Baby Brother's Room Progress

Brent and his dad spent a day to paint Baby's room.  This is the only wall with a stripe.  The other three walls will have a lighter shade of blue on them (you can see in the last photo).  We plan on  putting Baby's name on the wall in the blue stripe - but that's not happening until after he arrives and the name is announced!  You can't get the name out of us that easily!  

Dayton Dragons

Brent won 4 tickets to go to a Dayton Dragons game.  Who are the Dayton Dragons?  I didn't know either.  They're the minor leage team from Dayton.  We invited Brent's buddy Bryan Bueter and his wife, Jen.  This is the picture the guide took of us on the field - a perk with our prize package!  Whew - look at the belly of mine!  

Brent and I dropped Abby off at Aunt Megan and Uncle Kevin's house for the evening while Brent and I enjoyed a night out before baby #2 arrived.  Nothing like going to a summer evening event outside being 34 weeks pregnant!  But it was a gorgeous evening for a ball game! 

With Brent's prize package, we also got a tour of the 'behind the scenes' and got vouchers for food and beverages.  While I didn't watch much of the game or really know who the heck the opposing team was, it was a fun night out!  

34 weeks

I'm 34 weeks this week and, for the most part, feeling good.  

Over the weekend, however, Abby was sick with a fever and strep, so we spent a lot of time snuggling and laying in bed.  Apparently, that was not the best position for my back.  I spent the rest of the weekend an invalid because I couldn't move!  My low back was just so painful, there wasn't a position I could find (sitting, standing, or laying down) that I could tolerate for any length of time without me in pain.  It was just awful.  We went into Brent's office on Sunday for a 'real' adjustment.  Getting adjusted on the bed just doesn't to the trick.  Let alone when I'm pregnant.  On Monday, I scheduled a last minute massage.  I had one scheduled for Wednesday, but my back couldn't wait that long!  Oh boy, I was so glad to get that massage. Afterwards, I could move again!  

Heartburn has set in more than I ever had with Abby.  There are times where I have to stop what I'm doing and just let it pass.  Blech.  

 

First Dentist Visit

After 4 years of living up in the 'burbs, it was about time for Brent and I to find a dentist close to home.  One of Brent's patients is the office manager for a dental office AND the office is minutes from our house.  So, Brent and I switched dentists.  We learned that this office does a "Kids Day" - complete with a theme.  The staff decorate the office in a theme and they even dress up to play the part.  I made an appointment for Abby's first dental visit on Kids Day.  The theme?  Pirates and Princesses.  Now, I am not one to push princesses, but somehow Abby just soaked it up.  She was SO excited to dress up to go to the dentist.  I've never seen or heard about another dentist office do anything like this, which is so fun.  

Abby kinda knew what the dentist was about because she got to accompany me a week earlier to my dental visit.  I explained that I was going to lay in a chair and someone was going to look at and clean my teeth.  She was a little startled by the water sprayer and sucker thingy, but the novelty wore off quickly with that.  Whew.  I think her coming with me to the dentist helped prepare her a bit.  

Abby was so excited about dressing up that when it was time to go back to the chair, she fussed a bit.  The dental hygienist had a video all ready to show Abby.  And it wasn't just any video to distract her, it was a video of 2 dogs going to the dentist.  We began to watch and I was doing my best to make connections for her.  "Look Abby, that doggy is sitting in the chair, just like you are".  At this point, she is refusing to sit in the chair by herself, so she is sitting on my lap.  Abby did allow the Patty, the hygienist, to go in and count her teeth (for those that care, Abby has 20 teeth - 10 on top and 10 on the bottom).  Abby just sat there with her mouth gaping open, which was so cute.  I had to tell her a couple of times that she could close her mouth.  Going back in to clean was another story.  That took more convincing.  Luckily, the cupcake flavored cleaner stuff (what's the name of that stuff - my pregnancy brain is having me draw a blank) was enough to allow Patty to get in Abby's mouth again to clean.  We had to change the flavor to bubble gum to clean the bottom teeth, but she got her teeth cleaned!  Patty shared that not everyone her age gets their teeth cleaned.  Just checking out the teeth, counting teeth and getting the experience is what they go for on the first visit.  When Dr. Nick came in dressed up like a pirate (complete with a long haired wig and pirate hat), that seemed to freak Abby out a bit.  She was not allowing him to count her teeth too.  She's probably thinking "Does everyone count teeth in this place?!"  But, Dr. Nick was fabulous.  He first counted how many noses Abby had, counted her eyes  and counted her ears.  When he counted 3 ears and she laughed saying "that's silly", I knew we were in.  Dr. Nick also counted 20 teeth.  And that was that.  

Abby got a goody bag complete with a toothbrush, floss, a princess tattoo, princess crown and treasure map.  There was even a table set up outside the office so the kids could do a craft!  Seriously, a craft!  

This office goes above and beyond to make kids feel comfortable and have fun.  What a neat place.  

On a side note, you can't see in any of the pictures, but Abby is wearing "princess shoes" or "slippers" as Abby calls them.  They were new for the dentist.  Well, she is now obsessed.  We can get home from daycare and she immediately goes upstairs, takes off her shoes, puts on her princess shoes and crown.  She will even take off her shorts to put on her princess skirt.  And the skirt is a see-through layer of tulle, so all we see is her underwear covered with this single layer of tulle with a crown and princess shoes.  Oh, Abby...you crack us up.  

Big Girl Bed!

Brent and I have been trying to figure how/when we were going to do this whole bed and bedroom transition.  We were originally going to move Abby into the other room where the big bed was.  We had a queen bed in stock, so  we weren't interested in buying another bed, and getting rid of a place for our guests to sleep.  So Abby was going from a crib to a queen bed!  I didn't sleep in a queen bed until I was 24 and she's sleeping in one at 2!  But that's how it goes.  Since time was becoming an issue (the baby will be here in 8 short weeks!) we rethought our plan.  We decided to move the bed into Abby's current room and move the crib into the other room.  Abby's room is smaller and keeping the queen bed in the other room was ideal, but with the time crunch, this plan is more ideal.  Abby was SO GIDDY about this new bed.  It was adorable to watch her reaction to the new bed and being so excited to sleep in it.  

Update: Abby did FABULOUS the first night.  She went right to sleep and she woke up the next day stating "I didn't fall out!"  It's been a week in her new bed and she has yet (where's that wood again to knock on?) to climb out and find us if she wakes up.  In the morning, she'll do what she did in the crib - call out of us.  She won't get out until we come in her room.  Naps have been great too.  She seems to even fall asleep faster in her bed than she did in the crib.  Hmph.

Bath Time!

This is our bath time routine at our house.  While we have several toys available during bath time, Abby somehow doesn't feel the need to always pull every toy into the water.  Sometimes she is just content with a cup and a washcloth.  I had to catch her looking up for this photo - she was rather intent on dripping water from the washcloth into the bath.  Aha!  Caught her!  

 I'm prepared for the post bath rub down.  I have my supplies on hand: pajamas, underwear, lotion, comb and q-tips.  Abby began wearing underwear to bed several weeks ago.  She had been waking up from naps and night time with a dry diaper so we threw some underwear on her.  Haven't had a major accident yet (where's the wood to knock on?).  She's woken up a couple times with wet underwear/pajamas, but the bed was dry.  Whew.  

 Abby likes to run around naked after the bath.  We usually have to wrangle her to stop climbing/running and put on her pajamas.  Her new thing is to dance around while singing "I'm naked, I'm naked!"  We can't help but chuckle at her because she is just so darn cute.  She also likes to "jump into the pool" by climbing onto the footstool on the other side of the chair and then leaping over the arm of the chair "into the pool".  I have no idea why she calls it "jumping into the pool", but we try to discourage it as all I can imagine is her chin or head jamming into the other arm of the chair.  Ai yi yi.  

 Abby then decides that she needs to come in for a "snuggle"  I take this opportunity to comb her hair.  Look how long it's getting!  She has yet to have a haircut and I think we're ready for that next "first".  

 When I put on lotion, I like to give her a mini massage.  She then likes to get a small dollop of lotion so she can put some on too.  

 Time to clean the ears!  Abby claims that there are either monkeys or dinosaurs in her ears.  When I show her the q-tip afterwards, she always exclaims "eww, gross!"...whether it's clean or not and she'll say it even before she sees the q-tip.

  Abby can now get dressed completely by herself...well almost.  She needs us to take off her shirt, and only needs minimal help to put a shirt on.  She also has difficulty putting on socks.  Otherwise, she can take on and off shoes, underwear, pants/shorts/skirts and jackets too.  In the morning or evening, I will give her a task of taking off X, Y, Z or put on X, Y, Z and I can then walk away and leave her to it.  She will announce afterwards "I got dressed by myself!".  You sure did, Abby Doo!  

32 weeks

32 weeks and still feeling good.  Just your normal aches and discomforts that come with being 32 weeks pregnant.  Abby lights up when people ask her about  being a big sister or having a baby brother.  She will go right to my belly and say "there's baby brother in the belly".  She is so darn cute with the belly.  We keep talking about when baby brother comes home to live with us to help her comprehend that this thing in Mommy's belly is alive and real and will be coming home to live with us very soon.  She will share with others that big sisters help get diapers and wipes. She'll be a great big sister.  

This particular day, my speechie co-workers threw a 'baby sprinkle' for me and got clothes for baby representing all different sizes.  That was fantastic!  I was just talking about how my closet for this boy is lacking.  

 

Tennis Fun

Grandpa Cullen came down to visit.  While he was here, Brent and Grandpa C played some tennis.  Abby and I made great spectators.  Abby even one-upped my skill level and became the designated ball and towel girl.