Randoms...

I've decided to just post a few little fun things that Cohen has done recently so I won't forget them. And honestly, I already forgot the main one that I was going to write about...hmmm.
-I've always had mixed feelings on sign-language for babies. Some docs say it inhibits their speech, while others say it helps them to express themselves before they can talk. I taught Co the signs that I thought were important for us. He knows "eat" "more" and "please." But he uses "more" to mean "eat." So within 5-10 minutes of waking up, he starts signing "more" and following me around the kitchen while I make my coffee. He also makes some sound while he is signing that. It is so cute, that I often find myself taking my time making his breakfast and my coffee so I can see him signing "more."
-Cohen loves the water. Pool water, bath water, he doesn't care. He now puts his face under water in the tub. He puts his face under, then raises up with wide eyes, laughs, and repeats this over and over. We went to the pool yesterday and he did this again, but this time his whole head went under. I was right next to him and I knew he was about to put his head under, but I want him to be able to explore his world. He scared me more than he scared himself because I pulled him up really quick from the water, and he was just smiling with water pouring down his face. He is such a dare-devil.
-The past two weeks he loves books and hats. Any of Chad's hats he finds he puts on his head. He will only wear them for a few minutes though. And he LOVES books. He has about 8 books that he loves. He will bring you a book, back up until he is sitting in your lap, then hand the book to you. We read 3 books about construction equipment the most. It's funny that he loves those the most. We've never tried to get him to like those books more, he just does. We were at a friend's house playing and my friend handed Co a Barbie. He looked at her and threw her on the floor within 2 seconds of holding her! I'm convinced those boy chromosomes are very dominate at birth.
----Oh, I remembered what I was going to write about! I tried to get Cohen to sleep with me Thursday night because Chad was out of town. He has NEVER slept with me, but I thought I would be less lonely if we could cuddle while Chad was gone. Cohen was restless, tossing and turning for about 20 minutes. I turned off the tv and acted like I was asleep hoping he would go to sleep. After about 5 minutes, he hadn't moved at all, and his breathing changed, so I was sure he was asleep. I was going to sleep too..... Until I felt something on my lips. I peeked and saw him trying to put his pacifier in my mouth. I quietly laughed, he quietly laughed too. Then I opened my eyes and laughed out loud, and he cackeled. It was so sweet and funny. I want to remember that one forever! It was like he saw his Mommy sleeping, and just knew she would sleep better with a paci, and he was going to share his paci.
       My wise friend said that it won't be the so-called "big" milestones that will melt your heart, but the regular oatmeal moments that you will keep in your heart and take with you forever.  I want to have the best memory possible and remember all these "oatmeal" moments of our lives. Thanks for the wise, motherly advice, Mylinda:)
Blessings,
Cohen's Mommy Kelly

One of my favorites. He was about 2 weeks old.

High Level of Testosterone

Baby Boy is now 19.1 weeks along in his growing! Our ultrasound went wonderful last week. My BF Meghan, who is 30 weeks pregnant with her first baby, went with me since Chad had to work. It was great to have someone with me. Meghan went with me to Cohen's 18 week ultrasound too! He seems to be healthy so far. He loves sucking his hands. Here are a few pics of him.

His left hand is in his mouth



His little leg and long skinny foot!



I think the 3D images are like looking at ink blots, and I see a lot of ultrasounds!
Here is his little face with his left hand on his cheek and the placenta covering the
other half of his face. Still pretty cute!!

We have yet to name this little guy....

Last week Cohen and I went swimming with Meghan. He loves the water. We stayed in the pool for about 45 minutes with him kicking and splashing the whole time. He threw a small tantrum when we had to get out, but Meghan made it better by giving him blueberries, raspberries, blackberries, and goldfish. It was so hot that I just put a diaper on him for the ride home, which was only about 15 minutes. He was spent though. He normally doesn't sleep in his car seat. Take a look!

He is such a joy to be around. He is mild-mannered and a perfect sleeper since he was an infant. He eats almost anything we give him. Everyone tells me I will not have another child like him. I hope they are wrong! I strongly believe that at least half of a child's personality is developed by their environment, and the rest is innate within them. Chad and I are so relaxed and predictable, yet we totally let loose and act like baboons on a regular basis. That is exactly how Cohen is. Here is a picture from the other day that makes me laugh.

I am looking forward to being around so much Cochrane testosterone in my house!

18 Weeks and Counting...

Baby boy Cochrane is now 18.1 weeks gestation. I knew I would have a prego belly quicker the second baby, but it really surprised me how big my stomach is at 18 weeks compared to my first pregnancy. With Cohen I wasn't visibly pregnant with scrubs on until about 22 weeks, this time it was more like 17 weeks. And with Cohen I didn't feel him move until 21 weeks, but I started feeling this guy right at 17 weeks.
It is somewhat sad how different your second pregnancy is. Everything is SO new and exciting the first time and you think about your growing baby non-stop. But with this pregnancy I am so preoccupied with being a mommy to a 14 month old that I feel like my only time to truly focus on this guy is when I am in the shower or in bed and I am not chasing a toddler around. I like that time I have with the baby.

Every since I was 9 I have had a problem with fainting. I faint a few times per year. I have seen countless doctors and had numerous tests all which showed nothing. I finally got somewhat of a diagnosis from my current cardiologist 3 years ago. He said I have Dysautonomia. It's a big word that basically means your brain doesn't send the message to your heart to regulate your blood pressure and heart-rate, which causes fainting. Well fainting is never ideal, especially when your pregnant. So, last pregnancy after wearing a heart rate monitor, my doc decided that I needed to be on a beta-blocker to control my heart rate so the baby would get adequate blood flow. It definitely helped. I don't think I felt dizzy once after I started taking it at 20 weeks. Well, I am not taking the med yet this time around, but I think it's time. My OB said she didn't want me to take it unless I really needed it because it can cause low birth weight in the baby. Instead of going directly to the beta-blocker I've been drinking plenty of water and wearing compression hose which will help regulate my heart rate. That's no longer cutting it though. The dizziness and fast heart rate are getting worse, which isn't surprising because each week until 28 weeks pregnant you get more blood volume to perfuse you and the placenta.
So, on Thursday I have the BIG ultrasound also called an "anomaly screen." I hate that name because it makes me nervous to know that they will be checking every detail of my sweet boy to see that he's perfect and without anomalies. I will breathe a hugh sigh of relief afterward though if everything looks wonderful. I am going without Chad this time, AGAIN. He forgot about my "anomaly screen" with Cohen and had an important meeting he couldn't miss. This time, he has a new job that he can't miss. I know he wants to be there though. I'm hoping Chad's aunt will be able to go with me so I'm not alone.
Still no name for the baby. Our name list has grown from 2 names to about 12. One day we will find a name we love. Naming is so so so hard. What pressure to have to give your child a name that will last them forever.



This is an 18 week kiddo.

 Being a labor and delivery nurse, I count the "milestones" in pregnancy. The first milestone for me was 13 weeks, when your risk of miscarriage decreases to roughly 3%. The next one will be 24 weeks gestation when a baby has about a 50% chance of living outside the womb. I'm looking forward to the next milestone:)