A Little Announcement!

So I interrupt the normal monthly blogging with an important announcement.  I don't think you will mind the interruption. 

I am one for surprises, and this one is no little thing. Well, technically it is little. Very little. Approximately the size of lentil to be exact. 

Without further ado: 

For Christmas this year, we couldn't ask for anything more,

The Lerma 3 will soon become 4!

That's right...we are expecting Little Lerma #2!

EDD: December 7, 2015!

Let me tell you, for those of you who know our history, you know how HUGE this is for us!

I never in a million years thought I'd be able to get pregnant on our own, without fertility help.  I mean, I hoped and prayed that we would, but I just had it in my mind that it would likely not end up that way.

Hence, the lack of protection since Isabella has been born.  Hence, well, the positive pregnancy test when Bella was 8 months old!

Finding out was a huge surprise.  My cycle has not been normal since having Bella probably thanks to exclusively breastfeeding, and so randomly I will take pregnancy tests after my period is "due", just to confirm that I am indeed not preggo, so I can continue to drink my wine in the evenings : )  

This last time was no exception. I peed on the stick, put it in the holder, and left for 5 minutes. I came back to it, grabbed it, and was getting ready to just toss it in the trash without barely looking at it, when something caught my eye! 

Umm, can that really be 2 lines!?!? No way, there is NO WAY that is 2 lines! 

I must have done something wrong!  **Because yes, that is a very logical, medical way of thinking...the high level, difficult act of peeing on a stick can easily be messed up!** : )

So I took another one.  And then another one a few hours after that.  And despite 3 positives in one day, I still didn't believe it.  So I took another 2 the next day.

In disbelief, I told Jon, and he was in just as much shock as me.  Neither of us were ok with getting too happy or excited yet b/c we have gotten pregnant on our own before, it just never ended well.  So I think utter shock would describe our attitudes for the next 48 hours or so.

I got my act together, got an appointment at the OB the next day to get all of my anticoagulant meds, and well, here we are. Chugging right along.  

OK, maybe "utter shock" could describe our attitudes for the last 16 weeks rather than 48 hours, seeing as it took us this long to put it out there!

Whoa!  I still can't believe it! 

I am pregnant!  Again!  With Little Lerma #2.  We are still a bit cautiously optimistic, but we are definitely very excited, and each week that goes by makes us feel that much more confident that this will have a happy ending.  The fact that we didn't have to "try" is just amazing. The fact that it happened without a ton of hormones, and shots, and lab draws every 2 days is even more amazing.   

So here we go!  Let's do this thing! I can't wait!


***Note:  I wrote each of the blog posts as they happened.  You will be bombarded with a slew of emails (if that's how you read my blog) to catch up as I posted them back to back, now that we are telling everyone! I promise, once you get to 18 weeks, you will get them in real time. Sorry, that's about 9 or 10 posts all slung at you at once!

9 Months

Every month gets easier, and a whole lot more fun with this Little Lerma! 

I have learned two things this month: 1.) Bella does well with a schedule and a routine (all those books were right!); 2.) Schedule and routine do not mean doing the the same thing at the same time every single day.  

I love how I feel like this month we truly got into swing with each other, and I am  able to read her cues well (thank goodness, by now, right!?). While she may sleep a little longer one night, or a little shorter the next, her same basic pattern has become similar enough that I now feel like we can flow throughout the day without so much second guessing going on.  And there are a ton more smiles all around!  I don't really look at the clock anymore, but rather look at her.  Kind of like being a nurse; don't look at the monitor, look at your patient!  What a difference that has made!

Ahhh...this is the sweet spot!  

Happy 9 Months Isabella Rae!

Oh, her expressions!

9 Month Highlights:

-We celebrated your first Valentine's Day as a family.  Daddy and I were never big into celebrating it anyways, so it was just a fun day relaxing together. In the evening, Mimi, Pops, Tia, Uncle G, Dani and Brittney (Longbons) Lima came over with her 15 month old daughter Sofia, for a Mexican fiesta.  We had a great time laughing and telling stories! 

After 30 shots these were the best we could get...which clearly doesn't say much!

-Mama was sick for a week and a half, at the same time there were 3 "snow days". Ironically enough, there was little to no snow to speak of.  Just some ice on the roads that quickly melted.  Certainly winters down here in GA are dramatically different than Chicago!  Either way, that meant a whole lotta staying inside, playing on the floor mat, in the pack-n-play, or in the jumperoo while Mama laid on the couch.  

-At 38 weeks you went into the nursery Bible class at church for the first time!  You absolutely loved being in there with other girls that were older!  And you loved dancing and moving to the singing! 

-Daddy had a whole week off for our first ever "Staycation!"  We did a whole lotta relaxing together, and got some things done around the house. For sure, the most different "vacation" your dad and I have ever had!

-You learned how to "give kisses" this month and it seriously is one of the sweetest things ever! You will grab our face, open your mouth wide, and plant a very open mouth on whatever you bring your head to.  Then you giggle, and it is just precious!

-You aren't crawling yet but you really want to be moving. You will push yourself up on your arms, then flail them out with arms and legs in the air like you're doing the Superman exercise move...then flail all around like you are swimming on land. It cracks me up, but just makes you mad b/c you aren't moving anywhere!

Sleeping: Oh happy day...or shall I say night! Finally, FINALLY, you have figured out the whole sleeping through the night thing.  There are nights when you still have your moments, but for the most part, you are placed in your crib around 6pm awake, you put yourself to sleep, and if you do wake up in the middle of the night you put yourself back to sleep! Hallelujah!  You typically sleep from 6pm til 6 or 7 am. There are the *more rare* nights where you wake up for an hour or 2 and just want to be rocked. You are wide awake, but super calm as long as one of us is holding you.  While it is exhausting, I am treasuring these moments as I am realizing more and more how much you don't want to cuddle and lay down during the day.  You are truly so sweet and snuggly in the middle of the night!

*Sidenote: babies DO NOT understand day light savings time! I couldn't figure out why her schedule seemed so "off" the first several days after the time change and then it hit me...she didn't realize we lost an hour! Duh!

Naps are twice a day. The first nap is typically 1.5 to 2 hours after you wake up (which could mean 9, 10 or 11 am), lasting about 1.5 hrs.  The second nap is usually about 2 hours after you woke up from the first, lasting about an hour.  4pm is rough for you because you get very fussy, and really would do better taking a third catnap, but you refuse.  

Breastfeeding: Right as you turned 8 months, you tinkered with the idea of sleeping in a bit more and thus dropping a feed during the day.  It definitely wasn't every day though. So some days you got 4 feeds (usually 7am, 10am, 1:30 pm, 5pm), and some you got 5 (6am, 9am, noon, 3pm, 5pm). Halfway through the month you decided you wanted to keep those 5 feeds, and went back to that routine.  Then after daylight savings and you slept in a bit longer (8am rather than 7am b/c of the time change), you went back to 4 feeds (8am, 11 am, 2 or 3 pm, 5:30 or 6 pm). 

You became VERY easily distracted this month, so getting you to focus and finish eating in a timely manner became a lot harder!  Everything from the fan, to your daddy moving, to dust floating in the air were oh so cool and more important than eating!

Isabella Loves:

-Moo Cow wubanub (though pretty much only at naps and bedtime now)

-Bathtime in pink tub with squirty toys

-Jumperoo

-Musical interactive toys
-Activity musical play table (although you still aren't tall enough to "sit" at it)

-Being rocked and sung to before bedtime
-Putting her feet in her mouth

Food loves this month: BEETS, PEARS, oatmeal, corn, cantaloupe

Isabella Hates:

-Socks, shoes or anything on her feet
-Being on her tummy (although most days you will give me 3-5 minutes)

9 Month Stats:

-Height: 26.5 in (20th percentile)

-Weight: 15 lbs 12 oz (5th percentile)

*You wore size 2 diapers at the beginning of the month, and when we ran out midway through the month, we went to size 3 because we had a bunch of bags friends had given us and while they are a bit big I love them...they catch all that pee from 12 hours overnight!

*You finally got too long for my most favorite jammies from Gap (SO soft, so cuddly, so cute!)...I guess that's ok b/c they were size 0-3 months!

*Wearing mostly 3-6 month or 6 month onesies, and 6 month pants

Isabella's Firsts:

-First foods: Beets, cauliflower, corn, spinach, lima beans, chick peas, oatmeal

-First Valentines Day (February 14, 2015)
-First time in a shopping cart (outside of carseat) and you LOVED it! 
-First time at nursery bible class 3/8/15

This Month in Pictures:

Girlfriend loves flying in the air!

Looking so cute in her crazy hat

This is usually what tummy time looks like!

Oh so many things about this one make me laugh!

Lovin' your bathtime!

Sweet girl...one of my very favorite pictures!

She is certainly her father's daughter!

Girlie will probably walk before she crawls!

Crazy hair, don't care!

8 Months!

Yup, just as I expected...it gets better and better each month with this little one!  She makes us laugh daily, she is so much more expressive, and she just lights up the room whenever she enters it. 

Happy 8 Months Isabella Rae!

8 Month Highlights:

-You have gotten so much better at sitting up this month! You are steady enough to sit on a blanket and play with toys.  Once you get tired you arch your back and fly back, then giggle like it was all a part of your game.

-You still hate being on your tummy, so crawling is no closer than when you were newborn!  You do however, love to stand. Almost all the time! And bounce which is just so cute (and a bit tiring after awhile!). 

-Your love for your jumperoo only grew this month! And you absolutely LOVE it! It is so much fun watching you jump around, and play with all the toys of the side.  Your favorite is grabbing at the hanging bird, and trying to pull it to your mouth. 

-We took a trip to Chicago (your 4th and 5th flights!) and spent a week there, visiting friends while Daddy worked.  Overall you adjusted so quickly and so well to being in an unfamiliar place and certainly quite off your schedule!  You are truly a very adaptable baby!  You did great on both flights, and slept in the Boba wrap pretty much the entire time (after eating on take-off). 

What I called your "baby jail"- AKA hotel crib!

-You finally got interested (a bit!) in eating, and feeding yourself. Up until about 34 weeks you really didn't care if I put finger foods on your high chair tray, and didn't ever grab for the spoon when I was feeding you.  One day you just thought the spoon was super interesting and went for it! Made for a messy feeding, but you actually ate and loved it!

-Favorite foods this month: squash, sweet potatoes (from Tia's garden!), carrots, peas, green beans, and broccoli. You still don't love plain avacado but will eat it when mixed with something else.  Didn't like apples AT ALL!  Still don't love bananas. You were a bit indifferent with cantaloupe. 

Sleeping: Overall, sleep has improved this month, although I still wouldn't say that it is your strong suit!  Most nights you do great and will stay in bed for about 12 hours from 6pm til 6am, waking up multiple times but you are able to console yourself back to sleep.  There are still nights (usually preceded by days with poor naps) where you wake up at 1, 2 or 3 am and won't fall back asleep for about 2-3 hours. Those make for long nights with lots of cuddling and rocking. You usually want to eat around 6 am, it takes about 45 minutes, and then you go back to sleep for an hour or 1.5 hrs! Love that!    

Naps are about an 1.5 hr starting usually at 9:30 or 10 am, and about 45 minutes to an hour at some point in the afternoon (could be 1, 2 or 3 pm).  

Overall, getting about 15 hours of sleep a day (or crib time at least!). 

Breastfeeding: Still eating 5 times a day, spaced generally about 3 hours apart.  We still have to make sure you eat on both sides at least twice, b/c you get so frustrated after let down and don't want to keep working at it to finish eating.  Otherwise breastfeeding is finally feeling like second nature. 

Isabella Loves:

-Bathtime in her pink tub
-Jumperoo!
-Moo Cow pacifier
-Crinkle books, chain links, rattle balls, mirrors, caterpillar toys
-"Flying" in the air
-Being held and cuddling
-Nighttime songs: You are My Sunshine, Don't Shut the Door Tight, Good Night Sweetheart, It's Time to Say Goodnight (Mama's made up song), Daddy's song to Bella, and She's So Beautiful
-Morning Songs: Good Morning Bella Boo, Rise and Shine

Isabella Hates:

-Socks and shoes (or anything on her feet)
-Being on her stomach 

8 Month Stats:

-Height: 26 in (approximately 25th percentile)

-Weight: 14 lb 14 oz (approximately 5th percentile)

-Head Circumference: 16.9 in

-Wearing Size 1 Pampers at the first half of the month, now using size 2 bc we ran out of 1s and had 2s (though size 1 still fit great!). 

-Wearing size 3-6 months clothing for the most part (though still fitting in some 0-3 months outfits or onesies, and some 6-9 month pants depending depending on the brand) 

Isabella's Firsts this Month:

First foods: Cantaloupe, apples (plain, and with a little cinnamon) 

This Month in Pictures:

Happy girl...finally growing into her flowers : )

Mama loves her girl!

Cutest belly rolls ever!

Mmm...broccoli and peas for lunch!

All bundled up for a brisk morning walk

Photo shoots with Dani Leigh...always funny!

Oh boy, we are in trouble in about 15 years!

So happy in the mornings!

Thank you for the onesie Aunti Megan and Uncle Eric...I can finally wear it!!

Buddy Burk, guard dog

Looks like Daddy sung himself to sleep too!

You loved spending time with your Auntie Debora in Chicago!

Chicago winters are no joke...glad to be in the 6 degree weather only for one day!