34 weeks

34 weeks today!  The baby is the size of a butternut squash.  Here are some fun facts about baby at week 34:
He's recognizing and reacting to simple songs, if you're singing them.  (If you're not, start!  He may find them soothing after birth.)
He's also urinating about a pint a day.
Well, at least we're both peeing a ton.  Haha.  I actually feel a lot more comfortable at this point than I did with James.  Something about not being bloated like Jabba the Hut is always nice.  I haven't been sleeping great, but am still managing.  My big problem right now is that I tend to flip onto my back, which is both uncomfortable and causes me to snore.  I've been snoring so loudly that I tend to wake myself up.  Adam deals with my snoring well, as I do it regardless of whether I'm pregnant or not, but I still feel bad.  
This week was supposed to mark the last of my once weekly OB appointments, but just for the fun of it, I decided that I should go in a second time.  Okay, that's not really what happened, but it sounds better than what really happened.  Wednesday, I went into the doctor and had a routine check up, plus a Biophysical Profile.  That is basically an ultrasound where they count movement of the baby and make sure he's practicing his breathing skills.  Babies obviously don't need to breath while inside mom, but they should be practicing the movement a lot.  Well, the little guy took awhile to show off, but eventually he passed his test.  They took my blood pressure and did a urine protein, both of which were normal.

Chelsea the Hut

I left the doctor's office and went to run errands at the pharmacy and grocery store, then went home.  Well about 30 minutes after I was home, I started to feel a bit off.  My vision started to blur while I was reading (The Racketeer by John Grisham, he's my favorite!) and I just wasn't feeling well.  Blurred vision is pretty common when my blood sugar is low, so I tested it.  My sugar was normal, but I ate some crackers, just in case.  I also checked my blood pressure, which had gone up a bit since my appointment.  I wouldn't say that it was high, but it was higher and I had a bit of a headache.  Then, as I was sitting, waiting things out, I was watching Ellen and having this really weird disconnect with the words on the screen.  I could read them in my head, but was having trouble vocalizing things.  But all of these wacky symptoms stopped within about 20 minutes, my sugar and pressure were both normal and the rest of the evening was fine.
But of course, I told Adam about the incident and he had me call the doctor's office yesterday morning.  They had me come in to recheck my protein and my blood pressure.  I got a clean bill of health and was told to make sure I come in if I have any other neurological symptoms (not a problem, Doctor).
Next week will start my Monday and Thursday appointments for non stress testing, biophysical profiles, and routine OB visits.  Its going to be a crazy few weeks, but after that, the little boy will be here!  Also next Wednesday, James starts back to regular daycare at Rhonda's.  I'm so excited to get back to our usual routine and am really hoping that another change isn't too rough on James.  Going to a new daycare has been very scary for him (and his parents) but I think overall it showed that he is a tough guy who can deal with change.  I am hoping to have a few "normal" weeks with Rhonda before we completely change everything with a new sibling!

33 weeks

Week 33!  The baby is the size of a durian!  The bad news is that I have no idea what the heck a durian is!  I will have to google it...  And I have to apologize for my late post.  I spent the first part of the day yesterday cleaning and putting up Christmas decorations and the second part writhing in pain from severely overdoing it!  But aside from the Christmas tree ornaments, the decorations are up.  One quarter of our pre-lit tree isn't lighting all the time, but I am going to live with it for now.
I suppose that I also didn't update about my last doctor's appointment either, so I should do that before I get too behind.  After this coming week, I'll be at the doctor's office twice a week.  This is still better than my first pregnancy, when I had a regular OB and a high risk OB and had 3 appointments a week towards the end.  Although, James came early, so I got out of most of those appointments.
Anywho, the non stress test was a bit stressful, for mom at least.  We were late for the appointment due to traffic.  I made the appointment before I realized that Rhonda would be off, so 8 AM was reasonable.  Rhonda has early drop off, so James could have gone at 7 AM and we would have made it to Towson (about 30 minutes in traffic) with no problem.  But drop off for the new daycare is at 7:30 AM, so I knew we'd be rushing.  Add in traffic and we were late.  I am my mother's child, being late causes me great stress!  But that's not really what this test is looking for.  Its just fetal monitoring.  They hooked us up to a heart monitor and a baby movement monitor (I should find out the technical term for that one...) and handed over the TV remote.  Adam was with me, so we just hung out and waited.  The baby was responsive, after about 45 minutes or so.  James was never responsive during these tests, so to get any movement at all was nice.
After the NST, we had to go back into the waiting room.  I should add that the Perinatal Center was absolute chaos by this time.  The phones were ringing off the hook and people were everywhere.  We waited about 30 minutes to go back for our growth ultrasound.  At that point, I was definitely getting hungry, as I didn't eat lunch and wanting to get things rolling.  So we had a look at the little guy.  He's weighing in at 5 pounds 6 ounces, give or take a pound, which means he's huge.  We already had a feeling that he'd be huge, since that's our experience, but I had no idea he'd be that big!  After the ultrasound I still had to be seen for my routine OB check up.
The doctor surprised me a little bit, she handed me a slip of paper that said "January 7, 2013 - 10 AM, arrive at 7:30 AM".  Yes, my C-Section has been scheduled.  Which actually means next to nothing, aside from being the last possible date that the baby will come.  When we asked more questions, we learned that if the baby comes prior to that date for any reason (going into labor, crazy uncontrolled blood sugars, high blood pressure) it will be a "game day" decision.  So nothing has really changed, but it was a bit odd to have a scheduled date for the little guy to come.  The doctor even said we could mark it on our calendars if we wanted to test God...  so I did.  Ha!
Other than that, my appointment was okay.  We can see my insulin need going up everyday day or so, so all my hourly insulin rates went up a big.  My insulin need this pregnancy has not been that high, so I'm not surprised to see it going up now.
At the end of our appointment, we scheduled all of my NSTs, ultrasounds, and routine OB visits through our scheduled C-section date.  With my luck, I will have made all the appointments, but won't need them, but I figured it was better to be on the safe side.  To really tempt fate, my NST on Christmas Eve will be in Labor and Delivery, since the doctor's office is closed.  So after this coming week, every Monday and Thursday morning I will be at St. Joseph's.  I need to type up that schedule and give it to my bosses and my mom, so everyone knows where I am.  Luckily, Adam works from home on Mondays, so if I need him, he'll be close.  And now that I've talked your ear (eyes?) off, I am going to finish my online Christmas shopping!

For comparison

15, 22, 27, and 32 weeks pregnant

32 weeks

Here we are at 32 weeks!  The baby is the size of a squash.  A squash that is sitting squarely on my rib cage, making it difficult to breath, sleep, and maintain a non-grumpy attitude on life.
Yes, I have a case of the grumps this morning.  And it appeared that I wasn't the only one, as James started crying about going to daycare 30 minutes before we had to leave.  I comforted him and we talked about all the fun things he was going to do, then I asked if he could be my brave boy. He said yes through a sniffle.  Then, I kid you not, he started bawling all over again.  Toddlers cannot be reasoned with.  So I just hugged him and tried to have him help me get ready to leave.  He uttered some classic phrases like "No making lunch, mom" and "No working, mommy".  Luckily by the time I was down the stairs after drop off, he wasn't crying, but man can he lay it on thick.
At least it is Friday, we have 2 whole days at home to prep ourselves for next week!  I just have to get through the day without stabbing one of my coworkers, which has proven to be a challenge lately.  I know I shouldn't complain, but sometimes its inevitable!
There is not much going on, pregnancy wise.  The baby kicks up a storm and has not dropped one bit!  I have my first non stress test next Tuesday, as well as a growth ultrasound.  Adam took off work to come with me, so that is nice!  I will update after the appointment!

The New Daycare

After a week of James being home with mom and dad, we knew it was time to get him back into a daycare routine.  While he was still well behaved, his desire to play with the iPad and watch television was growing by the day.  Little things like increased temper tantrums and not wanting to nap were starting to wear on all of us.  Overall, James needs a routine and schedule.  We were doing our best to stick to that routine and to keep his mind stimulated, but mom and dad can't really compare to 5 other kids to play with.
So Monday morning, I called our first choice for daycare and went to fill out James' paperwork.  This daycare provider takes children starting around 15 months and does a preschool program with them.  She has a degree in Early Childhood Education and Psychology, on top of being a licensed provider for 20 years.  We feel solid in this choice, even if she can't take the baby.  We decided to hope that Rhonda will still be taking the baby when my maternity leave is up (more on that soon).
On Tuesday morning, Adam and I both took James to his first day.  Adam worked from home and I went into the office, so I was glad to have some back up.  James didn't really do much when we left, but according to the report I got, he had a rough morning.  He spent an hour or so crying, which lead up to his complete meltdown.  Apparently he was screaming "I want my mom" for a bit.  But after awhile of sitting in Miss Linda's lap, he hopped down, started to play with the other kids, ate lunch, napped, and had a great afternoon.  Wednesday, James cried when I left him, but only took a few minutes to get over my absence.  This morning was the hardest on me, he started to cry before we'd even gotten to the house for drop off.  I gave him a quick hug and made my exit, but even as I was leaving, I could tell he was crying less and less.
This is one of the times when being a parent is the toughest.  I know he needs to go to daycare.  I know I need to work and he needs to play with other kids.  But my first instinct is to grab my little guy and bolt for the door.  I've done pretty good, I haven't shed any tears yet, but hearing him cry for me just pulls at all my heart strings.  Mission accomplished, kiddo - you know how to manipulate your mother.
So for the time being, James will go to his new daycare.  I checked with Rhonda's neighbor today and she has been home resting since Monday.  She is tired, but doing well from what I hear.  They are estimating that next week they will be in touch with us parents about what is going on, so I am hopeful for good news.  We do have 14 more weeks or so until the new baby will need care and I certainly hope that is long enough for Rhonda to recover.
I should also mention that the last two nights with James have been pretty uneventful.  He's back to being his polite, upbeat self,  has eaten a good dinner, told us about his day, and gone through our usual bedtime routine without fuss.  Its a far cry from the moody little guy we were facing toward the end of last week.  I can't say that he slept the greatest last night, but I think that's just coincidental, he is still only 2 years old and is bound to have a rough night here and there!

Living with the fear

With all of the craziness and uncertainty of the last week, I have been doing a lot of thinking.  I am in my own head a lot, which I think has always been one of my strengths and weaknesses.  Sometimes, I should really get out of my own head, stop over thinking and start doing.  Sometimes, being able to reflect on recent events and happenings is a good thing.  Self reflection, especially as a parent, should lead us to the best possible decisions for our children.
I was figuratively smacked in the face this week with the reality that our lives are short.  Time is fleeting and we have no control over the world most of the time.  Rhonda had a seizure Saturday morning due to her brain aneurysm   Only hours prior, she would have been home, with 5 small children.  While I know that anything can happen at any time, I was so scared by this.  Most of the time, I can live with the facts and I can manage my fears.  I can deal with the unknowns in life for myself and my family.  But when hit with something like this, so square in the face, managing the unknown becomes more difficult.  What ifs come creeping in and its hard to get them out of your head.
But what can I do?  Life is what it is and we can only do so much.  We truly have to enjoy the little moments, hug our kids more, and be present in the second to second, daily things that make our lives special.  Its sounds corny and maybe a bit over simplified, but all I can do as a mom is love James and the baby and try to embrace every second I have with them.
This hectic week will pass and one of these days, we'll have some normalcy back.  And while that is a good, good thing, its important to not forget the lessons we pick up during the trying times.

31 weeks

This week we are back to fruit!  The baby is the size of a pineapple.  He is rapidly taking over the space once filled by my lungs and I can wait until he drops, just a tiny bit, so I can breath more easily.
Breathing more easily takes on many forms this week, now that I think about it.  Every time I think our lives may settle down, even a bit, we are thrown a curve ball, but that is just life, I suppose.  This Sunday we received a horrible phone call that our daycare provider had an aneurysm and was in emergency brain surgery.  Those were all the details that we received at the time and honestly it sent us into a tailspin kind of week.  After we got the phone call from Rhonda's neighbor, Carla, we also had Carla's daughter (who is our age) Megan stop by our house.  Luckily, Megan is a nurse and could give a few more details.  As of yesterday, Rhonda had thankfully made it through surgery, has been up, talking and walking, is eating solid foods, and has moved out of the ICU.  She may even be home in the next day or two.  We are still waiting to hear more details about her recovery time and the possibility that she will be resuming daycare.
So this week Adam and I have taken turns staying home with James.  We had many generous offers from friends and family to stay with James, but this week it has been easier to just switch off between the two of us.  Next week we are able to do the same (November is a great month for government workers to stay home, we have a ton of holidays!) and the week after I already had off the entire week for Thanksgiving and Rhonda's preplanned vacation.  Needless to say, I don't think she'll be going to Florida, but I'm sure that's the last thing on her family's mind!
On top of trying to figure out who is staying home with James and when, we've visited 4 daycare providers and will visit 2 more today.  This is the biggest stress I could imagine at 31 weeks pregnant and trying to keep myself from totally freaking out has been difficult.  Three of the providers we've seen can take James and the baby and 3 of them can take only James.  Once we know more about Rhonda's situation, we'll be able to decide which is the best option.  Obviously, if Rhonda can't take the baby in 14 weeks or so, then we want to make as few changes as possible for James, so he'll start with the provider that will also take his baby brother when that time comes.  I feel strange, leaving my boys in the care of a total stranger, but Adam pointed out to me that Rhonda was once a complete stranger also.
It's hard not to sound selfish during this time.  I want Rhonda to get better overall, not just so she can babysit my kids.  If she can babysit my kids, its just a bonus, but those lines get easily blurred.  This week has just been really hard.
Tuesday, James and I went to the OB for my 30 week checkup!  I've gained a little bit of weight, but my ankles and feet are quite swollen, leading me to believe that its just water weight.  My blood pressure was fine (amazing considering this week's stress!), my blood sugar is well controlled and everything with baby is just fine.  At 32 weeks, I'll have another growth ultrasound and start non stress testing (NST).  I can't believe I am so close to being done with this chapter of my life, but I am looking forward to never being pregnant again!  If all goes well for that visit, I won't need to do a second NST the day after Thanksgiving.  Weekly visits are eminent and I know before we have time to blink, we'll have a second little boy.

30 weeks

Today marks 30 weeks!  The baby is the size of a cucumber.  That size comparison seems a bit off, but I guess its more of the length than the actually size?  Who knows, these food comparisons are getting weirder every week.  I guess for me that's because the baby is kicking me so much!  Food shouldn't move like that!
This week has been a bit crazy, which is why I haven't blogged.  I had a ton of stuff to write about, but no time or energy.  So here we are for the weekly update!  Hurricane Sandy came through Maryland late Monday night.  We were off work on Monday (which made no sense, because nothing happened) and Tuesday, so James stayed home with mom and dad.  It was fun to spend some time with him when he'd normally be in daycare, but by Wednesday I was really wanting our regular schedule back.  James can get a bit whiny, as toddlers are want to do, and I knew he was really needing his routine back.  The second Adam walked out the door for work on Wednesday, my usual chipper boy was back.  Wednesday was a nice day to get back into the swing of things, because I went to work and picked some things up and then went back home for my telework day!  But all in all, we made it through the Hurricane with no power loss and no damage to the house.
This weekend is going to be a fun one (I hope!).  We have family photos scheduled with an actual photographer (not just Sears or the Picture People) and I am really hoping they go well.  James has had two meltdowns the last 2 times we've gone to get his picture taken, so I'm hoping he can warm up to the photographer and we can get some cute shots.  Also included in our "family" for the day are James' godparents, Jackie and Rob.  I figured at the very least, they could help James smile for group shots and while we were at it, they should get some pictures too!  The sitting fee is for up to 5 people, so darn it, I'm bringing 5 people!  I know that might seem silly, but Jackie and Rob really are like family, so I'm excited to have some pictures of all of us and of James and his "aunt" and "uncle".  Adam keeps mentioning some kind of wife swap, so this will be his chance!  The photographer we're using is Stephanie Raynor, so feel free to check out her website:  http://www.raynorphotography.com/