Book A Hospital Stay

We were scheduled to be induced on Wednesday, July 22nd at 2 pm.  But Maya decided she wanted to come on her own time.  She was born that morning, the 22nd, at 3:56 am.  We missed our induction by 10 hours.  And when 2:00 pm that afternoon came rolling around, we were already holding our precious bundle of joy!

This is our labor and delivery story...Get some popcorn.  This is a long one.

If you recall, at our last appointment on Tuesday, my doctor said that we were a good four centimeters dilated.  By a "good four" she meant that we were nearly FIVE centimeters!  I had been having very consistent contractions all day, since 6 am that very morning, but they were very mild.  Our doctor reminded us that my previous labor was fast so this one has a very good possibility of being faster, so if my water broke or if I was having uncomfortable contractions for 30-45 minutes I was to head straight to the hospital.  She didn't think we were going to make it to our induction.  She thought we were going to go into labor that night.  And she was right.  On EVERYTHING.  This is why I love my doctor.  And this is also why I'm going to date and time stamp as you will see below.

On Tuesday night, Brian's Mom, Mary, came down to stay the night at our house based on the fact that my doctor thought we'd be going into labor that night.  Brian and I both figured that even if we didn't go into labor, at least Mary was there in the morning to see our normal routine.  It couldn't hurt to have her there, so down she came.

Tuesday, 07/21/15 - 7:30 pm

Kate and I were running around the yard, playing.  I was semi-chasing her, trying to get her ball and she was giggling like there was no tomorrow!  It was all a normal summer night at the Hendricks Household.  (I would end up watching this video and hearing her little laugh no less than 57 times at the hospital...)

We explained to Kate that Mimi was going to stay the night at our house tonight.  We had been very open with Kate about Mommy giving birth to Little Sister and that Mimi or Gramma would be here with her while Mommy and Daddy were at the hospital.  We let her know that Mimi would be with her in the morning if Mommy and Daddy weren't.  And if we weren't, that meant we were at the hospital where Little Sister was being born.

We got Kate to bed and we were all hanging out in the living room, cuddled on the couch, chatting and semi-timing stronger contractions!  Around 10:30-11:00 pm, we all headed to bed.  I think the last time I looked at the clock it said 11:05 pm.

Wednesday, 07/22/15 - 1:55 am

I woke up at the tail end of a pretty strong contraction.  My water had just broken.  I looked at the clock.  It said 1:55 am and I woke Brian up.  (Why do these sorts of things always happen in the middle of the night?!)

Brian went downstairs to wake his Mom up to let her know that my water had broken and we were headed to the hospital while I changed and breathed through a couple of stronger contractions.  They were already 3-4 minutes apart.

Wednesday, 07/22/15 - 2:00 am

We hopped in the car and headed to the hospital.

Wednesday, 07/22/15 - 2:12 am

We arrived at the hospital, valet parked, and headed up to the Labor and Delivery floor.  We got off on the wrong floor but then we made it.  I breathed through several more stronger contractions while Brian got us checked in.

Wednesday, 07/22/15 - 2:20 am

The nurses admitted us to the triage room where they were going to check to see if we were in "active" labor.  We both tried to explain that I had a fast labor the first time but no one listened.  There was one nurse that didn't want to hear any stories, she just wanted to know if I wanted an epidural.  My answer all three times she asked was, "I don't know.".  And each time she kind of rolled her eyes and walked away.

(Side note: I received spinal headaches with my first labor from the epidural that I received.  I hadn't wanted to get an epidural the first time but didn't know what I was in for and decided to get it.  These headaches were THE WORST and really put a cloud over what otherwise should have been one of the happiest times in my life for two weeks!  I didn't want to go through that again, but I still wasn't sure if I could have a natural labor myself.  I'll admit, I was downright scared of what kind of pain I'd be in.)

Wednesday, 07/22/15 - 2:23 am

Brian and I took our last parents-of-one selfie together while we waited in the triage room to get checked out.  They wanted to see if my water had really broken and how far along I was.

Soon-to-be proud parents of TWO lovely girls!

Wednesday, 07/22/15 - 2:25 am

I was dressed in my gown and my contractions were getting stronger.  I was getting nervous that we weren't in a real room and I was completely annoyed with the nurse who kept asking about the epidural.

Baby's a comin'!

Wednesday, 07/22/15 - 2:35 am

The triage nurse confirmed my water had broken, thought there may have been a bit of meconium but she wasn't entirely sure and admitted us since we were in "active" labor.  No shit, Sherlock.  When she performed my internal exam she said I was SIX centimeters dilated!

Oh, side note, this same nurse poked me three times to get an IV started in me AFTER I mentioned that I have small veins.  (She sounds like a real winner, doesn't she?)

Wednesday, 07/22/15 - 2:40 am

We were admitted to a real labor and delivery room.  Thank goodness, and got a real nurse who was so nice!  I breathed a heavy sigh of relief.  She also asked about my thoughts on an epidural.  When I told her my story, she respected that I didn't have a decision just yet and told me to keep in mind that it takes about 45 minutes for the anesthesiologist to come administer the epidural if I decided to get one.  That was fine with me.  She had said to just let her know if I felt the urge to push.

She was in and out of the room a couple of times, gathering supplies, checking on her other patients, and told us to make ourselves at home.  I continued to breathe through real contractions.

When she came back in and performed my internal exam I was SEVEN centimeters dilated!

Wednesday, 07/22/15 - 3:05 am

Our labor and delivery nurse was checking us in, like, literally taking our information to be "admitted".  My contractions were very strong, but, unlike my first labor, I actually had a little break between them where I could breathe for a minute and regroup.  I was sitting on the edge of the hospital bed and could not get comfortable to save my life.  Brian said over and over, "In through the nose.  Out through the mouth.".  (I should engrave that on a bracelet with as many times as he said it.  I think I asked him to stop at one point but I think it was his own way of comforting himself too.)

Now, you'll have to excuse the time stamps because the rest was a complete blur to me.

Wednesday, 07/22/15 - sometime between 3:11 am and 3:45 am

While our nurse was still checking us in, I had a particularly strong contraction.  And I had said to the nurse, that I would like to go ahead and get the epidural.  The last time I remember looking at the clock I think it said 3:11 am or some time around there.

I was laboring through very strong contractions when all of a sudden I felt an extreme urge to push.  I didn't feel that at all with my first labor, so this took me completely by surprise.  I had said to the nurse that I had to push, she was still admitting us, and she said, "don't push.".  She didn't want me pushing unless I was 10 centimeters and ready to go.  She attempted to check my cervix for my dilation but was unable because I was wriggling and trying to push...she called for another nurse to come in and help and that's when they realized that this baby was-a-coming. 

Our nurse said something into her little call button and out of nowhere there was a whole team of people in the room.  I want to say there were seven people, but I was pretty incoherent and had my eyes closed for the majority of this time.

At this point, I was pushing.  I felt every single thing.  The anesthesiologist had not yet arrived.  Through each contraction, I pushed a little more, and then our baby was born.

Just like that.

It was 3:56 am.  Literally, two hours and one minute before that I was at home sleeping in bed when my water broke.  Our baby came INSANELY fast and it made me feel so grateful that we live close to our hospital.

Wednesday, 07/22/15 - 3:56 am

We delivered our baby.  There were still a lot of people in the room but oddly enough, once our baby was out of my body, every ounce of pain went away just like that.  It was incredible.  I just laid on the hospital bed with my eyes closed in exhaustion.  I had so many thoughts running through my head.  Mainly, "I can't believe I can't even open my eyes to see her [our newest baby]."  I felt so bad, but every time I tried I just had to lay back and close them again.

Right when our baby was born, I recall someone saying, "She's here!".  And I distinctly remember asking, "What's her name?".  At least in my incoherency I still had jokes.  That same person said, "You tell us!".  Brian, who was standing to my right, and I looked at each other and said, "Maya?", kind of at the same time.

And Maya it was.

❤  Maya Harper Hendricks.  Our little love.  ❤

Wednesday, 07/22/15 - 4:05 am

Another nurse came in and inquired about a call to the anethesiologist.  Our nurse had said to cancel it - the baby was here.  Shortly after that, the doctor on call arrived to deliver my placenta.  It was then that I learned that the resident on call delivered Maya.  We had gone into labor so quickly that the doctor didn't even have time to get to us.  Yes, you read that right.

Once Maya was checked over, they gave her to me, bundled us both up and we had a lot of skin to skin time!  Girlfriend was already hungry because she started suckling on my collar bone while we were snuggling and left me two little hickey marks while my placenta was being delivered I was being stitched back up.  I had a second degree laceration, the same as when I gave birth to Kate, and I figured I'd hold off on breastfeeding until my nether regions were done being fiddled with.  I can't believe I just typed that.  I figured one thing at a time.

Maya took to breastfeeding right away and stayed cozy in my arms for the next hour, aside from Brian having a little hold!

Daddy's second little girl!

When I started asking questions, I learned the following:

-When the second nurse came into check me, Maya's head was visible, so there was no checking needed, just anyone who could spare a hand, and that is who was called to our room.
-The resident on call delivered Maya.  The doctor was still on her way.  Maya came faster than the doctor could be called to get to the room.
-The resident on call was attempting to deliver my placenta.  I don't even remember if it was a he or she, but I remember quite a bit of uncomfortable tugging and pulling.  When the doctor got there, there was a little lesson on placenta delivery.  She had explained to the resident that the way he or she was performing the placenta delivery prior was incorrect and the cord could easily break off leaving the placenta inside me.  The doctor had a much smoother approach and delivered my placenta intact and showed the resident the proper way of placenta handling.  #thanksdoc

Dr. Melissa Boyles was on call and she was also a wonderful
doctor.  Like I have mentioned, every doctor in this practice
is top notch.

-Apparently I pushed for three minutes and out baby came.  THREE MINUTES!  My body was made for babies.  I am so thankful and grateful for this.

Everything happened so quickly.  It was a complete 180 from my previous birthing experience, but as it should be.  When I had Kate I did receive an epidural.  After I had received the epidural, I didn't feel a thing.  It was peaceful and serene and quiet.  When the doctor told me to push, I pushed.  I was coherent.  The lights were low and out came Kate.  I was able to watch the whole thing.

The only word I have to describe Maya's birth is barbaric.  Yes, barbaric.  Sorry, love.  I didn't have an epidural.  I felt everything.  I couldn't open my eyes.  I was not coherent.  And then we had our baby, and all the pain melted away and all I felt was love.  Pure, unadulterated love.

It took me a little while to regain lucidity after she was born.  I recall laying there with my eyes closed with Maya on my chest - just soaking up each other's warmth and reconnecting after such precipitous trauma.

Reconnecting.  Love.

There is nothing better than this.

They weighed and measured her at 5:17 am.  Neither Brian or I were sure why they waited to do this, but she weighed in at 8 lbs. and 3 oz. and she was 20" long.

My baby.

An hour after I gave birth to Maya, our nurse asked me to get up and use the bathroom.  Literally, an hour.  I remember this clearly because I remember looking at her, like, "Lady, do you know I just had a baby?!".  I got up out of the bed with her assistance, walked over to the bathroom, and went.  She had said that she wanted to make sure that I was able to urinate before they took us to the postpartum room.  I was appreciative that she was being thorough.

We got to our postpartum room and Maya was sent to the nursery for a bath and a once over.  It seemed like forever that they had her down there.  Both Brian and I inquired as to where she was.  She was in good hands but they weren't our hands and we wanted her there.  As soon as she was done she rarely left our side.

Around 7:15-7:30 am, while Maya was getting her bath and check-up, my normal doctor came in to check on me since her shift had just started.  She checked my incision, asked me how I was, checked my legs for any blood clots, and pressed on my abdomen to see if my uterus was contracting back to its normal size.  All looked wonderful and when she read how quickly Maya was born she said, "If you guys decide to go for baby number three, just book a hospital stay!".

Book a hospital stay.  We laughed but then agreed.  They say that subsequent labors tend to go quicker.  Our first labor was 5-6 hours.  Our second was 2.  I couldn't have said it better myself.

So there you have it.  Our labor and delivery story.

When Maya was ready to be born, she and I worked hard together to make it happen.  There was no turning back.  I am extremely proud and impressed with my ability to handle childbirth naturally and should a third baby grace our lives, I would like to say that I wouldn't even consider an epidural.

...But we'll cross that bridge when we get there!

Our second little love!  Welcome to the world, Maya.
WE LOVE YOU SO MUCH!

Family of Four

Maya Harper Hendricks joined us this morning, July 22nd, 2015, via natural birth at 3:56 am.

She weighs 8 pounds 3 ounces and is 20" long.

All my loves in one little photo.

Our beautiful bright-eyed new addition!

Once again, we have fallen head over heels in love with our littlest lady!  Welcome to the world, Maya!!  We love you!

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!

A Letter to Little Sister

Little Sister -

We have entered your birth month, and today, on July 1st, I became overwhelmed with the excitement about meeting you.

Your due on July 16th, though we know that you will grace us with your presence when you are ready.  For the first time during this entire pregnancy, I finally feel ready to become a Mommy to two.  It has been a fear that I have struggled with for nine months.  Will I be able to be just as good of a Mommy to two as I am to one?  Will I have more love to share, for I feel as though my tank of love is full?  Will we adjust as a family of four?

The answers are yes.  Yes, yes, and yes.  Yes, I will be able to be a wonderful Mommy to both you AND your Big Sister, Kate.  Yes, I will have more love to share for you and any other future siblings should we be so blessed.  Yes, we will adjust as a family of four.

I recently heard a quote from a doula that I spoke with.  She said, "The first child gains from your attention.  The second gains from your experience."  This struck a serious chord with me and awoke my confidence deep inside.  It assured me that, yes, everything is going to be alright.  More than alright. It is so true for I already feel like I know what to do.  I've been down this road once before with Kate and now we are going down this road again with you.  As a family of four.  And we'll be walking down it together - you, me, Kate, and Daddy.

Even though we still haven't settled on a name for you, I am thrilled at the idea of holding you in my arms very soon.  I know that you are going to be the most wonderfully perfect addition to our family.  I promise to love you, laugh with you, cry with you, hold your hand, hug you tight, and hold you forever.  There won't be a day that goes by that you won't be in my heart.  You've already claimed your spot and I am keeping it nice and warm for you.

I can't wait to meet you, little one.  My darling girl.  My second darling girl.  We are one lucky bunch!

I love you.  I love you.

Mommy

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!

Little Sister's Room

Since we've found out that we are indeed expecting another little girlie, we have decided to use the same bedding and accessories that we used in Kate's nursery to decorate Little Sister's room.  I love decorating and coming up with themes and ideas and art projects and crafts to adorn walls, especially for my newest little lady, but being that my time has still been quite limited and we have all of this perfectly useful bedding and very cute decor, we decided to stick with all the same schtuff.  We'll put a spin on it for sure, but pink, green, orange, and jungle will be the name of the game still!  

If you missed Kate's nursery, you can view it here.

A couple weeks ago, we started clearing out our spare room and picking out paint colors.

Three options.

This little cutie was all monkey this morning, jumping
in the crib.  And of course had so much to say!

Light pink, middle pink, or peach-y.

We decided to go all girl and all in and selected the middle pink color! Ironically, it's a paint color called 'Sweetheart'!  Fitting, wouldn't you say!?  Kate was also a big fan of this selection, so it made our decision easy.

We've also decided to add wainscoting around the bottom part of the walls around the room.  Fortunately, Gangsta Tom has done this before and so generously offered up his handy services to help us out with this endeavor!  We just started working on it this past weekend, and we are super excited to see the end result!

BEFORE: General chaos.  Our house looks like we are losing a game
of Jumanji.  Period.

Gangsta Tom starts to remove the baseboard.

This guy is GOOD!

In no time flat, the baseboard was non-existent!

And his wifey, Mary, helped with clean-up.  These
two are a dynamic duo, I tell ya!

No home project is complete without a little bashing
of the thumb...

Or a spin around the house on our Unicorn that we
have named "Rainbow".  (Jack, you are a very good
puppy dog to enlighten us with our games.)

AFTER: No baseboard!

AFTER: Semi-put together...there is light at the end of the tunnel,
albeit dim.

AFTER: And a quick view out of the window!

We've got some plans for a little vacation soon and then we're going to hit the room decorating/general organizing of the ole' homestead hard in preparation for Sister Bear.  Stay tuned and we will keep you posted with our progress!

What an exciting time!

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?!