finley is three!

 

my sweet boy turned three. it's hard to believe, as it has every year, that he could be another year older. but there is no mistaking that he is a little boy now. not a baby, not a toddler, but a full on kid. he hilarious and adorable, with so much personality.

 

he is so verbal now and i often have no idea where he comes up with the things he says. when he woke up for his birthday party last weekend he looked around at the decorations and said "i'm so impressed by this place!" i see no signs of speech delay in him anymore and it's hard to imagine that he had any difficulty at all.

 

for personal memory's sake, he loves to eat yogurt, applesauce, and pretzels. he will try most foods and he eats what we eat for all meals. he has oatmeal just about every morning for breakfast and gets sad if i offer him homemade waffles or pancakes. he can't stand certain textures (mainly vegetables) and gags on foods like cream of wheat, mashed/baked/boiled potatoes, roasted root veggies. he's kind of picky but i'm guessing it's more about control over actual preferences.

his favorite toys are matchbox cars, construction trucks, and trains. he loves to read books, puts together puzzles (35-60 piece ones for 4 yr olds), and enjoys coloring with crayons or markers. he spends his days jumping around with unlimited energy, playing with every toy he might see, and watching cartoons (caillou remains a favorite) and movies (he loves the little rascals, the lorax, and despicable me).

he takes an afternoon nap between 1:30pm and 5pm and goes to bed at 8:30pm, which he has for most of his life. we just got him a light up alarm clock that turns green when it's time to get up. i set that for 7:15 and i think he'll adjust to it and helps us all get on a schedule (just before the baby comes to change everything!). he is day time potty trained and is no longer in diapers except at nap and night time. 

he is kind and thoughtful and very aware of other peoples' feelings. he is frequently naughty and terrible twos seem to be leading right into troublesome threes. this whole parenting thing is hard because you never quite catch up. as soon as i figure out how to help him be nice and make good decisions, to try and understand why he gets upset or to play with him just how he likes...he goes and changes and i'm left to figure out what to do next. but that's what we sign up for and why it's so exciting. even though i'd like to stop time and savor him as he is now (as i have all of his life), i look forward to seeing how he grows this year. it's a big year for my baby, who will become a big brother and play a whole new role in our family. with tears in my eyes, i'm looking forward to three.

24 weeks

compare to 24 weeks of first pregnancy. i think my belly is smaller this time!

this picture is actually 24 weeks 4 days because i didn't get around to taking one on sunday when i usually do. it was an eventful day, though, as i managed to fall on the snowy sand dunes of our beach. i slid and caught myself, but i did land on my belly and felt some cramping and tightening just after. to be safe, i called the dr. and they wanted me to be monitored. i spent 6 hours (typical for a fall on your stomach at this point in pregnancy) with the monitors watching his heartbeat and my (very small, infrequent) contractions. in the end everything was/is fine and baby is still healthy.

i have been battling an awful cold for the past 2.5 weeks and haven't managed to work out or eat well, so i softened up and for sure gained a few pounds. most of it, as i can tell, has been in my thighs :( i'm hoping feeling better and spring weather (when it comes) will help me to stay motivated in the later months.

 

how far along? 24 weeks

total weight gain: 22 lbs :(
maternity clothes? yes, mainly for comfort
sleep: pretty good aside from the sciatic pain and pelvic pain
best moment this week: finn's 3rd birthday party with family and friends (unrelated to pregnancy)
movement: yes. he moved the most/biggest just after the fall while i was monitored and it was crazy!
gender: boy
labor signs: none
belly button in or out? stretched
food cravings: lemon! i made homemade lemon curd for a variety of desserts and breakfasts
what i miss: feeling healthy, pelvic bones that are not breaking apart
what i am looking forward to: we're still actively house hunting with fingers crossed!
milestones:i made it to 24 weeks, viability, so that feels (obviously) good. my next appointment is for my glucose test, which feels surreal like it's impossible that i could be that far along already.

a good reading spot?

i found finn in a new reading spot the other day and couldn't resist snapping a few photos. after our trip to the library for new books, he unloaded them one by one behind the couch and paged through each one. he didn't ask me to read to him, he didn't call out for me to come see.

these little moments are my favorite :)

almost three

...my baby boy, who will not be the "baby" very soon is already not really a baby. i've mentioned this...right? he is three in just two weeks and i'm finding that amazingly hard to believe. i've been reading back over my pregnancy posts with him to compare to round two and ugh...i was just pregnant!

we've been battling "the sick" around these parts and the days stuck inside have been wearing me out. why do people not mention almost three year olds are balls of non-stop energy? oh, they do? it seems unfair that sick children do not sleep great at night (i'm not blaming finn..he couldn't breathe through his nose and was vomiting) and remain sick and snotty all day, yet have the ability to bounce around for hours without seeming all that tired. meanwhile, the parents lose sleep at night, fall sick with the same symptoms and can think of nothing more to do all day than to curl up in a ball and rest. rest, sick child!

today, day 5 (or 6?) of germfest, has finn on the upswing. i'm not quite there yet but his adorable spirit has kept me going. we're working hard on manners and potty training and there have been quite a few ups and downs. but today he's blown me away. he does want a lot of attention (you play dis wif me? you build dese for me? you help me pease? every 3 minutes even i i am already playing/helping/building) and that's tiring for someone (me) who wants to sit on the couch and just be sick and 22 weeks pregnant. but he makes it worth my while by proving he is listening and learning. "mommy, may i have some kefir, pease?" grants him a cup of kefir for snack because i can't resist those manners. nicely walking the dogs to the mailbox to pop the grandparent valentines in the mail granted a few giant splashes through the puddles. and i didn't even get mad when he sat down (but, why?!). running off to potty by himself four times, not an accident to speak of and (tmi) proclaiming his excitement over both pee and poop on that last visit to the little potty grants him a sticker on his chart and his hand.

 yes, at almost three he is self-centered. "i want..." is the first thing out of his mouth 500 times a day. but we follow it with 'may i/would you/etc., please and thank you'. he wants everything his way and playing with him isn't all that fun or rewarding - it's impossible to play the "right" way. but he's learning to share, take turns, and play pretend. and most importantly, he's eager to please and hear praise. he gets potty training and we even venture out without diapers. we're talking with him about moving to his big bed. we ask him to bring his dishes to the dishwasher. he gets his own drink cups from the fridge. so much independence coupled with so much neediness...a balance i guess!

21 weeks

compare to 21 weeks from my first pregnancy.

i think i look much rounder in the belly this time. depending on the time of day and how much food/water i've consumed, the belly can appear much larger! i'm feeling pretty good at this halfway (and a week) point but i have bad sciatica on my right side and it definitely affects my movement and sleep. i am still working out 3 times a week on average and have continued to do my hour long kickboxing class thus far. my goal of holding a 30 second plank throughout my whole pregnancy is continuing strong. i don't think i weigh less than last time around but i am stronger/fitter so i guess that's what's important!

how far along? 21 weeks

total weight gain: 17 lbs this morning (down 2 lbs from 18 weeks?)
maternity clothes? yes. i actually just cleared out my closet of tighter fitting/nice non-maternity items
sleep: pretty good aside from the sciatic pain
best moment this week: hmm, it wouldn't be walking around chicago for 3+ hours (fun but ouch)
movement: yes, rolls and kicks but baby doesn't like when i put my hand on my belly to feel
gender: boy
labor signs: none
belly button in or out? stretched
food cravings: lemon! i made homemade lemon curd for a variety of desserts and breakfasts
what i miss: honestly, i want a cocktail so bad!!
what i am looking forward to: buying a house so i can start planning a nursery
weekly wisdom: i think i'm going to delete this from the survey...i never have any!
milestones: just past halfway