Apples, Pumpkins and a Corn maze

I love Fall. Capital L O V E it. 

Hands down my favourite season. 

I love the sunny weather with the cool crisp breeze and the way the air smells. 

I love the colours of the leaves and how gorgeous everything looks. 

And the food. Fall means soups and hot meals and of course thanksgiving. 

I pretty much love everything about the season. 

I hope my kiddos grow up to love it as much as I do :) 

Today Hubby and I took Mav for our first little family fall adventure. Being parents is great for reliving all those fun things you did as a kid. I honestly can't remember the last time I went apple picking or picked a pumpkin straight from the patch. These are things I hope we make a yearly thing. We attempted to go to a pumpkin patch last year but they were closed when we got there and we improvised with a little photo session instead. This year was the real deal, tractor ride and all. 

 

Despite his facial expression Mav had a great time lol I think he was focused on something here. Practically impossible to get him to look right at the camera with so much else going on. 

We went back to the same farm we went berry picking at this summer. One of the main reasons we chose to return was for the tractor. Mav really loved it last time and I couldn't confirm any of the other orchards had one. 

We sat right up front to get the best view 

Apple picking was first on our agenda, Mav figured out what to do pretty quick and luckily the trees were nice and low to the ground :) 

Naturally he sampled some lol 

We picked out four pumpkins for our little family. Mav even helped pick and gather them. It was so cute watching him try to pick then up. You can barely see it but he's still holding onto his apple lol at one point he was holding his apple in his teeth attempting to pick up one of the larger pumpkins. 

After we picked our stash we waited for the tractor to come back and get us. Still working on that apple lol must have been good. 

We finished off by attempting the corn maze... It was tough! We made it out which I feel counts as a success .. Even if the way out we took was labelled emergency exit and not the exit we were supposed to find. By the time we found it I didn't care I had a toddler and husband both getting cranky! We probably won't attempt the maze again for a few years lol 

It was an exhausting afternoon, but tons if fun :) 

Not a good day

Day one of watching what I eat and I am so angry and agitated at the world I feel I could breakdown any moment. 

I did breakdown and have a small bowl of ice cream. I feel awful for doing it but I'm struggling today. 

My day started with me realizing I didn't know what to eat for breakfast. I stood staring into the fridge and pantry wondering what my blood sugar was and if eating certain items would push it too high. I really wish my dr had of taken initiative and set me up with a glucometer so I didn't have to guess. I decided on a bowl of rice crispies and avoided my usual glass of OJ. 

Mav stuck to his routine of 1/4 cup OJ mixed with water and blueberries. Except he decided to have a 20 minute meltdown because he saw me dilute his drink with water. We are talking major meltdown here; screaming, crying, throwing his body on the ground meltdown. 

Eventually he/we calmed down and managed to get him to daycare. Afterwards I went and retraced my steps from our walk the day before (a walk which had every muscle in my body aching today) and thankfully found his iPod which we had lost. I was up all night stressing about losing it, it plays his bedtime music which is a big part of his routine. It was crazy humid today so I'm feeling quite disgusting at only 9am. 

With the iPod found I went on my way to my first clients home. Apparently there had been an accident involving a car and a bicycle just around the corner from where I was going, on the ground laid the cyclist with a blanket over them... I can't say for sure but I'm 90% sure he was still on the ground and not in the ambulance for a reason. Not a good one. That shook me up pretty good but after a time out to breathe I continued on my day. 

All day long I felt hungry, hungry and stressed because I don't know what to eat. I was given no diet guidelines, and no idea what's actually going on in my body. Stress level increases. 

I came home early, got a few things done around the house, picked up Mav and start making dinner. Once dinner is ready realize I can't serve half of it to Mav since we are not to introduce new foods until allergy testing and the other half he refuses to eat. 

Cue more meltdowns. Which leads to agitated parents who start fighting with each other. I'm not sure if I've mentioned it before but we are bad fighters, as in all the things you shouldn't say end up being said. 

With heavy tension still in the air I get Mav ready and put to bed. I spend the next few hours by myself watching tv and eventually caving in for that ice cream all which stewing with agitation and anger. 

I'm not sure if its my hormones or what but lately I am so easily agitated. With everything/everyone.  Plus Mav seems to really be pushing boundaries and I spend most of my time with him telling him not to do things and attempting to discipline bad behavior. Add in my husband also seems to be in a funk and spits more criticism out of his mouth than usefulness. 

I'm at my breaking point. 

I need an escape but I'm trapped. 

I need the ppl around me to stop being so miserable too. 

I need support and not criticism. 

I need to stop being a bitch but I don't know how ... 

Ugh. 

End rant. 

I knew it

I knew it. I had a feeling. 

Last week I drank this guy and had some blood taken 

Well today my family doctor informed me I failed. Not by a lot but enough that I now have to cut out all sweets and make sure to follow a diabetic diet. 

I see my OB for the first time next week so we will have to see what he says about the results. There's a good chance I will be doing the 2-3hour test. Hopefully I can just stay diet controlled.

I wish I could say I am optimistic I would pass the next test but I'm not. I was having a good morning the day I tested. Just the day before I spent about 20 minutes laying on my living room floor because I felt so dizzy while trying to get Mav and I ready to go out. That happens a lot the past couple months... Being a nurse I know enough about diabetes to know that the way I've been feeling is most likely from my blood sugar fluctuating. 

I love sweets. And so does hubby which is going to make this even harder. But I guess we will just have to wait until next week and see what the new dr says. 

I really could go for a big bowl of ice cream right now... 

Ortho update

Mav had his first appointment with the Orthopedic doctor Friday.

I don't think I wrote why he was going in my last post so I will start with that.

So Mav has been walking since he was 10 months old, that is lots (and lots) of practice time, by this point he really should be quite stable on his feet but he is a total clutz. At first I didn't think anything of it but I had a few people point out to me that he is bow legged. That also was not a big concern of mine, better bow legged than knock kneed in my opinion. Plus I had heard from other moms of bow legged kids that it has been suggested it is better for athletes to have a bit of a bow. Not that I am pushing for Mav to be an athlete but lets face it he is a very busy boy, and he has a natural love for sports so far. Obviously we will embrace that as much as our future bank accounts will allow lol.

So early walker becomes bow legged, and then a couple months back, somewhere between the 15-16 month mark I noticed he was becoming more clumsy and tripping more on his feet. After a few weeks of this I mentioned it to my doctor and she agreed with what we had noticed. Mav's legs were starting to turn inwards from the knees down throwing off his balance and causing him to trip. Some days his legs seem almost perfectly in line, but others (seemingly when he is over tired or too excited) its like his legs get lazy and start to turn. Sometime its a little turn others its much more noticeable. 

So now we will follow up yearly for potentially up to the next 7 years with the Ortho specialist.
That's all they want us to do, the examine concluded that Mav does in fact have a slight inward bend in his leg bones. Basically they said that it is not a concern at this point, and that as his leg muscles develop his legs should straighten. He doesn't even need physio, we are just to continue letting him be the overactive toddler he is which the Dr said was in his favor.

Ive searched for a picture to show what his legs do but all I can find is pronation of feet, and the curve is not in Mav's feet its in his calf bones...

So instead a cutie picture will have to do <3

18 Months!

Holy Moly Mav hits the 18 month mark at the end of this week.
That's a year and a half. Which is almost two! My little man is growing up so fast!

I know I haven't been doing monthly posts lately, to be honest I just haven't had much time for anything and I feel like after the twelve month mark milestones spread out so I would be sharing the same thing month after month. Snooze fest ( no offense to mama's who do monthly posts still I'm not saying yours are boring I just mean mine would be!)

So what is there to say about my soon to be 18 month old?

Mav truly is a toddler, I am not sure exactly when they officially become one but he is there. He still has his moments where he very much likes to be coddled and treated like a baby but they are far and few between. He is so independent and stubborn, and into everything. He wants to do everything he sees myself or his daddy do, as well as things he sees the bigger kids do at daycare which often will result in a tantrum if its not something appropriate or safe. Strong willed and stubborn describe him well. We try to let him explore and try new things regardless of his age, I do not want to discourage him, I want him to continue to be inquisitive and eager to learn and try things. Listening skills vary by the day, this is where we see a lot of his stubbornness. I know he hears me, and I know he understands but sometimes if its something he wants bad enough  than its pretty much in one ear and out the other. For the most part he does very well at following commands. He will put things in the garbage, pick up toys, and bring me items as asked; I tend to ask him to do a lot of things to test him.

He loves to climb up onto things which I thought he had outgrown but it seems as tho round two has started in the last couple weeks. Since he did start walking so young we have already been through a climber stage and it was great when I could untie the chair legs ( I used a scarf and tied them together under the table to discourage him from climbing) and relax without worrying he was going to fall off something and break his neck.

He is very athletic, he loves to play any sport and if I may add is fairly good at them. He received two mini hockey sticks for his birthday and like a true Canadian boy intuition just knew how to use them. Since then he has been introduced to basket ball, soccer, t ball, football and golf. All of which he loves and is able to differentiate between them. He throws and kicks very well, often straight and a good distance most people are impressed when they play with him. It makes his daddy (who happens to be one of those athletes that could play any sport well) very proud.

His language skills are improving as of lately which I really am happy about. For some time now he has been fairly non verbal, able to get his needs known and point across by pointing at things and making whiney sounds. He has a fair list of words that he can say I know I am leaving some out but his list includes: mama, mommy, daddy, sorry, ball, doggie, kitty, hi, bye, hello, baby, ba (bottle), grandma, nanna, Jill, blueberries, me, meow, keys as well as thank you, ready set go and lets go. He doesn't ever say no or yes but he will nod and shake his head appropriately. He has a few other words that I have heard him say once or twice but those seem to be the ones he will say most often. According to our day care lady she has heard him say please, no and stop. He also knows and says her name. Despite knowing how to say words it still can be a challenge to get him to say things and I really am trying to work on that with him. Not because I'm worried or that I feel he needs to for any reason other than it really is much easier for me when he will tell me what he needs.

As for his personality Mav still is very loving and gentle natured, but he also now will stand up for himself and should someone else get too rough or take something from him that he really wants he will fight back... this is another perk to language skills. Specifically the word "me" is used a lot when someone has something that he was playing with or something he wants and since learning it he does not hit nearly as often, where as before if you took something from him he would start swinging. When he does something bad or needs to say sorry it is always accompanied with a hug which is really sweet.

He is a very scrawny little boy, I think at his last appointment they said he was down under the 50th percentile but I cant remember exactly where he fit in. Most the children in my family start off very thin and petite and then develop into giant monsters. He has a very good appetite and will eat most foods so I am not at all worried. He just happens to burn off so much energy he stays really thin. Currently he only weighs 22lbs. I am not too sure what his favourite foods are these days it is hard to narrow it down, he loves most fruits, we still avoid bananas since he had the reaction and will re introduce it when he is a bit older. Cucumbers are also a big hit, I don't even cut it up, I just cut a portion off and hand it to him and he chops away happily eating it all. Carrots and potatoes are a fairly safe bet, I don't think Ive ever seen him turn them down. While all other vegetables seem to depend on his mood as to whether he will eat them on a particular day. Meat also depends on his mood, for a long time he refused to eat it but lately he has been actually eating it in small portions. 

His favourite toys right now are his toy balls, cars and trucks, dinosaurs and mega blocks. Those all come out on a daily basis. He also loves tools. Any change he can he will grab one of daddy's tools and "get to work" on something. Its really cute. He has a favourite bunny stuffy (bunny head attached to a little blanket) that he sleeps with and the once beloved (by me)  now dreaded soother is also a main source of comfort.  He also has a preference for one particular blanket but can go days without it if its not needed. We spend a lot of time outside, he absolutely loves to be outdoors and playing. 

Lets see.. some other miscellaneous things worth mentioning..

He has a full set of teeth on the left side of his mouth and the remaining molars and fangs on the right side are all in the process of coming in as we speak. I think at this point they have all broken the  gums to some degree and are all taking their turns at tormenting him.

Coming up we have his orthopedic assessment, his legs turn inward slightly which has been affecting his balance lately. They were not always like that so I mentioned it to the dr and she put the referral to have him assessed. I had this at a much younger age and it had to be corrected, I'm pretty sure I had tiny little baby casts on my legs and feet.

He had his pre summer follow up with the plastic surgeon to monitor the scars on his face, she was very pleased with how it has healed and we will see her probably for the last time in September or October to make sure the scars continue to fade and are not damaged by the sun. I will post more of an update on that in general at a later time.

He has become very interested in the toilet and sitting on his potty. There have been some kids at day care potty training recently so that seems to have caught his interest. I have been trying to be as vocal as possible about the potty and what its for. If I notice he is pooping I will ask him "are you pooping?" and immediately change his diaper afterwards, I was reading somewhere that making him aware of what he is doing is sort of a pre step for training later. He now will walk up to you and pat his diaper when it needs to be changed, not always but especially after a nap when it is a little more full.

He understands there is a baby in my belly and is very affectionate and wanting to feel the baby move which is really sweet. He loves babies so hopefully he will love this one even when he realizes they are staying with us permanently lol.

He loves music and loves to dance. He really enjoys when his daddy plays guitar, Mav has his own little guitar that looks like daddy's and they will sit together and play.

My little man <3 growing up so fast. Soon he will be moving to his big big room and becoming a big brother! 

Halfway done - baby V round 2

I am feeling a little guilty about the lack of pregnancy posts. This whole pregnancy has been so low key that it hasn't really even crossed my mind, I have been recently taking weekly belly shots since I did that all the way thru with Mav. I started late this time but in all fairness we found out much later. 

So for record keeping (and any inquiring minds) here is the rundown so far :) 

Currently 21w3d

Due date: November 30,2013

Gender: We do know, but at the moment it is a secret. It took some time for hubby to decide if he wanted to know or not, so at our anatomy scan we had the tech write in on a paper and put it in an envelope. I found out fairly soon after that, hubby backed out as Mav was opening the envelope for us and turned his back but I got a peek. A few days ago he finally caved and opened it for himself. 

Planned vs surprise: Not gonna lie, this baby was not planned. This took us by a huge surprise, shock is probably a better word. From what we can tell babe was conceived around Mav's first birthday, so around the time I really got serious about weaning. I didn't realize I was pregnant until 10 weeks later when I started questioning why Aunt Flo had never returned. 

Symptoms: I have had practically none. There have been days that if it wasn't for a mirror or feeling a jab I would forget I was pregnant. Looking back at the first 10 weeks the only indication I can think was when Mav decided he would rather have a night bottle than nurse. Since then I have had some lower back and nerve pain, and energy levels are low. 

Cravings: Nothing crazy so far just a few weeks of eating salt and vinegar chips. And no really strong aversions either. I'm not crazy about eating meat but unlike last time I can stomach it from time to time. 

Weight gain: Until my 20 week appointment I hadn't gained anything, however it seems I gained 8 lbs in the last month. It's a huge jump but considering that brings my grand total up to only 8lbs not bad at all. 

Movement: I wasn't too sure the first few times but once it became more obvious I was able to feel movement between 15-16 weeks. My last ultrasound confirmed my placenta is once again at my back side so optimal for feeling movement. Babe is getting stronger and I feel little jabs and movements daily. About a week ago hubby was able to finally feel them as well. 

Mav is slowly starting to show signs that he understands there's a baby in my belly, he seems to think I am the only person with a baby but at least he sort of gets it. He recently has started hugging and kissing my belly when we tell him to kiss the baby <3 

Hamburger or Hotdog (gender predictions)

So apparently when pregnant with Mav I said I would be ok with not finding out the gender of our next child. 

Flash forward 2 years and my husband is holding me to it. Well guess what I'm not ok. I don't want a surprise, I need to know. I don't know how people do it but I need that crucial piece of detail in order to plan and prepare, to buy and/or sell, to serve my curiosity! 

But I love my husband and marriage has to be about compromise and give and take, and since we did find out with Mav (because I wanted to) my heart is telling me I have to let him win this one. Of course I bring it up with gentle encouragement to try to sway him but I feel too guilty to bother getting into a real debate since I know this is what he wants. 

Our anatomy scan is this week and I am still holding onto the little faith I have that the excitement of it will change his mind (but watch he will and lo's legs will be crossed!) 

So if I can't know what this baby is until November then I will have to add to my curiosity my finding every gender prediction online possible! This is what I've come up with so far: 

Baking soda test - Boy (I think) 

Ring test - inconclusive (it kept changing direction)

Chinese chart - Girl 

Salty vs Sweet cravings - Girl 

Odd vs Even - Boy 

High vs Low - Boy (wrong with Mav) 

Sleep positions - Girl 

Acne - Girl 

Heart rate - Girl

Nausea - Boy 

Leg hair - Girl 

As well Hubby's Nonna (Italian grandmother) claims when your baby says "mama" first the next is a girl; if baby says "dada" the next is a boy.  - Girl 

I'm becoming obsessed with these and constantly looking up more wives tales so if anyone knows anymore please share!