Not so little

I've been a little teary lately. I cried in the car the other day on the way to pick Addison up from school. I cried the next morning when I was telling Michael the story about me crying. Come tomorrow my baby won't be my baby anymore. It's a little sad for me. I've been worrying so much about how she will adjust to a new baby sister in the house. I know it will be rough at times, but I have a feeling that everything will be okay. Addison already has so much love for this little person in my belly. She's so excited to meet her and so am I. But I'm starting to get a little worried about how I am going to adjust. Things are going to change. Sleepless nights, a crying baby, a two year old who just wants her mommy to play. I hope it will all go smoothly.

I'm pretty sure that my heart is going to double in size and there will be twice as much love to go around. I just hope that I can do a good job as a parent and they both know how much I love them. And I will always love them.

Big mama

My friend Kara, who does a little photography on the side, took some pictures of us in April. This put me at 34.5 weeks pregnant. Addison was very uncooperative that day and really didn't want anything to do with the pictures. And since Michael spent most of the time holding her he isn't in many of them either. But I did get some good belly shots and that was the goal.

Here are some of my favorites.








This last one is Addison tickling the baby. And for the record her tickling HURTS! It's more like a fast scratch and leaves my belly all red and bumpy.

Thanks Kara for spending a couple of hours with us. I (at least) had a good time.

Fully cooked

Put a fork in me. I'm done. I've thrown in the towel. I'm so ready for baby girl to be here. Everyone who says the last two weeks are miserable are so right. And to think that I'm going in 5 days early. I don't know what I would do if I had to wait until next Wednesday, my official due date. Last night was the worst yet. I was up three times, tried sleeping on the couch and almost had tears in my eyes this morning. The pain and pressure are getting to me, but I know I'm at the end so I'm trying to be positive. It will all be worth it when we get to hold our baby girl.

I went to my last doctor's appointment on Friday. Everything checked out great so he said there was no need for me to come back. I was up to 144 on the scale, which is 38 pounds total. I'm sure it's more today since I can't seem to stay away fromt he Oreos. Who cares at this point! I told my doc that I was a little nervous and anxious about the surgery, but he said it would be fine. Doc always knows how to make me feel better. One of the other docs in his office (the one I like) will probably be there to assist. Two for the price of one. Doesn't get much better than that!

I'm at work until Wednesday morning sometime and then I'm out of here for 10 weeks. I'm looking forward to some time off with my girls. Michael and I did a lot of cleaning and prepping this weekend and I'm almost done. Just a few things to finish up tonight and then hopefully I'll be able to rest a little. Ha!!!

Here's a belly pic I took this morning. Note to self - fix the settings on my camera before Friday. They're horrible!

We did have some maternity pics taken and I got a call Saturday that they're done. Michael had some stomach bug though and I didn't make it out to get them. Hopefully I can post a few by the end of the week.

Full term

Basically I could pop any day now. Baby girl is pretty well developed at this point and is just putting on weight. And I think I can feel every ounce. Last night specifically was a little rough. I had a lot of hip and pelvic pain which made it hard to get comfortable. Add in the anxiety I'm starting to feel about the surgery and I don't think I slept much at all.

I went to the doctor yesterday and everything is still right on schedule. The baby's heart rate was at 148 and she was kicking around the whole time. I was very impressed when I got on the scale and there was ZERO weight gain. Not one pound in nine days. I was so happy. So happy that I went to get a frappuccino and then I felt horrible the rest of the day. I'm swelling just a little bit, but nothing compared to Addison.

Things are starting to come together. I still have some straightening up to do in the nursery, but I can't find the motivation. I guess I'm not too concerned since she'll be in the bassinet for awhile. I probably should pack a bag for the hospital just in case. I'm excited, anxious and a little nervous all at the same time.

Here are some self portraits. I figured out how to use the timer on my good camera. And I figured it's been awhile since I've shown my face. Not the best since it was taken in the bathroom mirror, but you get the idea.


And...I think Michael and I have come up with a name. Just like Addison, it's the only thing that we can both agree on. He's a little more into it than I am, but I like it and it's growing on me. I actually spent some time thinking about it last night when I couldn't sleep. I think since I've made it this far that I'll just keep it to myself for another two weeks. :)

35 weeks

I'm a little late with this post. What's new.

Both my mom and Michael were able to go to the ultrasound appt on Thursday. It was really fun to be able to see baby girl so far along. She's weighing in at about 5 lbs, 13 oz and is already head down. We got to see her practice her breathing a little, all four chamber of her heart beating and the blood flow to her kidney's. Doc says she looks great. She's so cramped in there so the pictures aren't great, but I really did love this one of her nose and lips. I can't wait to see what she looks like.
I haven't had a real belly shot in awhile, but I thought this was too funny. After coloring Easter eggs on Saturday night, Addison wanted to use up some more of her stickers. And she thought that baby sister should join in the fun.
Mom - just so you know, those stickers are hard and they hurt when you peel them off. Thanks! :)

Doc visit

I've been a blog slacker lately. I feel bad. But such is life when work is busy because of tax time, your almost two year old is well, a two year old, and you're trying to clean and organize with every free second that you have. I have stuff to post, including the cutest video of Addison helping Olivia the pig go potty. Just no time to edit and get it on the site. It will happen soon.

I did make it to the doctor today. Nothing new to report. Heart rate was at 150 and I'm up 4 pounds in two weeks. That puts me at 140. I wasn't really happy about it, but I'm starting not to care at this point. Weekly appointments going forward. I have an ultrasound tomorrow morning so I hope to have some fun pics to share. My latest ultrasound with Addison was at 18 weeks so I'm excited to see what baby girl looks like this far along.

And today I got asked by the nurses if I have a name for the baby. HA! Michael and I were so close to finalizing something and then he informed me two weeks ago that he's "not feeling it". The problem is that I want something a little different to go with Addison and he's leaning toward something a little more traditional. We're both all over the place. I know in the end she'll have the perfect name for her, but I sure wish we could come up with something.

I hope to post ultrasound info tomorrow.

Baby love

This past weekend I had a FANTASTIC baby shower thrown by lovely friend Shannon. She came up with the "Here's to you baby #2" theme so the whole party revolved around the martinis. That's right. The booze. We had martinis served and the cutest of all gifts for our guests - martini glasses with a shot of Vodka and a mixer, wrapped up in pink and green tulle. Hey, the girl knows how to throw a party.

Since I already have a LOT of stuff that is being reused from Addison, I really didn't need much. It was really just a low key event with friends, exactly how I wanted it to be. Most people brought diapers and wipes which are much appreciated and needed. And let's face it. For the pregnant chick it's really all about the cake.

Shannon did get me this cute little outfit. Love it!

Addison enjoyed all of the festivities and the kids in the house. I don't think I saw her for an hour. She is still asking me "where did all the people go".

Thanks Shannon for doing all of this for me. We're so glad that you got to come and visit. We miss you already. And right after we took this picture we went out for manicures and pedicures. We both so needed it. Man do I look pregnant.

Thanks to everyone who came to the party and all of the fabulous gifts. I had such a great time and can't wait for baby girl to be here so she can meet all of the wonderful people in my life.

If you'd like to see the rest of the party pics click here.
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2019091&id=1420413983&l=7341160b1e

33 weeks

The doctor's appointments are so much different with the second baby. You know what to expect (pee in a cup, hop on the scale, blood pressure, belly measurement and heartbeat check) and you really don't have any questions because you've already done it all. Every third visit I get my finger pricked and iron checked (lucky me), which by the way is an indication of how much oxygen the baby is getting. Guess I did learn something new. My iron was really good and I'm weighing in at 136, up 30 pounds to date. Baby's heartbeat was right around 140. She's looking strong and healthy and that's all I can ask for. I was given all of the hospital info for my c-section and now know what to expect. A check in time of 5:30 makes for an early morning.

I'm starting to feel just a 'little' pregnant. The weight gain can be felt in my legs and feet. It just hurts when I stand for too long. My pelvic pain has flared up again and it doesn't feel great. I have to get up and pee at least 3 times a night. I had my first charley horse this pregnancy early Friday morning. You forget how painful those really are. I was screaming it hurt so bad. And what's even worse is the stiffness and pain I'm still feeling 3 days later. I don't normally have allergies, but evidently pregnancy can bring on many new things. The same happen with Addison and they're back in full force. I feel more sorry for those around me that have to listen to me cough all day. And don't forget to add in a couple of Braxton Hicks contractions. I feel like I'm complaining. Really, I'm not. :) I just want to put it all in writing.

Emotionally I feel a little overwhelmed. I feel like I still have so much to do. I'm set on clothes and diapers and that sort of thing, but the organization in my house is a mess and for those who know me know it's driving me nuts! I admit I'm a little bit of a control freak with a splash of OCD mixed in. If I could just get the closets done I would be a happy camper.

But I can see the light at the end of the tunnel. Our new baby girl will be here soon and I can't wait to meet her. I love to feel her moving around and kicking in there. She's definitely getting bigger while her home is getting smaller. Addison is about as sweet as she can be when talking about her new sister and it always makes me smile. I really love being a mommy.

8 weeks left

A little twist on my belly pic. I actually have clothes on! A dress at that. I don't wear them much because I feel like they make me look larger, both in the front and in the back. Especially in the back. And let's face it. It's just harder to shave my legs nowadays. So if you see me in a dress then you know that I've made the effort to bend over and at least get up to my knee.

I checked in at the doctor this morning. Nothing really new to report. Baby's heart rate was at 142 and she's measuring good. The scale was kind to me, only moving up 2 pounds in two weeks. That's 133 now. I can tell that the weather change is making my rings and shoes a little tighter, but no official swelling yet. I see it coming in my near future. I have eight weeks to go from tomorrow and I'm trying to enjoy it as much as I can. I'm starting to feel a little more tired, mainly because I'm tossing and turning more at night. And the heartburn is kicking in. I know I should stay away from all things acid, but I'm not sure if I could live without my red wine vinegar, orange juice and jalapenos. The sacrifices we make. Guess I should invest in some Tums.

And for the record, we still have not decided on a name. We're getting closer. I'm pretty sure we'll have something by the time we leave the hospital.

29 weeks

Just got back from my check up. The biggest shocker (which shouldn't be a shocker) was my weight gain. My appetite has been on the rise lately and I just want to snack. I'm trying to be good about it, but 4 pounds in two weeks just doesn't seem that good. The lattes are killing me and my wallet. I'm at 131 now, up 25 since my first appointment. Like usual, my doc said absolutely nothing. I had my Rhogam shot today which is always fun. I swear I am the biggest baby when it comes to needles. But that's it. No more blood work or needles until delivery day. I can rest easy for a little while. The doc did notice the pain I was in when I got up from the table so he checked my 'lower area' for varicose veins. All is good. It is now confirmed that the pain and pressure is just baby, whose heart rate was 146. Back in two weeks.

3rd Trimester

I'm officially in my third trimester. Actually, 11 weeks to go from today. Overall I feel great! I'm still having some of the pressure and pain in my pelvic area, but I've been doing some stretching exercises and squats lately and it seems to be helping. Some days are better than others. I think baby girl has started to move up and spread out a little which is helping. I now feel her little feet up near my belly button.

She's kicking around a lot in there and I love it! Addison felt a major kick the other night and wasn't quite sure what to think about it. She's still so interested in her baby sister. She's always wanting to pull up my shirt and talk to or feed the baby. I don't really have a problem with it, but I have a feeling that the people in Chick-fil-a don't want to see my belly. She no longer calls her "green one". Her new name is now Ian. Ian is Olivia's brother in the book so at least she gets that she is having a sibling. Wrong gender, but we'll go with it for now.

Michael and I are still working on names. We just recently starting talking about it again after taking a couple of months off. I'm pretty sure we'll come up with something before we head to the hospital. If not, we just might have to call her Ian after all.

Here's a belly shot taken on Monday when I was still 27 weeks. At times I feel huge, but I think all in all I am a little smaller than I was with Addison. It all just depends on the time of day and the color shirt I am wearing. I'm happy that my weight gain has been more gradual this time. I'm trying to eat smaller meals and healthy snacks, but sometime I just want sugar. And Addison keeps talking about cupcakes which isn't helping.

I got all of the old baby clothes out the other day and I am amazed by how much stuff Addison had. There is so much with the tags still on it. Good thing we're having another girl. We're almost done painting and organizing our guest bedroom for Addison to move into. Hopefully the transition to her big girl bed will go smoothly. Taking away the paci? Probably not as smooth.

Sugar binge

That's what I did when I left my doctor's appt yesterday. I passed my glucose test with flying colors. Then I headed straight to Panera for a souffle and a caramel latte. Heaven! Last night it was brownies. And today it was a coke and two cupcakes. I think I need to do some walking this weekend.

Everything went great at the doctor. I weighed in at 127 so that puts me up 21 pounds so far (only 3 this month, yeah!). Baby girl's heartbeat was 148 bpm. I have to have my blood drawn one more time to test for my Rh antibodies, but then I'm good to go. My appointments are every two weeks going forward so the time should start to fly by. We're still on for May 8th unless she happens to come early.

Pictures of me and my growing belly coming soon.

25 weeks

I had my ultrasound this morning to check on my placenta. They found that it is starting to move up and shouldn't pose concerns going forward. But he is going to check it one more time before I deliver just to make sure everything looks good. While I was there they checked measurements of baby girl. Everything looks fantastic, which is all I ever hope for. Just like expected she is still low and in one of the weirdest positions I've ever seen. Her butt is stuck near my pubic bone which might explain some of the discomfort I've been having. From there she is basically folded in half with her head, feet and hands all in my right side. Yeah, my girl is flexible. It was funny to see all of those parts so close together. Because of her odd position we got a lot of feet pictures, but that was about it. We tried to see the girl parts again, just to make sure, but those were even hard to see. We didn't see anything protruding (her word, not mine) from that area so she was pretty sure that baby girl is in fact a girl. Her heartbeat was at 144 and she's weighing in at about 1 pound, 11 ounces. She couldn't be more perfect. I'll try to find a good pic and post it soon.

Sink bath

When are you too old for the sink bath? Evidently not at 21 months. Michael decided this would be a good idea. I should add that our sink is really not that big. Whatever. She had fun. That's all that matters.

I could not get her to look at me at all. She was having way too much fun with the water. This was the best I got.

Quick baby update - I have an ultrasound appointment tomorrow to check on my low lying placenta. From the feel of things, baby girl is still super low. I'm excited to see what she's doing in there and if there is a reason she likes hanging out so low. I honestly don't think she's made it past my belly button. Addison's feet were always up in my ribs. It's so different this time. And the pelvic discomfort is really starting to bother me. It honestly feels like my pelvic area is just broken. It hurts to sit in the same position for awhile, lay down for an extended period of time and even walk. I feel like an 80 year old with Osteoporosis and everything cracks when I move.

I wouldn't change it for anything.

23 week appt

I have to admit I've been a little depressed this week. I went to Publix on Monday and made the mistake of weighing myself. I normally stick to my rule of only being weighed at the doctor's office. So when I saw that I was up 6 lbs for the month I was a little bummed. I thought I was doing better with the weight gain and then it hit me all this month. According to this post (scroll down to Dec 14th) I'm pretty much right where I was with Addison.

Today I was at 124, up 18 lbs so far since I started at 106. The doc actually said that was good. My blood pressure still shows that I'm half dead, which is a good thing. Baby girl's heartbeat was beating strong and nothing was even mentioned about my placenta. That's why I love my doc. He only brings it up if it's important. I go back in four weeks for the dreaded glucose test and then another blood draw to test for the Rh antibodies.

And we're on the schedule to have baby girl on Friday, May 8th. I guess I should check with Michael to see if this is okay with him.

22 weeks

Me and the babe just wanted to say...

G O

G A T O R S ! ! !

Should be a fun night in our house. At least for me.

Baby update

Quick doctor appt on Friday. Everything is still going great. They were able to find the heartbeat this time no problem. And it was loud and clear at 153 bpm. So there goes the theory of low heartbeat is a boy. I weighed in at 118 so my belly is definitely starting to get bigger, but I'm still nowhere close to my weight with Addison. She's starting to move around a lot more which is both fun and calming to my nerves. Next appt in 4 weeks and ultrasound at the end of January to check on my placenta.

Baby girl #2

Here she is. Our "we have no idea what we're going to name her" baby girl. There's just something about knowing what she is (yeah, that sounds funny). I feel like the bond between me and this baby I've been calling 'it' for the past 18 weeks instantly became stronger. It's so hard to explain. I already love her so much.

I love the little foot pictures. It just makes you want to eat them up. Her hands were all over her face, just like Addison's were. At one point her arm was covering it completely. I think we have that on video. I can't wait to show Addison the video this weekend. We were watching the one from last time and she kept saying that the baby was swimming. She's going to be such a great big sister. I can't wait.

Any suggestions on names? I'd like to hear them.

Anyone wanna guess?

I just went to the scanner to scan the pictures taken this morning of our little one and it's not working. I'll post them as soon as I can.

The baby couldn't be healthier! Super strong heart, perfect bones and the cutest little nose. The baby was a little stubborn and didn't want to show it's face too much, but the tech was able to get a flip and a turn there at the end. It's laying really low right now which made it a little difficult to get some of the measurements they needed, but in the end it worked out well and everything looks fantastic.

Enough with "the baby" talk. I was so convinced I was having a boy and I couldn't have been more wrong. We're having another BABY GIRL!!! We're both so excited and can't wait to share the news with Addison.

The good and the bad...I have what is called Placenta previa. It basically means that my placenta is very close to my cervix. 98% of the time it fixes itself as my uterus grows larger, but it is something they want to monitor. I go back in 7 weeks for another ultrasound. This means we'll get to take another look at our baby girl. Yeah!

Look for the pictures soon.

upcoming

I made it back from the trip. Shannon and I had a lot of fun. I'm still sore and tired from the plane delay which made for a long day on Sunday, but it was all worth it. I have pictures and stories to post soon. You can click on Shannon's link to the right to view some of the fun that she's posted.

My big ultrasound is Thursday morning. Most importanly we'll get to see the baby and make sure everything is how it should be. And if all goes well we'll find out if we're having a little boy or girl. I will definitely update as soon as I can so keep checking in.

I was back and forth up until about a week ago, but I am now convinced we're having a boy.