Baby Boy Plummer?

After our eventful ultrasound, we waited semi-patiently by the phone to hear some news from our doctor. On  March 30, 2011, Noah and I were on the way to get some coffee at Starbucks and run errands and John was at home getting ready for a meeting.  My phone rang and it was my doctor's wonderful nurse Nancy (love her) calling to give us the big news.  I told her that I would call her right back and I ran home to get John on the phone.  We called the doctor back and put them on speaker phone and they let us know that the baby looked great and it was a boy! She said that the "wonderful" people at SMIL were not going to tell her the sex of the baby, but she kind of made them.  We were happy that the baby looked good and that Noah would have a little brother to play with, however I did not post it on the blog, because I wanted the doctor to confirm that it was a boy once he looked at the pictures and the report.  I had an doctors appointment on April 7, so I figured as long as I knew that the baby was okay, I could wait to confirm that it was a boy.  All that mattered was that the baby was okay.

So on April 7, I went to the doctor expecting to confirm that it was a boy.  Turns out our "friends" at SMIL had not sent over the images of the baby and had only sent a two page report, which made no mention of the sex of the baby.  So I asked the doctor if an ultrasound tech had stated it was a boy does it every happen that the baby turns out being a girl.  She said she did not have any confidence in this tech based on our experience.  She said that she thought we should have another ultrasound, I requested that we have it in the doctors office this time, so we could be confident that the tech was competent and kind.  We will have to pay for it out of pocket, but at this point John and I really don't care.  

So we have another appointment on May 19 and we will do an ultrasound to determine if it's a boy or a girl, take two.  I am pretty sure it is a boy, but it will be good to know for sure.  This will also be the dreaded 26 week appointment when IUGR starts to manifest itself (I also have to get my blood drawn yuck), so I am hoping that John will be able to come with me to the appointment.  We are blessed that we will have wonderful Lindsey back from college, so she is going to be able to watch Noah for us.  We have been so blessed to have the wonderful Walker sisters to watch and care for our bear.  Anyway, hopefully all will go well, the baby will look great and I wont pass out getting my blood drawn (I am really such a wimp).  Here are some of the pictures the "wonderful" people at SMIL allowed us to take home with us.  

March 29, 2011: Baby Plummer 19 weeks.

March 29, 2011: Baby Plummer 19 weeks.  

Bop She Bye Bye Party!

On February 20, we decided to take the plunge and get rid of the bop she's (pacifiers).  We have been wanting to do it for several months, but every time, we made excuses or had a trip we needed to go on, or had company coming into town (you get the idea).  So we decided it was time. Noah was 2 1/2 and it was time to let go of the pacifiers.  Noah and I talked about having to say bye bye to the bop she's for a while and John and my mom and dad and Aunt Mary Ann also joined in talking about how big boys did not need bop she's.  We also took it a step further and said that the new baby needed his bop she's.  

Our wonderful dentist had recommended that we have a party to say good bye to the bop she's.  We asked Noah what he wanted at his party and he requested hot dogs, french fries, beans, lemonade, cake and ice cream.  So we invited over Nana and Pa and tied his bop she's to the end of balloons and let them go into the sky so the new baby could have them.  Noah seemed to be okay with it and did not cry when we let the balloons go.  He had all his favorite food, gifts to open and all his favorite people, but the first night was a bit rough.  He asked if we could go find his bop she's, but finally went to sleep on his own.  Since the first night it got easier and easier and I can honestly say that it was pretty painless, I had been very afraid that it would be very hard and traumatic for all of us, but I think because we waited until he was ready, it made all the difference.  It is hard sometimes to see my little baby getting older, but I am so proud of how well he handled the transition and how proud he was that he gave his bop she's to the baby because he is a big brother now.  By the way the name bop she's is something that he came up with, we have no idea how he came up with it, but pacifiers will forever be bop she's to John and I.  

Daddy and Noah letting the Bop She's go.  

Up, up and way! 

Bye, bye!  

Waving good bye! 

All gone! 

Playing with the new toys from Nana and Pa.  

Noah's cake. 

The big boy eating cake.  

More presents from Mommy and Daddy.  

A Whale of a Tale!

I am playing catch up today with my posts, hopefully by the end of the day, I will be all updated from the past couple of months.  Sometime around the end of January, I read Noah the book, "10 Little Rubber Ducks," by Eric Carle as one of his bedtime stories.  He had previously disliked the book, however he was very interested this time and wanted me to read the page about dolphins over and over again.  Since he was expressing an interest in dolphins, I figured I would see if he wanted to learn more about them.   I am always worried that I am boring him to death and have been wanting to start learning projects with him.  I am by no means an educator, but I figured I could put together some information about dolphins and maybe entertain him for an afternoon.  I had no idea what my little project would turn into.  

I found some coloring sheets online and some fact sheets about dolphins and we spent the afternoon coloring, cutting and putting our project about dolphins on to a cork board.  We created Noah's dolphin pod (his family) which consisted of Noah Dolphin, Mommy Dolphin, Daddy Dolphin, Ava Dolphin and Dozy Dolphin (the other dolphin he sleeps with every night).  We also went to the library and checked out some books on dolphins. Noah loved the books and the learning board.  He would sit and sing to his dolphins and he would have to take one of his dolphins out with him when we left the house (We have since lost most of the dolphins in various places).  Since he loved the first set of books so much I went and got a second round of books, which I figured would be much to advanced for him, but I figured we could look at the pictures.  I underestimated him and he turned out to be fascinated by the books learning his new favorite word on how dolphins communicate echolocation.  

We got some music Cd's with ocean music which featured the song Baby Beluga, which started his next wave of marine obsession whales.  So we went and checked out more books about whales and learned all about whales.  John and I have actually learned quite allot about whales and dolphins from our little Noah and his oceanic obsession.  We started listening to whale music in the car and now he requests whale's singing when we are driving around.  We also purchased the DVD series Blue Planet for him from the BBC.  Nature can be a little bit harsh so sometimes we fast forward to the happier parts.

About two weeks ago we were at the library and Noah spotted an encyclopedia about sharks.  He insisted that we check it out carrying the heavy book to the check out line himself.  He loves the book and can now identify about 25 species of shark from sight.  His favorites include mango sharks, nurse sharks, Port Jackson sharks, tiger sharks, cookie cutter sharks, leopard sharks and hammerhead sharks. One of his favorite games for John to play with him is pretending to be various types of sharks, its pretty funny to watch, John does a great hammerhead shark. 

I am not sure the next direction his interest will take, but I am always listening to see what our next learning project will be.  It is an amazing (and exhausting job) being a mom, but I am so happy that I can help my little one learn and grow.  Its wonderful that we have time to explore what he is interested in.  Who knows maybe someday Noah will realize my dream of being an oceanographer and we can go map blue whales together or go scuba diving with sharks.  Whatever he decided to do, I am proud to have been able to spend this time helping him learn and grow.  I am so proud and happy that we could go on our learning adventures together. 

We decided to take Noah's to the Sea Life Aquarium on February 8, 2010 to let him see some of the sea life he had been reading about in person.  It is a very small aquarium, but it was perfect for him to get a taste of what an aquarium is like.  I am hoping we can take him to a big aquarium soon, but until that time he loved seeing all the sea life and still talks about the sharks he saw.  

Mommy and Noah all smiles at the aquarium.  

Noah meets Dory in person.   

Daddy and Noah watching the sharks.  

Noah and the sea horses.  

Trying to pet a sting ray. 

Loving the fish. 

Trying to figure the tide pool out. 

Noah's dolphin learning board.