Sunday 30 December 2012

Cloth diapers - sprayers and tushy sticks

This may be kind of sad, but I'm pretty excited about a new gadget that we added to our little world of cloth diapering. And may I just say that it makes clean ups a breeze!

After cloth diapering for over 6 months we have finally purchased a diaper sprayer! For those unaware of what that is, it's a garden hose like contraption that hooks up to your toilet that is pressured and you use it to spray off those non 'ploppable' poops. Usually Noah's diapers are an easy plunk and flush, but when your kids are sick or eat something that doesn't agree with them it sure does come in handy. No one enjoys having to dunk and swish right?

It has made my life so much easier! It takes 5 seconds at the most to rinse of a messy diaper and its a big help with avoiding stains. It's also handy to have around for cleaning your toilet, rinsing out a potty training toddler toilet or to use as a bidet for general cleanliness. Now that I have it I couldn't go back!
We purchased the Aquaus From the Little Monkey Store over the holidays when it went on sale. But I know Tender Tushies is now selling one too for cheaper for those interested.

Another product that I wanted to rave about is the Tushy Stick by Loveys. You can't just use any kind of diaper cream on your baby when you are cloth diapering and after trying a few brands this is our favourite. We love it because your hands never get messy and it works fast! We only have one at the moment but plan to pick up another to have with us on the go. Love love love it.

We hope to make a visit to our lovely TT rep in the next few days to add a few more dipes to our stash. We're going to have two boys in cloth diapers for a while, yikes. Anyone out there done this? How many diapers were you going through in a day? I'm curious about just how many we'll need.


Thursday 27 December 2012

Half way mark - gender reveal!

Guess what? Tomorrow I enter into week 20 of pregnancy. Friends really werent kidding when they said that your second pregnancy will fly by. I can't believe we are at this point already!

I'm feeling pretty good, although I still randomly get nauseated. I can't go near a garbage can or scrub a dinner dish with leftover food. If my tummy gets even a little empty I also start to heave and need to immediatly eat. My belly is starting to get a little heavy and if I'm on my feet too long I can start feeling the pressure on my hips and pelvic bone. Thankfully I have a maternity belt that I can put on when it's bothering me and that helps a lot. Other then that, I'm eating alot and enjoying more and more movement from my belly every day.

I feel like it's time to start getting prepared, even though I don't know exactly what that entails. We have our double stroller, our ergo carrier and picked up a new crib mattress. In only a few short months we will be switching Noah into his toddler bed so that the crib will be free to use for the new baby.

Speaking of baby... guess what we did tonight? You know how we had a 3D ultrasound scheduled for January 5th to find out little ones gender? Well, we got a tad antsy and called up the office asking if they had any last minute openings. Sure enough, they did and in we went. We brought Noah and my mother along to share in the excitement.

Here is a shot of our adorable little BOY! That's right, we make boys, just as I predicted! As much as I'd love a little girl at some point, this does work out a whole lot easier for us. The nursery is already boy themed, we have tons of boy clothes and lots of boy toys. Noah and his little brother will be sharing a room 6 months in too so that will be tons of fun. Besides, how fun will it be for Noah to have a pal so close in age to play trucks with?!

I already feel more connected to this little guy, calling him by name and understanding a little more what he looks like. Exciting times ahead!!!

Final Christmas gift

Tonight I'm getting another Christmas gift and I'm probably more excited about this one then anything else I received over the holidays. But it's a secret, so you are all just going to have to wait to find out what exactly this gift is.

I promise to share with you very soon.

Until then, I leave you with my latest belly shot taken on Christmas day.

Tuesday 25 December 2012

A very Merry (yet exhausting) Christmas.

*sigh* My oh my what a busy couple of days. And guess what, it ain't over yet. The holidays are always busy, especially December 23-26 as that is when all of our family gatherings take place. But this year my son happens to be in that 'into everything' phase and didn't sit still for more then 30 seconds at a time. Add onto that that I'm about half way through my pregnancy and starting to move a little slower and put my feet up a little more and you have one tired momma!

That being said, Noah has done very well these past few days. As far as I know he hasn't broken anything at our house or others and he's continued to sleep his normal amount. He's handled the extra sugar given to him fairly well, opened his gifts with many smiles and amazed staring and avoided (for the most part) any melt downs.

We were all overly spoiled as always. Noah so much so that Matt and I decided to keep a few of his still boxed up presents in the garage because he can't even remember all that he received. That way when he eventually gets bored with the ones he did unbox we can trade them out for the others. We did this for his birthday and it worked pretty well.

Tomorrow is our last family get together of the season with my moms side of the family. We're a big clan when we get together but it's always a good time. After that I'm looking forward some quieter days with my hubby who still has a week off and our little rambunctious man.

Oh, one thing I did want to mention is about a book I got called "What a Difference a Mom makes." It's by the always hilarious yet informative Christian phsycologist Dr Kevin Leman. I tore through about 45 pages this evening while relaxing in the tub and I can't wait to get back to it. It's all about how big of an impact mothers specifically have on their sons as they raise them and I'm finding it so informative! If you have boys and get a chance to pick it up, I highly recommend it.



Monday 24 December 2012

Play date with someone special

Noah (and I) had a very special visit a few days ago. I've mentioned before that one of my closest friends live far away in Nicaragua with her husband and their daughter, where they are serving as missionaries. They are in town for a few weeks for the holidays and so that their family and friends can meet the newest addition to the family. Oh boy, is she a little charmer. The moment she came through my front door she greeted me with tons of smiles and I couldn't wait to get my hands on her.



Though Noah and her both had to have naps during the visit, they still were able to spend a little time getting to know one another. Noah hasn't been around younger children then him very much but he really liked her from the start and was trying to share his toys and smother her in kisses. Thankfully she was in a good mood and enjoyed just staring at him. Hmm, our arranged marriage plan may work after all!



I was happy to see how interested in her Noah was, because like it or not he will be getting a constant play mate of his own only a few months down the road!

Thanks for the visit Ally! Hopefully we manage to get in some more time before you guys are off. Love you!

Friday 21 December 2012

Ultrasound nervousness

Does anyone else get nervous when it's time for their ultrasounds during pregnancy or is it just me? Most people seem to get really excited and so look forward to it. I guess I'm just a worrier, but I get a similar feeling to that of when they check for the heart beat for the first time. What if something is wrong?

I have my 3D ultrasound scheduled for January 5th to find out gender but for some reason I couldn't get my medical one scheduled until the 21st of January and ill be almost 24 weeks at that point. That's over a month later then when I had one with my first pregnancy.

I had a negative experience during my medical ultrasound with Noah. The tech wasn't friendly in the slightest and barely acknowledged my existence to the point where I left the appointment close to tears thinking something was horribly wrong. Everything turned out to be fine and thankfully Matt managed to get me an 'emergency' 3D for the same day to calm my fears. What a difference! They took the time to explain everything, get pictures for us and even smiled the whole time! Yeah we had to pay but it was well worth it.

I told my doctor I didn't want to go back to the other ultrasound clinic because of what happened and this time they managed to get me into Jimmy Pattison which I've heard nothing but good reviews for. And our 3D is booked for the same place as last time. Hopefully both go well :)

For now I just have to trust God that everything is going well with the little baby I side and remember that He has a plan for all. The frequent pokes and jabs baby is giving me is a reassuring reminder.

Wednesday 19 December 2012

Winter wonderland

We woke up this morning to a decent (by Vancouver standards) amount of snowfall. It's now lunch time and it's still going strong out here! At this very moment there is a semi-truck backsliding down 88th and no one can get past him. Conditions aren't so good out there. Stay safe everyone!

I took Noah outside at 8:30 am because I wasn't sure how long it'd be til it turned to rain. He hasn't ever played out in the snow and it seemed he was not all that interested today either. He simply walked around our complex pointing to things and listening to the crunch of the snow under his boots. He refuses to wear gloves and so after one touch of the fluffy cold stuff he didn't try it again. But he was still upset when I took him in half an hour later, red cheeked and damp.



Yesterday I spent the afternoon at my mommas making the traditional chocolate peanut butter balls. She puts    
cherries in hers where as I prefer them plain. Next year we are considering buying some kind of mold and trying to make them into cups. The dipping can be so challenging otherwise!

As far as pregnancy goes, I am starting to feel large. I know I'm not that huge, but I think I am significantly bigger then I was with my first at this point which makes me feel slightly self conscience. I think it's because baby is poking more outward this time around instead of lower. And the hunger has finally kicked into full gear. I feel like I am snacking all day long and I've actually gained a few pounds now. With Noah I wasn't a gradual gainer, I would suddenly gain four pounds in two weeks and then nothing for the next month. This seems to be happening again. It's not a bad thing but it always concerns me that I'll gain too much and be stuck with a lot of weight to loose after baby is born. I came out of the hospital with only four extra pounds on me last time and I'm hoping It'll be similar this time if I'm lucky.



Other then that not much going on here. Business as usual with an active toddler. Only 2.5 more days until Matt is on Christmas break for eleven days and I am so looking forward to that!



Friday 14 December 2012

Devastated

I don't even know what to say. But my heart aches so strongly for those affected in CN today that I feel like I have to at least acknowledge what has happened and try to piece together a few thoughts.

Many people are asking what's wrong with the world? And why would God let something like this happen? And I find myself thinking, "You don't want God around!" He's been pushed further and further out of our school systems, governments and in just about every other way because people don't want anything to do with him. But when tragedy strikes somehow it's 'where was He? And how could he let such a thing happen.'

This world has become an incredibly scary place. As a child I never grew up worrying that a shooter would one day come to my school and open fire. Now children have to rehearse lockdown drills just in case. How terrifying! This is the reality of the day and age we live in.

The whole thing makes me want to move to a cabin in the middle of nowhere with all my loved ones, homeschool my children and try to hide from the world. But I know that's not the answer (although it does make me think even more about the idea of homeschooling...)

So how do we stop this? What can be done to make this world a better and safer place? Sadly I don't think there there is a solution, because everyone has got that sin nature in them. Our society teaches us that we have the power and the right to do whatever we want and to 'look out always for number 1.'

Those of us who are Christians believe otherwise. There is a greater purpose to life and we know we are not number 1. God is number 1, and He has a plan for every single person. But not everyone wants to be a part of that plan, and being the loving Father he is, he lets everyone choose.

We'll be praying for those families and all those affected by this great tragedy. And I pray that they can find strength and some kind of hope from God, who is waiting with open arms.

Wednesday 12 December 2012

Eager.

this picture makes me look bigger then I really am because its so close up haha.

Gotta say, I'm starting to get pretty eager to find out wether baby number 2 is a boy or a girl. I don't buy anything until I know gender and I'm starting to get that excitment in me of wanting to look at newborn outfits, bedding and decor. I would also like to identify baby by their name, which we have picked out for either gender. I'mt not really into inside the tummy nicknames.

I know many like a surprise about everything, and that's great for them, but for me knowing Noah was a boy and giving him his name really helped me bond with him when he was still inside. I don't feel as though it robbed my joy on delivery day in the slightest. Seeing him for the first time was excitment and surprise enough.

I keep going back and forth wether I think we are having a boy or girl. I mean, there really is no way to know until the ultrasound. All the old wives tales with my last pregnancy said I was having a girl, and I even thought I was having a girl. So I haven't given them a thought at all this time around. The only reason I am suspicious this time is because of how different my pregnancy has been. Nausea came on way earlier, way stronger and still shows up randomly now and then. I'm experiencing low blood pressure, which I find odd because with my first pregnancy it was perfect the entire time. Cravings wise I haven't really had any, though last time all I wanted to eat was fruits and veggies. Oh and I've really been struggling with dairy this time around. Oh and this may sound weird, but I think my belly is 'pointier' this time. I carried very low with Noah and this one seems a bit higher up. Could be just a second pregnancy thing. I need to go back and look at pictures to compare.

Who knows. I will be perfectly happy with either. A little brother for Noah would be awesome and so fun. To be honest we'd almost like a boy again and then have a girl the next time. But a girl would be wonderful because then I'm guranteed one of each haha. So whatever God thinks is best is okay with me!

Gender ultrasound is scheduled for the 5th of January. Lets hope baby isn't feeling shy that day.

Saturday 8 December 2012

Bechard family Christmas

Well, today we are having a bit of an early Christmas with Matt's parents. They leave tomorrow so we had to celebrate early.

Of course Noah chose this morning to wake up at 3:00am and party in our bedroom until 5:15. Maybe he was anxious for some presents? Needless to say, I was not impressed. Then I realised that in another 5 months or so this would be my life again every single night. Oh dear... What were we thinking!?



We enjoyed a yummy breakfast of German pancakes with pure sugar syrup. I had all of one piece while the rest of the Bechard's polished off the entire pan in minutes. Seriously, this family can eat! It's unbelievable that they stay so thin!



Noah was exhausted from his early morning playtime and ended up heading to bed early, while the rest of us opened a few gifts. Then the family headed out for a walk while I stayed home and Noah napped.



This afternoon we will be having a big roast beef dinner (we had Turkey last week so opted for something different.) Tonight we will be going to a friends to decorate gingerbread houses and listen to some music.



It's been a fun but busy week around here. I'm curious to see what the transition will be like for Noah as we go from a house of six down to just the three of us again. Will he be crazy bored or will he enjoy getting back to his routine? One things for sure, he will miss having his Grandmaman and Grandpapa around.

Friday 7 December 2012

Week 16

So I'm 16 weeks pregnant now (or in my 17th week of pregnancy.) This past week has been a bit of a busy one as my in laws have been here visiting.

Tuesday evening we went downtown for Bright Nights at Stanley Park to take a ride on the Christmas train. As soon as we pulled into the parking lot and Noah saw the lights he began saying, 'ho ho ho!' We laughed because his facial expressions were very similar to last year when he went at barely 4 months old. Not necessarily smiling, just in awe of what he saw.



Wednesday we did lots of running around and we ended up having Noah out of the house pretty much all day. We learnt our lesson... Never again. He is a very laid back kid but he had three full meltdowns that day, one in the middle of Costco. Not fun for momma. I also don't think he's just use to all this attention and socialisation 24/7 and he had just had it. We're trying to keep our schedule much more laid back now and give him more quiet down time while company is here. So far it seems to be working.



Yesterday I had my 16 weeks check up at the doctor. My mother in law went with me and we got to hear babies heartbeat for the first time! So exciting and so reassuring to know that there is indeed a little child growing inside me. I ended up taking the doctor a while to find the heartbeat which made me a little nervous, but very quickly we were getting kicks so we knew baby was in there somewhere. My doctor commented that I had a very active baby for 16 weeks, but Noah was the exact same way. I am actually feeling those little jabs now too, mostly after I eat, which is always fun. Only negative thing we found out is that I have low blood pressure right now. It explains why I almost passed out a few days ago and why I am feeling so tired. This isn't something I experienced with Noah so we'll be keeping a close eye on it.

Tonight we will be having a family dinner at the Olive Garden, our favourite restaurant. And tomorrow we will be having a 'Bechard' Christmas with gifts and special meals! Should be fun!

Sunday 2 December 2012

Special Visitors

I mentioned in my previous blog post that we have some very special visitors staying with us right now. My husbands parents are here from Ontario for about 10 days to get in some time with their only grandchild and to celebrate an early Christmas with us all.



Noah skypes a lot with his Grandmaman so he warmed up to being around her in person very fast and wants to be with her constantly. He loves his Grandpapa too, but he is still not too sure about him haha.

It's been so nice having my mother in law around to help out with Noah. It gives me a chance to get off my feet more and relax, especially considering I have been battling a horrible cold for almost a week now. One of the most awesome things is that every morning once Noah starts making noise, Grandmaman sneaks in and takes him from his pack n play so Matt and I can continue sleeping. I know any parent out there would understand how wonderful that truly is!

We went to our church Kick off to Christmas party last night which was fantastic as always. I probably should have stayed home and rested, but it's pretty much my favourite event of the year and I really didn't want to miss it. I'm trying to be better about not pushing myself too much and surrendering to what my body is telling me, so I stayed home from church this morning. It turned out to be a really good idea because by 9:30am Noah was passing out on the living room floor and went down for a very early nap. Too much partying for a toddler I guess!



Tonight we are going to the Michael W Smith concert out in Abbotsford with Matts parents and my whole family (Noah will be home with Matt.) We went two years ago and it was a great show so I'm really looking forward to it. So until then I plan to lay low and relax.

Hope you are all well.