The Fab Foxes

So it's been quite some time since I have posted any of my knitting projects, mostly because they were all similar to ones I had done in the past and none of them were for me.  This one is different!  It is actually the first project that I have knitted with the intention of keeping.  That's right, it's the first thing that I've ever knitted for ME!!!  And well, I LOVE it!!!  Here are a few pictures!

I cannot seem to keep Y dressed in actual clothes these days!  I put them on her, and she takes them off.  Wondering what she puts on?  Just take a look at the pictures below.  She started pulling out all of my shoes too, that explains my flip flops in the background.

Today I sent B to work with some information (including questions) to fax to my doctor.  I seriously lost sleep last night stressing over our "96th percentile" little girl.  Fortunately, around lunch time I received the much needed call from my doctor and there was such a huge amount of relief felt after the phone call ended.

My after dinner blood glucose readings have been higher than they should be, not extremely high but enough to make me concerned.  I asked him if maybe he thought I should take medication to lower those levels.  He reassured me that my numbers are okay, in fact he said he's surprised by them.  I've told you before that we agreed to just treat me as a diabetic during this pregnancy but he is now thinking that I am not a Type 2 Diabetic at all because my blood glucose levels read like those of a gestational diabetic.  Apparently they are far too low to be considered a Type 2 Diabetic.  So he assured me that not only do I not need to be placed on any medication but that I also just need to give myself a break because my numbers aren't at a level that I should be stressing myself out about them.

The other big question that I had was of course regarding Baby Q being in the 96th percentile.  To this he had a very simple and relaxed answer:  "it's a big baby."  Needless to say his response, aside from being blatantly obvious, caught me off guard.  I'd been stressing about it for the previous 22 hours and he was as cool as a cucumber about it.  He went on to reassure me that 1) it's nothing that I'm doing wrong, 2) there's nothing I can do to change it.  I asked him if he was due to the diabetes or if I was just prone to have big babies and he told me it was the latter.  I did ask him what percentile Y was at 20 weeks and after finding out that she was 95th percentile at this point that was really all I needed to know.  I was then cool as a cucumber after that.

I'm not totally satisfied because my best hope of a successful VBAC is having a smaller baby this time around but my relief comes from knowing that I'm not doing any "harm" to my unborn child.  And knowing that, I'll sleep much better tonight!

Today was the big day, we went in for our ultrasound!!  We got lots of good news as well as some news that I find slightly frustrating, but the good definitely outweights the frustrating!

We are very, very pleased to tell you that we're having another little GIRL!!!!!  I've really felt it was a girl from the beginning but over the past few weeks the doubts did begin to creep into my mind.  Either way we would have been overjoyed just to have a healthy baby but for practical reasons we definitely wanted another girl.  With Y being a September baby and this baby being due in August we obviously wanted a girl because of the seasons; all of the clothes we had for Y we can now use with our new little girl, Baby Q!  I was just a bit bummed by it but only because I wouldn't have minded having an excuse to go shopping more for a little boy, but I'm more than content to know it's a girl. 

I received a call shortly before my scheduled appointment time and I was told that the doctor was out sick today so I didn't get to meet with him after the ultrasound.  I was slightly disappointed by this because I had some questions that I wanted to ask my doctor but I'm thinking that I'll just fax them in and have him call me with the answers.  I met with the other doctor in the practice but I don't really feel like I got the answers I was looking for from him.  I guess maybe it's just knowing that my doctor knows my background, and more specifically, he knows ME and can answer my questions in a way that leaves me satisfied.

According to the ultrasound technician Baby Q looks great.  The bit of news that I find frustrating is that she is measuring in the 96th percentile for her estimated fetal weight.  I failed to ask what she was exactly measuring at but after doing some research online I have discovered that for 20 weeks gestation the 90th percentile is 387g, so about 13.65oz.  So my best guess puts her just above that, maybe around 14oz. 

I know it's fairly early on to really be concerned with birth weight but I do believe it will be a major factor in determining whether or not I will have a successful VBAC.  So it's been weighing heavy on my mind today but I am trying hard not to let it get me down.  I cannot recall what Y's measurements were estimated to be at this point but it will definitely be a question to ask the doctor. 

So there's the rundown of our appointment today and here are the pictures which you've probably been wanting to see.  We have some video of her moving around but they have my full name written across the top of them so I'm gonna skip posting those but if you really want to see them I can email them.  I was able to blur out my name, etc. from the pictures.

Pictures:

That's really the best phrase I can think of to express the feeling that arises when you start to feel your little one moving about inside of you. This is the moment I have anxiously awaited since finding out we were pregnant, and it has finally arrived! It is truly indescribable to explain what it feels like as well as how much joy it brings.

I first felt movement two nights ago as I was just laying down for bed and for the past couple days that was really the only situation in which I could feel him/her. However, today while laying on the couch I felt more distinct movement and I immediately remembered how those first nudges and flips feel from my pregnancy with Y. I was beyond happy! And finally today after dinner I have been able to feel the movement while sitting upright.

I've been anticipating this day for a while now. With Y I first felt her move at 20 weeks and I know that they generally say you can feel it earlier with your second pregnancy simply because you know what the feeling feels like. Now I just can't wait to take Y's little hand and place it on my belly so that she can feel her sibling kicking and moving. But I realize that is still a few weeks away, but I'll be patient.

This is truly one of the best feeling in the world, second only to holding that precious baby for the first time!

Our baby girl is 2½ now!!!  Well she's been 2½ for almost a week now but was waiting until her 30 month well baby visit to write a post about it.  She weighs 31½ pounds fully clothed on the doctor's scale, 30 pounds if you prefer to rely on the Wii Fit while wearing pajamas.  She is 36½ inches tall.  She's extremely healthy, eats most of her veggies and all fruits that grow under the sun.  She is TONS of fun, I really can't express how awesome and entertaining she is.  I love being her mommy, especially at those moments when she tells me that I'm her best friend or when she wraps her arms around me and says, "I love you too, Mommy!"  She is a lot of fun to be with most of the time but there are also those very trying moments, especially now that she has started telling me what she doesn't want to do.

While at the doctor I finally thought to mention something to her pediatrician that I have never thought to mention before.  You see, ever since I can remember (definitely as early as 3 months) when Y wakes up she sometimes has a lazy eye.  Now I never mentioned it to the doctor because I always thought it was typically something that babies experienced and that she would eventually grow out of it.  Well I realized a few weeks ago that she hadn't just "grown out of it" and decided that I would talk to her pediatrician about it, just to make sure it wasn't something I should be concerned about.  Upon describing it to him he immediately told us that we should definitely go and get it checked out.  He referred to a name for it but it was medical speak and I didn't really catch it.  So last night after dinner I sat down to do some research (I couldn't imagine being a parent without the internet) and I found that it is called Intermittent Exotropia.  It's "intermittent" because it doesn't happen 100% of the time, in fact the only time it seems to happen is when she wakes in the morning.  We have scheduled an appointment for her to see a Pediatric Ophthalmologist at DMC Children's Hospital in May.  We're not overly worried at this point, mostly because it's not something that happens all the time.  But the doctor expressed concerned that as she gets older it could worsen and it's often easier to correct at a younger age than it is as they grow older, the muscles can become more stubborn I suppose.  Best case scenario it will be something that can be "fixed" through Vision Therapy.  Worst case scenario means surgery but for many reasons this isn't an option for me at this point.  Mainly because she is so young and because it's not really a severe case.  I should also mention that there are a few options which fall between the best and worst case scenarios but if you read the information at the link above you can find more on the other options.

As of now we're staying positive and not worrying too much about it!

...that I can give Y a cup of water to drink and it will sit all day without her taking a single sip from it.  But if I put her in a bath with anything that even slightly resembles a cup she will inevitably fill it with water from her bath and drink it?!?

Any insight into this is welcome!

I think that it is a great disservice to parents (and to our kids) that we cannot remember our toddler years.  I'm sure if I could recall any of the mind boggling things I did as a toddler and/or preschooler then I would have abundantly more patience and understanding than I currently have.

Several weeks ago I came across an article entitled, "Why I Can't Stop Reading Mormon Housewife Blogs."  I myself thought the article was pretty witty and I actually enjoyed reading it.  I have read a few comments of those who have taken offense to it.  I guess it really depends on how you perceive it.  But after reading it I actually intended to write a post about how they should come visit the home of THIS Mormon "housewife" and see an entirely different side of things.

Yes, I do have an extremely handsome husband though I couldn't get him in a "cute lumberjack shirts and square-framed glasses" if my life depended on it.  Yes, I do think that my daughter could be a model for Baby GAP.  As for my home looking like an Anthropologie magazine...not so much!  I personally don't read "Mormon housewife blogs" regularly and probably never will.  In fact I've only ever come across them by accident or by clicking on a link someone else provided.  Maybe it's due to the fact that I really don't write my blog to entertain others so much and I write to vent (and inform) about what's going on in our life at the moment.  This blog is my release, my way of letting you guys (and the rest of the world if they're interested) into my thoughts, trials and life in general.  I don't write about arguments that I had with B, not because they don't happen but because I don't believe this is a place to write that.  And honestly, I generally don't feel that they're important enough to write about and who really wants to read a blog that discusses such private things?  I would rather go watch a soap opera to see that kinda thing (which I gave up cold turkey about 1½ years ago).

But enough about all of that, I really started writing this post because a few days ago I came across another article on a friend's Facebook page entitled, "What You Don't See."  And while I know that this article wasn't written in response to the previous article (it was written 9 months prior to the other) I think that it would make the perfect response if there was to be one.  At least it is a much more accurate depiction of my life as a "Mormon housewife" than that presented in the first article and in the blogs to which is refers

PS - I REALLY hate the word housewife, to me it sounds so degrading.  I am a stay at home mom, I am NOT a housewife.  I never really understood why I hated the word so much and I decided to google it.  What I came across solidified my stance on hating the word.  When I searched on Google it was this link that caught my eye, it is from wikiHow and along with giving the definition of housewife it also gives a list of 13 "suggestions to help you flourish in this role."  When I reached #2 and began reading it my hatred for the word grew! 

Suggestion #2 is: Maintain a Good Appearance.  Which alone is not a bad suggestion but when I continued reading what was below the heading, that is when I began rolling my eyes.  It says: 

It is all too easy to stop paying attention to your appearance when you have a husband, but that kind of behaviour makes men look elsewhere. While it was important to keep a good appearance during dating/courtship, it is even more important in a married relationship, a committed relationship. Try to spend some time each day making yourself look pretty, wearing clothes that delight him. A lot of women would do well to wear skirts more often, as many men dislike women wearing trousers. Keep in mind that not all men prefer dressy dresses and skirts everyday. If your husband continually tells you he likes when you wear a pair of jeans or trousers, by all means, take the hint, while staying neat and clean. Good grooming and hygiene are vital, so keep yourself neat and feminine by having a pretty hair cut, nice nails and smooth legs/underarms. Be happy to see him, and greet him with a smile.

Are you kidding me?!?!  Typically by the time B gets home from work I haven't even showered and I usually only shave my legs/underarms once a week, maybe TMI but is whoever wrote this serious?  I love my husband A LOT but for me, this  would be a bit much.

I also take issue with #4: Be Mindful and Considerate of Your Spouse's Needs which instructs me to "have his favorite drink ready" when he arrives home among other things.  And then there's #10:  Keep the house tidy and pleasant to be in which tells me that "There is no excuse for your spouse to come home to a mess, so make friends with your hoover and feather duster."  Has the person who wrote that ever lived in a house with a 2 year old.  If I am to follow their suggestion #10 there is no way I can possibly accomplish suggestion #2.

I cannot tell you how annoyed that made me and while it did have some good points they were overshadowed by the annoyingly stupid ones.  So I did one last Google search, "housewife vs stay at home mom" and I found a blog post written back in 2009 and basically it encompassed everything I felt.  Give it a read, it's appropriately titled, Stay at Home Mom vs. Housewife.

I guess all those suggestions just make me all the more appreciative of my husband who is often more understanding than I am when the house isn't as clean as it could be at the end of the day and who doesn't make a huge issue out of the fact that I'm not always showered by the time he arrives home.