22 Weeks

Im now over 22 weeks along in my pregnancy and things are going really well! Other than some achiness and soreness in my pelvis (I've always had that discomfort during my pregnancies, I think because Im so short), I feel great! I had my gender sonogram today with my doctor and it was confirmed that we are indeed still having a boy! He looked great and had grown quite a bit since our last ultrasound. He really looked perfect in every way and I was so grateful to get a good report!!I have been experiencing some braxton hicks and discussed that with my doctor some. Obviously, with subsequent pregnancies, those feelings show up much more quickly and can be completely normal. Since I have had preterm labor, I know the things to watch for and be careful of. So far though-everything looks to be completely fine! Here are a few highlights:

Due date: August 28th, 2012

Gender: A boy

Name: Easton James Crouse

Weight gain: I am so pleased to announce that I have only gained 5 pounds so far!! However, my appetite has begun to increase lately so that could (and probably will) quickly change! I am doing so much better than I ever did with the girls though!

Movement: He has been very active lately! Not only can Jaime feel him move now, but we can also see my belly shake when he does a good kick. It's always so fun to watch!

Craving/Aversions: I don't typically crave anything "fast food" and I really try to stay way from really fatty food. I crave fruits and veggies alot.

Our surprise baby has so far been a complete joy and I am loving being pregnant! I pray that things continue to go well and we coast through with flying colors and ultimately end this pregnancy with a pleasant delivery and healthy baby boy! Can not wait!!

Celebrating our Brooklyn Hope

On April 11th, our baby girl turned one year old! Wow, what a quick and marvelous year it was too! This  girl of ours is such a joy and will forever be our perfect "baby" girl! She is sweet and funny with a gentle spirit, yet she knows how to assert herself and stand up to her big sister, already!

The day after her birthday, I took her to see Dr. Smith for her well check. Poor baby, she is much more sensitive than Maddie ever was at the doctor, and she cried from the moment they weighed her till they finished with all her shots and blood work! :( But she checked out perfectly. Here are some stats at one year:

-weighs 19 pounds 4 ounces (25th percentile) and is only in the 10th percentile for length. She is my short, compact girl!
-wears 9 month or 12 month clothing
-wears size 4 diaper
-WALKING and roaming everywhere
-since she is right about at the 20 pound mark, we went ahead and switched her to Maddie's old car seat once she moved to a booster. She looks so much more comfortable now that she is out of the baby carrier!
- eating table foods or graduate meals. She is a great eater and doesn't pass on much!
-no more formula or bottles. We transitioned to whole milk and she loves it. Once she finally got the hang of sippy cups a couple of months ago too, we never looked back!
-4 teeth on top and two on bottom
-goes to bed about 7:30 and will usually sleep till 7:00

Heading to church-Easter Sunday

Playing @ Dr. Smith's office-before the meltdown

We are a Ranger lovin' family!

Today, we had Brooklyn's 1st birthday party at my parents house! Family and friends came to help celebrate our baby girl! We had a blast at our "Easter/Spring" themed party. We had snacks, cake and punch that were all so yummy! Brooklyn had her very own cupcake and enjoyed the frosting and sprinkles! Then we opened presents (with the help of some bigger girls!) and enjoyed visiting with all our friends! Here are a few pictures from the party:

And in conclusion, here are just a few more random pictures of Brooklyn-particularly of her walking!

The Half-Way Mark

Hello 20 weeks! I can hardly believe how this pregnancy is flying by and how smooth it has been so far! I'm so grateful!

Here are a few highlights thus far:

How we found out: It was a few days before Christmas and I noticed my period was late. This would have only been the 3rd period I had since having Brooklyn and I really believed that maybe I was a little off because I was nursing so much. However I tested anyway and much to my surprise-it was positive! It took several weeks for me to wrap my mind around being pregnant because it was such a shock and I was really nervous considering past issues. Now-we are nothing but thrilled! 

Gender: We had a sonogram at 16 weeks and it's a BOY! Everything looked great and he seemed to be developing just as he should.

Name: Easton James Crouse

Nursery: Maddie is going to move into Brooklyn's room and we are going to turn Easton's room into a sports nursery. It totally fits since his daddy is a coach and his mommy loves baseball so much. (hence the name Easton which is a name brand in baseball sports equipment!) I found some really cute bedding at babies r us and I can't wait to decorate with Ranger's gear, a wood bat I got at the Louisville Slugger museum, and a shadow box that holds his daddy's college soccer jersey!

How I'm feeling: I felt awful for a solid 12 weeks. I never got sick but was constantly nauseated and gagged all the time. I have had terrible heartburn and restless nights. But now, Im starting to feel better. I don't have as much 2nd trimester energy as I have had with my past pregnancies, but I blame that on having two children all ready. (one of which-is barely a one year old!) My thyroid has gotten off several times, which is to be expected, so that can make me feel drained. But once my medicine is adjusted, I typically feel better!

Cravings: A lot of healthy food....salads, grilled chicken, fresh fruit and veggies! At times, I crave something sweet or a cherry vanilla coke from Sonic (which is rare for me considering I hardly ever drink caffeine). Fast food is pretty much a turn-off to me!

Weight gain: At my last appointment, I had gained back the 3 pounds I originally lost, putting me back at my pre-pregnancy weight. It's all uphill from here but Im so excited to be 20 weeks and so much smaller than I ever was with my girls. If I can end this pregnancy, gaining less than 40 pounds, I will be thrilled!

4 Years

Before I do Brooklyn's 1 year post, I need to hurry up and get Maddie's 4 year post in. She had her birthday on March 13th and on April 2nd I took her in for her 4 year well-check. Let me tell you, she is a tall skinny girl! She weighed 34 lbs. (50th%) and was 41 inches tall (75th %). Totally explains while all her jeans are big around the waist and too short! He looked her over and said she looked perfect! We talked about counting, coloring, how she plays and then he had her do a few things for him (i.e. hopping on one foot, walking on her toes and then her heels, etc..). It was a smooth trip and she even did pretty well when she had to get those dreaded shots....4 of them to be exact! Yikes. Luckily, she's done with immunizations until she's 12!

A few things bout you now that you are 4:

-transitioned into a booster seat
-love coloring and does very well at staying in the lines
-pretends and has imaginary friends
-jumps and does flips on your trampoline
-a big helper. You enjoy watering the flowers, dusting, and putting the clean silverware away.
-is very sassy and we fight a constant battle with you to control your mouth and to teach what's acceptable and what's not.
-loves animals and told me she wanted to be a doctor so you could take care of them
-trying to break your thumb sucking habit
-excited about turning 5 so you can go to school
-enjoys board games
-learning how to ride a bike with training wheels

And so much more!

I can hardly believe that 4 years have gone by since I became a mom! Maddie girl~ you are a perfect little girl and even though you are incredibly strong willed, I just wouldn't have it any other way. I know that you are going to do great things in life and Im so blessed to be able to be a part of that! Love you!

Easter 2012

What a great weekend we have had! Jaime and I did some things around the house Saturday (i.e. mowing, painting in our kitchen, cleaning, etc...) and then he grilled BBQ chicken while I made salad, corn on the cob, fried squash and fruit. It was YUMMY and we all ate out on the back porch! Later that night, Maddie and I dyed some Easter eggs. Sunday morning we got up and headed to church. Of course, the girls matched and looked absolutely beautiful! And for the first time in years, I actually wore a dress. Im not sure how it looked on me but it certainly was super comfy! The rest of the day consisted of napping and doing some more cleaning. Tonight, we are heading to my parents house for steaks! Hope your Easter has been an amazing one too!

Easter Egg Hunt

This past Sunday, our church hosted a worship in the park at Bergfeld along with a community wide Easter egg hunt. It was a blast! After a casual worship, we sat on the ground (picnic style) and ate hot dogs before hunting for eggs. I loved hanging out with my beautiful girls! Snce Brooklyn is so young, I didn't even bring her basket with us. Instead, I just stood her in front of one egg and let her grab it. She was totally content! Maddie, however, took off and found as many as she could! She even surprised me and gave 4 of her eggs away to her little "boyfriend" who seemed to be having a little trouble finding his own eggs. :) I forgot my camera but had a few taken by my mom that she posted on my facebook!