The one with the three month update!

Well, I'm terrible at updating.  Obviously I did not get the seven week update in time ... and now my baby boy is three months old!

What to say about three month old Myles?
He is a pretty big guy.  I had him to the doctor yesterday and he weighs 13bs7oz.  For someone who doesn't eat, that's pretty good!  ;)  He is happy and healthy and that's all that matters.

His eating and sleeping is still nutty.  He doesn't have a whole lot of interest in eating.  He is still only drinking maybe 4oz at a time, every 3-5 hours.  Once in a while, he'll surprise me and eat 5-6oz but that doesn't always happen.  Thankfully, though, he is still growing just fine and has not fallen off his growth curve so I guess he's just doing okay with a small amount of milk.
He goes to bed around 7pm and usually sleeps until around midnight ... and then it varies from there.  Sometimes he will be up again at 3, sometimes he will sleep until 5.  Sometimes he'll go right back to sleep after he wakes and eats, sometimes he just wants to party.  It is a struggle, for sure.  I like my sleep and he, apparently, does not.  I am hoping that as he gets older, he will start to sleep better.  Please, Myles?



He is a very happy and smiley little guy.  All you have to do is look at him and he grins.  He is so sweet!  He loves getting undressed and every time I start taking off his clothes, he starts giggling.  I love it.  He has the most adorable little baby voice and I love when we have conversations and he just coos.  So so cute.
He enjoys hanging out on his play mat, smacking the dangling toys around.  He is starting to reach for items more and will occasionally grasp toys.  This morning, he was playing with a toy and brought it to his mouth!  Exciting times!

He loathes being on his tummy and just sort of sky-dive poses and screams when I try to put him on his tummy.  I'm not too concerned, though.  He can hold his head steady when I'm holding him upright.  He will like being on his tummy more when he is able to roll there by himself.  He will sit in the Bumbo sometimes but prefers to sit on someone's lap and look around.

He still adores his big sister and will stare at her, smile and laugh, and talk to her.  They are adorable together  :)

That's all for now!  Let's be realistic and hope for the next update before he is six months old  :)

The one where Myles is six weeks old

WOW.  Six weeks.  Again, it's that magic number ... once you get over the six week hump, things tend to settle down.  I can't believe how quickly it has gone by this time around.  I guess because we are already in a routine and have an older child, time just tends to speed by.

Our sweet little Myles turned six weeks old on Wednesday (and yes, it is now Sunday ... remember what I said above about time speeding by?  Yeah.)  I really can't believe how big he is getting!  We have not had a doctor's appointment or anything for a while, and we don't own a scale in our house, so I really do not know how big he is right now.  There is a Public Health clinic in town next week (every second Thursday) so I think I will bring him in just to get weighed.  He is for sure over 10lbs, maybe even close to 11lbs now.  When I look at him, I feel like he's HUGE.  He is fitting into 3 month clothing and even a few 6 month pieces.  His hair is still light and has fallen out on the top so he has an awesome "old man" ring going on.  I also remember Charlotte having a similar hairline at this stage  ;)  His eyebrows are so blonde you can't even see them and his eyes are still a dark blue.  I'm wondering if they will stay that colour!  Will he be our little blonde haired blue eyed baby?  Who knows!

We are still trying to figure him out with regards to sleeping and eating.  This last week has been a gong show and I'm chalking it up to the six week growth spurt.  He has been going to bed around 7:30 at night - he gets his bath before Charlotte - and would sleep until around midnight(ish), then again until around 3(ish), and sometimes would wake up again an hour later ... it's been kind of nutty.  Last night, though, we were out a bit later so he went to bed around 8pm and slept until 4am!!  I could get used to that.  He had a hard time falling back to sleep, though, and then woke up again at 6, and then again at 7:15 for the day.  Now it's 9:15 and he's asleep in his swing.  Normally, he loathes our swing with a burning passion of a thousand suns, but this morning I decided to rock him in the rocking chair upstairs until he was asleep and then I transferred him to the swing.  Success!  For now...

His eating has been all over the map.  Sometimes he will only take 2oz, sometimes he'll want 5-6oz, sometimes he'll gulp it down, other times it's a fight to get anything into him.  It's a bit stressful and I'm actually thinking he might have silent reflux.  He always makes noises that sounds like he is clearing his throat or like he is congested, he doesn't spit up often but when he does, it doesn't actually come OUT but just into his mouth, and I think that may have something to do with how fussy he can be.  I don't think it has anything to do with his formula because he was like this when he was breastfed too.  When he has his next doctor's appointment, I am going to bring it up.  I may even bring it up with my doctor when I go to see her next week for my six week postpartum check (it had to be rescheduled because of all the storms we've had here lately - my car was frozen in my driveway!)

He is still super smiley and is becoming more and more focused on the world.  He enjoys the play mat quite a bit now and will kick and move his arms around when Mr. Sun is singing.  He is starting to grab at items - he's grabbed hold of some of the toys dangling from the play mat and he gets a surprisingly good grip on my necklaces or the ties on my hoodies.  He likes he hold my fingers when he's eating  :)  He smiles a lot at Charlotte and he likes when we make silly voices or when we clap his hands together.  He really likes bath time and kicks and splashes around.  I got him a little bath seat like Charlotte had when she was a baby but I actually find it easier just to put him in the big tub with a small amount of water and wash him that way.

So funny - he always had his hand up by his face in utero too and when he's in the tub, it always goes right back up!  I wonder if the warm bath reminds him of the inside  ;)

That's all for now!  Let's see if I can do the seven week update on time!

The one with the five week update

Big five week old boy today!  What is new with five week old Myles?

He seems to be (finally) settling into some natural rhythms this week.  Over the last week, I've discovered that he enjoys being swaddled so I have been wrapping him up to sleep and it's made quite a difference.  He has been going to bed between 8:30-9:00 at night after getting a bath and a nice big bottle.  He will sleep until anywhere between 2am-4am to eat, will go back to sleep, and wake up around 7ish.  His naps are still iffy, but he does sleep relatively well during the day.  Today he slept for three hours in the pack n' play (we are at Grammie and Grampie's house) and he's conked out again in the swing.

He has been eating better as well.  I decided a few days ago that we were finished with breastfeeding and he is 100% on bottles now.  I was tired of fighting with him to stay latched, it was uncomfortable, and exhausting.  Had he been my only child, perhaps we would have continued longer but I have another child to take care of as well and I couldn't spend hours at a time nursing him, only to have him start rooting 20 minutes later.  It just wasn't working for our family anymore and I am okay with that!  He is doing great on formula and doesn't seem bothered in the slightest.  He is eating about 6-7 times in 24 hours.  Most times he will drink 4oz but sometimes he will want 5oz or even 6oz.  I always make a 6oz bottle for the last one before bed, but he usually only drinks about half of it.

He is starting to get a lot more interactive this week.  He has been super smiley all week, giving the little smirks and the big gummy smiles.  He focuses on us a lot more and will "talk" to us, moving his mouth to imitate us and makes a lot more noises besides his usual grunts and groans.

He isn't too bothered by tummy time, usually (although - I'll be honest - I don't do it much because it's not a very natural position for babies to be in ... I prefer carrying him upright or holding him to strengthen his neck muscles) but today he got so angry about being on his tummy, he actually ROLLED from belly to back!  I couldn't believe it.  He was determined, haha!  Normally, though, he just lays there and puts his head down, and watches the world.

He is definitely getting bigger and bigger every day.  I'm not sure exactly what he weighs now, but I weighed myself and then myself + him this morning and the difference was 10.6 on the scale. So 10lbs now?  He is wearing 3 month clothing (still a little big on him, but 0-3 is too tight).  His hair is still a dark blonde(ish) colour and his eyes are still blue!  I wonder if they will change...

The one with the four week update

I know, I know.  We missed the three week mark.  Oops!

Myles is four weeks old today!  He will officially be one month old on Saturday.  I must say, it has gone by pretty quickly.  He had a weight check up on Friday and he was 9lbs even.  He is doing well and does not have to go back to the doctor until his 2 month check up, unless we have concerns before then.  He is bright and chunky and seems to be growing well!  His eyes are still a dark blue but are lightening a little bit around the inside.  His hair is still fuzzy and a lighter colour - kind of blonde in spots, but a little darker toward the back.  I'm really curious to see what colour it will be as it gets thicker!  His eyelashes have gotten longer.  He still isn't producing tears yet (yay!) and has what appears to be a birth mark on his right eyelid.  We thought it was bruising from birth, but it hasn't gone away yet so we're thinking it's a birth mark.  He has some of the same red marks on the back of his head as well.

He still does not seem to have much of a pattern emerging yet for sleeping and eating.  He is kind of all over the place, which makes it a bit difficult for me because we all know that I like predictability and routine.  We were told to wake him up to eat every three hours at his two week check up so I think that has kind of messed with his natural rhythms and he hasn't had a chance to establish a pattern yet.  We've stopped waking him and will let him sleep and eat whenever he needs to, so I am hoping that we will see some patterns emerging in the next few weeks.  He is still doing well with breastfeeding and he switches between breast and bottle just fine at the moment.  I generally nurse him during the day and he gets bottles (either formula or pumped milk) at nighttime.  He usually nurses for about 30-45 minutes (both sides) and will drink about 3-4 ounces from a bottle at a time.

He has periods of quiet alert time where he likes to look around at all the high contrast stuff around him (like the pictures on the wall and the lamp shades in the evening when the light shines through).  He is starting to enjoy laying on the play mat, watching the singing sun, but he seems to prefer looking toward/out the window instead.  He is starting to get used to being put down in the bouncy seat or the swing.  Today was the first time he actually fell asleep in the swing while it was swinging.  Progress!!  He tends to get quite gassy and grunts/growls a lot but, thankfully, that is something that he will outgrow soon enough.  He is just still trying to get used to this whole "digestive system" thing ... but I do look forward to the day when the noises he makes are not just grunts, groans, and growls.  More coos and gurgles please!  :)

That is all for now!  I will update next week!

The one with the two week update

Well, two and a half weeks.  We run a little late here these days.

Myles turned two weeks old on Wednesday.  I remember the first two weeks dragging when Charlotte was a baby, but these last two weeks have gone by pretty quickly!

So far, Myles is doing really well.  He is back up to his birth weight of 8lbs 7oz and we go back to the doctor on Friday to weigh him again for his three week check up.  He is already starting to outgrow his newborn clothing and he's quite round with a double chin so I think he's doing pretty good  ;)  He is still nursing relatively well.   He has a bottle here and there, sometimes formula, sometimes pumped milk.  He takes about 45 minutes to an hour to eat sometimes and usually eats about every three hours during the day and goes longer stretches at nighttime.  He has never had his days and nights mixed up, which is very helpful.  Last night I tried putting him in his cradle at nighttime - he had been sleeping on my pillow all night - and he did pretty good.  He slept soundly from about 10pm until around 3am but then was up almost hourly until about 6am.  He didn't eat very much at 3am so I think that was the issue.  If he had had a nice big feed, he probably would have gone back to sleep right until morning.  Regardless, I'm happy that he seems to have taken well to the cradle!  Hopefully that continues because I slept a lot better as well.

He is starting to focus on people and things.  He really likes to stare up at the pictures hanging in the living room - I think he likes the contrast between between the dark frames and the light walls.  I like sitting with him on my knees to chat and he will look at me.  He will lay on his play mat and look around but doesn't like to be on the floor for too long.  Charlotte really likes when he is on the floor, though, so she can talk to him and tell him all about the world.

He is a pretty chill little guy, but will complain quite loudly when he needs something.  He absolutely does not like to be wet or dirty (whereas Charlotte never really seemed to care if she needed a new diaper), if he's tired he will yell about it, and when he's hungry he'll protest (and then take forever to latch, the goose) but as long as everything is okay in his world, he's happy  :)

That's it for now!

The one with the baby v 2.0

Yes, BoJu has arrived!  It has just been a busy week and I did try to update the blog a couple of times last week but it just didn't pan out.

So, apparently BoJu must have read the last blog post and thought "ha! I'll show her!".  I felt nothing out of the ordinary until about 10:30 at night on the 23rd.  Boyd and I were watching A Christmas Carol on TV and I was feeling some strange pains right in the front of my uterus.  They didn't feel like contractions, really, but it hurt and I just wasn't really sure.  I tried timing them but there was no real pattern so I told Boyd I was going to go upstairs and have a bath.  I walked up the stairs and the pain intensified so I told him that he should probably give his mom a call to come watch Charlotte so we could go to the hospital.

We got to the hospital around midnight.  The nurse checked me and told me I was dilated 8cm.  I said "I'm WHAT?"  Needless to say, I was admitted.  I laboured for about an hour or so longer, my water broke, I pushed for 40 minutes and Myles William Raymond Chapman was born at 2:18am on December 24 weighing in at 8lb 7oz and measuring 20.5 inches long.

It was a quick whirlwind but a much better experience than last time.  My recovery has been night and day from my last experience.  I am up and moving and there's no pain happening.  Nursing is going well - he gives me a hard time when I try to latch him on the left side but my milk is in, he's not ripping me to shreds, so that's a plus!

So far, we are still adjusting to the new family.  I don't really remember the first week of Charlotte's life so I can't really compare, but every day seems to be improving.  He is slowly figuring out life outside the womb.  He's eating well, his diaper output is great, and he is getting good stretches of sleep in.  He generally eats about every 2-4 hours, depending - sometimes he will inch closer to 5 hours between feeds but not often.  He is starting to spend a bit more time awake and taking things in, allowing us to put him down without fussing too much.

He had his first doctor's appointment on Tuesday.  He lost about 5% of his birth weight and was back up to 8lbs.  He is pink and healthy and everything looks great!  He goes back again this Tuesday for a two week check up and hopefully he will be back up to his birth weight by then.

Charlotte is absolutely in love.  I think she is adapting better than I am!  I wish I could bottle up her coping skills somehow.  She likes coming in to help when I change his diaper and likes sitting and watching him while he eats.  She talks to him, sings, rubs his belly, and is very protective of him.  It's absolutely sweet to watch and I'm really happy she is doing so well.  I've talked to her about how it is okay if she feels sad or is not happy about how things have changed now that there is a baby in the house and she told me "no, I'll always love him".  She's an amazing big sister.

That's all for now!  I will try to keep updating more now that Myles has arrived  :)

The one with the due date...

It appears that BoJu is following in his big sister's footsteps and choosing not to come before or on his due date (although there are still 7.5 hours left in this day...).  Due dates given to me were December 21 (Sunday, that was from the ultrasound) and today (from my cycle).  No real signs of him showing up anytime soon!  I have been having contractions basically all week but they amount to nothing.  Otherwise, nada.

Now, if he's going to be late, he's going to need to be quite late.  Tomorrow is Christmas Eve and then it's Christmas Day!  Wait for a little bit, BoJu!

Of course, like last time, the fun emails that I get detailing the baby's growth are now congratulating me on my newborn baby so I have no real updates there.  Here at home, we are pretty much ready for him.  I have my bag packed and waiting by the door.  His room is mostly done - it is functional, like Charlotte's was, but there are still a few decorative aspects I need to finish up.  His clothes are all washed and put away and all his diapers are clean, dry, stuffed, and ready!

Ah they all fit so perfectly!!

The next update will be a birth story, I'm sure!  :)

The one with two weeks left...

Two weeks left until BoJu's due date, can you believe that?  It has certainly been harder to keep up with the blog this time around but I have been trying.

I hit 38 weeks pregnant today and I'm really looking forward to meeting my little boy.  I feel massive and I'm uncomfortable so I'm ready to get him outta me for those reasons!

37 weeks with Charlotte vs. 34 weeks with BoJu

I feel a lot bigger this time around and I have been measuring ahead at a few appointments.  I haven't gained as much weight this time (I think I'm at around 24lbs now) so I think it's just the way he is sitting.  Charlotte was stretched out - I remember writing about "so much for the fetal position" - and he is all curled up in a ball in the front.  I can feel his little heel or elbow or something pointy sticking out all the time.  He has been head down for months now (yay!) so I'm hoping he's getting himself ready to come on out.  He is sitting quite low and I can sometimes feel him just burying himself into my pelvic bones.  So so comfortable, I love it.  NOT.

I finished work last week (November 28) on doctor-ordered sick leave prior to starting maternity leave.  Because of the way he is sitting and how my belly is, I've been in so much pelvic pain and have had shooting pains and numbness going down my leg.  Simple things like driving and walking had become unbearable so I was written off work early.  I'm very grateful for that because I can rest my body now and prepare for labour and delivery.  Now when I'm hurting, I have the option of changing positions, laying down, sitting on the exercise ball, etc. whereas I did not have those options at work.  It has definitely helped.  Now I am just home, trying to finish getting things ready, and wait for my son to arrive!

We are still working on getting his nursery all set up.  We let Charlotte choose the theme for his room and she decided on robots.  LOVE!  We have his crib, dresser/change table, and rocking chair in the room already.  It is getting painted tomorrow (a blue-grey colour called "gentle sea") and I plan to spend Thursday putting everything away and decorating as best I can.  Charlotte is visiting Grammie and Grampie for the week so I am trying to take advantage of the extra "alone" time that I have to get these things finished up.  I will definitely post some photos when I'm all done!  Right now, it's just a mess and will be an even bigger mess tomorrow when it is being painted  :)

Part of his room decor I got at Target  :)

So now that we know what is going on with me, let's find out what's going on with him!  What's in the baby update this week?

BoJu was officially full term last week, so now he's just sort of hanging out in there, putting on a bit more weight, and waiting to come out.  He is shedding his weird fetus hair and cheesy white goo in preparation to come out and be all cute  ;)  All of his organs are developed and ready!  Here we go, little bud - you're ready so come on out!

The one where time flies...

There has been so much happening these days and just no time to really get it all written down!

Our sweet Charlotte turned 4 on Tuesday.  Can you believe that?  Our little lemon, our sweet little Ladybird is now four years old.  I can't believe it.

We spent the day together on Tuesday and had a great time.  I made her a special birthday breakfast, we went to The Play Box (an indoor playground), and out for lunch at Boston Pizza.  She had a great birthday party the Saturday before - a dinosaur party!  Roar!!

Four year old Charlotte amazes me every day.  She is incredibly sweet, kind, and caring.  I can't even explain her compassion and kindness.  She makes my heart swell.  She is so bright and will be starting school next fall.  We are hoping to put her into French because she is pretty well ready for school now and we don't want her to be bored.  She can perform basic math concepts in her head (i.e. "Mommy, when Baby BoJu is 1, I'll be 5.  And when he's 2, I'll be 6."), we think she might be able to read but has a bit of a stubborn streak, and she's printing, loves to spell, and play rhyming games.

She is fully into 4T clothing now and wears a size 8 shoe.  She is still in the 30lb range, sometimes hitting 31 or 32 depending on what she's wearing and what she's eaten  ;)  She's getting more independent every day.  She still has some trouble getting certain articles of clothing off and starting her zippers, but she's just turned 4 so that's understandable!

She started ballet in September and she is doing great!  We got to watch her class last week and she made me so proud.  She was focused and paid attention when she was supposed to and had lots of fun running around and dancing during the free time.  She can do first, second, third, fourth, and fifth position with her feet and knows how to pirouette.  She's awesome.

Here are a few of 4 year old Charlotte's favourites!

Book:  For her birthday, she got The Snail and The Whale and we have read it every single night at bedtime since her birthday party.  She loves it!

Activity:  She still loves playing with her cars and her wooden blocks.  That hasn't changed at all!  She also enjoys playing with her baby dolls, Charlotte Bunny (of course), and creating imaginary friends that visit us for a short period of time - so far, there have been three children whose names I can't remember, Charlotte Turkey, Isabella the tiger, and Charlotte the Dinosaur.  She cracks me up.

Food:  Broccoli chicken and "crunchy" (raw) carrots.

Toy:  Charlotte Bunny will always be number one.  But she's also really loving her doll that she got for her birthday (she named her Lilah) and her Ana and Elsa dolls.

Colour:  Purple, pink, and red.


So, that's the Charlotte news.  And how about Baby BoJu?

I will be 31 weeks on Tuesday (what?!).  Things are going very well.  Everything is perfect at my check-ups, according to my doctor.  I had my glucose test at the end of September.  I do not remember the drink being so disgusting - I remember drinking it when I was pregnant with Charlotte and thinking it just tasted like orange pop.  This time, it was GROSS.  I had a hard time choking it down.  Thankfully, my sugars are great and I don't have the baby diabetes.  I'm measuring perfectly, my blood pressure is great, my blood work came back perfect (even my iron levels!!  So weird.), and at my 26 week appointment, I had only gained 14lbs.  I didn't ask this time around.  I have my next appointment on Wednesday.

25 weeks, 2 days.  Getting belly pictures this time around is hard!  

The pregnancy is going well in that regard, but I'm another story.  I am pretty much in constant pain.  Everything hurts all the time.  I can't sleep.  I get really sore and stiff if I stay in one position for too long, but moving around hurts too so it's kind of a catch 22.  Do I get up and walk around, hobbling in pain, or do I stay put for a while?  I get really weak - not tired, just weak - so I was convinced that my iron or my blood pressure must have been low, but nope.  My doctor just told me that's the way it goes in the third trimester with a four year old.  Work has also been really busy so there's just no rest, it seems.  I'm really looking forward to being on maternity leave for a couple of weeks before BoJu arrives.

He is moving around but not as much as Charlotte did.  He tends to really like quiet times - he is especially wiggly when I am tucking Charlotte into bed each night.  Tonight, he was moving around like crazy so Charlotte spent a good 10 minutes or more just giggling and talking to him.  She is very excited to be a big sister and I can already see how much she loves him.  She came home from daycare the other day with two pictures of snowmen that she drew for him.  Tonight, she told him that he has a "really nice family out here, your grandparents, me your big sister, Mommy, and Daddy that are all excited for you to come out".  Bless her heart.

With that quick update, let's see what BoJu is up to in there!

BoJu is about the size of a pineapple now and is definitely running out of room!  Kicks and bumps have become rolls and pointy elbow jabs.  All five of his senses are working now and he's going through some major brain development.  He is starting to plump up and get that adorable chubby baby look.

The one with the big reveal

We had our appointment at 3D Miracles this morning and we now know for sure what Baby Beans is...

*drumroll*

Yep, little BB is a little boy!

The ultrasound this morning was great.  He was still all curled up and had his hands up by his face most of the time.  The nurse said he's probably going to be a snuggler (which is great because Charlotte was definitely not a snuggly baby - she was born wanting to get down and walk!).  We did get a few cute pictures of him, though.  It's really neat to see the difference between the ultrasounds - this time, I'm almost 22 weeks and he definitely looks less Skeletor-like than Charlotte's ultrasound at 20 weeks.  Amazing the difference two weeks makes!

Opening his mouth

Yup, he is a boy.

Hand up by his face, of course  :)

He just looks so snug and comfy in there.  It was funny to watch the nurse jiggle my belly to try to move his hands away from his face and I could watch him kinda bouncing around on the monitor.  It really reminded me of Look Who's Talking (remember that movie?) and I just imagined him thinking "woah, what is going on here?!" in Bruce Willis' voice.

Now, of course, since we gave Charlotte a silly in-utero nickname, this little guy isn't going to get away without one!  So, we've decided from here on in, our BB will be nicknamed "BoJu".  Why, you ask?

Boyd Junior, haha.
We love you little BoJu!  We can't wait to meet you  :)

The one with the 20 week ultrasound...

This pregnancy is flying by!  I hit the halfway mark on Tuesday and we had our 20 week ultrasound on Thursday morning.  Unlike the ultrasound with Charlotte, Boyd was allowed to be in the room right from the beginning so he was able to see everything.  That was really nice  :)

I hadn't heard good things about getting ultrasounds done at the hospital we are using, so I was a little nervous about what the experience would be like.  We had an amazing sonographer who did not stop talking and describing exactly what she was seeing and measuring.  It was so wonderful.  I was thrilled to get to see our little Baby Beans in there.  I have not been feeling as much movement as I had with Charlotte, so I was a little concerned.  However, this time around, I have an anterior placenta - which basically just means the placenta attached itself to the front of the uterus rather than the back, so Baby Beans has about a three centimetre thick cushion in addition to all my skin and belly fat to kick through  ;)  The movements I do feel are more stretching and wriggling type of movements; not the big thumping kicks and punches Charlotte threw.  But, we got to see little BB in there, squirming around, opening his/her mouth, spreading his/her fingers open, waving hi to us ... and my absolute favourite was the shot the sonographer got of his/her little legs crossed at the ankles, as if BB was just chillin' in the hood.  Loved. It.

As you have noticed, I am using he/she rather than telling exactly what sex BB is.  Boyd and I were convinced we knew after the ultrasound was complete, but the report we got at my doctor's appointment a few hours later was the complete opposite.  So, we are not 100% sure what to think.  We are going with what the ultrasound report stated, but we are not announcing it publicly yet because we want to make sure.  I have an appointment on Friday, the 15th, at 3D Miracles to find out for sure.  I am also excited to go so Charlotte can come too.  She was not allowed at the hospital appointment and I know she would get a big kick out of seeing her baby brother or sister on the screen.  As well, it will be really nice to have a picture of the baby like we did with Charlotte.

With that, I will leave with the baby update for this time around...











Baby Beans is the size of a banana!  Our ultrasound tech said he/she weighs about 12oz so right on track.  BB's tastebuds are now working and he/she is swallowing amniotic fluid, getting the digestive system up and running.  His/her sensory development exploded last week and we're hoping he/she can hear us through all those layers of placenta and Mommy chub  ;)

The one with the second little Chapman orange

That's right, Chapman Baby #2 will be arriving in December!

We found out just before Easter!  Yeehaw!  I am 15 weeks today and the baby is due December 23.  I am hoping for about a week late, though, as it's no fun having a birthday so close to Christmas (I can say that, as a December 19 baby myself).

So far, the pregnancy has been a bit different than the first time around.  I started feeling sick immediately around 3 weeks and I'm just now starting to feel a bit better.  Nausea was 24/7 this time around and eating sometimes made it better, but not always.  I've had a lot of aversions instead of cravings - baby doesn't like ham or tea, how very sad!! - but I have been able to eat more than I did the first time around because I found that eating made the nausea go away most times.  I was absolutely miserably exhausted for the first couple of months.  Being pregnant and taking care of an older child is way more difficult than being pregnant and able to come home and nap whenever you want and eat whenever you want and basically do nothing if that's what you want to do.  It was a rough couple of months, but that fog is starting to lift and I'm definitely getting my energy back.

I am starting to show already and I've felt the baby move a couple of times already (just tiny little thumps and flutters).  I'm looking forward to getting some maternity clothes so I can feel comfy again!

Our ultrasound is scheduled for August 7 and I'd like to set up an appointment for a 3D ultrasound again.  We can find out what the sex of the baby is at the hospital but Charlotte is not allowed in the room for the ultrasound and I really want her to be there when we find out if she will have a little brother or a little sister.  I haven't set up that appointment yet but I will!

For now, I will leave you all with a baby update!



Baby Beans (as he/she is affectionately known as) is about 11cm long and is rolling around, hiccuping, and testing out his/her joints.  Limbs akimbo!  BB is about the size of an orange and getting bigger every day.  :)

The one with the THREE AND A HALF year update...

I know, right?  Three-and-a-freakin-half.  Where does the time go?

She may be getting older but she is still the kind, sweet, hilarious little person she has always been.  She finally hit 30lbs recently (even up to 31lbs sometimes!) and wears 3T bottoms and has moved into 4T tops.  She wears a size 7 shoe (just like Mommy!).  She can put on her own coat and can zip it up as long as someone helps her get started.  She is really getting more and more independent every day.

She loves to paint and draw lately.  She can write her first name and can write out other words if we help her spell them.  She loves drawing rainbows and people and, occasionally, submarines.  She still loves to play pretend but her play situations have gone beyond simply imitating daily life and she creates more complex scenarios and characters.  Her favourite, thus far, is playing "neighbour" wherein I am the neighbour, she is my neighbour, we live in different houses (sometimes it's the snow bank in the back yard, sometimes it's the dining room, sometimes it's her bedroom, etc.) and the entire thing revolves around us saying things like "Oh hi neighbour, my name is Mommy, would you like to come visit my house and stay for supper?" ad nauseum.  She's really good at staying in character, to the point where I ask her to please call me Mommy in the grocery store so people don't think I am some weirdo with the neighbour's kid.

Playing in her "snow bedroom"

She created all these buildings for her characters (left to right) Mommy, Daddy, Charlotte, and Cole's (?) house, the fancy neighbours house, the hospital, the police station, and Grandma and Grandpa's house in the middle.

She still attends the same daycare and has recently moved from the toddler room to the preschool room.  She LOVES it.  She is always so excited to tell me about the things she has done that day and who she played with.  Her teachers are great and there are always really neat things going on.  She has a few friends that she plays with consistently and has been to a few birthday parties already.

She's had a few more illnesses and incidents this year than ever before in her life.  She was very sick with a virus in October and was sick almost the whole month.  She fell in June and needed to get stitches just above her lip.  And in March, she experienced her first febrile seizure and I experienced my first 911 call and ambulance ride.  She is one brave and resilient little girl, though, and she is no worse for the wear at all.  

She still speaks like she is about three years older than she is.  Her vocabulary and pronunciation are outstanding.  She has recently started loving puzzles and can easily put together a 12-15 piece puzzle by herself.  When she has the patience, she will also put together some 20 piece puzzles by herself.  She still loves reading and we think she is starting to read words herself, but it's hard to tell because she has a stubborn side and will not cooperate if she doesn't want to.  ;)  She has moved on from simpler stories and really enjoys longer picture books like The Berenstain Bears, Franklin, Robert Munsch books, Clifford, etc.  We have relented a bit and let her watch some television.  She really likes Thomas, Sid The Science Kid, and The Wiggles.  We have watched a few movies together (The Little Mermaid, yay!!), and we are hoping to bring her to see the new Disney "Bears" movie for her very first movie theatre experience.

Here are a few of 3.5 year old Charlotte favourites!

Book:  She has a few go-tos that she likes: Mud Puddle, Going On A Bear Hunt, The Highway Rat, and Mouse Soup are a few current ones that we read a lot.

Activity:  Playing with her cars.  She brings out her car mat, sets it up, sets out all her cars in their specific "houses" on the mat, and then they interact with each other like people.  It's really interesting and it's usually the very first thing she does after breakfast.

Food:  If you ask her, she will tell you that broccoli chicken is her absolute favourite.

Toy:  Charlotte Bunny is still her baby.  She also loves her cars, specifically her "black Pontiac".

Colour:  Still purple, but with pink and red thrown in occasionally.

Word/Phrase:  "Are you serious?  Are you kidding me?"  haha

I love this sweet girl more and more every day.  Every age gets better and better!