... I'm having some serious doubts about the name we chose for this baby boy... even though I'm almost 34 weeks and we decided ages ago.
I really want to love Sullivan. It has a lot of meaning to me. It is my maiden name, a name that I was proud of and loved. I'll be honest- I was actually a little sad to wave goodbye to my maiden name and take my husband's name when we got married. I thought it would be a neat way to carry on the Sullivan family name- and apparently, so do a lot of the Sullivans!
BUT no matter how hard I've tried, I just can't picture calling a baby, or child, or even a teenager Sullivan. Sully, yes. I looove the nickname Sully. {It was my nickname in high school + college track & cross country} But Sullivan just sounds so clunky and long to me. I'm not sure if it's because it was my former last name or what... I thought I would get used to it over time, but I haven't. Every time I refer to this baby, I call him Sully, and I feel like I should love his full name as much (if not MORE) than his nickname. Some people have suggested just naming him Sully, but to me it isn't strong enough to stand alone as a first name, particularly for an adult in the business/professional world.
As time passes, I've been thinking worrying about this more and more. I feel a little funny changing it because it took us SO long to finally agree on a name, we've already announced it, it is already up on the nursery wall. At the same time, I'm just not 100% sold on the name.
The name that is growing on me more and more (which we ALMOST chose instead of Sullivan) is Emmett. Yes, it is similar to Elliot- which was the main thing holding me back before. Buuut, at this point, I'm just so happy to have a name we both agree on and love... and I actually really like how Elliot & Emmett sound together.
His full name would be Emmett Sullivan- so my maiden name would still be in there.
Hmmm... decisions, decisions!
How far along? 33 weeks 3 days.
Baby’s Size: a honeydew melon- 17.2-18.7 inches & 4.2-5.8 lbs.
Total Weight Gain: 30 lbs... well on my way to gaining 45 pounds again this pregnancy, like I did with Elliot. That's fine by me, as long as I lose it as easily and quickly this time!
Bellybutton: Out. :) Aaron is always poking it.
Stretchmarks: a couple more small and faint ones around my belly button :( Surprisingly, none on my butt this time around! I guess it did all it's stretching last pregnancy, haha!
Maternity Clothes: I {still} haven't bought any maternity clothes, isn't that nuts?! I'm just wearing my regular shorts, and my longer shirts and dresses.
Gender: all boy, as we all know. :)
Movement: Oh yes- and he's definitely still breech. His head is always under my ribs and it drives me INSANE. It's incredibly uncomfortable, especially when I'm sitting down.
Sleep: I've been falling asleep on the couch every night by 9 before dragging myself up to bed. We've been busy, it's been hot, and I've been exhausted. So I'm sleeping relatively well- other than waking up to pee.
Symptoms: plenty of braxton hicks, lots of pressure, SUPER swollen feet/ankles, lower back pain... I'm just not comfy these days. I love being pregnant but I'm pretty much over it now. Excited for the next few weeks to pass so I can meet my baby boy and NOT be pregnant anymore!
Food Aversions: Are you kidding me? EVERYTHING looks and sounds good these days...
Food Cravings: ice cream, ice cream, ice cream. And chocolate. Even in the morning! Don't worry, I don't eat any that early... but I certainly do think about it!
Best Moments this week: Aaron randomly turned to me a few days ago and said, "I can't wait for Sully to be here." We're generally so busy right now with Elliot and just... life... that we don't just sit and talk about his upcoming arrival the way we did when I was pregnant with Elliot. So it was really cute to hear him randomly say that. :)
What I miss: I'm ready to start running again, to get my body back, and to be able to sit comfortably.
What I am Looking forward to: OB appointment next Monday, and we are also going to finish up shopping for the rest of what we need for Sully. It's so exciting to be buying "little baby" things again!
Milestones: Only four weeks until full term, and seven weeks until my due date!
We're alive. I swear. We have been SUPER busy and I just haven't had the time or energy to blog lately. Soo, let's play a little game of catch up, shall we?
Elliot finally got better... and then got sick again. He was better for about a week, and now he has another cough and nose full of green snot. I don't know if it's allergies or some kind of bug that he just can't shake... but it's driving me insane.
My sweet baby boy turned 16 months old.
It has been hot here in Texas so we have been spending most of our time outside. Elliot wouldn't have it any other way!
Elliot started WALKING!! He went from only taking a step or two to walking clear across the room, or around the pool, etc... in one day. I suspect he was just fooling us all along.
Elliot has become a collector. Every time we go outside, he walks around collecting sticks, bark, flowers, grass, etc... as much as he can fit into his hands. Then he insists on bringing his collections home with him. It's pretty darn cute.
I am 33 weeks pregnant. Where has time gone?! It feels like I took that pregnancy test just days ago! I've been having a lot more contractions and some intense pressure lately. My feet, ankles, and knees are also swelling really bad now, like they did in the last weeks before Elliot was born. I'm fairly certain that he is going to be bigger than Elliot was. His movement is SO much stronger (and more painful!). I also think he is mostly transverse/breech. He seems to always be pressing/driving his head into my right ribcage, like Elliot did. It is extremely uncomfortable, especially when I'm sitting down. I'm always wondering if Sully is planning an early arrival, like his brother, or if he is going to stay in there for the long haul.
The final, BEST news ever:
Aaron is now not deploying until October! Which means he will be home for the birth and first months of Sullivan's life (the months he missed with Elliot). It should also give me plenty of time to adjust to caring for two babies and establish a good routine. I am SO relieved!!
I know I haven't been blogging- no time. Here's an updated list of my poor Elliot's symptoms:
- fever finally gone after 4 days
- red, puffy eyes gone.
- 2 ear infections
- cough
- runny nose
- diarrhea- the WORST. We've gone through nine diapers already in the two hours that he's been awake.
- RASH- this is new. Red, splotchy rash over his belly and back. Popped up out of nowhere yesterday evening, doesn't seem any worse this morning.
I'm thinking he may have Roseola on top of the ear infections. He seems to fit all the symptoms, especially now that the rash has appeared after his fever finally went away. That would actually be relatively good news because usually they get better shortly after the rash appears.
My poor baby!
Elliot has had a thick runny nose for weeks now. WEEKS. At first, I thought it was just a cold. Then, I decided that it was probably allergies, because allergy season is in full swing here in Texas and I've been feeling pretty crappy lately thanks to my allergies.
Friday he started running a temperature that slowly turned into a high fever, and he also started having diarrhea. Yesterday, he was completely lethargic and out of it. He was even exhausted after waking up from his THREE AND A HALF HOUR nap! His fever had broken, and it was HOT outside, so we decided to head out to the river where Elliot would have a nice distraction {he was super fussy just hanging out around the house}. Well, he didn't want to play in the water, explore the rocks, eat smores, or do ANYTHING, really.
After a little bit, his fever returned and he was just laying in everyone's laps looking quite pathetic and miserable.
... and before long, he just konked out right in the midst of all the noise and activity.
We packed up and headed home. He was just burning up. BURNING UP! Of course, I couldn't find our thermometers {somehow Elliot had managed to lose both of them} and none of our neighbors happened to have one, either. So after some debate, we decided to give him a quick lukewarm bath, followed by the bottle he was begging us for, more Tylenol, and we put him to bed.
He slept fine until about 3am, when he woke up screaming because his fever had spiked again and his sheets and clothes and... everything... was covered in poop. I stayed up with him from 3-7 before he finally fell asleep again. The minute he woke up we headed straight for the ER to find out what the heck was wrong with our little man.
Turns out, he has an ear infection in each ear, and the doctor was concerned because he was also showing a lot of flulike symptoms. In her words, he "looked" like the flu with his high fever, red eyes and cheeks, runny nose, and his poor sore bum. Sooo, we were sent home with medications and are supposed to head straight back if he gets any worse.
One of the hardest parts about being a mama is when your little love gets sick and there's nothing you can really do about it other than try to comfort them. :( Hopefully he feels better soon!
Elliot woke up from his morning nap yesterday to a pleasant surprise- Daddy had come home for lunch!
... and he was taking a nap, too!!
So he decided to cuddle up on the couch with him for awhile.
♥
But soon it was time for him to go back to work.
Where did he go?
The thought that he might do this, look and wait and wonder where Daddy went and when he's coming back, breaks my heart into a million pieces. Before, when Aaron deployed, I only had to worry about myself. Now, I'm not the only one getting left behind.
... and let's not forget about THIS little guy, either. He won't even meet his father until he is probably 6+ months old!
You know what I'll miss the most? The simple things. Watching Aaron and Elliot cuddle and play and laugh together. Doing things as a family. Just being together, even if we aren't doing anything at all. Nothing makes me happier.
All the more reason to enjoy our last weeks, days, and minutes together! :)
One of the wonderful things about having another baby boy (other than the fact that Elliot will have a brother so close to his age to grow up with!) is the fact that I don't really have much to buy.
However, there are a still a few things that I need want and several things to do. In fact, for some silly reason, this pregnant woman was up from 3-5am last night thinking about all the things I want to buy or have done before Aaron leaves. I had woken up to pee {oh the joys of being pregnant} and then, no matter how hard I tried, I just could not shut my brain off and STOP THINKING! It suddenly hit me that I'll be 34-35ish weeks pregnant when he leaves, and if Sullivan is anything like his brother, he could be born soon after that!
So, I decided to organize my thoughts into a blog post.
Shopping for Sully:
- new infant seat. This one isn't a NECCESSITY, because we kept Elliot's. BUT it is a little dirty and smells mildew-y from our shed. It has also been banged up on a plane a couple of times so I think I'd like a fresh start for Sullivan.
Graco SnugRide, pasadena {$71 @ Walmart}
- sling. I wore Elliot all the time as an infant and plan to do the same with Sully. I mostly used the bjorn with Elliot but would like to give slings a try while Sully is tiny.
Balboa Baby sling, lola {$59.99 @ Target}
- blanket(s). Elliot has recently grown very attached to "his blankie" so I want to get a couple special ones for Sully, too. :)
Birds in Bermuda minky blanket with satin trim {prices vary by size @ My Wooby and Me etsy shop}
Lime green chevron baby blanket {$36.00 @ Giggle Six Baby etsy shop.}
- more minky burp cloths I couldn't live without these when Elliot was small and spitting up all the time, so I want to add a few more to my collection.
minky burp cloths {$6.50 each @ Kemaily etsy shop.}
"Little Brother" onesies.
little brother onesie & big brother shirt {$18.00 @ Easy Edges etsy shop.}
-Disposable diapers. Cloth diapering has been going so well for us lately that we actually don't have any sposies in the house. I want to stock up on a couple bags for Elliot {for babysitters while I'm in the hospital} and a couple boxes of Newborn and size 1 for Sully. I don't plan on cloth diapering Sullivan until he is at least a few weeks old and until he fits into one-size diapers. Elliot should still be in cloth during that time, but I don't think I'll want to tackle cloth diapering TWO babies until I've gotten the hang of just caring for two babies in general and established a good routine. Who knows though, I might change my mind!
-Glider. For reading to & rocking Elliot in, and also for breastfeeding Sully. Haven't picked out a specific one yet.
-Nursing tanks + bras. I have a few bras I liked when I was nursing Elliot, but I need to get more- and I don't have ANY nursing tanks since it was the middle of winter when Elliot was born. Any suggestions on good brands would be great!
Things to Do {before Aaron leaves}:
- organize boys' closet
- change Elliot's bedtime routine/wean
- move & reinstall Elliot's carseat and install infant seat
- pack hospital bag
- set up pack & play next to our bed
- renew my military ID {current ID expires while he is deployed}
... I think there was more, but now I can't remember.
I have accomplished one of my goals- organizing the boys' closet! Yay! You should've seen it before... it was a disaster.
Some of Sully's newborn/0-3 sleepers on the left, some of Elliot's shirts on the right.
top shelf: tummy time mat, breast pump, bumbo, tub, baby bjorn (in tub), extra boppy
bottom shelf: crate full of cloth diaper inserts, receiving blankets, burp cloths, bibs, head support, crib mirror, frames that still need to be hung
Sully's newborn & 0-3 onesies. It'll be 100+ degrees outside by the time he's born, so I doubt he'll wear much else.
Elliot is 15 months old. His doctors have been telling me he was supposed to be weaned off the bottle months ago, but... HOW?
Right now, he gets 2-3 bottles a day. He used to get 8 ounces, but I've cut him back to 6- and will probably continue giving him less over time to help him wean? One before each nap {sometimes he only takes one nap} and one before bed. No, I don't give it to him in his crib or anything. He never walks/crawls around with it, either- and he doesn't get anything other than milk in his bottles. He drinks water out of his straw sippy throughout the day... and has had milk in it before, too.
At naptime, I put some soft music on, and we sit on the couch together, with him in my lap, while I give him his bottle. Once he's finished {he doesn't usually finish the whole thing these days}, I stand up and rock/bounce him for a few minutes before bringing him up to his room and laying him down. His naps are kind of all over the place right now. Until recently, he always napped at 10 and 3. Well, lately his morning nap has been later- 11-12ish. Then he gets SUPER tired between 4 and 5, like, he is practically falling asleep/having meltdowns about the smallest things. So sometimes he will take a nap around then, but if we're busy/out he won't. If he only had the one nap a day, he would literally be ready for bed by 6. And that's just not practical for us, since my husband doesn't get home until after 5.
At bedtime, he gets his bath between 7-7:30, then he gets all cozy in his pajamas and we head back downstairs for his bottle. For whatever reason, bedtime is easier. I don't really rock or bounce him much- I can lay him down sleepily awake and he usually won't even cry- he just falls asleep on his own. Naps, on the other hand, are a different story. I sometimes spend a long time rocking/bouncing him before I can put him in his crib... and no matter how tired he is, he starts crying the second I lay him down.
Whenever he is tired, he starts asking for his "baba." It's the only word he says, and he sounds sooo cute and sweet when he asks for it. The bottle is his way of transitioning from being a wide awake wild child to a sleepy little one. I've tried on multiple occasions just rocking him without the bottle, and he usually won't even lay still. He squirms and looks at me like I'm a crazy woman. He just knows, when he sees the bottle, that it's time to go to sleep.
Elliot and his blankie, right after he woke up from a nap.
My plan? Elliot has recently become very attached to his blanket. Whenever he wakes up, he insists on bringing it with him and cuddling it for a few minutes before he's ready to tackle the day. I was thinking of kind of using that to my advantage. I want to get a glider for his room, because his rocking chair is cute, but NOT comfortable to rock in. Then, I was thinking of trying to just go upstairs into his room, where his lullaby music is always playing, and rocking him in my lap for awhile with his blankie in his lap. The tricky part here is that I don't want him to get dependent on being completely rocked to sleep- especially not with the new baby coming. I'd like to be able to just rock him for a few minutes, maybe even introduce reading a bedtime story, and then lay him down awake without too much drama. Sounds pretty simple, right? I don't know if it will be quite so easy, though!
So here's my question to you-
How/when did you wean from the bottle {or boob?}
Any tips? Tricks? Suggestions?
Oh, one more thing-
At what age do most people start reading bedtime stories before bed?
Some of my favorite childhood memories involve laying in bed with my parents and reading a book {or two, or three...} before bed. I've always wanted to do the same with my kids- but is it too early? It just seems like such a foreign idea right now, so far off from our current bedtime routine. We read books during the day, during playtime!
My goal is to have him completely weaned before Sully is born- so that gives me approximately 2 months. I don't want it to be too traumatic of an experience for him. And he's been sleeping GREAT at night lately- 12-13 hours straight every night... I'd like to keep it that way!
Tonight, we went to the deployment briefing.
Oh wait, didn't you know?
Aaron deploys next month.
... and I just found out today.
The briefing was pretty neat, though. We got to see pictures of where Aaron will be eating, sleeping, working {and even going to the bathroom, hah!} for the next twelve months. Compared to his last deployment, during which he lived in a fox hole, he is going to be living large! The mountains surrounding their base are beautiful, too. And I told him he better visit the local bazaars and come back with a magic carpet for me- aka an authentic, hand-made rug.
They had some neat goodies for the kids, like these little soldier dolls you put a picture of Daddy's face into, and teddy bears dressed in their own little uniforms.
... I guess it hasn't really sank in yet that Aaron will be leaving again so soon. The Army likes to change their mind every other day so it's hard to believe anything they say these days. I'm absolutely dreading this deployment, saying goodbye and {gulp!} watching Elliot say goodbye. Not to mention the fact that Aaron will be missing the birth of his second son. I knew what I signed up for when I married my soldier. We'll get through it. I just wish it wasn't coming up so soon!
I'll leave you with a quotation:
“Distance has no correlation to love. Nothing can stand in between two people whose hearts are completely in love. Not a continent. Not a war.”
Daddy's home! {taken a few weeks ago}
