33 weeks | baby sweets

 

How far along: 33 weeks. [33 with Ezra, 33 with Isaac]

How big is baby: Little miss is measuring in at 17.2 inches and 4.2 pounds.

Weight gain/loss: Up to 22 lbs.

Stretch marks: After two pregnancies, I somehow still don't have any.

Sleep: I’ve actually been sleeping somewhat better the last two nights. Ezra is a complete bed hog though. We transitioned Isaac to a twin on Monday and I’m thinking this weekend we’ll work on getting Ezra down in the crib.

Diet/Cravings/Aversions: I’ve said it before and I’ll just keep saying it, I’m over food. Nothing tastes flat out amazing.

Movement: We’re transitioning from kicks to rolls and pushes.

What I'm loving: It’s finally starting to get real, like really real, that there will soon be change in our family again. We’ve settled into a nice little rhythm, excluding high stress times like hockey and wedding season ;), with the boys and I can’t believe that it’ll all come undone again, for a great reason in 6 or so weeks.

Symptoms: You name it. The pregnancy insomnia is really the worst right now and my hormone fueled emotions.

What I'm looking forward to: My newest sister in law, Bethany, throwing me a “sprinkle” at possible the last possible moment, at no fault of hers, just mine. It’s just how things go around here at this point, but I’m looking forward to the first week of April!

Best moment of the week: Jeez, there already have been so many great moments this week. Isaac is absolutely overjoyed to be in his new bed, just absolutely overjoyed and we’re loving it. Also, I got to spend a lot of the evening last night with Gina, after surprising her with some GF/DF treats after she found out that she broke her foot. It’s not often that I get to actually be a friend in-person, especially to Gina since we live about 40 minutes away from each other. I’m so grateful that Tony was home from hockey and encouraged me to take the time to be a friend.

How I'm feeling: Compared to last week, night and day better. I’m feeling encouraged, despite some recent unpleasant run-ins with the public. It’s funny, because reading my 33 week post with Ezra, I seemed to get the same exact type of comments at precisely the same point in my pregnancy. People be crazy. I know I’m not huge and know how much larger I will get, especially from weeks 35-39 [fingers crossed], but apparently people forget how large that can be!

Additionally, I found out that my midwife is actually only out the week that I’m due . . . not the week prior as I’d been told. I’m kind of at a standstill right now, as I’m not 100% positive how to proceed, but after last week’s appointment with the new midwife, I’m really happy that delivering with Fern is a possibility again! We haven’t been able to connect, but she’d mentioned stripping me at my 39w appt on April 8^th and hopefully that’ll set the ball in motion for another 39w birth [with or without Gina].

His Own Bed

Last night, Isaac finally transitioned from his crib [finally] to a twin bed. Tony and I compromised on the Cars bedding, with Cars sheets. I figured, eh, it's a win/win. He'll be happy with the sheets and I don't have to look at a character emblazoned comforter! Oh and total win, I got to go to Target by myself.


Getting the bed set up . . . well, it was a tad bit exciting. Isaac and Ezra weren't too thrilled when we separated them. Isaac was convinced he was going to share his bed with Ezra.


Once we got them separated, Isaac's energy was still running high, but he settled in and I appeased him with promising soon Ezra would be sleeping next to him in the crib.


There's just something about seeing your first born in a big bed. I hadn't quite got it everytime I saw the images shared by friends, but last night I got it.

There were a few minor issues, like his concern in how he should get out to go to the bathroom. He'd been climbing out of the crib for at least a year . . . but now faced with easily sliding out of the bed, he just didn't know how to handle it. Oh, the mind of almost 4 year old!

Weekend View

This past weekend Tony was home not only Friday night, but Saturday and Sunday night! That literally hasn't happened since Levi's wedding in November.

And Tony knew just what he wanted to do with his time.

It involved, this guy.


Spending time together in our basement, getting rid of our "walls of death" by way of "bashing walls."


Needless to say, Tony loved the help and Isaac enjoyed every.single.second of it as well.



Meanwhile, I had a couple of sessions and spent a fair amount of time with Ezra. And let me tell you, this child seems born to be a big brother. He is obsessed with babies!


The only real downside to this weekend was the very apparent fact that I'm just over food. I don't want to shop for it, prep it or cook it, because 95% of what I eat doesn't taste as great as it should.


To round out the weekend, I spent a couple of hours at my Mom's wasting fabric on two poorly sewn receiving blankets. We did so much better when we made Ezra's! But they're done.

32 weeks | Baby Sweets

How far along: 32 weeks. [32 with Ezra, 32 with Isaac]

How big is baby: A pineapple at 19.4 inches and 4.4 pounds.

Weight gain/loss: One pound gain, as hoped, for 21 lbs, but I'm measuring a week ahead. 

Stretch marks: After two pregnancies, I somehow still don't have any.

Sleep: Tony has had a cough for the past two weeks to join into the fun of Ezra waking up and Isaac still occasionally calling for us. Throw in some insomnia, my pelvic pain and nightly leg cramps.

Diet/Cravings/Aversions: I’m just kind of over food and cooking all together. Hummus is still a no go unfortunately. I’m eating a lot of salads, but need to find a little more variety.

Movement: We’re transitioning from kicks to rolls and pushes.

What I'm loving: Thinking about not being at work for almost 3 months.

Symptoms: You name it. The pregnancy insomnia is really the worst right now and my hormone fueled emotions.

What I'm looking forward to: Meeting this little one. I saw a picture on facebook the other day of a photographer I follow. It took me about 5 seconds to decide I was looking at my best guess of what this little miss could look like. I haven’t spent a lot of time wondering, since really, who knows! But seeing that picture, it was the first time I actually could envision a body in the clothes that I’m purchasing.

Best moment of the week: I’m going to say tomorrow will probably be the best moment of the week. Tony will work his final MSHSL playoff game and then we’ll coast to the end of the season!

How I'm feeling: Like an emo 29 year old. Yesterday I wrote a short post and deleted it, as many of you in google reader saw, and I’ll totally own that I was way too melodramatic, even for me. I’m just very overwhelmed right now and I feel like every.single.detail of my life is out of my control. I feel like all of my efforts are just not enough, because there are too many needs to fulfill.

I had my first appointment at the new midwife group and unfortunately, it just didn’t meet expectations. I felt like I was going into it with very low expectations, but even with those, they weren’t met. At the end of the day, I know that if this baby, born on the side of the road, is healthy, nothing else really matters . . . but I’d just hoped that since I’m not planning for that birth that I could make a decision with reasonable confidence. 

Snow much fun!

Ezra's fun personality is just blooming right now and it has been literally eating me alive that I haven't had the opportunity to take "nice" pictures of the boys. But let's be honest, especially Ezra. At just over 1 1/2 years old, he is quite the character and his face just radiates pure joy, most of the time.

I really wanted to do some Valentine's Day images, like I did last year, but it just wasn't in the cards. Thankfully the MN weather obliged me in providing the perfect warm temperature and fresh snowfall last Sunday.

And this is when my heart just sighs in content.








AHHH! My boys are so big!


Really wish I'd had this hat on him the majority of the time.






The snowman literally got the scarf off of Isaac and the hat off my head. Isaac insisted it wasn't complete until it was fully equipped for the weather.


Isaac also wanted it to have a butt, but we declined that request.

And, because I'm a sucker for comparison, this is the last 4 years of our "snowbank shot." Can you believe how big Isaac's gotten in the past year?

31 weeks | Baby Sweets

How far along: 31 weeks. [31 with Ezra, 31 with Isaac]

How big is baby: A pineapple at 16 inches and 3.3 pounds.

Weight gain/loss: One pound gain, as hoped, for 20 lbs. 

Stretch marks: After two pregnancies, I somehow still don't have any.

Sleep: Tony has had a cough for the past week to join into the fun of Ezra waking up and Isaac still occasionally calling for us. Throw in some insomnia, my pelvic pain and nightly leg cramps.

Diet/Cravings/Aversions: I’m just kind of over food and cooking all together. Nothing tastes amazing, so it just feels like a chore to get some nutrients into my body.

Movement: We’re transitioning from kicks to rolls and pushes.

What I'm loving: That I’m actually starting to wrap my mind around the fact that we’ll be a family of 5, including a daughter.

Symptoms: I have had heartburn off and on throughout this pregnancy, but nothing too consistent. I’m fairly certain that this girl is going to be bald. :(

What I'm looking forward to: Running. I just can’t wait to be able to run again.

Best moment of the week: Hopefully tonight. Tony and I are going out for our Valentine’s date early. I don’t know where we’re going tonight, but Tony has assured me that it’s paleo friendly.

How I'm feeling: Overwhelmed. Tired. Stationary. 

Good Night Hug

Last night our evening schedule was put off a bit, by enjoying a dinner at Levi and Bethany's. We didn't leave much later than we anticipated and we still got the boys off to bed within 30 minutes or so of their regular bed time, but as every parent knows, it was enough.

Isaac comes up with every reason under the sun to delay bedtime as it is, from going to the bathroom again to needing to give us "just one more hug and kiss." To eliminate the appeal of going to the bathroom countless times, we've told him that he doesn't need to ask. If he needs to go to the bathroom, he just needs to simply go and immediately return to his room.

The final good night hug and kiss though, that one proves so much more difficult. Some nights if I let him get "just one more," it turns into a string of a half a dozen requests to give "the last one, okay mama?" It is such a hard request for me to deny though. I mean honestly, to hear my almost 4 year old practically begging to give me "just one more" hug and kiss . . . I'm stubborn, but I can't completely steel my heart.

Last night though, I did it. On his 2nd request, I shot him down.

No.

No.

Absolutely no.

He'd been to the bathroom 3 times and ultimately peed on the floor because there was too little to actually make the stream to the bowl. I was annoyed. I was tired. I was exasperated.

And I denied him any additional hugs or kisses.

He didn't break down into a fit of hysterics by any means. He expressed his disappointment and moved on. Soon enough, he was asleep. Tony continued to watch the Wild game and I completed some business tasks. Before long, I readied myself for bed and went to head upstairs to go to sleep. That's when Tony told me about the absolute senseless random shooting in a nice suburb across the Cities from us that resulted in a 10 year old boy being killed. A 33 year old man stood in the middle of the street and opened fire on random vehicles.

Just like that. A life truncated.

Motherhood has changed me so much, but I can guard my heart very effectively. I sadly acknowledged the news and continued to bed, resolving to pray, but not wanting to alter my plans for bed. As soon as I laid down, the flood of thoughts could not be stopped. I was overwhelmed with anguish for this boy and his family, of which no details had been provided.

And like a ton of bricks it hit me that I had denied Isaac a final hug and kiss..

Like a bolt, I was out of bed, descending the stairs with tears in my eyes. Tony tried calling me to the couch, but the only thing I wanted was my boy, in my arms. He continued to sleep as I drew him up out of bed and Tony came into the room as I sat down in the chair with him.

I didn't feel guilty for parenting as I saw fit that night. I know there isn't anything wrong with my saying no. I wasn't trying to right a wrong.

I just needed to draw my arms around my oldest, feel his shallow sleeping breaths continue in rhythm and love on him, for the mother who wasn't able.

And so I held him, Tony sandwiching him between us, as he prayed for the little boy lost.

Isaacisms

In response to hearing the verse Romans 8:31 "If God is for us, who can be against us?", Isaac whispered "Our parents!" 

In response to telling Isaac his hugs and kisses never get old, he said "Nope, they are brand new every time!"

Love this silly goof who's almost 4 and proves to be challenging every day.

30 weeks | Baby Sweets

How far along: 30 weeks. [30 with Ezra, 30 with Isaac]

How big is baby: Head of cabbage, 15.7 inches and almost 3 pounds.

Weight gain/loss: 19lbs. 

Stretch marks: After two pregnancies, I somehow still don't have any.

Sleep: Again, the issues are primarily with the boys, opposed to a pregnant mama. Ezra is having a really hard time staying down and we’re having a really hard time getting him down without him coming to bed.  I seem to just be keeping what I wrote the week prior and adding on. The pelvic pain that started last week has continued quite strong and is waking me up hourly.

Diet/Cravings/Aversions: Meh, none of the above. Still eating paleo and loving sweet potato hash with over medium eggs, but that’s pretty much the only notable.

Movement: I’m feeling hourly movement now.

What I'm loving: That hockey season is almost over.

Symptoms: My pelvic pain is the only predominant symptom . . . or it’s just the absolute worst and is blocking out all other mild symptoms. I just keep thinking about Tony’s grandma and how she had 13 children! I’ve been so blessed to have kind pregnancies on my body and yet, man, this is awful. I expected the pelvic pain after she arrived, this whole during the pregnancy is really throwing me for a loop.

What I'm looking forward to: I’m really starting to daydream about this little one and actually envisioning what this will look like.

Best moment of the week: I might just be holding out on this one. I hope there’s a better moment to this week than what I’ve already experienced. Tony and I are right in the thick of hockey season. He’s been going virtually nonstop since we returned home from the Wisconsin Dells. He works his 9-5 and then heads to the rink, wherever it might be. If we’re lucky he pops in to say hello after work, and then he’s not home until the boys are in bed and I’m moments away from sleep myself. But, it will end soon.

How I’m feeling: I’m probably a little more discouraged than I was last week, but I think it’s just par the course. I found out the dates that my MW will be gone last Friday and I wasn’t happy, in the least, to hear that she’s essentially not an option to deliver my little miss, as she’ll be out of state starting 4/8 through at 4/19, if not the weekend of 4/20-21 as well. I was assured by the nurse that the OBs on call the week before and the week I am due are fantastic and that I’d be in good hands . . . but ultimately it comes down to the fact that I chose to have a midwife. And while I adore my midwife, which is why I’ve been driving 30+ minutes to see her and would deliver at a hospital 30+ minutes from my home, she is the only midwife and it isn’t just a simple change to start rotating through the other midwives. With this in mind, I started to ask around about other midwife practices and experiences delivering at a few other hospitals. I have an appt with a new midwife group 2/19 and I’m hoping for the best! 

Four Things

 Today, I'm excited for change. Four new things!

1). Tony and I sat down last week and identified some areas of our relationship and family life that could use some attention. Starting with Tony waking up at the same time, relatively, as I do, to begin our day together. We're hoping to get to the point that we can both happily be up in time for breakfast and devotional time together. This morning I successfully scrambled some eggs before running out the door, but it's a work in progress!

2). I bought some Suave dry shampoo at Target yesterday and I'm so stoked to see how it works for me. My hair has gotten ridiculous to manage this winter and I'd love to wash it less!

3). Another vain purchase, but I bought some Clear Eyes redness relief. With the lack of sleep going on in our house my eyes have barely appeared blue, but much more of a soft pink and are crazy bloodshot. No matter what concealer or highlighter I use, I can't shake the "mother of two and pregnant" tired look, but having bright whites of my eyes does seem to help!

4). My Mom told me about this trick on pinterest and we'll see how it all shakes out, but basically for shoes and boots that are worn without socks, you put a pantyliner in to absorb the moisture so they don't get terribly smelly.