It's crazy to think I'm almost halfway into this pregnancy. The weeks flew by. We find out the gender of baby #2 in just a little over a week! I don't know why..but I feel like I'm more excited this time around. hah. I've been going back and forth about whether having another girl is what I would want or if I wanted to really have things changed up by having a boy (eekk). I wouldn't even know what to do with a boy.

Boy
Having a boy would be a game changer. I see some boys and think that they are just the cutest. But then I see some other boys and think..oh heck no. Having a boy would definitely get me out of my comfort zone. I just really wouldn't know what to do. Ken thinks this baby will be a boy. I know Ken really wants a boy. Although he keeps telling me that he really would be ok with just girls, I know deep down inside he wants a boy he can do boy things with (football to be exact). I'm sure Erin would love to have a little brother. She can be a little rougher with him and she'd be so sweet to him too. Oh, and I can finally get Ken to wear stuff that would match his kid. However, Ken and I can't ever seem to agree on any boy names so if we did end up having one, he'd be nameless.

Girl
I'm the youngest of 4 daughters. There was a lot of estrogen growing up and that's all I really know. My dad wasn't even in the picture, so it was really just women in the house.

I think having a daughter first was such a blessing. I've already learned so much. Erin in particular is the type of daughter that I initially wasn't expecting, but was the kind I needed. I'm so thankful that I have a daughter and that she was my first. Growing up with sisters definitely had its advantages and thinking back at that makes me want Erin to experience that too. I've never had a brother so I'm not quite sure how a sister/brother relationship is truly like, but I'm sure its very different. I fought a lot with my sister right above me, but we also had a lot of good times. Practically speaking, we'd save a lot of money the first few years because we really wouldn't have to to buy anything new, i.e., clothes (although in the long run, girls can get quite expensive). But, I do believe having a daughter can and will get stressful. I especially worry for Ken. Not sure how he's going to handle all of whats to come when dealing with daughters. Only growing up with a younger brother, he really has no idea what's in store for him.

I don't think Erin quite understands what is happening. I keep pointing to my belly letting her know that there's a baby growing in there, but when I ask her where the baby is..she points at her stomach. I ask if she thinks it's a boy or girl..she'll always respond with the last word. So if I say "boy or girl", she'll respond with "girl". If I say "girl or boy", she'll respond with "boy".

Besides my first trimester being a little different, most of this pregnancy has been similar to my first. I had a dream while pregnant with Erin that I would have a girl..and I did end up having a girl. No dreams with this baby...yet. I think that I'm slightly leaning towards wanting another girl. I'd say I'm like 55% team girl. But either boy or girl, I would be happy. So, we'll just have to see what happens. I'll be posting a video of the gender reveal, so stay tuned!

Erin's New Bed

Erin is a big girl now! She recently turned two and that means a lot of changes are coming her way.  One big change was the transition to the toddler bed. We decided that the best time to start the transition was when we moved into our new place. We figured it was a new place, new room.. so we thought we'd continue with that. We also have baby #2 coming in January, so that was another reason for our decision. Erin and baby #2 will be in the same room, which will be a challenge. Erin's old crib is in the room and I wanted to give Erin enough time to realize that she was no longer going to sleep in the crib and that her new bed was just as cool and even better.

The transition to the toddler bed starting off really well. The first night was a fail, which was expected. But Erin started sleeping in the bed on the second night. We made sure to fill her bed with a lot of her favorite dolls and blankets. It took her a little while to fall asleep, but she did (At night, someone still has to stay with her till she falls asleep). We were so proud of her! Every night before bed we'd remind her about her new big girl bed. We'd ask her if she likes it..and she'd respond "yes". We'd ask her to show us which one her bed was now..and she'd point to the toddler bed. She understood what was happening, which was great.

I'd say after a good 2 weeks of sleeping in her new bed, she started to regress. She'd start pointing to the crib, letting us know she wanted to sleep in it. She'd cry in her toddler bed, wanting to be picked up. It's funny because not once so far has she climbed out of the toddler bed. She just sits there and waits for us to come and get her. I wonder how long it will take her to realize that she's got more freedom and she's able to climb out on her own now. That's probably also why she might be scared/confused. She has all this freedom now and isn't sure what to do with it.

Currently, she's going back and forth from the crib and toddler bed. She'll at some point during the night end up in our bed. Her sleep has been in a funk the last week and she has been sleeping super late. Bedtime has been around 9-9:30pm (usually it's 7:30pm). We're hoping this is just a small bump on the road and we'll be back on track. I'm not too concerned about this little setback. We still have a solid 5 months before the baby is here and another 3 months (baby #2 will sleep in a bassinet next to me) till we need Erin to be fully transitioned to the toddler bed. Knowing Erin, she just needs a little more time to do things at her own pace (which is usually on the slower side). This is also the reason why I wanted to start the transition a lot earlier, giving Erin plenty of time without rushing her.

My only real concern is potty training. That's coming up real soon and I'm totally dreading it. And knowing Erin, it's going to be a very slow, messy and challenging process. Can't wait!

Erin's 2 year update

Erin is two!

Goodness, the year flew by. We threw Erin a little panda birthday party at home. We had family come over for some dinner and dessert. Of course she had no idea what was going on. She didn't even know what to do with the candles. But, when she's older, she can look at pictures and see what a fun 2nd birthday she had. Here a few pics from the party:

 

2 Year Update

2 Year Stats
Height: 32 3/4 inches (28%)
Weight: 20.7 lbs. (0%)  <------ girl is not gaining weight

She currently hates brushing her teeth or rather hates it when we brush it for her. She's really adamant about doing everything herself, but she obviously doesn't know how to properly brush her teeth yet. I'd say her favorite "toy" is her baby doll. She is constantly changing her diaper, feeding her and taking her to the potty. She got a new kitchen so she's cooking food all the time and giving baby baths in the kitchen sink. She's obsessed with only the Elmo diapers. Ken and I have discovered that our child is a complete copycat, which is pretty normal for this age. We just need to be extra cautious about the things we do and say now (more so me). Whenever I raise my voice or yell, she'll look at me, pointing..saying "no, no, no!".

She's talking all the time. It's amazing how many words she knows now. She recently learned uncle and is now calling every man "uncle", even her grandpa and cousin.  Her counting consists of just the number 3. How old are you? "3!" How many birds do you see? "3!". She's also saying "ME!" all the time. Do you need help? "ME?" Whose is this? "ME!" Can you say Erin? "ME!" The biggest milestone for Erin is that she's now in a toddler bed! My big girl! Although recently, Erin has been going through a weird sleep funk and is having trouble sleeping in her room.

Our biggest struggle with this age has been Erin's growing disobedience. We can tell she's testing us out so she hasn't been a very good listener. We hear Erin saying "No" a lot. Oh, and there has been a lot of unnecessary whining. We've had plenty of stare downs, with me/Ken telling her "No" and her staring at us and not listening. I hope this phase doesn't last too long. However, we haven't had many meltdowns as of late (score!). Another struggle has been her eating or to be more specific, her inability to gain weight. She actually eats decently. Like every kid her age, it comes in waves. But, even though she eats decently, she hasn't been gaining any weight. She's not even on the charts. I'm just hoping she'll just wake up one of these days 5 pounds heavier. We're going to have to put a stick of butter in everything she eats.

It's been such a joy watching Erin grow...mentally, physically, etc. She's always surprising me everyday. I still can't believe she's two! I love coming home and getting big hugs from her and I love forcing her to cuddle with me. She's such a silly goofball and I love that about her.  There have been plenty of rough times this year, but it's been such a great learning experience suffering and overcoming it all. It's such a blessing being her mom and I'm so thankful for my daughter. I can't wait to see how she changes with each year!

Favorites:
Food: She's been eating a lot better these last few months. She still loves her rice and sweets. She's finally eating some fruit now! Oh, and she definitely prefers Gelato over Ice Cream.
Toy: Her baby doll, Mr. Bunny, kitchen supplies.
Book: I am Rosa Parks and Little Pea
TV Show: Curious George
Things to do: jump, cook, play with water, read books

I can't wait till Erin's old enough to answer these favorite interview questions for herself. This will be a good way to see how her responses change as she gets older.

Bump update - First Trimester Recap

I wish I wrote about what my first trimester was like during my first pregnancy. I just remember that I felt sick all the time and didn't want to eat anything. I lost about 10 pounds during that time and food really didn't seem appetizing to me at all during my entire pregnancy. Pregnancy #2 has been a little different. Here's a little comparison chart.

I felt quite nauseous this time around, but I never needed to throw up. No dramatic weight loss this time. I had tons of headaches and although I wanted to eat food, nothing tasted good to me. I had that lingering metallic/sour taste in my mouth (didn't experience with my first). Not kool. Sour candy and mints were my best friends.

Before I took a pregnancy test, there were a few things I noticed that seemed a little off. I was so tired. So tired that I'd sleep at 8:30pm or 9:00pm. Very unusual. Second sign was the bloating. No matter what I ate or what I was doing, I kept feeling bloated, which isn't something I have a problem with. So the day before my expected period, I took a pregnancy test and confirmed my suspicions...I was indeed pregnant. The bloating continued throughout most of the first trimester. During week 5, I experienced a 48 hour period of terrible (TERRIBLE) stomach pain. I'm still not sure if it was actually due to the pregnancy or whether it was because I ate something my stomach didn't like. For most of the first trimester, food always left my stomach feeling terrible. I had the struggle of wanting to eat but not wanting to be in pain. At around 12 weeks, I started to feel SO much better. The nausea, stomach pain and headaches went away. I still can't eat as much as I normally would/could (I feel full a lot faster), but at least I have an appetite and actually want to eat. I'm definitely showing a lot more than I did with Erin. See below:

     20 weeks (Erin) v. 14 weeks (Baby #2)

The mornings have been a little tough because its just me and Erin. It takes me a little longer to get the morning started and it's hard keeping up with Erin while I'm not feeling 100% myself. I know it will only get harder as the pregnancy progresses. I'm laying down more often and Erin's always telling me to get up or she's physically trying to drag me up. She's got a lot more energy now that she's older and she really wants that interaction with someone. This is why I think having a sibling will work out great for her (hopefully). I'm currently about 16 weeks and I'm feeling good. Hopefully I continue to feel like this the entire pregnancy.

Will Erin have a little bro or little sis?? We find out next month! Stay tuned.