Blue Baby Shower

Rachel and Lauren, once again, graciously offered to host a baby shower for kid #2. Since this was a second shower, it was more about the celebration of another baby, rather than a new parent acquiring all the baby stuff. Therefore, it was in the evening, couples/families were invited, and no traditional shower games. A very untraditional "shower", which was perfect for celebration #2.

I was just happy that I was actually pregnant for my own shower.

Our wonderful friends lavished lots of boy clothes and blue blankets on us, and Corinne even got a "big sister" T shirt. However, the makers of children's clothing assume that no one reproduces less than 2 years apart, so the shirt is a size 2T. Maybe she can wear it like a dress for awhile.

A few videos

A new toy at Gymboree

http://youtu.be/6_Ojx9KyTGE

Patting the baby belly

http://youtu.be/4RavtKWrY5c

Finger-walking!
http://youtu.be/sA7rrE2bsg0

Throwing a tantrum because I took my phone away from her.

http://youtu.be/_ziaZmQodGc

She loves to "organize". Apparently things are put in their place when they are thrown OVER the baby fence.
http://youtu.be/cl0rUWgCZco

The day I traded my soul

I traded my soul and my "cool" card for doors that open by themselves.

Now I just need 15 or so A.L.T.A bumper stickers on the back, and I'll totally fit in around here!

I took the van to the Fire Station today to get the convertible car seat and infant car seat inspected for correct installation. They didn't like the mirrors I had installed on the chairs' headrests, allowing me to see the babies' faces from the rear view mirror, saying that my attention should be on the road instead of looking at the babies. 

Sorry dude, consider those mirrors re-installed as soon as I left.

36 weeks

How Far Along: 36w

Size of baby: According to the interwebz, he now weighs almost 6 pounds (like a crenshaw melon) and is more than 18 1/2 inches long. He's shedding most of the downy covering of hair that covered his body as well as the vernix caseosa, the waxy substance that covered and protected his skin during his nine-month amniotic bath. Your baby swallows both of these substances, along with other secretions, resulting in a blackish mixture, called meconium, will form the contents of her first bowel movement.

However, little dude has been measuring ahead (my belly is measuring 39cm, which is the size of a 39 week belly...no wonder I'm so uncomfortable all the time!

Total Weight Gain/Loss: +23

Sex: Boy!

Movement: Decreasing this week. During the BPP ultrasound on Thursday, the tech had to keep jabbing my belly with the probe in an effort to tick him off enough to move. Less sharp jabs and punches, and more rolling type movement. The head is down, it feels like it's resting on my right ovary, and the butt is up near my left rib cage, with the feet along my side. During the ultrasound, he was playing with his feet.

Sleep: Bwhahahahahahaha. You try sleeping with a watermelon attached to your stomach.

Symptoms: Groin pain, waddling, minor heartburn (if I'm laying down), feeling like a trip to the grocery store is more difficult than completing the Boston Marathon (Kroger really needs benches in each aisle), leg cramps, lower back pain, menstrual-type cramps, and the overall feeling like my body is going to hell in a handbasket.

Maternity Clothes: Some of my maternity shirts are looking short/small at this point.

Belly Button: Innie (still) and no visible stretchmarks, oddly enough!

Next appointment: Next Thursday, where we will discuss the induction date.

The belly seems a bit lower than 35 weeks, no?

But definitely bigger than 18w: 

Corinne's Pampers Doppleganger

I should call Pampers and see if they want to plaster Corinne's face all over their product and pay us oodles of money to do so. Our baby is cuter.

And now that Corinne knows how to pat her belly on command, I see Harvard in her future. College ain't gonna pay for itself.

I *said* I wasn't going to...

...decorate a nursery, but cuteness won out.

Rational efficiency did not win out.

16 candles throwback

It's at times like these when I feel like Jake Ryan surveying his house after the party his girlfriend just threw.

I need a freshman to make me a drink and help me clean up.

We have a brilliant kid

Corinne hasn't worn socks all summer except for maybe twice. However she found an old sock in her toy box yesterday. For the past two days she's been trying to put it on her foot. I'm surprised she remembered what socks were!

Which is funny to watch, especially since its a newborn sock and she wears size 12m-24m socks (she has huge feet.)

35 weeks

Also known as the time that I am constantly feeling like I'm one really good, long, fart away from feeling great...but it never comes.

The groin pain has lessened (somewhat), but it still rears its ugly head when transitioning from laying/sitting down to standing up or moving.

I'm up about 20ish pounds, which the Dr is happy about, and blood pressure still is normal. Each weekly appointment, I get a mini lecture from him that as soon as I start to feel off or have pre-e symptoms, I'm to call right away.

Interestingly enough, still no swelling. My wedding rings and shoes still fit great. However reaching my toes to cut my toenails is out of the question at this point. So, I let the Asian ladies do it at the local nail place, who feel the need to point out that I look huge, I must be carrying twins, and I have too much dead skin on my feet ::tsk tsk:: at least I know I'll always get a non sugar coated opinion from them! And they make my feet look nice :)

Oh, and I somehow managed to avoid the purple stretch mark fairy. Granted she still has a few weeks to make an appearance, but so far, so good. Really, the only visible markings on the belly are due to the Lovenox shots. Track marks, if you will.

I'm getting anxious to get to the end. To get my body back and to see the little guy. But then I cower in fear over the prospect of dealing with TWO babies all day and night long.

Send wine. Cases of it. I'm going to need it.

First Olympics

Corinne's first Olympic game viewing.

She enjoyed the closing ceremonies and dancing to "our house".

I was surprised (and humbled) by how old the band looked.

Growing Up

I've noticed Corinne taking on more "toddler-type" attributes lately. My baby is growing up. In a way, it's neat to see the transformation before my very eyes. Part of me can't wait for the next stage of walking/talking/interacting intelligently. And yet when she wants to snuggle, and I look down and see a true baby, I enjoy that time as well.

The most recent changes (physically) are the way she moves her body. She no longer sits or moves like a baby. Instead, she has control over her arms and legs, using them to contort herself into more toddler type positions.

And, she figured out how to slide down the slide yesterday and what fun it could be (both on her belly and on her butt).

33 weeks

Baby boy (or "Jarl" as M likes to call him) is guesstimated to weigh in at 5.5lbs. Which explains all the pelvic pain I've been experiencing. Some days it's better than others. It makes me hobble around like an old woman and makes lifting my legs (to go upstairs) a Herculean feat. It's actually been pretty tame the last two days.

Other fun third trimester pregnancy perks: leg cramps. When I go to stretch out my legs (especially at night), then they tend to Charlie horse right up.

I've still managed to avoid huge stretch marks, heartburn, and Braxton hicks contractions. Yay!

So, really, other than the leg cramping, pelvic pain, and constant feeling like I'm one really good fart away from relief (which never comes), I'm feeling pretty good. Blood pressure is normal, no swelling (I'm still wearing my wedding rings), and weight gain is at 20lbs which the doctor is happy about.

Each weekly appointment I have on Thursdays the doctor is surprised to see me and surprised that everything is continuing to go smoothly. baby boy continues to pass his biophysical profile ultrasounds with an 8 out of 8, and his head and abdomen continue to be in the >90th percentile range, with the rest of his measurements between the 70th and 90th percentile.

I kind of feel like a ticking time bomb at this point.

2 teeth and a bath

Corinne now has two bottom teeth (that she won't show off for the camera).

We tried something new with bath time. Instead of bringing her in the bathtub with us, or in the shower before bed, we decided to stick her in the tub by herself right after dinner. Her first bath time without a bathing partner.

However, our tub is too big and it's a pain in the ass to lean over the side of the tub.

But, she enjoyed it, nonetheless.

Update: finally managed a picture showing her two teeth. The secret? Take the iPhone away from her, which causes a tantrum!

32 weeks

Oy. I feel big. Getting up from sitting on the floor (pretty much the only position Corinne "allows" me to be in nowadays) feels like raising the Titanic from the bottom of the ocean. It's a process and I wish I had use of an industrial crane.

My belly button is still an innie, and no noticeable stretch marks. But, there's no denying I'm pregnant now. Even the checkout lady at the grocery store said to me "oooh, you're getting close".

During the biophysical ultrasound today, baby boy (name is still being debated) is guesstimated to weigh in at 5.25lbs. That's a lot of baby. All his measurements were about 2-4 weeks ahead. His head and belly are in the "greater than 97th" percentile.

And, he has hair. The ultrasound tech pointed out a large swath of hair on top of his head. I guess I make hairy babies. Everywhere we go, people comment on Corinne's full head of hair. Must be the Italian in us.

I've been debating on if I should add some preemie clothes to his stash. I think I'll hold off. It looks like even if he comes early, he'll be able to fit into the Gerber newborn size juuuuust fine (which we have a lot of).

I have the basic necessities ready to go in a diaper bag. I went to Labor and Delivery last Sunday. I was having some back pain on my right side, the same location I started having it with Corinne a few days before she was born. I took my blood pressure at home a few times over the course of an hour and the bottom number was in the mid 90's.

So, with those two strikes against me, I called my doctor's office and they notified L+D of my imminent arrival. I had 50 protein in my urine, and my blood pressure was elevated. But within an hour, my blood pressure dropped to 110/60. The labs they ran on my blood (to test for HELLP/pre-e) all came back clean, so my Dr discharged me. I followed up with him at the office on Tuesday and Thursday. Everything is back to normal and looking good. He debated on having me come in twice a week for checks, but after promises on my part to call with the slightest symptom of pre-e, he said I could continue with just the once a week ultrasound/check.