TheThiers

So Chuck’s finally decided to go with my choice for a name for the baby! Being the more decisive one, I’m just so glad it’s resolved. I don’t handle ambiguity very well, obviously. What’s funny is, we’re in New Hampshire and we keep getting reminded of this name:

So, whaddaya think of the name Chandler James Thier? Personally, it has the ring to it I’ve been wanting, and works well with Charlie and Chance. In fact, it almost seems to be a cross between to the two.

Ok, well, here’s the recap of our trip so far. We drove up to Austin, dropped off the boys (which they had no problem saying goodbye, I’m hoping its just because they didn’t know how long we’d be gone…), and began our adventure. We were in airports from noon – 7 Texas time, which really wasn’t bad. The weather was perfect, and both flights (we had a layover in Baltimore) actually arrived early! Yay for Southwest Airlines!

We got settled in our bed and breakfast, which I must say, has surprised me with how great it is. You’d think a bed and breakfast would always be better than a hotel, but I thought this one lacked certain hotel amenities (i.e. a bathtub, hot tub, and swimming pool), that would make me prefer a hotel. BUT this b&b more than makes up for the shortcomings. The owners are so nice and helpful, there’s an endless supply of good food available (a must for a pregnant woman), and it’s just a beautiful home very close to Chuck’s work. We feel very safe here and are really enjoying it!

Saturday we drove 1.5 hours through beautiful hill country – I dare say even more beautiful that our Texas Hill Country (Gasp!) – to the Christmas party for Chuck’s company. It was held at the home of one of the founders, and it was beautiful. They were tucked back in some snow covered hills, where – get this – they don’t even need curtains or window coverings. That definitely struck a cord with my country loving self! They said the only ones who look thru their windows are moose!! The party was so fun, and I was able to really get a feel for Chuck’s new employer. They are so laid back, and this was the first Christmas party I’d been to that was completely casual for a company! I dressed in slacks and a lace shirt and felt a bit overdressed. Not only that but many folks brought their kids, which was so so cool, although it made me miss the boys all the more. It was also hard to not whip out my camera and take pictures of all those beautiful kids! Overall, I’m just in awe of how God has blessed us with this new company. I have a lot of respect for how they run things and treat their employees.

[Scenes from the drive up to Hanover, NH]

Sunday (today) we went venturing to the coast and I was able to see the Atlantic Ocean for the first time. The weather was beautiful again, and perfect for travel. The reason I mention the weather so much is that tomorrow a “Noreaster” is coming in, which is a snow storm that’s due to drop 12+ inches of snow tonight-tomorrow!! While all the locals are groaning (they usually get 1 to 2 inches a week normally), we are ecstatic. So I’ll probably blog more pics tomorrow. Anyhow, it was fun to have a day long date with Chuck (we considered it our delayed Anniversary celebration), and go explore a beautiful small town (Portsmouth, NH).

[Am I showing yet!?! 31 weeks down, 9 or less to go until we meet Chandler!]

[I found a sand dollar to bring back for the boys.]

[The Market Square that we walked through...and I found a coffee shop with White Hot Chocolate, my favorite!]

[We ate lunch overlooking this river, watching big ships be pushed in by tug boats - and watched the draw bridge in action.]

Today was 75 degrees and sunny, so how could we not go out adventuring? We spontaneously decided to go to the McNay Art Museum. My only regret is I didn’t dress us for the occasion. It is a beautiful place to take pictures and the boys love running around on the grounds. It was Chuck’s first time to go, and he was impressed with what a beautiful place it is. Thus, he took most of the pictures.

[This one was totally un-staged. Charlie loved imitating the statues!]

[We managed to get Chance to smile for the camera...not always an easy feat!]

[Both boys enjoyed climbing a tree.]

[We even got a side profile of baby3.]

It was a fantastic day, and tomorrow promises to be more of the same! Not bad for January!

The one thing that has made me feel like a prisoner in my own home over the last 2 weeks is Cedar Fever. Since we received extra rain this year, the cedar pollen is even more abundant. And since I’m pregnant, there’s nothing I can take to help me cope. Even as we discussed getting out today, I was leery of the effects the pollen would take on my sinuses. However, I had read an article about a product that is only made here in San Antonio, and not on a large scale, but a little “Institute” makes it. It’s called “Cedar X” and it’s an aromatherapy thing. I don’t know much about aromatherapy but this one makes sense to me…It’s a bit of Cedar oil plus other things, and you dab a little on your wrists, and that amount of Cedar is enough to keep your allergies at bay for about 4 hours. It wasn’t very expensive, and it’s safe for pregnancy, and I read tons of testimonials about how it works, so we picked it up on our way to the museum. Did it work?! It sure seems like it. I didn’t sneeze once while we were there, which is huge. I’ve been sneezing and having itchy, watery eyes non stop for over a week. And it’s even more pronounced if I step outside. So, basically this stuff gives your body enough Cedar to cause your immune system to chill out. It’s not a drug, so no side effects, yay! Anyhow, if you want more info, here’s the website: Cedar X. You may have to scroll down to find it. Here are a few articles on it: Daily Times, My SA, and WOAI. Here are the testimonials, too. And also, I have a few samples, so email me if you want one.

I wouldn’t wish Cedar allergies on anyone, but if you do indeed have it, I hope you can find some relief soon…and get outside and play in this gorgeous weather!

This may seem completely scatterbrained, but I have some things to record that don’t relate to each other. Also, I feel funny posting a blog without photos, but I know if I don’t get this stuff down now, it’ll be gone from my pregnant brain forever.

1. Charlie got his dental work done today. One molar was pulled, another was root canaled and crowned. What a trooper he was! It was so funny…we were in the waiting room after they’d given him a little cocktail of sedatives, and he started acting…shall we say “drunk”?! He was talking slowly and slurring his words. He would say, “Mommy, say what I say: ‘Tuh’”. So I would say “Tuh,” and he’d give this goofy laugh and grin. Then he said, “Mommy, your teeth are standing up, uhhuhuhuh.” His slow motion laugh was hilarious. I wish I’d had a video camera. He kept telling me he could walk, and wanted to go play with the toys, but then he’d end up lying on the ground. When the nurse came to get him I told her he can’t walk, and he said, “Yes I can” and everyone in the waiting room laughed as he attempted to walk into the office.

He came thru it ok, but was quite fussy when it was over. Thankfully he fell asleep on the way home and slept for over 3 hours. I’m so glad it’s over, no more worries about abscessed teeth!

2. New Years… I just had to blog about this. Some very understanding friends came over for games at our house that evening, and it was so much fun! We stayed up til 3 AM and it felt like the early days of our marriage (or even our college days) again. The boys also enjoyed hanging with everyone and they got to do some sparklers outside. Chuck said Chance is a bit daring and dangerous with a sparkler…uh oh! I wouldn’t know though, I stayed indoors due to the evil cedar pollen that’s blowing around everywhere. I’m looking forward to not being pregnant…then I’ll be able to take meds to help me survive

3. Speaking of pregnant, I’ll be 30 weeks tomorrow! That means in 8 weeks I’ll technically be “full term.” This is usually when I start freaking out, but I’ve already pulled out all of the clothes for his first year and organized them, along with the various baby equipment, so…we’re good! Since 2nd trimester was all about nesting, maybe I could just chill out for this trimester?! Hmm, probably not!

4. And about the due date…This year is a leap year, which means it’s possible this boy could come a little early…say February 29th?! Wouldn’t that be weird?! Also, we’re 95% decided on name. Chuck won’t let me announce it yet, but stay tuned. Hopefully we have come to a decision! This boy needs a name, as he’s already getting nicknames from people, such as Chad, Cade, Champ, Chewbaca, Chiquita, etc.

5. Also, I have to gush about how exciting it is for Chance to be in a big bed. About a week ago I decided to put him in a room at Chuck’s parent’s house that only had a bed – no toys for distraction. I did the normal bedtime routine, then told him to stay laying down, and I walked out and closed the door. I kept hearing him get up, but I would just tell him thru the door that he needed to go back to sleep, and he would run back to the bed. And that’s how it’s been ever since. I have the boys in separate rooms for now, but it’s really gone smoothly!! The really great things about this are: 1. I don’t have to listen to a monitor thru the night for in case he wakes up and needs me to get him out of the crib, and 2. I was able to take apart the crib and put it away, making room for all the new toys they got for Christmas! The only downside so far, is he’s been getting up at 7:30 instead of 9 AM…I’m not sure why. But the advantages outweigh the disadvantages.

6. Hosea. This is about a month overdue. Hosea is our chihuahua that we’ve had since a few months after we were married. Like my mom, I’m a total dog-lover, and Chuck gave into my wishes and got him for me for my birthday. He was an indoor dog but never fully house trained (my fault, I had no idea how to get him there). 4 years later he was forced to become an outdoor dog because we refloored the house and had a baby on the way. It all went downhill from there. Once we moved to San Antonio, his pen was much smaller, so I tried to let him run free most of the time…until he decided to potty all over our porch, and especially the kids’ toys. Also, if ever a door was cracked, he’d run in the house and start marking his territory! I knew quickly that he needed a new home. What I didn’t know was how to convince Charlie he needed a new home. Charlie was very attached to Hosea. So, when my mom came to visit for Thanksgiving, she offered to take him home with her. What amazed me was Mom said, “Charlie, do you think Hosea could come live at my house? He’ll still be your dog and you can come visit.” Charlie thought for a moment and said, “Ok.” I could’ve fainted! So, all that to say, I get reports often on how much Hosea is loving life as an indoor and spoiled rotten dog! Mom says she’s even got him house trained! Such a happy ending!

Well, it’s that time again… Pregnancy recap time.

1. As I had said at the end of “Pregnancy Chronicles, Trimester One,” this could really be more about projects I’ve done over the last 3 months than anything else. Let’s just say a lot of nooks and crannies of our house have been reorganized. You may not be able to tell if you come over to visit, but oh how I can tell! One of my favorite projects was recovering my dining room chairs with vinyl, so they’re now child-proof. I keep wondering why I didn’t do that long ago… Also, I probably take delight in things like baskets and storage bins, and getting things out of sight, more than most people. Or even more than I would if I weren’t pregnant, for that matter.

So all that to say, I’ve definitely been nesting since the day trimester two began! I haven’t been as impatient and irritable as I usually get with this nesting thing, but it’s also not the third trimester yet…

2. Nesting isn’t the only thing about this trimester that’s been out of place… Normally the second trimester for me is a fun one. I feel like my old self, only my belly is growing slowly and I start feeling the baby move. Then third trimester kicks in and I feel like a whale (and panic because having the baby is only 3 months away). This time, second trimester has been all about prepping for the baby (or at least getting my house in order), and I went from not showing at all, to looking like I’m already in third trimester! I had lost about 5 pounds the first trimester (normally I should’ve gained 5 pounds), but the second trimester brought way more weight than normal. I’ve gained 26 pounds! That’s as much as some women gain for the whole 9 months, and I did it in 3! The weight gain was definitely more gradual with my first two.

3. Symptoms: still craving pizza and chocolate, no none aversions really. I did want to note that the heartburn took awhile longer to set in this time. I had my fingers crossed that maybe it would not happen at all, but it came with a vengeance a few weeks ago. I’m back to feeling like I can’t even hold water down.

One question that I have is this: Is Pepcid AC bad? When I was pregnant with Chance, it was on the safe list, so I took it daily for heartburn. Is it a coincidence that, while Chance would spit up often, he didn’t have reflux (or at least didn’t complain about it)? For Charlie, I didn’t take any medication while pregnant, just drank chocolate milk by the jug, and he had bad reflux as a baby. I’ve now learned that there isn’t enough evidence to prove if Pepcid is safe or not. No proof that it hurts a baby, but also no evidence to prove it doesn’t. Should I stay on it?! Since Chance did ok, I’m quite tempted to…

4. We found out it’s a boy, to Charlie’s great disappointment. But I’m relieved, and ready to have 3 boys! Also, Charlie has lately started wanting to feel the baby move. He often sits beside me with his hand on my belly, just in case…

5. I’ve since learned he’s a very active boy. He moves and even shakes in utero. I think he’ll have plenty of energy to keep up with his older brothers!