...2 weeks later.

Well it has been a whirlwind these past two weeks. Our little Henry is 2 weeks old and growing beautifully. He has been a great little newborn- much easier than Cora was, or perhaps we are more relaxed and less stressed out. But he is wonderful. Multitasking has been more of the issue. How to manage two kids under two... one being super mobile and one being almost zero. I just wish I had a few more sets of hands. Matt is back at school and work so I get to wrangle the kids all day long. It's a challenge, but I know each week will have its own set of struggles with them both growing and adapting to our life. These stages are fleeting, we know that now. So we are trying to savor these times, the good and sleepy times.

I read over my post last time at two weeks post-spud-birth [here], impressive... what a challenge she was, and our life had dramatically changed from just Matt and I...to parenthood. This time it wasn't so shocking, we were just grateful to have a healthy babe to add into our family. We have been so thankful that he doesn't scream at us for hours upon hours- that he sleeps for 1-3 hour stretches, lying flat (cora had silent reflux and probably colic). He also breastfeeds like a champ. I am so proud of him being such a good newborn.

I feel amazing, the delivery was quick and recovery has been quite simple. Thank goodness! I was expecting what we all went through last time, and it just wasn't the case. This time it was smooth and wonderful. (Birth story to come shortly!) I forgot how bogged down pregnancy made me feel- so now I feel fully capable and ready to tackle this mom thing in a brand new way. Don't get me wrong we are still in survival mode... we are just a little more calm at this 2 week marker.

week 37

Wow, we are at the end of 37 weeks... and I feel it. Little oaks is cooking away, healthy and measuring at 40 weeks. He's a big dude (we think). Matt mentioned the other night that henry would for sure be taller than him when he's grown up. It just blew my mind. Our little man, being big and tall and strong. Hmm. Our son. Still CRAZY. But now I am in love with the idea of having a son, it feels right.

Pregnancy update:
Sleep blows. I can't sleep for longer than 2 hours and then I wake up in pain, contracting, and needing to pee, and sometimes eat cereal. What makes it even less desirable is I know right now is the "good sleep"....that soon we will be sleep deprived and I will wish I had slept more. Oh, also when I wake up each night, contracting, feeling sick to my stomach- like I did when my water broke with Cora, and think- this is it!! Let's go!! Like Christmas morning. But it's not, and I awkwardly climb back into bed to repeat again in 2 hours. So crazy to not know when we get to meet him. Anxiety issues? Oh, probably.

Little Oaks dropped in the past week, I can feel him riding lower like he might just fall out. This makes me happy.

I am trying to savor our last days with Cora as our only child. However, I think I will be a more present and engaged mom with this 50 lbs lifted off my body, being able to run, squat, multi-task like the old days.

Project update:
My projects are winding down and being completed. Henry Oak's room is almost 100% complete (yay!!) and our odds and ends around the house are coming together too. Lots of sewing projects in the past few weeks. I made a bunch of fitted sheets- crib, bassinet, and diaper changing table ones. They are adorable, and quite boy-ish. I am proud of myself for branching out from the turquoise, even though it was challenging.

Last things on the list... Cora's Halloween costume I am making- she is going to be an owl. And I still have a set of curtains to whip up for Cora's room. Project for Henry, project for Cora... it was only fair. Parents are supposed to be fair right? I guess I should stop telling Cora she is my favorite pretty soon.

week 35

If it looks like I am holding up my belly, I am. It feels like it needs all the support I can give it.

And I am measuring 37 weeks today! Ha. Big ol' tot.

Well I am 35 weeks pregnant.....and it's October, which I already dedicated a whole post to this week. I usually love autumn for the pretty leaves, random snow falls, pumpkin spice lattes (or ummm everything pumpkin flavored), tasty food, cozy blankets and quite honestly wearing my uggs. But now we get to tack on the excitement of having a babe in the fall. Fun.

These weeks have been a little more drama, in our very not dramatic life. I have had some busy nights at work (I'm a nurse- 3 night shifts each weekend), and I realized that I hadn't felt little Henry moving this past weekend. Now being a nurse and a patient, is pretty undesirable. I know just enough to freak myself out- to know about all of the scary situations that a body can and can't endure. However, I also feel like I might overlook some symptoms...because come on, I'm not dying. I don't really need to go see the doctor, it will probably pass. So I was at work.... and mentally freaking myself out. Usually I feel Henry moving at night when I sit down. And I didn't. I put my feet up, drank water. Nothing. I called down to labor and delivery and asked... "hey.... so, I'm a nurse here...and I don't feel my baby what should I do?" My midwife happened to be in that late night and told me to just come on down and get monitored. I did... everything was fine. His little heart was fantastically healthy and beautiful to listen to for the 45 minutes of being monitored. They did see a bunch of contractions (which I have been feeling for the past 2 weeks). The nurse was surprised that I had so many, so often...and wondered how I was doing with them. I said fine, it's certainly not anywhere close to labor- labor is quite painful, these were just like punches to my gut. And these don't feel near low enough or productive. Just braxton hicks I suppose, except I have them all of the time irregularly regular. My midwife opted not to check to see if I was dilated...no sense in stirring things up. And that was that, I got to return back to work, 35 weeks pregnant.

I managed to freak Matt out, being that he was at home, having to wait through my text messages in anticipation. I looked around in the triage L&D room.... this was all so real. Soon we would be delivering another babe here. Crazy. When will it be? Will my water break first? How quick will labor go? What will he look like? A million questions now flood through my head. But I am glad it wasn't that night, but it is right around the corner. Perhaps sooner than later. My appointments with my midwife have also turned into weekly ones. It feels excessive, until I get a scare like...he's not kicking! Then I feel good that I get to go in and hear his sweet heartbeat.

So now, we have kicked into high gear. Projects must get done. In two weeks I am considered full term, and I am currently measuring full term, for what its worth. Shelves are going up, spray paint is flying, sewing like crazy, pom poms galore. I'm sure Henry will appreciate all of this hard work, including the 32 screws that I just had to prime, spray paint pumpkin-orange, and clear coat. Yea, that's for sure important to him.

I turn 30 this week....so that's... something. I have felt like I was "30" for awhile, whatever that means. So no big shock, it just feels right. Matt also turns 31 in a few weeks, so perhaps we will have another little birthday close by. Oh and Cora will be 18 months old on Matt's birthday too, big milestone! Our tiny spud is growing up.

Busy time here in our world.

week 33

33 weeks! That's over 8 months pregnant. Wow, time flies. Now I feel like time is going a little slower however. I am feeling utterly (no pun intended) pregnant. Sleeping is uncomfortable, my energy level is just about zero even with a nap, I feel/look huge all over and my belly is stretching a TON. I have a little bit of anxiety when I think about pushing this human out. That was a lot of work and the most painful experience possible. But I quickly get it out of my head, and tell myself that second babes are usually easier. Right? Maybe. There is only one way to find out, and it's coming soon.

I am attempting to get our last projects done around the house. I know maternity leave is not as blissful as some say. I have one kiddo naptime, and a nice length of kiddo bedtime... I better make it count before I have two conflicting sleep schedules and lots of sleep deprivation.

Shall we make a list? I think so.
- decorate nursery (as if this is only one bullet. Ha. This could be a list in itself)
- hang up my gallery wall of photos that I haven't done yet since moving.
- have matt build some pipe floating-esq shelves for the living room
- sew some curtains for 3 windows
- make a diaper changing station in our room (downstairs, we have one upstairs...and the stairs are wearing on me)
- make a dinning table and retro-fit our school chairs as dinning chairs
- hmm... I think that's about it. Not bad, if I was normal me.

Let's look at the positives... already in the past 2 weeks we:
- made a pipe bookshelf.... it's lovely.
- found 6 dinning chairs (for free!)
- hung up some art on the walls
- decided on nursery décor and a tater tot name!
- my parents visited and my sister & fiancé moved to Idaho... pretty darn exciting.
- had a work baby shower, it was incredibly sweet.

week 29

 

29 weeks, that's right... it's been 5 weeks since I took a bump photo. But who is counting? Not I apparently.

 

Pregnancy wise:

Everything is great! I passed my glucose tolerance test- yay no gestational diabetes! I don't know how I could survive on a diet with these hormones. I hit the 200 lb mark, and exceeded it. That's always exciting. I hit it about at this week of pregnancy last time too. But he is growing, it makes me happy. Lots of restless nights- peeing, flopping over in bed, eating cereal. Silly stuff. Tater tot is moving a ton, I love it.

 

Life wise:

I had my first weekend away from Cora, it was sad and wonderfully relaxing at the exact same time. I haven't been so relaxed in 16 months?! I had a bachelorette weekend in California with some girlfriends, and then saw my parents too. There was some beach time, tasty foods, and girl time. I was also able to talk with my parents and just talk like grown ups, not be interrupted...like the old times. However, let's be honest... we really primarily talked about Cora. Cora was just fine without me- she had grandma, grandpa, and dad to keep her busy and happy. She really doesn't do separation anxiety anyways. She's a happy camper. I missed her like hell...but it was a good break and realization that I just love being with her, I love our life.

 

Cora and I went alone to a wedding this past weekend. Lovely wedding, not so easy being utterly pregnant in the summer chasing Cora- same old story on here. Matt wasn't there to help- he was in a friends wedding a state away, but we survived. I couldn't do a baby carrier- I love my boba carrier, but the belly hurts when cora sits in it now, and so we did the bob jogger. She was squirmy, nap-less, and as it turns out there is a lot of sitting still moments during a wedding/reception. We weren't that successful, but I'm proud of us.

 

Baby wise:

I think we are ready for this babe. I am getting ready to start tackling the tater-tot room in a boy-scheme. I think Matt and I decided on a baby name. We are still tossing it around to be sure for sure. I am just a super planner, I like to know our babe's sex and name before delivery. It helps me.

week 24

 

Well, 24 weeks... just barely squeezed in this weekly photo. And I really did it up this time for you... boxer shorts and all. Pregnancy is just chugging along. Uneventful which is great. But I also have a handful of newly pregnant women around me that are pregnant for the first time. I am a little envious. It is so incredibly exciting to feel pregnancy for the first time. All of the excitement, all of the unknowns, being able to do baby planning without actually knowing what a baby will bring to your life. It's thrilling, and scary...and nerve wrecking too I suppose. I was definitely more stressed the first time, this time literally no stress to be conjured up what so ever. Anyways, the first time ever feeling kicks, hearing a heartbeat, a growing belly. It's beyond incredible. And it just feels different the second time around. Now my attention is from oh wow... little tot is kicking! to... oh my goodness cora is able to stand on a chair! It blows my mind that we get to do this again... to see a little tiny human grow into an independent person. Amazing.

Pregnancy symptoms...

• no real cravings, just cereal all the time. I guess more salty cravings than sweet. I felt like I needed an apple fritter....ummm...well, daily with cora. Now, I can pass it up.
• last time I got pregnant I chopped off my hair to a bob, this time I felt like I had to dye it dark. so silly. perhaps making decisions hopped up on hormones is not the best idea.
• no round ligament pain, or any pains. Just an occasion pubic symphysis pain if I don't sleep correctly propped with pillows.
• so tired, even this second trimester. I blame it on the summer heat chasing a 15 month old. I don't even attempt to go outside if it's over 90 degrees. It will be unsuccessful.
• i'm emotionally unstable. Sorry matt, things will change after child birth, and after breast feeding is over. we have a ways to go. It's worth it, I promise.

summer heat & 22 weeks

uh huh. Being pregnant in a super record-breaking hot summer is HOT. And near unbearable. I think we made it past the 108's.... now on to lower temps Idaho. seriously. I had it easy last time... pregnant sept-april, not bad, just a lot of cozy clothes. But now... it's shorts that have a fully belly panel- what an awful summer contraption and tank tops that I wish could be airy-er, however they are suffocating my growing body. My wedding ring fitting? Hilarious, I took those 3 rings off weeks ago...now I'm down to one thin band. I now nap when cora naps out of pure exhaustion, and our move is getting tricky... matt will inevitably have to do the majority. I am excited to have a baby in the fall though, by the time tater tot is 6 months old and ready to hold his head up high and have sunscreen on him it will be summer again. Yay!!

Anyways, 22 weeks pregnant and growing. It's fun knowing tot is a "he"...lots of nursery planning, trying to picture him running around with cora playing, how on earth to manage two babes under 2. So many thoughts, with so little time flying right by. It's July, crazy right? This will be my last bump picture in our current house... new scenery for weeks 24 on! Woo hoo! If you haven't caught on, I am doing pictures every 2 weeks. I just can barely keep up with it this often. Silly really, my excuses.

Eeeshh... all of the "he's" and "him's." Crazy. It really is going to be a boy? Anyways. Still sinking in. Wish us luck this week moving in the heat. Soon will be time to decorate a tiny boy nursery. And more blogging, and settling in. So. Fun.

week 20

Hi y'all. So we have a little something in the works this week... So I'm keeping you in the dark or rather black and white for a few days. Stay tuned my friends, a gender reveal is coming.

And week 20 has been awesome!! Little bit more kicking, pretty fatigued by the summer heat and moving houses. But it has been amazing. 1/2 way completed already? Time flies too fast.

We had our 20 week ultrasound, and our little tater tot is healthy and vibrant. I was actually expecting a ..."oh... looks like your baby isn't quite developed, better luck next time" because the kicks are a little less frequent than I remember with Cora. Well, good explanation- tater tot's placenta is on the outer wall, closest to my belly button. So the kicks are just muffled, and attacking my organs at this point. Once tater tot gets bigger I should be able to feel them regardless. But, phew! Healthy baby...

BOY!!!

 

week 18

Week 17 started off with kicking! I was hoping that I would feel baby movements a little sooner this time so I have been hyper-sensitive. And this past week I felt the first flop/kick. So much fun. I couldn't sleep I was just so excited to feel this (it's my favorite part of pregnancy.) The kicks are random, just waiting for our little tot to get stronger.

Now, at 18 weeks I find myself walking by the mirror and just...oh shit, I'm pregnant. There is a belly now. I love it. Depending on the day it looks like a few too many white mochas...but others it looks like a real pregnant belly. I am continually shocked that we are doing this again, baby #2.

week 16

I have been really draggin' my feet on this one. Sorry tater tot. Weekly bump pictures. Uggh. I just feel so much bigger (ie. fatter) this time around. I am "showing earlier" but it's really just fat, or lack of stomach muscle to hold in my organs. But alas, I know that I want to do weekly pictures. So I just need to do them, and get over it. I will be thankful. And if tater tot turns out to be a girl... and her sister (Cora) had tons of weekly mom-pregnancy photos, and tater tot has none... I'd feel awful.

So here it is, just now starting at week 16. I posted my update on the first trimester weeks 1-12 [here]. But the end of week 13 was scary for us. I started to bleed and have cramping. We were sad, and scared just not knowing if this was the start of a miscarriage. I don't like not knowing things. Health is an uncertain, scary thing I think. So I called the OB office and an on-call nurse told me that I was either miscarrying or the bleeding is totally normal. That I couldn't be rushed in there to have an ultrasound to check... because who knows, maybe we find a heart beat, then 3 hours later the baby doesn't have a heartbeat. False hope really. I get it. It sucked though. And I just wanted to know. But time would tell. Turns out it stopped. Yay!!

We had our 14 week appointment with our midwife and confirmed a heartbeat!!! Little tater tot is still here. Weeks 14-15, uneventful...which was nice. I find myself trying to focus more on Cora and less on the pregnancy. To take in our little family of 3, for it won't be long until it's 4. So I am trying to be intentionally present. Present in the here and now. It's wonderful.

 

...but why not look to the past too? ...for shits and giggles?

oh yea. things look a little different. a little aged, a little bigger. oh, parenthood.