Teething.

It is truly amazing how quickly time flies when you have a baby. I can not believe that it's already February and little Travis is 8 months old. Joey will be 13 in just 6 short months and my life is on a track that I am pleased with.

Little update (since I haven't written in a while). Travis is still sleeping through the night, usually asleep by 7:10PM and sleeps until 5:30 or 6:00 am. It's wonderful to get a full nights sleep and I have already forgotten how sleep deprived I was when he was still getting up 2-3 times a night. He's napping very regularly as well and this whole schedule thing is amazing. We do the same thing at the same time every day and he knows it. If I have an appointment and it takes us off schedule just a small amount, he's quite the bear.

He was an early teether with the two bottom teeth, got them in one day when he was 4 months old. Now that he is 8 months old, he's been working on the top two teeth for quite some time. I'd have to at least for the last month. Some days are worse than others and today is one of those days. The right tooth is through but he's working on the left one and I hate seeing him in so much pain. Why is it that teething doesn't affect some babies at all and some are down right horrid to deal with? I feel so bad for him that he's in pain, but hey, we all went through this in our life right? So, I know he'll be fine, it just sucks in the meantime.

School is going well for me this semester. I am taking a critical thinking class and also an ethics and criminal justice class. They kind of go hand in hand with one another and I am having fun exploring personal values, thoughts and ideas.

Running. I am running and officially training for a half-marathon. The half-marathon is on March 3 and I am seriously excited! I am running anywhere between 3-5 days a week and my overall health is amazing right now. I'm eating well, feeling well, looking well and have found happiness within myself.

I need to start writing more, I miss it and need to get back into a routine of doing so. Maybe this will be the start...

Just go to sleep!!

Another month already half over and I still can't tell you what day it is. I'm lucky if I am getting 6 hours of sleep at night, (that's a lot considering the average is 4-5). I'm exhausted, overwhelmed and just plain going insane.

I've started running again to help me clear my mind and get me out of the house. Most of the time it works, but on those days that 1/2 mile into the 3 mile run Travis starts screaming, it's not so therapeutic. I am proud that I have worked up to a 3 mile run as my regular workout, just wish I could go longer. 3 miles takes me about 30 minutes and that's about all Travis is good for.

Travis is two weeks away from being 4 months old and still is a horrible sleeper. I tried to "sleep train" him but it only seemed to make matters worse, so I have gone back to just living by his schedule. Not great, but better than he was when I was trying to force him to sleep when and where he didn't want to.

He is growing like a weed and learning new things each day. He has happily discovered his feet and toes and likes to play with them any chance he gets. He still isn't rolling over but I like to blame that slow development on his horrible first two months. He has rolled over from belly to back a few times, but nothing regular.

Joey has two weeks left of this first quarter in Junior High, hard to believe. He's doing well so far. He has all A's and one B. I am hoping that he can maintain those grades for the next couple of weeks and then continue with that next quarter as well. I'm not sure if he's into girls or not yet, I'd like to say "not" but he's 12. Is he really going to tell his momma everything? I doubt it.

I'm tired, I want a break and I can't wait for my trip to California in a few weeks....

Really? September?

Looking at the calendar today, I can not believe that it's already September. Almost one year ago (this month) we were blessed with that little blue line on the pregnancy test. It started the journey that I never imagined. I have learned more about myself, my husband and my family than I ever thought I would.

I really wanted to blog about this journey a little bit more since Travis was born but his health issues have really tied my hands behind my back. I haven't been able to read, work out or even call to catch up with an old friend. BUT, I wouldn't trade it for the world.

Travis is 3 months old now and doing much better than he was just a month ago. His food allergies are under control with Neocate and even though we are still working on getting his reflux under control, he's doing much better. He is still a horrible sleeper and hasn't developed any type of routine. He is sleeping about 11-13 hours in a 24hr time frame which to me doesn't seem like enough sleep for his age, but I guess it could be his "norm". I'm hoping to transition him into his room in the next week or so with hopes that he might sleep a little better at night.

In other news, I have started a 30 day challenge for myself. A few weeks ago I started running again but had to stop due to our lovely Arizona temperatures. Yesterday I started up again and am hoping to run at least 4-5 days a week and use my elliptical or go for a walk on the other days. I feel so much better when I am working out, I just haven't been able to get into any sort of work out routine with Travis and his temperament. It's only been two days and I can already feel the difference in my mood and my body.

Time for bed, Travis will be waking me in the wee early morning hours and I'm going to try and go to the track with the hoosband....

 

Life & Death.

Last week was a happy but also sad week. On Monday, April 18, 2011 at 4:02pm our nephew Tyler was born. He weighed 8lbs 15oz and was 22 inches long! Way to go momma for pushing that big baby out! That's almost 9 pounds!!! He's adorable and I think he has his daddy's nose and the rest of him looks like his momma. We'll see as he gets older.

As the week went on, an angel got it's wings. I had a very tough time dealing with the news of a long time friend passing away and while it's still very difficult for me to talk about it, I am doing better. I've known James since I was about 6 or 7. He is the younger brother of my best friend Jenni and while we haven't really been in touch over the past few years, he is a huge part of my childhood and most of my memories from growing up, involve him. He died suddenly on Wednesday afternoon from a pulmonary embolism, blood clot. It is so tragic and I am so heartbroken as he was younger than me. I can't imagine the hurt that my "other family" (as they have always been called) are going through, not to mention his fiance. I really can't talk much more about it right now...

[caption id="attachment_481" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="James, Jenni & I, summertime '93 or '94"][/caption]

Pregnancy wise, I am feeling pretty good. I've had a few spells of exhaustion over the last couple days. It just sneaks up on me out of no where, and because I do know what it will be like when the baby comes, I take the chance to sleep. I take naps and I don't push myself, hoping to rest of up for the big day, whenever that may be. Hard to believe it will be sometime in the next month. There is no waiting much longer, he is coming, and he is coming soon! I've still been walking quite a bit, trying to get out there at least once a day and sometimes even twice. (Daily Mile) Since this is my 2nd pregnancy, I do know how important walking is to help before, during and after labor. I am still having several contractions a day, and even some that wake me in the night. Nothing is regular though, so I know it's just practice. My uterus is warming up for the big day! This coming Sunday we have our maternity photo shoot and I can't wait to see how they come out!

Joey has been doing well, hard to believe that 6th grade is almost over. My little baby won't be such a little baby anymore going into 7th grade! He's been doing his part around the house a bit more too, helping us in the yard and helping with his chores before I have to ask him, sometimes. He's such a great kid and I love him more than I can even describe. I just feel so bad for him sometimes because his dad has recently let him down. He doesn't say much about it, but you can see it all over his face and hear it in his voice every day when he checks the mail for a package his dad originally told him he mailed weeks ago. I just keep a big smile and tell him, "I'm sure it will be here soon," while my heart breaks inside for him.

This month has really flown by, and in just a few days it will be May. So hard to believe that I have been pregnant for 8 months, it goes so fast! Before we know it, he'll be walking!

Normally...

I tend to be on the cooler side which means I don't turn my AC on until the inside temperature of our house reaches close to 90. I like warm days, it means less clothes and the sun is shining. Kind of reminds me of Hawaii. This year will be different. Extremely different.

The temps have been in the 80's and I love it. Spring is probably my favorite time of year here in Arizona. Yesterday the temperature inside the house was 77 and it was just starting to get on the warm side. I'm not sure when I'll turn on the AC, but I was really hoping for two months of a really low electric bill from lack of heating/cooling. We'll see how long this lasts...

We had our 2nd hypnobirthing class last night and it went really well. I was having more trouble relaxing during some of the hypnosis exercises. I would be fine, but then my mind would drift and I'd listen to Paul's voice, but it'd make me giggle. All we have to do is practice.

Today is the fourth day that Joey has been gone. It's quiet around the house without him here and I miss him so much. I know that he's having fun with his dad, and getting his fill of video games (since he doesn't play them here). He'll be home in a week and a half and everything can return to normal. His eating habits, extra curricular habits and even his daily hugs he gives me. It really makes me sad to see all of his friends at the end of the street playing basketball, because I know he enjoys hanging out with them.

I am still feeling great. 29 weeks pregnant and I am still working out and eating healthy. It feels so good to not have any of the problems/complications that others I know have. I feel blessed and am so excited for the coming months! I really can't wait to hold this little guy and watch him sleep.