Last Stretch of 2012

I can't believe that it is almost December! It seems like it just turned 2012, we were awaiting the birth of our precious little boy and now he is almost five months old! By Christmas he will be nearly 6 months! I love this time of year, not because of the cold- but because of everyone's excitment for the holidays, the festivities and plenty of opportunities to spend time with family.

The last two nights Ben has even been sleeping better! Only up twice! *Knock on wood*.

Brianna has officially hit her two-year old tantrum phase. Complete with flopping on the ground and kicking her feet, just like in the movies. (They really do that!)

The entire family has been staying healthy so far this season, even though everyone around us seems to be getting the flu. We've missed a couple of fun outings to avoid it, including Thanksgiving, but haven't regretted it yet. Here's hoping! This week Matt has had to work late on mandatory overtime, so the kids and I have been able to get to know each other better. My super awesome organizational skills have come in handy many times.

I have most of the family's Christmas presents planned out. This year we are making almost everyone's gift again. I will take pictures and post them before I give them out. Pinterest was the inspiration of most of them, and I am so psyched to see what the recipients think!

Sleep Training Fail

Three weeks of failed sleep training and I'm going back to the books. Dr. Google says that 4 month olds should be waking up between 1-3 times a night, so now I feel like I've been starving him! Poor little guy! As of tonight I am officially moving Ben back in our room (he was previously banished to the living room due to his high pitched girlie scream) His doctor still thinks he shouldn't be waking up that much, but I am going to go with my gut, and the fact that he still wakes up five times a night screaming for 15-25 minutes as a clue that he still needs to wake up to eat. For now... I will accept that I will be continually exhausted for the next two months.

Oh.. and Gracia (his daycare provider) thinks he is teething, so now that we have his allergies figured out, he found a new thing to be mad about all day. However, as I've always said, when he's happy- he's HAPPY! and I love, love, LOVE it! <3>

October

I feel like it has been far too long since I last posted. So much has happened in a few short months. Brianna is well into her third year of life. She is speaking in five and six word sentences, exerting her opinion on how she spends her time, and showing affection for those she cares about most. Yesterday, our good friends George and Sarah Carlson picked her up for an afternoon of ice cream and fun at the park. It was such a beautiful day out too.

I have picked up a couple of hobbys, which I am excited to talk about. I was not counting on getting to pursue any hobbys until after the kids were older, so it's pretty great. The first one is crocheting. I am not very good yet, but I am learning! I am working on a little blanket for bed. He is so rough on them, grabbing them, and spitting up on them- so I figure if it's ugly it doesnt matter. The second hobby is DIYing. So far I have made a Do-It-Yourself air freshener. Next I am planning on making homemade laundry detergent. I will be making everyone's Christmas present again this year too. I have some great ideas from Pinterest that I am excited to try.

Matt spends most of his free time doing school work and watching his latest "show". He has also done some things to get the house ready for winter. He has also started to get back into cooking. In the last few weeks he has made ham, pork chops with rootbeer glaze, and pork chops with potatos and veggies. We have been eating good! Of course at least once a week we enjoy Matt's famous spaghetti as well. It is definitely our family favorite.

Speaking of food, we have to get even more creative now that I can no longer have any dairy products. We have discovered that Ben has a very real sensitivity/allergy to them, in addition to brocolli, cauliflower, garlic, and caffeine. Since he is nursing, if I avoid all of these, he is a very happy kid. It is super easy to slip up though, especially with the milk products. This weekend we went to a family birthday party where there were all things cheese: mozzarella sticks, pizza rolls, cream cheese roll-ups, queso dip, etc. It looked amazing but I skipped all of it, even the chocolate cake! I decided to have jello instead. The next day Ben was a wreck, screaming, not napping, and arching his back all day long. Only then did I discover that the Jello I had eaten had three cups of milk in it! Who knew?

In the last few weeks Ben has been smiling so much more. He rolled over from back to front for the first time, and has been very vocal and snuggly. I am enjoying his baby-days as much as I can because I know they won't last long.

My baby's almost two!

Ben is now 11 weeks old. Most days are still really tough with him. He is colicky most of the day at daycare. Usually by the time we pick him up he is happy and smiley, so we get him for the best part of the day. When he is happy, he is very vocal- talking and smiling and cooing. He LOVES to watch his sister run around. Ben has not rolled over yet, but is getting close. He can scootch his leg way up, he doesnt have enough strength in his arms to do it.

Brianna will be two years old in in four days! I cannot believe it. We have a big day planned for her: Breakfast in bed with pancakes and sausage. Then we will drop Ben off at Grandma's and take her to Five Guys in Maple Grove for lunch. Then she will get to pick a cupcake out at Nadia Cakes. Then it's home for a nap. After nap Grandma Shirley, Papa Bernie, her cousins and aunt and uncle are coming over for an Elmo themed party! We will have little croissant pizza's, chips, and cake. I still need to ask her what kind of cake she wants. Then we will open presents and show her the present she got from Mom & Dad, a new turtle sandbox with pink sand! I can't wait for her to see it.

Next weekend she will get to celebrate with my family- what a lucky girl!

Time for work now! I'll update with pictures after the party.
Catherine

August Family Update

Catherine
This was my first week back to work. I had mixed emotions about going back. I knew I would miss my kiddos after spending ten weeks with Bri and 8 with Ben, but I was excited to go back to my job and my co-workers. It's always nice to go back to a job you love. I do miss the kids, especially Ben since he is growing and changing so fast now and I am going to miss a lot of his firsts (sad!!). Settling back in has been really easy and I am already super busy.

Matt
Matt just started school on Monday, and will be taking Art History and Music appreciation. These are both classes I took at Anoka Ramsey when I was there and really enjoyed. Especially the art class. Matt is a really big history lover, so I think he will enjoy them as well. As I have been so busy with the new baby, he has gotten to spend a lot of quality time with Brianna. Those two are the best of friends!

Brianna
Bri is going to be 2 in less than a month! I cannot believe my baby girl has gotten so big. It feels like she completely grew up over the summer. She is talking in four and five word sentences and exerting her independence every chance she gets. The transition from Daycare to Mom and Dad to just Mom back to daycare has been really hard on her, so we are working through some challenges there, but overall she has done really well with the new baby entering the family.

Ben
Ben's first couple weeks were super easy and then from weeks 2 till 7 he was extremely colicky. We have tried chiropractic, nutritional supplements, warm baths & water bottles, Colic Calm, Gripe Water etc. He also had Silent Reflux so he was put on meds for that and that seems to be much better. This week he has been a happy baby at night, I cannot speak for my daycare ladies, but I hope he isnt screaming all day there. At this point we are just waiting for him to outgrow it.

When Ben is happy, he is SUCH a sweetheart. All smiles, is constantly moving and makes the most adorable cooing/giggling noises.

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Our Mini-Vacation

This weekend we took a (short) trip to Rogers and stayed at the Sleep Inn. I was badly in need of some time out of the house and so were the kids. We stayed in a room with a King bed. It had a little mini fridge and a microwave, which was nice. The hotel also featured an awesome kiddie pool/adult pool/hot tub and a delicious hot breakfast. It was clean and the staff were nice and accomodating.

After we checked in, we got into our swimsuits and went swimming. It took a while for Bri to warm up to the idea, but once she did she had a blast! Running through the water, playing with balls, and playing on the slide with Daddy. I held Ben who got to go "swimming" too. He seemed to really enjoy himself as well. The hot tub was really just a warm bath, but perfect for kids. The pools were all filled with mild salt water as well, which we figured was to help with bouancy.

For dinner we went to the Pizza Ranch in Elk River. It was so good! Their soft serve ice cream was just like Dairy Queen, not that gritty stuff you get from Chinese resturants and most other buffets. After dinner we came back to the room and watched some TV. Getting Bri to sleep in her Pack n' Play was challenging. She wouldnt stop screaming and I thought we were going to have to take her home. Fortunately Matt was able to talk some sense into her and she settled down. Whew!

This morning we got up for a delicious breakfast with make-your-own waffles, pastries, bagels, cereal, sausage, eggs and juice, and went swimming one last time. Then we packed up and sadly left our little mini-vacation. We will definitely be returning to this one!

First Day Alone

I would count today as a huge success. As you know, I was extremely nervous to have both kids by myself since Matt went back to work today. I spent some time beforehand creating a schedule that I knew I could stick to, and could change if necessary. I did end up making some changes, but overall it worked out awesome. At the end of the day, the house was clean, Bri had eaten at least two good meals and taken a three hour nap and both kids were happy. I changed clothing three times and was still covered in baby spit up, with no sign of makeup anywhere, but Matt still looked happy to see me when he walked through the door.

Today was also my first day back on plan with Weight Watchers online. I put on a total of 47 pounds during my pregnancy and am super eager to take it off. I have 21 pounds left before reaching my pre-preg weight and an additional 28 pounds before I am at goal. It upset me a little to see that after working so hard on WW last year, I gained every pound back that I had lost. However, the silver lining is that if I lost it once before, I can do it again.. and I KNOW that Weight Watchers works! Don't worry, I won't be cluttering up this journal with my dieting and lifestyle antics.

I know some days will be harder than others with the kids, but this is the first time where I have really thought "I can do this... long term". Everything will be alright.

Lovies,
Catherine

2 Week Update

Ben is 15 days old and doing wonderful. The last two weeks we have been fortunate enough to spend together, getting used to our cool new little family unit. Brianna had a few hard days adjusting to Ben being around, and still has tough days, but is overall adjusting very well. I am so proud of the beautiful, loving person she is becoming. She is very good with her little brother. She gives him lots of kisses and backrubs and puts his pacifier back in his mouth when he cries. She is very concerned when he seems upset and says "Ben" over and over unil I attend to him.

Matt goes back to work tomorrow. I will miss his company greatly.  He has been such an amazing help with cooking and cleaning and taking care of Bri the majority of the time when I have been with Ben. He also spent the last week making sure that I had a very special birthday.

Although 26 does not feel any different than 25, I had a great time celebrating my birthday. On the 10th, Matt took me to Applebees for a Perfect Margarita (my first drink in almost a year!) and then to Red Lobster for coconut shrimp. We laughed and talked and enjoyed our time together as if it was one of our first dates! Today we had family over and Matt made me a carrot cake, my favorite! Definitely one of the best birthdays I have had in a long time. :)

Ben's Birth Story

Welcome Benjamin Gregory!

Ben a few minutes after birth

Our Story Begins
40 weeks six days, 6/29/12 Shirley arrived at our house and had dinner with us around 5pm. I was not overly friendly, but I was very anxious about the events that were to happen that night. We finished dinner and left. I was very happy that Bri gave me a kiss and a hug when I left. I couldn't stop thinking about the fact that this would be the last time I would see my baby girl as an only child. I had to leave immediately so she wouldn't see me cry, and I cried hard. Matt took my hand and reminded me that we are in this together, which made me feel mildly better. 

Cervadil
We arrived at Maple Grove Hospital Labor & Delivery ward at 7:30pm for Cervadil. I needed Cervadil, which is a cervix-ripening treatment because at my last doctors appointment I had not progressed  They told us that they had no record of us scheduled, but admitted me anyway since they were not busy. They also called my doctor to confirm that I was in fact scheduled. I was assigned to room  2238 which was HUGE and attached to a bathroom that was at least half the size of the room itself with a shower, massive walk-in jacuzzi tub and a separate toilet stall. I put on the gown and the nurse checked me. She said I was dilated to at least 2 3/4 cm. Then she said that she would call my doctor for additional instructions and would return. A nurse came in and poked me twice to get an IV in, which was not fun at all... then we waited and waited and waited.. Finally around 10:30pm the nurse returned and informed us that I was now too far dilated for Cervadil to be effective and she was sending me home.

Sent Home
We were mildly bummed about being sent home, but since I was still a few hours short of 41 weeks, they couldn't simply continue with the induction at that time. We packed up, left, stopped at the gas station for a super healthy dinner of donuts, chips, cheese puffs, an egg salad sandwiches and soda, and went home. I am not at all upset about this because we both ended up getting a decent nights sleep. Shirley decided to stay overnight so that it would be easier on Bri. We came home when she was already asleep and would leave the house in the morning before she woke up. As badly as I wanted to see her, I knew that it was for the best.

Deja Vu- Back to the Hospital
The next morning I woke up at 5am. I texted with my mom until 6:00am when I called L&D as instructed. They advised us that they had room for us and to come back around 7:30. We packed up again, said goodbye to Shirley, grabbed some breakfast at Panera (something I was VERY happy I did in hindsight) and drove to the hospital. Everything went smoothly this time. I was checked in by 7:30am, and the nurse checked me. Somehow I had progressed to 4 cm on my own overnight (with no contractions that I remember).

Breaking My Water
By 9am the doctor came in and broke my water. This was a different experience from what I remember with Bri. It was done the same way, with a hook, but he made such a small hole that it only leaked a little bit at first and slowly widened over the next several hours. We even got up and walked around the hospital a bit until about 11:30am, hoping this would help the process along.

Pitocin
At this point I was left alone for a few hours to see if the broken water would cause consistent contractions. Unfortunately, although the contractions did increase, they were not consistent or strong. Once it was clear that my body was still not going to go into active labor on it's own, the doctor decided to start me on a Pitocin drip. When they first hooked me up, not much happened. I was at 5cm at this point, but nothing else was really happening. The nurse upped the dose twice over the next several hours and although my contractions did regulate, they were still not close enough or strong enough to cause any progress. I was pretty frustrated at this point because I knew that if we could not get the contractions to be productive, I would end up in a Cesarean section, since my waters were already broken and I was subjective to infection.

When it Got Real
Around 2pm the nurse came in and upped the Pitocin level for the 3rd time. I started contracting every 2-3 minutes, but only felt the strong (read: painful) contractions about every 3rd or 4th one, which would STILL not be enough to dilate me properly. Finally the nurse upped the Pit for a fourth time around 3pm. Quickly, my contractions began to come every 2-3 minutes, and then 1-2 minutes. The got stronger and stronger and soon I could feel every single one and they were incredibly painful. After about an hour the contractions started coming one on top of the other, I didn't have more than a seconds rest between some of them, and one even peaked for a good three or four minutes straight. I just remember thinking it was HELL, and I couldn't even cry because I couldn't stop focusing long enough to think about it. I found it helpful to remain perfectly quiet and sit up as straight as I could, breathing through each contraction. I had never taken a laboring class, but remembered this technique used in movies. Matt kept watching me and held my hand through some of them, he even came over and gave me a back rub, helping me as much as possible. I could tell he felt helpless, but I felt incredibly supported and loved by his concern.

Making the Call
I chose to wait as long as possible to receive an epidural. I knew that I would most likely receive it at some point, but I felt that I needed to feel some real pain to make this experience real. Besides, I believe that without some pain and suffering, good things cannot come to us. I ended up laboring for three hours in constant pain before throwing the towel in. Looking back, I do not think I could have possibly lasted another five minutes without the memory of the experience turning really nasty on me. At 6pm I made the call. Receiving the epidural was not fun. It seemed to me that the doctor performed the epidural, which involved a few rough pokes, lots of nerve tingling and lingering pain, without explaining to me what he was doing to my spine, and what I could expect. Matt assured me that he was in fact explaining to me what he was doing, but he was talking so quietly, I never heard him. Finally the epi was in. My right side numbed right away, my left size never completely numbed and it took about 20 minutes to stop feeling the contractions in my lower right pelvis, but finally I was completely comfortable and couldn't feel a thing. At this point the nurse announced that I was a solid 7 cm. After what I had just gone through, I couldn't believe I still had 3 inches left.

Heaven after the Epidural
I was completely exhausted after the epidural kicked in. I shut all the lights and TV off. Matt settled into a movie and we didn't speak. After about an hour or so, the nurse came in and checked me, announcing I was a nine. I hadn't been able to sleep, but was in a deep state of rest and relaxation. It was so peaceful and wonderful. Soon after they told me it was time to push. We did a few practice pushes and then they told me to stop until the doctor could arrive. I pushed for a total of 30-35 minutes. The biggest difference from Brianna's delivery is that I focused my pushing properly and didn't break every blood vessel in my face. I also did not feel so drugged that I barely knew where I was. I was completely alert and excited. Matt was on my left side, holding my hand.

He has arrived!
My contractions started spacing out, so I had to pay close attention and use the ones I could feel to the fullest extent. I pushed a few more times and his head was out. The first thing the doctor said was.. "This is not a small baby"... The nurses kept talking about his cheeks, The whole room seemed to be frozen in awe as this "huge" baby came into the world at 8:00pm sharp. A few pushes later and he was completely out. He coughed first, then let out a little cry. Matt cut the umbilical cord and they carried him to the warmer. I could hear the nurses remarking about how big he was. They kept making guesses on his weight. The number they landed one was 9 and a half pounds. When they finally weighed him and he was 10 pounds 11 oz (22 inches long), everyone was shocked.

Big Baby
The doctor asked me if I had gestational diabetes (I got this a LOT over the next couple hours and days), which I replied "no". My GD tests actually came out perfect. I did not even need to take the three-hour test like I did with Bri! I remember him making the comment that if they had known he was this big, they would have never let me go this far before inducing. The most common comment I received after announcing his weight to people, was "Wow, that's a big baby!", and the second most common was "Are you okay?" or something to that effect. Both of these annoyed me to no extent! Yes he is dense, but if you meet him in person he is actually quite small- as a newborn should be! And no.. I am not wrecked after delivering him, so stop looking at me like I just performed an amazing feat. lol!
My Recovery
Although they gave Ben to me first, I couldnt get a good grip on him and was afraid I was going to drop him. I ended up handing him off to Matt who got to bond with him right away. Everything about the whole postpartum process with this baby has been easier thus far. Far less pain, which has been wonderful! I did almost pass out in the bathroom (again) like after my first delivery, but I expected to be light headed, (especially after not eating all day!) and accepted lots of help. I only needed a few minutes to get my wits about me before I could stand up again.

Ben's First Activity
Thankfully, I made it back to the bed without blacking out and then proceeded to demand that the nurse foot printing Ben get his hand prints too, which are apparently incredibly hard to get. They did the best they could, and poor Matt ran around trying to fulfill my wishes the best he could without irritatating the nurses. I ended up getting two very light upside-down hand prints on the baby book (yay!) but did not get any for the picture frame that  I wanted. I eventually conceded to be happy with the baby book prints and let them move on. Poor Ben had ink all over him and kept trying to put it in his mouth because of my insistence (sorry baby!) Through all of this he was very alert and had his eyes wide open. He did not cry unless he was getting poked, and sometimes not even then! He seemed very content.


Moved to Postpartum Wing
By 10pm we were moved to our postpartum room and working on getting settled in. My mom and sister stopped by for a little bit, and there was still a lot of nurse activity around myself and the baby. The biggest issue was making sure Ben was getting plenty of calories before we could send him to the nursery. Matt was so pooped he ended up falling asleep about 12:30am, and after feeding Ben one last time, I sent him off to the nursery and fell asleep myself around 1:45am. At 3:15am the nurse woke me up to feed him, which I attempted but Ben was not interested in eating. He just wanted to sleep! They did not bring him in again until 5:00am when he hungrily ate for about half an hour. I did not wake up again until 7:30am when I got up, took a shower and put myself together before the nurse brought him in for breakfast at 8:30am. Matt got a solid eight hours of sleep and minus a few short hours of interruption, I got at least seven! I was so happy that I was not constantly woken up for vital signs and did not hesitate to share this with the hospital staff at the end of our stay.

Happy Ending Beginnings
Of course our story does not end there, but as birth stories go, I am very happy with Ben's. My labor was only about 11 hours (same as with Bri!), the birth and delivery was quick and uneventful and we are now the proud parents of a beautiful, very happy little boy! My favorite thing is watching my big manly husband melting over his sweet baby. :)

Ben at 10 days old

Last Prenatal Appointment EVER!

This morning I went in for my 41 week appointment. I went to a different clinic than normal because my doctor is at the Plymouth clinic on Saturdays. When I got there I got weighed, blood pressure taken and the usual round of family history questions. * Up two pounds, perfect bp as usual and no, my family history has not changed from three days ago*. Then they hooked me up to the non-stress test machine which went just fine until I started blacking out. I called for the nurse and was immediately surrounded by a bunch of medical people. Turns out the combination of no breakfast, lying on my back with a 7-9 pound kid resting on top of me, and the fact that the air conditioner was broken made a nasty combination. After some apple juice, turning on my side, and a strategically placed ice pack I was good to go.

Next my doctor checked me. After a couple of days of plenty of painful contractions, I fully expected her to tell me all about the awesome progress I had made. Instead she proceeded to inform me I had made zero progress and my cervix was still high. Same thing going on as the last three weeks, absolutely nothing. Disheartened by this news, she then advised me that my fluid level of 7.9 from the biophysical on Monday was not where she would like to see it, and that I was only in the 5th percentile for women of my gestational age. She said she wanted to induce TONIGHT. Whoa! I was not expecting this. She sent me on my way with the promise that she would call me as soon as she heard from the hospital about whether or not they would allow an induction before 41 weeks.

About 15 minutes later the doctor called and said that hospital policy was that they would not induce before 41 weeks unless it is a medical emergency. The best she was able to do was get me in for Cervadil on Friday night and induce in the morning on Saturday. I agreed to this, trusting her recommendation.

So here it is, Thursday night. Matt is going to work a full day tomorrow and then come home. My Mother-In-Law is coming over around five and will be watching Brianna until Sunday when my Mom will take her. The house is clean, there is food in the cupboards and everything is ready for Ben.

Lovies, Catherine

40+4 Reflections

I am quickly coming to terms with the fact that my June bug will most likely be a July baby. This has definitely been the longest week of my life, but not the worst by far. Since my pre-term labor issues at 35 weeks, I have been preparing for Ben to make his appearance. I now realize that God had a different plan. What I ended up with was two extra weeks (maybe three?) off of work to spend with my amazing daughter.

Were all of the days amazing and fun? No; some days I could barely move and had to spend the entire day on the couch with Bri playing next to me. However, most were spent playing "kitchen", reading books, taking walks, playing at the park, swimming, talking about the world around us, and spending lots of time snuggling. I wouldn't give this time back for the world! At this point the only thing I regret is the time I have spent whining about being overdue, (sorry to all of those who have had to listen to it) At the max, Bri only has one more week of being an only child, and I plan to enjoy every minute of it!

Playing in the Pool

Lunch at the Mall

Walking to the Park

I leave you now, completely at peace with whatever happens. <3

Catherine

Eviction Notice

EVICTION NOTICE
Date: June 23, 2012
Pending Eviction Date: June 30th, 2012


To: Mr. Benjamin Gregory Chenoweth


... To the above tenant in possession of below described premises:

I am issuing a 7 day notice for EVICTION. You will have 7 days in which you can either gather your belongings and promptly vacate the premises, or wait until the final day. After which, you will be physically removed from the property.

You are being evicted due to breech of contract and destruction of property. Expansions only to the FRONT of the house, within reasonable limits, were discussed. Not only have these limits been exceeded, but additions to the back of the house were also made!

Remodeling and gutting of the home was never approved, nor was changing the initial layout and base structure. And due to property damage, there are now leaks in both the upper AND lower levels of the home. On top of which, the landlord has received numerous complaints about nightly disturbances.

If after 10 days from this day you don't comply with this notice it will result in immediate and forceful removal.

Thank you for your cooperation

Love,
Mommy

· ·

39 Weeks 5 days

My week with Brianna has been great. She has been such a good girl and has taken very good naps for me. The week has consisted of a mixture of me being too tired to even get off the couch, and random bursts of energy where I get to play with Bri and get some cleaning done. Yesterday Bri followed me around the whole house and helped me vaccuum. She kept handing me the attachments an then finding a corner of the room where she felt "safe" from the vaccuum and watching me.

The best day of the week yesterday was yesterday. Bri and I went to Northtown mall and had lunch and walked around. We found a great pair of sandals for her at Famous Footwear for $5.00! Super happy about that.

After a particulary nasty round of BH contractions last night, that kept me up till 2:15pm,  I woke up with the WORST lower back pain this morning. I am having a hard time moving around the house and I am a zombie from only few hours of sleep, so my sweet Mama was nice enough to come bail me out this morning and take Brianna for a few hours. She got outside to play and I got a few-hour nap. I still feel like crud, but it was a lifesaver- Thanks Mom!

2 days and counting till my due date! If every text message or call asking if he was here yet got me one minute closer to him actually being here, I think I'd have had him days ago! That would be awesome, wouldn't it? My hope, as I have said all along is for June 22nd but as thats tomorrow and I'm not even remotely in labor right now, my hopes are waning. Oh well! Maybe he will be as independent as his sister. :)

Going to go take another nap now and attempt to get out of this funk before my hubby comes home.

<3
Catherine

First day of leave

First day at home with Bri went well. She was a really good girl and it was great to spend some quality time with her. I couldn't play as much as she would have liked because I was exhausted, but we still had a good time.

Last Day of Work

39 weeks tomorrow and today is my last day of work! It's crazy to think that I won't be back here until mid-late August. Although the break will be nice, I am not delusional enough to think that nine weeks at home with two kids is going to be easier than work. I am really going to miss my friends, the atmosphere here and the endless supply of coffee.

However, as it is getting to the point where I can no longer ride in a car without wincing over every bump in the road, and my hand is permanantly stuck to the top of my belly pushing Ben's little butt down so that I can breathe, I definitely think it's time. At this point I have no idea if he plans to come early or late, but I definitely need a few days to sleep in and spend some time with my baby girl before she isn't an only child anymore.

Fathers Day is this weekend! Although I won't be able to celebrate it with my own Dad, I am looking forward to spending some time with my Father-In-Law and Matt's family. They are being super accomodating and have moved the celebration closer to home so that we won't be too far from the hospital, just in case. <3

Second to last Dr. Appt. is this afternoon, looking forward to seeing if any progress has been made!

Lovies,
Catherine

38 + 2 Update

38 weeks 2 days today! It is my last week of work and so far is going very well. I am getting a lot of "Your still here!?!'s" but that is to be expected. Everyone is very nice and not demanding. My biggest fear is my water breaking at work. I brought along extra pants, but if it happens like it does in the movies- that won't help much. Fortunately my Amy is standing by to help if needed. If my water breaks, I will probably just head home and wait for Matt to get there.  If I go straight to the hospital, I am on their clock and I'd really rather not be.

Doc appt today at 3:45, not expecting anything exciting. 12 days and counting! The picture is from 37 weeks 6 days. Excuse my grim look, I was concentrating on making sure the camera wasnt blurry- to no avail! ;-)

<3 Catherine

*Whew* There's a bullet dodged

Had my ultrasound this morning. It couldn't have gone smoother! The tech said right away that Ben was in head-down position and was actually so low that she wasn't able to see his face. She did get a couple of adorable foot pictures though. So all of the drama from last week is over. Everything looks good and (for the moment) he is exactly where he should be. 18 days until my due date!

Because of the PTO I have had to use, I have also moved my leave date for work back to June 18th, so my last day will be the 15th. As this is only 8 days left of work, I don't think it will be too bad. :)

As for the other goings-on in our life- Brianna is starting to communicate using mostly two-word phrases and is practicing new words every day. A few days ago I asked her what she wanted for breakfast and she said very clearly, "Daddy Eggs" which is something that Matt makes for us on Saturdays and Sundays, and apparently she appreciates! It was adorable. Saturday, Bri and I spent a few hours garage sale-ing while Matt and Uncle Kevin golfed. We went to a ton of sales but only ended up spending 50 cents on a very cool ball & mallet toy that Bri LOVES. She hasnt stopped playing with it since.

This weekend we are looking forward to celebrating Matt's 28th birthday! He has no idea what is planned, just that something is. Unlike past years, this one will be very chill for both family & friends, juuust in case something crazy happens.. like unexpected labor.

And the Drama Continues ;)

Friday after work I had my 37 week appointment. I showed up all upset because I thought they had my due date wrong. Fortunately I was just exhibiting major preggo brain and was reading my chart wrong. By the time the doctor got in the room, I had calmed down and was actually pretty excited to find out if anything had progressed. Now that I am officially full term (doctors words), any impending signs of labor are only exciting and no longer scary.

The first thing the doctor did was measure my belly, 37 centimeters exactly- perfect! Then the doctor pulled out the doppler and tried to find baby's heartbeat- nothing. She said that the doppler was probably broken and went to grab another. He was kicking the crap out of me at that point, I wasn't the least bit worried that he was okay, just confused. She tried the new doppler with no luck at first. She moved higher and higher and finally found the heartbeat at the top left of my belly. She said she didn't like that. I didn't understand until she did the internal exam and couldnt even tell how dialated I was because baby had totally flipped and she couldnt even feel his head anymore (when the week before he was crazy low). Thats right- my little stinker flipped breech.

I left totally dazed with instructions to return on Tuesday at 7am for an ultrasound to confirm the breech position. If he is still breech at that point, I will be going to see a chiropractor at 4:30pm who will perform a technique to try and turn him. If that fails an external version will be scheduled later in the week. At point if he still doesnt flip, an ultrasound will be scheduled for the week of June 11th.

Fortunately, I don't think anything is going to come of this but another great chance to see my son. I have seen and felt lots of movement that leads me to believe he has alread flipped to head-down and was just teasing us. Fingers crossed! In the meantime, I have done lots of research on External Cephallic Version and what to expect in case of a Cesarean section, so I feel completely prepared for whatever is next.

Who knows! Maybe I will get that Hollywood experience of my water breaking and everything going as originally planned anyway. :)

Lovies!
Catherine

36+3 Update

Hello Friends!

Until today; if you asked, I would have told you that my pregnancy thus far has been easy with minimal hiccups, lots of great distractions, and an adorably round belly with no additional stretch marks from my first pregnancy. This little boy has definitely taken it easy on me. I have even accepted the fact that I have gained 38 pounds and am simply looking forward to the challenge of taking it off.

The only real reason that I didn't think I could take another three months of this is because the comments I get from 150+ people at my work are getting really freaking old.

Today I am achy, crampy, cranky, and I can officially no longer see clearly more than 2 feet in front of my face. My doctor says this is because I am retaining water in my eyes and it has changed the shape of my corneas; Good news is, it will go away after delivery.

Speaking of my new doctor, I have been to her twice at the Fairview Medical Clinic. There is really no good reason that I chose Fairview except that my good friend Cassie is a longtime Fairview patient and loves it. As much as I loved my last doctor (and hated the clinic), I love this clinic (super fast and friendly service!) and am not a fan of my doctor. The first thing she did was move my due date AGAIN back to June 23rd, and told me I was "measuring 35 weeks" to back up her decision, even though just the week before I was measuring 36 at my old doctors office. She also said something about the state of my lady parts that directly contradicted what they had just told me in L&D three days earlier. So basically I feel that she will tell me anything to make her decisions with me look legit, and I am not happy about it. Fortunately, the chance that she will be the one delivering me is pretty slim, so I am not going to panic about it.

Otherwise, the last several days have been uneventful and I am back to thinking that it will be quite awhile before Ben makes his appearance.

Physical Update: (TMI Warning)
36 weeks 3 days
+38 pounds
0 centimeters dialated -according to doctor
2 centimeters dialated -according to MGH L&D
80% effaced
0 station

In laymans terms, Baby is super low and engaged. As soon as my body decides to start making productive contractions (that dialate me), things will go very fast. This, however could still take weeks.

Scary L&D Visit

I wanted to get this post in writing before I forgot all the details, as this blog is (mostly) a record of my family and pregnancies, and I'd like to be able to refer back to it. I didn't post this right after it happened because for those of you that know me, I don't like people worrying about me, or any attention about this kind of stuff in general.:)

Written: May 31st, 2012

On Tuesday, May 15 I woke up at 4am experiencing contractions that were not consistantly painful, but that came every 3-4 minutes until 6am. At 6am, they started coming every 5-7 minutes, but were still coming like clockwork. Normally this wouldn't be a big deal, and would just be considered "practice labor" since they were becoming spaced out over time, except I was only 35 weeks along. I placed a call to the Fairview on-call doctor around 5pm who told me to drink a lot of water, use the bathroom, lay on my side, and to go to the hospital if they continued. At 6:00a I got up for work, got Bri ready and brought her to daycare at my mom's house. I didn't say anything to my mom at that point because I didn't want to worry her. By 9am, the contractions were still 5-7 minutes apart so I decided to leave work and head to L&D (Labor and Delivery). Fortunately, the Maple Grove hospital is only a few minutes from my work, which was super convenient.

I ended up in L&D till 3pm. They tried pumping me with fluids via IV in case I was dehydrated, gave me 2 shots of Trebulitine ( a drug that halts labor) and one in pill form over a five hour period. Nothing worked and at this point they were considering keeping me overnight. They even felt the need to notify me that if Ben was born that night, that he would be transferred to a level II nursery at the University of Minnesota since theirs was full.

Fortunuately, at that point I decided to call my mom and ask her to pray, because I did NOT want to have Ben that night and was getting worried. Soon after she prayed, the contractions finally stopped and they were able to send me home. I was given strict instructions to take it easy and to come in immediately if the consistent contractions started up again.

Needless to say, the next day at work I got things wrapped up very quickly. Since then, things have been very boring and nothing exciting has happened. My leave at work starts in 13 calendar days and 8 work days. I can't wait!!!!

Lovies,
Catherine

Maple Grove Hospital Tour

When we arrived at Maple Grove Hospital, we were seated in a lovely waiting room area with a grand piano playing music. Soon the area began to fill up with about a half dozen other Daddys and Mommys with big bellies! The tour guide walked around and introduced herself to each couple. The aire was very light and happy, it was so relaxing. After walking us around the ground floor a bit to show us the gift shop, garden, and cafe- she brought us up a wide, winding staircase to the Family Birth Center, which is the entire second floor!

First we were showed the Labor and Delivery unit, which consisted of two assessment rooms intended to find out if you are in labor. From there they move you to a HUGE L&D room with wood floors, a flat screen TV, a huge window, and a couch that turns into a full size twin bed for Daddy. I kid you not, 20 people could fit into that room. Each room also has a private bathroom with a whirlpool tub!

After laboring,  delivering, and recovering in that room, you are moved to a maternity room which is half as big, but still huge! The room is layed out the same as the L&D room with less medical equipment and a smaller bathroom. It also has a safe, a refridgerator, and a supply cabinet that the nurses can fill from the hallway so not to disturb you when changing shifts.

The tour guide also gave us a menu to the cafe and raved about the homemade food. I am not daft, I know it's still cafeteria food, but I am still looking forward to trying it during my stay.

So basically if I ended up going to the Maple Grove hospital, I will be having my baby and recovering in a hotel. I am crossing all my fingers and toes that this works out!

Breaking Up With Allina

Breaking Up With Allina
Literally the day after Matt and I went on the tour at Unity Hospital, I emailed my doctor at Fridley Allina and asked if she would care to see me for my 36 week appointment, just in case she wanted to check in on my condition, etc since she hadn't seen me in months. I noted that I still really wanted her to deliver the baby (it is a group practice, but she has told me before that she would come over if I went into labor during the day and requested her)

I explained that I havent seen her for every appointment thus far for two reasons: 1. Scheduling is an issue, she doesnt have appointments past 3:30pm and I need them to be at 4 or later. 2. I loathe going to the Fridley clinic because I have to wait an hour or more to be seen every single time, even though I am always on time. My appointments are scheduled for 10 minutes long and the doctor is usually only with me for 3-5 minutes if I have no concerns.

Anyway, I received an email back from a nurse stating that I could only see Dr. Green for my 36 week appointment "IF" she had availability and that the only way she would deliver me is if she "happened" to be on call that day. I was furious with this answer, and the fact that the nurse didn't even bother to show Dr. Green my message. I wrote back stating that I thought her answer was rude, I understood the policies and I expected her to forward my message on to Dr. Green. Days later she wrote back that she was sorry that I "felt she was rude" and that she would forward my message. A week later.. I still haven't heard anything.

Starting Over (albeit late in the game)
Thursday night I was so upset about the nurse's message that I called Maple Grove hospital and scheduled a hospital tour. It was Matt and I's four year anniversary, so I knew he wouldn't be thrilled about it, but I wanted to schedule it just in case he would go for it. Fortunately for me, Matt was a trooper about it. We went to the tour before dinner, and it was amazing! ( I will write a separate post about the tour.)

The best part is, Maple Grove Hospital is in a completely different network than Unity and the Allina clinics, so I am hoping that I will be treated better. My first appointment with the new doctor is this Friday the 18th at 3:30. I am really nervous since I will already be 35.5 weeks along, but I know it will be for the best.

L&D Tour at Unity Hospital

Tonight, my good friend Esther and I (and our hubbies and kids) are touring the newly remodeled Family Birth Center at Unity hospital in Fridley where we will be delivering, (she is due a month behind me). From what I remember, the actual L&D (labor and delivery) was super nice and huge. It had a rocking chair, a pull-out bed, a full bathroom with a tub etc. It even had a TV. The problem is, we spent most our time in the family centered care unit down the hall which had cramped, oddly shaped rooms, no hot water, and an old tv with a vhs player. We were definitely less than impressed with those rooms. I am HOPING that they remodeled these as well...

When I am laying in bed pushing out a baby I do not care how big or fancy the L&D room is, or if it has a flat screen TV. Last time around, most of the laboring I did was spent in the skyway walking back and forth. Then I went back to the room, got the epi and Matt and I watched Ferris Buehler on his laptop until it was time to push. I am hoping for a similar experience, just with a different movie. I may try to labor at home a little longer too.

Regardless, I am excited about the tour and am getting totally psyched up for the birth to happen in general. Six more weeks. Woo Hoo!!

Lovies,
Catherine

32+2

32 weeks and counting! Work has kept me very busy so I haven't much time to think about how close to the end we are. This weekend Matt and I got a ton of stuff done. We discovered that the car seats we had were expired, so we had to pick up a replacement.We also washed and sorted all of Baby's clothes, put up the crib, unpacked the infant toys, and finished packing the hospital bags. It was so productive! The best part is that he could literally come today and we would be ready for him. I am starting to get so excited!!

Re-created Kids' Room

This weekend Cassie and Peter came over and Cassie helped me re-paint the kids' room. It is still the same seafoam green as it was before, but now we have a pink shelf above Bri's bed, a yellow shelf above Baby boy's bed, and both of their names in wooden letters above their respective shelf (thanks to my handy hubby). We also hung up "sports" pillows above where Baby's crib will go and the decal "I Love You Forever, I Like You For Always" above Bri's wall. The changing table/dresser will go between the beds and the Little Tikes activity table is at the end of Bri's bed.

Catherine

*Whine*

As a preface to my whiney post below ;) - I found this today, my blog post from 30 weeks when I was preggo with Brianna. As I kept reading, I noticed that almost everything was the same (except the weight gain instead of weight loss) http://chenobaby.blogspot.com/2010/07/30-week-update.html. I like the perspective this offered! I came out of it just fine and will again. :)

If I didn't already know that I was in the third trimester by looking at a calendar, my body would be telling me anyway. I am sooo uncomfortable. My hips kill and the baby is up in my ribs constantly so I can't slouch or I can't breathe. It's hard not to slouch when your exhausted constantly!

 I've definitely passed the "fun" part of this pregnancy.  Okay, done whining. 2 months left and I DO hope he stays in the whole time.

I am thankful that I haven't had any complications, and that baby is growing awesomely. I am thankful that I can work and don't have to be on bedrest. I am thankful for this baby :)

Sick

We went months and months without being sick, then Brianna gets Roseola, and now all three of us have colds. BLAH. Matt is the only one who can take Dayquil, lucky man. I just want to crawl back into bed and sleep the rest of the day.

Fortunately my 30 week OB appointment is tonight, so hopefully the doctor can give me some suggestions about what to do to feel better. I have a feeling she will tell me to suck it up and there isn't anything I can take or do.

Thanks for letting me vent!

28 Week Appointment and Glucose Test Results

I PASSED!! Woo Hoo!!

The 1-Hr Glucose test that is. Everyone kept telling me that it didnt matter what I did before the test, that the results would be the same. I'm sorry, but I just don't believe that. Not only that, but I've been told that if I have failed the 1-hr test in the past, I was likely to fail it again.

I took it at a different clinic this time, who required fasting 12 hours before hand. I ended up fasting 20 hours before hand due to timing of the appointment. That SUCKED, but I can definitely say it was worth it not having to take the 3-hr test. Two days before the test I also cut way back on carbs and sugar.

When I got to the appointment they took my blood right away and almost didn't do the test because my blood sugar was so low (48 is low I guess?). Then I drank the drank and was told to sit in the waiting room. I wanted to walk around because I had heard that exercise metabolized sugar better, but they told me I would have a room ready right away to go in for my 28 week appt.  I ended up fidgeting and bouncing as much as possible sitting in my chair until they actually got me in the room 30 minutes later.

The actual 28 week appt. went well. I got the rhogam shot in my hip, had my lady parts checked and was told that although I was measuring 29 weeks (at 27.5 weeks.. change the freaking due date people!) there was very little chance that I would go into labor early at this point. Good news!

After the appointment they took my second blood draw and told me less than five minutes later that it came out perfectly normal. I couldn't help doing a fist pump in the waiting room, aand I was so excited I thought I might cry from sheer happiness all the way home. Yes... that is how bad the 3-hr test SUCKS.

Aaand for dinner I had McDonalds, a Pop-Tart, a Nutrigrain Bar and a piece of cheesecake. Probably not the greatest idea... but I was ready to eat my own hand by that point.

Lovies!
Catherine

Overnight Toddler

A lot has happened in a week! Brianna was so interested in her cousin's toddler beds when she saw them over the weekend, we decided to pick one up for her. It is cherry colored and sleigh bed style. I love it! For now we are just going to let her get used to the idea that it is in her room. We may try it this weekend for a nap or something like that. She has not been trying to get out of her crib, but I still think she's ready, or close to ready for the toddler bed.

Also, she peed in her toilet for the first time! I know this is such a mom-cliche thing to announce, but I was soo excited! She still hasnt figured out that she needs to stay sitting though... so that is kind of gross.

Brianna's word of the week is: Home - love it!

1-hr Glucose Test today! I have been eating low-carb since Monday night and have been fasting since last night at 9:00pm. The test is today at 5:00pm. I don't have super high hopes to pass it because I didn't last time. But I sure as heck am going to try! I'd really rather not take off another day of work to sit in the doctors office for four hours to take the 2nd one.

Lovies,

Catherine

26 weeks 3 days

Mom & Baby

I am starting to feel the weight of this baby inside of me. It's a very odd feeling. When I laugh, he bounces, when I turn over in bed, I have to move him too. It's just so WEIRD! He is already head down and you can tell because the jabs under my ribs are considerably stronger than the ones going the other way. Sometimes he will turn around and make me immediately nauseated. Often lately I am hit with the sadness that this will be the last time I will feel what this feels like. There is no way to capture it. I can videotape my belly moving, but I can't keep that "feeling" of my baby moving around inside of me forever. I know that I will soon forget and it makes me sad! So for now, I am enjoying every little kick, uncomfortable or not.

Things are going very well. I get fatigued a little quicker these days, and I keep developing these mysterious hives on my face- which I assume are pregnancy-related. Otherwise I feel very lucky to have had a virtually easy pregnancy so far.

One thing I have noticed is that I get Braxton Hicks contractions a LOT, like sometimes four or five an hour. I know they say not to call unless its six an hour, and so far they have pretty pretty inconsistent, so I'm not too worried.

Matt & The Fam
Sometimes I look at my husband and wonder how he keeps so cool. I freak out periodically whenever Brianna is being particularily difficult and worry that there is no way I can deal with two. In the same breath, whenever she is being particulaily sweet and adorable, I wonder how I can possibly love another child as much as her. I know these feelings are completely normal, but they are still real. Matt seems to be taking everything in stride. He doesnt even have any interest in setting up the crib yet, and won't let me until May. He is excited about having a son and talks about it often, but never in worry. I have no worries that he will be an amazing father to two, after seeing how great he is with Bri.

6 months down! 3 months left. :)

Motherhood

My new favorite part of the day is getting Bri out of bed in the morning and rocking her in the chair in her room in the dark. I just rub her back and speak to her very softly. This is the only time of day I can get her to snuggle me; it also allows her to wake up slowly and gives us a little time to bond.

I completely agree with the cliche that there is nothing better than being a mother. I thank God every day for my little miracles.

Catherine

Beth & Jon

For anyone who reads my blog, I would appreciate prayers for my best friend Beth and her husband Jon. They are currently 16 weeks pregnant and have experienced a myriad of problems that have caused an emotional roller coaster in their life. They have a very strong faith, but they are still human, and need our support. You can read about her journey here.

Thank you in advance for your thoughts and prayers.

Catherine

3/21/12 UPDATE: Baby Bailey Annelise passed from this world over the weekend. We know she is in a better place and hope she knows how much she was loved already. Continued prayers for Jon and Beth while they process the untimely passing of their daughter.

Updated family photo

Hi people, just thought I'd post a recent pic of the family. Hope all is well.

Our Weekend

This past weekend was the best I have had in a long time. It started on Friday night when Matt and I dropped Brianna off at my Mom's for the night. We drove to Maple Grove for dinner since it was near our hotel. As it was a Friday during Lent, our choices were limited. The staples (Red Lobster & Olive Garden) were an hour wait as well as most everything else. I was in no state to stand very long OR wait an hour for my food so I opted to keep searching.

We finally found Biaggi's. Biaggi's turned out to be our last ditch choice that should have been our first. We had never eaten there before but it was amazing!! I had the seafood cannelloni and Matt had the seafood pizza. The large pieces of king crab and lobster on both our dishes were awesome! The free bread definitely topped the cake. Not to mention, the service was excellent.

Since dinner was so great, it put us in a fabulous mood for the rest of the evening. We checked in at our hotel, (La Quinta Inn & Suites) where we were greeted kindly and unexpectedly upgraded to a King suite! Two rooms, two TVs, two bathrooms, a refridgerator and a microwave!  Next we spent some time swimming, and watched  Fast and Furious.

The next day we decided to pick up Bri and drive up to Albertville to do some outlet shopping, where Matt surprised me by taking me to the Coach store and letting me pick out whatever I want! His reasoning was that it was "just because" and he said that I should be able to have something nice. Once I got over the sticker shock (and after an hour of combing through the shelves), I selected a lovely white leather handbag with silver handles and the Coach logo in front. I LOVE it, but I'm not gonna lie...I'm still sort of afraid to touch it.

Afterwards we went home, picked up the house and relaxed for the rest of the night. The next day was Sunday and we spent the day reorganizing the house so that we could move our King SN bed downstairs and set up our new Queen in the bedroom. We got the Queen so that we could fit a pack n'play in the bedroom. It totally gives a whole new look to the place and I love it. There is a ton more room and I am looking forward to getting to snuggle with Matt at night now.

To top it all off, Bri did so well at my Mom's! She went to bed and slept for 11 hours just like at home. It was our first time leaving her since our hospital trip when she was 8 weeks old. I was worried that she might freak out, but she behaved so well and slept like a champ!

Lovies,
Catherine

23 Weeks and I swallowed a grapefruit.

I meant to take pictures every couple of weeks this entire pregnancy. That didn't happen... I dont think I have taken a belly pic since six weeks. I'm pretty big now though, gained 22 pounds so far (YIKES!). My co-workers remind me of preg I look almost every day... I am definitely looking forward to getting back on Weight Watchers in July and working on getting my body back.


According to TheBump.com, baby is about the size of a grapefruit. Some days he is super active and kicking and punching like its going out of style, then he will go two or three days with hardly any movement at all.

The name game is going pretty well. I think we have pretty much narrowed it down to one. For now, we are chosing to keep our decision quiet until the baby is born. I am not in love with the name we chose, but I feel very at peace with it, almost as though it was meant to be.

Names that I like that have been shot down by the hubs: Bentley, Jesse, Cade, Caden, Luca
Names that I will never get to use for a girl: Samantha, Olivia, Brielle
The boy names that I really like and can't use, because they already belong to my cousins are: Joshua, Ryan, Lucas, Andy, Alex.

Thats about it for now. No other major updates to report. My next doctor's appointment is on March 9th and I will be 25 1/2 weeks.

Lovies,
Catherine

New due date and reflections

Our 20 week OB was on Friday. It went really well. They said baby is measuring 21 weeks and they moved ny due date to June 20th, even though the ultrasound reflected June 15th. Also, they confirmed that baby is definitely a boy. So far I've gained 11 lbs and am still starving all the time so I don't expect that will go away any time soon.

Since this pregnancy is flying by, I wanted to document some random things to remember it by, particularly in comparison to my first. I also did want to mention that I started feeling baby move a lot starting yesterday at 21 weeks.

1. I have lost a lot of hair continuously since the early weeks. I remember loosing a lot of hair after I had Brianna, so I am definitely worried that I am going to go bald once this one pops out.

2. Morning (all day) sickness with Brianna was awful and quite memorable until the 14th week, when it went away for the most part. This time around I had all day nausea (but still not near as bad) until the 14th week, except now I often experience it if I have not eaten enough.

3. I was hardly ever hungry with my first pregnancy, in the beginning due to MS, which resulted in a significant weight loss instead of gain. This time around I can't seem to get enough to eat; often resulting in 2nd breakfast and lunch. I'm not very hungry.around dinner.

4. My belly definitely popped sooner with this baby. I started to show closer to 15 weeks instead of 25 or so last time. My belly also has a much nicer roundness to it, and is carried out in front instead of spread out to the sides like last time.

5. Everything is much more chill this time in general. The nursery is already decorated in neutral colors, we have everything we need to take care of a baby except boy clothing; which I am slowly accumulating, I am not panicking about the fact that baby boy has no name, (although it would be nice). The first 20 weeks have gone so fast, I am not in any hurry to get him out. My due date is pretty iffy, but as long as he wants to.cook is fine with me! We also have no baby books to read or classes to take that we had not already done.

6. I have developed a definite aversion to onions, but am loving cheese this time around. It only gives me trouble if I eat a lot of it. I can (and do!) eat most foods.

7. I started feeling Bri move a lot at 20 weeks. They always say you feel the second baby sooner but that was just not the case. I felt this one once.or twice around 11 weeks, and then not again until 21 weeks, as I mentioned above.

Other than that I have been so busy with work and parenting Bri with Matt that this generally easy pregnancy has been pretty great! Hopefully the labor and delivery will follow suit. Time to go watch the superbowl with the family!

Lonely

I remember that this happened with Bri too, but I forgot how LONELY it feels being pregnant. I know I seem perfectly sane at work, but between my emotional mood swings, clinginess and paranoia at home, poor Matt doesn't know what to think! He has pretty much been steering clear of me to avoid this and it feels like the last thing I need. I know it will get better in a few months, it just sucks right now... :(

Lovies,
Catherine

18 Weeks 3 Days

Baby is now 18 weeks old. I am still feeling great, just tired at night; which is a pretty easy symptom to put up with. Who can argue with getting more sleep? The interweb says that baby is about the size of a mango. I'm not sure how much I really buy those fruit comparisons though, since they consider a cantaloupe to be smaller than a large grapefruit.. hmm.. don't think so. I did find the information below to be pretty interesting. Matt says it is just depressing :).

Congratulations!


Your Due Date Is Saturday, June 23, 2012
You are in Week 18 of your pregnancy
Your Third Trimester will begin 3/24/2012
129 days down, 151 to go!

Fun Due Date Facts
• Zodiac Sign: Cancer
• Birthstone: Pearl
• Birth Flower: Rose or Honeysuckle
• Chinese Zodiac: The Black Water Dragon
• Half Birthday: December 22
• This time next year your baby will be 30 Weeks Old!
• Babies born on 6/23/2012 will start kindergarten in 2017, be old enough to drive a car in 2028, finish high school in 2030, and will graduate from college with the class of 2034, give or take a year. Can you imagine?

Famous People Born On This Day
• Art Modell was born in 1925
• Clarence Thomas was born in 1948
• Frances McDormand was born in 1957

On This Day In History...
• The U.S. Secret Service was established in 1860
• The type-writer was patented by Christopher Latham in 1868
• The Civil Aeronautics Authority was established in 1938
• A star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame was given to Roger Ebert in 2005
• This time last year you weren't even pregnant yet!

My next appointment is also the 20-week ultrasound on 2/3/12. I am pretty psyched about that, mostly because we get to confirm that Baby C. is indeed a little dude and not a little chick.

It's a....

BOY!!

Saturday morning we had an appointment at Bella Angel Imaging. When we got there, we told the ultrasound tech that when she figured out the gender, that we wanted her to write it on a piece of paper so that we could find out together later on. We managed to go almost twelve hours without opening the envelope, but when we did we were sooooo excited! I cannot imagine anything more perfect. One of each, less than two years a part. I feel sooo lucky! We are still not decided on the name, and since we are only 16 weeks along, it's probably too early anyway. I am having a hard time not wanting to work on the nursery though... :)