Baby Bump: Week 39 / 5 Days Postpartum

I wrote this post yesterday, when it was Week 39/5 Days Postpartum, but failed to hit "post" before I fell asleep.  Whoops!

 How far along? Would have been 39 weeks - but 5 days postpartum instead!

Weight gain/loss: I'm not sure what my total weight gain was exactly - somewhere in the range of 45 pounds.  I'm down about 15 so far!

Feeling: It depends on the moment, but overall - pretty well.  Mentally, I am great until the  exhaustion hits.  Emotionally, I am so in love with my little family.  Physically...recovery has been tougher than I anticipated.  I am still really sore from having a fair amount of stitches, which has made it tough to do much of anything that requires moving.  I pretty much hang out on one corner of the couch all day.  With Lincoln, I was feeling great after about two days.  I am trying to be patient and give myself time to recover, but I feel so happy to not be pregnant, I'm having a hard time accepting that all I need to do at this point is rest.

Maternity clothes? Still wearing maternity jeans - if I actually get dressed.  But I am mostly wearing pajama pants.  It's getting cold, so I may break out my favorite hoodies this weekend!  I also need to figure out how many nursing-appropriate shirts I have...

Sleep: We are sleeping remarkably well.  When we brought Lincoln home, I don't think anyone slept for four or five days.  Addie is content to sleep curled up in my arm for most of the night, just waking up once or twice to eat.  In fact, Lincoln was up twice as many times as she was last night.  I am doing okay with the lack of sleep because I overall feel so much better having the baby outside of me!  I have taken a few unplanned naps in the past few days, but Andrew has been super awesome and taken my noisy little Lincoln to another part of the house when Addie and I fall asleep on the couch.

Breastfeeding: I could not be more relieved that breastfeeding is wonderful.  Adelaide's latch has been amazing from the beginning.  Occasionally she is sleepy and I have to wake her up to make her eat.  But she is doing great!  We have no real schedule, just feeding whenever she gives any hunger cues - and we are all so much more relaxed and peaceful because of it.  My milk came in about two and a half days after she was born, probably thanks to the fact that Lincoln nursed throughout my pregnancy.  This has also caused me to have very little soreness and (so far) no crazy leaking!  I am also not engorged at all, because Lincoln is happy to take care of any excess.  I am not complaining at all.  After the extremely difficult start to breastfeeding I had with Lincoln, this experience has been a dream. 

Side note - I never really intended to tandem nurse when my breastfeeding journey started almost two years ago.  But here we are!  Planning a longer post about this soon.

Family Adjustment: Lincoln is overall transitioning better than we thought he might.  So far he has only poked Addie in the eye once and crawled over her a couple of times.  He seems content with her presence most of the time - but also doesn't really want to touch/hug/kiss her.  I'm okay with this - I know they're going to be great friends and there's plenty of time for that to happen.  I think he even said "baby" this morning.  For a child who pretty much communicates entirely with words that are vehicular (car, truck, choo-choo) - this melts my heart!  I am doing well this week because Andrew has been home to keep up with Lincoln. Next week will probably be a little more difficult for all of us. 

Best Things about Not Being Pregnant:  Oh my goodness!!  So many things!  Food tastes good.  No more heartburn.  No more itchy belly.  No more trying to roll over in the middle of the night with a baby's head in my pelvis.  No more children warring at each other from inside and outside me.  Even with the difficult recovery, I am so so happy that she is here and I am done.  For now, at least.  

Now then - can somebody get me a Caesar salad, please?  :)

Baby Bump: Week 38

How far along?  38 weeks! 

Weight gain/loss: At this point it's just a stash so that breastfeeding can get off to a great start, right? New mental coping mechanism.

Feeling: Doing okay overall, but really just very, very ready to be done.  Everyone talks about how the last few weeks of pregnancy drag on - but seriously, when pregnancy has been dragging since week five when you first started having constant nausea, by week 38 you are just done.

Maternity clothes?  I wear tank tops and pajama pants at home.  If I happen to leave the house (rare), I wear the same shirt/jeans for two or three or four days.  Maternity clothes are only fun when you have a little bitty bump to show off.  Once you get to this point...it's all meh.

Sleep: Yeah I don't want to talk about this.  I managed to get about six hours of interrupted sleep last night.  And it was probably the best night all week.  Bring on the newborn, I'm not sleeping anyway.

Food cravings: Last night I decided that we had to go have Buffalo Wild Wings.  In a meager attempt to "spicy food" her out, I ordered something above the "green" level on the spicy scale.  So far it hasn't worked.  Otherwise, I just miss the things I'm not supposed to have.

Gender: Hope she is a girl since I ordered her a custom purple blanket this week and there is a pink Baby's First Christmas ornament on our tree...
 

Movement?  Mostly nudges at this point.  I can sometimes feel her halfway around my side.  She is out of room.

What I miss?  Oh, pretty much everything about not being pregnant.

Best moment this week: Last weekend was nice, we went on two walks on Saturday because the weather was gorgeous.  Otherwise the week has really dragged on.

What I'm looking forward to:  Next Monday I will be 38 weeks and 3 days - which is when Lincoln was born.  I'm pretty sure I am going to cry if she is not out by then.  Second babies are supposed to come earlier, right?  If you have a story about how your second child came later than your first, please wait until my baby is born to share it with me.  Because right now I cannot be held responsible for my actions.  I really want to have the baby here by Thanksgiving, which is less than a week away.  I realize I don't get a choice in the matter, but the food is going to taste awful if I am still super pregnant. :\

Next Appointment: November 21 at 38 weeks, 5 days.

Just for fun - here's a comparison photo.  What do you think?  Am I having a baby within the next few days?

Yes, 38 weeks happened to fall on the 16th both pregnancies.  Coincidence?

Don't forget to enter the $50 Tiny Prints Giveaway - it ends tonight at 11:01pm CST!

Baby Bump: Week 37

Forgot to clean my mirror today.  Sorry!

How far along?  37 weeks - she's officially full term!

Weight gain/loss: Only gained 1 extra pound this week, up to 44 total.  Almost done, almost done...

Feeling: Mixed.  Some days are good and some days are really, really bad.  Overall, my spirits are improved just knowing that she will be here really soon!  When I wake up still having morning sickness at this point, though...and when I can't sleep because my body aches so much....well, then it's a little more difficult.

Maternity clothes?  I pretty much hate all of my maternity clothes at this point.  I don't want to see them anymore.  I miss real jeans.

Sleep: Oh boy.  This week has been interesting.  Lincoln learned how to climb out of his crib last Saturday - and he didn't just climb out, he flipped himself over the edge headfirst.  Which means I no longer think it is safe for him to sleep there.  So we are now trying to teach him to sleep in a toddler bed.  The last couple of days have gone pretty well, but the first two or three nights, I hardly slept at all.  He thought it was fantastic to get up at 12:45am and run around shrieking - until almost 5am.  Unfortunately not kidding.  I am a little bit terrified of what is going to happen when I am nursing a newborn in the middle of the night and trying to keep him in bed, too.  :\

Food cravings: Bought some caramel dip and opened it this morning - pretty sure I might eat it all today.  I've also been enjoying some clearanced Halloween candy.  Yes I should probably try to increase my intake of "healthy" but...

Gender: Girl
 

Movement?  She's still really active.  I don't think she has realized that she is out of room, while I am definitely aware of this!

What I miss? Just feeling normal.

Best moment this week: Reaching full term and knowing that I'm in the clear to deliver at the birth center as planned!  Also we put up the Christmas tree and it makes me happy!

What I'm looking forward to:  The weekend and having Andrew home to help with Lincoln/help me get the house organized (pretty sure I have a big nesting instinct going on at the moment - the house is driving me crazy)

Next Appointment: November 15 at 37 weeks, 6 days.

Baby Bump: Week 36

How far along?  36 weeks today!

Weight gain/loss: I've gained 43ish pounds. Lovely, right?  Still looks like it's mostly baby so I'm trying not to stress about it. :)

Feeling: I don't think anyone wants to hear how I am feeling, honestly.  I'm tired, grouchy, achy, and whiny (ask my poor husband, that's the mild version).  I'm encouraged that it is November though, so I know I will get to meet Adelaide soon.  I've never been super fabulous with patience.

Maternity clothes?  Yes.  The black shirt I am wearing in this week's photo, I just discovered in my closet.  Totally forgot I had it.  I have worn it five days this week, not kidding.

Sleep: Nonexistent.  Last night I had six pillows surrounding me and still could not get comfortable.  At least Lincoln is (mostly) sleeping through the night now.

Food cravings: Everything tastes terrible.  Don't really want to eat anything, but know I have to keep feeding baby.  So I'm trying.

Gender: Sweet, sweet baby girl. 
 

Movement?  She found my ribs yesterday.  Delightful feeling, that.

What I miss? So many things I can't even begin to describe them all.

Best moment this week: Making accessories for Lincoln's Halloween costume, maybe?  Even though I was up until 1am, it was pretty much the last thing left on my to-do list that I actually have to finish before Addie comes.  So I guess it counts.

What I'm looking forward to:  Sleeping on my stomach.  Eating food that tastes normal.  Oh, so many things.  Oh - and reaching full term next week!

Next Appointment: November 8 at 36 weeks, 6 days.

Waiting for Adelaide

Hi, little lady.

My name is mama.

I'm pretty anxious to meet you.  Your due date is one month from today...but it's only ten days until you are full-term! 

So...do you think we could speed up that arrival just a bit?  It would be totally fine by me.

I can't believe I am so close to seeing your precious face for the first time!  It's starting to drive me crazy, wondering what you look like.

I love you, sweet baby girl.

And I hope you are ready to wear lots and lots of gorgeous giant flower headbands.  Your collection is growing. 

Baby Bump: Week 35

How far along? 35 weeks.  Two more left until full term - yay!

Weight gain/loss: I unfortunately glanced at the scale at my appointment this past week.  I've gained about 42 pounds.  It still seems to be all baby, so I guess I can't complain.  Much.

Feeling: Frustrated.  It's hard to move.  It's hard to sleep.  I never seem to make any progress on the dishes or the laundry or the sewing projects.  It's hard to care for a little boy who wants to make the biggest messes in the world and destroy all my furniture with his cars. 

Don't let his innocent face deceive you.  He tried to get in the trash can and toilet just one too many times while I took my bump photos today, so he was sentenced to a few minutes in the baby jail.

Maternity clothes?  Yes.  Some of the shirts are starting to be too short, whereas my jeans are randomly falling off?  Are they just losing their elasticity because I'm so enormous?!

Sleep: Lincoln slept most of the night the past two days, which was an improvement over the rest of the week.  If I could convince him to sleep a little later in the morning, it would rock my world.  Falling asleep is starting to be really difficult; I can't get comfortable for anything.  Especially when Lincoln ends up in bed with us because he won't sleep otherwise. :\

Food cravings:  I've reached the point of pregnancy where pretty much everything I eat tastes like dirt 95% of the time.  Delightful, right?  Really looking forward to the return of my normal taste buds in a few weeks.  On this note, however, I had Pizza Hut for lunch and even though I am suffering heartburn an hour later - it was delicious and totally worth it.

Gender: Still a girl. 
 

Movement?  I've been trying this week to identify exactly what little appendages are poking me.  Andrew thinks he felt fingers a few days ago, and we thought maybe a knee or elbow yesterday.  She is pretty much bouncing on my bladder - even Lincoln is no longer interested in following me to the bathroom all the time (and this is usually one of the day's highlights).

What I miss?  Feeling like myself, food, sleep.  Being able to do small tasks like walking up the stairs once or taking a shower without feeling like I might fall over.

Best moment this week: We had some great fun this past weekend at Enchanted Forest and the pumpkin patch.  Also got to have some time out with the hubby and friends last night to see an early screening of Wreck-It Ralph!  That was fun.

What I'm looking forward to:  Reaching full term so that I can start trying to walk this baby out of me.  Also anxious to meet a friend's baby who is due to arrive within the next few days!  Can't wait to sneak in some baby snuggles even before Adelaide makes her appearance!

Next Appointment: Wednesday, October 31.  Weekly appointments now - that means the rest of pregnancy should go quickly, right?!

Baby Bump: Week 34

Getting closer!

How far along? 34 weeks.

Weight gain/loss: Haven't checked since last week.  I really don't want to know.

Feeling: I've had a little more energy this week, but have also been nauseated and dealing with morning sickness again this week.  And having a toddler throwing tantrums when you don't feel well is really hard.  Lots of frustration all around.  We are currently in a 2+ hour battle of wills to get a small, exhausted boy to nap.... :(

Maternity clothes?  Henceforth in this pregnancy, when I am at home I will likely be wearing Andrew's hoodies.  I mostly feel like a whale.

Sleep:  So much better this week than last.  I still wake up every couple of hours, but Lincoln slept almost all night almost every night this week.  If I could make myself go to bed when he does, I would actually get a reasonable amount of sleep.  I'm averaging 5-8 interrupted hours right now.  It's not too bad.

Food cravings:  This week all I have wanted is soup.  But canned sounds gross and I've never made any myself.  Hopefully going to give that a try tonight and see how it goes.  And conveniently, since I'm planning a soup-making marathon, I happen to have the corresponding veggie to baby's size this week on hand!

Addie is the size of a butternut squash!

Gender: Girl
 

Movement? She's very active and enjoys hanging out at the very front of my belly, so that I feel stretched and weird.  I had an anterior placenta with Lincoln so these front crazy movements are freaking me out a little.

What I miss?  Being not pregnant.  I know I'm growing a miracle and it's beautiful and I couldn't be happier.  But I hate not feeling like myself.

Best moment this week:  Drama classes are done until spring.  Big relief to have that off my plate.  I also found the surface of the kitchen counter while trying to get organized this week.  Hadn't seen it in awhile!

What I'm looking forward to:  Hopefully going to attempt to get out of the house for some fun fall activities this weekend...pumpkin patch, Enchanted Forest, etc.  I really need to get started on Halloween costumes.  Last year we looked awesome.  So far this year, I don't really even have a plan.

Next Appointment: October 24 at 34weeks, 5days.

Baby Bump: Week 33

 

How far along? 33 weeks today.

Weight gain/loss: I made the mistake of watching the scale when they weighed me at my appointment this week.  I've gained almost 40 pounds.  Feeling okay about this since I'm pretty sure it's mostly baby.

Feeling: Tired and sluggish and achy most days.  But overall, the past couple days have been better.  So...I guess you could say all right?

Maternity clothes? My favorite purple shirt has made its reappearance for this pregnancy - yay!  I love this shirt so much that I actually bought another when when I saw it at the Kid's Closet consignment sale last week.  Now I can wear it practically every day!

Sleep: Lincoln slept through the night once this past week.  Once.  I guess he's trying to prep me for newborn sleep patterns?  I'm not sure what I'm going to do if he keeps this up once Addie arrives.

Food cravings: Only things I can't have, apple cider, Caesar salad, my wishlist pretty much stays the same.  Food is mostly tasting blah these days, I'm really excited to enjoy tastes again once she is born.

Gender: Girl.
 

Movement?  She's been freaking me out with some wild stretching this week.  I think she thinks she has more room than she realizes...

What I miss?  Being able to reach my feet.  And the ability to pick up something off the floor without it becoming a five-minute production.

Best moment this week:  Made some money at the Kid's Closet sale and - yay - finally got a haircut this morning!

What I'm looking forward to:  My fall student drama production is tomorrow evening - I am so excited to wrap it up and have no really big projects left on my plate before her arrival!  Next week will hopefully be a week with lots of relaxing and catching up on little things (maybe a trip to the grocery store? there is no food here).

Next Appointment: October 24.

Baby Bump: Week 32

How far along? 32 weeks!

Weight gain/loss: Honestly, I haven't weighed myself since my last appointment on September 25.  So about the same or slightly more?  :)

Feeling: Today?  Okay.  But it's been a long week.  Lots of aching joint, it's getting hard to walk.

Maternity clothes? Yes, and it's finally chilly outside so I have started wearing a few of my long-sleeve shirts.  

Sleep: Not enough.  Lincoln's sleep has been pretty atrocious this past week unfortunately. 

Food cravings: Not a lot of cravings, really.  I have been really hungry this week, Adelaide must be growing!  I learned that bagels have like 8g of protein so I guess you could say I've been obsessively consuming those?  Still not a craving, but I did make a special trip to the store this morning to get more.

Gender: Girl!  Today I am hoping to sort through and organize a giant tote filed with shoes, headbands, bows, and tights.  Yay!
 

Movement?  She's pretty busy in there, but starting to run out of room so the movements aren't huge anymore.

What I miss?  Sleep.  Feeling normal.  Caesar salad, apple cider.  Being able to get dressed without holding onto something for support.

Best moment this week:  Had a huge burst of nesting last night and cleaned out the garage after drama class - everything is nice and organized in there now.  Then I started dragging furniture around the basement and made a huge mess.  Lost the energy to finish the project before bed, but hopefully will get it done this weekend.

What I'm looking forward to:  Hopefully getting a haircut soon.  My hair is kind of out of control.  My bangs are "supposed" to be at eyebrow level.  You can see in the photo that they are currently able to touch my nose.  Yikes.

Next Appointment: October 10.

Baby Bump: Week 31

Time for another update, yay!

How far along? 31 weeks today

Weight gain/loss: I have gained somewhere between 30-35 pounds but I honestly don't pay attention.

Feeling:  Really, really tired this week.  Lincoln has decided that sleeping through the night is not a good idea, so there have been a lot of long long nights followed by bleary days lately.  :(

Maternity clothes? Yep.  I tend to pick out one shirt on Monday or Tuesday and then wear it every time I leave the house the whole week.  Don't judge.  It's not like I leave the house often.

Sleep: See above.  I am exhausted but not getting the opportunity for solid sleep.

Food cravings:  Honestly, today everything sounds blah.  Everything.  This is pretty normal.

Gender: She's still a princess!
 

Movement?  I think she was flipping last night when I was trying to go to sleep, I was a little freaked out by the way my stomach was moving.  Throughout the day she usually has a few active spells, but she is getting big enough that there's not a lot of room for wild movement anymore.

What I miss? Apple cider.  I've read conflicting reports that it may not be safe to drink due to the way it is pasteurized - so I am not drinking it to be on the safe side.  And I am SO sad about this.

Best moment this week: Lincoln came to bed with me at 5:30 this morning and we both slept in until 8:20.  Best sleep of the week, for sure.

What I'm looking forward to:  The end of pregnancy.  Ready to be done!  Hoping she comes early like Lincoln did.

Next Appointment: October 10.

Baby Bump: Week 30

So we all know I'm a blogging slacker.  Did I ever even announce my pregnancy on the blog?  Probably not.  Well guess what!  Baby #2 is due November 30!  But my laziness is no reason to skip this fun weekly bump update, right?  That's what I thought. 

How far along? 30 weeks today

Weight gain/loss: I'm up about 30 pounds.  I don't keep track very well and it's confusing anyway since my pre-pregnancy weight with this baby was 10 pounds under my pre-pregnancy weight with Lincoln and I still lost weight at the beginning of the pregnancy.  Let's just say I'm starting to feel kind of like a whale.

Feeling:  Excited that this pregnancy is 75% (or maybe more) done!  Also a little overwhelmed by all of the things I want to finish before baby arrives.  No big projects for baby - just things I am tired of having hanging over my head.

Maternity clothes? Yes, definitely.  Hoping the weather gets even cooler so I can wear some of my favorite maternity clothes from when I was pregnant with Lincoln!

Sleep: Not enough.  And I wake up too frequently between Lincoln fussing and my three-to-five nightly visits to the bathroom.  My whole body has started this great "aching" feeling too, I told Andrew last night it's about time to break out the giant body pillow.

Food cravings:  Lemonade.  Alfredo.  McAlister's Deli (I want this every single day).

Gender: Girl!  Our house is filling up with pink and purple things for miss Adelaide Rose.
 

Movement?  She's usually wild, but has been a little quieter this week.  She likes to stick her hand/foot in my belly button (which has been "out" since about week 10) - I think she likes the tiny little cavity of extra space.

What I miss? Caesar Salad.  I am planning to pick one up via takeout on my way home from delivering her.  It's that bad.

Best moment this week: Touring a birth center and making the decision to deliver there instead of at the hospital.  It's going to be a somewhat further drive, but I felt so relaxed and peaceful at the center - it is so much more suited to the natural birth experience I am striving for this time around.

What I'm looking forward to:  A nice, calm weekend with hubby at home.  Maybe some yummy food (that we don't have to cook) since I have lots of birthday offers in my email inbox?

Next Appointment: Tuesday, September 25 (my birthday).  I have an hour-long appointment to meet one of the midwives at the birth center and get everything switched over to their care.  Excited!