sweet baby and saw an empty sac on the screen.

The second I saw that other person in the room today, my mind went back to January 26, 2011. Now, in my head, I knew that everything was fine with my baby, but a part of me couldn't help but freak out a little on the inside. Like having a med student in my OB room is bad luck or something.

Of course, everything was fine. Baby's heartbeat was strong and I have been feeling him move all day long. But I just couldn't help that mini freak out. It doesn't really make sense, but neither did my miscarriage. There will always be events that bring me back to that day, that time in my life, and they can be really difficult sometimes. Even though I have Leland and this precious one on the way, I am still sad sometimes. Obviously, everything turned out the way it should, but that doesn't take away the hurt. And sometimes the hurt comes out of nowhere.

Thankfully, I was quickly distracted by talking about this baby and hearing his heartbeat. That sound is the most wonderful in the land, and certainly calmed my mini freak out.

Mid-week Randoms...

*I burned my arm while making dinner a few days ago, and I've been wearing a band-aid on it. Leland points to it all the time and says, "Owie," which I find adorable. But even more adorable is that today when he hurt himself, I said, "Mama kiss your owie," and I kissed it. Then he pointed to my arm, said, "Owie," and kissed it. So cute.

*Leland is repeating so much of what we say lately! I noticed him talking more about a week before his surgery, and it's continuing. I noticed that he seems to understand us better after his surgery, but I didn't say anything to Dave. Then he brought it up a few days ago. It could partly be his age and things just coming together, or it could really be the tubes helping his hearing. Either way, it's fun for him to understand more of what we're saying and starting to say things that we can understand as well.

*Leland's post-op check-up is tomorrow. Hoping everything looks good, and then we just have to go back every 6 months for them to make sure the tubes haven't fallen out. {They will eventually fall out on their own, but we're hoping that's at least 2 years down the road so that he probably won't need another set.}

*Leland is getting better about letting me put his ear plugs in. He doesn't fight me on it anymore, but gets antsy when he knows it's pool time and it's taking me too long to get them in. They're kind of a pain to get in because you have to make sure there is good suction so water won't get in. But I'm getting faster at it.

*I have an unhealthy addiction to school supplies. Pens, pencils, crayons, markers, colored pencils, paper, note pads, etc. I love it all! I always have. Thank goodness I have a job where I actually use this stuff, so I have an excuse to buy it! I have already started buying supplies for next school year. At my school, parents provide a lot of materials, but I still get excited to stock up myself. Yesterday, I bought a bunch of colored pencils and rulers that were on sale at Target. Only another school-supply-loving dork like me can understand how exciting this is.

*The one thing I do not like shopping for, however, is maternity pants for work. I wear a uniform, and it is pretty much impossible to find navy maternity pants. The two places I have found them online do not have my size, like, ever. Ugh.

*I got my contract for this coming school year. Last year, we didn't get them until the end of July, so it's nice to get it early. Just a load off my mind.

*Dave and I have a movie date this weekend. We don't do date nights very often, mostly because we are limited in the babysitter area {well, we limit ourselves in that area}, but we have been wanting to go see a movie for a while and his mom is not working this weekend, so she can hang with Leland. Unfortunately, there isn't really anything great playing, but that's okay. I'm just looking forward to some popcorn and m&m's and really any movie on a big screen.

*My job at the coffee shop is getting me in the mood for baking. I've mentioned before that we bake scones, muffins, and cookies from scratch, and oh my gosh, they are so good! I baked some apple oat muffins there on Monday and I think I need to write down the recipe to make them at home. I have been craving them all week. It's a strange time of year to get the baking bug, with it being so warm. Thank goodness for central air...I can bake whenever I want and my house stays cool and comfy! Side note: my boss also makes her own hummus, guacamole, and salad dressings for our lunch menu. I basically spend all day drooling {figuratively, of course} over all of the food.

*Ummm...that is all for now, I think. Happy Thursday!

24 weeks...

How far along: 24 weeks

 Total Weight Gain: +15 lbs.

Size of Baby: cantaloupe

Maternity Clothes?: Ordered some from Old Navy today because I just can’t see my old ones fitting anytime soon. They’re just too big and mostly the wrong season.

Sleep: Fantastic.

Food Cravings: Watermelon, sweets, frozen lemonade.

Food Aversions: One guess…MEAT! I haven’t even wanted bacon lately, which is pretty much my all-time fave.

Gender: Boy, oh boy!

Symptoms: Hello heartburn! I don’t remember it starting this early with Leland. It’s not bad, but definitely there. Oh yeah, and the urge to pee has gone from “often” to “constantly!”

Milestones: 24 weeks! Viability! SIX MONTHS! Also, only 10 more weeks of Progesterone shots. Happy day!

Movement: He moves so, so much! I love it! Sometimes he keeps me awake at night, but I’m okay with it. Usually, it’s a lot of kicks, but last night as I was about to fall asleep, he must have done a complete roll in there. Coolest feeling.

Best moment this week: Everything, really. It was a great week.

Looking forward to: Picking a name – it seems like we’re getting closer!

Extra Notes: Leland has been obsessed with his belly for the last few weeks. He lifts up his shirt and says “Beh-weh.” Now, he likes to lift up my shirt and point at my belly. He pats it and pokes and kisses it. I know he doesn’t know that his brother is in there, but I love it. I love my boys.

Name Game Round 2...

When we played the name game with Leland, we had a hard time coming up with something we both liked. Actually, Leland is the only name we both liked. And I'm thankful that I didn't just like it, but I LOVED it {still do}. We argued and argued about names for months. At this point, I can't even remember the names I liked then. I had to go back to my name game post to see. Funny thing...I don't really like any of those names that I liked then.

This time, I have a different list of names I like. Unfortunately, we are caught, once again, in the great name debate, and Dave doesn't like most of the names I like. And he hasn't really come up with any names at all, except for Henry {again}.

So...here is my current list of favorites:

• Cohen - My favorite! I absolutely adore this name, but Dave says no way. I decided a few days ago that I need to just move on from this one. Dave is not going to come around.
• Bennett - My second favorite. I think Dave would actually go for this one, but we just found out that our family friend, Andrew, is naming his son Bennett. Normally, this wouldn't be a huge deal, but Andrew's mom is our daycare provider, and this baby is due at the same time as our baby. So that's kind of weird. She would have two Bennetts in her life, and possibly both in her daycare.
• Walker - I like it, but I don't love it right now. I can't get a good feel for what Dave thinks because he can't take it seriously.
• Everett - Again, not sure I love it, but I do like it. I just feel like it's becoming quite popular and in a few years, I will see a million Everetts at my school.
• Alden - I like. Dave used to hate, but now likes. His concern, however, is that Leland is the name of a small town in our area. And so is Alden. So he thinks everyone will think we're purposely naming our kids after northern Michigan towns. I don't really care what people think. My only issue is kind of a weird one, and no one probably cares but me, but I don't like that it has all the same letters as Leland, minus one L. I guess it seems boring to me that way. Again, I am probably the only person in the world that would even notice that.

I seem to be leaning toward surname-sounding names this time around. I googled surnames as first names a few days ago and came across Brennan. I immediately loved it, but couldn't decide if it sounded like a girl's name or a boy's name. Then I said it with our last name and decided it didn't matter. Brennan Nowak is about a million too many N's, and especially if I try to say it with Leland. "Leland and Brennan Nowak." So that one is out.

With the name game also comes trying to figure out a middle name. I like the middle name to have some meaning. Leland's middle name is James, which is my older brother's name as well as Dave's best friend's name {who he was on the phone with when my water broke}. The only two middle names I like right now are John and Henry. John is my dad's name, and my mom's re-married name is Johnson, so I think it has some meaning. Dave doesn't like it because John is also my younger brother's name, and his brother is Jonathan. He feels like that's too many Johns.

Henry also has some meaning. It is the name of my dad's favorite uncle. I hear stories about him all the time. And it's also the one name that Dave really likes.

So...no decisions have been made at this point, but I would say we're leaning toward Everett and Alden. Now, that can change tomorrow for all I know, but those seem to be our favorites for now.

Cherry Festival 2013...

Growing up, the Cherry Festival was my favorite time of the year. But back then, the only parts I cared about were the rides and carnival games. As a teenager and young adult, I liked to go downtown to the festival to hang out with friends and see the fireworks.

The Cherry Festival is still one of my favorite times of the year, but the events I enjoy are a little different. I went down to enjoy the festivities three times this week. I tried my best to get pics, but it is so hard with Leland sometimes. He is all over the place and I just can't always do it, but there are a few in this post.

Dave and I took Leland down on Sunday to have some dinner by the bay and just walk around. Leland liked to see the carnival and danced every time he heard music. We were hoping to catch some of the Montgomery Gentry concert {There is live music each night, and usually some pretty well-known names. This year, some popular ones were STYX, Montgomery Gentry, and Aaron Tippin with Jana Kramer.}, but Leland was too tired, so we went home. 

The next time I went was Wednesday. I met my brother, sister-in-law, and their two girls for Family Fun Night. There were kids' activities at one of the parks downtown, which included a bounce house, a butterfly house, rides on an old-fashioned fire engine, ice cream sundae bar, free goodies for kids, science activities from the Great Lakes Children's Museum, and more. A lot of the stuff was a little too old for Leland, but he loved the butterfly house and the free applesauce pouch.

After that, we went to the "Open Space" {where most of the Cherry Festival activities are}, and had some Gibby's fries {best fries ever} and a slice of cherry pie. 

And then Leland and Madeline had fun climbing in and out of the wagon. 

I was hoping to catch some of Aaron Tippin, but the schedule I had said it started at 6:00, but it didn't actually start until 8:00, which is too late for Leland to be out. So that meant I was 0 for 2 for the concerts I wanted to see this year. Oh well, there's always next year.

We were going to go Thursday to the Junior Royale Parade {kids' parade}, but Leland had a very busy day at his cousin's birthday party, and I wasn't sure he would handle it well, especially since it didn't start until 6:30 - pretty close to bed time. We went to it last year though, and it was fun.

Instead, we went to the Grand Royale Parade today. It has a lot of the same stuff as the kids' parade, but has more stuff too, so it's longer. 

Before the parade. Ready with his water bottle and wearing his National Cherry Festival t-shirt.

Watching one of the marching bands and playing with a ball that people were handing out in the parade.

A picture with my boy. He's not pouting; he just has a mouth full of grapes.

I knew we wouldn't be able to make it through the whole parade, but I was hoping to at least catch my school's float. Every school in the area designs a float that goes with the overall theme of parade. The overall theme this year was about America - important events in American history/American symbols. Some examples of school floats: American flag, Martin Luther King's "I have a dream" speech, Ford Motor Company, the midnight ride of Paul Revere, and so, so, so many more. I can't remember them all.

My school's float was baseball. I found this somewhat funny since our school is probably the only local without a baseball team. {Because up until the last few years, our high school has been so small that we haven't had enough interest. Plus, we don't have a baseball field for practicing.} Despite not having a baseball team, they did a great job with the float. The prince {each school has a 1st grade prince and princess} is a special kiddo to me - we walked out together at dismissal every day this last year and he would would ask me how my day was - not common for young kids to care about someone else's day. I took these photos from facebook because Leland would not allow me to take any pictures.

And so ends Cherry Festival 2013. There are fireworks on the last day, but we won't be going. Not until our kiddos are a little older, because they don't start until probably 10:30pm and that is a LATE NIGHT for an 18 month old.

I look forward to seeing Leland's reaction to the Cherry Festival next year, when he's old enough to ride a couple of kiddie rides and enjoy some more of the activities.