37 weeks, 5 days

Today I have the day off. I mean, I don't have to take care of anyone but myself, not that I don't have a million things to do. In the past few days it seems I've been everywhere. Saturday evening, Brian and I dropped off Joshua at his old daycare provider's house for a couple hours where he played with friends while we had dinner and went to Toys R Us. I've also been down to Target, to Costco, to the grocery store, and today, to Babies R Us.  I think I finally have everything I need for both Christmas and baby.

Thank you cards have all been mailed. Christmas cards have all been sent.

Only a few things left to wrap. And a couple loads of laundry left to do.  And a kitchen to clean and organize (but I don't want to talk about that!).

I had my 37 week appt yesterday. It was a few days late as my doctor just returned from a 10-day vacation to Hawaii the night before. (So glad baby waited through her vacation!) Baby has dropped and head is below my pelvic bone - also called "engaged".  And I'm about 2cm dilated. All that really means is that when labor starts, I'll have 8cm (or less) to go; I can walk around for weeks at 2cm. Now I just have to hope he waits till after Christmas - it's today or not for a week, you hear me, Baby??!

And for a little questionnaire:
How far along: 37 weeks 5 days
How big is baby:  Good question- What to Expect.com says he should be around 6.5lbs. But Joshua was already born at this stage and a week ago, he was 6lbs, 12 oz. Who really knows!?
Total Weight Gain: 9 lbs (somehow I gained 4 lbs in the past month!)
Stretchmarks: A few on the bottom of my bump and to the left of my belly button
Sleep: Not getting much. Up virtually every hour, either with Joshua (and then to pee) or just to pee.
Maternity clothes:  Most shirts don't even cover the bottom of my belly anymore.
Best Moment This Week: Having a day to myself (though I feel slightly guilty)
Movement: Some days a ton and others not as much. Mostly on the right side. A few times, he's had hiccups
Gender: Boy
Labor Signs: Some braxton hicks. And some groin pain when his head hits my cervix.
Belly Button: Definitely out.
Food cravings:  Japanese and thai soup
Food aversions: nothing really
Symptoms:  Heartburn, anemia, hands swollen (can no longer wear my rings), carpel tunnel, general exhaustion, backaches
What I Miss: laying on my stomach
What I am Looking Forward to: Christmas is Sunday!
Next appt:  December 27

36 week milestone

Yesterday we hit the 36 week milestone.  What that means is that baby now has permission to come into the world. And that he can be delivered at Sutter Maternity Center instead of Dominican Hospital. Sutter is nice and much more like a hotel or resort than the hospital is, but, as they don't have a NICU, they don't allow you to deliver there until you hit 36 weeks as at that point, the chances of needing the NICU decrease significantly. Joshua was born at 36 weeks, 3 days so he too got the luxury of Sutter. Not that Dominican is bad and if the NICU is needed, that's definitely the better place to be, but I'm so glad to have a maternity center in town.

So, 36 weeks down. And we have yet to put together the cradle or the changing table or even wash the newborn clothes so that this baby will have something to wear home from the hospital. The carseat has come down from the rafters, but no base has been installed in either car. I guess we're either figuring we have more time or just that we'll have time at the early stages of labor to get everything done.  As I said, Joshua came at 36 weeks, 3 days. If this baby is on the same schedule, that'd give us till Tuesday. But that was probably a fluke. For whatever reason, my water broke with Joshua. There's no reason to think that'll happen again.... Still, I've made a list of all the things that I need to get done.

It doesn't help that Christmas is right around the corner.  Or that this time around, we're trying to get things done while also trying to keep a 3 year old entertained. And this 3 year old is into doing "projects." And to tell the truth, I'd rather do a "project" than wash clothes.

So family, most of your gifts are coming from amazon and not from me going out shopping for them. Doesn't mean I love you any less. Maybe next year with an almost-one-year old and a 4 year old will be easier.  Yeah, right!

pics from shoot

These are the pictures I'm picking from for our Christmas card. I posted some others to facebook, but didn't want to post these until I decide which one(s) will be on the card. If you have an opinion, readers (yay for multiple readers!), let me know!

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Shower thanks

Just want to give a big shout out to my sister, Tori (the sole reader of this blog), for going above and beyond with my baby shower. I am so thankful to you and grateful to have you as my sister! 

Now, email me some of those photos of your cake pops and the onesies and I'll post them so you can admire them from any location with wifi.

32 week questionnaire

Thought you might like to know how things have changed (or not changed) in the past month.  Here are my newest responses to this questionnaire:
How far along: 32 weeks 3 days
How big is baby:  Should be about 4.5 lbs and 19 inches long
Total Weight Gain: 4 lbs (uterus is measuring just right at 32 1/2 weeks)
Stretchmarks: A few on the bottom of my bump
Sleep: Joshua has been up two or three times a night. Additionally, I get up to pee and I jump out of bed when I feel a charlie horse coming on in my calf (that's happened 4 or 5 times).
Maternity clothes:  Mostly, but today I'm wearing regular pants and regular shirt. (funny that this is the same answer as last time.  this time it's because I need to do laundry, not because these clothes actually fit!)
Best Moment This Week: Joshua and I went to a birthday party at an indoor gym and he had the best time and kept saying how it was "really fun"
Movement: A lot of pressure on the right side - i think that's his bottom. And I often feel like I'm being punched in the bladder
Gender: Boy
Labor Signs: None really. A couple Braxton Hicks contractions but those aren't really labor signs.
Belly Button: Out.
Food cravings:  had some delicious sri lankan food a couple weeks ago that sounds good right now
Food aversions: nothing really. still don't feel like eating much.
Symptoms:  Some heartburn, anemia, general exhaustion
What I Miss: champagne and fruity cocktails
What I am Looking Forward to: Baby shower is in just a few days! What I'm not looking forward to: driving to Bakersfield!
Next appt:  November 29

The end of gratitude

I tried. Really, I did. But blogging everday is just not for me and since I can't remember one day to the next without some real effort, trying to keep track of what I'm grateful for each day just isn't working.

I could fill up the days with generic things like my husband and my child and the roof over my head (all of which I am glad I have), but everyone who has those things should be grateful for them (and if you're not, perhaps you should make a change in your life).

I think the point of it, though, is to remember to be grateful for the things you have in your life - even the little things like mac 'n cheese.  So, even if I don't blog, I'm going to work on remembering not to take things for granted.

A quick note about growth

It really does come in spurts.

Back at the beginning of Summer, Joshua's 2T pants were too short but we couldn't find any pants since all the stores only carried shorts.  We got our first couple 3T pants from Nana just as soon as Target put out the fall line.  Since then, I've bought several more pairs of 3T pants and packed the 2Ts away.  For awhile I was rolling the cuffs.  And then, all of a sudden, those 3T pants are high-waters. Looks like I'll be buying a second set of pants in one season.

More gratitude

Saturday we went to the Seymour Discovery Center at Long Marine Lab.  It was kind of cold out so it was nice to do something inside.  They have a small touch center where we touched some sea stars but Joshua didn't like the hermit crab at all. And they have some sharks one can pet.  I did. Joshua did not. Saturday I was grateful to live somewhere that has a discovery center where 3 year olds can be entertained without too much chasing.

Sunday was a lazy day. Joshua didn't want to get out of his jammies, so we didn't. We played a lot of Memory, and then we played some games on the computer, and we did about 50 thousand puzzles.  Joshua also found that he is good at jumping from the coffee table to the couch.  I had to watch him do it about 100 times. Yesterday, it was just nice to not have anything to do. Yes, I was grateful for the chance to be lazy.

Today is day number 7. Tonight we're going to a friend's house for dinner.  Yay for days when I don't have to cook.  Today I am grateful for whatever food Melissa puts in front of us because I did not have to prepare it. :)

November 4, day 4

This is probably going to get old pretty fast so I might end up saving up my thankfulness all week and just post them once a week.

Today was a long and rather thankless day. By the time I got home from work and picking up Joshua, I was exhausted. Since Brian was at work, I didn't really feel it necessary to come up with a real meal (is that awful?) and instead, focused on something that was quick, easy, and I knew Joshua would eat. Today I am thankful for microwaveable macaroni and cheese! (yes, I know that's awful, but sometimes you do what you have to to get by.)

30 week appointment

Only two slightly interesting things came from my 30 week appointment which took place on Tuesday.  First, I have now gained a total of 4 pounds. Yay! And second, the doctor says that it feels like the baby's head is down, meaning he should be hanging out upside down for the remainder of my pregnancy.

Yeah, I said they were only slightly interesting!

Next appointment is scheduled for the 15th, but I may have to reschedule that as I have also tentatively scheduled family photos for that day, depending on the weather, which, if it stays as it's been the past week, should be absolutely gorgeous. We're meeting Celeste Duran up at Wilder Ranch State Park.  Here's her website, if anyone wants a preview of what our photos might end up like: http://celesteduranphotography.com/#

This whole gratitude thing

My sister is doing a "30 days of gratitude" thing on facebook, and I thought I'd follow her example but do it here rather than there.  I also thought that I'd focus more on the day to day and what I'm grateful for in a particular point in time. 

I missed the first couple days of the month, so here's a recap of what I'm grateful for so far this month:

Tuesday, November 1st: I went to lunch with a friend at a Sri Lankan restaurant at her suggestion.  I had never tried Sri Lankan food, not because I have anything against it but because we only have one Sri Lankan restaurant in Santa Cruz and it's kind of a whole in the wall that I just never think of when trying to come up with where to go on those nights that we eat out. So, I had lunch there and it was delicious.  On that day I was thankful for the good company and the good food.

Wednesday, November 2nd: Both Brian and I had the day off and we got quite a bit done including pulling boxes of baby stuff out of the rafters of the garage (Brian's job) and going through them (my job). It was an exhausting day and by the end of it, my back just ached. Like enough to put me in a grumpy mood.  So I went and curled up on my bed to try to relieve the pain.  So, yesterday I was grateful that Brian had the day off and took care of Joshua and got him ready for bed and for my nice comfortable bed.

Today, Thursday, November 3rd: We've been sleeping in past 7:30 recently.  Which is nice, except on days when Brian has to be at work at 9.  On those days, he jumps straight into the shower and then heads off to work by 8, leaving me to get myself and Joshua ready for the day.  It used to be that on these days, I would get up and get ready at 7 so that I'd be ready before Brian had to leave.  But I just can't make myself get up anymore (I'm already getting up multiple times during the night to go to the bathroom or to tuck Joshua back into bed).  So this morning, I'm grateful for Scooby-Doo movies that hold Joshua's attention for at least 20 minutes so that I can enjoy a hot shower in peace.  For me, an interrupted shower just doesn't start the day in the right way!

Yay for Scooby-Doo and the gang!

28 weeks along

We had our 28 week appointment yesterday.  I got my rhogam shot with a giant needle, but nothing else too exciting happened.  My gestational diabetes test came back fine, but my blood work showed anemia, so I'm on iron supplements, same as I was with Joshua.

Though you might be entertained by a pregnancy survey:
How far along: 28 weeks
How big is baby:  Should be about 3 lbs and 17 inches long
Total Weight Gain: 2 lbs
Stretchmarks: Not really
Sleep: Waking every couple hours either because Joshua has called for me or because I have to pee
Maternity clothes:  Mostly, but today I'm wearing regular pants (my favorite work pants that fasten under my belly) and regular shirt (long enough to cover the belly)
Best Moment This Week: Having that scale tip to the positive
Movement: A lot. More shimmers and shakes and rolls than punches though.
Gender: Boy
Labor Signs: None
Belly Button: Kinda even
Food cravings:  fruity carbonated beverages
Food aversions:  The only thing that I really have an aversion for right now is unagi.  That texture just didn't sit well.  Mostly I just don't feel like eating anything.
Symptoms:  Some heartburn, anemia
What I Miss: champagne and fruity cocktails
What I am Looking Forward to: Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas
Next appt:  November 1 - we're now going every two weeks!

And if I could find the USB for my phone, I'd post a 28 week picture (the same one as on fb).

My little black book

The daycare provider at the gym gave me a little black journal awhile back and said it was for me to write down things that Joshua says.  (I thought that was really nice of her.  I guess she liked both Joshua and me enough to go out and spend money on us!) In it so far are lists of words I wrote down as Joshua's vocabulary grew.  There have been a few cute phrases too (things like, "put the jacket on the book; it's cold"), but I haven't been very good at recording stuff. 

Today I'm wearing black pants and Joshua is wearing blue pants.  He told me that "our pants are not the same pants, but our pants are sim-li-la."  I'm definitely adding that to the book. I knew he knew 'same' and 'different,' and that I have used 'similar' in talking to him, but his using it on his own was quite the reminder that he is such a little sponge and absorbs things we say and do without us having to actually "teach" him.

It's also a reminder that I really should write this stuff down since every day he grows up and understands more and changes so much.

The fragility of the human neck

I've been thinking about our necks recently. Our necks contain some really important stuff to keep us alive, including the trachea, which allows air to get to our lungs, and our spinal cord, which carries information between our brains and the rest of our bodies.  I would think that, with all this vital stuff inside it, the neck would have better protection than just skin - like a plate or armor or something.

I've been thinking about this since, now at 25 weeks pregnant, this baby doesn't move all that much (well, at least compared to what I remember with Joshua who was only still while I was moving around or riding in the car).

Often, doctors recommend doing "kick counts" starting at around 28 weeks when the baby's movement is limited due to its size. Ten movements should be felt within 2 hours.  I've started doing kick counts with this baby. And I feel relieved when I feel those 10 movements within about 20 minutes.

Perhaps that means this baby will be calmer and will sleep.  But between that umbilical cord floating around in there and only some skin protecting the trachea and spinal cord, I worry when I don't feel him even for a few minutes.

Doctor appointments

Joshua had his 3 year well-child check on September 14, a month and a day after turning 3. He weighed in at 36 lbs and stood 39 inches tall.  That puts him in about the 85th percentile for both height and weight. 

I had my 24 week appointment on the 20th and after peaking at 0 pounds gained at my 20 week appointment, I'm back in the negative at -2 pounds gained. I can only eat small meals without feeling sick, so I'm now supposed to eat high calorie foods like those gross bars hikers take with them.  Brian says I'm just gonna have to take one for the team! As you can see from the photo below, my belly is still growing as normal, so we're not worried about the health of the baby, but I do need to figure out how to gain some weight. I'm thinking milkshakes.

Me at 24 weeks pregnant this time



And this is me at 22 weeks pregnant with Joshua and below this is me at 26 weeks pregnant. I seem to be about the same size as last time.

20 week belly

This photo was taken on August 21st, so it's nearly 3 weeks old.  Will take another one next week.  And try to post it sooner than 3 weeks later!

I'm bad at blogging

I have decided that I'm a bad blogger. Things get so hectic and then I feel overwhelmed with having to post things in order and more things keep happening and so nothing gets posted. 

So, I've decided to go from here and hopefully go back later and post pictures from Joshua's 3rd birthday and our trip to bakersfield and my 20 week belly and our ultrasound.  But if I don't get to those, it's not the end of the world!

Readers (Mom and Tori), know that the party went well, Bakersfield wasn't too hot, my belly is growing and we're having a boy.  :)

A Ray of Hope

It's not much, but for the first time in two months, I didn't hear a peep from Joshua during the night. He slept from bedtime till morning time! While it may just be a fluke, it gives a mom some hope!

Just a little stress

The universe must know that I have a birthday party to prepare for and am going out of town for a few days, because, boy, have I been slammed at work.

Joshua's party is Saturday and nothing has been done.  We don't even have a present for him yet! That's very unlike me. I'm hoping to leave work a little early so I can go to the grocery store and stop by the party store before picking Joshua up from school.  As it stands, the party will consist of 2 hours of play time at the park followed by goody bags at the end (I actually ordered that stuff a few weeks ago).  I gotta kick this into gear!   And I'm not even going to worry about the Bakersfield trip until Joshua's nap time on Saturday.

Day Out

Sunday was a busy day. We started out early, heading up to Felton and Roaring Camp Railroad for a 9:30 am train ride on Thomas the Train. Every year Roaring Camp hosts "Day Out With Thomas" and, while we don't watch Thomas and know nothing of Sir Topham Hat, Joshua does like trains and there are a bunch of activities for the kids.

So, it was a crazy morning, trying to get out the door by 8:45, but we made the train ride with a few minutes to spare. I had only bought two tickets because I wasn't sure if Brian would be able to go, but since he didn't have to be at work until noon, he was able to join us. I gave him and Joshua the tickets and planned on just waiting for them to return from the station. One of the staff saw me standing by the train taking pictures and asked if I wanted to ride. Of course I said "Yes!"

My picture of Brian, a barely visible Joshua, and our friends Erin, James, and Ava. This is what made the staff woman feel bad for me!

Here are Joshua and Brian on the train ride (sorry for the poor quality of photos - I left our good camera at home so these are taken with my phone):

We tried to get a photo of the three of us but Joshua got angry and refused. Here's the best we got:

After the train ride Joshua jumped in the bounce house for a bit.

After Brian left, we wandered around a bit, Joshua started to get cranky and spent about half an hour going in and out of a little barn, reading the new Thomas book he got at the gift shop.

We had lunch and split a snow cone and called it good.

lists

If you know me, you know I make lists. So, I thought I'd share a little bit of my insanity with you.

Things to do before Saturday:

make grocery list

grocery shop for party

order balloons

find plastic bowl for fruit salad (dollar store?)

make cake

stuff goody bags

watch netflix movie so I can return it and get James & The Giant Peach for Joshua

make photocopy of washcloth that is the design for the cake (remember to take to work)

buy Joshua's birthday present (bike or Thomas cave thing)

make list of things to take to Bakersfield

clean house

I make these lists both in order to remember and also so I can check things off and feel as though I'm actually accomplishing something even though I look around and there is so much more to be done!

And instead of doing any of the things on my list this morning, we went to the park.

pregnancy sucks

So far, this pregnancy sucks. Now at 18 weeks, I am finally able to eat but I've been getting these excrutiating headaches. With Joshua, I hit that 14 week mark and I was feeling good (except for the occasional charlie horse). This time, not so much!

That's what this baby looked like 3 months ago.

And this is me at approx 17 weeks. And here we are trying to get the photo!

And as I was laying in bed while Joshua was napping, I felt what was definitely the baby and I remembered that once I have that baby in my arms, all this pain and suffering will be worth it.

So, I've decided to start another blog. My first blog ended when Joshua was 11 months old. I figured no one was really reading it, so it wasn't worth the time and effort I was putting into it. But now, as life continues to change and evolve, I thought I'd try again. If you'd like to read my old blog, check it out at:

http://www.babyboycrocker.blogspot.com/