Month: May 2015

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38 weeks

Will this be the last update? …

  • How far along?  38 weeks. Della was born 6 days from now; Lana was born 8 days from now.
  • Total weight gain:  Like 40 pounds. I was actually down 3 lbs. from last week’s visit at my appointment yesterday afternoon, so who knows what that’s all about. I’ll take it, though. Probably some swelling that had just gone down.
  • Maternity clothes?  I’ll just make this easy. Yes. I’m having a baby in a matter of days; of course I’m wearing maternity clothes.
  • Stretch marks?  Nope, not yet. And the third time around better not be when those suckers rear their ugly heads, either.
  • Sleep:  Terrible. I’m uncomfortable all the time. I did get one of those big curly pregnancy pillows, which isn’t bad. I’ve begun sleeping on top of all the covers with just a blanket on me, though, because trying to position that thing and roll over while under all the sheets and comforter was a battle that I’m done fighting. And now my fingers have begun to swell just enough so that my hands hurt all the time, especially at night. Yippee!
  • Best moment this week:  Finding out yesterday that there actually hasn’t been any more progression. Still 2 cm dilated and 80% effaced. Just lets me know that some of the pains I’ve been feeling aren’t anything to worry about. Yet. And hearing that the baby looked great on the monitors at my first non-stress test yesterday before my actual appointment. They hook me up to the monitors you wear during labor to track the baby’s heartbeat and movement, and we passed with flying colors. They want to see 2 heartbeat accelerations due to the baby moving around in a half hour span (the most boring half hour ever, i may add), and we did just fine. And the long weekend we just had. It was so much fun. We really didn’t do much, but it was nice just being home all together for a couple days while we’re still 4. Ryan got the swing up on the girls’ new swing set, and they had an absolute blast on there.
  • Miss anything?  Being comfortable in my own body. I’ve reached that point, and unfortunately it arrived much earlier this time than I expected. Add to that being able to tie shoes comfortably, go for a walk without fear of peeing myself, and being able to stand up without feeling like my hips are going to give out on me because this kid is sitting right on them.
  • Movement:  Yes, since 1 day before week 15. That’s the earliest of all 3 – D was 20 weeks and L was around 16 weeks.
  • Cravings:  Not right now.
  • Aversions:  Now that the first trimester is over, again, not really anything. Those first couple weeks, though, wow – life in general was an aversion of mine. Scents are still stronger than normal, but nothing like when I was pregnant with D and my entire sense of smell got turned upside down.
  • Gender:  Did not find out. I’m still sure it’s a boy.
  • Labor signs:  Lots of Braxton Hicks contractions. Wonderful. And the dilation progression. Obvs.
  • Symptoms:  Horrible daily heartburn, frequent pressure and tightening in my abdomen (the braxton hicks), my hair barely sheds at all when I brush and wash it, my stomach constantly “gets in the way” when I’m trying to do things like put on my socks and shoes, my back gets inordinately tired and hurts often, and there’s an almost constant stabbing pain in the back of my left sacroiliac joint. I literally get stuck getting out of a seated position it hurts so badly. My hands have also begun to swell just a tiny bit, which is resulting in constant aching. It’s not too noticeable when you look at them, but I can certainly feel it. I think the baby has dropped, too, because I get frequent shooting pains down the tops of my legs, which my doctor said are definitely coming from the baby’s head sitting right on my cervix. I know you wanted to hear that, didn’t you?
  • Belly button in or out?  It’s out and it’s gross.
  • Wedding rings on or off?  On. We’ll see for how much longer, though.
  • Looking forward to:  Maybe making it to my hair appointment on Saturday? Also, finding out if little #3 is a boy or a girl. Also again, I’m very curious as to when he/she is going to make an appearance. For as much as I’m ready to be done being pregnant, it would be nice to finish most of the school year without having a newborn in the mix. Della’s last day is June 11 and my due date is June 10, so it’s a total crap shoot at this point. I would love to just make it until June. Stay tuned!

Possibly the last comparison shot? We shall see. I didn’t bother with exact dates this time, but left is around 38 weeks and the last picture with Della; middle is around 38 weeks and the second-to-last picture with Lana; and right is today, 38 weeks exactly with #3. How many more will he/she get?

38w

 

 

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Almost 4 no more

Seeing as #3 could easily arrive any day now, I wanted to get at least 1 non-pregnancy-update post down before that happens.

Knowing our third child might be here momentarily, I’ve been trying to savor these last few days with just the 2 girls as much as possible. Watching each of them as they play and do whatever it is they’re doing alone. Usually that’s Lana setting up tiny tea parties and Della coloring. I’m just soaking up their respective essences even more so than usual as much as I can.

Today we spent the afternoon and evening across the street at our neighbors’ house for a little Memorial Day BBQ, so the girls didn’t have naps. Of course this is no big deal for D, but poor L was exhausted by about 6. She had a little meltdown at the end of our stay, which prompted our departure. I knew she was just beyond tired and there was nothing we could do about it, so as soon as we got home I got her in pj’s, brushed teeth, got her diaper on, and got her ready for bed. All the while with her screaming hysterically at me for no reason whatsoever other than that’s all she knew how to do at that point.

I darkened their room, turned the music and nightlights on, and sat down with her to rock. Within minutes her frantic thumb sucking slowed, her mile-long eyelashes were down permanently, her breathing slowed, and she even let out a couple little sleep squeaks that assured me she was out cold. I knew that was all it would take, but I kept rocking anyway.

I smelled her hair, watched her beautiful little face, cradled her tiny body, and loved every second. I don’t rock the girls often anymore, but I knew this one was special. It’s beyond rare that she’s tired enough to ever fall asleep in my lap, let alone while she’s still the baby. Della even came in at one point and asked why we were rocking so long. Finally, after about 10 minutes, I stood up and laid her gently in bed, tucking her in and giving those sweet baby cheeks a kiss.

Then I came out and colored with Della in her Hello Kitty coloring book. It’s been her favorite lately, and every night she’s a coloring machine. It’s one of those color wonder books where the markers are essentially clear and only show up on that particular paper, which I absolutely love. I don’t have to worry about it getting all over her or her clothes or the couch or the floor. So we took turns coloring a couple pictures, and I just loved watching her enchanted by the pages. She’s such a smart and wonderful kid, it warms my heart to be with her. I sometimes feel like I don’t spend enough one-on-one time with her, so I adore that she wants me to color with her these nights. I watched her concentrate and played with her pigtails, curly from all her playing today.

After coloring, she read a couple books with Ryan, another one of her favorite activities. She is getting so good at reading, it amazes me. When I put her to bed I didn’t mind at all giving her the extra back rubs and resting leg pats I do that she requested. Her yawns and sleepy eyes told me that she is probably well on her way to the land of nod already. I’ll go in and give them both one more tuck in and kiss before I go to bed. I still find nothing better than watching my beautiful children sleep. Ever since day 1.

With the impending arrival of #3, I am much less worried about “sharing” my love than I was when Lana was about to be born. I now know that the love in my heart for my children automatically increases exponentially as soon as they are born, so any fear that I couldn’t possibly love another as much as who we already have is completely unfounded. That hasn’t even been a thought in my mind this time around. In fact, I’m actually excited to see just how much I can love all 3 at once. And I know watching the girls with their little brother or sister is going to be magical. So in that respect, there’s a level of calm surrounding this coming birth that is nice.

I have made no bones about the fact that I would love to have another girl this time around, which is one thing I never said with the first 2. When we started having kids I always wanted a little girl, but as long as they were healthy, that’s all that mattered to me. But now that we have 2 incredible little girls, a third would just be so easy – we have all the girl clothes and the girl stuff and I know little girls. I know nothing about raising little boys. And I’m fearful that I’d be a terrible little boy mom, because I hear they’re constant balls of energy and movement and we all know I tend to be lazy. I mean less energetic than is probably necessary for a little boy at this point. Right.

So since that is out there in the universe, I’m sure #3 will be a boy. Who I will of course love from the start and make everything I just said sound utterly ridiculous. But that’s what babies do – turn your world upside down and prove just how much you can love. And quite often prove you entirely wrong when you’re just starting to think you know what you’re talking about and doing.

I think that’s about it. All the thoughts I’ve had running around in my head that I wanted to get down before #3 is here. Because once he/she is, my time on these pages I’m sure will be even more limited than it is now. But things here are in pretty good shape for baby’s arrival, too. The girls’ swing set is sanded, stained, and in place; this week I cleaned the entire house in preparation; this morning I cleaned up part of the garage, got the infant car seat adapter hooked onto the stroller, and steamed the floors; so now we’re just waiting. We do still need to pick names, but I’m sure we’ll get that done.

We’re almost 4 no more. And I pray that we thrive as a family of 5.

IMG_6360

 

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37 weeks

FULL TERM!! And in other news, my fingers have begun to feel like sausages. Excellent.

  • How far along?  37 weeks. Full term, kids. This baby could literally come at any time now.
  • Total weight gain:  Like 40 pounds. I’ve had 2 appointments since last week’s update, so I can’t hide from the scale. I’m now just a little over where I ended with the girls, but my doctor says I’m just fine. I’ll still weigh myself again that very last day to see how much total poundage I packed on, but I think it’s safe to say it’ll be between 40-45 lbs. at this point. Hopefully no more! And hopefully it comes off as easily as it did the first 2 times since there’s that much more of it now, ugh.
  • Maternity clothes?  I’ll just make this easy. Yes. I’m 37 weeks along; of course I’m wearing maternity clothes.
  • Stretch marks?  Nope, not yet. And the third time around better not be when those suckers rear their ugly heads, either.
  • Sleep:  Terrible. I’m uncomfortable all the time. I did get one of those big curly pregnancy pillows, which isn’t bad. I’ve begun sleeping on top of all the covers with just a blanket on me, though, because trying to position that thing and roll over while under all the sheets and comforter was a battle that I’m done fighting. And now my fingers have begun to swell just enough so that my hands hurt all the time, especially at night. Yippee!
  • Best moment this week:  Having 2 doctor appointments and finding out that progression toward labor is actually happening. Friday I was 1 cm dilated and 50% effaced with the baby definitely head down, and today (Wednesday) I’m up to 2 cm and 80%. To me, that sounds like a ton of progress in 5 days, but my doctor said the exam has no bearing whatsoever on predicting labor. It could happen tonight (SAY WHAT?!?) or 2 weeks from now. She said that even though it sounds like a big jump, it isn’t really that much and not to worry. Obviously if I start having painful contractions, it’s probably go time, though. I can’t remember exactly, but I think I was right around these measurements at my last appointments before the girls were born. I also asked if she could tell how big the baby is right now pounds-wise, and she felt it and thinks right between 6.5-7 lbs. at this point. She’s pretty confident it’ll be born under 8 lbs. She also said that’s pretty common – for babies to get a little bit bigger each time. Why, who knows? So just in case, the car seat is in, the hospital bag is packed save the last-minute stuff, the baby swing/chair is clean and in the living room, the bed and baby clothes are all washed and ready to go, and I’m getting the house cleaned and lawn mowed so we’re ready to put the girls’ new swing set in place. I’m also debating trying to move my hair appointment up from next Saturday to this weekend just to make sure I can get it done in time… Such a life-changing decision, I know.
  • Miss anything?  Being comfortable in my own body. I’ve reached that point, and unfortunately it arrived much earlier this time than I expected. Add to that being able to tie shoes comfortably, go for a walk without fear of peeing myself, and being able to stand up without feeling like my hips are going to give out on me because this kid is sitting right on them.
  • Movement:  Yes, since 1 day before week 15. That’s the earliest of all 3 – D was 20 weeks and L was around 16 weeks.
  • Cravings:  Not right now.
  • Aversions:  Now that the first trimester is over, again, not really anything. Those first couple weeks, though, wow – life in general was an aversion of mine. Scents are still stronger than normal, but nothing like when I was pregnant with D and my entire sense of smell got turned upside down.
  • Gender:  Did not find out. I’m still sure it’s a boy.
  • Labor signs:  Lots of Braxton Hicks contractions. Wonderful.
  • Symptoms:  Horrible daily heartburn, frequent pressure and tightening in my abdomen (the braxton hicks), my hair barely sheds at all when I brush and wash it, my stomach constantly “gets in the way” when I’m trying to do things like put on my socks and shoes, my back gets inordinately tired and hurts often, and there’s an almost constant stabbing pain in the back of my left sacroiliac joint. I literally get stuck getting out of a seated position it hurts so badly. My hands have also begun to swell just a tiny bit, which is resulting in constant aching. I asked my doctor about it this morning, and she said that’s exactly what’s causing it. It’s not too noticeable when you look at them, but I can certainly feel it. I think the baby has dropped, too, because I get frequent shooting pains down the tops of my legs, which my doctor said are definitely coming from the baby’s head sitting right on my cervix. I know you wanted to hear that, didn’t you?
  • Belly button in or out?  It’s out and it’s gross.
  • Wedding rings on or off?  On. We’ll see for how much longer, though.
  • Looking forward to:  Finding out if little #3 is a boy or a girl. I’m also very curious as to when he/she is going to make an appearance. For as much as I’m ready to be done being pregnant, it would be nice to finish most of the school year without having a newborn in the mix. Della’s last day is June 11 and my due date is June 10, so it’s a total crap shoot at this point. After these last 2 appointments, however, I am becoming less and less confident that I’ll even make it until June. Stay tuned!

Now for the full-term comparison. I had my date for Lana’s picture totally wrong last week, because it’s actually from 37 weeks. So you have to see the same one for her twice. Left is Della at I think 37 weeks 1 day; middle is Lana at 37 w exactly; and right is #3 today at 37 w exactly. Oh look, I’m smiling again.

37w

 

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36 weeks

You guys? Almost full term. !?! Sorry for the 3-week lapse, too. No, I didn’t go into preterm labor; I’m just lazy. I mean busy.

  • How far along?  36 weeks. Which means that in about 1 more week the baby could be born and basically be fine. I’m still predicting around 39 weeks for the actual birth day, however.
  • Total weight gain:  Eh, who cares at this point? From here on out I’ll stick with my theory that I’ll end all 3 pregnancies at approximately the same weight; I’ll just have gained more with these last 2 than with the first, since I started at a lower weight each time. I’ll weigh myself the day I go into labor to check that theory, but not before.
  • Maternity clothes?  Pants, capris, shorts (on those days that have actually been warm enough to wear them), some dresses and skirts, and some tops. Fortunately a lot of my long- and 3/4-sleeved shirts are stretchy enough to cover the bulge so I haven’t had to empty my wallet on another maternity wardrobe. And I have enough stuff from the previous 2 that isn’t unbearably hideous so I can wear it again this time.
  • Stretch marks?  Nope, not yet. And the third time around better not be when those suckers rear their ugly heads, either.
  • Sleep:  Terrible. I’m uncomfortable all the time, and my dreams have turned into nightmares. I did get one of those big curly pregnancy pillows, which isn’t bad. I’ve begun sleeping on top of all the covers with just a blanket on me, though, because trying to position that thing and roll over while under all the sheets and comforter was a battle each time that I’m done fighting.
  • Best moment this week:  Getting everything crossed off my baby to-do list. Hooray!
  • Miss anything?  Being comfortable in my own body. I’ve reached that point, and unfortunately it arrived much earlier this time than I expected. Add to that being able to tie shoes comfortably, go for a walk without fear of peeing myself, and being able to stand up without feeling like my hips are going to give out on me because this kid is sitting right on them.
  • Movement:  Yes, since 1 day before week 15. That’s the earliest of all 3 – D was 20 weeks and L was around 16 weeks.
  • Cravings:  Not right now.
  • Aversions:  Now that the first trimester is over, again, not really anything. Those first couple weeks, though, wow – life in general was an aversion of mine. Scents are still stronger than normal, but nothing like when I was pregnant with D and my entire sense of smell got turned upside down.
  • Gender:  Did not find out. I’m still sure it’s a boy.
  • Labor signs:  Lots of Braxton Hicks contractions. Wonderful.
  • Symptoms:  Horrible daily heartburn now, frequent pressure and tightening in my abdomen (the braxton hicks), my hair is barely sheds at all when I brush and wash it, my stomach constantly “gets in the way” when I’m trying to do things like put on my socks and shoes, my back gets inordinately tired and hurts often, and there’s an almost constant stabbing pain in the back of my left sacroiliac joint. I literally get stuck getting out of a seated position it hurts so badly.
  • Belly button in or out?  It’s out and it’s gross.
  • Wedding rings on or off?  On.
  • Looking forward to:  Finding out if little #3 is a boy or a girl. I’m also very curious as to when he/she is going to make an appearance. For as much as I’m ready to be done being pregnant, it would be nice to finish most of the school year without having a newborn in the mix. Della’s last day is June 11 and my due date is June 10, so it’s a total crap shoot at this point. Stay tuned!

Ok, I am definitely back to winning the biggest belly award with this one. Boo. Left is 36 weeks 1 day with Della; middle is 36 weeks 3 days with Lana; right is 36 weeks exactly (today) with #3. I just hope there isn’t a 12 lb. kid growing in there, ugh.

36w