thirty-eight weeks

written February 7th

Wohoo!  I made it to 38 weeks!  But apparently that is all she wrote.  My OB served Miss Elsie with her eviction notice today.

I knew the appointment wasn't going to go too smoothly just as the nurse finished taking my blood pressure.  She asked, "So.  How has your blood pressure been running lately?"  "Um, a tad high.  What was it?"  "146/90."  Fail.  So of course I get the 'lay down and we'll check it again' scenario.  Do you know what is really difficult when you are 38 weeks pregnant?  Trying to lay on your side on one of the exam tables.  Those things aren't really made for that.  Especially after they have already made you take your pants off and you're trying to cover your rear with the world's thinnest sheet.  But that is beside the point.

After what seemed like forever my doctor came in, not the nurse like I was expecting.  "Have they rechecked your pressure yet?"  "Nope."  "Well, I'll check it, and then we are going to have a little talk."  Even after laying down for a while my blood pressure had only come down to 132/85.  So it was no longer dropping way low like it had the last couple of weeks.  And after I sat up and swung my legs over the edge of the table, there was a HUGE indent in my shin where my other heel had been resting.  Disgustingly huge.  So apparently I'm pretty swollen and I didn't even know it. 

Basically my doctor said there was really no point in prolonging the inevitable.  There was no reason to continue the pregnancy and chance developing full on pre-e (no protein in the urine this week so no official pre-e diagnosis).  She wanted to induce me in the morning.  The whole darn thing sounds incredibly similar to my last appointment before Ryann was born, and her birth.  Apparently my body just doesn't really like being pregnant past 37-38 weeks.

Really at this point the biggest issue was Chris's schedule.  He is supposed to be working nights through the weekend.  I know it was (is) going to be tough on him and his coworkers to deal with the change in the schedule.  My doctor decided it really was best to schedule the induction anyway.  She said if he absolutely could not change his schedule she would give me until Monday, but I was to be on strict bedrest (up to pee, shower and eat) throughout the weekend.  Bah.

When I got home from my appointment I had to wake Christopher up to tell him the news.  Thankfully he was able to get his shifts covered.  Not sure what that will mean for the next couple of weeks of work, but he will be there for the birth of our second daughter, and that is what matters.  Hopefully everything will go smoothly.  I'm still only 3cm dilated and halfway thinned out, but I am praying that labor will go quicker this time.      
   
how far along:  38 weeks (compare to 38 weeks with Ryann)

size of baby:  according to the bump a pumpkin, between 18.9-20.9 inches long and weighing somewhere between 6.2-9.2 pounds.  You want to know what is absolutely terrifying the night before you give birth?  Having the thing inside your body that absolutely has to come out compared to a pumpkin. 

weight gain:  20.2 pounds.  Gained another 1.2 pounds this week.  Uhhhh junk food.  Pretty much.  Not too shabby though that my grand total mirrors that of my gain with Ryann, and I started out this pregnancy weighing 18 pounds less.  I hope the weight comes off as easily this time as it did last time.  But I really really hope to keep it off too! 

maternity clothes:  Yep.

symptoms:  Headaches, nausea, general uncomfortableness, a little bit of dizziness here and there.  Way way WAY too much lightning crotch.  Sorry for the TMI.

exercise:  Running errands and cleaning is about it.  The hubs nixed the exercise once my blood pressure went extra wacky.

cravings/aversions:  Nothing specific.  Just food.  Depends on what is in sight.  :o)

movement:  She is pretty quiet throughout the morning and early afternoon.  By 8pm my belly is a three ring circus.  Seriously.  And it doesn't stop until I manage to fall asleep.

sleep:  I do good until about 4:30am, from there on it is hit or miss.  That is about the time I go to the bathroom, and it depends on what my brain is churning up whether or not I sleep for another hour or so.

gender:   A little miss.

looking forward to: Oh you know, meeting my baby girl tomorrow.  Nothing huge.

worries:  Um, I'm going through labor and giving birth tomorrow.  Please tell me what I shouldn't worry about?  I'm bringing another human into this world, who I know I will want nothing more to protect from anything and everything.  And I'm totally changing the life of my first born.  I'm terrified of how she could react.  All of those things are swirling around my brain.  But the honest truth is I know it will all be fine.  It is tough, but it will all be fine.

what's different this time:  I got to sleep in my own bed the night before I was induced.  Granted, it was all by my lonesome, but it is my bed.  And I get to wake up in the morning and take a shower more or less on my own terms.  I'll take it.

milestones:  just a few hours shy of Elsie's birthday!

best moment this week:  This week was pretty good.  Got some stuff accomplished around the house, got a pedicure with my bestie... overall there isn't anything that I can really complain about.

Honestly it is impossible to describe everything in my brain right now.  I'm emotional, and completely in denial at the same time.  I'm excited.  I'm scared.  I'm anxious.  Just trusting that everything will turn out as it was meant to, and tomorrow I will be a mommy to two little girls.

Ohmygawd.

That is just plain insane.

thirty-seven weeks

written January 31st

Well, it is looking like I'll be lucky to make it to 38 weeks.  Wednesday night I wasn't feeling well, headache and nauseous, the usual.  And my meds didn't really help.  Chris took my blood pressure and it was 130 something/85.  Not alarming, but you know... This morning after Chris had already left for work I got a headache and felt queasy.  Of course now I'm mildly paranoid so I tried to take my own blood pressure.  Not the easiest thing to do.  The readings I was getting were between 140/100 - 160/110.  But I had no idea if I was doing it right.  After taking my meds my headache started to subside a bit.  I put in a call to the doc, and based on the fact that my headache got a little better, I'm not super swollen or anything and that who knows if I was taking my pressure correctly, they were comfortable leaving my appointment late in the afternoon.

My headache kind of came and went throughout the day, but never got terrible.  So I was mildly hopeful for my appointment.  Of course I'm sure I had myself worked up a little (I know I did).  But when the nurse first took my blood pressure she said it was high.  Didn't tell me what it was but said she'd talk to my doc.  So I'm just sitting on the table, pantless (covered in a sheet) waiting for my doctor to come in.  After a few minutes the nurse came back, "Well, your doctor just got called for a delivery.  There is one other doctor still here right now, would you like to see her?  I briefly talked with your doctor and she said if substitute doc thinks an induction is best she is good with that."

Whoa people, hold on.  What the heck was my blood pressure?  Which I did ask the nurse.  She said it was 142/98.  And that I had a trace of protein in my urine.  I requested that they retest my blood pressure because sheesh, you're going to induce me off of one reading?  Ok I know it wasn't just that reading, but still.  So I laid down for a few minutes.  She came back in.  110/80.  That's better.  Sub doc came in, said they wanted to run some labs, and once we had more answers we'd make a decision on what to do.  I should have the results of the labs tomorrow (today when most people are reading this) so I'll find out if they want to induce me over the weekend or not.  If they don't, I go back in Monday for an ultrasound (BPP?) and non-stress test (NST?).  So we will see.

At this point I'm not sure what I want.  I'm happy I've made it to term.  In theory I'd like Elsie to stay put two more weeks.  But if it isn't healthy for the both of us, or I'm going to have to spend those two weeks laying on the couch so my blood pressure doesn't go nuts, maybe it is just better that she be out.  I don't know.  I'm not 'ready', but when are you ever really ready for a completely life changing event?  So for now I'll do my best to take care of myself, spoil Ryann within reason, and um, do several loads of laundry, finish some crafting, do some cleaning and organizing...

The good news?  I'm nearly 3 centimeters dilated (in case the interwebs wanted to know the status of my cervix, I know you did).  So if I were to be induced, at least I'm not starting at nothing.  She did note that baby girl isn't very low, her head isn't engaged at all.  So I doubt she is in a rush to come out.  But I don't think it would take too much effort to get her there.   
   
how far along:  37 weeks (compare to 37 weeks with Ryann)

size of baby:  according to the bump a winter melon (seriously the bump, you pick the weirdest food comparisons), between 18.9-20.9 inches long and weighing somewhere between 6.2-9.2 pounds.  She is practicing her sucking and breathing (I would know, she gets the hiccups a million times a day), and, again, with the awesome info from the bump, should be getting her first meconium poop ready.  So glad I know that now.

weight gain:  19 pounds.  Gained 1.6 pounds this week, which is not at all surprising since I had lost 2 last week, and ate a heck of a lot of junk this week.

maternity clothes:  Even some of my maternity shirts won't cut it anymore.

symptoms:  Headaches, nausea, general uncomfortableness.

exercise:  Six walking workouts totaling 17 miles.  And some 'wogging' thrown in there too!  I've become quite the spectacle at the gym.  I can't go 20 minutes without someone asking me when I'm due, how long I have left, or remarking on how difficult or uncomfortable I must be.  I know I've seen VERY pregnant people there before.  Not sure why I am of so much interest!  Haha.

cravings/aversions:  This week, honestly, nothing crazy.  I'm not all that hungry anymore.  I think my organs have run out of room.  Definitely didn't stop me from eating half a bag of chips with cheese dip.

movement:  Not as crazy anymore, but incredibly painful when she starts moving around.  It is so weird to see limbs and such poking out.

sleep:  Surprisingly not too bad.  I wake up once or twice to pee, but generally manage to fall back asleep pretty quickly.  I am pretty much up by 5:30am, but it doesn't bother me too much.  I can get my walk in or play on my computer in the quiet before everyone else starts getting up.

gender:  Better be a girl!

looking forward to:  My mom bringing me the crib bumpers.  She sent me a picture and they look adorable!  So does the quilt she made.  Once I can get some better pictures I'll post them.  Cute cute stuff.

worries:  Oy.  Too many to even really deal with.  So I'll just stick with my resolution and try and be happy!

what's different this time:  Even with the possible blood pressure issues I'm not swelling.  Sometimes my feet and ankles feel a little tight and uncomfortable, but with Ryann I honestly had zero ankle bones.  This time I can still see them!

milestones:  baby girl is full term

best moment this week: The baby shower my bestie threw was pretty awesome.  So thankful to spend time with friends, and truly appreciate them showing their love for me and my little family.  My friends are the best!

thirty-six weeks

written January 24th

Well, I thought this week was starting to go pretty well.  Annnd then I went to my doctor's appointment.  I'm sure everything is fine and I'm stressing myself out for nothing, but...

Let's rewind a bit.  Earlier this week I had a sudden onset headache and was feeling a little nauseous.  I took my prescription headache medicine, and laid down for a good half hour or more, but no relief.  I never made Christopher check my blood pressure, but ended up taking another pill right at the six hour mark so I could go to sleep.  I've woken up with a headache in the middle of the night the last couple of nights, but am blaming it on the fact that I'm staying up too late.

So today I had my 36 week check-up.  My mom came up and hung out with Ryann so really it should have been an easy breezy appointment.  The nurse weighed me (according to their scale I lost a pound over the last two weeks, meh).  Then checked my blood pressure.  144/88.  Well shit.  She said she was going to finish up her initial stuff, and then leave me to lay on my left side for five minutes and see where we were at.

She attempted a finger prick to check for anemia, but apparently my stupid hands were too cool.  She kept have to try and warm them with her hands to get the blood to come out and fill the little teeny tiny tube.  I swear it took like three minutes.  I went and peed in a cup, came back and laid down.  She came back in five minutes later, and thankfully when she check my blood pressure it was down to 116/62.  Not too shabby at all.

Then my doctor came in.  "So, your blood pressure is a bit high.  But it did come down nicely, so that is good."  "Oh good."  "But there is a trace of protein in your urine.  Have you been drinking enough water?"  "Um, well, I think I drink a little over 2 liters a day.  Is that enough?"  "Oh, yeah, that is enough.  Well shoot.  I thought maybe I could chalk the blood pressure up to a fluke, or the protein up to lack of water, but you're kind of shooting down all my options."

Noooo!  Of course then I spilled the beans about my headache episodes, and she was even less convinced that it wasn't all related.  Because my pressure came down relatively quickly and easily she isn't giving me any restrictions as of now.  But she said if I have any more serious headaches that I need to call, or have Chris check my blood pressure.  And if I see anything over 140/90 that I need to call.  And if my blood pressure is still high next week or there is any protein in my urine we will run some labs and "have some decisions to make."

Not going to lie, I'm freaking out.  I think I've said to Chris at least 10 times tonight already that I'm not ready.  That I want at least two more weeks.  Three would be great.  My induction is set for 6am on February 15th and I would LOVE to make it to that date.  Obviously if it is safer for baby girl to be out than in, I'm all for it, but I WANT MORE TIME.

Needless to say, I'll be packing my hospital bag this weekend, and doing my best to finish up as many items on my to-do list as I can.

Oh, also at the appointment when she went to find the heartbeat, it took her a lot longer than usual.  Not like five minutes or anything, probably maybe just over a minute.  But Elsie's heartbeat has been in the same place for WEEKS.  And now it is on the other side.  For a brief second I freaked thinking she had flipped to breech, but my doctor is still pretty confident that she is head down.  So that is good at least.    

how far along:  36 weeks (compare to 36 weeks with Ryann)

size of baby:  according to the bump a honeydew, between 17.2-18.7 inches long and weighing somewhere between 4.2-5.8 pounds.  Elsie's kidneys and liver should be ready to go, her lungs are nearly there, and circulation and immune systems should be ready to go as well.

weight gain:  17.4 pounds.  Somehow, according to my scale I am down 2.6 pounds this week.  Lately I've been craving more fruit and not really wanting much to do with carbs, so I'm guessing it is mostly water weight or something.  Who knows.  I'm betting my weight is just going to fluctuate here on out unless I give into my junk cravings (which I'm tempted to do, only a little bit left to indulge with limited guilt!).

maternity clothes:  See the belly above.  What else would you put on?

symptoms:  Headaches.  Stupid freaking restless legs.  Really awesome punches to the cervix.

exercise:  Seven walking workouts totaling 17.6 miles.  Didn't realize I walked that much this week!

cravings/aversions:  Strawberries, salads, fruit... along with doughnuts and cookies :o).

movement:  I can finally say this little girl has slowed down a bit.  She is still fairly active, and the movements more often than not are painful, but she isn't as crazy as often.  But it is still insane to watch my belly move.

sleep:  Besides the fact that I have been staying up a little too late, sleep has been alright this week.  I still dread getting in bed and trying to fall asleep because of the restless legs, but I'm not up for hours in the middle of the night.

gender:  Girl.  Although I'm back to paranoid that they were wrong and a little baby boy is going to pop out.

looking forward to:  My baby shower that my bestie is throwing this weekend!  She really is the best.

worries:  That I'm going to develop pre-e and have to birth this babe in like a week.  And how the heck we'll live through an entire call month with a newborn.  And just pretty much everything.

what's different this time:  Surprisingly I think I'm sleeping better.

milestones:  Three weeks or less to go!

best moment this week:  Ahem, there is no longer a toilet in the nursery.  That is amazing.  The dresser is all painted (just need to decide on pulls, get some drawer liner and fill that thing up!).  The rug is down in the nursery.  Our bathroom reno is near complete (just need a shower door and a mirror).  Christopher and our friend Kyle hung a new light in the nursery.  Got to hang out with a friend I haven't seen in a while.  Christopher's aunt brought over the baby blanket she made for Elsie, and I am OBSESSED with it.  So really, yes, minus today's doctor's appointment?  A pretty darn good week.

thirty-five weeks

written January 17th

Dear hormones.  You suck.  You are making me a crazy person.  That is all. 

how far along:  35 weeks (compare to 35 weeks with Ryann)

size of baby:  according to the bump a coconut, between 17.2-18.7 inches long and weighing somewhere between 4.2-5.8 pounds.  Little Miss should have her hearing all developed by now.  And if you're curious?  My uterus is apparently 1000 times its original size.  That is just messed up.

weight gain:  20 pounds.  Yikes, 1.4 pounds gained in the last week.  I should be able to stay under the 25 pounds mark if someone could please oh please help make the Girl Scout cookies disappear from my cabinet, and tell my husband not to bring me home anymore cheesecake :o).

maternity clothes:  Yes.  And even though I barely have a month left to go, I ended up getting a few new tops, because I needed more tunic length ones to cover my bum.  Seeing as I nearly refuse to wear jeans anymore.  The tops I got are from Shade Clothing, and it only set me back $35 for the three I picked out, so not too shabby.

symptoms:  Some braxton hicks here and there.  Not too many.  And just being freaking uncomfortable.  And tired.  You know.  The whole pregnancy thing.  I think it is funny, if my body felt like this on a normal basis (like my pelvis is going to fall apart and such) I would assume something was really wrong.  But nah.  Just pregnant.

exercise:  Six walking workouts totaling 13.5 miles.  I did throw in some arm weights on one of those days while I was walking.  But um, my ceiling in my basement is really low and I kept punching it while trying to do overhead stuff.  Whoops.

cravings/aversions:  Soups, salads, sweets and STRAWBERRIES (apparently only things that start with S?).  I can't get enough strawberries right now.  I think I've eaten a couple pounds over the last week.  I would say it is better than chocolate, but um, I've had plenty of that too.  Whoops!

movement:  She is still crazy.  I'm waiting for that 'she'll run out of room and not move as much' thing to kick in.  Also, I'm hoping she has her hands by her face (kinda, but I don't want her to try and come out like that), because sometimes I get all sorts of crazy movement way down low.  So if it isn't her arms, this kid has a really big head.  I don't want to deal with a really big head...

sleep:  This week has definitely been better in the sleep department.  Only two nights were really rough, one because I was dreaming about the stupid nursery :o) and was up on pinterest for two hours at 3 am for no good reason.  Another night I woke up at 4:30am to pee and just couldn't get back to sleep.  In general I am up at least once a night to go to the bathroom.

gender:  Girl.

looking forward to:  Getting the dresser painted and the bathroom being done so I can spend a couple of weeks seriously nesting.  Nesting makes me happy!

worries:  That this little one will have a giant head.  And that she will come earlier than I'd like.  I need four more weeks to get stuff done girl.  You hear me?

what's different this time:  Hmm.  Not sure.  I think last time I was more anxiously excited for Ryann's arrival.  I've been feeling a little guilty that I'm a little apprehensive about this girlie making her entrance, but more than one person has pointed out that I know what I'm getting myself into.  Of course I want to meet our little girl, see what she looks like, discover her personality, snuggle a newborn.  But at the same time, I know all about the sleep deprivation, all the diapers, the worrying, etc.  So really I'm in no hurry for her to be here, other than the fact that I'm tired of being pregnant.

milestones:  technically this is my 35/35.  35 weeks pregnant, 35 days until my due date.  But since I am 95% sure she is coming 6 days early, it is really 35/29 :o).

best moment this week:  Christopher having three days off work in a row, and having some maternity pictures taken by the lovely Adrienne Maples.  Can't wait to see them!

thirty-four weeks

I guess this picture will have to do this week, for now at least.  I couldn't find my black dress (this is actually a shirt), it was dark and gloomy and I haven't figured out how to make my light scoop work with my new camera, and there are guys in our house working on the bathroom so I felt a wee bit awkward about setting up a tripod to take a selfie...
 
written January 10th

Well, this week was better than the last.  Nothing amazing, but better.  And I'll take it. 

Another doctor's appointment today.  I feel like I have them every other day.  I'm sure it will only get worse once they are every week!  Everything still looks great, and my BP was only 118/72.  I'm going to attribute that to the fact that I didn't have to take Ryann with me to the appointment this time :o).  My doc wasn't concerned at all about the contractions I had, because they have since been extremely minimal.  So no restrictions for me, yay!  And we officially put the induction in the books (February 15th), so five weeks or less until baby.

My hormones, emotions and anxiety are at an all time high right now.  We got Christopher's schedule for February (finally), and I knew it wasn't going to be good.  But I'm freaking out.  He has four days off in the month.  Yep four.  The 15th-17th (yes, we're just going to assume/hope/pray I'll make it to the induction date) and the 24th.  He works two different stretches of nights, one towards the beginning of the month, and then like four starting the 18th.  So yep, have a baby, and then goodbye husband.

I'm trying to remind myself again and again that the days will go by quickly and it is just going to be a blip on the radar.  But FREAKING out.  My mom is pretty much going to be living with me most of the month.  I know she'll do her absolute best to keep me sane.  But in general, it is going to be really hard.  Newborn + husband on nights + a toddler?  Yeah...

Add to that a bathroom remodel to deal with a mold issue, an inability to sleep and a to-do list that feels like it isn't getting any shorter?  I'm losing my mind.  I hate it.  I hate feeling like this.  I know most of the stuff is trivial, and that yes, it is probably the hormones.  But I'm upset and mad and frustrated and just... Oy.

I'm looking forward to March. 
 
how far along:  34 weeks (compare to 34 weeks with Ryann)

size of baby:  according to the bump a butternut squash, between 17.2-18.7 inches long and weighing somewhere between 4.2-5.8 pounds.  The bump was kind enough to inform me that baby girl may be able to recognize and react to songs she hears often, and of course that she is urinating about a pint a day.  Good to know, good to know.

weight gain:  18.6 pounds.  Gained .6 pounds this week.  Interesting enough my weight gain has about evened up with my pregnancy with Ryann.  I still expect to gain more than 20 pounds this time, but hopefully not by much!

maternity clothes:  Of course.

symptoms:  Um, my palms are itchy at night if I don't take a Benadryl.  I swear someone mentioned that to me before, maybe my cousin?  It's weird.  But everything else is just the same old same old.  I'm big, pregnant, no sleeping and uncomfortable.  Not dying.  But not enjoying myself all that much either.

exercise:  Three walking workouts totaling 8 miles.  I took a full week off, and then have just been walking, taking it as slow as I can mentally handle.  If I go too fast I feel like I've been kicked in the crotch for the next 24 hours anyway.  So comfy, let me tell ya.

cravings/aversions:  Soups and salads.  On New Years Day my parents took Ry and I to Applebees, and I had the oriental chicken salad with some tomato basil soup.  Haven't been able to stop thinking about it since.  Well Ry and I headed to my parents tonight and my Dad was kind enough to pick up Applebee's for dinner :o).  Yes I had the same meal.  And yes I would totally eat it again tomorrow if someone would go with me!  Also?  I really really REALLY want some mini Cadbury eggs, thanks a lot Sharstin!

movement:  This girl is nuts.  Seriously.  My belly is always going all over the place.  And the other night Chris could distinctly feel a limb.  Like he could almost wrap his fingers around a leg or something.  Kind of creepy.

sleep:  I tend to dread nights now.  It is tough to get comfortable, I can't stay asleep, and then I'm just pissed off.

gender:  Girl.

looking forward to:  Our bathroom getting finished and getting our house put back in order.  I'm seriously in nesting mode, but I feel like every time I start cleaning or organizing something it quickly gets messed up, or there is a pile of crap here and there (or a toilet, vanity and shower base in the nursery, you know) and I can't make any progress.

worries:  A little (a lot) worried about how we are going to survive the first few weeks with a new baby.  I know we will make it, but right now it doesn't seem like it will be all that enjoyable.

what's different this time:  Meh, I'm not sure right now.  Aside from the blood pressure issues last time, I feel like the only big difference this time is how much this little girl moves.  She is such a nut!

milestones:  another week down

best moment this week:  In my current emotional state I can't think of anything.  I'm sure there was something great but I can't really think of it.  Ryann's MDO program finally started back up (thank you sweet baby Jesus I needed that), and my mom brought up the crib skirt she sewed and the rugs for the nursery.  That is exciting, minus the fact that I can't really get the nursery set up.  It will happen though, it will.  Just stay put until the 15th baby girl, please?  I need the time.

thirty-three weeks

written January 3rd

First, let's take a moment to ponder this.  It is now January.  I'm having a baby in February.  Cue the panic!

This week has not been the best one.  (TMI coming, FYI)  Chris has worked a lot (he was gone for 38 hours straight over New Years).  I'm feeling a little overwhelmed.  And to top it off, on Saturday night after some extra curricular activities with the hubs I started having some pretty serious contractions.  Not braxton hicks, like full on, kind of had to breathe through them a bit contractions.  They were roughly five minutes apart (maybe less) for over an hour.  Thankfully chugging about 30 ounces of water and taking half a Benadryl to help me relax worked, and by Sunday I was having maybe one every couple of hours?  And I was barely noticing them.  

Monday morning all was well, and Ryann and I headed off to the gym.  I walked 3.25 miles on the treadmill, and as soon as I got off something wasn't right.  I wasn't having contractions, but I was having some sort of coming and going pain in my nether regions.  I couldn't exactly tell where or what it was, but it was uncomfortable.  Like little miss was trying to stick her fingers through my cervix or something.  I tried to take it easy the rest of the day and it seemed like everything was getting better.  But I woke up in the middle of the night with the same pain.  I'd been chugging water like crazy to keep contractions and such at bay, but then I started wondering if I had a UTI because I felt like I had to pee a lot (but I suppose 120 ounces of water in one day will do that to you).  Of course by that point it was New Year's Day and there wasn't much I could do about it unless I went to the ER.

Thankfully by Tuesday afternoon I was feeling quite a bit better, and by Wednesday morning there was no more pain and everything felt fine.  So who knows what the heck is going on with my body.  Pregnancy I guess.  Christopher more or less banned me from working out for at least a week.  Of course neither of us want a preemie baby, so I'm listening to his advice.  But with the holidays, MDO and gymnastics have been closed, and now my other outlet for sanity (the gym) has been taken away and Chris is working a lot so I'm just going a bit nuts.  Hopefully this next week will be a better one.  
 
how far along:  33 weeks (compare to 33 weeks with Ryann)

size of baby:  according to the bump a durian fruit (what the heck is that?), between 17.2-18.7 inches long (Ryann was only 18.5 when she was born, I'm still hoping this one is following suit and staying small) and weighing somewhere between 4.2-5.8 pounds.  Her bones are hardening, her eyes are open when she is awake and she is starting to coordinate breathing with sucking and swallowing.

weight gain:  18 pounds.  Lost a pound over the last week.  Hoping the weight gain only averages maybe a half a pound, a pound at most a week from here on out.  That would be lovely!

maternity clothes:  Of course.

symptoms:  Mostly insomnia and restless legs, and now we can throw some contractions in the mix.  Yay.  Oy.

exercise:  Four walking workouts again this week before the hubs cut me off.  Total was 11.05 miles.  I'm going to have to find some really light stuff he will give into because I'm going to go insane.  I feel like a big ol' blob.  Oh, actually, I guess one of the walks did include a bit of jogging, but it was definitely my last attempt at jogging this pregnancy :o(.  After .2 miles when I slowed to walk again, my shins were so incredibly tight that I literally had to turn the treadmill down to 2mph because I couldn't use my muscles to pick up my feet and make them move.  Chris said it might have something to do with extra fluid.  Who knows.  Oh pregnancy.

cravings/aversions:  Sweets of course.  Also soup, salad and sandwiches.  But I'm doing a terrible job at satisfying those cravings.  I NEED the perfect salad recipe!  And someone to bring me a panini every other day.

movement:  Definitely more rolly than it used to be.  She is nuts at night though.  I'm having a hard time getting comfortable and I think she is too.

sleep:  Well, Benadryl helps.  It is the only way I can sleep.  And sometimes even it can't keep me from waking up for an hour or more in the middle of the night.  My hips hurt so bad at night, and then I'll wake up on my back and I can't breathe.

gender:  Girl.

looking forward to:  Getting the dresser for the nursery painted.

worries:  Just worrying about how our future is going to pan out.  Christopher is changing his plans about what he wants to do, which is going to add an extra year to his learning, and means where I thought we were going to live probably isn't what is going to happen.  I know it will all work out, and everything will be fine.  I'm just getting tired of uncertainty and not knowing what life will be like.  BUT, I'm trying to remember my resolution to just be happy.  I have everything I need and more in my life.  It will all work out.

what's different this time: I don't really have any noticeable swelling yet this time around.  That's good.

milestones:  6 weeks or less to go seems like a pretty big deal.

best moment this week:  Umm, the hubs and I got to go on a date.  That was nice and much needed.  The glider for the nursery was also delivered AND I managed to sell our old one in a day, so I'll take it.  Oh, and I picked up a cute Valentine's sleeper at Carters, just in case we should need it :o).  Why are itty bitty girls clothes so irresistible?

thirty-two weeks

written December 27th

I had another doctor's appointment today.  Per the usual all looks well.  The blood pressure was 130/76 so still staying just fine for now.  I scheduled all my appointments through 39 weeks which is crazy to me (and ohmygawd only seven weeks to go!).  She has no explanation for a sharp pain I've been getting on and off near my right hip (it doesn't feel like ligament pain to me) but she is fairly certain it isn't anything significant.  So yep, pretty much I'm just getting bigger and more uncomfortable exactly like I'm supposed to.  Oh and Ryann?  Is now 100% concerned with my pee cup every time we go.  "Are you going to potty in a cup today mommy?  Hooray!"  Oy.  Fun stuff I tell ya...

how far along:  32 weeks (compare to 32 weeks with Ryann)

size of baby:  according to the bump a squash, between 15.2-16.7 inches long and weighing somewhere between 2.5-3.8 pounds.

weight gain:  19 pounds.  Ummmmmmm... the scale says I gained three pounds over the last week.  I don't really blame it, I mean I had a lot less workouts this week AND I ate a million cookies.  I'm hoping that some of it is just water weight or something, we shall see next week.

maternity clothes:  Yep.  I officially can't wear any of my regular t-shirts.  I tried to wear one to bed while we were in Omaha and it was so tight and uncomfortable.  I think I lasted for about three minutes before finding something stretchier.

symptoms:  Insomnia.  Uncomfortable.  Nauseous.  Restless legs.  Headaches.  Blech.

exercise:  Just four walking workouts this week, totaling 9.5 miles.  Kicking myself a bit for not getting in at least one more, but oh well.

cravings/aversions: I've just been eating a lot, in general.  Mostly sweets.  But after we get rid of the cookies in our house I'm going to try and kick the sugar habit a bit.  For real this time!  Figure I better start now as opposed to waiting until the babe makes her arrival.

movement:  No joke I swear she has her feet in my boobs.  Unless it is the hiccups, most movement is between uncomfortable and painful.  I know I'll miss feeling her after she is born, but OUCH.

sleep:  @$#!*^%$!  This week has been terrible for sleep.  I'm nauseous all night.  Waking up a couple of times to pee.  Waking up a couple of times for no reason.  And usually up for at least an hour during the night because my dumb brain won't shut off.  I'm so tired, but I can't sleep.

gender:  Girl.

looking forward to:  Having my body back.  Hips that don't hurt.  Sleeping on my stomach.

worries:  That I'm going to be miserable for the next seven weeks.

what's different this time: Looking back it seems as though this is when things started getting really uncomfortable with Ryann too.  But I also know I battled a stomach bug at this point with Ryann, which I am not dealing with right now.  Thank goodness.  Although with the nausea I almost would rather be throwing up (totally a lie) if it brought a little bit of relief.

milestones:  another week down

best moment this week:  Christmas with my family!

thirty-one weeks

written December 20th

Want to know what is complicated when you're pregnant?  Playing in the snow with your toddler.  Because you don't really have a coat that fits and you didn't think about that before you put your clothes on and your long sleeve t-shirt is barely covering your belly and your coat isn't buttoned all the way because it can't and your kid wants you to bend over and pick up snow and help her do this and that and you're just plain cold and miserable.  Pretty much.  But?  It was still kind of fun because Ryann was so dang excited about the fact that it snowed.  She would have been out there at 7am had I let her.  I survived and I have a happy kid.  I suppose it wasn't so bad after all. 

how far along:  31 weeks (compare to 31 weeks with Ryann)

size of baby:  according to the bump a pineapple (kind of a painful sounding fruit to have something inside your body compared to, especially when that something has to come out at some point...), between 15.2-16.7 inches long and weighing somewhere between 2.5-3.8 pounds.  All five of Miss E's senses should be in working order and her irises now react to light.  Major brain and nerve development should also be happening.

weight gain:  16 pounds.  I somehow lost .6 pounds this week.  At one point I was up a pound, but that was after my Mexican indulgence for the week, so who knows.  Funny now my weight gain matches my pregnancy with Ryann, but I still don't quite weigh what I did when I got pregnant with her.

maternity clothes:  Yep.  Or sweats.

symptoms:  Meh.  I'm just pregnant and uncomfortable.  And a teensy bit hormonal.

exercise:  Six workouts this week.  15 miles on the treadmill and one 30 Day Shred session.  I jogged just over a mile total during my workout yesterday, and my body is 100% feeling it today.  My belly feels heavy.

cravings/aversions: Really, surprisingly, I'd look some good salads.  But I'm too lazy to come up with them on my own / don't really know where to get a good one (nothing sounds like 'the one').  So I'm pretty much still on the cookies and prenatal vitamin diet.  Whoops.

movement: Occasionally she'll have a quiet couple of hours, but for the most part this girl is always on the move.  And it hurts.  And makes it difficult to sleep sometimes.

sleep:  I stay up too late.  I get up too early.  I have to pee in the middle of the night.  My hips hurt.  Get the picture?

gender: Still a girl as far as I know.

looking forward to:  Christmas.  And getting some more of the nursery items.

worries:  Right now that my husband won't be able to make it to Omaha to spend Christmas with us.  Because of his work schedule we'll be heading up separately, and I'll be pretty devastated if he can't get there because of the weather or work or something.

what's different this time:  Ryann was transverse at this point, I'm pretty sure Baby Sister is not.  Also we got a 3D ultrasound with Ry and some confirmation that it was a girl.  Timing never really worked out so we didn't get a 3D this time around, and I'm still paranoid this baby is going to come out a boy.

milestones:  I have no idea.  Less than two months to go?

best moment this week:  Picking out stuff for the nursery, and just Ryann actually being a happy camper in general.  The last couple of days have been awesome in terms of her mood, despite the fact that she has a pretty nasty cold and is constantly hacking and sneezing.  Kids are so resilient sometimes!

thirty weeks

written December 13th

I had a doctor's appointment today.  Everything is looking great.  Baby Sister's heartbeat was in the low 140's/upper 130's, weight gain is fine, no protein in the urine, and belly is measuring on track.  My blood pressure was 130/82, which is higher than it has been at most appointments, but for right now still now real concern with anything.  So that is great.  Oh and my doc was pretty confident that she is head down is well.

Now I know this is controversial, but to make life easier with Chris's work schedule, we discussed the possibility of a 39 week induction.  And my doctor said she saw absolutely no problem with it as long as my cervix is favorable for an induction at that point.  She said I was induced before with no issues, and the second time around should be easier.  SO... little miss will have a birthday of February 15th if she hasn't decided to come on her own terms before then.

So uh, 9 weeks or less until I have another baby.  EEK!

how far along:  30 weeks (compare to 30 weeks with Ryann)

size of baby:  according to the bump a cucumber, between 15.2-16.7 inches long and weighing somewhere between 2.5-3.8 pounds.  Supposedly little girl is now strong enough to grasp a finger!

weight gain:  16.6 pounds.  I gained .4 pounds this week.  Still not sure how the weight gain has really slowed down considering I may or may not have polished off a bag of Mike & Ikes (yes bag, like large bag) almost entirely by myself, AND made myself sick eating too many brownies one night this week.  But whatevs.  If I can keep this trend up I'll be good.  I'd like to stay under 30 pounds gained (shouldn't be too hard), but I'm also 11 pounds from my highest weight ever (while not pregnant) so for my own sanity's sake I'd like to not see that number on the scale.

maternity clothes:  Yep.

symptoms:  Restless legs.  General uncomfortableness.  Itchy belly (which I'm sure is in part thanks to the dryer weather).  Morning nausea.    

exercise:  SEVEN WORKOUTS.  BAM.  I guess maybe that was how I combated all of the Mike & Ikes...  13.5 miles walking.  One session of the 30 Day Shred.  One 50/50 group fitness class at the gym.

cravings/aversions: All I want is Mexican food and baked goods.  Seriously.

movement: It is painful.  Often.  You can pretty much watch her body slamming my insides from across the room.  And if she could go ahead and lay off the cervix punches/kicks/headbutts whatever they are, that would be great.

sleep:  Up once a night to pee, and generally I start tossing and turning around 4am until I eventually get up sometime after 5:30.  My hips hurt a lot at night, but the gigantic pillow didn't really seem to help.

gender: Girl.  And psst... She has a name!  I promise I'll share eventually, just not sure when.

looking forward to:  Christmas.

worries:  Um, nothing really specific right now.  Just general nervousness on bringing another life into the world.  I did have a dream that Baby Sister was like 18 months old and I didn't even recognize her because I still spent so much time with Ryann.  I didn't really get it, but I woke up kind of shaken up.  In the dream though?  Baby sister had some gorgeous long hair :o).  Haha.

what's different this time:  Having a slightly more definitive end date in site is a little crazy.  And in general I just don't remember being this uncomfortable with Ryann, but I'm sure I was.  This girl just feels so... lodged? in places all the time.  I can't really sit without having pressure on my hip bones or in my ribs (or both) and laying down isn't really all that much better thanks to my hips.  And standing too long, well that doesn't feel great either.  But again, it isn't terrible.  I shouldn't really be complaining.  Yet being constantly uncomfortable for 3+ months is kind of draining.

milestones:  made it to the 30's!

best moment this week:  Am I lame if I say cleaning my fridge and pantry with my mom?  But seriously.  My fridge is so sparkly clean it makes me happy.  Hanging out with my bestie and decorating gingerbread houses was pretty fun too.  And going out to breakfast with Christopher and Ryann.  All in all, not a bad week.

And since I've hit 30 weeks, why not another little belly comparison?  It's crazy, I don't even recognize my body from the beginning.  You're looking at 10 vs 20 vs 30 weeks.  Crazy what 16 pounds can do to your body, huh?

twenty-nine weeks

written December 6th

Thank you so so much for all of your stories, tips and encouragement on yesterday's post.  I wasn't sure how it would go over, but I should have known that you'd all be great.  I'm pretty sure I have the sweetest group of readers there is.  THANK YOU.

how far along:  29 weeks (compare to 29 weeks with Ryann)

size of baby:  according to the bump an acorn squash, between 15.2-16.7 inches long and weighing somewhere between 2.5-3.8 pounds.  I feel like every week the bump just tells me she is getting fatter.  Oh well.  Go baby go, get all squishy and cute!

weight gain:  16.2 pounds.  I gained .8 pounds this week.  Which if you follow me on instagram you would know that is some sort of miracle.  There was lots of cookie baking and eating this past week.  Whoops.

maternity clothes:  Yep.

symptoms: Burny burps.  At least that is what I told Chris :o).  I don't have constant heartburn or anything, but a couple of times a day if I happen to burp it burns a lot.  Still dealing with the restless leg thing at night.  And now my right calf muscle is always tight.  I'm drinking tons of water, trying to stretch, using a heating pad, eating bananas.  That stupid thing just won't stay loose.  I'm also just uncomfortable most of the time.  Nauseous in the mornings again, mostly when I'm driving in the car (I think because of the position I'm sitting in or something).  BUT, as much as that is all annoying, when people ask me how I'm feeling, I can't really say that bad. 

exercise:  Four workouts.  I only covered 8.1 miles (plus 10 minutes on the arc trainer), but I actually finished 3.5 miles with a 12:45 minute pace.  That felt AWESOME.  And I also got in two mornings with Jillian.  So all in all, not a bad week.

cravings/aversions: Give me cookies and chicken salad sandwiches.

movement: She hasn't been quite as, crazy I guess, this week.  The movements have been a little slower and not so jabby (but still PLENTY of movement).  But I'm impressed at how wedged into places she can get.  Something can be digging into my ribcage while something else is slamming into my hip bone.  I don't know how she is going to fit in there for 10+ more weeks.

sleep:  I'm up at least once a night to pee.  And this week I had one night where I could. not. sleep.  I was pretty much up for the day at 2:30am.  Not cool, not cool at all.  I think it is about time I bust out my snoogle (gigantic pregnancy pillow).  I've been avoiding it because it is huge and so annoying if you want to turn over or anything.  But I think my body needs some more support.

gender: Girl.

looking forward to:  Decorating gingerbread houses with my bestie this weekend.

worries: That I'm not going to finish everything on my to-do list before this little girl arrives.  Which really is not the end of the world and most likely going to be the case.  But I'm stressing about it.

what's different this time:  I see that now was when I started having possible blood pressure issues with Ry, not last week.  But I think Christopher and I have decided a lot of my symptoms are more than likely caused by silent migraines as opposed to blood pressure issues.  I was feeling pretty nauseous and seeing 'sparkles' the other night so he took my blood pressure.  It was only 110/60 or something.  But I have been having headache issues.  Also?  I think my belly button might pop out this time...

milestones:  Another week down.

best moment this week:  Ummm... I can't really think of too much right now pregnancy or baby related.  Ryann is still being super sweet with babies, her baby dolls and my belly, and that is really making me excited to see her interact with her sister.  What I have loved this week is that Ryann is starting to really draw 'things'.  Like circles with eyes, a nose, a mouth, arms and legs.  And she can write an A, H and a T pretty consistently.  It is pretty awesome to watch her advance to these things and she is so proud of herself.

twenty-eight weeks

written November 29th

Apparently I'm looking 'really pregnant' these days.  Yesterday while dropping Ryann off at MDO, three different people asked me, "Now when are you due again?"  When I responded with February 21st, they all gave me that look, and then "Oh, so you've still got a few months."  Yep.  It is possible.  Thanks for letting me know I look gigantic though!  Haha.

Then while we were at the mall a lady working at White House Black Market came around the corner and said, "Wow!  You're really pregnant!"  Uh, thanks?  Great observation.  I can't remember what exactly I said to her, but she tried to play it cool.  "I just mean the rest of you doesn't look pregnant, but your belly is really big."  Again, thanks.  She really was trying to be sweet and told me I was cute and yadda yadda, but I'm not looking forward to all of those comments for the next several weeks.

Also?  There are 12 weeks to my due date.  But if this little girlie were to decide to come at 37 weeks, I'd have only nine left.  NINE.  Do you know how fast nine weeks can go?  I doubt she'd come any earlier than 37 weeks, and I won't let her anyway, because I'm supposed to have a February baby.  Not a January baby.  You hear that little one?

Lastly, I got my RhoGAM injection today (if you don't know what that is, wikipedia might help).  Thankfully it wasn't awkward with Ryann :o).  And I just thought I'd mention both times the injection hasn't been a big deal at all for me.  Just like a regular shot, barely any pain.  I know when I was on the bump the first time around all sorts of ladies scared me into thinking it was the most horrible thing ever.  It may be different elsewhere, but for me, no big deal.

how far along:  28 weeks (compare to 28 weeks with Ryann)

size of baby:  according to the bump an eggplant, between 13.6-14.8 inches long and weighing somewhere between 1.5-2.5 pounds.  I think I must have used baby center or something last time for all of the 'what baby is up to' info, because the bump doesn't really give you much to work with.

weight gain:  15.4 pounds.  I am proud of myself.  I managed to only gain 2.2 pounds in the last two weeks.  Score!  I've been trying to be a little more mindful of what I'm eating.  Even though a lot of the time I still reach for the junk.

maternity clothes:  Yes.  Yesterday I wore of regular pants with the hair tie trick and I was miserable.  In general I prefer yoga pants or sweats.  My t-shirts are getting too tight.  My workout shirts are getting too short.

symptoms:  Lots of uncomfortable stretching.  I feel like this little girl is just going to explode out of my belly button it is so uncomfortable sometimes.

exercise:  FIVE workouts.  Bam.  13.8 miles on the treadmill, including a little bit of jogging here and there, plus one session with Jillian's 30 Day Shred.  The best part of my workouts?  Going pee when I'm finished.  Seriously, I usually end up having to pee so bad by the end of my walk or whatever I'm doing, it is driving me crazy.

cravings/aversions: Chips and baked goods are where it's at.

movement:  Lots.  And it is PAINFUL.  Not all the time, but if she is moving around when I'm standing it hurts so bad.  I don't know why, but it seriously feels like she is shredding my muscles apart (which she probably is).

sleep:  Meh.

gender: Girl.

looking forward to:  Holiday sweets.  What?

worries: That I'm not going to be able to handle two kids.  I know part of it is that I'm tired and pregnant and what have you, but there are some parts of my day with Ryann that drive me nuts and I feel like I am going to go insane.  How on Earth will I survive another?

what's different this time:  Even though I'm incredibly uncomfortable, my body definitely seems to be handling this pregnancy much better.  By this point with Ryann I'd already made a trip to the ER because we thought I was in preterm labor.  It was just muscle spasms.  As far as I know my blood pressure is still great too.  I think with Ry it started climbing a bit at this point.  Nothing crazy, like low 130's, but still.

milestones:  Another week down.

best moment this week:  Chris and I were laying in bed Saturday night when Baby Sister started moving like crazy.  We sat and watched her for probably ten minutes or so.  I have no idea what we were seeing, but little knobs of stuff kept moving across my belly every which way.  It was hilarious.  At one point Chris kind of pushed on the right side of my belly (where the bulk of her usually is, my belly is always lopsided!) trying to figure out what was what, and something, maybe a foot?, poked out on the other side.  Weird, but funny and entertaining.

Also, Ryann is really starting to love on my belly and talk to her baby sister.  It is the sweetest thing, and melts my heart every time.  Well almost every time.  Sometimes her loving is a little, well, painful.  But her heart is in the right spot!