Thursday, June 25, 2015

Why We Stopped TV

For quite a while now we were giving Matthew one show per day...mainly out of necessity so I could take a bath and get dressed while knowing he was safe and engrossed in one of his favorite shows. We tried to limit it to one show per day, but depending on how I felt or what needed to be done, that number would slowly increase.

I noticed a change in behavior when he would watch his shows. He would be more clingy, whiny, and throw temper-tantrums when he wanted a show. He would constantly bring us remotes and cry for a show or go pat the tv and start fussing. If he watched one show, he wanted more and would cry. No one else could watch anything else unless we wanted him to try to take the remotes, cry, and throw a fit. It was not awesome.

We had a particularly busy Saturday a couple of weeks ago and noticed that he hadn't had a show all day and he was being really good. I was so impressed with his behavior that we did the same thing Sunday and continued it into Monday. Once we made it past a few days (with hiding the remotes so he wasn't tempted to ask for a show) I noticed that not only was he happier, but he was also more interested in his toys and was able to entertain himself much more. Our clingy boy who was throwing tantrums had calmed down and he was less "high needs."

Obviously, this change has continued and we're two and a half weeks out. His skills have improved immensely and so has his speech! He now brings books or toys into the bathroom when I need to get ready for the day instead and he is doing so well. I honestly can't believe what not watching tv has done for him!

Personally, I have no issues with him watching a show every now and then, but I'm a little apprehensive about putting one on right now. I'm sure we'll re-introduce it at some point, but for right now, I'm loving his behavior and how well he's doing. We still have our tablet with apps and a couple of shows for emergencies while out, but have yet to need it and I'm hoping that continues for a while.

Has anyone else cut back on shows and noticed an improvement?

Tuesday, June 23, 2015

Matthew 22 Months!

It's been so long since I've updated about my favorite little guy...here's what he's up to lately:
  • Saying all sorts of new words...bubbles, car, crackers, snack, milk, ball...so many more, but his speech is really picking up and he's getting new words all the time!
  • Still super cautious. He's kind of funny with new things, but as long as he has one of his "people" with him he usually warms up.
  • Getting more social. We've been taking him to story time for the past five weeks and it's making a huge difference! He's still not a fan of people he doesn't know, but he's doing better at tolerating new faces.
  • Loves playing with stickers! I've been waiting for this time where we can start arts and crafts, but he hates certain textures and sensations so it took him a while to get used to it and now he gets so excited to play with them.
  • He also has taking a liking to books which I'm thrilled about. Often times I'll find him going into his room to get his books out to look at them.
  • He still has no idea that he's going to be a big brother, but that will come soon enough when the baby gets here. He can say her name and we talk to him about the baby, but he's still rocking being an only child.
  • His favorite person lately is his Dee-Dee. My mil graciously comes over more and helps with him so he gets some extra special time. My hips have been killing me so being on the floor and outside in the heat is not happening. Dee-Dee takes him outside to his swing and does a ton of fun things with him.
  • Since we finally got his swing set finished that's where he wants to be all day every day. Phil will try to take him out a few times per week after work (weather-permitting) and they have so much fun!
  • He loves bubbles and says it almost constantly. It's so cute and we got a bubble machine from Walmart that was definitely a good idea. Now I don't have to sit there blowing bubbles forever while he gets impatient to try and pop them.
That's just a snippet into what he's doing and into lately. We're really blessed that he's doing so well considering I'm usually down for the count. We're cycling his toys so he doesn't get bored and we try to get out of the house in the mornings before it gets too hot so he gets a change of scenery. He's learning a lot and really doing so well!

Monday, June 8, 2015

29 Weeks Baby #2

I am SO excited to be getting closer and closer to meeting this little girl. This pregnancy has definitely been an emotional rollercoaster and I'm so thankful that we've only got 10 weeks left or less!

I saw my MFM and OB last week for our appointments and we got some good news! Baby girl is still measuring small, however, since the MFM was able to see the records from the pregnancy with my son, he said that it looks like genetically I have small babies. The placenta and blood flow look good, so we're not longer concerned and talking about inducing next month! As much as we'd love to meet her, we also would like to make it to full term and have a healthy baby who gets to go home with us.

She's currently measuring in the 28th% and we have a diagnosis of asymmetrical IUGR. Basically, her legs are growing longer than her stomach and head (which are really small), but as long as she continues growing and everything looks good, we're good to go! We were thrilled to hear that wonderful news. The doctor was actually happy with her stomach growth and I'm still on supplemental protein twice daily.

As far as the gestational diabetes goes, my numbers are definitely better. I take insulin 4x/day which can be a little overwhelming (especially when my stomach gets itchy at the injection site), but we're making it work for our little girl. My fastings are a little sporadic, but they're still in the safe range so that's good. Every day is a little bit different.

We have tried to get a 3D ultrasound twice now and she has made it super difficult. We're going in for a rescan on Friday and we're really hoping to see her sweet face! As of right now, I'm still loving feeling her movements even though some of them can be super uncomfortable depending on her position, but at least I know she's doing well.

My friend is hosting a low-key BBQ sprinkle for me this Saturday and I'm really looking forward to it! We've been working on getting her room finished in case people want to see it when they're here and we've made a lot of progress! Just a few more things to do and one big load of laundry to fold and it will be right where it needs to be for now.