Play, Sing, and Pose

Something I've really been struggling with lately is finding activities to keep Elijah happy and occupied. I don't want to just be playing with his toys and stacking boxes everyday. It's been tough for me because a lot of the projects I want to do, Eli is a little too young for yet. So I've been checking out books at the library, searching the internet, and scouring Pinterest for ideas. I've found a couple good ones and will be sharing them over the next few blog posts.

The first one we did last week was from the book First Art: Art Experiences for Toddlers and Twos. It's called "stretchy dough" although I couldn't get it to stretch. It consisted of vegetable oil, water, food coloring, and flour. I think Eli enjoyed it.

One day Eli randomly began singing part of "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star". I'm not quite sure where he picked it up at (it's not usually on our song list for some reason) but we got it on video! And yes, that's his classic camera smile at the end.



And now I leave you with one of the most precious pictures I've taken in a long time.

18 Month Well Baby

Today Elijah and I ventured to the doctor's office for his 18 month check up. Aside from his shots (which we are done with until kindergarten now thank goodness), it was a relatively easy appointment.


1. We got updated stats and percentages.

Height: 2 ft 7 in (12th %)
Weight: 29 lbs 2 oz (84th %)

Because his weight percentile is so much higher than his height, this skews Eli's BMI to pretty high. But like Dr. Becky said, he doesn't look fat so nothing to worry about.

2. Developmentally most toddlers have about 10 words at 18 months. Eli knows LOTS of words, but he doesn't speak them. He babbles a lot but doesn't use his words to communicate. However, the boy does know how to get his point across. Because I spend all day every day with him, I know what he is trying to say and so he's not required to tell me. Dr. Becky and I agreed that is most likely why he isn't verbalizing as much yet. If I tried to have him tell me what he wants, he merely gets frustrated and cries. I do spend most of my day talking to him, reading with him, and telling him the words of the world around him so I know he is getting the information. The doctor did recommend meeting with a speech therapist just to get some tips on how to help him verbalize more so we'll be doing that in the coming weeks. I suppose I should enjoy this quiet time now...

3. During our recent vacation, Eric and I started discussing Eli's constant congestion. I have been congested seemingly all my life, so it is no big deal to me but Eric had some concerns so I talked to Dr. Becky about it. She said as long as it's not affecting Eli (and it doesn't- he sleeps and breathes just fine) there is no reason to worry about it. On the other hand, she had no problem with us adjusting his diet (i.e. removing wheat or dairy) to see if that could be the issue. Perhaps we'll try that eventually but for now, a humidifier in his room and warm baths will do.

After the shots, Eli got a new book and some stickers which perked him up quite well. But he still avoids those nurses as much as he can.

12 Month Checkup & Cupcake Love

Today was Elijah's 12 month well baby check up with Dr. B. It went fairly well. He is still on track for height and weight and the nurses and CNP we saw had nothing but good things to say about him. He got blood drawn for anemia and lead testing as well as his vaccines shots (hep A, MMR, and chicken pox). He cried quite a bit after the shots, but it had already been a long morning for him and he is now zonked out in his crib for what will hopefully be a long nap.

They also told me that the doctor still wants us to see the Facial/Cranial specialists in Rapid City because his head is large for his age. I don't know if it is necessary but the doctor wants us to do it. I plan to go along with it unless they decide he needs a CAT scan. I'm going to need some pretty darn good reasoning to allow that. For now it sounds like they will merely be doing measurements and looking at his head shape from the outside. If I don't hear from them next week I am supposed to call in, so it sounds like it will really happen this time.

In happier news, Elijah is one year old! His actual birthday was spent at home since the weather was rainy and cold but he did get to see both sets of grandparents which always makes him happy. I posted a video of him enjoying his first taste of cake, but below are the photos that show his initial disdain for the cupcake to his complete joy. 

The Biggest Milestone Yet

Last weekend we had a party to celebrate Elijah's first birthday (which isn't until the 27th but we had the party a little early). During this fun time Eli had his most important milestone: first cake. He was not into it at all in the beginning, but after tasting a little frosting off my finger, he LOVED it. There is no question now, he truly is our son.

Monday Monday

Today was another good day in the life of Elijah Nies. He got to see 3 of his 4 grandparents!

Eric and I have accepted that no one will come to visit us anymore; it's all about the baby. And rightfully so - he's such a cutie!

As such, my parents came to see Eli and brought us lunch as well. Aside from my mother trying to ply my little boy with pizza and soda it was a delightful visit. We chatted, ate, and then assembled the small portable grill my dad won at a golf tournament and thoughtfully gave to us. I'm guessing there will be grilling going on this Friday at the Nies household!

Then Eric's mom came over so the two of us could (finally!) watch the last episode of Top Chef. She also brought pizza and fed Eli his first serving of green beans - which did not go over well at all. We'll try them again tomorrow and if he still doesn't like them, well, we'll hold off for some time and then try again. He started getting a little fussy at the end, so Kris and I couldn't have our usual in depth discussion about the show (although we both approve of the winner).

My sweet baby is finally asleep in his crib (after 1.75 hours of nursing and 10 minutes of rocking) and I'm off to crash in bed. G'night all!

Update!

Wow, it seems like forever since I last posted. The last 4 and a half months have flown by. Things are going great with Elijah and the new house. We've had our ups and downs but I wouldn't change a thing.

Eli is the sweetest little boy. After some initial difficulties, breastfeeding is going great. I wasn't sure I'd survive the first 6 weeks but I survived the pain and it was completely worth it. Pumping is going well too so Eric can feed Elijah or I can take him out with a bottle and not have to worry about nursing. We actually just started feeding him rice cereal yesterday too. He is your typical baby with food all over his face but I think he likes it. He's been staring at me every time I eat for the last few weeks so it was time to start him. I think the next foods I try will be carrots and peaches, then move on to sweet potatoes and such. I'm hoping to make a lot of the food myself.

My baby has already almost doubled in weight (8 lbs 15 oz to 17 lbs 6 oz) and grown almost 5 inches in length. He can fit in some 3-6 months clothing but has moved up to 6-9 months mostly. I have to say my arms are much stronger for toting him around in his car seat. (And I'm 2 pounds away from my pre-baby weight!)

Our current down is Elijah's napping. He used to only nap on my lap after nursing and would wake up if I tried to move him to his crib (which is what I do at night and works great - for now). He doesn't even do that now though. Granted, I have not been consistent in his napping routine (first vacation and then out and about running around since) so that is most likely a big part of it. My goal is to start putting him down for naps at 9am and 2pm (ish) everyday and letting him cry it out to learn how to go to sleep. We'll see how that works out.

Hopefully I will have more time to update now that things are a little most settled. Once Elijah naps I'll have plenty of time!

Don't Worry, I'm Still Here!

It has been forever since I last updated the blog and I have gotten a couple gentle nudges this week from friends to update. So here I am. There won't be any pictures of me for this post as Eric is not here and I'm not sure how to upload them from the camera. I will learn though, so I can post pictures whenever!

Since I won't show you photographic evidence, I will tell you that I finally have the obvious pregnant belly. Last week Eric and I trekked to Rapid City and bought some more maternity clothes for me. I was pleasantly surprised how well everything fit and the selection of cute shirts to choose from! It has now reached the point that I cannot wear any of my old pants except sweats and lounge pants. Most of my shirts could stretch to accommodate the baby bump, but they're not long enough. So it was a good thing we expanded my closet.

I have had two doctor appointments since the last post. At the December check up, we spent 3/4ths of the time doing an ultrasound. It was amazing to see our baby on the screen! Here are a few of the ultrasound pictures.

We asked about the gender before the ultrasound tech was done and she said she thought she had seen scrotal skin. She showed us what she was talking about and Eric apparently saw it. I, on the other hand, could not tell head from tail so I'm not positive. However, we are telling everyone it's a boy! (Eric says I'm still denying it because I want a girl so bad.) I am hoping we can get another ultrasound and the baby will be in a better position to verify gender. Either way both Eric and I are super excited!

The rest of the December appointment and our January appointment were talking with the doctor. We didn't have any questions and she had no worries so they were relatively quick visits. I've gained 14 pounds since I first saw Dr. B at the beginning of October. Seven of those pounds were put on between the December and January visits. Needless to say, I'm no longer worried about putting on enough weight! Especially since I seem to be eating every 2 hours. (The ladies at work like to give me grief about my snack drawer. I can't help that I'm growing another human and need to nourish him!) (And the pancake craving seems to have faded away as well, to be replaced by eating any and everything.)

The next doctor appointment is January 27th. I will be doing my glucose and anemia tests that day. I have to say I'm not looking forward to the orange sugar drink, but I am anxious to make sure my sugar and iron levels are okay. My pregnancy has seemed so smooth that I'm worried something will happen to make up for all the easy parts.

Oh yes, and baby is constantly moving now. He seems most active when I'm sitting or laying down, but I can feel him moving at anytime. He enjoys jumping on my bladder at 2 in the morning, which can be a pain, but it is a wonderful feeling nonetheless. Eric can feel him moving everyday now, but whenever I'm around others I can never catch him moving long enough for anyone else to feel. Which is disappointing for family and friends, but hopefully we can remedy that soon!

In other exciting news, Eric and I are buying 5 acres of land between Spearfish and Belle Fourche and plan to build a house this spring! We had originally hoped to be in before the baby was born, but it is looking like it may be a month or two after. Either way is fine with me. I'm just glad we'll have more room now that our family is expanding.

Happy (belated) Thanksgiving!

Life around this Nies household have been crazy lately. Eric has been working very hard and seems to have a lot of meetings. I haven't been so busy, but time has just been flying by. Even though that's easy to say when you seem to spend all your extra time sleeping.

It did help that we took a week off to go visit Eric's brother Jared and his wife Sarah. They were kind enough to host us for Thanksgiving in Litchfield, IL where Jared is currently doing his vicarage. Litchfield is a great little town and they are staying in the parsonage, which is great. We spent most of our time there just relaxing and enjoying time with Jared and Sarah. They cooked some great meals, which was especially good for me as I'm still hungry all the time.

On the way to and from IL, we also stayed with our friends the Nevins near Omaha. We love spending time with them and it's even better now as they are pregnant too. You can imagine how much time we spent discussing baby names and poo colors. Their daughter Celia was there this time, so we got to hang with her as well. She was especially enamored with Eric and he with her. I think it just reaffirmed his desire for a daughter.

I also bought my first maternity clothes with Cara. Three pairs of pants, which are still just a little too big. But I don't think it will be long before I fit in them, as I seem to be finally getting the classic belly. Which is good because the regular pants are not going to hack it for much longer.

The most exciting part of our vacation, aside from feeling the baby kick more and spending time with some wonderful people, was hitting a deer on the interstate 30-some miles from home. Luckily all three of us seem to be fine and we have insurance to cover the damage. Eric and I will be down to one car for a few weeks, but that's a small price for all of us to be safe and sound.

Because of our vacation, we did miss week 19 pictures. Below are weeks 17,18 and 20.

Week 17:



Week 18:

Week 20:

Also, just a reminder that next week is our next doctor's appointment when we will hopefully find out the gender!

Oh, and I still want pancakes all the time. :)

Another Day, Another Doctor's Appointment

Today we saw Dr. K again. It was a relatively simple checkup. We did get to hear the Niesling's heartbeat, which was exciting. The doctor figured it to be about 140 beats per minute. Since we didn't get to hear it last month, it was great to get it this time. That was about the extent of the appointment. She answered a couple questions for us, including mine about morning and night pains. She said as long as the pains don't last very long and there's no bleeding with them, everything should be fine. She also agreed with Eric that I can exercise everyday and it would help me be in better shape for labor. Dr. K said she wasn't worried that I haven't gained much weight yet. That eased my mind, as I've only gained a couple pounds. I am hungry all the time, so I'm sure I'll start putting on more weight soon. Our next appointment is scheduled for December 9th, where we will have an ultrasound and hopefully find out the baby's gender!

Other than the appointment, things have been relatively normal. I'm eating about the same, and appear to be finished with the sickness. I did get the H1N1/swine flu shot last week, although it seems as though that has calmed down as well. I am still sleeping a lot, including at least one nap per weekend. I do crave pancakes all the time though...

Also, congratulations to our friends the Nevins who found out they are having a boy!

Hopefully I will have the next round of pictures up soon.

Weeks 14 & 15

Things have been pretty calm around here lately. I'm sleeping extra when I can, including 12 hours Friday night and then an hour nap on Saturday afternoon. Despite having built in extra hour last night with daylight savings time, I was up early this morning. Eric has been good about letting me take a nap if I'm tired.

One more recent development has been my almost constant hunger. The nauseousness and queasiness are pretty much gone. The only time my stomach is upset is if I get hungry and don't eat. Consquently I've got snacks everywhere, from trail mix and fruit at work to cheese and salad at home. I feel like I'm eating a lot but am only slowly gaining weight. I'm not weighing myself every morning like I was before but feel healthy. Which I think is more important.

Last week was my birthday, my last one without a baby. And as one of my coworkers put it, my last one as Michelle. From now on I'll be "Niesling's mom". Which is fine with me, just made me pause for a minute and realize how much my life is going to change. Only for the better, but still different. It's a new chapter in my life I'm really looking forward to.

With everything that was going on, Eric and I missed a picture for Week 14, but below are Week 15 pictures. I am getting a bigger bump, but I think it's more obvious when I'm wearing a couple layers of shirts.

Not Quite the Beginning of the Beginning

Well, here it is. After having been pregnant for the last 9 weeks, knowing I'm pregnant for the last 3, and contemplating this blog for the last few days, I've finally sat down and started.

I want to use this blog to keep friends and family (both those we see a lot and those we don't) updated on the pregnancy. Unfortunately, I'm a procrastinator and somewhat lazy, so I'm going to depend on my husband and your enthusiasm to keep me going on it.

The title for the blog came from a friend of Eric's who coined the term "Niesling". We both thought it was appropriate and funny enough to be included.

As I said, I'm approximately nine weeks along. And sadly, I have been experiencing the wonder that is morning sickness for most of the time. I don't actually get sick, I'm just queasy and uncomfortable almost all day long. Except after lunch and dinner, which it's nice to get some relief. Thankfully I only have three weeks left until the second trimester starts, so hopefully the nauseousness will go away like all the women I've talked to say it does.

Other than the sickness, and frequent bathroom runs, I haven't felt too much different. Okay, there are the occasionally dizzy moments, and I can't concentrate very well in the morning, and I'm constantly hungry, but other than that...

I have not yet been to see the doctor. I did go in the Monday after we found out and saw a CNP. They did all the blood tests and such, and have not called me, so I'm assuming all is well until I do see the doctor. That appointment is scheduled for Wednesday October 7th. Don't worry, I'll be sure to let you know how it goes!

Also, we do plan to find out the gender, and will be telling everyone who wants to know. Why just add to the stress of delivery when we can know now and decorate accordingly? (And let my mother-in-law know so she can plan her shopping accordingly as well. And anyone else too. :) )

The funny thing about this is we have two couples that are friends who are also pregnant right now! Unfortunately they do not live close so I have to depend on email and facebook to ask them my questions and commiserate.

Hm... Is there anything else I need to tell you in this post? Well, I haven't had any cravings yet. Unless you count the fact that as soon as I think of a food (Chinese food, chocolate chip muffins, yogurt, etc) I immediately want to eat it and will not stop thinking about it until I do. Eric is not digging this part of the pregnancy, but has agreed to start going on my food runs when I hit the second trimester. Only 3 weeks to go!

I hope you guys find this interesting and feel free to email me or leave questions in the comments and I will answer them!