Riley's New BIG Girl Bed

Like I mentioned before we decided to go ahead and transition Riley from her toddler bed to her full sized bed now.  I've been getting the bug to start cleaning out the room that will be the new nursery, which included the full size bed that it held.  So after a few days of looking for the perfect bedding (which I found at Target), Brett and I moved the big bed into Riley's room.  It is actually the purple version of the bedding that she had on her toddler bed.  Instead of buying a comforter, I decided to buy a quilt hoping that it will last longer with all the jumping on that it's going to take.  It is perfect.  I'm in love with it, and so is Riley.  While helping Mommy and Daddy put the bed together we heard a lot of "I'm so happy" from Riley.  She could barely sit still for 5 seconds (which really isn't out of the ordinary!)

Here's her new BIG big girl bed:

As you can tell, Riley loves it!:

IT'S A..........

GIRL!!!!!!!!!!

Daddy''s reaction:  A big smile and a "I knew it."
Mommy's reaction: Nonstop smiles, and a "I thought so too."
Big sister's reaction: A look that I read as "um, yeah.  I've been telling you this for three months.  Not new news to me, Mom!"  And, super excited for her baby to "come out."

Needless to say, we are super excited to have another girl and for Riley to have the sister that she's been wanting.  Since we are only planning to have two children we are a bit bummed that we won't have the opportunity to raise a little boy. But, we are elated for our little girl.

Here I am at 21 weeks:

What We've Been Up To In 2011

• We started potty training NYE weekend.  Riley loved the potty chart, stickers, prizes, and potty for a few days...then reality set in.  It's been a slow process and she isn't close to being 100% trained.  She loves to wear her princess pull-ups, but still needs to work on telling us when she needs to go.  We'll keep pushing forward.  I'm bound and determined to get her out of diapers before the baby arrives!
• We've been exploring water colors. 

•  We took Riley to her first movie in the theatre.  Last Saturday night we were out shopping for some new rugs, and saw that Yogi Bear was playing at the discount theatre.  Randomly, we decided to quit shopping, grab dinner at Carlos O'Kelly's, and make it to the 7:20 showing.  Riley loved the movie and popcorn, hated the sprite, and did great.  She thinks we need to go back every night to "see that bear in the theatre."
• Riley went to her friend, Carter's, 3rd birthday party at Monkey Joe's.  She loved jumping "really, really high."  She went down two of the big slides, once without me!  Both times with a smile and yelling "do again, do again."  We had a small accident where she fell off of a blow-up chair and hit her head on a table.  The tough girl that she is didn't even cry.  She kept telling me that she was scared that the monkey was coming and that made her fall.  Really she walked off of the chair as my head was turned.  Surprisingly, the bump was barely visible by the time she went to bed that night, and pretty much gone by morning.
• We've been making preparations for Riley new big girl bed.  We decided to transition her crib into the full size bed.  It only makes sense.  We have a full size bed in our guest room, that will soon be the new nursery.  Rather than haul it down to the basement to be stored we are going to move it in to Riley's room.  This will also allow us to not have to purchase a mattress for baby's crib.  Riley has her new bedding and loves it!  Hopefully I'll get some pictures when it is all done.  She requested blue bedding, so we compromised with purple.
• We've been playing with a lot of play doh.  It's the new favorite toy these days.  It seems to keep Riley entertained for at least an hour every night, which allows me some time to read The Girl Who Kicked The Hornet's Nest - or cook dinner. :)
• Brett's been working on the basement finishing.  We are so close and I'm so excited to get it completed before the baby comes.  So far, we have all of the framing done, some dry wall up.  Next up, electrical - which should be run/installed in the next few weeks.  It will be nice to move toys down to the basement and to be able to have kids with me in the basement while I work out on maternity leave.



• We've been relaxing and remembering what it is like to have NOTHING to do!  All Christmas decorations are put away, and I've moved on to eating Valentine's candy.  Riley is still singing Frosty The Snowman nonstop.
• We helped Riley make snow angels...headless snow angels.  We dressed he up in last years snug snow pants, stretchy gloves, and boots that aren't made to be snow boots and she loved it!


• Now, I'm just waiting patiently for tomorrow morning at 8:30 for our ultrasound!!!! I'm super excited, to say the least!

20 Week Update

I'm officially 20 weeks along in this pregnancy.  Here's a run down of what's going on:

• Had my first progesterone shot on Monday. More on that below.
• Ultrasound is scheduled for Jan. 13th.  Super excited!!!
• I pulled the line "I've done this before.  This is my second child." when the receptionist tried to give me reasons to wait to schedule an ultrasound until 24 weeks.  Yeah, I know.  I just wasn't in the mood, and the doctor said I could schedule it anytime. So there.  This is the second time I've used this line.  The first being the cashier at Motherhood telling me that I shouldn't wear heals.  Seriously, you would think people that work around pregnant women would realize that hormones are raging and you just don't mess with them! OK, next.
• Seeing a "practice" of doctors, and not just one doctor, has proven to be frustrating, confusing, and a hassle.  Also, more on this below.
• I started exercising again.  I'm attempting to walk 2 miles at least 4 times a week.  So far this week, I'm up to 4 miles.
• Christmas helped me gain 6 pounds. Yikes! Hence, the new exercise routine.
• This baby is moving a lot!  He/she seems to kick down and inward - if that is even possible.
• For some reason, I've been obsessed with listening to talk radio.  Usually sports talk radio.  I think I might be channeling BOY.  But, I've felt like it is a girl all along.
• Overall, I feel great.  I do get tired pretty easily and seem to fall asleep well before my usual 10 pm bedtime.
• I discovered Oprah's new network and am preparing myself for lots of Oprah while on maternity leave.
• My belly is measuring 38 1/2 inches around. Yes, I really measured.  I'm one inch bigger than when I carried Riley.
• Riley is very concerned about where her baby is.  Whenever I point to my tummy she shakes her head no and frowns.  She thinks my boobs are where her baby is.  This will make for a funny story when she's older. 

Progesterone (HP17) update:

When I was at the doctor on December 8th he said that I would get my first HP17 infection at my next scheduled visit (Dec. 29th).  He said that the nurse would order it and I would get it when I was in for my doctor's appointment.  He also said that he was fairly certain that insurance would pay for them.

I showed up on the 29th for my scheduled appointment (with a different doctor, of course).  He reviewed all of my risk factors, and went on about how "spontaneous early rupture" itself, is not a risk factor, but that blah blah and blah were so there was the option of the HP17 injections.  I said that the last doctor said that I would begin to receive them this week. He then proceeded to tell me all about the studies on progesterone and that if I were his wife he would probably not recommend them because he is a "skeptic."  Really? Now, we were totally confused.  Brett and I decided that 2 out of the 3 doctors recommended the injections so we were going to stick to our game plan and do the weekly injections.  There are no proven ill effects to the baby and just a few side affects to the mother.

The doctor had his nurse check to see if the HP17 had been ordered, which it hadn't.  I proceeded to tell them this isn't the first time that something hasn't been done correctly this time around and explained that I had to have my blood work done twice since the nurse never labeled my first batch.  Which also means, the patient get stuck paying TWO blood work co-insurance payments.  All for the nurses mistake.

On my way home from the appointment I received a call that the HP17 had been ordered and should be ready to pick up that day.  I picked up the medication, which is not covered through my insurance and scheduled my appointment for January 3rd. And here I am. 20 week into a pregnancy, taking extra hormones, wondering if it is truly the best things for me. 

Progesterone side effects:

• Stinging at injection site.  The HP17 shot is an oily substance. [CHECK - for 24 hours]
• Nausea [CHECK - on and off]
• Constipation
• Extra moodiness [Not that I've noticed...ask my husband]
• Extra body hair [I sure hope not!]
• Spontaneous weight gain [Please no...I don't need help with this.  Eating Lean Cuisines for lunch hoping I stay out of the chocolate]
• Other symptoms that are rare and that I hopefully won't encounter. [So far, so good]

So there you have it. Next week, we'll know what Riley gets.  A baby brother. Or a baby sister.  Right now, she's only agreeing to a baby sister.

Christmas 2010

2010 was filled with Christmas celebrations.  Aunt Libby and Uncle David came to stay with us from the 21st-24th so we were extra busy.  Riley loved having her Aunt Libby staying with her.  She even refused to leave the house with her daddy one day so that she could stay with Aunt Libby. 

On the 23rd, we celebrated Grandpa Murphy's 59th birthday and opened Christmas presents with the Murphy's.  Riley loved every minute of it. 

On Christmas Eve we attend the 5:30 church service where Riley loved looking for Baby Jesus and said that all of the lights in the ceiling were the stars that the wisemen followed to Baby Jesus.  Afterward, we went back to Grandma and Grandpa Burch's to open Christmas presents.  Riley was so excited to get her very own Pillow Pet.  It totally stole the show.  She now sleeps (and two new baby dolls) with it every night. 

We went home and set out cookies and milk for Santa.  Christmas morning Riley had lost all of her Santa excitement and wanted to stay in bed instead of go downstairs to see if Santa came.  After a little coaxing she inched her way down the stairs to see that Santa brought her a new train table.  She was in heaven.  Santa sure is smart and brought her the perfect gift. 

We opened presents, emptied stockings, ate cinnamon rolls, made scalloped corn, and played until it was time to celebrate Christmas with the extended Burch family and again with Grandma and Grandpa Murphy. 

We had such a merry Christmas for 2010!

Santa's Train = Fail

We tried.  That's all I can say.  The pictures explain it all...

Pre-Train Ride:

 Mid-Train Ride

(Round 2 with Daddy.  Round 1: alone.one lap.laying on the floor. crying. stopped ride):

 Mid-Train Ride: Daddy's not enjoying himself:

 Post-Train Ride:

 Consolation Activity: Live Baby Jesus:

 Saturday.  Back to her normal self:

Riley Nicole At 2 Years, 4 Months

• Riley loves Baby Jesus.  She now has the entire book, The Story of Christmas, memorized...word for word.  This seems to be a common thing for her.
• She isn't talking about the "blue monkey" very much anymore.  She now worries about the choo choo coming at bedtime.
• She's become obsessed with Frosty The Snowman.  We watched the cartoon with her the other night and she was finishing lines from the movie before they even came on.  She's going to be a movie buff like her daddy.
• She has colored every Abominable Snowman in her Rudolph coloring book and refuses to color anything else.  She has a love hate relationship with the Abominable Snowman.  She says he scares her, but she loves him.
• She's been pretty mischievous lately.  Mostly with plugging things in to outlets when she knows she's not supposed to.
• She's been having conversations with all of her babies and animals every day.  They usually go like this:  "Hey Grandma/Blue Baby/Elephant.  Whatcha doin? Oh, ok.  Bye bye." 
• She names all of her babies by color.  We have Pink Baby, Blue Baby, and Purple Baby.
• She sleeps with all her babies and about 6 stuffed animals every night.
• She loves footie pajamas and wants to wear them all day. 
• She's a great sharer.  Not once did we have to tell her to share her toys with her friends at the Holiday Party.  She was so excited to have her friends at her party.
• She loves to help in the kitchen.  Lately she wants to "scramble, scramble, scramble" everything.  We even had to use her play bowls and utensils to make our eggs over the weekend.
• Talking about lights and light bulbs now makes her cry.
• She's still really excited to get "her baby."  She's saving all of her toys for "her baby."
• She is very routine orientated.  When Daddy is out of town it throws her way out of whack.  We've been borrowing Grandpa's car for a few days since we got a flat tire on Monday morning and she doesn't like that it's not hers.  She keeps saying "no not mine car!"
• We don't usually get temper tantrums.  Instead we get the silent treatment with her lying on the round face down and not talking to us for a good five minutes. 
• Overall, she's a great little girl and we love her so much!  I'm sure Santa is going to spoil her this year!