Summer seems to have had a tough time showing up this year, but we have tried to make the best of what little nice days we get. Kaylee is getting really stir crazy and I can't really wrestle with her so I have had to get creative.
We have had trips to the parks a LOT lately, and finding new ones has been an adventure. Kaylee loves playgrounds, so it is a great way for her to burn off some energy.
We have also discovered an awesome little carousel by our local dollar store. I have to be careful not to even drive by it unless I am ready for some tears or to let her ride it. I remember riding one of these when I stayed at my grandma's house.
I promise she was having fun! She was just really sick of me taking pictures.
She was fascinated by looking down at the floor of the carousel
This past weekend Robert and I were working on our yard, aka. the never ending project. I turned on the hose to get a drink, and I let Kaylee try. From then on the hose was Kaylee's. She watered my newly planted flowers until I thought they might drown so I redirected her to the grass on the side of the house. I am sure she watered it enough for the next month or two, but she had SO much fun, and I couldn't bring myself to stop her.
Attempting to drink from the hose - actually she was quite good at it!
I love the line of wet and dry on her over-alls!
Getting another drink
I think this is my favorite one!
One final fling of water toward the camera
*** Mom, don't be too worried about the flowers! I think they will survive!***
Pregnancy Highlights: Only 15 weeks left until my due date! Only 3 weeks until the 3rd trimester! I am really looking forward to this pregnancy being over. It has been a lot harder on me. I still LOVE being pregnant, but this time around hasn't been all unicorns and rainbows that I remember Kaylee's being.
How Far Along:25 weeks - Yay for a new veggie lol!
The formation of tiny capillaries is giving baby a healthy pink glow. Baby is also soaking up antibioties, getting the immune system ready for life outside the womb. Eyes are forming, and baby will soon perfect the blink -- perfect for batting those freshly grown lashes.
Size of baby:Roughly 13" Head to heel - Weighs 1.5 pounds
Weight: 191.4
Total Weight Gain/Loss: Gain: 4 lbs
Maternity Clothes: Yes.....lets just leave it at that.
Gender: GIRL!!
Name: Cadence McKenzie Ricks
Movement: Movement is almost constant!
Sleep: The past couple weeks of sleep has been really tough. I went for days waking up every hour all night long!
Exercise: Just chasing Kaylee around playgrounds, and digging random crap out of our back "yard".
Symptoms: I am starting to feel tired again, and I don't like that at all. My ligaments are all pretty sore and my calves have been threatening to cramp some nights. I think I am not getting some of the vitamins I need.
Throw up tally: 3
What I miss: This week? SLEEP!!
Cravings: Still nothing specific
Aversions: I have been really happy about not having a lot of aversions this time around.
Things to do: Paint/decorate name letters, buy crib bedding, make a decision on painting the room, wash baby clothes, stock up on infant medical things, get newborn cloth diapers.
Best Moment this week:Girls Night!! It was so great to hang out with my girl friends and talk late into the night.
Looking Forward To:Our next ultrasound on Wednesday! Crossing all my fingers that she has grown a bit more this week.
Our little Kaylee-bug is turning 22 months old today! I can't believe how fast this past year has been with her. Her second birthday is just two months away! She is turning into such a wonderful little girl. I don't even miss her being a little baby because she is so adorable and entertaining as she discovers the world around her. This has been one of my favorite age stages so far. Her personality is starting to shine through more than ever.
This move has been relatively easy for her, but Robert and I decided to make a big change in her life. Actually it is in preparation for another big change for her. We want her in her big girl bed (twin mattress on the floor) well before Cadence comes so she isn't adjusting to that AND having a little sister. We tried it for a few nights and although she went to sleep pretty easily and stayed in bed for the most part, the pacifiers were a problem.
Kaylee had been sleeping with 2 or 3 pacifiers every night and nap. One in her mouth and one in each hand. Problem is, they would fall out of the crib and she would be unable to go back to sleep without them. We were going into her room to search for pacifiers at least once every night. When we put her in her bed it turned into an even bigger problem because she would drop one (usually right on the bed) and go searching the room for it. So we decided to take them away......cold turkey.
The first night and nap weren't a problem, she asked a couple times for her "pa pa" but there were no tears. It steadily got worse and worse after that. She was taking FOREVER to go to sleep and didn't seem to be understanding that it was time for sleep. Thank HEAVENS she wasn't screaming and crying about it just talking, moving, and generally not going to sleep. I was close to my breaking point a couple days ago when suddenly she started to "get it"! I don't want to jinx it, but I think she has started to figure out how to go to sleep on her own without the pacifiers!
Once she is sleeping well again I am planning to give her at least 2 weeks, probably 3, before we try the big girl bed again. No matter what the crib will be leaving her room by her second birthday. Then I can work on her little sister's room! Yay!
Other than the pacifier battle, Kaylee has been great lately, she is really stir crazy from all the rain and poor weather, but she had a blast yesterday playing outside while we did some major yard work. I can't wait for some actual summer weather so we can go swimming at the pool, play at the park (without having to bring all our towels to dry the equipment), and go for more walks! Yes, we will deal with some tantrums, but those will be compensated for with smiles, hugs, and kisses.
We love this little girl, and are so happy that she is in our lives. I have been bad again about taking pictures this month :( I blame it on the move.
Pregnancy Highlights:It seriously feels like I just wrote the week 23 update a couple days ago! Needless to say this day has flown by and I haven't thought too much about the pregnancy.
How Far Along:24 weeks -
Watch what you say - baby is now able to hear outside noise from down in the womb. Studies show that baby finds gentle music and your own voice most soothing. Nipples are starting to sprout, and that little face is fully formed. And, baby's starting to settle into sleep cycles, snoozing about 12 to 14 hours a day. It shouldn't be hard to figure out when - just pay attention to those kicks as they start and stop.
Size of baby:Almost 12 inches long, Head to heel - Weighs just over 1 pound
Weight: 189.8
Total Weight Gain/Loss: Gain: 2.4 lbs
Maternity Clothes: Yes.....lets just leave it at that.
Gender: GIRL!!
Name: Cadence McKenzie Ricks
Movement: This girl moves SOOO much!! I am starting to see movement from the outside, but feel it everywhere.
Sleep: Usually I sleep pretty well, but I have been having crazy dreams that make me tired when I wake up.
Exercise: It has been raining almost non stop since I last updated about the pregnancy, so any exercise I have been doing is unpacking and child wrangling related.
Symptoms: not much this week! I have been really tired, but it is from Kaylee's rough nights more than anything
Throw up tally: 3
What I miss: The SUN!! Lol, this really has nothing to do with the pregnancy.
Cravings: Still nothing specific
Aversions: I have been really happy about not having a lot of aversions this time around.
Best Moment this week: Seeing her move from the outside!
Looking Forward To: Cadence finally being here. This pregnancy is proving to be way too stressful for my taste.
As much as I am excited about this pregnancy, I am really starting to get sad about that we have to cut our AMAZING agility year short. I am down to only 2 trials before I am going to stop. There is a trial at a location that I have wanted to compete at (because it is beautiful) since I first got interested in agility, but it is the week before the baby is due :(
I am really excited for the next two trials we are entered in though! We are going out of state for our next one because I can stay with family and it will be nice to have a change of scenery. Most of our trials this year have been in the same place. Then our next one is in July. It is being judged by Janet Budzynsk, who I guess they have been trying to get out to Utah for quite a while. I don't have a clue who she is but everyone around here is pretty excited about it so it should be fun. But I can already tell I will be VERY sad once the July trial is over.
Starting over after the pregnancy is going to be hard. This time around I will have two little ones work around to practice and compete. Also my beloved instructor will have moved across the country before I have the baby. So I will have to find a new instructor.......not something I am looking forward to. Rather than finding a new instructor, I will probably just start renting time at the barn and practice by myself. I swear, I just need to buy some land for an agility field. Then I wont have to pay to use other people's equipment.
As a general update on the boys, they are settling in great to our new house. Patriot seems pretty uneasy about having part of his yard next to the sidewalk/street and he feels the need to patrol it. I think he is looking for bad guys lol. We are planning to put up a more solid fence and I am hoping that will give the old man some peace of mind. Hobbs doesn't like it outside right now because there isn't any grass and has been raining almost constantly since we moved in. Hobbs really hates mud, and will stand on the covered porch and look longingly at his water bowl out in the rain until I go get it for him. Silly pansy of a dog!
They are both shedding like crazy, and this is the first year I have noticed Hobbs really shedding. That is a bummer for me because I loved that he didn't shed much ever. Patriot is another matter all together. I swear he somehow sheds more every year. He is also back to itching quite a bit, but this time we absolutely can't afford his $80-a-month allergy shots. It would come down to him getting shots or us eating.....and I pick us! So, I am going to keep the weeds short in our yard so they don't flower, vacuum every day to keep any mites away, give him a medicated allergy bath every other week, and give him benadryl when the itching seems really bad. I am hoping that his allergies get better once the weather dries up and the plants stop flowering.
I am going to start working with them on some general training refreshers (mostly for Patriot) because it seems like Mother Nature is determined to drown us out. Both Hobbs and Patriot hate going on walks in the rain, and I don't like it much either. We go whenever the rain isn't actually falling, but we need some inside activities. I may try to teach Hobbs some more tricks, but mostly I want to remind them of some basic manners. I may tackle the new rule of no dogs in the kitchen too.....because there is just no room in our tiny kitchen for me, Kaylee, and two big dogs.
I won a dvd in a raffle at our last trial and it will be fun to watch when I finally have time. It is by Dr, Debbie Gross Saunders and is called "Strengthening the Performance Dog" It is a bunch of strengthening exercises specifically geared towards our hardworking competition dogs. I would love for Hobbs to be able to compete as long as he is happy doing it, so I am sure this will have some valuable information for us.
Hopefully I have some more interesting things to blog about in the coming weeks and months!
I have had a month now to think about the possibility of Cadence having Down Syndrome. I have told a few people (anyone who reads this obviously) and have gotten some mixed reactions. Most people have been very supportive, some have taken the liberty of reminding me how expensive, difficult, time consuming, and possibly heartbreaking having a little one with Downs will be. As if I didn't know that already lol ;) None of those have been part of my reaction, honestly. Obviously they have all come up in my research, but they aren't the focus of my thoughts.
I have been very impressed with myself; tooting my own horn here for a second! After the initial shock and tears came the peace. A deep resounding peace that everything would be ok. I don't know what that means, but I can HONESTLY say, that I am ok with whatever happens. As I have had a month to think about the possibilities I have started to realize what something like this means to me.
I have heard of other moms getting the news I got, or they got their "for sure" T21 (easier to type than Down Syndrome) diagnosis, and they END their pregnancy, my heart hurts for those little spirits. I do understand that there are extenuating circumstances with some people and pregnancies. I have found that a HUGE percent of, perfectly healthy, T21 pregnancies are ended just because of the diagnosis. How many times do those special spirits try to come down before they are sent to a home humble enough to love them no matter what? Yes, I understand that that might not be how it works, but if it is, that is heartbreaking to me.
I am so humbled that Heavenly Father trusts Robert and me enough to send one of his most special spirits into our home KNOWING that we would keep and love her with all our hearts and souls.
Do I have fears? YES! I am worried that I can't be the kind of mom that she needs. I am worried that our home isn't spiritual enough for someone so......special to live in. I am worried about the kinds of prejudices and judgments she is going to face from the rude and naive people in our world. I have a huge fear of the unknown. I am worried that I can't/wont be as strong if she actually IS born with T21 as I feel like I have been with the POSSIBILITY of her having T21....I don't know if that makes sense to everyone else, but it does to me.
To those wondering why WE were chosen to have this little angel who may or may not have Down Syndrome? Maybe it ISN'T because we "have something to learn". Maybe it is just because Heavenly Father knew we would welcome her into our home regardless of any expense, difficulty, time, and possible heartbreak that would come with her.
This week was one that I worried about since last month. The ultrasound on her heart turned out to be another full measurement ultrasound. The doctor said that her heart looks good but that, in general, she is measuring a bit smaller than she should be, her arm and leg bones are still a bit short, and that my amniotic fluid is measuring on the high end of normal. All of these things can be indicators of a chromosomal abnormality so they are going to continue to monitor the baby and pregnancy. We "get" to have another growth ultrasound in 3 weeks. I am hoping that she is measuring better next time.
Pregnancy Highlights:
How Far Along:23 weeks -
Watch what you say - baby is now able to hear outside noise from down in the womb. Studies show that baby finds gentle music and your own voice most soothing. Nipples are starting to sprout, and that little face is fully formed. And, baby's starting to settle into sleep cycles, snoozing about 12 to 14 hours a day. It shouldn't be hard to figure out when - just pay attention to those kicks as they start and stop.
Size of baby:Roughly 10 1/2 - 11 3/4 inches long, Head to heel
Weight: 189.2
Total Weight Gain/Loss: Gain: 1.8 lbs
Maternity Clothes: Yes.....lets just leave it at that.
Gender: GIRL!!
Name: Cadence McKenzie Ricks
Movement: I feel her a lot now, and I think I felt her from the outside today!
Sleep: I have been sleeping really well in our new house!
Exercise: I have been walking the dogs, going to the park with Kaylee, and unpacking boxes so I think I have been getting plenty of exercise.
Symptoms: mood swings and sore back - I don't remember back pain with Kaylee.
Throw up tally: 3
What I miss: Being more flexible
Cravings: Still nothing specific
Aversions: A lot of baked sweet stuff still makes me sick, but other than that, there hasn't been a lot that I can't eat.
Best Moment this week: Finding out that Cadence's heart is looking perfect!
Looking Forward To: Cadence finally being here. This pregnancy is proving to be way too stressful for my taste.
I don't think anything can top this trial. It was amazing!
This was our first 3 day trial, and our first outdoor trial of the year. I was pretty nervous about it because we had been moving all week before, and Hobbs hates to move. I was getting over a cold on Sunday and still feeling pretty crappy on Tuesday. We slept the first night in our new house Wednesday night, and I left bright and early for the trial Thursday morning.
Day 1 - Thursday:
Novice FAST -
This run was pretty crazy. Hobbs was SO excited to be playing agility and to be outside! He was barely under control the whole time, and had several sniffy, scooty, crazy moments. We had several "off courses" from what I walked, and we missed the bonus by a mile and a half. Lol, it was fun though, and I was glad to see that Hobbs wasn't stressing......he just had a little too much energy for his own good. - NQ
Novice Standard -
What an amazing run. The course was pretty easy and we ran clean easily. Hobbs didn't get very far into the yellow on the A-frame, and I was turning away from him when he was coming down it, so I wasn't 100% sure if he had jumped the contact or not. I couldn't see the judge so I didn't see if he called anything either. So when we finished the course, I thought we had gone clean, but I wasn't sure. Hobbs was a little odd after the run, but no where near as bad as he was after the standard courses at the last trial. It was so nice to see that he had gotten his contact once we got our score sheet. - Q & 1st place - That was our 3rd leg for our NAP title!
Open JWW -
This was one of those runs that isn't pretty, but gets the job done. Hobbs was either tired or just mentally done for the day and so he would tune me out every so often on course. We got called for 1 refusal, and thought that meant we didn't Q, but luckily we still did! - Q & 1st place - That was our 3rd leg for our OJP title after only 3 open jww runs!
I was pretty ecstatic after day 1. I was also exhausted and sore. Part of me was really tempted to skip Friday and just go on Saturday, but I decided to stick it out.
Day 2 - Friday:
Open JWW -
Ugh. This run made me glad that I had forgotten to move up to excellent jww for the day. Things were just off. I didn't plan my handling very well so I got in his way a couple times. I don't know if Hobbs was just stiff or sore or what, but he didn't do very well either. He took out the triple because it was on a corner, refused a jump (my fault), and then took out another jump with a super early take off. - NQ
Open Standard -
I was SO excited to be in Open standard that I wasn't nervous at all! It was a fun course that was REALLY similar to the Excellent course. I think they moved 1 jump and re-numbered things a little. We got a refusal on the 2nd jump because I moved too much laterally away from him and he pulled off thinking thats what I wanted. After that it was great and he even got his A-frame contact really well. The only thing that was a little iffy were his weave poles. He doesn't like doing 12, and we haven't worked on them much so he was really slow. I was so happy with his A-frame contact That I thought for a second about stopping, giving him a huge hug and being done.....it was that good. - Q & 2nd place
Day 3 - Saturday: - When I was driving to the trial, all I could think was how glad I was that this was the LAST day of the trial....Lol I was pretty tired. Hobbs seemed better this morning than he did Friday morning.
Open Standard -
(#16 is the Dog Walk)
This course was pretty intimidating to me! It had a pretty tricky area that was very similar to the Excellent course and the excellent people were having a lot of trouble with it. There was also a triple on a corner which is not something Hobbs is good at. I should have had more faith in my dog though because he did AWESOME! Our only little bobbles were that he pulled out of the poles at #10 because I got too much lateral distance, and that the evil chute rolled him. My parents were there with their camera so I have a video of this run!
Novice FAST -
I was pretty determined to get a clean run with this course. It was a super easy bonus, and I figured out how to get a lot of points too! It all went exactly as I walked it, and we got 60 points. I am not sure we got credit for all of our points though....I will have to look at the map and count my points. - Q & 2nd place. This was our 3rd leg for our NFP title, and we are officially out of novice!
Excellent JWW -
I haven't been truly nervous for a run in a while, but I was for this one. JWW intimidates me a lot for some reason, and I was hoping for some more "practice" in the open ring before moving up to Excellent. That being said, we have been doing amazing in Jumpers for a while now, with the exception of a couple runs. The course looked really scary on paper, but it walked ok. There were a couple spots where I didn't know what I should do, but after watching a few people go I decided on a handling plan. It went SO well and I was incredibly proud of Hobbs. He REALLY didn't want to do the weave poles, but he got through them on the first try. Then I pulled him off jump #12 because I dropped my arm 1 second too early and he spun before taking the jump. Other than that, I was an amazing run. We were connected and I was so happy with it. Unfortunately, in Excellent it has to be perfect so it was an NQ. I wish I had a video of this run because it was wonderful!
It was such an amazing trial, and I am so proud of my little Hobbs. He is very tired, and a little stiff and sore, but I think he had a wonderful time too. I have all the course maps to post as well as another video, but those probably come later.
This week has been crazy. I haven't stopped moving for 90% of it. We are officially moved! YAY! We slept in our new house on Wednesday night and it has gone smoothly so far. I thought it would take longer to get the internet connected and working, but here I am! Just in time for this pregnancy update.
I have been feeling great this week, even though I am getting over a cold, moving, and taking care of a crazy almost-two-year-old. I haven't even had time to get nervous about the heart ultrasound that is coming up next week. I am going to do an update next Friday too, and then skipping the next one so my updates are on track with the weeks I updated with Kaylee. That way it is easier to compare.
Pregnancy Highlights: - Just a warning, there will be no picture for a few days......or until next week after I have found my camera and camera cord.
How Far Along:22 weeks -
Watch what you say - baby is now able to hear outside noise from down in the womb. Studies show that baby finds gentle music and your own voice most soothing. Nipples are starting to sprout, and that little face is fully formed. And, baby's starting to settle into sleep cycles, snoozing about 12 to 14 hours a day. It shouldn't be hard to figure out when - just pay attention to those kicks as they start and stop.
Size of baby:Roughly 10 1/2 - 11 3/4 inches long, Head to heel
Weight: ???.?? - scale is in a box somewhere - I am pretty sure I have lost weight though.
Total Weight Gain/Loss: Lost.??? lbs
Maternity Clothes: 3 pairs of maternity pants
Gender: GIRL!!
Name: Cadence McKenzie Ricks
Movement: I feel her a lot now, and I think I felt her from the outside today!
Sleep: It is off and on. Some nights I sleep REALLY well, and others it is pretty rough.
Exercise: I got a lot of exercise this week because of the move, and I have been competing in a dog agility competition for the past two days.....and I will be competing tomorrow too!
Symptoms: mood swings
Throw up tally: 3
What I miss: Being more flexible
Cravings: Still nothing specific
Aversions: A lot of baked sweet stuff still makes me sick, but other than that, there hasn't been a lot that I can't eat.
Best Moment this week: This has nothing to do with the pregnancy, but BUYING A HOUSE and MOVING IN!!
Looking Forward To: Not really looking forward to it, but I WILL be glad to have it over with.
Comparison: I will add this next week
Picture for this week: Sadly, no picture at least for a couple days :(
