33 Weeks- Baby #2!

At my doctor's app-- 32w 2d

33w 1d

And the hideious picture from today-- 33w 2d

How your baby's growing:

This week your baby weighs a little over 4 pounds (heft a pineapple) and has passed the 17-inch mark. He's rapidly losing that wrinkled, alien look and his skeleton is hardening. The bones in his skull aren't fused together, which allows them to move and slightly overlap, thus making it easier for him to fit through the birth canal. (The pressure on the head during birth is so intense that many babies are born with aconehead-like appearance.) These bones don't entirely fuse until early adulthood, so they can grow as his brain and other tissue 

1. How Far Along? 33 weeks as of Tuesday, February 26th 2013 vs 33 weeks with Reese

2. Total Weight Gain/Loss? up 23lbs (I had gained +28 with Reese by this point).

3. Maternity Clothes? Yes, I'm so sick of all of my clothes! I am ready for spring and non-maternity clothes! :-)

4. Gender? GIRL! :-)

5. Movement? Tons, she seriously feels like she is trying to escape out my left side sometimes.  I feel as though she may be transverse and not head down.  I guess we'll see at my next appointment when I have my 35 week ultrasound.

6. Sleep? I am still mostly sleeping through the night but I'm incredible sore from laying in bed.

7. What I miss? Having energy, not being out of breath and uncomfortable.  I miss date nights with my husband and having a few drinks.  I'm basically ready to have this baby and not be pregnant anymore. ;-) (keeping the same answer from last week since I feel the same way).

8. Cravings? I've been having cravings for chocolate these past couple of weeks.  I recently found an amazing new recipe on Pinterest that is super healthy that I've already made once, and plan on making again this week.  It's 2 bananas (very ripe) smashed up with a cup of oatmeal (quick oats), a handful of choc chips, sprinkle of cinnamon and a tsp. of vanilla. Mix all of that together, spoon into TBS size drops on a cookie sheet and cook for 15 mins at 350. YUMMY! Totally fulfills my sweet craving!

9. Symptoms? Very sore and achy down below, I have a hard time getting comfortable without pain in bed.  I feel like I'm starting to toss and turn a lot so I'm not sleeping as well.  I did finally develop a very faint/barely there Linea Nigra line on the top part of my belly.

Other fun things going on -- 

* Nursery is about 90% done, still need to have our handyman come and switch out outlets/light switches in the nursery, and install the shelves.  Then I need to put some decorative touches on the room.

* My mom has graciously offered to purchase our double stroller, and we're thrilled about that! We plan to get the rumble seat for our current stroller (the Uppababy Vista), but I also really wanted a side by side for longer outings- walks outdoors, the zoo, etc.  After tons of research we're getting the City Mini double. We just placed the order yesterday so that should be arriving next week. Woo hoo!

*I've started to pack my hospital bag and the baby's bag, but I now at least have a "to pack" list all set. We still need to get out the car seat, swing, bouncy seat, and bassinet-- my goal for that is to have all of that done by 36 weeks--- which is 3 weeks away.  Insanity!

*My doctor's appointment went well last week.  Baby isn't measuring ahead 3 weeks anymore (she only did at that 29 week appointment), and now is on track measuring 1 week ahead.  Can't wait to see how she does at the ultrasound.  We've discussed induction if baby is big vs. a c-section, but ultimately the decision is mine.  T and I will have a good game plan after the ultrasound.

BLIZZARD- February 7 & 8th 2013

.... and this is why we were so happy that Daddy made it back from California after that whole fiasco! He put that new snowblower to good use! We got 18" and with the snow drifts the piles were higher than Reese!

Happy Valentine's Day 2013

Happy Valentine's Day!

Reese is at school today and they are having a fun little Valentine's party.  Reese helped bake cupcakes for the party yesterday with Nana and I, and we put together little Valentines for her classmates. Being a mom is so fun! I love seeing Reese get excited!

My mom got Reese the cutest card that has finger puppets from Papryus and heart stickers that she loves and some chocolates that she doesn't love, haha! 

Reese's great Nonna also sent her the cutest card with a kitty on it and some money for her piggybank. Daddy got Reese some pink hydrangea flowers and we got her a stamp kit, new book, stickers, and some goldfish- she is a very lucky little girl!

Here are the valentines that she is giving out to her friends at school today:

31 Weeks- Baby #2!

How your baby's growing:

How your baby's growing:

This week, your baby measures over 16 inches long. He weighs about 3.3 pounds (try carrying four navel oranges) and is heading into a growth spurt. He can turn his head from side to side, and his arms, legs, and body are beginning to plump out as needed fat accumulates underneath his skin. He's probably moving a lot, too, so you may have trouble sleeping because your baby's kicks and somersaults keep you up. 

1. How Far Along? 31 weeks as of today, Tuesday, February 12th compared to 30 weeks and 32 weeks with Reese (we moved during 31 weeks with Reese, so I didn't do an update).  

2. Total Weight Gain/Loss? No appointment until next week, but I'm thinking maybe 22 since I was at 20 for my last app 2 weeks ago?

3. Maternity Clothes? Yes.  I feel like I am just about living in my GapMaternity leggings.  I hate wearing jeans and I feel like everything is digging into my belly.  My bras aren't fitting so I've started wearing my nursing bras already.  Fantastic.

4. Gender? GIRL! :-)

5. Movement? Tons, and it hurts sometimes! Baby Girl sits right under my chest with her bum and kicks me with her elbows/legs on my sides.  She doesn't get hiccups nearly as much as Reese did, but I do notice them every couple of days.

6. Sleep? I am still mostly sleeping through the night but I'm incredible sore from laying in bed.

7. What I miss? Having energy, not being out of breath and uncomfortable.  I miss date nights with my husband and having a few drinks.  I'm basically ready to have this baby and not be pregnant anymore. ;-)

8. Cravings? I've been loving carrots sticks as of late, but still love most food in general.

9. Symptoms? Very sore and achy down below, and I know it's just going to get worse. It's really hard for me to stand on one leg and lift the other (like when putting pants on or taking shoes on/off).

Worth noting: still barely a Linea Nigra line.  I thought one was forming a couple weeks back, but if it is there is so light that you can hardly see it.

10. Best moment this week? Having the custom closet installed-- it looks awesome!

When It Rains It Pours- PART TWO

Okay, so I last left off on this post that Todd had made a huge mistake and booked his return flight for March not February.  Todd was so upset, and decided to head directly to the airport since he couldn't get through to Jetblue on the phone due to their "extremely high volume" due to the storm/blizzard.  I tried my best to do what I could being 3,000 miles away from him-- I called Jetblue, looked on their website, other travel websites etc.  Everything was booked solid, and getting home to Boston from San Fran was NOT an option.

Todd's wifi connection at the airport was weak at best and the lines for the ticket counters were unbelievably long and slow moving, so I was the one in charge of finding him new flights.  To make an extremely long story short, we decided to get him as far east as possible on Friday night, and then try to get him as close to Boston as possible on Saturday morning so he could drive the rest of the way.  I booked him a flight to Chicago Friday night arriving at midnight, then booked a hotel as close to the airport as possible, then booked him a 6am flight from Chicago to New York on Saturday morning.Our biggest fear was that he'd make it to Chicago then get stuck because NY would cancel all flights (anything to Boston landed too late and would have definitely been cancelled because it was scheduled to arrive during the thick of the storm-- we needed him on the East Coast by 10am at the absolute latest).

You have to remember that I was also dealing with a really sick toddler who just happened to be absolutely melting down as I received the news from Todd and was dealing with booking him flights, etc. I had the biggest knot in my stomach the whole night. I can deal with a lot, but this was a bit much.  A sick baby (who had been sick for DAYS), a husband who was away for the entire week, to dealing with all of the above being 8 months pregnant, to now having to deal with a blizzard alone was enough to put me over the edge.  I couldn't help but think the worst--- what if I need to get Reese to a doctor? What if I go into labor? I'll be stranded in our house ALL WEEKEND WITHOUT MY HUSBAND! I know I'm being a bit dramatic, but that's the truth. My mom had to work, and my in-laws aren't close by.  I couldn't fall asleep until after midnight, then was awoken by Reese coughing at 3:30am.  She coughed and cried from 3:30-6:30am.  It was just awful and I felt helpless. Finally Reese fell back to sleep from 6:30-8:30am.

Luckily Todd's flight on Saturday wasn't cancelled, and he was able to get to NYC no problem and even was able to rent an SUV to make the drive with (due to an awesome hook up from one of our good friends who works for a car rental company).  Another sweet friend gave me to directions to relay to Todd to get him out of NY the quickest (thanks, Alex, if you're reading!).  After 23 hours of commuting Todd was finally able to make it home!

I think I can safely say that I've never been happier to see him in my entire life!

When It Rains It Pours...PART ONE

Reese woke up on Saturday at the crack of dawn at 5:30a.m.  I knew immediately that something was off-- she never wakes up that early.  By late afternoon and after her nap she woke up with a really runny nose. We had dinner plans with friends, and Reese was really fussy as I was getting her ready.  I should have followed my gut and kept her home and cancelled our plans, but I didn't because I thought we'd be home early enough since we had plans for 5:30pm. Little did I know that the restaurant would have an hour wait causing us to go to a different restaurant just to wait a half an hour.  By the time we left dinner it was 7:45.  Reese didn't get to bed until 8pm. This may not sound like a big deal, but for a little one who never goes to sleep past 7:30, but most recently has been going down at 6:30pm, it was bad.  The next morning she woke up again at 5:30, and I knew she was getting sick and that this wasn't just her teething (her 4 damn eye teeth have been coming in for what feels like FOREVER). I ran to Target, stocked up on a new thermometer (a temporal one), Motrin, and Tylenol just in case.  Reese was tough to deal with all day, so we put her down at 6pm for the night in hopes that she could sleep off her cold.

Todd was scheduled to leave on a business trip on Monday (why oh why does Reese only get sick when Todd is away??).  When Reese woke up (at 8am-- late!), she was a boogery mess.  I touched her, and her skin was on fire.  My baby had yet to have a fever, but I knew immediately that at 18 months our luck was running out.  Sure enough, the thermometer read 101.7.  Then 102.1.  I stripped her down to her diaper, gave her Motrin, and laid with her in our bed.  Todd ran to get us coffee and while he was gone Reese fell asleep again.  So unlike her.  She never lays in bed to watch TV, nevermind falls asleep after a 14 hour nighttime stretch, ever.  Reese and I said goodbye to daddy, and we spent the entire day on the couch with her sleeping on me on and off, alternating between Motrin and Tylenol, and me trying to push as many fluids on her as possible.

Ugh, those sick eyes. :-(

And the napping begins on the couch....

Tuesday, Reese woke up with a temp, but it was lower at 100.4, and I thought we were turning the corner, until all of a sudden a terrible rash appeared all over her body. I of course kept her home from school.  I texted a girlfriend a picture of Reese's rasj who immediately responded wih, "It's Roseola! Nathan has had that a few times before" (her son is 4 years old).  Apparently it's pretty common rash that appears in toddlers when a high fever breaks.  I, of course, called the Pedi to tell them what was going on, and the nurse also gave the same diagnosis after my explanation of what was happening with her fever and how the rash looked.

This picture does no justice, but this is the beginning of it.

Wednesday the rash was worse, and we were really missing daddy.  Reese's face was swollen, and the rash had really spread on her face. Her nose was a faucet and she developed a deep, hoarse, cough. We were out of milk, fruit, bread, and you name it.  I didn't want to bring Reese out, so thank God my mom was home from flying for two days to finally help me! I ran to the store while Reese napped and picked up the essentials, even stopping to pick up new book and toy for the patient.

My sweet girl trying to smile even though she felt horrible!

Thursday Reese still had the cough, although the rash did seem to fade a bit.  I sent Reese to school after speaking with the director at her center.  Kids only need to be fever free for 24 hours before attending school and Reese hadn't had a fever in 48.  The virus is supposed to not be contageous once the rash appears.  I figured Reese needed to get out of the house because she was going crazy being cooped up for the past 4 days. I told her teacher that if she was sad or acting sick again, to call me and that I'd immediately come get her.  I never got a call, so I picked her up at regular time and took her home to nap.  

After her nap she was really fussy and ended up crying for over an hour straight.  During that time I got a frantic call from Todd.  He was due to arrive home tomorrow morning from his trip and was planning to take the red-eye back from Cali tonight. Except now there was a huge problem.  He had accidently booked his return flight home for MARCH 7th, not tonight, FEBRUAY 7th.  Cue the panic.  This normally wouldn't have been a big deal, because even if he couldn't have rescheduled for tonight's redeye, he could have taken the first available flight out tomorrow.  Except tomorrow's tomorrow we are expecting a blizzard on the East Coast.  2 feet alone is predicted here.  

To Be Continued...

29/30 week Doctor Appointment

Yesterday I had my regular 30 week appointment scheduled as well as a meeting with an Anesthesiologist (to discuss a game plan for delivery after my horrendous last experience), then had bloodwork done, and had my rhogam shot.

During my appointment with my OB, my belly measured ahead by 3 WEEKS! That's right, even though I am only 29 weeks 2 days I am measuring at 33 weeks pregnant.  Cue the panic.  No wonder why I'm so uncomfortable already! :-(  At 33 weeks average babies weigh 4-4.5lbs.  This is so frustrating to me because I have gained less weight thus far than I did with my pregnancy with Reese, and everyone comments on how "little" my belly is and how small I'm carrying this time around.  I don't eat like a fat kid, so I just don't understand why I grow these huge babies.

During the appointment I literally looked at Todd and said "Oh no! Not again!".  My OB was very sweet and was trying to tell me that it's a very unscientific way of measuring (the fundal measurement with the tape), and that the baby could have just been in a strange position or have gone through a huge growth spurt since my last appointment 3 weeks ago and very well may slow down by my next appointment.  However, that may not be the case and this baby may be a giant.   :-( My doctor ordered a growth ultrasound at 35 weeks to determine baby's size and get some more measurements.  This opens up the discussion for a c-section again if the baby is huge or perhaps being induced early (how early I have no idea-- I'd guess around 38-39 weeks) .

I don't even know how to feel, what to say, or how to react.  So, if you are reading this blog and know me in real life, please don't bring this up.  I don't want to talk about it, I'm freaked out.  I'm such a planner and pretty OCD about everything details in every facet of my life, and I think my fear is simply coming from the unknown.  The unknown of how this baby is going to be born, how my body is going to react--- will I go into labor on my own? Will I be induced? Will I need a c-section? If I have said c-section how will I do being away from Reese for so many nights in the hospital? Who will care for her while I'm there? Will I be able to see this new baby and nurse her right after she's born or will it be awful and sterile in the OR and take forever before I am sewn back up and able to have skin to skin with my newborn? How will my recovery be from a vaginal birth? A c-section? Will I be "broken" until 4/5 months after delivery like last time? Ugh.....

I will say that I feel great about my OB, her practice, and the entire staff/hospital that we've dealt with.  I know that I'm in the best hands at one of the top hospitals in the world.  I'm happy that we have next steps planned and that we will all be on the same page (hopefully) in 5 weeks after my growth ultrasound.

Please keep me and baby #2 in your thoughts and pray for a safe delivery for both she and I. I know I'm praying that I do not deliver a 10lb baby.