Dear...

Dear Readers...I am fully aware that I am absent from this blog and have been for months now. I keep promising you that I will change and I continue my evil ways. Sorry. I look at it this way - it's better to write a few times a month than not at all. Truth be told - I have had this particular post prepped and almost ready to go for several weeks now. (tsk-tsk)

Dear Lucy...fedoras are in. Or, well, at least they were last year. I don't know if they are still. But, they have been "in" fairly recently. So, when you get older, don't ridicule me. You love this hat. In fact, you picked it out yourself. It's a Fe-"Dora" hat. Love that joke!

Dear Readers...I often feel compelled to use "haha" and "LOL" on my blog. As you have probably noticed as well, I usually give into this temptation. I have also used emoticons against my better "writing-style" judgement [  :)  ;)  :(  ]. But, lately, my overwhelming urge to use slang and hashtags is getting the best of me.  
<--see i="">
Dear Everyone...I am completely obsessed with coral lately. It's serious. I LOVE it. I think it may have taken over my red obsession. #Legit

Look at the clothing that I am trying on, hanging to my right. Seriously obsessed!

 

Dear Work...You need to be a little less stressful. I'm trying to grow out my nails and you are making it very difficult. Any time I stop typing, I'm biting my nails. Darn!

Dear Olive...Your cry-smiling is very confusing. Are you happy or sad? I don't know what to do! (Come to find out, you just want to be held.) :)

Dear Twitter...You got me. I'm addicted. You've taken over Pinterest. But, I still love Pinterest for great organization and decor tips.

Dear Curly-Haired People...What in the world am I to do with this? It's sooo naturally curly! :)

Dear Summer...Why do you and winter want to take over spring? What did he ever do to you? Let him go...

Dear Olive...You look like me. Some may say its a curse. I say it's a blessing. ;) I love that you look like me, especially when you make your "duh" face. I don't know how I feel about that part though. Does that mean that I look "duh" most of the time?


Dear Readers...Although I often times promise things, I sincerely think you can look forward to posts about the zoo, graduate school, running, and of course the girls! :) I have some in progress!

Dear Jari, Hannah, & Nikki...Vegas was amazing and I can't wait to go back again. Seriously, lets do it again. #srsly

Dear Anyone Who Loves Food as Much as I Do...If you love a good cheeseburger and homemade onion rings, you need to find yourself a Johnny Rockets. It is delicious. I may or may not have eaten there three days in a row, while in Vegas. The closest one to us is like hours and hours away. But, I tweeted them and they promised me that they will eventually get to Kansas City. Haha. They are also "Home of the Las Vegas Squealer - with cheddar cheese." The Squeeler is 60% beef and 40% bacon. That sounds awesome, but my lack of gallbladder won't let me eat bacon. Whomp-whomp.

  Dear June...Where did you come from?! Wasn't it just May 1st?

Lucy's Love Triangle

Now, Lucy is a little confused about the concept, since she will occasionally refer to boys as her 'girlfriend' as well. Nonetheless, she considers herself to have "boyfriends" at DayCare.

It all started when Lucy was a baby. She has gone full-time to DayCare since she was 6 weeks old. Also at DayCare? Her friend Max, who is also a full-time "go-er." Remember Max? :)

We've given Lucy some grief about Max, her "boyfriend." She actually liked this concept. Well, she loved it. She would even call him that herself. She was even the only, non-family girl that went to his birthday party (she got him a Ninja Turtle - what else?).


 Then, one weekend she started saying things, like, "Let's do this, man." Or, "Yeah, dude."

I knew that there had to be a male influence at DayCare, possibly even Max. Of course there was! Lucy is really the only girl that is full-time. She is surrounded by boys her age; I can count eight boys her age off the top of my head. I know there are more. It results in her talking about Superman, Spiderman, Batman, and Ninja Turtles. It hasn't suppressed her love for pink and princesses, but it definitely broadens her view...

Then, one day when we picked Lucy up, another mother (my co-worker actually) was also picking up her children. Her youngest son, who is about 9 months or so older than Lucy puts his jacket on, turns to Lucy, and says, "See you later, man!"

Ah-ha.

The little boy's name is Bryson. I have noticed that Lucy has referenced him a lot lately. Bryson did this or Bryson did that. She even told me when Bryson was sick. She calls him, "By-sin."

So, the other day, Lucy, Olive, and I are waiting for Heath to come pick us up. Max and his mom come out. Max looks up at his mom and says, "Lucy's my girlfriend." It was adorable.

Lucy shouts, "No - Bryson my girlfriend!"

Max didn't seem to mind too much, he still smiled at Lucy with a big grin. Us mothers just laughed. Oh boy, it begins!

Move to later in the week, we went out to eat. We see Bryson and his family. Lucy stood almost the entire time, to see his table, while grinning coyly. I asked her, "Do you see Bryson?"

She says, "Yeah. I like By-sin. He's my favorite."

Later in the evening she told Heath that, "By-sin is sooooo cute."

I thought the whole thing was hilarious and adorable. Heath, on the other hand, didn't seem to really give it much attention. I think he was kind of thinking that this couldn't possibly be happening already.

So, there you have it - Lucy and her love triangle.

I have a feeling Max will be "her boyfriend" again soon, man. :)

Sisters

I can't even begin to describe how my heart bursts when I think of the relationships between Lucy and Olive. When people ask how Lucy has been with the transition of having a baby in the house, I can honestly answer that it more than we could have ever asked for.

Yes. They will fight. They will scream. They will pull each other's hair. One of them will probably claw the other one's arms. One will throw their red cowgirl boots at the other. One will whack the other in the forehead with a broom.

Lucy will whine to me that Olive won't leave her and her friends alone. Olive will cry because Lucy no longer wants to take baths with her.

 
But, they will also share secrets. They might tell each other just one of the presents under the Christmas tree. They will join forces to beg for cookies and to go to the pool. They will takes baths together and drink each other's butt water. You know it's true...

Perhaps Lucy will drive Olive around, cruising for boys. Olive will talk Lucy into letting her do things that she shouldn't.


There will be nights that they gather in front of the television, with a spoon each, eating out of a pan of Kraft Macaroni and Cheese.

They will share clothes and makeup. They will secretly use each other's perfume, hoping the other won't notice. And, when clothes go missing, they will know exactly where to look.

Hopefully, they will spend summer nights belting out their favorite songs as loud as they can scream, laughing at incorrect lyrics and flat notes.

They will be able to just give each other a look, knowing what the other is thinking. This will often get them into trouble, especially during completely unacceptable, serious situations.


I will be stuck yelling, "Girls!" in my stern mother voice. Or, pretend to be appalled while announcing, "You two!"

They will fight. Yes. They will love. Yes. They will have a special relationship that cannot compare to any other. It just simply can't be compared.

But, right now, they are over the moon for each other. No fighting. No annoyance. No "sharing" issues. I am basking it all. My heart melts when they giggle together, over something as silly as making a tooting noise with their mouths.

They will take care of each other. I just know it.

Thank the Lord for my babies. And, thank the Lord for sisters. :)

Big Girl

Lucy is 3 years old.

It is blowing my mind. She is such a big girl. Although, she is just a baby in my heart...the young lady that she is becoming is keeping me on my toes!

She likes clothes, shoes, bows, nail polish, makeup, lip stick, jewelry, sparkles, coats, scarves, fixing hair, and above all the color pink! She is a girly girl to the core.

Yes. She is still a kid though and plays in the dirt, in her cavatini, and lays on the floor.

But, she is looking at her Highlights magazine! She also looks through our mail, clothing catalogs, and my gossip magazines. Oh, and forgive my uncleaned floors...

She tries to stay little, like her sister. But, the poor thing is just getting too big. She is thinning out too; her little baby fat is disappearing...

She is playing with "big girl" toys too. She has a ton of Barbies and accessories now! I have even let her play with the Barbie shoes and small purses. 

Now, instead of the continuous moping around about my first baby growing into a little girl. Let's celebrate her achievements.

Lucy Milestones:

• She is using the potty all the time now.
• She is even waking up in the middle of the night to have us take her potty, with no wet morning pull-ups.
• She ate her entire soft taco the other night! Yes. This is worth celebrating. The only thing that she really goes to town on is canned Spaghettios. Yuck.
• She can and will paint your toenails. Just ask Heath.
• She has memorized two prayers.
• And, she has become the best big sister ever! She is always helping Olive and trying soothe her when she is upset. I have never seen such love! My heart melts. Related post to come later.
• She does the Goof-bot (the robot dance Goofy does on Mickey Mouse club house). 
• She can spell 'Lucy' and 'Mickey Mouse.' 
• She can even write her name, if she is looking at an example.

I just don't know what I'll do when she starts preschool next fall. Bah!  

Dear...

Dear Readers...I promise, I will totally get back into the hang of things here pretty soon. Tell my hubby that I need a netbook, or a keyboard for the girls' ipad, or something of the sort. :)

Dear Lucy...you have to do nothing more in the mornings than to just look at me, to brighten my day. Your bed-head is enough to make me smile.

Dear Winter...where is the snow? I work at an educational institution. Therefore, you are to give me at least one snow day a year. Is that too much to ask? Come on Jack Frost! Help me out!

Dear Chico...sorry, bud. Olive isn't eating solids yet. It's going to be a while before food gets thrown from the highchair. 

Dear 2012...thank you so much for giving me my second baby girl; but, seriously, you could have kept that extra 30 lbs. (I miss warm, chocolate-chip cookies straight from the oven. Mmmm...)

Dear Lucy...I love that you throw yourself up against the wall, when I ask you to pose for a picture - so, so dramatic.


Dear Doctors and Nurses...thank you. Thank the Lord that someone around here doesn't mind blood, or other bodily functions, and isn't a creeper at the same time.


Dear Walmart...although it appears that you are taking all of our money...

 

every time I price match and use coupons, I feel like I gain a little bit back. Muah-ha-ha.

 

Yes. That is $300. I am that crazy lady at Walmart who should really be using two carts. However, I usually only make one trip a month! And, diapers and formula are expensive...bah...

Dear Christmas stuff that still isn't put away...I love you; I promise. I'm just lazy...er...I mean sidetracked...and haven't put you away yet. It's nothing personal.

Dear Lucy...you think Olive doesn't sit still? You should try doing your hair!

Dear Hunny...I sure do love you.

Have a wonderful weekend, all! :)

Looks - Part 2

This is part 2, because I wrote a blog post about Lucy looking so much like Heath back in the day, titled, "Looks."

So, I might just have one that looks like me yet! :) Heath totally got Lucy...

But, I may have gotten Olive. :)

I say "got" like it's a competition or something. I really don't mean it like that. I mean that I look at Lucy and I see Heath. I rarely, if ever, see myself in her. She is even energetic and goofy like Heath. :) But, Olive, I see a baby version of myself in her. It's a wonderful feeling to look at your child and see yourself.  Even if she changes and starts to look like Lucy and Heath, that is alright. I had my moment. :)

Oh, and Heath...I don't know where those cheeks come from! Haha. Lucy had them too! We like our chubby babies!

Christmas Dresses

I always remember having Christmas dresses when I was little. Perhaps this is an altered memory; because, I can really only recall a couple of dresses. However, I know that we always "dressed to the nines" for our annual Christmas program at school. Granted, my grandmother made most, if not all, of our dresses for us...even these beauties I have shared before:

I swear my memory wants to say that Nikki's bow was on the back of her dress, above her bum. It came off or something, so my mom put it on her head. Haha. Mom, correct me if my memory fails me. Sorry, Nikki; I just had to show it again. If it makes you feel any better, I will post my 4th grade photo on here sometime....awkward! Or, my freshman year photo.....oh boy...

Anyway, we had special occasion dresses when I was little. At Easter, we even had hats with our dresses. I loved it. So, naturally, since I am making my girls basically relive my childhood in the 21st century (ha!), I had to get Christmas dresses for them. Lucy has had them, so why would I treat Olive any different?

2010

Heath asked about this tradition, and especially about the expense involved. "How many times will they actually wear these?" I understand that. But, they will wear them three times. That's not too bad at their age. They barely wear outfits three times before they grow out of them! They need the dresses to see Santa, for Christmas card photos, and to wear to church on Christmas Eve - totally worth it! Nonetheless, I could tell Heath was a little skeptical....until...

the girls got their photo in the local newspaper.

When we went to see Santa, they weren't very many children dressed up. But, we wanted to have good photos, so the dresses came out. Since they were all dolled up, the newspaper photographer took their photo with Santa Claus. It was a proud moment for these parents; I tell you what...



Heath finally "drank the Christmas dress kool-aid."

It's a great idea. Hopefully my girls will carry on the tradition with their own children. Oh, and yes, if we decide to have a third, and it is a boy, he'll be in the photo too with a little sweater vest, khakis, and loafers.

Merry Christmas to all! And, happy dressing. :)

Smiley Girl

Olive is such a good baby. Every time I say this I knock on wood. I am just sure that one of these days she will turn into a terror. However, for the time being, she is just a joy. She smiles so much that I just had to share. The sleeping ones could possibly be blamed on gas...but, I don't think so. I think she is just a happy baby. She always smiles when a loved one is talking to her and smiling. :)

Just got to love that smile!

Halloween 2012

I have to hurry and share about our Halloween. Otherwise, it will be too close to Thanksgiving and Christmas to do so acceptably.

First, a few notes: October 2012 was my all time low of blog posts; I apologize. I really thought I'd do better. Also, I won't be writing a post about the Countdown to 25 Days of Christmas on ABC Family. But, I still recommend it! :) Here is the link to the schedule. If I see any good movies on, I'll post it in the 'I Love Lucy Jean' Facebook group. (Thanks Becca for reminding me!) I find that the countdown has historically been better than the actual 25 days schedule! And, finally, I realize that I need to change the name of this blog to include Olive, and change the photos - all in good time. :) I have had two suggestions on blog names too; oddly, the same title was suggested. I love it! (Thank you Nikki and Nicole!)

Anyway, on with the story - this Halloween was a lot of fun!

We carved pumpkins, which only lasted a day in the afternoon sun. They shriveled bad this year. We enjoyed them for a small while though. I always try to carve something a little challenging. This year, I chose Michael Myers. He is the "killer" from Halloween (1978), otherwise known as the best scary movie ever...with the best scary music ever. If you don't know who he is, shame on you.

My creepy Michael sat next to Olive's pumpkin that Aunt Honey carved for her. :)

On the other side of the steps, Lucy's Cinderella sat next to Heath's scary face. I carved Lucy's for her. She didn't do much, but cheer me on. It was appreciate though. :) Heath's looks kind of like a mean Ninja Turtle to me...

Halloween finally arrived; Olive and I took a trip to the Peru Daycare to trick-or-treat the campus with Lucy.

We weren't able to really get around town that much. But, we parked and strolled around for about half of a mile. Olive slept most of the time.

We ended the evening at home around 8:15 pm, after eating supper. We had three trick-or-treaters then. Lucy was sad that Halloween was over. She still asks to watch It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown. Apparently, Charlie Brown's Christmas isn't quite as interesting, because she didn't sit still long enough to watch any of it! We'll keep trying...

Here comes Thanksgiving! :)

Birth Story: Part 2

After finally getting to the surgery room, I felt great. I was a little scared of the spinal and I was still having contractions. But, to know there was an end in sight felt wonderful. Also, I had been to that surgery room before, when I had my gallbladder taken out; so, there was some familiarity to it all.

The spinal had a little sting to it, and I would say was very comparable to an epidural. It took a while, so I asked a few questions of the anesthesiologist. How much will I feel? Will this make me nauseous? How does it only numb me from the arms down?

I had drank some tart, grape drink before I went down to surgery. It was supposed to help with the nausea. I was hoping so. I had heard horror stories about women throwing up during their entire surgery. Nothing sounded worse than throwing up while laying on your back. Plus, talk about a moment ruiner...

I was on my back, arms strapped down, and the sheet was up before Heath was escorted into the room. They had already asked how much I could feel. It was the most bizarre feeling. With an epidural, it was somewhat scary to me. I felt completely out of control and almost paralyzed. I hated looking at my leg, trying to move it, and being unable to do so. It truly freaked me out. With the spinal, I could feel. But, I couldn't feel everything. I could feel them rubbing stuff on my belly, which I was told would normally seem cold. I only felt the movement and not the coldness. Then, she started to make the incision. I remember knowing that she was about to cut, when Heath came by the sheet. I thought for sure that he would see the blood and pass out on the spot.

When he got to me, he was feeling pretty good. He had popped a Xanax upstairs and was what I would describe as three-beer-Heath. He was invincible and when they told him that he could stand to watch, he did! I kept asking him, "Are you sure? Are you okay?"

Getting Olive out only took a few minutes. This is what I heard:

"Okay, get ready to meet Baby Olive."

"Oh, she has hair!"

"Heath, get the camera ready."

"She's no peanut."

"Here she is!"

Heath stood up the whole time, snapping pictures with the camera in one hand and video recording with his phone in the other. The video is great! :) It is kind of gross though, and so are the pictures. I thought I would spare you.

She was born at 6:42 pm.

As soon as I heard her let out her first wail, I broke down. I just cried and cried. It still wasn't quiet real to me. Nothing quiet prepares you for hearing your baby cry for the first time, or seeing them either. While I was blubbering, unable to wipe away my tears, Dr. B leaned Olive over the sheet for me to see. In her gross, bloody, crying state, she looked like Lucy. Then, as quickly as she was there, she was gone. They took her across the room to check her. Heath followed, snapping pictures like crazy.

 

We all anticipated the weight. I overheard a conversation between Dr. B and the nurses on how much they thought she'd weigh. Dr. B was pretty close, saying that she thought she would be close to 9 lbs. She was 8 lbs and 11.5 ounces. She was 2.5 ounces more than Lucy and a week early! The shocker for me was, she was 21 inches long! That was 2 inches longer than Lucy. I just kept repeating it over and over. "21 inches? Wow, really? 21 inches?"

Olive cried and cried, until Heath said something to her. It seemed as though she recognized his voice, because she immediately stopped. It was so sweet. It warmed my heart. 

Olive and Heath were off to my right and a little over my head. After about ten minutes of watching, my neck and eyes started to hurt from straining. So, I stopped and laid flat again. Then, it hit me like a ton of bricks the 36 hours of little to no sleep. I was so tired. It was like my body knew that it was over and Olive was okay. I let my eyes close a few times as I jerked them back open. Finally, I called Heath over. "I'm going to close my eyes and I might fall asleep, is that okay?" 

I felt like a jerk; but, I literally couldn't stay awake. He of course told me that was alright, as he went back to Olive. I then fell in and out of sleep for the next hour or so. I woke up once because I was nauseous. I thought I might throw up. When I told the anesthesiologist, she got me a "throw-up sleeve," as I like to call them. Dr. B heard me and said that she was pushing on my stomach and that was probably what was causing it. Thank goodness the nausea passed and before I knew it the sheet was pulled down.

While they were moving me to a bed, Dr. B went to check on Olive. She is such a caring person and you can tell that she loves her job!

Funny story about the nurse in the maroon, over Dr. B's shoulder. She was a student when I had Lucy. I remembered her, only because her name is also my middle name. When she came in for the surgery and introduced herself, I immediately asked if she was a student back in February 2010. It was her. She was present for both of my girls. :)

Once settled, I finally got to hold her too. :)

She still looked a lot like Lucy to me.

We were taken to the recovery room, where I was able to have a few guests. I asked for Heath to go tell my sister to bring Lucy down. Little did I know, Dr. B had already went to get Lucy! haha. :) I think she was excited too.

Lucy was pretty excited and surprisingly not freaked out at all by the hospital. She rubbed Olive's head and talked to her. For the first time that evening, Heath cried. My sister did too. It was a special moment.

We finally got back upstairs around 9:30 pm. Good thing we have our babies on the weekend. :)

Everyone was thrilled. I have to say though, do you see Heath's sister's boyfriend over in the corner with his arms crossed? Haha. I have a picture similar to this one, when Lucy was born. Except, then, my cousin was keeping him company. I just don't think men/boys are into this stuff as much, unless it's their baby or grand-baby.

Everyone stayed only for a while and left to let me sleep. I was able to breastfeed her downstairs in the recovery room. So, I waited until the next feeding and then let the nurse take her to the nursery. We learned from Lucy, that for us, it was better for her to go to the nursery. I didn't have any trouble sleeping and was excited each and every time they brought her in to feed.

- To Be Continued -

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?

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! :)

Gizzards = Fun

I eat chicken gizzards. They are probably the "weirdest" food that you will get me to eat. I'm not big on game, or rocky mountain oysters, or even plain oysters. But, give me fried chicken gizzards dipped in barbecue sauce and yum! About four times a year, my mom indulges me with home-battered chicken gizzards. Most of the time she even sends a bag home with me that I eat cold, straight out of the fridge.

But, that is all beside the point...this time, Lucy asked if she could help. She even pointed to her apron that my mom had hanging on the wall. Little did Lucy know how much she would actually get to "help."

  
Long story short - she made a mess! I guess what they say is true; you get more patience when you get older. I would have probably never allowed Lucy to make such a mess in our house, at least not without a drop-cloth, etc. My mom just let her be and let her play. I mean, "cook." The flour cleaned up rather easily though, although I admit that I just sat and watched. Lucy had such a fun time with that too, even trying to sweep.

During supper, Lucy tried a little bite of her batter gizzards. Not so much. That is okay. When she is older, we will try again. :)

Thank you Mimi for letting Lucy "cook" at your house. The gizzards (and sweet corn) were delicious! :)