Ultrasound Update

Well, after waiting for two hours at the Drs office I finally got in and got the results of my ultrasound. All was good. She measured a little small at 6lb 4oz but my Dr doesn't think it is right. They base the weight on the length of the bones and size of the skull. So, he thinks that the estimated size is too low and that the baby is just short and chubby. I think so too. Zoey was short and chubby when she was born (only just 19" and 7lb 8oz).
I am still not dilated any and her head is still "floating" so he didn't strip my membranes. He said we will asses things again next week (if I make it that long). He doesn't want me to go past my due date though so I will probably be induced around the 12th. Zach doesn't want that but I can not sit around pregnant for forever. Hopefully she will make up her mind and come out on her own soon. I am ready! ~A

Tasks for Tuesday

I don't have any energy to go out these days so Zoey and I have some indoor tasks to do today. First we are going to make banana muffins for a girl in my MOMs club who just had a baby. Then we are going to make Valentines Day cards for the grandparents. We got a book at the library on Friday, Cliffords First Valentines Day and he makes cards so she has been asking to make some since. She loves crafts and I'm sure the grandparents will love getting them. Then we have to take a short trip to the post office. I listed a bunch of the maternity clothes I have outgrown on ebay. Some sold so I have to ship them out. We are 90% sure we are going to be done after this baby so I don't need them anymore. Anyways, if I do get pregnant again someday I want new ones. ~A

ultrasound update

The ultrasound went well. The tech isn't supposed to tell you anything because they aren't Dr's but usually they spill a little. This one didn't. She hardly said anything except to confirm that it is indeed a GIRL and head down. At least I don't have to worry about that anymore. I did try to look at the data she was entering but I couldn't make much of it. If I did read it right the baby is measuring a little small, about a week behind. I think Zoey did too. So, I will probably wont be getting my membranes stripped or anything at my next apt. Bummer, I want her out! I can't imagine where any more baby could fit in there. ~A

waiting and wondering

The ultrasound is today! I can't wait! I am so anxious to see how big she is and make sure everything is ok. I can't believe I only have 17 days to go. I love that ticker. I am so ready it is annoying. Everybody asks me how much longer and when is the baby due. I am sick of answering! I have been doing some research on stripping the membrane. I wasn't 100% sure what actually happened when they did it. Here is some of what I found in case your interested.

Q. What does "stripping of the membranes" mean? How is it done and how is it different than breaking my water?

A. As you probably know, the bag of waters is inside the uterus, and the bag is composed of membranes. The membranes tend to cling to the wall of the uterus until after the baby is born and the placenta is expelled. As the cervix begins to soften and open (dilate) at the end of pregnancy, the part of the membranes that was over the cervical opening can be felt through the opening when a vaginal exam is done. "Stripping the membranes" is done by inserting a finger between the membranes and the wall of the uterus to loosen the membranes from the wall. Sometimes, this stimulation of the uterine wall can help to start labor. Sometimes, the loosening of the membranes allows more water to collect in front of the baby which puts more pressure on the cervix and perhaps labor is stimulated that way. The procedure can be a little uncomfortable for some women. If the woman is truly near delivery, she often gets a contraction as a result of the procedure. Although stripping membranes is not considered a form of induction, the hope is that it is a form of stimulation of labor. Done too early, it has no effect, but if the body is nearly ready anyway, it can give a little jump-start to the labor process.

Let's hope it does! ~A

Drs apt update

I had my 37 week checkup yesterday. Everything was fine. The baby's heartbeat was in the 150's, my blood pressure was good, I am still not dilated any but the Dr said it was softer. I measure a little big so he is sending me for an ultrasound on Friday to get an estimate of her size. I love ultrasounds so I am excited. We will also get to confirm that this is indeed a girl and she is head down. We are pretty sure she is but there is so much movement all over I can't be sure. The Dr also said that if her size is good he might strip my membranes at the next apt. This puts some women into labor. I'm not sure how I feel about this really. Part of me really just wants this baby out so it sounds like a good idea. The other part of me is scared to jump start anything unnaturally. I guess we will see what the ultrasound shows. ~A

37 weeks!

Yeah! I am 37 weeks and can go anytime. I doubt she will come early though. Zoey was born right on her due date. I am having lots of small contractions though. I don't dare try anything to "help" things along. I just feel like that would be jinxing a healthy delivery. I guess I'll just have to lay around for another few weeks and wait for something to happen. Here is a stunning picture of my huge belly!

Swell Sweaters

These are some of the sweaters that my grandmother has made for Zoey throughout her life. There are about 3 more including a new pink one she got for Christmas with a white kitty on it. It is amazing to me that someone can put a bunch of yarn together with some sticks and create these. I do not have the ability to do it, that I know.

The pumpkin hat has to be my favorite. I called my grama and told her that I wanted one and couldn't find one at any store. The next week it arrived in the mail.

This sweater was actually mine when I was a kid. My mother saved all the sweaters my grama made for us and has handed some of them down. I am pretty sure every one of her 12 grandchildren and 2 great-granddaughters have sweaters by her. We are so blessed to have "Big Grama" as Zoey calls her. ~A

birthday bananza

Well, the birthday party went great. Zoey loved running around with the other kids. They had balance beams, a foam pit, trampolines, bars to hang from, etc all set up for toddlers. They played for an hour and then had cupcakes and opened presents. Zoey cried because she wanted the gifts but was quickly occupied with her gift baggy which had a wonderful (said sarcastically) musical whistle in it. Zach has already asked when he can accidentally break it. She was completely exhausted when we got home so after a quick dinner went to bed early.

I was exhausted too. I am having quite a few contractions but they are painless and just uncomfortable. I guess I find out at my Dr. apt on Wed if I am dilating any yet, probably not.

The story of Saturday

It's Saturday and we have just been bumming around the house all day. Zoey and Zach did go out and play in the snow for awhile this morning though. I took advantage of the free time and read a magazine with a cup of hot chocolate. It was wonderful.
Winter has definitely shown her ugly face around here. We only have about 6 inches of snow on the ground but it is cold. I was getting so used to the warmer weather and I was hoping that we wouldn't have to shovel ever. Of course I knew that wouldn't happen but I hoped. At least it held out this long.
Tomorrow is Zoey's first birthday party. She is really excited to see the kids and play. My only concern is that she is going to freak out when they open presents. She is pretty spoiled and has never had to watch another person open presents and not get one herself. I might have to occupy her with something else while it is going on.
Oh gosh I almost forgot! I got the cutest baby tights on the planet the other day. They are all white but then at the feet they are pink with a velvet bow and made to look like the baby is wearing little mary jane shoes. I can not wait for the baby to wear them!

Potty parade!

I am completely flabbergasted! Zoey has decided she likes the potty. I don't know what happened and I didn't do anything. Actually, I just completely stopped talking to her about it. Then last week she came in the bathroom when I was in there, pulled down her pants and went. I gave her a treat, which happened to be a gummy vitamin, and ever since she has been using the potty. Before she couldn't even pull her pants up and down alone and all of a sudden she can. I still have a pull-up on her but she is using the potty almost all the time now (for pee). She doesn't sit there forever like she used to either, now she goes right away. I am so excited! I don't know what sparked the whole change but I am very thankful. The next step is underwear but I'm not pushing it just yet. If I've learned anything it is to let her set her own pace. ~A

36 weeks!

I had my 36 week checkup today. All is good except I have an irritable uterus, which I had with Zoey. It's no biggy really other than I seem to have small contractions every 2 minutes or so. I don't feel anything except a slight tightening. My Dr thinks I just need to take it easy and drink plenty of fluids.

Zach was such a sweety today and left school early so I wouldn't have to entertain Zoey the whole time I was at my apt. He even took her grocery shopping afterwards and made dinner. I felt very blessed!

We have about 4 inches of snow now and Zach had a 2 hour delay this morning, mostly due to the ice we got on Monday though, I think. It finally feels like winter and I am ready for it to be spring! ~A

Double Trouble

My new double stroller arrived this week and it is great. After a little assembly I gave Zoey and her dolly a spin around the house. It has amazing turning capabilities for such a large stroller. It has a lot of great extras too like cup holders for everyone, an extra large basket, adjustable 3 or 5 point harness and reclining seats. I think the kids will be really comfortable tooling around in it. Thanks Mom & Dad!

From casseroles to the couch

I finally started my cooking yesterday afternoon. I made goulash, lasagna and tuna casserole to start it off. Today I am going to make a chicken casserole and maybe another one if I have the energy. I don't have much freezer space to that will have to do me for awhile. I gotta be able to fit pizzas in there, ha!

Yesterday my good friend Stephanie brought her 6 month old daughter over to visit. Zoey just adores her! Here is a pictures of the two of them playing together.

I was feeling some anxiety over not feeling the baby move a lot the last two days. She was moving just not to the amount she was. The only thing I could think to do was pray about it. So, I did and of course things are back to normal today. Actually, I am quite uncomfortable with her amount of movement today. My ribs and pelvis are sore because it feels like she is trying to stretch out in there. I have spent a great deal of the day on the couch with pillows propping me up. Of course, I prefer this to the latter. I have my next Drs apt on Tuesday and I interested to see if I am dilated at all yet. She feels like she has dropped and I have quite a few braxton hicks contractions. So, maybe I'll go a little early this time? Zoey was born on her due date but I can't imagine going another 4 weeks like this. ~A

Toddler troubles and triumphs

Zoey has had an interesting week. It seems like she has decided to grow up over night. Of course this is causing me some issues because it totally throws off my plans. Here are the changes this week has brought:

No naps? Zoey has always been a napper. She usually goes down around 1pm and sleeps until at least 3pm, sometimes longer. It gave me a wonderful break and I was counting on it to be my alone time with the baby. Starting this Monday she has decided to either not take a nap at all or only stay in bed for 30 minutes or so. She goes down without a problem but then just gets up and comes downstairs half an hour later (this ties into my other issue too). I tried marching her back upstairs and settling her down again but she just does gets up again. Can a 33 month old be done with naps? She seems to have enough energy for the day and she doesn't get cranky (except about the usual things). I am putting her to bed earlier to make sure she gets enough sleep. The books say 12-14 hours at this age so 7:30pm-7:45am is ok.


Then my second issue which ties into the first. How do you keep a toddler in bed? Zoey has taken to getting up and leaving her room in the morning now. I guess I should just be happy that she stays in bed all night but the 7:45am wakeup to her standing next to my bed is a little unsettling. Up until now she would stay in bed and call for me to come get her. I don't know what started the getting up herself. I am nervous about her wandering around the house and possibly falling down the stairs at night. I also don't feel safe locking her in there. I guess I'll just have to put the gate back on the stairs during the night.

Ok, so those are the troubles the triumph is she actually used the potty on her own. I have just backed off on it the last few weeks because I was aggravating her with it. She would actually yell at me when I suggesting using the potty. Well, Monday night she went into the bathroom on her own, pulled her pull-up down and went pee! Then she did it again on Wed and actually pooped yesterday. I didn't even suggest it, she did it all on her own. I am very excited about this because I was sure I would have a five year old in diapers. We will see how things progress especially once the baby is here but I am confident.

I went out shopping yesterday because I felt good and wanted to use some of my gift cards from Christmas. I got some great deals at Old Navy, Kohl's and Victoria Secret. I love how things are $45 before Christmas and $19.99 a few weeks after. I might have pushed it a little too much because I had a rough night. I woke up about 1am with an intense pain in my right side. It felt like a hand or foot was trying to break out but there wasn't any bump. I had to get up and walk around for awhile to move things in there. It helped and I felt better in a few minutes but after that my hips hurt. I am staying in today and relaxing. I got my pans and I am going to start my cooking tomorrow. ~A

Mommy & Zoey

Today we are just hanging out at home relaxing. Zoey wanted to take some pictures so we posed together. They came out pretty cute considering I had to hold the camera at arms length. I am excited that my face doesn't look swollen. When I was pregnant with Zoey I was swollen from head to toe. I had no ancles, couldn't wear my wedding ring and I don't even think I looked like myself. This time around I have only had minor swelling in my feet. I have been trying really hard to limit my salt and sugar intake (thanks for the info Faith) and drink plenty of water. I know that is why. It is hard because I could eat all day long but I try to stay busy and not buy goodies so their is no temptation.

My new double stroller should arrive on my door set today. I am excited! ~A

Cinderella girl

Here is my little Cinderella.

Buddies, books and bargins!

Yesterday went great! The tea party was a big success and all the kids had a great time. They dressed up in thier outfits and there were even some princes there. We actually gave them juice in the tea pots and little plates of mini sandwiches and snacks. It was so cute to watch them pour tea and eat. Of course all Zoey wants to do now is have tea parties.

Afterwards I was just going to make a quick stop at the library and return some books but we ended up staying for over an hour. Zoey just loves using the computers. They have a few set up with books that read to you and games for toddlers. I picked her out some new books and read a magazine in a comfy chair. When I realized what time it was we dashed out of there to get our shopping done.

I got a couple casserole recipes online and made myself a grocery list. So, I wanted to get the stuff and get started cooking. We also needed to get a birthday present for one of Zoey's friends, she goes to her first birthday party in a week. When we got to Walmart of course I had to check out the baby dept. They were having a huge clearance sale and I found a cute outfit for $2.50 and some hats for $1. I must have wandered around longer than I thought because all of a sudden I got a call on the cell phone. It was Zach and he was freaking out. He got worried when I wasn't home when he got home. He had called a few people trying to find me to make sure I was ok. I didn't realize it was already 5:30pm. After everyone was calmed down Zoey and I finished up our shopping and headed home. We hardly had time for dinner before it was time for bed. It was an exhausting day!

I got all my ingredients together today to start my cooking but realized I forgot to get the foil pans to put the meals in. So, I can't do my cooking until I go out again later this week. Duh! ~A

Miserable post avoided

I just lost a really long post about how miserable I am because I can't sleep. Which made me even more miserable. I guess God was telling me to stop dwelling on it and rejoice in all the blessings I have. Ok, I'm over it now. I don't have time to write much since I need to make cookies for our MOMS club outing tomorrow. We are having a princess tea party for the girls. It is going to be adorable, I hope. I just know Zoey will love it. They are supposed to dress up and everything. Here is my princess in her new outfit from Great Aunt Jean:

Recipes!

I need some recipes! I want to make some easy to freeze and reheat meals for after the baby comes. We like simple stuff mostly but I am sure Zach would love something with a little more punch than I usually cook. I already am going to make some goulash but I am stumped on what else. Please help! Also, take into account I am a mediocre cook. ~A

email me: aliciaa1021@yahoo.com

Christmas Pics

I finally got some of my Christmas pictures downloaded so I can share them. Zoey had a fabulous Christmas morning and we all really enjoyed being at home this year. Maybe we will stick to this for the future!? Anyways, here are the pics:

Baby Update

You are at week 32 of gestation -- it's been 34 weeks since your last menstrual period (LMP). Your baby is about 19.8 inches long and weighs almost five pounds! Your baby is now beginning to establish sleep patterns. You could try charting "play" and "sleep" times to see if you can discover any regularity. (Yeah right! This kid is constantly moving around.) Rest easy -- if your baby were born today, she would have an excellent chance of surviving.

- info from ivillage pregnancy calendar

Excited!

Can I just say, "I am so excited about this baby!" I really am and it is making me so happy. I have had many emotions during this pregnancy and there were points that I wasn't even sure I wanted to have another one. Zoey can be such a handful sometimes and the thought of entertaining her and taking care of a newborn was frightful. When she was sick and not sleeping I was completely exhausted and remembering what it felt like to get up several times in the night. No sleep makes me CRAZY!

That has all passed now and I am feeling ready. I am so curious to know what she looks like! I have been getting everything ready this week.

• packed my hospital bag
• started washing the new clothes I got for her
• packed a diaper bag
• got out and cleaned the baby toys
• got out my new breast pump and figured it out
• partially organized the nursery
• bought diapers
• put together the new bouncy seat
• typed up Zoey's schedule for whoever watches her

I feel like I am missing something but I'm not sure what it is. I ordered a double stroller online and hoping to get it by next week. I also got a new bather from Target that I love. We always bathed Zoey in the sink but I want to be able to do both of them at the same time in the tub. So, I looked online, read many reviews and finally found a mesh support seat that can be used in the tub and sink. It came today and looks like it will work perfectly! Here is the link to it if you are interested: http://www.target.com/gp/detail.html/ref=br_1_16/601-7155182-5176946?ie=UTF8&frombrowse=1&asin=B000GEFE42

It is amazing how unafraid I am about taking care of a baby this time. I was worried about silly stuff with Zoey. How would I know when to feed her or change her? What? Was I nuts? Of course they let you know. I had watched the movie Trainspotting some time before and all I could picture was that I was going to forget about my baby and find her dead in the crib days later (like the drug addicts did). Morbid I know, but it is what I thought. I guess I know what to expect this time and that has calmed me.

My only concern of course is Zoey. She seems totally excited about being a big sister but I know she is going to be jealous. She already wants to play with the baby stuff and do babyish things. It is going to be hard dividing my attention between them for awhile. I know once the baby is a little older though they will be great playmates. It is just going to be tough for awhile. Any of you BTDT moms can offer some advice!

Ok, here is my new blog

I decided to set up blog here because my other one is so hard to access. I also like the way the ones here look better.
So, just to get started I will post about what is going on in my life right now. I am currently 34 weeks 2 days pregnant with #2, a mom to a wonderful toddler and a wife to a great guy. I spend most of my days attempting to clean my house, potty train my stubborn toddler and set up everything necessary for the new baby. I guess most would call this "nesting."
Ok, I'll be back later to post more. ~A