Big Tree

I believe I wrote a post a while back on how Wyatt and I have a daily routine of going to the local gym in the mornings. It is great because I get up to two hours of time to work off any stress and stay in shape during the pregnancy while Wyatt gets to play with other kids in the childcare room. He is a huge fan of going and usually runs at a sprint once we get in the door all the way to the kids room.

Wyatt is zooming down the yellow slide

Part of the routine includes a break at the end of my workout, after I have picked up Wyatt, when he plays on this large indoor playhouse/jungle gym that is shaped like a tree. He loves to climb up the ladders and stairs and then wave down at me from one of the many windows throughout the tree.


Just the other day while we were at the tree, at least four other kids came over to play. I am thinking parents are trying to find ways to wear their kids out without having to be in the late August humidity which is no fun. Wyatt and one little boy really had a ball "chasing" each other through the tunnels and up the stairs. I was amazed because it was the first time that Wyatt was the older kid in this kind of play. He is usually the littlest one trying to keep up. I guess that is just a sign that he is growing up!

Nursery and preparations

I am so very ready to have this baby! Patrick and I have been working very hard to make sure all preparations are done for the arrival of our second baby boy. After having Wyatt a full six weeks early we didn't want to find ourselves caught so off guard again. We have been trying to finish the nursery in time for that same time frame. Granted we didn't quite make it completely, we were much farther at the 34 week mark!

Now, a few weeks past that date I am glad to say the nursery is completely ready for a new baby. It was easier this time because there was no painting that needed done, but still it's nice to have a room waiting for the baby to finally enter this world.

On top of getting the nursery ready I made sure to pack my hospital bag and a bag with baby things so this little boy can be dressed up right away! I know that's a little crazy, but hey, I have the clothes ready and I will enjoy having him in his own clothes even while we are at the hospital.

I have also been making some meals that I can freeze until after we are home from the hospital. I know I won't be feeling like making dinner every night, so on days when our menu has an easy meal I have put in a little extra time to put together a crock pot meal that can freeze well. Our freezer is now full, and I have taken over a whole shelf of my parents backup freezer with more!

I have come to the realization that as a result of all my preparations this little guy won't be early at all. In fact he will probably want to stay inside his nice warm current home past 40 weeks just to make me go more insane! I guess I will just have to try to be patient and remind myself daily that God is in control of when this little guy will arrive, just like last time. Let me tell you, that is getting harder to do every day.

Wyatt's New Room

I mentioned earlier, I think, that Wyatt was moving out of his little room into a bigger room, and giving his room to the baby.

In order for this change to be fun for him we did it weeks in advance of the baby's arrival. So for the past few weeks Wyatt has been sleeping in his big boy room.

We discussed a train theme, but I couldn't find enough trains of one kind within our budget, so we came up with a good back up. The room is simple, but there are two computer printed pictures, one of Mickey Mouse and one of Curious George, and I think they are the biggest hit of the room. Every single night Wyatt tells George and Mickey good night. Plus everyone that has come to our house has been dragged into his room so he can show them Mickey and George.

For the most part his room is complete. I still want to order some Curious George decals, and maybe a growth chart. But there is no real rush on that. I did finish two little pillows for his bed, but the curtains aren't happening as quickly. For some reason I find the curtains more difficult to do! I'm only planning on stationary panels and a valance for the two windows. If I ever get them done I'll make sure to update the pictures.

I am very happy with how well the transition has gone because as soon as we got Wyatt in his room we started putting together the nursery. That was a little harder for Wyatt to adjust to. So far he has wanted to be in the crib, in the bassinet, and play with all the baby's toys. I don't mind the toys at all, but the crib and bassinet are just not made for Wyatt. So that is the first learning lesson for him, but he's learning.

Resting with Mommy

I have been asked over and over if I think Wyatt is ready for a new baby in the house. For months I just said I thought he was completely oblivious, but now that we are days away I think he is realizing things are about to change. He might not really understand the change is going to be a baby brother, but he has become a serious mommy's boy. He's still just as helpful as ever, and has even decided it is important to let mommy rest when she is laying down.

He had his eyes shut until Patrick took the picture

Just the other day I was taking a short break, almost a nap but not quite, when Wyatt got up from his nap early. He climbed up on the couch next to me and cuddled for twenty whole minutes! Wyatt is not the world's biggest cuddler so any cuddle time is great, but to prolong my "naptime" with some quiet cuddle time was nice. Hopefully he will be just as willing to relax with me after the baby arrives...

Picky Eater

I will admit to being a very picky eater while I was growing up. I basically lived off of bread with butter for years! And I had a mom who cooked a ton of great dinners. So I have been trying to stay calm during Wyatt's newest picky eating stage, but it is getting more and more difficult to do!

He has always loved to eat! Granted he has never really gotten good at sitting at the table to eat - he would rather play with a toy or checkout the world outside. As I have gotten more and more pregnant I haven't been as strict about making him eat at the table, mostly because I am just too tired all the time! So I'm willing to take some of the blame for his bad habits of not sitting to eat his meals.

However, this is a new level of pickiness. We have been calling it a hunger strike on Wyatt's part. He does not want to eat, period. We have been shooting for two smallish meals and two healthy snacks as a good day for food. That is horrible! He says no to foods that used to be his favorites - I mean what kid says no to chicken nuggets? or french fries! Wyatt.

Placing the muffin cups

We discovered he has a love for "cupcakes" which is what he calls muffins and cupcakes. So we have been searching for healthy versions of muffins and trying to pack them full of anything extra that won't make them taste too healthy. I mean I want him to eat veggies and fruit, but if I can only get muffins in him, then I need to be careful right? Although it has been a struggle getting through this phase, it is fun to learn new recipes, and I have enjoyed having family time in the kitchen. Patrick tends to make the bulk of the muffins, which allows me to try to get Wyatt to help out a little in the process.

We still are a little concerned, but he is eating enough to gain weight at a healthy pace, and is still full of energy. So I guess this will be a learning experience for us and we will appreciate it all the more once the phase is over!

Working out with Mommy

I had been thinking that Wyatt caught a summer cold, but after three days of just a running nose and a little cough I realized the our ragweed count is crazy high. It took Patrick mentioning that his allergies were acting up a little early this year. Sure enough another sign that my poor little guy has allergies. Of course the doctors won't say that for a couple of years still, but I know allergies when I see them.

Just to safe though, I kept Wyatt home from the gym and church for a week. This made me stir crazy, but I knew I should at least make sure he didn't have anything before I took him to a place with a bunch of other kids.

Since we weren't going to gym I decided to try a couple of pregnancy workout videos. I have been going to gym 5 days a week since April and I have to say that exercise has made this pregnancy quite a bit more tolerable because I think the endorphins help push off the soreness of pregnancy and it certainly helps with any swelling or water retention. Granted the videos were not as good of a workout, but they were better than nothing.

For the last two mornings Wyatt was very interested in working out with me. There were times where this was not helpful because he got in the way, but overall it was adorable. Especially during the aerobic times. He would run around the house with his arms moving up and down singing to whatever crazy music was playing on the DVD.

After our stretching and cool down Wyatt was beat. So he pulled my yoga mat up onto the coffee table with a blanket and crashed there for about 15 minutes. I guess I wore him out!

Zoo adventure



Checking out the Alpaca's



Another show of the fact that pregnancy messes with my brain, I thought we should take a trip to the zoo while Patrick had a few days off. The weather lady said that the humidity wouldn't be as bad as it has been, and mind you we have had horrible humidity the past couple of weeks. I stopped listening after she said it wouldn't be as bad as it has been because she went on to say that instead of humidity in the upper 80% it would be around 75%. Which means when the temperature is 85 degrees and the humidity is still that high, it feels like 98 degrees, and there was no breeze.



Trying to climb the wall



 



But we went anyway because my pregnancy brain thought it would be fine. We made it through the penguin exhibit just fine. Then we had a few exhibits indoors. But the next stretch made mommy uncomfortable and Wyatt cranky because of the heat.





Riding the lion!



We did take the time to ride the carousel, which Wyatt absolutely loves. This time he found the lion. He was also very interested in watching how the animals were able to move up and down during the ride. He has one serious mechanical/math mind, I must say! However once that ride was over we tried to continue through the zoo, but just couldn't pull it off. So we beelined to the jellyfish exhibit, which is inside the main building and ended up spending a good amount of time at the play area. Wyatt was very into trying to climb the wall. He is getting very close to figuring out that he needs to climb with both his hands and feet. Since this is the last year for the jellyfish, I have been wondering if they are going to take away this play area as well. I guess we will find out next year, or I could probably ask...

Oh well I guess in the end we had a fun time and we all got our vitamin D for the day!

Book time

As I mentioned a while ago we have moved Wyatt into a large bedroom in order to setup the nursery for the new baby. In the process we came across some toys and books that we haven't played with for months so it was a nice surprise for us. Wyatt has enjoyed playing with his "new" toys.



Checking out his hidden books



Practicing opening and closing the lock



His favorite find was a small lunch box that my mom had given Wyatt for Christmas with some small board books. He loved opening and closing the latch since it was a latch he hasn't had before. Then he had to check out each of the three small books. I was amazed at how much he knew; one book focuses on colors, one on numbers and one on shapes. He basically just read them to me even though they were brand new for him. Then he spent a while organizing the books in the box so he could close it all up again.



Even now this is a new favorite toy of his. He has loaded the box with whatever toy is his favorite of moment and takes it everywhere for the day. It is very cute when he heads out the door with his lunch box in hand.

Stow's Safety Day

During the summer I have been going to a weekly Bible study which has given Patrick and Wyatt some time to bond before the new baby gets here. Most weeks they go the pool or play catch in the yard, but this particular week they had a special treat because Stow was hosting their annual Safety Day where they have out as many safety vehicles and people in uniform so that the kids can see the fire trucks, and police cars and all the people in uniform in a safe environment without the stress of an emergency. Patrick took Wyatt last year and he greatly enjoyed seeing the police dog!

This year Patrick informed me that Wyatt was into the army vehicles. I guess he impressed the men there when he was able to open the heavy door on his own so that he could have a chance to drive it.

Another hit was the fire truck. Not because it was just so awesome and big, but because they had the hose set up to spray like a huge water fountain and the kids were running around in the water. Seeing as it was a crazy humid evening the water was a welcome break to Wyatt, and we all know how much that little guy loves to get wet.

Overall the evening was a big hit for my boys and I came home to a quiet house and evening got to sleep in a little because Wyatt slept late after being so worn out. A great treat for this pregnant mommy.

New Exercise Routine

So Patrick has been on a fitness craze recently, which is fine since I believe a good workout helps remove stress and makes for a better mind frame. Between my daily trips with Wyatt to the gym and Patrick's workout routine, Wyatt has gotten into helping us when we ended up doing a workout at home.

After watching some of the pregnancy exercises that mommy has been doing, Wyatt decided to help teach daddy some new moves. This one is especially fun for mommy to watch because Wyatt thinks it's a fun ride while daddy complains of hard it is to do more than two!

I just hope that Wyatt realizes that exercise can be fun and should be a regular part of his day instead of making it into a chore strictly for weight loss or something. I think we are on the right track.

Aero's Game

I might have lost my mind with this pregnancy and here is the proof.

We took Wyatt to an Aeros game Friday evening. Patrick has been wanting to take Wyatt to a baseball game all year. I have been trying to find reasons not to because I didn't want to deal with a two-year old during a baseball game! I felt like it would be a waste of money because there would be no way he would sit and watch the game and we would just walk around the whole time! However, Patrick had a long weekend and really wanted to do something fun so I caved (proof of mind-loss!).

I am pleased to say that Wyatt did surprisingly well. Granted it was not nearly as hot as our first trip to an Aeros game which helped a great deal. But only the three of us went, and I haven't been much help on the wrangling front for the past couple of weeks since the baby belly has taken over.

Wyatt actually was very good at walking right next to me as we searched for our seats. We ended up with good seats, not that there are bad seats at the Aeros field, just to the right of home plate. We were close enough to see the pitcher throw the ball. And we saw a couple of home runs! Wyatt was happy to sit on his own seat for 2 and half innings while he ate some nachos and drank his juice. He spent a couple of innings walking with Patrick to see all the snack options and what other fun things were set up. He only threw a tantrum when Patrick wouldn't allow him to go down the large inflatable slide. He wouldn't have gone down the slide once he got up there which would have only frustrated all the older kids following the rules!

He made it through another inning by pulling the towels we brought (when they were folded they helped boost him up to see better) onto the ground under his seat and curling up down there. From that vantage point he found a couple of pennies on the ground and very proud of his findings. It was very cute. He ended up putting them in his pocket once daddy showed him that is where he kept his change.

Then we lucked out because we could see the hospital helicopter taking off and landing at the local children's hospital from our seats. And it took off three times and landed twice. Wyatt really enjoyed watching it as it flew off each time.

Overall Wyatt made it through 6 whole innings before we called it quits and headed home. I would say that is a success! However I will not be trying a similar setup anytime soon!

Preparing for Baby

I have been very busy for the past two weeks trying to get everything ready for the baby. I realize that I am trying to push a lot into a short period of time, but Patrick and I are both nervous about another early delivery. Our plan is to have 95% of the preparations completely done by the time Wyatt came so that if this baby is as early as Wyatt was we won't be caught completely off guard. My secret hope is that this plan means the baby won't be early at all and we will be complaining about how long it's taking!

Although we haven't completely Wyatt's new room or gotten the nursery set up again, we are working on finishing some new furniture for Wyatt - pictures to come later - and we finally got an electrician to fix some wiring issues left over from our crazy construction project from early spring. So now it's crunch time for setting up rooms!

We have also lucked out and found a brand new crib (yes I did the research) from a neighbor and I've been doing some serious "yard-sale-ing" to find other little pieces to help fill out the baby needs. We broke down and got a real high chair this time (Wyatt only had one of those space saving high chairs that attach to a dining room table). So a bunch of the main shopping is done, oh and so is all the room painting. I am hoping to finish some curtains and pillows for Wyatt's new room shortly as well.

I got a nice little break from my nesting to go to my best friend's baby shower about a week ago. We have been friends since we were three years old and now we are having babies together- she's due just about a month after I am. That has been a nice plus to this pregnancy, having such a good friend to share with whenever needed!

Well as the last few weeks are quickly passing this blog should begin to get interesting...