Pregnancy Questionnaire

I decided I'd round out my due date week with one last silly little pregnancy questionnaire.  Really, I'm just too lazy to form enough thoughts of my own for a well put together blog post.

How far along: 40 weeks, 4 days

Total Weight Gain/Loss: It has ended up being around 30 pounds - a number I'm totally okay with :).  It's stayed pretty steady the last couple of weeks, though, and I'm just glad that my little gal has gotten relatively good nutrition this pregnancy (although my occasional obsession with pizza in the last trimester may beg to differ...)

Maternity clothes: Honestly, I only wear my maternity pants when I go out now, because the elastic bands tend to slip down now that my belly is, well, huge :).  I'm loving my comfy sweat/yoga/pj pants and my hubby's big t-shirts.  As you can see by the photo (which I'm a little embarrassed by, but also love at the same time), I don't even own a coat that fits me (maternity sweater, yes, which I wear whenever I won't be out too long).

Stretch marks: Oh, yes!  I had several already from my first pregnancy, but the last few weeks I've added some new ones... lots of itchiness, but I know they'll fade somewhat and be much less itchy once this little one comes along :).

Sleep: I've really hit the "it's really hard to sleep" stage in the last couple of weeks.  Between having to go to the bathroom often and needing to switch sides as each one starts to get sore after an hour or so (rolling over is a big production now), I'm definitely feeling a little sleep deprived.

Best moment last week: hmmm... I think just anticipating.  It's been a bit of an emotional roller coaster as our doctor mentioned that he would like to induce when I reach 42 weeks (or before, but, despite my timidity with doctors, I was able to get across that I would really like to give her as much of a chance as possible to come all on her own).  We also thought we had found a house on my due date (the sellers apparently really wanted us to have it for a variety of reasons), but then lost it in the same day when another bidder offered far and above the asking price (to the excess that we definitely couldn't compete).  I have loved Anni loving on her baby sister.  Today, I was putting some things away in her room while she worked on her breakfast and she called out, "Mommy!  Can I say 'I love you, big sister?"  (She mixes up who is the "big" sister and who is the "little" sister.)  I came out and she gave big kisses and hugs to my belly... I just love it!

Movement: Oh, so much!  This little girl is a squirmer.  I can tell she's a little restricted on space, but she makes the most of it.

Food cravings: Fresh fruit and pizza-like things :). 

Gender: Sweet, sweet, baby girl!

Labor signs: Lots and lots of pre-labor, even a night of consistent contractions where we thought "this is it", but hasn't advanced enough to head to the hospital. 

Belly button - in or out? It's sooooo close to being out, we'll see if it makes it out before this little one does!

What I miss: Mobility, sleep, and my patience :).

What I am looking forward to: Holding this sweet girl and officially giving her a name!

Milestones: It's time!

I wasn't planning on joining Daniel and Anni in the snow yesterday... but then decided I better just do it while I could!  So, here I am in sweats and a winter coat that doesn't fit, coming in from the snow with my chilled little girls! 

Taking it as slow as I want to...

In my high school days, I was inducted into Quill and Scroll (it's an honor's society for high school journalists).  My Dad showed up unexpectedly, with a bouquet of yellow carnations and a big hug.  That little moment of recognition, of letting me know that he saw me and my accomplishments was a big one for me.  

On St. Valentine's Day, Daniel surprised us by making it home a little early and bringing a gorgeous bouquet of flowers for me and a single, beautiful, white rose and a tigger balloon for Anni.  Knowing that Anni is shown love and respect by the most important man in her life right now gives me hope that she'll look for that same level of love and respect in future relationships. 

 

We're entering the "almost three, I'm a big girl and cannot listen to anything you want/need/ask because that would mean I'm not doing it myself" phase.  It brings with it lots of mommy and daddy desperately looking at each other trying to figure out the game plan is.  However; it also brings amazingly detailed and vivid stories from this little girl's imagination, dance parties like you wouldn't believe and, a healthy dose of, "I yike you, mommy.  I yike Daddy, too.  Do you yike Daddy?"  (The answer is yes, in case you were wondering.)  It's all about hanging onto those moments through the screams of, "No, I DO IT," even if we were perfectly happy letting her do it.  At least, as a 9 month pregnant woman... I can understand irrationality a little, even if I'm not as capable of patience as I should be.

Speaking of being 9 months pregnant (Lil' Bit and I reach our estimated due date tomorrow), Anni and I have been striving for a balance of "Do something" and "Get enough rest so that if this pre-labor actually turns into the real thing one night I'm not completely exhausted."

Valentine's Day went something like this.  Me = very glad I had wandered through the Target dollar aisle a few weeks ago so I had some fun projects for us.  We rolled out some pie crust we had leftover in the freezer and used some frozen raspberries to make some quick heart tarts for breakfast.  I was hoping to use the strawberry vanilla jam my sister sent us from summer canning... but, it didn't want to give itself up (aka, I couldn't open it, I think I've required help the last few times... I've got to find a better way), which probably means it wanted me to use homemade crust, so it is getting saved for homemade mini poptarts for my hubby's weekly "mini poptart time" that he has with a team (not quite his team, but probably the closest he has since he's kind of his own department) at work.    

Then, we rolled onto stickers, window clings and playing with the decorations (again, thank goodness for Target this time). 

Then came afternoon.  No really, that was our morning.  Afternoon was mostly me lying half passed out on the bed, Anni reading books and watching the PBS kids app and then her both having a dance party and throwing fits (they somehow can happen one after the other...) while I made dough for our Valentine's calzones.  whew.  By the time Daniel walked through the door, I may have shed a few tears of exhaustion and happiness that he was there to help.  Have I mentioned that he's just great?

The next day, some of our favorite people came to visit.  I love that my friend made the plans and was perfectly okay that they were contingent upon labor, sickness and general feeling of our household... despite the fact that she has to drive half an hour to see us.  I'm so grateful that we have such sweet friends in our lives!

 Then came the weekend... glorious weekend.  It's funny that a quick house showing and visit to the park wore me out completely and constituted a "busy" Saturday, but I'm okay with it.  I'm allowing myself to take everything as slow as I want, even if every other 40 week pregnant woman is doing amazing things and feeling awesome.  I'm just going to do my best not to worry about what's coming and maybe, just maybe, get caught up on the laundry. 

 

  

PS Was there ever anything quite as wonderful as my hubby having a three day weekend?  Because I'm pretty sure it's the best thing ever right now.

Happy St. Valentine's Day!

Happy St. Valentine's Day/ St. Cyril and Methodius' Feast Day (especially to you, my dear brother, on your feast day!)/ Thursday.  I hope there's lots of love and happiness in your day!

Timing

Last Friday, Anni sneezed a couple of times.  Had a couple small coughs in the night.  With most kids, these things seem inconsequential.  But a mother knows, right?  Anytime she gets a cold, it starts this way, and the next night we're propping up her mattress, suctioning her nose and desperately trying all of our tricks to help her stop coughing long enough for all of us to get some sleep.

Oh, and changing my prayers to a, "Maybe tonight would *not* be the best time to go into labor..."

We had constant nose wiping, sad sick eyes and lack of sleep for a few days, but the last couple of nights have improved enough to where my hopes of heading into labor with this little munchkin have returned (three nights of braxton hicks has only encouraged that).

We still have a bit of the nose wiping and sick eyes, but we were able to make it out today for Ash Wednesday Mass up at my husband's office (major advantage to my husband being a missionary at a Catholic organization with a chapel).  Anni was extraordinarily talkative (which can be a little disconcerting in such a small space), but luckily everyone there is sweet and patient about her sweet noise.  Well... some of it was sweet.  The screaming "No, no, I don't want to!" every time we asked her to use her church voice/ whisper was less than sweet. 
  

However, it was lovely to get showered, dressed, and see hubby in the middle of the day.  In fact, here are my favorite reasons for going to daily Mass at the DSC:


1. Everyone is so patient with our noise, despite the fact that someone's noise seems to increase with the smaller size of the chapel.

2. We get to see Daddy... which makes our whole day a whole lot better.

3. We have a reason to get ready and dressed in the morning (but, thankfully not too early since Mass is at noon). When would I otherwise have an excuse during the week to get Anni all adorable in a cardigan and pearl necklace (she told me it was just like Baba's)?

4. I get to talk to adults in the middle of my day... sometimes even other moms who have their own littles there: it's a great break for Anni *and* I :).

5. We make it to daily Mass.

Tonight has been quiet.  Hubby and I discussed our Lenten plans, enjoyed the fact that there have been no coughing fits from the sweetheart in the room next to ours and fired up the contraction counting app for what is probably just another few hours of braxton hicks (though my back is aching just a little... so... maybe?)  

Whispered Hopes

This morning, Anni gave my belly hugs and kisses and then, poking at my belly button, whispered, "Lil' Bit, you can come out now."

It's good to know she has big sister's permission, I know she has ours.  I've gone back and forth between just wanting to be d o n e and having a little more patience (probably because I've just decided that she's probably not going to ever come).  I think I've hit a happy medium today (hormones knows what will come tomorrow).  While I would be thrilled to go into labor at any minute, I'm also welcoming the time I didn't think I would get to read "Interrupting Chicken" a few more times to Anni, fold a few more loads of laundry and lie in bed when I get worn out, hand on belly, to feel our sweet little one make her presence known.  I'm so grateful not only that this pregnancy has been so much smoother than my first, but that we were blessed at all with a second baby, that Miss Anni gets to be a big sister.  I can't wait to watch that relationship unfold.

So, yes, Lil' Bit, you can definitely come out anytime.  But it's okay to come in your time and not mine.