28 weeks down, 12 to go! Getting so close now!

Weekly Survey:

How far along? 28 weeks 1 day. 11 weeks 6 days to go (83 days).


Total weight gain: +19.4lbs (147.4lbs) No gain from last week.

How big is baby?: The size of an eggplant...still.

Sleep?: The last couple nights my sleep has been terrible. I’ve been dealing with restless leg syndrome and I just can’t get settled enough to sleep. Then Clara got up in the middle of the night and I couldn’t get her back down. I’ve also been having a LOT of Braxton Hicks at night, too.

How are you feeling physically? Pretty terrible, actually. I’ve been having a lot of Braxton Hicks contractions. At least I have a doctor’s appointment tomorrow so I can find out if everything is still ok. I took today and tomorrow off for sure, possibly even Thursday as well, depending on what the doctor says. Until then, I plan on taking it easy and putting my feet up.

How are you feeling emotionally?: Emotionally, I’m feeling good. I’m getting really excited to meet Samuel and start this new chapter in our lives!

Best moment this week?: The best moment this week was finding out I PASSED my 3-hour glucose test! I told Adam that if we have anymore kids I’m just going to decline the 1-hour test and ask to take the 3-hour one right off the bat. I’ve failed my 1-hour test with both pregnancies so far. It makes sense to me, anyway.


Movement?: Still lots! He seems to move a ton especially right after I lay down at night and right when I wake up in the morning.

What is baby up to this week?: Much the same as last week. Let your spouse put an ear to your belly -- he might be able to pick up baby's heartbeat (no stethoscope required). Inside the womb, the formation of tiny capillaries is giving baby a healthy pink glow. Baby's also soaking up your antibodies, getting the immune system ready for life outside the womb. Eyes are forming, and baby will soon perfect the blink -- perfect for batting those freshly grown lashes.

Food cravings?: I haven’t really been craving anything lately.

Labor signs?: Sort of. I’ve been having a lot of Braxton Hicks contractions as well as some pain and pressure. It feels different from the types of pressure I’ve had in the past. I’ll know more tomorrow.

What I miss: Right now I’m not really missing anything…just counting the days until I get to meet my wee man!

What I'm looking forward to: I’m looking forward to my doctor’s appointment tomorrow-just to see what’s been going on.

Random Thoughts: I’ve been going gang-busters on Samuel’s scrapbook lately. I’ve also been going crazy with cleaning and organizing. I feel like I’m nesting constantly. I even found a neat website to put my bump pictures together. Now I just have to dig out the closet where I keep my Cricut so I can start cutting some letters. I’ve also been keeping a DIY journal of projects I’m working on and projects that I want to do. It seems to be helping me actually accomplish some things!

28 week bump pic

27 weeks! Yay 3rd Trimester!

Weekly Survey:

How far along? 27 weeks 1 day-3rd trimester!! 12 weeks and 6 days to go (or 90 days if you're counting).


Total weight gain: +19.4 (147.4lbs)

How big is baby?: Still the size of an eggplant.

Sleep?: Well, pretty good for the most part. Clara gave us some trouble the other night, but I think I've caught up.

How are you feeling physically? I'm feeling better this week. My sciatica isn't very bad at all, which figures considering Dr V. now wants me to go to physical therapy for it.

How are you feeling emotionally?: I'm feeling pretty good emotionally, too, though I've started nesting really bad! I got the nursery organized (with a few minor exceptions) and want to start working on washing Samuel's clothes and getting our room ready.

Best moment this week?: Last Thursday we had our monthly appointment. Everything looked great, except I failed my 1-hour glucose test again. I have to take the 3-hour test on Friday, which I'm not looking forward to. And we found out that Sam is transverse. Hopefully he flips soon!

Movement?: Oh yes!!

What is baby up to this week?: Much the same as last week. Let your spouse put an ear to your belly -- he might be able to pick up baby's heartbeat (no stethoscope required). Inside the womb, the formation of tiny capillaries is giving baby a healthy pink glow. Baby's also soaking up your antibodies, getting the immune system ready for life outside the womb. Eyes are forming, and baby will soon perfect the blink -- perfect for batting those freshly grown lashes.

Food cravings?: I'm only craving food...nothing in particular and I can't usually figure out what I'm hungry for, either.

Labor signs?: No, just some Braxton Hicks.

What I miss: Being small!

What I'm looking forward to: Having some time to myself this week with Clara being at Mimi's. I still miss her, but I'm starting to slow down and need the extra rest.

Random Thoughts: I'm not having a baby shower this time around (since I just had one for Clara) and I'm kind of sad that I'm not having one. I don't really want the gift part of it, just to be able to celebrate Sam with my family and friends. Oh well. At least I get to go to one in a few weeks!

27 week bump pic

Cute little pictures of his face from our u/s on Thursday. :)

Toddle Along Tuesday-Play spaces

Today's topic on Toddle Along Tuesdays is play spaces/nursery organization.

With another baby on the way and only 3 bedrooms in the house (our room, an office, and the nursery) we are kind of limited as to where we're going to put this new bundle of joy. Ultimately, he'll be spending most of his time in our room in the Pack 'N Play, but eventually he and Clara will be sharing a room. I had to figure out what would be the best way to accomplish this, since we'll need to put 2 cribs in one room because Clara won't be in a toddler bed before Samuel comes.

One big plus is that the room is already painted a nice neutral green color so it won't need to be repainted. Secondly, there's no girly artwork on the walls so we won't have to change that, either. The only thing we'll need to change is the curtains and all I need to do is get together with my mother-in-law to pick out some fabric.

So, for organization, I bought a stackable Cubicle shelf system from ClosetMaid and then bought some cloth bins for storage. The pink are for Clara's stuff and the green are for Sam's. The rod in the closet is also divided in half-half for each child. Even the hooks on the wall are divided for each child.

 

Their dresser doubles as our changing table. I ususally keep a stack of each kind of diaper in the top drawer, along with her onesies (a separate stack for long-sleeved and short-sleeved). However, with the addition of Samuel, I think I'll be rearranging her clothes a bit. I might have to keep only diapers (since there will be 3 stacks) in the top drawer and rearrange everything else.

While Samuel is in our room, he'll be sleeping in the Pack 'N Play. In order to not have to go into the nursery in the middle of the night for diaper changes (and risk waking up Clara), I'm going to buy a shelf and install it on the wall above the Pack N Play. I'll put some more cloth bins on the shelf and use them to store things like diapers and wipes and probably a couple sets of clothes, yet still have it look nice. I'll also be doing a little DIY letter project. I'm going to get an unfinished letter 'S' and decoupage some cute monkey paper onto it. I also want to get a picture frame to put a picture of him in.

This will be where the Pack N Play will go, with a shelf above it. For now, excuse the basket of unfolded clean laundry. :)

As for play space at our house, it's also very limited...and with the addition of little Samuel it's only going to be less. Right now Clara always plays with her toys in the living room. Its what's easiest since Adam and I spend all of our time in either the kitchen or living room. It offers the greatest chance for supervision. But once Sam gets here, his swing and some of his stuff will be taking up room in the living room as well. Here's the corner of the living room where we have all of Clara's toys.



It's Friday! What's on Your Mind today?

I have SO much on my mind since yesterday...most of it good, though!

• First and foremost-I'm really excited that Adam gets to start therapy soon! It's just one more step forward in recovery and hopefully getting things back to somewhat normal around here!
• I'm really pleased with how all of my appointments went yesterday-even though Samuel wanted to be stubborn again, we got some really cool pictures of his face, which I'll probably post in my next weekly update.
• I'm waiting on the phone to ring: I'm expecting the results from my GTT that I took yesterday...and I'm confident that I passed this time! I'm also waiting on Physical Therapy to call me-Dr. V wants me to go for my back. I'm not surprised.
• I just finished the pre-admission form for the hospital and we're now down to every 2-week appointments. Yikes-it's getting real! Time to step up the prep!
• I ALMOST missed the Kathleen Madigan show! Time to buy tickets! It'll be nice to have a date with the hubs!
• I can't wait to pick Clara up from Mimi's house this afternoon. :) I missed her so much all week! Of course, we'll be going right back tomorrow for Papa's birthday, but that's ok.
• I'm excited that I might FINALLY be getting to meet one of my November Mommies!
• I'm also really looking forward to my lunch! lol

Overall, it's a pretty good day today. I can't complain: it's 40+ degrees in January and there's no snow! I'm loving it!

What's on your mind on this lovely Friday?

26 weeks down, 14 to go!

Weekly Survey:

How far along? 26 weeks 1 day. 13 weeks 6 days to go!

Total weight gain: +18lbs (146lbs)

How big is baby?: The size of an eggplant.

Sleep?: All things considered, it’s been pretty good lately.

How are you feeling physically? One word…BIG. My shirts are starting to get a little short in the front and I’m sort of between sizes in my jeans. I’ve also noticed my rib cage is starting to spread a bit. I see new bras in my future!

How are you feeling emotionally?: I’ve been feeling stressed, but there’s not a whole lot I can do to change it except to try to take advantage of Clara’s new nap schedule to try to relax. It’s easier now that the holidays are over, but a lot of other things consume my off hours these days, too.

Best moment this week?: On Thursday we get to see Samuel again!

Movement?: A lot of movement and very often…except for sometimes when Mommy has a freak out and NEEDS to feel him moving. Then he’s sound asleep and doesn’t want to wake up.

What is baby up to this week?: Much the same as last week. Let your spouse put an ear to your belly -- he might be able to pick up baby's heartbeat (no stethoscope required). Inside the womb, the formation of tiny capillaries is giving baby a healthy pink glow. Baby's also soaking up your antibodies, getting the immune system ready for life outside the womb. Eyes are forming, and baby will soon perfect the blink -- perfect for batting those freshly grown lashes.

Food cravings?: Chocolate!

Labor signs?: No, and the Braxton Hicks contractions have let up some, too.


What I miss: Not being in pain…stupid back.

What I'm looking forward to: Seeing my little man on Thursday…and going to Adam’s next follow-up appointment, also on Thursday.

Random Thoughts: For the moment, my mind is pretty quiet, but then again I just started a new work week and haven’t really gotten moving yet. Maybe once I have my quota of caffeine I’ll be better.

<----25 weeks

--------> 26 weeks

Growth spurt much?

13 month survey-better late than never!

Better late than never, since she's 14 months old now, but here it is!

Monthly Survey

1. How old is baby? 13 months.

2. Stats:

• a. Weight:  I think around 25lbs still.
• b. Height:  30-31 inches
• c. Clothes size: Exclusively 18 months or larger. I’ve packed away pretty much everything else. Shoe size is now a 5. 
• d. Diaper size: Still 4’s in both regular and Overnight diapers. 
• e. Hair color: Less strawberry and more just blonde. And boy is it getting long! 
• f. Anything else? 

3. Milestones:

• a. Teething: As of right now she has 11 teeth. We’re still waiting on one molar to come through yet. They’re taking their sweet time. She’s also starting to cut her canines. It looks like the lower right will be the first one. 
• b. Talking: She’s still babbling constantly. She still doesn’t say a whole lot, but she knows a lot of words! She also started a new sound-almost sounds like “no”.  
• c. Rolling: No more rolling. She’s way too impatient for that! 
• d. Walking: She now knows how to run and is getting better at it each day. She also walks backwards and can “twirl” (turn in a circle). 
• e. Crawling: Not really crawling anymore, either. It’s too slow for her. :) 
• f. Anything else? She knows a lot of different animals, she can point to the baby, the cat, and the big sister in her Big Sister book, she will wiggle (or wave) her fingers, point to her toes, and her nose and mouth when asked. She even knows which books are which if you tell her to bring a specific one. She can point to Mama and Dada in pictures, as well as Mimi and Papa and Grandma and Grandpa. She knows how her clothes go on and come off (makes getting dressed and undressed a lot easier!). She also knows how to give hugs and kisses if asked (ex: hugging or kissing stuffed animals) but she’ll only give us kisses when she feels like it. :) She also knows lots of different animals (monkey, giraffe, bird, kitty, etc.) She also makes a cow sound, though it's not really the actual "mooo" sound, it's pretty close. :)

4. Things she likes:

• a. Toys: She doesn’t really have a favorite right now. I’m actually going to be packing away some of her more “baby” toys to make room for the bigger ones she got for Christmas. I just need to get some more totes. 
• b. Books: She loves ALL her books! She even quit trying to unwrap presents at Christmas and went looking for books instead. I promise I’ll put that one in here! Lol She even reads books in the car. It’s funny to be driving knowing that she’s looking at a book and to hear her giggling in the back seat.
• c. Songs: I don’t really sing to her much, but Mimi does.
• d. TV Shows: She still loves everything on Sprout-especially Sesame Street. 
• e. Other activities: We had been going back to the Y for swimming, but now with Adam being out of commission we’ve stopped again. It’s just too hard for me to take her by myself. I’m hoping by February that we’ll be back again-and that all 3 of us will benefit from it!

5. Things she dislikes: Taking naps sometimes and being told to sit down in the tub.

6. Sleeping: The sleeping had been difficult at the beginning of the month. She was going down hard and waking up at least once in the middle of the night, but in the last 2 weeks it has gotten a lot better. There’s been more going on and she’s been going down a lot easier as well as sleeping through the night again. Let’s hope that keeps up! Her naps have also regulated as well. Since she’s spending so much time at Mimi’s house, she’s actually gotten Clara on a good nap schedule. She goes down for a nap right after lunch and will usually sleep for 2 hours!

7. Eating:

• a. Favorite foods: She’s loving the peanut butter that we just introduced. She also still loves fruits and most veggies. I just gave her fresh pineapple and she really loved that. She’ll also eat food right off my or Mimi’s fork or spoon. One of her most favorite things for breakfast is ham and eggs. The other day she ate almost 2 whole eggs with ham! One of her favorite things to snack on are the Gerber Fruit & Veggie melts. She seriously would eat the whole bag if we’d let her. I’m not going to lie, I tried one and they’re actually really good. :) She’s also in love with yogurt. 
• b. Not so favorite foods: She still does not like regular potatoes.

8. Nicknames: No new nicknames…at least none that I recall.

9. Things we’re looking forward to next month: Adam and I both have appointments, but other than that, we’re just looking forward to him getting healthy so he can play with Clara like he used to. I think she misses it, too.

10. How I like motherhood: It’s probably one of the hardest things I’ve ever experienced-especially being pregnant while having a child this young. But it is totally worth it. I love to see her grow and learn new things. I wish I knew what went on in her little mind sometimes. :)

• a. Likes: I love having time to myself when she’s at one of the grandparents’ houses… 
• b. Dislikes: …but I hate when she’s gone for more than a day. I miss her terribly.

Pictures!!

Christmas Day at our house

Enjoying the new chair Mimi made for her!

I don't know why she was crawling into the gift bags, but it was hilarious!

She'd rather read than open presents!

The holidays are over.

And Toddle Along Tuesdays is back, along with one of our favorite mamas, Mama G at Growing up Geeky!

Today's topic is really easy (or theoretically so, anyway): Your favorite post from 2011. Mine happens to be the letter I wrote to Clara for her first birthday.

Stay tuned the rest of the week for a lot more posts, including my 26 week update, Clara's 13-month survey, and What's On Your Mind on Friday.