Swimming Lessons 103 - Session 6

In this week's swimming lesson Carly worked on swimming with a kick board. The goal in using the kick board was to help the children extend their arms and legs out completely. Carly was quite independent with her swimming (thanks to her bubble). She would pick an object in the pool and kick her way to it and bump it with her kick board.

Gymnastics

Carly's winter session of gymnastics ended today. During the past few months Carly has learned how to properly complete forward and backward rolls, various gymnastic positions (tuck, pike, and straddle), and how to hold herself up on a single bar.

Here are two videos from her final class in this session. This was supposed to be her showcase; however, she wasn't interested in giving today's class her all (which was unlike all of her other classes).

Carly has really enjoyed her time in gymnastics and will be continuing it into the spring.

Swimming Lessons 103 - Session 5

During this week of swimming lessons Carly swam with just her bubble on across the width of a racing lane 3.5 times. One of the times the kids were supposed to swim the width of the lane to the wall, knock down the water aerobics weights that were lined up like bowling pins, and then swim back. While Carly was half way across the lane, with me holding her waist, the instructor told me to let go and see what happened - she kept going, knocked over the pins, and then pushed off the wall to swim back! The next time she swam the width of the lane it was to crawl along the wall for about 4 yards to knock down the weights that were now equally spaced out before swimming back to her friends.

Carly only has three more swimming sessions, hopefully she will continue to become more and more independent - hopefully doing a few yards without a bubble.

(Note, the bubble just prevents her from sinking not drowning.)

30 Weeks (almost)

I had my 30 week appointment today (even though it was a day early) and everything looked great! His heartbeat was strong at 140 beats per minute, and my weight and blood pressure were both on target. Our next appointment is March 5 for 32 weeks.

Happy Valentine's Day

Happy Valentine's Day

from our Family to Yours!

Our family had a quite and uneventful Valentine's Day together. We had a quite dinner at home of steak, grilled asparagus, and rice for David and me and hot dogs, peas, and macaroni and cheese for Carly (her personal request). Our dinner was followed with heart Jell-O pieces for dessert! Carly even said "Happy Valentine's Day" at the end of our dinner!

Unfortunately, she wouldn't saw it for the camera - but did I did catch her playing with her daddy!

There are more photo's posted in our Valentine's Day 2012 Gallery.

Swimming Lessons 103 - Session 4

Today was actually our make up session (this should have been the break week during our 8 week session). Unfortunately, due to illness there was only one other student in the class with Carly. The two girls had a fabulous time! They played on the stairs with diving sticks and toys - although neither of them were willing to put their heads underwater to retrieve these toys from the bottom step. They also put on life vests and used noodles to head out into the deeper waters of the pool. The best part for Carly was that they were then allowed to climb out of the pool, jump back in, and then "swim" with their noodles and vests on to the ladder to repeat.

Excitement Update

I posted last night about how excited Carly was (and still is) about her baby brother to be. This afternoon she took her excitement to a new and super cute level. She asked me to sit down in the glider in the nursery and rock one of her baby dolls. As I sat down and began gliding, she pointed to my bump and told me that he would cry. She then explained to me that she would hold and rock him when he cried.

We have 78 days until my due date, but I'm thinking Carly is wishing it was a lot closer than that.

Carly is Excited

Carly will not always be thrilled with the idea that she is a big sister or with the idea that she has a younger brother, but at the moment she can not wait for him to be born!

In the course of our day Carly will hug and kiss my belly (which she has been doing now for a while), but the idea of a "baby" is encompassing much of her imaginary play. Saturday I caught her playing in the nursery with her three baby dolls. The dolls were on the ottoman and one of them was being dressed with socks and infant shoes. Another doll had a hat and baby bib next to her.

Carly's day also involves pointing out her room (the blue room) and the baby's room, turning on the night light in his room nightly. She also really enjoys playing in his room as much as she can. David and I have started stressing that the nursery is not her baby doll's room, but her baby brother's room. So now when I remind her that it is the baby's room she will point to my belly and says "His room."

Even when Carly isn't in the nursery she is still playing with her babies. Yesterday she pushed her babies around in a doll stroller and shopping cart before starting to read to one of them.

Then today she told me that her babies had poopies. She has been pretending to change her baby dolls' diapers for a while now, but her technique is getting much better!

Carly has even begun pointing to where her brother will be sitting in the car. The car seat isn't in the car and isn't out of the attic yet, but Carly still points to the captains chair next to her's in the car and reminds me that the baby will sit there.

Little Helper

This afternoon I was working to unload the dishwasher and Carly walked over to help. She removed a few pieces of silverware from the door, walked over to the drawer they belong in, opened it up, and began trying to put them away while on her tiptoes. I got her a few more pieces of silverware and encouraged her to move a chair over to make it easier to see. She ended up putting all of our silverware away!

Singing

Carly really enjoys to be sung to on a regular basis. She has her list of songs we listen to in the car on her cd, that we sing at nap and bed times, that we sing while I brush her hair and teeth, etc. Gradually she has begun to sign more and more of the lyrics with us.

Today during lunch she really blew David (and me, too) out of the water. She wanted to sing "Jesus Loves Me," and started singing it alone. She sang through the first line and then repeated it. We applauded her start, but wouldn't repeat it for us unless we sang along too. She really is singing (and talking) more and more each day.

Nesting?

I don't really feel like I "nested" with Carly. Grant it, when the doctor looked at David and me and said she would be arriving either today or tomorrow we did race home, set up her pack and play/bassinet, make a last minute Target run for "needed" items, etc. But during her pregnancy I didn't feel the need to clean the bathroom floors on my hands and knees or reorganize my entire kitchen. Unfortunately, this isn't quite the case this time. Today during Carly's nap I cleaned (with a build up remover formula) the furniture in the nursery and then polished it later during nap time. I also caught myself a few days ago cleaning her bathroom floor with 409 (while on my hands and knees) when she was playing independently during bath time.

I know our little man is still transverse (I can feel him kicking and moving accordingly) and I'm not concerned that he will be making an ultra early appearance; however, I do think this third trimester could be quite long and tiring for me (and Dave and Carly) if this cleaning trend continues. But hey, maybe our house will be clean for once (except for where Carly has pulled out toys and Dave is diligently working and/or studying).

28 Weeks

I ventured out alone this morning for my 28 weeks visit to the doctor and the lovely red syrupy drink for my glucose screening. All was well with my appointment. Our little man's heartbeat was 146 beats per minute and the nurse actually got to see him kick me twice while reading his heartbeat.

In addition to having my glucose screening, this visit also marks the start of going in every 2 weeks (instead of 4) for check-ins and the checking for any swelling... I was slightly stunned when he used the hand sanitizer and then poked my ankles prior to measuring the bump. But apparently, it was because we are officially in our third trimester and not because he was concerned. I have not swelling (at the moment) and the basketball under my shirt is measuring right on track.

I won't know the results of my glucose screening until Monday, but I'm not anticipating any problems.

Swimming Lessons 103 - Session 3

Today in swimming lessons Carly worked on swimming without me holding on to her. She was loaded up with a bubble on her back and a noodle under her arm and away she went. The kids were to swim through a hoop to the wall, hold onto the wall, and then swim back through the hoop. With her classmates clapping and splashing her on, she went through the hoop - swimming for about a yard independently.

Carly also really enjoyed jumping into the pool again during this session.