5.9 and dropping

So today was my weekly Dr visit. Based on last weeks visit, when I got there today, they hooked me up to the fetal monitor. At first, baby girl was sleeping so we weren't getting many readings on the monitor. Then the midwife woke her up (using a strange device that buzzes and vibrates on my tummy!) and boy was she active after that. So they decided that everything looked fine on the monitor, and she was moving and shaking just fine.

Next, we needed an ultrasound to see how my amniotic fluid was doing. Well, not so good is the answer. It's down to 5.9 and dropping. So we thought about it for a while, and decided rather than wait, we'll induce. So I'm headed to the hospital now to induce labor and get her out of there. More updates later...

Random Photos

Some random photos I found as I looked for one in particular...

Trevor enjoying a rare treat in Mommy's bubble tub...

The boys 'sharing' Trevor's Blackhawk's jersey. They were convinced they could both fit....and they could. But getting out proved to be VERY difficult!
My boys.... Blake showing off his new sunglasses (while wearing jammies) and Trevor playing the Wii.
Trevor showing off his math skills. He did all the counting and writing himself and got it all right!
Christmas presents from my brother arrived a little late (like January, not April!(Amazon's fault, not his!). Trevor got a Star Wars Lego ship
Blake got Hi-Ho Cherry-O.
Here's what happens when the boys share their toys... Darth Vader and a Storm Trooper watching a game of Hi-Ho Cherry-O!!!


Just to add to the post from a few weeks ago.... The boys aren't the only ones who get t-shirts with "personality" from Aunt Kate. Mom & Baby get them too...


No, it's not a real ultrasound pic (at least not of my kid). But there are days when that certainly sums up how she's feeling. If I have time, I will put this shirt on before leaving for the hospital....and wear it as I walk into L&D!! Just cause I can!!

Oh, the Drama!

(well, as much drama as you get from me when I'm pregnant, which isn't a whole lot, but still....)

I had my 37 week midwife appointment this morning. My weight is good, I've gained 27 pounds for the whole pregnancy, and after losing last week, I am back up 2 pounds. The midwife came in and we went over my birth plan, which she had no issues with (yay!). However, it did lead us to a small disagreement. According to her chart, my due date is Tuesday, April 28. According to my calculations (and the number that's been in my head for the whole pregnancy) I'm due on Sunday, April 26. I'm sticking to my date, as it's based on charting my temps, and I know EXACTLY when things happened (if ya know what I mean!).

Next, we found our heartbeat (it took a minute, cause this kid is so low, she's hiding behind my pelvic bone), but we found her eventually... nice heartbeat of 140-150. Then she measured my belly, and what do you know, I'm measuring small... about 35 weeks. Of course, no visit at this point in a pregnancy is complete without an internal exam. I'm about 1.5 cm dialated (not much progress!) and "very soft". And the baby's head is WAY down there. That's good and bad, as it makes me quite uncomfortable, but at least she's heads down!

Since I was measuring small last week, she decided to do an ultrasound, just to make sure everything's okay, and baby's growing right. None of this is a surprise to me. I remember measuring small when I was pregnant with Trevor, and getting a late ultrasound to confirm the size of the baby then too. I have no recollection of any such happenings with Blake, so either it didn't happen (and I wasn't measuring small?) or my memories of that pregnancy have gotten lost in the shuffle and he's already suffering from being the "middle child".

So the tech did the ultrasound. She got some great pictures and looks at the baby, and took lots of measurements. I learned quite a bit from her too, and even got to see the umbilical cord, and found out it's not (currently) around her neck/head/body (which Trevor's was). So that was good to hear.

Turns out baby is measuring about 7 lbs 3 oz which puts her in the 75%. So there ya go, all you people who think I'm measuring small. I just carry my babies well, and ALL inside me apparently! She might be my biggest baby yet!!! On the downside, my amniotic fluid is measuring just inside the average range. My AFI is 8, and they worry if it's below 6, or above 20. So to be safe, she wants me to increase my fluids and do kick counts. So twice a day I have to count how many times she kicks in an hour, if it's less than 5, then we worry and call her. So far, no problem.... we got 5 kicks in the 15 minutes I've been sitting here typing!

Also, the ultrasound showed that my placenta is 'aging' faster than usual. Gee, this kid is making me age fast already, and she's not even born yet!!! At the moment, there's nothing to worry about, but it's just something to watch. From my googling just now, they age the placenta based on calcifications (calcium deposits). I wonder if the quantity of calcium I take in affects this... in particular I'm thinking of the 10-15 Tums that I've been taking daily to help with heartburn. For a while I was using some OTC stuff like Xantac, but the Tums work better. Hmmm...

If anything does change, they might induce me, but since I'm full-term there's no major issue with that. Other than the fact, that I'd prefer not to be induced since I've been down that road before, with Trevor. But if her health is in jeopardy, I'll do it!

So that's the update from here. Oh, and since they were doing an ultrasound and looking around anyway, I requested a reconfirmation..... and yes, it's still a girl! Whew!

72% Complete

About a month ago, some of my closest 'mom' friends gathered to throw me a baby shower. I've met this group of women online since both the boys were born, and I've met some REALLY awesome ladies. The shower was fun, and of course came with lots of 'traditional' baby gifts... and things that a first-time-mom-of -a-girl must have: barrettes, headbands, pink crocs, dresses, BabyLegs, pink blankets, etc. Lots of wonderful things that will be well used when this little girl arrives (any day now is just fine kiddo.... the sooner the better!).




I also received an awesome gift that is something I would not typically indulge in. Something I wouldn't be able to justify to myself to spend the money on, after all think of all the things I could spend that amount of money on instead. But something that I've been lusting after for a while, after a few of the aforementioned mom friends showed me theirs. I got an awesome, beautiful, wonderful, Fleurville diaper bag.

But today, I got some truly NECESSARY baby gifts, courtesy of my sister-in-law, Kate. Three items that complete my little girls wardrobe. Three items that you should definitely put on any baby registry, or birthday list for a little girl. (Do you sense the sarcasm yet???)



I think the shirt is by far my favorite.... definitely the most original. Even Trevor recognized the symbolism, commenting "Isn't that like when my game is loading on the computer and it's not done yet??!" Oh how smart my big guy is!!

While I am being sarcastic that these are necessary for everyone, they are totally awesome gifts that are greatly appreciated. Over the years, Kate has added tons of personality to my boys wardrobes. From handmade tie-dyed onesies and sleepers, to custom-made quilts and blankets, to smart @$$ shirts like "It's my brother's fault" and "What happens in preschool stays in preschool" and "I still live with my parents". I LOVE the looks my kids get when they wear those shirts! Kate has made sure that my kids outfits have personality and that they definitely belong in our "personality filled" family! Thanks Kate!

Baby Girl Update

Dr visits galore today. I started at the midwife's office at 9:15 this morning. The office seemed quiet but that didn't mean I was in and out fast.... just that it was quiet!! But eventually they saw me, and everything is going quite well.

I'm measuring about 1 week behind at this point (35 weeks not 36). I lost a pound in the last week, but I could gain that back in a day depending on my schedule and appetite! Both of these are totally normal for me, I've done this with both previous pregnancies. I'm as 'big' as I'm gonna get, even tho the baby is still growing. My iron is borderline low (hemoglobin 10.6) so now I'm taking iron supplements, but since I'm usually borderline anemic when I'm not pregnant I'm not too worried. And, I'm dilated 1 cm. Okay, it's not much, but it's something!!! They took lots of blood and I'm sure all those results will be totally boring and normal, so they won't even call me!

Based on the exam, and my history, she's not expecting me to go early necessarily. But based on my mental attitude (which is totally ready to have this baby), she wouldn't be surprised if I went into labor about 2 weeks early, just cause I WANT to. So we'll see...

The best part of the visit...we talked about my plans/hopes for delivery. First piece of good news, the labor tub is back to being available at my hospital. For a while it was "not available" as they had had a recent malpractice case or issue with a patient who used it and they weren't letting anyone use it for a while. At least that was the info I was given when I was pregnant with Trevor. (With Blake there was no time to use it if I'd wanted to, but I'm not sure if it was available or not). I'm not sure I want to use it, but I like having the option, especially if I end up in back labor like I was with Trevor. Second piece of good news, the midwife is more than happy to let me labor without having an IV as long as everything is going fine (and based on my history, that's highly possible). I'm so glad not to have to have an IV just because.... it really bothers me that they do it automatically! I mean with Blake I was in the hospital in labor for under 45 minutes, but STILL they managed to put that damn IV in my arm and I really never needed it!! So WOO HOO for the new midwife!! (Of course, if any of this was an April Fool's joke, I will NEVER forgive her!).

Following all that great news, I got to see the massage therapist. She is easily my VERY favorite person in the world right now. My back feels SO good. And then I saw the chiropractor, just to loosen me up even more and put everything back where it belongs. So I'm feeling REALLY good.... now if only I could sleep comfortably, that feeling might last beyond today!!

Photo Update

Today I downloaded about 200 photos from the camera to the computer. And of course, this means that none of these have been posted to the blog. So, without further delay, a photo update on what we've been doing lately!

Our trip to Michigan, about a month ago. Just a few shots of the boys and their friends being... just boys!





About 2 weeks ago, we headed downtown to the Children's Museum at Navy Pier. The kids love the place and I love how much they love it.

Climing through the nets

Blake the plumber
Teamwork!

Yesterday was a big day around here.... We bought our new minivan. This was required before Baby Girl's arrival, so I'm glad to have it off the to do list!!!
The boys are excited to have their own seats, WAY in the back, where (they realized) Mommy can't reach them to stop them being bad! Oh no!


The boys helped me this morning in getting the nursery almost ready for Baby Girl. They helped put together the bassinet, and it was very interesting. Trevor is tied to the directions, and finds the pieces that you need based on looking at the directions. Blake looks at the final picture, and treats it just like a puzzle, he finds the pieces he needs to make it work... no directions needed! It was fun to see their different approaches, and to see how excited they were to make the bed for the baby!


Oh, and finally, for those who care, a pregnant Mommy photo. This was taken about 2 weeks ago, on March 5th, at almost 33 weeks pregnant.

Baby Pool

I found the COOLEST site on the web today.... an online baby pool! So, click the big link on the right and enter your guess for when you think our baby girl will be born, and her stats. She is due on April 26.

Oh and just for reference (if you care)....

Trevor was born on his due date, weighed 6 pounds 13 ounces, was 20 inches long, and was born at 1:42 am.

Blake was 4 days early, weighed 7 pounds 11 ounces, was 19 3/4 inches long, and was born at 4:18 am.

Get your votes in early. I'll have a fun prize for the winner!!!

Baby Update

Well, I saw the midwife today. Gawd, I love her. The last few visits I've seen the OB (male) and he's not bad.... but he's not her!!!

She came in, and hugged me, like a long lost friend and told me she'd missed me, and that I should make all my appointments with her, not him! Then she proceeded to tell me how great I looked (not too small! yay) and told me that all my numbers look great. I've gained 25 pounds, my blood pressure is great (124/68) and I'm measuring right on 34 weeks! Yay!! She gave me all the registration paperwork for the hospital, commiserated on my tailbone pain and heartburn, and generally made me feel all warm and fuzzy!

So everything is going well. My tailbone still hurts like a son of a b!tch... but there's not much to be done about that. Baby girl is just sitting SO low. So between that and my sore hips, I'm seeing the chiropractor twice a week and that helps me feel better in general, but doesn't get rid of the pain altogether. Oh well, he's a great guy and I do feel better after seeing him, so I'll keep going. I'm queen of heartburn this time around... more so that I remember with either of the boys. I've been taking the 24-hour pill, Prilosec, which definetly helps and I have few issues with the hb now. So, we'll keep taking that until she arrives.

On the note of arrival, I'm counting down the days until I'm full term (3 weeks from Sunday!), and frankly after that, she's welcome to arrive anytime. Officially, there's 6 weeks and 2 days left to the pregnancy, but I'm hoping for a little less.

Meanwhile, I've got the nursery just about ready. No major work was required, but lots of little things. I sorted through all the boys old clothes (newborn-2T) and saved what was neutral enough, gave some to friends with baby boys, took some to the resale store, and put the rest in the basement "garage sale" pile. So, a billion boxes of clothes are out of the room, and it looks much better! Of course, I've been buying lots of pink (and other colors) for the little girl as I find them on sale/clearance, so there's a good stack of 3 boxes of clothes in various sizes for her now!! I also got rid of Trevor's old toddler bed (listed it on freecycle and it was gone in 24 hours!), so the room feels much bigger. Now I just have to set up the bassinet, get hubby to finish the closet rods (that I've been waiting for for 3 years!), and I think we'll be done!

Of course, there's still painting to be done... Yes that's right, painting. 5 years ago, while I was pregnant with T, hubby started painting a mural in the nursery. The mural is all the Alice in Wonderland characters. Well, it was probably about 50% done when T was born. By the time B inhabited the room it was probably 75% done. It's now about 95% done... there's just a small part to be finished on one character. Since the day I found out I was pregnant this time around I've told hubby that he HAS to have that mural finished by the end of March. I wonder if he will?!?!?!? I'm trying not to be a nag, but I really would like it finished (if for no other reason, that to get all the painting supplies out of her closet!!!!!).

So that's the udpate with baby girl. Her first name is all picked out, but we're still struggling with a middle name. Her first name has been picked out since I was pregnant with Trevor (or before). The original middle name I had picked now seems to common. Why? Because her brother's have middle names like Phineas and Huntington. So... I'm looking for some unusual middle name suggestions..... any ideas??

Babies and Potties and other Updates

Yikes, it's been a long time since I've written anything. I can't think of any major reasons why, but at the same time, I can't think of many major things that have been going on.... at least, beyond the obvious...

Potty Training...
Blake is still putting up with being forced not to be a lazy little boy. He would probably wear a diaper if we let him, but he's realized that there's no option on this front and that we expect him to wear underwear, AND keep it dry!

He can do it, he's done it for 3-4 days at a time. And then he has a random accident late in the day, for absolutely NO reason. There's no logic to it, and a lot of the time, I swear it's intentional. We're at the point now, that if he has an accident, I just tell him to go get dry undies, and we move on with our day.... nothing more. I think the lack of attention is a key.

He's been dry for the last few days with no issues, and today was pushing me out of the bathroom telling me he didn't need me there. He's also standing up to go pee, and pooping on the potty 9 times out of 10. So... we're almost there. For the most part, he'll stay dry, and go potty when I tell him to, but still won't initiate it himself. Oh well...

Dancing Queen....

While I have claimed both here and IRL that "I love being pregnant"... I'm about done with it this time around!!! I'm at that point of discomfort, where sleep is not happening very much, and it's ticking me off. I'm someone who LOVES my sleep at the best of times, even when not preggo, and especially when pregnant. So messing with my sleep is NOT a good thing. I'm able to fall asleep, but I'm not comfortable for long, and by morning my back is a wreck and I'm cranky and feel like I didn't get much if any sleep. I think I will be relocating to the couch and/or lazy-boy soon.

On top of that, this kid has decided to sit in a very strange position (at least I assume it's how she's positioned) and my tailbone is KILLLING ME!!! I can't sit for long without getting a major butt-ache.... sorry TMI!!! I've never had pain like this from either of my other pregnancies, and I'm not enjoying it. Driving to work seems to be too far half the time, and causes my tailbone to hurt. So, I've been seeing the chiro twice a week to help with the pain. While he's awesome, and getting adjusted always feels good, it's not stopping the pain completely, just slowing it down a little, only for it to come back by the end of the day.

So, I'm counting down the weeks - 4 1/2 - until this kid is full term and it wouldn't be bad for her to be born. That would be anytime after April 6th. A month from Friday... let's go!!!

Michigan and Paint....

The only other update I can think of is that a few weekends ago, I took the boys up to Michigan to visit friends of ours who moved last fall. E has two boys who are each about 6 months younger than T & B, and had a baby girl in November. The 4 boys were THRILLED to see each other and played wonderfully all weekend. It was great to meet Baby A and to see E for a whole weekend. I miss her dearly, and it was good to be able to sit and catch up and chat and vent, and everything else!!

And while we were gone, my darling husband, painted the family room and kitchen! They badly needed new paint, between the dents and dings from the kids, and the fact that they were still painted with contractor-grade white paint. I'd post pictures, but well, it's still white. Yes, its new fresh bright semi-gloss white, but it's still white!!! Ah, my darling husband... he HATES color on walls... And while I don't care for the white, I choose my battles, and I have plans for art for the walls and possibly some tapestry going up too. So I'll get my color someway, somehow. At least the dents, dings and scraches are gone. And now the walls are washable, so when the kids decide to color on them, they can then remove those marks themselves, quite easily!!!

Finally... on the note of the economy, I'm sitting here listening to John Stewart on Comedy Central, and I just can't help but share this lovely quote with all of you: " If I'd listened to CNBC's advice, I'd have a million dollars today... provided I'd started with a hundred million!"

Things that Made me Smile today

Following the rant, it seems good and nice and 'cleansing' to do a post like this. But honstely, it's not as if I planned it. I just found myself smiling a lot today at simple little things in life.

It started because today is 52 degrees in Chicago during the first weekend in February!!! After all the below 0 and below 10 degree days we've had, this was a nice change! And it was a BEAUTIFUL sunny day!!! That definetly put a smile on my face....

Buying an entire bag full of clothes (mostly for the little girl) for $10, and then getting lots of others for $30. A local resale store had a great bag sale on lots of their inventory and I had TONS of fun shopping for girly stuff... and bought WAY more pink than I would have expected!


My son in his new hat. He LOVES Marty (the zebra) in Madagascar, so when I saw this at the resale store I had to have it! I'm only sad cause it's SO tiny (the label says 5T.... I guess he's got a big head!)

Daddy playing games with his boys. Just nice to see the three of them lying on the floor playing a game together (Hi Ho Cherry-O) as it doesn't happen often! (Sorry, B had to be censored. He had potty issues today and couldn't have undies. It didn't make me smile, so enough about that!)


And now I'm going out for dinner and a movie with the girls to celebrate a friends birthday!! It's been a good Saturday. Hope you had a reason to smile today!

Back Handed Compliments

I feel the need to rant... and here is the best place. After all, I'm not sure I could whine about this to any IRL friends (without getting smacked or laughed at) and my darling hubby is tired of hearing me whine (in general, and about this in particular).

I LOVE being pregnant (I know this does not seem like the beginning of a rant... bear with me). I adore being pregnant (partially because I've struggled twice to get pregnant), and really I have VERY easy pregnancies. I know this, and as I've met more and more mom's I appreciate it more and more. I don't get much if any morning sickness(at any time of the day!), I don't have any major health issues (GD, pre-eclampsia, etc.) and I really feel pretty darn good. My neighbor makes fun of me, that even at 2 weeks before my due dates, I'm out walking around the block with the kids, pushing a stroller, and not stopping (summer or winter).

And I believe that most of the time, I convey this. I'm not that overly-perky, in-your-face, way-too-happy girl. But I'm also not the overly whiny girl. If you ask me how I'm feeling or how I'm doing, my answer is usually "Fine". No whining about my aching back, how poorly I slept last night, or my heartburn... but all of those are issues I'm currently dealing with.

Mostly this is because: a) I don't want to seem like a whiner (I wanted to be pregnant, I know what that means comes with it); b) (at least) half the time people ask the question "How are you?" as a way to say hello, and don't actually expect an answer; and c) because I subscribe to the theory that if you act/think positive you will feel better....so I try to think that I feel fine even when my back aches.

By no means am I saying that I don't complain. If you are with me long enough (at the coffee shop for a few hours yesterday morning for example), you will hear me groan as I get up out of my chair, see me shift positions trying to get comfy, and I'll make some snide comments about how much of a beating I'm getting from this kiddo in my belly. I am human!!

Anyway.... that's kind of all background, and not really the point of this rant. My issue at the moment, is people's reaction to my pregnant belly. For those who don't know me, I am the "tall skinny girl". That's just who I am. I'm between 5' 8 1/2" and 5' 9", and not pregnant weigh about 140 pounds. (Yes, really, my height hides that, but it's true). I usually wear a size 10 or 12 jeans. (Again, yes really, my height works to my advantage). I'll put these numbers out here, they are what they are.... I have no issues with numbers.

Here's average pre-pregnant me:


Now, 28 weeks pregnant (6.5 months) here's me:


I've gained 20 pounds to this point. I gained about 30 with both boys.

Yes really. REALLY!

And that's what I'm ranting about. Not the weight gain, but the fact that I KNOW I have to "justify" it. I had to type that "Yes really" there, because 90% of you are sitting at your computers thinking "no way".

I see people, and their first reaction is "No way, you can't be 6.5 months along!" or "Oh, I was that big at like 1 month pregnant!" or "Do you even need maternity clothes?" or "This must be your first baby".

To be blunt.... I'm really REALLY SICK of those comments. What exactly are they supposed to mean? Are you trying to make me feel better in some obscure way? Are you trying to tell me that I look great? Because frankly, that's not how I understand the comments, and how I recieve them or process them. What I hear is that I'm just not really "that pregnant" so I'm either a liar about how far along I am/how much I've gained, or I'm fat and covering it up, or that I'm not feeding my growing baby enough (and therefore a bad mom), or that since I look 'tiny' that I can't feel bad or have any typical pregnancy complaints (aching back, hard to sleep, heartburn, etc.).

Hubby's theory is that people are jealous. They think I look good and they are trying to be nice when they say these things. Sorry, I'm not buying it. But if that is the case, if you want to tell me that you think I look good for this stage of my pregnancy, please feel free. But say it that way, without the "back handed compliments". If you don't want to say that (and that is absolutely fine-I'm not fishing for compliments here), and if you have nothing nice to say..... then DON'T SAY ANYTHING AT ALL!!

Here's my last thought on all this. Yes, my belly may look small. Yes I may have gained less (or MUCH less) weight than most people who are pregnant. But the end result is this... I have a baby in me, who at birth weighs about the same as most other people's babies (T was 6 lbs 13 oz, B was 7 lbs 11 oz). So just cause I LOOK tiny, doesn't mean I have tiny babies. It means that somehow all that kid is squished up inside me somewhere!!! My Dr estimates that I'm measuring right on schedlue, and that my baby weighs about 2 pounds, (the average weight for 28 weeks). So, in fact, the fact that I look "less pregnant" that most 6.5 month pregnant women, seems to me to mean, that I might be MORE uncomfortable (at minimum I'm as comfortable as anyone can be with a little person living inside them!). Because instead of sticking out, this kid is up inside me, pushing my bladder, tummy and lungs, out of her way, and kicking me in the ribs and bladder constantly!!!

Okay.... rant over. I'm going back to being positive! But I think I feel much better now that this is off my chest!! Which has also grown, and is my favorite side-effect of pregnancy and nursing....

Names we won't name the baby

Last night we had a few friends over for a game night. We played a variety of games and had a great time. During the evening, we did have a rather eye-opening moment in regards to naming the baby.

We were playing a trivia game called Smart Ass. Great game by the way. The game gives you lots of clues going from general to more specific and the other people have to guess the answer. The answer to the clues had already been guessed and it was Walt Disney. But there was a clue remaining unread that I wanted to share with everyone. The clue said "His most famous character was originally named _______________". I waited to see if anyone in the room new what Mickey Mouse was originally named. When no one guessed it, I told them the answer, "Mortimer Mouse".

(The next few things happened at light speed.) Then I looked across the table at hubby and said, "Well, if this baby is a boy after all, maybe we could name him Morty!". I was TOTALLY KIDDING! TOTALLY!!! Hubby, and friends, looked at me like I was crazy, TOTALLY crazy! I promptly received a swift HARD (pointed even) kick in the lower abdomen. I grabbed my pregnant belly and exclaimed "Ow!".

At first, I thought hubby had done it as if to reinforce that the name "Morty" was totally insane and out of the question. Then I realized there was NO WAY he could have kicked me under the table and hit me that high up in the belly (he would have been able to reach my knees and that's about it!) That's when my face went from pain to utter SHOCK! This kid had kicked me, and kicked me hard, to make sure that I knew the name "Morty" was definitely out of the question. That or else, to reinforce that she really is a girl and I don't have to worry about her being a boy!

It was a hilarious few moments. Everyone at the table realized I had been kicked and we all thought it was hilarious that the baby obviously had her own thoughts about being named "Morty". We couldn't stop laughing!! I was just SO shocked to get such a hard, timely message from this little person!!!

So, in case you were wondering, both the names Mortimer and Morticia are definitely OFF the list of potential baby names!!

Sick

Why do they call it a 24-hour virus? Here are the real numbers:

2 pm Tuesday: the last time I ate real food
10 hours: the amount of time I spent not being able to keep ANYTHING in my systemincluding water
10 hours: the amount of time I spent trying to sleep last night
5 hours: the actual amount of sleep I got last night, in mostly 30 minute chunks
20 hours: amount of time I've spent lying on this couch trying to recover
6: number of pounds I've lost in have a 24-hour virus

That last number is not making me happy. I'm that weird pregnant girl who never looks as pregnant as she is (mostly due to my height) so losing 6 pounds does not make me happy. It probably took me 6-8 weeks to gain that weight! Now I've got to do it again, and try to gain more too.... because the doctors are always worried about how little weight I gain. Even though I eat practically EVERYTHING that comes into my line of sight.

And as I'm sure I've griped about before, being sick when pregnant sucks!!! More specifically, puking when pregnant really sucks! I totally feel for all those women out there who suffer morning sickness, and I appreciate how lucky I am not to have dealt with it much at all with any of my pregnancies. There were points yesterday when I seriously thought if I puked again I was going to deliver a baby via my mouth. (Which, incidentally is where Trevor thinks the baby comes out!!!).

So I'm debating dinner options.... mac & cheese or chicken noodle soup? Hmmm... maybe both?

Chiro's, OBs, and Pediatricians... Oh My!

Okay, I've been in 3 doctors offices in a week! Seriously...3! I say this in shock, because I am one of those people who can go months, if not close to a year without visiting the doctor. I'm not phobic, or anti-doctor (that's my hubby) but I'm a (luckily) healthy person who doesn't see or have much need to visit the doc that often. Ah well, pregnancy and children seem to bring out the best....

Thursday was my favorite visit of the month.... my chiropractor's office. While I love Dr Bob (the chiro), my current appointments are not with him, but with his massage therapist, Annette! She rocks my world! My own little hour of the day when I can practially fall asleep on the table, while having all my pregnancy aches and pains rubbed away. It is easily the best hour of my day/week/month. Topped off by the fact that my insurance covers pregnancy massage, and it's right next door to a Panera Bread. So I follow my massage with a decaf mocha by the fireplace until it's time to pick up the boys from school! Wow.... how totally selfishly indulgent!! Go me!

Yesterday, was a visit to the OB. While no where near as high on my list as Annette, Dr S and his staff are pretty cool. And right now, the visits are all routine, non-invasive, and let me hear the little girl's heartbeat.... so really cool!

In fact, yesterday's visit was shockingly cool, based on past experiences. I got there 15 minutes early, figuring it can't hurt to be early, and there was NO ONE in the waiting room! At this appointment they were testing my glucose levels (in case of Gestational Diabetes) and so I had to drink the "yummy" sugar drink an hour before my appointment. So, even though I was early, they couldn't see me until the hour had passed. They checked my vitals (I've gained 20 pounds.... yay!), and checked my sugar (70) and all was well. They put me in the room, and viola, not 5 minutes later, the Dr was there. Yes..... 5 minutes of waiting.

This was the first time I've met the actual Dr (MD), previously my appointments have been with one of the two midwives on staff, one of whom will hopefully deliver this little girl. Dr S took a moment to learn to pronounce my name right (bonus points!) and then go thru my (boring) history with me. He apologized for this, and I pointed out that I appreciate that he wants to make sure he knows what/who he's dealing with. After chatting for a while, he measured me, found the heartbeat, and did the 'medical' part of the appointment. Then it was back to chatting... baseball, football, how I ended up here from growing up out east. All kinds of things....and it was chatting, both him and me, and he's funny! So it was a pretty darn good appointment.

He's not worried about me working (my job involves some lifting). He encouraged me to do it as long as I feel I can, pointing out that pregnancy is not a disease or an illness (Amen! that's how I feel). And told me to stay active - how can I not I have 2 preschoolers at home!! He does lose about 5 points off a totally perfect score, as he made me a tad bit nervous...

When searching for the little girl's heartbeat, he commented that it seemed somewhat slow. Not slow as in something to worry about, but slow as in, "sounds more like a boy", which were his exact words! Not what I want to hear, since last month the U/S tech pointed out that there is always a chance she could be wrong! Her heartbeat was 136 which I guess is more in the 'boy' range, but I recall both my boys having high heartbeats, so maybe I just grow little backwards babies!!! Dr S suggested I have another ultrasound later on to confirm it's a girl, so hopefully that will happen (and insurance will cover it!).

Otherwise.... fabulous appointment! I was in and out in 30 minutes, and 15 of that was me waiting until my scheduled appointment time!!

The trifecta of the Dr's appointments came this morning, when I took B for his 3 year well child exam and physical for pre-school. My children (bless them) are also children who don't visit the Dr often, as they are rarely sick. I thank them for this 99% of the year, but I learned last month when they were both sick, that sometimes there is a downside to this. Blake doesn't care for strangers, and his only memories of the Dr (I'm guessing) involve the flu-shots and vaccinations... i.e. PAIN. So B, tends to be a bit of a PITA when we go to the Dr.

So, after dropping Trev off for his day at school, B and I drove to the ped's office. We talked on the way about where we were going (something I don't think I've done in the past.) We talked about the Dr having a little flashlight and wanting to look in his eyes, ears, mouth, nose etc. just to see. We talked about him standing on the big boy scale to be weighed (or the alternative, if he doesn't cooperate of being strapped to the baby table scale like last time!). We talked about the eye test and how he would get to pretend to be a pirate (putting the paddle over one eye) while naming picutres for the Dr. He was excited about all of it. He said (in the car) he would do all of it. He asked to bring his Elmo (Chicken Dance Elmo) in with us, and I said sure.

At the ped's office, we had no more than a 5 minute wait in the front room before being called back (unheard of!). We went back and it was scale time. Chicken Elmo got weighed and measured, then Blake stepped on the scale... piece of cake! We went back to the room and he let the nurse check his hearing and take his temp, no fussing. She asked to do the eye exam and with a little work, he played his role as a pirate, looked at the eye chart, and told Chicken Elmo (vs. the nurse!) what pictures he could see!! We waited and read a book (Thomas of course!), and then the Dr came in. B talked to him, answered his questions, let him look at him with the flashlight, and even did some physical 'tests' with him (walking, squatting, tiptoeing, jumping, etc.). He cooperated for the entire visit, was an angel, and was generally..... totally not my child!!! It was awesome, and weird all at once!!!

I don't know what I owe it to, but I guess when my next few Dr appointments are really slow/bad/late etc. I better try to remember this week, and realize that I've just cashed in ALL my good doctor karma for 2009!!

It's a....

Yes, today was the big day! No, I'm not just gonna spill it right here in the first line, you have to read the WHOLE POST!

This afternoon, hubby and I headed to the midwife's office for my 21 week ultrasound. Yes, it should have happened last week, but my work schedule conflicted greatly with the ultrasound tech's schedule... so we had to wait.

It's funny. With both the boys, we never planned to find out before they were born if they were boys or girls. I had no issue with that, neither did hubby. I never thought about 'cheating' at the ultrasound appointment, and I never regreted waiting to find out. With this baby, we have said for AGES, since long before we were actually pregnant, that we would find out. Maybe because it's the last baby (no matter what gender) or maybe because we already have 2 boys, and having a chance to find out if it was the same or different would make a difference (shopping, preparing the boys, etc.)

Whatever the reason, I have been DYING for today to come. Since last month's appointment, I have been couting the days, reminding hubby, and telling the boys that soon we'll know what kind of baby we're having. This morning went so SLOWLY! (So is this post, isn't it! At least for those of you who haven't cheated and skipped to the bottom already!).

Before we left home, Trevor told me he wanted it to be a boy baby. Blake just echoed Trevor, which is his style lately!

We got to the office a few minutes early, and waited about 15 minutes. Based on the number of people there, and past experiences at the office, that's not too bad. The tech came and got us and took us back. She started the ultrasound and found the baby pretty quick. Lots of good pictures (no video like the two boys tho) and views of the head, heart, spine, arms, legs, etc. Everything looks good, measures right, and seems to be just fine. The little feet were dancing away, and the tech called the baby "twinkle toes"... maybe a new nickname!

Then she asked the question... "Do you want to know what you're having?". And I about screamed "yes".... I finally got to say yes to that question! And our little one cooperated - amazing and probably the only time in life that will happen!

So.....

without any more waiting....



it's


a



GIRL!!!

Yup! It's a girl. I will not be quite so outnumbered in this house anymore come April. We will add a little girl to the family!

We got home and told Grandma - who was ecstatic - and Trevor - who was less than thrilled. To be more accurate, he was downright distraught and upset. He threw himself to the floor (from a stool at the counter!), and just was bawling uncontrollably. He just kept saying "I wanted a boy". Nothing would calm him.

Half an hour, 1 tv show, and lots of mommy-cuddling later, he was much better. No specifc reasons came up that he wanted a boy, or didn't want a girl. Just pre-schooler logic (i.e. nothing!). We started to talk about him helping her to play t-ball when she's older, and look for worms, and suddenly a girl didn't seem so bad to him. I failed to mention the dolls, hair brushing, and dress-up stuff that may also take place... he can deal with that when he's older!

By bedtime, he was talking about what to get her for christmas. He wants to buy her a rocket ship. At first, I fully expected that statement to be followed by, "So we can send her to the moon!". But it was not! He actually wants to buy her a toy rocket. So, I think all is as normal as can be expected with Trevor.

As for Blake, he's not really sure what he wants -brother vs. sister. I think in time, i.e. after her birth, he'll realize he didn't really want either, as his status as "baby of the family" is gone and his life is about to turn upside down!

So, all in all, it's a great day here... we're happy it's a healthy baby, and excited it's a Girl!

No Beer for the Baby

This is one of many posts I have longed to write about this topic. Today, as Blake napped, Trevor and I had a phenomenal conversation. We've had a few of these in the last few months, but since I wasn't publicizing the pregnancy, I wasn't able to blog about them. Now I can....YAY!!

This afternoon, I sat here at the computer, as I usually do when Blake is napping, with Trevor alongside. Most of the time he'll do a 'project' at his desk (cutting, coloring, etc.) for a while, before demanding requesting his turn on the computer. Today, when his requests were being ignored, he climbed up in the desk chair behind me and sat behind me, hugging me. I casually pointed out to him that he was hugging the baby. He hugged and squeezed a little tighter. I told him he was turning her (yes, I refer to the baby as a girl WAY too often!) into lemonade, since this week she is the size of a lemon. He thought this was hysterically funny, and sqeeezed some more, until I moved him to my lap instead!

He proceeded to talk about the baby, and how big she is, how she's not coming out until after Easter, when she's as big as a watermelon, and so on. He and I have had these conversations for a while now, and I know he enjoys them. At times he tells me, he can't wait that long for the baby, but I think for him it's important that he has time to get used to the idea of another child. He's a kid who NEEDS time to adjust to new things!!!

We talked about her for a while, and proceeded to switch over to talking about him as a baby, and the things he knows about that time. He knows he was in my belly first and that after he came out, Blake was in there. He knows that he came out 'upside-down' (as in face up), and that he had a squished nose because of that. He knows that she has a cord that goes to her belly button and that's how she eats, and that he too had a cord when he was inside. In fact, the other night at dinner, I was wiped from work and asked hubby for a beer-JOKINGLY!! Trevor told me I couldn't have a beer because then the baby would have a beer, and she wasn't old enough!!! How smart!!

And then he started wanting to know more about him as a baby. So, we went downstairs and found the work-in-progress that is his baby book. Hmm... Trevor is about 4 1/4.... in the baby book, he's just come home from the hospital! Oopsies! I do have all the 'stuff' for the baby book put aside in a tupperware tub (and Blake's stuff in his own tub) but I have not found the motivation or time to work on the baby books much in a LONG time.

We opened the book, and saw pictures of me pregnant, me in the hospital, ultrasound pictures (he really liked those!), Trevor just minutes after birth and so on.
He loved the tiny hat that he wore in the hospital and begged to try it on. It just barely fit, and kinda looked like a nylon stocking on the head of a robber it was so tight!! Funny!

We found the wrist bands that I had to wear and that he wore, and he was STUNNED how small it was! (So was I....*sob*).

He found the baby footprints that they put in the book, by stamping his foot, and pushing on the paper. He put the book on the floor and stood next to his baby footprints. The tiny print goes from his heel, to about the middle of the arch of his foot. He was shocked!! He pointed out to me what a BIG boy his is, just based on that!

He was confused by the pictures right after birth, that he was messy (something he hates to be!). And he was even more confused to see the clamp on the umbilical cord, and the scissors. He's known for about a month that the baby eats through a cord, and the he had a cord, and that's why he has a belly button. But apparently, what happened to that cord when he came out, never occured to him. He was shocked that we would cut the cord. And save the scissors!! And save the little dried piece of belly button that FINALLY fell off! He was very worried and sad about this-momentarily (as 4 year olds are!). Then, recovering quickly, he asked if he could cut the cord when the baby comes out. That question left me stuttering, as to why not, and why he wouldn't be there, and I quickly distracted him with other pictures!!! (whew!)

So, my sweet boy, continues to grow up....







PS... This post, in part, is inspired by my dad. Who shocks me by reading my blog (shocks, only becuase my dad and the computer just don't go together in my head), and then sending me wonderful, touching comments. Reminding me, that the original reason for my blogging, is much more of a personal, journaling intent so that I can look back on fond memories, years down the road. Thanks for reading Dad, and thanks for commenting.

Houston, we have a Heartbeat!

Well, FINALLY I've heard it! The baby's heartbeat that is. It's been 12 long weeks, and I was SO looking forward to this morning's appointment.

I switched Dr's this time around. The other Dr delivered both boys, but something was always missing. After 2 pregnancies, and countless office visits, they still couldn't pronounce my name right. Okay, so this happens alot in my life, all the time in fact, but seriously after all the money I've paid you, and I've tried being polite about it, could you at least try. This wasn't the only reason... There was the fact that not just the first time around, but the second time too, and even 30 minutes before B was born, they were PUSHING me to have an epidural. Really pushing, and not respecting my wishes, my past experience, etc. So I decided not to deal with that again.

Instead I'm going to an awesome midwife. She's been great so far, and I've heard good things. She practices in an office with an OB/GYN but I never have to see him, and she will delivery me pretty much guaranteed (unless something goes really haywire-which I just don't anticipate). So I switched and the only down-side I thought, was that they don't to the early ultrasound (that fun internal one), so I couldn't hear the heartbeat last month at 8 weeks.

So, I go to my appointment today, at 9:45 am. I walked in the door at 9:46....oops 1 minute late. Do you know what time I made it out of the waiting room? 10:48. The midwife made it in to the exam room at 11, and by 11:09 I was back in my car. SERIOUSLY??? Yup, seriously. The full story gets even better....

At 10:40, I walked up to the receptionist to ask when I would be seen. After all, I had to pick-up T from school and needed time to get back there. Now, those of you that know me IRL, can imagine that cranky Mommy would be up there biting her head off, being rude and pushy. So what happened? When I tried to talk to her, no words came out, just tears running down my face. I couldn't spit the words out to ask. Who knows why....I'm an emotional basket case right now! 10 minutes later they called me back.

She walks in and asks me how I am. Thru tears (still) I tell her I was crying a lot less an hour ago. She apolgizes for the wait (that's good) and then complains about her tough/busy morning with all her sick patients and double-booked appointments (bad). Bad....because that's not my problem, and it's not what I want to hear right now. So we ran thru the basics, she took out the doppler and listened to the heartbeat, answered my questions and was gone. SERIOUSLY?? And how much is she gonna charge insurance for that? Can I charge her for my time? And my babysitter's time??

I really just wish that when you got there and checked in, they would tell you, "Oh, it's been a busy morning she's running x minutes behind." That gives you the warning you need, the option to reschedule if you have a busy morning, and it's just plain courteous! Maybe I could have run out, done my errands, and come back..... I think next month, I'm going to call first thing in the AM and see if she's running on time or is double-booked. I recall from my days as a dr office receptionist, that a few patients would do this so they didn't have to just sit there waiting (and wasting their time!).

On the plus side, the heartbeat was pure music to my ears. 160 beats per minute to be exact. I knew how much I wanted to hear it, and it didn't let me down. The relief flooded thru me, and more tears too! Only later, when talking to Steve, did he ask, "Just 1 heartbeat?" to which I said yes. I forgot he'd been joking, and other friends too, that we were going to have twin girls just to even things out around here!!! Oh my wouldn't that have been fun!

I think for a few minutes in all the emotion this morning, it also hit me how close I am to the original due date from when I misscarried earlier this year. Baby would have been here on 10/25.... so I'm sure that's adding to my emotional baggage!

The REAL reason I haven't been blogging...

Well, I've come up with MANY different excuses in the last few weeks of why I haven't been blogging. None of them are the real reason. But until now, I was VERY reluctant to share the real reason.

I've also been thinking about and planning this particular post in my head for weeks and weeks. Wondering just what the right way was/is to make the announcement.

So....any guesses yet? Y'all tired of me waffling on and not making any point.

Well, we're THRILLED (words don't even do justice) to announce that Baby Kappel #3 is on the way! He/She is due to arrive April 26, 2009!!!

We've kept this under wraps until today because I'm now at the 12 week mark, and theoretically past most chances for bad things happening. My confidence level in this pregnancy making it has risen dramatically over the last few weeks, and will really get a boost on Wednesday, when I FINALLY hear the heartbeat at the midwife's office. (Love the midwife - not always a fan of less technology! I'm sure my old OB could have heard it at about 8 weeks, but they drive me nuts and it's not worth it just for that!).

This is one of my methods of announcing this pregnancy. I've thought of a billion others in the last 3 months. It's been hard not to announce it, but I will say this... Those of you who have asked me point blank if I am, I have not lied to you. If you've hinted around me expecting...well now you know!! My Halloween costume will be a second announcement of things to come. So stay tuned for photos!!

For those of you that know how strangely my brain works, I will also share this lovely mathematical fact with you. I have 2 VERY close friends -from grade school) and 1 cousin born in April (They are the only 3 birthday's I can name off the top of my head in that month. There may be others, but not that I can remember off the top of my head. SORRY!). The three birthdays are: April 3, April 12 and April 17. (Now here's the strange part of my brain working...) If you add April 12 and April 17, you get April 29; then subtract April 3; and you get April 26....my due date.

So that's what I've been doing instead of blogging.... figuring out weird April birthday math, sleeping, and growing a baby!!