A Good 4 & An Ice Cube Tray Dinner

Ladies and Gents, we are five days past our due date.  Little Sis was expected around July 16th and tomorrow is my official induction date.  My induction is scheduled for 2 pm and Brian and I are to arrive at 1:45 pm.  I inquired about the early afternoon induction time as opposed to the 7-8 pm induction time like we had with Kate.  My doctor informed me that she usually schedules first time Mommies at the later hours because she expects labor to take all night and then baby to come in the morning.  With me, she said that she fully expects our little lady to arrive before midnight tomorrow if we get induced at 2 pm.  It is so crazy to think that we are going to meet our newest little lady TOMORROW!  I get butterflies in my tummy just thinking about it!  I wonder if she can feel those?!

In lieu of our induction, however, my wonderful doctor wanted me to come in today for one last appointment to see how we were progressing.  We were in an entire week ago, so the nurses said that she wanted to see how we have progressed over the last week to determine how to proceed tomorrow.

This was a good idea for me.  I'm always very curious to see if we've made progress and I've been having very consistent, mild contractions since 6 am this morning.  By consistent I'm talking every 4-5 minutes and by mild I mean I can only feel them if I sit down and focus on them.  Surely we've made some progress, right?!

YES!  Our doctor said that we are a GOOD FOUR centimeters dilated!!!  And by a good four she means closer to five than four!  She honestly thinks that we will be going into labor tonight rather than making our induction date tomorrow afternoon, and she told me that based on my history of pretty quick labor to get to Labor and Delivery as fast as possible if my water breaks or if I have any contractions that are uncomfortable for 30-45 minutes.

As a matter of fact, she said to just get in the car and call the babysitter on the way which I still haven't entirely figured out.  Did she mean to leave Kate at home and call someone to take care of her while we are on our way to the hospital?  Or did she mean bring Kate with us and call someone while we are on our way to meet us at the hospital?  Yeah, nonetheless, we won't be worrying about that because Brian's Mom, Mary, aka Kate's Mimi, is going to come down tonight and stay with us.  Just in case we do go into labor tonight and need to jet quickly.

I am still 75% effaced and Little Sister is still at -2/-3 station but my doctor thinks that when it is go time we aren't going to have much time to think so the fact that we are almost five centimeters dilated is almost enough to say it's go time!

In lieu of our last night as a family of three, and since I my appetite has pretty much been null all day, I decided to make an extra special dinner for Kate - an ice cube tray dinner!.  I bought a pack of two ice cube trays from the dollar store to do something fun with and decided tonight was the night.

You can make it semi-healthy and fun too!

Kate loved this!

This is kind of her what in the world? face!

My little girl is going to be a big sister in less than 24 hours.  I can hardly believe it.

She looks so little yet so big.

So adorable!

Last Mommy and Me selfie as an only child!

Last, but certainly not least, is Little Sister's room.  I don't believe I shared the final outcome of it but it is 100% put together, painted, and ready for our little girl to sleep in it, play in it and be loved in it.

A view from the doorway!

I love how PINK it is!!

A view from the corner by the gray chair/closet door!

And, of course we put our hanging flowers to good use again!

A view to the hallway and hallway closet!

And the newest addition - a brand new canvas to adorn Little
Sister's walls.  And a reminder: The world is full of adventure...
...never stop dreaming.

We are so happy with the outcome!  We were able to use all of Kate's nursery items yet still make it look completely new and different from her old nursery.  I was hesitant, at first, and was kind of looking forward to a room decorating challenge, but with the lack of time that we've clearly had, this was the best for all of us and allowed us to re-use our creativity!

SO, in more or less than 24 hours, we are going to meet our newest little girl!!!  I am just bursting with excitement, anxiousness, nervousness, and love!  I cannot believe the day is here!

Pregnancy Update: The "Clearly I Was Wrong" Edition

Ok, for the majority of this pregnancy, I have sworn that Little Sis was going to be arriving early.  It is July 14th, our due date is July 16th.  We have two days.  And by "early" I wasn't thinking two days.  I was thinking more like a week.  And so I'm officially throwing in the towel and admitting I was wrong.  I don't think she's coming early anymore.  Granted we still have two days but I don't think she's coming early.  I give up on predicting delivery days.

Ok, now, before I get to my appointment stats I just have one thing to say: MY DOCTOR IS BACK!!!

Remember how I was so bummed a month-ish ago about how she herself had to go on medical leave and I swore that she wasn't going to be able to be there for me and I kinda needed her to walk by my side during this last month of our pregnancy?!  Well, she has returned!  She is doing well and I nearly jumped off of the table and hugged her when she came through the door today.  It was such a wonderful sight to see her and know that she is back!

The stand-in doctor was very, very nice and professional.  To be honest, it was really nice getting to know her and toward the end I starting feeling very comfortable with her too.  So regardless of the situation I was going to be in good hands!  The stand-in doctor, however, discussed with me last week of possibly inducing us on our due date or the day after.  This was a bit soon to me, so we left it at we would see how much we have progressed at our next appointment and talk about induction dates.

Well, since my regular doctor is back, she has the same protocol that she had with Kate.  Hello, Comfort!  Our induction is scheduled for six days past our due date - July 22rd - should Little Sis not decide to make her debut sooner.  It would be one week, but our doctor's schedule was full on July 23rd, so July 22nd it is.  This makes me way more comfortable!  Thinking we would be induced ON our due date or the day after just didn't make sense to me.  I'm very comfortable with giving my body and baby a little extra time to work it out itself.  Thank you, Dr. Gaiser!!  And welcome back!

In stat news, I am still down a few pounds.  I've lost a couple at the last two appointments and have held pretty steady at this one.  I am still 3 centimeters dilated, 75% effaced, baby is still at -2/-3 station and she is still head down.

I was placed on another non-stress test today because of a lower heart rate reading but, once again, all returned normal and my doctor explained that this just must be "my normal".  With both of my babies, toward the very end of my pregnancies, their heart rates started decreasing a bit, perhaps preparing for labor.  Good to know...for future reference!  Wink!

Non-stress testing...again.  And, no, I'm not
stressing either.

So, we are scheduled to be induced on July 22nd.  We are progressing well and our official due date is in two days.  I am officially handing over my birthday predictions to someone else and we are all getting VERY EXCITED to meet our sweet bundle!!!

It's going to be soon!!!

What's in a Name & Progress

Today is July 8th.  We are exactly eight days away from our due date.  We are pregnant with our second little girl.  And we have yet to decide on a name.

This whole naming business has been TRICKY this pregnancy.  With Kate, Brian and I had two names picked out for the duration of our pregnancy.  I mean, we looked around a teensy tiny bit after we decided on those two names, but for the most part our first little girl was either going to be Kate Madeline or Sophie Katherine.  And we both loved Kate Madeline over Sophie Katherine by a landslide.  So many people, however, told us that sometimes that name that you pick doesn't match the baby that comes out, so Sophie was our back up.  I mean, we loved Kate Madeline so much that it was, like, 97% Kate Madeline and 3% Sophie Katherine once we found out we were having a girl.  We didn't really discuss boy names that seriously.

This go round has been a bit different.  Since we are expecting a second little lady, we have run through the gamut of girl names, and none of them have stuck with us like Kate Madeline did.  This has made the whole baby naming bit a tad stressful.  I don't want to be in Labor and Delivery and still not have a name for our little lady.  We both have had top names (Brian's was Emily, mine was Thea), but neither one of us loved the other's top names, so we took them off of our lists entirely.

Surprisingly enough, before we found out we were expecting another little girl, we both loved the name Connor Patrick for a boy.  Whether or not that would have stuck, I don't know, but it kind of made me wonder if we were having a boy because we were both able to agree on a boy name we liked!

Today, at my appointment, we learned that we have indeed made more progress.  I am currently THREE centimeters dilated, still 75% effaced, and Little Sis is still at a -2/-3 station.  The fact that we haven't nailed down this whole name thing is still stressful.  Emerson Rose has been a top contender this pregnancy.  We both like the idea of calling her Emme/Emmy.  But there's something that hasn't stuck with me with this one.  Other ideas we've thrown out there are Alanna (pronounced Uh-Lay-Na), Hannah (love the alliteration with the double H with our last name!), Lily, Maya, Harper, Ashley, and Claire.  These are the names that continue to come up.  But still nothing solid.

We've asked Kate for her suggestions and she has said Anna, Elsa, Christoff, Sven or Olaf.  Or any combination of the Frozen characters.  I can see it now.  Hello.  Meet our daughters, Kate Madeline, and Olaf Sven.  Yeah, not happening, but thank you, Kate.

I know that our little lady's name will come to us when it's supposed to.  But the planner side of me wants to have this figured out now!  This is why we found out if we were having a boy or a girl.  Both Brian and I like to be as prepared as we can...

...Turns out our little love wants to keep us on our toes!  Somehow I see this happening for the rest of our lives with kiddos around!

In other news, while I was at the doctor today, I was placed on a non-stress test because it sounded like baby's heart rate was a tad low on the Doppler reading.  I had to do this when I was pregnant with Kate for the same reason - a lower heart rate reading on the Doppler.  Both times they were still within range but the doctor just wanted to be sure that everything was a-ok in the oven.

That's a soon-to-be mama of two look!

Non-Stress Test Machine!

The little arrows signify baby's movement.

And here's a little snippet of Little Sister's heartbeat!  Music to my ears!

In just a very short time we will have a name and deciding on said name will be a thing of the past.

We will also be holding our newest little lady in our arms.  This I cannot wait for.  She is going to be the most wonderfully perfect addition to our family!

Baby Swing

We pulled the baby swing up from the basement yesterday, got it cleaned off, and placed it in its spot in our living room!  Kate quickly reclaimed it and decided to test it out to be sure it was working properly before Little Sister arrives!

Side-to-side swinging?

Check!

Mirror and birdy spinner functioning?  Check!

Back and forth swinging?  Check!

Meanwhile, Jack gazes from afar.

Testing the weight limit.

Reporting her findings.

REALLY testing the weight limit.

Negotiating with me on why she should continue to sit and play
in the swing...

Conclusion on the swing?!  100% suitable for little sis, big sis and
any doll or lovie that happens to need a swing!

My little girl is about to be a big sister!  I know she is going to be the best one yet and I cannot believe Little Sister is going to be here so soon!  It's getting real, folks!

Pregnancy Update: The "I Think She's Coming Early" Edition

Ok, deep breaths.  DEEP BREATHS, people.

I had another check-up today.  We are just over 2.5 weeks away from our due date and I've had lots of pressure and cramping over this past weekend.

My internal exam revealed that we are 2 centimeters dilated, 75% effaced, and Little Sis has moved to a -2/-3 station and she is still head down!!!

Did you hear that?!?!  We made some SERIOUS progress over the last week and I am shocked by these calculations!  Just to put this into a little perspective, when I was just over 1.5 weeks away from my due date with Kate, I was NOT dilated and NOT effaced.  We are just over 2.5 weeks away from July 16th and I AM dilated and I AM effaced.

This is why I think Little Sis may be joining us early.  Oh, and the fact that I am still running, chasing, tossing, playing and picking up her Big Sis as normal!

My current doctor informed me that most babies in subsequent pregnancies (the ones after your first) don't "drop" until labor.  Apparently your body just knows what to do when baby becomes engaged so it's not uncommon for the baby to hang at a higher station until labor.  For a quick station reference, doctors start counting stations from -4 to +4 once the baby starts engaging in your pelvic bone.  At -4, baby has just entered the birth canal.  At 0, many hear that the baby has "dropped".  At +4, the baby is crowning.

Not only are all systems a go again, but it appears that things are progressing rather quickly!

I'm excited and nervous.  I'm very hesitant about getting another epidural, based on getting the spinal headaches after the last time, but at the same time I'm very hesitant to say that I won't get one.  I'm hoping to be able to get to labor and be coherent enough to make a decision based on the situation we are in when we're in it.

That's my plan and I'm sticking to it!  Won't be long now, Little Sister!

We cannot WAIT to meet you!!!

One Month Away

Ladies and Gents, we are in the last month of our pregnancy!  I cannot believe how fast this pregnancy has flown by.  I mean, it has been crazy fast.

I has the first of my weekly appointments yesterday.  Again, with my new doctor.  I've gained another 5.5 pounds and seem right on target with belly size and week number.  My internal exam revealed that it does not appear that I am near labor - I am not dilated, I am no effaced, Little Sis is not engaged.

(She's not engaged in my pelvis.  She's fully engaged in the world around her.  I have noticed her having hiccups, which I never felt with Kate!  I have also felt her jump a couple times when there was a loud noise outside of the womb.  Both of these instances came from Kate dropping her bath tea pot into the empty bath tub.  Yes, LOUD!  This I also didn't experience with Kate.  I suppose that's what happens to all children beyond the first - it is much louder outside of the womb!)

I've been working with our new doctor.  I've been able to reevaluate the situation, acknowledge that there is nothing I can do but make the best of this situation and get comfortable with my new doc, so I've tried to take that approach.  I do feel like she is getting to know me better and I her, so that is good.

Other than that, not much news here!  I haven't been craving anything out of the ordinary.  I love watermelon, but that is always the case.  As a matter of fact, if I am ever asked that deserted island question, you know the one, "If you were on a deserted island and you could only eat one thing for the rest of your life, what would it be?".  Yeah, that one.  My answer is always watermelon.  So that's not really new.  And I've been feeling good.  I am starting to get really excited to meet our new baby.  It has taken me a while this pregnancy.  I've been tired and it's been tough keeping it all together working, raising a toddler, and making a baby, but I've managed and I'm starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel!

I will leave you with some bump pics that I've found on my phone from Kate and one that I took of my shiny, perfectly round belly that I am very proud of!  Warning: nudity ahead - raw and real.

This was 3 weeks ago, while I was making breakfast.

Even I think it's a cute little bump!

And this was just this past Friday!  That
perfectly round belly holds so much of my love.
I can't wait to meet her!
(Oh, and please excuse the fact that my
undergarments are not matching.
#anythingwilldo  at this point in the pregnancy!)

Really, Really Bummed

Let me tell you about my OB doctor, Dr. Gaiser.  She is AMAZING!  I have been nothing but happy with her and her practice.  She was there every step of the way through my pregnancy with Kate and was even there to deliver her.  She has been here every step of the way through this pregnancy so far.  I am completely comfortable with her, so I feel like I can ask her anything.  She also really listens to me when I am there with her.  It has never felt like I am "just a patient" and she is in a rush to see the next person.  She has always given me her undivided attention and whether or not she has the time, she has always made me feel like she has all day to talk to me.  I love this.  Sometimes when I'm going through the unknown, just having that person to reassure me that everything is ok makes me feel better.  This is who she is to me.  She has comforted me in the times that I have struggled being pregnant and reassured me that what I am going through or have gone through is normal.

Most of all, I feel like she knows me.  I feel like she has my best interest and she allows me to help make decisions on what is best for my body and my pregnancy.  She is a doctor that allows us to be in it together.  And, quite frankly, I feel like my baby and I are in perfectly good hands when I'm with her.  She is a wonderful doctor and I consider myself lucky to be a part of her practice.

Well, the other day I received a phone call from her practice.  They told me that my doctor, the one who I've grown to know and love over the last three plus years, has to go on medical leave herself...Um, excuse me?!  MY doctor?  Yes, my doctor, and she won't be back until July 14th so I needed to re-schedule all of my last appointments with a new doctor.  Reminder, we are due July 16th...

What the what?!  Seriously?  I may or may not have started crying after this phone call.  There is nothing I can do about this.  And, honestly, I just hope that my doctor is ok, not for me, but for her and her family because she is such a wonderful person.  But I can't help but feel really, really bummed that my last month and half of this pregnancy I will be with someone completely new.  Someone I will have to retell my story to.  Someone I will have to leave my trust in.  Someone I will have to rely on that I don't even know during the most critical time in my pregnancy.

Quite frankly, I just don't know if I have the energy to do this.

I had my first appointment today with this new doctor.  She was also very nice.  From what I understand, all of the doctors in the practice are pretty awesome.  But there's a part of me that just wants my doctor back.  I want that safety net.  I need that comfort zone.  I swear little sister is coming early, so in my head I'm not going to be seeing my doctor until all is said and done.  (I swear this because I already feel cramping in my lower abdomen and I didn't experience that at all this early with Kate.)

I tried my best to put on a happy face today.  I keep telling myself that this new doctor is more than capable and my baby and I are still in good hands.  I didn't gain much weight since the last appointment, , surprising based on the last few appointments, and our little lady's heartbeat is right on target.  We are measuring at 32 weeks and we are at 33 weeks.

I'm going to do my best to make the best of this situation.  There's no guarantee, after all, that my doctor would even be there for delivery anyway.  Everything happens for a reason and I trust that this is the same situation.

Ok, end rant.

Looky there.  At least I took a bump photo this week.
It only took me...33 weeks...

Eight More Weeks

We are 32 weeks pregnant which means in more or less than 8 short weeks we will be meeting our newest little lady!  We still are unsure of what name this little one has but we are getting her room together and trying to get situated so that we will be prepared as best as we can for her arrival!

All went very well at my appointment last week.  I put on another couple of pounds since the last check-up and our little bambino's heart beat is right on target.  I received a call shortly after my last appointment where I was test for gestational diabetes and was asked to start taking iron pills again.  I had to do this when I was pregnant with Kate, so no surprise here.  Perhaps I will be able to stay up a bit later now?!

Since we've yet to do official bump photos, I will leave you with this gem that I found on my phone from Kate.  Leave it to Kate to capture the details I am too tired to capture!

Week 32 bump!

And, yes, it's really real.  We are growing a baby over here and here's the bump to prove it!

Eyebrow Eczema

One of the many perks of being pregnant is your ever changing skin and hair.  As we've entered our third trimester, my newest pregnancy perk is something that I like to call "eyebrow eczema".  I have no clue where this came from, nor do I have any idea when it will go away, but right on my eyelids right below my eyebrows are red, itchy, dry patches of skin that have appeared out of nowhere.  I can only assume it is part of being pregnant!

I confirmed with my OB today that there is nothing to be worried about.  She said it may just be related to all the hormones going through your body while you are pregnant.  Nonetheless, she said to check with my normal practitioner to see what kind of remedies are out there.

In baby news, all is going very, very well.  We have a healthy, growing baby and Mama!  I gained another seven pounds this past month which, again, is a bit shocking, but perhaps that's how my body is doing it this pregnancy.  And at today's appointment I was tested for gestational diabetes with the wonderful glucola drink.  My doctor will call and update me with test results should anything be a bit wonky!

In other pregnancy related news, our appointments are now scheduled every two weeks!  Every two weeks!  How is this possible?!  We're are going to meet our newest little lady much sooner than later!!

UPDATE
A coworker of mine suggested using coconut oil on these dry patches and wouldn't you know, that oil cleared them up in about four days!!!  I was so impressed and I highly recommend coconut oil for everything now!

Pregnancy Update

We had another appointment today.  Everything is going very well with our baby.  Her heart rate is exactly where it should be and she is growing like normal.  I don't recall if I had mentioned this or not but when we had our blood work done for one of the ultrascans or screenings one of the lab technicians called me when they had the results and said that everything is beyond great.  She had said that the information that she gathered about my body from my blood work would make her think that that I was in my early twenties.  This makes me feel great and that my body is fully supplying our growing bambino everything that she needs.  Kudos to you, body.  I salute you.

In other news, I gained nearly 7 pounds since our last appointment at the beginning of the month.  SEVEN!  This is crazy to me.  I know it is just a number, and I know it could be worse, but this is the first time this pregnancy that I gained this much weight in a small window of time, and I didn't gain this much at any window of time during my first pregnancy so it was very unexpected.

I am not trying to complain, nor am I trying to emphasize a number on a scale.  It was just shocking to me and something that I will be adjusting to over the next few days.  I am more than happy to have a healthy baby and pregnancy so if that means I need to gain 7-ish pounds per month for the remainder of the pregnancy than that is what I will do.  It was just, like I said, unexpected.

Speaking of a healthy baby, Little Sis loves to get cozy in there!  I've had several times throughout the day where I find I am short on breath.  It's almost like I can't take a deep breath in.  Dr. Gaiser has once again assured me that all of this is normal but it's hard not to get into a panic state when I find it difficult to breathe.

Little Sis also loves to move around a ton and with a lot of force!  She is definitely kicking in there!  I don't recall "kicks" being quite as hard with Kate but it kind of makes me laugh!  I mean, I can literally see my shirt moving from all the strong movement in my belly.  It makes me wonder if my coworkers can see it too?!  Nonetheless, I love feeling our baby move in my tummy.  It makes me excited to meet our newest little lady!

Pregnancy Insomnia

We are about half way through our pregnancy and I thought it'd be fitting to go through a little run down of what we've been experiencing, similar to what we did with Kate when we were halfway through!

Physically

1.  Nausea - The nausea that I had with this pregnancy came and went.  I hadn't been very nauseous until the very end of our first trimester and then it consumed me.  I was nauseous 24/7 for about two weeks.  That was challenging.  Kate watched a lot of movies.  I lounged a lot.  As a matter of fact, I think this is when she found her love of Frozen.  Fortunately, I have not been very nauseous since then.  It was only that two week time frame and it has since been smooth sailing in the nausea department.

2. Tiredness - I remember being exhausted when I was pregnant with Kate.  I mean, more tired that I imagined.  This go round, I am definitely tired again, but I don't feel like I am as tired as I was.  Perhaps I don't have time to be tired since I'm chasing number one around, or perhaps I'm just used to not getting as much sleep as I did B.C. (Before Children).  One thing that I have noticed is that I am actually having pregnancy insomnia.  Sometimes I fall asleep putting Kate to bed and then wake up around 11 pm.  And sometimes I am up for a few hours, exhausted, but unable to fall asleep.  Bizarre, but the doctor has assured me that this is all normal.

3. Bladder Control - I 100% have lost control over this.  I've had to use the bathroom way more than when I was pregnant the first time.  It's like my body remembers and quickly goes right back into baby production mode!  Once again, I am super impressed with my own body about this.

4. Bump Status - I feel a lot larger this pregnancy than I did with the first.  My doctor, family, friends, and strangers have assured me that I am not "big" but I feel like it.  'Nuff said.

Cravings

Little Sister for sure knows she is a summer baby because I have been craving a ton of summer-y things.  My favorite sandwich is a cheese and tomato sandwich.  I love blueberries, like I did with Kate, and watermelon.  I have also really enjoyed any "cherry" type of flavoring, like grenadine, like I did with Kate, but a new addition for Little Sis is my love of sugary cereals.  Yeah, not the most healthy option, but I've bought the travel packs a couple of times to get my sugary cereal fix without having to buy an entire box.  That's a good solution, right?!

Side note: Kate is also enjoying my sugary cereal craving...

Weight Gain

Once we found out we were pregnant, the scale has only moved up this pregnancy.  (This is opposed the last pregnancy where I actually lost weight in the first couple months...)  We are nearly eight pounds in the positive at this point and continuing to move up.  This means baby is healthy and growing as she should be, so I'll leave it at that.

I cannot believe how quickly this pregnancy is going by.  Is it because we are already chasing our first daughter around?  Or is because we are getting older and time seems to go faster?  Is it because we are busy working and raising a child AND making another child?  I don't know.  All I know is time is flying by and July will be here before we know it!

More Sugar!

Gender day is here!  The results are in and out of the eight votes we received for the gender of baby number two we were split evenly down the middle!  Four people voted BOY and four people voted GIRL!

Half of you are correct because we just confirmed WE ARE HAVING ANOTHER GIRL!!!  Another girl!  More pink, more sugar, and a little sister for Kate!  We are just ecstatic with this news!

IT'S A GIRL!!!

Now, when I say 'confirmed' what I mean by that is a couple of weeks ago we snuck off to a little ultrasound venue to find out a tad early what the sex of our second baby is.  (No, we couldn't wait.)  We were given the same results - more pink - but we wanted to wait and confirm with our real doctor until we started spreading the news!

But IT IS CONFIRMED, so the news is primed for spreading!

This makes me very happy!  I think Brian kind of wanted another girl too!  Most of you have heard my explanation for wanting more pink but part of the reason is because it is what I know.  Obviously if we were having a little boy, I'd figure it out, but knowing a little about what is to be expected is semi-relieving and less terrifying.  Another part of the reason is we have a TON of girl stuff - clothes, toys, shoes, etc.  I don't doubt that I'll be buying more stuff and/or items in two sizes, but this little lady is already going to have a pretty stellar wardrobe to start off with!  Yet another reason is because I don't know if we're going to have any more kiddos.  Brian has always had his mind set on two.  I suppose I'm a bit more open at this point.  If we aren't jumping on the two plus children train, I'm so, SO happy Kate is going to have a sister.  If we decide to try, well, I guess we'll cross that bridge when we get there!

A little sister!  This news just makes my smile beam from ear to ear! (And, thank you, Frozen, for having two characters that are sisters!  This makes it way more fun for Kate!)

In other wonderful news, our little bambino is growing and progressing wonderfully!  Everything looks very healthy and all tests results have come back so far with glowing accolades!  This makes this Mama even more happy!

We have already fallen in love with that little profile!

So what do we know about our little lady so far?  We know she LOVES grenadine and blueberries like her big sister did while she was in utero. New additions to the love list are cheese and tomato sandwiches, ice cream sandwiches, strawberry smoothies, and Lucky Charms!  (I seriously have HAD to have some sugar-y cereal which is very uncommon in our household.)  Oh, and sweet tea.  Little sister has loved herself some sweet tea!  We also know that she is honing in on her Maryland roots because she has also loved her steamed shrimp!  Obviously all of these menu items make Mommy very happy too!

During our ultrasound we saw that she also loves to stand on my bladder which may or may not be the reason I've had to excuse myself to the bathroom way more frequently this second time around! Nonetheless, there's a healthy baby girl on board and we are so excited to meet our newest addition!

I suppose Brian and I had better start working on some names!

Another little girl!  I can't stop smiling!

Blue or Pink? What do you think?

We had our third official doctors appointment today!  I have gained another three and a half pounds, we listened to the baby's heart beat which was beating steadily at 148-150 and we stopped to get a doughnut on our way to school/work which has more or less become a tradition for Kate and me!

I've been taking Kate with me to my appointments while I can because I think it's important that she is part of this pregnancy and sees the progress that I have made.  I also think it is really cool for her to see Mommy go to the doctor because other than these appointments the only doctors she has seen have been the ones that Brian and I have taken her to.  I don't necessarily think this is a process that would work for every child becoming an older sibling but I think it's a great approach for us and Kate because of the way she learns and understands things so completely.  It is also way to ease this transition for me.  I am very much looking forward to continuing this!  Plus, like I previously mentioned, provided that she is well behaved during my appointment, we stop and a get a little doughnut treat on our way to her school drop off!  (I literally have doughnut sprinkles that have showered the back floor of my car and I see them every time I put Kate in her seat!  In all honesty, while the perfectionist in me wants to vacuum them up right away, they also make me smile!  And I don't have time to vacuum my car anyway so the sprinkles have stayed!)

Just checking ourselves out before we go!

I heart this!

Oh em gee!  And this!

Doctor's halls are made for running!  Off to get a
doughnut!

At our next appointment, scheduled for February 17th, we will be finding out if there will be more pink or blue in our near future!  And, as with Kate, if you'd like to put your voting preference down, there is a pink or blue poll to the right that you can easily vote on!

Before you vote, here are a few facts that may or may not sway your opinion!

1.  When I was pregnant with Kate, I had a dream very soon after we found out we were pregnant, very early in the pregnancy, of a little Hispanic girl in a pink dress with a pageant sash that had our due date on it.  (Clearly Brian would have some explaining to do if Kate was born Hispanic...)  I chalked this up to a crazy pregnancy dream until we found out we were actually having a girl!  Then I thought my body had spoken to me subliminally and told me we were having a girl but I didn't get the message because the whole time I was pregnant with Kate before we found out I kind of thought we were having a boy.

This go round, a very similar situation has occurred.  Very early in our pregnancy I had another dream.  It was pitch black and I was awake and all I heard in my right ear was, "I am a girl."  And then I woke up.  I haven't had any other dreams about the baby's sex one way or another so far and I didn't with Kate either.

2. I have had FOUR people tell me they dreamt and/or had a premonition of sorts that I was pregnant and had a baby girl.  These people range from two very close people: my Mom and my Mother-in-law and two not so close people: my coworker and one of Kate's teachers.  The first of these situations occurred when I was not pregnant.  My coworker, several months ago, came to me and said very matter of factly that she had had a dream about me.  I was pregnant and it was a little girl.  Plain and simple.  Then, a couple months into our pregnancy, one of Kate's teachers told me that she had dreamt that me and another expecting Mommy (one of Kate's friends) both had baby girls on the same day!  Now, this second expecting Mommy was due February 1st and did find out prior that she was having another little girl!  Coincidence?!  Only time will tell!

My Mom and my Mother-in-law both divulged dreams to Brian and I when we told them individually that we were expecting and it appears that both of their dreams occurred while we were pregnant but had not yet spilled the beans!  My Mom said that she had seen Brian playing with two little girls in our backyard and my Mother-in-law said she had a dream a few days after we saw her at Christmas that we had a baby and it was a little girl!

Now, before you go and vote baby girl, wait until you read #3:

3. I have been searching for "signs" of what we are having all of my "signs" point to us having a little boy.  For example, every couple I see with two kiddos with a baby girl as the older one, I look to see if there's a little boy in the carrier or a little girl and they have all been little boys.  Also, I was taking Kate's letters out of her bathtub one night and the last three letters in the tub were B-O-Y, not floating together in unison, but they were the last few letters.  I suppose they could have spelled Y-O-B but that also signifies a boy, so...  Another "sign" was the lollipop test.  Kate was having a lollipop and she likes to pick several out for Mommy and Daddy and whoever else happens to be around.  She picked a pink one for herself and a blue one for me.  In my head, this means we are having a boy.

SO, I am thoroughly confused, people.  If someone is looking for a mother's intuition, I would like to say I have some but I'm afraid I've confused myself six ways to Sunday so I can't help you any more than I can help me!  But, voting is open, so feel free to cast your vote with the knowledge at hand and in just a few short weeks time we will find out for sure!

So blue or pink?!  What do you think?!

First Little Flutters

When I was pregnant with Kate, it took me all the way to 19 weeks to confirm her little movements!  By then she was the size of a grapefruit.  As of today, marking just over 14 weeks, I have confirmed the little movements of our second baby, who is just the size of a small peach!  Our sweet little peach is already making sure he or she is heard over his or her older sister, and over my coworkers in meetings!  I guess when you're the second child you've really got to be extra loud to make sure you are heard/seen/felt.  Well, Baby #2 has already grabbed our attention!

And, just for the record, being able to feel baby move has made me a lot more excited for this pregnancy!

FAQ on Baby #2

Since the cat is officially out of the bag, we thought we'd answer some frequently asked questions about Baby #2.

1. Were you trying to have another baby?
Yes, we were.  We started trying with Kate and got pregnant on our third month of trying.  I had read countless articles that stated it typically takes twice as long to get pregnant the second time, so I had fully expected us to be trying for at least six months.  Turns out the third time's the charm for us because we got pregnant on our third month of trying with this pregnancy too!

2. How many kids do you want to have?
If you ask Brian, he will say 2.  He is more than happy to make this the last baby in our household.  [Insert me sobbing here at that very thought.]  If you ask me, you'll get a much more vague answer: I don't know.  My initial thoughts are 2 or 3, but I came from a family of 4, so...who knows?  I'd like to take one step at a time before I say a definite number and then get locked in stone to that number.

3. Do you have a preference on the gender?
Yes, yes, and yes, if we are being honest.  Seeing more pink in our future would delight us to no end.  I say this for a few reasons: 1.) When this baby arrives, we will have almost 3 years worth of girls clothes.  That's a lot of clothes!  2.) If we are only going to have two children, I would love for Kate to have a sister.  I know that she can have a great relationship with a brother, because I am part of that type of relationship too, but there's something really special about sisters, so that's what I would hope for.  And, 3.) it's what we know.  This pregnancy has been a bit overwhelming and a bit more frightening than the first so if we are having another little girl, that would make me feel a bit more at ease.  It's a "we've done this, we've got this" kind of sign for me.

4.  Are you excited?
I joke when people ask me this question.  My response has been, "Actually, I'm terrified.".  But it's kind of true.  I have so many emotions right now.  I am scared how this will affect Kate.  I am worried that I won't have enough time for either of my babes and I know that means absolutely no time for me.  I worry how this will change my relationship with Kate, for we are extremely close now.  I wonder how I will juggle it all, successfully.  A lot of my terrified-ness comes from my unknown and my concern for Kate.  I know we will all be transitioning to a family of four and I know that we wanted this, but, for some reason, it's a bit scarier when it's actually happening.  I know it will all work out like it should.  Sometimes it's just easier said than done.

If any other questions arise, we will start adding them.  Until then, stay posted for more baby news!

One More Gift

As the holiday season comes to an end, we have one more gift to share: we are having another baby.  Another baby!  Another wonderful, beautiful, new baby!  And he or she will be all ours come sometime mid-July!

We are nearing the end of the first trimester and I would say this pregnancy has been more or less identical to the pregnancy I had with Kate so far.  I've had less tenderness/soreness in my breasts than I did with the first pregnancy (perhaps they are now used to what breastfeeding entails?!) and I've had less afternoon/evening nausea than I did during my first pregnancy (perhaps my body is accustomed to the surge of hormones now!?), except over the last week I started having pretty consistent 24/7 nausea which is really uncomfortable.  I'm hoping this is fleeting since we are nearing the end of our twelve week mark.  Other than that it has been very similar.

I feel a lot more tired being pregnant for the second round but during the first round I wasn't chasing around a toddler, so that very well may be what is causing the extra exhaustion!  We have confirmed there is only one bambino residing on board the mother ship so my tiredness is not due to muliples for those of you wondering...

We had our first doctors appointment on December 4th where we confirmed we were expecting and confirmed this pregnancy was a singleton.  We also confirmed our due date of July 16th, based on baby's size and my last missed period.

1st appointment/1st ultrasound: approx. 7.5 weeks.  Heart beat was 150.
Confirmation of one bambino.  (Phew!)  ;)

And on the last day of 2014, we had our level 1 ultrasound with the Maternal Fetal Medicine group and got to see a lot more of our confirmed healthy, growing bambino!

2nd ultrasound: approx. 12.5 weeks.

And check out how cute this little baby is stretching and getting cozy in utero:

The ultrasound technician said baby was already snuggling up against Mommy!  Do we have another Mama's girl in there or is it a Mama's boy?!  Seeing our little baby snuggle up against me melted my heart.  I mean, it was one of the most adorable things I have ever seen!  ❤  We have already fallen in love.

Snuggled and cozy!  Mommy's here sweet baby! 

So, that's it!  Now you know why I have been going to bed at an ungodly early hour, leaving my "Erin-time"/blog time dwindling to absolutely zero throughout the day.  That's a fair excuse, right?!  We're making a baby over here, people!

Stay tuned!  We'll be sharing more as the pregnancy continues and finding out if we will be decorating in blue or more pink come sometime in February!

It's Game Time!!

Our video update:

 

I'm Late! I'm Late! For a Very Important Date!

No time to say hello, goodbye!  I'm late!  I'm late!  I'm late!

Well, that's not entirely true.  I actually have all the time in the world to say hello and goodbye right now because I have officially started leave.  Yep, that's right.  Friday was my last official day at work, so the vacation starts now!  (I am using that vacation term loosely...I am in no way anticipating maternity leave to feel like I'm relaxing by the pool in a tropical destination, especially since we are entering the Winter, in Ohio, and it's already cloudy and gray, not to mention all that comes with having a baby.  But I am going to continue to tell myself that it is vacation...)

We are officially late though.  Our little bambino has decided with the very abrupt end to our Indian summer, which pretty much ended on our due date, that she would rather stay warm and cozy in the womb that she has called home for the past 40 weeks than make the move sans-womb to the home that she will call home for the rest of her life...

We keep reminding her that it is warm, cozy, and a lot more spacious outside of the womb, but she has yet to be convinced.  I suppose she will be convinced in her own time.  There is no amount of talking or cajoling we can do.  She will make the decision herself when she is ready.

...She soooo has her Mama's personality.

Due Date

There is one day throughout your entire pregnancy that you can say, "We are due today."  For us that day is today, and we have told everyone who has asked that today is our day.  From family and friends, to coworkers, to strangers, they have all wished us luck and shared in our excitement.

We are ready whenever you are, Sweet Girl!

It's really hard to believe that our due date is really here. The last nine months have flown by and we are going to meet our daughter any day now. It is really an incredible thought. I don't feel scared, I don't feel anxious, I don't fear the unknown - I am just so excited!  Brian is very excited too.  He's a bit a whole lot more anxious than I am, but he is ready and waiting to meet his little girl.

Today is our due date!  Our bun is nearly done cooking, and we absolutely cannot wait to bring her into our world.

'Twas the Night Before

'Twas the night before D-day, when all through the womb

Just one creature was stirring, just one we presume.

The overnight bags were packed and set on the floor,

In hopes that our little girl we would soon adore!

So...we didn't go into labor last night.  Obviously.  But we did have contractions and are still having contractions, so we are confident that my body will let us know when it's time.

We have reached the night before our due date and while we know that a "due date" is only an estimated guess as to when your little one may (or may not) make his or her debut, it is still exciting to get to the day!

We don't have a ton of news to report but thought what better way to kick off the last night before we are officially overdue with some fun facts!

FUN FACTS ABOUT OUR PREGNANCY:

1. I have taken my prenatal vitamin with a couple sips of grape Gatorade since we found out we were expecting.  And I take it at night.  That is just how I do it.

2. Initially I thought that pre-natal vitamins were horse pills... Nine Ten months later and I am a pro at getting those things down!

3. I take my iron pill once in the morning and once in the afternoon with orange juice because your body absorbs more of the iron if the pill is taken with vitamin c.  (And I figured if I'm going to clog my digestive system even more that I might as well do it right the first time...)

4. Brian and I have walked throughout this entire pregnancy with the intention of walking in the Nationwide half marathon last Sunday.  We waited to sign up not knowing if we would be able to participate for multiple reasons, but when we got the go ahead from our doc last week we found out that it was sold out.  What charity event sells out?!  Apparently 400+ people were already turned away, so we went to BuyBuyBaby instead and bought some last minute baby items we still needed!

5. I have heard every story out there on every subject related to pregnancy, labor, natural ways to induce labor, and babies.  This, I was told, would happen.

6. I am still working and am planning on starting maternity leave on Monday, October 29th...unless a certain little someone should decide to make her debut sooner!

7. Jack knows something strange is going on.  We are trying our best to keep our cool, but he senses a change.

8. Bun could care less about having a little sister.

9. I can actually feel my skin stretching on my stomach.  It's a tingling, burning sensation, and it is really weird knowing that is what it is.

10. Last, but certainly not least, I would absolutely love a piece of pumpkin pie right now...and that's not usually my "go to" dessert!

Stay tuned for updates!  We will be sure to keep you posted!!