34 weeks!!!!

This pregnancy is coming to and end.  It's very bittersweet.  In 5-6 weeks our sweet little miracle will be making his appearance.  I'm extremely anxious and excited to meet him.  To hold him.  To share him with Jake and Taylor.  But, I'm sad that the time is just flying by! I find it extremely hard to complain about something that I worked my ass off to obtain.  It's hard to complain about rib pain, lack of sleep, and other pregnancy symptoms that are getting the best of me when there is a miracle growing inside me.  I'm so extremely happy and excited that I'm 34 weeks pregnancy and 5-6 weeks away from meeting my baby boy.  At the same time, I'm exhausted, sore, and moody!  But, in the end, I wouldn't change this for the world.  I don't want it to hurry up and be over.  As sucky as some pregnancy moments are, I'm still loving a good portion of it.  I love my baby bump.  I love the confidence I have in my body when I'm pregnant.   I love feeling him move. 

Last Saturday was our Baby-Q hosted by my wonderful grandma.  It was small, casual, and not a true baby shower.  It was perfect.  We also kind of celebrated my uncle's birthday at the same time, so that was fun.  I had to very large showers with Taylor.  AND a work shower that some of my wonderful teacher friends hosted.  I loved all three showers, and I received so many wonderful gifts.  But, I just didn't want big, traditional showers this time.  So, the family Baby-Q was perfect. 



How far along? 34 weeks
Total weight gain?   23 lbs.  I'm the same weight I was 2 weeks ago.  This is mainly due to having a stomach bug last week.  I'm guessing I lost 2lbs from that.   I'm back to my large appetite, and I'm sure I'll start seeing weight gain again very soon. 
Maternity clothes?  Most definitely.  They are a must in the 3rd trimester.  I'm loving the warm weather, as I can live in maxi skirts and dresses. 
Stretch marks?  Not yet. 
Sleep:  Sleep has been quite an issue.  I've been struggling to fall asleep. I've been struggling to go back to sleep after I wake 1-3 times to pee.  No sleep = Mo Problems for this girl.  Sadly, I'm taking a regular Unisom almost every night at this point.  I'm hoping to ease up on that soon.... once I get caught up. 
Best moment this week:  Celebrating this pregnancy and baby Wyatt at our family Baby-Q this past Saturday.  It was a small, casual gathering... and it really couldn't have been any better.  :)
Miss anything?  Sleep!
Movement:  Movement is still there.  But, it's starting to slow down.  I remember this happening with Taylor as the amount of room for baby to bounce around lessened.  At times, it worries me and makes me sad that there isn't a constant movement.  But, I know it's all normal. 
Food cravings:  I'm just returning to my regular appetite.  I was living on crackers, applesauce, lemon-lime Gatorade, and bananas for a few days.  I'd say that my sweet tooth has calmed a little bit.  But, I still love me some sweets! Current Favorites: bacon, fruit, apple crisps, and Boom Chicka Pop Popcorn. 
Anything make you queasy or sick? The stomach flu.  The stomach flu will make any person queasy and sick! yuck!
Gender:  Boy!!!
Labor Signs:  Nope
Symptoms:  Still dealing with some rib pain, but it seems to be simmering down.  I have to pee.... A LOT!  And, I'm finding it hard pick things up off the ground.  
Belly button in or out?  Out?? I guess??? My hernia is pretty much taken over my belly button.  I can see that my actual belly button is still pretty far in, but it doesn't appear that way under clothes. 
Wedding rings on or off?  I normally wear 3 bands: engagement, wedding, and anniversary.  Right now, I'm down to two bands. 
Looking forward to:  My small "sprinkle" with my favorite friends.  It will be a group of around 10 women.  These women have all been my friends for a long time.  They have been supportive.  They have been there when I needed them most.  They have been amazing friends.  And, I'm extremely excited to celebrate with them. 

32 week update

I can't believe I'm 32 weeks!  Time is flying by! I had a routine appointment  last week and everything was good.  At 36 weeks, I will have an ultrasound to check baby's position.  If he is still breech at that point, at C-section will be scheduled for 39 weeks or so.  BUT... before the c-section prep begins at 39 weeks, they will check once more to make sure he didn't flip.  So, most likely, I'll be having a C-section at 39-39.2 days. 

As much as I want to get my hopes up for a VBAC, the odds just really aren't in my favor.  This baby has been in the frank breech position for some time now.  Yes, there is still time for him to flip, but with the anatomy of an unicornuate uterus, it's unlikely.  And, even if he were to flip, there's still a chance that he would flip BACK to breech again when my body actually starts laboring naturally.  Taylor was always head down.  She was head down when I was checked at 39.2 days.  But, she flipped to breech once my body started laboring.  In the past, I've seen stats as high as 97-99% of babies born to mothers with a UU are breech.  For this reason, I've decided to not pursue acupuncture, chiropractic, or any other means to try to flip baby.  If my body decides to flip him, then he will flip. 

I'm okay with another C-section.  My experience was fine last time, and what's most important is to do what's safest for baby and I.  Of course I'm a little sad that I will never get to experience natural birth, but that's okay.  Healthy babies are far more important in my eyes.  I think what I'm having the hardest time with is being left in limbo of not really knowing what will happen.  But, MOST pregnancies are like that, right?  You plan on having a natural birth, but you could end up needing a C-section for various reasons at the last minute.  Mainly, I want more of a plan so I can plan for Taylor.  I want to give her plenty of time to learn how long mommy and daddy will be at the hospital.  I want to be able to plan who is going to stay with her, and when.  Basically, I want to make it so this is as smooth as possible on her.  Most likely she will be with either my mom or MIL the entire time, expect for the 4 hours she might be at school.  And, that's the two best people for her to be with.  Jake will leave and come home at bedtime if need be for a couple of hours.  But, I really want him to stay with me as much as possible, especially if I have a C-section. 

I will have answers in just 4 short weeks, and then I can really start planning and preparing Taylor.  Patience is key here. 

Other than that, everything is going good! Sweet little Taylor turns 4 tomorrow, and I'm extremely emotional about it.  The pregnancy hormones are not helping, but it seems that every year she ages, I get more and more emotional.  I want to keep her young forever.  As much as I enjoy each new stage, I'm sad that my baby is growing up.  I love that little girl so much. 

The next couple of weeks are going to fly by.  Taylor's party is next Sunday.  Then, we have a family BBQ to celebrate baby's arrival, followed by a small sprinkle with my favorite friends.  During all of this we have Jake's brother and his family in town, which is always filled with play dates and such.  36 weeks will be here before I know it!

How far along? 32 weeks
Total weight gain?   23 lbs.  I was only at 19-20lbs at this time with Taylor.... But, I'm still on track to not gain more than 35, so that's good!
Maternity clothes?  Yes! With the exception of regular yoga pants, I live in maternity clothes.  I'm loving all my maternity and non maternity maxi dresses and skirts. 
Stretch marks?  Not yet. 
Sleep:  I've been restless.  I always sleep like crap before any event.  With a birthday party, and two sprinkle/showers coming up, I'm having a hard time getting a good night's sleep. 
Best moment this week:  Getting a lot finished on the baby's room. It's not complete yet, but getting there! My mom and I finished the crib skirt and bumper this weekend.  We will only be using the bumper once the baby is older, but it looks cute in there right now :)
Miss anything?  Not really. I miss being able to drink 2 cups of coffee whenever I choose, but I'll be back to that soon enough. 
Movement:  Started feeling hiccups a lot! Amazing!
Food cravings:  sweets!!!!! I can't get enough!  I'm still eating healthy most of the time, but this pregnant chick is eating what I want while I still can.  I also love apple crisps from Costco, clementines, berries, bacon, and multigrain crackers. 
Anything make you queasy or sick?  Not really.
Gender:  Boy!!!
Labor Signs:  Nope
Symptoms:  Still dealing with some rib pain, but it seems to be simmering down.  I have to pee.... A LOT!  And, I'm finding it hard pick things up off the ground.  
Belly button in or out?  Out?? I guess??? My hernia is pretty much taken over my belly button.  I can see that my actual belly button is still pretty far in, but it doesn't appear that way under clothes. 
Wedding rings on or off?  I normally wear 3 bands: engagement, wedding, and anniversary.  Right now, I'm down to two bands. 
Looking forward to:  Our family BBQ.  My grandma insisted on throwing me a shower.  I was hesitant to have a formal shower for a second baby, as we don't "need" anything. But, I still wanted to celebrate the baby.  So, we agreed on a family style baby shower.  I'm excited because we will get to see  family (men and women) that we usually only see once a year. 

30 week update

Time is flying by, and that makes me a little sad.  Of course I WANT to see and hold my sweet baby boy.  But, I'm just not ready for this pregnancy to be over, as will be my last pregnancy.  Once I hit 24 weeks, there was finally a sense of relief that this was really going to happen.  That most likely, I will be taking home a baby.  But, once 24 weeks hit, things seemed to start flying by!  I've been enjoying almost everything about this pregnancy once the second trimester hit, but I'm just not ready for it to be over.  I generally like being pregnant.  Even more so this time because I struggled to get here, and because I know it's my last time. 

I also don't want the pregnancy to end because, well, I hate change.  I'm a very routine person.  Always have been.  Sometimes I get a wild hair up my ass and I decide to change, and I usually regret it at first.  I remember when we first brought Taylor home, a lot changed.... obviously.  I had a hard time adapting to that change.  But, once we got in our new routine together, I was good.  There is going to be even more change this time.  And, I'm nervous about it.  Once the change actually happens, and I come to terms with it, I'm fine.  It's the leading up to the change that kills me. 



How far along? 30 weeks 3 days
Total weight gain?   20.5lbs.  It still seems like a lot, but I'm still right on track for my pre-pregnancy weight. 
Maternity clothes?  Yes! With the exception of regular yoga pants, I live in maternity clothes.  Some are much more comfy than others.  And, "comfy" is a flexible term that changes with each week of growth. 
Stretch marks?  Not yet. 
Sleep:  Mostly good! 
Best moment this week:  Taylor finally feeling the baby kick.  She's very impatient, and doesn't really know what she's looking for, so this took awhile. 
Miss anything?  Not really.  I kind of miss sushi though. But, I might eat it just once for our anniversary dinner. 
Movement: Yes! Lots of it!  It's the absolute best!
Food cravings:  sweets!!!!! For the entire first and half of the second trimester, I didn't care for sweets. Now, I cannot get enough.  I'm also loving edemame, clementines, multigrain crackers, and those yummy Cadbury Cream Eggs.  I've eaten far too many of those considering it's only the beginning of March :0
Anything make you queasy or sick?  Not really.
Gender:  Boy!!!
Labor Signs:  Still having BH contractions on and off.  Some days I have up to 10, and other days I don't feel any. 
Symptoms:  rib cage pain!!!! It's by far the worst symptom I've had since the first trimester!  My rib cage is expanding, and it hurts!  Nothing really makes it feel better, expect time.  I remember having this same issue with Taylor.
Belly button in or out?  Out?? I guess??? My hernia is pretty much taken over my belly button.  I can see that my actual belly button is still pretty far in, but it doesn't appear that way under clothes. 
Wedding rings on or off?  I normally wear 3 bands: engagement, wedding, and anniversary.  Right now, I'm down to two bands. 
Looking forward to:  My OB appointment next Thursday.  And finishing up baby's room.

Disneyland 2014

Last weekend we took a family vacation as a family of 3 to California Adventures and Disneyland. The trip was mainly to celebrate Taylor turning 4, but it was also the last planned trip we will have as a family of 3. As happy and anxious as I am to complete our family, I was filled with bittersweet emotions thinking about how our lives are again about to change forever... But at least it's for the good. We've gotten very used to our lives with one child. And so has our child. She is very used to having all the attention. And, while I know that all kids experience change when a sibling comes along, I just hope and pray that Taylor adjusts. This little girl is our world. And, I want nothing more than for her to feel happy, loved, and included.

The trip started out rainy and wet. Ponchos and umbrellas were a must. But, we made the most of it, and took our time enjoying Taylor's early birthday celebration at Ariel's Grotto. 

I love Ariel's Grotto. Although, it's rather expensive, the food is pretty darn good. And, the princess experience can't be beat when you have a princess obsessed little one. We did this last year and she still talks about it. 

My butternut squash soup 

Tri-tip, mashed potatoes, and roasted veggies. 

The second day was spent at Disneyland. The weather was beautiful and full of sunshine. Taylor's favorite part of the whole trip was meeting Elsa and Anna from Frozen..... TWICE! 

I was a little nervous attempting Disneyland at 30 weeks pregnant, but overall it was totally worth it.  My body held up pretty well, and seeing the excitement on my little princess's face with each new attraction was well worth it. 

I did have a lot of flashback memories of our trip last year that were difficult to process.  Immediately before this trip last year, I had to have an unexpected D&C to get rid of a pregnancy that I thought was already gone.  This time last year was a very dark, depressing, and physically painful time for my family and I.  It's hard to sit here and not sob uncontrollably  about the hurt and bitterness I still feel towards that time of our lives.  I was in so much pain both physically and emotionally at Disneyland last year, that it felt overwhelmingly amazing to be there this year.  30 weeks pregnant.  With my best friend, my favorite little girl in the whole wide world, and a nearly 3lb miracle kicking inside of me.  There were certain places and events throughout our trip that triggered ill feelings from last year.  We went past the bench that I broke down sobbing on because I just couldn't come to terms with what was going on at that time, and I instantly got a lump in my throat and tears in my eyes.  One, because it's hard to let go of the hurt, even though I try.  Two, because I was so happy to walk past that bench now on the other side of infertility.  Oh the difference a year makes.