Baby #2 :: Thirty Nine Weeks

Size of baby: The average baby is around 20 inches and about 7+ lbs - the size of a watermelon according to The Bump and a mini watermelon according to BabyCenter. Thank you, BC, for adding the word "mini" and making me feel like less of a whale. 

Best moment of the week: Lots of family time this week! Spent Saturday evening and Sunday afternoon at Polish Fest with family and friends. Did a lot of walking around to encourage this baby to come out! Had a fantastic Father's Day outing on Sunday evening with just the three of us. We packed up a picnic dinner and our fishing gear and enjoyed the beautiful weather at a nearby park. I actually remember doing something similar with Bryan and the dog shortly before Noelle was born :)

Also got to spend some quality time with my best friend. We got dessert at Cheesecake Factory on Wednesday and just enjoyed a nice night outside catching up. 

Cravings/Aversions: Haven't minded not drinking, but still looking forward to that first drink on a summer night after the baby is born!

What I love: Being in the single digits of weeks to go! Also on a weekly doctor appointment schedule!

What I'm looking forward to: Holding this baby in my arms and seeing Noelle for the first time after the baby is born. I'm tearing up just thinking about it, so I know I will be a bawling mess!

Worries: As much as I've talked about being ready to have this baby, every little contraction I have gives me a flutter of anxiety that it might be the real thing. Labor itself is a little unknown to me (the beginning parts at least) because if my induction with Noelle. It's really hard for me to not know when it's going to happen!

 

What is different this time around: Just about everything!

Symptoms: Tired and cranky. If Bryan were reading this he would be emphatically nodding his head!

Sleep: Ugh. Let's just leave it at that 

Boy or Girl: We'll know soon!!

The belly: Large and in charge! And I haven't mentioned it before, but it's definitely been garnering those annoying "Are you still here?"-type comments at work. There is even a woman at work who sees me on a very regular basis and still says "Woah." every time she sees me. Yep, still pregnant, lady!

Movement: Lots of pushing and undulating-type movements.

Doctor Appointment: Last week I was 75% effaced and 3 cm dilated. I've had a lot of random contractions this past week, but without actually being in active labor I'm not going to be progressing much further. I'm also kicking myself for not taking up my doctor's offer of having my membranes stripped. Even though I say I'm so ready for this baby to come (and I am) for some reason I just wasn't mentally prepared to make that decision at a moment's notice. I wish Bryan would have been there because he would have gently pushed me toward it. My doctor just put it out there as an option and was completely fine with not doing it. Not dwelling on it anymore!

Milestones: Baby is a limb-flexing machine and may be ready for his or her first manicure right away as fingernails may be too long already. 

Weight gain/loss: Plus 27. Oops - too much yummy Polish food!

Baby #2 :: Thirty Eight Weeks

Size of baby: The average baby is 19+ inches and around 7-8 lbs - the size of a pumpkin according to The Bump and a leek according to BabyCenter.

Best moment of the week: Because this is our second baby I hadn't even thought about taking any parenting classes, but I was looking through my hospital's class list and saw one titled Big Kids and Babies. I thought it would be a great way to get Noelle even more excited about being a big sister. Even if it turned out to be a bust, it was only $6. It turned out to be great as the kids were able to "practice" swaddling and diapering and learning what life will most likely be like when the baby first comes home. We also got a tour of the labor and delivery and recovery rooms so it will be a little less foreign when Noelle comes to visit. Noelle really enjoyed herself and I would definitely recommend this class to other parents!

Also, things I had listed under my "worries" section in the past are clearing up and have been checked off. We have a great list of names and a front runner for both genders. (To be honest, I love our girl's name so much I've kinda been hoping we have another daughter!) 

We've also secured a spot at a great in-home daycare!! I can't wait to see how it compares to our experience at a center. Obviously there are pros and cons to both so I'm interested to see how things progress.

Cravings/Aversions: Nothing special this week. Trying to stay away from too much sugar. I'm also not craving alcoholic beverages like I thought I would, but I'm definitely looking forward to that first drink on a summer night after the baby is born!

What I love: Being in the single digits of weeks to go! Also on a weekly doctor appointment schedule!

What I'm looking forward to: Having this baby! I know this has been my stock answer lately, but I'm so serious. I feel great physically, but mentally I was ready a week or two ago. 

Worries: Some of the same anxieties I've mentioned before regarding our transition from a family with an only child to a family of four .

 

What is different this time around: Just about everything!

Symptoms: The heartburn has been getting better lately, but I am just about completely checked out for the evening starting around 7:30. My patience is so low and it just doesn't bode well on nights that Noelle isn't having the best attitude.

Sleep: Good sleep has been a little elusive lately and even though I've always been a light sleeper, it seems every tiny noise is waking me up. Getting back to sleep has been an even bigger challenge. Oh well - practice, right?

Boy or Girl: I still don't have a strong feeling, but I'd be lying if I didn't say I was kind of hoping for a boy to have one of each. Obviously I'll be happy either way, and another girl definitely leaves the door open for number 3...;)
The belly: Large and in charge!

Movement: Lots of pushing and undulating-type movements.

Doctor Appointment: Even better progress this week!  I was hoping this would be the case as I've been having a lot of fake/practice contractions this week. Totally irregular and nothing more than light cramping, but enough that I really wanted them to mean something was happening. And it sure did! Last week I was 65% effaced and 1 cm dilated. This week I was 75% effaced and 3 cm dilated! I know I could stay this way for the next two weeks with nothing further changing and I'm really trying not to get my hopes up. But steady progress over the last 3 appointments has to mean something, right?!

Milestones: Baby might have an inch or so of hair and is shedding most of the vernix caseosa covering the body. I'm really interested to see if this babe takes after Bryan and has a head full of hair like Noelle, or if it's a mini me right from the get-go and a little baldy like I was!

Weight gain/loss: Plus 25. I'm definitely meeting the one pound a week average these days!

Baby #2 :: Thirty Seven Weeks

                                  

Now that's a full term belly!

Size of baby: About 19-20 inches and around 6.5 lbs - the size of a winter melon according to The Bump and a stalk of Swiss chard according to BabyCenter.

Best moment of the week: Walking into the baby's room and just seeing everything all set to go. Also a close second: going to Bay View Gallery Night and seeing my baby brother's photographs on the wall of one of the shops! One of the pictures was from an impromptu newborn session we did with Noelle. We took her pic with it (it was high up, so Andrew is giving her a lift). I actually won an Instagram contest taking this picture with the BVGN hashtag! We also got to listen to a friend's band and just had a great time all around!

Noelle: Then and Now

Sibling love :)

Paper Holland

Dancing with Uncle Andrew

Cravings/Aversions: Ice cream, custard, frozen yogurt, mmmm.

What I love: Being in the single digits of weeks to go! Also on a weekly doctor appointment schedule!

What I'm looking forward to: Having this baby!

Worries: Will I know when I'm in labor? A crazy questions, yes - but not when I was induced last time and have no idea what a "regular", building labor is like. I'd love for my contractions to come on and build slowly so I can get last minute things ready around the house, but I keep imagining my water breaking at work and then things going crazy from there! This is where my "I just need to know" personality comes in. Funny how it doesn't kick in for the gender!

 

What is different this time around: Just about everything!

Symptoms: Heartburn, exhaustion, sore hips and legs and general discomfort.

Sleep: Aside from the random heartburn attacks some nights, I've been so tired that I've slept really well.

Boy or Girl: I've constantly been second guessing any inclinations I've had so I've just stopped thinking about it :) We'll find out soon enough!

The belly: Getting bigger and bigger! Baby is definitely running out of room. There is lots of rolling movement and I can feel when the baby stretches because I feel simultaneous pushing in my rib area and my pelvic bone area.

Movement: Lots of rolling and "smaller" movements.

Doctor Appointment: Making progress! 65% effaced and 1 cm dilated. Last week I was at 50% and not dilated at all.

Milestones: Baby is practicing everything from breathing to thumb sucking to blinking. Getting ready for the big debut!

Weight gain/loss: Plus 24. 

Baby #2 :: Thirty Six Weeks

                                         

I was officially 36 weeks on May 30.

Size of baby: About 19 inches and around 6 lbs - the size of a honeydew according to The Bump (which was BC's choice last week) and a Crenshaw melon according to BabyCenter. I think they're running out of ideas.

Best moment of the week: Oh. My. Gosh. Thank goodness for 3 day weekends! We got so much done this weekend it was crazy. My to-do list went from almost two pages to just under one page!!! This one just can't have enough exclamation points :) I finally feel ready for the baby.

Cravings/Aversions: Ice cream, custard, frozen yogurt, mmmm.

What I love: Being in the single digits of weeks to go! Also on a weekly doctor appointment schedule!

What I'm looking forward to: Having this baby!
 Worries: Those nighttime doubts and insecurities are really getting to me these days. Will Noelle still feel loved? How will she adjust? How will I adjust? Will I remember how to take care of a newborn? 3 1/2 years is a long time in baby/kid years - I've forgotten a lot of the little things. I know the answer to all of these is, duh - yes. But some days I need a little more convincing.

What is different this time around: Just about everything!

Symptoms: Heartburn, exhaustion, sore hips and legs and general discomfort.

Sleep: Aside from the random heartburn attacks some nights, I've been so tired that I've slept really well.

Boy or Girl: Most people are voting boy these days. I fell into that trap with Noelle so I'm staying neutral this time around :) There is one woman at work who is convinced it's a girl based on a pretty consistent heartbeat in the upper 150s. We'll see soon!!

The belly: Getting bigger and bigger! Baby is definitely running out of room. There is lots of rolling movement and I can feel when the baby stretches because I feel simultaneous pushing in my rib area and my pelvic bone area.

Movement: Lots of rolling and "smaller" movements.

Doctor Appointment: New category since I'll be there every week. This week I saw a NP and she did a very unscientific "feel the baby to guess the weight" type thing. She guessed that baby was about 7 lbs and would be in the low 8s at birth. Noelle was 7lbs 9oz so they would be pretty similar. Although Bryan automatically thought that bigger baby equals a boy! I was about 50% effaced, at a minus 2 station (this was kind of a duh for me because I think I've been at a minus 2 station since I started showing!) and negative centimeters dialated ;)

Milestones: Liver and kidneys are fully formed and ready, along with the circulatory and immune systems. Baby's lungs continue to develop on a daily basis.

Weight gain/loss: I was always kind of keeping track myself, but I knew my previous number of plus 17 wasn't exact. I found out at my 36 week appointment that the doctor's official number is plus 23, so I will go with that! I gained 33 lbs with Noelle and I can definitely see and tell the difference this time around.