fiske dot com: January 2012

January 28, 2012

A Week in Pictures {Jan 22-28}

sunday. getting tickled.

monday. creating a masterpiece.

tuesday. self portrait.

wednesday. shopping for mommy.

thursday. concerned.

friday. play-doh hog.

saturday. playing peekaboo with the curtains.

January 26, 2012

Baby Girl. An Update.

Okay, so there actually isn’t that much to update. Last time I went to the doctor her heartbeat was the same as it had been. My weight was the same as it had been (and I smiled triumphantly!). My belly was measuring right on track. And then I went home.

Next appointment I get to drink that glucose drink and then sit for an hour. Not looking forward to that.
But then at the next appointment, I get to schedule my c-section date!

So I guess this is more of a “belly” update than a “baby” update. I finally, at 26 weeks, got a picture where I could line it up with one from when I was pregnant with Tennyson. I don’t know why I haven’t been good enough to do it until now. I think because I haven’t really considered myself to be growing until now. So without further delay…

She’s rounder. She’s more forward. I know this without looking at my belly because I can feel her little legs already. Sometimes I feel a butt. And most the time when she is sleeping, I can feel the outline of her body on my right side. I couldn’t do that with Tennyson until I was in the 30 weeks somewhere.

I’m think I’m pretty steadily growing. I’m hoping to not be as gargantuan as I was with Tennyson. Really hoping. I’m doing everything in my control, like this time around I’m not eating cookies for dinner and twix bars for snacks.

January 25, 2012

Speaking of Speaking

We’ve been having a lot of speech therapy fun here in the Fiske house. I know a lot of you have been curious about what this entails and how he’s doing, so I’ll give an update.
We have only seen Tennyson’s therapist once officially, but she gave us a list of things a mile long to work on between visits and we’ve been working hard.
First, sign language. Second, not guessing what he needs.
The first is a mixed bag for me. He currently can sign “more”, “eat”, “drink”, “help”, “all done” and “bubbles”. So on one hand, I’m thrilled to be communicating with Tennyson more. I’m thrilled that he is picking up on signing incredibly fast (even faster than our therapist expected). It only takes him a day or two to pick up a new sign. But on the other hand, his vocabulary is very limited. All I get all day long is “bep” (which is what he says when he signs help). “Bep!” “Bep!” “Bep!” And then I have to figure out what he needs help with. Which is fun in the morning and by the afternoon I’m absolutely sick of being dragged around listening to “Bep!” I have to constantly remind myself how happy I am that he can communicate now. Even if it drives me nuts.
The second part is leading to a lot of tantruming here in the Fiske house. Turns out Tennyson is pretty used to getting everything handed to him. We are trying to do better. After a minute or two of screaming and fussing, we can usually get him to do some sort of sign that will tell us what he needs. And, yes, usually that is just “Bep!” And, yes, by the end of the day I’m usually weak and just hand him his food/sippy/ipod before he asks. I’m only human. I can only listen to so many fits a day.
So that’s all the progress we’ve made so far. It’s actually a lot. He’s picking up sign language a lot faster than we ever expected. He’s starting to have what could almost qualify as conversations with us. And he’s starting to want to talk more. Progress.

January 23, 2012

Utah, a step by step guide

Our recent trip to Utah ended up being so perfect, that I thought everyone would like to have a step-by-step guide in case they want to create the exact same getaway. Warning: being pregnant on this vacation will drastically increase the amount of exhaustion felt by the end.
Step one. Meet up with cousins to play at the children’s museum. Throw a couple tantrums. Lose one of the twins. Try not to get too wet. Avoid being trampled by the masses since school is out of session and everyone thought to go to the children’s museum.

Step two. Eat all the foods you can’t get anywhere else. Lick the sauce from a smothered Cafe Rio burrito off a fork. Try to get an entire cookie into your mouth at once. Keep reaching across the table for grandma’s Crown Burger onion rings. Then remember you don’t like onion rings.

Step three. Find one cousin who will smother you with hugs and not leave your side. Let them do things with you that would never ever let anyone else do. Like squeeze you around the neck or push you in a stroller.

Step four. Get upset that your brother in law won’t answer any of your texts and therefore you have no plans for an entire Saturday afternoon. Learn later that it’s because the whole family was in on a surprise baby shower for you.

Step five. Do something you’ve never done before. Like bowl. Cry when it isn’t your turn because then you’ll get to bowl with everyone during every turn.

Step six. See the sights. Spend a cold Sunday afternoon at Temple Square because then there is no one there and the missionaries will all fawn over you. Then be so irresistibly cute when posing in front of the temple that even strangers will snap pictures of you as they walk by.

Step seven. Visit your aunt whose memory is gone. Tell her over and over again that you are almost two and smile when she says over and over again that your hair is the best color she’s ever seen on someone so little. Then entertain her with your dances and balancing tricks.

Step eight. Visit a fun center. Play everyone’s coins for them. Win more jackpots then should be humanly possible, just because of dumb luck. Ride a little red car around a tiny track. Throw a fit when someone tries to take you off the car. Ride the car around again. And again. And again. Run into some friends from back home.