Sorenson Foursome: Baby #2 arriving in December!

Welllll.... We are going to be a family of 4 in December! We cannot be more thrilled!

Caleb loves finding my belly button 

I will answer some common questions I have had from a lot of people so that you can get excited with us!

When/how did you find out?
I found out on April Fools day 20 minutes before a scheduled dentist appointment. Ha! There was a question on my online form that said "Are you pregnant?", and I had this moment where I thought "I might be able to test today, and just in case I would want to know if I'm pregnant before I get x-rays". Sure enough, two pink lines appeared on the cheepo dollar store test I had on hand. Ha! It was hilarious sharing the good news with John later that evening at the beach. I had to be very clear that I would never joke about being pregnant. Especially with how many mamas have lost babies, are trying to conceive, or who are unable to have children. You just don't pretend with that type of stuff. John was super excited and we celebrated with a beautiful sunset on the beach with our little family.

When are you due?
I know the exact date of conception because I track my cycles with FAM. However, I do not like publicly announcing my due date (because it should be called a guess date) because I believe it puts the idea in peoples brains that our baby SHOULD arrive close to his or her due date. Some babies come early, some babies come late. The last thing any moms wants in her last few days of pregnancy is a slew of texts asking why the baby hasn't arrived yet.  I hope it does not offend anyone that I am being elusive about my guess date, but if you must know, is likely that the baby will be born in the month of December. Haha, a range for sure, but an accurate one. The people who need to know when we are due already know, and anyone who needs to know in the future we will make sure to tell!

How have you been feeling? 
No nausea, just like last time. My energy wasn't as low as I expected it, but I definitely was more tired than usual during the first trimester. The biggest hurdle has been my sacrum/hip. The ligaments that are connected to my sacrum will go out of alignment, causing my sacrum to tilt down on the left side and up on the right side. This pinches the nerves and causes a lot of pain. I am getting awesome chiropractic care, but it still will go out frequently. I have been doing yoga and swimming, which seems to help.

Are you having a home birth again? 
We are planing on it! We are using the same midwife as we did with Caleb's birth. I love Vickii and I am so thankful for such awesome maternity care! My appointments are usually about an hour long, and her office and appointment room are super kid-friendly. Caleb loves trying to climb into her toy box and loves the latches puzzle she has. This pregnancy has flown by so far, and in a few weeks we will have our one and only planned ultrasound to find out the gender and do an anatomy scan. I am looking forward to delivering at home again, because I had such an amazing birth experience the first time around.

Will you continue to nurse Caleb?
I am continuing to nurse Caleb as per his request, usually between 4-6x in 24 hours. Nursing through a pregnancy is usually safe for most women, and it does not affect the development of the new little one in a healthy mom. My supply has dropped a bit, but breastmilk is still very much a source of hydration, nutrition, and comfort for Caleb. I have also been asked when I will wean Caleb so that I can get ready for nursing the new baby. I don't have any plans plans to wean Caleb; my goal of at least 2 years of breastfeeding as per the AAP and WHO recommendations still stands. I will let Caleb make the decision of when he is ready to stop nursing, and I would be thrilled it if Caleb chooses to nurse alongside his sibling, something called tandem nursing. If you are curious about tandem nursing, here is a really great Myths vs. Facts section from my favorite breastfeeding resource. Caleb might stop nursing during this pregnancy if my supply drops or he isn't interested anymore, and that is something I will need to mourn. I absolutely love the bond we have and my most precious moments are during bedtime when our family is in our bedroom and I am nursing Caleb. John will usually request to stay and watch the exchange of love between me and Caleb as he calms down for the night and snuggles in to nurse. John will pray for our family and for Caleb as he is nursing. Changing those moments makes my heart feel sad.

Is Caleb excited?
Caleb really doesn't have a clue what is going on, but he does enjoy trying to shove toys down my belly button or play the bongo drums on my growing belly. In a few months we will get Caleb a baby doll and start talking to him a little bit more about what the new baby will be like.

What are you most excited/nervous about having #2?
I am sad that our family dynamic will change. Caleb and I have a really great groove right now and I know that the addition of a new squish will change our relationship. All the work that will go into the transition is a little bit overwhelming to think about. John and I are both really excited to have a newborn again! John is dreaming of a baby sleeping on his chest again, one of his favorite parts of being a dad. I am thrilled that Caleb will have a sibling close in age to grow up with!

Me and my silly guy

Playing with his sibling? Or shoving toys down my belly button...

Caleb 17 Month Update

Age: 17 months
Weight: 31ish lbs
Size clothes: 3T shirts, 3T shorts. Pants still don't fit unless they are Love and Lotus yoga pants

Interests: Caleb is really enjoying any type of physical activity. Since learning to walk a few months ago, he runs. Everywhere. He really likes parts, and is interested in more fine motor activities like stacking rings, putting cards into a key hole shot I made, or doing a straw drop. The "destructive" phase is still very much a part of how he plays, but he is starting to do more "synthesizing" activities. He continues to love playing with any size ball (especially basket balls) and he can chuck it. Caleb can throw a ball like 15-20 feet sometimes.  Its crazy to see how incredible his coordination is. He will do the outfielder type throw, running and throwing in perfect unison.

Challenges: Caleb is so incredibly active it is hard to keep up with his needs to get out of the house. My saving grace has been going to the YMCA to work out. He gets to run around in their outside playground area, playing with basketballs, "cook" in their play kitchen, and play with the train sets. He will last about a hour and a half while I do I class and take a shower. He gets some energy out, and I get to have a break and get my sweat on. Another challenge has been helping him keep up his hydration. He doesn't like to drink water as often as I would like. I have added homemade almond milk and more smoothies to his diet, and he seems to be doing better.

Funny Memory:  Caleb likes to lie flat on the floor occasionally. It is so funny to walk into the living room and to see him flat on his back, just chilling. It lasts 10 seconds at most, but it is so darn cute! Another funny memory from this month is Caleb's recent affinity for putting thins on his head. Baskets, blocks, any toy, and especially food when he is done eating. Its hilarious to watch him try to balance things, and then when they fall off he will bring the item to me and put it on my head.

Kissing Daddy 

Caleb LOVES playing basketball

Caleb chilling 

This guy wants to try to climb everything

"I made a huge mess, and now I must rest"

Caleb 16.5 month Update

Age: 16.5 months
Weight: 30lbs 5 oz
Size clothes: 2T-3T. He is the size of the average 2.5 year old according to his pediatrician.

Interests: Caleb continues to love any type of ball. He loves going to the YMCA child watch when I go to the gym because they have several basketballs that he loves to play with. I will peek on him and he always has a ball in his hands, even if it's half his size. He will ambitiously try to shoot it in the hoop in there that is 10 feet in the air. Gotta love that persistence! Caleb loves putting objects in other objects, or threading rings onto a stacking stick. He has a best buddy that he enjoys spending time with immensely. I nanny him on Tuesdays so Caleb always gets some great friend time in that day! It is so fun to watch those two guys together having a blast! They love to chase each other, make each other giggle, and play outside together sweeping Ezra's patio.

Caleb and his best bud doing some water play

Challenges: Caleb has started toddler tantrums. JOY. They are mostly surrounded around losing an object. Usually when I ask him for an object that is unsafe or that I do not want him to play with he will give it to me and them pitch a fit. Tantrums also happen when I shut the door to to bathroom, go into the kitchen beyond the gate, won't let him take my phone when I am on a call, or he can't reach a desired object. Although this is a completely developmentally appropriate behavior, it is still challenging to know how to help him work through his feelings and calm down. I have gained a lot of insight from Aha! Parenting and a few other gentle parenting resources. I will say "you seem mad because I needed to take the _____ away from you. Its not safe to play with. Do you need a hug?" He will usually run over to me for a big mommy hug. These feelings can be so hard for our little ones to deal with and they need lots of parental support to feel safe enough to calm down.

Mommy hugs make everything better!

Milestones: Caleb is definitely babbling a lot more, and I think he believes he is speaking in full sentences. His favorite words are "no", "no more", "mama milk" and "OHHHH!!" He says a few others but these ones are the main topics of conversation. Caleb is trying to run now, which is quite challenging when he is so speedy! Caleb is able to climb up heights about tummy level to himself, and safely get down as well! He is stacking blocks (when he wants to), will usually turn to look at you when you say his name, waves (when he wants to), and loves to give high fives, hugs, and kisses. He is learning body parts, and loves to pull up his shirt and point to his belly button when you ask him where it is.

Big guy holding an acai smoothie 

Funny Memory: I have a few, but will share two. Caleb loves large cleaning tools. Brooms, mops, anything to sweep, or vacuums. It is comical to watch him try to clean the house, or walk around with a broom outside. Another hilarious memory was surrounding mama milk. I needed to pump in the morning since he didn't nurse off that side for a while and it was getting painful. He was watching my pump, and after I was done must have been jealous. He asked for "mama milk" and after a few minutes popped off and pointed to a cup just out of his reach. He tried to put the cup on my boob like I was a fountain drink! Sorry pal, it doesn't quite work like that. Milk is always on tap, but you can't expect it to fly out into a cup. The wheels are definitely turning in his head with the connections he is making, however hilarious they may be!

Big helper cleaning up

Caleb sweeping up the patio 

The Station eatery! 

Caleb loves the Zoo! 

Playing with a firetruck at a friend's house 

Caleb's (late) 14 month update

Age: 14 months plus a few weeks
Weight: 28lbs
Size clothes: 2T


Interests: Caleb continues to enjoy throwing balls and heavy objects. He has recently mastered how to put objects inside other objects, so he is very busy fitting cups inside each other, putting balls in his ball drop, and putting toy cars in bowls. It is so fun to watch his little brain work! He also has enjoyed having food fights on a daily basis. He hit grandpa Danny with a pile of sweet potato during our visit last week! Caleb's favorite part of his day is bedtime wrestling and belly flops with Daddy. It is hilarious to watch those two have a blast being silly! Caleb continues to enjoy his little friends, and play
dates are a highlight of his week.

Challenges: The food throwing is quite challenging. He does it when he is starving, in between bites, and when he is done eating. Oh my! Caleb has also started head thrashing, body lunging, and feet kicking when he is having a mini tantrum. Usually this happens when I have asked him to give me an object that is unsafe. He throws it at me and then starts with his mini tantrum. Big feelings! ANother challenge is the fact that Caleb LOVES fruit in smoothies, but will not eat in in whole form. He will be drinking a berry smoothie, and be poo-pooing the berries I have offered him on his plate. So silly!

Milestones: Caleb has been pulling to stand and cruising for a while, but recently he has started to push up to standing without support, and take 1-3 steps before belly flopping on his bed. Caleb has added "Uh-oh" to his vocabulary, and will say "Ma ma ma" for "mama milk" when he wants to nurse. Caleb has also started sleeping longer stretches at night, and has gone up to 8 hours without nursing at night. My baby is growing up!

Funny Memory: I was able to visit my family last week for 5 days and it was a blast! The funny memory of the month was actually a bit my fault and quite tragic. On the airplane I opened Caleb's straw cup for him to drink some water. The pressure from the plane caused the water to fire hose him in the face for 1-2 seconds, shocking both him and me.  About 2-3oz of water flew out of the cup, and not only was his face entirely wet, but my clothes, the window, and his pants were as well. Caleb started screaming (not funny) and it took me a a while to help my shocked and upset baby to calm down enough to strop his protest. At the time it was NOT funny, but looking back I can't believe I forgot about air pressure!

Sleepy beauty 

Loves climbing 

Major bedhead 

I love my smoothie, but won't touch fruit

Water play with friends!

Visiting Great Grandma M! 

Life Update

Its been a while since I did a true "LIFE" update.


The Baby (of shall I say toddler)
Caleb never ceases to make me smile. God put all of his light into this little guy to remind me to smile. Caleb's recent antics include watching his food drop off of his highchair, throwing balls around and chasing them like a puppy, and playing peek-a-boo. He is saying "uh oh" and it is quite cute. This little guy's favorite place to be is outside, particularly the beach. We are learning while he cannot walk yet, he sure can climb. He can climb anything that is about bellybutton level or lower. Stairs are a piece of cake.

The Hubby
John has been working really hard at his new job with Fortune Builders. He is a real estate investment coach and is really great at what he does! So far he has gotten really positive feedback, and I have to say it is a relief to have him come home excited to share what new things he has learned and how he is growing. It is such a blessing to see him thriving in an environment that he can use so many of his skills and talents. He is such a great speaker and leader, and it is wonderful to see him use his gifts in the workplace. John has been leading a men's morning prayer time at Flood Church once a week for a few months now (5am start time, whew!) and he is loving the little community of guys that is growing out of that time.

The Family
We took a wonderful family vacation to palm springs last weekend! It was a blast to get away for a few nights and to spend some intentional time making some family memories. We stayed at the Westin and got a little bit of the resort feel. We had a blast swimming at the pool, going out to Thai food, and exploring the gondola base camp. Caleb's favorite part was seeing falling snow for the first time on our way home! It was such a nice and needed rest but it already feels like it was ages away since the daily grind started back up again this past Monday. We need more family getaways!

The Home
A few weeks ago I started the "40 Bags in 40 Days" challenge. you can read more about it on this amazing blog.  The point is to get rid of 40 bags of "stuff" during the lent season (or any random 40 day period). So far I haven't gotten rid of as much stuff as I would have liked to, but I have reorganized and transformed so many spaces in our house! In addition, my parents have gotten on board and made some serious strides to revamp their garden, and a few of my friends have taken up the challenge too! With things like this I will usually get really pumped, make make a commitment to clean regularly, and then will easily become derailed after a few days, maybe weeks if I am lucky. The reason why I picked this particular challenge was so that it had a clear start and end point, with simple and flexible instructions. I'm excited to see the end result of how much lighter our lives will be once this 40 day challenge is over.

Before

after

The Mom
I am stretched pretty thin right now but have had glimpses of relaxing . I haven't been sleeping a ton due to Caleb having a few nighttime wake-ups, which John graciously helps out with by bed-sharing with Caleb on his twin mattress frequently in the middle of the night. I am struggling to find things that are truly life-giving and refreshing that I can do throughout the day to recharge. I know one of them is cooking myself a yummy lunch when Caleb is napping, but I am on the lookout for some ways to do some quick self-care. In the midst of dirty diapers, laundry, shopping, cooking, doing dishes, and keeping a human alive it is hard to prioritize ME. God has been showing me that I need to slow down and enjoy simple things, and I hope that I can find out what those simple things might be!

Enjoy some more pictures of out crazy climber!

He got himself all the way up there

Caleb 13 months

Time has really truly flown by! Caleb's birthday came and went and I haven't given a proper update for over 3 months. Oops.


I will do some quick updates about our little man-child. He is such a fun guy and we wish all of you could spend time with him!


Age: 13 months
Weight: 28 lbs
Size clothes: 2T shirts, custom made baby yoga pants from Love and Lotus are the only ones that fit!

Interests: Caleb has continued his hobby of ball-throwing. He also enjoys standing up and trying to pull stuff off of our couch. His little arms always seem to be a tag longer than we expect! He loves to play with his buddies and looks forward to going to the YMCA childcare while I workout or having play dates. Caleb is fascinated with the outdoors and is very interested in observing people, vehicles, airplanes, and animals. Caleb absolutely loves the park! Well, any park to be less specific. He can climb up any stairs and scale great heights by crawling up, up and away. We need to be quick because this guy doesn't stop!

Challenges: A big challenge we are working through are molars. Caleb cut through two of them in tow days this week and has been irritable due to the pain and discomfort. It makes me want to help him so badly! Another challenge is communication. Caleb is starting to communicate his wants, needs, and desires but has a hard time when we set limits and boundaries for him. Extension cords are not safe buddy.

Milestones: Caleb started pulling to stand up a while ago, and is now working on standing independently. He will bravely push off the couch and throw his hands in the air for a few seconds before falling backwards. Caleb is starting to form the pointing finger and enjoys poking himself in the mirror and poking our teeth. He is also starting to form more and more words (or sounds that we think are words). He says "go", "no", "dada", "mamama", "mem" "oooo", "yeah", and "ah-da" (all done).

Eating/sleeping/pooping: Caleb can now eat tons of foods, but he definitely has his favorites! Any type of meat he will devour. He also loves paleo banana pancakes, green smoothies, fruit smoothies, almond-flour muffins, raisins, bananas, and of course sweet potatoes. We are still following the WAPF recommendations for food and are avoiding grains and dairy for now. I might introduce soaked oatmeal soon but we shall see! Caleb loves his "mama milk" and is nursing 5-8 times in a 24 hour period. He is sleeping a lot longer stretches but will be a silly goose in the middle of the night when one of us goes in to sleep next to him. He is nursing less at night, which confuses me to no end when he wakes up and refuses the boob. The one things that was a magic "go back to sleep drug" isn't working anymore.  Solid poops are kinda gross, and I have switched to disposable diapers until Caleb has his morning poop. It used to be a mystery when he would poop, and now it is so obvious when he is getting busy in his diaper! The faces he makes are priceless.

Funny Memory: John and I have really enjoyed wrestling with Caleb at night after his bath. We read this article about the importance of roughhousing with your kids so we decided is was high time to comply. Its soooo much fun! Caleb's favorite activity is to "belly flop" on his bed. He will stand up on the ground and lunge onto his bed and completely lay out. It's awesome!

Caleb 10 Months

Photo Credits: Hope Photography 

Age: 10 months
Weight: 27lbs
Size clothes: Hard to tell! Mostly 24 month but squeezing into them. I don't know what to do next because they don't make onesies beyond 24 months. Do they have a plus-sized baby line? Or clothing line made for baby giants?

Interests: Caleb has taken up the sport of throwing balls. Actually he will throw everything that makes a noise when it hits another object. He thoroughly enjoys tossing a ball around with himself. Crawling still remains his main hobby and he has added climbing over things into the mix. If I put a big pillow in a doorway tp stop him from entering that room, he will say "Challenge accepted mom. I bet I can try to scale that!". He loves to try to climb over daddy when they are snuggling in bed. Caleb is in the "deconstruction" stage of development right now, when he tries to take everything apart, knock over towers I build, take object out of boxes, remove all the books from his bookshelf, and take all the puzzle pieces out of his puzzles. A few weeks from now he will enter the "building" stage, so right now  am cherishing how fun it is to watch him gallop towards a tower to knock down every single block. Every block must be leveled.

Challenges: Sleep is a challenge right now. Caleb has been on a constant growth spurt since I returned from visiting my family in the Bay Area a few weeks ago. He eats 2-3 times at night and he chugs. He must really need those extra calories for that massive brain that must be growing in his noggin. The good thing is he doesn't stay awake for hours (usually) but the broken sleep is exhausting. It is not recommended to night wean until your child is at least one year of age am I can see why. He is truly getting quality nutrition at night. The second biggest challenge has been to keep him out of the kitchen. We don't have a gate or contraption that is big enough to git through our kitchen entryway and right now our kitchen is not safe for him to play around in. We have been temporarily blocking it off with our coffee table and a couch cushion but our little climber takes this as a challenge and will try to scale the cushion or push the coffee table. Oh vey. At least we know he is super persistent!

Milestones: Caleb is now consistently saying "mama", "Mum",  "Mehm""Dadada, "Da", and "Deh" when he desires that particular parent. It is the sweetest thing to hear your child request you by name! Just this morning John asked Caleb "Buddy, do you want mama?", to which Caleb loudly responded while jumping out of his seat next to dad, "MEM!!". My hear is so full during these moments. Caleb is also banging two object together and if he could get his hands on some cymbals he might never stop playing with them. Caleb definitely recognizes his name now and will turn when called.  He is giving us "kisses" which equates to him bulldozing us with his face while his mouth is open. He has actually pushed John off the floor bed by nuzzling into him super hard! He is an intense cuddler. Another interesting milestone that is developing is parental preference and separation uncertainty. When one of us leaves the room he is playing in he might start to cry and become upset. I might be playing with him in his room but when he sees dad walk by the door all he wants is to play with John. This typically occurs between 9-12 months.

Eating/sleeping/pooping: Caleb has expanded his tastes in food! He is actually consuming a bit more during feeding. He continues to love beef and chicken liver, scrambled egg yolks, sweet potatoes, coconut oil, and zucchini. We have added cooked pear, cooked apple, cooked carrots, and squashes into the mix. So far most of it ends up not in his mouth but he sure is having fun! Since we don't have a dog to clean up the mess it makes it hard for me to prioritize feeding him solids.  Can we just nurse until he can ask for solid food? I mean, seriously I can make the food in my sleep, always have an open tap, don't need to clean up a floor, a face, and a highchair, and can never leave my boobs at home when we are out and about. In all seriousness my breastfeeding goal is 2 years, the World Health Organization's recommended minimum.  Sleeping? Caleb takes 1-2 naps a day. If it is 1 nap it is usually 3-3.5 hours! If it is two naps they can vary from 1-3 hours each. Bedtime has been a lot earlier recently due to Caleb's desire to rise with the birds at 5am. Let's talk poop. Can I just say that this in between breastmilk and solids business is plain old nasty? Especially with cloth diapers. Yet another reason I dislike solids.

Funny Memory:   This month I bought an ikea potty chair because they were finally back after a 1 year worldwide shortage. I didn't want to miss the boat again. John laughed at me and asked why I was getting it. "Oh, they might run out again! It's never to early to start with toilet awareness!", I pipped. Ensue massive internal eye roll from husband. The next morning I put Caleb on it just for fun and he peed. He seriously peed. On. The. Potty. I thought it was a happy accident but decided to try again a few more times that day. Lo and behold, he went two more times. I had considered doing elimination communication with him at 6 months and just got lazy and never tried. I researched it again and started implementing several times during the day where I would take him to pee. After 1 week Caleb was going 4-5x a day and having 1-3 wet diapers, usually during naps. He now will get fussy when he needs to pee and will hold it for up to 3 hours so that he can empty himself on his little potty chair. He must really be aware of when he is wet and doesn't like the sensation (I mean, would you sit around in a wet t-shirt for more than 10 minutes?) and enjoys avoiding getting wet. I don't have any expectations for this to last or to make this "potty learning". For right now, our little squirt can squirt all he wants on the potty or decide he likes the ease of a diaper for those satisfying uninterrupted tinkles when he is playing. This phenomenon continues to make me giggle and be impressed at the same time with my wise little son.

Want to see more pics of our trip up to the Bay Area? Check out my sister's photography blog Hopefolio. Photo Credits Hope Photography 2014.