Growing like a weed!

Giana is following in her big brother's footsteps. She was 95% for height at her 4 month check up (only 24% for weight)! . She is doing great! She's a happy little peanut! She's starting to laugh and is occasionally rolling over. I talked with the doctor about some asymmetry of her leg creases/rolls. Dr. V really checked out her hips rotating them all around. He said he didn't feel any clicks and that she has good tone, but wanted her to get an ultrasound and x-ray to be safe. She had a hip ultrasound this morning at Children's Hospital in Minneapolis and the x-ray was done at her clinic on Monday. I am anxious to get the results.

Have I mentioned that I love our pediatrician, Dr. Vlodaver at Fairview Oxboro in Bloomington? He is very proactive. Some might think he is overly cautious, but being a medical professional, I appreciate his desire to rule out more serious issues. He is also the Doc for my sister, Haley's kids!

Ahhhh....Vincent! I really should be writing down all of the funny things that come out of his mouth! He is a riot, although not beyond a tantrum every now and then. He is really starting to pay attention to Giana! I love it-they are so cute together!

Halloween was fun. The kids were Peter Pan and Tinkerbell! We did a few different Halloween activities in the area and Steve took Vince out trick or treating on Halloween. I don't think Vince has quite figured out Halloween, but he sure liked the candy (and so did Mom and Dad)!

Blessed!

That one word describes my life! I feel truly blessed each day!

The kids are amazing little wonders! Vincent surprises me daily with all that he is learning! I am amazed at how much his language has exploded in the last few months. He LOVES books. I bring him to Movin' and Groovin' class once a week and various other activities when we can (ECFE playtime, Open Gym, playdates, storytime). It is such a joy to watch him grow and learn!

Giana is a little doll. She is so happy and smiley! She loves cooing, squealing and attempting to laugh! She is holding her head up during tummy time, working really hard on rolling and grabbing everything she can get her little hands on. She is a huge fan of fingers these days-they must be yummy!

Steve is working his tail off! He's back to 50 hour work weeks and full time school on top of that! I am keeping my fingers crossed that he finishes his IT degree quickly and that we will have our daddy/husband back.

I am doing my best to take care of the family, house and occasionally myself! I am participating in a MOMS (Ministry of Mothers Sharing) group at church. I have met some wonderful women and have realized my desire for deeper friendships with my fellow moms. I am so appreciative of the wonderful friends in my life.

As I look at look at my family and the beauty outside (fall is my favorite time of year), I can't help but be grateful for all that I have! I am truly blessed!

Funny Man

Our little man is becoming quite verbal and is learning new things like crazy! I am often surprised by what he does or says.

Quotes by Vince:

• "What the heck!" is one of his favorites
• "Beep, beep" when he wants someone to move
• "Like it" if he likes something or "No like it" when he doesn't like something and most recently "Oh my, like it!"
  
• "My rock" when he wants to be rocked at night
• "Arm, please" when he wants to snuggle with me and lay on my arm
• "D*mnit" I have no idea where he picked that one up! Oops....

It's really funnier to hear these quotes rather than read them. While he's definitely at a challenging age, he is also at a very fun age. He makes me laugh everyday!

Giana is really growing! She is starting to smile and coo. Oh my gosh-her beautiful baby smile brightens my day!

Adjusting

After 6 weeks with our new family member I think we are all adjusting well. It certainly is a huge transition.

Vincent doesn't understand yet that he needs to be careful and gentle with Giana, so we need to keep a close eye on him around her! He has become quite possessive since Giana's birth. I must hear "My (nuk, milk, Mommy, Daddy, etc.)" 50 times a day! He was even upset about sharing his diaper rash ointment and cried out "butt cream" once while I was changing Giana! But really, he has done fairly well with Giana and is frequently giving his baby sister kisses!

Curious George cartoons are a life saver these days (and the only way I can get a shower in). I am finally getting to the point where I can get out of the house with both kids. Hopefully by fall we'll be up for even more outings and activities.

She's Here!

Giana Rose Shalikow was born at 12:22 pm on June 16th! She weighed 7lbs, 5oz and was 20in long.

Steve was a wreck waiting to go into the OR. And I have to admit that I was a little scared during the wait and as it became a reality during the prep in the OR. Giana was delivered quickly which helped me relax. Just like her big bro, she was really quiet after delivery, making both parents nervous. I think we just have observant children who were busy checking out their new surroundings immediately after birth. Everything went well, except some excess blood loss (related to the placenta previa), which has resulted in a very low hemoglobin for me. So, I just need to take it easy and allow my body to heal (which is really easy with two kids-Ha!).

We are happy to be home and are so grateful for our beautiful and healthy children!

12 Days to go

Our baby girl is scheduled to arrive on June 16th (via c-section)! That only leaves 12 days. I am hoping for a smooth delivery, smooth recovering and most of all a healthy baby! Can't wait!!! Check out what a mover this little girl is! She'll be here soon.

C-section?

I had an ultrasound today to follow up on my placenta previa (where the placenta is covering the cervix, the baby's way out). Unfortunately, the cervix is still completely covered. The basic message I got today (from the ultrasound tech and the doctor) was that it's still possible for the placenta to move, but unlikely. So, talk of a c-section begins. Of course, I will continue to have follow up ultrasounds and hope that the placenta will move. In the meantime, I am mentally preparing for a c-section (which my sister, Haley, warns me the recovery from is awful--especially when you already have a little monster, I mean, munchkin at home!). I guess I am still optimistic and not yet convinced I will need a c-section (maybe it's denial). I do have concerns about potential bleeding, bedrest, or an unexpected early delivery. Really, it's just a situation where we will have to wait and see (and hope and pray).

The good news is that our little girl, who we call "Gigi", is growing perfectly. She measures exactly as she should and all of her organs look good. So, we are thankful for that!

Little sponge!

Wow! I feel like Vince is learning so much everyday. He has started chattering like crazy. I am amazed at how quickly he is picking things up now--he copies words we say and things we do. It's really pretty entertaining. He surprises us a lot lately, like by adding the words to songs when we are singing. Think it might be time to start filtering what we say!

Jock in the making

Steve is creating a little jock. He wants to be sure Vincent has exposure to a variety of sports. We have a basketball hoop, a t-ball set, footballs, golf and bowling equipment. Steve was getting concerned that Vince didn't have any hockey equipment yet. So he was very excited to find a kids hockey set this weekend. I'm not sure the hockey set is a big hit with Vince just yet.

He does seem to be a basketball fanatic, though. I recently caught him trying to shoot hoops with a wet diaper (at least he was aiming for the garbage can). When we are out for a walk he points out all of the basketball hoops he sees, saying "baa" (he hasn't quite got the "L" sound yet). And he will often stand at the gate at the top of our stairs whining, "baa" because he wants to go to the basement and play basketball. We'll see if his love of basketball lasts!

Here are a few videos displaying his athletic abilities.

Baby Shalikow Update

We had our 20 week ultrasound this week and found out that Baby #2 is a GIRL! I am so excited! I think Steve is still in shock and maybe slightly nervous at the thought of raising a daughter. Everything looked good with our little flutterbug (measurements and organs). They did discover that I have placenta previa, which means the placenta is covering the cervix. At this point, it isn't a big concern as the placenta usually moves out of the way as the uterus grows. I will have a follow up ultrasound in about 6 weeks to see if it has resolved. On the plus side, I get an extra peak at the little one!!

Pregnancy

Well, I have hit 18 weeks. I can't remember exactly, but I think the morning sickness finally went away between 18-20 weeks with Vincent. I think I was expecting to feel instantly nausea-free at 18 weeks. Not quite yet (although there has been some improvement)--I am still popping tums and zofran in order to eat and keep food down. The good news is I can eat again (see expanding belly below)! All of my cravings seem to be for junk food. Hey, I'm just giving the babe what it wants!

Anyway, I've started to notice some tiny movements from our little flutterbug. It brings back memories of feet, knees, elbows, etc., digging into my ribs and bladder! Despite those love nudges, I am actually looking forward to the second half of the pregnancy and more importantly, the end of the first half! 20 weeks will be here soon. We are so excited for the ultrasound and to find out the sex of the baby! Steve thinks it's another boy--I really have trouble guessing at all. Stay tuned for the results (and don't forget to enter YOUR guess in our baby poll--http://www.expectnet.com/games/BabyShalikow2 )!


11 weeks

17 weeks