Tiernan finished up his last month of Farm Tots at the Phoenix Zoo. He learned about chickens and turkeys. We learned that if we whistle at the white turkey they have, Floyd, he will puff up and make noises at us...so we just had to try it and it worked!
We also went to Schnepf Farm's Peach Festival which was so much fun! Tiernan loved running around and exploring new things. When we went last year, he ate three peaches all on his own...this year, he wasn't as excited about the peaches. He did, however, love walking through the orchard and picking peaches. Unfortunately, he was more interested in picking the peaches up off the ground than picking them off the tree.
Memorial Day weekend was pretty low key. It was the grand opening of our local Rotary swimming pool (Steve's in Rotary, so we went to support him). This kicked off Tiernan's love for swimming. Even though he's never had lessons, it's amazing how he already knows how to kick and move his arms in a swimming motion! He hasn't quite learned that he can't just jump in the pool without us, but hopefully, after a few more trips to the pool he'll understand and mommy can stop having mini-heart-attacks.
Baby Durkee continues to grow. Baby's heartbeat averages about 155 bpm. We'll have an ultrasound in probably a month or so. No, we're not going to find out if it's a boy or a girl! Being surprised with Tiernan was so exciting and besides, we have plenty of unisex clothes for the first couple of months. I know that I don't care if we have a boy or girl, I think there are pro's to having either one, but I'm not sure if Steve has a preference. I think we're both still so in awe of Tiernan that we're trying to figure out how to make the second baby feel just as special. My nausea is a little better...it's not as regular as it was, which is good and bad. I like that it's not every day or every other day, but on the other hand, it was nice to kind of know when I was going to have a good or bad day. The heat is seriously kicking my you-know-what. I try to spend as much time indoors as I can...and somehow, I've been able to keep our house temp at 78. I fully expected to turn the thermostat down to like 70 all summer! I'm still having trouble sleeping at night and my back hurts worse than it ever did with Tiernan. Week 14 was not the magical week my Dr said it might be...I'm still exhausted all the time. I go to the Dr tomorrow and hopefully my blood pressure has come up some. I've been doing pretty good about drinking fluids, but not so great with the protein every couple of hours. I started a prenatal fitness class last week and it kicked my you-know-what even more than the heat! I'm hoping I can continue it during my entire pregnancy. This past weekend I felt little baby twitches for the first time. I felt Tiernan move right at 14 weeks...so this baby is a few days later, but I'm also a few pounds heavier ;) I can't wait to feel some real jabs in my stomach...something to let me know baby is in there and happy.
This pregnancy has been a little overwhelming emotionally. I tend to cry a little more easily than before, which I know is normal. I have also found myself falling more and more in love with Tiernan...which probably has nothing to do with being pregnant. I still wonder how I can possibly love another child as much as I love Tiernan. I know I will do it, but I am so amazed by him every single day. The poor kid is smothered in kisses all the time...in fact, the other day we were giving Eskimo kisses (you rub noses together) and he decided he wanted to call them rabbit kisses....so that's what they are now, rabbit kisses. He is so sweet and compassionate already. He likes to help, but likes to be independent, too. He gets sad when he's in trouble, even if it's just because he knows you're disappointed in him. He will cry if he does something he thinks is bad...even if he's not in trouble. I know he will be a great big brother, but I know we're going to have to make sure we find lots of time to make him feel special, too. I'm hoping it won't be too hard, but I still worry about how having a baby will affect him. He is my sweet little prince and I love him so much.
Tiernan does so many new things now. He talks...nonstop. I keep joking that it must be because his mom never shuts-up. He has even started putting sentences together! He knows colors and shapes and is starting to memorize how to count. His favorite phrase at the moment is, "Happy Birthday!" He talks about Emma, Mimi, CJ, GG, and KoKo (my aunt's dog) non-stop and is still obsessed with trains, but has now added airplanes to the mix. We're still working on the potty training...he's pretty good about going poop on the potty, but still isn't so good with peeing on the potty instead of in his diaper. It'll happen and we're just excited that he's shown so much interest on his own! This evening he even made up his own bye-bye poo-poo song. I'm telling you, the kid cracks me up! Unfortunately, he is also going through a "mine" and a "no" stage. It's pretty annoying, but I'm just trying to ignore it and hope it ends soon...very soon.
Today was Tiernan's 2 year well-child check up. He weighs 27.5 lbs and is in the 50% for weight. He is 35 1/4 inches tall which is 75% and means he's tall enough for Matterhorn at Disneyland! And he's finally growing into his head which is in the 75% for size instead of the 95+%. The Dr said that he seems to be pretty advanced developmentally, which is always good to hear.
Next week, Tiernan starts preschool. We'll see how it goes....they have a policy about crying. If he cries for 30 minutes straight I have to come down and get him. I'm hoping he's okay because I really think that he needs some social interaction without mommy by his side. If it goes well, we'll probably keep him in the fall program.
We kicked off this month with Tiernan's birthday. We celebrated his actual birthday (June 4) with his favorite friend Emma. We went to a fun place that has lots of playhouses, dress up clothes, and things to encourage kids' imaginations. Then, Emma and I baked cupcakes while Tiernan napped. The next day, we had a party for Tiernan at Jeepers! Indoor Amusement Park. It was so fun to see the kids react to everything there. Some kids loved the rides, others were terrified, etc. Tiernan, daredevil that he is, loved it all. It was so great to see the kids have so much fun.
Four days after Tiernan's birthday is my birthday. Technically I turned 29, but I've decided to stay 28 for at least a few more years :) Thanks to all of you who reminded me this is my last year in my 20's....we celebrated my birthday by going out to dinner, taking Tiernan to play at the mall's playground (gotta find indoor things in this hot weather!), and then finishing with yummy cheesecake from Cheesecake Factory. I love that I can be totally happy with a low-key celebration like that! I can honestly say that I do not miss the all out, adults only parties of the past.
This summer is going to be busy and fun! I am watching Emma on Mondays and Fridays all summer, which Tiernan LOVES. He asks about her every day that she's not here. She is a great help and makes those days a little less stressful for me! We've planned a summer full of trips to museums for Tiernan and Emma...hopefully they will both enjoy it all!
I know there's so much that has happened that I haven't shared...I have pregnancy brain already and keep forgetting all the fun things we do! I finally posted some new pics on Facebook...the links below will allow anyone to view the pictures...there are a lot more to add, but it's hard finding time to get it done!
Tiernan Bday Pics
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=432490&id=832970390&l=cfd6cc3670
May Pics
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=432482&id=832970390&l=3462990ce7
Montana Pics
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=432352&id=832970390&l=acc7eeff4e
Belly Pics
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=419191&id=832970390&l=55da6507e6
Peace and Love,
Alyssa...and Tiernan, Steve, and Baby Durkee
