Crying over milk

We are done nursing.  33 months and 12 days later.  Never in a million and one years did I think we would nurse this long.  Truthfully the only reason we are done is because I'm pregnant and my milk has completely dried up.  I can't even get one single drop out, which is so bittersweet. 

I've been telling those close to me for months now, that I was ready to be done.  I felt that Olivia was getting there, too.  She still needed that comfort though, she needed mommy's milk.  My milk has been gone for about 2 weeks now, but we still continued to nurse, despite the discomfort for me.  I know it was what she needed.  There were so many changes going on in her little life.  The potty training, the change of classroom, the talks of the new baby.  The nursing could remain her constant, until it was all gone.   She understood that mommy didn't have any more milk, but she would continue to ask still, both morning and night.  I would gut through it even though it was no longer comfortable for me, I could see how she needed it.

She hadn't asked to nurse for three days, then asked yesterday, and we nursed for about 3 minutes before she rolled over and went to sleep.  This morning she looked at me through sleepy eyes and told me/asked me, "Mommy's milk is all gone...?"  I can't help but feel emotional over our ended breastfeeding relationship.  I know my milk and the nursing have served their purpose in Olivia's life, and it's now time to allow my body some time to rest and focus on the new baby, but boy is this a bittersweet feeling. 

I always knew that whenever it ended I would feel sad.  I'm so thankful for the breastfeeding relationship that we had.  It evolved so much over time.  It went from being her only source of food to being the comfort she needed sometimes when being two years old was just too overwhelming for her to understand.  It helped us get through so many colds and bugs when that was the only fluids she would ingest.  It allowed us to really reconnect after a long and busy work-filled week.  It gave us an excuse to get away for some snuggle time during many holidays.  It made her strong and it made me strong.

Baby, oh baby.

Baby numero dos is on the way!  I've been so hoping and praying for this for sometime, and we are just truly over the moon.  It's funny when you want something so bad, and then it happens, and you are still in pretty much shock to find out that you are pregnant.  It felt so surreal, so emotional, but so exciting.

We are due late February/early March.  I am having a really hard time giving this baby a due date, especially the one my doctor has given us.  With Olivia, my body was clockwork, and had always been.  I went in to the doctor, and I could give them date of conception, and the very first ultrasound reflected that date, so it was perfect in my mind.  She still ended taking 11 extra days inside, but I was comfortable with that.  This time around, totally different.  Month to month my body and my cycle were so completely different.  I could have sworn I wasn't as far along as they were dating me at, and then we had our first ultrasound a couple of weeks ago, and baby only measured 2 days smaller than they were predicting, so we have to stick with our official doctor prescribed due date.  Which is fine, and I warned my doctor about no discussion of induction or pushing for anything to speed the process along until 42w1d.  Thankfully,  I love my doctor, and she is one of the more hands-off and let nature take it's course doctor.  We will get one more ultrasound around 20 weeks or so, and then she pretty much leaves me alone, aside from blood pressure checks, the gestational diabetes test and monthly fundal measurements.  

Guys, I have a sick secret, too.  I love being pregnant.  I don't know what it is, but I just feel happy.  Even through the sickness (which I've had quadruple the amount this time than the first), and the food aversions, and the exhaustion, and the emotional roller coasters, I still love it.  I think I'm mostly amazed with the process from start to finish, and how my body (and all women, for that matter) is so knowing and capable of creating, sustaining and producing life.  Amazing, I tell you.  

Olivia has been very excited along with us.  She insists that it's a girl, and that we are going to name her Penny.  She hugged and hugged the ultrasound and said, I love my sister so muuuuch.  I tried to tell her that there was a chance that baby could be a boy, and she was not having any of that.  I guess we will just have to cross that bridge if/when we get there.  

What an exciting and scary time.  

Precious Ramblings

Today was the first time that Olivia ever said the whole, "when I grow up."  She said she wanted to "be a teacher when I grow up." The she said she loved Ms. Raegan & Ms. Ashely, and that she also wanted to BE Ms. Ashley when she grew up. It was so sweet and such a cute conversation that we were able to have on part of the drive home.

Later in the afternoon we went swimming at the outdoor YMCA pool for the first time. We were sitting in a lawn chair during the hourly adult swim, and Olivia looked over at the family sitting next to us. Then she asked me, "what's that smell
I smell?" I told her that I wasn't sure, and that I smelled sunscreen. She looked over at their snacks and told me: I smell grapes and chips.

Some tidbits from our little conversationalist. She constantly keeps me laughing and I love hearing her being able to verbalize her thought process. I don't ever want to forget so many of theses memories and simple exchanges that we have.

We can't forget Thanksgiving with the Copelands!

The Oklahoma Copelands came down to spend Thanksgiving in Austin.  We love spending time with these guys!  The cousins are at such fun ages, and Olivia and Kai are only 6 weeks apart, to it's great to see them together.  

There is a playground right down the street!  We spend a lot of time there with the three kids.

Ready for some turkey!!!

With these busy and active kids we spent a lot of time planning and doing activities.  They are the perfect age for Pinterest ideas :)

The day after Thanksgiving we went to see Santa for the first time!  The only one who sat on his lap was Reese.

Two years old

It's hard to find the time or the energy to update my blog these days.  We are all doing amazingly well and life if good.  I'm so behind, but will try and catch up hopefully!  Last time I posted, Olivia had just turned 18 months old.

We celebrated her birthday a couple of times this year.  Once with her Duckling class, and once at our home with our close friends and family.  We went back and forth as to whether we should do a bigger party or not, but opted to hold out until Olivia has more "friends" and when she would better understand the birthday party concept.  I sure am glad we waited, because even with just a handful of people on her birthday she was pretty overwhelmed!  Additionally, we would later find out she was beginning to have an ear infection on the day we celebrated her 2nd birthday, so she was slightly cranky.


On the Friday before her birthday (December 7, 2012) we surprised Olivia at school after nap time.  She seemed pretty happy about that.

Olivia's sweet teachers, Ms. Ashley and Ms. Raegan, got her a gift.

 On Sunday family and friends, mostly grandparents, godparents, Aunt Sarah and a few other family members, came to our house to Celebrate Olivia.  Dave barbequed and I did some appetizers, rainbow fruit and veggies, and dips.

Olivia got an awesome pink "red Ryder" bike from the Copeland grandparents, and a small trampoline from the Jimenez grandparents.  What a lucky girl! We've had a lot of fun playing with these two toys.

Happy birthday to the sweetest, spunkiest, and smartest 2 year old I could ever imagine.  We love you!

Race for the Cure - November 4, 2012

A couple of girlfriends of mine and my mom and sister walked the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure downtown this year.  Fun times!  It was crazy and crowded though, but the weather was amazing.  It definitely made me miss racing, but I still haven't quite found the motivation to start running again.  One day.

Halloween 2012

How did I get so far behind!  I was looking through all of our pictures, and I realized I have not been keeping my blog up to date.   We have been busy and having so much fun.   This year for Halloween I had the motivation and inspiration to make Olivia's costume.  It has never really been important to me that Olivia or any child I have for that matter has a homemade costume, but I really enjoyed doing it, and I hope I can keep it up from year to year!

My friend, Karina, sent me the idea, and it was really something I was able to pull off.  I'm not much of a sewer, but I'm getting much better with crafts and I actually enjoy it for the most part.    

Cookie Monster was adorable!!!  Olivia really liked the costume, too, which was one of my biggest worries.  We didn't want the novelty of the costume to wear off before Halloween, so she only tried it on once.  She got to wear it in the school Halloween parade and then again for trick-or-treating in Gammie's neighborhood on Halloween night. 

The school Halloween parade was the cutest thing, EVER.  I'm already looking forward to it, again!  All of the classrooms dress up and then walk into the gym and sort of just parade around.  The parents are sitting on the sides of the gym, and in the bleachers.  I was on the floor, and Olivia saw me a few times and wanted to come stand with me, next time I will try to stay out of few.  

Silly cookie monster, and daze Buzz Lightyear, and a tired fire fighter.  

Olivia was happy as a clam and really didn't even eat or want to eat that much candy.