Ariy Update

Somewhere along the motherhood "lines" regular updates become not so regular.  This is my best form of documenting the kiddos lives although I am trying to create some type of baby book for each of them but I wouldn't say it's my gifting.

What to say about Ariy these days???

He turned two on April 20th and has fully embraced the role of toddler.  I really love this age.  He is soaking in so much, learning on a daily basis, saying new words and sentences constantly and makes us laugh.  Things to remember for this age:

• "...a little bit."  I often say, "let's let it cool down a little bit" in referring to his food.  This ending has now become one of his favorite things to say.  "Go upstairs a little bit?"  "A walk a little bit?"  "Nap a little bit."  Really anything.
• Tools, tools and more tools (and lawnmowers too).  He is pretty much obsessed with Rick and especially watching him fix things.  Without a doubt, if you were to hang out with Ariy today he would talk about his Daddy fixing something or his daddy mowing the grass.  Both are his two favorite things to do along side his Dad.
• He is "all boy."  I really like to think that all the gender stereotypes are just stereotypes but whether are culture has cemented them into specific "roles" or not, it is pretty obvious that boys and girls are created a bit differently.  Most all of Ariy's closest friends are girls his age and I am getting to the point that I feel myself apologizing a lot.  He seems to be a bit more destructive kind of like a tornado but I also find his communication and discipline seem to be simpler.  I find the girls seem to understand a conversation and how to "talk through things" much earlier.  Ariy just does, destructs, creates, fixes and moves.  I love it all though.
• He is mostly dairy free.  He has always struggled with coughs and something called restrictive airway, similar to asthma and uses an inhaler on an as needed basis.  Well, after months straight of daily and nightly coughing and two bouts of croup, multiple steroid treatments we found ourselves we no answers.  We asked two different  doctors if he will ever stop coughing (he was waking up every single night coughing for 3 months straight - no exaggeration) and their answers were not actual answers.  One said he will most likely cough for the rest of his life "some people just cough."  Really?!  The other said all children have a "thing" they struggle with and his is a cough.  I started to do my own research on the internet and through some books I trust as well as some friends.  I landed on dairy as the most plausible culprit.  We tried taking him off an within 2 or 3 weeks the coughing stopped.  All in all it has been a very good and healthy decision for him.
• Other loves: parks, playing with friends, lawnmowers "cutting the grass", vegan mac and cheese, rubbing "baby sissy's" head, blankets, tools, keys and playing in cars, music, "I will wait" by Mumford and Sons is played at least once a day here, jumping at gymnastics, raisins, all breakfast foods (this morning's bfast consisted of 2 mini egg quiches with vegis and fake cheese (we call them egg muffins and 1 entire bowl of oatmeal), trains; Newberg constantly has trains going through it and we can hear them so some days we try and chase them down to see them.  The other day one stopped as it was going through the middle of town and Ariy got to touch it (big moment). He also loves to play his guitar, sing songs and play the drums.

He is also really into taking a good "selfie"

A spoon and some PB often serve as a nice treat

Big win with the $5 Grocery Outlet battery operated tootbrush

One of his best buds char

His favorite CSA find; fresh strawberries

Ariy attempts his first Vlog!

In the blogging world, I believe video blogging is called "vlogging" unless you are Lara Capuano.  Needless to say, our son has taken to the world of vlogging at a very young age.  In his first vlog, I believe he gives a tour of our living room from his perspective.  I added in a few words so you can better understand what he is saying.

Easter Day: first of many attempts at nice sibling pics

Easter was a great day except for the fact that Ariy and I were still getting over a pretty bad cold.  Otherwise, we really enjoyed a great meal and fun with family and friends.  Ariy had managed pretty quickly to find some chocolate and cover his nice new clothes with it so nice cute pictures with both kiddos in cutesy outfits was not going to happen.  I like what we got though.

Ariy did manage to have a matching bandaid. 

This is Ariy's favorite thing to do.  He LOVES rubbing "baby sissys" head.

An update, some snow pics, and a few labor questions...

I am now 37.5 weeks and totally in the clear.  Our baby girl is looking healthy and can come at anytime.  I am currently at a 3 and 80% and ready to go says midwife.  It could be tonight or 3 weeks from now but either way, everyone is predicting a fast labor which I will take.  Our life has been a little crazy lately and I am sure one we are more "settled" we will give an official life update but for now I will say every major change that could happen is happening or going to happen.  It's crazy how everything seems to collide around the same time.  Rick has to travel tonight and will be gone for less than 24 hours and the big hope is that this little girl doesn't surprise us tonight while he is gone.  My midwife said I should try hard not to be up and walk too much just to be on the safe side because she doesn't think he would make it back in time.  Thanks again to everyone who has supported us lately and through this bed rest ordeal; we are thankful to be on the other side and officially be in the "waiting" game.

Yesterday morning it snowed here in Portland and Ariy loved playing in it.  Here are a few pics:

For those mommy's out there.  I have a couple questions.  I am hoping for a VBAC and was induced 5 days after Ariy's due day via breaking my water.  He needed to come out because my blood pressure was creeping up.  This time around, my biggest hope is simply to go into labor on my own.  I would love a successful VBAC but more than that I really don't want to end up being induced.  Did any of you do anything to get labor going?  What did you try?  Did you feel like anything actually worked?

"Cheese"

Ariy loves to hide these days.  You may be able to make out the words "hide," "cheese," and "bye bye."  This is our little linen closet next to the bathroom.

Christmas Tree Expedition

The whole house headed over to a lot that supports the local high school's booster club.  The very first tree we found fit to our measurements and looked great so it ended up being a very quick trip.  Ariy was pretty overwhelmed by all the tree's but especially the chainsaw...we watched from a distance.

Made it to 30 weeks!

Yesterday I turned 30 weeks which is exciting.  It feels like the home stretch at this point.  It's a bit of a weird place for us to be right now because realistically my body is showing signs of labor so the baby could very well be here in 6 or 7 weeks which feels like no time or it could be another 2.5 months as our due date is January, 6th.  It is just a guessing game.

The official update:  I am finished with having ultrasounds to check my cervical length.  At this point, it is normal for any pregnant woman to have a cervix that slowly shortens so checking for just length is not as important. I had my second to last perinatal visit today.  I will see the perinatologist at 32 weeks and then at 34 weeks I go back to exclusively seeing the midwives as they will be who will deliver the baby.  Most everything looked good today.  I am dilated to a 1 at this point which means I need to stop bedrest cheating.  I may or may not of been getting up more recently and picking Ariy up.

I have four more weeks of bedrest.  I am so anxious and excited to reach that marker.  I have actually been feeling a bit better lately which makes bedrest that much more difficult.  I have to stop cheating for another few weeks to ensure that she doesn't come before 34 weeks but the doctor is more than confident I will make it that far.

I also had to go through VBAC counseling with the perinatologist.  They just explain the requirements to be able to be a candidate, the liklihood of success, the process and risks.  I am a very good candidate based on my labor and surgery with Ariy but the fact that Ariy never descended during pushing does lessen the likelihood of success.  What would improve it would be to have a smaller baby.  Ariy was 8lb 8oz so a bit on the larger size :)  In the end, the doctor said this could work out to my advantage.  She said the ideal week would be 37 weeks because she would be full term, most likely have no NICU time, normal hospital stay time and a smaller baby!  So for now, that is the prayer that I go into labor a bit earlier.  A pre-christmas baby.  But really, who knows.  Some women in my shoes will go full term and even late, it is just a major guessing game.  If I do go past my due date and don't go into labor on my own, there is a chance I could just have my water broken like I did with Ariy or I would have an elective repeat c-section.

Ariy is really into dragging around the largest and heaviest item he possibly can.  This day it was luggage. 

He loves to drive in the grocery store cars when he goes shopping with Grandma.

His "buddies" or giraffes go everywhere with him these days.  He sleeps with them, snuggles with them, feeds them, gives them drinks and even blows his nose on them.  True  love.

Practicing for baby sister.

Drinking healthy smoothies with Grandma.  Loves it!

Ariy lately...

Summer Camping

In August Ariy and I took a short vacation to Long Beach, WA where the McNeal family hosts an annual camping trip.  We had fun but we missed Dada every day.  To our surprise Dada decided to take a day off work and surprise us.   We spent the second half of our vacation at Twin Rocks Friends Camp on the Oregon Coast.  Rick was helping with the worship at Surfside, the week long teen camp that runs every summer.  Ariy LOVED his two week vacation on the coast.  He spent every day and all day outside and slept very hard every night.