38 Weeks Photo and Friday Thoughts

I finally had A take the official 38 weeks photo last night.  Even though everyone keeps telling me I'm huge, I actually think I look better at this point than I did with W (or maybe I'm in denial!).  At the very least, I have less swelling so I'm moving around a lot better and I weigh less.  That's a major win in my book.

And just for fun... 38 weeks + 2 days with baby #2 versus 39 weeks + 1 day with W.  W was breech so my belly looks a bit different, but I think my face looks less round in the first picture. :)

Final doctor's appointment was today.  How crazy is that?!?  My doctor again informed me that baby is a giant and offered an ultrasound.  There was no ultrasound tech today so I'd have to come back tomorrow.  I declined.  I'm curious about baby's size, but really didn't care to make another trip to the doctor.  And his size doesn't matter much, it won't change anything... whether he's 7 pounds or 10 pounds, he's arriving in less than a week.  As long as he's healthy, that's all that matters.  I had also lost 2 pounds since my last appointment.  Score!

My nephew is being baptized on Sunday.  I'm honored to be his Godmother and I planned on being there if I could.  BUT we're supposed to get snow - 7 to 9 inches of snow!!  Now, the weathermen have been wrong up to this point so I have my doubts, but if we do get several inches, I'm not comfortable driving.  Super pregnant mom + toddler navigating our way through a snow storm just seems like a bad idea.  I'm disappointed.  We'll see what happens.

I'm usually excited for the Superbowl.  I like football, creative commercials... and let's not forget the yummy snacks.  But this year... blah.  I don't like either team and if I never heard another Katy Perry song, that would be just fine with me.  Yuck.

W takes after his dad in most respects.  He has nearly the exact same tastes (MEAT!!), has a laid back personality, is quick/athletic.  I would MUCH prefer he have his dad's personality.  But I think he's an animal lover like mommy (not that A doesn't like animals).  My mom was watching him and one of the ASPCA commercials came on tv.  You know the ones - they show all the sad kittens and puppies waiting for homes.  I can't watch them.  My mom said that W actually started crying while watching and she quickly had to change the channel.  My sweet/sensitive boy.

I'm getting extremely nervous about the c section.  I've already had one so I have an idea what to expect, BUT it's major surgery.  And although my first one went really well, I keep remembering the negative parts... chest pressure during surgery/difficulty breathing, vomiting afterwards, recovery.  Uggh.  I need to just focus on meeting our new baby and block out the negative aspects.  Easier said than done.

The pregnancy hormones hit full force last night.  W and I were cuddling and singing.  I was telling him that even when baby is here, I'll still be there for him whenever he needs me.  That I love him and that he'll always be my first baby.  Shockingly, I was holding it together even though I wanted to burst into tears.  But then W started to cry!!  And it was a sad cry... not the tired/angry cry.  I'm not sure if it was because we were singing Baby Beluga and that song is reserved for bed/nap time (and he didn't want to go to bed) or if he knew I was extra emotional.  I looked over at A and asked him what he thought was wrong.  He had no idea.  I hugged W tighter and all was ok, but I'm still not sure why he was upset.

Why are you still working???

Because I can.  Because I know my colleagues value my work.  Because I’m not sure what else to do.  Because I want to save my time off for when baby is actually here.  Because despite appearing as though I’ll be giving birth to Hercules, I’m not completely miserable (yes, I have rough days, but all in all, I feel ok).

I’m not really sure what people expect me to say or why they’re so concerned, but I’ve gotten this question too many times to count.  Perhaps I look really uncomfortable and unhappy?  Not sure.

But if you need me, you can find me at my desk.  Still working.  Because I can.

On a related note, my work group took me out for a delicious lunch yesterday.  Italian!  Yum.  It was the same restaurant we went to before W was born so it seemed very fitting.  They gifted me with several adorable outfits.  One is size newborn and I have my doubts as to whether or not Hercules will fit into it. :)  I’m grateful for such wonderful colleagues – they make going to work worthwhile.  And after experiencing a couple miserable work environments, I appreciate them that much more.  Feeling the love. <3 <3

W was very excited about baby’s new clothes when I arrived home.  He had to check them out and insisted “Baby, hang!”… meaning he wanted me to head upstairs and hang the new clothes in baby’s room.  I sure hope he’s as excited about baby when baby is actually here – but not counting on that.

Naturally all of these are blurry since W is always in motion. :)

Final Days of Pregnancy

A:  You should have the baby this week.

Me:  Why?

A:  Because the Bulls and Blackhawks are playing on the West Coast.  We would be up late with baby and we’d have something to watch.

Me:  Rolling my eyes…

Me:  How much do you think this baby is going to weigh?

A:  I don’t know.  Ten pounds?

Me:  Wrong answer.


Boss: Talking to a client... C will be leaving me next week for a much younger man.  (I'm still laughing at that one)

Colleague:  (joking) Want a donut?

Me: No

Colleague:  Hamburger?

Me: No

Colleague:  Pizza?

Me: No

Colleague:  Sandwich?

Me: No.  If my water breaks, I’m heading to your office first.  I hope I make a huge mess.  I’ll be sure to sit on your chair.

Colleague:  That’s fine.  I’ll have bottles to collect it in.

Me: You know, it could have baby poop in it.

Colleague:  Eww.... gross.  Walks away.

Me:  Mission accomplished.  I win.

(I’ve known him for over 10 years.  We have a weird relationship.)


Yesterday I was asked by 5 different colleagues, "What are you still doing here?!?".  And I was also asked by at least 5 more colleagues, "Are you ok?  Are you feeling alright?".  Everyone who walks passed my desk has something (pregnancy related) to say.  I absolutely appreciate the concern, but it's been a bit much... especially when they're implying I'm huge and telling me there's no way I'll be at work on Monday.  Challenge accepted.

And then today... I arrived to these on my desk.  My boss's wife is amazingly creative.  So so sweet. <3  My group is also taking me out for lunch.  I love them.  And they don't ask me silly questions or tell me how enormous I am so they're awesome in my book. ;)

38 Weeks with Baby #2

How far along? 38 weeks!  My last update!!

Size?  Baby is the size of a pumpkin... that's not very helpful!  Pumpkins come in all shapes and sizes.  I also have to mention this because it made me laugh out loud... I get these stats from the bump.com.  According to the site, I may be experiencing "lightning crotch".  Hahaha.  What?!?

Weight Gain?  Oh boy.  I guess I should be honest.  I'm up about 40 pounds.  Not as much as I gained with W.  And in my defense, I lost all that weight and more after W and it happened somewhat quickly.  I'm not banking on that happening again, but I do think lots of my weight gain is attributed to fluid retention.  That's my story and I'm sticking with it.  I've gotten the twins question and the huge comments once again.  But I've also gotten, "You're all baby!  I can't even tell you're pregnant from the back."  Bless that colleague's heart!  She's my new best friend!

Gender? Boy!!

Sleep?  Well, let's see... I went to bed around 9:30pm last night.  By 10pm, I told A that I couldn't sleep.  He gave me a back rub and I was able to sleep for 2 hours.  12:30 am, woke up with extreme heartburn (totally my fault - I know better than to drink orange juice before bed).  Tossed, turned, rearranged pillows several times.  3:30am, do I hear W?  I think so, but he settles himself.  Toss and turn a bunch more.  Alarm goes off at 5:15am.  I think I got about 3 hours of sleep?  I'm just so uncomfortable.  My back really hurts no matter which way I lay or how many pillows I use.

Movement?  Still moving.  Mainly at night, while I'm trying to sleep.  My wild child/party animal!  Lots of hiccups lately.

Food Cravings?  Nothing.  A has promised me a Chicago style hot dog after giving birth and I'm really looking forward to that!!! :)

Labor signs?  Contractions, cramping, LOTS of back pain, and pressure.  Baby has dropped.

What I Miss?  The usual.  No point in listing the same things.

Symptoms?  The PUPPP has returned with a vengeance!!  I had gotten to a point where I didn't even need the Caladryl and now I'm applying it 3 times per day.  I even made myself bleed I was so itchy.  Not fun.

Happy or Moody?  Happy (although I feel like crap today).  So excited to meet this little guy, but also nervous about the birth and W's reaction to having a little brother.  W's been extremely sweet.  Pointing to the infant seat and saying brother's name, bringing his old toys into the nursery without being asked or provoked, rubbing my belly.  But actually having a little brother is completely different than preparing for one.  People continuously ask me if W knows and I tell them that he knows "baby", but is completely unprepared for what's about to happen.  While I was packing my suitcase on Friday, W pointed to it and said baby's name.  I don't think I've been giving W enough credit - he understands so much more than I realize.

Looking Forward To?  Baby's debut!  Nervous about how big this guy actually is! :O

Best Moment of the Week?  So excited to have the nursery done!  I sit in there often. :)  W usually joins me and we listen to music or read books.  Car seat installed, bags packed, snacks have been purchased (priorities!), we're about ready!

I realized that I forgot to take a 38 week photo.  So this is the best I can offer - I snapped this last night after I had changed into my comfy clothes and put my hair up.  Taken in the bathroom no less.  Not at all flattering, but it's all I've got right now.  I'll work on getting a better picture.

(Long) Weekend Recap

Friday was such a weird day.  My morning was extremely busy.   I had a small breakfast and before I knew it, it was noon.  I usually have lunch around 11:30am.  By noon, I was shaky and hot and knew I needed to eat something fast.  I quickly ate lunch and felt better.  But at some point during the afternoon, I started feeling cramps and my back hurt.  I just didn't feel well.  I thought maybe I was hungry again.  I had a small breakfast and a somewhat small lunch – it seemed like enough, but I had had big lunches all week so I thought maybe I needed a snack to get me through the afternoon.  Had a snack and still just didn’t feel well.  I had also been drinking water throughout the day, so I didn't think I was dehydrated.  I made it through the work day, but started having contractions during my drive home.  They seemed different than the Braxton Hicks I’d been experiencing and were coming as often as every 5-7 minutes.

I finally got home and told A what was going on.  I was really nervous and ran upstairs to add things to my hospital bag while A ordered pizza and just seemed excited.  Meanwhile, W was HANGRY and being a tyrant.  The only times he’s really naughty are when he’s really hungry… look out!  In fact, he had already had his big fire truck taken away by the time I got home.  Anyway, A prepared to leave and pick up the pizza.  I initially asked him to bring W with him.  Between packing, contractions, and cramps, I wasn’t sure I was up to caring for W.  But I changed my mind last minute, feeling guilty that W had just gotten home and would have to leave again.  So for the next 30-45 minutes or so, I attempted to finish packing, time contractions, Google my symptoms, separate W from Addie many many times, and give W a time out for throwing a truck at Addie.  Fun times I tell you.

After eating dinner, I felt a bit better and the contractions had really slowed.  I went and sat in our big arm chair, hoping that resting would make me feel even better.  At this point, W started chasing Addie with a school bus and she jumped up on me to escape from W.  It hurt, but it was nothing significant.  I started crying.  My first hormonal, pregnant breakdown.  I’m actually surprised that I lasted as long as I did!!  While the tears were streaming, I kept thinking, I have no idea why I’m crying.  It was just a combination of the busy day, contractions, and feeling overwhelmed.  The contractions eventually stopped and the remainder of the night was uneventful.

Saturday morning, I headed to a doctor’s appointment while W and A headed to school.  From what I hear, school went very well.  I miss being able to go with W.  My appointment was interesting.  I got to the office and signed in, but no one was at the counter when I arrived.  I sat and waited.  After about 20 minutes I was finally called back.  I’m usually seen right away, but the wait was no big deal and I didn’t think much of it.  When I got to one of the exam rooms, the nurse told me that the receptionist hadn’t seen me check in.  The nurse knew that I was always on time and was worried about where I was – she had even called over to labor and delivery at the hospital.  Lol.  I had a long talk with my doctor, who, by the way, told me I was huge.  Great.  Thanks.  I expect that from random colleagues, but not my own doctor.  I told her I was still considering a vbac and she said she’d strongly advise against it.  She thought this was a big baby and would hate to see my labor for hours and end up with a c section anyway.  I had no strong opinions about either delivery option so I agreed to the c section.  Now, thinking about it, I’m not sure how I feel.  I hope I’m making the right choice, but I also question if I should have asked for a growth ultrasound to get a better idea of how big baby is.  If I make it to my scheduled c section date, this will all be a moot point.  But if I go into labor earlier, then I’ll wonder if I should have tried for a vbac.  My doctor pointed out that all that really mattered in the end was a healthy baby and I fully agree.  In her opinion, the risks of a vbac outweighed the tougher c-section recovery.

After that, I met A and W for lunch at Sweet Tomatoes.  We headed home and W and I both napped.  After W woke up, A and W went grocery shopping.  It was so so nice to have a break.  Bless that husband of mine.  I was still not feeling great and really appreciated some time to relax.

Saturday night, W would not go to sleep.  A eventually laid down with him in our extra bedroom.  Around 11pm, A tried to transfer W to his bed and W woke up.  I know A was so frustrated.  I sat next to W’s bed and rubbed his back.  I thought he was asleep and attempted to sneak out.  I have not perfected closing W’s door silently and in retrospect I should’ve just left it open.  I wasn’t loud, but that boy has impeccable hearing.  He started crying.  Poor A ended up taking W back to the day bed and slept there with him for the remainder of the night.  I slept horribly as well.  My back hurt badly no matter what position I laid in.  We were all awake before 6:30am.  Not a restful night.

We went to church on Sunday morning and W was his typical, good natured self.  He’s been cuddly during church lately and holds my hand during prayers – it’s incredibly sweet. J  After that, we headed to Starbucks.  A and I debated when nap would be.  We planned to leave our house by 12:15pm to pick up the final piece of nursery décor – letters that spell out baby’s name.  And after that, we had a family get together to attend.  So there really was no good time to nap and I knew W needed one after a rough night.  We decided to keep W up until we left the house, hoping he would sleep in the car.  Between picking up the letters and driving to the family get together, we were looking at 1.5-2 hours in the car.  Sufficient time to nap.  Well, you know what they say about the best laid plans… An hour into our outings, W was still awake.  He finally fell asleep close to 1:30pm.  We arrived at the family get together on time, but sat in the car about a half an hour so W could have at least an hour of sleep.  I just didn’t have the energy for a super cranky little man and I knew A didn’t either.

The get together went well.  W was great and got to play with his cousin who is just 6 weeks older.  All in all, a good day, but I think the busy weekend and hours in the car left me feeling extremely uncomfortable.  No matter what I did - sitting, standing, laying down, I just didn't feel comfortable.  Very sore, achy, short of breath.  I think I’ve finally reached the point in pregnancy where I’m ready to be done.  Oddly enough, I don’t think I ever felt that way with W.  So maybe this baby, is in fact ginormous.  My little Hercules. ;)

On the bright side, W slept great last night.  Phew!

Friday Thoughts

It just occurred to me that I have 7 work days left (at most) before I start maternity leave.  One week.  Holy moly.

The swelling has really kicked in this past week.  My feet and ankles look ridiculous.  I’m thankful to have made it as long as I did and I’m hoping it doesn’t get as bad as it was with W.  On the bright side, I’m still able to wear my rings (for now).  I’m certain they were off at this point with W.  On a related note, nothing fits me these days and it’s pretty depressing.

Also pregnancy related, baby has nightly parties in my belly.  He moves like crazy in the middle of the night, which makes me think he’s going to be a night owl.  So I’ll have a 2 year old and a newborn who do not sleep at night… Lord, help me!  Preparing to be a mom zombie… “mombie”... as if I weren't one already - Ha!

We had Irish and German colleagues in the office Monday through Wednesday.  It was really busy, but we received lunch and breakfast every day!  Score!  Chinese food, sandwiches, pizza, and cookies… oh my!  A pregnant girl’s dream come true!  I’m expecting the scale to not be kind to me at my next doctor’s appointment.

If you’re a parent, go like the Honest Toddler facebook page.  It’s hilarious.  And be sure to view the sleep deprived selfies.  So.darn.funny.  Made me feel a tad better about W’s sleep habits.  Speaking of, W woke up 4 out of the past 5 nights.  Uggh.

I had planned to write more, but ran out of time.  Have I mentioned that work has been CRAZY lately??  Maternity leave is going to be interesting... I'm anticipating emails.

New Year's Resolutions (or lack thereof)

I don’t do New Year’s resolutions.  I can’t recall a single resolution I’ve made.  I just try to be the best me I can be.  Sounds cheesy.  It is cheesy.  But this girl is busy enough – who needs the added pressure of trying to achieve some lofty goal?!?  I recently came across this and thought it was a nice alternative to New Year’s resolutions.  I won’t hold myself to anything, but it was thought provoking.

A bad habit I’m going to break:  This is going to sound silly… I’m an avid list maker.  Lists for everything… to do lists at work, to do lists at home, lists of baby products to buy, lists of songs to add to Spotify, etc.  You get the idea.  I NEED lists.  But for some unknown reason, I NEVER make a grocery list.  I basically show up at the store and hope I remember to purchase all the groceries we need.  The problem?  I ALWAYS forget something (often I forget several somethings).  And that means that either A or I stops at the grocery store about 2-3 times per week, which is just crazy.  And unnecessary.  We also suck at dinner planning so I’ll add that to the improvement list as well (see… I love lists).

A new skill I’d like to learn:  Fitting into my pre-pregnancy pants.  No, really.  My favorite store had pants on sale for 60% off… less than $25 a pair.  And for some reason, I thought it was a good idea to buy 4 pairs in my pre-pregnancy size.  I now have buyer’s remorse.  I probably should have bought at least one pair in the next size up.  Yikes.  Ok, I admit, that’s not a skill.  But it’s all I’ve got right now.  Here’s hoping that a toddler and newborn will turn out to be a great weight loss plan!

A person I hope to be more like:  This is easy… My mom and A, but for different reasons.  My mom is super super outgoing.  I am not.  I don’t think I’m unfriendly; I’m just not as sociable as she is.  My mom will talk to anyone and everyone.  I’ve always been on the quiet side.  So I’d like to be more outgoing, get to know more people.  As for A, he’s very laid back.  He doesn’t let things get to him or bother him.  I’d like to more relaxed.  I think motherhood has a tendency to force you to lighten up and I’ve definitely gotten better at not taking things so seriously, but I’d like to continue to improve.

A good deed I’m going to do:  We’ll continue to adopt a family during the holidays and I’ll work at my high school’s auction.  I’d also like to buy someone’s coffee for them at Starbucks.  An easy, simple gesture that could make someone’s day.

A place I’d like to visit:  Ireland!  Hoping for another opportunity since I missed my chance.

A book I’d like to read:  Hahaha.  Does People magazine count?  How about Green Eggs and Ham?  Honestly, I read Divergent and would like to read the next two books, but I doubt I’ll find the time.

A letter I’m going to write:  Hahaha.  I do plan to send post cards to W’s BFF in Georgia.  I got the post cards almost a year ago and never mailed them.  Terrible.  My friend and I decided our boys would be pen pals – they’ve exchanged a couple post cards (you know, with the help of their moms), but we both dropped the ball.

A new food I’d like to try:  Hmmm… sadly, I can’t think of anything.  I’m not very adventurous when it comes to food.  I’m open to suggestions!

I’m going to do better at:  Umm, didn’t I already list enough things above??  I would like to get better at planning activities for W.  Pinterest probably has a ton of easy activities for toddlers.  Instead of blogging, I should use my lunch break to look up some of those!!  Update:  I wrote this a couple weeks ago and I have started pinning some ideas.  Yay!  But holy moly, there are a ton!  I’m overwhelmed!