Week Four

As I mentioned after Week Three, Baby was slightly below his birth weight. Well, between Week Three and Week Four, the little guy ate as much as he could, as often as he could and any which way he could. He gained a pound and a half in two weeks. He hit all his milestones, and the doctor was pleased. 

He had quite a good  routine starting.  With a fuller belly, he was becoming quite a good little sleeper.  He still woke up one time in the middle of the night, but I got some solid sleep before and after he woke up.  He pretty much ate in his sleep, too, so the middle of the night feeding went smoothly.  He still likes to be cuddled, and we both enjoy our nap time together.

Weekend Update - Goodbye May!

The week after Memorial Day was a little insane. Little Miss was given the all clear to go back to school right before Memorial Day, but we came home from Maryland with a UTI so she had to go back to the doctor. Then, on Friday, Baby had to go in for his well child visit. So, it was a week full of doctor appointments with no end in sight to additional visits. 

On Saturday, we had baseball in the middle of the day. Little Miss had her best at bat so far. She hit a fantastic straight hit. She was called out at first, but it was only because the throw was faster than her run. 

My parents made it to the baseball game.  After, we were heading to Fairfax for portraits of the kids, but we hit so much traffic, we had to cancel our appointment.  My parents took us out to dinner for our birthdays.  After a long (very long) wait, we had a delicious meal and some conversation.  Little Miss enjoyed the grandparents' attention quite a bit.  

 On Sunday, I got up to get a much-needed manicure (and to use a voucher about to expire). On the way, I dropped off a gallon-size bag of lettuce that we grew. The elementary school has a program to grow lettuce for the school and to feed the local hungry. Our attempt failed miserably (or superbly, I suppose) in the fall, but we grew quite a bit of lettuce in the spring. We trimmed it down and continue to grow lettuce with great success. I got back from my manicure in time for Little Miss to go to her skating lesson where she graduated to the next level.

Movies Watched in May 2014

1. 21 Jump Street
2. Broadway Idiot
3. Red 2
4. White House Down

Still a pathetic time for movies. I recorded 21 Jump Street awhile ago on cable and finally watched it in an effort to clear out the DVR. I watched Broadway Idiot on Netflix. The other two were on cable. None of them required much brain power and all were fairly enjoyable for what they were.

Books Read in May 2014

1. Hope Ignites by Jaci Burton  (NOTE: This is part of her Hope series.  The order of which can be found here.)
2. Edge of the Enforcer by Cherise Sinclair  (NOTE: This is part of her Doms of Dark Haven and Mountain Masters series.  The order of which can be found here.)
3. It Happened One Wedding by Julie James (NOTE: This is part of the FBI/U.S. Attorney series. The related books can be found here.)
4. Catching Cameron by Julie Brannagh (NOTE: This is part of the Love and Football series. The order in which to read the books can be found here in the Novels tab.)

Decent month full of quick reads.  I'm enjoying my romance run.  All of the books were solid with great stories and characters.  June is not looking as promising so far though.

Words

Lately, Little Miss has been doing something and then randomly saying, "viola".  It just seems random.  My mom finally put it together.  She was saying "voila!"  I haven't had the heart to correct her.  It's too cute.

Weekend Update - Memorial Day Weekend

During Memorial Day weekend, Little Miss had fifths disease.  The school made her see a physician even though she wasn't contagious anymore.  We used that forced home time to leave early for the parents' vacation house.  We got there on Friday evening after a leisurely drive out there with my dad.  Sister, Mom and nephew followed shortly after.

On Saturday, we went to Wal-Mart and just kind of hung out.  Then, on Sunday, we played miniature golf.  Little Miss, Nephew and my dad washed the car and then the kids went into the hot tub which was on a low temperature.  We had a little cook out and had a quiet evening.  

On Monday, we all got ready to head back and hit a ton of traffic, but we finally got home!  Husband didn't go with us because he got to see the New York Rangers in the playoffs.  They didn't win, but it's always fun seeing hockey live.

Weekend Update - Back to Routine

We are settling in finally.  Two weekends ago, we had a fairly normal weekend.  We are still getting family visiting and scattered friends, but things are eater thing down.

On Saturday, it was our turn to bring snack to Little Miss's baseball game.  Then, on Sunday, Little Miss, Baby and I went to the Taste of Arlington.  We tasted some good food and played some games.  It was a lot of fun and the weather was beautiful.  Then, we had skating practice.  In between, we had some napping and cleaning.  Husband has done a ton of laundry.  So, fairly normal weekend.

Movies Watched in April 2014

1. The Hangover III

It's been a pretty sad movie year so far. I watched The Hangover III on HBO Go. I actually liked it better than the second (though that second movie was a big old mess). It was fine for a quick movie before bed, but I'm glad I didn't go see it in the theater.

Books Read in April 2014

1. Shadow Spell by Nora Roberts (NOTE: This is part of her Cousins O'Dwyer series. The order of which can be found here.)
2. Taking Shots by Toni Aleo (NOTE: This is part of her Assassins series. The order of which can be found here in the Books tab.)
3. Hope Flames by Jaci Burton (NOTE: This is part of the Hope series. The order of which can be found here.)

Decent month full of quick reads. I didn't know how much I'd be able to read when the baby was born so I tried to pick some quick ones. It turns out, I'm able to read at only a slightly slower pace now that the baby is here. Either way, I'm back on the romance genre bandwagon which is nice. I have a few mainstream fiction books that I want to read, but it takes more brain power than I currently possess so I'm putting them on the back burner.

Cousins

Nephew has been very good with Baby.  He's getting the hang of holding him, but he's very friendly and helpful.  He's taken to Baby much faster than with Little Miss.  Food bonds all kids though.

Here are the two newest cousins side-by-side.  It was Baby's time to eat, and I'm embarrassed to say that he tried to eat his cousin's face.  Luckily, his cousin is pretty chill.  

Here are all 4 cousins on Husband's side of the family.  We are going to take pictures of the three cousins on my side of the family this coming up weekend.  It's so cute that I'm surprised the cameras didn't just break from the high level of adorbs.

Below is Little Miss with her new cousin, and Nephew with his new cousin.  Both have taken to their new roles as big sibling very well.  I'm so proud of them both.

Visitors!

My grandparents were in town last week so they came to visit during the week.  Then, later in the week, we went out to my parents' house to visit them again.  Baby was nice enough to be awake when they visited, and Little Miss really enjoyed the attention.  We saw them three times while they were in town which isn't as much as we'd like, but it was more than we usually see them during their visits just because of location.

Week Three

Baby turned 3 weeks this week.  I dressed him up in some little outfits my mom made.  The caterpillar one is a little big so he'll be wearing that one again.  He actually liked wearing them because the kid loves to be swaddled.

At three weeks, he now eats more and more often.  I'm doing my best to keep up with him.  This will probably be a trend from now on - me trying to keep up!  I'm not a big eater, and we don't have a lot of snack foods so that's probably hindering things as well.  I've been ok with keeping hydrated, but I could be better.  I've improved today so I hope to keep that up.  I just need to be better about eating. 

He loves being snuggled and held.  He loves his pacifier or his fist in his is mouth, much more than Little Miss ever did.  He needs to be swaddled.  He hates to have his food to be delayed.  He hates being naked or having his diaper changed.  Still, he's a good baby and settles down quickly no matter the circumstance which is nice.

Pediatrician visits have gone well.  He's just shy of his birth weight.  His surgeon appointment went ok. We need to backtrack the dilation and go back in a little over a month to talk about surgery perhaps in the Fall.  We just want him to have this all behind him (no pun intended).  Poor little guy has been through a lot!  No doctor appointments next week at least!  

I had my follow-up appointment today.  Everything is as it should be.  I'm one pound higher than my pre-pregnancy weight, and I'm close to being able to wear pants again.  In the meantime, I'm wearing a tight pair of maternity pants and all of my dresses.  I prefer to wear dresses anyway especially now that the weather is more mild.  They're comfy and better flatter and accommodate the post-baby body.  The last time, it took approximately 6 weeks to get back into pants and look somewhat normal again.  We'll see how this time goes.  It doesn't help that it's also close to bathing suit time.  Ugh.

There was measles exposure at the hospital, but there was little risk with any of us.  As of today, because none of us have had any symptoms, we are in the clear!

Weekend Update - Happy Mother's Day!

By the time the weekend rolled around, Baby had been home for 2 days so we were still trying to figure things out.  On Saturday, Little Miss had a 9am baseball game.  So, we did that and then, in the afternoon, my mom, sister, and nephew came over to see Baby.  As they left, friends came to see him. It was nice to show off our good little boy.

On Sunday, Little Miss gave me a classroom "cookbook" in which she and her classmates gave some "facts" about their mothers and how to cook their favorite meals.  Luckily, mine wasn't too embarrassing.  She also made me an apron and gave me a giant balloon and plant which is still alive miraculously.  In the afternoon, we got to go to the hospital because Sister-in-Law had a baby!  So, I officially only have nephews.  He is absolutely precious, and it will be so much fun to see the boys growing up together.  Little Miss is more excited than it looks like below.

Week Two

Week Two has been going well.  It is still a transition of course.  Baby has been sleeping well now that he can be swaddled.  He is a great eater though he gets the hiccups quite a bit.  He screams like he's being skinned alive every time we change his diaper, but other than that, he's quite a happy little baby.  

As with most babies, he sleeps most of the time and screams when he's hungry and then goes right back to sleep.  He's pretty flexible and nurses well, drinks from the bottle or drinks formula.  He's not too picky.  It's like he heard the doctor say she wanted him to put on some weight.

We have a nice week-long reprieve before he goes back to the pediatrician.  Then, we have a few other appointments to the eye doctor, cardiologist and nephrologist along with a follow up with the surgeon.  So, we all appreciate the break to find a routine.  

Tomorrow, Husband goes back to work so I'll have to go it alone during the day.  I've been trying to handle the nights to get into the practice.  This morning, we all accidentally overslept and only miraculously got Little Miss to the bus on time.  I only forgot her library books which is minor in the grand scheme of things.

Little Miss loves her brother.  She only wishes she could do more and that he loved her just as much so soon.  Hopefully, things continue to just get better and better!

9 Days

On Monday last week, we were told there was an outside chance that Baby could come home on Tuesday but there was no reason why he couldn't come on Wednesday.  He ended up coming home on Wednesday, and it has been fantastic having him home.

His first night went ok.  His second night, he wouldn't sleep at all.  We figured it was because he needs to be swaddled so yesterday, we ran out to buy a swaddle sack.  With it, he can sleep for 4 hours on average.  He was difficult to soothe after the second nightly feeding - he usually gets fed before I go to bed and then between 3-4 am and then around the time the rest of the house wakes up.  We will see if there is progress tonight.  

We are all in love with him, and he really is a good baby.  He eats well and only cries when you take his diaper off.  This is partially because of the home dilation and his diaper rash.  We are much more relaxed having him home now though.  

Weekend Update - Still Waiting on a Baby

Baby was still in the NICU.  So, we had a long weekend.  On Saturday, we dropped Little Miss to the In-Laws.  She enjoyed hanging out with them and then went to baseball.  We visited the Baby but made it to the last inning of the game in time to see Little Miss score a hit and a run.

On Sunday, we drove Little Miss to my parents.  My dad did public skating with Little Miss and then they watched her skating lesson.  We caught the last 10 minutes of that.  

Little Miss has been awesome about dealing with us being with the Baby all the time.  If anything, she's just jealous that we get to see him everyday and she does not.  

Baby has been doing well.  Each day, he meets all the goals set.  We were hoping to possibly being him home today, but it is looking like tomorrow so fingers crossed!  He has been a great eater and sleeper, but he hates being unswaddled.  He screams his head off until you swaddle again.  He's also loves to snuggle which is great.  I hope he transitions to home well.

Week One

Baby is one week old today.  He had a rough day,  but he's a trooper.  Today, we spent the most time with him.  He was such a cuddler and was a great eater.  He, so far, surpasses his sister when it comes to nursing and eating.  When he's awake, he is a fantastic eater.  It's just a matter of keeping him awake through it all.  Nothing is as big of an ego boost than having a boy fall asleep at your breast.  Like I wasn't already self-conscious enough about them.

After 9 months of anxiety over having 2 kids, we can't wait to get him home.  We have a good plan to try to balance everything.  If anything, things should get easier once he's home versus traveling to Fairfax everyday to visit the baby and still being here for Little Miss.  It won't be a walk in the park, but it will be a different kind of happy stress versus crazy frazzled stress.  So, it's been a roller coaster of a first week so it can only go up from here!

Baby

Well, we made it!  April 28, 2014, we woke up and walked Little Miss to the bus and drove to the hospital.  We checked in and went through the calm process of a scheduled c-section.  It was completely different from the last time.

The spinal was easier when inserted during a contraction versus this time, but the surgery went well or seemed to on my end.  My blood pressure dropped quite a bit the first time whereas it didn't this time during the operation.  The staff was great offering to take pictures and letting Husband know when to do what.  Baby was born at 12:44pm and was 7 pounds 5 ounces and 20 inches long.  

Moments after birth, Husband went over to take pictures, and I heard whispers involving the words NICU, but they bundled up the baby and brought him over.  Husband explained that his digestive tract was missing an exit.  He may need surgery.  We'd know more later.  In the meantime, we were able to have a moment with him in the OR.  

I went to recovery where my blood pressure was very low, but I recovered much faster than the last time.  It was weird to not have a baby in recovery or in my room though.  We were allowed to visit as much as possible.

Progress seemed slow where the staff was trying to determine if he needed surgery or not.  They tested pretty much everything from head to toe.  He was passing everything with flying colors.  He also had a skin tag or an extra ear lobe on one side of I his head, but it's cosmetic so we weren't worried about that.  

It's a week later.  He has responded well to everything.  They were able to dilate an exit strategy for his poop, and his system responded well.  Poor little guy has to go through that twice a day.  He's had a rough time of this thing called life so far.  In 24 hours, the hospital has done a lot and has really made a big push to get him home which is great.  We are anxious to get our little man home.  Fingers crossed that he can come home sooner rather than later!

Five Days Old

Guess what? Baby is five days old!

Baby!

I owe a longer post on the last week, but there is a baby.  He was born on Monday at 12:44pm.  He was 7 pounds and 5 ounces and 20 inches long.  

Weekend Update - Last Weekend of Three

I worked from home Tuesday through Friday last week.  On Thursday, I had some pretty strong contractions, but they never became more frequent than 30 minutes apart.  The doctor recommended rest and fluids.  On Friday morning, everything seemed back to normal, but the doctor still told me to stay low to make it to the scheduled c-section time.  

On Saturday, I did very little except travel to see Little Miss play baseball.  I declined an invite to see a movie with Mom and Sister.  The evenings have been very tiring for me, and my entire body has been achy for the last week.  I cleaned the bathroom and put some clothes away though.  

On Sunday, I met with my friends for lunch, and it was nice to sit and relax.  The three of an he haven't gotten together in months due to busy schedules.  The restaurant took a picture of the three of us which was really sweet.  Plus, lunch was delicious.  Then, I took Little Miss to skating.  She's learning to skate backwards and is getting really good.  We are so proud of her.  She was a little extra cuddly, but she's excited for her brother to arrive.  She was a little cranky over the weekend, but she did an awesome job pulling herself together.

So, provided the next 10 hours are uneventful, we are prepared for the fourth member of our family.  See you on huge flip side blog!  No 39th week update though the baby is measuring the size of a mini watermelon and, as someone who bought a mini watermelon this week, it seems about right.  We shall see how big he is for sure in a handful of hours!

Baby Cooking

We didn't do a lot of cooking and freezing when Little Miss came, and it wasn't a problem.  We survived just fine.  Our freezer isn't too big, and we're not big freezer people, but it's good in a pinch so I figured why not.  We still have pierogies and kielbasa in the freezer from Christmas.  So, that will provide us with a few meals as it is.  I also frozen leftover Easter ham which can be another meal with a few simple sides.  Then, I did some actual cooking.

First, I made some meatballs.

Meatballs
Ingredients 

• 2 1/2 lbs hamburger 
• 5 eggs, beaten 
• 1 1/4 cups milk 
• 1 1/4 cups grated Parmesan cheese 
• 2 1/2 cups Italian breadcrumbs {or regular w/ added Italian seasonings} 
• 6 crushed garlic cloves 
• 2 small onions, finely diced 
• 1 1/2 teaspoons oregano 
• 1 1/2 teaspoons pepper 
• 3 teaspoons salt 

Directions
Preheat oven to 350. Mix all ingredients together. Roll into golf ball sized meatballs {makes about 30}. Bake for 30 minutes. Let cool. Place in Ziploc freezer bags. To reheat simply microwave for 1-2 minutes until warm, or 15-20 minutes in a 350 degree oven.

I actually put mine into plastic containers and not freezer bags.  They tasted ok, but I think when I add them to something, they'll be perfect.  Mine also made a lot more than 30.

I also made Chicken Teriyaki.  

Chicken Teriyaki
Ingredients

• 6-8 Bonesless, Skinless Chicken Thighs 
• 1 Cup Teriyaki Sauce 
• 1 Cup Water 
• 2/3 Cup Brown Sugar 
• 3 Cloves Garlic 
• A few slices of of Ginger 

Directions
Add all ingredients to a Freezer Gallon Ziplock Bag! Once bag is closed with all the air out use your hands to mix all the ingredients and make sure the Thighs are sitting in a good sauce!! To cook: Take the Freezer Meal out of the Freezer and hour before starting OR run it under some room temperature water for about 30 seconds. Dump meal in the a Crockpot and cook on Low for 4-6 hours!de some

I used chicken breasts because Husband prefers them, but I don't mind thighs.  You do what you prefer.  I worry the brown sugar will make it too sweet, but I put a little less than 2/3 cup in so we'll see.  This is a new-to-me recipe.

Lastly, I'm going to make meatloaf and Macaroni and Cheese. The mac and cheese was decent last time, but this time I'm going to make it with two different kinds of cheese and see if that makes it tastier. Then, I'll be done because I don't want to do anymore and because I don't think our freezer can take anymore food.

Easter Cooking

First of all, last weekend, I made The Pioneer Woman's potatoes au gratin which were fantastic. The cream, the garlic, the cheese!

Potatoes Au Gratin

Ingredients

• 4 whole Russet Potatoes, Scrubbed Clean 
• 2 Tablespoons Butter, Softened 
• 1-1/2 cup Heavy Cream 
• 1/2 cup Whole Milk 
• 2 Tablespoons Flour 
• 4 cloves Garlic, Finely Minced 
• 1 teaspoon Salt 
• Freshly Ground Pepper, to taste 
• 1 cup Sharp Cheddar Cheese Freshly Grated 

Preparation Instructions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Smear softened butter all over the bottom of a baking dish. Slice potatoes, then cut slices into fourths. In a separate bowl, whisk together cream, milk, flour, minced garlic, salt, and plenty of freshly ground black pepper. Place 1/3 of the potatoes in the bottom of the baking dish. Pour 1/3 of the cream mixture over the potatoes. Repeat this two more times, ending with the cream mixture. Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Remove foil and bake for 20 minutes, or until potatoes are golden brown and really bubbling. Add grated cheese to the top of the potatoes and bake for 3 to 5 more minutes, until cheese is melted and bubbly.

For appetizers, I brought store-bought hummus, baby carrots, pretzel chips and cucumbers. I made crab dip with crackers. I also made Balsamic Bruschetta. This is not my favorite bruschetta recipe, but it was one I had handy. I was too lazy to search for the other. 

Balsamic Bruschetta
Ingredients 

• 8 roma (plum) tomatoes, diced 
• 1/3 cup chopped fresh basil 
• 1/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese 
• 2 cloves garlic, minced 
• 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar 
• 1 teaspoon olive oil 
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt 
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 
• 1 loaf French bread, toasted and sliced 

In a bowl, toss together the tomatoes, basil, Parmesan cheese, and garlic. Mix in the balsamic vinegar, olive oil, kosher salt, and pepper. Serve on toasted bread slices.

38 Weeks

I'm writing this one earlier than the end of the week just in case.  We're in the 38th week.  You can read more here though not much changes with the baby from here on out.  The baby is the size of a pumpkin which Little Miss likes to tell everyone from the head of Housekeeping in our building to random people on the street. 

I'm much more uncomfortable, and the body will complain if I overdo anything with contractions or aches and pains.  Minor swelling with the hands and feet, but it goes away when I rest.  Last time, I grew out of my rings in the second trimester so it was nice to wear jewelry throughout this time.

So, at this point, it's a waiting game.  I'm hoping the little guy waits until Monday at noon.  If not, we're ready for him.  Little Miss came early (38 weeks + 5 days) which would put us at a Friday delivery if he copies his sister.  There's a little more cooking, some cleaning and laundry, but none of that is taking a very high priority over doing nothing.  Bottles are cleaned.  Diapers are purchased.  The important furniture, toys and clothes are laundered.  I even mostly have a suitcase packed.  I just need to remember to grab the camera and chargers.

Things I wonder:

1. Will he have wavy hair like Little Miss?
2. Will he be a good sleeper?
3. Will he fit into the newborn or preemie clothes (I packed both)?

Things we learned the last time:

1. If offered pain medication after surgery, I should say yes or have someone say yes on my behalf.  Last time, in a drug-induced haze, I said no.
2. If he is jaundice, we do not leave the hospital until it is gone.  Last time, we left and two days later were in the ER with Little Miss and had a 3-day stay.
3. When the hospital offers to do handprints and footprints, you say yes.  OK, I didn't have to learn this one, but it is clear instructions for Husband this time around.

Either way, new child, new set of rules, and we'll learn as we go.  A friend asked if we were ready for the baby last weekend.  I said we were prepared, but I wouldn't say we're ready.  We know there are tons that we have forgotten or that we have to learn.  We'll figure it out as we meet him!

Weekend Update - Easter

Easter weekend was super busy.  I had a doctor appointment on Friday morning, went to work for a few hours and the office closed early.  I went home and took a brief nap, and it was glorious.  After, Little Miss and I went grocery shopping.  I figured I'd cook and freeze some food for after the baby is born, and I've been putting it off since forever.  

On Saturday, I actually did some cooking.  It was our job to bring appetizers Saturday night and Sunday so I did one batch of cooking and split it all up.  I'll put recipes in a separate post.  So, Saturday, we celebrated Easter with the In-Laws at Brother-in-Law and Sister-in-Law's place.  It was relaxing especially after all the cooking earlier in the day.  I may have overdone it a bit and my body kind of hated me, but it had to be done.  We got to bed very late, but that's how I've found I can sleep through the night.  I stay up late so I don't wake up repeatedly.

On Sunday, Little Miss woke me up by whispering, "There are eggs everywhere!"  The Easter Bunny had visited and left eggs everywhere and presents (Frozen, a big girl watch, popsicle molds and a popsicle "cookbook" and lots of chocolate).  We made quick work with presents and, while Husband made us French Toast, Little Miss and I snacked on some Easter chocolate.  Then, the entire family watched Frozen while we ate breakfast.  After, Little Miss went for some quiet, resting time while I did some more cooking and baking.  Then, we went to my parents' house for dinner.

We came home relatively early because it was a school night, and we all settled down for the evening.  It was a good weekend if not a little too busy.

Little Miss

As the baby gets ready to join the outside world, Little Miss is on Baby Watch all the time.  She's always asked how big he is and is interested in his status, but now that we're closer, she is much more vigilant.  Every little twinge, movement or Braxton-Hicks has her running to get Husband.  She is so excited.  She's tried out all his toys and stuffed animals and deemed them acceptable.  She picked out his Coming Home Outfit (though there is a back up in case it doesn't fit). 


We're still trying to adjust her expectations, but it's nice that she's so excited.  She's already taking her responsibilities very seriously.  She's kept up with all her cleaning and tidying.  Her room has remained the cleaned of all.  Husband and I aren't naive though.  We know there will be adjustment for all of us, but it should be short-term and, as with many things, the good will outweigh any of the inconveniences and mood swings.

Week 37

2 more weeks (though, by the time this posts, it'll be closer to 1 more week)!  We'll see if I make it.  As of today (early in the week), I have a few odds and ends to put away and then I want to dust the bedroom and clean the bathroom.  No reason why I couldn't do that any time, but I've been procrastinating.  The good news is that I've been pretty good at maintaining what I have cleaned already. 




All the baby laundry has been done up through 3 months clothing.  I should probably throw the blankets in though.  I forgot those because they are stored in a separate drawer.  Crib and portable crib in our room are all set up.  Car seat base is installed.  I should probably put together the diaper bag.  I need to clean/sterilize all the feeding equipment.  Still, things are in good shape and the balance is arriving this week including the Big Sister present. 




Basically, according to here, the baby is full term.  He definitely seems big enough based on the size of my belly.  I've hit the point where strangers just give me a pitiful stare and a lot of room to pass like I'm contagious.  At least when people assume it's any day, it could be any day.  Nothing like hearing that a month or two before the due date. 


Oh, and the big item I keep putting off is packing the hospital bag.  I did pre-register last week so that's done.  I kept saying I was waiting for the laundry to be done and to buy toiletries, but I'm just procrastinating - especially because both have been done. 


I'm having trouble sleeping and going to the bathroom constantly which I didn't do as much with Little Miss.  I don't get as much heartburn as with her, but when I do, it's bad.  I do wonder if he'll be as active outside as he is inside.  I wonder if Little Miss will calm him as much as she seems to calm when she talks to him.  Whenever she pats my belly or talks to it, there's less movement almost automatically.  It's the oddest thing. 


The end of this week has been rough.  I've had a lot of lower abdomen discomfort and contractions.  The contractions are intermittent at best, but yesterday, I was very uncomfortable.  I seem to do best in the morning, a little sore but better once I get moving.  Then, I just go downhill throughout the day.  I'm positive this has to do with the fact that my belly is gigantic. 


Last night, I went to bed before Little Miss but then I woke up before dawn.  I see a nap in my future.


The doctor went well.  My weight, blood pressure and size remained the same.  Here's hoping we can go another week!

Weekend Update - Making the Most of Our Time

This past weekend was nice overall.  You can't argue with the weather.  It was glorious.


On Saturday, Little Miss and I spent the entire day together.  We got up and played some board games despite the fact that I was super tired.  We went to grab some Mother's Day presents for the grandmas.  Then, the two of us went to lunch.  We ended up at Applebee's which isn't my favorite, but it was cheap.  The menu was all updated since the last time I went, and we were happy enough with the food.  Dessert was delicious so it had that going for it - and our server was super friendly and doted all over Little Miss.  Then, the two of us went to the salon to get our nails done.  All the Asian folk gushed all over her.  She did say they spoke "weird", but I just explained that they know more than one language which just makes it different and not weird.  She was weird for only knowing English.  Nail salons will, almost every time, ask me where I'm from which usually means they hope I'm from the same country as they are and speak their language (or they're asking so they can see how free they are to speak in front of me in their own language).  So, when we got home, Little Miss asked "Where am I from?  They kept asking me."  We spent the rest of the night home putting together baby stuff. 


I put the sheets on the crib and put clean fabric on everything I stripped earlier in the week.  Little Miss helped me put together all the toys and accessories.  She was actually quite helpful because I have trouble following instructions, and she is always eager to help.  We ended up both going to bed very late, but we had a very productive day.


On Sunday, Little Miss woke up at her regular time (which is still hours after many other children).  She watched some video while I tried to wake up.  Then, we pretty much just went to skating.  Little Miss did fantastic in skating.  She got to skip the third level and go straight to the next level.  She worked really hard on her lesson which is huge because she hates working hard at anything.  She fell a couple of times and got right back up, but she was pretty tired of falling after awhile.  When we got home, I took a nap, promising to play more board games if she gave me a half hour to sleep.  To the minute, she gave me a half hour.  Then, she fell asleep around dinnertime.


So, it was a good start to Spring Break.  Little Miss has been staying up late, but she's been pushing through the day with great behavior except for her little nap last night. 

Week 36

Week 36?! That's insane! You can read more here. Not much new. I feel like he dropped in the last day or so, but I still feel big. Sometimes, I don't but then I catch myself sideways in a mirror. He's still pretty active, and I've been having some ouchiness like he's settling himself on my hip bones. This is new because Little Miss loved to hang out around the ribs. This lower discomfort is new, but he's always been much lower than she was. My appetite seems to have lessened which is good only in that I couldn't have possibly eaten more than I did the last couple of weeks. I haven't wanted unlimited ice cream (hold the pickles), but I've been trying to limit the mass quantities. Otherwise, no real complaints. I'm now big enough that people keep asking me if it's any day, and people have been offering me seats on the Metro. Yesterday marks the first time a man has gotten up so chivalry isn't completely dead.


Last weekend, in a realization that I haven't really done much to get ready for the baby except clean and strategize, I purchased a bunch of things just in case. My parents gave us a stroller and car seat, but I picked up a new Pack and Play and a few other items that were on sale and we'd need down the line. I really just need to dust the bedroom, put away my clean clothes, and I want to go through the DVDs and CDs. Then, there's just a bit of laundry, and we'll be mostly ready. I planned to do a lot of cooking and freezing, but I put all my energy into organizing gifts instead - Easter Bunny gifts, birthday gifts, Mother's Day gifts. I'm all set through May except for the Nephew who hasn't told me what he wanted. I may get to some cooking, but I wanted to do the things that could be forgotten. I'm not going to forget to eat. Plus, Husband can cook. He has a rocky track record with gifts.


Little Miss is very excited. It was her turn to describe her family and her "almost-here baby brother" was the first member she listed. She has tried out all his new or new-to-him toys. I'm curious to see how she'll react in reality though not curious enough to rush the process. Still hoping to make it to April 28!


UPDATE:  Yes, I write most of these blogs ahead of time and schedule them so it looks I'm a better blogger than I actually am.  Anyway, appointment went well this morning.  I gained a pound which, this time, probably went all to me as the belly didn't grow at all.  Baby is still quite active.  Heart, brain and liver looked good after a quick scan, and he's still doing ok on the fluid front.  This week, the doctor felt more confident that I'll make it to April 28 at least.  I mean, we'll see.  Neither of us has any control over that, but I'd like to make it through the next week at the very least!  I did pre-register at the hospital today.  It's all done online now.  That tells you how long it's been since our last "baby".

Confession

My confession is that I'm not one of those people who takes pictures of myself.  I'll do family pictures and the occasional selfie with the kid, but I took maybe 3 pictures while pregnant with Little Miss (not counting pictures others took during the baby showers).  I've had a couple of pictures taken this time around but not too many.  So, here are a couple.  Nothing like the pictures during the last month! The one above is with presents from my mom.  I coincidentally wore my Very Hungry Caterpillar t-shirt which went nicely with the gifts.

Mom was really trying to get a solo picture of my belly from the side and me, but Little Miss couldn't stay out of a picture.  I like it much better with her in it. 

Loopholes

Little Miss was invited over for a sleepover awhile ago.  I was a little uncomfortable letting her have a sleepover with a non-relative in kindergarten.  So, I said we could certainly have playdates or maybe a sleepover when she gets a little older. 


Fast forward to yesterday.  She informs me that two boy classmates are coming to sleep over.  This brings up a whole different set of rules and concerns, but I keep them to myself.  She told me if she was too young to sleep over other people's houses, all her friends would just come to our house.  She's a sneaky one.

Kids are Mean.

Seriously, though.  This one classmate has been trouble since the first day of school.  She's always telling Little Miss what to do or how to do things.  We've talked it out, and Little Miss ignores most of what she says.  To be petty, this girl is totally annoying, and her parents were totally annoying the very few times we've interacted, but apples rarely fall far from the tree.


Anyway, yesterday, this girl told Little Miss that another girl was cuter than she was.  First of all, shut your face.  Second of all, look who's talking.  Third of all, that's just not nice.  I kept the first two parts of that to myself when talking to Little Miss, but both of the girls she mentioned are cuter than she is no matter how you look at things.  Little Miss told the teacher.  She seemed ok.  We told her there will always be people who aren't nice and say bad things.  They do it because they're mean, jealous or just feel good when other people feel bad.  She said she didn't believe her, but she also said her feelings were hurt.  And then I wrapped her in bubble wrap and kept her home from school today.  OK, I didn't, but I kind of wanted to. 

Weekend Update - The Very Busy Little Miss

We had an incredibly busy weekend! I did very little on Friday. The evenings have been rough for me. I rush to pick up Little Miss from school from work, and it involves a lot of brisk walking and driving and pressure to get there on time. Plus, I'm tired after a long week. So, I try to take it easy on Friday nights, but it doesn't always work out (sometimes, it does though). 

On Saturday, I got up with Little Miss. It makes it easy to get up with her when I'm not sleeping too well. I either go to bed early and wake up early or go to bed late and wake up normal time at best. Little Miss and I had our Saturday routine of playing board games before we got ready to go to our first baseball game. My parents met us there to watch her. Considering the team had one practice and Little Miss had never played before, they did great. She had two hits. It was a long two hours, but she was so excited. After, she went with the Inlaws and Nephew to the carnival and out to dinner. I think I took a brief nap and then did a lot around the apartment to get ready for the baby - cleaned toys and organized clothes and just straightened up in general. I have the fine tuning left to go this weekend though. Little Miss came home and went straight to bed, but I stayed up late cleaning and then watching tv.

On Sunday, I woke up before Little Miss, but she was right behind me. Husband had plans with a friend, but Little Miss and I went to her ice skating lesson where she did great. She's learning to glide, but she's also working hard and listening well to the teacher. We had a snack before she did a turn or two around the rink during Public Skate. Then, we drove out to my parents' house for dinner. We celebrated my mom's birthday (a bit late) and my dad's retirement. We had some Chinese delivery, but it was nice to have some family time, a low-key evening before Mom's surgery this week and the new baby. We went home and pretty much collapsed. Little Miss went straight to bed, and I have to admit I wasn't far behind her.

Books Read in March 2014

1. Once in a Lifetime by Jill Shalvis (NOTE: This is part of her Lucky Harbor series. The order of which can be found here.)
2. Concealed in Death by J.D. Robb (NOTE: This is part of her In Death series. The order of which can be found here.)
3. Rushing Amy by Julie Brannaugh (NOTE: This is part of the Love and Football series. The order of which can be found at Julie's website. This is the second book.)

I read a few non-romance books last month so I was ready to delve back into the genre. I picked some good ones. I was impressed and swept up in all three. I also started Nora Roberts's latest at the end of the month (but it won't show up until next month's list), and I'm really enjoying it.

Where the Sidewalk Ends

Poor Little Miss.  She likes to run along the curb at the Metro stop (it's maybe 3-5 inches off the sidewalk).  She likes to walk along higher routes as well, but she's not allowed to run on those.  Yesterday, she tripped and fell while running.  I thought she was more shocked than hurt - worst case, she had a couple of skinned knees.  I calmed her down, though she was still half-crying, and kept her moving so no one had to hear her cry for too long.  Here's how the conversation went on the way home:


"What happened?"  I asked.
"I tried to stop my feet, but they didn't."
"Oh, no!  How did you stop?"  I asked her.
"The sidewalk stopped me."


I may have giggled.  Even though I don't doubt her knees smart a bit, they were barely scratched.  Her arm took the brunt of the fall.  I tried to stay calm, but she saw my face when I took a peek.  Luckily, she can't see it because the scrape isn't deep, but she has a decent size patch of skin missing.  She was very brave while we cleaned it out and bandaged it up.  We had some ice cream because, in our house, ice cream makes everything better.  We'll see how she does tonight during the bath.  I expect it won't go well between the water hitting the wound and the removal of the Band-Aid.  When asked, she's already told us she "might" be ok to play in her baseball game tomorrow.  I do feel bad, but I told her none of us get out of childhood without a couple of scraped knees and elbows.  It happens, and it stinks.  Also, now she knows not to run on the curbs because some lessons you learn the hard way.

Spring Training - One of the Boys

Well, baseball has begun.  Yes, the MLB has started playing this week, but I couldn't care less about those teams.  Little Miss asked to play baseball so her Cardinals (complete with St. Louis hat and mini uniform) have its very first game on Saturday.  Because Spring was late in coming, there was only one practice before the first game.  It was a busy day of school, Extended Day and then baseball practice, but Little Miss was a trooper. 


Little Miss did fantastic for her first practice and first real "training".  She listened well to her coaches.  She put forth effort.  She came home wanting to practice her swing.  The coach said a couple of times how well she did (though it irked me that he was so surprised).  She does have a great arm and can hit the ball though she does need to practice her stance and focus. 


When we got home, we just got her a little pizza for a quick dinner.  When she was done, she just got her dessert and then got herself ready for bed.  She only came to us to help get her baseball cleats off and to ask for assistance brushing her teeth.  By the time I finished cleaning up the bathroom, she was in bed. 


If this is how it goes after one one-hour practice, the weekends should be very tiring for her between this, regular weekend plans and ice skating.  We have a pretty good idea that the first game will be a bit of organized chaos, but it should be fun.  Little Miss goes to school with 2 of the kids on her team (though she's the only girl), and one little boy waved and said goodbye to her as she left.  He called out "See ya at the Big Game!"  It was kind of adorable. 


As much as Little Miss is one of the boys a lot of times (she taunts the girls with the boys and all her stories and "best friends" are boys), the girl showed up to baseball in her pink butterfly cap, a pink sequin top, pink shorts and pink glove.  I kind of like the mix in her personality though.  She owns it all.

Update

I really need to start posting the baby posts on Fridays instead of Thursdays as Friday is the day I visit the doctor.

It went well.  There's still a baby in there.  I lost a half a pound this week.  That said, I expanded by another 2 centimeters.  I'm now 2 centimeters beyond full term in size.  Though there's no sign of it, the doctor believes I may go into labor before our scheduled c-section.  We've all been expecting that as that's how it worked the first time around, but you never know.  

In the meantime, I guess I'll do the finishing touches at home and work on wrapping things up at work.  Everyone is mostly prepared there so it shouldn't be that bad, but there is a bit of housekeeping that needs to be done for my own well being.

In the meantime, just hanging in there.  I should probably take a picture of my belly.  I'm not good at that.  I think I have 2 which is maybe 2 less than I took last time. 

Week 35

You can find out more here, but I can just give you a brief overview that I'm huge. I'm one giant, awkward ache. Truthfully, I feel like I've kind of hit a plateau in the last couple of weeks. I'm fully in maternity clothes, but I can fit into non-maternity tops and sweaters depending on their length. LOVE these long-sleeved t-shirts from The Gap and am tempted to buy them in every color. The weather is finally getting nicer so I may be able to wear some of the capris that I had from the last pregnancy or maybe some dresses if they are stretchy enough. There's still a lot of movement. I feel like he'll be all leg like Little Miss was, but his arms are very active more so than his legs. I get contractions if I am at rest too long or if I'm overly active, but otherwise, it's not too bad. So, mostly some time in the evening or if I'm running late during my commutes.


We're in the home stretch in terms of preparation. I'd like to get a little more cleaning done this weekend - mostly putting away some laundry, a good dusting and going through some odds and ends. Then, it'll be maintenance from here on out. We'll need to do a lot bit of baby laundry, too. I have a list of things we need to purchase yet, but nothing is immediate, and I've been putting aside gift cards so we're in good shape. Really, I just need the car seat and to charge my camera battery (and remember my camera), and we're good to go. Last time, I forgot my glasses, the camera and the car seat when we left for the hospital. This time, there is a chance those items are the only things I bring. So, we're slightly behind schedule, but my schedule was on the early side anyway. I'm definitely feeling more confident than I was a month ago.


So, everything is going well enough.  Going into the final stretch now though!

Weekend Update - Where's Spring?

The fatigue has definitely set in.  The problem is that, if I go to bed early, I wake up obscenely early so I've been making myself stay up so I can sleep through the night.  This past weekend had some pretty horrible weather.  On Friday, we mostly hung out, and I went to bed early. 


On Saturday, Little Miss came in at 8AM but said she was busy and that she would come back to wake me at 8:30.  I was ok with that.  We cuddled on the couch most of the day, and then I started cleaning our room.  The bulk of the work was our closet which became the place to put everything.  It wasn't as bad as I expected.  I'll still have some more to do, but that was the worst of it.  In the evening, the In-Laws came over.  They had stored a bunch of things for the baby and came over to help install the crib and move furniture.  Then, we ordered some dinner and relaxed and stayed up too late after they left. 


On Sunday, I woke up early despite my best intentions.  Little Miss woke up shortly after.  I had brunch plans so I got her situated before I left.  From what I understand, she got all dressed and ready and presented herself to Husband all set ... almost 3 hours before her skating lesson.  A friend and I had a delicious brunch and then went to the salon for pedicures.  It was a nice afternoon despite the awful, horrible weather.  It was sleeting, snowing and all sorts of slippery and freezing.  I hit the store on the way home and then proceeded to nap when I got home.  It was the most glorious nap I've ever had.  Then, dinner and bed time routine before going to bed to start another week. 


This week, and the upcoming weeks, should be fun but busy.  Of course, starting in April, the plans become more flexible just in case, but we're trying to make the most of them!  *g*

Ice Skating

Little Miss had her ice skating assessment in Snowplow Sam II (she passed Snowplow Sam I with flying colors about a month ago).  She passed all of Snowplow Sam II and is even proficient in one of the items in Snowplow Sam III.  She now has the option of going forward with Snowplow Sam III or Beginning Hockey.  She notified us that she wanted to learn hockey and be the "girl Ryan McDonough" (a player on the New York Rangers). 


She is also signed up for baseball which hasn't had one practice or game yet because of the weather, but hopefully this week, we'll kick off the season!  She's gotten quite good at playing catch so we'll see if she takes to it.  After she suffered through soccer, it's nice to see enthusiasm for an activity outside of school.  There is a slim to no chance that this will lead to a professional career, but we do believe team sports are important (especially because Little Miss hates to lose).  It's always fascinating to see what sparks kids' interest and makes them light up.  It's sometimes a big gamble but we just ask that she tries and finishes out a season or lesson before moving on to something new. 

Late Blog - One Smart Cookie

In the beginning of March, Husband and I went to Little Miss's Parent-Teacher Conference.  This is on the heels of the trouble at school and a whole mess of snow days.  The teacher said all good things about Laura.  Even her constructive words had meaning and certainly didn't contain any new news for us.  We were surprised to hear how smart she was though.

Level 4 Reading is expected when you leave Kindergarten for First Grade, and she is at a Level 12.  Of course, we have to work on reading comprehension so there's no rush to skip grades or anything.  Hearing she's a great reader isn't new either.  Ever since she taught herself to read, she works to become better and better and pretty much reads everything.  Her reading comprehension has noticeably improved in the last couple of months, too.

In terms of handwriting, she started the year at Level 1A.  Most kids progress to Level 2A at the end of Kindergarten, but she was at Level 4A.  She still has some issues with some letters and numbers, but she can recognize when something is incorrect.  It frustrates her knowing something is wrong which just motivates her to do better.  She definitely doesn't get any of her motivation or determination from us.  I suppose it's an offshoot of stubborness which she may get from both of us though.

For the math section, she got an 87%.  This is misleading because there weren't many questions.  She got 10 of 13 correct.  Of the 3 questions she had incorrect, the entire class got wrong.  This was mostly due to the massive amounts of snow days and disruption of teaching.  The other area of weakness was money and change which she has been working on everyday since.  She just hates to be wrong so she has been determined to understand money.  She's almost there, but she second-guesses herself.  

Last weekend, she wanted to learn time so we spent all weekend working on that, and she asks to be "quizzed" at every possible second of the day.  It's great that she has such motivation, but it's so tiring on my brain.  I hope she never stops her quest for knowledge.  We try to encourage it even though it puzzles us because we are lazy humans.  She's the type of girl who does the week's homework on Monday and then asks to do it again every day during the week and/or during the weekend.  I mean, seriously, who does that?

Week 34

Not much new since last week (and really the changes week-to-week are small from this point forward), but you can find out more here.  Lots of movement and some contractions, but nothing alarming.  I seem to be more uncomfortable than last time, but I don't feel the heartburn is as bad as last time.  That said, I drove to work so the activity and train-riding adds a different aspect this time around.  Also, as Husband put it, I'm not as young as I was which was annoying but true. 


I officially hate all my clothes.  I can fit into very few things, but I'd be in better shape if the weather would be nicer.  I have some dresses and khakis from the last pregnancy (where I was pregnant during much warmer weather), but it's been cold.  For instance, right now it's snowing. 


I have a pretty good list of things needed for the baby.  There isn't too much thankfully.  Also, thanks to my gift card hoarding, there shouldn't be too much we have to physically purchase.  Husband has strong feelings that the little guy is going to come early, earlier than April 28.  We'll see.  There was no indication that Little Miss would come early so you never know.  I'd like to get through Easter at the very least, but as with all aspects of parenting, there's not as much control as you hope.

Champion!

I picked up Little Miss from school yesterday.  She was playing Connect 4 against an older boy.  I came up just in time to see her win.  The boy's friends cheered her and then told the boy that he "just got beat by a KINDERGARTENER!"  The older boy didn't seem upset, but he did walk away.  Little Miss did say that he played easy, medium and hard, but she won 4 games.  Poor kid was probably trying to be nice and got hustled.  That said, it took some time for Little Miss to become proficient at Connect 4.  She lost a lot of games before she learned to anticipate moves and see the entire board. 

Weekend Update - Making Progress

Last Saturday, we all got up and packed up 2 carloads of stuff to bring to my parents' house. We're hoping to sell all of our girl items from Little Miss or at least donate or at the very least clear our apartment. While there, Sister's friend took some for her little daughter. On the way home, we stopped at Carter's where I bought the first items for the baby, a little something for Little Miss and presents. It was a long day. Plus, when I got home, I realized I forgot a whole bunch of things from my parents' house. It's ok because I'll be out in a couple of weeks anyway.


On Sunday, we mostly hung around the apartment until ice skating. Little Miss has been learning a lot and doing well. She didn't stay too long at Public Skate, but she came home to practice some baseball with Husband while I napped. She's been anxious to play baseball but, because of the weather, the fields have been closed every practice date so far. It's not looking good for this week either.


We've done a great job keeping the apartment clean, but I haven't gone through the DVDs, CDs or our room yet. It shouldn't take me long. I just keep procrastinating. I just cleaned out the DVDs so that shouldn't take long at all, just a matter of straightening. The CDs haven't been touched in quite some time, but I can't seem to get rid of them. I'll purge at least a handful at least. Our room is more daunting. It was just completely purged so it shouldn't be bad, but it's a matter of moving things and organizing. Our previous form of organizing was throwing everything in the closet until we can shut the door.  Either way, once that's done, we'll be able to maintain and just do actual cleaning.