Sleep

Last night I slept 8 non consecutive hours, 4 in bed and 4 in the recliner. I'm calling this a win. 

Yesterday, at 36 weeks, baby measured an estimated 8 lbs, 6 oz. he could gain up to 2 more pounds in the next 3 weeks. We have a scheduled C-section on March 3, so my high risk OB seemed to thoroughly enjoy my horror, in a way that almost reminded me of my father. I'm not sure why the baby being so big seemed to terrify me, I guess it makes me think I haven't been doing a good job with my blood sugar. But it really hasn't been bad, so we'll blame genetics, Adam was mere ounces shy of 10 pounds at birth. 

I took a personal day today and am planning on resting most of the day, I am in great need. 

Awake

I've now been awake for over two hours. James had a nightmare and came in at 12:30 am and I've been up ever since. I spent the first thirty minutes in bed, but then migrated to the living room. 

I'm alternating between work stress, generalized anxiety, pregnancy insomnia, heartburn and the nagging cough of last week's virus. And so, I usher in my 33rd year. 

I also kind of want a snack. But I can't eat until I pee. Again. And the bathroom is upstairs and I'd hate to wake Adam. Again. Also eating may lead to more heartburn. But having something in my stomach may help the acid stay down. It's really a toss up. 

My hands are numb from my bloated wrists and tapping this into my phone has made me feel a bit calmer for the moment, although slightly more hungry.  Between an impending blizzard and sorting out the previously mentioned work stress, tomorrow is going to be a long day. I suppose that's part of the hilarious anxiety keeping me awake. I am anxious because I know how tired I will be. Oh Chelsea, 33 weeks pregnant and 33 years old. 

Note to self: accomplish what you can at the office. Go to library to pick up held books. Go to chiropractor to sort out back. Take the liberal leave already on the table and take a damn nap. 

A new era, Day One

Well, here we are, 10 days postpartum   Again, I've been meaning to update about Logan's birth and our time in the hospital, but it has been hectic and to say that I'm still very hormonal is a bit of an understatement.
When we last left off, I was still scheduled for a C-Section on the morning of December 21st.  I had an appointment set for the day before and was told to bring my bag with me.  My OB's logic was that if I had my bag with me, there was no way we'd have a baby.  Kind of like when you bring an umbrella with you just to ensure that it doesn't rain.
But that was not the case, even medicated, my blood pressure was still high.  Also, for the first time, I had more than a trace of protein when my urine was dip-sticked.  A second dipstick did not reveal any protein, so part of me thinks I may have just been dehydrated.  But the decision was made to send me up to Labor and Delivery.  At that point, I just thought more labs were going to be drawn, but when I got up there, the nurse basically told me that I was going to be having the baby that evening at 5 PM, once my breakfast had cleared.
Upon learning that I was having the baby that day, I tried to call Adam, who had gone to work.  Adam was also at work when I was told it was time for James to come, so it was familiar territory. The nurses at the Perinatal Center were shocked that he hadn't come to my appointment, but we had already decided that Adam would go to work that day.  Of course, I couldn't get a hold of my darling husband right away, which made me a little bit upset.  Finally I called my mom to tell her what was going on and in that instant, Adam started to call me.  Isn't that always the way it works?
Eventually, plans were made for James and Adam was at the hospital.  Around 4:30, when I expected to be getting my spinal/epidural, I learned that a woman came in, fully dilated, with her baby breech.  That meant that I was getting pushed back.  My mom and Jackie had just arrived and we were now set to wait a few hours.  And wait we did.
Finally, around 7 PM I was taken back into the OR.  The anesthesiologist had already talked to me about the spinal/epidural I'd be getting and I knew what to expect from having the same procedure with James.  A spinal was put into my back to numb me for surgery and the epidural was put in for pain management afterwards.  I was very nervous about getting the spinal done, but the lidocaine did its job and after a little crunch of my spinal bones, I felt numb very quickly.  The doctor did a great job, because I was fully numb up to my rib cage.  As expected, I as quite claustrophobic once the medicine kicked in.  The feeling of the bright lights and not being able to move can be quite scary and after a few minutes, I just had to close my eyes and go to a happy place!  I calmed down easily and then waited.  I heard them call for the beginning of surgery and a minute later, Adam was in with me.
Surgery was as I had expected, I felt pressure and heard the doctor's talking.  The anesthesiologist had warned Adam not to talk to me about the surgery during the actual procedure, so of course that was what he asked about right away.  It didn't freak me out, but I guess some people get woozy if they think about what's going on.  After a few minutes of chatting about the pulling and pushing I was feeling, we started talking about Chicago Fire (a show I watch) because the doctor scolded us!
Eventually, they pulled the baby out and he screamed right away.
Logan Maverick was born at 7:31 PM.  He screamed and screamed and screamed.  I have never been happier to hear a baby cry, because James screamed for a second and then stopped.  His lungs couldn't handle screaming and he was immediately whisked away to the NICU.  Luckily. the new little guy kept on screaming.  He was cleaned and weighed and Adam took lots of pictures.  The pediatrician brought him over to me and we greeted each other.
A second son.  A second little boy for me to love, guide, and raise.  As overwhelmed has I had been the weeks prior, looking at my little guy made me feel calm and in control, even while lying on an operating table, getting sew back together.  Adam got to sit and hold Logan once he had been swaddled and was nice and warm.
We all went back to the recovery room together and Adam went to tell my mom and Jackie that it would be a few minutes before they could come see us.  Logan and I were checked over and looked after for awhile.  We attempted to breast feed, but when the baby's blood sugar came back very low at 32, he had to have a bottle.  Type one diabetics pass insulin onto their babies, so as soon as they are born, they tend to have low blood sugar.  While I didn't want to give up on breastfeeding immediately, I knew he needed to eat and he sucked down two ounces of formula like a champ.
When the other patient was moved out of the recovery room, Jackie and my mom got to come see the baby for awhile.  Eventually they left and Logan went to the nursery for a check up.  I went back to my room and it was decided my blood pressure was just not coming down enough.  Around 2 AM that morning, it was decided that I was not going to be put on an IV of Magnesium Sulfate.  Magnesium lowers your blood pressure and prevents seizures that can occur with pre-eclampsia and hypertension.  It also makes you feel like you've been hit by a truck, occasionally nauseous, and very sleepy and out of it.  Luckily, I was only put on 12 hours of this awful drug.
And that was Day One of little Logan's life.
More to come...

Lack of updates!

What a crazy few days it has been.  The end of this pregnancy has certainly been one to remember and while I've been wanting to update the blog (and record for posterity) I have just been so tired.
Last Friday night, I went to bed even though my blood pressure was very high (around 154/100).  I knew when I woke up that it would probably not have gone down and I was right.  At 6 AM Saturday morning, I was up to 160/105 which was within the range that the doctor had given me on Thursday to call them.  So I called the doctor's service and they called me back around 30 minutes later.  We finished packing up my things and got to Labor and Delivery triage around 8:30 AM
Long story short, they decided to admit me.  My blood pressure was high enough that they didn't feel comfortable sending me home.  On the other hand, my urine protein was not high enough to deliver immediately.  So the doctor ordered another 24 hour urine collection, certain that on Sunday evening it would show protein and that we would deliver first thing Monday morning.
If only that had been the case.  There was some protein in my urine, but not enough to meet the standard for pre-eclampsia.  So I went home Sunday evening, with a prescription for blood pressure medication.  I was frustrated and tired, but happy that the baby would have some more time to develop.
Monday morning, I went to my regularly scheduled Biophysical Profile appointment.  The baby looks good, he's wiggling and breathing as he should be.  When we talked to the doctor, she basically said "Let's get this baby out".  We looked at a variety of dates, but ultimately it was decided that this Friday, December 21, we will be having the baby.
I am happy and excited to be done with this pregnancy.  We're very glad to have made it to 37 weeks, which I will be exactly on Friday.  Hopefully we can have a short hospital stay of 4 days and both be on our way home!
Thursday morning I am still scheduled for my regular Non Stress Test, although I have been warned by my doctor's office to have all my things with me, in case they decide not to let me go home.  I'm assuming my blood pressure would have to be very high or protein would have to be spilling for this to happen, but I will pack my bag and head off on Thursday morning.

Oh baby!

I haven't been updating much this week, as I've been home, resting.
On Monday, the doctor decided that my blood pressure was high enough that I shouldn't be working, I should be home.  I quickly agreed!  I completed a 24 hour urine collection, we'll see if there is enough protein in the sample to warrant moving up my scheduled C-Section by two weeks.  I'm pretty sure there will be, as my blood pressures have been high.  Well, I say that, but they've been high everyday at home and not as high at the doctor's office.
I will take any extra days that the baby wants to stay in!  We hit 36 weeks tomorrow and I am very excited that the little guy is taking his time getting here.
Aside from the blood pressure issues, everything has been fine.  My Biophysical Profile Ultrasound on Monday was great.  The change in his diaphragm/breathing in a week was amazing and his movement was strong and easy to locate.  The technicians like it when babies cooperate and actually do their 30 seconds of practice breathing up front.
Today I go in for a Non Stress Test and hopefully that is all.  I am feeling pretty good this morning,  so let's hope that's a good sign!  I'll also get the results of the 24 urine!  Ew.  It was gross...

35 weeks

Here we are at week 35!  The baby is the size of a coconut.  Well, an averaged sized baby is the size of a coconut, but since we're measuring almost 3 weeks ahead, who knows what kind of fruit my kiddo is shaping up be!  Some sort of melon, if I recall correctly.  35 weeks is especially meaningful (and scary) for me because James was born at 35 weeks and 4 days.  That's next Tuesday, for anyone keeping track, so we'll see what happens!
I have started my biweekly biophysical profiles and non stress tests.  Both have been fine, with a healthy, large and responsive baby!  Yesterday I also had a routine OB check up after my NTS.  The routine checks are the ones that worry me the most, I must say, because those are the appointments where I'm weighed.  At this point I'm not worried about gaining weight, but I am worried about water weight.  Yesterday was no exception as I seem to have gained nearly 11 pounds in the last 3 weeks.  Weight gain of this type seems to point to my having this baby sooner rather than later for a number of reasons.  Based on what we saw with James I had a gradual rise in my blood pressure from appointment to appointment, a rather sudden water weight gain, and then wham - protein in my urine/the onset of pre-eclampsia.  We've also seen a slight drop in my insulin need, which is good in one way, but also is a sign that my placenta is "aging" and may not be in use much longer (a "thriving" diabetic placenta demands lots of insulin).
So that's where we are.  We've seen my blood pressure going up ever so slightly, now the weight gain, and all of a sudden I'm on the look out for a baby.  Yesterday the doctor estimated that within the next 2 weeks the little guy will be here.  That, of course, is no guarantee, just her estimate.  If I can prolong this pregnancy, I will do so by any means, but at this point, if I have pre-eclampsia, he's coming out.  I hope that we can make it one more week.  This is a random time frame, but James was on the border line for needing oxygen during his NICU stay.  A few extra days might just help develop the baby's lungs a little better.  Then again, some babies, particularly boys, are born at 37 or 38 weeks and have breathing problems, so again, the longer we can prolong my pregnancy the better.
Last night, after all this information had set in, I was pretty upset.  I was worried and the thought of having the baby so early really scared me.  Also, news flash - we're having a SECOND baby.  TWO little lives to manage and take care of.  I know, for the person who's been tracking every week of this pregnancy, you'd think the information would have set in.  But all of a sudden everything was very real last night.  More than anything, I want to do a good job.  I care so much about James and the new guy already, that the thought of messing anything up or not doing the best for them really upsets me.  Adam has told me repeatedly, even before James, that the very fact that I care so much is more than enough for any child.  But what can I say - I'm a bit of a spaz!  And so ended the freak out.  I've processed everything and have my game face back on.
We are very prepared for the little guy to come, in all the ways that we weren't for James.  His clothes are washed and in drawers, we have diapers, wipes, bottles, and formula.  With James the day after I was released from the hospital/the day before James came home, Adam and I went to Target to pick up all those things!  So we are at least better off than we were 2 and a half years ago.  I have to keep reminding myself that even though you're exhausted, taking care of little babies is pretty easy - diaper, feed, burp, repeat in 2 to 3 hours.

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!

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/

29 weeks

This week, baby is the size of an acorn squash!  James loves squash, so when I saw this picture, I immediately thought of my boy!  The little brother is weighing in right on target at 3 pounds and 2 ounces, per our growth ultrasound this week.  This week was a busy one, so time really flew by!  Not much going on with the pregnancy, other than the highlights I posted from our check up on Wednesday.
This weekend we are spending some time when my mom and step dad, eating delicious enchiladas.  We will also be spending some time getting things ready for the baby to come.  This includes a big trip to Target, Sam's Club for diapers and formula, and turning the crib back into a crib!  We also need to move the rest of James' clothes and get a ton of things out of the attic!
A coworker of mine insisted that we're doing all of this too soon, but I know how impatient my kids are, so I would rather get it out of the way.  I also think she may have been hinting at a baby shower, but really, even if we're lucky enough to have one, I would rather be overly prepared than wait!
In reference to the formula we are buying at Sam's - we are hoping that the baby will nurse and that breast milk will be his main source of nourishment, but are planning on supplementing with formula also.  Even though I may be pumping while Adam feeds him with a bottle, we want to use both.  Supply was never an issue with James, but we only nursed/pumped for 3 weeks, so who knows what will come.  Since the baby will start daycare around 8 weeks old, he needs to be able to take a bottle regardless of what's in it.
Overall, I am just glad its Friday.  Sleep hasn't been coming very easily and I could certainly use the break from the office!

28 week check up

Here are the highlights from today's growth ultrasound and regular OB check up.

Baby is:
around 3 pounds, 2 ounces.
head down.
in enough amniotic fluid.
growing like crazy!
cute as a button, he looks just like his brother in the 3D pictures!
healthy and doing well.

Mom is:
only up 2 pounds in the last 6 weeks (feel free to call me a superstar, cause I so am...).
taking more and more insulin.
still reporting good blood sugar levels.
not gaining any water weight yet, blood pressure is good!
going back for another regular check up in 2 weeks.
starting non-stress tests in 4 weeks.
having a repeat growth ultrasound also in 4 weeks.

After the start of non-stress tests, we'll continue to assess when baby will come out.  The earliest would be 37 weeks, or December 21st unless other problems arise!

28 weeks

Hello, third trimester!  Here we are, in the last 3 months of my pregnancy!  I am looking forward to the end, but hopeful that the little guy will stay put until 37 weeks!
At this point, we've reached viability, but again, the longer the baby stays put, the better.  I have been working on my list of reasons I never want to be pregnant again and this week has given me a few things to add!  Although, I suppose none of those things are really pregnancy related.  I haven't seen sleeping the best, which has made me quite moody, particularly at work.  I feel bad about the moodiness, but at the same time, I wish people would just leave me alone and stop asking me such dumb questions (I know!  I sound awful, but its true!).  Last night I was telling Adam about some of the newest office happenings and he reminded me that there are no stupid questions, just stupid people.  He might have a point there, so maybe I should try to be nicer.
Things are rolling along otherwise, we still haven't put James in his big boy room.  We're dragging our feet a little bit, but I think that's more logistical than anything else.  Adam's closet is in that room, so he needs to get his things out so he can get dressed for work in the morning without waking James.  Although James has been waking up at the crack of dawn, so I'm not sure that's even an issue right now.  Hopefully he will go back to his old schedule and we'll need to have Adam get dressed in our room.  I'm thinking a rolling clothing rack might do the trick, we have space for one.  Sooner rather than later we need the big brother in his room and the baby in the crib!

Questions

As a second time mom and as someone using a new OB, I have a ton of questions swirling around my head. Some of them come from my birth experience with James and some of them come from having a new doctor perform this surgery.  With James, I had a regular OB, Dr. Aziz and the high risk OB, Dr. Cootauco.  I went to my regular check ups with Aziz and then would walk over to the main hospital for high risk stuff (mainly non stress tests and biophysical profiles).  I think this go around is easier, making one appointment instead of trying to coordinate two visits back to back.  Dr. Aziz delivered James and took care of my pre-eclampsia issues and the high risk doctors managed my diabetes in the hospital.
Some of my questions are:
Who will circumcise the baby?  Dr. Aziz did James', but I am not sure the high risk doctor's perform this surgery.  And yes, we circumcise, and no, I don't really want to chat about it.  (Sorry, too much judgement and criticism on that topic for me to handle!!  I really just let Adam decide, because I am not equipped.)
Can I watch the c-section?  I didn't even think to ask if I could watch James being born.  They put my spinal and epidural in (spinal for the surgery and epidural for pain management afterwards) and then put up the curtain.  I am sure they don't typically want moms to watch themselves being cut open, so we could even skip that part.  But I saw James for all of 30 seconds before they whisked him away and that really was difficult for me.  Adam took a million pictures of his first 2 days, but I still hate that I missed them because I was ill.  If I could even just watch them take him out and get a few more minutes, I would be happy.  All of that supposes that this baby will be early and have complications, which may not be the case.
When will we schedule the c-section?  The answer to this question will come with time and more monitoring of the baby.  But I am incredibly impatient and want to know now!  (In my head I sound like Veruca Salt from Willy Wonka "Daddy, I want a golden ticket!")
What will the day of the surgery entail?  When will we have to check in, how long will things take, who should we have waiting with us?  I am a planner.  It is a blessing and a curse.  I just hope that the surgery takes place on a day when James can go to Rhonda's.  His whole world is going to be rocked and I just hope we can maintain some kind of routine.
I'm sure I have a million more questions to ask before the baby comes, and if I keep writing them down, I might actually remember them all!

27 weeks

The baby is the size of a rutabaga this week.  I've never really encountered a rutabaga, I think its a root vegetable?  Not so sure, but that's what in the womb this week.  I've noticed that the last few weeks have listed the same general sizes for the baby, but we go on the 24th for another growth ultrasound.  At that point, I will know more about exactly how large (and knowing me, he's a big boy!) Baby Bednarczyk #2 is.  Also on the 24th is the official start of my going to the OB at least every 2 weeks.  I will be getting blood work that day, but I do get one small perk of already being a diabetic - I get to skip the gestational diabetes testing!  I've heard how awful it is from several moms, so I will take the little (tiny, minuscule  minute) bonus wherever I can.
This weekend we are taking James to the pumpkin patch with my mom, step dad, and step grandma (oh divorce, how you complicate familial titles).  We are going to a new place, since we just went to the petting zoo at our usual patch a few months ago.  The new place also has a bake shop and I am looking forward to getting an apple, caramel, and walnut pie!  Yum!  James has been reading his Little Critter The Fall Festival book over and over (and over, since I read it to him 3 times this morning alone...), so I know he will be excited to go on a real hayride.

26 weeks

Another week has flown by and the baby is now the size of a head of lettuce.  Last week was cauliflower, so I guess the bigger baby gets, the more like a vegetable he becomes!  I meant to update the blog more this week, James has been doing lots of entertaining things, but I have been really exhausted most days.  While I am still sleeping well, day to day activities have started to tire me out more and more.  Even just hemming and hanging James' new curtains really took it out of me.  I am trying to remember not to push myself too hard, but to maintain some level of activity.  Its a fine line to walk, especially when I would rather take a nap!  Baby has been kicking up a storm lately!  He likes to let me know his opinion through his kicks, for instance I know that he doesn't like when my waist band is too tight and he's not a fan of Mexican food.  Something about this little guy tells me he's not as laid back as his older brother, but we will see!
As you may have noticed, I haven't mentioned baby's name on the blog yet.  He has a name, but I always feel weird about putting it out there (on the blog, facebook, etc.) before he's out in the world.  You could ask me his name and I'd definitely tell you, so my logic is probably flawed.  We did the same with James, partially to make sure when he came out he looked like a James.  Again, my logic was flawed, as I saw him for all of 30 seconds before he was taken to the NICU.  But Adam (who was able to see him sooner than I was) assured me that he was a James.  I'm sure it was easier to tell me that than it would have been to pick another name, but we'll go with it.
James is still preparing to be a big brother.  Hopefully this weekend we will move him into his big boy bedroom.  He likes the room, but I am a bit worried he may fall out of bed.  The new room is directly over our living room, so if that happens, we will quickly hear about it.  We have been trying to explain to James that his baby brother (brudder in 2 year old speak) is in mommy's tummy.  He calls his little brother "cute" a lot, but I have a feeling he's not really going to connect the dots until the baby is here.  Last night he kicked me in the stomach while we were playing on the couch, not hard, but enough that it hurt.  I told him that he might hurt baby brother and he promptly apologized with a "Sorry, baby brudder!".  James is also still convinced we should name the baby "Applesauce".  I wish I fully understood the things going on in his head, he has quite the imagination.
This weekend should be fairly calm, as we have nothing planned.  I'm thankful for times where we can enjoy James while he is still an only child!

25 weeks

The little guy is the size of a cauliflower this week.  Eww, I think cauliflower is pretty gross.  Another website I look at compared the baby's weight to a rutabaga.  All these food comparison are pretty funny.  So the baby is growing like a week and pretty soon he will be here.
As time goes on, I'm getting more excited, but more scared too.  But that is perfectly normal, so I just have to roll with the punches.  I've been reading a lot about how to make sure James gets enough attention, doing a little research always helps.  Really I am most worried about James and the new baby at daycare, since James is used to having a lot of Rhonda's attention. He got used to Landon fairly quickly, but was able to come home and be the center of attention still.  We will figure something out, but I still worry about the big brother.

Ultrasound Update

On Tuesday, my mom and I went for our fetal echo cardiogram and growth ultrasound.  It was fun to see my little guy again, he is growing like a weed.  His heart looked great during the echo portion, although the doctor later explained to us that as much as they can tell from the echo, there is even more that they won't be able to sort out until after the baby comes.  For now, everything looks good.  James' tiny hole hasn't been a concern yet, so even if the new baby did have a VSD, it wouldn't be the end of world.  Of course, its nice to hear that everything looks good.
Speaking of looking good...  the ultrasound checked again to make sure that the baby is a boy.  And is he ever.  He was more than happy to show us his boy parts and we got to take home a funny picture to prove it.  I would put them up here, but I'd hate to see what my Google searches would look like then.  The baby is measuring about 1 pound and 11 ounces.  I was worried that was a little bit big, but I do tend to grow large babies.  The doctor didn't seem to concerned as he is growing on track with his previous measurements.  Also, his tummy wasn't the big part, it was mostly his head, which is standard for 24 weeks.  If his stomach was getting very large, there would be concern.
My weight was briefly discussed again, but when I told Dr. Cootauco (who is very sweet and also the doctor who followed me with James) that Dr. Rossiter (a. k. a. The Enforcer) had already "talked" to me, she knew she didn't need to say anything else.  She did mention that I do not actively need to try to lose weight, just maintain where I am.  If weight comes off because I am eating well, that's okay.
I'm glad my mom was able to come with me and see her next grandson.  These visits can get a little boring, so its always nice to have someone to talk to.  It looks like from here on out, I will be going to the doctor every 2 weeks.  I have a routine appointment on October 10th and another routine appointment with growth ultrasound on October 24th.  We will have a baby in no time!