Another small Stahl?

I am not blogging much now a days because instead of getting things done during Grady's nap, I am napping! I just can't go through a day without a nap. Although today I am making the attempt, wish me luck.

As many know Grady arrived early at 35 weeks and weighed 5 lbs 4 0z. At 38 weeks I am officially the most pregnant I have ever been! However we have been told that the baby is on the small side and the weight estimate is....5 lbs 4 0zs! There is slight concern with it being smaller so it is now being heavily monitored from here on out. They want to make sure my fluid levels are ok, the placenta is functioning properly, and that the baby is getting enough oxygen...etc. Two times a week I am going in for A Fetal None Stress Test and Ultra Sound. Here is a link if you are interested in knowing more about an NST. http://www.americanpregnancy.org/prenataltesting/non-stresstest.html After my last appointment the baby checked out on all accounts and is happy and healthy! Personally I think all of this testing is silly, some people are just going to have small babies just as some people are destined to have big babies. Sorry baby Stahl my uterus is a chalet not a castle. I certainly don't feel small at all. I am bigger then I have ever been and this baby is punching my bladder and kicking my ribs, it's so delightful! Yes I'm ready for this baby to come out, no I'm not ready for a newborn (ha). Grady has become quit the handful recently and the thought of total sleep deprivation makes me want to curl up in a ball and cry. If you know me at all, you know I really need sleep! I wish I could be one of these people who could function with less sleep but I am just not wired that way!

I started this blog yesterday and I stand corrected. I guess there was good enough reason for all the testing. My fluid levels have dropped slightly. It is not an alarming low level but I do need to pay close attention to the baby's movements. I am only 2cm Dilated. My next appointment is on Friday and we will probably more then likely be scheduling a day next week for me to be induced! Maybe my body will figure things out before then and it won't be necessary but if it doesn't there will be no need to keep up with the all the testing and concern when the baby is able to come out at this point. I CANNOT WAIT TO MEET THIS BABY! What in the world are we having?? I am getting overly excited to find out!!!

Mr. Smarty pants

Ok I get it now! I totally understand how every parent thinks their child is just the smartest thing ever. I agree with them all, kids are incredibly smart. Think of all that they have to learn? I wish my brain was functioning as high as their brains. They just absorb so much information and process it on a daily basis. I just can't believe all of the stuff Grady knows. I am not claiming a boy genius because clearly he does not really understand that he is counting or saying the alphabet. However it still impresses me that he sings the alphabet song up to "V" and counts close to twenty all before turning two! Not only that but his vocabulary is amazing for his age.....I think, but I am not a biased/proud mother or anything :). I never want to be the mom that brags about their child or says, "Oh yeah will Grady is doing this." Hopefully I am not coming across that way, I just can't help but be impressed by my growing toddler. Every child is unique in his/her abilities and truly I am amazed by each and every one of them! It took being a mother for me to really notice how much a child learns, and it is incredible. Go and hug your smarty pants today, they deserve being rewarded for all the hard work they are putting in day in and day out.

We love you Dante!

I may be signing off for awhile as we are seeing the final days (can only hope it will be months) of Dante's life. The cancer has adapted to the chemo and it's now becoming a losing battle. This is the most gut wrenching pain I have felt in a long time. I know many understand what this like and many don't. I have been crying, crying, crying, and crying. I am not functioning well at all. Why does this have to be so hard? I know with time I will be able to cope but for now I am not equipped to handle this!

Grady's new big boy room

We have been busy Spring cleaning and setting up Grady's new room that I have not blogged in awhile! Grady's new room can be found on page six of the Ikea catalog. Only teasing, but the bed, bedding, and funky space chair thingy are all from Ikea. The Bed is really cool, I wish it were for me. It can flip upside down when he gets older and he can sleep on top of it like a bunk bed. The bottom can become a bed or you can put a desk or something underneath. The tent it awesome, who doesn't want a bed tent?! At least I thought they were cool when I was a kid, I hope Grady thinks it is just as cool! We kept the dresser and drawers in there from when it was a guest room. However to make it fun for him I replaced the drawer pulls with rescue vehicle knobs. A lot of people have been asking about the wall applications. They are vinyl and from www.fatheads.com . Chris wanted to pretend like he had painted them but I don't think he would have gotten too many believers.

I was all prepared for the transfer to his new room to go horribly. I was thinking he is just going to keep getting up, or he would cry and never go to sleep. I thought he would miss his crib. I have heard from so many others about how this big change is a difficult one. However I could not have been more wrong. He loves his new room, and slept with no problems the very first night. In fact he does not even try to enter his old room at all! Wow was I ever shocked that this transfer went so well, almost too well....hmmm. We got really lucky with this one I think! He loves the bigger room because he has all kinds of space to run around.

Our Memorial weekend went from no plans to a busy weekend! We went to the pool opening with Oggie and Boppa on Saturday, Sunday I took Grady on his first trip to the Brand's lake house, and Monday we went over to our friend's house for a bbq, and then had dinner over at Oggie and Boppa's. The lake trip was a success only Grady needed a nap upon arrival. I am dying to get back to the lake, and it will be nice for Chris to be able to join us next time. I owe the Brand's a huge thanks for letting us come to their lake. It is a very special treat for us!

Stahl update in brief:

-Chris finished school for summer as did Grady

-Chris is interning with Atrium medical center in Middletown. He is actually working with my Dad, hope this is a good thing :)

-Grady will be a tumble bee this summer! I am very excited.

-My pregnancy is going well except I just failed the initial glucose test (again, failed with Grady) which means I have to do that awful three hour test at the hospital. I am definitely bigger at this point of pregnancy then I was with Grady. Yikes I am going to be huge by the end. Think my belly button will definitely pop this time.

-We are taking a trip to St. Louis and Kansas City June 11-20

-We don't have any other big travel plans for the summer. I hope to get to the pool and lake a lot this summer!

- We hired a handyman to come in and fix every annoying problem in this house because I am tired of looking at them. You wouldn't think it but it's a huge list! He will also be building a trellis on our deck to create some privacy from the neighbors that are right on top of us.

What are your summer plans? Hope you find a way to keep cool in this heat, and if your in Cincy hope we get to see you at a BBQ, in the pool, at the lake, or some where fun!

Happy Mother's Day!

I am one Happy Mother indeed! Woke up to Grady hand delivering me a card and gift. It was so cute, and really my day could have ended with that but the goodness continued on. My parents came over late morning for the most amazing brunch in which Chris put together. The menu: Parfaits, blueberry muffins, frittata, and mimosas! It was so delicious and then I got spoiled with even more gifts! Now I am unwinding until we head over to my parents house for a potluck dinner. Perhaps I will enjoy an afternoon walk.

This video clip is what being a mother is all about to me! I had left our deck door open for too long on a nice day and so a dozen flies came into the house. I would swat one and turn around to five more! When I would miss I would let out a dramatic, "Oh!" Well Grady just thought this was absolutely hysterical! These moments make the job of being a mother so rewarding. I will take this for payment over a paycheck any day! It took me being a Mom to understand the love of a Mom. Love you today and every day Mom!!! Happy Mother's Day to all those fabulous ladies who have taken on the most challenging yet rewarding job of all.

* I didn't take the time to edit this one, so apologize for it being on the longer side and not of the best quality but you get the idea.... "OHHHH!"

Tunes and Blooms

On Thursday evening I took Grady to the Tunes and Blooms event at the zoo. You can listen to a free concert while being surrounded by the most gorgeous flowers! It was a fun and beautiful event to attend. However I spent a lot of time chasing Grady around so it tired us both out. I didn't even make it to 10:00 that night. We met up with Mimi and Oliver while we were there. The only way to get Grady to come back towards the direction we were headed was to constantly say, "where's Oliver?" HA. The two of them are pretty cute together.

2nd Trimester

I took these pregnancy pics all today and all at the same time. Thought it would be funny to show that I can look not pregnant, a little fat, a little pregnant, and a lot pregnant! Haha.

Not pregnant?

A little pudgy

A little pregnant

Really pregnant!

I am now 18 wks along in this pregnancy which is close to half way, that's crazy! Today was an exciting day as we got to have an Ultra Sound! It was such a relief to see a healthy cute little babe moving all around. I have been a little worried because I feel like I just have not been feeling this baby move as much as I should, however it's a MOVING! The Dr. said my placenta is up front which is probably why I don't feel the movements as much. Ahhh just seeing ten fingers, ten toes, and every thing else accounted for puts a huge smile on my face for the rest of the day! You can't help but worry a little until you get to actually see the little babe. The bad news is I don't get anymore ultra sounds. I might just have to go and get a 4D U-S package from Becoming Mom spa. I want to see that little babe again! Plus I did that package for Grady, so it's only fair right? Im still wavering on whether or not this little beaner is a boy or girl? With Grady I had an intuition all along that he was a boy. Why do I not have that this time? My dreams have all told me it's another boy. I also think it looks a lot like Grady only a different mouth perhaps? However I am still saying, "It's A Girl!"

Here are the Ultra Sound Pics from today in comparison to Grady's. Do you think they look a like? What's your vote, boy or girl? Chinese calendar says girl. Although I believe in signs and I accidentally made an indentation in the side of the pics and it looks exactly like male anatomy! Is something trying to tell me that's what is missing from the picture?! HA!

Grady's Ultra Sound

Baby beaner's Ultra Sound and creepy skeleton (weighs 10 oz)