Binky intervention!

Since potty training was kind of a no-go when we started a few weeks ago, and we can't move Nate to a big-boy bed until we can get it (Nov 10 + delivery time - yay bonus!), I've decided it's about time we got rid of binky. I think he got a little more attached to it while we were in CA because of our weird schedule and traveling. I kept giving it to him hoping he would fall asleep in the car or stroller, but usually he'd just stay awake with a pacifier in his mouth. I didn't want to do it the first weekend we were back because he was still getting back in the groove of things, so I had my mind set on starting on Friday night. And then he fell down the stairs.

He was/is totally fine! I guess he tripped over Casey somehow and pretty much went end over end 3 times until he hit the floor at the bottom. He hit his head on the floor, but luckily not the shoe bench that's right at the bottom. Peter said he was about one step behind being able to stop him all the way down the stairs. When he finally reached me an hour later (I was in a meeting) and I convinced him to call the doctor (and gave him their number) they pretty much confirmed that he was fine, but to keep an eye out for some things that might spell concussion.

Well, none of those things happened and he was acting totally normal, so I figured why not? If I wait for a perfect weekend when nothing is going on, it will never happen. So we started Friday night. If you read any parenting books, magazines, websites, etc - and I do, they all give suggestions for ways to get kids to give up their pacifiers. Things like taking them to the store to buy a train, building them into a teddy bear, sending them off on a balloon, sending them to another "baby", cutting off the tip so they don't want to suck... Well I didn't do any of those things. I figured if we did those things they'd be fine at the time, but come 8pm bedtime he'd still be asking for his binky, so what's the point? I've been telling him they're lost! He still wants the binky, but I didn't have to go to much more effort than hiding all of them in case of an emergency.

Friday was definitely the worst night to get him down to begin with. He fought it for over an hour then woke up a couple of times through the night looking for them. Saturday was a little better, but really just a little. Sunday night was the worst! He went down alright, but then kept waking up... probably 6+ times. It definitely got old, and of course HAD to be on the night we both had to be at work in the morning. One of the times Peter was up with him that night and asking what was wrong he said his head hurt and his legs. Of course, that made me feel kind of guilty because of the whole falling down the stairs thing, but then he said something else that made us realize he was probably just making it up or feeling the residual bumps and bruises, not anything major. Monday night was a little better - he only woke up 3 times! But it got much better after that. Tuesday night he didn't wake up once and last night he only woke up long enough to get me out of bed before calming himself. I didn't mind too much because I pretty much have to get up at least once every night anyway, so not too much out of the ordinary. He got his first nap since Friday this afternoon and went down without an issue. We'll keep our fingers crossed he contines to do well without them. And I'm really debating even getting Cranberry started on them. Life will probably be easier if she just never starts the habit.

Maybe I should have just shown him this!

Cranberry update

So, as of yesterday I am 33 weeks along! Seven more weeks to go! Everything is still going very smoothly. I'm measuring exactly as I should and her heartrate has ranged from 145-155. I started swelling on our trip to CA (thanks to 6+ hour flights!), but it hasn't been too bad since I got back. But Tuesday night my left ankle looked like a marshmallow, and it didn't get much better yesterday. The doctor said it was pretty normal at this stage and that since my blood pressure, tests and weight were all within the healthy range he wasn't too worried. So, that's very good. I have definitely started to waddle though!  :)

I'd also like to add a fun aside about this particular doctor (I see a different one at every appointment so I know them all by the time labor & delivery come along). He loves to wear fun prints on his pants and socks. Last time he wore some red and white striped socks and this time he was wearing pheasant print pants and socks with dogs on them... I guess he was going for a hunting theme! We'll see what he wears next time.

Cranberry has definitely been moving around a lot lately. She even had her first case of the hiccups yesterday afternoon, and then again last night. Really, hiccups are not one of the cooler things about pregnancy. I know a lot of pregnant women think they're really cool, and to some extent I guess they are, until they start waking you up at 5am! Like I don't have enough things keeping me up at night.

Halloween fun

This was the first year we've really celebrated Halloween with Nate. He's dressed up for each of them, but at 8 months he was a little young to care, and last year we were in California and he just wanted to follow the other kids around that were coming to the door at Nonna's house. This year he was pretty excited though. He got to go to the pumpkin patch and pick out his very own pumpkin and we let him go to Party City and choose his own costume! We were pretty much giving him free reign since it's kind of hard to find something that will work for a family theme with a dad, a toddler and a pregnant mom. So, he decided on Wilson from Chuggington. I had no idea who this character was and hadn't even heard of Chuggington before that! I'm not sure he had either because he always just said he was a "red engine". I was very surprised that he didn't choose Thomas, which was displayed right next to Wilson, but he really like the red train. And he got to wear it three times - at our neighborhood party, the town "faire" and, of course, for trick or treating.

Hmmm...

This one might be a little big

Perfect!

Peter and our neighbor/friend, Jason, playing "Cornhole"

I took him trick or treating while Peter stayed behind to hand out candy. We only went up and down our street, and unfortunately only 8 houses or so had their lights on. But I really think that was enough for the both of us. When we got back home I let him eat a couple pieces of candy (which impressed my mom!) and he "helped" Peter pass out to the rest of the kids who were still coming around. He definitely had a fun night.

Look at the red train's loot!

Speaking of Halloween... it was my 30th birthday. It started with a surprise birthday breakfast at work. We generally celebrate birthdays with a monthly birthday lunch, but for the big ones (those ending in 0) we do something special. Everyone brought food and we had a delicious breakfast feast. They even invited Peter and Nate to join in. Nate has really been wanting to come see me at work, so he loved it. (And they love him, of course!)

My cubicle - kind of hard to duck under with the belly...

Being silly

Me and the boys

The rest of the day was pretty much taken up by work and Nate, but Peter did have some apple cider waiting for me when we got back from trick or treating, which was very nice. I figure until Nate and Cranberry get past the trick or treating age I will pretty much just have to give up my day to them. So... only 13 or so years to go! ;)