One Week...

Well here we are, just over a week from D-day! The last month has simultaneously dragged on and flown right by. The good news? We've made a very respectable dent in the to-do list with only breakfast burritos for the freezer, a freezer inventory sheet, filling the nursery dresser, and a "final" house cleaning remaining. The bad news? There really isn't any, but I am getting a bit of pre-baby jitters.

My plan for this last week is to relax (as much as being 9 months pregnant and sleep-deprived will allow), enjoy all of the snuggles that Jr can tolerate, and hopefully complete at least the main piece of nursery artwork during his naps. And to stay indoors since the weather has decided that moderate 70 degree days are overrated and we need a weeklong run of sky-high temperatures. Yuck.

He's very thoughtful about choosing where to put his scribbles.

We've successfully made it out to the farm for berries every week this month.

Just a couple more days for the paint to cure and I can finish the nursery!

They have the same walk, and it cracks me up.

We found (plastic) Hot Wheels at the Dollar Store, which accompany us everywhere.

Pregnancy Update

How far along: 39 weeks

Maternity clothes: Not going to lie, I'm pretty much avoiding outings that require things like real pants. They still fit, I just prefer my comfortable sweats.

Sleep: Not enough, but hey, I'm (mostly) functioning!

Best moment lately: Just trying to soak in the last bit of time where Jr will have my sole attention.

Missing anything: Wine, of all things, has been sounding fantastic lately. Oh, and I may or may not have told Chris that he needs to bring salmon nigiri to me while I'm in the hospital - SO looking forward to that as well!

Movement: I'm 95% certain that she is planning to exit via my ribs. The downside of being pregnant and short with a short torso is the baby "dropping" just means I get hit in more places!

Cravings: Sweet, salty - pretty much anything that isn't healthy.

Anything making you queasy or sick: Heartburn is running rampant, but only for a few more days!

Gender: A Girl!

Labor signs: A LOT of Braxton Hicks and stronger contractions too, mostly in the afternoons and evenings. Apparently the amount of false labor you have varies with every pregnancy. I'm definitely having way more than I did the first time around - which is kind of nerve-wracking even though it's not passing into the timing criteria for early labor.

Symptoms: Tired and achy, but aside from the extra contractions I'm having an easier time than I did with Jr.

Happy or moody: Chris may have a different opinion (which he is wisely keeping to himself), but I feel like I've been fairly mellow for this late in the game. Unless we're grocery shopping and you've decided to block an entire aisle to gawk at your phone. #aintnobodygottimeforthat 

Looking forward to: Meeting our Little Miss!

Baby gear/preparations: We're pretty much set!

"In a household of toddlers and pets, we discover this rule of thumb about happy families - that they are least two-thirds incontinent."

Robert Brault

A Little Peek

At my to do list as of week 36! 26 days to go and I might be freaking out just a little... And quite frankly, I'm just too dang tired to go through the photo editing process to include pictures of our most recent shenanigans this time around.
(hangs head in shame and promptly falls asleep)

Freezer Meals/Foods:

Turkey mini meatballs

Banana muffins

Zucchini bread, sliced

Breakfast burritos
Quinoa taco skillet
Jalapeño turkey burgers x2 (1 batch done)
Waffles (done, but will probably do another batch before Little Miss arrives)

Beef enchiladas (done)
Chicken enchiladas (done)

Chili (done)

Taco soup x2 (done)

Turkey stroganoff (done)

Spaghetti sauce x2 (done)

Baby Prep:

Nursery dresser, repair and paint

Wash pack and play

Organize nursery closet and dresser

Wash and fold 0-3 month laundry

Wash swaddles/blankets

Wash burp rags

Wash Boppy covers

Wash and install infant carseat
Set up swing/bouncer

Sort Jr's old clothes for gender neutral items (done)

Assemble crib (done)

Misc:

Make meal inventory sheet for freezer

Write down Jr's daily schedule and meals for hospital stay

Pack hospital bag

Purchase new toy, book, and puzzle for Jr during hospital stay

Decide on homecoming outfit (done) 
Shower thank you notes (done)

Pregnancy Update

How far along: 36 weeks

Maternity clothes: I'm all about comfort these days... 

Sleep: Reasonable, but still less than I would like. Luckily we are hitting that point where I'm tired enough during the day that I can usually catch a quick nap while Jr is sleeping - if I make it a priority.

Best moment lately: There have been so many wonderful things lately! Finding out during the last ultrasound that Little Miss has hair! The baby shower was beautiful and such a fun afternoon!

Missing anything: Other than just not having a belly "in the way" of everything? It's been a more comfortable pregnancy than the first time around, so while I'm definitely excited to meet our Little Miss, I'm not in a rush for pregnancy to be over.

Movement: So much rolling! Every few days she has a day or two where things are quieter than normal (but still with safe kick counts) and then she gets back to her gymnastics.

Cravings: Not really? I get passing cravings for random things, but they're generally not strong enough to be memorable.

Anything making you queasy or sick: Yes, but I have no idea what it is! I've been having random bouts of nausea, but they're short lived. Heartburn is a big one for making me feel sick, but I've been keeping up on my water intake and antacids so it hasn't been too bad.

Gender: A Girl!

Labor signs: Just the usual Braxton Hicks at this point. Some days are more uncomfortable than others, and they compress my diaphragm a bit so it makes me cough, but nothing out of the ordinary.

Symptoms: T-I-R-E-D! The relaxin is really kicking in, so my hip pops with every step and my pelvis generally feels like jello. Little Miss has dropped pretty far too, so I've been having a bit of trouble with my sciatic nerve getting compressed by her little noggin! A bit of foot swelling here, a bit of heartburn there - it seems like there's a sprinkling of just about everything.

Happy or moody: There's no telling these days! I've cried and laughed over the most random things.
Here's a definite cry though - you're welcome.

Looking forward to: Finishing up the nursery! It seems like no matter how much time I've spent in there I'm really not making much progress.

Baby gear/preparations: We have a few gaps to fill in - mainly with clothes and a few pieces of gear. The main preparation that is still hanging over my head is finishing the dresser so I can get on with organizing the nursery!

Funny moments: My pregnancy cheating is back in full swing! It was one of those had to be there moments, but pregnancy brain + learning a new board game + after 9pm = unintentional cheating GALORE...

"Do it or don't. It's amazing how many things in life are that easy."
Henry Rollins

Between The Lines

How has it already been a month since my last post?!

Life continues as  a quick succession of busy nothings that are also everything. The nicer weather of late means that we have been able to do fun outings more often on weekends that always seem too short. We're trying to balance quality time and activities for Jr with getting everything in order for Little Miss to arrive among all of the usual schedules, appointments, and to-dos. We're happy, we're busy, we're stressed, we're blessed: life continues much the same and yet completely different.

I did finally transition Jr out of the sleep suits we have been using for the past year and a half and into a Halo Sleepsack Big Kids - so far, I love it! I was a little concerned about the sudden transition to no sleeves, but he adjusted like a champ the first night. If things continue as well as they have been, I think I may plan to move Little Miss into this style a bit earlier than we did with Jr.

Most mornings in the office.

This little man is in the midst of his first round with his two year molars - yikes!

Jr loved every minute of using the indoor play place that we found over spring break!

Our Easter activities - we used his favorite fruits (diced) as egg filler and gave him his very own plush white cat since the real deal wants almost nothing to do with him at the moment.

What else would you do in a sensory bin?

Beach day! Jr loved running back and forth with the waves.

Waving and saying "hello!" to seagulls.

Checking out the pier after a late lunch.

Carousel ride! Apparently we kept the beach theme going by choosing a pirate horse.

Hanging out in the yard on a mellow spring evening.

Strawberry plants from Pops and Gigi - something tells me he may not have the patience to let them ripen!

Afternoon stroll.

That was one of two red tulips in the yard. I guess he knew they were my favorite! :)

So close.

Pregnancy Update

How far along: 32 weeks

Maternity clothes: Yep! I still use my normal cardigans/jackets/etc since I tend to get chilled with bare arms but don't need them buttoned or zipped.

Sleep: You win some, you lose some. It seems like I have a pretty decent night of sleep every three or four days.

Best moment this week: The delivery of our glider! The pressure on my stomach that happens when holding/rocking Jr has been getting increasingly uncomfortable, but he's not a fan of stationary snuggles. I'm beyond relieved to have another option for soothing him (while sitting, no less!) and it will be SO nice to have when Little Miss arrives.

Missing anything: Nothing too terribly intense, but I do miss my regular clothes and bending over without a big ol' belly in the way! I would say alcohol, but realized I haven't had more than an occasional sip here and there since before I was pregnant with Jr. Supply issues make you kind of fussy about things like intentionally pumping and dumping! Cheers to another dry two years?

Movement: Phew! Someone seems to be running out of room in there, or is reorganizing some of my organs to suit her space preferences.

Cravings: Still nothing very specific as far as what I'm craving, but very specific as far as how I'm craving it. For example, I really want fresh things, which could normally be solved by a green salad or a bowl of mixed fruit. However, I am turning into a toddler who does not want these delicious things to be mixed - each component tastes better separate! Ei-yi-yi...

Anything making you queasy or sick: Easter lilies. My crazy pregnancy nose interprets them as incredibly strong BO. I ran a quick errand before Easter and walking by the display of lilies literally caused me to recoil as if I had run into a wall. It was like being hugged by someone who hadn't showered in a month!

Gender: A Girl!

Labor signs: I've had a couple brilliant periods of forgetting to drink much water, which has resulted in some pretty uncomfortable stretches of Braxton Hicks. Nothing a couple days of extra rest and LOTS of water hasn't been able to fix though!

Symptoms: The normal discomfort more days than not, and I can feel the third trimester tiredness creeping in. I'm a little afraid that if I give in and slow down, I won't be able to get anything done!

Happy or moody: It's all over the place. Mostly happy, but all it really takes is a few things going unexpectedly sideways to get upsetting. Spending most of a morning getting the run-around from our health insurance on billing issues was the most recent kerfuffle to send me into tears.

Looking forward to: Clearing out the spare room closet and rearranging the furniture that will be staying until Little Miss is ready to move in so I can start getting the room ready. I officially decided on the colors that we will be using so there's no stopping me now!

Baby gear/preparations: Since baby two is a different gender, I decided to give the go ahead on the baby shower inquiries. Mom, Mom-in-Law, Sis, and The Bestie are tackling the logistics so I just get to show up and enjoy it.

Funny moments:
I decided to do the grocery shopping solo recently, which was probably for the best since otherwise I would have had a witness to me allegedly leaving the store, wandering into the parking lot and trying to get into a Toyota, only to realize that I drove a Jeep instead. I can neither confirm or deny that pregnant me will turn to a life of crime when left unsupervised.

"Kids: they dance before they learn there is anything that isn't music."
William Stafford