Name, name, names

So I think that we finally have it. I know things could change once I see the baby, but it was really bothering me that we didn't have a name picked out for this new little one...so here it is....
Jillian Rose
She will have the same middle name as her 1st and 2nd cousins, but it just fits so it's going to stay. I feel relived that we have a name that we agree on and we both think is beautiful. Our little Jilli Bean (my nickname for her, lol) has been very active lately, so much so that I almost started freaking out the other day cause she was actually calm and quiet. I swear in the beginning she didn't jump around as much as I remembered Sami moving, but lately...she's a "little acrobat" as my OB put it.
At this point in the pregnancy I have gained 2 pounds less than where I was at with Sami in the same week. Kind of hard to believe cause I feel like I'm bigger this time around, and I have insatiable hunger all the time. Seriously, I'm always hungry! Ian is a little upset because I never have left overs when we go out to eat now, lol. I used to take a few bites, eat maybe half of a meal and that was it...not these days! Mama wants to eat! And have dessert! Well, no dessert right after dinner, but about 20 minutes or so, I'm dying for some chocolate cookies and a big glass of milk.

Sami has been doing great with her letters. She knows 95% of them by sight She can't seem to get a handle on G and J and W (although she will make a sound that is somewhat like a W, but she can't pronounce "W". She says "Eee" for A, but then will say it correctly after you tell her A. And she says "M" for N.
S and K are her favorite letters. I love that she's learning so fast and I'm so proud of her, but now, where ever we go or where ever we are she spells EVERYTHING! Every sign she sees she yells out the letters! It's so funny, but then when I'm trying to do something on the computer real quick she is climbing all over me screaming "S! S! S! TTT! Kay! B!B!B!B!B!" It's crazy, hahaha. She loves her letters.
Her other big loves these days are Elmo, she L.O.V.E.S. him. and Tigger too. She can be found saying any of these things about a hundred times a day, "Oh, no!" and "Oh, maaaannnn!"(thanks to Swipper) "Peeeezzz" (Please) "Mama, mama, momee, mama, momee!" "Daddy, dada, daddy, daddy!" "Patchie, Patchie" "Bu-Bye! Buu-Byyyeeee"
She obviously says much more through out the day, but not a day goes by that I do not hear these phrases at least 20 times each...seriously.

Her new snack...frozen peas! She used to love veggies, now for some reason she will only eat canned diced carrots. So I read on another blog about someones daughter who loves frozen peas, so I figured why not try it, and she likes them! So there is nothing better than a snack trap full of peas while Mama's making dinner. I feel like a better mom when she's eating them, lol.

There's so much more to share about Sami, but the days just go by too fast, I wish I could blog everyday, cause there's just so much to share, she's growing so fast everyday!

A really blurry belly shot, but it's all I got, so there ya go.

Third Trimester

So this week marks the start of our third trimester...the final stretch. Last week I had the glucose testing. I passed...yay!! Then I had to get more blood work to test for antibodies for fifths disease. My nephew had it while he was at our house and none of knew until after the week after. So my blood work came back good and all is well. Today started my every 2 weeks appointments...fun, fun. It should be fun dragging Sami along into the office every two weeks for the next 3 months.
I feel huge, more so then I remember feeling with Sami. Even Ian said he thinks there might be twins in there, lol. He wants to get another ultrasound to be sure. So after today's appointment, my weight was good, my urine was good, and the belly measures perfectly on track....I decided to check my Belly Book that I had for when I was pregnant with Sami, and I am actually 2 pounds less than I was with Sami at this point!! CRAZY! I swear I feel bigger, I feel like this baby could come at anytime, lol.
This pregnancy is different. In the beginning she didn't move as much as I remembered Sami moving early on...now, she doesn't stop! She flips all over! I swear Sami was head down from day 1, not this girl. She's usually head up, but flips back and forth through out the day/week. The other night I swear she was doing the river dance on my cervix!! I was actually scared. She woke me up at 3am kicking like crazy on my cervix, I was sure she was going to break my water. I even tried to push her to try and turn her. I could feel the top of her head at the top of my belly. She wouldn't turn, but eventually did stop kicking so that I could get some rest.

Sami and I spent the beginning of the week in CT with my brother and niece and nephew. I'm pretty sure Sami is in love with Cole. Even the week before we went down she was running around the house pointing at his pictures and saying "Cole, Cole, Cole!" Now she loves Ryleigh too. We went to the mall after my doctors appointment and every little girl she saw was Ry. It was so cute. She loves her cousins and had so much fun with them! Today I think she was happy to have her toys back, but I know tomorrow she will be looking for Cole and Ry.

Ok, off to bed for me. Sami's been waking up early the last few days and it's killing me, lol. Mama likes to sleep until 8am...Sami likes to get up at 6am....ugh, doesn't she realize I only have 3 more months to get any sleep at all, lol.

Let's see if they work this time..here are the pics for the post below.

Guess what...

Sami is a BIG GIRL!!
Ian and Scott built her a new big girl bed on Saturday. No more crib for my baby. Tonight was night 2 in the bed and she did great. She's a little bit unsure about it at first but she's sound asleep in her new big girl bed.
Last night it took awhile to get her down, but mostly I think it was due to her being over tired. With Bro-Bro and Daddy building her new bed and rearranging her room she skipped her nap, so come bed time, she was over due. I held her in her room until she fell asleep then put her in the bed. She woke up around 1:30 and freaked out a little. I don't think she knew where she was. I sat with her for a bit, but honestly she was WIDE awake!! So I started to move closer and closer to the door. Then I stood outside the door. She came running over, and I let her know I was right there and she was ok. I brought her back to her bed and she sat with her books and the light of her rain forest soother. I went back to bed and could hear her "reading" her books and playing quietly. Eventually...around 3am she fell back asleep until 8 am. At 8 I heard her start talking. She loves to talk in the morning. I went into her room and she was sitting on her bed with a book and just talking away, lol. So cute!
Nap time today was rough. She normally takes a very long time to fall asleep, so I knew nap time would be tough with the new bed. Once I figured out that her biggest problem was the door being shut all the way, she seemed to do ok in her room by herself. Once she knows the door is closed, she knows she can't open it herself and she starts to have like a little panic attack. So I pulled the door over and left it open just a crack and she was ok with that. It took nearly 2 hours!!! for her to fall asleep. She came out of her room only once and we brought her right back into bed. Eventually she did fall asleep, I think she read every single book in her room though, lol.
Tonight we did our normal routine, brush the teeth, then into her room, she hopped in bed and we read a book. Then lights out and her rain forest soother on and she looks through her book for a bit then falls asleep. When I first left the room, she came to the door and I held her hand and she walked back to the bed and climbed in. I kissed her good night again and left the room. She cried for a minute or two then she was fine flipping through her book and then fast asleep with in 3 minutes!

Here's her new big girl bed in her room.

I'm so proud of her making this transition so well. I know it's only been 2 days and things could change at any moment, but so far she is doing SO good! I really expected the worst, which is why I wanted to change her over so soon. I want her to be fully adjusted before the new baby comes. Who knew she would do so well!!

Her proud Bro-Bro

And of course a big cheesy grin!

Belly Shot

 

ABC video

ABC's

I am amazed with Samantha. We've been working on the ABC's, we sing it all the time, she has her own version that she requests...don't try and sing her the traditional old ABC's...she will protest!
So anyway...back tot the reason I am impressed. The other day she brought me a puzzle piece (the letter O) and was saying "OOOooo, Ooohh, OOO" I was of course proud and excited, but honestly...in the back of my mind I really thought it was just a fluke. So yesterday we started working with flash cards. She's been loving the regular old playing cards that her brother leaves laying around, so I figured I would get her her own set so that she doesn't ruin Scott's real cards.
Today we layed out the ABC cards and I asked her to tell me which letters she knew. She could find and tell me the letters Z, S, O, F, and R. Then when I was making dinner she brought me one of her foam/bath letters that she found and was telling me "Bee, Bee, Beeeee" And it was indeed the letter B! After dinner she went back to the playroom and found 2 letter D's and brought them out to me proudly yelling "Deeeee!"
She was also counting today. I'm not sure why but she refuses to say one. She says "twooo, three." then she just repeats two, three, two, three, lol.

I'm just amazed at how fast she is learning right now and how quickly she picks stuff up. She sings the ABC's all day long, it's quite amusing. Her version goes something like this..."Ahh, Bee, C, E, O, C, T, U, V, G, Z."
Hey it's a start, right? LOL

Time for a change

So, what do you think of the new look? I've been wanting to change it up for awhile now. I never really liked the header I had, but I am lacking the creativity to make a new one, so I went with something simple. Less is more...right?

We had a fantastic weekend filled with great friends and family and are very thankful for everyone coming to visit us. Sami and I LOVE having everyone here, especially since it's pretty much just the 2 of us all week long, so a crazy weekend is just what we look forward to!

Here are a couple pics of my silly girl.

Mike and his famous nachos! They are SOOO good!! (He wasn't happy about that bowl of olives on the side...we're not olive fans, but Ian and Josh were...it really has more to do with a can opener, but that's a whole other story.)

Sami wanted to go out and play in the snow...I think these boots might be a little big, lol.

Exploding

Today at the store Sami was labeling everything. It was great. I am just amazed at how fast her speech is developing. I swear everyday is really miraculous! She had fun pointing out the Bananas, apples, crackers, cheese, yogurt, cups and juice.
She's getting so big, but I'm loving every minute and every new first for her.

Speaking...or not

Sami's speech has been exploding! It's so crazy. At her 18 month check up the doctor made a comment about her speech and made me a little concerned. Honestly, I think I just took it as a defensive mom, she may have meant nothing by it, but none the less, it made me concerned, or at the very least aware.
All she said was, "As far as her speech, try not to talk for her." That was it. End of speech conversation, nothing else was said and that little comment stored it's self right in the front of my brain like one of those annoying tickers constantly flashing in my brain.
It's hard not to just know what she's trying to say, or what she's thinking, especially when we are together 24/7. Ever since her appointment she has been saying more and new words everyday. I'm not sure if she's on the same level as others her age, only because I don't know any other 19 month olds, lol. I think she just wants to say the word right and she doesn't really start using it until she has it pronounced well enough. With the exception of "Blankey" She will not say blankey, she calls it a Ba, or Baba. I think Ba is her default word, anything she can't say seems to be Ba.
Her words as of today
Daddy
Mama
Scott (She's been trying really hard to say Bro Bro as that is what he would like her to call him.)
More
Cracker
Snack
Cheese
Juice
Fork
Cup
Diaper
Baby
Night Night
Bye Bye
Hi
Book
Weee (lol is that a word?)
Help
Patches
Cole
Ry
Tigger
Bear
Frog
Oval
Square
Circle
Chair
Car
Truck
Ball
Ut Oh!
Beep Beep
I guess these are a few of the everyday words she uses. She says more but I can't think of them right now, and most of them are words she will repeat after you say it. All of these are words she says on her own. (sorry for the list, it's really more for my reference.)
She talks non stop, you just don't have a clue what she's saying, but she sure seems to know what she's talking about.
And she knows most animal noises, she loves to do the animal noises, but she won't name the animals, she'll only make their sounds.
she does, dog, kitty, horse, cow, sheep, duck, elephant, monkey, frog, lion, dinosaur, and alpaca, lol.
She seems to only attempt single syllable words..is that normal?
It's hard to understand how she can comprehend everything I'm saying to her, but she can't communicate it back to me.

Ok, so that's it for tonight. Sorry nothing interesting to share, just need to document some stuff I'm thinking of. I hate that I've lost touch with this blog. No one really comes here anymore anyway, but I want to keep it going so I can capture the memories of Sami's childhood...and the new baby, who, by the way, is still UN-NAMED! Ugh.

Eye contact is non existent when I have a camera in my hand.

More teeth, more drool. She's finally starting to get her canine teeth in.

An update and some pics

So, a pregnancy update. For about a week now, I've been having irregular contractions, shortness of breath, dizziness and heart racing. I've been limited in what I can do without feeling like this and needing to sit down, before I fall over. I never had any of this with Sami, so it's all new to me, and I'm not liking it. I still have a long way to go so this is not looking to be fun. Other than this new development, the pregnancy has been going great with no problems.
Two days ago I got sick. I mean really sick, S I C K sick!! I had some kind of stomach bug that apparently has been going around, but I didn't hear anything about it until after. I seriously wanted to die. I have never been in so much pain. The stomach cramps were unbearable and I spent most of the night in tears. Ian was scared to death that it was something with the baby, even though I tried to reassure him that this was not labor pain. It felt like some one was taking my stomach and wringing it like a wet towel...it was far worse than labor! The next day the pains finally stopped around 7am, and then I was sore and exhausted for the rest of the day. Today I am back at 100% and feel great. It's so weird how your body can do that, but whatever it was I pray that no one I know gets it.
Today I had a doctors appointment. Everything checked out ok, I was a little nervous about the whole contraction thing, but I knew the baby was fine. I have checked her heart rate with our Doppler at home and she's moving around like crazy so I was secure in thinking that all was well. Everything checked out good and I'm as healthy as can be, just need to take it easy and drink lots of water and rest when the contractions come on, the doctors are not concerned, and just want me to relax, so we'll see how the next 4 months go. I think hydration is the key and will help me alot, I just have to be more aware, and keep drinking all day.

Sami and I took a trip to visit Ian at his hotel the other day. We had a great time spending the night with daddy and we got to go swimming, which Sami LOVED and so did I!! The pool was SO warm!! I was LOVING IT!!
It was really great, until Sami decided she was not going to sleep and then ended up in bed with us, and she chooses to sleep horizontally across our heads! So throughout the night we had her feet or face or butt in our faces, so needless to say we didn't get much sleep. Then we all came home the next day and that's when I got deathly ill with the stomach deal...so I'm thinking Ian might not want us to come visit again anytime soon, lol.

Sami has been doing great. She's talking more and more and saying new words everyday. We are actually thinking about starting potty training next week. I think it's too early, but I figure we could try it for a week and see how it goes. If she shows any improvement or commitment by the end of the week then we'll stick with it, but of she protests and just isn't with it then we'll give it up and try again later. I would love for her to get it right away, but I know it's really early and I'm not going to force her into it.
I'll let you know how it goes, we'll be starting Monday or Tuesday, I'm preparing my patients and nerves until then, lol.

Here are a few pics from the hotel:
Sami's beautiful "smile"

Swimming with Daddy

She has NO fear of the water

Sami and Mama

Fun in the snow

Sami and Ian playing in the snow yesterday. She was laughing and squealing the whole time! LOL

Here's an edit I did on this pic. I thought the wrinkle in the background was very distracting and I love this pic, wish I could have centered it better though, but she really didn't want anything to do with me taking her picture so I was lucky with what I got, this is the only good one out of about 20 shots, lol. She was screaming at me the whole time.

Happy New Year

I'm hoping to post an update soon :( But for now here are a couple pics. Hope you all have a great New Year!

Update and Christmas

Merry Christmas everyone! I hope everyone had a great holiday and Santa was good to them...if not, it may be because he was VERY good to me!!

Santa brought me a Nikon D9O!!! I was so freaking excited I had tears in my eyes opening it, I can't wait to really get to use it. I've played around a little, but I feel like I'm starting back at day one, lol. I was so comfortable with the Fuji, knew the in's and out's. Now I feel like I have SOO MUCH more to learn, but I'm ready for the challenge, so wish me luck, and I promise I'll try to share what we get.

UPDATE ON SAMI: So..it was not the Chicken Pox. No sir, no chicken pox at all. It was far worse! Thursday night her rash continued to spread. She slept a total of about 4 hours throughout the night and Ian and I were up all night with her. By Friday morning her whole body was covered in spots and welts and swollen in a few places. Her one eye was swollen half shut and her entire face was one big blotch of red.

I called the doctor back first thing in the morning and they told me to take her to the ER. Ian had already left for work, so I called to tell him we were going to the ER and I lost it and was sobbing on the phone trying to tell him what the doctor had told me. He was about 2 hours away when I called him. I hung up, let Sami finish her breakfast, we got dressed and headed out to the hospital. ( she was acting fine, just itchy and swollen, she looked AWFUL, but was still smiling through it.)

The doctor called the ER to let them know we were on our way. We got in and signed Sami in, and took a seat, 2 minutes later Ian walked through the doors. I don't know how he got there so fast, but I was SOO grateful he did, by this time both of Sami's eyes were swelling and almost shut.

So anyway...long story-short, Sami was admitted and had to stay overnight. Had to have an IV, 3 or 4 rounds of bloodwork, 2 chest xrays, an attempted and failed catheter..horrible!, and they pumped her full of fluids, steroids and benydryl.

Everyone in the hospital came into see her. Mostly nurses, doctors, students, residents, interns, specialists...it was crazy, but they were good to her, just wanted to learn from her, since no one seemed to have any definitive answers.

In the end, she was diagnosed with erythema multiforme, brought on by an allergic reaction to the augmentin that she was taking for the ear infection. I'm not completely convinced that this is indeed what she had, or that the doctors are completely convinced, but it's the best guess and the only thing we have to go on.

Needless to say, she will not ever be having augmentin again! And now she is much, much better.

During our 48 hours at the hospital, Ian and I talked alot about Sami and day care and me working, and we decided that it would be best for all of us if I left work to stay home with her again. The last 2 months she has been sick every week with something new. I know it's not day care's fault and this is what happens when kids are around other kids on a daily basis, and some sickness is good, to build up her immune system, but...with 3 rounds of antibiotics for her first ever ear infection, and then this, we were pretty much done with sending her back.

So once again I am retired, and staying home with my princess and loving every minute of it.

Ok, that's enough for tonight, lol. Again I hope everyone had a great Christmas, I'll have to do another post for more about our Christmas...another day.

But here are a few pics...the one of Ian and the one of Sami were taken with the D9o

I'm not very photogenic...my eyes are always closed, this was the best Ian could get, after 3 tries, lmao!

My handsome Hubby!

The beautiful princess.

Our, not so little anymore, man.

Samantha Claus

I haven't been able to get a good picture of her yet, but she loves wearing this Santa hat! It's so cute. Her hat from last year is way to small so she's wearing the adult size hat this year, and she thinks she's just so cool with it on, lol. She dances around and I sing "Sami Claus is coming to town" She's in the Christmas spirit, despite her rough month or so.


Sami has been sick for over a month now!! It's down right ridiculous! She started off with a little fever and what seemed mostly like a sinus infection. When we went to the Dr. they said she had an ear infection. So, we get a 10 day supply of antibiotics, that were so awful tasting no child should ever have to endure that for 10 days!
Back to the doctor to re-check the ear..infection still there. This round did however, cure the sinus infection so not all was wasted. So home we go with round 2 of 10 antibiotics...this time it's Amoxicill*n, aka the yummy pink stuff.
Two weeks later it's back to the doctor for her 18 month appt and a re-check of the ears again.
Infection still there....take another antibiotic for another 10 days and we will see you in a month...that was Friday.
Monday night after being on the meds 3.5 days She starts a low grade fever.
Tuesday, still a minor fever, and a little diarrhea. Give her some Motr*n and off to day care.
Wednesday...Velcro baby! 101.7 fever, and climbing. Diarrhea. No interest in eatting. Fussy beyond belief and can not be left alone or put down. I decide to call in and stay home with her to save the day care from a very long exhausting day...not that Sami was going to let me go anywhere with out her on my hip, anyway.
This morning, fever's at 102, but she seems to be acting better, so loaded with Motr*n, off to day care we go.
10am I get a phone call from day care, Sami has had diarrhea twice, but seems to be otherwise acting ok, just a little fussy.
I decide to call the doctor from work to see what else we should be doing for her...leave a message with the nurse.
Call back at 12:30, the doctor wants to see her at 3pm.
Call daycare, she had diarrhea one more time and is now napping.
1:15, pick Sami up from day care. She had one little spot by her eyebrow, but I thought nothing of it.
Drive toward home and stop at the store to waste some time before her appointment, and grab some more Pedialite.
Back in the car I notice another few spots on her neck and cheek...look like some sort of bite.
Get to the doctors and I explain the fever, endless antibiotics, and diarrrhea to the nurse. As the nurse walks out, I lift Sami up, holding her in front of the mirror, I lifted the back of her shirt to find that her whole back was covered in a rash! Lay her down on the table, change her diaper, her whole BODY is covered in a rash!!
The doctor comes in and I'm like she Just broke out in a rash!! I mean like JUST! like she was fine when I picked her up from day care, now she's COVERED!!

2 doctors later, she may or may not have the Chicken Pox! She was vaccinated for the Chicken pox, but apparently she needs 2 doses and they have only given her one. Doctors say that if it is the chicken pox it should not be this bad since she had one dose of the vaccine. They are thinking it may be an allergic reaction to the antibiotics. So no more antibiotics, only tylen*l and Motr*n, and we'll see how she does over the weekend. She goes back on Monday, unless it's worse tomorrow or over the weekend, then we go back immediately.

So for now we sit and wait. She's so uncomfortable, but such a trooper. she wouldn't even move until the motr*n kicked in. It hurt to stand or walk. Some of the spots on her look like big welts and are swollen, the others look like bug bites.
I don't know what else to do for her :( She's been sick for so long now and each week it seems to be something different.

The good news....her ear infection is finally gone.

Christmas tree lighting...

Name Game

I know we still have plenty of time, but I don't think this baby is ever going to get a name. I have literally looked at thousands of names and can not find anything that we agree on. Every day Ian and I are texting names back and forth, trying to think about what to name this little girl and we have nothing! We go to bed at night discussing names, we wake up discussing names. This is so hard! Sami's name was so easy for us and came so natural. All the names I want are taken by close family members, or are too over used. We liked Samantha because it was classic and pretty and not overly used.
The names I have today, but are certain to change tomorrow, lol...are
Nora Grace
and
Jessica Mary
I also started liking Victoria the other day too. I had always said no to this one before, but the other day out of no where I decided I liked it. But Ian and I are big on nicknames and neither of us like Vicki or Tori, so Victoria is out :(
Ian likes...
Jennifer
Kelli
and
Keiran
I think I'm having the toughest time cause I want it to just flow right with our last name, so the K and C names give me too much of a kah sound together with the last name and anything that ends in en, an, or in, are also too much with the last name.

I never though this would be so hard. I'm pretty sure I have looked at over 5000, names by now, it's so frustrating. So any and all suggestions are welcome, first and middle names.
Oh, and I'm not a big fan of anything that ends in y or ie, lol. I'm being way too picky!

Here are a few pics from the last few weeks.

Sami and I with Sc00by at the waterpark.

My little belly bump...it's much bigger this week, lol.

Sami girl