Friday Fun ... and a full week

It's been a crazy week; can I get a witness?  Greg drove my childhood bedroom furniture down from Indiana last weekend and it's been sitting in our previous "guest suite" this week while we figure out paint colors & art work and designs and all that fun jazz.

Here is the guest room as it was "full":

Loved it while it lasted

Now it's not:

Bare & being prepped for la Chiquita

I had a doctor's appointment on Wednesday and all went well...even if my doctor sort of conveniently freaked me out by thinking we don't have much time left for this baby to cook.  I know I could sit at my current level of "progress" for weeks so I need not hype myself up, but this weekend, Greg's painting, I'm organizing clothes (hand me downs & other such things) and trying to get a grip on our house before it throws up on itself.  Or should I say, it already is.

So last night as a quick, easy and relatively cheap diversion, we went to the FCA Fall Festival and had a good time.  Cheap tickets, lots of little activities for young's, and several familiar faces.

Hayride - Mia's not sure what to think!

It sort of looks like "fall," right?  Pretend I'm not wearing shorts.  I mean, pretend I'm wearing pants & a hoodie instead.  We'll get our "fall time"...eventually!

Yesterday, Mia and I "blazed" (as much as one can blaze) through Ikea and picked up a few odds & ends and stopped by Anthropologie to pick up these cute drawer pulls.  Since she's moving out of the nursery, we need to de-girlify the room a little bit so her former Anthro knobs will be replaced by these guys.  Greg says we should eBay her old knobs but I'm not ready to let go of them just yet.  

purchased in blue & green

previously adorning the dresser in red & orange

I also ordered some artwork for the kids' room walls; hopefully I didn't make a huge mistake and if so I am instilling faith in an easy returns process.  I wish I could have everything set up STAT but it takes paint a while to dry, artwork a while to ship, and more than just a pregnant lady to hang curtains.  If I could multi-task in my sleep, I would.

This is very vintage-y but I could not pass up this little gem for the Bambino's room!

And besides that, I need to be getting ready for childbearing.  My chiropractor thinks I've dropped, and I sort of do too.  Baby's in a good position (head-down) and I hope he stays that way, so I'm trying to keep him as engaged as possible.  Squats, pelvic rocks, upright seating?  Here we go!

Speaking of the bambino, I think we have narrowed down our list of names to 2.  Mia can say both names but when we ask her which she likes better, there seems to be a clear winner.  Interesting.  It has been our stronghold name all along, but obviously the reason we're still so torn is because we really like both, regardless.  

In time, in time.  

That's it for now.  I'm going to go pick up dinner for now.  It's been one of those Saturdays and Mia is still asleep after a whole week of not napping since Monday so time is of the essence.

This is seriously how she fell asleep today.
I had to contain myself from busting out laughing when Greg fixed her blanket so she'd be able to breathe.

Peace...from the Southeast.

Feeling the change

You'll have to excuse me if the next several posts are baby-related.  It's just where I am, and it's hard almost to think about anything else.  Getting ready for a baby is just one of the most life-changing things.  All these moments of preparation leading up to his arrival and the one day he's here, and you never go back to that side of life pre-baby again.  You just keep moving on.  Almost every day with Mia now I look at her and realize soon she won't be the only one.  There'll be one more.  I put her to bed tonight (usually Greg does but he was gone) and as I held her in the dark quiet room, I realized soon she won't be the only little person for whom I do this.  I also realized...I won't be sleeping quite as much anymore but let's not talk about that.  That's one aspect of new parenthood that can be quite hard to overcome but I think knowing it's coming and that I can cope (and that it "doesn't last forever") will help during the exhausting stages/phases.
I'm excited, I'm anxious, I'm overwhelmed (there's still so much to do!!).  And I might partially be in denial.

I had my 34 week appointment earlier in the week with a new-to-us doctor.  So far I'd met 5 out of the 8 doctors that deliver in my OB/GYN group and on Tuesday, we met the 6th.  We first had an appointment in sonography for another growth scan.  Little guy's looking good and is still on track.  I was a little anxious when they said his percentile had gone down a bit, but when we met with the doctor and they said they only really get concerned when the percentile is below the tenth, I really eased up.  (He's in the middle third of the bell curve, for what its worth.)
Back to the doctor, though...from all outside appearances, and by the amount of time we had spent waiting to see this doctor in the waiting room, Greg & I had lost hope of much of an exciting appointment.  Whether we want to admit it or not (and now I'll go on and admit it!), we make judgments based on appearances and this doctor was old, wiry-looking, and have a few funny mannerisms.  I didn't think he'd be very friendly.

However, he shook my hand, sat down, acknowledged this was our first meeting, greeted Greg, and then for the next 20-30 minutes, sort of explained how their practice works, made comparisons between now and 30 years ago (yeah, I guess he's been around that long!), explained what they do now for people of my situation, and what we could expect.  He really laid out the big picture for us, which I sort of had been missing the whole time, including things like why I have not seen a midwife for this pregnancy when they have midwives in the group (my risk level cancels me out from seeing them), and who I'll see on call, and how they figure out what the plan is for peeps like me and what all the additional monitorings really mean.  He was also warmly funny, making jokes about different things here and there and including Greg.
We left feeling very at ease and like he completely erased our preconceptions and as if it'd totally be okay if he delivered our baby when the time comes.

So, the plan is, weekly biophysical profiles until I deliver, and another growth scan in 4 weeks.  I was pleasantly surprised when he said they'd induce at 41 weeks, because I just assumed because of my Lovenox status they'd want to induce earlier, which would not be my preference unless medically indicated.  I'm hopeful and expectant and confident that God will send this baby down at the right time when he needs to come, and while he may not be 3 days early like Mia was, I trust God's timing.

I want to write more, but this is getting lengthy and there are a million other things I could do, so I'll conclude with a few pictures of the bambino for now!  Who is this guy?  And what will he be like??

33 weeks

The difference between 2 years and a girl & a boy:

33 weeks & 3 days with Mia, March 2009

33 weeks & 2 days with bambino #2, September 2011

And here are the outtakes from today's quick photo shoot (with Mia in "perfect" form):

Looking for something

Totally moved on

 I think the baby bump is bigger - at least, I feel that way.  Only time will tell!

Remembering this day

Today was a change of pace from our usual day-to-day and I welcome that every now and then. It's good to shake things up.

I had planned a hair appointment this morning and had already coordinated babysitting for Mia with another friend whose child I watched for the same reason (hair) just the other day.  Mia was pretty excited about going back over to Sawyer & "Efan's" house and didn't even look back at me when I dropped her off.  Even though a hug or a wave would be nice, it leaves you with a good feeling when she feels comfortable enough to start playing with her buddies right away and not worry about mommy leaving her.

While I was gone getting my hair done, I was sent this picture:

Mia was playing "Duck, Duck, Goose" with the boys & their cousins

I came back later, picked her up and we went home for lunch and naptime.  Later in the afternoon, I got a text from Greg with a proposition for an impromptu date night. Um, yes!  He quickly coordinated some last minute babysitting for Mia and around 6 tonight she met up with her good friends Loren & Maddie.  We were sent the following pictures while we went out for dinner:

Playing at the park

Heading back "home" in the double stroller (fascinating to Mia)

Dance party with Loren

When we picked Mia up, not only was she bathed and in PJs, but her hair was blow-dried and styled just like Maddie's. It was so cute.  I'm pretty sure had we not picked her up for the night, she would have been just fine spending the night with Maddie & Loren.  She thought it was time to "go night-night" before we arrived.  I do wonder if she actually would've gone to sleep at their house had we stayed out any longer...!

Today I will remember the blessing of others who willingly open their homes for our little one and take care of them like their own. I will be encouraged by their examples and hopefully spurred on to do good deeds like they do for us.  I will remember having a couple of hours away with Greg before things change all over again, and be thankful for a "day like this."

September may be speeding by ... but some of these moments will stick.

Remembering today while we still have it.

growing up...
and this picture was actually taken yesterday

Speedy September

September has been full, busy, good, and fast.  It's the last week of the month and as I sit here pondering what all we still have to do, while I feel a little overwhelmed, I'm getting excited too.

The realization that our family of 3 is going to change to a family of 4 is starting to slowly sink in.  Much of this pregnancy I've compartmentalized into different categories: taking care of me & the baby, and trying to take care of things at home.  From an emotional standpoint though, I just hadn't even begun to think about the real changes we'll feel day-to-day in our home.  It's one of those things you can read about and talk to others about, but until you feel it yourself you really don't know how it'll be.

Like with every change in life, whether it's going off to school, moving, getting married, etc., you tend to be excited about the next stage but a little sad about leaving the other stage behind.  I guess that is just how we (or I am) are wired...I want to live up these last two or so months while we get ready for everything to be "new" again.  

We met with our doula a couple of weeks ago who was so encouraging and empowering about our upcoming birth experience.  One of the ways that we feel like first-timers again is that instead of having this baby at a birth center, we will be having him at the hospital. It may seem unusual then that we have questions or anxiety about a hospital since that is where most babies are born but it's just a new arena for us and feels like a new ballgame.  However, after having met with our doula and taking an actual tour of the hospital Wednesday night, we can start picturing what it might be like.  My birth with Mia was very tranquil and while it had its intense moments, like every birth does, there's really not a thing I would change about it.  I feel very fortunate to have had the experience I did--I feel like it gave me the confidence to know this is how our bodies were designed and size aside--babies come out.  All I have heard from others is that each labor & delivery is different and I fully believe it -- I've just yet to experience it.  So I know not only from a location standpoint, will this birth experience be different, but also from a progression and intensity standpoint.  

And to be totally honest with you, there is still a lot "to be done" from a practical standpoint in terms of preparing for this baby.  However, I realized last week, if this baby were to come "early" and we weren't totally ready, it'd still be fine.  He'd still have a place to sleep, we'd still have clothes, we already have some diapers - cloth & disposable - for a newborn, and we'd figure it out.  There's so much extra stuff you have to think about (or forget to think about) when preparing for a new life, but when it comes down to it, you basically need to make sure the basic needs are covered, and you're fine.  Maslow's Hierachy of Needs, anyone?

(I have to throw this stuff out there to keep the wheels turning in my head.  Like yesterday when I was trying to think of the word for extrapolating research results to the general public.  What is that called!?! I think it may start with an "e".)  Don't worry, I went to cawledge.

I.am.sorry.

That's in a nutshell where Greg & I are in this whole waiting/preparation stage.  I still feel pretty good, although I'm feeling the "weight" of this pregnancy much more than I recall feeling it with Mia.  I don't feel that I got moody or overly anxious at the end of the pregnancy with Mia, or physically miserable, but I am feeling more strain this time around, most likely from having a 2 yr old and probably from carrying a physically bigger baby (I hope).  My hip and lower belly are taking the brunt of the toll and I'm gearing up for more chiro appointments. I want to keep this baby in a good position and keep my body as limber as possible for labor!  DOWN BABY DOWN! 

Life is good. It's full, it feels big and sometimes more than I can manage, but we have a wonderful support system and count our blessings.  I'm trying not to take a thing for granted these days. 

So that's where we're at.

PEACE!