Last

Today is the last day of April.

It’s been a good month, but as they say, all good things must come to an end.

Today is the last day I’ll send Seth off to school in Miss Jamie’s van.

Today is the last day I’ll crawl back in bed at 7:22 for just a couple more hours of sleep.

Today is the last day I’ll have to inject myself with Lovenox.  Shot no. 206.

Today is the last day that Jim, Seth, and I will sit down to dinner – just us.

Today is the last day I’ll spend at home alone.

Tomorrow, the weekend invades, and so does Grandpa.

Monday…..Monday, Monday.  Monday, our daughter arrives.

The end, and the beginning, at last, is here.

Seth’s “grown up” room

I’ve been remiss in posting pictures of Seth’s room.  I realized that when I went to upload these photos and realized that I’ve already rearranged the furniture in here once since I took them.  Oops.

We moved Seth out of his “green room” as soon as we returned from our Florida vacation at Christmas, and he did a fabulous job of transitioning from his toddler bed to a full bed.  We’ve never had an issue with him getting up to play with his toys, even though they are all at his disposal, and the middle-of-the-night wakings, rare as they are, are dealt with as smoothly and as quickly as when he was in his crib.

I’m glad that we had this bedroom painted such a neutral color when we moved in.  It’s Sherwin Williams Blonde; the same color that is in our kitchen and dining room.  It has enough color to have impact, but not so much that I had a hard time working the rest of the color scheme around the walls.

I still need to come up with something to hang on the huge expanse of wall over his bed.  I have his nursery canvases above the head of the bed for now, and that fills up a little space, but the long wall still needs something….

The yellow afghan the the foot of the bed is perfect to have on hand for the nights I somehow wind up staying in Seth’s room after a midnight consoling. ;)  My great-aunt Julia made that for me when I was a child, and it has traveled with me to many beds and many different stages of life.  I love that it’s now in my son’s room.

Another great deal for Setharoo’s room: IKEA.  $15.  Score!  I’m ashamed to admit how much fun I’ve had and how many hours I’ve spent getting his Thomas the Train tracks to match up with the “roads” on this mat.  It’s truly quite embarrassing.

 
Apologies for the photo quality….. still working on my camera settings in natural light.

 
When we were first married, Jim had these bean bag chairs in the spare room where his video games were set up.  Now we keep them at the foot of Seth’s bed for a soft “landing zone” for the occasional launch off the bed during a jam session of Ring-Around-the-Rosy or The Itsy Bitsy Spider.

Toys, toys, and more toys.

I am SO proud of how well Seth solo plays in his room, and how good he is about putting his toys away when he is done.  Granted, he can’t reach past the shelf with the books on it, but still.  I love that he seems to have an appreciation for his playthings, and that he is obedient in cleaning up when he is done playing.

Seth’s room has become another favorite place to just hang out as a family.  If you have the space to do so, I strongly encourage a big bed in a toddler’s room.  I love, love, love that all three of us can pile onto Seth’s bed for wrestling, story time, tickle-fests, or just to talk as a family.  Because we’ve never been big proponents of letting Seth spend time in our bed, Jim and I love to take the opportunity to snuggle with him in his bed.

What are some of your favorite features of your kids’ rooms?  Do you have any must-have’s that you want to share with the rest of us?

36w Update

How far along: 36w1d.

Total weight gain: Holding steady for the last week.  I was down a pound on Thursday, but back up on Monday.  Whatever.  I’m over it.  Being off the one BP med has caused a significant fluid retention, and I’m done stressing over the number on the scale.

General disposition:  I was really, really disappointed over the weekend, when I knew that the date we’d been aiming for – April 26 – would come and go without Baby Girl making her arrival.  But now that I’ve come to terms with the fact that she will be born in May, I’m fine with it.  Her safety has been, and continues to be, my ultimate concern, and if her lungs aren’t ready, we’ll just wait until they are.
 
Sleep:  It’s been great.  The weather has been a little wonky around middle Tennessee lately, so a nightly cocktail of Benadryl and half an Ambein has brought sweet sleep. 

Best moment this week: -- 

Movement:  For the last two weeks, she had been in the vertex (head down) position, so her movement is less than it had been.  However, she tends to keep in one particular position, and her feet are constantly up in the right side of my ribs.  Considering that it doesn’t matter if she is breech or not, I’d actually like her to flip back over.  The kicks were more frequent, but I was much more comfortable.  

Labor Signs/Body Changes of Note:  Dr. M performed an internal at my appointment last Thursday, and noted that I was about 80% effaced.  I’m not dilated at all yet, but my body does seem to be taking the proper steps to get things in motion.  Hopefully, everything will remain stable until we can operate. 

What I miss : Playing with Seth.  I’m really, really uncomfortable now, and even the simplest movements tax me. 

What I am looking forward to: Meeting her…spending time together as a family…being able to sleep on my tummy. =)

Does she have a set birthday:  Set?  Eh, that’s relative.  I am having a repeat amnio on Thursday.   If her lungs are ready – even transitionally ready – we will proceed with a c-section on Monday.  If they aren’t ready….I’m not sure how much longer we will stall.

Does she have a name yet: Possibly.  Jim seems to have settled on a name, and I’m allowing him final say.  However, he hasn’t shared his name of choice with me, so now, I’m waiting, just like the rest of you.

Are we ready: Absolutely, unequivocally, overwhelmingly YES!

TKO

Last week at school, Seth went a little Evil Kneivel on his teachers and did a face plant right into a rocking chair.

Thankfully, one of the staff members where Seth attends Mother’s Day Out is also a trained EMT, so he was able to get immediate medical attention.  The consensus was that his nose was not broken and that he most likely did not have a concussion.

Which is not to say that he didn’t need a good portion of TLC from both mom and dad when he came home.

The accident happened about 12:30, and we decided to keep Seth up through his nap time, which was not easy, seeing as he was the usual amount of just-plain-tired, plus the extra dose of exhausted from the fall.  But we just popped in Finding Nemo and curled up on the couch while Daddy satellite-worked from the dining room.

By 7:00, our stunt guy was down for the count.  Tylenol and a warm bath put him in such a deep sleep that he didn’t even budge when we decided to ice down his schnoz.

Jim didn’t look too thrilled when I came out with the icepack wrapped in a pink cloth, but, hey, infant washcloths are what they are for a reason – it was the perfect thickness, and I’m sure it won’t be the last time one of my children has to make do with his/her sibling’s toiletries.

I’ve not been able to get a good picture of the final bruising color pallet on Seth’s face, but you can just imagine: purplish-yellowigh-gray.  He has endured it like a champ, though!  I think we’re in the final days of discoloration, and by the time Baby Sister makes her arrival, he should be back to his normal, Caucasian-colored self.

Retro

Retro: modeled on something from the past

Sometimes, you just need to do something that takes you back to a time that was easier.  Simpler.  Sweeter.

Sometimes, you just need to have PB&J on white, chips, grapes, and chocolate milk for lunch.

Celebrating the sweetest, simplest things in life at Tuesdays Unwrapped at Chatting at the Sky.

As if I needed to stick another needle in my belly

Updated:  Amnio results showed that the baby’s lungs are still immature, and that if delivered, she would be in the NICU with breathing assistance.  No decisions have been made at this point, other than to wait.  I will know more by the middle of next week.

I’m disappointed, but her safety is my main concern.  So…..we’ll just sit tight and see what next week holds.  Maybe she’ll be a May flower after all.

****************

If it weren’t so late at night, after so long a day, I’d make myself take a picture of the 2.5 gallon freezer bag that is chock full of used Lovenox syringes, just for the sake of photographic impact.

Just take this image:

 
Times THREE.  This shot was taken at the end of the first trimester.  21 more weeks, times 7 shots a week…..

Yeah.  That’s a lot of poking and prodding, lemme tell you.

But I digress.

Thursday, I had an even more important needle stuck into me.  For an amniocentesis.

And here’s why.

Three weeks ago, at Baby Girl’s growth ultrasound, she was estimated to weigh 3 lbs., 12 oz., which put her solidly in the 15% for growth.  Which isn’t horrible, except that three weeks before that, she’d been in the 49%, and three weeks before that, she was in the 87%.  We – both as parents and with our physicians – became suspicious of IUGR, and began to plan accordingly.

If Baby Girl’s measurements at this Thursday’s ultrasound had confirmed the downward trending, and dipped her below the “official” cutoff percentile for IUGR, the plan was to proceed with a c-section on Monday, April 26.

Plans were made, bags were packed, fights were booked.  Names were even discussed.  Oh, yes, people.  We meant business.

Imagine the surprise, then, when Baby Girl showed off some on-target 5 lb., 12 oz. measurements that landed her cute little toosh firmly back in the 40%.  Which, even taking into consideration that these ultrasounds can be up to a pound off, especially this late in pregnancy, took her well clear of the IUGR label we were anticipating.

So.  Now what?  Delivery on Monday was no longer a given.  In fact, delivery on Monday would birth her shy of even 36 weeks gestation, which gave us all pause.  It’s a no brainer to pull her out if her placenta is deteriorating…..but if it’s not, the decision to rush her birth could jeopardize her lung ability.

Hence the amnio.

The purpose of the test was merely to extract enough amniotic fluid from Baby Girl’s bag of waters to determine if her lungs are yet mature.  Most likely, tested as they were at 35w2d, they will NOT be; however, amnios for this purpose aren’t Pass/Fail.  We will be able to determine a degree of maturity, so, hopefully, her lungs will be close enough to term to validate a delivery in a week – at 36w2d.

Now, there is still the possibility that her lungs ARE ready, and we can deliver on Monday as planned, and honestly, that is the desire of my heart.  I have been having a lot of emotional struggles in the past few days; my blood pressure is up (still great for me, but up from where it’s been), my weight is again down, and I’ve been having multiple daily panic attacks.  I am ready beyond words to have her safely out of the womb and, if needed, under competent hands-on medical care.  So, nothing would make me happier than hearing that her lungs ARE ready, and that she can come out and play on Monday.

Hope for that with me, will you?

I will try to update this post when I get the amnio results from my ob’s office this afternoon.

Let’s shed some light on this

Do you remember the random “things I’m lusting after” post back in February?  I had the Valentines’ Day soundtrack, the Pier One lamps, and the Yankee Candle in my sights?

Well, I’m making progress on turning my “want” into “have.”

The Pier One lamps I was envisioning for the sideboard in our dining room went not just on sale but on clearance.  Whoo-hoo!

 

Don’t they compliment the chandelier shades well?  Honestly, it turned out even better than I’d anticipated.  I love having the warm glow coming from the back of the room in the evening hours; the dining room has become my favorite new place to just sit and think and chat with Jim and blog.

Have you come across any great finds for your home recently that just make a room come alive?

Just call me Mario

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35w update

How far along: 35w.  This is a goal that at times I was not sure I’d make.  Now that it’s FINALLY here, all I can think is – GET HER OUT!  And yes, while I’ll admit that I am uncomfortable, tired of doing Lovenox injections, weary of biweekly appointments, missing my little boy, and ready to be out in the real world, my impatience stems more from my concern for BG’s safety than my own wellbeing.

According to BabyCenter.com, this is all we need to know about a baby’s development at 35 weeks gestation:

Your baby doesn't have much room to maneuver now that he's over 18 inches long and tips the scales at 5 1/4 pounds (pick up a honeydew melon). Because it's so snug in your womb, he isn't likely to be doing somersaults anymore, but the number of times he kicks should remain about the same. His kidneys are fully developed now, and his liver can process some waste products. Most of his basic physical development is now complete — he'll spend the next few weeks putting on weight.

Your uterus — which was entirely tucked away inside your pelvis when you conceived — now reaches up under your rib cage. If you could peek inside your womb, you'd see that there's more baby than amniotic fluid in there now. Your ballooning uterus is crowding your other internal organs, too, which is why you probably have to urinate more often and may be dealing with heartburn and other gastrointestinal distress. If you're not grappling with these annoyances, you're one of the lucky few.

Total weight gain: Um, supposedly, I’m up 9 pounds in 3 weeks.  I’m in denial.  Since the baby isn’t growing too well, I can’t blame her, so, that means….the weight is all mine, and it’s probably from too many things with the word “chocolate sin” in the name.

General disposition:  Out.  I want her out.  Get her out.  It’s time for her to be out.  Please, take her OUT!!!  (Any questions?) 

Sleep:  Random.  When it’s good, it’s fantastic.  When it’s bad, it’s awful.  Very few mediocre night in the past weeks; seems to me that we are in the “all or nothing” stage.

Best moment this week: -- 

Movement:  She is bruising me from the inside.  I’m not even joking.  One of the drawbacks of her IUGR is that she still has plenty of room to maneuver in utero, so she is fully capable of doing somersaults, flips, and karate chops, and fully delights in doing so.  Reassuring, yes; comfortable, no.  

Labor Signs/Body Changes of Note:  I keep trying to find adequate nursing bras, and they are all too small.  I’ve reached to point of giving up until I’m back home from the hospital.  Since stopping two of my medications (per doctors’ orders), I’ve noticed an increase in the number of contractions I’m having; thankfully, the intensity hasn’t increased with the frequency.  There have been a couple other indicators that my body is ready to get this show on the road, but I’ll spare you from the explanation that would require multiple uses of the word “mucus.” 

What I miss : Freedom to be and do.  I want to be able to get together with friends, plan dinner parties, head to the park with my boys….but instead, I’m just still in this season of waiting.  Worth it, for sure, but nonetheless, restrictive.

What I am looking forward to: Meeting our daughter; giving her a name.  Introducing her to her grandparents.  Celebrating the completion of our family of five.  It’s hard to imagine that it will be within days…

Does she have a set birthday:  Unless something is drastically wrong at my growth ultrasound on Thursday, Baby Girl will arrive sometime on Monday.  Don’t worry; I will assign someone to update the blog.

Does she have a name yet: No.  I promise.  We’re not just being secretive.  She has not been named, and most likely won’t be until she is in her daddy’s arms.  Sorry to keep trying all y’alls patience.

Are we ready: Absolutely, unequivocally, overwhelmingly YES!

Eleven months

Well.

For not the first time, I’m glad that my dear friend Stacy has walked this road ahead of me.  She knows right where my heart is at, at this eleven month mark.  Here is where she was, when it was her turn.

I am so very consumed and preoccupied with the upcoming arrival of Baby Girl that it is hard to remember what is was like at this point last spring  -- halfway through my pregnancy with Duncan.

We had just learned that he was indeed a boy, and that knowledge helped me take significant steps toward fully accepting his presence in our family.  I was still uncomfortable with the thought of having two little boys under the age of two running around a home that did not yet feel like home in a town that was far from familiar, but knowing that I was growing a little brother for Seth helped me accept what was coming.

Everyday, my new prayer was that the Lord would give me a genuine love for my second son.  That I would cherish his thumps and kicks and begin to imagine his place in our family of four.

It was a slow process, but in the month between April 17th, when he learned he was a boy, and May 16th, when we learned he’d left us, I grew leaps and bounds in my love for him, and my anticipation of the addition of his life to mine.

My emotions of last April are not all that different from my emotions this April.

Watching the scale dial creep up incrementally.

Feeling wonder and inconvenience simultaneously at the middle-of-the-night dance parties in utero.

Wondering how my heart would ever be able to love two children uniquely, completely.

Yet, here I am.  In the same place, yet not.  Familiar, yet completely and utterly unknown.

I know that this is the last memorial post that I will write as a mother of two.  I know that by the time I need to write his one-year-birthday post, Duncan will be a big brother, and our family will have grown from four to five.

As I mentioned in my birthday post last month, I feel anxious that Duncan’s “place” feels threatened.  He, for the longest time now, has been my baby.  And he’s about to be….not that.  Seth somehow had grown into my “big boy;” our new daughter will slide into her role as “my baby;” and Duncan…well, he would have become my “little boy.”  But instead….he is just missing.

Today, I mourn not for the little 17 ounce child I held to my chest for too-few hours.

Instead, I mourn for the toddler that won’t be wobbling into my delivery room to meet his sister.  I mourn for reality of one “Big Brother” tee shirt, not two.  I mourn for the absence of bunk beds for my two boys.  I mourn for the missing car seat in our new Flex.

It is so hard not to wonder what life would have been like for this past year with Duncan alive and well in our family.  I know that the wondering is futile, and yet….

You are missed, baby boy.  You are thought of, dreamt of, spoken of, and oh so missed.

Happy Birthday!

No, today is not Baby Girl’s birthday.

It’s her daddy’s.

Happy 30th Birthday to my wonderful husband.  You are the best man I know, and I am so fortunate to call you mine.

Not a moment too soon….here is Baby Girl’s room!

Does anyone else overanalyze furniture placement besides me and the Nester?  Please tell me, you do, too.

When we put our crib back together in February, I’d deliberately moved it to an adjacent wall, and positioned the glider and ottoman away from the window, in order to establish Seth’s nursery and Baby Girl’s nursery as individual places in my mind and heart.  (I know…it’s just a room.  But humor me.)

The room stayed like this for a while; actually, it was this way up until just this past weekend.

But when it was all said and done, and all the furniture was in place, I realized that when we’d moved in, there was a reason we placed Seth’s crib on the south wall.

It’s just where it works best.

So, back it went.

A close up of the crib skirt I fashioned with the original white PBK skirt from my friend MaryBeth and fabric that matches the valance.

The “Baby Girl” banner from my shower, hanging in her closet.  And no, you’re not going to get to see her closet.  Not because it’s not tidy.  Oh, it is.  But because it is embarrassingly full.

   
One of my favorite areas in her room is the changing station.  I was able to find these coordinating baskets at Hobby Lobby for $7.99.  They are well-made and fabric lined, so I know they’ll last for a good while.  It makes my heart happy to have everything I need at my fingertips, and yet, still have it concealed in a tidy manner.

The mirror was inspired by another blog I read, used in the author’s half-bath.  When she said she’d found it marked down at her local Home Depot, I knew I needed to check it out, too.  For only $24.99, it was just right.  It was the size and shape I’d been looking for, and I love the beveled edges.

Ah, the birdcage.  Who knows where this will eventually land permanently, but for now, it’s on the end table across from the crib.
 

The bookshelves I’d originally intended to flank the crib ended up being just a hair too tall and too long, so…. we improvised.  And I have to admit, I’m really happy with the result.  Thank you, Uncle Fred, for giving us two beautiful pieces that we’ll have for years to come!

Eventually, Baby Girl will have a name, and Kim’s canvas will hang above the glider.

Let me just say, Seth has been none too impressed to see some of “his” toys end up on his sister’s shelves.  We’re working on that.  I figure, he’ll either come to recognize them as her “baby” toys, or, he’ll have something to play with in her room while I’m feeding her.  (Wishful thinking on my part, I’m sure.)

So….there you have it.  It’s indeed been a labor of love, as much as putting Seth’s first nursery together.  In case you’re wondering about some of the particulars of the room, I’ll try to answer as many questions as I can think of.  If there is something else you’d like to know, please leave me a comment, and I’ll update the post as appropriate.

Bedding: Bumper is Pottery Barn Kids (PBK), retired print Mia.  Purchased in March 2009 for $24.97 on clearance, marked down from $89.00!!!  Crib sheet: PBK dark pink gingham, lovingly given by my friend MB.  Crib skirt: PBK pleated skirt in white; embellished with 1.5 yards of butterfly fabric from Hobby Lobby.

Window treatments:  Dark pink drapery panels were purchased for $10 (for the PAIR!) at Dollar General Market.  I love them!  They are fully lined, and room darkening to boot.  The valance is my pride and joy.  A yard each of polka dot and butterfly fabrics from Hobby Lobby, and five metal drawer pulls made this “eyebrow” come together beautifully.

Mirror: Found at your local Home Depot. =)   Original inspiration for the mirror goes to Susie Harris.   Here is how she showcased her crest mirror.

Furniture:  The Baby Italia convertible crib (tea stain finish) was originally purchased from Babies ‘R Us in 2007, as was the changing table.  It doesn’t appear that the changing table is being carried by BRU anymore, but there is one similar to it on their website.

The glider and ottoman were purchased at a baby boutique in Ohio, but are nationally sold under the Best Home Furnishings line.  Our chair in particular is part of their Storytime Series, custom upholstered in Carrot microsuede.

The two bookshelves were built by Jim’s uncle Fred.  I would have been happy with the $15 pre-fab ones from WalMart, but I’m glad Jim asked me to let him have Uncle Fred make them for us, instead.  We were able to stain them ourselves, and I know we’ll appreciate having something handmade in our home for years to come.

Accessories:  The metal wall hangings were found at Hobby Lobby in the garden section.  The big daisies were $5.99, and the smaller daisies with hooks (I think you can only see them in one picture) were $3.99.  Changing table baskets were also a Hobby Lobby find, as was the four-opening frame above the crib.  You can read all about the birdcage here and here.  The clock/radio is my absolute MUST HAVE for the nursery – I love the built-in two-degree nightlight – and I “stole” it from Seth’s room, because, well, I’m cheap and I didn’t want to spend $70 for a duplicate for both kiddo’s rooms.

I think that’s about it!  I’d love to know what you think of Baby Girl’s room.  I wish that the pictures could truly convey how cheerful and bright the room turned out.  I know that many happy, if not sleepless, nights will be spent with her here.  A lot of love and thought and generosity of friends went into this room, and I know that I will rest well, confident that our daughter is cocooned in such a happy, safe place.

Foreshadowing?

Remember how I said that we’d told Seth that when the balloon deflated, the baby would come?

Well….

There’s still some helium in the balloon, but it isn’t floating anymore.  I have an MFM appointment this afternoon; we’ll see how Baby Girl’s ultrasound matches up with her balloon!

Oh…..and while we’re on the subject of cliffhangers….

Tomorrow’s post?

The reveal of Baby Girl’s room!

Wordless Wednesday: Ready and Waiting

Tis the season

I had no idea that April would become our “Birthday Month.”

Of course, April has always meant my dad’s birthday.

And then, Jim joined ranks.

And when my sister-in-law Taylor joined the family, her special day got added to the calendar.

Then, when we moved to Nashville, Sun-sil and Jackson got put on the roster.

And then we learned Baby Girl would make her arrival in April, too.

Then the party invites started rolling in from Seth’s “peeps.”  Hayden, Bralen, Aylin, Charlie, Tabitha.  All in one week, no less.

Which is why this is what my dining room looks like:

 
And, yes, I totally cheated with the gift-bag-and-tissue-paper route, versus actually boxing and wrapping the presents.

But I’m not a complete slacker!  I embellished Miss AP’s gift:

 
See the stickers?  Nice touch, huh? =)

So, here is my question, though, to toss out to the blog world.

What is your birthday budget?

I’ve never really thought about the dollar amount to spend on party gifts for a preschooler.  In fact, Seth hadn’t even attended his first birthday party until two weeks ago.  But suddenly being faced with a half-dozen toddler gifts to buy….well, it gave me pause.  What is that fine line between cheap and appropriate and extravagant?

I’d love to hear what some of you other moms do when birthday party season hits in full force?  How do you make your little one’s friends feel special without breaking the bank?

How he says “I love you”

I may not have a shoebox full of love letters and Hallmark cards and sweetly scribbled Post-Its detailing his undying love for me.  Which, for the longest time, I lamented.

See, my love language is words of affirmation.  So, I feel most loved when someone is telling me – either verbally, or in written word – how they feel about me, why they love me, or how I make them feel.

But Jim’s love language is acts of service.  He feels most loved when I take care of him through basic needs – keeping the house tidy, making sure he has clean underwear, maintaining our family calendar.

One of the hardest things to learn in a marriage – well, any relationship, really – is how to speak the other person’s primary “love language,” even if it’s not the one that comes most natural to you.

I had to learn that unloading the dishwasher was going to mean more to Jim that a two-page letter waxing poetic about his stunning physique.  And he had to learn that sending me a text in the middle of the day just to say “I love you” means more to me taking out the garbage.

On the other hand, I think we have both benefitted from being spoken to in our “native" tongues.”  Jim keeps the cards and Post-Its I leave for him; I very much appreciate that Jim most often takes the dishwasher-unloading and curbside-trash-hauling duties.

And every so often, one of us benefits in a BIG way from the love language the other one speaks.

Point in case.

Last Monday night, Jim left me to fend for myself with Seth after work hours. We played outside, caved to the temptation of Little Caesar's for dinner, and stayed up way past bedtime just in order to see Daddy for the first time all day.

But it wasn’t because Jim was just working late.

It was because he was negotiating a deal for this:

My new car, which is a dream come true.  (And that is saying a lot coming from a self-proclaimed “I’m-not-a-car-girl” girl.)

It is a 2010 Ford Flex, and I LOVE it.  It has everything.  EVERY.  THING.

Leather.

Not just a sunroof, but two moonroofs as well.

Entertainment package.  (Read: DVD player for long trips to Florida.)

Sync.

And features notwithstanding, it drives like a luxury car.

I LOVE it.

And I know it made Jim so happy to provide this for me.  Knowing that I’m going to be mommy-ing around his littles in a safe, economical family vehicle makes him happy.  And if he’s happy, I’m happy.

And if I’m being totally honest….the sunroof makes me happy, too.

Still here

Enjoying my boys, and the beautiful weather, and my new car, and wonderful brownies from my dear Kasey.

I know the blog is suffering, despite ample time to write.  But as we enter the home stretch waiting for Baby Girl to make her appearance, my attention span is less than Seth’s.

But rest assured, there will be posts next week.  I already have three written and in the que! =)

Until then, I hope you have a wonderful April weekend!

Wordless Wednesday

33w Update

How far along: 32w6d.  It’s hard to believe that we’ve finally made it to April – Baby Girl’s birthday month!  Though I still don’t know what exact day she’ll arrive via c-section, I know it will be this month…and that is SO exciting! 

Total weight gain: Despite the 6.5  lb. difference between the scale at Dr. M’s office, and the scale at the MFM’s office, I’m happy to report my weight held steady this week!  No gain, so, only up 8 lbs. for the pregnancy.  I’m going to be over the moon if I can keep my total gain under 15 lbs.  Like I’ve mentioned before, having five pregnancies back-to-back hasn’t been the most, ahem, figure friendly thing to do.

General disposition:  I’m pretty uncomfortable; I’m swelling a lot more easily, my shots are getting harder and harder to inject, and my skin is on a break-out rampage.  But overall, I’m just getting so excited.  I know there is a whole new flavor of “difficult” around the corner as we adjust to life with a new baby, and dividing our time and attention between her and Seth, and healing from surgery….but I’m ready.  I’m ready for whatever comes next. 

Sleep: Huh?  What? 

Best moment this week: I’m so proud of the son we are raising.  We have certainly had some moments this week.  He is being exposed to so much more than even a few months ago, what with being at school all day, and then in different homes each afternoon.  His vocabulary is growing, and so, in his opinion, is the size of his “boundaried” area.  But despite the disciplinary firsts we are facing, he is still THE BEST kid. 

Movement:  As sore as I am, from repeated kicks to one certain spot near my right ribs, I’m so thankful for Baby Girl’s consistent movement.  As her growth slows, my fears intensify, and I’m glad for the constant reassurance that she is, indeed, alive and kickin.’ 

Labor Signs/Body Changes of Note: I need new bras.  Again.  I have a completely newfound respect for women who start out, even before being pregnant, well-endowed. 

What I miss : Energy.  Being able to wrestle with Seth.  Speed.  (Do you know how long it seems to take me to walk up the stairs?  Eek.) 

What I am looking forward to: Seeing two carseats in the back of our new car. =)

And since I’ve been a TOTAL slacker when it comes to taking week-by-week belly pictures, here is a stolen one, courtesy of my friend Jessi.

And yes, that is my popped-out belly button that you can see.

Played out

Friends of ours were sweet enough to take Seth to the Nashville Zoo with them on Good Friday.  Given the 80+ degree temperatures, blazing sun, and lack-of-nap schedule, I figured he’d collapse right into sleep when he got home at dinner time.

Well, he bypassed his bed.

And instead chose to chill out in Baby Girl’s swing.

Hey.  I’m not complaining.  He was content to relax with some juice and the movie Bolt while Jim and I enjoyed dinner.  It rejuvenated him enough to make it until his normal bedtime, and to gear him up for a full Saturday of….

…. wait for it ….

Car Shopping.

Yep.  Bye-bye, F250.  Hello, new mommy mobile!

But I’m saving that for another post.

Hope y’all are having a blessed Easter.

Best buds

There is nothing sweeter in this world than splitting a chocolate malt with your best buddy.