38 weeks

...and then some.


The photo above was taken last Friday. The look on my face says it all.

I am not sure I was aware the photo was being taken at that exact moment. That look however is priceless. As I look back at my posts on and around my due date with Madeline (here and here) I can feel how optimistic I was. Maybe optimistic isn't the right word... maybe rested? Or not miserably uncomfortable? Or not totally *&%$#ing ready for this baby to come out? (That is if I swore, which I don't, of course.) I am still happy and most definitely looking forward to meeting this little person. I am just significantly more READY to have this baby than I was last time.

Maybe it was nerves last time... I had no idea what was in store for me in the delivery room and that did honestly make me nervous. If I could go back and tell first-time-child-bearer-me that it was going to be ok and not that scary and pretty darn near perfect then maybe I would have been more ready to actually HAVE a baby.

It also could have been that I didn't know what was in store for us as parents either. In all my years of babysitting and nannying and such I knew nothing was going to prepare me (us) for the road that lie ahead. If I could go back and tell first-time-parent(s)-me (us) that it was going to be both better and worse than we ever imagined, but that those worst moments would be totally out shown by those best moments then maybe I would have been more ready to actually HAVE a baby.

Or it could have been the fact that I knew I wasn't going to go back to work full time and that I was worried that we wouldn't be able to manage our expenses (totally a worry that has yet to come to pass... but something I think I'd worry about even if we had hundreds of thousands of dollars in the bank...). If I could go back and tell soon-to-be-first-time-stay-at-home-mom-me that it was all going to work out and not only would we not go broke, but we would be buying a larger home and still not going under then maybe, just maybe I would have been more ready to actually HAVE a baby.

As for me, today, at almost 39 weeks pregnant with our second baby, I am still nervous. I am nervous about how Madeline will react. I am nervous about adding another member of our family which seems pretty balanced most days. (Two on one is a good thing in parenting.) I worry about money (see above). I worry about a lot of stuff...

BUT

I am not nervous enough to ignore the fact that I am READY to HAVE this BABY!

I am ready to get rid of the heartburn that has plagued me for the past 10 weeks. I am ready to see my feet again and wear shoes that tie. I am ready to hold my baby and know who he or she is. I am ready to actually get to sleep again without hip pain and a million pillows. (I know Kevin is ready to get more than 2 inches of room in the bed at night!)

I am ready.

So that face...


that is the face of a woman who would like to have a baby. Soon. Like, now. Please.

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As for my header, I know it is October 9th. I figured as long as this baby was still in that bump, it should still be watched. So until #2 is here... the bump watch continues.

mg

33 weeks

It is about time for a #2 update. Don't you think?

33 weeks

Although I haven't taken weekly photos like I know some people do I have taken significantly more photos this pregnancy over my last. I think I have three photos of my first pregnancy total. I have taken at least that many of this one and I still have 7 weeks to go.

It isn't just the photographic record that I feel I am lacking though. I didn't keep any real record of events during my first pregnancy. I know I first felt movement really early last time, like 16 weeks, but then didn't feel it again until 21 or 22 weeks. I also know I was nauseous for 5 or so months last time, and only about 4 months this time. Other than that I can't remember other stuff like when my lower extremities went from calves-ankles-feet to just calves-feet, when I could no longer even look at food without getting heartburn, or when my fingers turned to sausages and I had to leave my wedding ring at home. When did my walk become a waddle instead of my normal gate? When did it become impossible to tie my shoes or paint my toes? The list goes on...

I said I'd keep a better record this time. I haven't. Until now.

33 weeks pregnant with Madeline (March 14, 2007)

So I can't really tell if I am wearing my wedding rings in this photo, but I don't think I am. If you look at my face you can tell I am a little puffy. I feel like I had a lot of swelling pretty early last time. I am happy to report I am still (knock on wood) not having any issues with water retention this time. My rings are snug but no more than normal in the summer and I am even happier to report I still have well defined ankles. I like my ankles and was VERY distraught when they when AWOL during my last pregnancy and was not really looking forward to a repeat disapearance.

As for heartburn and indigestion, I have no idea when that started last time. I sort of feel like I traded my anti-nausea suckers for Tums. This time I had a few months of reprieve, but I have been battling the acid reflux heartburn for at least four weeks now. I feel like last time I could take Tums and that would solve my issues for at least a few hours. This time I can take Tums every 20 minutes and it doesn't always work. Also, last time I could avoid certain foods and avoid some of the issues. This time, everything causes me issues. Well, everything but cottage cheese.

Which reminds me... I honestly can't get enough cottage cheese. I blogged about it the other day, but I have to explain how much I love that stuff right now. I have purchased hundreds of oz. of the stuff over the past month and a half AND I am the only one who is eating it! Kevin likes it, but I think I get to it before he can. Normally, if I buy cottage cheese we finish it just before it expires. I may have a bowl or two in a week. Now, I have a bowl (or two) a day. Today I've had three bowls. THREE! And no, they aren't huge, just respectable 1/2 cup servings, but still... that is a lot of cottage cheese. I have gone for the low fat, but I also admit that last week I bought a container of the large curd (not low fat) because it is my favorite and if Kev isn't eating it anyway, why not. I think after all this talk about it I might have to have another bowl.

Last week I was waddling all over the place. This week I am back to a more normal stance. Who knows why, but I am not complaining. I can still tie my shoes, but I'd rather not. I am not ready to give up my flippy floppies. (Even though I may not be on a boat. (I hate it when I use parenthesis within parenthesis BUT the link is the edited version, yet I wouldn't suggest playing it if there are small children around.))

So that about sums it up. Things are going a long very well. We have an ultrasound scheduled for a few weeks from now, so I'll have more to say then I am sure. Until then enjoy these photos Kevin took of me when he insinuated that he ate the last of the cottage cheese.



I was ravenous. Of course he didn't eat the last of it, he knows better than to stand between me and my dairy of choice!

Oh, one last thing... when trying to come up with this month's header I explained to Kevin that I wasn't feeling too clever or creative. He came up with the following suggestion:


Although I didn't go with it, I had to give my husband mad props (yes, I am almost 30 and white and I said mad props... deal...) for this idea. I find it beyond hilarious. I think that about explains my current mental state.

mg

The Bubble Mower

Last year (2007) for Kevin's birthday I got him a lawn mower. But because I didn't know what kind of mower he wanted or even what features he needed (bag/bagless?, hi torque/low torque?, flashy wut-cha-ma-call-its/ no flashy wut-cha-ma-call-its?) I decided to let him pick one out himself.

But what fun is a birthday without anything to open? Enter: the bubble mower.

I searched high and low for one of these plastic play things. I had no idea how hard they were to find. None at Wal-mart. None at Target. None at the Toys R Us in North county (close to work at the time). So I made one last stop, in the rain, at a Toys R Us closer to home. And BINGO! It was a mecca, a veritable wonderland of bubble mowers! Not only did they have "the classic" as I will call it, they also had a "deluxe" which included realistic electronic mowing sounds and flashy wut-cha-ma-call-its! (You know, flashing lights.)

So I settled for the classic, spent my $14.99 and headed home.

Over a year later, our daughter, who was still just a Pumelo when the gift was given, bubble mowed our lawn tonight. I have to say that she did an excellent job.

She was so happy when Kevin was showing her how it works. She was giggling and dancing all over the side walk. She has this new "shuffle" dance she's been doing the past few days and I hope I can get it on film soon. When I do I will post of course!

"Now don't get the bubbles in your eyes or mouth and of course, don't run."
Kevin, giving Madeline the safety information for the bubble mower.

Madeline, working on our neighbor Loretta's yard.

memories

It is crazy to think about life one year ago. I spent most of this day last year cleaning, doing laundry, making list after list after list*, watching Dr. Phil and of course I was waiting. Today was my due date.

Although I already had a scheduled induction for the 3rd, I was still anxious about the whole spontaneously going into labor thing. I remember sneezing on the Sunday before my due date last year and panicking.** But our darling Pumello, as we called the yet unknown to us baby, did not arrive with a violent sneeze and a gush of water. Thank God.

So one year later I am spending this day cleaning, doing laundry, making list after list, watching Dr. Phil and of course, waiting.

This time I am waiting for...
-toys to be thrown on the floor for the 10th time today
-food to be dropped, just to see what happens
-the sippy cup to be emptied onto the dining room floor because I forgot to put it far enough back on the table to keep it out of reach
-the bathroom to clean itself because I hate cleaning the bathroom (thank you, Elliot)
- and Kevin to get home so that I can have a 5 minute break to brush my teeth and maybe, just maybe, go to the bathroom.

Who knew my days could be the same, yet so very different at the same time.

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*Yes, I am neurotic about list making. When I have a ton of stuff to get done nothing makes me feel better about it than making a list, even if the act of making said list delays actually getting any of those things that desperately need to be done, done.

**I had read a story about a woman who sneezed and her water broke. Let's just say that being 40 weeks pregnant and dealing with spring allergies made me a nervous wreck.

mg

"in and out" day

Today is a very special day in our household. Today is what I have been calling "in and out" day. Madeline was born 40 weeks and three days ago. This is a milestone because this means that Maddy has been in our arms longer than she was in my belly! That's right folks. I carried our little pumello (the name we had for Madeline before we knew she was a Madeline) for 40 weeks and two days.

The last eighteen months have had ups and downs but I have to say that Madeline has been worth all the morning sickness, the swollen ankles, aching backs, labor pains (or at least those I remember...), sleepless nights, crying spells (both hers and mine), dirty diapers, nursing woes, and fits of boredom.

Happy "in and out" day Maddy!

To celebrate here are some photos of our adorable daughter!

Feb. 8- argh! She's a pirate!
On Friday Maddy was wearing one of her pirate onesies so we had to have a bandana to match.

Feb. 8- In this photo you can see her onesie better. "argh!"

Feb. 1- This is way back on the first, Maddy and I spent some time in the snow, and when we came inside I had to "peel" her out of her snow suit!

mg

Excited?

So today, May 2nd, is our due date. As of right now, 4pm (central standard time) we are still waiting. Olive is starting to get excited. She wasn't so happy at first. This photo was taken the day we sat her down and told her she was going to have to share "her" new room with the baby. The shock was too much for her to take. She ate a snack and curled up for a three hour nap.

The room is set, the clothes are washed, the cradle swing is put together and the Cardinal's Mobile has been hung with care. I would say we are ready. So hurry up Baby G. We would really like to finally meet you. We promise not to dress you in headband bows if you are a girl or put you in tube socks up to your knees if you are a boy. (I can't promise not to put you in a sailor suit. That is just too darn cute. But we will refrain from putting you in a matching sailor hat. Unless you choose to wear it of course.)

You have a whole gaggle of family waiting for you out here. Watch out for those uncles though; they can get pretty rowdy.

Come out, come out whoever you are.

m

No news is good news

Not much going on at our house. Still waiting for baby to make its appearance. As the days move forward I am getting more and more ready for this baby to introduce itself. With the curtains hung and the clothes all washed I don't know what else I can do to get ready. I guess the best option right now is to sleep. Not that proactive sleeping has any real benefit in the long run. A girl can dream.

Olive's new digs

As we get closer to Baby day we are getting the room ready, and trying to adjust to the reality of it all.

Olive is just happy that we have dedicated an entire room for her sleeping pleasure...




























I have a feeling she won't be so comfortable in there when the little one is crying at 3am. I guess we will see.

Getting ready

I painted a few weeks ago while I was on vacation. The room formerly known as the office is now officially the baby's room. We chose a nice shade of blue called Utah Sky.* We now have the crib set up, a bookshelf, the dresser/changing table, and the rocking chair all ready to go. Pretty much all we really need is the baby, well, and a few diapers. Only a few more weeks to go!!











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ONLY 3 MORE DAYS UNTIL OPENING DAY!!!!!!!


* The color blue does not represent the gender of our baby. Please do not get excited and think that you found out first by reading our blog. Although...that is an interesting idea.

We got a new camera!

We got a new camera! This was a christmas present to ourselves this year. We figured now was a good time to make the big purchase seeing as we will probably want to take a ton of pictures in the very near future. So of course we had to try it out a little....on nothing other than Olive. I mean really, what else is there to take pictures of. No real scenic things to look around here, especially this time of year. No little ones running around yet. (At least that belong to us that is. I am not sure the Pats would appreciate me taking pictures of their kids.) So here we are again, posting a picture of our wonderful cat. Hopefully she won't be upset when she realizes that her moment(s) in the spotlight is almost over. Here she comes, I'd better quit talking about her.


COUNTDOWN TO OPENING DAY: 21 days

I'll be there 8-)

Dramatic Life Update #2 (this could of been included in #1 but wasn't due to a certain person being in Iraq)

Coming May 2(ish), 2007!