Sorry this post is a little late, but finding time to sit down on the computer these days is very challenging!

(This is Bradley’s favorite pose, he probably does it about 100x a day and I love it! He flashes his cute little smile and looks over his shoulder to see where we are)

Okay, so this past month has been REALLY good. We have been having so much fun watching Bradley explore the world and enjoy seeing him interact with Ava.

Besides having a small cold for a couple days, Bradley has been healthy and happy.We have been having a blast watching him crawl all over the place. He has so much determination, you can see it written all over his face. I purposely place toys on the floor to see his reactions.

This phase of babyhood is really a joy because everything is new Bradley. I find it easy to entertain him and it’s so easy to get him excited. You can literally hand him a spatula and his eyes will light up. It buys me about 20 minutes.

BRADLEY’S 8 MONTH UPDATE

We don’t head to the doctor for a check up until he’s 9 months but we did put Bradley on the scale for our own curiosity.

WEIGHT 23.5 lbs
LENGTH 30 inches

Last time we were at the doctor he was 98% for almost everything. I am assuming now that he’s crawling and more mobile he might not gain as much weight as he did before.

He is currently in 12-18 month clothing. It’s so crazy to me that he’s outgrowing 12 month clothes but he is large so it makes sense.

EAT 

Bradley is a fantastic eater. He usually lets you know he is hungry by making some fussy noises, he doesn’t usually scream for food but he lets you know. Bradley has 3 meals a day plus 4-5 bottles.

He loves sweet potatoes, peas, green beans, avocado, butternut squash, apples, bananas, strawberries, blueberries, oatmeal, rice cereal. He doesn’t like peaches and so far that’s the only food he won’t eat! We are slowly expanding his foods which is always fun. Ava loves checking out his funny faces to any new foods he eats.

He loves eating at restaurants and is so well behaved!!

While Bradley is a great eater and doesn’t usually leave any leftovers we have noticed that when he wants to take a bottle he can’t seem to settle down, so I find myself holding his hand or singing to him while he drinks and he seems to calm down. I basically think he fears that he is missing out on playtime with Ava!!

SLEEP 

I am writing about this and I hope I don’t jinx anything in the meantime but sleep the past few weeks has been great. Sure there are the occasional wake ups but for the most part we are all sleeping more soundly.

Bradley is usually asleep anytime between 7-8pm and will sleep until 6/630am. This works great for our schedule right now. We did travel to Rhode Island this past weekend so his schedule was a bit off but he seems to have caught up!!!

Bradley is napping 2-3 times a day.His one nap that is pretty consistent is his morning nap which is usually at 9:15am. Sometimes its an hour and sometimes 2 hours! When Ava is home from school it seems to be more difficult to get him to sleep but his second nap is usually around 1:30-2pm and again can range from 30-90 minutes. If his second nap is short he will definitely take a short 3rd cat nap before bed.

I don’t mind his afternoon schedule being a little all over the place because it gives us the flexibility to run errands, go outside, go for walks, etc.

PLAY

I love talking about playtime because it just keeps getting better each month. Bradley is on the move and you can see in his eyes he wants to explore and touch everything. We are pretty much baby proofed but I have run into a couple things that I realized we needed to fix. We had a floor lamp that he almost pulled over so that got moved to the basement and he recently tried to pull the monitor cord out of the wall so I quickly changed that spot!!

Bradley really enjoys playing with Ava or near her. If she’s not in the same room he needs to find her and see what she’s doing. He loves putting any and all toys in his mouth and loves pulling bins of the shelf and taking toys out. Ava was a little more agile at this age then Bradley but boy is he strong. I don’t remember Ava being able to pull bins out on her own at 8 months and his grip is so strong I swear he could swing a baseball bat already.

I can already see him trying to pull himself up on things so I am guessing that might be his new trick at 9 months!!

When we are out and about, Bradley loves to flash a smile at anyone he meets, I think he is going to be outgoing and social as he gets older. I know I have talked about his first word before which was dada but now I’m pretty sure he can say hi. I don’t think he knows what it means but he babbles hi dada dada dada. We are also getting some babas too. When I say baba and show him his bottle he kicks his legs and smiles, my boy loves his food!!!

Of course MAMA isn’t one of the first words, but I know I will be super happy when that word comes out of his mouth. I say it to him all the time so  he knows its me right?

As I look back on this past month I couldn’t be happier with the relationship that is developing between Bradley & Ava. I honestly believe that the best gift I could have ever given Ava was a brother. She has matured so much this past 8 months.

She is my assistant during diaper changes, she shares all her toys, she makes him laugh with her crazy dance moves and peek a boo tricks. She literally makes him smile so easy, she has a natural gift!

Of course i have highlighted all the good stuff in this post, but there were several days this past month I wanted to pull my hair out. Kids screaming, kids not napping, kids not listening, kids torturing mama…I have gotten better at walking away, taking a deep breathe and then having a glass of wine with Marc when he gets home

I can’t believe another month has come and gone, it really feels like I posted Bradley’s 6 month update last week.

This past month has been GREAT. I attribute the greatness to the extra hours of sleep I’ve been getting, thank you Bradley, it’s about time. (just kidding.. well not really)

I like to talk about a lot of positives in these posts but lets be real and honest here, there are a lot downs with those ups. There are sleepless nights, there are days where kids are crying and screaming left and right but those days get out numbered when there’s laughter and baby giggles, those bad days somehow get forgotten.

Before I get started on all the baby updates I want to let you know how much joy Bradley brings into our lives. He has been such a blessing not just to me, but to Marc and Ava. Even when the day seems tough, he will flash his smile and somehow our day turns around. We are lucky with this little one.

Bradley’s 7 month Baby Update

Current weight an ounce shy of 23 pounds (at his last check up he was like 97th percentile for height and weight)

Bradley is outgrowing 12 month clothes. I can’t believe I just bought 18 month onesies!!

He’s a big boy for sure. I almost debated measuring his thighs and comparing them to Ava’s because I swear they are probably the same size. There’s so much chunk to those little legs you can’t see his ankles and I LOVE it. It just makes him that much cuter.

LIKES

• to be tickled
• when people sing to him
• to play with anything and everything
• roll over especially during diaper changes
• watching his sister at ALL times
• to reach for Cooper when he’s in the high chair, mainly to clean his hands I think
• smile with his mouth open
• put every item he can in his mouth
• scream loud when people are talking so we can hear him. Yes we know you are there Bradley
• smiling
• and smiling at everyone he sees

DISLIKES

• when someone takes something from him
• being put down when he needs to burp
• his face being wiped after he eats
• getting dressed
• getting his buggies sucked out of his nose
• staying still for diaper changes
• waking up from naps (he wakes up crying and then 2 seconds later smiles so big)

EAT

Bradley is a great eater. He loves food, milk, and chewing on anything he can get his hands on. Bradley has about 5 bottles a day and we are trying a new solid every week. So far we love: sweet potatoes, oats, rice cereal, green beans, peas, apples, bananas, avocado, butternut squash. We do not like peaches. To be honest I didn’t like them either. Peaches were one of the foods I ate every day while I was pregnant, but these gerber pureed peaches taste nothing like the real thing. Which reminds me that I need to start making my own baby food. I will… I will.

He currently has 2 bottom teeth and one of his molars and other bottom teeth are coming in so I guess we could probably try eating steak soon?? just kidding.  I bet he would like it but we’ll stick to our pureed food for now. I can’t wait to continue trying new foods because it’s so fun to see what new foods he will devour.

SLEEP

Last month Bradley had a couple of ear infections that left me craving sleep. Thank goodness these past 3 weeks have been so much better. Bradley goes to bed anywhere between 7pm-8m and sleeps until 6/630am. Sometimes he falls asleep earlier if Ava interrupts his naps during the day. For the most part I won’t complain about sleep, he’s made drastic improvements this past month and I’m loving it. I honestly think he’s sleeping more soundly because he eats 3 meals a day and his belly stays full!

PLAY

Ohhhh how I love playtime. Bradley’s smile and laugh are contagious. He smiles at everyone he sees and it makes me smile to watch him. We are currently in teething mode so a lot of playtime consists on putting as many toys into his mouth as possible. He likes toys he can hold and chew on. We have a zillion toys and we rotate them so he doesn’t get bored, but believe it or not he loves the random things that aren’t toys…. packages of wipes, diapers, remotes, phones, plastic spoons and cooking utensils that Ava gives him. It makes me question why we buy toys?????

Bradley is rolling and scooting all over the place. He will be crawling any day now.

It’s funny to me because Ava was already crawling and pulling herself up to a standing position by 7 months so I’m enjoying the slower pace that Bradley is moving at. He can stay put for as long as his little heart desires

Ava and Bradley’s interactions continue to melt my heart and also give me heart attacks. Ava has been such a good big sister though in all honesty. She helps me with diaper changes and brings me wipes, garbage bags, whatever I need to take care of his mess. She wipes up his spit up, she brings him toys, sings him songs when he’s crying, she tickles him to make him laugh more and I couldn’t be happier with her for doing the things she does.

I can’t wait to see what new things these two do together this month!!

We can’t forget about the bond between Cooper & Bradley. It’s super special and they both have so much interest in one another.

Cooper is a SAINT for letting Bradley tug on his ears, rip out his hair and tickle his paw. I couldn’t ask for a better dog to lookout for our baby.

I love this little boy so much, even if he is wearing a Boston Red Sox hat that Daddy makes him wear.

His smile is contagious and I hope that he always remembers to share that smile with everyone he meets.

Check back this week for a workout that you can do at home on your own time and under 30 minutes!!!

Anyways, this past half of a year has flown by in a blink of an eye. Part of me really can’t believe Bradley is already 6 months and the other part of me can because he looks like he’s 14 months… NO JOKE.

My boy is huge.. weighing in at 22lbs and 28.5 inches long. He’s outgrowing 12 month clothing and I really can’t keep up with his clothing changes. I am afraid to buy him anything because it probably won’t fit him next week. I’m sure you are thinking ya right, but he has clothes he’s worn once because once I wash it it seems to be too tight the next time he wears it.

Lets talk a little bit more about this sweet little face…

BRADLEY’S 6 MONTH UPDATE

EAT 

Bradley is making me so proud with his eating. I guess because that’s all he really does. He eats a lot. He has 5-6 bottles a day plus 2 meals, one veggie or fruit and one serving of oatmeal. We loved oatmeal for a while, but now that we are eating the good stuff oatmeal isn’t his favorite anymore.

Bradley loves…

• sweet potatoes
• green beans
• peas
• butternut squash
• pears
• apples

Carrots didn’t agree with him so we stopped that. We are just getting into new fruits this week. I’m sure he will love bananas and avocado too.  When bradley eats, he opens his mouth wide and he takes every last bit that I offer him. He would probably keep going if I let him but then that might cause some other problems that I don’t want to deal with.

Let’s just say I’m so happy he’s a good eater and I hope he continues this way.

SLEEP 

Is this sleep section about Bradley or me?? Lets talk about him first because his sleep is more important.

I think Bradley is a good sleeper for a 6 month old! he’s usually in bed between 630-730pm and he will sleep usually until 6 the next morning, sometimes 7am sometimes 5am but I have no complaints about that.

I will complain about his pacifier that we are trying to get rid of. He usually wakes up at 145/2am for his pacifier and then again from 5am on… sometimes it’s easy and sometimes he spits it out thousands of times and I want to chuck that stupid thing out his window…….

but I secretly love it because he can soothe himself when he has it. Why do we have these things?? It only drives parents crazy. Anyways,  when the time is right I will get rid of it but for now it works, especially when he’s teething.

This week sleep was horrible… a double ear infection means no sleep and a mom that is cranky.

Bradley didn’t want to be put down so I held him the whole night so he could sleep. The sacrifices moms make for their kids is insane but I would do anything to have a healthy happy kid. That smile in the picture is me enjoying the baby cuddles not the fact that I knew I wasn’t going to sleep.

So my sleep could be better, but it could be worse. I’ll take what I can get right now in the sleep department and push through!!! It’s just a phase of life right? If I could only remind myself that at 3am.

I currently drink 1/2 cup- 1 cup of coffee to survive. Marc laughs at me and tells me not to drink all the coffee but the truth is I’m not a big coffee drinker so that’s a lot to me

PLAY

The best time is always play time. Bradley with a full belly + playtime = lots of smiles and baby giggles. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, his smile & laugh are contagious to our whole family. It doesn’t matter what time of day it is he somehow makes us grin from ear to ear.

Bradley loves peekaboo, toys, books, songs, anything he can put in his mouth, rattles, and all of Ava’s toys.

If you put a toy far away from him he will roll and scoot his way to the toy. I foresee crawling in the very near future and that makes me nervous/excited. Once Ava started crawling it changed the game, but we are prepared this time and our house is baby proofed.

AVA & BRADLEY

This past month Ava and Bradley have been interacting on a daily basis. Ava now realizes Bradley can play with toys, he can make her smile and he can pull her hair She loves him and always wants to be around him when she can.

When we pick her up at school she runs over to him to give him a big hug and a kiss, it makes my heart melt. Sometimes we have to tell her not to squeeze him so hard when she hugs Bradley but she must be confused since we always ask her for big hugs.

This past month there have been some funny moments:

• I went into the kitchen to grab a baby wipe and came back to Ava laying on top of Bradley. After a mini heart attack I was relieved to find Bradley laughing hysterically at her.
• I asked Ava to babysit Bradley so I could go pee. He was sitting in the rock n play and when I came back she had piled as many toys as she could around him. She said he needed toys to play with and I couldn’t help but smile.
• I came into the living room and Bradley was naked and Ava told me she was giving him a diaper change. Luckily he didn’t pee on her because she wasn’t prepared and had no diaper to change him with!

There’s a lot of crazy with these two kiddos but I wouldn’t change a thing. Ava is so sweet with her little brother and all of the chaos is worth it when I get to see the two of them laughing uncontrollably together over nothing but baby tickles.

I hope you aren’t giving up on me and The Fit Skool just yet. I’m taking time to adjust to being a mom of two, easing back into work and making time for myself.

I do miss blogging on a regular basis, but I guess my priorities have changed and I have to cut back a bit for now.

So in good old baby number 2 fashion, this 2 month update is coming about a week late. I also apologize for lack of pictures but my iPhone broke and I am currently without my photos I will definitely post some separately once my phone is fixed.

BRADLEY

is officially 9 weeks old and past 2 months. His current weight at his 2 month check up was 15 lbs. He was 24 inches long.

Basically he’s huge. Ava wasn’t 15lbs until she was 5 months old so he’s a big baby to me.

He is such an easy going baby that loves to smile tons and give silly faces. He brightens each morning for sure!! I would have to say he’s like a cup of coffee and to be honest I haven’t been drinking much because he literally increases my energy with his big old grin on a daily basis. So does Ava

EAT 

Eating has been totally different compared to my experience with Ava. This boy has no set schedule and to be honest I’m okay with that. Sometimes he eats every 2 hours sometimes it’s 3 or 3 1/2. I just go with the flow and feed him when he’s hungry.

Speaking of hungry. Bradley knows how to cry when he’s hungry. He screams so loud you could probably hear him down the street, and I basically try to avoid him getting to that point and feeding him before he gets SUPER hungry.

SLEEP 

Just like his eating, daytime sleep is ALL over the place. Partially because our schedules are crazy and he’s in and out of the car a decent amount, plus Ava makes it a little difficult to nap when he’s home.

He naps a few times a day, probably 3-4 naps. Some are 20 minutes, an hour, and his longest one is the afternoon nap which is usually around 2-2 1/2 hours.

At night he’s been sleeping around 8pm until 6:30am with 2 feedings in between. I get one long stretch of 5-6 hours which is pretty good for a 2 month old. Don’t let me fool you though, I can’t wait until this guy gives me an 8 hour stretch

PLAY

Playtime is an all time favorite with Bradley in our house. Marc, Ava and I love putting him on his play mat or on the ground and talking to him, tickling him and making noises with him. He’s such a happy smiley baby and we enjoy all those moments.

He rolled over from his tummy to his back several times already which is super impressive. My boy is STRONG like his sister.

I can’t wait for more playtime fun and all the new things he’s going to learn these next 2 months!

How’s mama?

Fitness & Health….

I am currently at my pre birth weight which is great, I’m not looking to lose more then a couple pounds but things with my body have definitely changed. I still have a mushy belly, my arms aren’t as strong, and I have some fitness goals to lean out a bit.

As for being a mom of two…

Motherhood has taken a whole new turn with 2 kids and although I have had numerous challenging days, I have amazing days that make those bad days disappear. I have 2 happy healthy kids that give life a whole new meaning. They are so much fun to be around, they keep me on my toes, and they make me work 110% to be the best mom possible.

I found myself struggling a bit the first 3 weeks after having Bradley. I had my old mindset of being superwoman and wanted to get everything done between bills, cleaning, feeding kids, entertaining 2 kids, taking care of myself, walking the dog and all the stuff that comes in between that. Realistically I couldn’t do it all, I needed Marc to help, my family and whoever else lent a hand.

Once I let go of the unimportant things in my life everything got so much easier. I was able to enjoy more of the time with my family and worry less about a messy house, a sink full of dishes, 3 large piles of laundry and Cooper only getting 1 walk instead of 2. I knew we would all live and get through the chaos once I was fully recovered.

Now that I’m recovered things are back to normal and I feel like I can be superwoman again. JUST KIDDING… being superwoman is nearly impossible but it’s worth a shot and I will continue to strive to be that woman.

I hope that you will continue to support my blog and I promise I will be getting in more posts

The title of this post really should have been ADJUSTING TO BEING A MOM OF 3. Cooper is absolutely one of my children and requires almost as much attention as Bradley & Ava do. I have to feed, walk, play and give Cooper cuddles just like the other two, but I wouldn’t trade it for anything.

These past few weeks have been crazy busy and I can’t believe how fast the time is going!!! I have had my hands full with Bradley’s baby duties, keeping Ava entertained 24/7, getting Cooper his exercise, taking care of myself during my recovery, making meals for my family, and finding time to sleep in between. Moms have the toughest job right?? Well dad’s do too and Marc has been a tremendous help with EVERYTHING from jumping in to do a late night feeding so I can rest, taking Ava to the store or park so I can get a break, to walking Cooper daily so that he is tired!

Right now I have both Ava and Bradley home with me until Ava starts preschool on September 1st, so I haven’t really had a chance to do anything for myself besides shower and eat. I miss blogging but to be honest any 30-60 minutes of free time that I’ve had, I pretty much spend resting. Ava hasn’t been napping consistently during the day anymore which doesn’t give me much of a break!!

My first 2 weeks of recovery went pretty smoothly. I had some really good days where I felt like I could tackle everything and then usually the good days followed with a bad one and I would feel crampy, tired and pretty much useless. That’s how I know I overdid it!!

Week 3 I was sleeping a little better and moving around easier. I went for several walks with Marc, Cooper, Ava & Bradley. They weren’t long or strenuous walks but enough to get some fresh air and get Cooper his exercise.

Week 4 had been my best energy and my most active since having Bradley. I didn’t want to sit still, but come night time I was ready to sleep whenever Ava & Bradley fell asleep!  I haven’t been crampy at all in a while and I would say that by week 5 I’ll be itching for a workout

My recovery with Ava was slow and I started feeling good around 4 weeks postpartum but this time with Bradley I felt like I could do things around 10-14 days after. My body definitely isn’t ready but I guess when you have a toddler you have no choice but to be playing outside in a kiddy pool, squirting the hose, making trips to the library while lugging a car seat, playing at the beach in the water even when you probably shouldn’t be, and doing whatever I can to entertain my 2 1/2 year old with boat loads of energy. I swear she could probably do 10 boot camp classes and still not be tired!

Now… A quick update on Bradley. He is just the sweetest little boy with the largest set of lungs! He can scream when he wants something but I like knowing he’s strong and healthy and only trying to tell me something. Ava was pretty quiet as a newborn so it’s funny to see how different they are already!

He’s a good sleeper once he’s asleep. Getting him to sleep is sometimes challenging when Ava is singing, making noise, banging on things, or touching him and telling him not to sleep! Lets just say we are working on her whispering and quiet time. She’s improved drastically this last week and I’ve noticed an improvement in Bradley’s naps and he’s crying less. Clearly he needed more sleep and Ava wasn’t letting him

My sleep hasn’t been terrible, it could always be worse right? I think this time around I knew what to expect so I’m not expecting to sleep in long chunks and it’s been fine so far. I have had some mornings where I wake up ready to start the day with a smile on my face and I have had a few rough ones where I’m like seriously… can’t I sleep just another hour please!!!

I know that it’s just a phase and I will be sleeping longer in a few weeks so that’s how I’m getting through the late nights.

Speaking of late nights, I really do enjoy my alone time with Bradley. It’s special bonding time since during the day I try to split my time between Bradley and Ava. Ava has been handling my shared time pretty well considering it’s only been a month with our new little guy. It’s a learning curve for all of us and I think we are doing the best job we can right now!!!

(Isn’t this picture just the sweetest thing?!)

I miss blogging and I promise my next post will be Bradley’s Birth Story. It was pretty EPIC so stay tuned

]]> http://thefitskool.com/?feed=rss2&p=10293 0 http://thefitskool.com/?p=10274 http://thefitskool.com/?p=10274#comments Sat, 16 Jul 2016 13:24:23 +0000 http://thefitskool.com/?p=10274 Continue reading →]]> I am beyond excited to share with you the great news that our little baby boy Bradley Steven Garofalo arrived on July 8th, 2016 at 11:19pm.

He weighed in at 8 pounds 2 ounces and was 20 inches long.

He is the sweetest little boy and has melted my heart from the second I laid eyes on him.

I feel blessed that he is healthy and super strong! To be honest I can’t even put to words how happy I am.

My heart is full and my family is complete….

Stay tuned for Bradley’s Birth story and some more mom & baby updates. Lets just say this last week has gone by SUPER fast and my days have been filled with diaper changes, making sure my kids are fed, and enjoying all the baby snuggles and smiles from Ava & Bradley. I plan to soak up my maternity leave as much as possible!! 

PREGNANCY UPDATE 27 & 28 WEEKS

The Baby is the size of an Eggplant Weighing about 2 1/2 lbs

Weight gained

16.5 lbs

Gender: 

It’s a BOY!!!

(Picture taken at 27 weeks)

Workouts

My workouts these past 2 weeks have been great and I’ve been pretty consistent.

WEDNESDAY 1 hour Group Power Strength training

THURSDAY Fit For Life class & Boot camp class

FRIDAY REST DAY with a 25 minute walk with Cooper

SATURDAY 25 minute family walk

SUNDAY Full body weighted circuit plus 20 minute walk

MONDAY Fit For Life class & Group Power class, 20 minute walk with Cooper

TUESDAY 20 Minute walk with Cooper & Boot Camp Class

( at 27 weeks)

Symptoms:

I must have jinxed myself with my last update when I had NO symptoms. At around 27 weeks I experienced a little round ligament pain which only lasted about 24 hours. On Saturday afternoon I also started experiencing foot pain on my right heel. I know the foot pain was due to wearing heels, tight calves from my workouts and from standing too long. The round ligament pain was expected at this point. I gotta imagine this little boy is growing at a faster pace and my belly needs to keep up.

After diligent stretching & massage on my heel thanks to Marc and a ball I roll under my foot my heel started feeling better after a week.

Besides that, I’m not achy and have been feeling pretty good.  Fingers are crossed.

Food Aversions: 

I don’t have any particular foods off the top of my head that I don’t want to eat but Marc mentioned chicken fajitas to me the other night and I gagged at the thought of them. I don’t like leftover green beans and I’m never in the mood for Chinese or Mexican food unless it’s home cooked chili.

Food Cravings: 

Yogurt is my biggest craving and milk too with cereal.

• i love chicken, steak & fish
• Avocado on toast has been one of my favorite snacks
• along with peanut butter and bread!
• Breakfast is still my favorite meal
• Give me ALL the oranges
• Brownies After this past weekend of a little indulging, I was happy to be back to my challenge group of clean eating. I’m totally getting the unnecessary sugar out of my diet.

Sleep:

Sleep has been great! I sleep like a rock when my head hits that pillow. Marc and I have been rotating who gets up with Ava so that we can both get some extra sleep on the days that my work schedule allows it.

I haven’t gotten up to pee much these past 2 weeks which is shocking but as soon as my eyes open in the morning I have to go!

There were a couple nights I went to bed a little later due to the party in my belly. Baby boy has been moving up a storm

Maternity clothes: 

I love maternity clothes and I’m enjoying my pants more then anything. They are comfortable and allow my belly to breathe.

Stretch marks: 

None yet!

Do I Miss anything: 

I miss exercising normally. Yes I still workout but I’ve made numerous modifications. Ab routines are out and so are any deep lunges/squats and jumping.

I miss a good cold cut sandwich and although I could buy organic cold cuts I can live without it but a nice deli sandwich would be good every once in a while.

Movement: 

The belly movements have become pretty fun for me. I love feeling this little baby move and it’s reassuring that he’s doing well in there. Some of his movements are crazy and it seems like he’s non stop at times. I used to call Ava the kick boxer but this little guy might be giving her a run for her money.

The other night I swear I felt a leg. I had never felt anything like that before even with Ava’s pregnancy and it kind of freaked me out.

Baby Items Purchased: 

We bought a rug for the baby’s room but Ava loved it so much so we gave it to her haha. SOOO I guess no new purchases for baby boy this time. We are going to buy another one for him though, don’t worry. We are also looking for a new small crib that we can temporarily use until Ava is out of hers.

(28 weeks)

Wedding rings ON or OFF: 

ON

Belly Button IN or OUT? 

My belly button is mostly an outie. I do not like this. It looks weird and feels weird!!!!!! I’m nervous for how it’s going to look in 2 months from now

I’m Looking Forward To: 

I am looking forward to my next ultrasound.  it’s always reassuring to see our baby boy and it seems like it’s been forever since we had that opportunity.

Random Things:

Yesterday I had my 28-week sugar/diabetes test. They basically give you a drink that has 100g of sugar in it (that’s about 4 1/2 tablespoons of sugar) and you have to chug it then wait an hour to have blood work.

I dreaded this appointment because I was so nauseous when I did it with Ava and almost threw up.

This one was actually WAY easier. The drink wasn’t as sugary and the nurse told me when I did it with Ava we had to fast before and I didn’t have to do it this time so that was great!

The baby is measuring right on track and his heartbeat was strong!!! All good news.

With just 12 weeks left I’m starting to get anxious, nervous, excited and all that comes with expecting a child. I know I’ve been through it before but it’s going to be different and it’s going to make things different. While I know change is good, change takes time for everyone to adjust and I guess that’s the part I’m nervous for. I know Ava will be a good big sister and Cooper is a pro by now so it gets me excited to expand our family.

I am going to try to soak up all the time I have now with Ava being the only child and let her have some fun this spring

For more pregnancy updates head over to my Baby #2 pregnancy page

 

 

]]> http://thefitskool.com/?feed=rss2&p=4329 0 http://thefitskool.com/?p=3914 http://thefitskool.com/?p=3914#comments Tue, 07 Oct 2014 13:29:58 +0000 http://thefitskool.com/?p=3914 Continue reading →]]> I’m not so sure that you all enjoy these baby & postpartum updates, but writing them helps me reflect on the past month and all the progress that Ava and I have made together.

She has grown drastically this month, both physically and mentally. This past month has been by far my favorite month with Ava.

Ava is 19 1/2lbs and 29 1/2 inches long! (she is in 98th percentile for length) I am still pulling for a basketball player or a rockette.

New Things for Ava

• Ava is now WALKING… she is getting more brave and stronger each day. It started out with 1 step, then 2, then 8, then 10. Pretty soon she will be running
• She loves pancakes, eggs, apples, pineapple, squash, sweet potatoes, meatballs, chicken, green beans, etc

• Her absolute favorite fruit is a banana, the girl can already eat 1/2 of it in one sitting. Her appetite is just like mine.
• You can give her cheerios any time of day and she will eat them
• She likes her sippy cup. We only give her water right now.
• Ava can clap her hands, usually she claps on her own terms but sometimes she will clap with us when it is appropriate
• Waving bye bye! This one is hit or miss.
• Dancing with her arms up over her head (hands down my favorite!)
• Playing on the playground, in particular the swing and the slide

• She has 4 top teeth and 2 bottom ones, those top teeth caused her a lot of pain and made us sleep a little less these past 2 weeks
• New words.. gaga, nenene which is her version of no.  She looks at Cooper when he steals her toys and says nenene (she primarily says mama, baba and dada) yesterday she said buh-bye for the first time!
• When the gate is up on the stairs, Ava is not happy! She will basically let out a fake cry and she needs someone to move it so she can make her way up the stairs.
• She loves Elmo, I’m not going to lie Elmo’s laugh makes me giggle too. SO if you need to smile click on this Elmo YOUTUBE Video

• Ava loves balloons and when we are in the store she laughs at them.

Ava does NOT like….

• Socks! She pulls at least one of them off within a minute of putting them on.. and if she isn’t fast enough Cooper will. He loves her feet.
• She doesn’t really like when we feed her, she wants to do it herself. Mrs. Independent
• Being left in a room by herself.
• Crazy, scary halloween stuffed animals and decorations at CVS.
• Begin stuck in the car seat for too long, she needs to be on the move.
• She hates diaper changes, and is Houdini on the changing table.
• The word no, she laughs instead… NOT FUNNY.

Well I am sure these 2 lists could go on forever but those were all I could whip together right now.

My update! 

A while ago I said I was going to stop these status updates, but my body and my goals are still changing so I want to share my progress with you.

• My weight is the same.. and probably will stay within a 2-3lb range.
• I have gained upper body strength, I increased my weights with all my exercises!! I am SO proud of that accomplishment!
• I did not reach my pull-up goal, I am not going to lie… I never practiced.
• My Core is a lot tighter, thanks to Paleo-ish clean eating and lifting more weights

MY GOALS for the next 2 months before we hit the 1 year postpartum mark is to keep getting stronger and to work on my pull-ups. It has been difficult to get some extra time to focus on them, but I am going to make a conscious effort too. I might need to invest in a Pull-up Bar!

What are some of your accomplishments this month? 

Did you have a goal that you reached?

What new changes would you like to see with your body, and how will you make it happen?