One month down!

I can't believe that it's been a whole month already since Sam was born.  I have a list of blogs that I intend to write about parenting two kids, have a newborn again, etc., etc... maybe I'll get to them some day.  =)  Aside from the sleep deprivation, life isn't too bad right now.  I hope I find some time to write more about it soon.  But, for now, a recap of Sam's first month.  =)

Weight/Length- You haven't had a doctor's appointment since your 2 week check (and won't have another until January!).  At the two week check you were weighing in at a little over 9 lbs and 22.25" long.  Couple of things to note here.  First off, at the two week check they are hoping to see that babies are back to their birth weight.  You weight in at 8 lbs at birth... meaning not only did you get back to birth weight, but EXCEEDED by more than a full pound!  Also, at the hospital you were measured at 18 inches.  Pretty sure they screwed that one up, 'cause I'm guessing that you didn't grown more than 4 inches in two weeks!  So, at 2 weeks you were in the 75th percentile for weight and 99th for height!  Little big man! =)

Eating- You eat like a champ.  Thankfully your 30-minute epic feedings are now down to about 15 minutes a piece.  I much, MUCH prefer the short-and-quickness.  It gets kind of boring sitting there waiting for you to finish.  ;)  We recently introduced you to bottles, and you don't really seem to mind them... I am VERY happy about this, as it means that I can leave the house for extended periods of time now!  It's like getting a piece of my freedom back!  =)

Sleep-Eh... leaving something to be desired in this category.  At night you are sleeping anywhere from 2-4 hours stretches, but it takes a lot of work to get you to fall asleep sometimes... and to stay asleep when we put you down.  Specifically during the daytime, if we aren't holding you, you really fight the sleep thing.  You also need to be swaddled in order to sleep for extended periods of time as you tend to punch yourself in the face and wake yourself up.  Problem is, you HATE to be swaddled, too... and I suck at actually successfully swaddling.  Your dad is pretty good at it, and sometimes you'll fall asleep the moment he does it.  With me, you just kick and punch and scream and make me feel horrible.  I have a hard time dealing with that at 2 am, so sometimes your dad has to come to my rescue.  =)

 Clothes- I think that you're slowly starting to outgrow the newborn stuff.  Your head has been too big for a couple of onesies this last week, and I think your length may be following suit.  =)

Personality- This last week you have finally started to enjoy laying on the floor, kicking around and checking out your surroundings.  Like your sister, you have "grunting baby syndrome" and are often times red in the face trying to figure out how to poop.  There's not a lot that we can do for you, but you are super unhappy/cranky about the situation and, thus, we get super cranky/unhappy listening to/dealing with your discomfort.  I'm hoping that this stage passes soon!

Likes/Dislikes-

-You like to be held when you sleep.
-You like to be bounced in our arms on our exercise ball.
-You like white noise.
-You don't actually mind tummy time.
-You like to lay on the floor and kick around.

-You don't like being in your car seat.
-You don't like being put down when your sleeping.
-You don't like having the hiccups/having to poop.
-You don't like sitting still.

Milestones-

-Everything has been a milestone this month because everything is new!  Specifically though you:
-Celebrated your first Halloween and Thanksgiving
- Met your grandparents and aunts/uncles/cousins
-Made your first trip to the mall and the community center to watch your sister go swimming.
-Tried out the Ergo for a couple of walks (you sleep, it seemed to work out well).

The Story of Sam

I can't believe that it's been almost a full week since Sam was born and I haven't even made a "He's Here!" blog announcement!  Well... he's here.  =)  Samuel (Sam) Joseph was born October 30th at 3:28 PM.  8 lbs, 18 inches.

Sam's birth story started LONG before his arrival however.  You may all remember reading about the false alarm on the 24th, the day before his due date.  After being sent home, I continued to have contractions off and on, though with no real regularity in frequency and they never really got much stronger.   It seemed like every day I continued to experience other labor related symptoms (stop reading now if you don't want to hear gory details)....................................................... if it wasn't more contractions, it was soft bowel movements, loss of the mucus plug, increase in discharge... all kinds of wonderful stuff.  Every day I would touch base with our doula, and every day nothing happened.  I continued to go on walks, bounce and circle on my exercise ball, and try everything else that I could to get labor moving.

Finally, on Wednesday, Oct. 29th at about 7:00 PM, something extra weird happened.  I was cleaning up dinner dishes and felt a weird "pop".  It was like someone shoved a pin into a ping pong ball sized balloon in my "area"... a little water balloon to be exact.  I said something along the lines of "well, that's weird" to Jacob and went to the bathroom to check it out. 

My underwear and pants were both wet, but nothing else seemed to be going on (no additional "leakage").  I had had a similar wet incident a couple days prior (without the "pop" though), so thought it was just more of the same.  I took of my bottoms and went into the bedroom to get some dry clothes.  I got about two steps into the bedroom and another ping pong ball worth of water came out.  At this point I went back to the bathroom and yelled to Jacob that something was definitely going on.  I put on a maxi-pad and some clean clothes, Jacob called his mom.  We then made calls to doctor, doula and my mom and waited for Jacob's mom to arrive to hang out with Emily. 

At this point I think Emily sensed that something was going on and was acting out a bit so, I sat down on the couch with her to cuddle for a little bit, talk about what was about to happen, and take in the last few moments of being a mother of one with an amazing little girl.  =) 

A few minutes later, Jacob's mom showed up.  I got up off the couch and started walking back to the bedroom to grab some last minute things to head out.  Halfway to the bedroom a GUSH of water came out.  I yelled for Jacob and hightailed it to the bathroom.  I had him bring me a hand towel this time and another dry pair of pants.

Thankfully the hand towel was sufficient coverage to get us to the hospital without making more of a mess.  ;)

We got to the hospital, got checked in, and myself undressed and into bed where I was once again hooked up to monitors and checked out... still having the occasional gush of fluids... weirdest feeling ever. 

Since my water broke, there was no going home this time!  I was told that the baby would be born, one way or another, in the next 24 hours.  At that point I wasn't really having contractions and, when they checked me out, my cervix was still posterior (really high) and I was barely dilated.  The nurses called the on-call OB who suggested that I try to get some sleep and that I be checked again at around 5:00 am and started on pitocin.  I told the nurse that I was all for getting some sleep, but that I wanted to avoid the pitocin as long as possible.  At this point we checked in with our doula, told her what was going on, and asked if she could be there for the 5 am check.  Then Jacob and I tried to get comfortable and get some sleep.

Right around 3:00 am I woke up with contractions.  They weren't overly strong at first, but they continued to increase in strength and frequency... to the point that I woke Jacob up and asked him to ask our doula, Kristin, if she could come earlier.

Kristin got there around 4:00 and, since I was awake and having contractions, they checked me out early.  My cervix was still quite high, so Kristin encouraged me to start moving around.  We walked up and down the halls for a little while, and then bounced/swayed on a birthing ball.  The contractions continued to get stronger little by little.  Around 8:00 am (I think, time is a bit fuzzy for me at this point), my OB came by to check in on me.  I think I was dilated to about 3 cm at that point.  She agreed to hold off on the pitocin as long as I was making progress on my own, and said that she'd be back during the lunch hour to check on me again.  So, more walking, more bouncing. 

By this point, bouncing on the ball was feeling great until I had a contraction, and then, something about the ball just intensified everything... and moved it to my back.  Up until this point I was so grateful that I wasn't feeling pain in my back.  After the intense back labor with Emily, I REALLY didn't want to experience that again.  But, something about that damn ball just relocated the pain.  Kristin was helpful with some massage/pressure during the contractions, but, ultimately I gave up on the ball and just walked around the room for a bit swaying my hips in circles trying to get the little guy to DROP already!

Somewhere around 11:00 am things started to change.  The contractions were MUCH stronger now, and I was feeling most of the pain in my back, even not being on the ball.  Heat didn't make much of a difference, pressure/massage still helped but not enough.  There were suggestions that I get into the tub, but that just seemed like way too much work when I was in so much pain that I could barely even move.  All I wanted to do was lie down.  The nurses came in to check on me and decided to call my doctor, who advised them to check and see how dilated I was.  By the time that they got back into the room, I was in so much pain (in my back) that I could barely move and, it was at that point, that I decided that I wanted the epidural.

My plan, with both births, was always to see how far I could get without pain meds as I knew that getting them could prolong/slow down the labor process.  But, at the same time, I didn't feel the need to put myself through so much pain when relief was available.  I think that I could have gone longer had the contractions not moved to my back... but that pain is like nothing else imaginable and I had had enough.

Since I was in so much pain and asked for the epidural, the nurses decided to wait on checking my cervix until about the drugs had been administered.  So the anesthesiologist was called.  I think she arrived pretty quickly and got me set up for the needle.  Our doula had to leave (protocol apparently) until everything was said and done, but Jacob was able to stay there with me.  It was really hard not to clench/move/yell in agony while sitting on that table and getting contractions while trying to also get a needle shoved in my back.  The doc told me that I have some pretty strong back muscles... still not sure if that was a good/bad thing given the situation.  =)

After the drugs kicked in, I got settled back into bed and the nurses checked me out... 7 cm.  I was pissed. With all that pain, work that I'd gone through, I thought for sure that I'd be farther along then that!  Shortly thereafter my OB came back up to check on me.  It had been less than half an hour since the nurses checked me, so I wasn't expecting much... but THANK GOD I was at a 9!  Two centimeters in less than 30 minutes!  I was THRILLED. Since I was making so much progress on my own, pitocin was no longer on the table and my doctor advised the nurses to let me labor for awhile on my own. 

It was now lunch time on the 30th.  I joked with Kristin and Jacob that they could feel free to go grab lunch and bring it back into the room... as long as it wasn't a bacon cheese burger.  =)  Since I wasn't allowed to eat, I certainly didn't want to smell anything TOO good! 

That's the last thing I really remember until "waking up" to a room full of people in blue scurrying around in what felt like a bit of a panicked state.

I didn't really know what was going on and what the problem was.  All I knew is that I was shaking pretty uncontrollably.  The anesthesiologist was back in the room, as was my nurses and one or two more, and my OB.  I remembering hearing something about a "cord issue", having a hard time finding the heartbeat, and references to my blood pressure.  Someone else put an oxygen mask on me.  Needless to say, I was getting a little freaked out... which probably didn't help the shaking.  However, I do remember the anesthesiologist telling me that the shaking was perfectly normal... so that helped a bit.

After things calmed down a little bit, I was able to determine that the "cord issue" was an issue with the blood pressure machine's cord (not the umbilical cord).  They were having a hard time getting the heartbeat with the external monitors in the position that I was in, but once they put an internal monitor in there was no problem.  I'm still unclear if I actually had a blood pressure spike, or if the machine was just malfunctioning.  Either way... way to freak out a laboring mama for no apparently reason!  (And without much communication during the process!).

After calming myself down and getting some explanations, I was able to relax and rest for a bit longer... getting checked ever so often to see about my dilation and cervix thinning.  They also asked me constantly about any pressure that I may be feeling and if I was feeling a need to push.  I was definitely feeling pressure (much like the pressure you feel when you need to have a bowel movement) but wasn't feeling the need to push. 

At around 3:00 PM, my OB came up again to check on me, and decided to try a couple of "practice pushes".  She explained what I was going to do and how (deep breath, push for 10 seconds during a contractions while pulling myself into my bent, raised legs... three times during each contractions).  We then waited for a contraction to come (which I still knew was happening because that's when the "pressure" felt the strongest) and I "practiced" a push.  After that one practice push, my doc was asking for a robe because the baby was coming!

By 3:23 PM a contraction came and we were set up and ready to start the "real" pushing.  I pushed through 2 contractions (6 pushes) and the little guy was OUT... at 3:28 PM.  That's right... only FIVE MINUTES of pushing.  So, so happy that part went so quickly!  (As opposed to 3 hours with Emily!).

I had no tearing.  The placenta came out shortly thereafter.  I got to hold my little guy while the nurses started clean up and checking him out.  He even latched out for his first feeding without me even trying to get him there.  I'm so, so thankful that everything went so smoothly and that we now have a healthy little guy with a head full of blonde hair (I'm glad the heart burn I had was due to something!) and, what appears to be, brown eyes (which is super weird as both his dad and I have blue eyes!).

Jacob's folks brought Emily by the hospital later that evening so that she could meet her new brother.  She was pretty excited about it and wanted to hold him and "pet" him.  She calls him her baby and gives him kisses and cuddles up next to him. 

We were able to get discharged on the 31st, in the evening.  This was really important to me as I wanted to be there to see Emily off as she went trick-or-treating for, really, the first time.  Her grandmother's took her to a few houses around the neighborhood.  She was dressed up as a princess and had so much fun. 

I love my family.  And I love how "complete" I feel that we are now with Sam in our lives.  I am so looking forward to seeing what the future brings for us!

New Rooms!

Finally "finished" the new nursery up last weekend (it still needs some decorative stuff, but, for the most part it's ready to go). 

We ended up doing some switch-a-roo-ing to make "everything" fit in terms of rooms of our house.  Jacob's office was downsized and was moved to a section of our TV room (I was worried that it was going to be too crowded, but it actually turned out ok).  Emily was moved from her nursery to a new "big girl room" that was Jacob's office, and the new baby will reside in the nursery that's been updated slightly since Emily's departure.

For those of you who have been reading my blog since Emily's arrival (and for those of you who haven't), here's a reminder of what the nursery looked like when it was her's.  The main differences now is a new rug, new curtains (we actually got even NEWER curtains since the below photos were taken--they are all navy now) and some different wall decorations:

Emily's new "big girl room" is where most of my energy was spent.  She already had her toddler bed, but needed a dresser, bookshelves/case, some organizational stuff, and some kind of seating... so I got to go shopping.  =)  We kept the curtains from her nursery, just moved them over, and reused the same rug.  I found a great little dresser on a FB sales group and the bookcase from IKEA.  I even got to pick out a new paint color for the walls!  I wasn't sure what to do about seating, but was able to find a slipcover that worked for the chair that was in there when it was still Jacob's office.  So that worked out, too!  We did all of the painting and most of the furniture stuff back in August when Emily spent a week with her grandparents, and then we moved her in a couple of weeks later.

I think my kids have some pretty cute, comfy, cozy rooms if I do say so myself.  ;)  Now it's time to change up my own! lol

False Alarm =(

Last night I started to feel kind of weird.  Around 8:00 in the evening I started to feel some "indigestion" (kind of like how I feel when I eat too much dairy), but I didn't think I had any reason to be feeling that way... and "that way" is very similar to how I felt right before I realized that I was in labor with Emily.  So, I put myself on alert and started to pay close attention to what was going on with my body.

Around 10:30 I was still feeling "weird", but nothing really special.  Some slight cramping, but nothing regular to time.  So, after filling in our doula and making sure that Jacob's mom (who would be coming over to hang out with Emily when I go into labor) was on stand by, I decided to go to bed and try to get some sleep.  By that point my lower back/tailbone area was a bit achy, but nothing too out of the ordinary.

Somewhere around 2:00 am I woke up.  Not really sure why I woke up, but I realized that I was having contractions.  Not the Braxton hicks ones that I've been having for weeks, but actual contractions (and in the FRONT this time.... I was so realized as the entire time I was in labor with Em the pain was in my back).  I clocked them for about 20=30 minutes, trying to decide if it was the right time to wake up Jacob and get the ball rolling.  They were coming at about 4 minutes apart.  They weren't overly painful, but they were definitely there.  Jacob finally shifted/rolled over, giving me the opportunity to wake him up NOT from a dead sleep and the ball went into motion.

Last minute hospital bag stuff was packed, Nana was called to come over, pull out bed was made for her, doctor and doula were both informed of the situation.  Left for the hospital.  Still having contractions, still not overly painful, but there. 

We got to the hospital a little after 3:00 AM and got check in to a room.  I got gown-ed up and the monitors were attached to my belly.  The monitors were picking up the contractions, but they had backed off and were irregularly coming 5-8 minutes apart.  The nurse check me out and my cervix was still REALLY high, and I was barely dilated. 

One of the most disappointing feelings in the world to be sent home from the maternity ward.  I was definitely HAVING real contractions, they just weren't progressing anything else, so we were told to go home, get some rest, and monitor my progress.  I managed to get a couple hours of sleep when we got home, and by the time I got out of bed around 8:00 AM, the contractions stopped. 

So, so, so bummed out right now.  =(  I'm 39 weeks and SIX DAYS... it's TIME.  =P

38 Weeks!

38 Weeks

Size of baby: According to BabyCenter, you’re about the size of a leek (not really sure how big that is)

Total Weight Gain/Loss:I'm doing my best not to think about it.  Everyone keeps telling me that I'm huge/ready to pop though... which really doesn't make me feel all that great about things.  My brother's asked if I was bigger this time around than I was with Emily.  I don't know as I haven't really been photographing my "progress" as I did the first time around, but, by everyone's comments, I'm starting to wonder if I'm looking like a freakin' house. lol

Maternity Clothes:Yup... and even they are starting to get a big tight/uncomfortable.

Gender: It's a BOY!

Movement: Lots of stretching and shifting. He definitely makes his presence known.

What I miss: Alcohol! lol  Of all the times in one's life not to be able to drink, this is the time that you REALLY want to.

Sleep:  It pretty much sucks.  I'm waking up every couple of hours.  I'm pretty sure that I'm having BH contractions which is causing me to either a) wake up, or b) have to pee really bad due to the sudden pressure to the bladder, causing me to wake up.  Either way, it sucks and I just want to sleep.  I REALLY hope I get a decent nigh tor two in before he decides to come.

Symptoms: Same old, same old.  Plus, now I seem to be getting heartburn.  This was not an issue with Emily, so I really hope that the old wives tales are true and this means that the little guy is going to have HAIR! lol  It took Em FOREVER to get her locks, I'd really love to have a little guy with some killer hair.  ;)

Cravings: Pretty much same as it's been.... hamburgers and other meat products.

Best Moment this week: Not really sure... just knowing that it's getting close.  And the fact that we've been getting our house cleaned up/organized has been pretty great. 

What I am looking forward to: Maternity leave!  I have one week of work left.  I'm pretty pumped.  =)

Photos!

Almost a year ago I won a silent auction at a fundraiser for a photo session.  I decided to cash in on that session for some family/maternity shots.  I LOVE the results!  Some of my favorites below!

(c/o Jessica Kirkland Photography at The Oregon Garden).

I Left My Heart in Portland

I'm out of town for the first few days of this week at a conference for work.  A conference that I really wanted to go to, and had to fight for.  I've been looking forward to it for months.  But then the day came and I didn't want to leave.

I realize that I'm a mom now and leaving my kid and husband is REALLY hard.  I had to do my best not to tear up because I didn't want Emily to get the wrong impression... but, I'm telling you, it was really difficult, and I know that my voice cracked a few times.  Especially when I told her that I was going to go "bye bye for a few days" and she said, "I'm fine.  Mommies come back".

She's been watching "Daniel Tiger" recently and that's one of the songs/themes "Grownups come back"

She melts my heart.  I love her so much.

And, of course, I'm missing Jacob, too.  ;) 

36 Weeks!

36 Weeks

Size of baby: According to BabyCenter, you’re about the size of a head of romaine lettuce!

Total Weight Gain/Loss:Remember how I wasn't worrying about my weight and didn't even know how much I'd gained?  Well that's shot to hell now.  =P  At my last doctor's appointment I scheduled out the rest of my appointments (since I'm at a once-a-week visit schedule now).  Since I did this, the receptionist printed out my appointment review sheet (or whatever it's called) as it would show all of my upcoming appointments on one sheet... and, apparently, also show all of my vitals... including my weight.  =P  Well, I am NOT happy about  my weight gain currently.  I have gained more at this point in time than I gained the entire time I was pregnant with Emily.  I"m actually wondering if loosing so much weight right before I got pregnant was actually detrimental... if maybe my body was more than willing to gain it back quickly.  Or, maybe (hopefully) a bunch of it is water weight... I'm having a lot of swelling issues... so maybe that's it.  Ugh.

Maternity Clothes: Yuppers

Gender: It's a BOY!

Movement: As I type this, baby boy has the hiccups.  =)  He's doing a LOT of stretching, too.

What I miss: Sleeping comfortably.  It has certainly been difficult recently.  As has been walking any real distance... including to the bathroom at my office.  =(

Sleep:  See above.  It pretty much sucks.  Having so much pain in my pubic bone area that I can't really lie on my left side at all... and sometimes the right causes problems too.  Last week I slept propped up on the couch for most of the week... and slept better there than I've gotten in my own bed in quite awhile.

Symptoms:REALLY swollen feet and ankles (extending up the calves).  It's actually kind of nice to have an ailment that Jacob can see... I often worry that people think that I'm just being a big baby.  Also a LOT of pain/discomfort in the pubic/pelvic/tailbone region.  I am REALLY ready to be done with that.  Also, this isn't a new symptom, but one that I don't think I've mentioned before... my right eyebrow sweats a lot.  Not really sure what's up with that.  The left one is fine, but, for some reason the right one has issues.  =)

Cravings: Same... hamburgers... yum

Best Moment this week: I think the "nesting" thing is solidly in place.  I'm starting to get stuff organized/put away/cleaned up and am getting my house back from the piles that have been sitting around for months.

What I am looking forward to:This whole thing being over.  ;)  I am NOT a fan of pregnancy, and all of the ailments are just making me grumpy.

The Darndest Things

Emily's vocabulary has been skyrocketing these last few months.  It's really been funny/entertaining to hear the things that come out of her mouth.  I also know that she's starting to repeat things that we say... without really understanding the social context (i.e. that she can sound kind of rude. lol).  Some of my favorites words/phrases that she's using so far:

"Friends":  I'm sooo excited that she's learning this one... and that she has so many friends to talk about.  =)

"Just a minute":  This is obviously something that she's repeating from adults in her life, and it can be frustrating to no end if we're in a hurry, but it's still pretty cute.

"No Thank You":  Generally it is great to hear her being so polite, however when it's in response to a request such as "Come help me clean up your room" it can get a little irritating.  ;)

"I'm fine":  Often in response to trying to get her to eat more dinner or try to use the potty.

"Wake up daddy":  She says this to get Jacob out of bed... but also in the car (when he's not driving).  We think he has a reputation.   ;)

"Ex-scuse me":  After she passes gas... which is often.  She takes after her dad.  And then she says, "That's me!"

"My [fill in the blank]":  Usually reserved for people such as "my mom", "my dad", "my [friend's name]".  It puts a smile on me face when I pick her up from daycare and hear her say "My mommy!" with a giant smile on her face.

It really is so great that she's able to communicate with us better now.  She can tell us when she wants/needs something ("mommy, I need chocolate chips"), and when she doesn't want something.  She can tell us when she has an owie, and she can have mini conversations with us about things that happen at day care.  (She bit a kid the other day, and we were able to talk about it several hours later with her understanding that her actions were wrong).  She also "sings" to us in the car sometimes.  =)  I'm loving this stage.  Each new stage gets more and more interesting.  =)

34 Weeks!

34 Weeks

Size of baby: According to BabyCenter, you’re about the size of a cantaloupe!

Total Weight Gain/Loss: I've made a conscious decision this time around not to keep track of my weight.  As long as my doctor doesn't mention any concerns, I'm not going to be concerned either.  I'll deal with losing what's left after the little guy gets here.  But it's not worth stressing about it now.

Maternity Clothes: Yup... definitely in those at this point.  =)  Bought a few more tops today as I'm getting sick of my current selection.

Gender: It's a BOY!

Movement: Not only do a feel it, but I see it, too... as do other people!  =)

What I miss: Being able to eat whatever I want to try at sushi restaurants. lol  I've also been missing hard ciders... which is weird because it's never really been something that I've craved.  But seeing everyone else with a nice cold beer on a hot day is kind of making me want something, too.  I'm also missing the cooler temperatures!

Sleep:  For the most part, sleep has gotten better... but I'm still getting up at least once (usually more) throughout the night to use the bathroom.

Symptoms: Swollen feet/ankles.  Kind of difficult to walk some afternoons as I can barely bend at the ankle.  Still having the pelvic pain/discomfort, and I'm exhausted.  Yesterday I stayed home from work due to nausea and dizziness as well... I'm hoping those two pass.

Cravings: I think that the theme of this pregnancy is "Give me a hamburger". lol

Best Moment this week: The nursery looks like a nursery!  We also got some "last minute" items from our baby registry with our discount so that we now have what we need (and also a few of the things that I wanted).  In terms of supplies and space, I think we are now officially ready to go.

What I am looking forward to: Getting out of town for the weekend with Jacob this weekend to see a concert.  Not sure how I'm going to fare sitting on the grass, but I'm looking forward to a mini baby-moon.  =)  Also have another "baby shower" next weekend.  Looking forward to one more celebration!

Aches and Pains

This pregnancy has been a lot harder than my last.  I'm not saying that it's been horrible, as I know that other women go through much worse than I have, but compared to the first time around, this time has kind of sucked.

I don't know it if it has something to do with the long labor/way that Emily came into the world (sunny-side up after 21 hours), but my pelvic area has bothered me for months--relaxin and pelvic separation stuff.  On bad days it feels like I got off a REALLY long horseback ride.  I'm really sore and I can barely walk and/or lift my legs without a lot of pain/discomfort.  On good days, it's like nothings wrong... and then I'll be waddling around and get a sharp pain in my ass (literally) and all of the discomfort comes back.

I'm 34 weeks tomorrow and really hope that this little guy decides to come sooner rather than later.  I figure, Emily was a week late, this one owes me and should get here a week early!  Then I only have to suffer through this for another 5 weeks (ugh).

I've been seeing a chiropractor pretty much from the beginning and I've been doing prenatal yoga to help.  Both have been helpful, but now both can be pretty painful, too.  Sometimes it helps to sit on a heating pad while lounging on the couch, but I don't necessarily feel comfortable shoving a heat pack between my legs at work.  ;)

I'm also a bit concerned about what the labor is going to be like this time around.  If I'm already having such awful discomfort in that area, what's it going to be like when I'm in labor?  I don't feel like I got the "true" labor experience last time around  Between the awful back labor, the hours on the toilet, the pain killers and the epidural, I don't feel like I know what "normal" labor feels like... and then add on this pre-pain... I'm a bit concerned.

Any other mama's out there delivery vaginally after suffering from this pelvic separation stuff?  I'd really love to hear how it went (assuming that the answer is "just fine". lol).

30 Weeks!

30 Weeks

Size of baby: According to BabyCenter, you’re about the size of a large cabbage!

Total Weight Gain/Loss: I don't care. :). I know that it's going to be a bitch to get off one way or the other, so I'm trying not to stress about it.  I haven't had a single milkshake though! ;)

Maternity Clothes: Pretty much all maternity, all the time.

Gender: It's a BOY!

Movement: I felt the first hiccups and the first elbow/shoulder/knee/whatever across my stomach last week. Definitely moving around in there!

What I miss: Ditto-ing last post, being comfortable and not in pain. Having a lot of pelvic separation pain/discomfort. It comes and goes, but the last week has been difficult.

Sleep:  Too many bathroom breaks and sometimes I have a hard time falling asleep/staying asleep. The only position that sounds comfortable to me some nights is on my back... The one place I'm not supposed to be. :P

Symptoms: Moody. Lol.  Don't know if this is directly caused by pregnancy hormones, an effect of always being hungry (there's that, too), or the fact that it's so bloody hot under this belly, but I feel like I've been extra cranky lately.

Cravings: Still hamburgers. And carbs.  Jacob and I are going out to celebrate our anniversary this evening and I keep thinking about what restaurants have the best burgers. Lol

Best Moment this week: The last couple weeks have been good. We got Emily's "big girl room" painted and some furniture in there/out together. I ordered some organizational stuff from Amazon, so as soon as that gets here w can finish the switch and get the crib and stuff set up in the nursery again.

We also went camping at the coast last weekend. It was about 25° cooler there than at home... And I loved it!  ;)

What I am looking forward to:  I'm on the train right now headed to a baby shower that my mom is hosting for my side of the family and some friends... So there's that. ;). Also looking forward to finally getting this little guy out!

Camping While Pregnant with a Potty Training Toddler

I was a little nervous about our camping trip last week... both due to the fact that I'm 6 months prego, that Emily was only one week into potty training, and that it was forecast to be roughly 90F throughout the weekend.  But, we had the reservation, so we went for it.  And, for the most part, I'm happy to report that it went very well!

We went up to Camp Dakota.  Jacob had a Groupon for some of the activities.  Since I'm not really able to go ziplining, rock climbing and paint balling, he invited his brother to go along.  Emily had an absolute blast hanging out with her cousin Sophie! (It would be cool to go back sometime when the kids are older and I can actually DO some of the stuff!)

So, the key things to note before I overwhelm you all with pictures:

1. Emily didn't have a SINGLE accident!  She "went" the whole weekend in her little potty!
2. The air mattress that I slept on was almost more comfortable that my Tempur-pedic bed... had a lot more "give" to it.
3. We were at a higher elevation, with more trees... so it only got in the 70s or so.  Great weather.  Though, still 6 months pregnant and over heating.  =)
4. Holding a potty training toddler over a porta-potty in the heat while pregnant is really, really gross.

OK... now for some photos.  =)

Perfect combo: One cousin learning how to read, another cousin who loves to be read to!

Emily would fall asleep each night on her air mattress in her sleeping bag, but every night she ended up squeezed between Jacob and I.

Our "indoor plumbing"  ;)

Learning Frisbee Golf!

She's got quite the arm!

Jacob and Sophie working their way to the top!

Our tee pee.  It was too hot to actually use, but cool to look at.  ;)

She LOVED this tire swing.  Scared the crap out of me though!

Making a fire in the tee pee while we hang out outside.  =)

26 Weeks!

26 Weeks

Size of baby: According to BabyCenter, you’re about the length of a scallion!

Total Weight Gain/Loss: I haven't been as focused on my weight gain this time around.  I know that I'm gaining more quickly than I did with Emily, but I"m not stressing about it too much.

Maternity Clothes: Pretty much all maternity.  There's a couple of things that I can still wear that aren't, but I'm trying not to stretch out my "normal" clothes.

Gender: It's a BOY!

Movement: Definitely moving and kicking up a storm!  You'll even kick your sister when she's sitting on my lap.  She seems to be a bit oblivious to it, though!  ;)

What I miss: Not being in pain... back, pelvic, it's always something.

Sleep: Sleep is reasonably ok.  Last night was not good at all, but, for the most part I'm making it through the night with (at most) one bathroom break.  =)  Some nights I actually make it all the way through!

Symptoms: Just the back/pelvic pain.  If it's not one, it's the other.  Seeing a chiropractor and massage therapist regularly to try to help with it.

Cravings: I'm still really loving my hamburgers and BBQ'd meats.  Love sweets, but I'm not really craving them that frequently.  Prior to pregnancy I never really desired I big juicy hamburger, but now it sounds SOOO good.

Best Moment this week: Hmm... got the rug for the new nursery.  =)  We're having a garage sale this weekend to try to get ride of some stuff and make some cash to help with nursery/Emily's room decor and in a couple of weeks we're going to do the "remodel".

What I am looking forward to:  Doing the nursery/"big sister" remodel.  My parents are going to take Emily for a week at the beginning of August, so we're going to use that time to paint, rearrange, and decorate.  =) 

Boot Camp: Day Four!

Yesterday was the last day of potty training boot camp... and it went just as well as the other three days.  =) 

Emily had one number 2 accident, but I think it was a fart turned wrong and she surprised herself as much as us!  I also took a risk and chose not to put her in a diaper for her nap (since she'd been dry the last two days during nap and went potty right beforehand)... but it was a Murphy's Law situation and she wet the bed.  Oh well.  No harm, no foul.  =)

We also ventured out of the house again, went to a splash pad to cool off and then went to Target to buy some more little underwear (apparently I didn't have as many on hand as I thought I did). 

She still isn't really TELLING us when she needs to go, but if we mention it to her, and she needs to go, she will (otherwise she says "no potty" and we move on).  I'm hoping that this will get better and she'll start doing it herself and/or vocalizing the need to us more.

Today I dropped her off at daycare with a couple extra sets of clothes, a sticker potty chart, stickers and some treats.  I felt bad dropping her off in underwear when she's not 100% reliable yet, but I have to remind myself that her daycare provider has much more experience at potty training than we do! lol  Sounds like she had another number 2 accident today, but otherwise used the little potty at daycare.  After dinner tonight she went into the bathroom to (I thought) wash her hands and face (our routine), but soon I hear "Mommy potty!" so I go in there and she's sitting on her little potty with a smile on her face pointing between her legs. lol  Sure enough, she'd gone potty without prompting!

Next weekend we're going camping, so that will be interesting.  =)  On the advice of some other moms, we just ordered a Potette Plus potty.  It won't be here in time for this trip, but I think it will be useful to have something to easily travel with.

Over all, I think our potty training boot camp was a success.  And I'm really looking forward to that last diaper!  =)

Boot Camp: Day Three

Day three of potty training boot camp started at 9:30!  Emily was up late watching the fireworks last night, and actually slept in!  Though, I think the fact that she's still not feeling 100% probably added to that (did I mention, she's been taking 2.5 hour naps these last few days?  That's, like, an hour longer than I usually get out of her!).

With today's training, we added underwear.  We've been reading this book a lot about a "big sister" and the differences between her and the new baby in her family (in preparation of Em's baby brother coming), but it also talks about how big girls wear underpants, so, I was able to relate back to the story to explain them to her when she kept calling them "shorts" and didn't understand why she'd put another pair of pants on over them. lol

After getting up and getting breakfast, Emily and I went to the farmer's market.  She told me once that she needed to use the potty, so I we made a bee line to the porta-potty.  I got her up on the seat and she said "done".  I think I've got a potty snob on my hands.  ;)

I've also been a little concerned about her as she hasn't been eating much the last few days and hasn't yet pooped.  I've been urging her to try to go number 2 a lot, and I think that I may have been over doing it.  She held EVERYTHING for about 8 hours.  Right around the 6 hour mark I told myself that I wasn't going to say anything else to her and, if she had an accident, then she had an accident.  Wouldn't be the end of the world.

We went to the park and played for awhile (I was hoping to run the poop out of her. lol), and then we headed back home to cool off and make dinner.  We went outside to water the garden, and she did, indeed have a (wet) accident.  I had her take off her shorts and underwear, hosed down the area where she peed, and then asked if she had to finish up on the potty.  She said yes and went inside.  I finished up with the watering and went to check on her.  She was sitting on the potty going number 2.  =)  It's amazing how much a little poop can make a mom feel better about things! lol

Tomorrow is the final potty training boot camp day, and I'm feeling pretty good about it.  I'm going to try to lay off on the potty nagging and see how well she does on her own.  I've been really proud of my little girl (and excited to give up diapers for awhile!**).


**Still doing diapers and nap and bedtime, but the past two days she has been dry after her nap, so may pull that diaper here soon as well!

Boot Camp: Day Two

(Posting late!  Went out to celebrate the 4th last night and just getting around to finishing this one!)

Day two started much earlier than expected. Emily was pretty violently crying at 1am. I went in to check on her, thinking that she'd had a nightmare. I picked her up, sat down in our glider and BAM! She heaved a mixture of hot dog and watermelon all over my bare back. Let me tell you, I was wide awake at that point! 

After getting Jacob's attention, I was able to hand off the kid and go jump in the shower to rinse off.

Emily had a fever, so we gave her some Tylenol and everyone tried to go back to bed... But that's when baby decided he most wanted to practice his amnio-aerobics, so I was up for a bit longer dealing with that and stressing about potty training while sick.

Em woke up at about 7:30, still with a fever. But, by 8:30 the fever had broken and she'd gotten her first potty sticker of the day, so, decided to venture on! She'd been complaining about her teeth yesterday, so I'm hoping it's teething issues and not some bug!

Today was pants (but no underwear day), and it went well!  Day 2 of no accidents!  Also, day 2 of no number 2... curious how that's going to pan out. lol

I've been asking Emily every couple of hours or so if she needs to go potty.  When she tells me "no" I listen.  For the most part, she's been pretty good about going when she needs to when I ask her, but she hasn't yet initiated it on her own.

This evening we went to my in-laws place for a big Fourth of July BBQ event and to watch the fireworks from their houseboat.  Emily hasn't been eating much today (which wasn't a surprise to me if she did have some stomach something or other), and dinner was the same.  She ate some pretzels, but that was about it.  She also started to look kind of queasy during dinner and had a bit of a fever, so, after eating my share of the awesome food, and giving her another dose of Tylenol, I excused us and went back to sit in the house.   She fell asleep for about an hour or so.  Woke up, went potty, played for a little bit, and then was looking exhausted again.  When I asked if she wanted to put on jammies, she pretty much jumped at the chance.  And, after jammies were on, she grabbed a blanket and curled up in bed.  So, I left her sleep.  She probably slept for another 30 minutes or so and then was awake.  Since she's had such a late nap, we decided to let her try to stay up for the fireworks and play with her cousins.

I was a bit nervous about having her out of the house during potty training, but she did really really well.  And, like I said, no accidents!  So far I've been really happy with the experiences.  She's doing such a great job!  (And she's really digging the stickers! lol)

Boot Camp: Day One

No, I'm not participating in a 6 AM exercise regimen... I'm doing something just a little more scary... potty training a toddler... in four days. ;)

I've known for months that this weekend was going to be potty training boot camp weekend... put it on the calendar and everything.  Our daycare was closed today and tomorrow for the holiday, so I have a 4-day weekend home with Emily.  Since I knew that I was going to have such a great block of time to focus on it, I decided to give "Independence Day" weekend a new meaning.  ;)

Last night after work I stopped by the Dollar Tree and picked up some stickers and cookies.  After Emily went to bed, I made up a sticker potty chart to put in the bathroom.  After reading up on potty training methods over the last few months, I came up with a plan: day one = naked day, day 2 = clothing (no undies) day, day three (and four): clothing with undies days!  

*Side note: I'm not planning to attack potty training during sleeping hours quite yet... just when awake.  I'll still put her in pull ups/diapers for naps and bed until I start to see some dry nights/naps and then I'll reassess.

Emily has always done pretty well at avoiding accidents when she's naked, so I wasn't too concerned about today.  And she did really well!  (Though, pregnant me peed about 3 times to each of her single trips. lol).  She went "pee pee" in her potty three times today... and added a sticker to her chart for each successful trip.  =)

 

The reward plan is that for every 5 "pee pees" she'll get a cookie, and every time she goes "poo poo" in the potty she'll get a cookie.  She's two stickers away from her first incentive.  =)

She's in bed now, I'm feeling pretty relieved at her first no-accident day, but still a little on edge about tomorrow. lol  She never actually TOLD me today that she had to go... it was all on my urging (bribing), so, I'm just hoping that tomorrow she'll take a little more initiative.  But, I'm going to have several pairs of shorts ready just in case.  =)

Potty Time!

Me: **sneeze**
Emily (from somewhere in the house): Bless You!
Me: Thank you!
Emily (still hidden): Welcome!
Me (confused/concerned): Where are you?
Emily: Potty!

When I went into the bathroom I found her on her little potty... Going number 2!! Lol. Proud mommy moment and a great indication that next weekend's potty training "bootcamp" will be a success!  =)

That's right, this long, holiday weekend we are focusing on potty training.  Wish me luck!  I'll be sure to post on our progress.

Any tips?  I'm planning to stock up on cookies and stickers.  ;)

23 Weeks (and 2 days!)

23 Weeks

Size of baby: According to BabyCenter, you’re about the size of a mango!

Total Weight Gain/Loss: I haven't weighed myself recently... I'm happily oblivious.  =)

Maternity Clothes: 80% maternity.  A few of my pre-prego shirts still fit, but my pants (with the exception of yoga/sweats) are all maternity now.  I tried to wear a pair of pre-prego jammy pants the other night and, when I shifted in my chair, the drawstring popped.  =(

Gender: It's a BOY!

Movement: We've got a mover!  Not quite as active as I remember Emily being, but it's getting there.  Jacob was able to feel him move for the first time last night as well.  =)

What I miss: Being able to walk/stand/carry things without discomfort.  The pelvic pain isn't as bad recently, but it still very uncomfortable.

Sleep:Several nights this past week I have slept straight through without having to get up at 2 AM to use the bathroom.  Knock on wood, I hope it continues for a bit longer!  I am, however, waking up at oddly early times (this morning was 5:30) for no apparent reason.

Symptoms: Nothing really  new to report.  Same ol', same ol'.

Cravings: Hamburgers always sound delicious and I smell BBQ sauce everywhere. lol

Best Moment this week: Jacob finally feeling a kick.  I've been waiting, but it seemed like every time he tried the movement would stop.  He got three kicks last night!

What I am looking forward to:  Getting Emily's new "big girl room" sorted out.  We moved the office out of the third bedroom this weekend, so now I can start thinking about paint and furniture.  We're going to have a garage sale in a couple of weeks to get rid of some stuff, and then the fun with decorating will begin.  =)

21 weeks!

21 Weeks

Size of baby: According to BabyCenter, you’re about the length of a carrot

Total Weight Gain/Loss: Roughly 20 pounds.  Apparently 10 is "normal".  What can I say, my body just loves being pregnant I guess.

Maternity Clothes: Primarily maternity clothes these days.  Went shopping yesterday for some more summery stuff.

Gender: It's a BOY!

Movement: Still a little movement here and there, but nothing constant.  Every now and then I'll get a sharp jab, though.  =)  At my 20 week ultrasound the tech told me that my placenta was in front of the little guy, so that it may take a bit longer to feel regular movements.

What I miss: My regular pants.  My maternity pants are still sliding down... driving me nuts.  =P

Sleep: I think that sleep has gotten better for me over the last week.  Jacob bought me a big ol' maternity pillow, and that has helped.  I don't even think I've woken up to pee in the middle of the night for a couple of days now.  =)

Symptoms: Have to use the bathroom every hour or so, even though only a thimble-full comes out. lol.  Tonight I've also been experience some pretty bad pain in my pubic region.  All that damn relaxin.  I just really, really, hope that it clears up and doesn't get worse as I still have several weeks to go!

Cravings: Not really craving anything.  I've tried to be better about my diet with this pregnancy than I was with the last one, but I don't know if it's going anywhere. lol.  So far I have avoided chocolate milkshakes though.  They were my downfall last time!

Best Moment this week: It was a couple weeks ago, but the ultrasound was great, being able to see the little guy and finally have some questions answered.

What I am looking forward to:  Getting Emily's new room and the nursery all sorted out.  Not sure when that will happen though... but I want to at least go to Home Depot and grab some paint color strips so I can start plotting.  =)

Snakes and Snails!

I am pretty behind... but, in my defense, I have recently discovered "Orange in the New Black".  ;)  Anyway, about two weeks ago we had the BIG ultrasound.  You know... the one where you're required to drink a BUNCH of water right beforehand and then they press down on you with an ultrasound wand?  I really think it's just a sick joke to see how long they can go before a pregnant woman wets herself.

Anyway, baby looks amazing and everything is measuring right on schedule.  I knew, just KNEW that it was going to be a girl.  So much of this pregnancy has been similar to the last one, I figured that meant it was going to have the "same" result.  But, guess what?  I was way wrong.

Baby #2 is a BOY!  =)

My little rocker baby... fist pumping already!

I was shocked.  I still kind of am.  And a little nervous.  I KNOW how to be a girl mama... this is going to be a new experience (even if just from a biological/anatomical standpoint). 

I was glad to finally know the sex though, Jacob has refused to talk about names until we know.  Now we do, and now we have a name (90% set I think... but we're keeping it on the DL until after the little guy arrives!), and now I can start actually getting rid of some stuff, planning how to redesign our office and Emily's room into New Emily's Room and baby boy nursery.  =)