Unanswered Questions

From countless people, I had the same questions over and over about being pregnant for the second time and with a girl this time. I thought I would break it down for my friends and for future reference for my sweet Caroline (hoping that she gets to experience it someday).

With Andrew: I was pregnant all over, and I didn't get that round pregnant belly until the last few weeks. I got sick many mornings right after breakfast, but then I felt fine all day long. I nibbled my way through the day, and that kept me from sleeping at my desk or getting sick again. I first felt Andrew's fluttery movements around 21 weeks, and a few weeks later, I began to have Braxton Hicks contractions that continued regularly throughout the pregnancy. I didn't wear maternity clothes until about 6 months, but I could still wear regular shirts until the very end. My belly didn't have that round pregnant look until the last few weeks. I ran until I was 5 months pregnant, and then we walked regularly up to (and including) the day my water broke. At 39 weeks and 5 days, I labored (unsuccessfully) all night and then had a C-section. Andrew was delivered at 9:11am. He took a few seconds to cry, and he weighed 7 pounds & 13 ounces. The recovery was extremely painful and walking took a lot of effort and time. Eventually, I was back to walking an hour a day with Andrew in the stroller.

With Caroline: I was pregnant out front (mostly). I immediately had a poochy tummy and bigger boobs, which my doctor attributed to the "estrogen dump" when the baby's sex was assigned to female at 10 weeks. With that sudden growth spurt, I was thrust into maternity clothes right then. I was nauseous ALL the time and nothing seemed to help; however, I never once actually got sick. Around 15 weeks, the sickness stopped, and I started to feel Caroline's flutters. She never stopped. She moved often and with a good amount of force. I had Braxton Hicks from about 22 weeks until the end. I ran until I was 6 months and then I didn't exercise very much at all. My pelvis was sore most days, so we only walked a couple times a week (followed by serious heating pad usage). My maternity shirts BARELY fit over my belly by the end because it was all out in front. At 39 weeks and 1 day, I arrived at the hospital 2 hours before my scheduled C-section, and the doctors delivered Caroline safely at 8:54 am. She weighed 7 pounds & 1 ounce and screamed the second she was out. The recovery has been a great deal easier, and walking (although very slow) feels pretty good.

With Both Babies: I followed my gut and my cravings and tried not to stress about the weight I gained. Both babies needed lots of ice cream, candy, and chocolate. I enjoyed a few sips of wine here and there, napped as often as possible, and went to bed very early. I packed on exactly 30 pounds with each baby; however, the weight looked and felt very different. Both pregnancies yielded beautiful healthy babies. :) You can see the final belly shots for each baby. For Andrew's pictures, I wore blue shorts and with Caroline I wore red. Caroline seems to poke straight out!

:)

Anne

Just a few weeks ago...

Just a few weeks ago...

• Andrew's hand was tiny in mine.


• Andrew was so young.


• Andrew needed me for everything.


• Andrew was my baby.

Around 9:45 on December 8th. the nurse handed me Caroline.

• Caroline's hand is tiny in mine. Suddenly, Andrew became enormous.


• Caroline is so young. Andrew is a big boy.


• Caroline needs me for everything. Andrew seems so independent.


• Caroline and Andrew are both my babies.

A few weeks ago I worried about so many things. Now I have my two beautiful, healthy, loving, needy, tiny, babies... and I couldn't be happier.

Welcome to life with children, or as Uncle Jason told Andrew upon his arrival to the big, bright world a few years ago, "Welcome to the Jungle."

:)

Anne

Andrew's Last Hurrah

For Andrew's last weekend as an only child, we decided to hit of few hot spots. To start the weekend, we ate at Andrew's favorite restaurant, Amigo's, where he dined liked a King. He feasted on their finest offerings of beans, rice, chips, and ice cold lemonade. While there, he blessed the bathroom with one final poo, and announced to all the restaurant goers and servers what a wonderful job he had just done. Although I sat there looking embarrassed, everyone else seemed to be genuinely happy for him. He may have even had a high five from a stranger.

On Saturday, we packed up our snacks and our shades and headed to the best place on earth, the zoo. Andrew had been begging to take Daddy to the zoo since our last trip. He even snuck the request into our nightly prayers. We decided what better time to walk several miles than with a toddler and someone whose 9 months pregnant. :)

Chris gave me my birthday/happy Caroline present early (a Flip Video camera), so we were able to document our fun in a whole new way! (Unfortunately, I don't know how to upload the new videos... ) We passed the penguins and the baboons on the way to the gorilla enclosure, and we stopped for a few Andrew and Daddy photo ops.

When we reached the gorilla (or Gradilla as Andrew says), we realized very quickly that he wanted nothing to do with us. Andrew said the Gradilla was too sad, and I tend to agree.

Next up, we had some of the coolest experiences in the Giants of the Savannah exhibit. Many of the animals share a large open space and interact with each other freely. With free roaming animals, we were bound to catch some gold.

The best part of the whole day had to be feeding the giraffes. Andrew and Daddy got to share some delicious leaves with some super tall friends.

We had fun the rest of the morning at the zoo seeing the big cats, amphibians, and reptiles. Then we headed home for a much needed nap. Make sure you pay close attention to the slide show... we got to see some serious tortoise-on-tortoise action. Full-throttle. I was a good girl, so I didn't take a video. (That would verge on tortoise porn, and I think they deserve some dignity.)

After our lunches and naps, we bundled up and headed to Santa's village. Last year, we waited in line forever for Santa and then had to "persuade" Andrew to sit on his lap. (Last year's picture is first, and bless the sweet elf who caught the millisecond that Andrew sat on Santa's lap.)

This year, we arrived early to check out all of the elves' huts and wait for Santa's arrival. We came prepared for the line with snacks and a lawn chair for me, super preggers.

He is another slide show showing all the fun "shops" we visited while waiting for Santa.

After exploring Santa's village, Santa finally arrived by fire engine, and the mayor officially opened Santa's Village by turning on the Christmas tree and all the lights. Here's Andrew after eagerly waiting to see Santa. We needed no persuasion this year.

What did he ask for? He wants a mower and a weed eater. I hope Santa was listening... I guess we will find out soon enough! Last year, he asked Santa for a baby "sisser", and we all know how that turned out. Andrew must be a really good boy.

:)

Anne

The Stats

I have...

• a waist that is 38 inches around.



• gained 27 pounds.



• only 20 days left of work.



• at least 15 things to do on my "Before Caroline Comes" list.



• 5 weeks till my delivery date.



• 3 doctor's appointments.



• a 2 year old who is very ready to be a big brother.



• 1 dog who has packed herself in my hospital bag.

Did Lady do this in protest of the new baby or in an effort to go with me? Either way, I think I need to put the bag in a safer place. Let the countdown continue!

:)

Anne

Family Funnies

Andrew has been cracking me up. Here's some of his latest funnies:

Lying
Andrew has been riding the fine line between fact and fiction. After an episode of pure fiction, I called him on the incident in front of Daddy. Daddy said, "Bud do you know what lying means?" Andrew replied, "It's kinda like a tiger." Lying, lion, tiger. It makes perfect sense, Andrew.

New Place to Play
I watched Andrew trying to set his football on the tee. His back was to me (and the dog),so he didn't know Lady was squatting right behind him leaving her...uh pile. Andrew (still unaware of Lady or her business) stops working and says aloud, "Huh, I need a new place to play. It smells like poop over here." Andrew, you don't know how right you are.

Angry Expressions
Unfortunately for all of us, Nebraska got their tails handed to them by Texas. Daddy was very verbal in his displeasure. Andrew apparently took notes. Flash forward to today after church. Daddy, frustrated with the length of the traffic light, voices a somewhat muted bit of anger. From the back seat, Andrew firmly agrees, "F*** it. Holy crap." Once we pulled it together, I gently reminded Chris that Andrew repeats everything. Chris's response, "He didn't get "holy crap" from me." Touche. I have let a few "holy craps" slip.

:)
Anne

Dear Caroline,

Dear Caroline,

As I prepare for your arrival, I am reminded of all the little "perks" of being pregnant. I would hate to forget all these little reminders of my time carrying you, so I thought I would make you a list. (One day, I hope you are lucky enough to experience these, too... for better or worse.)

1a. Hello, boobs. From the very beginning of pregnancy, I have had boobs. It's pretty cool considering the other 28 years of my life I haven't had them. Score.

1b. Hello, belly. With the newly added boobs, I also had to welcome an ever expanding waistline. Unlike my pregnancy with Andrew, you showed yourself in my midsection VERY early. (Thanks for that.) A gut at 10 weeks translates to maternity jeans much sooner than I had hoped. The even larger gut at 32 weeks means that I can't see my feet. Perk?

2a. Shiny hair. Before people even knew that I was carrying you, they complimented me on my hair saying how healthy and full it looked. Score.

2b. Shiny face. Awesome. I now understand why people say pregnant women look "glowing"... People say that to because if they say you look like a greasy slice of pizza, they would get punched. Perk?

3a. Forget your worries. With each little kick, roll, or nudge, I am reminded of the miracle in my belly and am anxious to meet you. From the outside, anytime someone sees my bump, I get to gush on and on about your and my plans for you. Score.

3b. Forget everything else. I have read articles by doctors (with perfectly fine degrees) that say being pregnant does not cause a brain drain or forgetfulness. All of these doctors are men. With Andrew, I caught myself driving away with the gas pump still in my tank, losing everything from my keys to my mind, and one day showing up to work with my underwear on inside-out. With you, I caught myself in a new predicament that made me write this post today. I wore two different shoes to work. Perk? From the reaction I got, I guess it was a perk for all the teachers and parents who saw my feet today.

I know what you're thinking, "How did you make it to work without noticing?" For your answer, see 1b.

:)

Anne

Dear people...

Dear people who are wrong,

• 
  1. Training Potty Inventor: Although the idea of having a tiny potty is great for tiny people, there's a major flaw: some poor, big person has to clean it up every time. Trust me, if you don't clean it each and every time, you will suffer the stinky consequences. Plus, the tiny potty has tons of tiny little places where tee-tee can hide.
  
  2. Ice Cream Manufacturers: First of all, congratulations on making a damn fine product. Ice cream might just be heaven on earth. The only mistake seems to be in the nutritional information typed on the back of your containers. It must be a typo because it says that the tub has 12 servings. Weird. I only had it for 5 nights, and it was empty. Clearly, my tub was mis-marked.
  
  3. Andrew, dear sweet Andrew...
• First, you are not nearly as accurate peeing standing up as you think you are. Trust me, I have had to wash the bathmats too frequently to think otherwise.


• Next, you can tell me "Trust me, mommy", but that won't get you what you want. For instance, when I say no to your pleas for more cookies, you saying, "trust me, mommy, I just need two more" won't result in more cookies. Trust me, Andrew, that won't work.


• Your are also wrong when you tell me that you need privacy in the bathroom. I still wipe your butt, and you still pee in the grass in front of anyone who will watch. I will grant you no such privacy... not yet at least.

4. Curious children. You are all wrong about what's going on with my gut.

• No, I did not just "get fat over the summer". (10 kids asked that)
• No, I wasn't "just pregnant like last year". (1 kid)
• No, it's not weird that "[I] already got a baby, and now [I] get to get another one". (1 boy)
• Finally, no, I did not eat a baby. (1 kid... 1 kid that will have a rude awakening when he figures out how babies actually get there.)

I think that's all for now, but I am sure that many more people will need my correcting soon enough.

:)

Anne

In my head..

Things in my head right now:

• The bigger I get with Caroline... the more Andrew wants me to hold him, which isn't fair... for either of us.
• The more big boy milestones he acheives... the harder it is to watch him need me less and less.
• The closer Caroline gets...the more nervous I get that I won't be enough for both of them.
• Should we have waited until he was older to have another?
• Have we given him enough of us?
• Will he be ready for a sibling?
• Will we be ready for his sibling?
• Will she be like Andrew?
• Will we have more after her?
• ....and on and on and on.

I guess the hardest part of parenting for people like Chris and I is that we can only plan and prepare so much. For two people who have planned out every step of the way, we will just have to see what God has planned for us. It's an exciting time, but I think it's okay to admit it's a little scary, too.

"Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me." John 14:1

:)

Anne

Potty Training

Between my ever-moving, ever-growing, and ever-changing son and my ever-moving, ever-growing, and ever-changing belly, I have fallen victim to the comforts of my couch more evenings than not. Andrew goes to bed, and my feet go up. It's been way too easy to ignore the brand new laptop begging for blogging, so that I can veg out. I vow to better... at least a little bit better and post more than a couple times a trimester. :)

Potty Training

I will start with the biggest change in the past few weeks. Andrew still loves his big boy bed, so the next big boy change was using the potty. Towards the end of July, I decided to go for it. He was just shy of 2 and a half (still young according to all the articles I read). I found an approach that involved the two of us being on house arrest for several days to get Andrew in the swing of things. He was naked from the waste down, so he didn't have to wrestle with undies while he learned to interpret his urges.

He had a few accidents, even more successes, and many uneventful trips to the potty to read one of our animated potty books. Of all the trials and tribulations, the funniest (for me) and most trying (for Andrew) involved his first diaper-free poop. Andrew was naked from the waste down and playing in the backyard. I walked in to refresh my water, and I hear Andrew running in and excitedly yelling, "I went poo-poo, Mommy. I went poo-poo." My first thought, "Oh my, where?" My second thought, "Is he clean?"

I had Andrew bring me to the scene of his "success", which was outside on the walkway to the shed. I told him that we needed to get clean, and then we would clean up outside. We did our bathroom clean-up; however, when we returned to clean the mess outside, it was not there. (Brace yourselves!) In it's place was a wet spot on the stone and my disgustingly satisfied dog staring up at us. Andrew looked confused and asked, "Mommy, where's my poo-poo?"

Dumbfounded, I muttered the response, "I guess Lady ate it." Wrong answer, mommy. Andrew, instantly horrified, was reduced to tears and yelled, "Lady ate my poo-poo, Lady ate my poo-poo. Bad girl, Lady!"

Yeesh. Since then, Andrew has made great progress! He has become pretty independent and has learned to poop in the potty. Yay!(He still scolds Lady when he remembers that events of that fateful day.)

Needless to say, you shouldn't let my dog kiss your face.

Here's to potty training!

:)

Anne

Big Boy Bed

Andrew has successfully entered the realm of sleeping in a real bed! It's been a few weeks, but I didn't want to post until I was sure it would last. Before we moved the bed, Andrew and I went shopping for linens. He picked out what he wanted (I liked them, too... phew). He stuck with the jungle theme for his room, so it fits right in! The first picture is of Andrew sleeping in the bed for the first time!

After a few experiments, Andrew moved the pillows to "size down" the full sized bed. In the picture below, you can see that Andrew moved the pillows, so that he sleeps in the same size space as his old toddler bed. He's a genius.

:)

Anne

The Fourth of July

For the 4th of July, we had a splashy celebration at Grandma Mary's and then we made our way to the city of Richardson's fireworks show. We had a great parking spot, so we didn't have to get there super early. We also didn't have to join the massive crowds that took shuttles. Yeesh! Here are some highlights! Left: Here's Uncle Jason sporting the three glow-in-the-dark necklaces that he bought for the kids. (Yeah, right.)

Below: Andrew, Macy, and Jack on the blanket anxiously awaiting the fireworks show... and chowing down on some chips.

Andrew told everyone "happy father's day" to celebrate, but when the fireworks started, he was a little less enthusiastic. As long as I was holding him at a "safe" distance, he enjoyed the fireworks.

We finished the evening with snow cones, and headed home to bed at midnight!

:)

Anne

The Lake

Andrew had his second trip to the lake, but this time he was big enough to swim, splash, and build sand castles. (Andrew was only four months old when he took a joy ride with Ang and Charlie on their boat. Merely an observer. )

For this trip, Andrew was the man in charge. Grandma Sharon and Grandpa got a sweet condo at Lake Texoma for the whole crew! The whole crew? That's us, the grandparents, and Aunt Lisa and Uncle Wayne! The accommodations were super nice! Grandparents had a room to themselves and the rest of us had a massive suite to share! We also had a big common area with a living room, full kitchen, and dining room!

Enough of those details, let's get the important stuff:
1. The giant pool. Our should I say Andrew's pool? He definitely owned it... Along with his five personal playmates. Here's a video of Andrew and Daddy. (Although Aunt Lisa, Uncle Wayne, and Grandpa all took turns tossing the baby around.)

2. Baseball- Andrew's Pastime. Ever since he saw his cousin Jackson playing tee-ball, Andrew has obsessed about hitting his own home runs. We had to bring the tee, balls, and bats to the lake.

2. Fireworks-Andrew's first! Aunt Lisa and Uncle Wayne snuck some fireworks into the resort... They were innocent enough- no one wanted to burn the place down. It's dark (duh), but you can still see the excitement!

3. The beach. We found a little boat company that would take us out to our own private island! The captain, a sweet girl named Katie, set up our private beach with an umbrella, toys, and noodles. We were set for a few hours of playing in the sun! The weather was perfect, and Andrew showed us all that the lake is his territory, too!

The whole trip was a blast, and Andrew did amazingly well! Thanks for a great vacation, Shackletts!

:)

Anne

When Mommy says no...

When Mommy says no, Andrew has found ways to attempt to break me down. Here are some of his "reasoning" tricks:

1. If Andrew wants some of what I'm eating, and I say no, his response is "OK, mommy, then I'll just have a couple."

2. If Andrew wants me to play a game with him, and I say no, his response is "OK, Mommy, you play just one time."

3. If Andrew wants to watch a DVD in the car, I say no and "we only watch them on long trips." Andrew no longer asks to watch a DVD. He now enters the car and tells me, "Mommy, let's take a long trip."

4. If he wants to go inside, and I say no, a moment later he will pretend to "swat at a bug" and say, "Mommy, go inside. Bugs are biting".

5. One time he wanted to run after a ball in the street, so I told him that "we only run and play in green grass". (I meant- stay in the yard.) Now if he asks me to play with him outside, and I say no and sit on the porch/deck, his response is, "Mommy, you have to stay in the green grass."

6. If Andrew wants to take a toy another child is playing with, he simply snags it and tells me reassuringly, "I'm sharing this Mommy."

Well, if you put it that way, Andrew... the answer is still no. Nice try.

:)
Anne

The Dining Board, part 2

Andrew has no fear. It's equal parts super cool and super scary.

:)

Anne

Summer begins!

Andrew and I started summer with a bang! We went to the zoo last week and were so excited that Grandma Mary could come, too!

We followed the same formula as last year to ensure success: get there early, bring water and snacks, and wear comfy shoes!

The Dallas Zoo just opened the Giants of the Savannah exhibit, which blew our minds! Before we got to that exhibit, Andrew demanded a stop with his old friend, the gorilla. (Andrew calls it the Gorilla-dilla.) Last year, Andrew and Wyatt spent time with the female gorilla who seemed truly taken with the boys. This year, the male gorilla seemed equally interested in Andrew and Grandma Mary.

Next we visited the new exhibit, which got us eye to eye with the elephants, giraffes, cheetahs, and lions!

After our close encounters, we were on a hut for the zebras, and stumbled upon a new adventure. Camel riding!

The last place we hit was the children's zoo. Most of the animals were sleeping, but Andrew did find a sweet goat to pet and a sleeping pig that didn't seem to mind us either. He also spent some time analyzing the fish with Grandma Mary.

After all that fun, we decided to pack it up. The clock said nap time, so we decided to stop at the Zoo McDonald's for a nugget meal to share... and to keep Andrew awake for the ride home. It worked, and we all had no trouble napping once we got home!

We can't wait to go back! Hopefully Daddy can come with us next time!

:)

Anne

Baby Shacklett

Dear Baby Shacklett,

You may not know for a while but your big brother already loves you. Tonight as we got ready for bed, I asked Andrew about you. "Andrew, do you want a brother or a sister?"

He thought for a moment and turned in my lap to look in my eyes. He very quietly said, "Mommy, I just want the baby. I want to hold the baby like this." He cradled his arms around his Lovie to show me that he was ready for you.

You are going to have a wonderful big brother. He can't wait to meet you.

:)

Anne

Hello Summer! Hello Foodie?

I don't know if the moon is in alignment with Jupiter or what, but I don't care. A new side of my son... a foodie side of my son has emerged. I know what you're thinking, "A foodie, that can't be!". I agree. I wouldn't believe it if I hadn't seen it with my own eyes.

So here's the run down of new foods since mid-May:

1. Kiwi

2. Strawberries

3. Apricots

4. Donuts (not exactly a health food, but a new food... who cares)

5. French Toast- the real deal. It was homemade, mushy, and covered in eggy goodness. He ate 2 full pieces!!

6. Peanut Butter- that was about 15 minutes ago, and I was able to snap some shots of the newly crowned foodie in action. He started out cautiously with little tastes on his finger... then he took my whole spoon...and another...and another!

:) Here's to trying new things and loving them!

Anne

PS: I know Aunt Bre will be happy that her little guy is becoming a foodie! Maybe he'll try something new with her in San Antonio!!

Introducing...

Introducing the newest addition to the Shacklett family. Baby Shacklett is scheduled to make an appearance on December 7. If you can't tell, this is a video of my latest sonogram. It starts out slow, but then you can see little arms, legs, a big noggin, and a big belly...Also, at around 30 seconds, you can hear the sweet heartbeat!! The doctor estimates the baby is about the size of a peach! We are so excited, and Andrew is already practicing how he will rock the baby!

:)

Anne (+1)

PS: Lady can't wait either!