The Mroczkowski Family

2011 Review

2011-12-28T11:15:00.000-06:00

I'm sure I sound like a broken record by stating this year just flew by and I can't believe it is almost over...but really, these years have got to slow down sometime, right? Probably not!

This year was such an amazing one filled with changes and adjustments. During the winter months we were still adjusting to having a newborn and in April we switched daycares. It was a tough decision but in the end, we are so glad we did it. Libby became 100% potty trained and adjusted very quickly to her new room. She even started to read/write after only a few weeks there. TJ was the laid back kinda kiddo we had hoped he would be and adjusted quickly also. Because the daycare was so closeby home with only a 5-7 min commute, I got to start working from home. That has made such a huge impact on our lives because now I can be more available. I also celebrated my 9th year at AT&T in June. I think we are all surprised by that one. =)

Libby continues to become a little girl with each passing day. She has really taken to ballet and loves to draw and make up songs. Some of her favorite things to do is watch movies and do arts and crafts. Don't think she's a girlie girl though...she still loves to go outside and hunt for bugs...but she has to be in a tutu doing it.

TJ is just growing like a weed and went from starting to crawl in late September to walking in mid November to running in early December. He is still pretty laid back except when he doesn't get when he wants and then can we say temper!! I can't wait to see how he changes over the next year. Luckily, he is still a momma's boy so I get to love on him a lot.

Jim is still burning the candle at both ends, running ragged after the kiddos and doing as much freelance writing as he can while looking for a more "offline" job. All those years of working on the internet seem to have finally gotten to him!

Here is to another year ending and another one beginning! Happy 2012 from the Skis!!
Jim, Holly, Libby (4), and TJ (1)

Game Night

2011-12-28T10:37:00.001-06:00

Originally uploaded by Holly Mroczkowski.

Game night can bring out the best or worst in people...turns out my daughter is much more like me than i realized. she likes to win. =)

My presents

2011-12-26T19:52:00.001-06:00

Hope all your dreams came true...mine did with these two

Jingle Bell Ball

2011-12-17T16:52:00.001-06:00

Thursday night, Libby's daycare/school put on their Christmas Program called the Jingle Bell Ball. Libby not only sang with her class but also did her first ballet performance. I won't lie - I cried a little. It was absolutely adorable!!

Memories

2011-12-11T19:53:00.001-06:00

I remember these days...

Happy Saint Nick's Day!

2011-12-06T12:36:00.001-06:00

Merry Christmas!

2011-11-27T13:32:00.001-06:00

Family

2011-11-27T12:23:00.001-06:00

Peekaboo!

2011-11-26T09:43:00.001-06:00

11.25.11 Peek a boo (3)
Originally uploaded by Holly Mroczkowski.

Happy Thanksgiving!!

2011-11-24T19:49:00.001-06:00

11.24.11 Crazy Duo
Originally uploaded by Holly Mroczkowski.

This is what I am most thankful for!!

New Kitty, Happy Kitty

2011-11-22T21:23:00.001-06:00

So we were wrong and the kitty is a girl and not a boy...so we officially welcome Abby Cadaby (aka Abby) to the Ski household :)

Mr. Peppers

2011-11-21T20:11:00.000-06:00

Another Walker!

2011-11-17T22:00:00.001-06:00

TJ took his first steps a few weeks ago and is quickly getting more and more steady. We figure by Christmas he will be running around chasing Libby. Let the fun begin!

Happy Halloween!

2011-11-01T07:21:00.001-06:00

Happy Halloween!
Originally uploaded by Holly Mroczkowski.

Our little ones are as sweet as candy...they weren't monsters at all =)

Future Artist

2011-10-26T08:45:00.001-06:00

10.13.11 TJ (11)
Originally uploaded by Holly Mroczkowski.

TJ LOVES to do arts and crafts. If he is even a little fussy, give him a crayon and watch him go. Sure, he'll try to eat it for a little bit but he mostly just wants to color. I'm thinking we have a future artist on the horizon.

Reading

2011-10-26T08:44:00.001-06:00

Untitled
Originally uploaded by Holly Mroczkowski.

Libby is really trying to read. No one is prouder than her Daddy.

Pretty, Pretty Princess

2011-10-26T08:43:00.001-06:00

Originally uploaded by Holly Mroczkowski.

Libby has really gotten into playing games. Her Godfather gave her Pretty Pretty Princess for her birthday and she kicks butt at it. This is her "I beat you" dance/face. Adorable

My girl

2011-10-02T13:42:00.001-06:00

10.01.11 Libby's 4th Birthday Party (35)
Originally uploaded by Holly Mroczkowski.

No matter how big you get, you will always be my special girl.

Curious Monkey

2011-09-21T08:46:00.001-06:00

09.17.11 TJ
Originally uploaded by Holly Mroczkowski.

Always...
...looking around, watching what's around.
...getting into EVERYTHING and anything he can grab
...looking so sweet and lovable

love this boy

Dynamic Duo

2011-09-21T08:42:00.001-06:00

09.11.11 Libby and TJ (1)
Originally uploaded by Holly Mroczkowski.

These are are going to be a force once TJ gets a little older. Libby will order him around and TJ will do whatever his older sister said (well, maybe for awhile).

For now, it's awesome to see them interact.

TJ's First Birthday Party

2011-08-15T12:35:00.000-06:00

TJ is one! I can't believe it!! We had his first birthday party over the weekend and he had a blast (as you can see from the pictures below. I highly recommend the video...I have never seen a baby attack a cake like that. Too awesome. In any case, ENJOY! =)

TJ's Birthday

2011-08-10T14:28:00.001-06:00

08.11.10 TJ's Birthday (21)
Originally uploaded by Holly Mroczkowski.

I'll do more posting...but right now I am trying to wrap my brain around the fact that a year ago (tomorrow) is when I finally got to meet my son face to face. It was a dream come true.

My Heroes

2011-08-03T08:24:00.001-06:00

07.28.11 Super Libby and Super Daddy (1)
Originally uploaded by Holly Mroczkowski.

Absentee Mom

2011-07-24T19:48:00.000-06:00

I'm trying to get into shape so I am at the gym a lot in the evenings. I try to go during dinner so I can spend quality time with the kids playing. Then I get a text with this on it. Maybe I should rethink going out during dinner.

Pony Rides

2011-07-24T19:40:00.000-06:00

Libby loves animals. She constantly asks about riding horses specifically. When I learned that her daycare was going to have a pony riding day I jumped at the chance to document it with my camera. She didn't disappointed and was so happy to be on that horse - whose name was Honey.

Pure joy!

Good or Bad?

2011-07-22T15:33:00.001-06:00

07.11.11 playing (15)
Originally uploaded by Holly Mroczkowski.

Is he up to no good? He'll never tell!

TJ vs Libby: 11 Months

2011-07-19T05:31:00.002-06:00

Everyone says my kids look exactly alike...well, here is Libby at 11 months vs TJ at 11 months. What do you think?

Libby:

TJ:

TJ: 10 and 11 Months

2011-07-10T19:40:00.000-06:00

Obviously I have gotten busy...erm lazy ... in terms of posting here. I can't believe I skipped TJ's 10 month post! Shame on me! In any case, lots have happened in the past few months. Here are some of the most noteworthy:

Sleeping through the night - once we were over the last ear infection 5 weeks ago he started sleeping through the night. It was a LONG 10 months but I think we're finally able to say he's sleeping through the night right now.
Teething - He is up to NINE teeth. Yes, NINE.
Kisses - When he misses me, he brings me close, opens his mouth, sticks out his tongue, and freaks me the heck out with his mouth full of teeth...that's his version of kissing and it is adorable and frightening!
Talking - He is always babbling about something. I thought since Libby never stopped talking he would be our quiet one...I don't think so.
Moving around - While he isn't crawling or walking (or coming close), he is able to move around. He's quiet about it and is stealthy like a ninja. You can't figure out how exactly he is doing it but somehow he scoots everywhere just like his big sister did. He just isn't as flamboyant about it.
Table Food - He is a billy goat! He is completely off baby food and will eat anything that I put near his mouth. Sadly he eats more food than his almost 4 year old sister does.
Clothing - He is up to a size 3T in clothes. That even breaks our record with Miss Libby!
Water - This boy LOVES his baths and loves water of any kind. Turn on a facet and you can entertain him for hours.

That's about all that is fit to print for us for the past 2 months. It is hard to believe the next time I write one of these he'll no longer be considered a baby. Of course, he'll always be my baby. =)

TJ's First Hair Cut

2011-07-10T19:24:00.000-06:00

TJ had his first real hair cut today. I took him to Sweet & Sassy at West County Mall and made an afternoon of it. First we went shopping for his birthday party stuff and then people watched at the mall until his appointment at 3:00. It was awesome just getting to spend one on one time with him. I was a tad nervous about the hair cut and made it on a whim yesterday after noticing how crazy his hair had gotten in the last few days. As usual, he showed me I had nothing to worry about and that he is just an angel. He no longer looks like a baby though and looks like a little man. Adorable!! Here are the before/after pictures with more to come later that weren't taken with my phone =)

Before (after just waking up from a nap)

And after including a celebratory cookie since he was so awesome!

TJ: 9 Months

2011-05-15T06:00:00.000-06:00

I thought this went fast with Libby. It is nothing compared to how fast time flies with your 2nd. TJ is such a fun, happy baby and it's such a joy to watch him develop each day. He's so sociable...we didn't have that with Libby. Although we are reaching the stage with stranger anxiety. Honestly, if you just smile, coo at him, and tell him how cute/sweet he is, he will be completely comfortable with you. We have had a few bad drop offs lately at daycare. Honestly, I think that was because he had to stay at home with me for almost a week due to a double ear infection that just would not go away. We tried 3 kinds of antibiotics and ended up with a med-cocktail of antibiotic, ear drops and steroids. That's right - I had to give my almost 9 month old steroids for an ear infection. =( The good news is it worked! The bad news is we can't keep doing that if he continues to get sick with ear infections. The Dr said we can give it one more time to see if the antibiotics work by themselves at his next ear infection (if it is occurs), but then we'll be off to see the ENT about tubes. I am trying to avoid that at all costs if I can...but I also want what is best for him so we will do whatever.

In happier news, TJ is having table foods! Like a rock star! I mean we always joked that he wanted a steak and potato versus the mushed up baby food...but seriously on day 1 of telling the daycare to go for it, he had a ham & cheese sandwich and green beans. Inhaled them. I guess I was holding him back. Not anymore! He won't eat much at home but at least he is trying things at daycare.

Now that the ear infection has gotten better, sleeping as improved too. He's not eating near as much during the night and only gets up once between 11-3 and then that's it and he's good to go until breakfast at 8. At least, until I publish this and totally jinx it.

Crawling is still not happening but we're working on it. I still think he is going to walk before he crawls and just bypass that step/milestone. He sure does love to stand and is getting so good at it! We're working on pulling up but we've got awhile to go. He's a big boy so that is pretty hard. TJ is doing awesome at trying to bring himself up from laying down to a sitting position though. That's really my next focus - although I'm not sure I want him to do that because changing this squirmy boy is already hard enough!

Oh and he loves saying, "so big" or just celebrating anything at all. Take a look at this adorable video from last night.

So for those keeping track at home, TJ is now 31 inches long and 29lbs 7.5 oz after a VERY hefty breakfast. I really think he's closer to mid to upper 28lbs...but we'll count that since that's what they have. In any case, he's the size of a 2 y/o and I love every inch/roll of him!

Happiness

2011-05-09T12:04:00.001-06:00

Originally uploaded by Holly Mroczkowski.

My girl loves her the carousel at the St Louis Zoo. This was her first time riding solo. She was SO EXCITED!

My Boy

2011-04-19T15:00:00.001-06:00

04.17.11 Easter Pictures (47)
Originally uploaded by Holly Mroczkowski.

I love my boy

TJ: 8 Months

2011-04-11T05:00:00.019-06:00

My little boy. He's really turning it a little guy. I can totally see a difference between little girls and little boys. He's my little ray of sunshine. Almost always happy. Really the one time he is fussy is when he is sleepy or really hungry during the middle of the night (which is getting slightly better but still exhausting!).

Some big changes really happened in the last few weeks. We left the daycare we have been at for 2.5 years. TJ was a real stud about it and didn't even miss a beat. Honestly, he seems to love it at the new daycare and the teachers are so wonderful with him. He's already becoming more vocal and is just so darn happy when I pick him up now...and definitely more exhausted which might be why he's sleeping a little bit better at night. One good thing is the separation anxiety, although here, hasn't hit at daycare yet. He is absolutely content to cuddle with any one of his teachers and they seem to be more than willing to cuddle with him. It's wonderful.

The other big news is TJ finally is ok with rolling! The little turkey finally did it and that was the final straw with the swaddling. Honestly, I think at the end he really wasn't enjoying it anymore and wanted to be "free". We haven't swaddle for over a week now and it's going really well. We still put socks on his hands cause the boy can't seem to leave his poor face alone.

We are still working on crawling. He'll go backwards but honestly the boy wants to walk. He loves to stand and will try to shuffle his feet. I think he might skip crawling and just go to walking honestly.

Oh, and, I can't believe I am saying this but he's in 24 month clothes. Comfortably. I had to go out and buy him 3T (since the 2Ts really don't get us much extra room) for late summer when it gets super hot cause I know we maybe have 2 months left (if we are lucky) in these clothes. I can't believe I am already buying him 3Ts!!

Over the next month, things should be interesting to watch. We are going to be able to be outside more...which he absolutely loves so far. When I get him into the stroller his arms/legs/feet go crazy and he just wants to go go go. I can't wait to see him start to get really excited about certain things and showing preferences. This summer is going to be AWESOME!!

And now to note some new things for this month:

talking more and more
rolling over (YAY!)
changing daycares - which I swear is the reason he is talking more and more
separation anxiety - someone must always be playing with him
puffs - he can't seem to pick them up but once you put it in his mouth he gets very excited!
no infant tub - since TJ is really sitting up 100% on his own now, I took away his infant tub in the bath. He looked so uncomfortable cause he couldn't stretch out. Now he just splashes and kicks and has such a good time. He's my water baby and would stay in there all of the time if I let him!

and of course some of my favorite pictures from the past few weeks...

All Girl

2011-03-13T20:00:00.000-06:00

My girl likes to get dirty while wearing tutus. But what she really likes to do is pose for pictures. Which is great because I need the practice in getting used to my new camera.

TJ: 7 Months

2011-03-13T19:51:00.000-06:00

I am determined not to wait so long to do the 7 months write up. =) I am only a couple of days late this time around. The past month has really been about developing gross motor skills and personality. Oh, and not allowing us to sleep. TJ can now sit and play with his sister, get very upset when a toy is taken away or rolls away, and plays/laughs whenever anyone does anything even remotely funny. One thing he is lacking is the ability to sleep. It started about at 6 months and unfortunately carried over into this month. We had hoped it was teething but now we are sure it isn't. I had the Dr check his ears this past weekend even just to double check that it wasn't an ear infection...she said no and that it was probably just separation anxiety. Great. That's not an easy fix but I remember going through this with Libby too. I know it'll pass. The good, late breaking development is that TJ has declared a love for a blanket. Maybe it'll help him sleep through the night. It definitely helps him go to sleep at nap time!

I've given up on him rolling over. I know he can and just doesn't want to. You want to know how I know? He rolls 90% over, looks at me, grins in his adorable TJ man way, and then rolls back. Now tell me he isn't doing that on purpose? He's getting closer to crawling. I am 99% sure he won't be a butt scooter like his sister. He can twist and turn like a mad man on the floor to get what he wants and his knees are definitely attempting to set up for crawling. I guess it is just a matter of time now!

One thing that seems to be consistent is his size. On Saturday he weighed in at 26lbs but that was after solids + a 6oz bottle so that isn't entirely fair. I haven't measured him and we won't go back officially for measurements until 9 months (May), so I don't know how much taller he is but I have a hard time carrying him around now cause he's so long. Oh and oh so strong. I'm going to predict once that boy can crawl/walk won't want to be cuddled by his momma anymore. He's already fighting it unless he is sleepy. Sigh. It's going too fast.

A positive note was I got a new camera a few weeks back so I can take some really great shots of him now. So stay tuned! Here is just a preview of some of my favorites from the past few days.

Glasses

2011-03-06T12:38:00.001-06:00

While I haven't formally posted about it, those of you that look at our family's pictures may have noticed something different about our girlie. She now has glasses. I started noticing in December that one of her eyes intermittent went inward and took her to the eye dr in early February. He confirmed that she was far sighted and had a form of lazy eye. So we are trying out glasses and hoping they work vs going the surgery route. This whole experience was very hard on me because I didn't want her to have to grow up this fast. Now she has to be responsible enough to take care of something at 3 years old. I have to say that she is doing incredibly well with them. Plus, she looks pretty darn cute! The next step is a follow up in June to see if they have 1) helped any and 2) if they are working. The hope is that they will correct her eyes and build the muscle over time and she won't have to wear glasses forever. My hope is that the glasses work and anything about that is great, but I just don't want her to have to have surgery.

Family

2011-03-06T12:33:00.000-06:00

I got a new computer and webcam this past week and we decided to try it out. It was the first time we have actually all been in a photo together so it's really special to me. I just wish it was better quality. In any case, it is my favorite picture of the year so far!

TJ: 6 Months

2011-03-06T12:31:00.000-06:00

So I am almost a month behind in posting TJ's 6 month info. Sorry!! It's been a crazy month. In any case, TJ is definitely 6 months and his personality is developing more and more each day. Teeth were the new thing this month. I gotta say - we are not big fans of teething in our household. It is impacting every aspect of our lives ... mostly because we are losing so much sleep to it! The fun part of this past month, thought, is watching the relationship blossom between TJ and Libby. They are, at this point in time, best friends. TJ worships the ground she walks on and Libby, well, she likes running the show and having a captive audience.

I have to say 6 months is really my favorite. Any month after this is just icing on the cake. It was my favorite month with Libby too. Their likes/dislikes seem to shine through. He's also interacting more and more with the world around him and is loving life.

Stats:

Weight: 24lbs 1oz
Length: 28 inches

Likes:

Food
Pulling hair
Putting his fingers up your nose or in your eye
Baths
Playing with his sister
Sitting up - not a fan of laying down
Chair dancing - he wiggles down!
Talking
Paper - give him something crinkly and he will be content for quite some time
Singing - he loves music soooo much

Dislikes:

Not getting fed fast enough
Suctioning his nose
Medicine
Shots

New Milestones:

Sitting up
More solid foods - Moved to Stage 2 and loving it!
Reaching for things - he could always reach for items but now when he sees something he wants, he goes after it with all his might

Many faces of TJ

2011-02-28T15:15:00.000-06:00

Hair

2011-02-23T11:27:00.000-06:00

TJ LOVES hair. A lot. Lucky for him, his sister has a lot of it. It's not so lucky for her...although she seems to find it funny when he gets it. Watch this hair pulling event take place...

uh oh - hair has been spotted

GRAB!

post grab

you won't get me twice!

Family

2011-02-23T11:14:00.002-06:00

This past weekend we celebrated my sister, brother and my birthdays. We actually spent the whole weekend with my parents and the kiddos got some quality time with them. Of course I had my camera with me and wanted to share a few of my absolute favorite shots.

6 Month Comparison

2011-02-21T12:00:00.000-06:00

I know I still owe a "6 month" update on TJ...but until then here is Libby vs TJ at 6 months. TJ is bigger than Libby by 0.5lbs and 0.5inches. Too cute!

VS.

Future Crawler

2011-01-23T15:31:00.001-06:00

Originally uploaded by Holly Mroczkowski.

Yes, that's right...he is already trying to crawl and can move a couple of inches at a time. Craziness!

TJ: Five Months

2011-01-11T20:14:00.000-06:00

TJ is such a delight to us. I am trying to wrap my brain around the fact that he is almost 6 months old. I remember when Libby turned 6 months old like it was yesterday and that was 2.5 years ago!! Time just seems to be speeding by so quickly.

This month was a lot of firsts. First solid foods, first time hard core teething, first Christmas, first tooth (as of today!!), first army crawl (just Sunday!!), and first major scare. Lets start with the fun stuff first - we introduced solid foods. So far he has had carrots, apples, sweet potatoes, bananas, and peas. His favorites are sweet potatoes and apples just like his big sister. The Christmas was great. I couldn't ask for a better baby...he traveled well and smiled/cooed where he should. The scary part was last week he was diagnosed with a staph infection. Luckily it was only in one spot, caught early, and cleared up really fast with just an antibiotic cream. No more scares please!

I am really noticing his little personality coming out a lot more. He is just so different than his sister was. She was...lets face it...a grumpus. TJ is the complete opposite. He smiles at you and just makes your heart melt. Libby smiled too...just with us or the people she spent a ton of time with. TJ will smile or laugh at anything.

To highlight a few more things about TJ, I wanted to continue the tradition of showing his likes/dislikes. Notice his dislikes aren't much of anything.

Likes:

His feet - oh how he finds them fascinating and hysterical!
Bath time - I think it might be his favorite special time with his mommy. I won't let anyone else do it just because his personality really shines.
Mimi - Yes, just Mimi. No one can make TJ laugh like Mimi.
FOOD - The more, the better. Bring it on is his motto!
TV - I am so sad to report this. Oh, and his favorite TV? Football or hockey. I'm doomed!
Libby - he can just sit and stare at her forever. He has to know exactly where she is and what she is doing. If I could fast forward a few years, I can hear Libby ordering him to do something he shouldn't be doing and him blindly following.
Standing (assisted of course =))

Dislikes:

Not getting food fast enough
Taking too long to change his diaper
Bandaids

And here are the milestones for this month....

...should be able to:

hold head steady when upright - check!
on stomach, raise chest, supported by arms - check!
pay attention to an object as small as a raisin - check!
squeal with delight - check!
reach for an object - check!
smile spontaneously - check!
smile back when you smile - check!
grasp a rattle held to backs or tips of fingers - check!
keep head level with body when pulled to sitting - check!

... will probably be able to

roll over (one way) - not yet but he is sure trying!
bear some weight on legs - check! How about ALL of his weight? =)
say "ah-goo" or similar vowel-consonant combinations - check!
razz - check!
turn in the direction of a voice - check!

... may even be able to:

pull up to standing position from sitting - not yet
stand holding on to someone or something - still wobbly but totally getting there. I wish he would master sitting first though =)
object if you try to take a toy away - check!
work to get a toy out of reach - check!
pass a cube or other object from one hand to the other - check!
look for dropped objects - check!
rake with fingers a tiny object and pick it up in first - check!
babble, combining vowels and consonants such as ga-ga-ga, ba-ba-ba, ma-ma-ma, da-da-da - check!

And my favorite videos/pictures from the month.

Happy Holidays!

2010-12-28T10:13:00.002-06:00

Cereal!

2010-12-19T09:40:00.000-06:00

We got the all clear from the Dr on Friday to start giving TJ cereal. Day 1 was pretty much what I figured it would...a photo op. =)

The second day (today) went sooooooooo much better. I made it a bit thicker and make sure it was warmer. I couldn't believe how much he was eating. I am just so impressed!! 2 weeks of this and then bring on the baby food!

Baby Burrito

2010-12-18T07:33:00.001-06:00

12.16.10 TJ (6)
Originally uploaded by Holly Mroczkowski.

I love my little baby burrito sooooooooooooooo much!

TJ: Four Months

2010-12-17T15:55:00.000-06:00

Well, another month has flown by. The difference between this month is HUGE. TJ honestly looks like he could just walk to someone or at the very least crawl to you. He is not your average 4 month old in size. In fact, I just had to get rid of all of his 3-6 month clothes and bump him up to the next size. Some of the 6-12 month clothes already barely fit him. He's very long and very strong. I finally gave up on his 6 month sleepers because he kicked so hard the other night, he unsnapped all of the bottom snaps on his legs. I guess he wanted his legs out? =)

He is the best sleeper I have ever seen. He normally goes from 6pm-6am now and it is abnormal to get up at 2-4AM now to feed him. It's INSANE but we love it of course. =)

Feedings are getting more regular. He is consistently eating 7-8 ounces every 3-5 hours. We're going to start him on cereal this month since he is so interested in watching us eat. I can't wait to see what he does with this! I think he'll enjoy it. Now on to the stats!

Weight: 20lbs 9 oz
Length: 27.5 inches

Likes:

Baths
Flying
Tickles/Kisses
Talking
Standing
Talking
Bouncing
Talking
Watching EVERYTHING - he is soooo nosy!
Did I mention talking?

Dislikes:

Diaper changes
Not being fast enough on making his bottles

Milestones:
...should be able to:

on stomach, lift head up 90 degrees - check!
laugh out loud - check! So cute!
follow an object in an arc about 6 inches above the fact for 180 degrees - check!

...will probably be able to:

hold head steady when upright - check!
on stomach, raise chest, supported by arms - check!
grasp a rattle held to backs or tips of fingers - check!
pay attention to an object as small a raisin - check!
reach for an object - check!
squeal in delight - check!

...may possibly be able to:

keep head level with body when pulled to sitting - check!
roll over (one way) - not yet but I can tell he's trying
turn in the direction of a voice - check!
say "ah goo" or similar vowel-consonant combinations - check! He talks non-stop!
razz (make a wet razzing sound) - check!

...may even be able to:

bear some weight on legs when held upright - check! he looks like he can just take off
sit without support - not yet. I am not sure how close we are to this. some days are better than others
object if you try to take a toy away - check!
turn in the direction of a voice - check!

And some of my favorite pictures that I have taken lately:

and my favorite video right now

Hello Toy!

2010-12-13T09:23:00.001-06:00

12.12.10 TJ playing
Originally uploaded by Holly Mroczkowski.

I'm not sure why I love this photo so much but it pretty much sums up my growing boy. Maybe it's because he is looking at it trying to figure out what it is and whether he can shove it in his mouth? =)

Sparkly Cookies

2010-12-13T09:21:00.000-06:00

Libby loves sprinkles. A lot. So when I had her decorate cookies yesterday I knew what to expect. She's so careful about putting them on.

...and on...

...and on...

And even though they have a TON of sprinkles, they are very very yummy. And yes, very very sparkly.

Libby meets Santa

2010-12-12T07:52:00.000-06:00

Some might call us bad parents. Some might call us smart but we have never taken Libby to the mall to have her sit on Santa's lap. I've seen too many bad scenarios come out of it. However, her daycare held a "Lunch with Santa" yesterday and we knew we needed to have Libby officially meet Santa. I wasn't able to be there but Jim took her and they had a blast.

She was so excited.

They made crafts

And then came the main event - to meet Santa.

She did great! Jim said she was hesitant at first and required her Daddy to stay with her...but by the end she was showing him her Santa Bow and they were BFFs. How fun!! Unfortunately, they gave her a candy cane and now she is obsessed with them and we are obsessed with cleaning up the sticky messes they produce!

No longer clones?

2010-12-01T18:17:00.000-06:00

In one short month, I no longer think TJ and Libby look alike. What do you think? This is Libby (top) at 4 months and TJ (bottom) at 16 weeks (almost 4 months)

Bumbo!

2010-11-29T09:10:00.001-06:00

Bumbo!
Originally uploaded by Holly Mroczkowski.

Look who is a big boy now! He doesn't like to lay down anymore...only sit up or stand.

Failed Christmas Picture

2010-11-29T09:08:00.001-06:00

11.27.10 Libby and TJ (2)
Originally uploaded by Holly Mroczkowski.

I tried so hard to capture how funny this was. I FAILED but it's still pretty funny, right?

C is for Cookie

2010-11-24T11:37:00.001-06:00

11.17.10 C is for Cookie
Originally uploaded by Holly Mroczkowski.

Libby hates chocolate. No, really, she does. I don't understand it and more importantly I don't know how she can come from me and not love chocolate...but...the point is she hates chocolate until now. My Mom has my hooked on these certain cookies and one of them is a chocolate cookie with chocolate chips and chocolate icing. Libby had one at my parent's house a couple of weeks ago and now she is hooked on them. They are SO messy though that I have learned to keep her quarantined while eating them and here is proof.

My Boy

2010-11-24T11:35:00.001-06:00

11.18.10 TJ & Mommy (3)
Originally uploaded by Holly Mroczkowski.

I don't have many pictures of me and Libby from when she was a baby. I don't want my kids to look back at old pictures and wonder where I was or why I am not in any of them. So...I had Jim take some random pictures of me and Mr. TJ the other day. This is one of my favorites. TJ is almost saying, "Daddy? What are you doing? You are interrupting my play time with Mommy. Go away."

Tracing

2010-11-14T14:31:00.001-06:00

11.12.10 Libby tracing
Originally uploaded by Holly Mroczkowski.

We're working on on having Libby trace things now. Next step is for her to learn to trace/write her letters. It's amazing how fast she's growing up.

TJ Sitting

2010-11-14T14:28:00.001-06:00

11.13.10 TJ Sitting Up
Originally uploaded by Holly Mroczkowski.

TJ is our little social bug and now he just wants to sit up to see everything that is going on. He cannot hold his head up or really the trunk of his body...but that doesn't stop him! Well, it didn't stop me to let him do it either. We came up with the bumbo/boppy combo with the help of his daycare to allow him to sit up and see everything around him.

Clones?

2010-11-14T13:48:00.000-06:00

Are my kids clones of each other?

Libby @ 2 months

TJ @ 2 months

Only difference is TJ is bigger in length/weight than Libby at 3 months than Libby was at 4 months.

Color Splash

2010-11-08T12:42:00.001-06:00

I'll admit it. I am addicted to Color Splash - an app on the iPhone. But seriously...how could you not want to spend all day looking at these adorable kiddos?

Halloween Fun

2010-11-08T12:22:00.000-06:00

Just a couple more fun pictures from Halloween. I have such cute, sweet kiddos!

Grasping for Rings

2010-11-08T12:18:00.001-06:00

11.07.10 TJ and his rings
Originally uploaded by Holly Mroczkowski.

TJ has been reaching for things lately -- mostly my hair unfortunately. So I decided to come up with better things for him to grab. I set up this crazy ring filled wonderland in his pack n play for him. It took him less than a minute to figure it out and loved every second of it. It really is amazing how fast he is growing up. Now I just have to hide my hair. =)

Hats

2010-11-08T12:16:00.001-06:00

11.07.10 Charlotte's Birthday Party (4)
Originally uploaded by Holly Mroczkowski.

Libby loves hats apparently. I found her winter hats for the colder weather last week and now she insists on wearing them no matter if we are inside or outside. I must admit that she looks absolutely adorable in them so I can't say much. =)

Smiley Little Pumpkin

2010-11-08T12:13:00.001-06:00

11.05.10 Smiley Little Pumpkin
Originally uploaded by Holly Mroczkowski.

How can this not brighten your day?

Simple

2010-11-06T06:39:00.001-06:00

I want my life to be simple again. You know - the good days where I don't feel like I am being pulled in a million directions. I just don't think that is possible with both parents working full time and two kids. If someone knows how that works - please fill me in. I've recently tried to improve ways to simplify my life. Little things that add up to big things for me. For example, I took a close look at my DVR and removed a bunch of shows I had been watching for years and years but really didn't enjoy anymore. It was hard but it was necessary. I watch entirely too much TV and it started feeling like home. Next I looked at other things in my life that seem to be like homework to me and weigh me down. Twitter was next on my chopping block. You'll notice I have removed it from the sidebar. This one was a hard one to decide what to do with. On one hand I really enjoy seeing what everyone has to say and I get a lot of good news from there. On the other hand some of the things being said upset me and started to become a bit overwhelming due to the mass quantities of tweets and the fact I only have so much time to really look at it. It also started to seem I was so busy documenting my life, I was missing things. So, sadly, after 3 years I am giving it up and going to live in my life vs just documenting it. The account will be removed by the end of this weekend. Luckily, I am still staying with facebook and keep up with the same friends from twitter on there. I'm just trying not to replace one thing with another...defeats the purpose!

So, what do you all think? Have you simplified your life? How?

Goodbye Saturn

2010-11-01T12:30:00.001-06:00

10.29.10 goodbye Saturn
Originally uploaded by Holly Mroczkowski.

Wednesday was not a good day for Jim. Well, it turned out to be ok. Unfortunately Jim's car began to bleed. I mean it literally started to leak red fluid AND steam. I've been itching to get rid of that death trap car for YEARS and YEARS so I had high hopes it would cost more to fix the car than it was worth. We found out on Thursday that I "lucked" out because we found out that it did indeed cost more to fix it than it was worth. So began my favorite process - to search for new cars. Jim hates the process so I took over. We really lucked out. I found out at 10:30 on Thursday that his car was basically worthless (to us) and by 11:30 I sold it to the guy at the body show. By 2:00/2:30 I had bid on a "new" (used) car for Jim and by 3:00 we had it. We went to go pick up Jim's "new" car on Saturday - a 2008 Toyota Prius. He's always wanted a hybrid and we were actually able to make his dream come true. So, I guess looking back at it now, it was a good thing the car died. =)

Happy Halloween

2010-11-01T12:22:00.001-06:00

10.31.10 happy Halloween
Originally uploaded by Holly Mroczkowski.

Libby went trick or treating for the first time this year. She had a blast. I had the pleasure of taking her and she kept saying, "I am having SO much fun Mom." I taught her to say, "Trick or treat, smell my feet, give me something good to eat." But she just would say, "Trick or treat, smell my feet." and stop or say, "trick or treat, smell my hands." and stop. Crazy nut!

Now we have to figure out what to do with the candy...she doesn't like candy (only crackers/cookies) so we have a ton to get rid of. Anyone want it?

Family Photo

2010-10-25T10:53:00.002-06:00

10.24.10 TJ's Baptism (5)
Originally uploaded by Holly Mroczkowski.

This is the first family photo of the four of us. Sad it took this long but it means the world to me.

Happiness

2010-10-25T08:28:00.005-06:00

10.22.10 DCC Fall Festival (24)
Originally uploaded by Holly Mroczkowski.

My girl loves animals....but what could be better than to actually RIDE one? Absolutely nothing. =)

Boo at the Zoo

2010-10-25T08:28:00.004-06:00

10.23.10 Boo at the Zoo (10)
Originally uploaded by Holly Mroczkowski.

Don't they look happy?

TJ: 10 weeks

2010-10-21T12:20:00.002-06:00

I am a bit behind on the two month posting for TJ...but regardless, time moves on! He is now 10 weeks old but I'll still focus on his two month milestones. It is still amazing to me how fast time flies by and how much TJ changes each day. He is a little ray of light for me. My big boy was 16.6 lbs last time I weighed him over the weekend. Yes, I said 16.6 lbs. How insane is that?!

He's also incredibly smiley. That little smile just lights up a room. I am a little disturbed by what he thinks is funny (his sister screaming, me running around like a crazy person in the morning trying to get everything done, etc) but I am sure that it will be fine. =) I have to admit that after running around if I look down and see him smiling at me that helps calm me down a bit!

I also have started playing peekaboo with him. He LOVES it. He also loves accents just like his big sister did.

As usual, here is a brief summary of everything that is all about TJ:

Eating - He is still around 40oz per day. Usually has about 5-6 bottles per day and eats between 6 -8oz each feeding.
Sleep - Boy have we had improvements in this area! He now usually sleeps 6-8 hours (usually 7 or 8) from 8pm until about 2-2:30am. It has been heavenly!
Diapers - We still are going through about 8-10 per day with at least 1-2 dirty ones.
Attitude - TJ is still pretty laid back and only gets upset when he is hungry or gassy. He loves to look around and snuggle with anything warm. He is also a morning person!
Likes - looking around, cuddling, cars but only if they are moving, peekaboo, mommy, daddy, libby, accents, bathes - yes that's right! He actually likes baths now!
Dislikes - mommy/daddy not making his bottle fast enough

Potty Training

2010-10-21T12:16:00.000-06:00

We've been attempting to potty train Libby for awhile now. We honestly would have started earlier but pregnancy/new baby delayed it a bit. Sometimes waiting turns out to be a blessing though because Libby is doing a great job with it now. We have a system that sometimes backfires but works 90% of the time. She still cannot judge when she needs to go but we have her out of diapers (except at night) and in training underwear which I LOVE and, more importantly, she loves. Sometimes we go all day without accidents and sometimes there may be one or two...but still. The progress she has made in the last 2 months is amazing. So for all of those parents that are struggling...hang in there. We're definitely not finished with this process but we're making a ton of progress. I am so very, very proud of my girlie!

Sibling Love

2010-10-18T07:24:00.001-06:00

10.16.10 Sibling Love (2)
Originally uploaded by Holly Mroczkowski.

These two, for now, do love each other. TJ can't stop staring at his sister, and Libby just wants to love on her little brother. I hope this never ends!

Libby is THREE!

2010-10-01T13:14:00.001-06:00

My little girl turned three on 9.26. Last weekend we had a small party for her and ended up having 23 balloons after quite a few kids didn't end up making it to the party. That just meant more balloons for the kids that were there so it worked out. The theme was a beach party and while we had grass skirts for the kids to wear, they were really in love with the balloons. Libby had a blast with her friends as are documented in the pictures.

Libby is such a fun little girl. You meet her and you cannot help but love her. Her voice is tiny at first and so adorable but once you get her talking you cannot stop her. Over the last week she's really started to blossom with her vocabulary and personality. She's more outgoing and not as shy. I'm not sure if it is because she started in the preschool room at school this week or just she is getting older. Whatever the reason it has been so much fun watching this little one develop over the past three years. I couldn't imagine my life without her! I can't wait to see how she changes in the next year compared to how she has in the past 3. You know i'll have my camera out to document everything. =)

TJ: Seven Weeks

2010-10-01T13:06:00.001-06:00

Because I decided to live more in the moment versus documenting everything, I have fall behind in writing here. TJ is now seven weeks old. I return to work next Wednesday. Wednesday. I remember when I could say x amount of weeks but time can sure move quickly around here with 2 kids. Now back to TJ. Oh what a joy he is. My only complaint is he doesn't nap during the day. Still. To make up for it the past few weeks he started sleeping 6 hours each night and now for the past 2 nights he has slept 8 hours in between feedings. He'll fall asleep around 7-8pm and get up anywhere between 3-4am. Boy that makes up for trying to figure out what the heck to do with him all day long.

He's still pretty laid back and he smiles now. Smiles. At me. When he sees me. Oh! and he talks! All of the time. This is when things really start falling into place. His personality really shines through. I gotta say. I like it a lot. =)

I'll write more official likes/dislikes at his 2 month posting but we did take him in for his 6 weeks checkup this week at 7 weeks. Here is where we are...

Latest Stats:
   Weight: 13lbs 11oz (97%)
   Length: 23 inches (75%)
   Head: 40 cm (75%)

So he grew 2.25 inches and gained 4 lbs in 4 weeks. That's my boy!

TJ: One Month

2010-09-15T13:07:00.001-06:00

I can't believe TJ is already a month old. Man, the time flies! TJ's personality is starting to develop. He's even smiling when we kiss his chubby cheeks. Did I mention he's chubbing up a bit? It's adorable. He is also starting to "talk" too. Mostly when he's completely bored, which happens a lot. I mean, what do you do with a 4-5 week old that cannot hold his head up, see super duper far, and cannot hold toys? Apparently shop. The boy loves being in his stroller looking at everything, which means he is momma's instant shopping partner. He is also not really sleeping a lot during the day either. I thought all newborns slept a lot? I guess it is a myth. And since he's always awake during the day, he is also really bored. A lot. I have been pretty creative with keeping him busy and not bored. So far it has been working ok. Well, except for the idea of giving him baths to cure boredom. That is a VERY bad idea. I really do think he thinks I am trying to kill/drown him and then eat him. I kind of smell him after we're done cause he smells so nice. His hair too is so fuzzy. So fuzzy. He's starting to get that 80 year old balding man look. (see pictures below)

All in all we are doing pretty well. He's sleeping a good 4-6 hours at night. That doesn't mean we are still sleeping a lot. He must have a lot of tummy issues cause he grunts all of the time. I've read a lot about it online and it's common...we just have to ride it out. How much is a night nurse? =)

TJ is very different than Libby was as a baby. One way they are the same is with having marathon feedings. This baby can eat more food than I thought was humanly possible. I realize he is growing and growing fast but good grief. Sometimes he will eat every hour on the hour and scream bloody murder if you try to stretch him to even two hours between feedings. Usually he goes 2.5-3 hours and has 4.5 oz to eat but lately he is wanting at least 6.5 in the morning every 3-4 hours and then has 4.5-5 every 2-3. It's insane!

Well, here is a brief summary of everything that is all about TJ:

Eating - around 40oz per day. Usually has 8-10 bottles per day and eats between 3.5-6.75oz each feeding.
Sleep - some days he'll sleep all day and night and sometimes he won't sleep at all during the day and will sleep at night. The best we have had is 6 hours at night but usually he sleeps from 7:30pm-12am and then 4am-8am.
Diapers - I thought changing boy diapers would be harder than girls but it isn't. It is just different. We are going through about 8-10 per day with at least 1-2 dirty ones.
Attitude - TJ is pretty laid back. He really only gets upset when he is hungry or gassy. He loves to look around now and I think he is going to be pretty sociable.
Likes - looking around...specifically fans, speakers, blinds, windows, cuddling, positioning himself right underneath your head on your chest so he can feel your heartbeat and skin.
Dislikes - baths (thinks we are trying to kill him), getting his diaper changed

So now for the regular installment of the milestones from What To Expect The First Year:

By one month, your baby...should be able to:

lift head briefly when on stomach on a flat surface - check!
focus on a face - check! so fun!

...will probably be able to:

respond to a bell in some way, such as startling, crying or quieting - check!

...may possibly be able to:

lift head 45 degrees when on stomach - check!
vocalize in ways other than crying (e.g., cooing) - check!
smile in response to your smile - getting closer...he did this once but hasn't repeated it yet so I won't count it.

...may be able to:

lift head 90 degrees when on stomach - I am not ready to call this yet. He's pretty wobbly.
hold head steady when upright - nope!
bring both hands together - nope!
smile spontaneously - check! So, so, SO adorable!

Some favorite pictures I took recently. He's just too darn cute!

(look at those adorable feet!!)

Birth Announcement

2010-09-13T11:52:00.000-06:00

We tried to send this out to as many people as we could, but here is the official birth announcement for Mr. TJ.

Giraffe Love

2010-08-30T19:28:00.001-06:00

08.29.10 STL Zoo
Originally uploaded by Holly Mroczkowski.

Libby and I went to the zoo on Sunday and had a great time. Libby has developed a deep love for the giraffes and I was lucky to get her to pose with one. This is by far one of my favorite pictures of her now.

TJ: 2 Weeks!

2010-08-25T12:46:00.000-06:00

So apparently having two kiddos is going to make it twice as hard to find time to post anything on here. TJ is two weeks old today. I can't believe it...I keep trying to just soak all of this in so it doesn't go as quickly but that doesn't seem to be helping. I remember how fast Libby changed at this stage so I am spending lots of time just staring at TJ and burning all of his actions to memory.

The last two weeks have been really awesome. Really, really awesome. Libby is adapting better than Jim or I had expected. She LOVES her little brother and LOVES telling everyone she is a big sister. There haven't really been any issues with her (yet) and we're trying really hard to make sure her life doesn't change too drastically. I think it, sadly, helped that I couldn't do much with her at the end of the pregnancy. Now when I do anything with her it is like a big Christmas present to her.

TJ is really changing too. He's already trying to hold his head up and is the most alert, noisy baby I have ever seen. I mean, seriously, don't newborns sleep all of the time? Not ours! Yesterday, for example, he stayed up from around 10:30/11:00AM until almost 4PM when he downed his bottle and then fell fast asleep. I would be tired too after being up that long if I was his age! He's a very, VERY good eater and an even better burper (as my Mom found out =)). Lets just say you don't ever have to doubt when the little man has gas and burps! We are even getting some sleep. We've had the occasional night where he sleeps 5-6 hours at a time so everyone in the house doesn't look like a zombie.

At birth TJ weighed 8lbs 15oz and by the time we took him home he had lost a few ounces and was at 8lbs 10oz. When we took him in for his one week checkup last week he was already up to 9lbs 1oz. Today we had his 2 week checkup and he is at 9lbs 11oz. I can't believe he's almost 10lbs already!

We haven't really taken him out of the house yet...being home bound is starting to drive me a little crazy. I do have the pleasure of dropping and picking Libby up from daycare now so that helps me from going a little stir crazy. We'll start taking him out of the house when he is about a month old and I just cannot wait. As alert as he is he's going to love looking around at the fuzzy objects around him. Well, come on, I know he can't see that well yet. =) I do think he needs more stimulation though...yesterday he fixated on a speaker in the house for like 15 minutes. It must have looked at him funny because he wouldn't stop staring at it. I cannot wait to take him out in the sun if the weather will cooperate and go for a few walks!

Well, that's about it for now...or at least all I can think of. If someone could figure out how to slow the weeks down, let me know because I really want this experience to go slower this time around!

Introducing Thomas James "TJ" Mroczkowski

2010-08-15T10:05:00.000-06:00

I would like to introduce the newest addition to the Ski clan: Thomas James "TJ" Mroczkowski. He was born Wednesday morning (08.11.10) at 8:33AM CST weighing in at almost 9lbs - 8lbs, 15oz exactly - and is 21 inches long. Here are some of my favorite pictures from over the past few days. I'll write more next week when I am not learning how to handle 2 kiddos at once. =) Until then, you can see all of the pictures here. Here are some of my favorite!

And of course, I would like to report that his big sister is simply great at being a big sister too!

Reflections

2010-08-06T14:18:00.000-06:00

I have rewritten this at least 4 times. I'm having a lot of difficulty expressing myself and reflecting my time over this pregnancy. Maybe because it is, dare I say, our last planned pregnancy. While it is getting incredibly uncomfortable being this large, I am also sad to see this phase of my life end. This, of course, does not mean end to the Ski Babies. We, if we decide to have more babies, will adopt. It is just that my body cannot physically handle any more pregnancy after the complications of having Libby and TJ. They are our little miracles and we are grateful to have them, and I am very happy to have experienced two pregnancies. So as I go down memory lane, keep in mind that I am a 38.5 week, emotional pregnant lady and only have 5 days left of this pregnancy.

Finding Out
We decided in spring of 2009 that we wanted to have another baby. In fact that is all I talked about with my loving, patient husband. Unfortunately we also wanted to put our house up for sale. For those that have never had their house up for sale while having a small child, it is an experience I wouldn't wish on anyone. We exhausted ourselves keeping the house clean and did many a nap time in the car so that Libby could still sleep while we were doing open houses or our limited house showings. This, unfortunately, stressed me out where we didn't have much luck trying for our newest babe. Months went by and it was discouraging me. We were able to become pregnant on month one with Libby so this was foreign to me and I thought me being almost 3 years older was hurting our chances. In July we finally found a buyer and he wanted to act quickly. Luckily we found a house and people that wanted to move out quickly too so by August we were in our new house. December 6th we found out we were pregnant and were obviously thrilled. Of course my OCD didn't make that enjoyment last long as I fretted that the test was a false positive and then proceeded to buy every pregnancy test in the store over the next week. After a few more weeks I became comfortable that there definitely was a baby in there and then became the natural worries that come along with pregnancies as we waited for our first ultrasound. First, though we had to decide how to handle our Dr situation.

Changing Doctors
Our OB with Libby was...how can I put this nicely...was not the best. Yeah, ok. That'll work. She had an old school mentality and handled pregnant women with absolutely no complications easily. However, I wasn't one of those patients as my blood pressure tends to go a wee bit high during pregnancies. So we had to make a decision on whether to switch Drs or not. Actually, it wasn't a question of "if" but "who" should we go to. We had switched health insurance companies since Libby was born and I was hoping that would help me pick a Dr I hadn't seen before and one closer to home. Luckily I found one 15 minutes away from our new house and interviewed them via the phone. I spent a good 20-30 minutes asking detailed questions on how they would have handled my first pregnancy and what their approach would be with the second given my history. Honestly, I was waiting to see if they thought I was a crazy person or if they treated me like I was an intelligent woman. When they did the latter I knew I had found my new OB. It was the best decision I could have ever made as they have made this experience so much better and I feel so much more confident that this baby is going to be healthy. It's great being able to trust your doctors.

Two steps forward, two steps back
This pregnancy was very different than with Libby. With her I had complications in the beginning with some spotting and then my blood pressure issues began to show up about the half way point. The benefit of a second pregnancy is you can use the information of the first to engage in a sort of defensive dance against the complications from the first. I have never been stuck with a needle to do blood tests so many times in my life. I even had to become best friends with a huge orange tub that I had to pee in for 24 hours - twice. Lets just say I was willing to do whatever they told me to do. It was working too. I was making it without swelling or blood pressure issues. My weight was staying decent (for me) and I just knew everything was going to be smoother this time. Unfortunately we began seeing a trend that my blood pressure was creeping up around week 28. Instead of waiting to see what happened, my OB ordered a whole menu of blood tests, had me do my second 24 urine test (hello BFF Big Orange!), and had me go to a perinatal unit to begin a series of twice a week appointments that I am still going to. Now I had not one but TWO Doctors helping me carry this baby to term.

Perinatal Unit
I have never been to, nor heard of, a perinatal unit. The staff there couldn't believe I hadn't been to one with my first baby given that when I delivered Libby my blood pressure was in the 200s over 100s. I got tired of trying to find a way to nicely explain my situation the first time and just stuck to my standard "my Dr and I didn't really agree on my condition." The first time I went to the perinatal unit I was terrified. I didn't know what to expect. I knew it was what was best for me and our baby boy but I was still nervous. What were they going to do? Was I going to be on medications? Would they believe me? That was a constant fear. Because nothing was ever documented with my first showing how truly bad my blood pressure was getting, it was my word against the previous Doctor. Luckily these Drs all listened to me and treated me like I wasn't insane. And so began my many, many trips to the perinatal unit. I have my last appointment on Monday and I am actually going to miss some of the nurses there. They are so kind. Yes, I realize it is their job to make you feel at ease but they do it so effortlessly. There is one nurse, Mimi, especially that I have bonded with. We swap stories about our kiddos since my oldest is similar to hers when she was younger, and she's always giving me advice on things to keep her active. I really owe these wonderful nurses a big thanks because I believe they have helped me make it this far in my pregnancy. I honestly think I could make it to 40 weeks, if my OB wanted me to, thanks to them and their constant care.

Nerves
I thought I would be nervous about the prospect of having two kids and having to juggle them both at the same time. I'm honestly not. The only thing I am nervous about is the epidural. Honestly. That giant needle haunts me at night. Once I get past that point I am going to relax a lot. Even with complications, it is still on my mind. For example, on Monday my amniotic fluid levels were very low. They warned me that I could deliver in the next day or so if the levels didn't go back up. All I could think about was how my baby may not be ok and that epidural needle. Even in a potential crisis that thing still scares me!

Next Chapter
Although I am not sleeping very well I do day dream a lot. I dream about holding my baby boy and hugging my little girl at the same time. I'm tearing up just thinking about it. I wonder what he is going to look like. Will I finally get one that looks even remotely like me or is Jim going to have another clone like Libby was? How big is he going to be? Will he have hair? I will only have to wait 5 more days to find out. I cannot wait to start this next chapter of our life with our newest baby.

July Update

2010-07-30T12:02:00.001-06:00

I am getting pretty bad at updating this thing. Sorry. The pregnancy is still going well (and more importantly, still going on). We're in week 37 now and it looks like we are actually going to make it to the big 39 weeks. At least that is the plan right now unless the baby decides to come earlier or my blood pressure goes crazy between now and 8/11. Otherwise, TJ will be making his arrival on 8/11. Not much is happening other than I am getting bigger and bigger. Yesterday I had the pleasure of seeing how big our boy is measuring at and he is coming in at a whopping 8lbs 9oz which is above the 90%. The estimating is really just that - an estimate and can be +/- 1lb so I am told. I am choosing to think that if he is not that big, he is -1lb of that versus a +1. =) Everyone I have ever talked with has said that they measure them bigger than what they really are so I am holding onto that. The other fun of the ultrasound from yesterday was I got to see him practice breathing. It is such a relief because I am worried his lungs won't be fully developed yet. He's technically full term but there is always a risk that he won't have fully developed lungs. It is really the main reason we want to wait as close to 39 weeks as possible.

Libby is doing great and her vocabulary is growing more and more each day. She's quickly becoming a drama queen/actress. It sometimes worry me the things she fakes but I figure she is just wanting attention. We are very lucky that her bedtime routines have been relatively easy..up until recently. She now knows she can get out of bed and has, a few times now, gotten out of bed after being tucked in. This is a big no-no and her reaction to us catching her up is one for the books folks. Jim caught her the other night and she put her hands up, fake yawned, and said, "I'm just going to bed Daddy. I am SO tired." and then fake yawned again. Seriously? Where did she get that from?! It's hard not to laugh at that and encourage her. I find myself constantly turning around not to laugh when she does stuff like that ... obviously she is figuring out that I am laughing from the sound I am making of trying to cover up my laughs. Oh well. I can only do so much!

She is also letting her imagination go crazy. I'm trying to give her more freedom. Jim and I both want her to start playing more by herself because that seems to be a skill she very, very, VERY much lacks. The other morning I left her in the office as she was chasing Max the cat around with her blankie...using it as a whip...and I needed to make one of my frequent trips to the restroom. I came back into the office to find the cat in a box (and happy to be there because he loves boxes) and Libby hovering over him with a lid in her hand ready to use. I only wish I had my camera but sadly I didn't have it.

The other fun thing we are dealing with recently is the heat. Geesh is this not the hottest summer ever? I'm SO glad that I am this pregnant in this heat. Oh, did I mention our A/C went out on the top floor last weekend? I noticed Friday night that it wasn't that cool and by Saturday morning it definitely was not cool. We called someone over to look at it and sure enough it was broken and he didn't have the part in the van. Luckily we did have A/C on the bottom level so we camped out there all weekend. It was pretty miserable but we made do. I didn't sleep very well because our couches are crazy soft and you sink into them...which is good except when you are 36 weeks pregnant and need to be able to get up and down a million times while trying to sleep on them. The A/C is fixed now and I am back to a real bed so I am happy again. =)

Of course I already mentioned in a previous post that my darling "little" niece is here. She's already 3 weeks old and is growing like a weed from what I hear. I need to go see her but things keep getting in the way!

So I think that is about it...12 days left till TJ comes!

Freakshow Momma

2010-07-30T11:43:00.001-06:00

Towards the end of your pregnancy you start to notice that things don't fit like they used to. Shirts cannot accommodate your gigantic belly anymore. You notice the steering wheel of your car is somehow too close to you for comfort. You cannot get in and out of booths at restaurants anymore. Ah, on that let me elaborate a bit.

Jim and I do a weekly date night where we drop Libby off at his parent's house and then go out for a few hours. This week it wasn't going to work out so we decided to take Libby out to dinner with us. She likes going to restaurants but we don't take her that often because the girl won't eat. Instead she likes to focus on the salt/pepper shakers or dumping sugar in our drinks and not allowing us to eat. On this occasion though, we wanted to take her with us and decided to go to a place she liked and we knew she would eat at. So off we went and were seated quickly in a table that was half a booth/half chairs...by the bar...with a man smoking a very heavy cigarette right behind us. While I was thrilled to have Libby trapped in a booth type environment but me having the flexibility of having a chair to scoot out as far as my belly needed me to be, I could not handle the smoke. I do not like to be one of those people that make a scene. In fact, I hate people noticing me at all. So here we are and I have to make a decision whether to handle the smoke or move. I chose moving because after less than 2 minutes my head was already throbbing.

Off we went with the poor guy that would have been our waiter to our new table...or should I say booth. Booths are tricky with me. I never know whether I am going to fit or not and I usually casually joke about it with the person seating us but he high tailed it out of there so fast I couldn't catch him. Libby and Jim got settled in and I attempted to sit. Got up and attempted again. And again. I couldn't fit. The table didn't move. I was in trouble. Then walks in our new waitress. She said she would see if they could figure something out for me and I am turning bright red at this point. I decided to just go for it and squeezed myself in. The baby was not happy and immediately let me know it by readjusting himself onto my bladder. So, yes, I had to go to the bathroom almost immediately after sitting down. The waitress came back and asked if I was ok because honestly, I should have taken a picture, but I was squeezed in there pretty tight. I had to slouch to even fit. I told her I didn't want to cause any more trouble and we would just stay there. Meanwhile my bouncing baby boy was bouncing on my bladder and I didn't even want to think about that until I looked over at my little girl across the table from me tearing up and turning red. I knew that face - dirty diaper time. Boy was I thrilled. For one thing, I knew for a fact that the restaurant did not have a changing table in the men's room so I would have to find a way to get out of the table. The other was I would have to lift my somewhat heavy (36+lb) girl onto a changing table by myself. So now came the challenge of getting *out* of the booth. Jim was very helpful by saying I need to think of it like a game of tetris. Meanwhile I look over and see the single guy sitting in the booth next to us watching me, laugh and smile. Yeah, that's what I want to see people watching me move my belly around so that I can physically get out of the booth. Well, I thankfully find a way so that Jim doesn't have to pull me out of there.

Libby gets changed. I make the baby happy (?) by reducing the size of my bladder. Then I return to the table to find my yummy salad at the table. I purposely ask for salad dressing on the side because it reduces the risk of me spilling it all over me. Unfortunately this didn't happen this time and within 5 seconds of me sitting in front of it I smear salad dressing all over my chest. Luckily this was the last thing that occurred in the restaurant and I was able to get out of the booth just fine when it was time to go. Sadly, I still had to get to my car and encounter the people around me. I had almost made it to my car when I saw that a giant white escalate was parked on my side. Very closely to my door. So I am thinking at this point I am doomed to never leave here and be squeezed in and out of everything only to hear a very loud whistle behind me. I jumped (because I am a scaredy cat) and then heard a man say, "WOW! Do you need me to follow you around with a catcher's mitt?" Honest to God. I turned bright red and said no but thanks knowing I had no where to run because I didn't even know if I could squeeze into my car thanks to the car parked poorly next to me blocking me in. Thankfully I did squeeze in and then once my family was in the car I told my hubby we are NOT eating out until after the baby is born.

So, if you ever see a very pregnant woman just politely ignore her size and do not stare. And do not whistle at her. And do not park crooked near a mini van that you suspect has small children. That's just mean.

Anna Madison Click has arrived!

2010-07-08T10:20:00.000-06:00

My new gorgeous niece, Anna Madison Click, arrived yesterday! She is 9lbs, 21.5 inches and is very, very snuggly. We're so glad to have you here Anna!

Put 'em up!

2010-07-06T13:57:00.000-06:00

Our little "angel" has become Annie Oakley lately. She's become obsessed with toy guns. Oh and the bigger the better. This started over Memorial Day weekend when we went to Jim's cousin's house (who has 5 boys). Now she loves to get the gun(s) that have been purchased for her and chase people around.

Put 'em up folks and give me all of your dangly, fun jewelry!

Ski Splash Day

2010-07-06T11:18:00.000-06:00

Libby loves water. A lot. Her daycare does a "Splash Day" and so I bought a fun sprinkler for her to play in at home. We took it out yesterday and had a blast. We started with applying the sunscreen - which she enjoys and we are oh so thankful!

And then came fun time! At first she wasn't entirely sure she liked the sprinkler...

But she got the hang of it and fell quickly in love with the crazy spinkler. Here are some of the pictures that are my favorites!

We will definitely be doing this again. It was so much fun for everyone!

June Brain Dump

2010-07-05T19:51:00.000-06:00

So June's gone apparently. My normal routines of taking pictures, regularly posting here, etc have obviously gone away. I am hoping this month will be better but I cannot promise. So, here we go. I am going to do a brain dump of everything over the past month or so to get everyone caught up.

Baby Update

Well I am 33 weeks (soon to be 34 on Wednesday) and baby is doing fantastic. I started my regular perinatal appointments last Monday and they seem to be going really well. Mr TJ is weighing in at approximately 5lbs 8oz at the last ultrasound which is somehow only the 75%. I cannot imagine what you have to be for the 90%! The appointments are really easy. Quick...not so much. The routine is usually for me to go back and get a quick ultrasound to check my fluid levels and then do a non-stress test. The non-stress test is where it all falls a part. The goal is to be monitored for 20 minutes and then get the baby's heart rate up by 15 beats in that time. The little bugger will manage to go 14 once and maybe twice if I am lucky but still that isn't enough. So, I have the pleasure of sitting there until he performs...which so far has ranged from 45-60 minutes. I have a plan for tomorrow though - jelly beans. We'll see if that gets him going!

The blood pressure medicine seems to be working well. At least the Drs seem pleased. We have another c-section date scheduled now besides 8/11. Our actual OB thinks we may not make it that long and has scheduled one for 8/6 in case things go sour. So, now we have another possibility!

Libby Update
She's doing great. I'm not sure if she really understands about how her life is about to change but she'll figure it out soon enough. =) Her vocabulary is really growing, and she is really growing up fast. Unfortunately she knows this and is now testing her boundaries. We've experienced more intense tantrums and how she wants to do everything herself w/o help. Even things she really cannot do and end in disasters. But, honestly, we have to let her try so she can learn. It's been an adventure for all of us.

So all in all it's been a full but great month but very busy preparing for Baby and honestly, just enjoying time with Libby. While I am enjoying this pregnancy, I am really looking forward to having my body back and not being the size of a whale.

Week 29 Update

2010-06-05T06:48:00.000-06:00

Sorry - I am a little behind on updating everyone since it's been more than a week since I went to the high risk Dr. The appointment went really well. I was very scared/nervous to go...but in the end I think this is going to be a really good thing for me and TJ. Up came first was the ultrasound...which, lets face it, I can never get enough opportunities to look at the little guy. Which, by the way, we are DEFINITELY having a boy. He wasn't shy at this appointment. He is still measuring very large so they are watching him closely to make sure he continues to grow like he should. The goal is make it to 37 weeks. The high risk Dr has high confidence we can make it. My BP was a bit high there but eventually came down after I chatted with everyone and was there for almost 90 minutes. I was prescribed some BP medicine to take twice a day. What I didn't know was the side effects of the drug. It makes me sleepy, nauseous and dizzy. Luckily, after taking it for a week those seem to have lessened quite a bit. I also have to log my BP three times a day and then fax in the results once a week so they always know what is going on. At first it didn't seem like the medicine was working. But now, I can totally see that it is. So lets hope this trend continues and we can make it a full 39 weeks (unless he gets too big and would grow better outside than in =) ). So that's about it. I go back to my regular OB on Wed and then the high risk Dr in 2 weeks or so. I'll be going to the Dr more and more when I hit 32 weeks...like twice a week for monitoring at the high risk Dr at the hospital. Thank goodness my boss at work is so understanding. He's letting me work from home now and with the hospital only 15 minutes away this shouldn't be too bad.

On a happy note, the wave of babies being born has started. Elliot Stephenson made his arrival Thursday afternoon look adorable. So next up is my sister who is 36 weeks today! Bring on the babies!

Week 28 Update

2010-05-26T18:02:00.000-06:00

Jim and I had a lot to process from last Friday's appointment. My main thing I wanted to avoid was bed rest. Obviously I would do whatever allowed the baby to "cook" longer but I was dreading getting the labs back from all of the lovely tests I took over the weekend and Monday. Today was the big day to go in and see the Dr to find out how I did. Everything went really well. My blood pressure was still a little high for normal people but for me, it was decent (especially recently)...and was a bit higher than what it had been at home. You see, I have the "pleasure" of taking my blood pressure a couple of times daily and logging the readings. It's fun and doesn't at all make me freak out more...not at all. =) Actually it isn't that bad but it is always on my mind which defeats the point. So I knew what to expect when I got into the Dr office today as far as my BP goes...the labs on the other hand I wasn't sure about. Everything came back normal except for my platelets which were low. The Dr explained that was normal in cases where preggo's BPs are higher. I don't show any signs of toxemia or pre-eclampsia so no bed rest for me...yet. She also explained that our new goal is to make it to 37 weeks. So that could possibly knock of 2 weeks of "cooking". There was also the warning of what the high risk Dr will be looking for. He/She will be looking for whether TJ will be growing at the right rate over the next few weeks. If he doesn't, then they will need to decide if he would do better out in the world versus in. I'm not worrying about that...I cannot control that. All I can do for now is to relax and stay at home and off my feet as much as possible. So that's what I am doing. I have my first appointment on Friday with the high risk Dr. They are going to take another ultrasound of TJ. I must admit I like getting to see him and I love the level of care we are getting. Good Drs are awesome. Just awesome. More to come after Friday's appointment about how everything is going.

Week 27 Update

2010-05-21T12:26:00.003-06:00

I'll start with the good news. We were lucky to be able to do another ultrasound because they were not able to capture all of the chambers of the heart from the 20 week ultrasound. The baby is doing great. He's breech. I wasn't shocked by this because I constantly feel his feet at my bladder. This doesn't matter much since we'll deliver via c-section. Oh, and he's huge. The doctor said out of 100 babies, only 8 would be larger than him. So my friend joked he'll be a linebacker. But he looks awesome and just did a fantastic job during the ultrasound...well, except letting us confirm he is indeed a boy.

Now on to the bad news. My 24 week appointment showed that my blood pressure was beginning to creep up. I had a few issues last week and even had to have a non-planned appointment with the Dr. They found that it was a bladder infection so luckily it wasn't a big deal but sadly that was the beginning of our troubles. Today my blood pressure was high. Not as high as my blood pressure got with Libby but considering my BP went from low to high in a few weeks...plus, I keep gaining weight quickly...the Dr is concerned. I am officially considered "high risk" and now have to go to a whole new set of Drs a couple of times each week. I kept it together pretty well while I was at the Dr's office but once I got to the car I allowed myself to break down for a few minutes. I needed to release it. I feel like I am a failure as a "host" to my babies. This one was going so much better and now they are talking about options from having me work from home full time to cutting back my hours to full blown bed rest...at TWENTY SEVEN WEEKS. I still have 12 to go before we are scheduled for delivery. I HAVE to make it until 36/37 weeks. I have to. So I will do whatever it takes but this was a big blow. I thought I was doing so well. So now I am trying to figure out what has changed. Unfortunately, I cannot think of a single thing. I am just so disappointed that my body cannot handle pregnancy. On the brighter side, this Dr does seem to believe me and my BP issues and are treating me like I am not doing anything wrong. It was awesome to have that support since last time I did not have that. I'm so glad I switched Drs. I'll keep you all updated on what happens from now on. This is gonna be a wild ride the last trimester. Here we go!

Picnik Love

2010-05-13T17:50:00.000-06:00

Consider me in love.

STL Vampires?

2010-05-13T12:12:00.002-06:00

That's right folks. We have vampires in St. Louis. Well, not really but it sure felt like it yesterday when I went to take my glucose test done. After I waited for the hour needed, I eventually was called back to get the blood drawn. I have "rolling veins" where my vein will be there one second and then the next it may disappear. I told my vampire that to warn her. She didn't listen. I'm not sure if she thought I just didn't think she could do her job or what...but I was the one that was hurt by her not paying attention. The vampire began trying to find a vein and eventually found one in my left arm. For a second or two it looks like everything was going to be fine but then I heard her grunting and felt sharp pains in my arm. Now, I have had a lot of blood work done but I still cannot watch while they do it. It creeps me out. So when I started to feel her moving the needle in the arm in hopes to find the vein again I knew I was doomed. So the vampire pulled the needle out and asked me if I was nervous. I explained calmly, "No. I am not nervous. I have a lot of experience with getting this done but 1) I have been sitting here for over a half an hour while 26 weeks pregnant and I have to use the restroom and 2) It kind of hurts a lot when you are rooting around in my arm WITH A NEEDLE. So she let me get up and use the restroom. When I returned, the vampire had another needle ready for me and went after my right arm. She jammed it in after saying she found an "ok" vein and then starting to move the need around AGAIN. She didn't get any blood out. AT. ALL. I was getting pretty irritated at this time because I knew my arms would be sore the rest of the day and we only had one vile barely 1/4 of the way filled with the rest of that one + another one to do still. Then she asked for my hand. There was no way on this planet I was letting her put a needle in my hand. I've done that before and it hurts beyond belief. I told her to try the right arm again because it is usually the one that cooperates better. Lets just say the vampire was not happy with me and she wanted me out of there. She tried again and was unsuccessful. Away she went to get another co-worker to help her pick a vein. She's "never had this happen before." All I can do is look down at my arms bleeding horribly now and sigh. In comes another vampire, the receptionist, who apparently can also draw blood. They began to argue about what was and was not a vein. At this point I put my head in my left hand and hear the new vampire say, "I'll just do it." Followed by the original saying, "But you don't know where the vein" AND JAM! Shooting pain. And then the vile was full and I left with the original one saying, "I hope we have enough blood to run this first test."

Needless to say I had bandages everywhere and now bruises everywhere. I just hope they had enough of my blood. Bad vampires.

Sciatic huh?

2010-05-11T12:29:00.001-06:00

For the past few nights I have had the worst time getting comfortable. My lower back has been killing me and it was difficult to lay down without crying out in pain. After waking up in pain every 30-45 minutes, I finally called the Dr today. They believe it is sciatic nerve causing me fits. Wikipedia says:

The sciatic nerve (also known as the ischiadic nerve and the ischiatic nerve) is a large nerve fiber in humans and other animals. It begins in the lower back and runs through the buttock and down the lower limb. It is the longest and widest single nerve in the human body

I agree it is the longest nerve in the body because when the pain starts it seems to go forever. Sadly with this being the cause of my pain, this means there is nothing I can do to fix this other than muffle it with massages, heat, cold, and tylenol. So, for the next 13 weeks I am just going to try to manage the pain. The good news is the kiddo doesn't seem to be impacted...other than knowing his mom is a complete spaz. I have a pretty high pain tolerance but this is beating me. I think it is because of the lack of sleep. If I can just get a little bit more, I know I can ignore this constant throbbing when I sit or lay down. It's a good thing I don't sit much at work...oh wait. *sigh*. Three months to go! =)

Picnik

2010-05-10T07:51:00.001-06:00

I take a lot of pictures. A lot. Earlier this year I finally purchased a year's subscription to Picnik so I could have some fun editing photos...only I never really had time to do much with it. I fell in love with this picture I took of Libby over the weekend playing at her grandparent's house. I don't know why I love it so much..it is "just" of her running but it sums up my little girl to me. She's a free spirit. So I had some fun with the images. I had a good time with them. =)

Original:

Attempt #1:

Attempt #2:

Altering Attempt #1:

Altering Attempt #2:

Ah, my little girl =)

Spirit

2010-05-10T05:44:00.002-06:00

05.09.10 Libby playing (4)
Originally uploaded by Holly Mroczkowski.

That's my girl. A free spirit.

Fears/Nightmares

2010-05-06T08:31:00.001-06:00

I'm not sure if they are nightmares but Libby has started talking...er screaming...in her sleep. It started a few weeks ago and now seems to be a regular thing of once or twice a week. I'm not sure what is causing it but there is nothing like being woken up by your child screaming for you, you hurry to get up (or you get up as fast as you can while 25 weeks pregnant), and get inside her room to find her completely asleep with little tears coming down her face. It breaks my heart. I don't know what is causing this and all I can do is rub her arm/back, tuck her in completely, and softly tell her she's ok. Is this normal? It just is so hard to watch and I am a fixer. I have to fix this somehow but I don't know where to start. I thought it might be from letting her see movies like Bolt or Finding Nemo recently but that was weeks ago. If that did cause it, wouldn't it be out of her system by now? I dread the hours between 1-4AM because that is when she always has them. =(

Sleep Training

2010-05-06T08:25:00.003-06:00

I didn't expected to get a lot of sleep with this pregnancy. I remembered with Libby how little I was getting towards the end. Honestly, I haven't a full, decent night's sleep since being pregnant with Libby 3 years ago. Not complaining because it is my own fault. =) In any case, I have recently had the "pleasure" of hip pain when I lay down. It started out really mild and I could take it but last night I could barely lay down without crying out in pain. Sadly, this makes the baby go insane because he knows his momma is not happy and begins to wiggle around. Yeah, that doesn't help AT ALL and makes it 10x's worse. I never had this with Libby. I pretty much think it is because she was so high and he is sooo low. I'm still getting used to the fact he's so low because it definitely makes for a completely different pregnancy. So I am counting this lack of sleep for sleep training when the baby is born. I am so far used to getting up every hour to use the restroom or roll over and then waking up at 3:00 or 3:30 AM to start my day. I'm ready kiddo - bring. it. on. =)

Purple Toes

2010-05-03T11:59:00.001-06:00

Colors. Libby loves them. Fingernail/toenail polish specifically interests her. When she was little I couldn't wear fingernail polish because she wouldn't eat and would just stare at the colors. I painted my toes a few weeks back and Libby took notice.

So when I went out this weekend I got her some special purple polish. On Saturday night I put towels everywhere and attempted to paint her toes. The first foot was a challenge. I don't know if it was just her getting used to the sensation or the fact she had to hold still but it wasn't working. The towel is covered with a lot of polish and we had to redo her first foot several times. It made me wish she didn't have two feet. =) We eventually got her to settle down and she loves them now. She tells everyone she can she has purple toes. I must admit...she looks a lot older with her little piggies painted but they will always be little piggies to me ;)

Ice Cream Anyone?

2010-05-03T08:24:00.001-06:00

Our little girl does not like sweets. Seriously. I don't know how she is mine. Lately, though, we have been playing with this pretend ice cream cone. She has become semi-obsessed with it. We have never given her an ice cream cone...mostly because she isn't in love with ice cream. I know. It's odd. In any case, with her recent obsession and the fact that we went to a Sweet Tomatoes last night, I decided it might be a good time to try out an ice cream cone. Lets just say I can finally claim her. She loved it. =)

and my favorite

Nesting or OCD?

2010-04-28T05:35:00.003-06:00

I have issues of obsessing. Pick a thing and I have probably obsessed about it. My habit is to plan something, rethink the plan a million times, pick one option, and then I have to do it ASAP like I am running out of time. So with a baby on the way, you can only imagine what my poor husband has to put up with. We spent weeks if not months of me talking with him about baby monitors and strollers. What we'll do the day of the planned c-section. Options in case we deliver early. Seriously, he's a saint for putting up with me sometimes.

So it shouldn't come as a surprise that I can say we are nearly done with preparing for the newest Ski member. With Libby, I had no idea what I really needed. Plus, you have showers with your first so you don't really buy a lot until you see what you do or do not get from those. With this one, we have a better grasp of what we will need. And, because I am lazy or smart (take your pick but I prefer the latter ;)), I chose to do the bulk of my much needed boy shopping online. Because I didn't have to wait and find time to go to the store without my shopaholic daughter and drag my hubby (who hates to shop), this was a perfect solution. The result is boxes upon boxes in our dining room. It is the "staging ground" for everything baby related. Once I have everything washed and ready, then they move up to TJ's room.

So am I crazy? Am I nesting? Don't get me wrong...I still have things to do. But as far as my credit card is concerned? I won't be using it for awhile for the kiddo. We just have curtains to buy and new hardware and that is it. Everything else just needs to get washed/cleaned and put away. And, sadly, I am already planning when and how I can do that and have changed mine mind 3 times. See...crazy. =)