38 weeks...& Counting

Exactly at this time in my pregnancy with Aven I was starting to feel crappy and menstrual.Two and a half days later she was here. Well, I am not feeling crappy or menstrual. I am actually feeling really good. A little tired and wish I could nap all day instead of go to work; but hey...I am 38 weeks pregnant with a full time job, a house, a husband with his own business, and a 22 month old. Being a little tired is par for the course ;-)

Truth of the matter is I don't think little man is coming any time soon. He is perfectly happy chillin' out and poking me repeatedly in strange places. I have been having a mix of Braxton Hicks and regular contractions for about 9 days now. Nothing too intense, but just enough to get me thinking and excited...but then they go away and I am back to thinking this kid is very happy where he is at. As of last Friday, I was dilated to 1 cm and he had dropped a little more than the week before, but nothing to be over excited about. He still has quite a bit of dropping to do.

 

Although, it would be pretty cool if he decides to make his birthday October 31st. Then he and Aven would both have holiday birthdays and be exactly 2 months apart. I have also had this inclining he would pick 11/1/12 as his birthday. But alas, that would mean my body would go into hyper drive and push a baby out in the next 24-48 hours. Just not feeling it.

A part of me is super anxious for him to arrive and I want it to happen right now! Then another part of me is fully aware of the pain, lack of control of said pain, and dramatic change in our daily routine. Don't get me wrong, I have never been more prepared and happy to be having a second baby. He is going to complete our family and bring all the joy and laughter to our home one little boy can bring. =) We are so blessed to be able to have 1 awesome kid, let alone the opportunity to have 2!

...But I am not as naive as I was when Aven was born. I thought 2 years ago, newborns cry, sleep, eat, and poop -- right? I can take care of that and have plenty of time to sleep, clean, work, eat, shower, fawn over my baby, and get my body back. WRONG.

Aven is very self sufficient for 22 months, she can tell us what she wants, what hurts, when she wants to eat, drink, go to bed, take a bath, etc. A newborn doesn't tell you a gosh darn thing. It is a learning process from day 1 and a bunch of trial and error. The first 3 months of Aven's life was putting her needs and wants ahead of my own and tending to everything she needed first. If I had anything left, I tried to give some to Andy and then I passed the EFF out. 

I think I am ok if little man wants to stay in until his due date (BTW-I am still not due for 12 more days) or even after that. A few more days of the status quo is totally cool with me. If he wants to make his debut early then I am cool with that too.

ADDED BONUS: I wanted to mention some very strange conversations I have been  having...

1. Cashier at Publix asked when I am due. I told her and then she asked if I was going to induce. What? Why would I do that? Is it common for women to say, "Hmmm let me see how I can make the most painful experience of my life MORE painful?" "Oh right, let me put chemicals into my body to make my body do something it isn't ready to do."

*I totally understand there are some women who get induced because they are past their due date and there are complications with prolonging pregnancy. Got it. But I don't think the Publix cashier was talking about those situations...

The way I see pregnancy is very much like an Ironman. If you trained to finish an Ironman in 12 hours, then you don't just stop when you hit the 12 hour mark. Nor do you turn to a SAG wagon and say "Oh, I hit 12 hours. Time to drive me to the finish." Ironman is a long day. Up to 17 hours. Pregnancy is a long 40-ish weeks. So if you trained for a 12 hour Ironman and finish in 12:19, that is still a win in my book. If you are pregnant for 42 weeks instead of 40, I think that is ok too. Your body will do what it wants to do when it wants to do it. Simple. I can drink a gallon of raspberry tea, get pedicures till my feet look like Aven's, and walk till the ends of the earth, but he is not going to come out until he is good and ready.

2. I LOVE this one from very random people (everyone from strangers on the street to people I have know for years) "When is that baby going to come?" Really? If I knew the answer to that question I would probably have answered it by now. Plus, I would be able to see into the future and subsequently have played the lottery. Thereby winning a craptasitc load of money and sitting at home with gobs of money and my baby.

So there!

 3. My male co-workers are the best. Seriously, I am the only woman in an office of men and they are SO trying to be sweet and understanding, but a few of them miss the mark a little. It is the sound effects that are killing me. Let's face it, men do not have a very extensive vocabulary when it comes to things outside sports, cars, money, hot women, sex, or tools. So talking to a very pregnant woman about when she is going to be leaving the office is uncomfortable for them...to say the least. I have heard grown men imitate babies crying, Lamaze breathing, and screaming "labor pains." I almost pee my pants laughing anytime they try to communicate with me about when little man is arriving. BTW, they have created one of those football grids and are betting on his arrival date and weight. LMAO.

4. This one is possibly my favorite. I think he is going to come "insert date here." Mostly because I actually want to believe them and then at the same time, I am wondering what kind of insight do they have that I don't? I actually really do like this one, seriously. I wish I could take a bet on each one and see who gets the closest.

Thanks for reading...maybe I will have another blog entry sans baby boy maybe the next post will include a photo of  him. Who knows?  

(BTW, if you do, please leave a comment ;-)

Randomness

Here is a photo of the wall decals in Aven's room.

She really loves them. I like them b/c they were so stinking easy and they peel right off when you want to move them or change them. I put some up in little man's room too.

This weekend was great. We had our 5th anniversary, went out to dinner, finished up some house projects, and played with Aven ... a lot =)

5 years...wow it has gone by so fast! We were trying to remember what we did all 5 years. It was really hard. I will have to go back and see if I blogged about them. Hey, it's an online journal!

Magic of saving and going back...
#1 Bloomington - we went to Rosie's and ate our cake topper. It was right before Ironman Florida. BLURRR.
#2 Chattanooga - went to Bald Headed Bistro with Wes and Carrie
#3 Chattanooga - I was pregnant and we went to Hennen's
#4 Chattanooga - all I could find in my blog was flipping out over not breast feeding and becoming an over protective parent of a baby. I am sure we had dinner at home.
#5 Chattanooga - I am pregnant and we went to Boccaccia's and went home to watch Rock of Ages. Heidi babysat Aven. BTW...didn't think I would like it b/c I HATE Tom Cruise, but it was A-W-E-S-O-M-E.

October 20, 2007

Aven checkin' out my teak bench from Andy. (wood is #5) I didn't even ask her to smile or pose...she just did it when I got out my phone. LOL

Strange how most of our anniversary celebrations were in Tennessee, even though we feel like we haven't lived here for very long yet. I guess with every year we are more and more rooted in the community we sought out to be a part of =) Looking forward to another 5 years (x 10). Catch y'all on the flip side. H

Cramming for Baby

Wow. Things are really moving along...in more ways than I would expect.

First, I want to say yes, my blogs have been very very baby focused, but that is what is going on...ergo baby stuff will continue. I promise to blog more about life beyond Mommy-ville when things settle down. I am guessing in about 3 months when I surface from the blanket of nursing, midnight feedings, and all things newborn. If this is your first baby, be warned -- the first 3 months of his/her life are like walking through a cloud. Everyday gets a little more clear, but until your precious bambino hits that 12 week mark, you will be unrecognizable to yourself. Don't be scared, just be prepared and patient with yourself. It is normal.

Ok. Now back to the preggo stuff =) I am almost 37 weeks. I will turn 37 on Saturday. Full term. WOW. At my last appointment I didn't meet with my midwife, she was on vaca. Silly woman, doesn't she know she should be at my beck and call? ;-) Just kidding. Meg is awesome and deserves a vaca. I met with another midwife and she is just as nice, sweet, and intelligent. Although, she measured my fundal measurement a little differently and I came up 2 cm smaller than I should. I think I mentioned this in an earlier blog with Aven, but the fundal measurement is in centimeters and is from the top of your uterus to the top of your pubic bone. If you are 36 weeks, you should measure 36 cm. So at 36 weeks I was measuring 34 cm...but little man likes to hang out on the right side and throws off my measurements ;-) Thanks kid. Actually it was ok, because she ordered a sonogram to make sure all was going well. Since Andy and I haven't seen little man up on the big screen since our 18 week appointment, it was sorta nice. 

Not our sonogram, but a visual nonetheless...our sonogram tech has a huge LCD screen on the wall that is like 35" from corner to corner.

Come to find out, little man is right on target for 36 weeks. They measured his femur, skull, and circumference/diameter of his torso. They measured what space is left (how much fluid I have in there). They also estimated he was weighing in at about 6.1 lbs. That last part is what threw me...Aven weighed 6.1 when she was born! To think I have the same size baby in my belly at 36 weeks as I did at 39 was startling. I mean...we are not ready yet. He can't come now. I have a craptasitc load of stuff to do!

So I committed this past weekend to cramming for baby boy. It works for studying, training, and life in general, right? OR is it that it doesn't work, hmmm. Oh well, I tried. I think I got a lot accomplished too. All of his clothes are washed, diapers are washed (yup doing cloth for #2 also), rooms switched (Aven into her big bedroom with all her toys), and little man's stuff in the nursery. I painted letters for a name display in his room, organized Goodwill stuff, placed decorative decals on Aven's walls and little man's walls (photos coming soon), organized Aven's toys, cleaned the carpets in Aven's room, hallway, dining room, and little man's room (wow that was gross), cleaned the house, and paid bills. WHEW. All the while carrying a 6 pound human in my belly!!!! Andy has his fair share of work to do outside...don't worry he isn't one to sit on his ass and watch football while I kill myself getting stuff done.

I have no clue how I did it. Really. I don't. My back was so on fire Sunday night I actually had to ask Andy to push me up off the couch to go to bed. LOL. I got a massage last night, so I am feeling a ton better, but I think that is the end of baby cramming. I hope...

The only things I have left to do are:

• Buy Aven a big sister present
• Buy a nightgown for myself for post labor
• Buy nipple cream
• Pack hospital bag
• Buy twin mattress
• Buy twin sheets/comforter
• Make day bed frame for Aven (ANDY)
• Clean my breast pump...that can wait b/c I am not going to start pumping for at least 2 weeks until after he gets here
• Buy a second night light
• Buy a second diaper hamper/liner/wet bag
• Buy double stroller 
• Buy more black out material for Aven's room/windows

So...lots of shopping =) Something I think I can handle. I have no clue when he is actually going to pick his birthday, but things certainly are progressing.

WARNING TMI alert: I have lost my mucus plug, he has most defiantly dropped, and I am already producing colostrum. I delivered 1 week early with Aven with NONE of these pre-labor signs, so I am not sure how that will translate to #2. I would like to have at least 2 more weeks where I can relax and play with Aven, but we will see how things play out.

Thanks for reading and please leave a comment if you have a question or just want to say HI. =)

36 weeks front

36 weeks side

Preggo update week 35-ish

Wanted to let you all know how my appointment went last Friday...good. No vag tests = good doc appointment. ;-) Baby boy is right on target for the status of my pregnancy.

I didn't have to take another fetal fibronectin test. Come to find out, there isn't anything medical they can do TO me after week 34 to help the baby if he decided to come early. So it is back to things as usual. This past weekend was awesome. We got so much stuff done! My parents and Andy's Dad came up to the house to help out with some projects.

Things that got completed:

• Floor in new family room installed
• EVERYTHING except crown molding and base boards was completed in new family room.
• Furniture moved into new family room
• Furniture moved from our bedroom into old family room
• Shelves installed in Aven's new room, new family room, and our new bedroom
• Toys organized and sorted (baby, goodwill, etc.)
• Ceiling fan installed in Aven's new room
• Baby stuff brought down from the attic (car seat, bouncer, clothes, car seat base)
• New car seat cover installed. https://www.carseatcanopy.com/cart
• Deep freeze moved up to kitchen and cleaned
• Finished cleaning outside of the house in prep for re-staining
• Power washed off deck for resealing
• Purchased paint to repaint Aven's new room

Things that still need to be finished:

• Wash all newborn diapers
• Wash all newborn clothes/blankets/socks
• Move Aven's clothes into her new room
• Purchase twin bed for Aven
• Purchase twin bedding for Aven
• Purchase guard rail for Aven
• Clean breast pump :-( I hate that thing...but I love it too.
• Decorate Aven and baby boy's rooms
• Get swing down from attic
• Purchase new pack and play/sheets
• Install car seat bases

My friend Courtney is coming for a visit this weekend/week. I am so excited to see her. I haven't seen her in over a year. Maybe she will help me with some painting and decorating ;-) Well ta ta for now!

 H