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Saturday, May 30, 2015

Almost Done - 36 Weeks

 
 
Wow... this is my second to last pregnancy update. EVER. Like, fo' realz ever, not fake ever.
 
I suppose I'm feeling a bit of mixed emotions about it. The fact that in a few short weeks, I will never feel another life moving about inside me. But on the flip side, I will never feel all the horrible other feelings that come with pregnancy. I think I'll just opt to enjoy Bimmer and Healey outside the womb. So far, it's working with Bimmer much better that way.
 
Week 35 was a doozy though, I tell ya. After getting back from the beach, I caught what I assumed was a little bit of a cold or a sinus infection. It wasn't too terrible and waned after a few days. But then I got a bit of a cough and then I called in pregnant/sick to work on that Friday, and then as the day progressed, it only got worse. Sinus headache, eyeballs that felt like they were going to pop out, mild ear pain, cough. I went to an urgent care and was diagnosed with a sinus infection and ear infection. Gimme some antibiotics to kill this sucka, please?!?! Although two days later, my cough was nagging and near constant to the point where I wasn't sleeping or eating. And my ear pain was some of the worst I ever remembered having! In fact, all of those ailments made me almost completely forget any ankle swelling or frequent urination or lower back pain from the pregnancy. Nope - all I could focus on was that horrid pain in my ear with no relief.
 
Round about 5am that morning, my ear finally popped. And then, it pussed. A Google search later and I was convinced my eardrum had ruptured. So back to urgent care I went. Yup... definitely had a ruptured eardrum, and that cough? Well, it was bronchitis. Because nothing enhances a pregnancy by all those additional problems! They switched my antibiotics and I spent the rest of that day and night slowly starting to feel a little bit better. But boy, a constant cough sure is rough on a 35+ week belly. Lots of contractions and lack of any sort of comfort. After the switch in drugs and a few days rest, it started to get a little more tolerable, but it was still pretty horrible. In fact, at 36 weeks, 2 days, I found myself at my primary care doc being told that even after a round of drugs, I still had an ear infection and bronchitis. Oh yeah, and a lovely pain in my chest when I coughed, basically from straining so much with the horrible coughs. Ugh! Between the not-flu-that-should-have-been-the-flu I got back in December, and this, I felt more sick this pregnancy with non-pregnancy related things than I do in a normal year!
 
Maybe it's the sickness, but I've been sorta kinda wanting to "nest." And that is so not me by nature. I am the farthest thing from a "homebody." The closest I've come to actually wanting to nest, is well, actually picking up sticks in the yard. Literal nesting comes strangely naturally to be during pregnancy. But I'm way too far preggers at this point for that shit! LOL! So yeah, I've found myself thinking about wanting to have a few days at home here and there - just to catch up on... what? I have no idea! I'm happy that I have scheduled a few days off prior to the c-section though to accomplish whatever last minute things it is that I think I need to do... like nap and watch trashy TV and figure out how to work Netflix and maybe finish my 2014 scrapbook before Healey gets here???

So strange too that I have a 36 month old right now and I'm 36 weeks pregnant! I've gained about 50 pounds now with this pregnancy, which is more than I gained the entire time with Bimmer. I figured it would be a little bit more. Here's hoping the next 3 weeks fly by and we make it to June 18th without any more major sicknesses or anything that warrants a major update!!!
 
And since I haven't been good about linking up to posts from Bimmer's pregnancy, here is the post I did from 36 weeks with her - HERE.
 

Wednesday, May 27, 2015

This Means Three


 

 
These are the last block photos of Bimmer for an entire YEAR. 

 

Or well... there are the ones for her 3rd birthday still to be posted, but waaaahhhhhhhhh!!!! No more "months" under her numbers. Ever. Again. 

I have gushed enough already I think about how proud I am of the person she has become. She is so helpful and insightful. She is inquisitive and curious. She is vocal and has opinions she wants to learn how to express. Sure, there are random fits these days that just don't seem to make much sense... like the fact that I walked past her into the kitchen versus carrying her in with me, or that Puff has gotten out her vitamins when she wanted me to do it. Lots of things that seem totally rational to her, but aren't necessarily obvious to the rest of us. We'll get there. So far, they haven't been too horrible, so I think we'll manage. 

Her speech and knowledge are constantly improving. She still stutters sometimes when she is trying to come up with certain words... I'll ask Doc Hottie about it next week at her 3 year well-visit, but I really think it's just a matter of her trying to think of the word (typically, they are words she doesn't necessarily use all the time) or her brain is working faster than her mouth can process. But she retains so much information that it is almost scary. I have already had to get on Puff about using certain words or phrases or generalizations about people (especially when driving) because I know Bimmer is picking up on them - whether she immediately acknowledges or not. I am also clinging to the few words she still doesn't say quite right... like "mazagine" and "boof-case" - which can either be a suitcase or a briefcase. Ah yes, and "Bloop Loops." Still the "Bloop Loops."
 
 
Bimmer has been practicing writing her letters and some of her drawings are becoming a little more recognizable. She drew a whale the other day that, well, actually looked like a whale. I don't know where she should be at this stage with some of that, but I figure she's not behind. Although she is behind in knowing how to use scissors. Poor little lefty... gotta get practicing on that one with her. Yes, I am now 100% convinced she is a lefty. And it's kinda adorable.
 
I know she is going to grow and change so much in the next year. I feel like going from age 3 to 4 is going to be huge. She is going to gain more social skills and realize even more about the world around her. I think she will face challenges and I hope that we are raising her the best way we know how so that she can maneuver them like a champ. We have finished her first round of swim lessons, and intend to do more, along with putting her into dance class. Her world is going to grow more by adding a little sister to the mix, moving up a class in pre-school, and hopefully traveling and experiencing more of the world around her.
 
A few stats: She is wearing size 2T in shorts, but 3T in most shirts and pajamas. She is totally 100% out of diapers!!! (Although she has had two accidents in the past week at school. Her teacher thinks it's due to Healey's arrival and some rebellion with that, but I'm not sure yet.) Her favorite toy right now is Playdoh. She has started to watch Dora the Explorer more often, but now that it's summer, we watch hardly any TV at all. She eats lots of cheese quesadillas and pb&j sandwiches, but she has started to eat steak and burgers on occasion. Girl still only really likes to drink water. I don't have her current height or weight, but if I get it by the time I post her 3 year block photos, I'll be sure to update!
 
My baby isn't a baby anymore... she isn't even a toddler. She is a little girl now. (Which she does tell me sometimes.) I am madly in love with that little girl and cannot wait to see what her future holds!

Monday, May 25, 2015

Two is Better than One

In roughly 3 1/2 weeks, I am going to be the mom to TWO. Two children. Two babies. Two girls. 

 

Double the love. Double the trouble. Double the everything. 

I've had people tell me that the jump from one to two wasn't that bad - since you're not out-numbered. They say the jump from 2 to 3 is worse. 

I find fault in their logic and see them for just trying to make me feel better about the situation. God bless them, but it ain't working. 

Cue panic attack. 

We still aren't 100% sure how the sleeping situation is going to work out. I don't have a changing table set up outside Bimmer's room (so that ain't gonna work). I am stuffing clothes and burp cloths and blankets into Bimmer's dressers - again, not really the best arrangement. But what choice do I have? We have no nursery for Healey. And in hindsight, maybe that wasn't our best decision. I need to find room in a kitchen cabinet for bottles. I just realized I have no plan for where to put Healey's dirty clothes. Sometime in the next two weeks, I need to convince Puff to get the car seats out and cleaned and installed. We need to find the stroller in the attic. The swing and the Boppy and the pacifier clips... all need to find homes. 

Perhaps I need a trip to Ikea to buy a piece of storage furniture? Perhaps Puff needs to contact an antique shop about selling his beloved spare dining room table that we don't need? Maybe I need to start interviewing contractors and figuring out what the first step is to get a home remodel started?

Just suggestions. 

We are limping forward at this point (since I have been sick - more on that to come) but we will get there. I just need Puff to remain calm and focused and listen to my instructions. I just need him to be in full-on HELP mode.
 
Because before we know it, our lives are going to be flip turned upside down. In the best way imaginable. Or at least I'm saying that now. Remind me of that in a few weeks, K?

Saturday, May 23, 2015

Three Years Eve

Tomorrow is my baby girl's THIRD birthday! There will be plenty of updates on all her birthday gifts and excursions to come... poor girl didn't get a party this year due to her baby sister's pending arrival. Makes me feel horrible. But alas, she will survive.

 

I am a wreck of emotions right now about this birthday. More so than any other than came before it. Perhaps because I'm super pregnant and hormonal? Perhaps because it's the last birthday she'll be able to celebrate with just the three of us? Maybe it's because she's such a little person now? 

 

When she turned one, it was a parenting accomplishment. We made it through our first year, relatively unscathed. (Read about it HERE). And she was showing her personality, starting to talk, about to walk... not my tiny baby anymore.
 


By the time she was turning two (Read about it HERE) she was well on her way to showing us who she really was going to be. She was very vocal and spoke a lot of words and was interested in everything. I felt like I could take her out to dinner and have a conversation with her even. I was madly in love with that age. 


 
Now, her baby fat is almost all gone. She looks physically older. She acts older. She talks -  all.the.time. She is giving us our challenges, but nothing we haven't been able to muddle through so far. She is excited about becoming a big sister - and I am excited to give her that role. I know she is going to be awesome at it, even if it breaks my heart just a little bit. I love showering that sweet girl with all my attention. I miss her desperately at the end of each day and cannot wait to snuggle with her to fall asleep. I love to see all that she is learning and soaking in each and ever day. She is a little girl now... not a toddler. 

She is my princess. She is absolutely the love of my life. I am blessed to be her mom and be along with her on this journey of her life. I have loved so much of the past 3 years with her, and I cannot wait to see what all the years ahead of us bring.
 


Happy birthday, sweet girl. My sugar butt. I love you. Infinitely. More than words. With every ounce of my being. You are my angel. 

Thursday, May 21, 2015

Salty Dog

Last fall, I went on a vacation rampage... 2015 was going to be the year we took an anniversary trip without Bimmer (to Newport, RI) and our family trip was going to require our 3 year old to get a passport (to visit Turks & Caicos). Then... life happened. Healey happened. So... we had to nix those plans. With Healey due in mid-June, that really put a damper on any possible major travel plans. I didn't want to go anywhere extravagant while super pregnant, as I didn't want to waste vacation time. Or, ya know, go into labor in Madrid. And the second half of the year will be hard too, because let's be real, who wants to travel with an infant that small?

 

 

 

So when my good friend, Cole, announced her wedding would be in Hilton Head in mid-May, we jumped on board as that being our "big vacation of 2015." Ha ha ha - I know, I know. Ridiculous, but hey, when you want to get in some beach time away from home when 8 months pregnant, you take what you can get. Plus - when else am I going to get the opportunity to flaunt this sexy body in a bikini??? 

Try not to be blinded by how pale I am!
 

We left work early on Thursday and drove down so that we would have all day on Friday to spend, at our leisure, soaking up the beach and the ocean and the pool, and taking long naps, and going out for seafood. And that's exactly what we did. It was honestly the best beach vacation day ever! We even topped it off with some delicious ice cream.
 
 
 
Saturday, we recreated our day pretty much.... early to the beach, lots of sand digging, lunch and virgin cocktails by the pool, a little swim time, a 2+ hour nap. Yup... pretty much couldn't have asked for anything better!
 
 
 
That night, we all got gussied up and headed to Bluffton for Cole's wedding reception. Bimmer was rockin' this adorable Lilly Pulitzer dress that I cannot get enough of.
 
 
 
We hung out with friends, had good food, and enjoyed the gorgeous location right on the marsh. We were supposed to have a friend go with us to keep Bimmer while we went to the wedding, but they bailed in favor of a different trip. (Um.... cue the pregnant panic attack, right?!?!) But thankfully, Cole was super understanding and is an awesome friend and was totally cool with Bimmer tagging along... even if she was the only kid there who wasn't immediate family.
 
 
 
Sunday morning, we hit up the beach one more time for a few hours. Because, why not? We also hit up Salty Dog Café for some lunch. (FYI - their dinner is better than their lunch) But it was sweet to see Bimmer get so excited about going there. (She has a book and a shirt, so she recognized the logo as soon as we got there!) One more daiquiri (virgin, of course) for me before hitting the road!
 
 
 
All told, it was such a nice and sweet little getaway. It wasn't the long family summer vacation we would have hoped for, but it will do the trick. It will hold us over for a few months until we get Healey up to speed with traveling the way Rushing Life wants to!

Monday, May 18, 2015

34 Weeks Down

 
Only two more updates after this before Healey gets here!!! And I suspect they will just get more and more difficult... as each and every day from the last update has gotten more and more difficult. I even called in "pregnant" to work one day because I just had had a few rough days and a lot of walking (and contractions) so my body was screaming "REST!!!!" I needed to listen.
 
There are lots of Braxton Hicks contractions on days when I don't get to lay around a lot. So, basically every day that I have to go to work. My back pain still comes and goes, and sleeping is becoming even more difficult. I didn't think that was possible... but some nights, I'm waking up every hour now. My never-ending insatiable hunger in the middle of the night is subsiding, which is good. Although I find myself not being able to eat as much in each sitting, which sometimes leads to more nausea. I guess that growing baby is just taking up more room and squishing all my organs together!!! Although I've still managed to find a new afternoon snack craving - Popcorn Indiana's kettlecorn. Who knew you could get new cravings this late in the pregnancy???
 
I had an ultrasound at 33 weeks to check on Healey's growth too. My bump was measuring at 36 weeks, but Healey herself was only measuring at the size of 34 weeks, which isn't too far off. They guesstimated that she is around 5 lbs. 9 oz. right now. On one hand, it's scary to think how much more she could grow between now and her birthday, but on the other hand, it makes me feel OK to know she's that size that if something were to happen and she came early, that she would already that big!
 
Healey is moving like crazy - a lot. Sometimes her squirming actually makes me feel sick to my stomach. Just shows I've got an active little girl in there! Guess she will be keeping us on our feet once she arrives too!

Tuesday, May 12, 2015

My Blessings

Every Mother's Day that I've had, I've really wanted to come up with something awesome and interesting to do - but for whatever reason, it just hasn't worked out that way. (Like Puff's excursion to The Biltmore last Father's Day - HERE) The first year, we took Bimmer to the zoo for the first time (which was fun, but nothing extravagant) and last year, we were traveling to Florida, so there wasn't much celebrating to be done. And this year, I was almost 34 weeks pregnant! So my options were pretty limited.
 
I thought a Mother's Day brunch was in order this year... but Puff and I absolutely hate to go out on actual holidays. So I did some research and found a hotel that had a nice brunch on a regular basis, and we got gussied up and headed there the Sunday prior to Mother's Day. It was OK... but not anywhere I would be rushing back to eat. But I had fun spending time with my little family and getting to see Bimmer's big smiles at the "fancy hotel."
 
(I hate pics of myself pregnant, but alas, I'm posting it anyway)
 
 
The Friday before Mother's Day, Bimmer's school had a Mother's Day "garden party" on their playground. It was at 2:30pm - could there be any more inconvenient time??? - but of course I went. Bimmer was so excited when I came in, since I was a few minutes later than a lot of the other moms. She gave me a little jewelry box she had painted and covered with stickers. We ate strawberries and cookies on the playground, and I did my best to make small talk with the other snooty mothers.
 
 
 
On Saturday, I decided that was the perfect time for my Mother's Day excursion... and I selected strawberry picking! Why not??? Bimmer had fun last fall picking apples and had been talking about it recently, so I thought some seasonally appropriate produce picking would be a blast. It ended up being really fun - and just long enough that this preggers was able to participate and not complain! Bimmer loved running up and down the aisles of the strawberry patch, and she listened really well to just picking the ripe ones and not picking the flowers, etc.
 

 
 
On actual Mother's Day, we spent the entire morning outside in the yard working on flowers and putting together Bimmer's big sister gift. She is so my child - because at about 11:30am, she looked at me with all seriousness and said "Why are we still at the house?" Sweet girl... so used to being busy! It was a relaxing, if uncharacteristic, day and at the end of it, Bimmer gave me a sweet card (with a hamster on it - she likes cards with hamsters) and a gorgeous Spartina scarf.
 
I feel so blessed to be Bimmer's mother and already feel the same about Healey. I can't believe I am going to be the mom to two girls. I never thought it possible, but here I am, about to do just that. They have taught me how to love in a new way that I never knew before. And I am thankful that Puff gave me the gift of motherhood. Even if some days it feels like he's my oldest child! :)

Sunday, May 10, 2015

It's Sprinkling

Back when I was pregnant with Bimmer, my girls back in The Fort threw me a lovely shower to celebrate her impending arrival. Kimhead also rounded up the usual suspects in SC for a college reunion of sorts to paint onesies and have an excuse to eat more cake. They were both fabulous and I loved them! (You can read about them HERE and HERE.) I tend to think etiquette implies that you should not have a shower for a second child - especially one of the same gender. However, my fabulous work friends (whom I was not working with at the time of Bimmer's birth) insisted on having a little "Sprinkle" for Healey.
 
 
 
J-Really really outdid herself with making food and cute little signs for the punch, etc. She also came up with some games that I approved of - since I'm not too keen on baby shower games. We did charades for baby-themed categories (which was hilarious) and the best was the "carry a golf ball between your legs, hobble over and drop it into a mason jar without using your hands." She said it was because I pee all the time, but it could also be twisted for a "your water broke" kind of game I suppose!
 
 
 
Overall, it was just a few sweet hours spent with some sweet ladies celebrating the impending arrival of my beautiful new bundle of joy. They gifted us with lots of diapers and bottles and wipes. Since Bimmer has all the big ticket items already, it was just nice to start getting a jump start on those every day necessities.
 
 
 
It's so humbling to know Healey is already loved by so many!
 

Friday, May 8, 2015

Our Little Princess

Last year, Puff stumbled across this adorable Pirate & Princess Brunch hosted at the Greenville Zoo. Since we're total suckers for anything fun to do with Bimmer, we had to hit it up. So when we were looking for stuff to fill up our spring before Healey gets here, we were excited to see they were offering it again. And we knew Bimmer would be much more into it this time around, since she would actually know some of the princesses. And she even had a princess dress to wear! 

 

Although when we talked to her about it ahead of time, she was pretty insistent that she dress like a fairy. And she was most excited about the possibility of getting a pirate tattoo. Unfortunately, the day of the event was cold and rainy! (Of course it had been sunny and in the 70s in the days before and after.) But the event was rain or shine - and we weren't going to miss it.
 
We were one of the few people who did show up, but that just meant there was no wait for her to get her hair done like a princess. She even got to pick out a bow to take home - and she chose a Cinderella one!
 
 
 
We ate breakfast and talked to some of the princesses. It wasn't as fun as last year, since they didn't bring out animals to pet (because of the weather) and she did get shy around the princesses. It was still worth the while for us though and we will probably go next year as well - although I may wait until the last minute to buy tickets, just in case!
 
 
 
It was just a great kick-off to our day though, because after that, we drove to Columbia to meet up with Kimhead to celebrate her birthday! Our little princess told us on the way home that it was a "GREAT day!!!" And what more could we ask for?

Monday, May 4, 2015

32 Weeks Huge

Bimmer on the left, Healey on the right
 
My oh my - baby on board! 

 
Since last update, the reality of a second baby (or just a baby in general) has really hit both myself and Puff. The kicker for me was our hospital orientation tour. Yes, I realize we just had Bimmer 3 years ago, but I felt like a lot had changed with my doctor's practices, so I figured taking 30 minutes out of our day to make sure we were comfortable with the hospital was a wise decision. We are going to the same hospital where Bimmer was born, but this time it will be a planned C-section versus the emergency one we had last time. I think it is going to be a lot different mentality - and possibly making me a lot more anxious counting down the actual hours - but I like that we had such a good experience last time with our nurses and everything, that should ease some of my nerves. Let's hope anyway. 

 
We did go and buy a rock 'n play to use this time for the first little while. If we had another actual bedroom, Healey would be going straight in her crib, but the sleeping situation at the house isn't ideal. (Puff needs to be able to sell his spare dining room table that's in our office before we can move forward with crib training.) We opted for the one that plugs in and can rock itself. We also got the car seat protectors for our leather seats and made a list of other things we needed. My girls at work also hosted a Sprinkle for me last week, which I will post about in another upcoming post. And I finally convinced Puff to get the baby gear and baby clothes out of the attic. Still need to finalize some of that sorting/stashing/trashing, but at least we're making a little headway. (Did I mention that we had someone come in March and put down plywood on the rest of our attic so that we tripled the size of our storage space up there? Loving it!!! Storage bins make me happy.) 
 
 
I've noticed a few things happening differently with my body since last update... more back pain - so much so that I am sleeping in my belt sometimes, really oily skin - yielding some unpleasant zits, and sometimes sharp pains in my stomach after eating a large meal. I guess all those organs are getting more and more squished, so there's just not as much room in there to eat as much as I sometimes want to eat! I've gained about 42 pounds at this point, which is way more than I had hoped... although some days I don't feel as large as I did at this point with Bimmer's pregnancy. I only gained 48 total pounds with her, but I have known from the get-go this one would be worse. I'm also getting a lot more swelling in my feet this time around - but probably because I'm up and about a lot more than I was last time (since I'm working this time, and wasn't at this point last go round).
 
My most favorite thing that happened in the last two weeks??? We got Healey's C-section on the books!!!! She will be making her arrival at 12:30pm on Thursday, June 18th. (So be prepared for a few blog-less days around that date.) I had hoped to get the 7:30am surgery, but the doctor I preferred (the one who delivered Bimmer) wasn't available at that time. While it will suck to have to dilly-dally around a little bit more that day, I am definitely comforted in knowing that he did a great job at stitching me back up and hopefully I will heal the same way as I did with hers. She is still laying sideways and they still say I am measuring big, so I will go back at 33 weeks for another ultrasound. Here's hoping they keep everything scheduled as planned, since lots of people's plans have to fall into place in order to have Bimmer coverage, time off work, etc.
 
I can't believe Healey will be here in less than two months. In some ways, I feel like this pregnancy has flown by and other days, I feel like it will never end.

Friday, May 1, 2015

35 Months

 
Oh - my sweet almost three year old!!! ACK!!! Thank goodness Healey is on her way to offset this growing girl. 

I've been thinking a lot lately about how Bimmer gets to sleep. And I simultaneously love it and hate it. And I know that once Healey gets here, we are going to have to change our routine. Back in the fall, we had the perfect setup - I would lay with Bimmer while she took her milk (and got snuggles) and then I would leave and she would fall asleep. But then when I got sick around Christmas, the other parent (who shall remain nameless) got her into the habit of us falling asleep with her. And so we've been doing that ever since. It's getting increasingly difficult with my growing belly, but we are making it work. I just love those sweet cuddles and the sweet things she says to me as she is drifting off to sleep. I hate to give that up - but on the flip side, I don't want her to blame Healey for us not being able to lay with her. So sometime between now and the big THREE, we need to get back to the other arrangement. (We also got her a new headboard and bedding to make the transition to the "big sister bed" official sometime this summer. Stay tuned for an update on that!) 

The potty training is going awesome. She hasn't had an accident since her last month's update (and I think last month, she had even only had one that whole month!) We are still in pull-ups at night, but are about to break her of that too. Just because I don't really want to buy any more after our current stash runs out. She has started sometimes using the big toilet at the house - and getting up on it by herself. It always worries me she is going to fall in, but so far, so good! 

Her behavior at school has been impeccable and I am so proud of her. She is definitely learning more in her new class - coming home talking about random things like dandelions and tigerlily plants. And knowing red, green, blue, and yellow in Spanish. She is working on her days of the week, and while she doesn't know them in order yet, she understands the concept. She can count by tens to 100, but never quite gets it right. She will usually goof up around sixty and then gets out of order, or adds something adorable like "eleventeen" to the mix. She is grasping her letters a lot better too - recognizing all of them and knowing certain words that match up with each letter. One day recently in the car, she yelled, "There's an H for daddy!" And sure enough, there was one of those blue Hospital signs. And yes, Daddy's name starts with an H. Her favorite word right now? "Almost." If you ask her if she's ready to do something, etc. her answer seems to always be, "Almost." Just today, she told me something was "impossible."

And as we inch closer to official big sister territory, she just gets more and more sweet about it. She told me the other day she wanted to snuggle Healey. I asked if she would still snuggle me. She answered by telling me that she wanted to "go night night with Healey. I will lay under Mommy's arm and Healey will lay under my arm and we will all snuggle and I will share my pillow." Ack! Cue the happy tears! I am so proud of the little person Bimmer is becoming. I cannot wait to continue to watch her grow and experience the world from here!