36 Weeks

Baby is the Size of a Chihuahua

New for baby this week?  About 19 inches and 6 lbs, all systems are developed (except digestive system which won't be fully functioning until after delivery when baby starts eating), baby is just fattening up in preparation for the big day

Total weight gain/loss? 27 lbs.

Maternity clothes? My maternity tops are getting too short. And two of my four pairs of maternity pants are starting to get uncomfortably snug when I wear them for extended periods of time

Stretch marks? No

Sleep? Lots of getting up to pee, and hips going numb after laying on that side for too long.

Best moment this week? Finding out I am dilated! Maybe we will end up with a March baby?! 

Miss Anything? Lunch meat

Movement?  Baby must have known I was talking about them because the movements have gotten much bigger.  Although I still think Bran takes the prize so far on this one.

Food cravings?  Oranges, cookies.  Cookies of all kinds really. I definitely have a sweet tooth with this baby.

Anything making you queasy or sick? I have had a little bit of underlying nauseous.  I think it just stems from feeling so crowded.

Have you started to show yet? You know you are getting huge when two of the surgeons at work told me I looked like I was going to explode within a couple days of each other. A "wow did you get this big last time?!" after explaining I had another month to go was also entertaining. Trust me, I know this belly starts looking ridiculous the last month!   

Gender? I am hearing a lot more girl guesses recently.  Until I posted a side by side picture on Facebook comparing my belly now to my belly with Bran.  Then it was lots of boy!

Labor Signs? I have Braxton Hicks contractions pretty much everyday.  One night I had a few pretty painful ones that woke me up.  But for the most part they don't feel too bad, just a lot of tightening.  

Belly Button in or out?  Out.  And why did I ever pierce my belly button?! I hope it returns to normal looking like it did last time. 

Wedding rings on or off? I tried putting them on before work the day I was 35 weeks, and they were uncomfortably snug.  Remembering my horror story of almost getting them stuck on my finger my last pregnancy, I decided to keep them off for the duration.  I feel naked!!

How is mama feeling? More pregnant, tired, and swollen than a couple weeks ago.  I am seeing a ton of swelling in my feet/legs (hello cankles!), more than I remember having with Bran? It mostly happens on my work days, or if I am on the go a lot with Bran. 

Looking forward to?  Celebrating St. Patty's Day, friends visiting

I had my first pregnancy dream, and Baby L 2.0 was a....boy! But oddly in my dream I had already delivered and no one was telling me what the baby was, yet they all knew.  It took me forever to get someone to finally tell me! Also once I finally knew it was a boy, Joe and I were talking and decided on the name (which happened to be one of the couple boy names we are deciding between currently) but were clueless on the middle name.  This part is somewhat true to real life, haha.  I must be worrying about this naming situation.

The weekly OB appointments are officially underway.  With Dr. Turner being out for surgery, I have seen Dr. Pool the last couple of weeks (who just so happens to be the OB who magically turned Bran during my labor and allowed me to proceed with a successful vaginal delivery once Dr. Turner arrived).  My 35 week appointment was, surprising? I didn't realize I would start getting a cervical exam, along with my Strep B test (which was negative, woohoo!).  What shocked me the most is that I am already 1 cm dilated.  I had it in my head I had started dilating around 37/38 weeks last time but boy was I wrong.  I had not dilated at all when I was pregnant with Bran until my 40 week appointment (and then I had Bran 4 days later).  So I guess all of these random contractions I am having are actually making a little progress.  But Baby L 2.0 is still sitting very high so we aren't expecting anything too exciting anytime soon. I will definitely say hearing that I am dilated has made reality set in that this baby is really coming, soon! All the more reminder to enjoy the last few weeks of being of mama of one. 

My 36 week appointment was yet again surprising.  Apparently Dr. Pool had noticed I was measuring a little ahead (based on my belly/fundal height measurement) last week, but brought it up this week when I was continuing to measure even further ahead than a week ago.  Although not unreasonably large (yet) she said it is something we will definitely keep an eye on for the next couple weeks.  If necessary we could do an ultrasound, but those can always be off by a half pound or so in either direction so she isn't going to suggest that unless it becomes really concerning. She estimated the baby to already be about 7 lbs, so she is guessing this baby could easily measure 8 or more lbs at delivery (just a "best guess" of course).   She claims it is not unusual for the second baby to be larger, and my body should be able to handle it. Although she is hopeful I will labor on my own, she wants me to start thinking about when I may want to set up a tentative induction.  She would allow me to go a week late at this point but said it may be worth considering being induced on or around my due date.  I am not sure how to feel about this yet. I was so set on going into labor naturally last time, and luckily I did.  But I don't want to push it so long this time the baby is too big that I can't deliver vaginally.  Fingers crossed I just go into labor on my own a little early with a completely average sized baby!

Bran loves Mama's belly!

We had a little playdate with the Morrises and Mayhills while the boys brewed beer.  Bran plays with Lily a lot, but this was the most time he had gotten to spend with Owen who is 6 months.  Surprisingly he didn't take much interest in him, but he was very sweet with Owen while I was holding him.  I would have expected him to be more jealous. He was apparently too busy breaking Lily's heart (she said Bran was not her boyfriend anymore a few times that day).

Afternoon nap on the way to his playdate.  Car rides make Bran sleepy.

Joe decided to start working on updating our stair rail before we paint the entryway.  It is kind of a race against time trying to get this done now before baby's arrival.  It is a very slow tedious process.  He finished the dark stain on the rails, but now he has 83 spindles to paint white.  It took Joe and I a couple of hours to just tape everything to paint them.

Before

Progress so far.

Bran and Mommy are hard at work of course.

Joe and I did a bunch of meal prep over the weekend to start getting some freezer meals ready. So far we have a couple pans of enchiladas, pulled pork, breakfast burritos, and stuffed shells.  I am looking forward to having very minimal cooking to do for a bit after we bring baby home. Gotta keep these hungry boys (and mama) fed. 

Bran had his two year checkup.  He is 35.5 inches (70th percentile) and 32.5 lbs (93rd percentile).  He is going to be a big boy!  We didn't even have any shots this appointment, that was a first.  His checkup went great and the pediatrician was very happy.  She's also looking forward to seeing me in a few weeks at the hospital (she helps cover the nursery babies) when Baby L 2.0 makes his/her arrival.  

I talked to the pediatrician about trying to potty train Bran.  I was feeling motivated/optimistic after reading a couple books and just because of Bran's general interest in going pee on the potty.  We have attempted a few no pants mornings and Bran has always done fairly well.  The pediatrician said he is very young and it would be surprising for a boy to take to it this early, but since he was going potty for me so easily a few times a day it might be worth a try. So begins my Friday morning.  I was going into it thinking alright I am committed to a 3 day no pants potty training weekend extravaganza.  As like my other brief mornings with potty training, everything started great.  Bran is interested in using the potty, a couple little accidents, but nothing not easily recovered by a quick trip to the bathroom.  

Then disaster struck....

I knew Bran needed to poop.  He's an after breakfast poop kinda guy.  We are approaching lunch time and he hasn't pooped.  He is starting to have a lot more little pee accidents in the playroom all of a sudden. Weird.  Then I notice the poop face.  I ask him if he needs to go potty. "No no no!!"  Then I see poop literally coming out of his butt so I grab him to run him to the bathroom.  He's like "No mama, p-shoo!!!". A turd falls to the floor in the playroom, but I am on a mission to get him to the bathroom.  We make it but by now he is upset/almost crying/won't poop/traumatized.  So he never finishes pooping.  After this debacle we put a diaper on for nap time, and I was never able to get him to pee on the potty again for me the rest of the day.  Ugh, I failed! And the next day I didn't even attempt to potty train again because I just felt like Bran was not ready.  I am too pregnant, and the whole process is too exhausting to fight him on if he isn't ready.  So back to the low key pottying when he wants, and maybe we will give it a good try again here in a few weeks?? Or maybe months?! HAHA. I have decided potty training may be one of my biggest parenting struggles. 

Oh but back to the turd.  So after I got Bran taken care of and calmed down I went back to clean up the poop.  It is nowhere to be found.  But there is Izzy licking her chops, with just a tiny remnant to wipe up on the floor. Yes, my dog ate Bran's poop.  I had a "wow this is my life right now" moment. Oh potty training is going to be, "fun"?

Oh well, Bran makes up for the crazyness with the amazing snuggles, sweetest hugs/kisses, and of course when he dances to Justin Timberlake for me! 

Photo Ops

Bran stole my pulled pork sandwich.