Category: Pregnancy

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Dear #3

{written on September 30, 2014}

Dear Rauling #3,

I just found out I’m pregnant with you this morning, and I could not be more shocked and excited. It took a much shorter time for you to get in there than it did for your sister Lana, and I was just assuming you would take even longer than she did. So to know you’re around already is a wonderful surprise.

Today has been kind of funny. I’m waiting until Daddy gets home from work to tell him by having Lana wear the “Big Sister” shirt that Della wore when I learned I was pregnant with Lana, so you’ve been my own personal little secret since this morning. I can’t wait to tell him and everyone else, but it’s been kind of special when I remember that I’m pregnant again and only you and I know it. But soon enough the world will know, and we’ll all be eagerly awaiting your arrival.

By the end of my pregnancy with your sister Lana, I said if we have another baby I definitely want to find out the gender to make the whole planning process easier, especially with other kids in the house. But now I think we’ll be surprised again. Della goes back and forth between wanting another little sister and a little brother, so she’ll be just as excited as anyone if we wait until you’re born to see who you are instead of finding out early (fortunately she has trimmed her sibling order down from 2 sisters and 2 brothers to just 1 more after Lana, so we might be good here). I must admit, I would love to have 3 little girls, but obviously you will be loved absolutely no less if you are a little boy. I’m sure your sisters would love to have a little brother to play with. Hopefully you’ll humor them with all the Hello Kitty and Frozen gear we have.

Now, I will apologize to you right now. Being the 3rd little one to join our family, I might not write about you quite as much on here. Actually, I probably won’t write a whole lot on here period once there are 3 of you to look after, but such is life. I will be enjoying my days home instead of worrying about a computer. I will, however, make sure to take note of all your milestones and accomplishments, as I have for your sisters. You’ll have your own page on here, too; it just might not be as full. I did say the same thing about Lana’s page, though, and she’s gotten a pretty good amount of entries.

Your baby book might not be huge, but it will definitely get filled. Actually, Lana’s isn’t as big as Della’s, not because I didn’t fill it in, but simply because that’s how it was made; there just aren’t as many pages. Which worked out perfectly, because I’m able to fill everything in without trying to find time to fill so many superfluous pages like in Della’s. Not to say that Della’s is a waste, because being the first kid she had a lot more pictures taken to fill those pages. Sorry, that’s just life. We get more of you guys, we get busier. But we get happier and happier, so never doubt that for a second. But back to my point, you will get a baby book.

You’ll probably wear a lot of hand-me-downs. Actually, that will be a wonderful thing if you are a little girl, because your sisters have some really great clothes. If you’re a boy, however, you probably won’t wear any hand-me-downs. So never mind – clothes will be a win-win for you either way.

Being #3, you’ll also get toted around a lot as your sisters grow and become busier. Della will start full-day kindergarten next year, so you and Lana will be my sidekicks. I hope you’ll enjoy running and walking in the stroller as much as they have, because chances are I’ll try to start jogging as soon as I’m allowed next summer. Have no fear, though, this does not mean you are any less important or any less present in our lives – you’ll simply be part of the flow of our family immediately, since your sisters don’t slow down for much. When Della was born it was all about her, since it was only her. When Lana was born it was a little more evenly split, because I was staying home and trying to figure out life with 2 little ones. Now for you I’ll have to perfect the child trifecta, but I can’t wait. I think this is going to be a lot of fun. An adventure, if you will.

One thing completely unique to you, however, is that I went for a run with Lana in the stroller today. I can definitely say that running was not something I did on the day I found out I was pregnant with either of your sisters.

But even though you will be #3, you are already playing a huge role. You might be my last pregnancy, so I will try to savor every minute (will you make me nauseous like Lana did? will you totally mess up my sense of smell like Della did? whatever you do, i’ll just know that it confirms you’re in there growing away). This might be my last labor and delivery, so please be as fast and smooth as your sisters were. You might be our last newborn, infant, toddler, 4-, 5-, 6-, and up-year-old, so I will cherish every sweet, sweet, second with you. As I do with your sisters, of course, but I think the baby of the family always carries an extra-special place.

I still can’t believe this is really happening, even after sitting here typing this whole letter to you. Your sisters are napping and Daddy won’t be home for another hour or so, so we have a little more time just the 2 of us before anyone else knows. Thank you for coming to us so soon, little one. I’m so thankful and ready for this journey with you. It’s just so hard to believe I’m pregnant again! This is pretty good timing on your part, though. Right now I think my due date will end up being sometime in early June next year, which is just in time for you to join the wedding party in Auntie Arianne’s wedding! Maybe Della and Lana can pull you down the aisle behind them in a tiny wagon.

I love you already, my dear. I hope and pray that all goes well in there for you and that this is another healthy, full-term pregnancy for me. I can’t wait to be your mother, too, and to be a family of 5!

 

Love,

Mama

 

Stats:

Beginning weight: 146.0 (lower than with both Della and Lana)

5 weeks: 146.0

6 weeks: 147.0 

7 weeks: 147.0

8 weeks: 148.5 (i can see my trying to quell the miserable nausea with food is starting to take effect…)

10 weeks: 151.5

13 weeks: 157 (so up 11 lbs. in the first trimester – much more than recommended, but similar to both your sisters when food was one of the main things on my mind. the weighing game ends here with you, though. i’ll check back at the very end to see how much we gain in total, but probably not again before that.)

 

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19 weeks

These posts are probably pretty boring for most, but for any of you out there who are following along to this tale of Baby #3, here’s my 19 week update.

  • How far along?  19 weeks
  • Total weight gain:  I’m actually not going to play this game anymore. I’ll weigh myself the day I go to the hospital to deliver to see what my total weight gain for the whole pregnancy is, but I don’t think I’ll hop on the scale anymore between now and then. Just like with my first 2 pregnancies, I gained a whole boatload of weight in the first trimester, more than what I’d say is considered “normal,” and now that my nausea and extreme need for food is over it’s all leveled off. Plus I’ve gotten back into exercising and am trying to get my pregnancy workout DVD in 2-3 times per week, so that definitely helps. I feel good, and I just want to try to stay healthy and in good shape for when the time comes for 1 more delivery. Because no matter how short it may last (hopefully!!), that shit is full-body intense!
  • Maternity clothes?  Not quite yet. All of my regular jeans and non-stretchy pants are officially done, but both pairs of maternity jeans are still too big. So yoga pants it is for a while. And no maternity tops. One good thing about being pregnant in winter is since it’s cold, I can cover up in all my big sweatshirts and sweaters and not worry about finding shirts to fit.
  • Stretch marks?  Nope, not yet. And the third time around better not be when those suckers rear their ugly heads, either.
  • Sleep:  So far pretty good.
  • Best moment this week:  Hmm. We might finally get rid of our truck for a “new” one later today, so fingers crossed there that everything actually works out. For once. And I had my next prenatal appointment today and all was well – strong heartbeat and my quad screening blood work all came back normal.
  • Miss anything?  Nothing right now really. Sushi does sound good, though.
  • 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 really, but I have eaten a lot of pickles during this pregnancy. That’s not super odd, though, since I’ve always liked pickles.
  • 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:  Not finding out.
  • Labor signs:  Zero.
  • Symptoms:  A little heartburn here and there, outward abdominal pressure (confirmed normal with the doc today since everything is trying to bust out through my abs), and my hair is definitely shedding less and less when I brush it. Oh, and I’m gaining a child’s worth of weight.
  • Belly button in or out?  Still in, thankfully. I’m sure it’ll go out, though, since it did with Lana.
  • Wedding rings on or off?  On.
  • Looking forward to:  Talk about a loaded question! Where do I begin? Oh, but you mean baby related? Seeing as it’s still fairly early, not too much yet. We have way too much to do here at home before I really start concentrating on meeting #3. I do have the anatomy scan ultrasound next week, though, so that’ll be cool.

I don’t have a 19 week picture from my pregnancy with Della, so here is this week’s comparison between #3 on the right and Lana on the left. Aren’t you excited that you get a new view this time? Our front door is just beautiful. Maybe one of these weeks I’ll actually clean up all that crap on the front bench for you.

PicMonkey Collage

Until next week…

 

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Another year, another kid

Yes, you read that correctly. Ta da!

#3

Baby #3 is on the way, due June 10. Both girls came about a week early, though, so I’m predicting the big day will be June 4.

Here are answers to the top 3 questions I always get when people find out I’m pregnant again:

  • No, we’re not finding out if it’s a boy or girl, just like with the first 2.
  • I’ve been feeling horrible, worst of the 3 (well I was up until about week 13-14. thankfully i’ve gotten pretty much back to normal, as much as i possibly can anyway with a rapidly expanding girth).
  • This is the last one (i keep saying this is definitely the last one, but now that i’m feeling better i start questioning that again. however, unless there is a drastic change in either the size of our house or the size of our bank account, i’m about 99.9% sure that the raulings will stop at 3).

I was debating whether or not to do those little poll things like I did when I was pregnant with Lana because they seem so cheesy, but I decided why not. Last time around, might as well see how things progress. So here’s my first pregnancy update for #3:

  • How far along?  18 weeks
  • Total weight gain:  17 lbs. Good lord, that sounds like a ton of weight to have put on in only 18 weeks. However, I was up like 11 lbs. at the end of the first trimester alone due to constantly eating to try to quell my nausea, so I guess 6 lbs. in the past 5 weeks isn’t too extreme.
  • Maternity clothes?  Not quite yet. As of last week I was down to 1 pair of jeans and 1 pair of khaki-ish pants still fitting, but both pairs of maternity jeans are still too big. So yoga pants it is for a while.
  • Stretch marks?  Nope, not yet. And the third time around better not be when those suckers rear their ugly heads, either.
  • Sleep:  So far pretty good.
  • Best moment this week:  Um, well, seeing as we’re going to either have to dump money into our piece of shit truck or else buy a new one, this week hasn’t exactly been stellar.
  • Miss anything?  Nothing right now really.
  • 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 really, but I have eaten a lot of pickles during this pregnancy. That’s not super odd, though, since I’ve always liked pickles.
  • Aversions:  Now that the first trimester is over, again, not really anything. Those first couple weeks, though, woah – life in general was an aversion of mine.
  • Gender:  Not finding out.
  • Labor signs:  Zero.
  • Symptoms:  Well let’s see. 17 lbs. of weight gain, first of all. And a lot of gas. You’re welcome.
  • Belly button in or out?  Still in, thankfully. I’m sure it’ll go out, though, since it did with Lana.
  • Wedding rings on or off?  On.
  • Looking forward to:  Talk about a loaded question! Where do I begin? Oh, but you mean baby related? Seeing as it’s still fairly early, not too much yet. We have way too much to do here at home before I really start concentrating on meeting #3. I do have the anatomy scan ultrasound in about 2 weeks, though, so that’ll be cool.

And the always-anticipated comparison shot, this time in triplicate. D is on the left, L in the middle, and #3 on the right. Isn’t our front door lovely? Joke.

PicMonkey Collage

So there you go, our big news. I know I haven’t written on here in forever, and I’m not even going to try to pretend that now I’ll be able to do so more often, because that never works. Maybe with these pregnancy updates I will be able to, though, we’ll see.

2015 will definitely be interesting around here.

 

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Looking back

I meant to write this post before Lana was born while I was still pregnant, but, oops.

I basically just wanted to take a minute to look back on this pregnancy and remind myself how it compared to my first one:

  • Symptoms were a little different, appeared sooner, and seemed to be more pronounced.
    • I really had no morning sickness with Della, whereas this time I was plagued for a good 2 months. Fortunately I only barfed 1 night (all night long, ugh), but that horrible nausea stayed with me for a solid 8 weeks, from about week 6 to week 14-15.
    • I did get sick during the early weeks of both pregnancies. With D I got just a really bad cold with a cough that wouldn’t quit. This time I again got what I thought was a horrible cold/cough combo, but it turned out to be an upper respiratory infection. Then the penicillin they put me on exacerbated the nausea. Hoo boy, that was fun.
    • My sensitivity to certain scents wasn’t nearly as severe this time as it was with D. There are honestly some things that I smelled during my 1st pregnancy that made my stomach turn so terribly that I still can’t stand smelling them to this day. I experienced a little of that this time around, but not nearly as badly as with D.
    • My sacro-iliac joint pain cropped up early on in this pregnancy with a vengeance, while I really only remember being bothered by it during my 3rd trimester with D.
    • I had that horrible carpal tunnel syndrome this time, mainly in the last 2 months, where I never had it with D. I do think it helped prepare me for this newborn stage again, though, since I was pretty much used to not sleeping by the time L was born.
    • All the other all over aches and pains just seemed a little worse this time – I felt more tired by the end, my body felt more sore by the end, etc.
  • My 2nd trimesters were almost identical, though. Felt great, pains weren’t too terrible yet, decent energy, plus it was summer so we were out and about a lot just enjoying the days and nights.
  • My weight gain seemed different this time, too. I gained 33 lbs. with D, and I gained 36 lbs. with L. In looking back at the pictures, I think I gained it more all over with D, whereas this time it seemed to really go mainly to my belly. My face, arms, and butt all looked much fuller/bigger when I was pregnant the first time than they did this time. Why, I have no idea, especially since I gained a couple more pounds this time.
  • I didn’t focus nearly as much this time on “being pregnant” as I did with D. That’s due to the obvious fact that we had a toddler to focus on, so pregnancy wasn’t as new, unknown, and front and center as it was the first time. That’s not saying we didn’t care that I was pregnant this time, it just didn’t seem to have the “wow factor” that it did with D. Yes, I did the weekly pictures, kept track of milestones, stuff like that, but most of the time I was just focused on normal daily life with Ryan and D. Plus losing my job and transitioning to being home was in there this time too, so I think I just had a lot more on my mind period.
  • I was able to exercise almost the entire pregnancy this time, whereas last time I was put on a no exercise restriction for 6 weeks around 4 months in, then never really picked back up after that was over. This time I think I did my last workout at the gym with my trainer around 36.5 weeks pregnant. I really think it helped me with recovery, just having that little bit of exercise each week to keep my body moving.
  • I don’t think we were nearly as anxious about having a baby this time as we were last time. I remember before D was born I had all the nursery stuff set up super early, baby clothes that we had washed and in the drawers, all the extras in place and ready to go, stuff printed out from the online birthing class I did to get ready for labor, all this extra crap that we never even touched in the hospital bag, etc. This time we were obviously nervous about just the whole unknown of when labor was going to happen and how it was going to be adding another little person to our family, but the day-to-day stuff was a no brainer. Nursery furniture? It’s pretty much all there and the same stuff, we just moved the crib into our room when we got D a big bed. Baby clothes? No sweat – I brought what newborn and gender neutral stuff we had down from the attic, washed it again, and made room for it in D’s dressers. Diapers/wipes/necessities? I just added some smaller sizes to our monthly Amazon delivery – easy peasy. It just didn’t seem as scary. We’re having another baby – excellent. Not OH MY GOD WE’RE HAVING ANOTHER BABY!!!!

I think those were the main things I had in mind. Will there be a 3rd pregnancy to compare/contrast someday? Who knows. We’re not there yet – let’s make sure #2 survives first.

 

 

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Friday Funk – 39 weeks (just a few days late)

So as you’ll remember, we’re out of comparison shots since Della was born at 38w6d. But here is what I looked like 2 Saturdays ago anyway, at exactly 39w pregnant with Dv2.0:

Then 2 Sundays ago, at 39w1d pregnant, this happened:

Welcome Lana Marie Rau!

Born Sunday, October 21, 2012, at 7:24 p.m.

7 lbs. 7 oz., 19.5″ long

100% perfect

We are absolutely thrilled to have another little girl, and this past week adjusting to a family of 4 has been great. Unfortunately Ryan had to go back to work today, but thankfully my mom is up for the week to help me adjust and catch up on sleep before I tackle 2 by myself. Della is an amazing big sister. She loves to give Lana (pronounced Lah-nuh) pets on the head (with all that hair!), pats on the back to help burp, and point out all her tiny little parts like ears, nose, fingers, and toes. Thank you, little Lana, for adding to our family. We love you so much!

Things may be quiet around the blog for a bit as I adjust to being a mama of 2, but don’t worry, I’ll pop back in when I can. After all, I know you’re now dying to see pictures of who Dv2.0 turned out to be. 😉

 

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Friday Funk – 38 weeks

Little late this morning. Did you think I was in labor? 😉

no, my arm isn’t broken. that was our attempt at a homemade wrist splint for this stupid carpal tunnel syndrome. i have since gotten a regular one at the store.

  • How far along?  38 weeks, 6 days
  • Total weight gain:  35.5 lbs. as of Wednesday morning. Um, up 4 lbs. since last week? So much for matching my weight gain of 33 lbs. with D. I just blew right by that one for some reason.
  • Maternity clothes?  Bottoms – definitely, now with the exception of some yoga and cooler weather pj pants (much to my surprise!). Tops – some, but I find I can still wear most of my regular shirts too, which is nice. And dresses and skirts are quite comfortable but are making less frequent appearances as the weather cools off.
  • Stretch marks?  Thankfully, no. I didn’t get any from D, so hopefully Dv2.0 doesn’t give me any either.
  • Sleep:  Terrible, plain and simple. I’ve now gotten to the point where I dread bedtime because I know it’s just not going to happen. Rolling over is a huge process, and I’m always sore all over when I wake up. Getting up to pee is still a nightly thing, and it has now progressed to multiple times a night. Add to all that the wonderful carpal tunnel syndrome that worsens when I lie down, and it’s just one big party at night.
  • Best moment this week:  Definitely our trip to Peoria last weekend – induction into my high school Athletic Hall of Fame, seeing old friends from grade school (yes, we had our 20 year grade school reunion last weekend too!), and spending some great time with family. It was a really nice trip. And we didn’t bring home a newborn, either, whew!
  • Miss anything?  Beer and wine. And a good, solid night’s sleep.
  • Movement:  Yes, since about week 16 I believe. Kicks have become all over – I can feel what I now think are feet kicking under my right ribs while simultaneously getting bumped by probably the head on the lower left/back side. Must be a long kid in there.
  • Cravings:  Nope.
  • Aversions:  Food, no. Smells, not nearly as bad as last time, fortunately. I just get sick of scents quickly and have to get rid of them completely.
  • Gender:  Not finding out.
  • Labor signs:  The Braxton Hicks contractions are starting to get stronger, so I have a feeling we’re getting close here.
  • Symptoms:  The usual suspects – SI pain, heartburn (thank you to my dad for a nighttime remedy though – 1/2 tsp. of baking soda dissolved in 1 c. of water. tastes terrible, but i’ve been able to stave off heartburn at night for the past 2 nights by drinking that concoction), pregnancy-induced carpal tunnel syndrome, general aches and pains all over as this kid continues to grow before hatching, and I have noticed a little swelling in my hands this past week. I told my doctor about it since I don’t see any anywhere else, and she said it’s totally normal. I think it’s definitely exacerbating the carpal tunnel, and maybe this water weight/fluid retention has contributed to that big jump in weight gain this week. At least that’s what I’m telling myself, because otherwise I have no idea from where 4 lbs. all of a sudden came.
  • Belly button in or out?  Almost out, but not quite. It’s kind of hooded, if that makes any sense. Gross, I know.
  • Wedding rings on or off?  On most days.
  • Looking forward to:  Well hmm. I guess finding out when this kid’s going to decide to make his/her appearance. I originally thought today would be the day, but I don’t think that’s going to pan out. I’ve had a couple people suggest Tuesday of next week, which is actually when I have my next doctor’s appointment scheduled, so we’ll see about that. If I don’t deliver by next Saturday, the 27th, which is my due date, I do have Halloween scheduled for an induction date. But honestly, I don’t feel quite ready to meet him/her yet (yeah, when are you ever fully ready, i know). So as much as I’m looking forward to dumping these painful symptoms, I kind of want the baby to stay in just a little longer. I think sometime next week would be ok. Then Ryan can finish painting the front closet too, ha!

Now here is our final comparison shot. I delivered D 6 days after this picture was taken, so we’ll see how many days after Dv2.0’s picture I deliver that one. Left side is me at 38w with D; right side is me at 38w1d with Dv2.0.

I may or may not have a weekly post for you next Friday, so I hope you have thoroughly enjoyed what might be our last pregnancy update chat. Wow, that sounds so weird to say!

 

 

 

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Friday Funk – 37 weeks

Tomorrow is exactly 2 weeks before my due date. Zoinks!!

i’m laughing at D in these pics, who was trying her hardest to photo bomb me. you’ll see in a minute…

  • How far along?  37 weeks, 6 days
  • Total weight gain:  31.5 lbs. as of Wednesday morning. Up exactly 1 lb. since last week.
  • Maternity clothes?  Bottoms – definitely, now with the exception of some yoga and cooler weather pj pants (much to my surprise!). Tops – some, but I find I can still wear most of my regular shirts too, which is nice. And dresses and skirts are quite comfortable but are making less frequent appearances as the weather cools off.
  • Stretch marks?  Thankfully, no. I didn’t get any from D, so hopefully Dv2.0 doesn’t give me any either.
  • Sleep:  Terrible, plain and simple. I’ve now gotten to the point where I dread bedtime because I know it’s just not going to happen. Rolling over is a huge process, and I’m always sore all over when I wake up. Getting up to pee is still a nightly thing, and it has now progressed to multiple times a night. But mainly it’s because of the stupid carpal tunnel syndrome I’ve developed this past month. Not a night goes by now where I don’t wake up to the stabbing pain.
  • Best moment this week:  As dumb as it sounds, I might have to say getting the entire house cleaned, including mopping all the floors. I just want it all done before Dv2.0 arrives, and knowing that it’s at least finished for this week before we head out of town for the weekend is a good feeling. Also, hearing that there has been little progression in the dilation department at my doctor’s appointment on Wednesday – another good sign for traveling this weekend.
  • Miss anything?  Beer and wine. And a good, solid night’s sleep.
  • Movement:  Yes, since about week 16 I believe. Kicks have become all over – I can feel what I now think are feet kicking under my right ribs while simultaneously getting bumped by probably the head on the lower left/back side. Must be a long kid in there.
  • Cravings:  In general, no, but when I get really hungry I want protein – meat, cheese, etc.
  • Aversions:  Food, no. Smells, not nearly as bad as last time, fortunately. I just get sick of scents quickly and have to get rid of them completely.
  • Gender:  Not finding out.
  • Labor signs:  No. Wait, are Braxton Hicks contractions considered a labor sign? If so, then yes, I’ve started having those (see below).
  • Symptoms:  Daily heartburn (yes, it switched to daily from nightly. awesome. and sometimes i can feel it come on as soon as i take a bite of something. hooray), SI pain (which, thankfully, has eased up on me a little these past few weeks), my hair isn’t shedding much when I wash/brush it, and I have some serious pregnancy brain. The Braxton Hicks also arrived in the past couple months. I started feeling my lower abdomen tighten (painlessly) every once in a while, and my doctor confirmed those are the BH again. Oh and let’s not forget the newest jerk to join the party – carpal tunnel syndrome. As much as I want this kid to stay in there a little while longer, I can’t WAIT for this particular pain to go away.
  • Belly button in or out?  Almost out, but not quite. Never went fully out with D, just a little crooked.
  • Wedding rings on or off?  On.
  • Looking forward to:  Making it down to Peoria and back this weekend without giving birth (hopefully!!!). It will be great to see family and some old grade school friends, and to eat Monical’s pizza and Avanti’s sandwiches. But just in case, the infant seat is installed in the car, the hospital bag is packed and in with our stuff for the weekend, and I even got my prenatal records and labs printed out from my doctor this week when I was in, just in case. I figured if I didn’t have any of that stuff with us when we go, I was sure to go into labor somewhere other than at home. Wish me luck!! (side note – i noticed on my chart for this week that my fundal height is only 36, which would put me measuring a week behind. might i get some extra time before baby comes??)

Now even I’m kind of baffled by this week’s comparison. I think I look much bigger in my shot from D than my shot from this one. Left is me 37w1d pregnant with D; right is me 37w exactly with Dv2.0. Maybe it’s just the angle or something. I think I look smaller overall now than with D, too – face, butt, arms (even though you can’t see them under my sweatshirt).

And just because she’s cute and was trying to wear my glasses upside down, here’s D in full photo bomb mode. And a different angle for your viewing enjoyment.