Thursday, July 26, 2012

Busy (but fun) Summer

So far, we Fohner's have had a busy (as always), but very fun Summer  :)

{hence why it's been a while since I've posted}

Some updates...
  • Matthew has been working b-ball camps as he usually does for the summer & enjoying playing pick up afterwards.
  • I will be taking care of 2 more infants starting in a few weeks (all 3 children will be here on different days meaning I'm nannying 3-4 days per week as opposed to the 2 days per week that I had since January)...Abram LOVES having them over & playing with them.  Since the newest two are 3-9 months old, it's good practice for when Baby Fohner #2 arrives around New Year's  :)
  • Abram's continuing to grow physically (averaging 1 shoe size every 2 months, the average toddler grows 1 size every 3-4 months) & mentally (learning new signs...his new favorite is "please").  He's been able to master Matthew & I's iPhones...unlocking them & finding his favorite icons so he can scroll through YouTube to watch his favorite "BaBa" (what he calls "Toy Story") clips & access his toddler friendly games
  • I've regained some energy back now a little over 17 weeks along with Baby Fohner #2 (which I'm almost positive is a girl).  My bump has caught up with how I big I was with Abram.  I consistently measured 2-4 weeks ahead with him & was all baby...amazingly I didn't swell at all, wore my rings & shoes all the way through.  I can still fit in most of my clothes (with help thanks to the best pregnancy invention ever, the BeBand) but it definitely feels more comfortable to wear my maternity clothes.  I've been taking monthly shots this time around (as opposed to weekly pics) & I don't see a difference in how I'm carrying at all.  This pregnancy is seeming to follow Abram's in almost every way.  Especially in how I don't feel pregnant at all.  So much so that I actually came into to see the midwives between appointments to make sure the baby still had a heart beat (I'm a bit more hypersensitive since my miscarriage).  I've only felt the baby move a few times (this time a little before 14 weeks as opposed to exactly at 16 weeks).  We're going in for the anatomy ultrasound on our 7th anniversary (on the 7th :) though we'll probably wait until the birth to find out the gender.  At my 4 month appointment, I was a bummed to find out that while I'm a great candidate for a VBAC (we'll be trying for one), there are a lot of things that will be different about this labor than Abram's.  The most disappointing is that I cannot use water for pain management in any way.  We were actually planning on having an "accidental" water birth with Abram (& hoping for one with this baby).  The midwives don't prefer to do them since the tubs at Shady Grove Adventist are not rounded & cannot be accessed from all sides.  They do have water births that they attend every so often b/c some women get so far along in the tub that they physically cannot move out of it, & end up giving birth there.  This time I have to have a port put in (but not attached to an IV) just in case I'll need another emergency c-section.  I also cannot be monitored with a fetascope like I was with Abram.  Thankfully SGA has wireless monitoring (why I can't be near water), meaning I can at least walk around (standing up was the best position to be in when I was laboring with Abram) within range of the wireless receiver.  I haven't been told how far I can walk, but at least I can be mobile within the room (& SGA's rooms are pretty huge).  Good news is that I am not allowed to be induced with Pitocin (that stuff HURT) if I go beyond 42 weeks again.  We'd love a tax break baby, but I'm just going to go ahead & plan on having a baby in mid-January for my own sanity's sake.  That was the only taxing thing about going late with A.B., mentally just waiting around for him.  Physically, I felt great & never had trouble sleeping.  Here's hoping this pregnancy stays on par with Abram's in that way (feeling great physically, not in going 15 days late).
  • Aslan has been swimming so much that she developed a yeast infection in her ears  :(  Poor girl is a trooper & didn't show any signs of it until we brought her in for her annual appointment earlier this week.  She's on meds for the next 10-14 days.  It amazes me how good she is with Abram...he hits her, pulls on her tail, pokes her body parts while announcing what they are, climbs all over her, & she just lays there.  She's the best  :)


That's the latest short updates on how we're all doing.

We're back at the beach again for the next 10 days (yay) for Matthew's family reunion in Fenwick Island & a week in Duck with my Dad's side.  Excited to see everyone & catch some more rays!

Wednesday, July 11, 2012

Our Fourth :)

Matthew's mom very generously invited us (as well as Matthew's 3 older sister's families) down to Emerald Isle for the week of the Fourth...so, duh, we said YES!

Last year, Matthew brought his camera, tripod, & remote (along with a very entertaining Aunt Shannon) down the beach to capture some pics.  Looking back, I just want to stop time thinking about how much Abram has changed in a year.

With Baby Fohner #2 tucked away under my blue shirt (every slightly showing by a bump in the pic of Abram giving me "kissies") Matthew snapped away getting some great shots (at least I think so) of our little guy  :)




















Here are some from my less worthy iPhone...

 a bucket of water for a 18 month old provides at least 30 min. of pure entertainment  :)


our 3 nieces...only 2 out of our 7 nephews could come down for the week


 silly me only brought my phone down to take pics a few days during the week we were there


other than a bucket of water, playing with clams & sand crabs provided hours of entertainment  :)



a little bit of our ocean view from one of the house's decks 


whenever we got the the boardwalk from the short walk from the house, he sprinted toward the "wawa" 


didn't even need to leave our decks for the shows...we were able to watch the hour long show that the island put on as well as some awesome fireworks that the neighbors set off on the beach 


Matthew's mom, middle sister, & Matthew himself with the extra glow bands that the kids didn't wear 


getting "hosed off" before dinner 


before we walked down for our photo shoot 


walking back 


my little ham 


driving home (JK, pretending to drive home while Daddy pumped gas)



Hope everyone else had a wonderful 4th!

Very excited for our family pics next year that will feature Baby Fohner #2  :)