Responsibility Advice

I recently had a mother of one contact me about going to grad-school and parenting. She wanted to know "how I do it." I laughed. Who the hell am I to be giving any advice? For all she knows I go home, starve the girls, and lock them in their rooms...but, I was humbled. I didn't really know what to say. I let the email sit in my inbox for a couple of days before replying. When I did reply, this is what I said...

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It is great to hear from you. And, when it comes to being a multi-tasking mom, I seriously hear you! I had such a hard time transitioning to my "new life" and that was back when I wasn't going to school. So, having a second baby and then applying to Grad School was basically terrifying. I completely understand your concern! I do have some advice, but I want to make sure I am completely clear - I still fail. I try. I try to be the best at everything that I can. But, some days the house is a complete wreck. Some days I order a pizza and don't cook supper. Some days I am so stressed to the max that I get short with Lucy and Olive, cry in the corner, and then beg for forgiveness. It is tough. I just don't think that we can be "the best" at it all. I've tried several times and I have failed every single time. Just when I think I am getting into the swing of things, I realize that my relationship with Heath is suffering, or my friendships. Or, that I can't find time to just sleep, or think, or be by myself for two seconds!

I digress...

So, here is my advice and feel free to ignore me.

1) Forget your life pre-baby
I think my greatest milestone as a new mom was finally letting go of my "old life." I had a hard time. I kept thinking that everything was going to be the same, just with a baby. It literally took me about 2.5 years to figure this out. Things will have to be adjusted and concessions will be made.

2) Lean on your hubby
Heath is fantastic. But, I like to take a little bit of credit for getting him there. :) I am always an open book with him. I tell him when I am reaching my limit. He has really helped me pick up the slack and has come to know what really bothers me. I can't stand dishes in the sink; but, dust can wait until I have time...That kind of stuff. He has learned that there will be concessions when it comes to housework. So, a few rooms in our house (our bedroom and the toy room) will never be clean. We have finally come to terms with this.

3) Schedule "you" time
When I was a new mom I felt like if I wasn't spending every second of my free-time with Lucy, then I was a bad mother. I was so upset that I was already missing out on so much during the day, with her at daycare. But, I soon realized that I was having major burnout. I would try to do too much and then get short with Lucy. I was with her, but the shared time wasn't good. So, I schedule homework days, or homework nights, or even days away. Don't ever feel guilty for doing this - ever. It's not the quantity of time, it is the quality of time.

4) Schedule "us" time
Seriously, along with the previous one, take time to spend with your hubby. It is amazing how silly "the dishes" or "taking out the trash" can seem when you both are in good graces. But, if you are both stressed, you will end up bickering about something silly, something not even worth fighting about. So, once a week, if possible, take a night to go out, or order a movie, or something with just the two of you. It will make the household chores seem like less of a priority, which really, aren't they?

5) Remember this: When you die, no one will remember you for how clean your house was
You will be remembered as a wife, a mom, and so on. I learned this from my Uncle Matt and it is so true! Pick your battles and try to remember what really matters.

6) Indulge

Get that coffee from Starbucks. Buy those earrings. Every once in a while, we all need something to keep our sanity. Mine is the sweet, sweet flavors of a large diet-coke with vanilla from Sonic. :) It fuels me to get homework done. Seriously.

7) June Cleaver doesn't exist!

I kept thinking I should be able to do it all. But, to be honest, I don't think it is possible. I seriously don't. Something has GOT to give. Mine is the housework and sleep. Yes - I still get overwhelmed with it and hate when people come over and things aren't perfect. But, I have just learned what really gets under my skin and what doesn't, and prioritize accordingly. During the week, no housework gets done. I cook supper, do dishes, and try to pick-up the girls' rooms. The weekend is for housework and maybe not all of it. These Pinterest and Blogging moms are struggling too, they just aren't as honest (or they don't work full-time, or go to school). Sleep? Well, I love it so much. I catch up on the weekends or take naps with the girls. :)

9) Also, remember this: You are not alone. 

And, there is a light at the end of the tunnel. Before we know it, our kids will be big and we won't know what to do with ourselves.

10) Having two is not much more work than one, as long as your husband helps out. Keep that in mind for future babies. :) The biggest obstacle is going back to those toddler days, where you can't take them anywhere for long periods of time (grocery shopping sucks, etc.).

I hope I helped in some way. Those are the things getting me by. But, my classes started up again this week and I'm already stressing. That's okay; I will just pick up my Sonic drink on the way home and wait until the girls go to sleep until I start homework.



Heath is also fantastic. He really is. I could never do any of this without him. He is a great husband and father. He supports me emotionally and he supports my education. He picks up so much of my slack. I am forever grateful for him. I hope that everyone has that type of support!

You will do great. If not, you will figure it out. I promise. I am always here to listen.

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Any advice that any other parents would give to a new mother, trying to take on other responsibilities? Besides calling them crazy... :)

Birth Story: Part 3

This is the final installation of the three part story, that is Olive's birth. :) Nothing like 5 months later...

After the actual laboring and birthing, we get to all the oohing and awing that I did. Also, I should really discuss the pain I felt afterward as well. To be honest though, I have forgotten most of it. I waited too long and those memories are fading. They always say that it's the easiest pain to forget and "they" sure are right! Although every time I hear someone say that, I think of my Granny. She had a ten pound baby (my dad) all natural back in 1960. Then, she was bedridden for four days after. I'm sure her pain was a little harder to forget than mine...

Dad, have you thanked Granny lately? You totally should! In fact, your birthday is this Saturday. You should tell her "thank you!"

Anyway,  I will tell you that the night after Olive's birth, I was so thirsty. I hadn't drank anything in over 24 hours; I had only had one cup of ice and nothing else. Plus, I had lost a reasonable amount of blood with the surgery. I begged for something to drink and couldn't have it...darn! The next morning I scarfed down my breakfast and started drinking. But, I was way too into holding Olive and just looking at her to be overly hungry.

I have several, several, pictures like this. I apparently stared at her...a lot. But, I'm sure other mothers can attest. Seeing their face for the first time, that little miracle, is simply amazing. I couldn't get enough!

As the day went on, my blood pressure kept getting really low and they asked me to drink more water. Ugh, the irony. I was slightly annoyed. It went from "can't drink anything" to "drink more."

It was about 14 hours after surgery that I got to take off my massage "booties." Those things were amazing! I loved them. Once they were off, I got my catheter out. Uncomfortable! But, I could get up now! At first, I felt pretty good. Not too much pain. It seriously took over 24 hours before all of the spinal had worn off and I started to really feel the pain. It was worse than a vaginally delivery, for me. When my bladder would get full, I had a lot of pain on the incision. When I would go pee, then it wasn't as bad. So, I kept running to and from the restroom, or rather shuffling to and from. It sure was different than what I had experienced before. Pain in a completely different place, but still all of the gross discomfort...if you women know what I mean.

I really didn't mind though. I was completely on cloud nine. I seriously was on a high. I didn't get irritated at all and was just as happy as I could be. It was different than with Lucy. Perhaps my body has changed, or I have...something like that. The high lasted until, well, basically until I went back to work. Whomp, whomp. I won't beat that dead horse, so moving on...

Lucy came to visit and spent most of the second day with us. She loved seeing her new, baby sister.

She even held her for photos. When someone would talk to her, she would stick her fingers to her lips and tell us that her baby sister was sleeping. :) She's a great big sister!

The day we got out of the hospital, Lucy was there again. We wanted to make sure we got to experience these things as a family!


Then, it started. Olive was upset. I had to feed her before we hit the road. We sat the girls down to take this photo, and Lucy pooped her pants - more delay. They were breaking us in right away, to having two! That is alright though. Cloud nine...

I was welcomed home to this wonderful display my mom and sister put together - presents for all!

 

Oh boy, now that I've waited 5 months, this post is giving me baby fever. No way, Jose. We really would need a van then!

The rest is wonderful, laid-back, best baby in the world, knock-on-wood, history. :)

Birth Story: Part 1

September 6th - Induction day!

Following what was arguably the longest day at work ever, I said farewell to my co-workers and giddily got into our car for home. I was antsy to say the least. I just wanted to get the show on the road. I was so ready in all senses of the word. Ready to meet her. Ready for newborn cuddles. Ready to take 8 weeks off work. Ready to bend over and tie my shoes again. Ready, ready, ready.

We got home and tried to go about our usual business. Heath fed Lucy supper while I took a shower. Our bags were already packed - had been for over a week. I checked my list for last minute items to add. Phone, phone charger, makeup, etc. Check. I was ready. We took one last photo of our family of three, knowing that it would never again be the same. Life changes were happening. :)

We hopped into the car to take Lucy out to my mom's house. We were on time, for once, and were scheduled to arrive at the hospital about ten minutes before 8 pm. We said a quick goodbye to Lucy and told her that we were on our way to "go get" Olive. She was basically oblivious to the whole idea and was completely fine with us leaving her.

On the way to Sonic to pick up one last 32 ounce, iced water, my phone rang. Another woman was currently delivering a baby and they had to move me back "a few hours." The nurse told me that it might be closer to 11 pm before we were asked to come in.

I cried.

I had anticipated this moment and just wanted to be at the hospital, feeling like it was at least coming! Heath tried to make me feel better. I was just so disappointed that I would have to wait even longer. We went back to the house and thank goodness my sister came over to keep us company. It helped pass the time.

At 11 pm I called the hospital to see what was going on. The nurse told me to go ahead and come on in. I was ready and about to fall asleep. I couldn't even tell you the last time I had been up until 11 pm! A smart mommy-to-be would have taken a nap.

I arrived in good spirits. I filled out all of the appropriate paperwork, put my gown on, got weighed (under my goal weight - whoo-hoo!), and got my IV. Heath and my sister sat nearby, sleepily. I was finally ready to go around 1 am. Before giving me Cytotec to soften my cervix, the nurse checked my progress. I was certain that I had surpassed 2 cm, since I had been having a lot of Braxton-Hicks contractions all week. I was completely disappointed when she said that I was still at 2 cm. However, I was only 2 cm when I came to the hospital with Lucy. So, I was hopeful!

At this point I was already having Braxton-Hicks that were showing up on the contraction monitor. Dr. B had told me that the Cytotec might possibly be enough to send me into labor, especially since I was a second-time mother. That it did...

Just 20 minutes or so after getting it, my contractions became somewhat consistent. By 2 am I was having considerable contractions that were about 5 minutes apart and realized at that point that I would not be sleeping for the night. By 4 am, I was having to "breath" through them and couldn't talk. I was in pain.

When the nurse checked me again, I was certain that I would at least be at 3 cm or more. I was just holding on through those contractions, thinking that an epidural would be coming soon. She checked and I was still 2 cm. What?! I couldn't believe it. I teared up, trying not to be an emotional, sleepy mess. I couldn't believe that I wasn't making progress. The contractions continued.

I walked. I lunged. I did squats. I sat and bounced on a ball. I changed positions. I rocked in a rocking chair. All of this made the contractions stronger and hurt more. I had to be getting somewhere!

I was checked again right about the time the sun came back up. Still no progress. I was crushed. This time, the nurse couldn't even reach my cervix; it was obvious that Olive's head was no longer down. I felt that all of the "work" that my body was doing and the pain I was feeling was literally for nothing. It was so frustrating.

Dr. B came in around 7:15 am. She felt my stomach and checked me. No progress. She couldn't reach my cervix either. She told me that she thought Olive had flipped and was was breach. The nursing team brought in an ultrasound machine to make sure. Dr. B and another doctor both said it looked like she was breach. They called in an ultrasound tech to make sure. While we were waiting, she explained the c-section process to me. I had already come to terms with it. I was experiencing painful contractions and had been for about five hours. Dr. B explained that she didn't think I was progressing because the baby's head pushing down on my cervix is what causes dilation. Since her head wasn't engaged, I wasn't progressing.

I had rolled over while waiting for the tech. Apparently Olive took that opportunity to move again. By time the tech arrived, Olive was head down again. She still wasn't engaged; but, she was in the right direction. We were back on for a vaginal delivery. I admit it; I cried again. I was tired and not getting anywhere. I was heartbroken, thinking that I was going to have to endure the pain even longer and was scared that I still wouldn't have any progress. Dr. B was very supportive though and said we had to focus on getting Olive to move down. I knew that I preferred a vaginally birth, as did Heath; so, I sucked it up and decided to "push on."

The contractions continued as they decided to go ahead with the Pitocin. They thought that the Pitocin might make my uterus contract harder and push Olive down. It only made the contractions more frequent. The nurse checked me again before noon. I was prepared for her to say that there was still no progress. The pessimistic outlook made the news easier to swallow. My dad and step-mom showed up soon after and served as good distractions from the pain and disappointment of no progress.

At 4 pm, I looked at the clock. I had been having these painful contractions for over 12 hours now. I was exhausted. I felt like it was never going to end. The nurse checked me again - nothing. They couldn't break my water either, because Olive's head wasn't engaged. So, we couldn't take the risk of the umbilical cord coming out first. They just kept increasing the Pitocin.

Dr. B finally returned around 5:30 pm. We talked and she gave me the option of either a c-section or going home and trying another day. I was convinced that I would continue to have the contractions at home, on my own. I had been all night. Plus, I was not at all mentally prepared to experience this all again. I was in low, low spirits at this point. I agreed to the c-section. Dr. B asked several times if I was sure, since I had not wanted a c-section.

I was ready though. Ready, ready, ready. I was also exhausted. I was finally taken to the surgery room around 6:30 pm. Heath was taken to the prep room. Unfortunately my sister couldn't be in the room. I asked if she could be dressed and ready though, just in case Heath's Xanax didn't kick in. (He did great though.)

As soon as they took me off that damn Pitocin, I was doing much better! I was still having contractions; but, they were much farther apart. I was ready for my spinal and to meet my baby girl! I was actually smiling, knowing that the time had finally come!

 - To Be Continued -

Dear...

Dear Olive...I am unbelievably anxious for your arrival. Pregnancy, during the time, always feel like it lasts forever; but when I think of announcing we were pregnant in February, I can't believe at how fast these months have gone!


Dear Oreos...it's been real. I've enjoyed these last 8 months or so. I won't be seeing you again until I reach a reasonable weight. Take care!

Dear Uterus...tonight's the big night. Please be good to me. Let's go with minimally painful contractions until I can get an epidural. Thanks.

Dear Lucy...I love you baby girl. We will always have a special bond, since you were my first little girl. However, please know that I will have a bond with Olive too. Each of you are special and I will always have enough time and love for you both. In fact, I may smother you two and make you abandon me during your teen years...

Dear Chico...believe it or not, my foot is not your chair; quit sitting on it.

Dear Dad...yes, I posted a picture of my big ole' nasty foot. At least the big toe is hidden.

Dear Heath...look at what you are doing to our little girl. I am literally lying in bed at night with two tech geeks. :) As long as it pays her bills when she gets older...haha.


Dear September...check out a calendar. You are the beginning of autumn. So, don't be giving me this 95 degree weather, trying to be like August. You are better than that! Seriously. Everyone liked you better before. Now, give me light jacket weather. Please.

Dear Lucy...I am sorry that I can't build tents like Daddy. First of all, I don't get zip-ties from the garage, I'm a little more old school. And, second, it's hard to crawl on the floor with this belly! I promise that I'll be back on the floor with you soon enough.


Dear Readers...sorry if during the next 6 or 8 weeks I am a little MIA. I will be taking care of a new bundle of joy! :) I hope to stop in and share my birth story, along with any updates and several photos; however, you know how I am about that sometimes! :{ Perhaps I will write you in the middle of the night, in lieu of smothering Heath with a pillow...haha. (Don't get that? Check out Tuesday's post.)

Dear Husband...I cannot believe we are bringing another miracle into this world. I am so happy to be sharing my life with you. You are the best thing to ever happen to me; you gave me these wonderful blessings! :) I wouldn't change a thing with our life and I appreciate and love you so much. Remember these words when I am a raging 'B' over the next few weeks. :)

Everyone - have a great rest of September and hopefully you will hear from me soon. Watch Heath's Facebook account for updates. I will also try to give exclusive updates to 'I Love Lucy Jean' Facebook group members. :) Ah, the perks! :)

Pray for us that everything goes well! :)

38 Week Update

I come bearing pictures. Okay, picture.

Alright, alright. I can give you a few more. The last time you had a picture of just me was at 34 weeks; I've been slacking:

She's bigger and lower. But, I don't appear too much bigger than when I was pregnant with Lucy:

 

I am definitely lower though! Perhaps my butt is bigger too? I blame the shirt. Alright, enough of my huge photos...

How far along?

I am 38 weeks, 6 days, going on eternity! I swear I have been pregnant forever and I wish the risk of "going early" would have never been introduced to my psyche. I only have 31 hours before I check into the hospital! Only 30 hours before I leave for the hospital! I am going insane waiting...

Baby is the size of...

a leek? Again, no idea what that is. She is so strong and she seems pretty big, but I seriously do have a feeling that she is going to be about the same size as Lucy was, especially with the picture evidence I showed you above.  According to BabyCenter, she is approximately 20 inches long and anywhere between 7 and 8 lbs. We will soon see.

Symptoms:

I  have been pretty achy. My hips hurt pretty bad lately. I had a theory that it was related to my intake of water in the evening. I think I am still kind of right about it; however, not just my hips hurt anymore. My pelvis literally aches. I told Heath that from my boobs to my knees just aches sometimes. She is definitely taking a toll on my body! I think it's because she's so low and I stand/walk weird to compensate.

I still have the usual: swelling in my ankles and feet, leaky breasts, gassy, occasional nausea, headaches that come and go, and the crazy common Braxton-Hicks contractions.

This week though, I have added a sinus cold, thing. I am not sure if it is allergies (because I don't generally have allergies), or if it is pregnancy related. I read online that it can happen due to the increase in hormones late in pregnancy. Either way, I am stuffy. I wish it was running! It just stays in my head and causes me to sound weird and I can't breathe sometimes. Bah.

Anything New?
No! Nothing is new. I am going insane! Okay, so I'm a bit dramatic. Some of you ladies understand the feeling of the last weeks, right? I did have my doctor's appointment. I was almost 2 cm; Dr. B said she could call it 2 cm dilated. So, that is what I am going with. From zero to two? Sounds good to me. I better be more now, with all the Braxton-Hicks that I've been feeling. I look at it this way, two less centimeters that I don't have to contract through!

She didn't really mention if I was effaced or not; but, she did say that Olive's head was down. In fact, she poked Olive's head and Olive hated it! She moved like crazy and did quite the number on me. Dr. B also stripped my membranes. I have had a lot of people ask me what that means exactly. Well, here you go:

According to the first site listed on Google (something mommies.com), "Stripping membranes is a relatively simple procedure that can be performed in the doctor’s office and is usually performed during a routine exam. The doctor or midwife places their fingers into the opening of the cervix and attempts to gently separate the amniotic sac from the uterus."

We also did a stress test, with Olive hooked up to a monitor for about half an hour. She passed with flying colors. :)

New with Heath?
He is babying Lucy like mad. You can definitely tell that he is a first child and I'm a second. He is so concerned about Lucy with the transition. I am probably a bit more concerned about giving Olive the individualized attention that Lucy received as a baby.  I know that we will both have to meet in the middle. :) It's that odd balance that I have talked about in previous posts.

Lucy has been able to fall asleep in our bed the last two nights, "because they are the last few nights where it will just be the three of us," Heath says. He was really thrown off this morning when I said that this will be our last evening at home without Olive. I wish we had something planned...

New with Lucy?
Besides being spoiled by Heath, not much. Her world is about to be thrown through a loop. I don't think she knows what to expect or that it is even happening. We talk to her about Olive, but she has no sense of time. Overall, I really do think she will be alright through the transition. I think this because I know that with Lucy, Heath often felt like he couldn't take part since I was breast feeding. So, I think there will still be plenty of Heath and Lucy rolling around on the floor moments, while mommy holds Olive.

I really do think that Lucy will be excited to help out with Olive too. She loves to play with her baby dolls. I just need to get her some "real" diapers for her dolls and some other baby items that she can use on her babies, while I'm using them on Olive. :)

Anything else?
I better not complain anymore. I'm becoming quite the downer lately. I just can't wait. I try not to ever wish time away, so I'll have to do something more tonight than sit in front of the television...hmmm...any suggestions?

Mental Preparation for Post-Pregnancy

When I think of having Olive, I think about the pain of labor for about a second. I guess it is so completely inevitable that I just try to shrug it off. When you get an epidural, you only really have to experience the really bad pain for about 3 hours, or I did anyway. If my labor would have started during the day, then it probably would have been sooner, but poor Denise had to get up at 2 am to come give me the epidural. Thank goodness for her! :)

Anyway, I've prepped for the pain as much as possible and my mind is strictly set on seeing that little girl's face! :) I can't wait! :) The love overwhelms me. I am just so excited to see her and add another member to our family. Ahh.....you know, happy baby thoughts.

What I am not doing, is properly preparing myself for the rest of it. Rest of it, you ask? I've said it before and I'll say it again, I was not at all prepared for the post-partum thing with Lucy. Not at all! I, again, had my sights set on the fun, happy, excited parts. So, when I read a blog post about what it is really like after baby a couple of months ago, I laughed pretty hard (you can read it too, here).

The one thing that I laughed the hardest at was at #7:

"7. You might hate your husband...nature takes care of you not conceiving right after giving birth by making you want to punch in [your husband's] face every time you see him. Again, it's probably hormone related. Again, this isn't always the case but I'm just warning you that you might stare at his peaceful sleeping face at 2am and wonder what the hell the point of him is and how can that son of a bitch just lie there sleeping like that while you try to get your baby to sleep for the umpteenth time. You're not alone and a jury full of mothers with newborns wouldn't convict you if you bludgeoned him to death with a breast pump. That said, he may be worth keeping around so take a deep breath and ignore the urge......for now."

The main reason I laugh is because I SO felt this. The second reason I laugh is more of a "HA!" As in, "HA, I'm not the only one." I have said this to Heath and to others before. I seriously used to sit next to Heath in bed, with Lucy in my arms, and glare, just burning hate into his soul while he slept. haha. I seriously just freakin' hated him at those moments. I know that it was the hormones, jealousy, and lack of sleep that was to blame. Plus, I had no idea what to expect.

I shared this blog above with Heath and he just didn't find it as funny as I did. But, I am hoping some other mother out there understands and empathizes with me.

The blog covers some other things that I didn't prepare for either. Not to copy her, but I thought I would share a bit of my own experiences. Warning, I am not looking for any kind of advice about the following things. With my current hormones, I might just flip out on anyone who gives me advice...nothing personal...just super touchy lately. I have been starting to think about post-partum and desperately trying to mentally prepare, so the shock isn't so great this time.

First of all, I loathe anyone who says to pack your normal clothes in your hospital bag, because you can just pop right back into your old jeans. After Lucy, I had lost a good 17 lbs almost right away. But, I was far from getting back into normal clothes. Adjusting to the my newly, marked-up, plump, baby-less body was tough for me. I had never been that big before; it seemed a lot more acceptable and easy to deal with when I was pregnant. After, it was just me...and a lot more of me!

TMI WARNING: The leaking and bleeding! Ugh! I knew that it would be like having a week to two-week menstrual cycle, but come on! Between the giant pads, which I never wear usually, and the breast pads, I felt "dirty" all the time. When my milk came in, I had to change my breast pads almost every hour and a half! I would wake up to a soaked bed, bra, and shirt. I had to sleep on towels!

No sleep. Duh, right? Everyone should expect no sleep; it would have been ignorant and naive to not think that. But, the toll that no sleep has on people is what I didn't expect. It is the grumpiness and the biting off Heath's head part. I would yell at him for no reason, know that it was wrong, but, be too exhausted to correct myself. So, Heath - I apologize for my future outbursts. I really do love you and appreciate you. I just want some friggin' sleep!

The immediate pain following birth. I had, for some crazy reason, convinced myself that the epidural would take all pain away...apparently forever. I didn't think about the pain after the magic drugs wore off. I was surprised at how sore I was after and especially in the nether region. I know that you are thinking that I was super naive to think I was going to push an 8+ lb baby out of a small exit and feel great an hour later. But, I seriously didn't think about it. I thought up until seeing Lucy and not much further...This time, I am prepared to be asking for the Tylenol with Codeine. Bring it on before the epidural wears off and I have to wear a frozen pad!

The frozen pads are amazing by the way. The hospital would pour tea on pads, then freeze them. The cold felt awesome and the tea makes the swelling go down. Awesome. With Lucy, I grabbed one for the road. haha.

Now that I have sufficiently abandoned all of my male, family readers, I should probably go. My mind is still fluttering with excited thoughts of meeting Olive for the first time. It is an amazing experience. I thought I simply needed a small reality check on this anxious afternoon.

Wanna scare any teenage girls out of having sex? Tell them about this stuff. They don't talk about it on '16 & Pregnant.'

Wish me luck, and seriously please will me to go into labor soon. I am going crazy over here!

36 & 37 Week Updates

I'm still here and still pregnant, just in case you were wondering. I don't have a picture off hand. Sorry! I am seriously side-tracked lately! I owe you one, or two...

How far along?
I am 37 weeks and 6 days. Olive is full term and I have 15 days until my due date. Or do I?


You see, I have had two doctor's appointments since you have heard from me last. At my last one we officially set an induction date of September 7th! Yay! So, if I make it that far, I only have 9 more days! I go in on the evening of the 6th to start with a treatment (the name escapes me; it starts with a 'C') to thin my cervix. Then, we start Pitocin on the morning of the 7th. So, I feel kind of like I only have 8 days before we get this show on the road! :) I wouldn't be opposed to going into labor naturally though, even sooner...


Baby is the size of...
Dr. B mentioned again at the last appointment that she was "big." Every time she says that it scares me a bit. I sure hope she isn't too big and I can have her naturally, without really hurting myself! :{ I had a dream earlier this week that I had her naturally and she was 9 lbs 9 oz! We will see...I swear with all of this emphasis on size, she is going to be like 7 lbs or something completely average! haha.

Well, according to BabyCenter.com, she is the size of a "stalk of swiss chard" - whatever the heck that is! She is supposed to be still gaining an ounce a day and approximately half a pound each week. An average 37 week baby is 19 inches long and between 6 lbs and 7 lbs 10 oz.

Symptoms:
I have been feeling odd lately. The last two days I've just felt different. I wish that it meant labor was near; but, when you are this pregnant "near" has different meanings. You can have a sign that labor may begin soon, go into labor right away, or still have two weeks. The "signs" are never really that telling. So, I continue to wait. In fact, I'm kind of obsessing at this point. Although I kind of complained about Heath having classes and running around all the time, at least it kept my mind busy! Now, I just sit and wait and anticipate, and am SO READY already...

Things that I've been experiencing that could possibly be signs that labor is near (but could also mean nothing....ugh):

-  Several, several Braxton-Hicks contractions - they are getting pretty painful at times too.
-  Nausea
-  Frequent, loose bowel movements
-  Dizziness/Light headed-ness
-  Exhaustion
-  Lightening (my doctor said she had dropped; she feels like a bowling ball between my legs!)

All of those have other explanations and I haven't had any totally obvious signs yet. I am still waiting.

Anything new?
I've kind of gone over all the new stuff already. But, I wanted to add that at my last two checks I had no progress. I am not dilated at all and I am not effaced. So, in layman's terms that means that my cervix hasn't stretched, thinned, or widened...boo. My doctor did say, in an encouraging tone, "You are soft though and the head is definitely down!" I guess I can celebrate the little victories then.

My next doctor's appointment is this Thursday; so, I will let you know if there is any more progress. Almost 38 weeks!

New with Heath?
He has been playing super dad the last few weeks. He has really allowed me the rest that I need. I am so appreciative. He and Lucy, who are usually pretty inseparable, have been even more so lately. I seriously anticipate some jealousy issues when Olive arrives, particularly with daddy. Everyone else? Meh...

The other night, Lucy ended up in our bed again to sleep. Heath laid on his pillow, facing the outside of the bed. I told Lucy to roll over and close her eyes. She rolled over on Heath's pillow, sharing it with him, facing the same direction, and swung her arm around him. It was adorable. But, there I was, with Olive...left to do my own thing. Foreshadowing? I think so.

New with Lucy?
She goes into Olive's room a lot. In fact, we sometimes shut the door, or block it off with a baby gate. She plays with her stuff, or she will take Olive's stuff out of her room and put it in her own. I feel like I am constantly picking up after her; so, it's easier to just block it off for now.

She also won't stop playing with Olive's swing. I imagine that we will have to tell her not to assist the swing by pushing. She gets a little too excited and carried away. But, overall, I'm excited that she is so interested in babies and the baby items.

Also, she told DayCare the other day that her tummy hurt. Then, she proceeded to pull up her shirt, point at her belly, and say, "Olive kickin'." :) She also tells us the same thing, "Sister kickin'." :)

Anything else?
Well, as some of you have seen on Facebook, two ladies that were due around the same time as me had their babies already. I am jealous. One of them, who said she was also having a "big" baby had a 7 lb, 6 oz baby. I thought that was funny. I tell you Olive is probably going to be little after all! haha. The other woman, who is a reader of this very blog, :) had a 10 lb 13 oz baby. Now, that, I would consider big! :)

Last thing - my sister-in-law had a dream that I had the baby too. She said that Heath emailed everyone to let them know. Haha. It made me laugh. She told Heath, "Don't do that, okay?" Haha. Well, if this is like my last pregnancy, you can watch Facebook for updates. Heath posted statuses the whole time! Keep an eye on his account for breaking news! :)

Talk to you soon. Happy hump day!

Birth Plan #2

I finished my second birth plan. I had shared my original birth plan that I made with Lucy a couple of years ago. But, I thought I would share my new one, with some edits, now that I have experienced labor and delivery once.

Also, I get a lot of moms who tell me that they "didn't need a birth plan." Or, that they just "winged-it." That is good for them. To each their own. However, I was encouraged by my nurses and doctor to do one. Also, it is and was really comforting going through the plan with my doctor. It helps me prepare mentally and feel less anxiety. My doctor then knows what I expect, and she sends a copy to the nurses for my file. Then, I don't have to repeat myself ten times, or if something were to go unplanned, they all know what I prefer without having to ask me.

 

I posted on Facebook that I had finished my plan (a relief for me!). I had a mom, who is also pregnant, comment, "You must have written it down..Mine is done mentally..."

That's it. No more. No less. And, she never comments on my stuff.

I don't know if it's the hormones or just my surly demeanor, but that rubbed me the wrong way. Well, thanks for that comment. It achieved nothing more than pissing me off. I wonder if that is what she intended. Or, if I made her feel inferior, because she doesn't have a plan. If so, muah-ha-ha-ha. Good for you and your "mental plan;" good luck getting the doctors and nurses to read that!

Rant aside...here is my written plan! :) I added some notes too, just for my readers. What is in blue was not in the plan I gave to my doctor.
 

Cori [Last Name]’s Birth Plan
Due Date: September 14^th, 2012

Supporters:  My husband, Heath [Last Name] and my sister [First & Last Name]
*Please be aware that my husband has high anxiety about hospitals, needles, and above all, surgery. 

(I'm so glad that I included this. My doctor said that she had forgotten that Heath and I were "squeamish." Heath more so than I.)

Basics:  This is our second baby. (I've heard this is important to let the nurses know. They won't be so "in your face.")

However, we are still open to any and all information that your staff would like to share with us about the labor and post labor processes. We trust the judgment of our doctor and the nursing staff to make decisions that are in the best interest of our baby and for me.  We understand that this plan is not set in stone and could change at moment’s notice.  However, we have decided to share with you what we hope to achieve with the birthing experience.

I feel as though I should share my own anxiety about the IV and an epidural.  I do not like to be talked through these processes.  I would rather look away and only be told when the procedure is completed. – Thank you

Induction:  We are open to the idea of an induction, if it is recommended by our doctor.  Otherwise, I would like to go into labor naturally. (No such luck. This was before I knew about Olive being big.)

Pain Relief:

• I plan to request an epidural; however, I will not know when the proper time is for this.  Please suggest it, when appropriate.
• As for other pain relievers, please suggest them if the situation seems appropriate. (Last time they did, and I took them! I don't even remember what it was. But, it made that additional hour before the epidural a tiny bit more bearable.)

During the Delivery:

• I hope to be sitting up during delivery.
• At this time, I do not want to use a mirror. 
• I’d only like an episiotomy, if there is a medical emergency.  Otherwise, please allow time for the perineum to stretch naturally.

Immediate Post Delivery:

• My husband does not want to catch the baby; but, he does want to cut the umbilical cord.  He will inform you, if he changes his mind. 
• As routine, I would like to hold the baby immediately after the birth. (As in she plops her onto my chest right away. haha. I was not prepared for that with Lucy!)
• My husband and I do not wish to see the placenta after birth. (I really don't care to see it; but, the Xanax had Heath feeling so good last time he asked to see it. It was gross. I don't need to see it again.) 
• If for some reason the baby needs to be taken from the room, I would like my husband to escort her when possible.

Post Delivery:

• If the baby surprises us and is a boy, then we would like a circumcision. 
• I plan on trying to breastfeed; I have done it before. However, please advise me on when is a good time to do so. I can’t remember how much time passed post-delivery before I fed my first daughter. (I wanted them to know that it isn't my first time, so a nurse wasn't bothering me about how to do it.)
• I will accept guests before and after the baby has been breastfed and not during. (This was nice; this way the nurses knew that I didn't want them, or guests, coming and going while I was breastfeeding. I just don't feel comfortable doing it around people.) 
• We are open to giving the baby its first bath; however, the nurses are welcome to do this in the nursery-area as well. (We gave Lucy her first sponge bath; but, we were also new parents. So, this time, either way is alright.) 
• We do plan for the baby to sleep in the nursery overnight and to be brought into my room during feeding times. (We tried to have Lucy sleep in my room the whole time. No way. It didn't work. So, this time we will be sending Olive to the nursery to get some sleep; because when you get home, there is no nurse to relieve you in the middle of the night!) 
• We plan to have the baby in my room during the entire day, throughout our stay.

Caesarean Option: 

• I hope to avoid a c-section, if at all possible.

If one is necessary:

• I would like my husband and my sister to be present in the surgery room. 
• Please keep discussion with me minimal.  Considering my husband’s and my own anxieties, I do not wish to know what you are doing (making an incision, etc.). 
• Once she is born, we do wish to see her.
• Also, please inform us of the steps you are taking with the baby (she is being weighed, checked, etc.). 
• Although I realize there will be moments of separation, we would like to stay with the baby as much as possible.  If I cannot go with the baby, please let my husband know if he is welcome to be with her.

 Notes:

_________________________________________

_________________________________________

Ahhh...feels good to have it done. I feel so prepared! :) Now, to get that hospital bag packed. :[ 

35 Week Update

I thought that I should probably get this out ASAP, since I am again behind on the update.

Poor Heath. I am a beast in comparison to him! Can you say Jack Sprat?

How far along?
I am 36 weeks. So, a 35 week update was overdue! I can officially be called "9 months" pregnant. I have 28 days until her due date and 7 days before she is considered full-term.

Baby is the size of a...
According to BabyCenter.com, she is approximately the size of a honeydew. She would be about 18.5 inches and 6-ish pounds.

Clarification:
Yes - this is a new section. See, I need to clarify both of the above answers based on new information from my doctor's visit last week. First of all, my amniotic fluid levels are normal. Whew! Heath and I must have been wrong about seeing the measurements....or, were we?

You see, Olive is big. I mean really big. So, I have come to the conclusion that the measurements we were seeing were of her! Dr. B said that she measured in the 90th percentile overall. Her abdomen measured in the 97th percentile! She said that a large abdomen like that indicates that Olive will be a large baby. At my ultrasound, which took place at about 33.5 weeks, she estimated that Olive was approximately 6 to 6.5 pounds already! So, when the ultrasound tech said 5 lbs 12 oz, give or take a pound, she meant 'give' more than 'take.'  Then, when Dr. B measured my stomach she said that I was pretty much at 40 weeks already.

All I could do was shake my head. I had told Heath that I felt like she was big and so strong! Also, it made me feel a little better. Thank goodness there is a reason that I am so huge! Olive is huge too! So, now what do we do with this new information?

Dr. B said that she will definitely want to induce a week early, which sounded just fine for me. She said that we didn't want to chance that the baby's lungs weren't developed, even by a few days, so we wouldn't want to do it any sooner than a week early. So, she said let's set a tentative induction date of Friday, September 7th. She did mention a few times, "unless something changes." I am not sure what that means; but, I guess I will let you know if anything changes.

Symptoms:
My hips have been hurting pretty bad again. The last two nights haven't been as bad - thank goodness. It is just a toss up. At least I am sleeping in bed and not the recliner! :) I've been having some headaches; however, I think they are from being sleepy and stressed out from work. The swelling in my feet and ankles is getting worse. I barely walk around and my feet are puffing out the sides of my sandals. I won't miss this at all. Oh, and I am officially waddling. It is really bad, side-to-side, ridiculous waddling.

Anything new?
I am going to again compare myself to Gilbert Grape's mother. If the waddling weren't enough, I am just so big. When we went to a football scrimmage the other night, Heath sat us in the middle of the stands. I had a bleacher seat and I'm already gi-gan-tor next to Heath. I felt like "the fat woman" on display; everybody was staring at me as I ate nachos. Bah...I seriously don't care to go out in public anymore because of all the stares. I'm pregnant and very, very large...yes. Stop staring!

I don't know if anything else is new, besides the doctors appointment. I have another this week. We will see if "anything changes." Otherwise, I am pretty excited about getting a week taken off of this long wait! I am not too thrilled about an induction, which could lead to a c-section. However, if Olive is as huge as anticipated, then I would probably end up with a c-section anyway. So, I'll take my chances. Now, watch, Olive will be this teeny, tiny 6 lb baby. haha.

New with Heath?
Thank you to everyone who congratulated him on being done with his MBA. He will walk in December; we'll have to really celebrate then! Now that he is done, it has been awesome. He is present again. We have tackled  the "things to do before Olive gets here" list. It is almost completely done. We decided a few things can wait until her arrival. Her room is ready though! The house is clean, for the most part. I still need to do some dusting in the living room. Boo...otherwise, we are prepped!

New with Lucy?
I bought a book for her this last weekend.

 

We have started to fill it out. It is so much fun. It has places for her to draw and put stickers. It is really interactive and I'm excited that I purchased it. Lucy and Olive will cherish it. One of the questions was, "What do you think the baby is doing in mommy's belly right now?" I thought for sure she would say "sleepin'" or "cryin'," which are her usual phrases. This time she said, "Umm, playin'. Playin' with toys." haha. Her answers were all funny like that. I am glad to have them written down. (The author is the same as 'The Belly Book' and 'The Baby Book.')

Anything else?

Not really. I should probably end this post though before I lose you, if I haven't already done so.

33 & 34 Week Update

Whoa, whoa, whoa. Where did the time go? Here I am again, still pregnant, still large.

How far along?
35 weeks and 2 days. I am late posting again. I have 34 days left and only 13 days until she is full-term.

Baby is the size of...
a cantaloupe! I type the exclamation point, because, Nikki, I actually have a cantaloupe in the fridge at this very moment. Remind me to take a photo with it!!!!

At our third trimester ultrasound (I'll explain later), she measured approximately 5 lbs and 12 oz. That was a week and a half ago (uh-oh!). The tech said that the measurement could be off, give or take a pound. Take? Okay...Give? Um, that is even scarier. But, honestly, if the baby is supposed to gain a 1/2 pound a week, then it would put her right around 8 lbs, 12 oz. That is only 3 oz more than Lucy. It could be pretty accurate!

BabyCenter.com says that she should be approximately 18 inches long and 5 lbs.

Symptoms:
I am pretty tired. My lower back has started hurting on and off too. I think it is Olive pushing on me, or her position; because, it literally comes and goes, with no specific activity. I have also had a few headaches again. Perhaps I am not drinking enough water...

I have been able to avoid swelling for the most part. It hasn't been too bad; but, I am noticing that it is getting worse. I anticipate only getting more and more swollen as my due date approaches. Yay for puffy face!

Oh, and Braxton-Hicks. Yuck. All the time!

Anything New?
Well, at my last doctor's appointment my doctor asked me if I would be up for another ultrasound. She wanted to check my amniotic fluid level. She wasn't too concerned; but, thought that I looked big and wanted to make sure. When we asked more about the possibility of a high level of amniotic fluid, she brought up some scary possibilities - like Olive not being able to swallow, which indicates developmental issues, or when my water broke the possibility of the umbilical cord going into the birth canal first, which could cause it to become pinched. She tried to make it seem like no big deal though, not yet anyway. We were "just checking it out" for now.

By the way, don't Google high levels of amniotic fluid. It's scary.

So, we had the ultrasound over a week ago (33 weeks). The good news was that Olive had fluid in her bladder and kidneys! It indicated that she could and was swallowing! Whew!

That was a relief. Now, I just worried about the measurements. I had Googled and saw that if the four areas between my uterus and the baby were over 25 cm total, that I was high. So, I told Heath to keep an eye on the measurements. We both tried. I saw one measurement of 18 and one of 15....not so good. Heath claimed he thought he saw a 13 cm! Hopefully we were really off and didn't know what we were looking at.

I tried to get some information from the Tech. She wouldn't give me any...which kind of bothered me. It made me think that I do have too much fluid. So, I have a doctor's appointment TODAY, when I can talk over the results with my doctor. I am anxious.

New with Heath?
He finished classes!!! Yay! Everyone should hop over to his Facebook page and congratulate him. He worked so hard. Now he is present again in our house, physically and emotionally (and mentally)!  He finished just in time to celebrate our anniversary. :) He also finished just in time to assist me with my "Things to Do Before Olive Arrives" list. He has been really great about helping me nest. :)

New with Lucy?
She went on the potty at DayCare! Then, that night, she went on the potty at home! Both were without bribe or fights! I hope this means that our path is promising and she is finally coming around to the idea.

Otherwise, she is growing like a weed and saying "the darndest things." She has been playing a lot with her baby dolls and understanding the relationship between babies and Olive. :)

Anything else?
Not really. I have been thinking a lot about that ultrasound and the results. I will be happy when I can talk to Dr. B about it. I will be sure to let you know how it goes!

32 Week Update

I was doing so well, right? Now, I'm back to my old ways; it took over a week to get back with you. Sorry, again. But, here I am - large and in-charge...and looking for chickies. Okay, so I couldn't resist a good Joe Dirt quote. :)

How far along?
Technically, I am 33 weeks and 1 day. I am late on my 32 week update. :{ I am 83.2% through this pregnancy and I only have 48 days to go (27 days until she is full-term). :)

Baby is the size of a...
jicama. I can honestly say that I've never held or eaten one of those. I am at a loss. Here is a picture for you other "non-cultured" people out there.

She is approximately 17 inches long and 4.5 lbs.

Symptoms:
They are pretty sporadic at this point. I have had a lot of "symptoms" that last only a day and then subside: headache, hip-ache, constipation, diarrhea,  itchy belly, swollen feet, swollen hands, acne, etc. You know, the fun stuff.

Oh, and TMI warning...beware...are you still reading? The easily offended/grossed out need to go to the next paragraph...okay, don't say I didn't warn you. I now have a yeast infection. Fun times. I was pretty sure that I had one, or at least something was up. I was really itchy. I googled it and found out the pregnancy can make you a higher risk of getting one, AND antibiotics. Yep. I was on antibiotics for my tooth ache, remember? At least it doesn't affect the baby at all. It's just really uncomfortable. I read online someone said, "If it feels like you want to take a fork to it, then it's a yeast infection." I laughed pretty hard.

The only other thing is that I am flippin' hot. It is so hot! Hot, hot, hot! I don't know why I feel the need to tell you all about this completely obvious thing; I just want some sympathy I guess. Pregnancy and record temperatures and drought = worst ever. Hey, I never claimed to be less than dramatic.

Anything new?
Honestly, not really. Things are moving pretty slow these days. I sit around and basically count the days until Olive's arrival. I did get the rest of her clothes put away. Now, we just need to get some little knick-knacks for her room. I feel bad for her. Lucy had a baby shower, so she had a ton of little keepsakes. Olive doesn't have any...it's sad. It leaves the nursery pretty empty looking too. I need to get on it.


We did get Olive's name for the wall. Now, we just need to get some 3mm strips to hang it. :) It will help tie the room together more.


New with Heath?
He is still absent most times. He is doing really well though with his grad. class. I am really proud of him. He is over half-way done now. :) Yay!

Last Wednesday night, close to midnight, our hot-water heater decided to go to the big plumber in the sky. It spewed water all over while fighting too. It soaked a good portion of our basement (toy room) and even got on the drywall a bit. Thank goodness I heard the water leaking or who knows how bad it could have been! We don't have a drain down there...thanks a lot home builders. Anyway, this whole thing added a little more to Heath's plate. Like he needed more? So, the distractions continue....

New with Lucy?
She is just getting so smart and growing right before my eyes. A shirt she wore a week ago didn't fit yesterday. I couldn't believe it. I become more and more confident that she will be a good, big sister everyday. However, we really need to get the misbehaving in public under control. Although, who am I kidding? After Olive gets here, we won't be leaving the house for a while.

She helped me paint Olive's letters for the nursery. We made it another Mommy/Lucy project. :)


Yes - it was more trouble than it was worth to have her help. But, it gave us a project and she loves helping. I also want to tell Olive that Lucy helped, someday. :)

Anything else?
I have another doctor's appointment. I am going every two weeks now. I don't expect much from it. We get to hear the heartbeat again. We may gross Heath out with my talk about the TMI subject I mentioned before. I may even get to have a pelvic exam. Yay....not. I will be sure to let you know if anything eventful happens next week.

Have a great weekend! I'm so excited the Olympics start! Bring on the gymnastics! :)

31 Week Update

I am going to show you possibly the most unflattering picture of me to date. I look huge. I mean it - huge! I thought that last week, me pulling my dress down underneath my tummy made it look bigger. Turns out, not doing it makes it look worse. Leaving the bottom of my tummy to the imagination was a major "no-no" and I am sad about it - sincerely. I blame Heath. He told me I looked cute...

I literally forget how big I am, until I see it like this. Wowsers. I look way farther along than I am.

How far along?
I am 31 weeks and 5 days.I have 58 days until my due date and only 37 days until she is full-term.


Baby is the size of a...
umm...watermelon!? No. According to BabyCenter.com, she is the size of four oranges. That was a really odd comparison. Technically speaking, she is approximately 16.2 inches long and 3.9 lbs. She is still gaining half a pound a week. I wish that was all I was gaining...

Symptoms:
Well, I spent a lot of time nesting on Sunday and my legs hurt really bad. You would think my back would be more sore from squatting so much; but, apparently, I have good squatting form. My legs are totally paying for it! There is still more nesting to do!

I continue to have all the same, other symptoms - occasional back pain, hip pain, or the side of my tummy stretching. I am uncomfortable sometimes, but mostly flippin' hot! Never again. Never. A summer pregnancy was a ridiculous idea. What was I thinking? Someone as dramatic as me can't handle this.


Anything New?
My teeth started to make things interesting for me last week. I woke up with awful tooth pain. It was a tooth that I had cracked on hard candy, then had to get a crown put on (ouch, is right). It was really aching and got so bad that I went to the dentist about it. I wasn't sure they could do much; but, I thought I could try. The crown has been on for four years and they were surprised it hadn't bothered me until now. Thanks for the info, Doc! Basically, I need a root canal. Fun times. I can't have it until after I have the baby. They gave me antibiotics, to keep away infection in the mean time. The meds have actually been helping and the ache isn't as bad.

I went to the doctor then after the dentist; it was a fun-times day. We talked about the usual stuff. Lucy got to help her with the doppler and listening to Olive's "heart-beep," as Lucy calls it. :) It was so cute. I then asked about my huge belly and told her that I felt like it is just out there! It is so much lower than with Lucy.

She said that my core was just apparently that weak. I anticipated as much; but, I didn't realize that it was that weak. In fact, Dr. B claimed that she was surprised my back wasn't bothering me more (knock on wood). Damn-it. It looks like I will be doing a lot to try to get my core back after September...whomp, whomp. Planks here I come!

Oh, and Dr. B also gave me some pain meds for the tooth. :)

New with Heath?
He has been really nice, telling me that I look cute and that "my core" will recover just fine. He is sweet about it all, and makes me feel less like a fat, lazy turd. He continues to get wrapped up in grad. school and is pretty distracted even when he is around. But, he helped me nest on Sunday, which I truly appreciated. I am hoping I can get some more help this next weekend. :)


New with Lucy?
She is getting more excited, I think. She loved to help Dr. B with Olive's "heart-beep." She was more comfortable at the doctor's office and with Dr. B too. I hope that it will make her more comfortable at the hospital, when the time comes. :) Babies, babies, babies, though. That is all we talk about at our house. At least she is a girly-girl and loves to play with them. :)

Anything else?
I will now be visiting my doctor every two-weeks. I am hoping the more frequent visits will make things go faster. I am slightly starting to panic though about preparing for the absence at work. I am in-between bosses right now and I am sure the transition will be tough enough, then I go on 8 weeks maternity leave! Oops. We will see how it all goes. Wish me luck!

Hopefully I wasn't a debbie-downer today. My huge-ness has me down. :( Have a good day!

30 Week Update

I better hurry up and get this 30 week update out, as I am now on 31...I will get caught up eventually. :) Perhaps it will be before the baby gets here. ;)

Are you ready for this picture? I am wearing a dress...not a good idea. Or, rather, holding my dress down under my belly wasn't a good idea. I even tried to make the photo black and white, to make it look better...fail.

The way I am carrying Olive is so different! I swear my uterus popped out of my pelvis and then dropped onto my lap. I feel like my belly is hanging down...it is so much more uncomfortable. Were my muscles and skin really that weak?! Let's not even talk about my completely popped-out belly button...

How far along?
I am 31 weeks today, going on 40 - or so I look and feel! Bah! I am really getting antsy here people...It's not that I really want her to come today or anything. I just want September to be here already. Forget August! I have 63 days to go.


Baby is the size of a...
large cabbage. She is approximately 16 inches in length and 3.5 lbs now. Or, this big:

:)

Symptoms:
I am getting tired again. I want to do so much, but my body just isn't keeping up with my brain. I am having to take breaks a lot. Lucy makes me laugh about it. We will be playing and I have to sit down for a second. She will always ask, "What you doin' mommy?" I can't tell you how many times I've told her, "Mommy has to rest for a second."  I seriously feel like Gilbert Grape's mom most days...I can't even move without getting out of breath, or light headed, or weak.


I am getting really forgetful! It is pretty bad. It is really simple things too. I can't believe I am spacing off so bad. I don't even care to admit some of the things that I've forgotten. :{ Hopefully it will get better!

I want ice. I really want it. I don't think I would constitute it as a craving; but, every single day I want to stop and get an ice water from Sonic. I drink it and then eat the ice. Mmmm...sounds good! :)

Anything new?
I'll admit, not really. I can't even tell you where the last week went. I guess the ultrasound was new; however, I've already updated you a little bit about that. I still need to get the other, better photos for you. 

I have another, regular doctor's appointment this Friday again - Friday the 13th! :) I know how to pick'em, right? I think it will be the usual. I am seriously hoping for no more than a 5 lb weight gain; but, it isn't looking too promising. I am trying not to fret about it too much. It's hard though. I really, really want to stay at my goal. Then, I feel guilty when I think about weight while I'm pregnant. Don't worry though. I think it's obvious to everyone, especially after the ultrasound pictures, Olive's not starving and neither am I!

New with Heath?
Heath who? Oh, you mean that man who cohabits with me? Alright, it isn't that bad. But, since he started grad classes again, he's been pretty distant. He is either not in the house at all, on the computer, or outside reading. It's tough. We knew it would be. But, it distances him a little more from the pregnancy. I know how it works though. He will be super ready for her arrival as soon as his course is done. He will then be in "prep" mode. :)

New with Lucy?
Well, we continue to discuss Olive with her and have even been reading books about babies. I still think that the thought and idea of Olive is fun for her. She thinks of it as she does her baby doll, Aurora. When Olive actually gets here it's going to be tough. I really don't know how to prepare her for that. We will see...

Anything else?
There really isn't anything else. I am just so ready already. I am so uncomfortable. Come on! It is too early to feel like this too. I have a long way to go! I mean 63 days! The entire month of August! Bah! I need something to distract me...come on cool weather, fall, leaves, and football season.