The Stay At Home Zookeeper: 2015

This is long. It is a post about Nolan (2 months update) pregnancy from finding out until now, and some home remodels. Skip around, ignore, whatever you choose!

We are so excited to announce we get to do this again! We get to go through the amazing pregnancy, birth of a child, and a growing family again. For the first time, Nolan gets to be a big brother! We are so beyond excited! Nolan got more excited as we took the pictures. lol

Nolan

Weight Gain/Growth
At Nolan's appointment for what ended up being hand foot mouth (just after 13 months old) he was 21lbs3oz. Doctor seems satisfied with his weight gain.

Nolan has 4 top front teeth, 4 bottom front teeth, top molars are in, and bottom molars are RIGHT there.

Sleep & Bedtime Routine
Nolan is pretty good at sleeping through the night. He sleeps from 7pm until the morning. It was 7am and in the last few weeks has been inching closer and closer to 5:30. He is still taking 2 naps a day so we think that may be contributing to his earlier wake ups. We are starting to transition to 1...maybe.

Nolan still takes a baba before bed/nap but we are cutting back on oz until he basically doesnt need it. He is down to 1-2 oz a time. He still sleeps in his zippy--just getting into the large. We tried to sleep with out it a couple times and he just plays and plays. You go in there and put the zippy on and he goes to sleep in no time.

He does put himself to sleep though. We jammie, zippy, brush teeth, read Time for Bed by Mem Fox (he can read the last page, "nigh nigh" SO CUTE), cuddle a minute and then in his crib he goes. We make him laugh, put on the sound machine and say nigh night. He usually yells, BYE! as we are leaving. He talks to himself and rolls around for a while and then goes to sleep.

Milestones & Likes
Nolan is now 15 months. He is talking more and more and getting into more and more trouble. He is starting to string 2 words together such as Hi, Mama! Baba, All Done!

He loves to play in the dog water and says no no no while he does it.

Nolan has been doing much better at eating solid foods. He likes them in a little bowl and he likes to have a utensil, but usually doesn't use it much. He is getting good at it, its just not as efficient.

Eating off your plate is better than eating off your own!

Getting better at eating at restaurants, actually eating
a meal.

Nolan is doing great with babies. He is so happy to see Calvin and I really think he is going to make a great big brother.

He loves to watch out the window. He will sit by himself now that he can officially climb up their on his own or with Badger. Those 2.

Back at mommy's school for 4k Fall Family Fun Night. It is crazy he is old enough to be doing things for the second time and comparing photos of him at the 2.

Halloween! Nolan was a little duck. He LOVED watching for kids out the window, running to the door, and "helping" He was so funny to watch. We stayed home this year because it was so cold and gross (and its probably the last year he wont notice).

watching for trick or treaters.

Oh my goodness does this boy LOVE music. He loves to turn on the ipad and dance. He knows where it is in our house and Grandma Gloudemans. He has the moves.

He must.climb.in.things. I cannot tell you how many things we have walked up to find Nolan sitting in. We try to catch them on film, but usually he gets out when he sees us coming.

Firsts/Events

Took a trip to Minnesota to visit our friends. He had a great time hanging out with Louie. Didn't love the car ride, but did great with it.

We went to the railroad museum for their pumpkin train. Nolan dressed up like a lizard and he was so funny. We all had a great time. He even hugged a little stranger girl, but it was so precious!

My first cousin got married and Nolan was a hit of the party there too. He ate an entire piece of cheesecake by the handful and was the first one on the dance floor.

We went pumpkin picking, pet the goats, and carved our pumpkin with our friends. Oh my goodness, leaves, pumpkins (balls), and goats are so much fun. We even had a picnic where he ate like a big boy on at the picnic table.

These would be his dance moves while flinging leaves.

Nolan went apple picking with mommy and daddy and loved running through the orchard. He also loved holding the apple by himself. He ate an entire apple while we were there!

Singing E-I-E-I-O!

Found out our friend Mady is going to have a little sister (Nolans first gender reveal in person!) He loves eating cupcakes standing up on fold up chairs and giving mommy a heart attack.

Doesnt everybody stand in a frying pan in the middle of the living room on a Sunday afternoon still in their jammies?

Cousin Calvin got baptized. I sat through church, pretty good.

He always has be in or on things. He is a little stinker pants. If it fits, he sits.

Cheering on the Packers! Such a big boy! Saying touchdown and then high-fiving daddy!

Sickness
hand foot mouth-Nolan had hand foot mouth and 4 molar coming in. Doctor prescribed rest and letting him dring milk instead of meals if that is what he needs. He recouped fairly well.

croup/horrible cold-between my teaching and Alex's working in the pharmacy, we are always carrying germs home. Poor Nolan gets everything. He was pretty sick with low grade fevers for days. He has been a running nose, cough, or sneezes since before Halloween (4 weeks ago....) I missed one day of work staying home with him. Mommy cuddling in the crib makes things better.

stomach flu-holy cow the stomach flu. Nolan woke up crying at 9:30 which isnt normal. We went in there and he had thrown up. We cleaned him up, changed his crib sheets, hoped it was a fluke and got back in bed. We were just back in bed when we heard it again. Repeat process. And Again. 2 loads of laundry, 4 crib sheets, 3 zippys and finally falling asleep with out one later, he did better. Every half hour for 2 hours and just like that he was done. His recuperation was much better than Alex and mine.

New baby

Finding out!

I had a feeling I was pregnant when I was getting kind of sick at dinner time every day. I also could not handle the smell of all the boy's hair gel on picture day. I took a test the day of picture day...the day before Ellie's wedding...and it was negative. I thought it was wrong but figured tests dont lie so went about life as usual. Then, the following week, we were going on our trip to Minnesota and planned on going out in the city and I just couldn't shake the feeling I needed to take a test. It was positive before it even got to the control window. Holy cow, we were so excited! Alex was shocked!!

Nolan's first birthday was 6 weeks before that, and I had been done nursing for 5 weeks. I had only one cycle. Holy cow. I had no idea how far along I was because I had only the one period so there was not space between to figure out a cycle length. It was also my birthday weekend AND according to my math I was due right after school was out. Seriously, timing was perfect, it took one try, and it was just to good to be true!

How far along? 9 weeks
Total Weight Gain? lost 4
Stretch Marks? no
Sleep: pretty good, but better with my half a unisom (and B6) for morning sickness
Best Moment this Week: just sharing the news little by little
Miss Anything? no
Movement: no
Food Craving? not really wanting food at all...though jalapeno poppers are good when I decide to eat.
Anything making you queasy or sick? Food--eating.
Bellybutton in our out? in
Wedding Rings on or off? on
Happy or Moody most of the time? happy
Looking forward to? growing baby
Labor Signs? no
Anything Else? Almost all close family and friends know already! So excited couldnt wait to share!

How far along? 10 weeks
Total Weight Gain? lost 4 still
Stretch Marks? no
Sleep: same
Best Moment this Week: Seeing baby on the ultrasound with all measurements coming out good. Could see the great heartbeat as well.
Miss Anything? no
Movement: maybe?
Food Craving? salty
Anything making you queasy or sick? still not a fan of food
Bellybutton in our out? in but surprisingly moving out already
Wedding Rings on or off? on
Happy or Moody most of the time? moody
Looking forward to? healthy growing baby, announcement photos, girls shopping weekend
Labor Signs? no
Anything Else?

How far along? 11 weeks
Total Weight Gain? -4 still
Stretch Marks? no
Sleep: ok with the unisom
Best Moment this Week: no
Miss Anything? no
Movement: no
Food Craving? prefer salty still but not craving anything.
Anything making you queasy or sick? still not a fan of food
Bellybutton in our out? in but moving out already. Nolan things my button is hilarious. He cant have his onsie buttoned often because he needs to be able to see his button as well.
Wedding Rings on or off? on
Happy or Moody most of the time? pretty moody
Looking forward to? Really getting anxious to know boy or girl! Just want baby to grow healthy.
Labor Signs? no
Anything Else? no

How far along? 12 weeks
Total Weight Gain? -9
Stretch Marks? no
Sleep: pretty good except when I had the awful stomach flu
Best Moment this Week: it was a rough week, but every morning I wake up and I am still pregnant makes me smile.
Miss Anything? strong immune system.
Movement: maybe?
Food Craving? prefer salty--gatorade (frost blue) has been amazing while sick
Anything making you queasy or sick? the flu--and missing meds because of it.
Bellybutton in our out? moving out
Wedding Rings on or off? on--almost to big right now with loss of water weight
Happy or Moody most of the time? both
Looking forward to? feeling baby move, gender, growing baby. Nolan being able to being to understand baby.
Labor Signs? no
Anything Else? Wednesday Nolan got the stomach flu. He threw up every half hour for 2 hours. That was rough. 2 days later, Alex and I got it. That was horrible. We both got so dehydrated it was almost worse than the actual throwing up. I was so dehydrated my everything hurt. I did call the doctor and they said I was ok since I was keeping fluids down the second day. I caught up and I am doing much better now. I believe my weight is starting to go up now too.

Our Home

We have redone our bedroom little by little but now all of our formerly black furniture has been upgraded to beautiful light brown and white. It is gorgeous! Still working the wall behind the bed, but thats another day.

We have put a ceiling fan in the new nursery and Nolan's room. Nolan is obsessed. He loves round and rounds.

The Stay At Home Zookeeper

Friday, November 27, 2015

Mustache Bash-Nolans First Birthday

Wednesday, November 25, 2015

...And then there were 4!