Postpartum Hair loss Revisited

Long-time readers may remember this post that I wrote when Tru was about 5 months old I think. At that point I had lost a lot of hair and had some very thin patches but I think I’ve got worse patches this time.

It started falling out around 3+ months pp and I now have some pretty bad hair days going on. It’s kind of embarrassing. I’m used to having thick, healthy hair even if I do practically nothing to style it. Now? Well, it’s neither thick nor pretty.

I really hate to complain though. If this is what it takes to have a cute baby snuggling me right now then so be it. Also, it is the heat of summer right now so this could be seen as a good thing. Right? But mostly, I know it eventually stopped after Tru got older, HOWEVER, it didn’t stop completely until I was several weeks pregnant with Levi. So….hopefully it will stop soon regardless of if I get pregnant again (lol! I still realize I have zero say so in making that happen – but that’s another post for another time) or not.

Because THIS is not pretty. (But Levi's baby head is cute 😉 )

Truett – 21 Months

The one in which I post the pictures that should have been in the last post. *sigh*

Truett is growing and changing quickly now where I can even see a change from month to month unlike before. I am so impressed by how much he has become a little BOY now instead of a baby. It’s crazy how fast they grow up. Everyone tells you to enjoy your kids because they grow up fast and they aren’t kidding! I can’t make time slow down though so the next best thing is to have Truett’s ages and stages written down where I can hopefully read them for years to come.

This kid LOVES his daddy. Every time he hears a sound coming from the door area, he whips around and says “Hey, dada!!”. He just loves to play on the floor with DH and I have heard him crying for Dada and Baby in the morning when he wakes up but seldom does he cry for Mommy…. 😦 Trying not to be to hurt about that.

First thing in the morning when Tru gets up, after I change his diaper he runs into the living room or my bedroom looking for “baby”. He has done this pretty much since we brought Levi home from the hospital. He laughs when he sees him and immediately starts saying “BOO!” He wants to play with Levi all day long and “kiss him and hug him and squeeze him”…. Tru loves to play Peekaboo with Levi and will gladly yell “BOO” until I finally make him stop after we get all boo-d out. Tru always wants to be right there when I am nursing Levi so I usually have to plan to be holding 2 babies during my nursing sessions….

….which is almost the only time Truett will let me hold him. He’s so busy and independent that he really has no desire to have an old smother mother holding him back from his explorations. 😦 It’s a good thing I guess but it makes mommy a bit sad sometimes that he’s not too snuggly. I steal snuggles whenever I can.

We have hit “extreme tantrum territory”. I seriously can’t believe how impressive these fits are sometimes. At home, he does ok. But take him out in public or around anyone else and WOW!!!! I have all eyes on me/us and it is a bit (a ton) embarrassing. But this too shall pass. And I imagine we will look back on it and laugh. I am working really hard on making sure that I don’t give in to his screaming just to shut him up. 99.9% of the time, he’s not throwing a fit because he needs something but because he wants something that he literally cannot have, or he wants to do something that he can’t. The other day he threw a fit because he kept saying something and I couldn’t understand him even after he repeated himself several times. I can understand that would be very frustrating though. Why he chooses to be 100 times worse in public is beyond me…

Vocabulary! Whoa! This kid is making progress by leaps and bounds. He learns new words all the time and says stuff I didn’t even know that he could say. For instance, the other day he said “MINE!” when he was playing with my niece. They were probably fighting over a toy; they do that a lot. But I was impressed he could say that. He plays hide and seek with Daddy and when Tru can’t find Dada he asks me “Where go?” and does the cutest little hand gestures to accompany the question. I love it when he asks that because it’s so cute.

He still loves his “Gorie” (Curious George) and his “Momo” (Elmo). And the “Googy” show (Martha Speaks). Those are about the only shows I let him watch right now. I’m not super impressed with most of the other shows. Some that I do like (Pocoyo etc) don’t come on our channels and I’m pretty awful about getting to the library.

I want to write more but the babies are starting to get fidgety. We are at the library and I don’t want them to hate us. 😉 So I will just leave you with a few pictures from June-ish.

He likes licking butter off bread… Yuck!

Couch potato.

When did he get so grown up?

He always wants to hang out with Levi on the toy mat.

And give kisses..

Matching jams that Levi already outgrew.

Banished to pink heart sheets because he peed (etc) on all the white and neutral ones.

Nakie babies are the cutest!

With my boys way back around Mother’s Day!

Being silly on the toy mat for Levi.

Obviously an old pic but I love it.

Dear God, Thank You for another beautiful month. Thank You for all the special time we have gotten to share playing outside and enjoying this summer weather. I ask that You will continue to bless us, In Jesus’ name, amen.

Truett – 20 Months

Poor Truett hasn’t had n update in 2 months!! But here is the one that has been sitting on my commuter begging me to publish it for weeks (months!) now. 

20 Months

Tru has had another month of rapid language development. I know he has been just a tad behind in language skills but I think he has just been taking his time. His own little made up words were working well for awhile for him but now he finally sees the need to communicate with us in words we also understand. He repeats words that we tell him to say, however, he refuses to say “Levi” and instead insists on calling him “Baby”. 😉

Words Tru says now include:

• Flowee – it progressed from fowee to flowee – it means flower of course
• Goggie – Doggie
• bird
• feesh – fish
• cookie
• mama/momo/mamo/moma – it all means Elmo or any other sesame street character
• baby
• eat
• no
• wow
• oh
• dada
• ball
• pee – he uses this to refer to diapers, wet wipes, poop and of course, pee
• baba – also means sippy cup
• shirt
• shoes – also means socks
• side – means either outside or inside depending
• oww
• cry – sometimes he fakes crying and stops every few seconds and says “cry” or “crying” I also thought I heard him say “I cry”
• bye bye
• go

I can’t think of any more off hand but I know there are more words. He seldom says “what’s this” and “what’s that” anymore. That seemed to be a phase where he was questioning everything. He doesn’t put real words together very often but he will put real words in a string of his made up words forming a very clear sentence pattern. It is really fun hearing this language develop.

Some favorite things right now:

• Blowing raspberries on his brother’s tummy. Tru loves to do this and he will do it over and over while Levi laughs. Tru seems to really get a kick out of making Levi laugh and he is absolutely convinced that Levi is *his* baby and he wants to hold him take care of him. He throws a fit if we move Levi away from him while he is *holding* him. He gives Levi a binky sometimes if he is crying and I have caught him trying to give Levi bites of his food. Tru also tries to wipe Levi’s butt during diaper changes and I have let him a few times when there was no poop involved just because it is precious to watch this bond between them and to see Tru taking on the role of protective big brother even though he is really just a baby himself.
• Tru loves playing in the sand in his sandbox we bought him a few months ago. I have it up on the porch which DH says looks terrible but it keeps him out of the sun and the sand doesn’t get grass in it so…
• He loves swimming and I wish we lived closer to someone with a pool. I’ve taken him twice this year. I bought him a kiddie pool but we haven’t tried it out yet. He loves his pool float though and insisted in sitting in it one day in the house. We had went swimming at my Aunt’s the day before and he didn’t want to get out of the pool.
• Tru loves going places. He gets very excited to put on his Elmo socks and go. He never wants to leave when we are at someone else’s house and we always face a huge screaming fit when it is time to leave.
• He loves watching kid shows and although I try not to indulge this too often, come on let’s face it… It happens. He loves Elmo and Curious George, and watches with some interest, Wild Kratts, Martha Speaks, Thomas and Friends, Peg+Cat and occasionally some other kid show on PBS. I am pretty particular about them though. I don’t like super hyper stuff and I want it to have some educational value.

Tru doesn’t like:

• Wow, where do I start…. 😉 He’s a toddler, there’s a lot he doesn’t like. My FIL said his fits are exactly like DH’s were when he was little. I think that is kind of funny actually. I wonder if that means they will have similar personalities? Things that set Tru off include: being told no, not getting his way, having to wait .2 seconds for what he wants, being held for more than a second, the wrong sippy cup, water when he was expecting milk, the same food more than a few times over the course of a week, sitting in his high chair while daddy and mommy eat, not getting to squish his brother, having to leave someone else’s house, having to share toys with his cousins, when daddy hugs mommy, when daddy sits by mommy, having to come out of the bathroom or kitchen, coming inside, sitting down in the stroller vs climbing around and hitting his head, shopping carts that he can’t sit behind and pretend he’s pushing or pushing the kids cart, having to wait for a cookie in the store, diaper changes, thinking that we might be eating something other than what he has on his tray and so on.

BUT…. he naps and goes to bed easily (although lately he has been skipping naps pretty often and I’m beginning to think this may be the end of naps), he sleeps until 10am most days, he’s hardly displayed any jealousy or had any problems with sharing us with the baby, he will eat essentially anything (just not in large enough portions to suit mommy’s worries), he plays with his toys and books well, he gives me kisses and hugs me all day sometimes and clearly loves everybody he meets. 🙂

Having a toddler is fun, it’s hard work and the tantrums have really taken me by surprise because I’m not really used to this level of fit throwing, but it’s all worth it. When he climbs up beside me and puts his little arm behind my back and pats my back while giving me sweet little slobbery kisses on the cheek, I melt. I thank God constantly for my sweet little boys. I am still in awe that God saw fit to bless us with these beautiful little children made in His image.

Dear God, Thank You for another month of growing and learning. I am so blessed and joyous to see my little baby becoming a boy. Please watch over him and protect him. In Jesus’ name, amen.

7 Years

7 years? I’ve wrapped my arms around this man’s neck and exchanged whispered “I love you”s for seven years. I’ve looked into his eyes and seen his feelings portrayed in their warm blueness. We’ve laughed together and been sad together. We’ve weathered heated debates and seen each others angry side. We’ve kissed and made up more than a few times. He’s stayed by me offering friendship and support during long months of fertility treatment/ pregnancy induced abstinence proving that our love for each other is much deeper than just the physical. He stayed by my side through the birth of both our babies and never was I more in love with him than when I saw him become a daddy.

The daddy who Truett loves so much that he calls for him in the morning. He runs through the house looking for daddy asking “Where go?”. They have their little games and rituals that give Tru that precious sense of security and love. Levi’s face lights up when he sees daddy. He smiles and laughs at the daddy who is willing to get on the floor to play with his babies.

Is it all sunshine and roses? Definitely not. There have been plenty of not brilliant moments. We are both human after all. But there is truly no other man I would rather have beside me, raising my children, holding me at night.

Has it really been almost 8 years since we met working at S.ubway? A 17 year old boy and 18 year old girl just passing the time. 4 months later we were an item and 7 months after that, we found ourselves at the Mayor’s office, getting married, much to the chagrin of many. It’s still hard to believe that we actually went through with it and tied the knot so young but I am SO glad we did! This is the man I want to spend the rest of my life with. I’m so thankful for him. I’m so happy to have his love.

A family pic at my Aunt's house. Truett was in a bad mood - again. But he enjoyed eating the decor for a few minutes. 😉

Dear God, thank You so much for DH. Please bless him in his life to prosper in everything that You have for him to do. Please protect him and watch over him. Please keep him safe while he provides for his family and put people around him who will encourage him in his walk with You. Thank You so much for all the ways that You have blessed him and used him to bring glory to You. Thank You for the talents that You have given him. Please help him to not be led astray but to recognize the things and the opportunities that You have put before him and to excel in those things. Bless him in the raising of our children to raise them in love and knowledge of You. In Jesus’ name, amen.

One Year Ago Today

I wrote this for myself to remember. It’s probably not that special to read for other people so feel free to skip over it.

Last July 21st….
I woke up crampy and thinking I was going to start but then I realized I was on CD 34. It seemed totally silly and embarrassing to take a pregnancy test…. someone with my fertility history? Come on! Nevertheless, I laid there in bed and prayed a bit before going out to the truck to bring in some ovulation tests since I had read they could sometimes be used as pregnancy tests. (I had bought them to use the following month just for the heck of it. Since I had been planning to try ivf again in January, I wanted to see where I was at with ovulation.) Anyways, that first test came up positive and I kid you not, I spent several hours googling how effective ovulation tests were when used as pregnancy tests and got plenty of mixed opinions. So I took another and when it was still positive, I went to the dollar store to buy 3 – $1 pregnancy tests. I took one as soon as I got back home and it was positive of course. After a considerable amount of gasping, shaking, and incredulous freaking out, I grabbed Tru off the bathroom floor where he had happily been chewing on test boxes, and ran  out the door to head to the hospital, calling 3 different drs offices along the way asking for a beta. Once we got to the hospital, I sat in the parking lot feeding Tru while waiting for a call from one of the drs. Since it was so late in the day, I wasn’t expecting to get the results till the next morning so I stopped by the Walgreens to buy a 2 pack of weeks estimator tests. I had never used those but I was excited to have the chance to and just needed to see that word *pregnant*. If you can’t tell that I am a POASaholic by now…. we should check into rehab together. Anyway, I came home and the test took forever but finally said “pregnant 2-3 weeks”. I packed it up with a regular test in a baby shower gift bag and gave it to DH when he came home. When he saw the baby shower bag, he jokingly asked “Are you pregnant?” But since our anniversary was 2 days away, he really suspected nothing. He opening the bag enough that he saw the positive tests and without even pulling them out said “Are you lying?” After being assured that this was true, he smiled and laughed and freaked out a bit and we headed out to pick up my lovenox all the while DH kept asking “Is this for real? Are you really pregnant?” I got my beta results on the way so we were both very reassured that I truly was pregnant. And that is what happened a year ago today. 🙂

Daddy's surprise. 😉

Bought A New Stroller!!!

I can’t believe I’m this excited about buying a stroller! Seriously, it’s like a stroller buying high.

I’ve been drooling over a double stroller for months now and since Levi is getting really heavy to carry in the Moby and push Tru, I really wanted one soon. I’ve been shopping for a deal because I’m at this point in my life where, out of necessity, I just don’t/can’t buy stuff without a coupon/credit card reward points/amazing sale unless it’s like… food. And even then, I’m the lady walking through the store with my coupons in baseball card pages. Yep. That’s me. I LOVE coupons. I have them downloaded on my store card and so on and I save HUNDREDS a year just buying normal people amounts of whatever I was going to buy anyway. I’m not crazy coupon lady in the “we are eating ketchup for the next 3 months, 3 times a day because I layered 50 coupons and got it for $.07”. But I may have an incredible stash of diapers that I bought with coupons and finding deals on stuff I already buy might be an addiction kind of.

I said all that to say, I was becoming upset that despite my best deal-finding efforts, the stroller was just not couponable. <— It's a word. Look it up. So, I prayed about it because that's what I do. I talk to God all day, everyday. He's always there and it never ceases to amaze me how God cares about us. He cares about the big stuff that weighs on us and he cares about the most mundane little things that I almost feel ashamed to pray about. But God is in a relationship with me. He wants to know my needs and wants and he cares enough to listen even when it’s mundane and pathetic. So naturally I asked God to help me find the stroller I wanted at an affordable price. Used in great condition or preferably new. I had put the one I wanted in my cart on a.mazon earlier today. This evening, DH said I had better get one soon because his job takes their employees to a theme park every year and this is coming up soon. So I went on a.mazon and got ready to checkout when, there it was, they had just in the last few hours added ONE open box, like new, same color, same brand etc at a deep discount. I am so happy. 🙂 I know it’s small and even silly to some but I know God put that there for me at just that time and I’m so thankful. 🙂 I look forward to getting lots of use out of this new stroller this summer. 🙂

Levi – Week 16

I promise I haven’t forgotten little Truett’s updates. I have one on my computer just waiting for me to add finishing touches and pictures. And then go someplace with WiFi to publish it…. ugh. I was browsing internet options tonight and I think we want to go with a pay as you go hotspot. I like the portability etc. Plus it’s cheaper since we just need a little data as we don’t usually stream movies and such. But I’m not going to lie, being without internet except on my phone for these last 3+ months has been a bit of a transition. It’s crazy how spoiled we get with just being able to pop online and shop, browse, pay bills…

But none of that is about Levi. My sweet baby is getting so much more grown up by the day. He interacts with all of us now constantly and his little face just lights up in a huge smile when he sees us. He especially loves Truett and laughs at him all the time which just thrills Tru to no end. He blows on Levi’s belly making fart noises and tries to wrestle him every time we lay Levi on the floor. It takes great vigilance to keep Truett’s love for *his* baby from turning into an accidental ouchie for Levi. But it positively warms my heart to see their love growing. Everyone is quick to warn that in a few years they may well be fighting, but I think despite any brotherly skirmishes, the bond they are building now will withstand.

Levi has definitely cut back on nursing. If I offer him a boob before he’s ready, he will take it but he pulls and bites (extremely hard!!!) and pops on and off while squirming. It’s like, he doesn’t want to turn it down, but it isn’t what he wants either. I finally figured out that he was just ready to cut back so we went from nursing approximately 10 times a day (not for sure, maybe more) to closer to 6-8 times. Occasionally this last week he has woken around 5-7am for a boob but mostly he still sleeps from 10:30pm or so until 9-10am, nurses and sleeps off and on until 12-1pm and then is mostly up all day with just very short naps.

He has started soothing himself more often by sucking on his first and middle fingers together of his right hand. He makes a loud slurping sound but he manages to fall asleep that way. It’s absolutely adorable and I have caught a few pictures of it so far.

I put Levi’s weight (approx 17.5 lbs) and height (approx 27.25 inches) into the WHO growth chart online and he is estimated to be in the 99th for height and 92nd for weight with a head percentile of 27. 😉 His head is the same size as Truett’s was at just 9 weeks. But then, Tru had/has a big head. Levi’s height is the same as Tru at 6 months and he already weighs almost a pound more than Tru at 6 months. What does all this mean? Not a thing. Even among brothers, you can’t compare children. Everyone grows and develops at their own rate. I was looking back on posts from when Tru was Levi’s age and Tru had way more fine motor skills and dexterity. He held toys and put them in his mouth. Levi just reaches for toys and smiles at them. He puts his own hands in his mouth and holds onto things like my shirt or finger etc. But he’s definitely “behind” where Tru was. But they have wayyyyyy different personalities so I’m not concerned in the least at this point. Also Levi is too chubby to reach his toes. 😉

How I’m doing.

I’m probably more tired than I’ve ever been while not pregnant despite getting plenty of sleep. I really don’t know why. I had a physical last week that my insurance requires and the NP said I should have someone watch the kids now and then just for a bit and actually rest. She said no housework during that time 😉 just rest. Well, I always know better than the Dr of course and I was feeling pretty spry so I left my appointment and grocery shopped, came home and took care of babies and then cleaned for almost 6 hours. Shampooed the carpet, the whole nine yards. Let my right boob get overfull and woke up the next morning with a blocked duct. I ran errands that day and woke up in the middle of the night shivering/burning up with a fever. Oh yes, my old friend mastitis. So, as the NP recommended in the first place, I had to have someone watch the kids while I took a nap 2 days in a row. Lesson learned. While I may feel pretty good most days, thank God, and am generally able to keep up with the best of them, going nonstop from 7am to 11pm is stupid no matter how you slice it and definitely not worth it. Also… coffee is really good frozen and then thrown in the blender with chocolate, hazelnut creamer and milk.

Aside from that, I’m on day 3 of feeling like I’m going to start at any minute so I’m pretty sure I will. 😦 Yay me.

I’m still pumping twice a day too and usually get 20+ ounces. I keep hoping I can keep this up. It’s pretty much my whole weight loss plan right now. 20 ounces equals 400+ calories burned so… I like that pretty well.

Enough about me.

Enjoying the outdoors

He loves his Mommy's arms... and that is ok with his mommy!!

The week in which it turns out I gave up on my phone’s pathetic camera and took almost everything on my regular camera. Sorry folks.

Dear God, I’m so thankful for these days and for having such a sweet little boy to brighten my life. I pray that we will always do our best to teach Levi and Tru about You and Your love for them. Please watch over and protect them in Jesus’ name, amen.

Levi – Weeks 14 and 15

I’m back on track. I thought Levi was 14 weeks but it appears that he is actually 15 weeks and I lost a week somewhere… hey, I’m a bit foggy. Don’t judge. 😉

Levi flew to Florida with DH and I at 14 weeks (June 26-28th) for a quick trip for our anniversary. He did great on the flight aside from one barfing incident when the pressure on the plane made him sick (we think). He loved having mommy and daddy to himself for a couple days since Tru stayed with my sister but Tru definitely missed “baby” and seemed much more happy to see Levi than he was to see us. 😉 Levi did great at the beach and enjoyed (for the most part) being held in the water on the shore line and, unfortunately, licking his hands to taste the saltwater that splashed on his hands. I’m sure he ate a few grains of sand too as that stuff seems to get positively EVERYWHERE including in every crack and roll on his chubby little body. It was a lot of fun though and he remarkably came home unscathed from the sun that managed to burn my pasty white back regardless of the 2 layers on 50spf I applied. I took great precautions to keep the sun off of Levi and I’m so glad he didn’t feel the burn like I did.

Beach bum baby

Enjoying relaxing on his baby vacation in his hotel crib.

Watching daddy swim with the sharks in the big scary ocean.

Time to get some snuggles with daddy

DH tried to take our picture and my incredibly crappy phone camera took this almost cool picture

Blurry but mommy's baby is precious

Levi is so much more engaging now in his behavior. He catches your attention and then smiles, laughs, and coos. He LOVES to laugh and is incredibly ticklish.

He’s weighing in around 17.5 lbs now according to my MIL’s digital scale. I wouldn’t doubt it as he is already outgrowing clothes Tru wore at 6 months. He and Tru are officially sharing diapers (not used ones of course), binkies (in the rare moments Levi chooses to use one) and lots of smiles. Tru can make Levi laugh and vice versa which is something that absolutely melts my heart! I adore watching their relationship develop. It is a beautiful thing.

Tru telling Levi scary secrets

The new 2 finger suck he has developed

Dear God, thank You for the special time we got to spend with Levi in Florida and for the fun times we have watching Levi and Tru grow and bond with each other. Please protect them and keep them healthy. In Jesus’ name, amen.