Dear Baby 2, This week is the gender reveal...

Little one, I am so ready to know whether you're a boy or girl!

Do I want a boy or a girl?

I want a boy.  I have always pictured myself as a boy mom.  I want to dress you and your brother in matching clothes and play trains and trucks and point out every airplane and firetruck I see.  I want to pop popcorn and watch Cars between you two on the couch.  I want to learn about all the comic book characters you may love and everything there is to know about the sports you may play.  I want to take deep breaths when you bust a window playing catch and wait by the door outside the room you share listening to your giggles as you play with a flashlight under the covers before I come in and tell you it's time to go night-night.  I want to teach you how to cook and do your own laundry so you can be a helpful husband one day.  I want to cheer in the stands at every activity you participate in and look on disapprovingly while girls swoon over the kind, handsome Z brothers, because no young lady will ever be good enough for my boys.  I want my breath to catch when I see you standing up for one another at each other's wedding.  Oh, how I want a boy.

I want a girl.  I want to dress you in smocked outfits and bishop dresses and bobby socks and patent mary janes.  I want to brush your hair and paint your fingernails and toenails and scold you with a snicker for playing in Momma's makeup.  I want to play baby dolls with you and buy you one of those adorable play kitchens.  I want to see you giggling with your little girlfriends and hug you when you find out girlfriends can be mean to each other.  When your heart is broken for the first time, I want to look you in the eye and say, "it will be okay" and hug you and reassure you that you're smart and beautiful.  I want to help you build great self esteem and teach you compassion and generosity.  I want to send you to your room when you try to wear a skirt that's too short and explain why I won't let you wear a two piece bathing suit (and when you tell me how unfair I am, I want to remember when I told my mom how unfair she was for saying the same thing to me).  When you tell me you want nothing more than to be a wife and mother, I want to tell you that that is a wonderful decision and that you will be incredible at both.  When you instead tell me you want to be a wife and mother and lawyer or doctor or teacher or nurse, I want to tell you that that is a wonderful decision, too.  I want to practice restraint and let you be the woman God created you to be and not the woman I became or the woman I wish I became.  I want to zip your wedding dress and tell you that I have never seen a more beautiful bride.  I want to be by your side when you bring your firstborn home from the hospital and watch you when you fall in love with your child and realize that is how much I love you.  Oh, how I want a girl.


So you see, little one, I can't lose.  I want you so badly either way!

Here's what you're up to (17 weeks):

You weigh 5 ounces now (about as much as a turnip), and you're around 5 inches long from head to bottom.  Your skeleton is changing from soft cartilage to bone, and the umbilical cord — your lifeline to the placenta — is growing stronger and thicker. You can move your joints, and your sweat glands are starting to develop.

These were my prayers for you:


That I'm just the momma you need.  That I embrace all the ways you are different from and similar to your big brother.  That you are developing well and go full term.

Dear Bo, A weekend at the Cole's...

Daddy went to see family this weekend so we decided to spend the weekend with family, too.  We went to see the Cole's!  I'm sick that while I brought my good camera, the battery was dead so all I have are crappy phone pics.

Oh my goodness, you love these kids (and their Momma).  You can't get enough of Brody Parker.  My, oh my, did you love his room and toys!  It looked like a tornado hit every time you walked in there.  You loved playing outside with them, too, and especially loved four wheeler rides.  You gave Aunt Lori some lovin' and always felt the need to "tell on me" to her.

{Watching Brody play on the iPad}

{Playing outside}

{Sacked out on the ride home}

We love you, Cole's!  Thanks, Aunt Lori, for taking care of my baths and letting Momma rest!

Dear Bo, You're 27 months old...

You seem to be transitioning from toddler to little boy more and more every day!


Stats: You wear a size 4 diaper, a size 7 shoe, 24 months and 2T pants and 2T tops.  

Eating:  You've been under the weather with a yucky cough recently so your eating phase has slowed down somewhat.  One thing you ate a ton of this month was strawberries.  With Valentine's came treats, and your favorites were M&M's.

Sleeping:  You were a good sleeper this month.  For several weeks you did cry out once in the middle of the night and need us to come cover you up and pat you, but you went back down easily.  It was almost like you had a bad dream.  You bathe at 8pm and go to bed afterwards.  You wake up around 7am (or earlier lately), and you nap for 2.5-3 hours.   

Talking:  You are saying so much now!  My favorites this month are "love you" (wuv oo) and "thank you"  (tAte oo).  At last, the list of things you say is too long to include!  I got to be home when the speech therapist was here last week, and it was so funny to listen to you do the sounds on the alliteration flash cards you do together.  You are still into making truck sounds and lion sounds, too.  

Favorite Things:  You're still into hiding under things, and you've also been really into "choo-choos" this month.  You love the train table that was passed on to you, and there is a vehicle puzzle with a train that you love to carry around.  You are an expert train spotter!  On the way home from the Cole's this month, you made the "choo-choo" sound every time you saw one.  You love letters and can identify almost all of them, as well as your shapes and colors.  One of my favorite things you started doing this month is "singing" Jesus Loves Me with me (I sing, and you provide "me" in all the appropriate parts).  You are really into my car right now.  When I get home, you like to climb in the driver's seat and push every button you see and play with the steering wheel.  You act like we cut off your arm when we take you out.


We are bracing ourselves for the grumpiest little brother or sister ever, because you are simply the happiest little boy, son.    

Dear Bo, We've said goodbye to your second nanny...

She's having her baby soon so we've found someone else to love you alongside us.  Nanny 2 has adored you, and you have adored her.  Y'all went to the Discovery Center together, to gym, read, and played.  You were always happy when we left you with her, and I haven't had a moment's worry while you were in her care.  She was loving, but firm, and we are sure blessed that she was part of our family the past 9 months.

Dear Bo, You've got a love hate relationship with this gal...

{Love}

• One of the first thing you do in the mornings when you wake up is point at her and make me say her name (you still won't say it).
• One of the last things you do at night is point to her and jabber (she lays by the rocker while we do our bedtime routine).
• When she snoozes on the couch (or anywhere else), you say "shhhhh" to make sure we're aware she's sleeping.
• You think it's hilarious to get in her face until she licks you and to touch her ears and say "ear, ear, ear".
• You pat her gently (but see disclaimer below).

{Hate}

• You really wear her out when she eats your cheerios and oyster crackers.  You'll say "no, no, no" and sometimes give her a swift kick (despite the many times you've been reprimanded for doing this).  Funny thing is, you set her up for this.  You'll feed her a couple one minute, then go postal when you discover her sneaking a couple more the next minute.
• If I open the patio door to let her outside to potty, you make sure and chase her out there and slam the door behind her.
• When we're leaving the house, and I call her to put her in the laundry room, you think it's your job to jabber sternly at her and chase her into the laundry room.
• Your gentle pats can turn aggressive with no warning at all.

Dear Baby 2, It's still uneventful around these parts...

We enjoyed a nice weekend at home.  I ordered the cutest tote for you, and I can't wait to know whether to monogram it in grey or hot pink!  It came in the mail this weekend, and I love it.  It is apparent that you're in there; I have a distinct bump now.  Your brother likes to pat my belly and say "bebe".  I'm certainly partial, but I think you've hit the jackpot in the big brother department!


Here's what you're up to this week (16 weeks):

Get ready for a growth spurt. In the next few weeks, you will double your weight and add inches to your length. Right now, you're about the size of an avocado: 4 1/2 inches long (head to rump) and 3 1/2 ounces. Your legs are much more developed, your head is more erect than it has been, and your eyes have moved closer to the front of your head. Your ears are close to their final position, too. The patterning of your scalp has begun, though your locks aren't recognizable yet. You've even started growing toenails. And there's a lot happening inside as well. For example, your heart is now pumping about 25 quarts of blood each day, and this amount will continue to increase as you continue to develop.

These were my prayers for you this week:

That everything is still going great when we go to our next appointment.  I've had strange pains lately and have become anxious about you.  Hopefully it's stress related (which I'm working on!), and there's nothing to it.

Dear Bo, A weekend in...

We had quite the weekend!  You went to parents' night out on Friday night while we enjoyed a double date.  You had a ball (and were worn out when we got home).

On Saturday, we went to gym, and you managed to stay injury free!  The past 2 times we've gone, you bopped your head, and busted your lip.

Sunday was church and playing at home.

You're into your computer these days.  Actually, you're into letters in general.  Your favorites are B, E, and O.  You can identify them, and you shout them when you recognize them when we're out and about.  It makes me laugh (and makes me cross my fingers that you'll be a little reader!).

You're also really into your daddy these days.  You are his shadow, and a mini tantrum ensues if he walks out of the house without you, even momentarily.  You've got big shoes to fill, and you apparently know it.

Dear Bo, Date night (or rather an afternoon play date)...

Guess who had a play date with precious Claire Wednesday?  Puzzles, toys, and movies under the supervision of her momma; sounds like a great play date to me!

Dear Bo, Valentine's Day and a party...

You got all kinds of goodies this Valentine's Day...

And I had fun making your Valentine's for your class party...

You especially enjoyed the cake balls at your class party...

But you had even more fun at the party we had at home afterwards with popcorn, a new movie (Cars), and plenty of snuggling and giggling...

I can't believe this is my third Valentine's Day with you, my littlest love...

Dear Baby 2, Weekend at the farm and Valentine's...

We spent Saturday and some of Sunday at the farm.  We got to love on your youngest cousin, Bronte, and it made me so look forward to having you here.  He is adorable and tiny, and I know you will be, too.  Yesterday we celebrated Valentine's, and I kept thinking that you'll be about 6 months this time next year.  Just getting to the fun, "easier" stage where you can sit up and start sleeping better.  February 2013 should bring a sigh of relief!  

Here's what you're up to this week (15 weeks):

You now measure about 4 inches long, crown to rump, and weigh in at about 2 1/2 ounces (about the size of an apple). You're busy moving amniotic fluid through your nose and upper respiratory tract, which helps the primitive air sacs in your lungs begin to develop. Your legs are growing longer than your arms now, and you can move all of your joints and limbs. Although your eyelids are still fused shut, you can sense light. There's not much for you to taste at this point, but you are forming taste buds. 

These were my prayers for you this week:

That you're a good nurser and don't have the same tummy troubles Big Brother had.  That you'll make it as close to full term as possible.

Dear Bo, Weekend at the farm...

Daddy went to work at his uncle's over the weekend so we hung out at the farm.  You're a serious Pop's boy, but this weekend you were pretty into Mimi, too.

{"Helping" her cook}

{Shopping}

It snowed a ton, and we were thankful to get home safely on Sunday!

Dear Baby 2, A weekend home and the Super Bowl...

We had a nice weekend at home!  We took your brother to gym on Saturday, then watched the Super Bowl with friends on Sunday.  They have a little boy your brother's age and have a baby due in April so hopefully you will be playmates, too!  Oh, how I pray you have good friends growing up; it's so important.  Daddy and I told our co-workers about you on Friday so the word is officially out.  My belly is starting to come out, too, so it's a good thing we broke the news!


Here's what you're up to this week (14 weeks):

From head to bottom, you measure 3 1/2 inches — about the size of a lemon — and you weigh 1 1/2 ounces.  This week's big developments: you can now squint, frown, grimace, pee, and possibly suck your thumb! Thanks to brain impulses, your facial muscles are getting a workout as your tiny features form one expression after another. Your kidneys are producing urine, which you release into the amniotic fluid around you — a process you'll keep up until birth.

Your body's growing faster than your head, which now sits upon a more distinct neck. By the end of this week, your arms will have grown to a length that's in proportion to the rest of your body. (Your legs still have some lengthening to do.) You're starting to develop an ultra-fine, downy covering of hair, called lanugo, all over your body. Your liver starts making bile this week — a sign that it's doing its job right — and your spleen starts helping in the production of red blood cells.

These were my prayers for you:

That you'll stay in the oven until 37 weeks.  I am really hoping/praying that we can avoid the preemie route this time and have a full term baby.  That you'll have a good circle of friends.

Dear Reader, Update time...

I haven't been publishing my blogs because I was waiting to go public with the news, but now I've back filled posts for the month of January:  weekly Baby 2 posts, a cousin visit, Bo turning 26 months, a trip to Austin, and all the normal stuff that goes on around here...

Dear Bo, While we were in Austin, you were having a ball at the farm...

You had the best time at the farm!  You love your Mimi and Pop, and are especially a Pop's boy at the moment.  They said you were the happiest thing, smiling and laughing, and giving lots of sugars!  Sure made it easy to enjoy ourselves!

{Watching Westerns with Pop}

 

{Snacking after your nap}

{Being a giggle box on the way to eat}

 {Your favorite toys at Mimi's...cash register, trucks, and baby stroller}

 {Shopping with Mimi}

 {Checking cows}

 {Playing on the tractor}

 {Snack time}

 {Playing in the playroom}

 {Waffles...yum!yum!}

Thanks for a fun weekend, Mimi and Pop!  We love you!

Dear Baby 2, You're doing just great...

I posted this a day late because we went to the doctor today.  We saw you, and you're great!  Though the machine in the doctor's office isn't fancy, we were able to make out your spine, your legs, your arms, and your eyes.  You wouldn't give us a peek between your legs so we won't know what you are until next time (hopefully).  I was hopeful we would know today, as the doctor told us your brother was a boy at 10 weeks.  Maybe next time!  Your heartbeat was 154bpm (your brother's was 160bpm at this stage).  I've been having dreams that you are a girl, but since your heartbeat is tracking your brother's so closely, it makes me think you are a boy.  We'll know soon enough!

Here's what you're up to this week (13 weeks):

You are almost 3 inches long (the size of a medium shrimp) and weigh nearly an ounce.

Fingerprints have formed on your tiny fingertips, your veins and organs are clearly visible through your still-thin skin, and your body is starting to catch up with your head — which makes up just a third of your body size now. If you're a girl, you now have more than 2 million eggs in your ovaries.


These were my prayers for you this week:

That you and your brother are buddies; that you not only love each other (because that's just what family does), but that you genuinely like each other.  Oh, man, I pray for that.