At home, Luke hasn't really been into singing, until lately. They kept telling me that he did all the time at school, but it wasn't until he busted out with this a few weeks ago that I believed them. Now he runs around singing all the time. Turns out he also knows the days of the week, in song. Who knew?
Saturday, October 20, 2012
Friday, September 14, 2012
Baby Update
We hadn’t posted anything about this because we really felt that everything was going to be ok and didn’t want to cause any unnecessary worry. When we had our ultrasound last week, for the most part everything looked just fine. They told us at the end though (and were able to show us) that they did find two Choroid Plexus Cysts in his brain. The Choroid Plexus is the area that makes cerebrospinal fluid (thank you google). The cysts can be likened to a blister and are not considered a brain abnormality. These appear in 1-2% of babies, and typically go away and they themselves don’t seem to be a problem.
However, they are also associated with Trisomy 18. If the cysts are all that are present it doesn’t seem to increase any risk or anything. Luckily, the ultrasound tech was very quick to tell us that from what she saw everything looked just fine. One in specific that she mentioned was that his hands were open, which I guess closed hands can be another indicator.
So with that, we were sent for a Level 2 ultrasound and appt with maternal fetal medicine today. They were being cautious and wanted to do a more in depth look to make sure there weren’t other indicators. While we really were feeling confident going into it, I didn’t sleep much last night and was a basket case this morning before the appt. Luckily, everything looked great! They spent a long time really looking at everything and there were no other markers of Trisomy 18. The cysts will most likely disappear by the third trimester.
And this baby looks to be a big one, just like his older brother. He’s measuring 8-10 days ahead, just like Luke was at this point. Even though they say that doesn’t necessarily indicate size at birth, Luke came out at 9lbs 3oz with a 98% head, days early. I think I just grow big babies. :)
However, they are also associated with Trisomy 18. If the cysts are all that are present it doesn’t seem to increase any risk or anything. Luckily, the ultrasound tech was very quick to tell us that from what she saw everything looked just fine. One in specific that she mentioned was that his hands were open, which I guess closed hands can be another indicator.
So with that, we were sent for a Level 2 ultrasound and appt with maternal fetal medicine today. They were being cautious and wanted to do a more in depth look to make sure there weren’t other indicators. While we really were feeling confident going into it, I didn’t sleep much last night and was a basket case this morning before the appt. Luckily, everything looked great! They spent a long time really looking at everything and there were no other markers of Trisomy 18. The cysts will most likely disappear by the third trimester.
And this baby looks to be a big one, just like his older brother. He’s measuring 8-10 days ahead, just like Luke was at this point. Even though they say that doesn’t necessarily indicate size at birth, Luke came out at 9lbs 3oz with a 98% head, days early. I think I just grow big babies. :)
Tuesday, September 11, 2012
First Swimming Lesson
Luke had his first “no parents in the pool” swimming lesson yesterday and it went better than I ever could have imagined. We didn’t think he’d be upset about the swimming/pool part, but more that he was in there without us. Nope, he went right in like he’d been doing it forever. The parents all stay in a separate room and watch behind a window, so that the kids can get the full benefit of the class without worrying about us.
We were a little shocked when we talked about the lessons beforehand – he told Jason that he might drown and get hurt. We have no idea where that came from, but told him that no, he’d learn to swim so he wouldn’t have to worry about that. We also prepped him that we wouldn’t be in the pool, but that there would be a few other kids in his class that he could watch and he’d have a teacher there to help him.
There were just 3 in his class, with 1 teacher. The kids all sat on the edge of the pool until it was their turn to do something. He got to kick, move his arms, blow bubbles under the water, back float, jump in the pool, use his hands to “walk” along the edge of the pool while he was in the water, and climb out. Everything was just great until the jumping in part. He was nervous to jump in, and when he finally did, didn’t jump out far enough and sort of hit his butt on the edge of the pool as he went in. That scared him a bit and he cried some. We stayed away though and he calmed down and enjoyed the rest of the class.
We are just so proud of how well he did!
Some videos
Tuesday, September 04, 2012
It's a ....
Guess what color is inside the cupcake that Luke is eating?
It's a boy!!!!
We had our big ultrasound today and were over-the-moon excited to find out that we're having another boy!
Hello out there!
Two perfect little feet
Side profile - he was trying to suck his thumb!
And the money shot. There was absolutely no mistaking that he's a boy. :) He was actually quite proud of it. She had no trouble getting these pictures - trying to get a good one of other areas was a different story. Little turkey just didn't want to cooperate.
He's measuring in the 61st percentile at the moment. It came to right at 20 weeks (I'm 19 weeks, 3 days.) For comparison, Luke was measuring about 21-22 weeks at this point. I'm hopeful this one will be a tiny bit smaller at birth! He waved at us, sucked his thumb, got mad and hit back when the ultrasound tech tried to jiggly my belly to move him around ... :)
We had a fun dinner out to tell our families. Famous Dave's barbeque has recently opened near us and I have been craving it in a major way. I made cupcakes yesterday and even though everything was running behind today, still had time to get one of them filled with blue icing. (Ok, so some weird store bought blue icing, not the homemade icing dyed blue that I'd intended - oh well, it worked!)
We gave Luke the cupcake to eat right after we ordered and everyone was dying to see what color would appear! So much fun!
It's a boy!!!!
We had our big ultrasound today and were over-the-moon excited to find out that we're having another boy!
Hello out there!
Two perfect little feet
Side profile - he was trying to suck his thumb!
And the money shot. There was absolutely no mistaking that he's a boy. :) He was actually quite proud of it. She had no trouble getting these pictures - trying to get a good one of other areas was a different story. Little turkey just didn't want to cooperate.
He's measuring in the 61st percentile at the moment. It came to right at 20 weeks (I'm 19 weeks, 3 days.) For comparison, Luke was measuring about 21-22 weeks at this point. I'm hopeful this one will be a tiny bit smaller at birth! He waved at us, sucked his thumb, got mad and hit back when the ultrasound tech tried to jiggly my belly to move him around ... :)
We had a fun dinner out to tell our families. Famous Dave's barbeque has recently opened near us and I have been craving it in a major way. I made cupcakes yesterday and even though everything was running behind today, still had time to get one of them filled with blue icing. (Ok, so some weird store bought blue icing, not the homemade icing dyed blue that I'd intended - oh well, it worked!)
We gave Luke the cupcake to eat right after we ordered and everyone was dying to see what color would appear! So much fun!
Saturday, August 25, 2012
2 1/2 years old!
Age: 2 1/2 years old!
Weight: 35 lbs (93%)
Length: 37 1/4" tall (79%)
Size: Size 6 diapers, until a few days ago. Now size 3T/4T pullups or underwear (more on that in a bit!) 3T shirts and shorts. I'll be curious to see what happens when it's time to wear pants again and how the length on them does.
Hair: I love how it looks now. It's getting longer than we normally let it get, but actually seems to be laying down ok. It's wavy and gets curls in it, especially if it's humid.
Teeth: He has all of his baby teeth. :)
Sleeping: Great, like always (which probably just jinxed us.) Goes to bed at 8pm, we wake him up at 7am. Naps an average of 1 1/2 hours. We've had a few days lately where he's refused to nap, but luckily those seemed to be a fluke.
Eating: I've just resigned myself to the fact that he's a toddler. He'll surprise me and try something new some days, but mostly he likes chicken nuggets, applesauce, macaroni and cheese, cheese, peanut butter/crackers, raisins, granola bars, and milk. (Especially when he can sweet talk mommy into chocolate milk.)
Talking: Oh my word - he talks all of the time. We had to fill out a questionnaire for his last appt and they wanted to know if he had 3-4 word sentences. He either has several all together, or they are 8-10 word sentences. My favorite words are ones like "probably", "either", "rather." How did he learn these?? He still says several things that a stranger probably can't understand, but when you're around him all the time you know exactly what it is. If he does say something that's not coming out right and I can't understand him, he'll pause, think about it a minute, and come up with another word or another way to explain it. Then it's a lightbulb moment and you figure out what he was trying to say in the first place.
Favorite toys/activities: Cars, cars, and more cars. Race cars. Cars with engines sticking out of the hood. Cars with spoilers (which according to him, is the deciding factor in what makes it a race car.) He still loves to read books (except he wants to do it himself now) and loves Mickey Mouse Clubhouse and Octonauts on Disney. He also loves all construction equipment. We're going to have one broken hearted little boy when they finish up the road work near our house.
Dislikes: It can vary. He may love doing something one day and then completely change his mind the next day.
Disposition: He truly is the happiest little guy. Sure, he has his 2 year old moments when you look at him wrong and he cries, but he is overall the sweetest little boy.
Other things about him:
*He is starting to really have an imagination. He was at my mom's last week and told several people throughout the day that he saw 2 dinosaurs in her creek. The T-rex was driving a boat and the Triceratops was driving a racecar. They both needed helmets on their heads.
*He is starting to potty train! Off and on he has been somewhat interested the last few months. He just moved up to the next room at school and they are really focusing on it in there (and he seems to want to follow what his friends do) so we are trying at home too. This is pretty much just our second day and it's going as I expected it would. He's had some accidents, but other times that he's peed in the potty! We bought this truck/ramp racecar toy the other night and he knew that he would get to play with it if he peed in the potty - he did today! So keep your fingers crossed for us!
*I just don't even know how to describe what an enjoyable, funny and sweet little boy he is. I'm super emotional right now anyways, but as I think about how to portray him on here, I just get all teary eyed. You'll just have to come hang out with him in person to see for yourself!
Are we having a boy or a girl?
In 10 short days we find out if this baby is a boy or a girl and I can't wait! I've set up a poll so that you all can make your guesses. :) To help make as educated one as possible (hah!) here are some important things to know. You can make your vote over on the right side of the page, just under the header picture.
1. According to Jason's dad, this one will be a boy as well - because he's a Fletcher. Roland is one of 6. Every single one of them had 2 boys. They only had a girl if there was a 3rd. This is why he was convinced that Luke was going to be a boy. The biggest thing to point out - that is Jason's dad's level, not Jason's. We're not sure what all of Jason's level ended up having, but I do think it was a mix.
2. OWT (Old Wives Tales) says that if the baby's heartbeat is over 140, it's a girl. Under 140 is a boy. We check the heartbeat every few days at home and we're consistently around 162. (A note - I'm fairly certain Luke was in the 160s most of the time as well.)
3. Cravings - OWT says that if you crave sweet, it's a girl. Sour/salty, it's a boy. I don't really crave either. I'm not a fan of chicken. I love steak/hamburgers and also pickles.
4. Chinese Birth Chart - this says I'm having a girl. We were never really sure what it told us about Luke - it looks at the month of conception, and that was questionable.
5. Even and Odd - Legend has it that the Mayans determined a baby's sex by looking at the mother's age at conception and the year of conception. If both are even or odd, it's a girl. If one's even and one's odd, it's a boy. According to this, this baby is a girl. (Luke should have been a girl as well though.)
6. Face break outs - If you're breaking out a lot, it's a girl because "the girl steals the mother's beauty." This is a hard one to answer - I am not breaking out more, so I'd say boy. Although I felt a lot cuter during Luke's pregnancy, so maybe this baby is stealing my beauty. :)
7. Morning Sickness - Apparently if you're pretty sick, then it should be a girl. Little to no morning sickness is a boy. (This was very wrong with Luke.)
So, make your guess! Jason and I both think boy, and that is what Luke is really hoping for. :)
1. According to Jason's dad, this one will be a boy as well - because he's a Fletcher. Roland is one of 6. Every single one of them had 2 boys. They only had a girl if there was a 3rd. This is why he was convinced that Luke was going to be a boy. The biggest thing to point out - that is Jason's dad's level, not Jason's. We're not sure what all of Jason's level ended up having, but I do think it was a mix.
2. OWT (Old Wives Tales) says that if the baby's heartbeat is over 140, it's a girl. Under 140 is a boy. We check the heartbeat every few days at home and we're consistently around 162. (A note - I'm fairly certain Luke was in the 160s most of the time as well.)
3. Cravings - OWT says that if you crave sweet, it's a girl. Sour/salty, it's a boy. I don't really crave either. I'm not a fan of chicken. I love steak/hamburgers and also pickles.
4. Chinese Birth Chart - this says I'm having a girl. We were never really sure what it told us about Luke - it looks at the month of conception, and that was questionable.
5. Even and Odd - Legend has it that the Mayans determined a baby's sex by looking at the mother's age at conception and the year of conception. If both are even or odd, it's a girl. If one's even and one's odd, it's a boy. According to this, this baby is a girl. (Luke should have been a girl as well though.)
6. Face break outs - If you're breaking out a lot, it's a girl because "the girl steals the mother's beauty." This is a hard one to answer - I am not breaking out more, so I'd say boy. Although I felt a lot cuter during Luke's pregnancy, so maybe this baby is stealing my beauty. :)
7. Morning Sickness - Apparently if you're pretty sick, then it should be a girl. Little to no morning sickness is a boy. (This was very wrong with Luke.)
So, make your guess! Jason and I both think boy, and that is what Luke is really hoping for. :)
18 weeks!
This is the format that I used for the Luke pregnancy weekly updates. While I'm obviously not doing this weekly, I thought it would be fun to follow every so often.
How far along: 18 weeks
Total weight gain/loss: I really don't even want to answer this question. I went off my metformin at 12 weeks and since then I feel like I look at food and it jumps on me. I truly don't feel like I eat that much, and I know that I'm going to gain weight, but still. Anyways, I'm up 7.5 lbs (compared to 2.5 at this point with Luke.) Because my insulin is so nuts, I actually have an appt with the dietician at my OBs office to go over a modified gestational diabetes diet.
Maternity clothes: I've been in them for quite awhile. They weren't kidding when they say you show sooner with your second! Luckily because some friends and I combined our clothes, I have several bins to sift through. I've noticed that I'm wearing a lot more dresses this time around - they just tend to be more comfortable.
Stretch marks: Just everything from before
Sleep: Some nights I'm up several times, other times I manage to make it through the night.
Movement: I started to feel this baby move a week or so ago, and while it's not completely consistent, I can usually feel him/her several times a day. Just little flutters, but I love it!
Food cravings: No big cravings. I still love red meat and am not a big fan of chicken. I'm also started drinking Arnold Palmer's (half lemonade/half tea) and love them.
Gender: We'll find out in 10 days!
Labor Signs: Nope
Belly Button in or out: In, but it's sort of flattening out, instead of a deep innie.
What I miss: sleeping on my belly or on my back. I struggle to try to stay on my side.
What I am looking forward to: Our ultrasound in 10 days
I'm still waiting for the energy of the second trimester to kick in. So far, not so much. I'm exhausted when I get home and generally pretty achy. I have my first physical therapy appt this week for what I think is SI joint pain. There are times that I can hardly move or can't really get up from laying down.
Luke is adorable with all of this. He has picked out certain toys that the baby can play with, but the baby cannot play with his toys. He still will occasionally ask me to "open it up" and try to lift my shirt up. :)
Tuesday, August 21, 2012
Indiana State Fair
We went to the state fair again this year and had a wonderful time. The Little Helpers on the Farm was there again, but our experience was a little different. Last year Luke was young enough to do what we wanted him to (er, wear what we wanted him to wear.) This year he had his own definite opinions. He was way too cool for the apron and the green hat. :)
We found the little fishing pond again, and Luke quickly figured out that it was just quicker to hold the fish in his hand and attach it to the fishing pole.
He loves tractors!
We also fed the goats again, which I think he was his favorite part. He just laughed and laughed when they licked his fingers.
Crazy to think that next year we'll be taking 2 kids to the fair!
We found the little fishing pond again, and Luke quickly figured out that it was just quicker to hold the fish in his hand and attach it to the fishing pole.
He loves tractors!
We also fed the goats again, which I think he was his favorite part. He just laughed and laughed when they licked his fingers.
Crazy to think that next year we'll be taking 2 kids to the fair!
Friday, July 13, 2012
Our week in review
On Sunday Luke started to act a little bit like he didn't feel good. It didn't occur to me at the time, but looking back, we had donuts that morning and he didn't finish one. That is not my child and probably should have clued me in. He was a little clingy and whiny that day. He was at my mom's on Monday and we realized he had a fever. He wasn't eating much and on Tuesday wasn't really drinking either. I had an OB appt that afternoon, but my mom took him to the pediatrician. They checked him for strep and ear infection and both were fine. We figured it was just a virus that needed to run it's course.
He has consistently had a temp of over 103, unless he's on ibprofen. We started to give it to him every 6 hours on the dot, even waking him up at night to do it. On Tuesday night we were about 20 minutes late and when I went to wake him up, he was burning up. His temp was 104.5 under the arm, and poor little guy was shaking. It wasn't just shivers but it also didn't seem like a seizure. We gave him the ibprofen and were giving it 20 minutes to kick otherwise were taking him in. Luckily it worked fairly quickly. (The shaking happened a total of 3 times this week.)
He's stayed at my mom's everyday this week (thank you so much!) and has been curled up watching more tv than he probably has this entire past year combined. Hey, that's all I want to do when I'm sick!
When the ibprofen kicks in, he perks up a bit, but still doesn't feel good and doesn't want to play (or eat or drink.) Yesterday we really started to get worried about dehydration - he just wasn't getting enough fluids. He had a few (3) pee diapers over the course of the day so it wasn't horrible, but not what it usually is. He just looked awful too - pale, dark circles under his eyes, and he seemed unsteady on his feet.
Luckily this morning when he woke up the first think he wanted was to drink some water. I actually thought he was getting better - his temp didn't spike immediately at 6 hours. Unfortunately at 9am it started to go back up again. We ended up back at the pediatrician's office today (per their instructions if he still had the fever.) She told us that if he checked out fine in the exam they'd have to do a workup. They ended up doing a throat culture (those will take a few days to get back), we had to do some lab work, and then they did a chest and sinus xray. The bloodwork went better than I expected, but was still heartbreaking. Luckily the nurses did a great job and it only took once to get it all.
When the results came in we found out that he actually has a bit of pneumonia, so we're treating that. I suppose he still might have some sort of virus, but I just hope something gets him better soon! (I actually thought he was on the mend this afternoon, but the fever came back and he was pitiful again this evening - breaks my heart.)
Sunday, July 08, 2012
Pregnancy Update
Whoa, this pregnancy has knocked me on my butt! I actually haven't been as sick as I was with Luke (he was all day, everyday), but I'm way more exhausted and evenings have been horrible. The car accident at the beginning probably didn't help much. I don't have much of an appetite and nearly everything in the kitchen made me gag. Much like Luke, I haven't been able to eat chicken at all. I'm loving red meat though. Bring on the steak!
I've had a few appts since the announcement post and everything is looking great! We've also been able to hear the little bean's heartbeat on our doppler here at home so that has been nice.
I'm down 2 lbs, but am definitely getting rounder. It's that fun stage of several of my normal pants being too tight (especially at the end of the day) and maternity pants still being too big. I'm loving dresses right now.
Luke likes to talk about the baby and knows that the ultrasound pictures are pics of the baby. He came up to me the other day and lifted my shirt up and told me to "open it up" because he wanted to see the baby. Oh buddy, we have some time.
I'm just over 11 weeks now and have another appt this coming week. This appt and the next one will just be basic ones to check and see how everything is going. Our next actual ultrasound (and yes, we'll be finding out if we're having a boy or girl!) will be on September 4th.
This is me at 4+ weeks and then again at 9+ weeks.
And then a comparison of me pregnant with Luke at 9+ weeks. 7lbs lighter now than with Luke, but definitely rounder. :)
I've had a few appts since the announcement post and everything is looking great! We've also been able to hear the little bean's heartbeat on our doppler here at home so that has been nice.
I'm down 2 lbs, but am definitely getting rounder. It's that fun stage of several of my normal pants being too tight (especially at the end of the day) and maternity pants still being too big. I'm loving dresses right now.
Luke likes to talk about the baby and knows that the ultrasound pictures are pics of the baby. He came up to me the other day and lifted my shirt up and told me to "open it up" because he wanted to see the baby. Oh buddy, we have some time.
I'm just over 11 weeks now and have another appt this coming week. This appt and the next one will just be basic ones to check and see how everything is going. Our next actual ultrasound (and yes, we'll be finding out if we're having a boy or girl!) will be on September 4th.
This is me at 4+ weeks and then again at 9+ weeks.
And then a comparison of me pregnant with Luke at 9+ weeks. 7lbs lighter now than with Luke, but definitely rounder. :)
Other photos from the last month (or two ...)
One morning we went over to the town hall area for a Strawberry Shortcake festival. One of the things they had going on were zip tie art work around the lamp posts. Jason and Luke helped out with it - I'm going to try and find a finished product online somewhere.
Having fun at our favorite new sprinkler park. It's a bit of a drive, but this area makes it so unique. All of the run off water goes into this "creek" type area - Luke loved it!
This was such a fun neat idea that Uncle Matt found online. You take a tarp, fold it in half, duct tape all of the sides together. You leave a small hole and fill it with water, then tape it up. It sort of made a water pillow/water bed. It was so cool on a hot day, without getting all wet. It eventually sprung a few leaks, but was cheap fun while it lasted!
Fishers Festival
We ran into Luke's best buddy Josh at the festival as well.
Waiting for the parade. Luke loved the fire trucks!
At the pediatric orthopedic doctor's office to talk about Luke's elbow. We have now hit 9 times that nursemaids elbow has hit us. Even though we knew that there was nothing we could do
Luke colored both of his legs and his tummy like this. He wanted to be a tiger. :)
Finally fell asleep in the car on a roadtrip! He never does, so I had to get a picture.
We line cars up all day, every day.
On the 4th of July we went to the Indy 500 museum. Luke (and Jason!) loved looking at all of the race cars.
Just a cute picture from a pool party. We went to Kentucky to celebrate my grandparents' 60th wedding anniversary. Luke was Mr. Social during the party!
Having fun at our favorite new sprinkler park. It's a bit of a drive, but this area makes it so unique. All of the run off water goes into this "creek" type area - Luke loved it!
This was such a fun neat idea that Uncle Matt found online. You take a tarp, fold it in half, duct tape all of the sides together. You leave a small hole and fill it with water, then tape it up. It sort of made a water pillow/water bed. It was so cool on a hot day, without getting all wet. It eventually sprung a few leaks, but was cheap fun while it lasted!
Fishers Festival
We ran into Luke's best buddy Josh at the festival as well.
Waiting for the parade. Luke loved the fire trucks!
At the pediatric orthopedic doctor's office to talk about Luke's elbow. We have now hit 9 times that nursemaids elbow has hit us. Even though we knew that there was nothing we could do
Luke colored both of his legs and his tummy like this. He wanted to be a tiger. :)
Finally fell asleep in the car on a roadtrip! He never does, so I had to get a picture.
We line cars up all day, every day.
On the 4th of July we went to the Indy 500 museum. Luke (and Jason!) loved looking at all of the race cars.
Just a cute picture from a pool party. We went to Kentucky to celebrate my grandparents' 60th wedding anniversary. Luke was Mr. Social during the party!
Memorial Day
On Memorial Day we went up to the cemetery to visit my dad. It's interesting to me how well Luke handles it and I'm so curious to know what he thinks. He knows who Grandpa Ken is, and points him out in pictures. (Initially calling him "Papa Ken" but now goes with "Grandpa Ken.") He knows that when we take flowers up there, that's who they're for and we look at the headstone and point out the wildcat and the palm tree. He's never really asked or seemed confused by it all - just knows who his Grandpa Ken is and goes with it.
Water park
Wednesday, June 06, 2012
Pictures are worth a thousand words
Introducing Baby Fletcher #2, who should arrive January 2013.
We've had 4 sets of bloodwork and 2 ultrasounds - the most recent showing us the most amazing beautiful little heartbeat. :) And for those of you who know about our difficulties (and years and stress ...) to have Luke, I'm happy to say that this time wasn't a struggle at all. :)
We are so happy and feel so blessed!
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