Nostalgia

I'm feeling a little bit nostalgic and wanted to get some things down in writing.  If the ramblings of an 8 1/2 months pregnant woman isn't your thing, feel free to skip reading this post :)

I realized I haven't blogged much about this second pregnancy.  I didn't make the "big" announcement on here (though I believe I was intending to do so) and I didn't announce the gender, or anything.  No "belly pictures" (take my word for it- I'm getting big) or anything like that.  I've concluded that, in some ways, I've been quite the slacker.  Now that I'm reaching the end (finally!) I wanted to get a few things down.

I'm not one of those people who love being pregnant, and who have glowing, fabulous things to say.  I try not to complain too much, since I know how blessed I am that I can conceive and carry a healthy baby to term.  I'm grateful that my body knows what to do to bring this precious infant into the world.  But months of feeling nauseous take their toll and make me happy for the end of pregnancy (you'll never hear me exclaim that I want to be pregnant forever!)  I'm at 34.5 weeks and still sick, every single morning.  Some are worse than others, and some days it's inevitable that I'll throw up (even though I focus all my energy on trying not to throw up).  By now, it usually lets up some by the afternoon, but some days it sticks around all day long.  Sometimes it goes away and then makes a reappearance when I'm supposed to be making dinner.  Add in the heartburn (wicked this time around!) and the fact that I still have a yeast infection in my mouth that coats my tongue in this gross, white film, making food taste different than it's supposed to... all in all, I'll be happy to be done.

Plus I miss my little Spencer.  I'm more grateful than I can articulate for my family, my mom in particular.  I think Spencer or I would have starved to death in the beginning (no, I'm not joking).  She's given up almost every (weekday) morning for the past 7 months, to come over and take care of Spencer (and me).  Cory's been wonderful about feeding him lunch, dinner, bathing him and putting him to bed.  Spencer and I would not have survived without all the help.

It's just that I miss him.  I know it sounds dumb, since it's not like I've gone anywhere... but my activities with Spencer have been severely limited.  He's been my constant little buddy for almost 3 years.  I grew him for 10 months... I birthed him... I nursed him (for 15 months!)  We snuggled, napped, made dinner together, read books together, took walks together, ran errands together.  All the fabulous summer plans I had for me and Spencer didn't happen.  Most days I was too sick to leave the couch.  I feel like I've been cheated out of precious time with him.  I should have had 10 months to enjoy him, to savor the time left of just me and him, and I feel like I didn't do enough savoring.

And now I'm looking at a few more weeks, and life is going to be very different.  No more being pregnant (yea!) but adjusting to having 2 kids.  No longer will it be just me and Spencer.  Don't get me wrong... I already love this second one, and I really am excited to meet him.  I know my love for Spencer isn't going to change.  It's just that a small part of me is grieving over lost time with my buddy.  I was never very good with change, and this is going to be a big change.  One day these feelings will be just a memory and I won't be able to imagine life without child #2.  I know I'll adjust.  I know I'll still be able to do stuff with Spencer.  And I know I'll be happy no longer being pregnant.  I'll have an adorable (and hilarious) toddler and a new little baby boy.  Life will be good.  As long as I keep focusing on the positive, I think we'll be ok :)

Christmas 2011

We had a great Christmas.  It was fairly low-key, since Spencer was sick, Cory & I were fighting colds, and oh yeah... I'm still pregnant.  I decided I'm a fan of low-key... it was nice to be at home and spend time as a family.

Spencer helping Cory put the lights on the tree

The Christmas tree was Spencer's favorite thing about Christmas - he loves the lights

Temple Square with Cory's parents

Temple Square (Spencer was in heaven with all the lights and water!)

Cooking Christmas breakfast

Presents!  He loved unwrapping them... even if they weren't for him

Fall Fun

Spencer's all about helping... he's a little copycat lately

Lighting ceremony at the Gateway

What's more fun than raking leaves?  Throwing them in the air...

He can "dance" -- it's moments like this when being a parent is the best thing in the world!

Tell Me How... To Buy a Car Seat

These "tell me how posts" haven't been quite as frequent as I originally intended... but I could really use some opinions on this one.  I know how to buy a car seat... but advice on which one to buy would be appreciated.

Spencer's current car seat is rated to 35 lbs. and 35 inches.  Given that, and the most current recommendation that babies should stay rear-facing 'til they're 2... and he's still in a rear-facing car seat (and no, it's not a convertible car seat- strictly rear-facing).  He's nowhere near 35 lbs (haha, thank you 5th weight percentile) but he's about 34 inches tall... meaning we need a new car seat.  Soooo... what to buy?

When we got Spencer's, we just got a rear-facing one, figuring that by the time he out-grew it, it would be used for the next kid (and yeah, baby #2 will make his appearance in less than 4 months).  But now I'm not sure what to get for Spencer.  We don't technically need a convertible one... so it seems to me that it would be best to just get a booster seat.  It's just that some of the booster seats seem so big (most are rated 30-100 lbs) and Spencer's not quite there yet.  So do we get a convertible seat?  All he needs is 5 more lbs and he'll be big enough for a booster seat.  I dunno.  So many choices...

So tell me... what have you done for your kids?  Any recommendations?  Ones you've bought that you loved?  Hated?  I'm all ears :)

Halloween

Halloween was really fun this year.  Spencer got the hang of trick-or-treating really quick -- he'd knock on the door and hold up his pumpkin.  He loved it.  We dressed him up as a little Jedi and of course, we think he was totally adorable.

Wearing the Halloween shirt he picked out.

He loved carving pumpkins.  Or rather, he loved cleaning out the guts.

 The finished products.

We took advantage of the really nice weather in October and took Spencer to Tracy Aviary.  He loved walking around, seeing the birds and chasing the peacocks.  His favorite part was feeding the ducks.

18 Months!

Spencer is 18 months!  Wow.  I know every mom feels like this... it's just going by so fast (and yet, some days are soooo long... go figure).  I'm trying to savor this time, since 18 months is such a fun age!  The "terrible two's" are just starting to rear their ugly head, but for the most part, Spencer is good-natured and loads of fun.

He's very adventurous and loves to be outside (cries every time I bring him in).  If he could spend all day digging in the dirt/rocks, I think he'd be really happy.  He also likes to 'color', although he's obviously not very good at it.  He spends more time putting the crayons in the box, dumping them out, and repeating the process.  He's also enjoying playing with play-doh.  He likes trucks, cement mixers, balls and being chased around the house.  He's very much a boy.

Here's some recent pictures.  Despite my lack of blogging, we have managed to do some fun things this summer.  Some days all we do is stay home, while I sit in the bathroom, waiting for the inevitable throwing up (and some nights are the same)... but some days we've been able to get out.  My mom has been invaluable, coming over most mornings and taking Spencer outside for his walk around the block, or for some fun in the sandbox.  Cory bathes him and gets him to bed most nights.  Thank heavens for an awesome mom and husband!

My hips have been killing me lately, so Cory works on me at home, on his table.  Of course, then Spencer thinks he needs a turn, too.  It's adorable.

Freezing corn.  The ice was Spencer's favorite part.

After his bath - love the farmer tan!

We built him a small sandbox and he loves it.  LOVES it.

He's a really good eater (most of the time) and he'll eat anything if he can dip it.  Fry sauce and ranch are his favorites.

My brother Joel is in the marching band at the U.  They do a sort of pep rally at The Gateway on Friday nights, before home games on Saturday.  We went one night and of course, Spencer enjoyed himself.  There was water fountains, music for dancing and balloons.

He loves balloons.

He's my little helper.  Wants to do everything I'm doing.  He helps load the dishwasher, puts the soap in the dispenser, puts the wet clothes in the dryer, helps with vacuuming, and wants to be right there when any food is being made.  This is him making pancakes.

And him helping make dinner.  This is the face he makes when I tell him to 'smile'.

I know this looks like a Christmas picture, but it's actually taken at Gardner Village.  He loves looking at Christmas lights... I'm really excited for December.

Spencer and his cousin Bailey at Gardner Village.

Feeding the ducks at Gardner Village.

We went to Pack Farms to pick out some pumpkins.  Spencer's favorite part was riding in the cart. 

And a celebration for Cory's birthday.  He turned 27 (again).  Happy birthday honey!

It may be time for another haircut... I just love his curls though.

  

Catching Up

Alright, I know I'm quite behind.  I've got a really good reason that will be another post.  For now, a few pictures of what we've been up to.

Rocking Grandma's shades 

Doing "snaps" on the 4th of July

Enjoying Mom's chocolate chip cookies 

Loving the Centerville Parade 

Centerville Parade 

 We went to Red Butte Gardens to see the roses.  They were gorgeous.  And all Spencer wanted to do was play in the dirt.

Red Butte

Red Butte 

Trying on Dad's tie 

Enjoying his "pool" in our backyard 

Tickles from Dad

We did a weekend to Colorado, where Cory's sister lives.  Spencer had a blast with his cousins.

At the farm

Making Grandpa proud by driving the tractor 

He loves swings 

Swimming in the pool (another thing he loves)