It's a B-O-Y!!!!!

We are excited to announce the birth of our new baby boy to the world. Jonathan Jacob "Jack" San Nicolas was born Monday, October 26, 2009 at 5:03pm and weighing in at 6 lbs 5 oz, 17.5 inches long. Jen's C-section went smoothly, as she felt nothing but numbness throughout the entire surgery, in fact she didn't even know they had started yet and they were half way done! Jack is teeny tiny guy but is thriving and growing leaps and bounds already.

20 Months Old

Matty loves to read and play outside with his cars and ride his bike. He has recently discovered Thomas the Train, which has quickly become his favorite show and books. He is feeding himself with a spoon now and can drink from a cup (when Mommy lets him) and talking alot. Mommy and Daddy are still looking forward to the day when all Matty's words are in English but he's making progress. On his 20 month birthday, it was a special day as it was Matty's last day as an only child.

Happy Birthday Tony!

The Countdown's On!

Well, this time next week we will have a new baby. My C-section is scheduled for the evening of Monday the 26th. With the timing of the surgery, my time in recovery and the visiting hours ending when they do, we are asking any potential visitors to wait to visit until Tuesday at least. This way we can bond with our new little angel and get the initial breastfeeding underway without interruption. Matthew will be staying with my parents while I'm in the hospital and for a few days after. He has taken a real liking to babies so let's hope that trend continues for awhile. Tony will be taking 4 weeks off of work, which I am so grateful for. It will give me a chance to physically recover and for the 4 of us to bond as a family. I'm definitely not so nervous the second time around. I know what to expect, I know what to do...its the lack of sleep and constant diaper changes that I'm a little apprehensive about. But it all goes by so fast!

A Visit to the Pumpkin Patch

We met our good friends, the Castros', at Bates Nut Farm for a picnic lunch and to frolick amongst the pumpkins, animals and heat. It was a nice day but it would have been alot nicer had not been 100 degrees. Matty loved running in the fields and climbing on the pumpkins. Gabriel was insistant that the ponies be ridden, though I wasn't so keen on Matthew getting on a pony...even if it was a mini Shetland. Needless to say, he screamed the entire 2 minutes the pony walked in the circle and was clutching to Tony for dear life.

18 Months Old and Counting!

The Mattman is growing so fast! His development is ahead of schedule according to the pediatrician. He's talking alot, most of which is in his own language but he does use more than 30 words at this point. Often times he likes to point out the "airplane" in the sky and if we are inside and he hears one, he runs to the window with his finger pointing toward the sky saying "airplane, airplane". He is also a monkey. This child will climb on just about anything from the couch, the beds, up the side of his crib. Yesterday he got on one of the dining room chairs. This was something that took a little longer for him to develop since he is a short little guy.

We've also started having him sleep in the big boy bed so we can use the crib for the new baby. We can't get him to fall asleep in the bed yet, so at night I let him fall asleep in the crib and then I transfer him to the bed an hour or so later. So far, so good. He'll stay in bed until 7-7:30. quietly get out of bed and run back to my room and wake me up. He thinks this is great and is usually excited to be the one to come to my room for a change.

Potty training hasn't happened yet. Mostly because I stopped trying. Morning sickness really hit me hard with this pregnancy and although my intentions were good, I just didn't have the mental discipline to be consistent. I figure that it is better to wait until the baby comes than to do this half-assed. We also have a urological appointment in early October to check his kidney growth and I will discuss this further with his urologist at that time.

Tony's Big Day

Matthew and I were very excited to attend Tony's promotion and achievement medal recognition ceremony at his USAF Reserve Unit. After a long wait due to crappy leadership in his unit, Tony was promoted to Technical Sergeant (yay for the new interim commander who is ridding this unit of BS!). He also received his 2nd Achievement Medal for his commitment and service to his unit and Air Wing. Other than being a hot day, and even hotter indoors (seriously, I was sweating so bad, it was embarrassing), it was a wonderful afternoon and we were so proud to see Tony receive the recognition and honor he deserves!

20 Weeks and 3 Days

I had my monthly OB-Gyn appointment today with Dr S. I have now gained a total of 2 pounds with this pregnancy, which I was surprised that it wasn't more since I am really puffy (probably from the pizza we had for dinner a couple of nights ago). Exercise and eating smart is keeping me on track. I don't limit my calories but I don't let pregnancy be an excuse to get out of control. Especially knowing how salt can affect me and the water rentention I incurred with my previous pregnancy. We discussed my "low-lying" placenta, which she reassured me isn't anything to worry about. It is not in a "previa" position and it is common for a low placenta to occur when there has been a previous C-section. I need to be cautious of heavy lifting, nothing over 20 pounds and to only lift Matthew when it is necessary. Luckily, he hates to be carried which makes it better for me.



The Mattman came to the appointment with me since Tony has Reserves this week. I'm truly amazed at how well behaved he was at the Dr's office. He just played with his Hot Wheels and sat in his stroller with limited whining. I'm still having a bit of nausea...mostly as a result of diapers. I'm trying to introduce potty training but with lingering morning sickness, I'm finding it is not a successful operation for Mommy. The Braxton-Hicks still hit me with intensity some days but they aren't frequent enough to worry about. I'm having a lot of pain in my left hip, mostly first thing in the morning, so I'm sure its a result of sleeping positions. Overall, feeling pretty good, especially when I can squeeze in an afternoon nap.

Matty's Birthday Barbecue 3/21/09

Tony works every other weekend and in some months, his Reserve weekend coincides with his weekends off. This happened in March so we had to push Matty's bday party back almost a month past his actual birthday. This was actually a blessing since he ended up with RSV on his actual birthday and was sick for over a week (seriously, I had to nebulize him 3-4 times a day). It was a beautiful day and we reserved the picnic area at a nearby park and had family and close friends join us for a celebration. Grandma and Grandpa Palmer, Grandpa San Nicolas, Sandy and Eric Jensen, Mike Jensen, The Castro Family, The Knauf Family, Auntie Claire, Auntie Katrina and Kylie, Great-Uncle Larry, I hope I'm not leaving anyone out.... Oh yeah, the Eberts came late in the day but at least everybody got to see Zoey for about an hour. Auntie Sylvia and Uncle Rob couldn't make it because Christopher had a baseball game but they had a special dinner for the Mattman later in the week.

Matty had a fun time playing on the playground and just being the center of attention. He made a mess of his cake and got lots of cool presents. Mommy was about 4-6 weeks pregnant and hadn't told anybody yet so she was tired when the day was done.

19 Weeks and 5 Days...

...is how far along I am as of the print out from the Ultrasound Tech today. I had my routine anatomy scan of the baby today. Matty and Tony accompanied me so they could see the miracle of life doing back flips inside me. All is well and good- the heartbeat, the weight, major organs look great. The kidneys were measured and looked to be the appropriate size so there are no signs of hydronephrosis at this time, which is a relief. There is a 30-50% chance of this baby having the same issues as Matthew had and so far no signs. Matthew showed signs when I was 16 weeks along so this is very good news. My placenta is in a low-lying position, although they said it would be premature to call it "previa" but I will have a subsequent ultasound in 8 weeks to make sure the placenta is progressing its way higher in my uterus. I see Dr S next Wednesday so I'm sure we will have a more in depth discussion about this at that time.

I'm feeling pretty good these days. I still have days where I get nauseous and earlier this week, I was sick all day. I should be past all that, but then again I am still changing diapers so that may have a little something to do with it. I get tired but that is to be expected. No one told me that the Braxton Hicks would be more intense this time around. Wow! Talk about an attention getter. On Wednesday, I was at my mom's and had some major contractions and this evening as well. I wouldn't go so far as to say they were painful but they did get my attention for sure.

15 Months Old!

Since we found out we are having another baby, we have stopped referring to Matthew as "the baby" but rather as our "big boy" and that is exactly what he is. His walk has turned into a run and he's saying over 20 words/combination words at last count. He loves Hot Wheels, well anything with wheels and of course his beloved Teddy. He prefers to be outside and we spend a good part of the day on walks or playing on the patio. We've had some warm days this spring so we have been in the pool at least a 1/2 dozen times so far this year. He definitely is enjoying it more and wishes I would just let him go crazy in the pool instead of making him sit in a floatie or being held the whole time. He has a sense of humor and finds it thrilling to make Mommy and Daddy chase him, especially when we are trying to round him up for his bath, diaper change, getting dressed, etc. He likes to hide in corners and behind furniture from us...we always know where he is because we can hear him cracking up from wherever he is hiding from. He also likes to pretend to talk on the phone. He'll take a random toy (usually his baseball bat) and hold it up to his ear and say "hello! yes! what? oh! bye bye!".

...and baby makes 4!

The rumors are true, we are expecting again! On March 7th, I took a pregnancy test because I was late and felt like I'd gained 50 lbs and it was positive. We were in a state of shock and didn't tell anyone for awhile. In fact, I called my mom on April Fool's Day and it took her and my dad almost 10 minutes to realize I wasn't jerking their chain.

Its amazing how early you start showing with a second pregnancy. At Matthew's birthday party in March, I was hoping their wouldn't be any comments about how fat I was getting. However, after I told people I was pregnant, they would say wonderful things like "I thought you were gaining weight". For the record, I haven't gained a single pound to date, my stomach just looks like I'm smuggling a bowling ball.

We probably won't be finding out the sex with this baby either (mostly because we like to annoy you), especially since the surprise was thwarted to due to visits with the peds urologist in the weeks prior to having Matty, there was no way around it. As for the hydronephrosis/reflux that Matthew had, there is a 30-50% chance that this child will have a similar experience. Matthew's new urologist has been a bank of information for us.

I've been to the OB-GYN twice now. I have a new doctor as we have new insurance. I really like her alot, she's a little more laid back than my previous doctor, though I would have gone back to him if I could have. I'm guessing we are having another boy because at my initial visit, the baby moved so much, Dr S couldn't verify the fetal size in the ultrasound so I had to go to a perinatologist for verification. At that appointment, this child didn't stop moving either. The technician suggested I ask Dr S for ritalin instead of prenatal vitamins. I had my 2nd appointment today and all is well. I'm still not gaining weight but because I was so sick in my first trimester, she had prescribed Reglan to curb the nausea. That definitely helped me function with an active toddler in the house. I'm still nauseous when I first wake up in the morning but I'm down to just one dose a day. I'm carrying high again, probably due to my tilted uterus. I'm also having unbelievable tailbone pain. I had this with Matthew but I remember it going away after I stopped working at AMN. Dr S said it will be subsequentially worse with each pregnancy ( so maybe we'll stop with 2?). Meanwhile I sit on pillows and get in the pool as much as I can.

So now you all know why I haven't blogged more. Between morning sickness and a busy toddler, I haven't been up to it. I'm hoping to make more time to blog so I can keep a record of this pregnancy too. Stay tuned....

Spontaneous Resolution

We've had some great news on Matthew's health in recent weeks. It appears as though his bladder reflux has "spontaneously resolved" itself without medical intervention. There was an 80% chance this would happen by his 5th birthday and we are thrilled and blessed to find out it happened by his 1st birthday. This means we no longer have to give him daily anti-biotics as there is no longer a substantial threat of a urinary tract infection nor will he have to go through any more invasive testing. His kidneys are still 2 different sizes but from the ultrasound images, they are both functioning properly without scarring or damage. He will have another ultrasound in late September to track his progress.

Matthew's urologist, Dr Walker, praised me for breastfeeding Matthew for the entire first year of his life. He said that made all the difference because Matthew never came down with one UTI in that first year. Apparently, the anti-biotic properties in breast milk were a major factor. There is 1000 times less bacteria in the dirty diapers of breastfed babies than in babies who are formula fed (which is what causes UTIs). I know I got more flack than praise for breastfeeding Matthew for 12.5 months, especially because I never forced him to take a bottle when he refused it all those months (its not like I was going back to work, it would have been out of convenience more than anything). However, I feel like my intuition was spot on because my son's health was more important to me than anything.

Matty's 1st Birthday 2-25-09

I know I am behind on blogging. Its been a busy year with lots of distractions. Having a walking talking toddler sometimes prevents me from getting on the computer other than to check email or facebook because he likes to type on the keyboards or steal the cordless mouse from me while I'm working. Matty was sick with RSV on his 1st birthday as you can tell from the pics. He had a fever and was really tired but he mustered up enough energy to devour a piece of cake. A week later, we went to Big Bear to see Grandma and Grandpa Palmer and they got him a special cupcake from the bakery that he annihilated. He also got a new quad that he keeps up at their house. Stay tuned for pics from the birthday BBQ.

Baby DJ Is Here!

My cousin Kalynn and her husband Donny have just had their first baby yesterday! DJ is here weighing in at 7 lbs 12 oz, 19.25 inches long. He's absolutely beautiful! Here's to 23 years without a female born into the Palmer family!

Updates to Come Soon

Soooo...with a toddler in the house, finding time to blog has been a struggle. So much is happening and the Little Man is growing like a weed on steroids. Stay tuned for new pics and updates!

Visiting Zoey

I went to see Shannen and Zoey today. She's gorgeous and so tiny. I don't envy Shannen right now, these days are the toughest but she's a great mom.

New Arrival!

We have a new "niece"! Zoey Rose Ebert was born at 12:30am this morning. Weighing in at 7lbs 13oz and 18 1/2 inches long. It was a quick labor and Shannen's water broke in the pool at 24 Hour Fitness (you might not want to swim there for awhile) and a few hours later she was here!

We are so excited and can't wait to see her!

Technical Difficulties

Well...first of all, I can't sleep because I found out about 2 hours ago that Shannen is in labor so my new "niece" will be born soon.

I haven't blogged since Tony's graduation because of a little glitch in the system. For an early Christmas gift, we bought a digital video camera so we can take good video and upload, etc. Love the camera. The software sucks. So it took me awhile to get the software installed and then to figure out how to upload. I uploaded but can't find the files. Meanwhile, it interfered with our software for our regular camera, so I can't upload anything off of it. We've moved since I installed that software so I would have to find the box with all our software in it so I can reinstall the Canon software. Meanwhile, I have at least 100 Christmas/New Years photos to upload and its killing me. Seriously.

Anyways, we're all doing great. Happy New Year!

Alphabet Tag

Thanks Mel!

Alphabet Tag
A--Attached or Single: Attached... And wouldn't want it any other way
B--Best Friend: Castro and Shannen
C--Cake or Pie: Pie, something fruity
D--Day of Choice: Sunday
E--Essential Item: deodorant
F--Favorite Color: Yellow
G--Greatest Accomplishment: Matthew
H--Hometown: Valley Center, CA
I--Indulgences: the occasional glass of wine
J--January or July: january
K--Kids: 1
L--Life is incomplete without: My husband and Matthew
M--Marriage Date: October 1, 2005
N--Number of Siblings: 1 brother and 1 adopted brother
O--Oranges or Apples: apples
P--Phobias or fears: where do I start?
Q--Quotes: "Wrecked him?! Darn near killed em!" Mike Palmer Sr (you had to be there)
R--Reason to Smile: My family
S--Season: Fall
T--Tag 5 Friends: Ashley, Alicia, Castro, Kalynn, Christy
U--Unknown facts about me: I can't think of anything right now
V--Very favorite store: Old Navy and Target
W--Worst habit: Being a clutter queen
X--X-ray or Ultra Sound: Ultrasound, I'm not usually in pain when I get one of those
Y--Your favorite food: Mexican
Z--Zodiac: Capricorn/Aquarius cusp