27 Weeks

I just wanted to announce that I have officially reached trimester #3 today! I celebrated by having my doctor visit and drinking a nice, tall glass of...Glucola. After fasting, of course ~ even better. If you've never had the pleasure of Glucose Tolerance Testing, go get some cold club soda and mix it with straight corn syrup; about 1 part soda to two parts syrup. Drink two cups of this concoction on an empty stomach as quickly as you can. It was very yucky, but necessary. They'll check my blood for gestational diabetes and I'll know my results by next week. I also graduated from monthly check-ups to seeing Dr. Le every other week. I remember with Maddie that getting to the every-two-week phase made the time go a little faster. I don't want it to go by too fast, though. Like I told Auntie A: once baby arrives, all those little (and/or big, painful) kicks and movements will be missed. I absolutely love being pregnant. For every movement that daddy and Maddie get to feel, there are hundreds more that are just mine. Like hiccups that wake me in the middle of the night or a soft nuzzle against my hand when I touch my growing belly. It's like a wonderful, beautiful secret meant just for me.

Just the same, I am ready for May to be here. I can't wait to see Calum's sweet face and discover his little personality. I am excited (and, truth be told, nervous) for Maddie to meet her little brother. To watch daddy hold his son. I am ready to feel his little hand wrapped around my finger, to rock him and cuddle him. I am looking forward to having two of the greatest kids on the planet to love and cherish for a lifetime. I am also looking forward to, one day, getting back into my skinny jeans and being able to exercise. But that's a whole other blog...

Sweet Princess

(Blogger won't let me move this picture down; it's supposed to be under the "pizza-eating" part)

Princess in the mirror!

What a fun week we've been having ~ and it's only Tuesday! Monday was HEB day, where we found sparkle headbands and got to try some yogurt-covered raisins (only slightly healthier than her beloved chocolate kind). Then, we made a trip to DSW, mommies favorite shoe store. After seeing lots of what Maddie's called, "Wacky Shoes", we found a pair that I love for a decent price. We noticed that our tummies were getting grumbly, so I introduced her to CiCi's pizza buffet. It was a hit; she especially enjoyed the brownies. We played in the arcade long enough for me to win her a golden bracelet and cried when it was time to leave. To divert her attention, I found two little dandelions that were seeded and ready to be blown into the wind! I wish I had a picture of that because she really thought it was neat to blow all the little fuzzies away. We made a quick stop at the baby store (pacifiers were on sale!) and had a super fun bath before going to sleep.

This morning, we woke up bright and early to get ready for The Little Gym! So, after taking forever to drink her milk and eat breakfast, after deciding that she wanted to play instead of get ready, after having to find new outfits for the two of us because the ones I washed didn't dry on time, we made it to class and were only 3 minutes late. We had lots of fun climbing and exploring, and we made a new friend! We'll call her "Girl" for privacy purposes ~ and because that's what Maddie calls her. Girl is really sweet, likes cats and everything Disney, and is only a few days older than Maddie. She even gave Maddie a hug and a kiss just because she felt like it. Talk about cute! The class is only once a week, but hopefully we can make some play dates. The two of them got along nicely and her mom and I have so much in common that we could be twins.

That's been our week so far and I had to share it with ya. Fun, friends, shoes, and pizza...after being sick and teething painful molars, it's nice to have a good time.

Time To Slow Down

Another one of those crazy days, I tell you.

It started out great ~ I even got one of those rare, of-her-own-volition, Maddie kisses first thing in the morning. Then, around 10am, I started getting some serious cramps. Then Braxton-Hick's contractions. Throw in some pelvic pressure and a back ache and you've got a full-on panic. So I call the doctor and, it figures, they are all in a meeting. They should be out in 10-15 minutes, but the answering service can take a message. After waiting 45 more excruciating minutes, I call again and am told to just come in. So we rush over, only to find out that Dr. Le had to run to the hospital to do a delivery. Two hours and one fussy child later, I am given good news but am still in pain. It took two nurses to get Calum's heart rate and, when I say two, I mean one had to literally hold him down in my belly to get him to stay still long enough for them to get a count. Maddie said, "Those doctor's are listening to baby Calum?" Ahh, my sweet little comic relief. Then, as Dr. Le checked me to make sure I wasn't dilating, she said, "Doctor make my mommy feel better." Only, I felt worse. As soon as I laid down, I guess our little Karate Kid kicked me straight in the spine. I know women can get broken ribs from their tiny, kicking passengers, but I never expected a wallop like that! I have spent the rest of the day hunched over, walking as slow as a turtle. Between the pain in my lower back and the intense pelvic pain I'm having, I can barely roll over let alone get up. It's just as well, because Dr. Le asked me to make sure I really take it easy from now on. No bed rest or anything, but not to lift things or do strenuous activity (does laundry count?). I don't know if Little Man is just laying in all the painful spots today and is being really feisty or what, but I do know that I cried in relief when the good doctor said everything looks normal. I think I shed a few tears, as well, for the fact that I could now take Maddie home and stop telling a bored two-year old to sit still...and quit touching stuff. It was funny that you could tell which of the patients in the waiting room were parents and which were not. The people with kids laughed and looked at me with understanding and sympathy (one mother of four even gave Maddie a bracelet for attempting to sit still). The non-parents gave me dirty looks. Anyhow, it all ended on a good note. I'm still having all the same discomfort ~ plus the joy of a bruised spine ~ but I'm hoping some good rest will help me feel better in the morning. I did take advantage of my sorry state and snuggled down with Maddie to watch Bambi. She actually watched most of the movie and really seemed to like it! She laughed at Thumper (I had totally forgotten how cute he was) and got a kick out of the old owl. It was fun, the two of us cuddled up on the floor in front of the TV.

That was my day. Please pray that the pain stops and that our tiny boy stays healthy and stays put for the next 89 days!

Taking a break in the waiting room to eat some cheese crackers. All that

running around makes ya hungry!

25 Weeks, 5 Days

The Play Place...

Her new Big Girl room? Nah. The huge playroom downstairs? No can do. Brother's room, however...now THAT'S FUN!

La chambre de bébé

Walking into the nursery. Note that this was the last picture taken ~ one of the planes crash landed onto the chair after I was fidgeting with it to get a better photo angle.

The dresser-changer combo and rocker-recliner (a.k.a. the best chair ever made).

Animal lamp detail.

Crib and shelving. There's the blankie I was making...still unfinished.

I am in love with the old wooden cars! And the tiny choo-choo baseball cap is adorable!!


Wooden planes!

Awesome shoes from MoMo & Grampa.

Wall animals just for fun.

Teddy mobile, an eBay steal.

The "Coming Home" outfit. Of course, I'll pack ten (or more) alternates just in case it's too hot/cold/windy/rainy/snowy/etc outside.

Closet full of clothes, diapers, a whale tub, and two Boppies that I need covers for (they were Maddie's when she was a baby).

And that concludes this tour.

Unless I decide to add more stuff (which has been my M.O. all week).

Now, on to cleaning the rest of the house...

Gym Time!

Today was Maddie's trial visit to The Little Gym and it was great! She woke up about two hours earlier than usual so she was overtired, but she had a lot of fun. She is officially signed up for a Tuesday morning class from now through June. Her ballet class was fun, but we're going to wait until she's old enough to enroll her in a nicer school closer to home. $80 in tutus down the drain (not to mention the $105 we paid for her to catch RSV ~ err, I mean paid for ballet tuition). Maybe I can sell them on eBay?

Anyhow, I wish I could take photos of her walking the balance beam or swinging like a monkey from the uneven bars, but it's a parent/child class. Looks like I will be getting some [much needed] exercise, too!

Smartie (PJ) Pants

Genius??? Perhaps...

The cutest monkey PJ's ever made are also the coziest. And some Elmo apple juice? Perfecto. The only thing needed to top off the morning is some Mickey Mouse Clubhouse on the TV.

Daddy and Maddie time; I love-love this picture ~ and the people in it!

Beautiful Boy

Sweet little man!

Yawning and so sleepy.

Playing with his fingers. There aren't too many things to play with in there.

Doing "Eensy Weensy Spider" for the camera!

Squished up in there with both hands and both feet in his face.

Getting sleepy and sucking on his wrist. How CUTE is that?!?!

Final picture before he turned over and snuggled into mommy's womb. He fell asleep and wouldn't turn back over.

Well, I keep trying to add a video clip, but Blogger keeps saying there's an error and won't upload it. Maybe I can stick it up on youtube later...let me try to figure it out and I'll post the link if I can get it situated.

24 Weeks, 1 Day

Ok. Around this time, I am starting to wonder, "Is it really possible that I can get any bigger?" TUMS are my bedtime snack, even if I don't eat before I lay down. I am getting full much sooner, so I'm not eating very much to begin with. Brother is hanging out much higher than Maddie did and I have had several episodes where it is really difficult to breathe. Again, I don't know how I can possibly get any bigger...

***

Work on the nursery is in full-swing. It's mostly done, but I'm adding some finishing touches here and there. I bought little wooden letters for Brother's name and some tiny wooden toys to paint (well, when I say 'toys', I mean little trinkets that will sit on his shelf until he's big enough to play with them). I now have so many little clothes that I need to get some dividers to put up in the closet so I know what size is where. We still need some of the big stuff, but since I probably won't have a shower this time around, I'm assuming that we'll just end up sticking him in Maddie's old pink butterfly swing and pink bouncer. Boooo for that, but we just can't afford to go buy the ones that won't make him look like a sissy. Daddy said to just not take any pictures of him while he's in the girly stuff. Booo, I say. Boooo.

***

Other than that, I'm feeling ok. I'm starting to feel slow with things as I approach the 3rd trimester. It's starting to get difficult falling asleep and I'm waking up in the middle of the night, laying there for an hour or two at a time until I finally zonk out again. I can also feel myself beginning to waddle which is a sorry sight. All in all, I really can't complain (but I'm a pregnant lady, so I'm sure I will find stuff to whine about ~ just blame it on the hormones). My 3D scan is on Monday so I will post a new blog then, hopefully with some great photos!

***

By the way, I know that the "***" I've put in to separate paragraphs is kinda goofy, but Blogger never spaces them ~ just crams everything together (at least that's what shows up on my computer). It really bothers me when I go back and look at my blogs, so for my own OCD tendencies, I have placed the asterisks. It also gets on my nerves when it won't space my photographs equally apart, but I can't figure out a way to fix it. Is this just my computer, or do the rest of you see this as well??

Maddie Speak: Three Mini-Moments

Maddie: "Mommy, can I play Maddie's piano?"
Me: "Of course! Go ahead and play, baby."
[Maddie falls down while playing]
Maddie: "I guess I can't play after all."
***
Me: "Maddie, you wanna feel Brother kicking?"
Maddie: [emphatic] "No!". She puts her hand on my belly anyway.
Brother: Big KICK!
Maddie: Cries and runs away.
***
Maddie: [while taking her temperature] "Mommy, that fermometer isn't in Maddie's butt."
Me: "No, baby, it's in your armpit."
[No fever, so it's my turn to take my temp. I lift my shirt up a bit and pop the thermometer under my arm.]
Maddie: [pinches my breast] "I really like your boobies, mommy!"
***
I wish I had a camera rolling all the time. I hope I never forget these little moments...

Morning Thinks

Fifteen weeks from this moment, I will be preparing to have my c-section and to meet our little guy. Fifteen weeks from this day, I will be a mother of two children; we will grow into a family of four. Those are the thoughts I woke up with this morning and I think it is absolutely amazing.