Doctor, Doctor, Doctor...

We're seeing various doctors and nurses a lot this week.  Today, Monday, I'm going in to get my blood drawn to see how my platelets are doing now, almost 2 weeks since my last appointment.  I decided to go in today instead of tomorrow before my appointment, so that I can have the results and we can discuss them tomorrow when we see my doctor again.  Tomorrow, Tuesday, I have my bi-weekly appointment with my obgyn.  Usually my appointments are on Wednesdays, but he didn't have an appointment opening on Wednesday this week, so I planned my appointment for Tuesday.  I've already scheduled the rest of my appointments for the remainder of the pregnancy, so I know I'll see him on Wednesday afternoons from here on out.  Then on Friday I'm taking Avery to the doctor for her 18 month appointment.  I can't believe she's almost 18 months already!  That means her brother's arrival is basically a month away!  What a scary thought!  :P  But I'm looking forward to it.  So we'll (I'll) be running all over the place this week going from one office to another.  We'll be seeing a lot of my mom this week, which I couldn't be happier about.  In these final weeks of pregnancy I'm feeling more and more worn out and the babies are getting tougher and tougher for me to care for on my own.  Every day my mom comes to help out is a little more off of my plate and a little relief in my day and week.

Pregnancy Update - 34 Weeks

How far along:  34 weeks!!  Only 6 weeks to go!!  Time went by so quickly!  He'll be here before we know it!  :D

Due date:  May 9, 2014

Next doctor's appointment:  April 1st

Our baby is the size of a veggie/fruit/food:  Cantaloupe or Butternut Squash

Our baby in man terms:  Mini Schnauzer or Ukulele

Total weight gain/loss:  +17lbs.  I was mistaken last week.  I have not yet surpassed my heaviest weight ever.  I still have 1 pound to go.  I'm certain I'll get there and surpass it since I still have 6 weeks to go.  But having not even put on 20 pounds yet, when the recommended weight gain is somewhere between 25 and 35, I think I'm doing just fine.  My doctor is pleased with my weight, so that's all that matters.  :)  That and a healthy baby are all I care about, and the way he moves constantly, he HAS to be healthy!  And strong!  :)  Just can't wait to meet him!  :D

News:  We hit 34 weeks today!  Woohoo!!  Only 6 weeks to go!!  I'm going to go in on Monday to get my blood drawn again so that we will have the results to discuss them at my appointment on Tuesday.  Hopefully they're good and my platelets are either staying the same or going up.  We will see this week.  I've had what seems like a healthy couple of weeks, so hopefully the doctor will confirm that all is well.  :)

Best moments this week:  Shrimp!!  :D  Danielle came over to watch Avery for a bit last night and Michael and I went out to Red Lobster where we both got shrimp!  It was delicious!!  They didn't have the never-ending shrimp, but it turns out I wouldn't have had room in my stomach anyway.  ;)  It was nice to get away for a bit with just Michael.  Avery's little attitude lately has been putting me on edge.  An evening out was just what I needed.  :)

Milestones:  34 weeks down, 6 weeks to go!  Started packing our hospital bag this week, just a few things.  I think all the Braxton Hicks contractions have me a little worried that he might come early and I need to be ready.  ;)  Trying to get the last few things I need ready.  :)  Trouble is, I still need stuff from Sis and Adam.  Wish they would hurry and bring that stuff over so I could check those things off my list...  Maybe I'll just have to go pick them up this weekend so I know they're done.  We're quickly running out of time!!

Symptoms:  Heartburn, Shortness of Breath, Fatigue, Frequent Urination, Braxton Hicks Contractions, and some Lower Back Pain are my main symptoms at the moment.

Maternity clothes?  Oh yes!  I seem to be getting bigger every day!  Although with the weather warming up I'm mostly wearing maxi dresses, which technically are not maternity, but they compensate for my "larger than life" form.  ;)  I also enjoy wearing Michael's size large t-shirts and sweatpants, they are so comfy!  Looking forward to being a reasonable size again.

Stretch marks?  Yup, mostly my stretch marks are just widening and darkening from the ones Avery gave me, but they are getting red again and no longer fading into the pigment of my skin.  Haven't noticed any entirely new marks.  I seem to be growing in the same way and places as I did with Avery, which has been keeping the stretch marks growing instead of getting new ones all together.

Belly Button in or out?  In.  I expect it to remain there.  This is fine with me.  The outtie belly button freaks me out a little, lol!

Movement:  Lots!  Connor loves to jump up and down on my bladder in the morning.  He also loves to wiggle and squirm when I'm laying down and resting, whether in the middle of the day or in the evening when I'm getting ready to go to sleep.  He tends to be more quiet when I'm up and moving around, like at work, but he'll still kick his feet out my side as he's relaxing and enjoying the sway of my movements.  ;)  He's going to be such a good kid!  I think he and his sister and going to make a great, rambunctious team.  :)  Michael and I will have our hands full with these two!  :D

Gender:  We're having a little boy!!  :) 

Sleep:  I am still sleeping decently.  It takes a little while for me to get comfortable and fall asleep, but I do eventually (and usually earlier and earlier in the evening if Avery and work allow).  This week I didn't wake up with too much heartburn, maybe only 1 or 2 days.  Tums help just fine with that.  I do have to get up at least once, sometimes twice a night to pee.  I think Connor may be making his way lower into my pelvis, because the urge to pee is getting stronger.  He especially loves to jump on my bladder first thing in the morning.  :P  How sweet of him!  Lol!  Looking forward to sleeping easier again soon (sort of).  ;)

Food cravings:  Ice cream, salty snacks, shrimp, and salad.  As usual, the dairy craving is ever present in my pregnancy, I just can't get over it!  This week I bought Ben and Jerry's 'Hazed and Confused' new Core line.  Basically it has 2 flavors of ice cream in 1 pint (hazelnut and chocolate with chocolate chunks) and in the center is a core of hazelnut fudge (basically nutella).  It was AMAZING!!!!  It may be my new favorite Ben and Jerry's flavor!  It only lasted about a day and a half.  Now I'm out of ice cream again, lol, but it was sooooooo good!!  :D  Along with my sweet tooth comes the craving for salty things to balance out the sweet.  This week we had corn chips in the house.  They were yummy!  :)  I already mentioned that Michael and I went to Red Lobster last night.  Buttery delicious shrimp scampi was my shrimp of choice this time.  I can never get enough shrimp scampi!  It will always be at the top of my list.  :)  Finally, salad...  I think it's the warmer weather that's making a crisp, clean, fresh salad sound so good lately, but I have had several this week and they hit the spot each time!  Yummy!!  :D

Food aversions:  I have no aversions.  I want to eat it all!!  :D  Will have to remember to reign in all this excessive eating when I no longer have a parasite inside me stealing all my nutrients.  ;)  Thank goodness for nursing and it's pregnancy weight loss assistance!  Hopefully I'll do as well with losing weight after Connor as I did with Avery.  I was back to my prepregnancy weight 4 weeks after having Avery.  Of course, my figure had changed and weight had been distributed differently in that time, but the actual number on the scale fell relatively easy.  Hopefully it goes as well this time.  *fingers crossed*

What I miss:  Being a reasonable size.  :\  I feel HUGE right now, and I know I'm only going to get bigger in the next 6 weeks.  I also miss wine.  As the warm weather sets in I really want to light the tiki torches and have a glass of wine in the evening.  I'm sure I'll get to enjoy a glass by the end of the summer or so.  ;)  As I write this, I'm also missing my calm, laid back baby girl, who has been replaced by a girl with a whole lot of attitude...  Must fix this situation soon...

What I'm loving:  I love feeling Connor move and wiggle.  I love counting down the days and weeks until his arrival.  I love knowing that we will have the picture perfect little family of 4 with a little boy and a little girl.  I love buying things and getting ready for Connor's arrival.  I love the random texts and messages from friends and family asking what we still need or what styles and colors I like, because I know they're excited to meet him too.  :)

What I'm looking forward to:  Meeting Connor.  I'm looking forward to having Courtney there to take pictures of our journey in becoming parents again.  I'm anxiously anticipating what he'll look like and whether he'll resemble Michael more, since Avery looks so much like me.  I'm looking forward to being cared for in the hospital and not rushing us out, enjoying the time with Connor to bond and get to know him before we take him home and Avery gets to bond with him too.  I'm looking forward to 2 months off of work to spend exclusively with my family.  I'm looking forward to the week before Connor's birth when I plan to pamper myself and finish the last details on the house and preparation for his arrival.  It's hard to believe we only have 6 weeks left!  This pregnancy has FLOWN by!!!

Thoughts and feelings about Michael:  I could not have gotten through this pregnancy without the help of my sweet husband.  He has been at my side, tending to my needs and wants every step of the way.  While he may roll his eyes at me when I play the pregnancy card, he still helps me so much and gets me all the things I need.  He's excited to have a son and it makes me excited to have one as well.  He's already such an amazing Daddy to Avery, I'm so anxious to see how great he'll be with a son as well.  I could not have dreamed of having a better partner in life.  I am so blessed by him each and every day.  :)  I love that sweet man so very much!

Thoughts and feelings about Avery:  Miss Avery is going to be the ringleader of trouble as she continues to grow.  Although she's been around Dayton almost her entire life, she's showing more and more attributes of an older child.  She takes initiative and shows many leadership skills that may or may not lead her to trouble as she decides how to use them.  She's going to have no problem being the girl amongst the boys as she grows up with Dayton and Connor.  She's assertive and knows what she wants.  ;)  And while her sassy-pants attitude is getting on my nerves lately, I know it's only a phase.  Soon she'll be able to communicate well and won't get nearly as frustrated when she can't.  Soon she'll understand cause and effect and we'll reign in some of her 'tude.  ;)  I can't wait to continue to watch her as she grows.  I know she's going to be a heartbreaker and keep her Daddy and me on our toes.  ;)  She's also going to be an incredible big sister!

Labor signs:  Braxton Hicks

Goals:  Pack the hospital bag and check more things off of my to-do list.

Weekly Wisdom:  I've got nothing at the moment.  Just trying to be patient.  ;)  Much easier said than done for me.  :P

Getting closer...

Our big day is getting closer, and I'm not any closer to being ready for Connor's arrival.  *sigh*  We have 6 weeks and 1 day left until Connor's due date.  I have decided to talk to my doctor at my next appointment about scheduling an induction for my due date if Connor hasn't decided to come on his own.  That puts our countdown at 43 days, and at least by the end of that countdown we'll be at the hospital in the process of making things happen and getting Connor on his way here.  :)

I did get our maternity photos scheduled!  :)  We're going to Newton on April 8th to get pictures taken!  :)  I want to have a few pictures with Avery in them as well, so we're going to bring her with us.  However, most of the pictures will just be Michael and me.  My mom is coming with us as well so that she can entertain Avery while we work on the rest of our pictures.  :)  Looking forward to our shoot.  The pregnancy phase is so fleeting, it will be nice to have a few professional pictures to remember it by.  Soon after we'll have a son and the memories of pregnancy will begin to fade from my mind.  It's been such a fun and satisfying experience.  I am so blessed to have been able to carry these two children.  I'm looking forward to raising them and seeing them become amazing people.  :)

One item on my to-do list that I really need to begin working on is our hospital bag.  I really need to start getting a few things packed up and ready.  However, this requires a fair amount of work on laundry, that I just haven't been up for lately.  :\  Oh well.  Maybe today will be the day I have the energy to finally get to work on it.  ;)

In other news, we are getting another new roommate!!  Nate, one of Michael's and my friend from college (who played in the Cru band with Michael, lived with Michael his junior year of college, went to Africa with me, and was one of the groomsmen in our wedding), is moving to Wichita for his last 2 years of med school.  He's been in Kansas City for his first 2 years and was chosen in the lottery to spend his last 2 years down here.  We offered him a place to stay quite a while back when he was still over a year from moving.  I don't even know if Phil was living here at the time.  :P  But now the time has come and he's decided to take us up on the offer.  Having roommates has been great for Michael and me.  We've been able to build up our savings, have a little more money to live on, and build up Avery's college fund by having a little more monthly income.  It's a win-win situation for our roommates too, because they're able to stay in a nice home for a very affordable price with no contract or lease, so if they just need a place for a few months (like Phil did) it's easy to get in and out.  Since our family is still young and growing, we're just now barely filling the upstairs.  We don't use the basement much anyway, so we might as well let someone else use it and put that extra income toward things like medical bills and such.  ;)  Ok, back to my original point...  Nate moving in means we need to prepare another bedroom.  Previously, the 2nd bedroom had been a guest room.  Well, that won't be the case come mid-May.  Nate will move into our guest room and Beth will stay in the larger 2nd bedroom in the basement.  However, the guest room isn't quite finished.  We need to add doors and shelves to the closet in Nate's room to make it a little more functional.  We discussed the project with my parents last night and it doesn't seem like it's going to cost too much to get the room up and running.  Besides the closet, the room will mostly need cleaning out, removing the bed and nightstand that's in there, and getting our stuff out and into the storage room or garage.  Shouldn't be too much work, especially with Michael's help.  :D  We might end up doing a lot that week before Connor's born when we have some baby-free time.  ;)

Another project we have in the works now is getting a pantry built for our kitchen.  We're making things work, but space is tight for Beth and her food in the kitchen.  :\  With Nate moving in, we'll be looking at even less space.  So we're going to get a pantry built for our kitchen!!  :D  This is something we've been needing for 2 years since we moved in!  But having roommates and a little extra income has provided the motivation and budget to finally make it a reality!  :)  We're also considering another furniture rearrangment in the basement to accommodate a new fridge and microwave so that Nate and Beth can have more room to store and cook their food.  Of course, they're welcome to use the upstairs kitchen, but having a little extra in the basement will help with storage space and will give them a little more luxury in the basement.  :)  Lots of plans...  We'll see how much gets done before Nate gets here!  :D

Alrighty, well, that's about all I have for this morning.  I'll get back on and write more if something comes to mind.  ;)  Until then, have a nice Thursday!  I'm looking forward to having another day off today!  :)  We might end up at PetCo tonight.  ;)  Harlee's birthday was yesterday and Gabby's is next week!  They both need something special for being such good puppies.  :)  Anyways, have a good week!  Thanks for reading!  I'll be back again tomorrow for the weekly pregnancy update, and maybe some pictures!  :D
Love you!
-Jen

Birth Plan

I was going through my list of things to do before Connor gets here when I realized that I haven't made a birthplan or even mentioned one in my lists.  Not that it matters a whole lot, I took my plan with me last time, but didn't actually give it to anyone.  I felt like I was still well informed and consulted throughout the process of my labor and delivery.  Mostly I want to go through what I want and discuss things with Michael so he can help make decisions and advocate for me.  :)  Things went very well last time and I expect them to go well again, but we probably need to talk it over again, just to refresh our memories.  I went online to find some birthplan templates and realized how many decisions there were to make.  I'd forgotten!  We aren't taking a birthing class before Connor's birth, so we haven't discussed the various options recently.  Guess I'll have to add one more item to my to-do list.  ;) 

I did manage to get some house cleaning done yesterday while the babies were napping.  I didn't do too much, but enough to make things look better and not to overwork myself.  I think I'll be able to get some more work done today.  I think I've finished my list of everything I want to pack to take to the hospital.  Maybe today I'll clean out our suitcase and begin packing a few items and tracking down some others.  Today might also be a good day to put together my labor and delivery playlists.  I'll have to get a few suggestions on slow songs, it was much easier putting my fast list together...

Wish me luck!  Only 45(ish) more days until Connor gets here!  Just a month and a half left!  Can't wait to meet my little guy!  Lots to do in the meantime, though, so off to work I go!  ;)  Have a great Tuesday!  :D

Tugfest!!

Tugfest is coming closer!!  Today is Sara's, Michael's cousin's, birthday!  I only see her about once a year at Tugfest.  Being reminded that today is her birthday prompted me to look up how long it is until Tugfest!  So I looked up the dates and I was pleased to see that Tugfest is only 4 months and 2 weeks away!!  Can you believe it?!!?!?!  I hate to think of the lists I'm going to have to make to prepare for that trip with a 22 month old and a 3 month old, but I'm looking forward to it none-the-less!!  :D  It will be so much fun introducing the family to Connor!  :)  Last year we introduced the family to Avery for the first time, now here we'll be again, one short year later, introducing the family to our son!  :D  How fun!!  :)  Then we'll be done introducing the family to our new kiddos, lol!  So excited for my picture perfect family of four!  :D

Naptime!

My baby knows what she needs for her naps, lol!  When she's starting to get tired she grabs a pillow off the couch, or pulls herself up onto the couch and lays on a pillow.  Then she grabs a blanket and covers herself up.  This is normally where she stops.  However, today she did something even more sweet and adorable than usual.  ;)  Today, after she grabbed the pillow and blanket and laid them on the floor by the front door, she got up and ran to the fireplace where her Valentine's Day puppy from Grandma and Grandpa Henrie was sitting.  She grabbed the puppy, hugged him around the neck, and took him back to her pallet on the floor where she laid her head on her pillow and covered up with her blanket.  It was adorable.  I'm just so crazy about that sweet little girl.  :)

The Last 7 Weeks

I can't believe we're so close to the end.  In about a month and a half Connor will be here and our lives will be changed in a big way once again.  It's crazy to think of having 2 babies living in our home.  19 months apart, that's all the farther they'll be.  I hope that they like each other and will grow up being the best of friends.  I'm sure my ornery little girl will teach her little brother how to be contrary.  ;)  But I know she's going to love him so much.  :)  She cares a great deal for Dayton, who is very close to being a brother to her.  She light up when he comes around and is always excited to see him, play with him, and talk to him.  It will take a while before Connor will be old enough and big enough to really play with Avery.  I hope she's patient in the meantime.  ;)  I think she's going to be a very helpful big sister.  She's understanding so much more when Michael and I talk to her.  She understands and recognizes many objects in her books and in the world around her.  She can follow simple two-step commands like, "Get your baby and put her in bed."  She's such a smart cookie!  I hope she'll be excited to help Michael and me in caring for Connor.  :)  It should be an interesting transition.

I am so incredibly thankful for my mom and all the help she's given me.  Early on in my pregnancy she came over to help me with the babies on the days when my morning sickness was bad.  She was care for them and I'd just lay in bed feeling worthless, waiting for my zofran to kick in.  I'm so glad to be out of that stage!!  She also came over at least once a month (and usually much more often than that) to watch the babies so I could go to my monthly doctor's appointment without having to haul them along.  That's been a huge blessing.  It's nice to have even an hour just for Michael and me to talk to the doctor and be excited about our new baby.  :)  She has been over usually about once a week (sometimes more than that) since I began watching Dayton.  I appreciate the adult interaction, the time to be able to sneak off and take a shower, the extra help with the babies, and the help in allowing me to actually be able to leave the house with the babies and go places like the store, Michael's office, or the zoo.  :)  As Connor's due date rapidly approaches, I've needed more of my mom's help, since she's available during the day when Michael can't help.  Sometimes it's just some extra help with the babies that I need, but since 30 weeks, my appointments have become more frequent.  Now I need her over once every 2 weeks to watch the babies for my doctor's appointment, and it's only going to get more frequent!  When I hit the 36 week mark, I'll have a weekly appointment!  (I can't wait!)  And what I'm REALLY thankful and looking forward to is the week before Connor is due, when my mom has agreed to watch Avery and Dayton for me the entire week at Sis and Adam's house!!  :D  That week I'll really have an opportunity to focus on me and the house.  As much as I try, I can only do so much housework with 2 one-year-olds awake and running around.  Whether it's them getting upset because I'm working in the kitchen and temporarily out of eyeshot, or Avery getting upset because I won't pick her up, or even anger because I won't give them graham crackers at a moment's notice, something is always drawing me back and keeping me from my housework.  :\  That final week of my pregnancy, Avery will be out of the house for a good chunk of the day and I intend to take advantage.  I also play on resting, eating, and watching tv.  I don't want to wear myself out so much, cleaning before Connor arrives, that I have no energy to give birth.  Sleeping in will be nice too.  *sigh*  It will be like a week of vacation!  A calm before the storm.  ;)  I'm looking forward to some me-focused time.  :D  I'm so thankful to my mom for making that possible.  Then, after Connor gets here, my mom will be watching Dayton for week 1, while Avery stays home with Michael, Connor, and me to get aquainted with her new baby brother and so we can all spend time together as a family.  During week 2 Michael will have to go back to work.  That week Avery will go back to Sis and Adam's with my mom and Dayton.  I will get a week with Connor where we can both rest, relax, and have quiet naps all day to ourselves.  The next couple of weeks are still a little fuzzy as far as the plan goes...  I know eventually Avery and Dayton will be back as my house, and I know my mom will be here to help for a week or more if I need it.  We just haven't completely nailed down the timeline on when that will happen...  I might want a 2nd week with just Connor at home with me, or maybe by week 3 I'll be ready to have Avery and Dayton back to home with me, as long as I have some extra help...  We'll see.  We've got up to 2 weeks after Connor's birth planned, the rest we can play by ear as it gets here.  :)  Not much time left to go!

Less than 7 more weeks.  46 days.  I know that's the longest it should take, because with my platelets, my doctor won't make me go passed my due date.  During my 38 week appointment I plan on talking to my doctor about scheduling my induction (if we don't schedule it earlier than that) for Connor's due date.  I'm not in much of a hurry to get him out early (I know that 40 weeks is still the goal), but if he hasn't decided to come on his own by his due date, then we'll take the necessary measures to get the process started.  How crazy would it be if both of my kids were born on their due dates?!  Even more crazy, if I went into labor naturally with both of them and they came on their due date?!  You see, I scheduled an induction for Avery for October 5th.  But beginning early in the morning on October 4th, I began having contractions.  They weren't enough to progress my labor until about 9pm.  When I'd had transitional labor contractions for about an hour and they were getting close together, we went to the hospital.  Avery arrived on her own time frame, without needing to be induced, on her due date, October 5th, at 10:55am.  :)  Maybe Connor will follow suit and do the same thing.  ;)  Time will tell.  :)

In 7 short weeks it seems I have so much to do!  I know you probably don't care, but I do better with lists, so here's my list (that I can think of now) of what needs to be done before Connor's arrival.  I'll try to keep the list limited to things that actually need done before he gets here and not just stuff on my list, like my never-ending cleaning.  :P
-Set up pack and play in our room
-Install carseat in my car
-Install carseat base in Michael's car
-Take unnecessary items out of Connor's room (Avery's chair, Dayton's pack and play, carseat, Dayton and Avery's diapers, spare pack and play
-Buy new tubes for breast pump
-Set up breast pump next to our bed so it's ready to use, read up on it to make sure I know how to use it properly
-Buy or make a pumping bra
-Pack a hospital bag for Michael, Connor, and me
-Pack a small overnight bag for Avery in case she ends up spending a night with Sis and Adam if we need to go to the hospital in the middle of the night
-Buy snacks to take to the hospital for Michael and me
-Put new labor and delivery playlists on my ipod
-Pack ipod and speakers
-Create slow labor and delivery playlist
-Make and freeze meals for maternity leave
-Pull newborn toys and accessories out of storage (swing, boppy, playmat, hanging toys, plastic and fabric books, bouncer, etc.)
-Get playmat, hooded towels and bath sling from Sis and Adam
-Go over lists to make sure we have everything we need for Connor (receiving blankets, boy baby blankets, baby book, etc.)
-Go over lists to make sure we have everything we need for me (nursing tank tops, nursing bras, pumping bra, lanosil, pads, ice packs)
-Schedule and have maternity photos taken
-Inform Courtney of any induction scheduling, that she may make time on her schedule
-Wait for Connor to get here.  ;)

Seems like a pretty big list for 7 weeks, but many of the items won't take much time.  Still, there's plenty to do before our little man gets here!  ;)  I'll be very busy for the next several weeks when you add in the daily house cleaning and the deep cleaning to prepare for Alia's party in just 2 more weeks.  There's always something, right?

I'm looking forward to May and June when I'll be off work for maternity leave!  :D  It will be so nice not having to work around my schedule to spend time with my family.  :)  And having those warm months off means we'll probably have several days at the zoo and pool together.  :)  It will be wonderful!  :)  Looking forward to our perfect little life with our daughter and son enjoying a much needed extended family vacation from regular life.  :)  Can't wait!

Well, that's probably more than enough for this morning.  ;)  Hope you all have a wonderful week!
Love,
Jen

Pregnancy Update - 33 Weeks

How far along:  33 weeks!!  Can't believe we only have about 49 days left!  Time has FLOWN by!

Due date:  May 9th, 2014.  After getting the results of my bloodwork yesterday, I hope we're still able to make it to May.  The actual date doesn't matter so much, but I do want to make it to the month of May, which would only make him up to 8 days early, which is still full-term.  39 weeks, that's the goal.  Healthy (fully baked) babies are worth the weight.  I'd rather have steroids to keep my platelets up and give him longer to get to 39 weeks.  I have a lot to talk to my doctor about when I see him in a couple weeks.

Next doctor's appointment:  Tuesday, April 1st.  My doctor/time wasn't available for my usual Wednesday appointment this week, so we'll go in on Tuesday, then move back to Wednesday appointments for the rest of the pregnancy.

Our baby is the size of a veggie/fruit/food:  Pineapple or durian fruit (3/4 apps agreed on pineapple, but of course, my bump.com app had to be difficult and pull out something totally random, lol)

Our baby in man terms:  Small tackle box or ukulele (I must admit, the man terms are way more fun than the various fruits and veggies, lol)

Total weight gain/loss: +16.4 lbs.  I am now the heaviest I've ever been in my entire life.  I started Avery's pregnancy a little lower and have now surpassed the high number from her pregnancy...  What's worse is that I still have 7 weeks to go!!  :\  Here's hoping the weight gain slows.  But, in the end, if my doctor is happy with it, I suppose I won't complain.  Just want a healthy baby boy.  :)

News:  I went to the doctor this week.  My blood pressure was high (130/78, 130/88) and my platelets were low (102K).  Everything else was fine and my doctor's nurse wasn't concerned with anything else in my bloodwork.  I'll have lots of questions for my doctor again when I see him in a week and a half.

Best moments this week:  Avery, lol, she's a hoot and a half.  She is such a silly little kid!  She makes me laugh on a daily basis.  :)

Milestones:  Nothing much this week.  Still doing bi-weekly appointment, reached 33 weeks, but that's no huge milestone.  I guess you could call today a milestone as we went under 50 days until Connor's arrival!  :D

Symptoms:  Heartburn, stretch marks, itchy belly, frequent urges to pee, getting up in the middle of the night to pee or ward off heartburn, every growing abdomen, sore back and feet (definitely feels like I'm in the home stretch)  :P

Maternity clothes?  Yes!

Stretch marks?  Widening and darkening of Avery's marks.  Nothing new yet.  I didn't start getting marks at all with Avery until 34 weeks.  I'm sure the next 7 weeks will be chalk full of new stretch marks for me, lol!

Belly Button in or out?  In.  Avery keeps poking it and saying "baby".  I suppose that's how he got in there and how he'll come out.  ;)  I'm glad she's only one and we don't have to have that conversation yet.

Movement:  Lots!  He moves more and more each day!  :)  I'm enjoying all of his wiggles.  I know that too soon it will be over and I'll never feel these amazing sensations again.  I am so blessed to have been able to carry my two children and feel them move inside of me.  Pregnancy has been a fun adventure and a blessing.  I am thankful for the opportunity to be a part of this amazing creation of life.  :)  It's simply incredible, everything that's going on.  :)

Gender:  It's a boy!!

Sleep:  I'm now gettting up on a nightly basis to go to the bathroom.  I started getting up in the middle of the night a couple weeks ago, but it wasn't until about now that I was up every night to go pee.  I'm sure that will just continue in the next 7 weeks, especially as Connor moves farther down and presses on my bladder more.

Food cravings:  Hot fudge, milk, salad

Food aversions:  Cooking

What I miss:  Moving and breathing easy in bed, being able to bend over to pick something up

What I'm loving:  Movement.  I love talking to Connor as he moves and wiggles around.  :)

What I'm looking forward to:  Seeing what Connor looks like!  Since Avery was born, almost everyone says she looks like me.  I'm anxious to see if Connor will end up looking like Michael.  :)

Thoughts and feelings about Michael:  Michael has been very helpful this week (like every week).  I appreciate his help on the housework as I'm getting larger and more tired and just don't have the energy to do it.  He's been a great help.  :)

Thoughts and feelings about Avery:  This little girl is so stinkin' silly!  :P  I just love watching her grow and discover new things.  She brings so much joy to our lives.  I hope things go well with her when we bring Connor home.  :)  I think she's going to be a wonderful big sister!  :D

Labor signs:  Braxton Hicks

Goals:  More cleaning (Why do I say the same thing, week after week?  Because with two one-year-olds in my house, I can never catch up.  *sigh*)

Weekly Wisdom:  Nothing coming to mind today.  Maybe later this week.  Happy Friday, everyone!  :)

Another Doctor's Appointment! :)

I'll probably just end up saying all of this information again tomorrow (or the next day) when I type up my 33 week pregnancy update, but that's ok, I want to update you all on how my appointment went yesterday anyway.  :)

Before I went in for my appointment, I went upstairs to the lab.  I needed to get my blood drawn to check my platelets again.  We'll be doing this for every appointment from here on out to make sure that my platelets stay up.  The nurse called me this morning with the results of my bloodwork, and my platelets were down to 102,000.  This isn't good...  I need them to stay above 100,000 to go to the Birthcare Center.  I didn't get this close to that line with Avery until I was just a week and a half from delivering.  If they get down to 80,000, my doctor will give me a steroid shot which will (hopefully) improve my platelet count and will (at the very least) develop Connor's lungs in case he needs to make his arrival a little early.  Guess we'll keep an eye on them and just take it one appointment at a time.  :\

First off, the office is on schedule much better when Dr. Kauffman isn't around, lol.  Turns out it's him and all his chit-chatting that always puts them behind, because even with a nursing student following along and answering questions, Megan, the Nurse Practicioner that I saw yesterday (since Dr. Kauffman is in Hawaii) had us in and out in 20 minutes.  It can take over an hour sometimes with Dr. Kauffman.  :P  Oh well!  Both are nice people, treat me well, and do a great job, so I suppose I don't mind either way.  That being said, I enjoyed how quick things went yesterday for a change.  ;)  I'll have to give Dr. Kauffman grief about it when we see him again in 2 weeks.  ;)

We started off with my weight, and while she didn't say anything about it the way Dr. Kauffman does sometimes, I know around where it's been and I've stayed the same if not lost a pound or so.  Either way, my weight is in a good and healthy range.  Only 8 weeks to keep it that way.

My belly was measuring exactly what it should be, 32 cm, 32 weeks.  I can't help but think that this measurement is an inexact science, but they do it each appointment none-the-less.  She found Connor's heartbeat right away.  He didn't try to run from her this week like he did a couple weeks ago.  His heartbeat was 134 bpm, right where it's been almost the entire pregnancy.  At least he's consistant.  ;)

They took my blood pressure again at the end, but it hadn't gone down.  It was 130/88 at the end of the appointment.  This, coupled with the news about my platelets this morning, has me a little worried.  These could be indications of something bigger happening.  I suppose we'll just wait a couple of weeks and talk to Dr. Kauffman about it more when we see him again.  It won't be long.

Please keep Michael, Avery, Connor, and me in your prayers as we get close to the end of this pregnancy.  Our lives are all about to change in a very exciting way.  And please keep our recent health concerns in your prayers.  Hopefully my platelets stay right where they are and we don't have any more problems.  Hopefully my blood pressure was a fluke and I'm back down to my normal range soon.  I'll keep you informed as I know more.

Who Can I Pay???

Seriously...  Who can I pay to clean my house??  I'm so overwhelmed by the constant mess that Avery and Dayton make, the never ending laundry, the dishes and the kitchen, I'm exhausted.  I know I overuse the pregnancy card, but that's what I'm blaming this on.  I used to be able to keep up on this stuff and have the energy to do it, but lately I can't.  I'm worn out.  I just want to leave the house for 12 hours.  I want to get a manicure, a pedicure, a massage, and a haircut.  And when I get home from a day of worrying about myself instead of Avery, Dayton, the house, and the mess, I want the house to be cleaned.  I want my dishes done and the dishwasher empty.  I want the floor vacuumed and the dog pee spots out of the carpet.  I want the laundry done and put away, diapers too.  I want the books mended, put away, and not strung all over the upstairs.  I want my kitchen and bathrooms deep cleaned and sanitized.  I want the toys in the basement put away and more pee spots cleaned up.  I want the desk cleaned and organized and all our important papers safely stored in a safety deposit box at the bank and not in a less-than-secure file cabinet.  I'm tired.  I blame it on pregnancy.  I know this overwhelmed feeling isn't going to go away when Connor gets here, but I know eventually I'll have energy again and I'll at least keep up.  I'm worn out now and just feel like crying when I look at the huge mess and wonder where to begin (this, I also blame on the pregnancy, stupid hormones).  I'm overwhelmed and need help.  So who can I pay to clean my house?  Because as much as I'd like to help, pitch in, and do some of the work myself, what I want more is a shower, a hot meal on my own time instead of the babies', and a nap.  Cleaning this daunting mess is low on my list.  Ugh.  What a day.  This rant is brought to you by this picture of Dayton tearing tissues up all over the floor.  Where did he get them?  Avery climbed on top of the breakfast nook table and proceeded to pull them, one by one, out of the box.  Where was I?  Laying on the couch trying to rest for a moment.  My mistake.

32 Week Pictures!

I know I haven't posted my 32 week update yet.  Just need to finish a few things, then it'll be up.  ;)  Here are some pictures in the meantime!  ;)

32 weeks - black t-shirt and jeans
28 weeks - purple t-shirt and black yoga pants
24 weeks - gray t-shirt and black pants
20 weeks - gray t-shirt black pants, last one with shirt up
16 weeks - gray hoodies and black yoga pants with gray band
12 weeks - gray hoodies and black yoga pants with gray band
8 weeks - Gray t-shirt and gray pants
4 weeks - black tank top and red shorts

8 months worth of pictures!  Just 2 more to go!!  :D

Pregnancy Update - 32 Weeks

How far along:  32 weeks, 2 days!  (8 months down by the 10 month scale, 7 months down by the 9 month scale, either way 2 months to go!!)

Due date:  May 9, 2014

Next doctor's appointment:  March 19th

Our baby is the size of a veggie/fruit/food:  Bok choy, large jicama, or squash...  Yeah, these particular foods don't help at all, lol!  Sometimes these food comparison's are so random, lol!

Our baby in man terms:  A small tackle box (the one with the rounded corners that your dad gave you as a kid) or a loaf of bread.  These are much easier to visualize.  :P

Total weight gain/loss:  +15.4 lbs (I thought losing 2 pounds last week seemed wrong, but my scale flashed the battery light and wouldn't let me check again.  I think last week should have been closer to +13 lbs.  Oh well, caught up this week, and then some!!!)

News:  I have another doctor's appointment coming up on Wednesday!  I love when I get to go in every other week!  :D  Going to get my blood drawn again.  Here's hoping my platelets stay high (enough) and we can deliver at the Birthcare Center!  We've done several things differently from my pregnancy with Avery to my pregnancy with Connor, getting to experience the Birthcare Center is just one more thing I'd like to do this time around since I wasn't able to before.  Platelets must stay above 100,000.  At 27 weeks they were at 124,000.  I'll have blood drawn Wednesday and find out in 2 more weeks where I'm currently at.  I'll also probably have blood draws for the next 6 appointments, until the end of my pregnancy.

Best moments this week:  Warm weather!!  I love the feeling of Spring approaching!  Tired of being in the house all the time.  It was great getting to grill this week!  :)

Milestones:  Another week completed!!  At 32 weeks the baby has a 95-98% chance of survival if he decided to come early.  Of course, full term is always the goal, and I think he'll go full term just like Avery did, but it's good to have such high percentages in your corner.  :)  At this point all of his major organs and systems are formed and fuctioning.  The only thing we're waiting on now is for him to put on weight.  He should double his weight between now and his birth.  He'll also be growing more hair during this time.  I wonder if it will be dark like his Daddy's??  :)

Symptoms:  Heartburn, fullness, shortness of breath, difficulty sleeping

Maternity clothes?  Oh yeah!  Kind of disappointed that I won't be wearing them much longer.  They've served me well.  :)  But as soon as I'm done with them, I'm passing whatever Maggie wants off to her.  This chapter is done for us, but Nick and Maggie's family building time is just beginning, might as well give them to someone who can use them.  ;)

Stretch marks?  Yup, not too bad, just darkening the ones that I got from Avery.  They haven't gotten any bigger.

Belly Button in or out?  In, showing no signs of wanting to poke out.

Movement:  Tons!  There's not really a certain time of day that he's most active anymore, it's just constant.  We're feeling a lot more little body parts poking out of one side or another.  ;)  Not too much longer and he won't have so much room to stretch!  Not sure how my body is going to accommodate any more growing!!

Gender:  It's a boy!

Sleep:  Sleeping is getting tougher.  Laying down makes it hard too breathe, then Connor buries himself in my side and wiggles there.  If I do get to sleep, I wake up several times during the night with heartburn or to pee, sometimes for no reason at all.  Only 2 more months like this, then there will be a tiny cuddly reason I can't sleep.  ;)

Food cravings:  Nothing particular, still drinking lots of milk.  Danielle's salads always look good at work too.  ;)

Food aversions:  No way, I love food!

What I miss:  Wine.  :(  Looking forward to Sangria this summer!  :)  (When Connor is sleeping through the night and is down for the night, lol)

What I'm loving:  Never being alone.  He's always with me, and I like that.  I like him being tucked safely inside of me.  :)

What I'm looking forward to:  Birth.  :)  I know, I'm crazy, but it's the last time I'll get to give birth and I'm actually looking forward to it.  ;)

Thoughts and feelings about Michael:  My hubby is amazing.  There is none better.  What?  You want to make an argument that yours is better?  Not true.  Mine's the best.  :)  The end!

Thoughts and feelings about Avery:  I can't wait to see Avery interact with her little brother.  I think she's going to be an amazing big sister.  :)  I hope she waits a long time to teach Connor to climb.  :P

Labor signs:  Braxton Hicks

Goals:  I have another big cleaning list, just waiting on Michael to approve it.  ;)

Weekly Wisdom:  Sometimes the fun toys, the ones that EVERYONE wants to play with, aren't worth the fight.  It's ok to throw in the hat and just remove the problem.

Babies, Babies, Babies!

There are soooo many people I know having babies right now!  I suppose it's that time in everyone's lives.  As my friends grow up and get established in their marriages, many are choosing to grow their families now.  :)  I've had several friends have babies in the last six months or so, and have many more with little ones on the way!  It's so exciting!!  I got the priviledge of seeing one of the new babies this week and she made me so very happy!  She was just a teeny, tiny 3 week old little thing, but it made me even more excited for Connor to get here!!  Here is (what I can remember) of my friends who have either had babies recently or are having them soon:
-Tiffany and Craig (Cru friends)
-Stacy and Patrick (Cru friends)
-Anthony and Kimmy (Church friends)
-Susan and Ryan (Church friends)
-Brandon and Jessie (Church friends)
-Mary and Arden(?) (Church friends)
-Not telling yet
-Zac and Amber (Cru friends)
-Matt and Jen (Cru friends)
-Miki and her husband (Project friend)
-Michael and me  :)

I think that's all of them...  There are soooo many babies!!  Only 3 of them have arrived so far Tabor (g), Rylee (g), and Kinsley (g).  But more are going to be here shortly!!  I know Miki is due before I am, in less than a month, I think.  Susan and Amber are due right around me in May.  I can't remember when Mary or Jessie are due, but I found out about them around the same time, so they are probably somewhere around us, give or take a month.  And Matt and Jen just put on facebook yesterday that they were pregnant, due in late Aug/early Sept!  Rylee arrived in October (Stacy and Patrick), Tabor arrived in November (Tiffany and Craig), and Kinsley arrived in February (Anthony and Kimmy).  So many babies!!  It's so exciting seeing so many new little ones joining families.  I can't wait until Connor gets here!  :)  I'm looking forward to having another little tiny one of my own.  :)

"Mean" Mommy and 3 Days Off!

"Mean" Mommy

Today I had to be Avery's "mean" mommy.  I took her sippy cup away when she refused to stop tipping it upside down and letting it drip out on her head and the floor.  Now all she had in the cup was water (without flavoring), and it was only half full because I know her tendencies to play in it, but she still needed to listen to me when I told her to drink it and not dump it out.  My beautiful baby girl is learning some limits lately.  She's testing boundaries and seeing what she can and cannot get away with.  This is where I'm having to teach her that I'm a "mean" mommy.  While she was playing with her cup today, I redirected her, several times, to drink her water, and not dump it.  She would bring it down to her mouth for a few seconds, then it was back on top of her head dripping into her hair, clothes, and my living room carpet.  I decided to teach this lesson today because she only had water, but it was a liquid and would do to get my point across that we drink from our cups, not dump them.  Past "mean" mommy moments have been taking her off of the chairs, tables, or other furniture that she's climbed on and telling her no, that we don't climb things, and that she could get hurt.  I've also not allowed her additional servings of graham crackers after 1 or 2 squares, but offered her apples or oranges afterwards, because if she's hungry, fruits and vegetables make great snacks instead of lots of sugary things.  Sometimes I make my beautiful daughter mad, but it's all in her best interests.  This was a battle I was going to have to fight with her at some point in her life.  I choose to do it now, at one year old instead of five or fifteen.  I love Avery so much, and she is a great kid, but she's not perfect.  Her beautiful personality manifests itself in different ways that need a little softening.  That's why I sometimes have to be a "mean" mommy and my sweet girl doesn't get everything her heart desires, and definitely not at the moment when she wants it.  Life is rough when you're one year old.  I'm blessed to have such a great baby, when things are easy, and when the rough moments come.  I think she's going to grow into a wonderful young lady.  :)

3 Days Off!

I have worked a little more this last week than I usually do.  I'm usually close to 15 hours a week.  This week it was more like 20.  I know that's not much, and many pregnant women work 40+ hrs/wk, but I am exhausted!  I'm looking forward to this week where I have Mon-Wed and Fri off!  It will be nice to have some evenings at home to relax.  Not to mention, I've heard rumors that the weather is supposed to be nice this week, so hopefully Michael, Avery, and I will get to spend some time outdoors in the evenings.  To begin this nice warm week off right, Mama, the babies, and I are going to the zoo!!  :D  After the babies get up from their morning naps, we'll get packed up and head out.  :)  Should be fun!  Then, I'm thinking at the end of this week, Mama might come back and we'll work on some more freezer meals!  Last time we did out beef day, now I think we'll work on chicken.  :)  I love getting everything ready for Connor's arrival!!  Less than 9 weeks to go!!  Another nice thing about having several days off this week is that Michael and I will get some time together.  We've been opposite shifts for a while now, which means we get a kiss goodbye in the morning, a kiss hi and bye between him getting home from work and me leaving, and an hour or so (as long as I can stay awake) together at night before it's time to go to sleep and start all over again.  2 weekends ago when we went to KC for Valentine's Day and our 5 year anniversary we began reading the Hunger Games books together.  Well, yesterday we finished reading the first book.  Now we're going to watch the movie together before beginning the 2nd book.  So that's our evening plans for this week, try to get through one movie and begin the next book, lol, party animals, I know!  :P  I'm just very excited to have some home time.  :)

Other thoughts

Connor will be here before we know it!  We have almost everything ready for him and his arrival.  I'm looking forward to meeting him.  9 weeks until our due date means 5 weeks until our maternity pictures!  Can't wait!!  I felt more "glowing" with Avery, but that probably has a lot to do with not having 2 one-year-olds to watch 40+ hrs/wk.  I had a lot more time before to spend on myself than I do now.  I think with Spring coming, it's about time I get in for a haircut, trim off the dead ends, and get something more managable for the warm weather and Connor's arrival.  We'll till up my garden soon, but probably won't start planting until the middle or end of May.  I also need to trim back my rose bushes and remove the dead stuff out of my flower bed.  Looking forward to some warm weather and more time spent outdoors.  Of course, when the weather gets really warm we'll get Avery's new sand and water table out for the babies to play in.  I know they'll love it!  :)  Well, that's about all I've got for this morning.  Hope you all have a great Monday!

Pregnancy Update - 31 Weeks

How far along:  31 weeks, which is hard to believe!  He'll be here before we know it!  Our weeks are into double digits!!  Crazy!  Only 63(ish) more days!!  :D

Due date:  May 9, 2014

Next doctor's appointment:  March 19, every 2 weeks now for the next 3 appointments, then they'll be weekly!!  :D  All signs point to a baby is on his way!  :D

Our baby is the size of a veggie/fruit/food:  A bunch of asparagus, 4 naval oranges, a coconut, or a pineapple

Our baby in man terms:  A basketball or a loaf of bread

Total weight gain/loss:  +10.6 lbs, down a couple pounds from the last couple weeks.  Don't know how I managed that, especially after Michael's and my Anniversary/Valentine's Day weekend.  But my doctor said my weight was great just 2 days ago, so I'm not going to worry.  I can feel Connor kicking me and I know he's getting strong.  If there's something to be concerned about, my doctor will let me know.  ;)

News:  I had a doctor's appointment this week.  He said my weight is "great", my blood pressure is "great", and my urine dip is "great" (his exact word).  Nothing makes me feel better than hearing that!  :D  I had my blood drawn at my last appointment for my gestational diabetes test.  My glucose was at 81, which is said was good, low even, not concerning low, but good low.  My hemoglobin (iron) was 11, which he said was also good and normal (this had been low with Avery, and I've struggled with low iron all my life, so hearing that this number was in a normal range made me very happy).  :D  Then, I asked him about my platelet count.  Keep in mind, a normal platelet count is 150,000-400,000, mine started this pregnancy at 134,000 (7 weeks).  At my last blood draw, my doctor said, my platelets were at 124,000.  He wasn't concerned by the drop, but did tell me that because they are on the low side, we will have to do blood draws every appointment from here on it.  As long as they stay above 100,000, I can go to the Birthcare Center to deliver.  As long as they stay above 80,000, I won't need a shot of steroids to bring them up.  So that will be what we're looking at over the next 9 weeks as we reach the home stretch in our anxious anticipation of Connor's arrival.  :)

Best moments this week:  Getting to go see the doctor, hear Connor's heartbeat, and giggling at Connor for giving the nurse a hard time keeping track of his heartbeat (little wiggle worm, just like his sister)  ;)

Milestones:  Hitting the bi-weekly appointment time in our pregnancy, hitting 31 weeks (down to double digit number of weeks left)

Symptoms:  Heartburn, stretch marks, insomnia, nesting

Maternity clothes?  Yup

Stretch marks?  Yup

Belly Button in or out?  In

Movement:  Yup, as I type this he's working his tiny feet up under my ribs.  :P

Gender:  Boy

Sleep:  Would be better if I didn't go to sleep unable to breathe, wake up in the middle of the night to pee, and with heartburn, and then end up awake for good thanks to the insomnia, lol, but carrying this little boy is a joy, so I'm not complaining (much)  ;)

Food cravings:  Everything, really enjoyed my Chunky Money ice cream!  ;)  Milk helps with the heartburn if I have some before bed.  :)

Food aversions:  Nothing, I'll eat it all!  ;)  Although I do try to avoid spicy or greasy foods before bed because they tend to make the heartburn worse.

What I miss:  Being able to roll over and breathe easily, having energy

What I'm loving:  Feeling my little guy move inside of me and making plans for his arrival

What I'm looking forward to:  Having a cuddly newborn again and baby smell  :D

Thoughts and feelings about Michael:  I'm so thankful to have Michael around to help me.  I feel less than useless lately.  He's great with helping me around the house and with Avery.  I appreciate all his help so very much!  We've tried to go out and spend some time together the last 2 nights, but by the time Beth gets home, I've been asleep.  He doesn't mind and just lets me sleep and cuddle at his side.  :)  I love him so much!  He's already such an amazing dad, and I know that he's going to love and care for Connor just as dearly as he does Avery.  I am blessed to have such an amazing partner in life to help me raise my babies.  :)  Love you, Michael!

Thoughts and feelings about Avery:  I can't believe Avery will only be an only child for 9(ish) more weeks!  Where did time go!?!?  Not only that, but she's rapidly transitioning into a little girl and no longer a baby.  Michael and I have been noticing it for a while now, her hair's getting longer, she's walking, running, and climbing, she's talking and comprehending, and she's developing her own sweet, wonderful personality!  She's such a blessing!  She's a great kid and we are incredibly blessed to have such an easy baby.  Here's hoping Connor is just as easy and well behaved as his sister!  :)

Labor signs:  Nope

Goals:  Keep the house clean, fold Connor's clothes and get them put away in his room and closet, catch up on laundry, and spend some time of myself

Weekly Wisdom:  Don't be afraid to ask for help.  More often than not, people are happy to lend a hand if you humble yourself and admit that you need them.

Still a little shocked that so much time has passed and we are so close to having our son in our arms.  We are so excited about his arrival!!  I know that having two babies is going to be a lot more work than just the one that we currently have, but I'm excited to begin this new phase in our lives.  Beyond this it will just be watching our kiddos grow, as we won't be having any more.  I'm trying to enjoy all of these final moments in my pregnancy, and I pray that I'll soak in all the happy moments while Connor is small before, all too soon, he'll grow up into a little kid like Avery is.  I can't wait to find out what Connor's hair and eye color are!  Avery looks so much like me, I wonder if he will too or if he'll look more like Michael.  I guess only time will tell!  :)  Since having Avery I know that we'll have good days and bad days, every parent of a new baby does, and if they tell you they don't they've either blocked it out, or are lieing, lol.  But I also know, from Avery, that she adds so very much to our lives.  We are happier, we laugh more, we love deeper, because she's a part of our family.  I know these feelings will only get stronger as Connor arrives.  I'm just so excited to meet him and continue our journey together.  :)  Thank you all for reading along with us as we've gone through this pregnancy.  We appreciate your thoughts and prayers in the next 9 weeks and beyond as we welcome Connor into our family.  :)  Stay tuned for more pregnancy updates as we close in on the exciting time that Connor makes his appearance!  :D

Pregnancy Update - 30 Weeks

How far along:  30 weeks, 3 days

Due date:  May 9, 2014

Next doctor's appointment:  March 5th (Just a couple days away!!  I love going to the doctor more often and checking in on my little man!!  After Wednesday's appointment it will be every other week!!!  Hoooray!!!!  Getting anxious to meet my boy!)

Our baby is the size of a veggie/fruit/food:  Large Cabbage or a Cucumber

Our baby in man terms:  Fully Inflated Basketball or a Loaf of Bread

Total weight gain/loss:  +12.4 lbs (stayed close to the same this week, which was a relief, sort of expected to shoot up 5 pounds with all the extra moving he was doing, hoping my weight gain continues to go at a slow, steady pace)

News:  I'm feeling lots of big movements, frequently!  It's like a switch flipped when I hit 29 weeks and since then Connor has bern going wild!!  :)  It's awesome until he's kicking me in the ribs, lol!

Best moments this week:  As always, I love feeling more and more movement out of Connor, but I think my favorite moments this weekend are my mini vacation with Michael this weekend.  :)  I love being able to get away, just him and I, every now and then.  And since Connor will be here soon and I will have to be close to him for the next year, this is one of our last chances to get away together for a while.  :)  A big huge thank you to my mom for watching Avery for us this weekend so we can have some one on one time!  :)

Milestones:  We hit 30 weeks!  That means we're 3/4 of the way done!!  Can't believe I only have a quarter of my pregnancy left!  It's gone by so fast!  And I still have so much to do!  :P

Symptoms:  Fatigue, shortness of breath, an ever-growing abdomen, heartburn, and stretch marks (oh yeah, and a little insomnia, which is why I began typing all of this before 7am, on my vacation, lol)

Maternity clothes?  Oh heavens, yes!  :P

Stretch marks?  Yup, the ones I got from Avery are darkening and stretching a little more.  Rats, no waiting until 34 weeks this time around...

Belly Button in or out?  In

Movement:  Lots of it!  Loving (almost) every minute of it.  ;)

Gender:  Baby boy

Sleep:  I can usually sleep pretty well as long as I'm laying on my side so I can breathe.  Laying on my back is basically out of the question for more than a minute or two.  And the insomnia is starting to kick in again, so I might be blogging more often early in the morning.  ;)

Food cravings:  All of it!  :P  I feel like I'm always hungry!  Trying to keep my choices remotely healthy.

Food aversions:  Nope

What I miss:  Breathing easily, lol

What I'm loving:  Counting down the weeks and feeling Connor's foot under my skin when he gets particularly rowdy.  ;)

What I'm looking forward to:  Meeting Connor, packing our hospital bag, getting maternity photos taken

Thoughts and feelings about Michael:  I had such a wonderful weekend with Michael in Kansas City.  He knows how to make me feel so loved and appreciated.  It's hard to believe that he and I have been married for almost 5 years!  I cherish him daily and all he does to make my life better and happier.  He is truly my better half.  :)

Thoughts and feelings about Avery:  It was nice to get away for a bit, but wonderful to get back home to Avery!  I love that sweet little girl so very much!  It's nice to be back home with her, cuddling and talking and playing.  She is so amazing!  It's truly an honor to be her mom.  :)

Labor signs:  Nope

Goals:  Get the house picked up again, my on-going battle, put away Avery and Connor's new clothes from our trip, do some laundry, unpack, rest (yeah right, lol)

Weekly Wisdom:  Two kids is plenty!  :P