Mowing, golfing, and kickball

We are loving the fall temperatures we've had over the past couple of days. Ryder has had so much fun playing outside that we've had to bribe him with various things just to get him to come back in the house! One of his favorite activities is kicking a ball around the yard with Daddy; he giggles while kicking or throwing the ball into the woods just far enough for Daddy to have to go get it. He also has fun just running up and down the hills and asking "what's that?" about practically everything he sees.

"Golf, anyone?"

drinking from Mommy's "big cup"

starting up his mower!

"hiding" behind the pampus grass

Notice the fall Snoopy flag on the right? Ryder has been slightly obsessed with Snoopy over the last week, so there was no question about which flag to put out this year!

just like Daddy

"No, Mommy, it would not be easier if I just sat on the step."

on a mission

The garden has been torn up for a few weeks, but Ryder found a baby potato still hidden in the ground. "Tato!"

Pregnancy update--30 weeks

This week was much better for me than last week. :) Despite the fact that I began my week with the 3-hour glucose test, it was worth it the next day when I got the call that all of my numbers were in the normal range and I don't have gestational diabetes. I had another doctor's appointment on Wednesday and was proud to report to my doctor that my heartburn had vanished (keeping my fingers crossed) and I was feeling much better. We had the C-section vs. VBAC discussion, and my doctor is completely supportive of whatever I decide. I'm definitely leaning towards another C-section if Baby Girl promises to be as big as Ryder was. If that's the case, I can go ahead and schedule an appointment for 39 weeks, which is the week of Thanksgiving. I'll have to see how things go between now and then because I definitely don't want to eat my turkey dinner in the hospital if I have any say about it!

30 weeks

Me:

Belly measurement: 29 1/2 weeks (right on track)

Weight gain: not sure since last time; I'll have to pay closer attention at my next visit!

Baby:

Heart rate: upper 140's

Heavy! I swear by the end of the day she is as low as she can be, using my bladder as a pillow. And she's only going to get bigger....

Next appointment--> October 3rd

A sweet surprise!

Saturday mornings are usually dedicated to cleaning the house and doing some laundry, and today was no different. I did notice though that Andrew was especially helpful and even more motivated than I was to get the bathrooms cleaned and the floors mopped. We ate lunch and laid Ryder down for a nap, and luckily Andrew convinced me to go take a shower; I had toyed with the idea of waiting until later in the day because I knew we had nothing to do. Or so I thought. Little did I know that Laura, Amy, and Kathryn were on their way to my house for a surprise baby shower! Lori had organized this little shindig but was sick and couldn't join in the festivities. :( The group showed up with food, gifts, and balloons in hand--I was amazed that all of this was planned behind my back! I looked at Andrew and asked, "You knew about this??" I was so surprised that he could keep a secret. All he could say was, "Aren't you glad you showered and got dressed?" Ha! So true! We had a great afternoon, and Ryder loved the extra people to play with (and the balloons). Thank you so much, girls! I love ALL of you!!

reading a truck magazine with Kathryn

Laura made the adorable cupcake decorations. She went with "m" since we won't tell (and aren't sure yet) what the first initial will be!

Ryder was searching for a ball that disappeared under the couch.

He knows to use his golf club to hit it out!

Ryder made Laura lie on the floor to take a nap with him and Winnie the Pooh. (Yes, Pooh has a diaper on--according to Ryder, he was "wet" this morning).

Look at Ryder's face--he was pretending to snore. :)

pointing at a balloon that was hovering above us

A heart on fire

(Warning: very text-heavy with no pictures)

I'm glad to have this past week behind me; it was definitely not a fun one for me! I received a phone call from my doctor's office letting me know that I had failed (miserably) my 1-hour glucose tolerance test. :( I can't say I was super surprised, but I really didn't want to have to go through the 3-hour test again. I'm taking the day off of work on Monday so that I can sit in the waiting room at the lab and be used as a human pin cushion; not exactly my idea of fun!
On top of that, I spent Monday and Tuesday nights either sleeping sitting up or pacing around my bedroom because of horrendous heartburn. I am one of those lucky people who has never experienced heartburn/acid reflux in my life, even when I was pregnant with Ryder. Well, Baby Girl decided to broaden my horizons and introduce me to this awfully uncomfortable experience through this pregnancy. I called my doctor's office Wednesday just to explain my symptoms and make sure they were normal since I really had nothing to compare them to. The fact that I was having pain above my shoulder blades and into my chest definitely made it something I couldn't ignore. Oh, and Tuesday night I kept having these tight feelings in my lower stomach and wasn't sure if they were Braxton-Hicks contractions because I had never had those before either. To err on the side of caution, the doctor told me to come by after work that afternoon so they could check me out and make sure everything seemed okay. After a quick exam, the doctor reassured me that I had nothing to worry about regarding the possible contractions--it could have been Braxton-Hicks or it could have been the position of the baby. She also told me it sounded like I was experiencing a bad case of acid reflux, and unfortunately she couldn't guarantee that it would get any better. :( She told me to buy some Zantac and give it a try. If that didn't work, at least I have another appointment this week where we can discuss other options. Wednesday night I proactively took Zantac, anticipating a good night's sleep in a horizontal position. Unfortunately, that was NOT the case. My heartburn felt twice as bad, and I think I had an allergic reaction to the medicine because my hands itched like crazy and my fingers were swollen the whole next day. I could not accept the fact that I might have to put up with this for the next two months, and I was determined that it must be something I was eating or drinking since it randomly started this week. I researched some "heartburn trigger foods" and finally decided on a culprit: cranberry juice. I never would have suspected it, but it's the only thing I could think of that had changed in my diet. We bought a big jug at the store the other day, and I had been having a small glass sometime between dinner and bedtime each night. It's not normally something we keep in the house. I skipped the juice and slept like a baby Thursday and Friday nights, so I'm keeping my fingers crossed that I solved the mystery! Avoiding cranberry juice is a small price to pay for a good night's sleep!

Ryder's first "hike"

The weather is beautiful today, so we decided to head over to a state park this morning that is literally ten minutes away from our house. Andrew and I had never been, so we had no idea what to expect. There are several hiking trails to choose from, but we just kind of wandered around near the main entrance and the playground since we wanted to make it back home in time for lunch and Ryder's nap. Our main goal was to enjoy the fresh air and let Ryder tire himself out! We will definitely go back another time with our backpack carrier and a picnic lunch so we can do an entire trail and check out the scenic river views.

stopping for a water break along one of the trails

"Let's go that way!"

Ryder loved the merry-go-round. It was fun to watch his eyes as we slowly spun him around. :)

He even tackled the tall twisty slide in the background!

playing on the outdoor amphitheater stage (literally a deck platform; very rustic)

Pregnancy update--28 weeks

I had a doctor's appointment on Wednesday, and Baby Girl's size is right on track (for now!) with how far along I am. Her heart rate was a strong 155, and I've gained two pounds since my last appointment, putting me at a total weight gain of 14 pounds. My next appointment is in two weeks; it AMAZES me that I'm far enough along in this pregnancy to be going to the doctor that frequently. It's also time for my glucose tolerance test, so I'm heading to the lab first thing tomorrow morning to get it done on a completely empty stomach. I do NOT want my levels to be "borderline" like they were with Ryder, forcing me to do the 3-hour test too. Fingers crossed!

28 weeks!

reading while running errands with Daddy :)