33 weeks - Cole

Pregnancy Highlights:

How Far Along : 33 weeks. Less than 50 days left!!! I'm kinda glad; I've been really feeling pregnant lately! Although I feel like there's so much to get done in 7 weeks!

Size of Baby :  ~4+" long & ~17+ lb. My apps tell me that he's almost as long as he'll be at birth, but still needs to almost double in weight. Yikes!

Total Weight Gain : ~ 20 lbs. I'm supposed to be gaining a weekly pound at this point, which would put me just past the 25 I was aiming for, but I'm not going to quibble over a couple pounds. Plus, they say the weight gain slows as due date nears, so I might end up right on target anyway.

Maternity Clothes :  100%. My over-belly bottoms aren't covering my belly all the way anymore. My under-belly bottoms and underwear are folding at the waist band b/c my belly goes straight out. I'm running low on shirts that cover the whole thing; it's going to be scandalous by the end of summer! ;-D

Best Moment This Week : Getting pre-registered at the hospital yesterday was nice. I love my ducks in a row, and that's a huge one to have taken care of. Also, I found out that in the 2 1/2 years since we were there to have Ash, they've made some slight changes - and I'm happy about all of them. They're working towards a "baby friendly" status, so things I had on my birth plan (delayed cord clamping, keeping baby with me as much as possible, etc) have become standard practice. They've closed down the nursery and come to your room to do assessments, bath, etc. And they let you have an hour for bonding before they come to do these things. I'm happy about that, and will have to sit down with my birth plan and make a couple changes since some of the things I had on there as exceptions don't need to be treated as such. Yay! I'm a rule follower at heart, so bucking the system is hard for me. I'm relieved that the new standards line up so much with my desires for labor and postpartum care.

Gender : It's a boy! We're having small group at our house tonight, so I'm hoping to get some manly assistance in getting the bed out of the nursery and into the basement. We also picked up a glider from some friends in small group, which means we can move the cozier one from Ash's room into Cole's room. That's the one I'll be spending hours in over the next year, so comfort is key. Ash's is JUST for bedtime stories. Also, Josh has a 4 day weekend coming up (July 4th), so I can probably talk him into putting the crib together then. I kinda "forgot" about finishing the roman shade for the room for a while, so I did a little more work on those this week and should be ready to hang by next weekend too. It's all coming together :)

Movement : Generally Cole stays with his feet in the upper right. One evening this week he had switched and was kicking me in the upper left. Suddenly he started moving like crazy ALL OVER my belly, and I couldn't figure out what he was doing till he finally settled back into his favorite position. All that movement at once was him trying to reposition himself. Funny boy :)

Also, when I sleep at night, he tends to settle into the side I'm lying on. This is mostly fine except that when I wake, my ribs hurt from his feet being wedged in there. And I always roll to the other side when I wake, which causes him to freak out a little bit before he settles back into the new side.

Food Craving :  Sweets. Chocolate. I've been bad again this week, with a milkshake, cookie dough, ice cream and LOTS of iced tea. But the fruit is all in season, so I'm trying to temper that craving with fresh melon, cherries, pears, etc most days. Also I've been craving chicken. Ash and I ate through an entire rotisserie chicken by ourselves in just over 2 days, after we'd already had grilled chicken earlier in the week and Chick-fil-A twice, and we took out half another chicken today for lunch! I'm pretty sure Cole is having growth spurts every few days, and this could explain the sudden need for more calories (I've been ravenous lately) and especially protein.

What I Miss Most : Being able to move at speed. We ran errands on Wednesday, and it took almost twice as long as I'd planned b/c my hip was hurting and I could only move at a snail's pace. Two toddlers and a sore pregnant lady are a slow group! (Unless you call the boys race cars, and suddenly they're off! That's my new trick for when I need them to travel at an adult pace.)

Sleep : same. I'm waking 1-2 times a night to pee, and 1-2 more to roll over. I tried to sleep with just a couple pillows instead of the pregnancy pillow this week, but in the wee hours the second night I gave up and put my pregnancy cocoon back in bed. It really is the most comfy way to sleep. Sometimes when I'm lounging on the couch downstairs, I miss it :) Sometimes when I'm comfy in my cocoon, I miss my husband. It will be nice to finally be done with it in a couple months.

What I Am Looking Forward To : Saturday morning, we're getting together with Mark & Melissa & fam to do our (postponed) mutual photo shoot at Garden of the Gods. I've picked out coordinating (not matching) outfits for us to wear, and I'm excited to use my camera. I forget to pull it out for the day-to-day stuff a lot, so it'll be nice to actually use it. Though I have a feeling it'll be getting a LOT of use in a couple months, eh? I'm slightly nervous about the shoot too just b/c I got my haircut today. I got bored/brave and asked for bangs, but I haven't had time to get used to them yet and can't decide how I like them. But like them or not, they'll be in tomorrow's pics!

Saturday night, Josh & I have a babysitter booked and reservations at the Melting Pot to celebrate our tenth anniversary. I can't wait! I know I'm going to have to take extra Zantac and might regret it afterwards anyway, but we LOVE the Melting Pot! I'm looking forward to the laid back, slow eating & atmosphere. Each course is "my favorite", so it's gonna be fun.

Belly Button : Getting pretty close to all the way out. You can see part of the scar that is usually the very inside of my belly button. Unfortunately for symmetry obsessed Nelly, it is NOT popping symmetrically. Aaaaah! :-D

Symptoms : Pretty much the same, but everything is getting worse. Indulging in my cravings despite the threat of reflux has caused a couple days of max dose Zantac & Tums. If moving slowly was an Olympic sport, I'd be winning the gold! Exhaustion has set back in full force. I am eating tiny portions all day long to try to keep up with Cole's caloric needs and the increase in my hunger with such a tiny stomach. Aching is just a way of life now. The lightheadedness hits anytime I exert myself or go too long w/o food. 

Newer symptoms include very loose & consequently very sore hips (especially the left), sore boobs (hello collostrum!), and overheating when I exercise. 

The overheating, lightheadedness, and hips have convinced me to give up some of my favorite exercise classes in favor of some aqua classes at the gym. I'll go to my favorite Body Pump class on Monday one last time, then I'll be taking classes like "Aqua Athletics", "Gentle Aqua", and "Aqua Zumba".

Compared to last time : Pretty much the same. This week I've felt particularly "pregnant", aching and struggling. But objectively the symptoms all line up.

I wore the same shirt on purpose for a closer comparison :)

32 weeks - Cole

Pregnancy Highlights:

How Far Along : 32 weeks

Size of Baby :  ~16.5+ long & ~4 lb

Total Weight Gain : ~18.5 lbs. Still right on track with where I wanted to be. Though I'm gonna need to pay more attention to eating healthier if I want to stay on track.

Maternity Clothes :  100%. The weather has hit the 80's consistently, so it's all shorts and capris, skirts and dresses. And hanging out indoors where the A/C can do its job :)

Best Moment This Week : We took Josh out for sushi on Saturday to celebrate Father's Day. We decided to try a new place (Tomo) that had ratings similar to our favorite place downtown (Fujiyama), and we were pleasantly surprised with the outcome. We both were very happy with our choices and the prices. So now we can go to Tomo on the weekends without fighting for downtown parking spaces or walking blocks to & from the car. We'll still hit Fujiyama for their weekday lunch 1/2 off sushi special, but otherwise you'll find us at Tomo... probably ordering something similar to what we did on Saturday.

Also, we watched the Game of Thrones season finale Monday night, and I'm so relieved. I've read past there in the books, so I knew the big twist at the end. I've known it for over a year and had to keep my mouth shut till now b/c Josh is only on book 2. I'm so glad that it's finally out in the open so I don't have to keep big secrets. Of course, I have a couple little ones from book 4 (I just finished this week) and am sure to pick up more in book 5, but those old ones have been weighing on me for so long I'm glad to be rid of them :)

Gender : It's a boy! I'm starting to think that since our plans for August & following have changed (see: What I Miss Most), I may go ahead and have some of the men from small group help move the guest bed to the basement and set up the rest of the nursery before Cole comes. It'll make my life just a little less stressful, I think, to have it complete before he gets here. You know how I like my ducks in a row... ;)

Movement : He seems to be finally slowing down a little bit, like things are starting to get a little cramped. He still goes crazy a couple times a day, and he occasionally likes to wedge himself into my rib cage in painful ways, but overall things seem to be gradually easing up on the movement front.

Food Craving :  Junk. I have had a hard time eating healthy lately. Except fruit; I have upped my fruit intake nicely with all the summer fruit in season. But often I'll let myself go too long without eating, and then my body craves a quick fix. Usually something sugary. Often I'm running errands, so I grab a donut from the bakery or a candy bar by the register. I know these are not good decisions, but it's been one of those weeks.

What I Miss Most : I was just getting ~really~ excited about the idea of Shelia being here for the birth (settling details w/my doula, etc, made it feel real), and Josh called me this week to tell me that she's not going to be able to come when we'd planned. Her doctor scheduled her for major surgery right before she would have been leaving to come, and it's a 6 wk recovery at least. So now we won't see her till late September at the soonest. I'm glad she's still planning to come, but it won't be the same, and I'm bummed for us and for her. So right now what I miss most are my August-fantasies. I'm working on readjusting them, starting to adapt to the change; you know how good I am with change... ;)

Sleep : same. I worked out hard at the gym and did yard work this week, so I've been aching more than usual. This necessitates rolling over more often to ease sore muscles and joints. Also, Cole is starting to really squish my bladder, so some nights I'm up twice or more to pee. 5am is my body's new favorite time to be awake, though I'd rather sleep through till the alarm please. :)

What I Am Looking Forward To : I'm starting to look forward to next weekend when Josh & I celebrate our (TENTH!) anniversary with a date to The Melting Pot. Nothing as special as we may have once hoped, but with a baby on the way and little financial leeway, we're kinda limited to the things we can plan. It's no European vacation or Caribbean cruise, but it'll definitely do nicely for now.  Also hoping to get together with Melissa this weekend, so it'll be nice to catch up. I'm in need of some social time, I think.

Belly Button : same. Still very slowly getting shallower. I've been more interested to notice lately the changes in color on my belly. My veins have become more visible across my front, like a blue-green roadmap. Also, where the linea nigra should be, I have a streak of paleness. Not sure why, tho if I had to guess I'd probably say it's from being stretched so tightly; it looks to me like how your skin turns white when you press on it. 

Symptoms : same. Reflux is manageable if I avoid all triggers and graze tiny portions all day long. Unfortunately, this doesn't always fit with my cravings or busy schedule, so I have good days and bad days. I haven't really said anything about it in a long time, but drinking 100oz of water daily really does seem to have helped keep the B.Hicks at a healthy & manageable level most days. Also, I'm struggling lately with feeling lightheaded during workouts; I've had to pull back a lot on the cardio, and even take it easy on some of the large muscle workouts (squats/lunges, etc) b/c too many reps in a short time frame can make me dizzy too. I'm starting to feel pregnant at the gym. But I keep going b/c I figure I can still push upper body, and some cardio is better than none. 

Compared to last time : VERY similar. Reading back through my post from 32 weeks with Ash, it's funny to see how much was the same. His movements were getting more limited about this time, as was my ability to eat reasonable portions of food, and the lightheadedness was an issue too. 

32 weeks - in my long & lean tanks to deal with the 88° highs today

31 weeks - Cole

Pregnancy Highlights:

How Far Along : 31 weeks. Sunday puts us only 2 months out from our 8/15 due date. What insanity is this?!

Size of Baby :  ~16+" long & ~3+ lb

Total Weight Gain : ~18 lbs

Maternity Clothes :  100%.

Best Moment This Week : Monday was awesome. Not every week can you say that sentence! :) I started the day with BodyPump, which I've missed for weeks, and I felt strong and pushed myself to "next day sore". Always a good feeling. Then a friend came over to drop off an audiobook for me and chat a while. On my way up to Denver to meet Jordan, I got to talk to my mom AND Michelle on the phone. I met Jordan for a photo shoot at a park in Denver and spent a few hours taking pictures and hanging out; so soothing for my soul. I love that girl! Then I drove back home listening to my audio book and ended the night watching Game of Thrones with my sweetie. Of course I was EXHAUSTED on Tuesday, but it was worth it! Especially when I got to see this :

Then Tuesday I had my regular OB appointment. I couldn't believe it when Dr Weary walked in and handed me the reminder card to call and set up my pre-registration appointment at the hospital. And at the end of the appt he reminded me that my next appointments go 3 wks, 2 wks, 1 wk till the end, so I went ahead and scheduled appts all the way out till my due date (it's easier to snag those morning slots that work with toddler schedules if you get them in early). These two things made my due date seem so much closer than it has. Later that day I also met with Tiffany, my doula. Talking with her made it seem more real too, and talking thru some of the details helped me settle my mind and refocus on what still needs to get done before baby time.

Gender : It's a boy! We've been so busy this week, and Jack came back to us on Wednesday, but in spite the busyness of the week I've managed to finish a few projects for the nursery (see pics). I still need to do the last bits for my roman shade, but got the sewing machine work out of the way. I also have narrowed down a few more things to register for to finish the nursery out, so after my shower in July I'll know what else I need to buy. It's starting to come together - at least in my head - and that's always fun.

Growth Charts for both boys

Roman shades

Ash painted this series, my favorite thing going in the room

Movement : What a wiggle-worm! He's starting to get more predictable with his movements: morning when I wake up, after meals & snacks (esp sugary or caffeinated), anytime I lay down to sleep/nap, evening TV time, and of course the 10pm DANCE PARTY! :)

Food Craving : Sweet tea. Yep, still. Been loving watermelon. Also craving cream cheese pastries or donuts, bad news!

What I Miss Most : Energy. Sleep. Freedom of movement, clothes that fit, ability to eat a whole meal without regret.

Sleep : same old - waking at least once to pee, more often to roll over. My hips are really starting to loosen up and bug me, so I can't sleep on one side for more than a few hours. I've also been so busy I haven't been getting ENOUGH hours in bed. Need to remedy that :)

What I Am Looking Forward To : I'm starting to really look forward to visits from family. I miss them so much! Also, I can't wait for my shower in July, mostly for the fun of hanging out with girl friends for the afternoon :)

Belly Button : same, getting more shallow by the week

Symptoms : So, Monday afternoon I picked Ash up into my lap while I was having a B.Hicks, and the force of his body against my contracted muscles shot PAIN into my uterus. The kind that made me go check the mirror for visible damage, hurt sharply for a while, and even when it faded still felt tender and hurt sharply if I tensed suddenly or moved certain ways. It felt mostly better by Tuesday, but I still asked Dr. Weary about it. He said it was probably a charley horse in my uterus or abs, nothing to do for it, but no concern about baby's well being. You can be certain I'm going to be even more careful about ANY impact to my belly from now on! :-O

And completely randomly last night I got suddenly intensely nauseous. I barely managed to keep my dinner down as I stood by the kitchen sink waiting for what felt like the inevitable. It passed almost as quickly as it came on, and I still have no idea what caused it!

Also, I've been having a lot more tenderness in my belly lately. I think possibly b/c Cole is scheduled to gain 1/2 a pound every week and my belly is having a hard time keeping up with the growth. It's like I've been bruised and battered just under the skin. Most mornings I wake up ok, but by the end of the day I'm so tender.

Anyway, the rest is the usual - reflux continuing to increase (and me not the best at saying no to trigger foods), aches and exhaustion grow as my belly does. But I'm a boring patient for my doctor (he likes that) and overall feel pretty good for 31 weeks. Everyone says I look good too (b/c I'm only carrying out front; pregnancy wears well on me, lucky genes), and no one believes I still have months to go or that my belly could possibly get any bigger. Haha, just you wait, people! :-D

Compared to last time : pretty much the same

31 weeks

30 weeks!? - Cole

Pregnancy Highlights:

How Far Along : 30 weeks.  That's 75% complete.  That's just a little over 2 months till due date.  WHAT THE WHAT!?  How did this happen??

Size of Baby :  ~16" long & ~3 lb.  My "What To Expect" app tells me that he'll be gaining approx 1/2 lb every week almost till D-day. (funny, today is actually the historical D-Day)  Though today I believe that growth is happening.  My belly feels bruised, like it's growing and stretching beyond capacity today.

Total Weight Gain : ~ 16.5 lbs.  I've struggled this week with being far too indulgent.  This applies to almost every area of my life, but definitely affects what I've eaten & drank, which in turn affects how I feel.  I'm having to eat a little less b/c there's so little room in my stomach, which is probably my saving grace and why I haven't gained as much as I should, considering all the junk I've had this week.

Maternity Clothes :  100%.  I decided that one of the pairs of shorts I bought at the JBF sale and one of the pairs I bought for my first pregnancy will work; they're just a little uncomfortable, but I can make it thru most of the day in them. And I bought another pair off of FB, and when I got home I discovered they were XL, not the L they were advertised to be.  Can you say "alterations"; a couple darts make them viable for the summer.  So now I'm up to a healthy half dozen short bottoms to get me through the summer, and about half a dozen long&lean tanks too, in addition to the other short sleeved options at my disposal.  Of course, I'm starting to have to put away some of my shirts that just aren't long enough to cover my whole belly anymore.  It's getting out there!

Best Moment This Week : It cracked me up this weekend when one of my gym buddies walked into the potluck party for Josh's boss, and we finally realized that our husbands were work friends and we figured out why each had looked so familiar when we "first met" at the gym.  Her husband and Josh regularly take lunch trips to CFA to get out of the office, and we regularly take overlapping classes at the gym and chit-chat in the locker room.  Small world! :)

I'm also enjoying time with just Ash. Jack will be back with us Wednesday, and then by the next time I'm "off" there will be a new baby coming, so I'm seeing this as my last big chunk of easy one-on-one time with my boy for a while. So the pool & a breakfast date & lots of books about trucks have been a big part of our days alone together. :) 

Gender : It's a boy! With Jack out of town for a week, I'm spending some time with my sewing machine projects.  I'm working on some clothing alterations that have been in my stack, but my big focus is starting/finishing the roman shade to hang in the nursery.  I had picked out fabric options I liked (do you remember the picture I posted a month or so ago?), then they stopped carrying some.  Also, once I bought the striped pattern I loved (bottom right), I realized it was too narrow for the roman shade, so today I bought the blue stripe to widen a couple inches on each side (horizontally, like pictured).  I've also decided to take on an extremely ambitious project; I bought the elephant print (I wish you could feel how soft it is!) and the yarn to make a double sided blanket - knitted on one side, flannel on the other, with a white satin border.  My plan is to make it about the size of the mattress so he can use it long term if he wants.  And I bought some boards (not pictured) to make a wall-hanging (gonna have Ash help me paint it) and a growth chart (with the animals & letters pictured).  [unrelated to pregnancy, but I also bought stuff to make a growth chart for Ash too with paint to match his room and a car & dump truck instead of animals]

I also bought a changing table this week and rearranged the furniture in the guest room/nursery to free up some floor space. I moved the bed to the corner where my glider will eventually live, and now the changing table & crib (bones - it needs reassembled still) are on the wall where they'll live. It's a small change but makes a big impact on how the room looks & feels.  Of course, that particular day I did some other things too, and I could hardly move that night!  Heating pad was my pal that evening and Thermacare heat wrap that night while I slept.

Movement : As his bones continue to harden, his movements get stronger.  One night Josh had his arm lying next to me (on the left side of my belly) and Cole was doing his usual 10pm dance party.  Josh exclaimed, "How can you sleep with that going on?!" and I answered him, "you're only feeling half of it; he's pinging on both sides of my belly.  This is why I often have trouble falling asleep at night (or anytime for that matter)."  Josh said, "sorry, I've gotta move my arm; I won't be able to fall asleep."  I had to laugh that we went from Josh never getting to feel him a couple weeks ago, to Josh moving away from the insanity.  LOL!

Food Craving :  Chocolate, how I miss you.  Reflux, how I hate you. :)  Still craving sweet tea too; I don't care too much about soda and coffee messes with my reflux too much, but sweet tea is just delicious!  I've found an excuse to run through McDonald's at least 3 times this week just to buy a $1 large sweet tea, plus what I've drunk otherwise.  Yeah, addicted might be the right word.  At least it's cheaper than Starbucks! :)

What I Miss Most : Being able to move.  Being able to breathe deeply.  Being able to eat a whole meal.  Being able to eat chocolate or tomato based foods without throat fire for a whole day.  Being able to lie flat on my back or on my stomach.

Sleep : Same old.  Waking up at least once or twice to pee, plus usually another time to roll over and relieve a pain somewhere.  My hips have started to loosen up and are giving me more trouble.

What I Am Looking Forward To : Saturday is Maleficent, which is getting mediocre reviews, but I know I'll enjoy. Monday I'm meeting Jordan to "model" for a photo shoot; fun and exciting.  I'm looking forward to hanging out with her, if a little nervous about being a model. Then Tuesday morning is my next OB appt.  We're down to appts every 3 wks now, and every 2 wks will start in July.  That's always a signal that things are getting closer.  EEK!  Also, we had to reschedule my doula appointment, so I'm still looking forward to that; it'll be Tuesday after nap.  Also, my previous doula Kari is going to be in town on Thursday, so I'm excited to see and hug her.

Belly Button : same.  Week by week it gradually gets less and less shallow.  I'm slightly shocked at how FAR the scar that used to lie just above my belly button has traveled; it's now about 2+" above.  So bizarre.

Symptoms : The usual : reflux, aches, exhaustion.  I've worn my wrist brace off and on for the carpal tunnel; it's not being too bad to me.  My back is hurting more lately, and I'm having to start acting pregnant more often to save myself from nights like the one I had this week.  My hips are getting loose and hurting more often.  I really can't eat as much at a time as I used to, and I accidentally waited too long between meals/snacks this week and got lightheaded and nauseous like I used to do first trimester.  I think third trimester is really gonna get me this time.

Compared to last time : Pretty much the same.  My back was hurting more @ 30 wks last time too.

30 wks

29 weeks - Cole

Pregnancy Highlights:

How Far Along : 29 weeks

Size of Baby :  ~15+" long & ~2.5 lb

Total Weight Gain : ~ 15.5 lbs

Maternity Clothes :  100%. The weather has turned warm. We've kicked on the A/C for good, I think. I grabbed a few more long & lean tanks @ Target this weekend to get me thru the summer. My big problem is that my hips are too wide for the summer maternity bottoms I have.  I was barely pregnant last time during summer, and my hips hadn't spread from months of pregnancy plus delivery.  I think I'm going to have to invest in some bigger shorts/capris.  I have one pair of capris I'm wearing the life out of that fit well, and one pair that needs a little patch-job and fit decent, but I'm gonna need more than two pairs of bottoms to get me through summer.

Best Moment This Week : Josh had Monday off and took Tuesday off too, so we had a lovely long weekend together.  We hosted small group, hung out around the house, went to church, went out for dinner Sunday night, watched a couple movies, cleared out the guest room, and generally relaxed and enjoyed our time.  I watched Jack for a few hours on Tuesday morning, but Josh & I squeezed in a movie and a nap before Ash woke from his nap.

Gender : It's a boy! 

Movement : I know I say this all the time, but he's so strong.  He's finally big enough to be getting up into my ribs.  My uterus takes up most of my abdomen now, and he's taking up his fair share of my uterus :)  Sometimes I can feel him at the top and bottom at the same time, like he's stretching out.  Most of the movement I feel is in the upper-middle or upper-right quadrant and then occasionally in the lower-left quadrant, like he favors the same angle that Ash was in.  Also, Josh was finally able to feel him this week, thanks to a little caffeinated dance party.

Food Craving : Chocolate.  I made an unwise choice Monday night and went on a Baskin Robbins run.  Josh wanted some plain chocolate ice cream, and I got myself some double chocolate fudge.  I regretted it when I woke up with massive reflux the next morning... only a LITTLE regret tho; it was SO good :)

What I Miss Most : I miss having my body and all the things I take for granted when I'm not pregnant - mobility, speed, comfort.  But I do enjoy the conversations my big belly sparks with people around me.  A true extrovert, I don't mind random conversations with strangers - and they're a lot more likely to spark a conversation when I've got a built-in question magnet.  When are you due?  Is this your first?  What are you having?  What do you already have?  How far apart will they be?  I'm not private, and happy to oblige :)  I'm just looking forward to the day when a little activity doesn't cause extreme heart rates and B.Hicks, when "downward facing dog" doesn't bring breakfast to the back of my throat or make me light-headed & dizzy, when I can sleep on my stomach & exercise on my back, when I can eat chocolate with only caloric regret.

Sleep : Not enough :)  I'm getting to bed later than I should, and sleeping poorly.  And Ash finally figured out he can open his door, so when his alarm light turns green at 7:00am, he wakes up and turns on his light and then starts opening his door.  He came in all weekend to wake us up between 7-7:15am every morning.  So much for sleeping in on your long weekend :)

What I Am Looking Forward To : I really can't wait to meet this kid!!  I can't wait to see how he's similar to Ash and how he's different.  I can't wait to see how he's like Josh and how he's like me.  I can't wait to get to know him.

Also, I have my first prenatal appointment with Tiffany (my doula) on Tuesday.  Ash is looking forward to playing with the cool toys in her office, and I'm excited to talk babies and L&D. I even pulled up my old birth plan from Ash's birth, made a few minor adjustments, and printed it out to discuss with her and my doctor.

Belly Button : same. :-P 

Symptoms : I think my ribs are starting to spread.  I have been feeling the pains like they're trying to.

Also, I've started wearing my wrist brace every night to avert the carpal tunnel tingle.  So far that's enough to keep it at bay - thank God!

Otherwise, same old reflux, exhaustion, aches....

Compared to last time : Pretty much the same.  Again, I still feel bigger (and no one believes me when I tell them I'm NOT having this baby for a couple months yet) and possibly more tired (b/c I'm way more active this time and I've been forgetting to take my iron lately too).  But otherwise, I'm in better shape and know how to rely on meds to take care of my reflux, so I feel like it all balances out in the long run.

29 wks

28 weeks - Cole

Pregnancy Highlights:

How Far Along :  28 weeks. Officially the third trimester, no matter how you're counting it. Also, I like the coincidence that Ash is 28 months old and Cole is 28 weeks in utero.

Size of Baby :  ~15-16" long & ~2.25-2.5 lbs

Total Weight Gain : ~ 15 lbs.  That's 8 lbs less than where I was last time, but I also know I'm carrying a lot more muscle this time around - so I'm definitely in a better place.  Although my body would beg to differ after pushing myself hard at Body Pump on Wednesday and throwing myself headlong into errands and chores Thursday :)

Maternity Clothes :  100%. I'm officially fed up with my pants, so I was excited to wear capris in the warm weather this week.  Some of my "maternity" shirts are ALREADY getting too short to cover my belly all the way (with under-belly pants).  Not cool, dude!  I'm gonna be seriously limited when the weather gets hot and my belly is EVEN bigger :)  I have a feeling I'm going to spend the month of July in the same few pairs of shorts/capris and the same few "long & lean" tanks I have. :)

Best Moment This Week : I really enjoyed my OB appt on Monday. Talking to Dr Weary always settles my nerves. He explained to me the bio-mechanics of why I feel like I'm going to pass out at what I think are random times (he says they're not random at all!), and understanding it makes it way less disconcerting. He reiterated the contraction concern signs (6+ painful contractions in an hour that DON'T go away when you pee, drink, and lay down), which I needed to hear again. I feel like I'm having contractions all day some days, but it's not hitting the threshold for concern, so that's reassuring too. Basically I just walked out of there feeling at ease about everything. 

Gender : It's a boy! Over the weekend we're planning to get some work done on the nursery. Josh has Memorial Monday off (and he's taking Tuesday as a personal day), so we'll have some time to work together on getting the crib put back together (it won't fit thru doorways, so we had to take it apart to take it out of Ash's room) and tame the chaos.  I spent some time in the room on Thursday just getting little things straightened and ready to jump in this weekend.  I'm a little bummed that it won't really look like a nursery for another 4 months since we're leaving the guest bed set up in there until after all our family is done visiting mid-Sept, but excited to get as much as we can done so it's not hanging over my head.

Movement : Cole is a strong boy!  I love feeling him move.  Unfortunately his most predictably active times are when Ash is sleeping (when I'm more likely to sit still), so I haven't been able to let Ash feel his little brother moving. But he does like to say "hi, Cole" to my belly sometimes.  Also, Cole is a butt-head, and every time I grab Josh's hand to feel him kicking, he stops!  Little stinker :)

Also, I experienced hiccups last Friday night at small group for the first time this pregnancy. So funny!

Food Craving : I've eaten an unhealthy amount of peanut butter this week.  But I guess there are probably worse things to binge on.  Like the DoubleStuff Oreos I ate for lunch on Thursday :-D I'm also craving (but not indulging) sweets of all kinds, especially donuts, ice cream, and a caramel ribbon crunch frapp. 

What I Miss Most : feeling "normal".  My digestive system needs help to work, my energy levels are mediocre at best, I can't get comfortable no matter what I wear or what position I choose (except snuggled in my cocoon in bed, and that's not an option most of the day)... I'm just definitely feeling pregnant, and a little alarmed that I still have 3 months to go!

Sleep : same old - waking up at least a couple times a night, peeing and rolling over.  I'm starting to get used to it, though I am feeling pretty tired this week. 

What I Am Looking Forward To : making some progress on the nursery.  Hanging up the maps this weekend and (in a few weeks) sewing up the curtains (gonna try my hand at a Roman shade!). 

Belly Button : same.

Symptoms : I'm getting the beginnings of carpal tunnel. The last few mornings I've woken up with my hand tingling in that old familiar way. But it fades quickly after getting up, and doesn't bother me at all during the day, so I'm not too worried. Last night when I woke to pee, I put on my old wrist brace and it was fine by the time I woke for the day; I'll probably start wearing it regularly. Otherwise it's the same old - reflux, aches, exhaustion.

Compared to last time : I'm happy to report that this pregnancy seems to be treating me as well as the last one in general.  My energy is a little more of a struggle b/c I'm trying to keep up with two toddlers and the house-keeping too.  And I definitely ~feel~ bigger even if I'm not that much bigger than I was.  But so far, they're nicely parallel.

My small group (who has never seen me pregnant) can't believe I've still got almost 3 months to go!

Ash - 2 yrs 4 mos

I know it's only been a month since my last post, but momma wanted to get back on an every-other-month schedule, so here's what we've been up to in the past month.

28 months and cute as ever

One year ago (and look at the title of the book I'm reading)

Two years ago

Size: I'm wearing mostly 24 mo & 2T clothes at this point, but on warm days I still fit into my old 12 mo shorts.  I only weigh just over 25 lbs still.  Mommy realized she's going to have to start measuring me and weighing me if she wants to know more than once a year.

Coming down the twisty slide by myself

Physical development:  I've been a busy guy in the area of physical development.  My body awareness and gross motor skills just can't keep up with my fine motor skills and verbal/mental development, so I'm still a little wobbly for my age, but I'm getting more and more confident all the time.  Too confident.  If you look closely in the picture above and below, you can see a scratch on my face.  I was standing in my bed and leaning out, and I fell and banged my face on the corner of the shelves by my bed.  The second day in a row that this happened, mommy threatened to take away my new bed, so I've been much more careful since then.  But I'm still fearless when it comes to climbing and the like.  I even climbed into my own restaurant high chair the other day before mommy even knew what I was doing!

Enjoying some sweet potato & beet chips - check out my scratched cheek

Verbal development:  Of course, I'm still extremely verbal.  Mommy keeps drilling me on polite manners (please & thank you), but I hate just regurgitating phrases - I like to be original - so it's tough.  I have started a little bit into pretending, so most days when I wake up I tell mommy I'm not a boy.  Usually I'm a truck, occasionally a puppy.  I'll spend the rest of the day pretending I'm that thing, and correcting mommy if she calls me a boy.  I'm also starting to sing songs more often - songs we learn at library story time, or the theme songs from my favorite shows.  I do have a little trouble using words when I'm overtired, but I think this is a universal problem for 2 yr olds!

I created a parking lot with my cars

Routines: We've had Jack with us long enough now that we're all completely used to each other - but we still get along GREAT and mommy seldom has to mediate between us.  Our schedule will change slightly next week when Jack's mom gets done teaching for the year, but we'll still get to hang out most mornings.  Tomorrow is the last MOPS of the school year, so then it'll just be church on weekends.  

Jack & I share extremely well

Special events:  It was so much fun picking out the new stuff for my room on Easter weekend.  We spent Saturday morning at Toys-R-Us buying it and at home putting it together.  Then Sunday I got to hunt for Easter eggs, and that was fun too.  Other than that, life has mostly been about the regular routine of gym, church, appointments, etc.  BUT, one of my favorite appointments was when mommy went to interview Mrs. Tiffany to be her doula for the birth of the baby.  She had so many cool trucks and toys in her office that I can't wait to go again.  We had an appointment scheduled and had to reschedule it, and the wait has been so hard on me that we're using a paper chain to count down the days till we get to go visit Mrs. Tiffany at her doula's office again.  I also had fun playing with Arianna when Uncle Mark & Aunt Melissa came over a couple weeks ago; after lunch, we all went to CFA for some free "Mother's Day" cookies and playtime at the play place.  And for Mother's Day, daddy and I treated mommy to breakfast at Village Inn - and we even sat in the same booth where mommy & I had breakfast with Pop-pop just after I was born.

Checking out my new Cars bed

My favorites:  I loved eating the candy out of my Easter eggs.  Mommy would let me have one egg each day, and each egg had 3 pieces of candy in them.  I liked them all - Reese's pieces, M&M - but my favorite were the Skittles; I'm definitely daddy's boy.

A basket full of eggs (and candy!)

Daddy's favorites:  Daddy loves that I'm finally over my obsession with Mighty Machines.  Now on the weekends I'll usually choose a show besides Mighty Machines.  Unfortunately for him, I'm still obsessed with trucks, so it's Chuck & Friends or Mater's Tall Tales instead.

Playing drums and singing "Dadgum dadgum dadgum" like Mater's band from Tall Tales

Mommy's favorites:  Mommy loves when I actually sleep at nap time, and she's looking forward to our summer schedule slowing down a little bit so we can spend a little more time together for the baby comes.  She's also LOVING the warmer sunny days we can spend at the park.

Climbing the "twisty steps" up to the big slide

Upcoming:  June is fairly busy with a potluck party for daddy's office one weekend, hanging out with Uncle Mark & Aunt Melissa again (we're trying to be more consistent about getting together), and Mrs. Kari (mommy's doula for my birth) will be coming to town and we'll get to see her while she's here.  And my paper chain says it's only 15 more days till I get to visit Mrs. Tiffany's office; YAY!

Hooray! (unprompted)

27 weeks - Baby #2

Pregnancy Highlights:

How Far Along :  27 weeks (only ~90 days left!!)

Size of Baby :  ~14-15" long & ~2 lb

Total Weight Gain : ~13.5 lbs. My weight has fluctuated this week. After massive weekend indulgences I was up almost 15 lbs, but eating healthier and flat out less has caused it to drop back down to the 13's again. I'm now at the very bottom of my lowest estimates for recommended weight gain, but I'm less worried about the weight and more worried about my digestive comfort at the moment (see symptoms). 

Maternity Clothes :  100%. I've gotten so fed up with my over-the-belly pants not staying up that I've started wearing my under-belly pants again. Unfortunately I only have one pair; I'm going to wear a hole in them before this pregnancy is done, I think.  I need to buy more tunic/long shirts so I can wear more leggings, the most comfy option outside of pj's... maybe even including pj's :)

Best Moment This Week : I've enjoyed picking up the Game of Thrones books again. I started back at the beginning of book four, and then even backtracked into the end of book three a little, since it's been a couple years since I left off 1/3 way thru book four and forgot enough to need a refresher. I'm reading during nap and at my leisure (occasional tho it may be) or on the elliptical at the gym, and enjoying it immensely. 

Gender : It's a boy!  And we've finally settled on a name.  Cole Garrett Idigpio.

His initials are CGI, which is funny but not tease-worthy.  Ash & Cole (coal) are both products of a fire, again funny but not embarrassing.  Unintentionally we're naming him after me since my middle name is Nichole, so the meanings are the same (victor/victorious).  And Garrett is Brother John's middle name, which was also PopPop Pete's middle name.  

[For those few of you who were curious, the name I had fallen in love with that got the veto was Evan.  Just a name, but it had all the features I like.  It's only 4 letters (I like the short names), it ends in n (a pattern that emerged when I made my list; apparently I like them), I'm not close to anyone named Evan or with kids named Evan, and it carried LOTS of meaning.  Evan is a derivative of John, which means God is gracious.  It was also a way of naming him after tons of my family - Brother John, daddy (Roger John) and both my grandmothers (Eva & Evangeline).  I still like it, but Cole Garrett sounds better to my ear than Cole Evan, plus Josh pointed out that it's just a mumble away from being coal oven :-D  LOL  There were a LOT of good names on the list (Evan included), so I have no doubt that we'll have plenty to choose from if we end up with a third boy someday.]

Movement : Little Cole is a mover! You can SEE my belly jump sometimes when he's being active. He's most active when I'm still and after meals (which happen to line up often), as is typical.

Food Craving : None actually. I've been feeling icky enough to not really want to eat much of anything. I do miss being able to drink coffee w/o reflux, and celebrated feeling mostly better today with a small light Frapp. 

What I Miss Most : Same old, being able to move quickly and being comfortable. 

Sleep : Sleep at this point is just hard. I'm waking every few hrs to roll over or to pee. But the extra iron supplement has mostly ruled out the need for naps (I still like a nap from time to time, but don't find them necessary), so I'm making do just fine on the interrupted sleep at night. Prepping for newborn stage, right?

What I Am Looking Forward To : My regular OB appt is on Monday. I'm looking forward to talking to Dr Weary about my lightheadedness and my stomach pain (see symptoms below), even tho I know they're pretty much nothing to worry about. The solution to them both plus my reflux & B.Hicks is the same - stay hydrated, eat small snacks/meals often, stay in shape and rest when your body needs it. But it's always reassuring to hear him say he's not worried. And to hear that Doppler. Tho at this point, Cole is so strong and active that I don't worry about him; I know he's healthy!! But it's still nice to hear his heartbeat :)

Belly Button : same. I wish it would just pop all the way out or disappear altogether; I don't really like it. 

Symptoms : So, the new symptom this week was stomach cramps.  I had sharp pain in my stomach for days. It usually hurt worst when I ate, which made me figure I was just backed up and bloated (hard to tell for sure when your insides are all a jumble and your belly is huge no matter what). So I started adding items into my diet to get things moving, hoping that maybe if I could clear out my digestive tract I might feel better.  Bought kefir & probiotics, prune juice, peaches (canned), raisins, etc. The diet changes helped some, but by evening I was feeling pain despite meds, so yesterday I went and bought a laxative & stool softener to really move things along. We'll see in the long term if this provides more than just temporary relief. Here's hoping for continued improvement. I really am a stomach wimp. 

Aside from that, it's the usual reflux and exhaustion and back aches. Nothing major. 

Compared to last time : I've never experienced stomach pain like the pain I've had this week, but I'm still grateful to report no carpal tunnel. I wonder if my efforts to stay fully hydrated and gain the minimum amt of weight have helped me dodge that bullet...who knows. 

27 wks

26 weeks - Baby #2

Pregnancy Highlights:

How Far Along :  26 weeks

Size of Baby :  ~14-15" long & ~2 lb

Total Weight Gain : ~ 13.5 lbs, right where I wanna be

Maternity Clothes :  100%.

Best Moment This Week : I'm sorry, this week has been a blur and it's hard to separate the moments to rank them. 

Gender : It's a boy!  I've made no forward progress on the nursery; currently you can't even walk around in the room b/c there's so much stuff just haphazardly thrown in there, but we plan to clean it up significantly at the end of the month.  Then I might hang the maps and start working on curtains.  Maybe :)

Also, I'm working hard on choosing a name, but I just CANNOT settle on one name over the others.  I'm praying for wisdom, as I think that God can use a name to shape a person, and trying to take Josh's input into consideration at least a little.  I've cut the list in half, but I just haven't decided yet.   

Movement : Little mister is quite the little mover!  There are definite down times throughout the day, but he's getting stronger.  He likes to kick wherever my hand/arm is resting, and he does big movements where I can feel him in different quadrants of my belly at the same time or in quick succession.  I wish I had a window!  I also wish I had a name for him most of all when he's moving; that's when I feel like addressing him by name the most.

Food Craving :  Iced tea.  It took me a while to realize I've been craving it, but realized I've been drinking some every few days and ordering it at CFA when we go and it's not just a passing thing.  Also, I really wanted some of those super soft frosted sugar cookies you get in the bakery section at your local grocery store/Target/Walmart/etc, so I bought some to share at book club, but then book club got canceled...so then I ate way too many all by myself. Whoops.

What I Miss Most : Time. I feel like everything with a big belly and two toddlers takes so long. I've got all these errands to run, returns at THREE different stores and LOTS of little chores around the house, and I can't seem to find time for any of it on top of the normal weekly busyness.  

Sleep : There have been no outside factors majorly affecting my sleep, but I'm definitely sleeping restlessly all night.  Like I said, little one is strong, so sometimes he wakes me, sometimes it's aching joints, sometimes it's a full bladder, sometimes it's a chirping bird at dawn... Either way, I'm pretty tired even though I've been sleeping "okay" (for a preggo).

What I Am Looking Forward To : Tomorrow we've having Mark & Melissa (+ Arianna & Ethan, of course) over to hang out and eat with us.  It's been too long since we got together with them, so I'm really looking forward to having out.

Belly Button : same.

Symptoms : B.Hicks.  They're usually spread out b/c I'm mostly drinking tons of water, but they can be so intense when they come. (Irony - having one as I type this)  Sometimes they stop me in my tracks.  Real labor is really going to be hard if fake labor is this rough. :)

Also, I'm waking up in the morning with reflux and the first thing I do when I get downstairs is take my zantac.  That means that my medicine is just barely getting me through and I'll probably have to up my dosage before the end. Some days I'm randomly taking the maximum already. 

Lately, I've been having these lightheaded spells. The triage nurse says it sounds within normal range, but I'll definitely be bringing it up to my doctor at the next visit. They're happening every few days despite my efforts to stay fed and hydrated, and I know the warning signs of fainting b/c I have passed out multiple times before, so I am careful when I start to feel woozy. But it's still disconcerting. 

Compared to last time : No carpal tunnel, more B.Hicks, same reflux.  I've also been shocked to read how MANY visitors we had last time.  Fall is a busy time for visitors, and I have to say, I'm partly glad we're on the opposite side of the year and haven't been as busy this time.  Not that I don't LOVE my friends & family, and I'm sure I'd enjoy seeing them, but two toddlers and keeping house and regular gym visits is enough energy expenditure for me right now! :-D  Whew.