Sponsor Swap!

Hello there! Just wanted to let y'all know that I've switched completely over to Passionfruit to display ads here at Love, Lattes & Lullabies. If you want to advertise but would rather not spend the moolah, check out my new Sponsor Swap option. It's free! All I ask is that you display my button (which you can grab from the right-hand sidebar) on your site as well. Be sure to use SWAP as the promo code to get your free ad. Easy peasy! I will delete the ads that I put up manually in a few days to give you time to add yourself via the Passionfruit form on my "Advertise" tab. Who wants to mess with HTML, anyway?


If you have any questions, shoot me an e-mail at sbuxsweetie {at} gmail {dot} com.


Thanks, loves, and have a fabulous weekend!
 

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How we found out

WARNING: Please be aware that in this post, I will mention some personal details relating to my fertility and, well, sex - because we all know that's how babies are made. Don't say I didn't warn you!

As I mentioned in a previous post, I decided close to a year ago that hormonal birth control wasn't working out for me, and I began charting my cycles using FertilityFriend.com to avoid pregnancy. I've always been lucky enough to have pretty predictable cycles, so getting pregnant - or in this case, avoiding pregnancy - should have been easy, right? Weeellll... this particular cycle, my body did something unpredictable. For once in my life, I ovulated right on cycle day 14. I've historically ovulated between days 16 and 18, and sometimes later. So, usually, having sex on day 10 would be in the "safe zone" for us. But, amazingly, this time around it was day 10 sex that got me pregnant!


At 13 days past ovulation, I had a little inkling. My temps were still pretty high and I woke up feeling hot, like our bedroom was a hundred degrees. I wasn't feverish or anything; I was just really warm. I remembered feeling that way when I was pregnant with Colin.

I should add that Justin was at work that day, and I had stayed home with Colin, who was sick and had to be kept out of daycare.

When I went to use the bathroom, I remembered that I had a bunch of cheap pregnancy tests just sitting there in the cabinet, waiting to be peed on. There they were, staring me in the face, so I peed, and I waited. The control line showed up almost immediately. And then, after about a minute, this is what I saw:

Even though I had a feeling I might be pregnant, seeing an actual positive pregnancy test hit me like a ton of bricks. I'm pretty sure I said, "what are we going to do?" out loud. My heart was racing. I was scared, excited, worried, happy, anxious... all at once. Completely overwhelmed. I told Colin that he was going to be a big brother, and he stared at me like, "okay, so? Big deal."


Still shaking, I called Justin at work.

Him: "Hey."
Me: "Hey... I have to tell you something."
Him: "Okay."
Me: "[Pause] Umm..... I think I'm pregnant."

I didn't think. I knew. Maybe I was trying to soften the blow, I don't know. He asked if I had taken a test, and I said I had. We sat there in silence for a minute, both of us processing what I had just said out loud. I had no idea what else to say, and he was working, so it was a pretty short conversation. We told each other we loved each other and agreed to talk more about it later.


My heart continued to race as I thought through what this meant. Our budget has been tight. How in the world will we afford to add another member to our family? How will we afford daycare? Will I have another c-section? Will I be able to breastfeed this time? How long can we afford for me to take off for maternity leave? How is Colin going to feel about all this? What will it be like to be pregnant with a toddler at home?


After calling my mom, who was also at work, and talking with her about it, I felt reassured. She told me that I'm a great mom, and that we'll figure everything out. She reminded me that God is in control, and that everything would be just fine. Even though I wasn't 100% convinced in that moment, I have relaxed a lot since that day, and have been praying like crazy for our little peanut, and for the security and well-being of our little family. That has really calmed me. As the time goes by, I am falling in love with this sweet little one more and more, and I am getting excited to be a momma to 2 under 2. Seeing him/her on ultrasound yesterday made this real to me. Watching our little gummy bear kick and stretch, and seeing his/her heart flicker reminded me that there is a real live person growing inside me, and that little person is a blessing. It really is going to be okay. In fact, it's going to be more than okay. I am pregnant, I love my baby, and I am happy.


More to come!

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Here we go again!

Colin has some really BIG news to share...

He's going to be a BIG BROTHER!

 

Baby Vaughan #2 is due January 6, 2013! We had not planned on having another one so soon, but sometimes God's timing is different than ours. It took a little time for the idea to sink in, but we are so blessed and so excited to welcome another little one into our family. This morning, we saw our peanut on ultrasound for the first time, and s/he is measuring right on track. The heartbeat was 171, and the placenta is low and posterior this time, so hopefully I'll get to feel movement a little earlier than I did with Colin! Here is our sweet little babe.

Psalm 139:13-16  For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well. My frame was not hidden from you, when I was being made in secret, intricately woven in the depths of the earth. Your eyes saw my unformed substance; in your book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there was none of them.

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Something new every day

At 17 months old, Colin is learning something new every day. Some "tricks" are fun to watch, like the awkward way he climbs up onto the couch, or the way he points the remote at the TV and pushes buttons. The other day, he changed the channel from Disney Jr. to ESPN! Typical guy. Other things he's learned, well... they're not so pretty. Every afternoon when I pick him up from daycare, I get a little report that usually says something like, "Colin blew bubbles today," or, "Colin danced today." Yesterday, the report read, "Colin put his fingers down his throat and made himself throw up." Yeah. That's a "trick" I would have preferred he hadn't learned. Here's hoping it was a one time thing and not a new hobby he's working on.

Probably the most amazing new development is the way Colin's vocabulary is growing by leaps and bounds. I swear he says at least one new word every day, because he likes to mimic Justin and me. Here was the word of the day yesterday.

Colin's favorite Go, Diego, Go! episode is, of course, "The Great Dinosaur Rescue." In true little boy form, the kid loves anything that says "roar!" What new things are your toddlers doing?

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Wordless Wednesday: Pasta Boy

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Happy Father's Day

To the men who willingly wipe dirty bums and runny noses. To the guys who love their wives and children fiercely and unconditionally. To those who provide for their families without complaint. To the sports watching, video game playing, couch sitting dudes who make our lives complete.

Happy Father's Day!

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Saturday fun in the backyard

Since I don't have any hilarious stories or amazing words of wisdom for you today, I thought I'd share a glimpse into our relaxed Saturday afternoon. I just love my little ham. I hope you're enjoying your weekend. We certainly are!

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Updates on my Boys

Yesterday morning, my husband went in for his endoscopy to try and get to the bottom of what's been causing his ongoing stomach pain and discomfort. The procedure went well, and the anesthesia didn't make him loopy at all. I was really hoping to get some hilarious comments out of him afterwards, but no dice. :) It was relatively quick, too. When it was over, we had a diagnosis. Justin doesn't have ulcers like we originally thought. The only abnormality is that he has a Hiatal hernia. The strangest part is, apparently he's had it for a long time, but it's just now causing him pain. He had another endoscopy nearly seven years ago, when we were first married, and they saw it then, too. (I had forgotten about that until he reminded me yesterday.) That time, though, he had an ultrasound as well and ended up having his gallbladder removed when they found that gallstones were the source of his trouble. Since he doesn't have a gallbladder anymore, that can't be the problem now, so it seems his Hiatal hernia has been causing the recent pain. He's been put on an incredibly bland diet (poor guy) and has some strong antacids to help with the reflux that the Hiatal hernia causes. Only about 50% of people with a Hiatal hernia have symptoms, but unfortunately Justin has become part of that 50%. It won't ever go away on its own, but he can minimize the symptoms by following the special diet and taking meds when necessary. If it ever gets to be too much, he can have surgery to correct the problem.

As for Colin, he's been feeling better and regaining his crazy toddler energy. After several doses of a strong antibiotic, his double ear infection seems to be tapering off. However, he's been in serious teething mode on top of that, and the antibiotic he's on has upset his stomach some. As a result, he had a few days of massive diarrhea that caused an awful, blistering rash. Desitin wasn't really doing the trick, so at the suggestion of my sister-in-law who also happens to be an RN, I slathered up his red bottom with Aquaphor before bed last night. That did seem to help a little. I asked Colin's daycare teachers to treat the rash during diaper changes today, but of course I wish I could be the one to change him and take care of it. Today is one of those days when I really wish I didn't work outside the home and have to be away from my sweet boy so much. I feel that way often, but it really hits me when there's something I want to stay on top of - like a crazy diaper rash. Oh, motherhood.

In other, happier news, Colin is learning to eat with a fork. Isn't he just the cutest?! Don't judge his haircut, please - I did it myself and it isn't perfect. :) Also, it wasn't brushed here, and his curls kind of do what they want. Ha!

 

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Wordless {and Pantsless} Wednesday: Loungin'.

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What a Weekend

Our weekend began with my husband going to the ER on Friday night for some abdominal pain he's had on and off for quite a while. For a couple days there, it got pretty bad. He was in a lot of pain and was nauseous off and on. He was treated for the discomfort and given some meds to take home, and he's got an appointment with a GI specialist tomorrow afternoon. They'll likely do an endoscopy and some more testing to try and figure out what's going on. The ER doctor said it could be an ulcer or gastritis, but hopefully soon we will know for sure. They also gave him a special (read: super bland) diet to stick to in the meantime, and that does seem to be helping.


Saturday, I woke up to Colin's usual "I'm awake, come get me" babbling on the monitor, thankful we would have the day to do nothing and get some rest. Well. Later in the morning, Colin felt really warm to me, so I took his temp. He had a fever, but at that point it was low-grade, so I figured it might be teething related (he's got two coming in now). When his temp got up to 103.1, I gave him some Motrin, and kept an eye on him... but I was starting to worry. He quickly went from his usual, happy self to a cranky, sleepy, SCREAMING child I had never seen before. Something was seriously wrong. We decided to take him to urgent care and have him checked out. I thought it might be an ear infection.


When we got there, he was weighed (well, they weighed me with and without him, because he was too sick to stand up and be weighed on his own). 28 pounds, the nurse said. The last time we weighed him at home, he was over 30 pounds, but oh well. I guess we'll get his accurate weight at his 18 month appointment in July. Anyway. We were whisked into a room, and the nurse took his temp rectally. 103.7. Wait, what?! When we left the house, it had been 101.5. My poor baby's temp had spiked in a matter of maybe 45 minutes. He was immediately given a dose of Tylenol, and when the nurse practitioner came in and checked out his ears, she had no doubt - both ears were infected. It was hard to have a conversation with her above Colin's screaming, but we agreed to get a shot of antibiotics to get them working more quickly, as he was obviously in a lot of pain.


The shot was terrible. The nurse administering it warned that it can really burn going in, so I held my sweet boy's arms while Justin kept his legs still. After the shot, Colin held his breath for a second before he cried. I hate that so much. It was obvious that he was really hurting from both the ear infection and the shot. I fought tears of my own as I picked him up and tried to calm him down. I wanted to take his pain away, or at least to be able to explain to him that the medicine would make him feel better. It's so hard to see your child in pain.


After that, we came home and did a lot of snuggling, and Colin did a lot of sleeping - mostly on me. We kept our sickie out of church today and snuggled in bed as a family when Colin woke at 6:45. I thought last night was going to be awful, but he only woke up a couple times, the last being at 1 am. We started the oral version of the antibiotic today and have been keeping up with the Motrin, but even without it Colin's temp has only been 102.2 at its highest, so I think the meds are starting to work.


Long story short, I've been taking care of two boys this weekend. My hubby is feeling a bit better, but is unable to move around too much without feeling the stomach pain, so I've had to do a lot on my own over the weekend. Add a sick little boy to that, and this momma is pretty exhausted. Here's hoping next weekend (Father's Day weekend!) is better.

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NO!

It's finally happened, folks. My sweet, precious little boy has started throwing around the ever popular, defiant toddler word: NO!


The other day, he decided to "help" Mommy by pulling out all the diapers and dumping them onto the floor. As you can see, he was pretty proud of himself.

When I started putting the diapers back and he proceeded to pull them out again, I said, "No, Colin." That little stinker looked at me with the most serious face he could muster and said, "NO!!" Oh, gracious.

Then, this morning, he told me "NO" again as I was strapping him into his car seat. I guess he wasn't stoked about going to daycare. I must admit... it's cute now to watch his vocabulary grow, but I am not looking forward to the "terrible twos" which seem to already be on the horizon. We're in for it, you guys.

Has your toddler learned the "N" word yet?
 

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One-word Wednesday: Lines in the sand

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Toddle Along Tuesday: Mom

Today I'm linking up with Melissa over at Growing Up Geeky for her Toddle Along Tuesday blog hop. The theme today is "your mom." Let me just start by saying that my mom is awesome. She and my dad taught me a lot of valuable things growing up, and when I decided to marry someone nearly 700 miles away and move from Michigan to South Carolina to be with him, she supported my choices and told me how proud she was of me for the person I'd become.

So, in honor of her awesomeness, here are just a few of the things I love about my momma.

1. She's beautiful. This photo from her teenage years makes me smile. Doesn't she look like a movie star?

2. She is such a loving and affectionate mom to my siblings and me. Here we are in 1986. As you can see, she has always loved being a mother. Not only is she loving, but she is also the most patient person I've ever known, which is an important trait to have when you're a mom.

 

3. She has a contagious smile. I took this photo when she came to visit us in the summer of 2010. She knew Justin and I were trying for a baby, and while she was here, we talked and daydreamed about what it would be like to have a new little one in the family (we ended up conceiving Colin the month after this!).

4. She is just as awesome as Grandma as she is as Mom. It has been so incredible to watch her embrace the role of "grandma" with ease. She's a natural, and of course, I'm not surprised. When Colin was born, she stayed for two weeks and was a great help to Justin and me. As Colin has grown and learned new skills over the past sixteen and a half months, Mom has been excited to see the pictures and videos we've taken. We Skype with my family occasionally so that they can see Colin, and they love to watch him play and babble. You can see the love in their eyes when they are around him.

Mom with brand new baby Colin

Mom and Colin, shortly before his first birthday

For everything she does and everything she is, I love my momma to pieces. ♥

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iPhone Snapshots of our Week

Clockwise, starting from top left: 

1. Eating a blueberry waffle for breakfast one morning.

2. Rub a dub dub, Colin likes to read in the tub.

3. Popsicles are great for teething tots! Colin is currently working on cutting eyeteeth and molars... at the same time. Amazingly, he hasn't been much fussier than usual!

4. I melted when I saw that he fell asleep snuggling Puppy!

It's been a busy week, but a good one. Today, we spent some time at Mema and Papa's house, where we swam, played cornhole (which I learned I'm actually pretty good at!), ate grilled burgers and dogs, and watched the little ones run and play. Summer is here, and I'm loving it! Especially on the weekend. :)


More to come.

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