37 weeks

Not a ton of change the past week or so, but here I am awake at 6am while Leo is still sleeping and decided I'd take a few minutes to jot down some thoughts.

I guess you could say I've been experiencing a little bit of insomnia, I don't know if you'd call it that, but I've been waking up super early and unable to go back to sleep.  It's ok, I get some stuff done or just lay in bed with my phone, something that won't probably be happening pretty soon, so I'm trying to enjoy it.  I might even go make breakfast - you know not cereal. 

Last week I had my ultrasound!  While I was very glad to see my baby boy and breathed a huge sigh of relief when they said that everything looked great, I am kicking myself a little for having the u/s done.  I'll explain. 
The reason for the ultrasound was to get an estimate of baby's size due to larger than normal fundal height measurements. I said yes to the u/s because I was so anxious to see baby boy since we hadn't seen him since 19 weeks and truthfully this Zika stuff had been weighing heavily in the back of my mind because we live in south Florida, traveled to the Bahamas, and Lee traveled to Nicaragua just before we conceived and to Honduras in my 2nd trimester.. even though neither of us had a single mosquito bite!  Pregnancy is stressful.  I am not normally a stressful person but I find myself worrying about things that are either completely out of my control or just extremely unlikely... but I think that's normal. 

Anyway, the ultrasound estimated baby to be a little over 2 weeks ahead in growth and to be about 7lbs and 10oz.  Now they can be off quite a bit.  I've heard people say their's were 2 lbs off! But the Dr. I saw that day (because I had to go to a different office for the u/s) recommended induction at 39 weeks.
Not what I wanted to hear.

So then I had the entire week to worry about a looming induction... but also slightly nervous about the fact that I was really effaced at 35 weeks and definitely didn't want the baby to come before 37 weeks. I want him to come early, but not too early. Asking a little much right? 

At my appointment Monday (37+1) I was still only dilated 1cm and I didn't get a percentage estimate about effacement but she said I was very thinned out. My dr also recommended an induction at 39 weeks.

I do not want to be induced. I probably will refuse an induction until I get passed my due date. I just don't feel like it's 100% necessary at this point. I think I can handle giving birth to a slightly bigger baby and that baby will come when he is ready. 
That being said, I really think and hope that he comes all on his own next week sometime!  I'm thinking Thursday the 26th.  The 26th would be the 8 year anniversary of when Lee and I got engaged!! 

I've started doing a few little things to help spur baby along.  Attempting to take relaxing baths, long walks, and sitting on an exercise ball. I also have a fresh pineapple in my fridge to be eaten later today. I think about Sunday, once I'm 38 weeks I'll step up my efforts and do more "tricks".
At my appointment next Thursday if baby hasn't come on his own yet I'll have my membranes stripped and wait a few days to see how that goes.  I'm feeling pretty confident that if he isn't here by Thursday I will have at least made some progress. Pray that with me! 

I'm also trying to relax... which isn't the easiest for me at this point because when I'm not thinking about when baby is coming I'm thinking about all the things I need to do before baby comes, which truthfully isn't very much. 

Yesterday I found the stroller I've been wanting and looking for on Craigslist!!! A used double BOB stroller. They're about $600 new and there's no way we were going to be paying that... so I found one for less than half on Craigslist! And did a happy dance all the way to pick it up.  It's in great condition despite being a few years old and it just barely fits into my tiny car's trunk! Thank goodness! 
I'm also considering maybe getting a super cheap front and back double stroller off craigslist also, just to have options you know, and baby's car seat could click in for the first couple months, whereas the BOB doesn't have the infant seat attachment. We just have major storage issues in this house and if possible I'd also like to keep my old Graco jogger stroller specifically for beach trips. It's already rusted and worn in, haha, And Leo is completely capable of walking to and on the beach now.  Anyway, 3 strollers and Leo's bike is going to overwhelm this little apartment... or at least my husband. 

*Side note* I'm typing this on Lee's computer, which I'm not used to, in the dark, with my glasses on and I feel like I keep hitting the comma rather than the period so bear with me in my punctuation. haha 

We've pretty much checked everything off our to-do list before baby comes! House is mostly clean (not to just keep up with it), baby's space and stuff is all ready, a few meals are in the freezer, I made lots of "busy bags" for Leo to keep him occupied (maybe I'll do a post about those soon!), I put my etsy shop on vacation and shipped out my last orders, and I finished sewing the cover for my glider I found in the trash! 

Last week I had a day "off" sorta when Lee was post call and went and had a very relaxing pedicure and my friend Alex who does face-painting and balloon art professionally asked if she could paint my belly for her portfolio because apparently a lot of people ask about having their pregnant bellies painted!  Who knew?!  I said yes because it sounded like fun and it was! 

So yeah that's it.  If you need me I'll be out on a walk or bouncing on my yoga ball over here. 

How far along: 37 weeks 3 days
Total weight gain:  34lbs
Maternity clothes: yes and no.
Stretch marks: no
Best moment of this week: picking up our stroller
Movement: yep, and I'm able to tell which parts of him he's moving, which is fun.
Food cravings: Not, not really.
Anything making you queasy or sick: no
Have you started to show yet: uh yeah. 
Gender:  B-0-Y!
Labor signs: maybe? see above! ah!
Belly button in or out: It's just really flat now.
Wedding rings on or off: off! I took them off a couple weeks ago just in case and I am so glad that I did because my fingers have swelled a little a couple times and I would have been panicking.
Happy or moody most of the time:  anxious and nervous for sure!
Looking forward to: going to the beach on Friday and having this baby next week! ;)

36 weeks

36 weeks and getting anxious.
I'm feeling equally as anxious to have this baby as I am to not have this baby yet. It's weird.

At my appointment Monday, 35 weeks 1 day, the midwife thought I was measuring a little big.  At my 33 weeks appointment I was measuring right on track at 33 and then at the 35 week I was measuring 37 (I know, I know, it can be off and I did see two different people) but still she scheduled me an ultrasound for next week to get an idea of how big baby boy is.  I've heard this things can be off by as much as 2 lbs so I'm not expecting a lot, but I am SO excited to see baby boy since I haven't since 19 weeks!!
At this appointment I was also checked for the Group B Strep (which was negative!) and so she asked if I'd like to also have a cervical check... you know, while we were at it.... and being the impatient anxious one that I am I said yes and she was pretty surprised to find that I was dilated about 1cm and 70% effaced.  She said my cervix was very soft and ready... and that it was pretty likely I'm looking at another 37-38 week baby! AHHHHH

I was initially very excited.  Sooner to meet baby and sooner to not be pregnant you know... but then the more I've been thinking about it the more nervous I'm getting that he'll come too early!  I obviously want a healthy baby first and foremost. Every twinge and pain I've had I've been like oooo no little one stay put.

I have been having a lot of pressure and pains lately.  I think a few contractions here and there too, but it's sorta hard to say, even though I'm not new to this whole pregnancy thing.

In addition, I don't want him to come yet because it's just really not the ideal time. The first week of June was going to be perfect. Lee has vacation and my mom can come.
If he decides to come now it'll be weeks before my mom can come due to my dad falling out of a tree and breaking his leg and needing her to take care of him and their farm. Lee is on a couple weeks of busy rotations, which we thought was smart to fit in some hard stuff before baby comes so that he can do an easier rotation in June...
And on top of that my backup plan to my mom, the lady who runs the nursery at church (and our friend) is going to have family in and is going to Disney when I'm 37-38 weeks. We do have back-up-back-ups, but I'm wondering how many we need! ahhhhhhhh again.

Anyway, babies come when the come, right?

I'm pretty much ready in every other sense.
The house is cleanish.  Lee cleaned the carpets for me this week, which was one of the main things I wanted done.  The baby's space is all set up.  Our bags are packed.  I have a couple things in the freezer to eat.  I have about a dozen "busy bags" made up for Leo.  I wrapped a gift for Leo from baby brother.  I cleaned out the car (car seat not yet installed but we have a better idea what we're doing this time around I guess. haha).  I even put a mattress pad on the bed in case my water breaks in the middle of the night like with Leo!  I feel so accomplished.

The only major thing I have left to do is get a pedicure!! Nice huh?
I'm gifting it to myself for mother's day.  Lee is post-call on Thursday so the plan is go get one then and hope it stays nice and fresh until baby gets here!

Last Sunday the women from my church had a beautiful baby shower for me!  It was so nice!  I wasn't expecting a shower this time at all with it being baby boy #2 and all so it was such a sweet surprise!  The decorations were beautiful, the food was great, and baby boy got lots of cute little outfits and diapers!  I *think* we're set for diapers for a while until baby boy can start wearing cloth!  But who knows, he might be a little chunk right off the bat and they'll fit him better than they fit long and lean Leo.

My friend Alex is expecting in September!! So excited to have babies together! 

Baby shower! 

How far along: 36 weeks
Total weight gain:  32lbs
Maternity clothes: yes and no.
Stretch marks: no
Best moment of this week: getting the carpet cleaned. haha. I'm such an old lady.
Movement: yep, and I'm able to tell which parts of him he's moving, which is fun.
Food cravings: Not, not really.
Anything making you queasy or sick: no
Have you started to show yet: uh yeah. 
Gender:  B-0-Y!
Labor signs: maybe? see above! ah!
Belly button in or out: It's just really flat now.
Wedding rings on or off: on, which reminds me that I really want to take them off but I'm going to need some lubrication. lol
Happy or moody most of the time:  anxious and nervous for sure!
Looking forward to: my ultrasound Tuesday and seeing my little guy! 

34 weeks!

I was just reading over my post about being 34 weeks with Leo and at that dr appointment my dr said that if I went into labor then they wouldn't do anything to stop it and I could have a perfectly healthy baby!  What!

Just like when I was 34 weeks with Leo I feel like my to do list was 12 miles long.  Yet, we have everything we absolutely need for this baby.  Minus some diapers and I can just send Lee to the store while we at the hospital, yeah?

At 34 weeks I am feeling amazing.
I had a few days a couple weeks ago where I didn't feel great.  I was waking up sick and feeling nauseous and getting sick after I ate, but thankfully that didn't last too long and things appear to be fine!
I'm having almost no hip or pelvic pain at this point and baby boy has become a bit more gentle with the kicking. It's almost entirely on my right side now, which I found out last week at my appointment is where his little feet are because he is now in head down position, but lying on his side.  I was very relieve to hear the words head down!  Now just flip on your back little buddy and we'll be all good!

I haven't had any swelling since that one day I wrote about on my last pregnancy post and I don't think I've been doing anything differently.
I'm sleeping through the night just fine, yay! For a while longer yet I hope...

 I don't know if this is just the burst of energy you get before baby makes their grand entrance or the burst you get before you feel humongously pregnant and uncomfortable but I'm not complaining.

I have all the baby items pulled out of storage.  The swing and pack n play are assembled in the the living room.  The bouncer, boppy, play mat, and blankets have all been washed and are ready to go.  I have his space of our room almost completely decorated.  His clothes are nicely folded in his drawers.  His car seat is on the bed in the spare room ready to be installed.  The baby bathtub is hanging up in the shower and all the hooded towels and baby wash cloths are organized under the sink. Leo is sleeping in his new twin bed and the mattress has been moved back to the highest setting on the crib.

The house is getting clean.  I've been getting bursts here and there to clean and purge certain areas.  Last week was my bookshelf.  One day was my closet.  One was Leo's closet. One day I did one of those pinterest tricks to clean our mattress really well.  One day I even opened the closet where the AC and hot water tank are and cleaned out all the dust in there..... that was gross, but hopefully will keep our air clean for baby, right?
Something I really want to do before he is born is clean the carpets and deep clean the kitchen (but really that could wait until my mom gets here and wants to do it for me.... kidding.........)

Next up on my to do list is make the cushion covers for the glider chair and start some freezer meals.  I have some cooked ground turkey and a thing of spaghetti sauce frozen so far. That'll save me like 15 minutes some day... lol

I've also started making "busy bags" for Leo. Mostly stuff I've found on pinterest.  Hoping to buy some time here and there when I need him to be occupied and don't want to feel like I'm ignoring him. I am so thankful that Leo loves to learn.  I think it's going to make this transition easier because he really is content to sit beside me on the couch and go over flash cards or read books or make up stories. I pray his personality and temperament doesn't change when baby shows up on the scene!

These pictures are from 33wks and 3 days! 

And 34 at church

How far along: 34 weeks
Total weight gain:  about 28-30
Maternity clothes: yes and no, I still have a few things I can get away with wearing!
Stretch marks: nope, I might be lucky and make it through a second.  Once can hope
Best moment of this week: probably one of the times Leo talked to my belly or about baby brother. He's going to be the best big brother.
Movement: slower and less sudden movements I think.  I also have a better idea of what body part I'm feeling, haha.
Food cravings: not really, I usally crave drinks I guess. Water with lemon, Dr Pepper, juice
Anything making you queasy or sick: no
Have you started to show yet: yes, and everyone is letting me know. lol 
Gender:  B-0-Y!
Labor signs: no, I hope not yet
Belly button in or out: It's almost flat, but its still sorta in.
Wedding rings on or off: on
Happy or moody most of the time: Happy and anxious!
Looking forward to: finishing my to-do list and meeting this boy! 

31 weeks

Hey look a pregnancy update!

I actually feel like I have things to talk about this time.

I'm starting to feel pretty pregnant now.  I definitely have a bump, my hips and pelvis are sore, and I'm having weird shooting pains randomly throughout the day.  Yep. Pregnant.

My feet even swelled the other night after making dinner and doing dishes. Ugh!
With Leo the only time my feet were ever swollen was when we came to Florida at 36 weeks.  So I'm blaming it on the heat. Last night when I was cooking I thought "man I wish I had something cushiony to stand on" haha and then I was like oh duh wear shoes!  And it was way better and there was no swelling.

I'm still sleeping good. I feel like that's one of the biggest complaints from pregnant women but I have been sleeping just fine. I sometimes have trouble falling asleep because that's when baby decides to do his aerobics and my hips are most sore at the end of the day... but I'm usually tired enough to fall asleep fairly quickly.  I haven't really woken up in the middle of the night to use the bathroom either, but I have to go immediately first thing in the morning. lol

My belly I think is roughly the same size as it was with Leo, perhaps a little rounder this time as I think baby boy is lower.  I still have several pairs of non-maternity shorts and a couple pairs of jeans that I can still wear!  I have 3 pairs of shorts maternity shorts and I 100% prefer the ones with the small waist band that you wear under your belly rather than the full panel that goes over your entire belly.  I've mostly been wearing dresses and my stretchy jean shorts these days.  It works... but I am so looking forward to not "dressing the bump" I hear people all the time saying how they love to wear maternity clothes and look all cutesy pregnant but I don't. lol.
I have gained about 24 pounds, which is less than I'd gained with Leo at this point, but I feel less muscular and they say fat weighs less than muscle so... I'm looking forward to working out after the baby comes. I like a challenge.  I'll probably start with walking and then do the Jillian Michaels 30 day shred like I did after Leo and had really good results with!  We also have a gym at our complex that I've barely used and so I can definitely see some visits there in our future - they have AC and cable TV so I'll set Leo and brother up in the stroller every morning.  Sounds like a plan anyway. Once baby is older Lee and I have talked about joining a gym with childcare, maybe the YMCA or something with children's programs too.

Baby is definitely a mover.  I feel him all over the place.  As soon as I'm convinced he's down low I get a pop in the rib or I'll be telling Lee that he's up high and then I get kicked in the crotch. ouch.

Leo loves to talk to the baby and is getting more and more interested in "baby brother" every day.  He has a doll that he all by himself started referring to as baby brother.  First it was baby brother rocking in a chair and then baby brother was sleeping on the couch.  He also puts stickers on my belly for baby brother.  I cannot wait to see them together!

I passed my glucose test!  I was on the higher-end of normal with Leo so I was a little concerned but my blood sugar was only 109!  Bring on the cake. Just kidding.... but not really.  I do love cake this pregnancy - but mostly only like carrot cake or coffee cake... not white or yellow cake. And Dr. Pepper. Ugh I wish I could just drink an unlimited flow of Dr Pepper all day long. Stupid caffeine.

We are starting to get everything all prepared for baby's arrival.  I have the crib and changing table set up in our room for now, then baby and Leo will share a room later or we will move our bedroom into the spare room and give the boys each their own room.  Haven't decided yet.
We have a 3 bedroom, but 2 bedrooms are side by side and the master is across the house so I initially wanted the room right next to Leo so I could hear him in the night.  We made the master bedroom our spare room so guests would have their own space and bathroom.  It also functions as a storage room because it is such a big room and we have ZERO storage in this apartment. So if I were to make that room my room it wouldn't be that pretty... haha. Details.

I had to order a new base for our car seat because our old one got damaged on a flight (note make sure metal buckles are not hooked together because it gets really cold thousands of feet up in the air and metal contracts and expands and will not come back apart) I had to cut off the latch strap and then use the base with the seat belt for a couple weeks until we switched Leo to the convertible seat.  I know they say you can use the seat belt for installation but I just don't feel like it gets as tight so I felt much better about getting a new base.

I pulled out all of Leo's baby clothes under 6 months and washed them.  It was fun to go through all his stuff and be like awww remember when he wore this?! or ummm why did I keep this ugly thing? I've also been buying way too many baby clothes at thrift stores here and there so baby brother is SET for clothes and shoes apart for something to wear home from the hospital and for newborn pictures. My friend Rachel gave me a bag full of newborn sized clothes too because that's the only season we were lacking since Leo was born in February in Detroit - aka lots of thermal fleecy materials not a ton of lightweight onesies and outfits. The boys' closet is STUFFED. But I don't know what you expect when Salvation Army has sales like all kids clothes 5/$1 or Goodwill puts everything in the store 50% off. How can I resist!

We needed a new rocking chair or glider and found one with a matching stool in perfect condition in the trash last week!!! It's a Dutailer - which I googled and is apparently worth like $4-500! What?! So we need a new cover, which I'm going to attempt to make because Lee put a ton of confidence in me by saying "you could make one. You watch all those shows where they do that kind of stuff." Right.

Lee encouraged me to make a list the other day of all the things we need to do before baby comes and it's LONG.

Get Leo a twin bed
Move crib back to highest setting 
Get/make cover for glider 
Get double stroller - this technically can wait until after baby because I plan on wearing him a lot and can push Leo in our old one or his bike.  And I still don't know what stroller I want but I'm REALLY leaning towards the double Bob... if only it wasn't $600.
Diapers 
Pack bags - Me, Lee, Leo, and Baby
Type schedule and info about Leo - in case someone from church will be watching him rather than my mom
Install car seat 
Breast pump - find out info from insurance company etc.
Clean carpets - I'm gonna rent one of those steam clean/shampoo things from Home Depot at some point before baby is born.  Maybe around 38 weeks and hope it puts me in labor. lol. Kidding.... sorta.

I'm actually ahead on some things.... I've already stocked up on the stuff I'll need for after baby - some breast pads and regular pads, and vasaline and gauze for baby's circumcision. I've started packing a bag.  I have my nursing tanks, bras, a nightgown, chap stick, travel sized toiletries, socks, flip flops, baby gowns and onesies, swaddle, blanket, wipes, etc.

I'm one of those big weirdos that is looking forward to my labor and delivery this time.  Not looking forward to the pain part - but I am sort of excited to see how it will differ from my labor for Leo and to try some new tricks kinda thing.  I'm definitely going to be going for another unmedicated birth, as long as everything goes smoothly.  But this time around I will know that the contractions made me nauseous and will ask for something to stop the vomiting a little earlier. Throwing up during contractions when you've had nothing to eat or drink - not good.  I will also not get in bed until near the end.  Last time I laid down in bed due to the nausea and even though I didn't have an epidural I stayed in bed for the rest of my labor. Not what I wanted to do.  So I'm going into it thinking - if I lay down I'm not getting back up until after baby is born.  I will walk more, use the birthing ball more, etc.  Get that baby moving along with gravity!  My only wish is that the pushing goes faster this time around.  They say it does with #2... and I have a much better perspective about the whole pushing thing this time around... I know what it takes to actually push a human being out of your body (a whole lotta muscle) and I will not rush the pushing... I will wait until I really feel the need to rather than being anxious to get it going like I was with Leo.

The last detail we don't really know how to handle is when my mom will come.  Being in Florida is slightly more difficult than Michigan when your mom is in Ohio.  I called her when my water broke and she hopped in the car.  Now we need plane tickets!
I have several people from our church on call to watch Leo in case she's not here yet, or even if she is here but I just want her there during delivery.  It's so hard to know though because I was 10 days early with Leo!! And my niece is graduating high school at the end of the May and the whole family is going and I don't want my mom to miss out on that... and then Memorial Day is a big day in our hometown so I don't want mom to miss that if she doesn't have to.  The problem with having a second baby - care for the first baby!

Shew this was long.  I highly doubt any of you read this. But as I've been going through this pregnancy I've been re-reading a lot of my posts about being pregnant with Leo and the posts from when Leo was a newborn so I definitely want to stay up and be as detailed as I can - even if just for my own benefit!

28 Weeks

Hello 3rd trimester!

I don't have a lot of update about really.  Things are still going along just fine!
I had an OB appointment this week and I was pretty shocked to learn that I have gained 18 lbs thus far. I mean I know that's a normal amount of weight to have gained, but I definitely don't feel 18 lbs heavier.  I'm definitely getting a bigger belly, but a lot of my clothes still fit.  My mom always told me that someday being tall would pay off!  I guess it's true that you can hide weight pretty easily.

About a week ago I experienced my first leg cramp in the middle of the night.  I had just a couple with Leo, but they are so terrible.  If you've ever had one you know real pain. haha.
I did what Lee told me to do - stand up as quickly as possible to stretch it out.  It is terrible, but it really does help it go away quickly.
Note to self to keep drinking lots of water and eat bananas.

Baby boy is moving lots. And I still win an award for worst mother because I cannot stand the feeling. I can definitely see him moving now too.  When I'm laying down I can watch him roll over and push.... eeeek I hate it. haha.

This week on Wednesday we got a new nephew!! My sister-in-law Amber had her baby boy Theo!  Another boy cousin for Leo and baby brother!

How far along: 28 weeks 
Total weight gain:  18lbs at my appointment at 27+1
Maternity clothes:  I have 3 pair of maternity shorts and I've been wearing them for a couple weeks! I can still wear my regular shirts and a few pairs of jeans that sit low. 
Stretch marks: nope.  I hope my skin stretches the same as last time! 
Sleep:  Good, I have woken up several times with my hands asleep from sleeping on my sides, which I'm not used to but I'm trying to do because that's the "proper" way to sleep apparently. 
Best moment of this week:  Leo told everyone in the elevator and in the waiting room that we were "going baby doctor" it was so sweet.  We heard a great heartbeat and everything was good at my appointment! yay! 
Miss anything:  This pregnancy I'm having a harder time with caffeine... even though I was definitely getting less sleep when I was pregnant with Leo because I'd get up at like 5:30am for work and was working on my Master's so I was staying up late.  Leo sleeps until about 7-7:30 most days and I'm usually in bed by midnight so it's plenty of sleep... but I'm just craving coffee and Dr. Pepper! I usually limit myself to 1 a day.  1 cup of coffee or 1 can of Dr. Pepper (with cherry!) 
Movement: yes!! I already discussed that. haha
Food cravings:  No. Unless it's Dr. Pepper with cherry. lol 
Anything making you queasy or sick: nope. 
Have you started to show yet:  Yes!  But I could still hide it if I wanted to.  Strangers haven't started commenting yet. lol 
Gender:  BOY! 
Labor signs:  no
Belly button in or out: in, but getting flatter by the day! 
Wedding rings on or off: on, but now that you mention it I might take my engagement ring off... it's getting hotter in FL and I am terrified of having my rings stuck on. 
Happy or moody most of the time: Happy!!
Looking forward to:   Having this baby!  Seeing my new nephew (pictures only, he's in Canada) has given me major baby fever and I want mine!!! 

23 weeks pregnant and 23 month old toddler

23 is the magic number this week! and I'm just bored enough to not want to go to sleep (regardless that it's 11:52pm) and yet not motivated enough to clean or work on projects for my etsy shop.
So blogging it is!

I'll start with my pregnancy because that's probably what I'd have the least to say about.
Things are still going great and uneventful for the most part.
I had an appointment Monday and everything was fine.  It was the shortest appointment ever. Weight, blood pressure, pee in a cup, measure belly, listen to heartbeat... any questions? I typically have very low blood pressure - like 80/50 and this time it was 110/55, which is still normal, but high for me. It's maybe better if it's slightly higher than my normal because I often get light headed if I stand up too quickly.

I've gained about 10lbs and am starting to look more pregnant.  My clothes still fit but a lot of my jeans (except for the stretchy ones) are too uncomfortable to wear at this point. I have all these really cute pairs of maternity shorts that I was all prepared with but it's been COLD and I haven't worn shorts in weeks.  I only have 2 pair of maternity jeans and they're still too big at this point.  I've been re-wearing the same 3-4 pair of stretch jeans and dresses of course.
I'm at that point though where I just look chubby - which isn't fun when you're getting dressed :/

I feel like my baby bump is a little lower this time around.  With Leo I felt big really high up, like right under my boobs, but this time I don't feel that yet.  It's kinda silly, but I hope I carry a little lower this time because that makes a cuter baby bump. haha.

Other than weight gain, eating a lot, and peeing more frequently I don't feel much different and don't have any other symptoms.  Thank goodness!

At 23 weeks baby boy is over a pound and is about 8inches long!  I'm feeling him move a lot, especially when I lay down at night. Lee has felt him a couple times but usually when I say oh feel! baby stops moving.
Leo is fascinated by all the talk about baby brother.  He knows he's a boy and tries to talk to him through my belly button.  The other day he had a little toy and was giving himself an ultrasound and saying baby! baby! He also tries to listen with his toy stethoscope. Once he was doing it and my stomach growled and his eyes got huge! haha

Leo is 23 months.  2 weeks away from being 2.
Crazy.

I don't even know where to begin with this child.  I know I'm his mother, but he is amazing.  He blows my mind every day.  He is so smart.  He only needs to hear or see something once to have it memorized.

He loves to sing - he can sing his ABCs (sorta,lol), Jesus Loves Me, Row Row Row Your Boat, Wheels on the Bus, Elmo's World, Spiderman, Batman, and his favorite bedtime song is I Can't Stop the Rain (which is doubly precious because this is one of Lee and I's "songs" he used to sing it to me all the time when we were dating... now Leo requests the rain song before bed.  Oh my heart)
He also likes to drum and has a great little dance when he's drumming on his toy bucket flipped upside down. yea...

One of his absolute favorite things to do is draw, paint, color, etc.  He asks to do art.  It is the BEST.  I mean I obviously love art and crafts so doing little painting projects with Leo is a very enjoyable part of my day.  And if I need some time to get something done he is so happy to sit at the table with blank paper and markers.  He's really good at putting the lids back on the correct colors too!

Which leads me to - colors.  For about a month now Leo has had his colors down. You can even quiz him about what color something is even if he can't see it.
One day last week we were in the car and I said something about Nanny and Leo said - I want ride Nanny's red car.
My mom's car IS red! He hadn't seen that car for over a month and I definitely haven't talked about it!  Crazy.  He also talks about mommy's grey car and daddy's white van :) which we are getting RID of that van this weekend!  Oh Happy Day!

Leo can recognize very easily 20 letters of the alphabet.  He's still working on the weird ones - q,u,v,x,y, and k... even though he knows how to say Kelsey. haha
He'll sit and do his alphabet puzzle and say - A Apple, B Batman, C Cookie.  It's the best.   He picks out letters everywhere we go.  License plates, signs in Target, on trucks driving down the street... I know that letter recognition doesn't necessarily correlated to reading, but I'm still impressed.
He's counting to 3 and recognizes the numbers too!

He can identify pretty much every single DC and Marvel superhero.  He LOVES them.  Batman and Joker are his favorites... then Ironman and Spiderman.

There's basically nothing in any book that he has that he doesn't know anymore.  Every animal, instrument, household object.  He's got it.  His vocabulary exploded!  We can have full conversations now.

He also loves to help in the kitchen.  Lee lets him do dishes all the time and so he loves to pull a chair to the sink and play in the water and wash stuff. haha.  It keeps him busy!
He also cooks.  If you ask him how to make macaroni and cheese (his #1 favorite food) he'll say - water, pot, hot, bubbles, roni, milk, butter, cheese, spoon.
hahahaha I'm not kidding. He knows the steps.

On top of being so smart he really is incredibly sweet.  Every morning when I open his door he says - Hi Mommy!! He's so excited every time.
He likes to give kisses.  He wants me when he's hurt.  He likes to talk to baby brother.  He gets crazy excited when Daddy gets home.  We hear the lock turn and he jumps up and runs to the door.


He can thrown some tantrums but thankfully they are very few and far between and have ALWAYS correlated to a missed or shortened nap.  I used to roll my eyes when parents would say - oh he's  tired.  But seriously, it messes kids up. lol.
Last week one day Leo only had about an hour long nap (he usually sleeps at least 2) and he woke up wanting an orange straw for his drink.  We don't own an orange straw.  He was so sad and cried and cried and cried.  He refused all drinks and all colors of straws.  It was the most upset I've ever seen him.  He's not typically a crier... not when he's left in the nursery, not when he gets hurt, not when he's told no..... but man don't have an orange straw when he wants it and it was the end of the world.

We've been very consistent and mindful of doing timeouts lately.  He only gets timeout pretty much if he hits.  I know it sounds crazy, but I can't think of many other situations where he's misbehaved to warrant a time out (I swear, he is SUCH a good toddler)... but sometimes he does hit.  He usually hits Lee, but occasionally me too.  We say - Leo you're in timeout go sit on the couch. He'll walk over and sit and not get up until we come talk to him.  He's so good even in timeout!  He started catching on really quickly though and as soon as he'd sit on the couch he'd start saying - Sorry Daddy!! Daddy I sorry!! Come here Daddy! I sorry!
It's adorable. hahaha. But he stays in timeout for 2 minutes.  Ped said 1 minute for however old they are so we just started with the 2 because he's almost 2.
It's only been a couple weeks but I'd say for us timeout has been extremely effective.  We just have to be consistent and do it every time he hits, even if we're not at home.

So yea, over all everything is great and I am looking forward to 2!  I read that in Europe they call it the boundary stage rather than using the phrase "terrible twos" which I like much, much better!

19 Weeks - Baby Boy #2

I'm sure most people will accredit this to being my second pregnancy, I did a post at 6 weeks and then not again until 19, but really... I just have very boring pregnancies!
Ok so I should have done a post when we found out it was a boy and I could have posted last week when I felt him move for the first time. 

We'll catch up now.

At 10 weeks I went for my first actual OB appointment and opted to have the early blood test screening for different genetic disorders AND find out the sex of the baby.  Our insurance covered it and we just couldn't wait!
About a week later my doctor called with the results.  Of course Lee wasn't home when she called and I was like ugh should I wait to find out with him?! I decided I couldn't wait a second longer and had to know and I'd just tell Lee later!
We were going to be so excited either way - a boy means Leo and he would have a brother and a girl means a girl!  We'd have one of each!  
Here's the text I sent to Lee when I got off the phone. 

Later I text my friend Amber, my sister and brother.  Everyone else I called so I don't have a copy of the text - which are pretty fun to read haha 

Mark - what's his gender? haha

And Amber's are great :) 

We obviously were overjoyed with the news that baby brother will be joining our family!  And not just because I can use all of Leo's stuff again ;)
Also - we don't officially have a name.  We have a name we've talked about, but Lee and I both go back and aren't sure about it from time to time.  However we have agreed on exactly ZERO other names, so this will probably be his name, haha.

We also found out through the genetic testing that I am a carrier for a very rare and deadly disease called Batten's Disease.  We quickly had Lee tested as well and just found out that he is not a carrier so there is 0 chance that our children can inherit the disease.  Thank you Jesus!
It was a pretty stressful few weeks waiting to hear.  I mean we knew it was extremely rare and the chances were super low but still when it comes to your kids.... you worry.  I also worried because the way this disease develops you don't even know your child has it until around the age of 5 so Leo could have had it if we found out that Lee was a carrier.
But he's not!  Praise the Lord!  Thankful for our diverse gene pools :)

I had another appointment at 14 weeks where I met with a midwife who might be on call when I deliver in case my Dr isn't available.  Second time around I'm super comfortable with the idea of using a midwife, now that I know what to expect a little and that I like a very low/0 intervention delivery, etc.
At 14 weeks I had actually lost 2 lbs from my first appointment at 6 weeks (yea yea I know you go up and down 2lbs everyday they say) but still I was pretty happy with not gaining weight.  I was sure I was going to pop out with a huge belly at like 8 weeks pregnant like everyone warns you with with a second pregnancy, haha.  But here I am 19 and just starting to develop a slight bump and wearing all my regular clothes.  I weigh almost exactly what I did with Leo at this point, 1 lbs less.  For some reason I had it in my head that I had gained like 20lbs by this point with Leo but looking back over my blog it says 6lbs, so I'm losing my mind.

At 19 weeks I feel pretty much normal, other than if I stand up too quickly I feel the muscle tighten in my lower belly and it's uncomfortable.   I'm also starting to feel a little bit of the bump when I lay on my stomach, so that'll be ending soon.
I felt the baby move around 18 weeks.  I was at my parents laying on the couch watching TV and I felt what felt like him rolling over and pushing on my lower stomach. These early movements are sweet, but with Leo I did not like his movements after I while, that is so mean but it was so weird.  I wonder if I'll feel different this time around?
I already feel so much more attached to this baby than I did with Leo at this point.  It was still hard to connect that he was a real life baby and MY baby, but this time I know he's mine and I know how precious and fun he's going to be!

I've found during these two pregnancies that not until you have a very obvious bump do people (even people who KNOW you're pregnant) treat you with that nice, sympathy or care that pregnant ladies get. haha.  I don't know how many times I've had to remind people that I'm pregnant.... and it's annoying.  While I like being able to wear my regular clothes and I feel very comfortable I thought it'd kinda be nice if people in the airport would have known I was pregnant and carrying a heavy bag and chasing Leo around and felt sorry for me.  Just being honest. haha

At my anatomy scan baby boy was measuring a few days big.  I was 18+5 at the scan and he was 19+2.  Weighing about 10oz!  I'm thinking this boy will be born in May rather than June so I'm trying not to get attached the due date like I was with Leo.  It took me forever to get used to saying his birthday was February rather than March!
I'm aiming for a Memorial Day baby!

I've been taking "official" weekly pictures (mostly weekly) but I don't feel like finding my camera and getting it so this is one I took on my phone in the bathroom mirror like all good pregnant ladies do. 

How far along: 19 weeks 
Total weight gain:  4lbs at my appointment at 18 weeks 5 days 
Maternity clothes:  no
Stretch marks: no
Sleep:  Normal 
Best moment of this week: Seeing this baby boy!! 
Miss anything:  not really 
Movement: yes!! I felt him move when I was right around 18 weeks!  Little blimps of sweet baby movement. 
Food cravings:  No not really, maybe potato soup, or maybe I just like it. 
Anything making you queasy or sick: this is weird - but Leo's poop if he's not laying down on a changing table.  If he poops in the potty I seriously have to cover my face to not gag or if I have to change him standing up it's rough. 
Have you started to show yet:  not yet, but very soon! 
Gender:  BOY! 
Labor signs:  no
Belly button in or out: in 
Wedding rings on or off: on
Happy or moody most of the time: Happy!!
Looking forward to:  People knowing I'm pregnant and having sympathy for me, hahaha 

The day my heart doubled in size

October 2nd 2015 we found out that baby number 2 was coming to the Coghill family!

We found out about Leo's arrival on July 1st so it's pretty fitting we found out about baby #2 on the 2nd.

We've been feeling ready and eager for another baby for a while now.  And while we had thought about putting it off just a little bit longer, the truth is I am very impatient and wanted a baby now and everything just fell into place.
Lee even has a pre-scheduled vacation the week of my due date.  What are the chances?!

I had my first Dr appointment today just to establish with the doctor and confirm pregnancy.
From my estimates I'm 6 weeks and 3 days along.
I have an ultrasound next week to set the accurate due date, but as of now it's June 5th.

So far this pregnancy I am a lot more tired than I remember being with Leo and have felt some waves of nausea.  i haven't felt super sick, but just over all I don't feel great.

Thankfully Leo is a great sleeper and has been taking it east on me!
He is also starting to point at my belly and say baby :)  It's so precious.

I was so excited when we found out about Leo, but it was so unknown.  I was excited and terrified.
When we found out about this baby Lee and I were both just plain ecstatic. We keep looking at each other randomly and exclaiming - we're having another baby!!
I think now that we've gone thru this process before and understand what it's like to be parents we are already feeling so attached and in love with this little baby.... whereas with Leo it was this unknown little being in my belly that was a little difficult to connect with.  It wasn't until Leo was here in my arms that I could grasp how amazingly overwhelming it is to be someone's mother.
And now I'm a mother of two.

What!?



How far along: 6 weeks 
Total weight gain:  0 - today at the doctor I weight 2 lbs more than I did at my first appointment with Leo.  Let's hope my weight gain stays similar to how it was with Leo. 
Maternity clothes:  no
Stretch marks: no
Sleep:  I've been sleeping a lot.  The other night I may have went to bed at 7:30... 
Best moment of this week: confirming the pregnancy at the doctor!! 
Miss anything:  just my energy at this  point. 
Movement: no
Food cravings:  I've been eating a lot of carbs... and sorta craving lemonade
Anything making you queasy or sick:  the thought of meat. barf. 
Have you started to show yet:  no thank goodness, haha
Gender:  I found out today that we can find out at like 10 weeks with a new dna test!! 
Labor signs:  no
Belly button in or out: in 
Wedding rings on or off: on
Happy or moody most of the time: Happy!!
Looking forward to:  my ultrasound next week!!! 

38 weeks!

I keep hearing "any day now" from people around me and it's starting to freak me out a bit!!
I am so ready to meet my little boy, but also insanely nervous about the whole process.
I was trying to explain it to my sister the other day... I'm not nervous for the delivery or myself for some reason, but I am so anxious about the baby.  Will it go smoothly?  Will he be healthy?  How big will he be?  What will he look like?  Do I have all the stuff I need"

I don't know why, but I just feel at peace about labor and delivery.  Don't try to scare me now - it's too late! I know that inevitably this baby has to come out, one way or another, so there is no avoiding it so why let myself get worked up over it.  I'm fully expecting it to hurt like heck and be a long crazy process... but I also know that at the end there will be a beautiful baby boy and that makes it so worth it.

I am still feeling really great.  I haven't hit the super uncomfortable stage yet, so I'm content to let this baby stay inside a little while longer.  Everyday he gets a little smarter and chubbier and that makes me happy.

I had a great visit with my OB today.  I am 1.5cm dilated and the baby is in the head down position and my cervix is shortening or whatever.... it's amazing he can tell all those things in literally 5 seconds.  I don't know if I just have the best doctor ever but he is so quick and totally un-awkward about examinations.
Also, since my last appointment 2 weeks ago (Did I mention that my doctor went to GRENADA for a week?! Since St. John is a clinical center for SGU a lot of the  doctors are involved with the school and so he went for a conference.  When he told me he was going I almost cried and then begged him to take me with him.  I mean, a girl shouldn't be too far away from her Dr. right?  So I quickly and quite fanatically filled in him in on all my favorite parts of the island and the must do things. lol. I think it was the most I've ever talked to him before.  He probably thinks I like Grenada more than my baby now.....)
ANYWAY remember when I lost 2 lbs at 34weeks and then went back at 36 weeks and had gained like 5? Well I'm down 3lbs again this week!  So I'm just weird.  The baby is measuring fine.  This week I measured 37 weeks, so I've been pretty consistently smaller than my actual week,  but that can be normal.

I haven't felt that last stage burst of energy everyone talks about, but then again I never lost any energy or had any of the other symptoms so why would I have that?  So I wouldn't say that I've been "nesting" necessarily, but I have been pumping out school work like a fiend.
Last weekend I put myself on self-prescribed bed rest and didn't leave my room for 2 days and was miraculously able to finish about 3 weeks of work for my classes, including discussion board posts, several shorter papers ( two 3 page papers and a 5 page paper), a couple exams, and get a jump on research for my final papers.  I.was.impressed.

I guess the possibility of going into early labor is a pretty good motivating factor.

As of today I am over halfway finished with my final 12pg paper about teen sexual promiscuity and slightly started on a 10pg paper on cognitive behavioral family therapy.... that one I am struggling with.  But whenever I get bored of researching the antics of teenagers I switch over to counseling theory..... fun.....

So the goal is finish both of these papers by Sunday night (2 weeks early!!!!) then I'll be able to focus on getting this house in tip top shape - dependent if my nesting skills kick in or not.

I may or may not go to work next week depending on how I feel and if I finish my school work.  My boss has been awesome and lenient and said I could just  decide if I want to come in.  I do want to go if at all possible because I really like my job and since Jenny has taken over my position I'm really just back up and spend the majority of the day chatting with patients and my coworkers.  Who wouldn't want to be paid for that?  and there's that whole I won't have a job any more after this bit..... aka no more paychecks. boo.

Anyway,  I would definitely say that the baby has dropped.  I can now feel my belly against the tops of my legs when I'm sitting down and leaning forward.  It's gross and I hate it, but you'll have that I guess.
I've also been experiencing some mild lower back pain and frequent "popping" noises of my back and hips adjusting..... guess they're expanding and getting into position.
And I've had a few contractions, nothing really painful, just tightening of my belly.
This baby is still kicking around and letting me know he's running out of space.  Hopefully he doesn't grow toooooo much more because I'd like to keep the belly around this size. lol. It's still manageable and (fingers crossed) stretch mark free.

I met with our pediatrician yesterday and I loved him.  He's a really sweet older man that seems to be really smart and personable.  The bad news is however, that since he's with a group in the hospital I might not actually get to see him when I deliver depending on who's on call that day, but that's fine.  It's the group of peds that Lee rotated with and he recommended them all.  One of the things I really like about a teaching hospital like St. John is that since all the doctors are also teaching students and residents they are really up to date on their info and research.  It's not like this man hasn't read any new information since he completed residency 40 years ago, he has to keep up with young guys like Lee.  Same goes for my OB, even though he's pretty young (I'd guess late 30s/40?) every time I ask a question he is prepared with the latest study or finding to back it up.  I like that.  Especially since I'm going to come home and look it up for myself anyway.

So this week I actually took a picture!

From the front it's like not that big.... (black shirt helps too though)
then I lift up my shirt and you see my weird stretch/crooked belly button and that horrible line up my belly.

THEN I turn to the side.... 

Wha Bam!
38 week belly!
I think this belly is making me look short!  I've NEVER thought that before. haha
but if you look closely you see that there is about an inch of shadow added on (yea still haven't figured out my camera... no time! it's on auto/flash mode) so object in picture appears larger than real life.
that's my story and I'm sticking to it. 

How far along: 38 weeks
Total weight gain:  32lbs
Maternity clothes: yes and no.
Stretch marks: not yet.... only need to make it a couple more weeks!
Best moment of this week: getting one week closer to meeting our boy!!
Movement: yep, now that I know for sure that his head is down I know that those jabs are definitely his little feet kicking me!
Food cravings: not really, today I really wanted a donut.  But who doesn't want donuts?
Anything making you queasy or sick: no
Have you started to show yet: yea, although when I'm wearing a coat people can't tell so that's made things awkward a couple of times. 
Gender:  B-0-Y!
Labor signs: no, just preparing for labor right? :)
Belly button in or out: in!  It's not going to pop out at this point right?
Wedding rings on or off: on
Happy or moody most of the time: Happy and anxious and nervous!
Looking forward to: finishing these papers and maybe getting to go on a date with Lee to the Cheesecake Factory and a movie or something before baby comes and we aren't able to do that for a while. 

37 weeks

Two magic words - FULL TERM.
I am so happy!

This week my baby boy has begun his decent south.  I can feel him much lower than before and am experiencing some mild contractions and pressure.  Not sure if this all necessarily means anything is going to happen soon... or if it's just normal for someone 3 weeks away from their due date.  In any case, I'm hoping he stays snug and warm inside just a little longer!  I am not ready!  I have lots of papers to write (which is why this is going to be short...) and the house isn't exactly like I want it when he arrives...
Have I also mentioned for the thousandth time how cold it is here in Michigan?  Yesterday morning it was seriously -5 when I went to work.  No baby needs to be born at a time like this.  Next week it's supposed to get up to around 40... much more tolerable if you ask me.  But whatever, we have the cozy car seat cover and lots of blankets and a really cute fuzzy little sleeper he can come home from the hospital with if need be!

So despite some increased symptoms I am still feeling really good, pregnancy wise.  Today I've developed some congestion and have been blowing my nose about 100 times an hour.  Thankfully Lee picked me up some Puffs plus lotion :)  My nose is very thankful.   Unfortunately he also picked me up a bag of Dove chocolates.... which I cannot resist.  So much for the cutting back on sugar, that man is an enabler!

Speaking of which... he's about to drive me crazy!  He is SO ready to have this baby he is convinced every time I say ow or hold my belly that I'm having a contraction.  He wants me to have him like yesterday!  And when I saw he's driving me crazy I mean, he is adorable and makes me laugh uncontrollably... which invariably causes my belly to tighten up and experience more pains!  I really think he's going to laugh this baby out of me one of these days.  For some reason my pregnancy hormones haven't made me cry once, but I laugh like a maniac at the drop of a hat.
Like the other day I said - Lee if you make me have this baby YOU'RE gonna have to write my papers and finish school for me!  He replied - "uh I'd rather do the breastfeeding"
bbbbbbbaaaaaaaaaaahhahahahahahahaha. I lost it.
He's going to send me into labor laughing.  It's all part of his evil plan.

Lee is going to be such a great dad.  I cannot wait to see them together.  He is so unbelievably sweet to me I can't imagine how he's going to be with a precious little baby.   He's been so cute setting up all of the baby's gadgets.  I don't know how to work any of this stuff, but Lee has it mastered.  Oh and he's an expert swaddler.  Now we just need to get to practicing the diaper bit.

So yea, that's it for this week.  Back to the grind.
Marriage and Family Counseling and Adolescent Counseling.
Side note - people are so pessimistic about teenagers.  I feel like maybe that's the group I need to work with because for some reason I'm the only one in my course that doesn't think that all teenagers are bad and/or that society is completely going to hell because of them.  Chill people.  Teenagers have always been teenagers.

How far along: 37 weeks
Total weight gain:  33lbs
Maternity clothes: yes and no.
Stretch marks: not yet.... only need to make it a couple more weeks!
Best moment of this week: wearing the same outfit as a dog. if we're not friends on facebook you won't know what I mean.
Movement: yep, he's wiggling himself down now
Food cravings: no, but a heart shaped pizza tonight would be nice.
Anything making you queasy or sick: no
Have you started to show yet: yea, although yesterday a patient had no idea I was pregnant... I mean... I think it's pretty obvious, right? 
Gender:  B-0-Y!
Labor signs: maybe?! but don't tell Lee!
Belly button in or out: in, I think we're safe there it's staying put
Wedding rings on or off: on - luckily no swelling!  In Florida my rings got tight, but the cold weather in MI cancelled that out.
Happy or moody most of the time: Happy and laughing like a fool.
Looking forward to: finishing these papers and maybe, possibly, hopefully getting a couple days to actually relax before having this baby.  Probably won't happen though! 

Maternity Pictures!

Our friend and fellow SGU SO Sara was able to catch a few quick maternity pictures for us a couple weeks ago!
We have been so extremely busy every weekend that there was no time to fit in pictures, or so I thought.  Thankfully one early, freezing cold Friday morning Sara was able to meet us on the Windsor riverbank while we were on our way to Lee's parents in Canada for the weekend for our baby shower.  About 30 minutes out in the snow and Sara was able to capture some beautiful pictures that we'll forever cherish.  We decided to do it on the river to get the Detroit skyline in the background, as that will be baby's first home and where we have spent the past two years and made the decision to have this baby!!
Sara I think they turned out great, thank you so much!
If you're in the Windsor/Detroit area for the next couple months check Sara (sarawhitsittphotography.blogspot.com) out... after that she and her husband may be moving for residency too!  AND having their 2nd little one in May!