Ash 2 1/2 years - picture post

Me & Superbear at 2.5 yrs old, watching a show with my trucks

Cow Appreciation Day 2014

Helping Mommy cook macaroni & cheese

In hog heaven!

 

 An ice cream date & a breakfast date

As OCD as my parents - I ate all the purple O's, now I'm working on the orange ones

A family shot from our morning at Garden of the Gods taken by Aunt Melissa

A posed shot at GotG

Handsome little toddler - but I'll argue and say I'm a big rig!

Ash - 2 1/2 years old!

Mom note: I've tried multiple times to add pictures to this post. It's almost a week later and it's still not working. I don't know why Blogger hates me lately. Sorry! :) I'll work on getting a picture update together as time and carpal tunnel and Blogger allow. In the meantime, here's the words.


Size: Mom finally hung my growth chart this week and marked my height. I am 2' 10.5" tall and weigh about 26 lbs (on the home scales it's just an estimate). I'm wearing 18-24mo & 2T shirts & (footless) pj's. I'm wearing anything from 12mo to 2T shorts (where length doesn't matter so much), and 24mo/2T pants (cinched as tight at they'll go). I'm wearing mostly size 6 shoes.

Physical development: I've gotten pretty competent at all the things at the playgrounds - climbing, sliding, etc. I still love to dig & dump. My newest physical interest has been building. I have lots of pieces from Wendy's kid's meals that I use to build vehicles of all sorts. Mom also got me a bunch of big legos to build with, and daddy & I have had a lot of fun building things (mainly "towers" and garages for my vehicles).

Verbal development: I am learning different inflections and voice my opinion about which "voice" mommy uses when she talks to me. Sometimes she uses a sweet high voice, and sometimes she uses a stern low voice; I like the high "mommy" voice better. I'm also practicing vocalizing my preferences in a polite way and without fussing. I'm pretty good at switching when I'm reminded. Mommy & daddy are extremely helpful and willing when I ask nicely, but I hardly get what I want if I fuss about it, so I'm getting the hang of it. I've also been working on my letter sounds, and love to sing the song : "The B says 'b', the B says 'b', every letter makes a sound, the B says 'b'." I sing it all the time about whatever letter something starts with. I'm able to identify almost all the letter sounds and am usually right about what letter starts a word.

Routines: This summer, Jack has only been with us till noon. We try to fit most of our fun and errands into the mornings with him. Mommy still puts me down for a nap every day, but lately I've only been sleeping about once or twice a week. Mommy & daddy have taken all the toys and books out of my room, and have tried lots of things to encourage me to sleep (or at least be quiet) during nap-time. This week I've been getting to watch a show when I'm quiet and sometimes that's enough motivation to keep me quiet. I also have some special stickers, so if I'm quiet and stay in my bed I can pick a sticker to put on a paper.

Special events:We've been working on getting the nursery ready for Cole, and I even got to help with some of the artwork! We've also spent time at the pool at our gym, gone on special dates for breakfast or lunch, and had a couple play dates. We have been getting together with Uncle Mark & Aunt Melissa & their kids once a month too. We had a special day where we went to Garden of the Gods and took pictures with them. That was fun. We also dressed up as cows to get free meals at Chick-fil-A for Cow Appreciation Day.

My favorites: I still love anything with wheels, all kinds of vehicles. There's been a lot of construction in town this spring & summer, and I love checking out all the vehicles. And everything I do, I take a couple trucks with me - sitting on the couch, eating at the table, riding in the car, and even park a couple on my shelf at bedtime.

Daddy's favorites: Daddy loves that I'm into building lately b/c it's something he can do together with me. We've had a lot of fun playing in the evenings and on weekends.

Mommy's favorites: Mommy is enjoying the time we get together this summer. She's savoring the last few weeks with just me before Cole comes.

Upcoming: The next couple months are going to be a little bit crazy around here. My little brother Cole is coming sometime in August. We're not sure exactly when, but we've been working at getting ready for him. Jack will stop coming to our house after the first week of August so we can rest and prepare. I can't wait to meet him and see him and hold him. Daddy will get to stay home with us for a couple weeks after Cole is born. Then for the beginning of September we'll have Nanoo & PopPop visiting. It's going to be a lot of change and busyness, but I'm excited to finally meet this kid. So far he's just been a big belly on mommy and a couple ultrasound pictures, so it'll be nice to finally have a face to put with the name.

35 weeks - Cole

Pregnancy Highlights:

How Far Along : 35 weeks. Tuesday will be one month till D-day. We'll see if this one comes by then or decides to hang in there a little longer like Ash did.

Size of Baby :  >18+ long & >5+ lb. Almost too big for the space he's got :)

Total Weight Gain : ~ 22-23 lbs. My weight jumped a pound overnight; don't know if it's real weight or just a fluke.

Maternity Clothes :  100%. Though I am loving my (non-maternity) maxi skirt. I don't like the dresses as much as I thought I would b/c as a pear with a basketball for a belly, I feel ENORMOUS from my bra band down in loose flowing clothes. I figure that my clothes making me feel unattractive is unforgivable at this point. The waddle, the dark circles under my sleepy eyes, the other changes pregnancy has wreaked on my body - these are unavoidable. The clothes I have a choice about :) In a skirt, there's definition above and below my bump so I don't feel like one huge lump. So skirts and shorts it is in this heat.

Best Moment This Week : Having Josh home for a long 4 day weekend was awesome. He did so much around the house! We never did tackle the nursery, but he cleaned the whole house except the nursery and basement. And he helped fold the laundry too. And let me take a nap one afternoon. Yeah, I love my hubs :)

It was also an extremely special week b/c it was my birthday. Stephanie & Jack showed up at my door three mornings in a row with gifts for me. It was so much fun! I'm IN LOVE with my little mini-rose bush. I set it outside the door, so when I'm pulling in the driveway or opening my front door to greet someone or get the milk, it makes me SMILE! I love flowers :) It was also fun to get a slew of Facebook greetings on my birthday.

And of course the random compliments from strangers always make my day. Twice in the locker room on Monday, as I stood in my bra and underwear fixing my hair, ladies walking past on the other side of the locker room exclaimed how cute/beautiful I looked. How can you help but feel good when someone compliments you in nothing but your underthings!! :-D Too bad it's not the norm after the baby is born and everything is saggy and squishy! Hah.

Gender : It's a boy! I can't wait to meet him, to hold him in my arms, to nurse him, to get to know him!

Movement : This past week while I was trying to sleep, Cole decided he wanted to see how far he could stretch out, and he wedged himself from my pelvis to my lungs. I woke up with pain in my side/lungs, and I could hardly breathe. Unfortunately his feet were behind my ribs, so I couldn't just push them away from the area. I ended up getting up and walking around to get him to settle back to his usual position just so I could breathe "fully" again.

He's been doing a lot of pushing this week. He will be really active and moving for a couple days, then he'll take a couple days off. My theory is that these are growth-spurt days when he's just resting and growing. He moves enough not to worry me, but most of his movements on those days (besides hiccups, which occur at least once a day) are pushes. He'll wedge his feet up into the right side of my belly and shove. I had Josh feel the squishy left side of my womb (amniotic fluid provides little resistance) and then the rock-solid right side. It's crazy how hard he can push sometimes! I think he feels like he's running out of room in there :)

Food Craving :  Still iced tea. I also satisfied a long-standing craving for Waffle House waffles yesterday. I've craved it since Ash was born, but I was off dairy while I was nursing him, and I was never in that area during mealtime, and it just wasn't a priority. Then today we were a minute away at lunchtime, so I told Ash we were going to have a special lunch and we went. YUM :)

What I Miss Most : My body. Being able to move, breathe, eat.

Sleep : same. Waking every couple hours to pee and/or roll over. My poor little bladder is SO squished that I'm peeing every 1-2 hrs during the day (if I'm keeping up on my fluid intake) and at least 2-3 times a night. Getting in the sleep schedule of nursing a newborn, I guess.  Also, my poor joints are so loose and my carpal tunnel is so bad that I can't go more than a few hours on one side without the pain waking me. I took Tylenol twice last night - before bed and in the wee hours.

What I Am Looking Forward To :  Tonight we're having (free) dinner at Chick-fil-A for Cow Appreciation Day. I will post pictures on FB sometime soon. I'm in the process of getting a shirt ready for Josh and for me. He's come up with another hilarious idea this year; I wonder how many years he can come up with original ideas to be a cow without having to wear a single spot! And the shirt I painted years ago has no room for Cole in it, so I'm painting a new one that's bigger to fit over the bump.

My baby shower is tomorrow (Saturday), and I can't wait! From the rsvp's it looks to be a random combination of friends from all different parts of my life, but I love baby showers and we already know from Corrina's shower that Noemi can throw a killer party with a to-die-for spread. And this time I'm not in the middle of my Lent treats fast, so I can have whatever my heart desires that my tiny stomach will allow :)

Also, Tiffany is coming over for our doula home-visit Monday, which makes things start to seem even more real and imminent. It's one step closer to having all the ducks ready and waiting. Also I have my next OB on Friday morning. Then we move to weekly OB's. Yikes :)

Belly Button : Still extremely shallow and an outie. The scar at the inside of my belly looks like an upside-down F (right-side-up to me when I'm looking down at it) with all the poking out being done by the skin at the prongs of the F. So it's the right side that's sticking out, and the left side is mostly flat and purplish wrinkly scar.

Symptoms : I've been having carpal tunnel worse in the past couple weeks. Now my symptoms extend into the day. I hadn't started wearing my brace during the day till this week. I pulled it out a couple evenings, and yesterday during the afternoon. I had a few moments during the first half of the day where the angle I was doing something mundane like cutting my waffle sent shots of pain through my hand, so by naptime I was ready to brace it up and stop hurting at least. I randomly met someone who said that carpal tunnel exercises actually helped their problem, so I'm trying to do some of those every evening while we're watching TV too; we'll see if it helps at all.

My hips/pelvis have also been starting to REALLY loosen up. They hurt when I sleep. But more painful is when I move. If I've been sitting or lying in one position for a while and I try to adjust or get up, I have to move very slowly and carefully to avoid tweaking them. And of course I haven't gotten used to remembering to move slowly, so I tweak them multiple times a day. But, I am so glad I switched to the aqua classes! I still get a good workout (if I put the effort into it), and feel sore in new places using muscles in different ways, but the buoyancy takes all the pressure off my hips and back, and I'm surviving a lot better b/c of the switch.

I've also had a couple days this week where I felt EXTREMELY "pregnant". Lightheaded, nauseous, extra-acidic, weak & tired. I'm wondering if these are growth-spurt days, b/c they also seem to coincide with the days that Cole is quieter. But either way, I'm thinking I need to get serious about the iron again, b/c I've been so weak and tired.

Compared to last time : SO similar! Reading back through the post from 35 wks w/Ash, my complaints about feet in the ribs & lungs, hips loosening and hurting, etc sounds EXTREMELY familiar :)

35 wks with Ash

almost 35 wks with Cole

34 weeks - Cole

Pregnancy Highlights:

How Far Along : 34 weeks! I can't believe how fast this week has flown. I'm starting to feel the pressure of how little time is left compared to how much I still want to get done before he comes. I move so slow; it takes me double the normal amt of time to do most things. 

Size of Baby :  ~18+ long & ~5+ lb

Total Weight Gain : ~ 21 lbs, still about 6 lbs less than last time.

Maternity Clothes :  100%.

Best Moment This Week : Josh & I celebrated our 10th anniversary over the weekend. We exchanged gifts, and then we went out on a rare non-movie date to the Melting Pot. It was delicious and fun.

I also had some good fellowship time this week - pictures & lunch with M&M, a play date at the park with Corrina, a drive to Denver with Mindy, and a phone call with Jeanna. I needed a little adult conversation :)

Gender : It's a boy! Unfortunately, this week Ash was acting up at nap time, so I had to clear off the shelves in his room of all the bins and books. The easiest solution was to dump them in the next room, which happens to be Cole's room. Then later Ash went in and knocked over all my neat stacks, so now Cole's nursery is a MESS. You can hardly walk in the door. So I'm slowly working on cleaning up and organizing the mess so we can put the furniture where it belongs and set up the crib. Hopefully we can get it settled this weekend; one less thing on my to-do list for the month. I still haven't made the time to finish up the roman shade either.

Movement : He's so long and strong. He's starting to get really cramped in there, so some days he doesn't move very much. But then there were two days where he almost didn't stop moving. I think it all correlates with whether he's having a growth spurt too. Growth spurts require energy and he sleeps all day. Also, hiccups have been driving me crazy lately. But today I made Josh feel the hiccups, and he made Ash feel it, and Ash's face lit up. Not with a smile, but with the tangible realization that Cole is alive & active inside my belly.

Food Craving : Still sweet tea and chicken. I've also eaten so much junk this week. The best was Melting Pot (and the complimentary chocolate covered strawberries we got). The funniest was when Stephanie mentioned Cheetos and then I had to get some next time I bought groceries. But the truth is I've lost all my self control this week. Every kind of junk you can imagine. I've indulged way too much. My body is feeling it; I'm breaking out and I don't feel healthy. I really need to reign it in, and read a good article about entitlement that spoke to what I believe is the issue at the root, so I'm going to try to work on that attitude this week.

What I Miss Most : I can't wait till I don't feel huge anymore! Everything takes me so long b/c I'm so slow. I just can't wait to be limber enough to reach my toes, quick enough to function, etc. 

Sleep : same. Up a couple times a night to pee and a couple more to roll over. Ash has been having nightmares in the wee hours or just a little before the alarm, so that's not helping my exhaustion. 

What I Am Looking Forward To : I can't wait to meet this kiddo!! Also, next week is my birthday and next weekend is my shower. So fun!!

Belly Button : same, getting shallower all the time. Still annoyed at the lack of symmetry. :)

Symptoms : Going to the aqua class Wednesday helped my joints, but b/c it was a new activity I was still just as sore and tired. I've been busy and active, so even though I said I was going to cut back and start "acting pregnant", I haven't. I'm feeling it. I've been tired, exhausted. Each evening my back and my stretched belly hurt. But each morning I awake feeling mostly rejuvenated and without pain, so I overdo it again and feel the same by evening. There's so much to do, my nesting instinct has kicked in, and my to-do list just won't stop. Every day I add something else to the list! :-O

So, it's the usual, exhaustion, aches, reflux, and generally feeling extremely big and squished.

Compared to last time : almost exactly the same.

Sorry, I didn't get around to taking a picture yet, so you'll have to wait for that one. Just look at last week's picture and imaging me a little bigger and with dark circles under my eyes ;-D

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!