Crazy Week...

NO ONE wants to wake a sleeping baby... or "big girl" or MINNIE that is FOR SURE!

This week we had no choice though since Husband and I have had SOMETHING every.single.day. Might we be a little busy? Monday normal U/S for Miss B, Tuesday SWEET LIZ came to pick up my girl to take her out for the AM and do FUN STUFF like hit the park, the library and have a picnic in our little town ~ Husband had an eye doctor appointment, Wednesday Husband's surgery is scheduled to PRAYERFULLY get rid of all 8 stones on the left side. The stent he had put in is causing a major ruckus for the guy who knows he has wood to get in, outside stuff he wanted to accomplish before school and taking care of his three little ladies... Thursday it is BACK to the doc for an U/S, RN visit and Loretta check and I think on Friday we might all just COLLAPSE :)

I do know the days are coming when I will implement my "bubble" and we will be hunkered down at home with a teenie tiny for a week or MORE and I am actually LOOKING FORWARD TO IT :)

Loved: Baby Shower for Miss B

On Saturday AM sweet Liz, Momma S and a SLEW of other "life women" threw a baby shower for me and Miss B ~ it was in a word...AH-MAY-ZING! :) Between the crazy out of this world FOOD...

to the details of the "Clicker" theme and little notes, favors and giveaways....

I was overWHELMED....

The only request I had REALLY made to Liz was her world famous PAVLOVA...and my sweet treat friend did NOT.DISAPOINT! FEELIN' THE LOVE LOVE LOVE! :) YUMMMMMMYYYY

Guests were asked to write words of encouragement, love and birthday wishes for each of my girl's birthdays from 1-18... amazing..

the two crazys... I love these gals... what else is there to say? :)

My sweet Liz... she had written down some things for me I *think* to encourage me :) but because she's already 8 months onto the other side of two kiddies she knows what I'm in for... and she also knows the LORD is going to be the ONLY thing to get us through the "thick of it" :) I did love that she said I might "flip but He won't let me flop" :) tee hee hee....This girl loves me and I know it every time I talk to her... EVERY.TIME.

One of the smaller guests :) when you are learning to crawl and walk you GOTTA pull that dress up... it just slows yah down man :)

I wish I would have MADE people pose for more pics...but sweet Mrs. P got snagged before she scooted. I was so blessed that she came!

And it's like last weekend all over again :)

THEN my goose showed up at the end... there were SEVERAL that got her "Big Sister" presents and she is just over the MOON excited about having a Baby Sister! she has been loved on, spoiled and lavished with gifts like crazy...

It was a GREAT day girls... thank you for making it so special and catered just to ME... You thought of everything and I have been spoiled beyond belief. THANK YOU.

TracyMichele ~ 37 Weeks 2 Days

One for CountryDad and JJ ~ Blast from the Past

He did ask... "so how's Fred?" :)

37 Weeks 1 Day... OFFICALLY FULL-TERM!

Net weight gain/loss: +42.8

Maternity clothes: What's the point? They are too small at this point too...

Stretch marks: Yes ~ the skin is so stretched that it feels bruised and is SUPER itchy... NOT at all comfortable...

 

Belly button: OUT-ish

Sleep: I wish ~ I have had a couple of nights where I got a stretch from 3AM-6 and then dozing until 7 and that was PRETTY amazing!

Baby movement: Yes ~ seems like she's slowing a little bit but she is a strong gal

Food cravings: Nothing this week really... Husband tried to get me to come up with something for dinner last night and I honestly felt like NOTHING... I would have eaten anything, just didn't have a hankering for anything in particular... 

 

Food aversions: Mexican and fries in my oven

What I miss: bending over, bladder control, my wedding set and sleeping more than 1.5 hours at a time

Looking forward to: What happened this week (7/26) at the Docs: We did have a growth U/S today. It has been three weeks since THIS day and we were due for a check in. Thankfully we had Janet my fav. U/S tech who, I feel, really knows her job, has been doing it for more than 20 years and takes her time getting a bunch of different measurements to make sure she's getting a good average. Today Miss B weighed in at 7lbs 10oz and has "dropped" or rather stayed on TRACK with the growth curve she WAS on before all that chaos a few weeks ago. She's in the 78% and IF things go like I WANT them to she will be right about the same size as Minnie :) Her HR was 136, she scored 8/8 on all her tricks and my fluid was 21.5. My BP was 102/60 again and Betty was happy with no swelling to speak of :)

 

I will get "checked" next Thurs and provided I'm not walking around at 3cm+ Dr. P said MY wish is HIS command and I'm set for the night of Aug  9th. My RN Pam is on duty on 8/10 and I'd LOVE for her to be my support again this time. Of course all kinds of stuff can happen between now and then and this gal has a mind of her own just like her big sis so we'll see but if you can PLAN things like BIRTH that's our "plan" :)

 

I know I need to snag another belly pic but here's some of Miss B :) Creepy or Cool?? :) I can't tell.... 

 

 3-D pic of the bottom of her foot...

Pretty squished in there and clearly gaining weight in her cheeks just like her big sis :)

 3-D pic of her hand in front of her mouth...

"Berry" Sweet

It was an AMAZING day to celebrate a GREAT girl expecting a SUPER sweet little blessing :) "Yiz" hosted a little celebration in anticipation of "Berry Sweet" O :) Tamarah and I are in the final stretch and it is a race to the finish... we are both DONE! :)

 Gorgeous wild flowers cut from the property...

Super cute give-aways... and yes I DID guess the right amount of diapers in the basket and I DID try to snag them to bring home instead of the yummy triple berry jam... I did think of Husband though and he really IS going through a lot so brought home the jam instead :)

 Strawberry, Raspberry and Blueberry covered pretzels ~ Strawberry cupcakes in mini-Mason jars for the "thanks for coming" gifts... SO CUTE!

AND THE CUTEST guest ever :)

Please note the biggest smile... the one on the girl who has a nice big boy who SLEEPS THROUGH THE NIGHT....Little less of a smile on the Mom of a 5 week old but still pretty happy she's OUT and then me... oh please Miss B.... come soon so I can get back to things like STANDING during a picture taking session :)

 Sweet Baby C-line all passed out...

Whoever gets to the end first wins? Is that how it is going my friend? :) I have SO enjoyed riding this crazy ride with you... can't WAIT to enjoy our baby girls while our "big" girls continue to grow together...

and the STAR of the show... just as soon as the show as over... Cam-Man slept the whole time during the party enabling his Mama to be the BEST hostess and enjoy her company and as soon as the last guest left he decided it was time to PAH-TY :)

fanTASTIC party "Yiz" :) amazing details, intimate setting and PERFECT weather... Tamarah... can't WAIT to celebrate baby O as SOON as she comes out... unless of course I'm in the hospital with Miss B :)

36 Weeks 1 Day

Net weight gain/loss: 41.2

Maternity clothes: Do I HAVE to?

Stretch marks: Yes ~ the skin is so stretched that it feels bruised and is SUPER itchy... but not PUPPS itchy... PHEW! :)

 

Belly button: OUT-ish

Sleep: I wish

Baby movement: Yes ~ and while it IS still the ONLY part I actually LIKE about being PG Miss B is pretty strong and that bum is still pushed right up. Some movements are taking my breath away

Food cravings: Popsicles, berries, lemonade 

 

Food aversions: Mexican and fries in my oven

What I miss: bending over, bladder control, my wedding set and sleeping more than 1.5 hours at a time

Looking forward to: What happened this week (7/19) at the Docs: thankfully we were fairly uneventful again this week... Miss B scored an 8/8 for all her tricks, her heart rate was 143 and my BP was 102/60.

 

My placenta grade did go from a 2 up to a 3 which is "normal" at this stage of the game but extra caution and advice was given in case I'm having any unexplained low blood sugars since it can "crap out" quickly...and I do have GBS so I'll have to do the 6 hours of IV antibiotic before she is born... AH-NOY-ING.

 

Big wig Doc P said I'm looking "fabulous" which apparently is not a compliment he gives often... and though we are not officially on the SCHEDULE ~ if Miss B hasn't come all on her own before the 9th they were on board with MY plan of going in that evening and having a baby nice and slow the next day :)

 

 

A quick visit ~ Minnie meets Baby NC!

Today Minnie and I went to drop off all the freezer meals to Laura Jana and Don... it was the first day that we didn't have ANYTHING to do so we took advantage of it. One more thing off my check list :) Minnie was SO exicted on the way there to think that she got to see Baby NC who has "come out of Aunnie Lu-Lu's belly" and did I think that DON might be there and oh by the way... where was Shadow? :) It was a chatty ride for my girl and I that is for sure. The little man is sure SUPER cute and my girl was THRILLED to meet him...

I can't think too much about having my own pics likes these of my TWO GIRLS together or I start to get weepy. Darn these PG hormones...

but I sure do think she's gonna make the BEST big sister... :)

In the meantime....

The heat is rising...the belly is getting bigger (as IF it is even POSSIBLE, yet somehow it happens)...and the Husband is growing 12...as in TWELVE kidney stones. Remember THESE POSTS? Yeah... we are back there again... Poor guy is dealing with SERIOUS pain this time because he has FOUR of them "stuck" ~ one of which is the size of a DIME... Surgery scheduled for tomorrow to put in a stent and bump the four "stuck" stones back into his kidney and hopefully dislodge and collect the other stones that are in there so they all collect nicely and he can have another lithotripsy to blast them all at a later date. Like a week before I'm set to have his 2nd child. Yeah. He'll need another lithotripsy surgery on the other side and perhaps even one more if they don't get them all the first two times. That's a lot of going "under" :(

The timing of everything is a little bit stressing me out... because I need my partner... I HATE that he is in pain and just not feeling like himself. The guy does NOT complain (we are talking about a guy walking around needing a double hip replacement and you'd NEVER know) and I just want him to feel like he's in tip top shape...It's a lot... PG/grouchy/hot/uncomfortable/nesting ALMOST 36 week PG wife, a 2 1/2 year old who keeps getting shuffled around and pain from kidney stones that most people say is WORSE than labor... (for those women who have gone through both...)

Minnie is for SURE picking up on the fact that things are ah changin'. She has been busy with fun things and we are SO thankful for good friends and family that will take her at the drop of a hat but that's not what is "normal" to her and we are starting to see the repercussions. She really IS a gem about getting dropped off places and more often than not actually CRIES when we come to PICK HER UP (nothin' like makin' a Mama feel good) but she is acting out a bit when we get home and really needing extra "Mom-Time". Trying to be sensitive to that while dealing with 40 extra lbs, no sleep and 90 degree heat and humidity is challenging to say the least...

On the "up-side"... Husband and I met with Pam today. My RN that delivered Minnie since she gives private childbirth classes in her home. I really just felt like I needed a "review" since we took Hypnobirthing the first go-round and I feel like it worked SO well for us. She was a HUGE supporter of that and gave us some great tips for this time around just IN CASE she isn't there with us. Course remember MY "plan" of the 9th and 10th... yeah... she's working on those days :) Now to just SURVIVE until then :)

I feel like this is what happens to every PG girl right there towards the end... I don't think that I'm unlike many that have gone before me :) All your best laid plans of TRYING to get things done ahead of time, ducks in a row and then relaxing and cleaning and anticipating the arrival of your new miracle sort of ALL GO OUT THE WINDOW for one unforeseen circumstance or another. Therefore... you just gotta roll with it... trust the ONE who has MY best interest in mind and knows that I CAN'T handle it all on my own so I MUST rely on Him. Lord knows I'm in WAY over my head right now....

Daredevil Take Two

35 Weeks and 1 Day

Net weight gain/loss: And we've hit a nice even 40lbs... WOW-ZERS

Maternity clothes: Uh... yah ~ course in this heat, call before you come... clothes are optional :)

Stretch marks: Yes though I don't think there are any new ones... they are itchy lately though

Belly button: OUT but might be flattening a bit??

Sleep: In 1.5 hour increments from 10PM until 6:30AM

Baby movement: Yes ~pretty strong and that bum is still pushed right up...the U/S techs have been having a hard time getting her to do big movements at my appts but I think that's because 1) she's pretty laid back and 2) this girl is a little camera shy still :)

Food cravings: Nothing too crazy... Popsicles but it's 85+ degrees... MINNIE is craving Popsicles :)

Food aversions: Mexican and fries in my oven

What I miss: bending over, bladder control, my wedding set and sleeping more than 1.5 hours at a time

Looking forward to: What happened this week (7/12) at the Docs: thankfully we were fairly uneventful this week... Miss B scored an 8/8 for all her tricks, her heart rate was 149 and my BP was 110/70. I was actually back to Betty this week and she reviewed my blood sugars and U/S results with my fav doc aka the head honcho and came back to say he is THRILLED with everything. My sugars are great, my U/S pics are fine and he is SUPER HAPPY. As I told Betty today, his opinion is the only one that matters at this point since he'll be the one that gives the eviction notice. :) Perhaps the evening of August 9th to have a baby on the 10th?? A girl can dream can't she?

I have all my U/S and RN visits set up through the 9th and it really IS flying by at this point... She will be here before we know it and life will be forever changed once again :)

Baby NC!

He wasn't supposed to come until WEDNESDAY but Laura Jane's boy seems to alREADY have a mind of his own :) He stayed breech and he decided his birthday should be 7/7/2012 at 9:48AM

 Big boy is 8lbs 5oz and is 20.5 inches long No disputing it... looks just like his Daddy :) No worries on that Laura Jane... I have one of those too and it is GREAT :)

 It was def. different being a visitor at the hospital in the big city, especially when I'm so close to being a "patient" there myself... in fact when Husband and I went through security to get our passes so we COULD go visit, the first thing the security guard said was... "Are YOU in labor?" :) Eh... not yet :)

I am OVER THE MOON excited for my girl... couldn't keep the emotions in check when I left her a voicemail the other day after her c-section but today it was just HAPPINESS... She loves that little man and I am SO proud of her!!! I love YOU Laura Jane and this is going to be the craziest ride yet... enjoy every SINGLE second! :)

*TMA ~ here's your 34 and 1/2 week belly shot. :)