These are a few of my favorite things!

Brie and Sophie have had a good holiday so far. Brie has enjoyed getting to see family and friends again and Sophie has met many people for the first time over the last few weeks. It has been a wonderful holiday season with both Marcus and I being home. We are not looking forward to the return of work for both of us. I am planning to return the first week in January and Marcus will be starting a full time job the end of January. There will be a lot of adjustments for our little ones, but they will do fine. We have been interviewing Nannies and think we found one that will work out. Over the next 2 weeks we will have her over to get used to the girls before I return to work. It is an expensive route, but with our two preemies for the best.

Both girls are growing and getting more opinionated. Sophie now has a voice and cries to be held at times, but she is still a good baby. She continues to eat well and sleeps a lot, though mostly during the day. She is over 8 lbs already and seems to be getting longer and has nice full cheeks. At one month she was 7 lbs 10 oz and 2o.5 inches long so she has gained almost 2 lbs and grown 2.5 inches in one month. Brie, despite the stomach flu, managed to gain weight in the last few weeks. She was 22 lbs last week which is about a pound in one month. Hopefully she will continue to gain and get taller. She is in the 5% for height and weight at this point, but at least she is on the charts.

We have celebrated 3 Christmases already and have one more to go. On Monday Marcus's dad's side of the family came down for a visit. Everyone seemed to have a nice time and Brie loves the playhouse and ironing board she got for Christmas presents. Who knew that the kid liked to iron. I think that will come in handy in a few years. At least maybe our dry cleaning bill will decrease when Brie is old enough to actually iron.

Last night we spent the day with my family. Brie got to open presents and play with her cousins Brandon and Christian. She had a great time and at the end of the night the three of them got to share a bubble bath before getting into their pjs and getting into the car to await Santa's arrival.

This morning we spent the morning "ride, riding" Brie's new tricycle. She loves the little bike and her new "helm" and was very willing to be pushed around the house and where her helmet. We had to take a ride around the house between each present. The tricycle has a little basket on the back and every present had to be put in it and go for a ride. It was very cute. Sophie was even awake for some of the present opening and I am sure when she gets older she will love playing with her new toys and books.

A visit with santa

Sophie's first visit with Santa:

Brie's second visit:

As you can see it went well.

Making of a gingerbread house, our should I say eating of a gingerbread house!

Well after many unsuccessful attempts to get pictures for a Christmas card, we decided to make a gingerbread house last night. Brie is obviously feeling better because she did more eating of the candy and icing then actually putting them on the house, but she did have a good time.

We did manage to get a few good shots of each of the girls so our Christmas cards are ordered.

Could this still be the stomach flu?

Well after 5 days of vomiting and diarrhea, Marcus and I have gotten a bit concerned that Brie may have something more then the stomach flu. Off to the pediatrician who says it is likely the flu, but she is very close to being dehydrated. She is down 2lbs in one week which is 10% of her body weight so she was a little bit concerned. Brie is still making tears and is not lethargic so she was okay sending her home, but any more vomiting and they want her back for IV hydration. So far we are without vomiting and she has not had diarrhea since this morning so hopefully we are almost through this illness. Her appetite has been awful, but tonight we managed to get some cup of noodles into her and some jello so hopefully a few calories and she will be back to her old self. It has been very difficult to watch our little ADHD toddler laying on the floor and actually asking to watch elmo. She has never sat still for more then 5 minutes of sesame street and now she will lay on her pillow and watch almost the entire hour.

Stomach woes!

So this week we got a taste of what the stomach bug is like with a toddler. Brie got a pretty nasty case this past Friday and is finally starting to feel better. We are not sure where she got it from as well have been pretty isolated at home, but she defiantly got it somewhere. Nanna Miller came to visit with Brie for Friday while daddy was working and thank goodness she did. Mommy could have cared for a sick Brie, but add in a 3 week old who we are trying to prevent from getting it and it would have been a disaster. Hopefully mommies antibodies will protect Sophie so that she does not get it. On a positive note my house is now all clean and got a through cleaning this morning with Lysol on every surface. I guess Brie knew that the floors had not been mopped in a few weeks so she made sure to christen every room.

Our little Sophie is doing well. She is a very content baby. She does enjoy being held, but is happy to sit in her swing and look around. Sophie likes to eat and occasionally gets her days and nights mixed up, but the last 2 nights she has only been up twice, sleeping in 4 hour increments. A wonderful change from the 2 hours she was getting up the previous nights. I think she knew mommy needed a break. Last night we weighed her and she is up to 7 lbs 3 oz already. She looks bigger and her cheeks are getting chubby. It is a welcome change from when Brie was an infant. Brie grew very slowly, was always difficult to feed, and had colic. Sophie does seem to have some reflux and is uncomfortable after feedings so tomorrow we will call the pediatrician to get her started on something. I don't want to have her associate eating with pain as Brie did. I hate to put her on medication at such a young age, but if it makes her feel better it is worth it. She seems to want to comfort eat instead of causing an aversion. This is fine right now, but makes it difficult for mommy to get anything done. We have yet to introduce a bottle to Sophie, but will have to very soon.

Thankful!

This year as the holidays approach I am realizing all of the wonderful things in our lives. So much has changed this year and we have so many things to be thankful for. We went from Marcus traveling into NYC and almost never being home to him being home 4 days a week. We moved from a tiny expensive apartment in the suburbs to a large, old Victorian house with lots of room. Brie changed from a baby into a busy toddler.

And finally we became a family of 4. Since Sophia's arrival we have seen changes in Brie and have been able to spend lots of quality time together as a family. So we truly are blessed this year.

A period of adjustment

Everyone is alive and well in the Myers household. Brie is adjusting very well to life with her new little sister. She actually wants mommy and daddy to hold Sophie and gets upset when we do not. She likes to sit on our laps and watch her little sister sleep. So far she has been pretty gentle with her and likes to rub her hair. I am not sure what is going to happen when Sophie is more awake and really demanding of our time. Right now she pretty much eats and sleeps. She rarely cries.

Sophie had her first appt with the Pediatrician yesterday. She got a clean bill of health and is already above her birth weight at less than one week. She was 5 lbs 14 oz and 18.25 inches. Not much else is new here so I will leave you with a few more pictures.

Sophia Arrives!

Well in true Myers still, Sophia made her grand enterance a week earlier then planned. Mommy's blood pressure continued to be high after a few days and the doctors decided that she was mature enough so she came into the world at 36 weeks and 2 days. She is still considered a preemie, but did not need any help after birth. She was born on Thursday, November 13 at 6:54 pm via c-section. She weighs 5 lbs 13 oz and is 18 inches long. She has been eating well is just starting to adjust to live at our house.

Brie seems to love her little sister and likes to sit and watch her move. This morning when she realized that Sophie was home she sat on the edge of the bed and watched her sleep for almost a half hour. I think she is going to be a good big sister. She does not like to hear Sophie cry and tends to cry along with her, but luckily Sophie does not cry much. Brie does have a little cold that we are hoping she does not share with her new sister. Hopefully mommy is giving little Sophie the antibodies she needs so she does not get sick.

Bedrest

Well yesterday I went for a routine check up. One that should have been my last before Sophie's arrival and unfortunately it was not good news. My blood pressure was pretty significantly elevated and my liver enzymes are slightly up as well. After spending a few hours in L&D my BP came down, but they do not want me to go back to work. They recommended I rest for the next week at home. I have to go back tomorrow for another check up and hopefully my liver tests will be back to normal and my BP will be okay. There is only one week left before my c-section and we would like to give Sophie that critical time. My OB did tell me that babies born now at 36 weeks 95% are able to come home without a NICU stay, but I would still like to have her next week when we are sure that her lungs are mature.

Brie has grown very attached to her babies lately and wants to hold and cuddle with them when she goes to sleep and takes her bottles. She has 2 that she carries around and does not seem to have one favorite. Now is a good time for her to get attached to something, because very soon her entire life is going to change. We are trying to prepare her for that, but we are not sure she fully understands.

Less than 2 weeks until Brie is a big sister!

It seems like the day is slowly approaching. With Brie's early arrival we were ill prepared, but this time we are ready. We have her room all painted and crib set up. The pack and play is ready in our room and all of her clothes are washed and ready. All that is left to do is pack our bags for the hospital. Marcus had to pack it last time and although he did a great job, I would like to pack my own this time. Because of all of my swelling, we have cut back my hours at work. This allows me to be home with Brie every evening and put my feet up and maybe get some rest before Sophie arrives.

Here are a few pictures of Sophia's room. Brie of course had to get in the crib and does not yet understand that it is not hers.

Brie is doing well. She has finally after 3 months hit 21 lbs. Hopefully we can keep her well and prevent any more weight loss. She has seemed to also grow in height because alot of her 12 month clothes are too short. I think we are going to have to look for 18 month stuff with adjustable waists so they keep her little legs warm this winter.

Trick or Treat!

Today was trick or treating in our area. The evening was kicked off with a parade and then it was off to houses in the area. There were lots of kids out and Brie had a great time watching the other kids and getting candy herself. I think her favorite part was the lollipop that she opened and ate the majority of the walk. Once Nanna and Mommy had enough of walking around carrying Brie we headed home to give out candy. We were not anticipating the amount of children in the area and ran out of candy in about 30 minutes. We even gave out the candy Brie collected.

In other news, I had another ultrasound on Tuesday. Little Sophie is growing well and is in the 46% for growth. She measured 5 lbs exactly. Other then lots of swelling, things are going well and we are looking forward to our November 19th delivery. They did a 4-d ultrasound and we have a nice picture of her face.

How not to get down from a chair!

Brie has become very good at climbing. She can get on the couch, kitchen chairs, and our bed without a problem. Generally she is pretty good at getting back down as well.
Today she was not so graceful. Instead of turning around and climbing down she decided to jump down. Mommy and daddy were right there, but unable to stop her from falling. She bumped her forehead on the bottom of the table and not only did she get a nice goose egg, but also a nice laceration. So while daddy was getting her down for a much needed nap after the fall, mommy drove to work and picked up some dermbond to fix her head. We are hoping it does not scar. It was not very deep, but because of its location it either needed a stitch or some dermabond. Since she fell she has been very affectionate and giving hugs, but she did not learn. She has climbed on the kitchen chairs few times since then.

Yesterday, Brie spent the day playing with Aunt Shelley. They had alot of fun riding Brie's lion and reading books. Brie even got to help make whoopie pies. She is generally not a sweet eater, but she seemed to enjoy a few bites of the sugary treat.

Brie also enjoys going for rides on daddy's new bike. The only downfall is the helmet. She does not like it on. Once she finally has the helmet on and they are moving she has a great time, but she screams when you try to put it on her head.

33 weeks and counting!

Things have been going well the last few weeks. Brie has been talking up a storm and is learning her colors. She is a little mocking bird and repeats almost everything we say. She loves to help mommy and daddy and read. Most of our days lately are spent reading books. She loves to identify all of the animals and look at the pictures.

This weekend Brie spent Saturday night with Nana and Pop Green. She had a great time playing with her cousins Christian and Brandon. By the time we came to get her Sunday evening Nana and Pop were ready for a nap themselves. They even had the help of Nanna and Poppop Miller. Brie ate fairly well for them and did sleep at their house, although not in her bed, but theirs. Since her last cold we have been battling to keep her in her own bed. She has been waking up at 130 and wanting to come to our room. We have resisted and kept her in her own crib, but it has not been easy. Since she has been back home she has been fine with her crib. Hopefully that continues. We are planning on keeping our new little munchkin in our room for the first 3 months so 4 would be alot for one room!

So far this pregnancy is going well. There are only 4 weeks until my scheduled c-section. I am getting pretty uncomfortable, but at the same time excited to still be pregnant. I know these 4 weeks will go quickly and then we will really have our hands full. This weekend we plan to pick out some presents for Brie for when Sophia arrives. Brie will be the first visitor to hold her and see her after she is born and we want to give her a baby of her own to feed and change so she can "help" mommy and daddy.

While Brie was away this weekend we made some real progress on Sophia's room. All of the trim is touched up and we just need to touch up the ceiling and put the crib together and she will be set. She will not sleep in there for a few months, but I feel like she should have a room that is hers before she is born. After my next ultrasound we will wash all of Brie's little clothes (preemie, newborn and 0-3 months) .

Just another week in the Myers household

Things continue to be extremely busy here. My computer is on the fritz and I have to hold the fn key down to type so this will be a short update.

Brie in her defiant ways yesterday went to run into the alley. Of course daddy was right there and grabbed her arm. Well she was without a nap and had gotten a flu shot earlier in the day and she was pretty crabby already, but when she got up she was screaming and refusing to move her left arm. Of course mommy was at work, so Brie and daddy took a trip to visit me at the ER. Thankfully, it was a simple nursemaid's elbow that I was able to put back in place within 1 minute of her arrival. She immediately started to use the arm and was in a much better mood.

On a good note, Brie used the potty for the first time on Tuesday. We try to put her on it when she wakes up in the morning and before bath time. We know she is a little young but she has shown interest so we just sit her there for a few seconds. Well she finally went. She was very proud of herself.

More colds and buzy times

The last few weeks have been very busy. We are feverishly trying to get everything ready for baby Sophia's arrival. I cannot believe we have less then 6 weeks to go. Although I am not complaining I am really starting to get uncomfortable. With Brie I never got very big, nor did I make it this far. This time I feel like i am going to make it to my c-section date.

Brie has been enjoying the fall weather and spending her afternoons playing outside. We are still working on transitioning her to one nap and it has not been easy. This also involves dropping one bottle, which at this point is important for calories, but she needs to be on a good schedule before Sophia is born. Hopefully we can make up the calories some other way. She has been holding steady at 20 lbs 15 oz for the past 3 weeks. Hopefully she will soon hit the 21 lb mark.

Last weekend we went for pumpkins. Brie had a great time smelling the mums and trying to pick up all of the pumpkins. Here are a few pictures:

Today Brie's cousin Jared came down for a visit. They had a great time playing and eating lunch together at friendlys.

Terrible twos at 19 months?

So for the past few weeks Brie has been throwing temper tantrums and not listening. She thinks it is funny when mom and dad say no and now mocks us by saying NO, NO, NO. The past few days she has taken it a few steps further by throwing herself on the floor and screaming until she throws up. It is wonderful. This is frustrating as she is not an easy child to get to eat and then these outburst lead to both a mess and a negative calorie experience. Yesterday she did not want to sit in the car and ended up vomiting all over herself, her carseat, and mommy! Hopefully this stage is short lived.

On a positive note, Brie is getting more verbal. She talks all of the time and most of the time uses her words to make her needs known. Her new favorites are up and down when she wants to be picked up or put down. She also repeats just about anything we say.

Our new little munckin continues to grow well. At my last ultrasound on Tuesday she was measuring 2 lbs 15 oz. This is twice the size Brie was when she was born on the same day. We are so happy that she is growing well and hoping we have another 6 and a half weeks of her baking. Her room is getting there and just needs trim and carpet and then we can start moving her stuff in.

Colds, falls, and progress on the house

Lots has happened since we last posted. Brie has come down with yet another cold. It is so frustrating because they all seem to go right to her lungs. This time it started just as every other one does with her vomiting at bedtime. It seems like whenever she starts coughing everything comes back up. She continues, almost a week later, to have congestion and cough but is in good spirits. Hopefully the congestion will clear up soon. She has gotten pretty good at wiping her own nose and this morning I even found her getting a tissue out of the box just for this purpose. It was cute, until I realized that half the box had been used to wipe her nose and were all over the floor. Now they are safely out of her reach.

After a rocky pregnancy with Brie, one would think we deserve this one to be without problem. Well it was, until yesterday. While walking up steps, yes up, I slipped and missed a step. Thankfully I did not hit my belly, but because I am high risk I ended up spending 4 hours last night in labor and delivery being monitored and having another ultrasound. Everything checked out just fine. This little one is very active and the nurses spent most of their time chasing her around with the heart monitor. The ultrasound showed lots of fluid around her and that she is doing great!

We have also made some slow progress to the house in attempts to get ready for winter and our new arrival. There is now insulation in the front room, the wood pellet stove is now functional and has a gate mounted around it to keep Brie safe, and our new munckin's room is painted. The room is a nice purple that right now is a bit overwhelming. We are hoping once the furniture is in and the trim is up it will be toned down a little. I think it will, Marcus is not so sure.

Finally, we have a date for our new little girl's arrivals. My c-section is scheduled for November 19th. I will have an amniocentesis in the morning and the c-section in the afternoon as long as her lungs are mature. If you noticed a jump in the ticker on the side that is why. I changed it to reflect her date of arrival rather then my due date. It is a little scary to think she will be here in less then 60 days.

Little bean update

Today we had another ultrasound for our new little munchkin and all is well. She is measuring 2 lbs 2 oz (6 oz more then Brie was when she was born) and is growing well. She is in the 40% for weight and length. Hopefully she will continue to grow and we will have 10 more weeks to prepare for her arrival. Marcus has spent the last 2 days sanding her room and getting things ready to paint. Her crib is ordered and her bedding is here. Hopefully we will have our "take home baby" the week before thanksgiving.

A blarring alarm

This am we were awoken to the sound of the carbon monoxide monitor. So we packed up and all went outside. Luckily it was just a malfunction with the monitor and the level was 0, but we were pretty worried. This was a new monitor the Marcus bought on Monday. Our old one had been chirping over the weekend even after we put a new battery in it. When this one went off we were nervous that we had ignored the warning on the other one and had spent the last 4 days in a dangerous house. Luckily that was not the case and we have been safe. We know our chimney needs some maintenance, but we are trying to hold out a few months to get all of the stuff we need for the new baby and get her room finished. Lets just say we are very happy it was a false alarm and we may be having someone come look at the chimney in a few weeks.

Here are some of the new pics I promised of our little munchkin:

I do not think Brie thought the Tu-tu was as cute as mommy and daddy but she was a good sport:

Buckets make great hats!

Here we are painting tigger. Brie enjoyed dipping the brush in the water and seeing the color appear on the paper.