Summer Fun in Pictures

Here's a recap of things we did this summer that I haven't already shared in previous posts.

We spent about one day a week at Teddy Bear Park (June).
We got ice cream (and/or popsicles) from the ice cream truck on Monday nights.
We went to Como Zoo, even with what turned out to be cellulitis on an ear.
We played the Go Fishing game with Daddy at Great Grandma's 80th birthday party.Colin found a new place to play with his dump trucks: in the dirt under the bush in front of the house. (Wow...that's a lot of prepositions!)
We went to the Children's Museum, where Colin and Daddy worked a crane.
Colin went on his first hay ride. Riding on a trailer behind a tractor = Heaven.
We went to Como Town with Nolan. Little did we know Nolan would be a big brother the next morning!
Colin and Daddy played football. Just last night he started actually catching the ball!
Colin learned how to climb the rock wall at Teddy Bear Park.
Teddy Bear Park (August)
I forgot to document on camera other fun things we did:
Lake Elmo Beach with Nolan
Swimming at the campground and Square Lake with Andrew (we went 5 times!)
Playdates with Isaac and Ezra
Playing at parks in town
Watching the boats on the river and the Stillwater lift bridge go up and down
Once- and twice- weekly visits to Sandy's house to play with daycare friends (I stayed and played/watched)

What Colin learned this summer:
Colin made a huge leap in terms of his shyness over the last three months. He is so much more social now than he was even in the beginning of summer. He used to be so shy, but he has really come out of his shell. Dude still doesn't know his colors. We haven't even ventured into letters. He knows some shapes. But I don't really care what he does and doesn't know academically, as long as he's well-behaved and is nice to others. And for the most part, he is.

What I learned this summer:
I learned to have fun on a budget. We spent $5 here and there to go swimming at state/county parks. Como Zoo is a $5 donation for our whole family. Como Town rides were free because our neighbor had some free points we used and even shared with Nolan. Colin is entertained by free activities sometimes more than he's entertained by activities that cost money. Don't get me wrong...there are tons of things I want to do with him in the future that cost money (train ride, boat ride on the river) but for now, he doesn't know the difference.

We had a blast together. Next summer will be a whole new ball game, but I'm hoping this baby will be flexible so we can still do our morning outings.

25 weeks

25 weeks Colin (Sorry, no picture there. And no picture this week, either. I'm too lazy to go take my picture right now.)

How far along? 25 weeks, 1 day

Total weight gain/loss: +14 lbs?? It's actually probably more. I'm just afraid to go see what it is. Going back to school = crappy junk food sitting in the teachers lounge.

Size: Rutabaga, or almost 13.5 inches and 1.5 pounds
Baby Development: "She's beginning to exchange her long, lean look for some baby fat. As she does, her wrinkled skin will begin to smooth out and she'll start to look more and more like a newborn. She's also growing more hair — and if you could see it, you'd now be able to discern its color and texture." (From babycenter.com)

Best moment this week: Eating that delicious cinnamon crêpe. It was heavenly. My mom came up this week and painted Colin's big boy room. It's good to get that started. Next projects include painting the closet and getting new carpet installed.

Movement: Snowflake moves around every day. I see and feel her move around often. Most of the time it's on my right side. I'm guessing the feet are there, but I'm super bad at knowing the baby's position. I've also felt movement a couple of inches above my belly button.

Food cravings: Meat. I'm still thinking about the corn on the cob and the deep fried pickles at the MN State Fair. Yummo. Not sure if we'll be able to go this year :(

Food aversions: Rich sweets like cupcakes and brownies

What I miss: Not snissing, not having round ligament pain, alcohol, clothes that fit.
Stretch marks?: None.
Maternity clothes?: I just bought a few pairs of capris and pants that I can wear to school. I doubt I'd be able to get by with jean and Champion shorts once the kids start coming to school.
Sleep?: I sleep as well as Colin sleeps.
Gender?: We'll let you know in December!
Belly button?: It's very circular and the top part sticks out a little bit.
What are you looking forward to this week?: Getting into a routine again. Not that I'm THRILLED to be back to work, but I am accepting it is happening and I'm ready.

Midwife Appointment

I had my 24 week check up today. All was good. As always, she said how beautiful I am and how well I'm doing (she says this to everyone, but I don't care).

Snowflake's heart beat was 140 bpm, and s/he was head down. Not that s/he will stay that way, but it's always interesting to know where all the body parts are.

I'm measuring right on target at 24 inches. I've been feeling like I look bigger than last time. My midwife explained that for second pregnancies, the round ligaments lack stretch and they don't support your belly as well as they did the first time around. That made me feel a whole lot better.

Nothing else to report! At my next appointment, I take the glucose test. Midwife told me to eat eggs and drink water and that's it for my breakfast.

Exciting stuff!

24 weeks: Viability!

22 weeks Snowflake vs. 22 weeks Colin (there's actually a belly picture this time).
How's THIS for an outfit? I changed into my PJ pants, but I hadn't changed my shirt yet. Stylin'.
How far along? 24 weeks

Total weight gain/loss: +14 lbs

Size: Ear of corn, or almost 12 inches and just over 1 pound
Baby Development: "Your baby's growing steadily, having gained about 4 ounces since last week...He cuts a pretty lean figure at this point, but his body is filling out proportionally and he'll soon start to plump up. His brain is also growing quickly now, and his taste buds are continuing to develop. His lungs are developing "branches" of the respiratory "tree" as well as cells that produce surfactant, a substance that will help his air sacs inflate once he hits the outside world. His skin is still thin and translucent, but that will start to change soon.." (From babycenter.com)

Best moment this week: Seeing babies! We saw three of them this week: Lauren (3 mo.), Ezra (7 weeks), and today we saw Jessica's new baby, William who was just 5 days old. Colin wanted to hold each of the babies, but only got to hold sleepy Mr. William. He did a great job and loved every minute of it.

Movement: Snowflake moves around every day. I see and feeel her move around often. Most of the time it's on my right side. I'm guessing the feet are there, but I'm super bad at knowing the baby's position.

Food cravings: Meat. Cinnamon crêpes from The Magic Pan Crêpe Stand in the Mall of America. Omg. I can't wait for this magical reunion. Sunday, baby! Also, I've been thinking about the corn on the cob and the deep fried pickles at the MN State Fair. Yummo. Not sure if we'll be able to go this year :(

Food aversions: Rich sweets like cupcakes and brownies

What I miss: Not snissing, not having round ligament pain, alcohol, clothes that fit.
Stretch marks?: None.
Maternity clothes?: I wear either my 1 pair of maternity shorts or mesh Champion shorts now. The other non-maternity/stretch stuff I have just doesn't cut it anymore. I may have to find just a few warm weather items (hopefully on clearance) before the school year starts. I'm still wearing non-maternity shirts.
Sleep?: I sleep as well as Colin sleeps.
Gender?: We'll let you know in December!
Belly button?: It's very circular and the top part is flush with my belly.
What are you looking forward to this week?: Midwife appointment and Simply Music teachers lunch date (Fri), Laura's baby shower (Sat), IKEA and crêpes (Sun), my mom is coming up on Tuesday night to watch Colin on Wednesday and she's going to help paint his "new room" Great Green (Sherwin-Williams):
Sidenote 1: I took my rings off this week :(. They'll probably stay off unless I can get them back on/off easily when the weather starts to cool off.
Sidenote 2: This week marks viability! If Snowflake decided to make an early appearance, from here on out, with a lot of help from the NICU, chances are s/he will survive.

Gender Predictors

I did the gender predictors below at 22 weeks when I was pregnant with Colin. As a whole, they predicted wrong, so, you know, I thought I would do them again. I put an asterisk by the predictors who guessed correctly last time.

Just Mommies
50% chance: Boy (50%? That's real convincing)

Chinese Gender Predictor*
Girl

Babyman*
Girl

Sex Ratio
Girl

The Bump Chinese Gender Chart
Girl

Old Wives Tales
60% chance: Girl

Wedding Ring*
Girl

Childbirth.org
66% chance: Girl

Psychic in Colorado in 2008*
Boy

My gut feeling*
Girl

2 out of 10 predict boy (20%) and 8 out of 10 predict girl (80%).

I didn't include the psychic for Colin's post, but she predicted I'd have 2, maybe 3 children. Definitely all boys.

I also didn't include my gut feeling for Colin, but I had a feeling he was a boy.

What do you think? Will I need to buy some pink this time around or will the blue do?

23 weeks

23 weeks Snowflake vs. 23 weeks Colin (again, no belly picture there)
How far along? 23 weeks

Total weight gain/loss: +14 lbs (I admit, I had a DQ Blizzard today. I had to for those kids at Gillette. I think I may have gained a pound or two because of it).

Size: Large mango, or 11 inches and just over 1 pound
Baby Development: "Turn on the radio and sway to the music. With her sense of movement well developed by now, your baby can feel you dance. You may be able to see her squirm underneath your clothes. Blood vessels in her lungs are developing to prepare for breathing, and the sounds that your baby's increasingly keen ears pick up are preparing her for entry into the outside world. Loud noises that become familiar now — such as your dog barking or the roar of the vacuum cleaner [or Colin's tantrums]— probably won't faze her when she hears them outside the womb." (From babycenter.com)

Best moment this week: Napping. I won't be able to take naps soon. Is that a lame moment? Kind of. But I really do enjoy naps. Oh and also? My Simply Music training materials arrived in the mail. The letter that was so neatly placed on top of the materials said I couldn't peruse through the contents until I have my first conference call (which is tomorrow). I have listened and have not perused, but truthfully it was like an anti-climactic Christmas.

Movement: Snowflake moves around every day. Sometimes I can see it a tiny bit, sometimes I can just feel it. This morning in my half-awake state, I think I felt a butt or a head pushed up against my belly, because I felt very stretched out and hard on my right side.

Food cravings: Meat, I guess. Fruit, I guess. Oh yeah, and cinnamon crêpes from The Magic Pan Crêpe Stand in the Mall of America. Omg. I can't wait for this magical reunion. But it looks like I'll be waiting until the 21st. :*(

Food aversions: Rich sweets like cupcakes and brownies

What I miss: Not snissing.
Stretch marks?: None.
Maternity clothes?: I busted out the maternity shorts a couple of days. Otherwise I've been wearing mesh Champion shorts and most of my regular shorts/capris with my belly band. My non-stretch waistband short and capris are seriously beyond ridiculous. I may have to find just a few warm weather items (hopefully on clearance) before the school year starts. I'm still wearing non-maternity shirts.
Sleep?: I sleep as well as Colin sleeps.
Gender?: We'll let you know in December!
Belly button?: It's very circular and the top part is pretty much flush with my belly.
What are you looking forward to this week?: Just enjoying my summer until I have to start working in 1.5 weeks :( *sniff, sniff*

22 Weeks

22 weeks Snowflake vs. 22 weeks Colin (no pictures there though, sorry!)

How far along? 22 weeks

Total weight gain/loss: +13 lbs (actually it has been +10 for the last 2 weeks, but I thought that was strange and kept it at +13)

Size: Spaghetti Squash, or 11 inches and almost 1 pound
Baby Development: "Your baby is starting to look like a miniature newborn. His lips, eyelids, and eyebrows are becoming more distinct, and he's even developing tiny tooth buds beneath his gums. His eyes have formed, but his irises (the colored part of the eye) still lack pigment. If you could see inside your womb, you'd be able to spot the fine hair (lanugo) that covers his body and the deep wrinkles on his skin, which he'll sport until he adds a padding of fat to fill them in. Inside his belly, his pancreas — essential for the production of some important hormones — is developing steadily." (From babycenter.com)

Best moment this week: Spending time as a family of 3 at the Children's Museum on Sunday.

Movement: Snowflake moves around a little bit every day. Sometimes I can see it a tiny bit, sometimes I can just feel it.

Food cravings: Meat, I guess. Fruit, I guess. Oh yeah, and cinnamon crêpes from The Magic Pan Crêpe Stand in the Mall of America. Omg. When will this magical reunion happen? If I get paid for my curriculum hours tomorrow, it's happening this weekend.

Food aversions: Rich sweets like cupcakes and brownies

What I miss: Sub sandwiches (more than ever), comfortable jeans/shorts, alcohol
Stretch marks?: None.
Maternity clothes?: I busted out the maternity shorts a couple of days. Otherwise I've been wearing mesh Champion shorts and most of my regular shorts/capris with my belly band. I'm still wearing non-maternity shirts.
Sleep?: I sleep as well as Colin sleeps.
Gender?: We'll let you know in December!
Belly button?: It's very circular and the top part is getting shallower.
What are you looking forward to this week?: Just enjoying my summer until I have to start working in 2.5 weeks :( *sniff, sniff*

Colin's 2 year pictures

This has been a long, long, looooonng time coming. Considering Leah was still pregnant with Ezra when it all took place. Like I said in my last post, I've been kind of lazy about pictures lately. So, without further ado, Colin's 2 year pictures taken at Pioneer Park in Stillwater, taken by Leah.

Of course, he started out shy. But notice the progression from shy to ca-ray-zy.







Do you see the bee? This is why I want a DSLR.
This is where crazy comes in...It was hard to get him to sit still once it kicked in. But all it takes is a second to take a picture!Thanks again Leah for your flexibility and squeezing us in before Mr. Ezra came along. We're eternally grateful for your friendship and talents.