I am doing much better physically. I've cut back my work at the hospital to 3 days a week (each working day being 2-3 days apart); I go for weekly deep tissue massage sessions & I lay down & rest whenever possible. I've had a few crying days when I realized I wouldn't be able to bring in as much income as I had hoped to pay off our remodeling bills sooner, however, this is such a short (only 2 months to go before the delivery) & critical time for me & Sophia. I can't even calculate the costs of raising a prematurely born child with all of the physical & developmental problems going along with that. Even though most of my working hours fall on the weekend, I still take Gerritt to his daycare 3 times a week. I found it's just too much trying to keep up with him & entertain him at home. I tried taking him to the Crossroads mall so he could ride the toy car, train & Mary Go Round, however, after the rides are done I have to chase him all over the mall since he doesn't want to stay in his stroller. By the end of the night I can barely wait for my husband to get home, I am so tired.
About 3 weeks ago I took him to a playground at the elementary school in our neighborhood & he just loved it! He loves to climb the stairs & then go down the slides (he was only afraid for the 1st time, then he wanted to do it over & over). Now every time we go or drive by the playground, Gerritt wants to go there. He points to it & tries to say that he wants to go. If he happens to be in a stroller & I don't walk toward the playground, he throws a crying fit. The terrible twos have come early. A combination of not always being able to express his wants & needs & poor impulse & emotion control has led to Gerritt's increased meltdowns. They usually happen if he did not get enough sleep or has been on too many errands with Mommy & is bored. On the other hand, it is such a fun age! Gerritt copies everything we do. He is mastering the use of the spoon & fork, dressing & undressing himself, & sitting at the big table with us. Sometimes he'll put his little feet in my big Dansko shoes & tries to walk while wearing them. He knows a few new words: "Wo, wo!" (walk, walk), "G, g!" (go, go or yougurt depending on whether he is standing by the front door or the fridge), "Bahbl!" (bubbles), "Baaaw!" (ball), "Cakies!" (crackers), "Doh!" (dog), "Sassy! (South America - a puzzle piece from his World Map floor puzzle), "Sockies!" (socks), "Shaak!" (shark), "Tee, tee!" (turn on TV), apple, "Na, na!" (banana), "Djh, djh!" (juice), "Kah!" (car), "Baah, baah!" (bath) & probably a few others that I can't remember now. Gerritt communicates pretty well most of the time, which decreases his & our levels of frustration. Gerritt still takes 1 nap a day (12-2 pm, occasionally longer) & sleeps from 7:30 or 8 pm until 7 or 8 am, which is wonderful. He still wants his bottle of milk before bed & when he wakes up. It is our bonding time. Usually we watch cartoons in the morning while I snuggle with him & feed him his bottle of formula. Gerritt discovered cartoons about 3 weeks ago & now he wants to watch the same ones over & over. His favorite cartoons are made by the company called "Word World," & his most requested episodes are about a shark as well as "A mystery of a disappearing pie." I plan on limiting the number of cartoons Gerritt watches as soon as our remodeling is complete. I want him to spend more time reading with us or playing outside & being physically active. Gerritt loves meeting people although he is shy at first. Usually he clings to me for dear life until he "warms up" for about half-an-hour. He has the most beautiful smile & we love making him laugh. Gerritt is still attached to both of his teddy bears & a green baby blanket. He takes them everywhere with him. One time he even put his blanket into a tub full of water before I realized what was happening. Gerritt loves bath time (as long as we don't wash his hair) & insists on bathing every 2-3 days. Usually he stands in front of a large tub pointing to it & saying, "Bah, bah!" Sometimes he even starts pulling on his sweater & pants attempting to take them off. It is too cute for words!
I will be 31 weeks pregnant tomorrow. Less than 2 months to go before the delivery! Time sure has gone by quickly this time. I am in the most uncomfortable stage of my pregnancy. I can't be on my feet for too long & everything aches (mostly my groin ligaments). I am constantly congested & have to sleep on 2 pillows to be able to breathe. I get fatigued more easily so I try to rest more often. We've decided to name our little girl Sophia Christine. We've always liked the name Sophia & Christine is to honor Chris. Sophia has been very active moving around in my belly. She is head down so when she stretches my right ribs are often sore. As far as I can tell she is as active as Gerritt was. I am tired of being pregnant, but at the same time not looking forward to the newborn stage. I just remember how stressed we were when Gerritt was born. It should be easier this time since we are experienced parents & know what to expect. Although so much depends on baby's personality. We still have all of the baby stuff left over from Gerritt, so the only items I bought were some girl baby clothes & organic infant formula. I will try breastfeeding again, but wanted to be ready in case it doesn't work out. My biggest worry is Gerritt's adjustment. He is such a Momma's boy & with a new baby in the house he is going to lose the most. Thank goodness, my husband will be home with me for a couple of months. I am hoping he can take care of the baby while I give more attention to Gerritt. Gerritt is so young, he probably won't even remember what it was like to grow up without a baby sister. I am still happy we've decided to have Sophia so soon after Gerritt's birth. Everything gets harder with age & it seems there is never a perfect or convenient time to have children.
Our kitchen remodel is almost complete - only about 3 more days to go. It is probably the best investment we've made even though we've had some reservations about doing it with a slow economy, another baby on the way & possibility of a job loss. I am really looking forward to having a nice home. We've been through many changes since our move into this house last October - kitchen, guest bedroom & 2 bathrooms were all redone! I am starting to nest & want everything ready before Sophia's birth. She may be even born early with my condition of a short cervix so it doesn't hurt to get things ready ahead of time. My husband & I have been married for less than 4 years & it's hard to believe we've come such a long way!
