12 Week Update

I started this blog when Taylor was almost 6 months old, so I never had the chance to do weekly updates during my first pregnancy. Thankfully, I wrote in my pregnancy journal religiously so I'm still able to compare my pregnancies on the regular. So far, the first trimester has not been good to me, just as it wasn't with Taylor. The only difference this time is that I go from absolutely starving to regretfully nauseous after every meal. With Taylor, I lived on goldfish and ginger ale and lost 10 lbs. in the first 13 weeks, but once that second trimester hit I was a hungry hippo devouring everything in sight. I have also been wiped for energy this go round, which is no surprise since I'm crazy busy at work during the day and chasing Taylor Tornado around in the evenings. Seriously, bed time cannot come soon enough each night. I'm counting down the days until the second trimester hits but, until then, it's time to kick off the first update for Baby No. 2!

Size: A plum

Gender: To be determined. Our 20 week ultrasound is scheduled for October 23rd, and I cannot wait to find out if Taylor's prediction is true! (She's certain it's a baby see-ter.)

Maternity Clothes: Not gonna lie, I've been wearing my maternity shorts/capris for a couple of weeks now. They're so much more comfy than attempting to wear my regular shorts using the hair tie trick. Plus, I might as well get some use out of them now since the majority of this pregnancy will be during the winter months.

Sleep: Even though I'm exhausted by the end of the day, I cannot seem to get comfortable at night. My body pillow isn't cutting it this time around and getting up to pee 4 times a night doesn't help either. Everything seems to be months ahead of schedule this time around, but I hear that's normal so I'm just trying to roll with it.

Best Moment This Week: Taylor loving all over my belly! The daily hugs (and raspberries) are so sweet. I can't wait to see this girl as a big sister.

Miss Anything: The weather has been stellar lately and I wish I had the energy to take Tay on walks or to the park in the evenings, but it's everything I can do just to cook dinner and bathe the tot before I collapse on the couch.

Movement: No baby movement, but I am experiencing all kinds of cramping. My doc assures me it's normal and is just a side effect of pregnancy no. 2.

Cravings: Anything breakfast-related - a bagel smothered in cream cheese with a large glass of OJ, waffles with fresh fruit and a giant dollop of whipped cream, sausage/egg/cheese breakfast sandwiches. Oh, and french fries. Always.

Sickness: Bleh...yes. Ready for this constant nausea sensation to GO. AWAY. Hoping I'm close to the finish line with this one....

Looking Forward To: The second trimester!! I remember waking up on the first day of Week 13 feeling like a totally different person when I was pregnant with Taylor. Really hoping that's the case again! Also looking forward to cooler temps and all things FALL! You'd better believe I already have fall scents wafting around our entire house. It smells like a yummy pumpkin paradise and makes me crave a Caramel Apple Spice like nobody's business!

And because it's too adorable not to share, a little love from big sis...

23 Month Update

Well folks, only one more month to go before the monthly updates come to an end. I told myself that I continue them until Taylor turned two which means I'm this close to the finish line - and just in time to start doing weekly pregnancy updates for baby number 2! But isn't that the way life goes?

Life with our tot continues to be an emotional roller coaster ride, some days she's in the best mood and up for anything and others are filled with one tantrum after another. It's absolutely amazing what can set her off these day. For instance, last week she had a meltdown because she tripped over her own foot then proceeded to catapult Penny down the hall. The meltdown escalated when she couldn't get her shoe off and resulted with her face down on the ground screaming her head off. Like I said, emotional freaking roller coaster.

The Terrible Two's are in full effect, so we take full advantage of the good days whenever they appear - and we make it through the not-so-good days as best we can. My patience is tested on a daily basis and these pregnancy hormones (and the constant churning of my stomach) make it really hard for me to keep my cool when she loses her shit over every. little. thing. We are a continuous work in progress but I know we'll make it through this phase and look back on it laughing, just like we have with all the others.

Enough with the negative, let's talk about the positive! The tot is talking up a storm these days, babbling on about anything and everything. She loves trying to say new words - sometimes succeeding and other times not coming even remotely close. She can identify the majority of her relatives by name, which is the sweetest thing ever, and has randomly starting referring to my mom as "Bridget." I have no idea why since we don't even know anyone named Bridget, but she says it plain as day every time she sees her. I think it's hilarious so I'm definitely not putting a stop to it anytime soon. Her favorite new song is "Happy Birthday," which we have been practicing since hers is just around the corner. She also loves "The Wheels on the Bus," "Rain, Rain, Go Away," and the ABC's. One of her new favorite activities is fake snoring and then having Jake or I wake her up, followed by Jake or I fake snoring and then her slapping us across the face while yelling "Up! Up!" She hasn't quite grasped the concept of "being gentle," something we definitely have to work on before this baby arrives.

She loves popsicles and will request one randomly all throughout the day. I'm certain she would live off them if we'd let her. She still favors pasta, berries, grilled cheese, and applesauce but is getting better at eating more vegetables since we won't let her have seconds until she eats everything on her plate. And trust me, girlfriend always wants seconds, especially when we're having pasta. The tot has mastered drinking out of a regular cup and has successfully transitioned to a cot at daycare, which means we'll be transitioning her crib to a toddler bed at home before too long.

I cannot believe how much Taylor has grown and accomplished throughout the summer. The past three months have brought one change after another, and I have been trying so hard to stop referring to Tay as a "baby" and start referring to her as a "big girl" since she has long outgrown the baby stage. The addition of a new baby to our family is only intensifying that fact these days. I can only imagine how grown she will look once there's a newborn around.

The next month will be a busy one for our family with an upcoming trip to Idaho (including Tay's first time on an airplane) followed by birthdays for the tot and I. With her second birthday on the horizon, I am reminded each day just how much our girl is changing and growing, and I want nothing more than for her to experience everything this world has to offer. Our life may be busy and chaotic, stressful and overwhelming at times, but I wouldn't trade it for anything.

Baby Eldredge No. 2

We are so happy to announce that Baby Eldredge No. 2 will be arriving next spring! We shared the news with our families early on and had planned on announcing the news a couple of weeks ago but then everything happened with my dad and so our plans (and lives in general) were put on hold. Thankfully, he is now in a wonderful rehab center and well on his way to recovery, so what better time to announce the good news?!

As you can tell, big sis was less than impressed with our announcement photo shoot, but her reaction made for the best photos! In all reality, Taylor is super excited to be a big sister, always kissing my belly and telling the baby "hew-wo." She loves to blow raspberries on my belly button and is already certain that baby is a "seester." She's been perfecting her big sister skills on her baby doll, Penny, toting her around wherever she goes. Although we're going to have to teach her that, unlike Penny, it's not acceptable to drop kick the baby down the stairs or smother her with a blanket. 

I discovered that I was pregnant early on, just shy of 5 weeks into my pregnancy. I randomly took a test just before we were heading to the swimming pool one Saturday and to our surprise it turned positive instantly! While Jake and I were celebrating the good news, Taylor made her way into the bathroom, picked up the test, and popped it straight into her mouth! We were completely horrified and immediately questioned our parenting abilities. But what's done is done and we'll be expecting another bundle of joy on or about March 8, 2016.

I'm super excited that I'll be able to document my pregnancy this go round. Taylor was about 6 months old before I started this blog, so the only reference I have to go off of from my last pregnancy is my pregnancy journal (which I've been using to compare both pregnancies thus far). Turns out, I'm just as nauseous this go round as I was with the tot. The only difference is that this time I go from starving to nauseous in the matter of seconds, and I immediately regret every ounce of food that I eat. Maybe that's a sign this babe will be a boy or maybe it's an indication that this child will be even more of a handful that its big sister. I guess only time will tell!

22 Month Update

Even though we're halfway through month 23, I thought I'd provide a little update on the tot. Life has been a whirlwind lately so I apologize for the lack of posts. We've been on a crazy emotional roller coaster for the past 2 weeks but, thankfully, things are beginning to feel somewhat normal again. So on to the tot...

I know that I'm biased, but this kid has the most amazing personality. She loves to laugh, make goofy noises with her mouth, and is always up for giving (and receiving) raspberries. She loves to be outside exploring new territory and discovering new things. We have definitely reached the stage where her curiosity gets the best of her and before I know it she's out of my eye sight and into something she shouldn't be. This is especially problematic when we're shopping and she disappears into clothing racks or gets distracted and wanders off. Karma is definitely coming full circle as I used to do the same exact thing to my mom when I was Tay's age. Time to invest in a kid harness!

One night on his way home, Jake spotted the Oscar Meyer wiener mobile at our local grocery store, so he pulled in to get Taylor a weeny whistle of her very own, which she absolutely loves. She runs all over the house blowing that whistle and laughing hysterically. It's impossible not to smile when you see how happy that piece of plastic makes her. Oh to be a kid again....

Our wild child had her second trip to Urgent Care this month where she left with 3 stitches in her forehead and a pink popsicle. An unfortunate fall on the surround sound speaker in our basement sent blood gushing and tears falling. Thankfully, the docs at Urgent Care handled the entire situation so well and it wasn't long before the tot was back to her happy little self as if nothing had ever happened. Her father, on the other hand, was not so brave. Let's just say he sat in the corner while most of the procedure took place. That's okay, honey, mommies are just better at some things. ;c ) Truth be told, I'm honestly surprised this hasn't happened sooner considering how rough this girl plays. And I'm certain this won't be out last encounter with stitches considering her dad has had them at least six different times. Work hard, play hard, right?

Our girl is sassy and sweet and the queen of tantrums. She hates to be told no and will start crying as soon as she thinks she's in any form of trouble. When told no, she bursts into tears and runs to her room to sulk, an unfortunate foreshadowing of her teenage years to come. She's loveable and nurturing when I need it the most, always offering up smooches and snuggles when she knows I'm feeling down. She has been my saving grace over the last couple of weeks, and I'm forever grateful that God brought her into our lives.