15 Months as Mommy

I have missed blogging so darn much. For the last couple weeks, I so badly have wanted to come to this place and just write. I miss the catharsis that blogging provides me, but between being tired from work, being tired for pregnancy, and being tired from wrangling my crazy little one year old, my brain is mush!

However, what kind of mom would I be if I didn't document this milestone in my sweet firstborn's life?!

😍 #easter2016 #CharlieDavis #15months #easteregghunt

A photo posted by Kaity Bee (@beeautifulblessings) on Mar 26, 2016 at 2:00pm PDT

WORK

I constantly have to remind myself how lucky I am to be doing something that I love, and that I have the best co-workers in the world, but the truth is, I've waited for a year now for my one-hour commute and being away from my kid for 50+ hours a week to be easier, and it just hasn't. I miss my baby boy, gosh darnit!

BREASTFEEDING

We have been donezo for quite a while now. I find it hilarious that this is what I wrote in Charlie's 12-month update: "The only downside to this nursing pattern is that it's still preventing my cycle from coming back (TMI, I know), which in and of itself is not a bad thing. But Chuck and I have been talking about trying for Baby Pep 2.0 in the near future, so biologically, it does present a bit of a problem."

Yep, I was totally already pregnant when I wrote that. Shortly after Charlie turned one, we stopped abruptly. I'm pretty sure my supply was barely there and Charlie was getting really impatient waiting for me to letdown at bedtime, so I decided it was time to call it quits and just switch to 100% whole milk. I didn't realize how ready I was to stop. I loved breastfeeding Charlie, but one year was more than enough for me. It had started to become a chore and I could tell Charlie was ready to move on, so I wasn't about to push it. It has felt really nice having my boobies me mine again :)

BABY FAT

Well, obviously I'm gaining that baby fat back!

As for Charlie...

Despite what this picture may suggest, he was not actually pouting, but blowing raspberries! 

MILESTONES

I swear, this kid went from crawling to running in 2 seconds flat! He's been walking since 13 months and hasn't slowed down for a second!

Our little monster also has himself some teeth: two on the bottom, three on top, with the fourth ready to make its appearance any day now!

Unfortunately, he can be a bit of a picky eater. He still doesn't like eggs, or pretty much any fruit or vegetable. He spits them out, even when we try to sneak them into other food. Sigh. But he does love yogurt, his fruit and veggie purees (go figure), french toast, macaroni and cheese, and basically any homemade cooking. Since I've been pregnant, sick, and tired, we haven't done much cooking at home, but I would like to step it up a little because he loves grown up food!

FAMILY

Charlie and his cousin Lucie (who is 6 weeks his junior) are finally at an age where they're interacting rather than just co-existing. Charlie is so enamored with his cousin and loves playing with her, giving her kisses, and apparently, rubbing her belly, per his Aunt Ashlee's reports. When we're getting him ready in the morning and ask him if he wants to go see Lucie, his face just lights up. It's the cutest thing!

Yeah, I mean, I guess you could say #CharlieDavis likes his cousin, #LilLucie 😂 #cousinlove #springhassprung #15months #stuckertbabies

A photo posted by Kaity Bee (@beeautifulblessings) on Apr 3, 2016 at 1:51pm PDT

STATS

Charlie's 15-month appointment was yesterday and the nurse measured his height at 29 inches and his weight at 17 lbs 10 oz. I'm not sure where he's keeping it, but he's managed to put on two pounds since his 12-month appointment. So relieved that my peanut continues to grow!

I am so looking forward to the coming summer months when I can stick this kid in just a onesie or a romper and send him on his merry way, because clothing continues to be a hassle. He's still wearing size 3 diapers and he's in between 12 and 18-month onesies and jammies. Pants are completely across the board, I just stick him in whatever will stay up on his skinny little waist, whether it be 6-9 month jeans or 12-month girls' leggings. I gave my Mom his measurements so she's going to custom-make a few pairs of pants that will hopefully stay up! He's in a size 3 shoe for now, but I just went and bought him some super cute size 4 Chuck Taylors, mocassains, and Tevas from Once Upon a Child. So cute!

> > >

This is such a fun age- Charlie is still enough of a baby that we can snuggle him like crazy and aren't yet dealing with terrible tantrums, but he's also becoming a very independent and adventurous little toddler. It is so amazing to watch him learn and explore! Just for fun, here are a few outtakes from our photo shoot which pretty much perfectly capture this stage in our life:

2nd Trimester Thoughts

That's right, I've made my way out of the first trimester fog and have found myself in a place of lots of thoughts, and little energy.

Today, I'm 17 weeks and with the exception of peeing 16 times per day, I'm feeling pretty good. The first trimester with Baby #2 was not so kind to me. Lots of nausea, lots of food aversions, lots of random vomiting with no forewarning (yeah, I never had that with Charlie and it was loads of fun). Last pay period was the first time I worked a full eighty hours because I've literally been sick for about the last three months. So consequently, I'm completely pooped from actually working full-time. 

I feel like this baby is already coming into the world as the classic younger sibling. Charlie had weekly bumpdates and letters written to him. This kid? Not so much. Which doesn't mean that there's not a lot of excitement surrounding their impending arrival. It just means that Mama is a lot more tired this time around with working and caring for a 1 year old, so documenting the bump and updating the blog have fallen to the wayside.

However, after a good, long Saturday afternoon nap while Daddy took over Charlie duty, I decided the time had come. So here are some thoughts on Pregnancy 2.0:

1. Gender predictions | I mentioned it before, but everyone is completely convinced this baby is a girl. Chuck has already started referring to "her" by the girl name we have picked out (which we aren't sharing- see #2). I feel like I have to constantly remind him that we don't actually know the gender yet and won't for a few more weeks!

2. Baby names | Obviously, we have landed on a girl name. We have super different styles when it comes to baby names. Chuck thinks like an old man and loves old-timey, classic, traditional names, whereas I am drawn to unique, hippie names. If he would let me, I swear to goodness that I would name this kid something like Sunshine or Rainbow. (Actually, my all-time favorite is Whimsy for a girl, but I've given up hope of that ever happening). We have some boy names in circulation, but haven't spent too much time thinking about it, because, like I said, everyone is convinced we're having a girl. We decided this go around not to share our name choices. I found that people are just too opinionated when it comes to what you should name your kid, so we decided to keep it between the two of us. The only opinions that matter are ours, so we're going to share once baby is born.

3. Birth plans | I'm using the same midwives' office that I used before and am planning to delivery in the same birthing center. Yup, going au natural once again. And can I be honest for a second and say that I am so much more scared for labor this time?! I know everyone says the second birth is generally quicker, so I've found some consolation in that. But now that I know how much labor seriously sucks, I can't say that I'm looking forward to it.

4. Two under two | Charlie will be about 20 months when this baby comes along. Which I think is a blessing and a curse. I'm excited that my little ones will be close in age and will be able to play with each other growing up, but I've heard that the first year with two teenies is incredibly difficult and I'm pretty dang nervous as to how I'm going to do with no sleep. Charlie has always been a good sleeper, and was sleeping through the night by about 8 weeks (please don't hate me) so I'm holding out hope that #2 will hopefully be as easy on us. But I know that the whole adage of "sleep when the baby sleeps" will not be super easy when I have a little toddler running around to keep tabs on. 

5. Childcare | I am a wreck thinking about how we're going to pull this off once I return to work from maternity leave. The cheapest option I've found thus far is a daycare center in our town that will cost us upwards of $1,100 a month. I'm praying for some kind of miracle from the childcare gods that will allow us to make something work. 

Hoping to make the bumpdates a more regular occurrence around her, but be sure to follow me on Instagram in the meantime!

That Time I Threw Up Into a Diaper Box and my One Year-Old Laughed at Me

Wow...where to even start? It has officially been forever since I last blogged, and weirdly, I haven't missed it like I thought I might. My blogging break has not been intentional. Truthfully, it has just stemmed from being in a place in my life where I am bone tired. Reading has fallen to the wayside, writing has fallen to the wayside, and I have been devoting 100% of the little energy I have to work and Mama-ing. 

Why so tired?

Well, it could have something to do with this:

In case you missed it on Charlie's adorably, tiny onesie, it says, "Happy Valentine's Day to me, because I'm a Big Brother-to-Be!"

And if you needed more proof:

Yeah, Baby Pep 2.0 is happening and I am feeling all the feels. 

We found out mid-January when my inexplicable nausea needed to be explained. I think Chuck just thought I was being mopey because typically, I am in the winter time. However, after awhile I knew that this wasn't just in my head- I really felt icky. So I unceremoniously took a pregnancy test and the positive line showed up almost instantly. I called to Chuck to come to the bathroom (because I'm classy like that), and with that, Chuck found out he was about to become a parent for the second time.

The kicker was, (and this is totally TMI), I never actually got my period because I had been breastfeeding Charlie, so I had no clue how far along I was. I called my midwife's office, scheduled an appointment for about a month later and waited it out, all the while, feeling like complete crud. 

February 8 finally rolled around and Chuck was insistent upon joining me for my first appointment since he had to miss several the first time around. He sat beside me while he heard our baby's heartbeat for the first time and then when we had our first ultrasound to figure out how far along I was. When we first saw 2.0, I couldn't believe it- s/he looked like a real little person and not just some creepy-looking seahorse! When the ultrasound tech told us Baby 2.0 was measuring at 11 weeks 1 day, we were both taken aback- we were practically already out of the first trimester!

Since that crazy day over a week ago, we have happily announced to our family and friends and have dealt with the weirdness that is a second pregnancy (which is really a whole other post altogether). I think everyone in our life is on Team Girl, including myself, as of this morning. I was really rooting for Team Boy only because I didn't want our cute little tot to feel, I don't know, unwanted? if it did turn out to be a boy. But the nausea and morning sickness has been so much worse this time around that I'm convinced it has to be a girl. Exhibit A? This morning when I accidentally got a big ol' whiff of Charlie's soiled diaper and had to throw up in the nearest thing I could find- so while I wretched on my hands and knees into a box of diapers, my ridiculous little one year old boy sat on his changing table stark naked, looking down at me and laughing. After I was done, I couldn't help but laugh at the ridiculousness of the entire scenario- here I was tossing up breakfast, and little Charlie thought I was playing some kind of demented game of peekaboo! Haha Pregnancy with a toddler is certainly a different ball game!

I haven't decided whether to do "bumpdates" or letters to 2.0 this time around, and although I have a firestorm of pregnancy and life update topics swirling around in my mind, it remains to be seen whether my fatigue will come out on top.

For now, I'm just taking each day at a time and trying to keep down breakfast :)

It's crazy to say, but be on the lookout for Baby Stuckert #2, coming August 2016!

12 Months as Mommy

If you missed it, my baby boy turned ONE! ONE!!! I no longer have a sweet snuggly baby boy. But a sweet, snuggly, little monster of a toddler!

WORK

One of my good friends at work, recently came back from maternity leave and although my heart broke for her having to leave her baby girl, I was so happy to have her back. I love sharing how our babies are growing, talking about poop (because what Mom doesn't love that?!) and just generally bragging on our sweet bundles of joy. 

BREASTFEEDING

Breastfeeding is GREAT! Mostly because, I'm no longer pumping!!! Woohooo!!! Seriously, in case you were not aware of my excitement over never having to pump for my Charlie again, please note- I AM ELATED! Charlie had trouble stomaching whole milk when we began the transition and was throwing up a lot, so after a call to his pediatrician we switched to 2% milk and it's been smooth sailing ever since. He's not drinking a ton of milk throughout the day, but is more than making up for it by gobbling up every bite-sized morsel of solid food he can get his little hands on. (This includes non-foods, as well. I caught him trying to eat a dime the other day and nearly had a heart attack). Aside from that, we're nursing first thing in the morning and before bed. I wish this is they way I could have breastfed him his entire first year. It's wonderful!

The only downside to this nursing pattern is that it's still preventing my cycle from coming back (TMI, I know), which in and of itself is not a bad thing. But Chuck and I have been talking about trying for Baby Pep 2.0 in the near future, so biologically, it does present a bit of a problem. I'm not worrying too much about it, because I don't want to abruptly throw off Charlie's routine. We're just going to take it day by day and see what happens.

BABY FAT

Up until I put on a solid 5 lbs of pure holiday goodness, I was actually starting to get a bit skinnier. Chasing after a newly mobile little tot is fabulous cardio.

As for Charlie...

MILESTONES

He's not walking yet, but is well on his way. He can stand without any support for a few seconds before plopping down on his cute little bum. He did, however, figure out how to crawl up onto our downstairs sofa which is quite handy when he's trying to get a handful of whatever Mommy is eating or get his little hands on one of the TV remotes.

Our little monster also has himself some teeth! His two bottom ones have been slowly coming in for about a month or so, but one top tooth has just started coming in within the last few weeks. He looks so stinkin' goofy, like a little hillbilly, that every time he smiles, I can't help but laugh.

As I mentioned earlier, he is all about the solid food and will eat just about anything put in front of him. He's done really well with pasta, french toast, birthday cake, and surprisingly, loved Mama's chili! The only thing he's still not excited about is eggs and the different brand of baby food pouches we tried to give him. We're sticking with Earth's Best and the Kroger Simple Truth brand and he can suck down 2-3 pouches in one sitting!

FAMILY

Charlie got to spend a a whole lot of time with family this month. His Grandma and Aunt Kelly came into town to stay for Christmas, he got to spend a day with his Aunt Annen, Uncle Rob and cousins one day when we had a babysitting emergency, and of course, he spent most of his days with his cousin Lucie and Aunt Ashlee. He also spent quite a bit a time with Ashlee's family who are essentially his adoptive Nana and Papaw. This little boy is so blessed, he gets to have three pairs of grandparents!

STATS

Charlie's 12-month appointment was yesterday and the nurse measured his height at 28 inches and his weight at 15 lbs 9 oz. It's hard to believe he's still so petite, but he is gaining, so that's a good thing!

Because this kid is so tall and skinny, his clothing his completely across the board. He's still wearing Size 3 diapers and I usually have him in 12-month onesies and jammies, but pants are a crap shoot. He has some 6-9 month jeans and sweats that he sometimes wears, but most of the time, I have him in 12-month girls' leggings. His jackets and hoodies are also still 6-9 mos.

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It sounds so cliche, but this year has gone so quickly- I can't believe my baby isn't a baby anymore! At the same time, it truly feels like Charlie has always been a part of our family- he was just a missing piece to our puzzle! I can't imagine our life without him, he is 100% joy incarnate.

You can find our other monthly updates here:

1 // 2 // 3 // 4 // 5// 6

7 // 8 // 9 // 10 // 11

Winter 2015 Book Challenge: December Check-In

Another month has gone by in the Semi-Charmed Winter 2015 Book Challenge and I'm calling it a huge accomplishment that I didn't totally suck. I mean, I sucked a little, but I guess not as much as I should have. I'm not sure why I needed this blogging/reading break that I've unintentionally taken for the last 2 months, but it's been pretty restorative. Since having Charlie and trying to figure out how to balance "it all," I've started giving myself a lot more grace than I used to. If I want to clean and organize the house, I do it. If I just want to lie in bed, snuggling my baby boy, I do it. If I want to lie around binge-watching Parks and Rec, I do it. I'm doing what is right for me and living moment to moment. It's truly the only way I maintain any kind of energy or stamina in this crazy life of mine.

With all that being said, I'm so thankful for these reading challenges, because without them, I really don't know if I would read at all! This is what I read in December:

Here's where I'm at with my Preliminary List:

5 points: Read a book that has between 100 and 200 pages | The Giver by Lois Lowry (November 23, 2015)

10 points: Read a debut book by any author | Modern Romance by Aziz Ansari (November 22, 2015)

10 points: Read a book that does not take place in your current country of residence | After You by Jojo Moyes 

10 points: Read a book that someone else has already used for the challenge. | The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows (Chosen by Jenna @ Hello Sweet Sunbeams) (December 2, 2015)

15 points: Read a book published under a pseudonym | Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte 

15 points: Read a book with “boy,” “girl,” “man” or “woman” in the title | A Year of Biblical Womanhood by Rachel Held Evans or Running Like a Girl by Alexandra Heminsley

15 points: Read a book with a one-word title | Sold by Patricia McCormick 

20 points: Read a book with a person's first and last name in the title | The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry by Gabrielle Zevin (November 19, 2015)

20 points: Read a food-themed book | Bittersweet: Thoughts on Change, Grace, and Learning the Hard Way by Shauna Niequist (December 13, 2015)

20 points: Read a book with a verb in the title | Big Magic: Creative Living Beyond Fear by Elizabeth Gilbert (November 3, 2015)

30 points: Read two books with the same title (by different authors) | TBD (My back-up is Revolution by Russell Brand and Revolution by Deborah Wiles, but I want to see what other readers come up with) 

30 points: Read a nonfiction book and a fiction book about the same subject | Let It Snow by John Green and Being Santa Claus: What I Learned about the True Meaning of Christmas by Sal Lizard (December 29, 2015)

PREVIOUS POINTS: 55

TOTAL POINTS: 85

I didn't finish the entire "nonfiction/fiction about the same subject" category, so unfortunately I can't count it in my point total and I also read Hand to Mouth: Living in Bootstrap America for a work discussion, but because it didn't fit any of the categories, I didn't include it. So all in all, not great, but not terrible.

MY REVIEWS:

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer (274 pages, ★★★★★)

This was everything I love in a book. Amazing characters, beautiful storytelling surrounding the German occupation on a small British island during WWII, and of course, a love story that would make any Mr. Darcy lover happy. I can't say enough good things about it!

Bittersweet: Thoughts on Change, Grace, and Learning the Hard Way by Shauna Niequist (252 pages, ★★★)

I really, really wanted to like this book. I loved Bread & Wine and I had multiple people tell me this was one of their favorite books, but it all just felt...cliche to me. I also feel like Niequist's writing has gotten better with every subsequent book she's written so that also may have been one my expectations were so high. This probably wasn't a three-star read, but I had my hopes up so high, that I felt kind of disappointed when all was said and done.

Being Santa Claus: What I Learned about the True Meaning of Christmas by Sal Lizard (208 pages, ★★★★)

I pretty much got exactly what I was expecting with this book. It was not exactly a mind-blowingly, well-written piece of literature. It was, however, a sweet and heartwarming account by a real-life Santa Claus that got me into the Christmas spirit.