Theo :: One Month

Well, we're already more than halfway through month two, but let's just move past that little item, ok? I've never been a good blogger so when you throw in a newborn, blogging falls way down on the priority list. Although I don't think he's technically a newborn anymore, so there goes that excuse!

Anyway, Theo's first month - just some notes and musings from the month in no particular order - here we go!

--Little man is super snugly and loves to be curled up in someone's arms, especially when sleeping. I don't think anyone minds this at all, but I'm sure that will change when we really need to get things done. 

--Theo is, of course, only awake and alert in very small chunks throughout the day. Bryan says he doesn't remember Noelle sleeping this much but I assured him she definitely did and that's it's very normal. 

Most nights he is down for the night around 10:00 (only because that's the time we turn in). Of course in the very beginning we were going to bed almost as soon as Noelle was asleep around 8:30! He usually wakes up between 2 and 3 and again between 5 and 6. 

The first few nights at home were especially tough and he seemed to want to be awake for a good hour or two and then sleep for about 30 minutes. Thank goodness that's over (for now anyway)!

Also sleep related is that he does not fall asleep when put in his car seat or swing. With Noelle these two things were like magical sleep fairies and she'd be knocked out for a good two hours. Theo fights and fights sleep in both things and has screamed his head off for entire car rides. Really (I mean, really) hoping this changes. 

--Eating. Holy cats can this dude eat. From the very beginning Theo has latched on and nursed like a champ. The lactation consultant who visited me in the hospital said the nurses' notes indicated we were an "excellent" nursing team. I didn't even realize the nurses kept track of or even noticed this!

This category is probably the biggest difference from Noelle's infancy. Not only is Theo a nursing champ, but I am too! I'm so much less afraid/timid to nurse any time, any where. Here's a quick list of where Theo has gotten a meal. The library, zoo, Discovery World, the backyard, and walking around in the house while multi-tasking. That last one got harder toward the end of the month as he grew almost too big for me to hold in one arm. 

We also had a few nights during week 3 in which Theo exhibited colic or reflux like symptoms. They went away after a few days but, spoiler alert, they'll be back in month two. 

--Being a super eater means little man is growing like crazy. We've literally been watching him grow in front of our eyes. Another big difference from Noelle who kept that scrawny newborn look for a while because she wasn't gaining weight.  

At his one month check up on July 29 he was 11 lbs, 2 ounces and 23 inches. That's a gain of 3.5 lbs and 2.5 inches from birth.  Although I never really trust the length because a wriggly baby makes it so inaccurate. 

--During week 4 we started to get some 3/4 smiles that just melt our hearts!

All in all this first month has been awesome. Bryan stayed home from work for two weeks, and when it was time for him to go back, I didn't have a complete freak out like I did last time :) Things have just been so much smoother this time and we've been much more go with the flow. From my recovery to dealing with a newborn to dealing with two kids - there have been plenty of stressful moments for sure, but overall it's been fantastic! 

We love our little boy and life feels so much more complete with him here!

Theo's "official" one month picture. My smarty pants telling us he's one month!

Progression of a Belly

This isn't actually a real post, but I put together some belly pic collages a while back and wanted to finally get them posted.

 

  



 

I put the last three together separately because I think there is such an obvious change from week to week. Maybe it's just me, but I see a huge difference from 37 weeks to my very last picture at 39w 2d. Love it!

 

 

I technically took one last set of pictures two days before Theo was born. I just wanted to document what I looked like for my sake. Sorry for the butt shot, but I took a side, front and back shot with hopes to do another set when I get back to pre-pregnancy weight. I guess there's no real reason I did it, just to see the changes I guess!

 

 

Ok, last one - I promise! A classic beginning and ending comparison.

 

 

Post-Birth Story Notes

There were a few notes that I wanted to include in Theo's birth story posts, but I decided to just do a separate post - honestly, I knew I'd never get Part 2 of his birth story posted if I waited for myself to write up these extras! And this is proof enough - Theo is almost 3 months old and I'm just getting this posted. If there were a motto for this blog it would be: better late than never. Ugh. 

What's in a Name?: We had the easiest, and then hardest time picking out a boy's name - both with the same name. From the beginning we knew we wanted something that was like Noelle - somewhat unique (as in, not in the top 50-75 most popular names in the last few years) without being weird. 

I don't know how Theo popped into my head; I don't remember seeing or hearing it anywhere, but I knew I liked it. A lot. A few days later Bryan and I were discussing our criteria when he said he had thought of a name he liked. (Does everyone see where this is going? ;) ) He said Theo and I said "Are you serious!?" It was definitely one of those we've-been-married-too-long moments. 

So that was the easy part. 

The final name decision became harder, in my head only, when I started to question using Theo. I basically started to let others' opinions wear down my love for the name. When people would ask us for our name choices and I said Theo, it was met with one of three reactions:

1. Genuine like for the name. 

2. A comment about The Cosby Show. 

3. That fake approval of the name - "ooh, that's nice. Uh huh, I like that one." Liar. 

I would say reactions were split equally among those three. Unfortunately though, it felt to me like everyone hated it or made the Cosby comment and it really started to wear on me. So much so that I told Bryan I didn't really like it anymore and that we had to come up with a list of names to pick a new one. 

Bryan still really liked Theo but agreed to keep an open mind toward other names. The only problem was that after looking through website after website, talking to people about names and even intently watching the credits of movies and shows, we had no other choices we loved. I only had three names in my boy list when we went to the hospital: Evan, Nolan and Theo. Evan was the only one I wasn't lukewarm about. Bryan hated it. 

Once the words "It's a boy!" came out of Bryan's mouth, we knew we'd have some decision-making to do. We decided to take out Nolan pretty immediately because it was too similar to Noelle and too popular. Everyone kept asking us his name and we would answer that we were still deciding. And every time Bryan would try to convince me to go with Theo. 

I finally told him that everyone's reactions had worn down the name for me. He yelled at me like any good husband would after his wife had just given birth and made me realize that it was no reason to not choose the name that I had once loved. I still had some doubts and for a little while thought that we had made the wrong choice. I even tested out calling him Evan that first day.  But in the end I fell back in love with the name and think it fits him perfectly!

Length of stay: I didn't realize I even had a say in how long we stayed in the hospital after the baby was born. It wasn't until a friend of mine posted a picture of her new family leaving the hospital before the typical two day stay that I started to think about doing the same. 

I decided pretty quickly that we would leave the hospital after only one day as long as everyone was recovering nicely. This is such a 180 from when Noelle was born. I had a full blown panic attack when it was time to leave the hospital and I would have stayed an extra 5 days if they would have let me! This time the unknown was not so unknown and I knew Noelle would do better getting back to her normal routine. 

Thankfully Theo and I both had amazing recoveries and we were allowed to leave the hospital after 36 hours. Even though we're all smiles in this picture, there was still a small amount of anxiety behind those sunglasses. 

Life with a newborn and a 3 and 3/4 year old: One of my biggest sources of anxiety  during my pregnancy was how difficult the transition would be to a family of four, especially in the newly born days. Honestly, it was one of the smoother transitions we've made as a family. I was just so much more go with the flow this time around. Bryan kept commenting on how relaxed I was in the hospital and when we got home and that he wouldn't even know I had just given birth. Physically and mentally I was just in such a better place this time around. 

It was so much easier to not fight the idea that I might have to stay glued to a chair or couch if Theo wanted to nurse every hour in the hour. Or if he wanted to wake up every two hours and stay awake for an hour - like he did the first night home. 

Knowing what to expect the second time around just made things easier overall. Now if it seems like things were all puppies and rainbows, they weren't. At all. We absolutely had our share of crabby bickering and freak out moments. I had some minor baby blues too, but we just took everything in stride. 

I will say that Bryan had some kind of crazy newborn amnesia. Dude could not remember *anything*. There were so many times I had to correct or remind him of something and he would have no recollection of it from Noelle's baby days. It was actually pretty funny and became a running joke in those first few weeks. 

Overall that first month went pretty smoothly and it has continued that way (knock on wood). Even the first week of my return to work has only had a few minor hiccups. I really hope this trend can continue, but I know things will get tougher as Theo gets older and more demanding. And to that I say, bring it on :)

Theo's Birth Story :: Part One

I'm rewriting from shorthand-ish notes I took on my phone throughout labor so apologies if things seem a little choppy.

On Tuesday night (June 24) I decided to get out of the house for a little bit for some me time. I went to the mall to walk around and get some Shopkick points. I texted my best friend and joked that I was determined to walk this baby out of me.   I had to run to Target after the mall and noticed (what I thought were) Braxton Hicks contractions. They felt a little bit different, but not enough that I though anything of them. I just thought I had overdone it walking around the mall. [Now that has to be a finalist for Most Pathetic Statement of the Year! Walking around the mall was too strenuous for me!]

I got home and went through Noelle's bedtime routine with her and did a few chores. I finally collapsed on the couch around 8:45. I noticed that I was still having the BH contractions so I drank some water and put my feet up. About half an hour later it finally started to dawn on me that these weren't just the same BH contractions I had been having the last half of my pregnancy. I realized that they were happening with more frequency and that I should probably pay more attention to them. 

I kept track of them for about an hour and they weren't very regular or painful. It felt like a stomach tightening BH, but with more pressure on my back and lower abdomen. I also had to pee after just about every one and I usually had some "bloody show" as well. (You should probably just get used to the TMI factor. This is a birth story after all.)

After hemming and hawing with Bryan about calling the hospital - I didn't want to be that pregnant woman calling for every little uncomfortable thing, I finally called around 11:00 just to get advice. You have to remember that I had never been through this before because I was induced with Noelle. I really didn't know what to expect this time around. After a couple of phone calls back and forth with the nurse - and she having some back and forth with the on-call doctor - we decided it would be best for me to come in and get checked out with the understanding that they might send me home if its too early or false labor. 

We called my parents and told my dad to come on over, finished packing some last minute items and left home around 11:40. Now,  let me remind you that we had both been up since about 6:30 that morning. I remember telling Bryan that I really hadn't wanted my labor to happen at night because of the sleep factor and the inconvenience of everything. As if I had a choice, right? Silly pregnant lady. At this point I was starting to have to take a break and breathe through the contractions. They weren't too painful, but they were no picnic either.

Bryan finally got to realize his dream of rushing to the hospital. He has always said that the last time was such a let down because I wasn't having any contractions and there was no real urgency to get to the hospital for the induction. I'm glad I was able to make it more exciting for him this time around ;)

The nurse had called ahead so they had a triage room ready for me. At midnight the nurse who worked with us (Sara - absolutely loved her) started all of the questions while checking my vitals and getting me hooked up to things. I had been 3 cm dilated for the last two weeks so we knew that would be our starting point. The next course of action - be officially admitted or be sent home - would depend on if/how much I had advanced. Well, at exactly 12:15 Sara told me with a big smile on her face that we'd be having a baby today because I was already 5 cm dilated!!! She also said that my bag of water was very, very taut. 

Bryan and I couldn't believe how quickly things had advanced in the matter of a few hours and with very minimal discomfort and pain. Everything was so surreal to me and it was hard to imagine that this was really it and we were finally going to have this baby!

Around 12:30 I noticed that my contractions were already coming faster and were a bit more intense but still manageable. I had to interrupt any conversation I was having to breathe through them, but I wasn't pleading for any pain meds. I was glad that we had come to the hospital when we did. I had wanted to labor at home for as long as possible, but with the speed with which things were moving, it might have been a little close!

That all changed as the contractions increased significantly over the next hour. The pain level went to a 6 and so did my cervix! Bryan and I kept looking at each other with such disbelief over how quickly things were progressing. My induction made things so slow that it was really amazing to see what my body was finally able to do on its own!

I really wanted to last longer without an epidural, but the contractions were just getting so strong and I just don't have a high pain tolerance.  The nice man with the drugs came in around 1:45am and I immediately felt soooo much better. I have to say, that after two child birth experiences, I really don't get why everyone is so afraid of the epi process. Mine were both so pain free. I was really able to control my breathing through my contractions and I know that has a lot to do with it.

Ok, if I don't post at least part of this now, I'm worried I never will! Part two to come (hopefully) shortly. 

Trying to get a full body shot while Bryan parked the car. 

After finding out I'd be admitted!

Theo's Birth Story :: Part Two

When I left off at Part One I had just gotten the epidural and was feeling much better. 

Right after the epidural my nurse, Sara, left the room and came back in with another nurse. It took me a second to realize that it was a girl I'd been good friends with in high school! It was great to see her and have a familiar face around. She let me know that she'd be part of my nursing team - some people might find this uncomfortable, but pregnant women know there's no hiding anything at this point! After a quick catch up session I was given orders to rest up a bit. We were now at 2:00am. 

Bryan and I never fully slept but I was at least able to rest my body a bit. While we were resting there was a great thunderstorm going on outside. The blinds in my room were open a bit and I was able to watch the lightening and rain. The atmosphere of a thunderstorm - something I love - lent a little extra excitement to the situation!

I was fully awoken at 2:55 when I finally felt my water break. I buzzed the nurse and she came in to make sure the fluid looked good. It did, and she was also able to tell that there was a tiny bit of forebag left and just the tiniest amount of cervix. She let me know that I would start feeling an increase in pressure and to call her if it got to the point where the pressure made me want to push. It was at this point that they also called my OB and she decided it was time for her to come in as she was about a half hour out. 

Well, it only took about 20 minutes for that pressure to start! I was just about to push the call button when Sara walked in. The pressure was so intense and it actually felt like the baby was coming out! I actually freaked out for a minute because it seriously felt like the baby was just going to fall out! Ha! It was just more fluid and the rest of the water bag. Totally bizarre feeling!

There was a flurry of activity at this point as the nurses wanted to make sure there was no baby RIGHT behind this last bit of water bag. My OB was still on her way at this point, so they brought in the general on-call doctor at the hospital. She had me start light pushing at about 3:30. When it was obvious that the baby wasn't coming out this second, the doctor left and let my team of nurses take over. We took lots of breaks to see how baby was tolerating everything and all of the vitals looked good! And, of course, those lovely contractions that I could barely feel picked up speed and intensity as we went.

I kept pushing with every round of contractions. Unfortunately, even though   everyone was telling me I was progressing nicely, it was just extremely slow-going. I hit the wall of frustration around 4:45. Everyone kept telling me I was doing a great job and that baby was coming down really well, but I just wanted the result of my hard work sooner than this!

My OB, who had already been in a couple times to check in on me, came in around 5:00 to assess my progress and watch a few pushes. She determined that baby was no longer tolerating the pushing very well. The heart rate was dipping too low and for too long after each pushing session. That's when I got the bad news that they would have to use the vacuum. I immediately started crying and was so upset. Noelle also needed the vacuum and ended up in the NICU because of it. Everyone on my team was so wonderful and reassuring and really helped me get my concentration back. My OB explained that she only used the vac when she 100% knew it would make for a quick delivery. That made me feel better as Noelle's vac experience was very prolonged, which is a big part of why she went to the NICU. 

There was another flurry of activity as the nurses got the "baby station" ready and my OB worked with the techs to get everything ready for me. Once the doctor got everything hooked up it only took one more contraction to get the head out. We quickly found out why I hadnt been progressing as baby's cord was wrapped around its neck. Thankfully it was pretty loose so there was no major harm to baby. One more contraction and Theo Richard was born at 5:34am and measured 7lbs 10 oz and 20.5 inches!! 

This is going to sound weird, but I felt so relieved after the doctor said the cord was present around the neck  (and after we knew baby was ok). After now two not so great birthing experiences I was convinced that my body just wasn't made for easy or normal deliveries. It was  good to know there was an actual reason this delivery didn't go as quickly as I had hoped. With Noelle, there was never an obvious reason why her delivery took so long (3 hours, 45 mins of pushing ending with a vac assist). 

Ok, back to the action :) Bryan was still able to cut the cord - something he later said made him really nervous because the baby's neck was right there! No one said anything about the sex right away because it seemed as though Bryan was waiting for the doctor to say it and she was waiting for him to say it! He finally said It's a Boy! and we both started bawling! It was really only a second or two, but it felt like a minute. Sara told us later that we were her first crying couple since she started in October and she absolutely loved it! 

Because of the vac assist the baby couldn't come to me right away - which was tough because I wanted that skin to skin immediately. Thankfully everything checked out well and all testing showed there was no blood loss to the baby's brain. Finally my son was brought to me and Bryan and I spent a few minutes just looking at him and talking to him. Finally I brought him to my breast and little dude latched on right. away. This was exactly the end result I was looking for! I attributed my struggles with breastfeeding the first time around to not being able to have Noelle with me right away. It felt so good - just beyond words - to have this instant connection with my son. Even now, a month later, I can think back to this moment and still feel the rush if excitement and love we felt at his birth. We are blessed beyond words to be given this precious gift!

Yikes--birth did not make me photogenic, who knew?! ;)

Due Date

Yikes! This has been sitting in my drafts folder since early (and I mean early) Friday morning.  Might as well still put it out there :)

Well, today (actually yesterday at this point) is my due date. A date I was convinced I would see the wrong side of. But here we are, already working our way onto day 4 with a newborn

Theo has been such a calm baby and has only ever cried if I haven't been quick enough with a bewb or when having his diaper changed. But as soon as everything is right again, he's happy as a clam! Obviously I know this will not always be the case but I will absolutely enjoy it while I can. 

I have notes/plans to write his birth story, along with more on how things are going so far, but those will have to wait for another day. For now, a small photo dump of our first few days will have to suffice :)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



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.