week 17/18

so this is about ian's 17th week (may 12-18) and the terror we experienced so far in week 18 (19th-21st) (actually, as i am coming back to finish this post it's already may 25th).  i think at this point i will just make my weekly updates monthly updates unless there is any real news to report!

week 17 was awesome.  ian really got into talking this week.  and i mean really.  he makes the sweetest noises ever- lots of sighs and coos- i obviously can't put them into words.  and of course, he's so sporadic with it, it would be impossible to catch it on film.  he also does this really funny heavy-breathing-type talk (dave and i call it ian's version of "whispering"), so we usually say he's telling secrets when that begins.  we took ian on a trip to milwaukee as well- he did really well, per usual.  it was nice to have a day away from everything here!

monday was a day i dreaded- more vaccinations!  ian had 3 more shots at his 4 month check up.  he also weighed in at 12 lbs 8 oz (down to the 10-25th%) and is up to 25" (down to just the 50th%).  the shots went the same as last time.  silence followed by gut-wrenching screams!  i cried, again.  the rest of that day went pretty well, but the aftermath has left thousands me lying in its wake.  tuesday:  fussy, but manageable.  wednesday: fussier, but manageable.  thursday:  on the verge of a mental breakdown.  friday:  still crazy, but i'm in control.

sidebar:  first of all, i love this blog.  i know every baby is different, but they still develop for the most part on similar schedules.  she has a week by week summary of her daughter's life in relation to the babywise methods.  i will usually compare these with ian's progress, and they're pretty spot-on as far as "typical" baby behavior goes.  friday morning while ian is laying on his play mat screaming at 6:30 am, i decide to check out the weekly updates (i hadn't done this the last 2 weeks).  it's here that i learn about the wonder weeks.  i have been secretly wanting this book for a while because i want to see what it's all about, but it's almost $25- which is ridiculous.  so i decide i'll check out the local library, and sure enough they have it!  so friday turns into miracle day.  since i had been up since 6 am, i feed ian and get him straight back down for his nap.  i follow this up with breakfast, shower, dressed, bed made, diaper bag packed and everything ready to go- all before ian's next feeding.  we head to the library to check the book out and this thing is SPOT ON with ian's recent behavior.  thank you jesus!

but let's forget the low light.  here are the highlights!

ian rolled over- belly to back on wednesday, and back to belly on thursday.  according to ww- learning a new skill is what  brings baby into crankiness.  their entire world changes- therefore cranky.

we have started rice cereal with ian.  nothing fancy- i'm just putting it into a bottle.  i'm not ready to start spoon feeding, and i'm trying to stick as closely to ebf as i can.  his last bottle of the day is breast milk and cereal- daddy gets to get involved by feeding him, and mommy gets a little break.

we received our crib recall kit.  this was awesome b\c since ian started rolling over, he could no longer sleep in the amby.  so husband fixed the crib, and it was ready to become ian's new sleeping place!  he's been sleeping in his crib for  naps and nighttime sleep.  he's doing pretty awesome!

we started cloth diapering!!  more on this later

thanks to my friend, lyn, i have ian on a more manageable babywise schedule.  it's working out for all parties involved.  5 feedings a day and 3 naps.  thank goodness for other friends who have been there before!

we celebrated family birthday time this weekend (me, dave, april, shannon (2 of dave's 3 sisters) and father's day).  our niece annabella is growing like a weed- and much to our delight and dismay- we're going to be an aunt and uncle again!!!!!!!!  shannon is pregnant and due november 29 (btw, annie was due november 27 and born november 17- so depending on how things go- these girls could be less than a year apart)!!  we're so excited that it's not us!!!!  i think poor shannon is terrified.  annie has been a handful!

my mom dad and brother will be here thursday!!!  we're having a baby dedication for ian on sunday. 

lots of excitement in our household!

the ability to roll over brings with it a new sleeping position!

stomach maladies!

boy, has baby McFadden gotten mommy's stomach all out of whack. first it was non-stop cramping (this was before I had taken a pregnancy test). the cramping still comes and goes, but it was pretty bad to begin with. then came the constipation, which I really didn't mind- I mean, not having to poop = awesome. then came the nausea and vomiting, which has lasted through my current week (week 18), but seems to be tapering off! with that I was finally unconstipated, but won't go into detail. if you are friends with me on facebook you may have seen that I flooded the basement of my in-laws house, not once, but twice (all in 1 week and 2 different toilets). now, part of this was the fact that their plumbing is really bad (this is according to the contractor who was remodeling their bathroom and saved me from the 2nd flooding by turning off the water in the entire house), and part of it was me (and probably his other pregnant sister who stays there a few nights a week). thanks to me though, there are 4 new toilets in the house, and they are fancy!

my latest problem is the inability to feel full sometimes. i really felt it last night. for dinner we had breakfast and I ate 3 pieces of bacon, a couple spoonfuls of eggs, a bowl of cheese grits, 1 blueberry pancake and 3 pecan pancakes (pancakes were small). Dave and I then went to Target to get our nephew a present for his 1st Birthday Party tomorrow, and on the way back home I wanted a hot fudge sundae from McDonald's (they have delicious sundae's). I ate all of that and then drank a glass of milk. needless to say I wasn't awake much longer after all that! I hope this calms down. I hate feeling gluttonous!

Update on my OCD Baby List.

There are now 34 women on my list. 8 have already given birth with 1 due any day now. 5 of the babies were girls, 4 boys.

7 people on the list are related to me (8 including myself). All are cousins, with the exception of my sister-in-law. 2 have been born (boy and girl). Of those on the way 2 are girls, 1 is a boy, 1 isn't finding out, and 2 aren't at 20 weeks yet.

The next 5 babies due are all boys. After that it's 7 girls, 3 boys and 1 mystery!

10 are at less than 20 weeks with me being the next to find out. 3 of those have announced their pregnancies THIS WEEK!

I made this list to keep up with names b\c I want to be safe on the baby name front- so far I am. This thing has turned more into a kind of math project!

Let's just say that baby fever is in the air. Every day at work I come into contact w\ at least 10 pregnant women + a few with newborns! Must be a good time to have a baby!! Does this mean the economy is turning around?!

Next Dr.'s appointment is on Monday!!

Week 18- Baby Bell Pepper (you choose the color)

How your baby's growing:Head to rump, your baby is about 5 1/2 inches long (about the length of a bell pepper) and he weighs almost 7 ounces. He's busy flexing his arms and legs — movements that you'll start noticing more and more in the weeks ahead. His blood vessels are visible through his thin skin, and his ears are now in their final position, although they're still standing out from his head a bit. A protective covering of myelin is beginning to form around his nerves, a process that will continue for a year after he's born. If you're having a girl, her uterus and fallopian tubes are formed and in place. If you're having a boy, his genitals are noticeable now, but he may hide them from you during an ultrasound.

From BabyCenter