In 24 days or less...

...I will have a baby in my arms! Here's the latest:

Had another doctor's appointment today. Despite the baby dropping a week and a half ago and the increase in pressure I've naturally felt as a result of it, I'm still showing no signs of dilation or effacement. Baby's head is down, and his/her back is leaning on my right side, which, I suppose, explains why I've been feeling kicks primarily on my left side and waking up in the mornings to a very lopsided belly!

We've decided to make November 21st our "deadline" for R/P's birthday. My doctor is going out of town the 22nd, and since I'm attempting a VBAC and he knows my situation and history, I am adamant that he deliver this baby! My due date is somewhere between November 14th and 16th, so this gives me about a week past that point to go into labor on my own. If, however, the 21st rolls around and nothing's happened, c-section it is! I am really hoping and praying that this baby decides to come on his/her own. I am wanting so much to experience going into labor naturally and seeing where that process takes me.

I am actually feeling great overall! I have moments where I don't want to be pregnant anymore, but all in all, these last few weeks haven't been so bad. And I have way more energy than it seems I should (or remember having the last time I was 37 weeks pregnant). As long as it's there, I'm going to take full advantage of it. Goodness knows I'll be lacking it soon enough.

We've had a fun week so far, carving pumpkins, baking cookies and planning out other Halloween festivities! I'll post on that when I get a chance. For now, this very pregnant mama needs some sleep!

Then and now

Pictured left: 35 weeks pregnant with Chloe; pictured right: 35 weeks pregnant with R/P. Same shirt.

Had a doctor's appointment this afternoon. All is well with baby. When Dr. Baer was feeling around to determine his/her positioning, s/he gave him a few good hard kicks. Can't blame the poor kid. I know I don't like being poked at! My cervix is still hard as a rock, which is good because Neil will be in Vegas for the rest of this week (on business), and is heading to Dallas next Friday to attend the sealing of a family he worked with on his mission. Not that I could even imagine going into labor between now and then, but I'll still be relieved when he's finished with his travels.

My next doctor's appointment is in two weeks, then they become weekly until I deliver! AH! Between that and our hospital tour last week, the reality that in a few short weeks I'll be meeting, holding, snuggling and loving on this baby is really starting to sink in!

Some things money can't buy...

This makes me laugh.

I must give Dayna credit for this, as I found it on her blog. I'm really not the type to be bothered by someone wanting to touch my belly - unless it's a complete stranger who doesn't have the decency to ask permission! I've experienced this first hand, and am still creeped out by it.

And by the way, these amounts do NOT reflect my spending habits. I could only dream of being able to afford a $2,400 maternity wardrobe! And yet, even if I could, I'd still put my money to better use.

Groovin' belly

Last night while I was at the computer the baby started going nuts! I grabbed the camera as quickly as I could and this is what I captured. The lighting is horrible, but you can still see plenty of movement. If this type of stuff creeps you out, I'm not sure I'd recommend watching. :)

Wordless Wednesday

Apparently I'm not the only one sporting a bump!

Preggers update

Well here I am at 31 weeks. And here's what I love and don't love about being pregnant:

LOVE:
* Feeling and watching all the movements; lots of kicks in my ribs and lots of knees and elbows everywhere else. It's also fun to see the baby maneuver to one side or the other so that my belly looks lopsided.

*Baby's hiccups. I always feel the little thumps on my lower left side.

*Baby responding to Chloe's voice.

*Anticipating baby's arrival and finally discovering whether it's a boy or a girl. No, we really truly don't know the gender!

DON'T LOVE:
*Heartburn, constantly feeling the urge to pee (even when I sometimes don't have to), swelling/tightening in my shins and calves, braxton hicks, tiring easily, feeling as though my internal organs are being smashed together, and, Neil's personal favorite, my absentmindedness.

We originally planned to schedule a c-section, but I recently decided to attempt a vbac. Considering the baby's head is big and my pelvis is narrow, I realize my chances are slim. But I want to experience going into labor on my own. And more importantly, I want to allow the baby to decide when s/he is ready. My doctor is 100% behind me and says he'll do everything in his power to help me succeed. Even if I end up having another c-section in the end, I'll at least know I gave it my best shot. And for that reason, I'll truly be happy with either outcome. Neil keeps joking that I'm going to go into labor on Chloe's birthday. It's a definite possibility, but if that's the case, I suppose it was meant to be!

I dreamt the other night that we had a girl. My gut has told me boy all along, but I was also positive Chloe was going to be a boy. Chloe insisted for quite a while that she was going to have a sister, but now it seems to change every time we ask her. Neil leans more towards girl, but doesn't have a strong feeling one way or another. Neither outcome will surprise me. All I really care about is having a healthy and happy baby.

2 months to go!

One simple request

Dear Baby,

It is 4:37am. Approximately two hours ago, your sister came into our room with the intention of sneaking into bed with us (a recent habit she's formed). In the short process of carrying her back to her room, while reminding her (for the hundredth time) of the Andersen family's sleeping arrangements, YOU woke up!

Now, my little one, I know the Olympics have probably gotten you jazzed up these last couple weeks. They've certainly excited your sister - especially the "ginastics", as she calls them. I know, too, that you're running out of room in there, and with those long Halliday legs you've most likely inherited, I can hardly blame you for needing to stretch them out as you so often do. But goodness gracious, child! This kick boxing match has kept me awake for the last hour and a half! There isn't an opponent in there I don't know about, is there? I thought your sister was active, but you've already surpassed her in that category (something you can surely use to your advantage in months to come when she's picking on you)!

While I appreciate and really just have to giggle at all the commotion in my belly, I do have one simple request. Can you save the exercise routine for morning? Mommy needs her rest! Especially these days, since all too soon she's going to be permanently sleep-deprived!

I sure do love you and can't wait to tickle those little elbows, knees and feet that I have already become so well acquainted with! Off to dream land you go now, my little gymnast.

XOXO,
Mom

Relief

To say I am feeling refreshed today would be an understatement. Let me explain.

Monday morning I woke up with a pinching and slightly cramping sensation in my groin area, specifically my ureter. If that's already too much information you might as well skip this post all together because it isn't going to get much better! My initial thought was one of two possibilities, the first being a UTI (urinary tract infection). I've had them before, and would pretty much describe the symptoms as what I was experiencing. The second possibility was a kidney stone, which I've also had, but which I'd put in an entirely different category to these piddly symptoms. Regardless, the discomforts were minimal so I carried on with my day, trying not to dwell.

By Tuesday things were getting worse. The pinching and cramping was now accompanied by inflammation and pressure on my bladder, which resulted in several more bathroom trips than usual. But it was when my braxton hicks became noticeably stronger and more frequent that I decided it was time to call my doctor. You never want to be the spaz patient who freaks out over every little thing, but this clearly needed attention! Per Dr. Baer's orders I headed over to his office for a urine test. Surprisingly the results were normal. No blood in my urine, and no sign of a UTI. Since he had nothing to treat me for, he told me to keep him posted and sent me on my way.

As the evening progressed, so did my symptoms. At midnight the pinching and pressure was getting so intense that I finally got up (from bed) to go to the bathroom. Upon sitting down I felt a sudden sharp pinch. It really was nothing more than that, and while I normally wouldn't have thought much of it, what I noticed next caught my attention! RELIEF! Every ounce of pain and discomfort vanished in that very instant! That's when I decided I needed to take a look in the toilet. So I did.

And what did I find?

THIS!

A 4 MILLIMETER KIDNEY STONE!

First thing this morning I called my doctor to tell him my good news. This was VERY good news considering my last kidney stone experience, which plenty of you know about! When I took the ziploc bag containing the stone into his office, he and his nurse were shocked! He said that blood is virtually always detected in urine when a kidney stone is present. Aside from this, it's just amazing I was able to pass this thing with such ease (and minimal pain) considering the stone I was NOT able to pass during my pregnancy with Chloe (which I had to have surgically removed), was only 1 mm. larger! I am so so SO relieved! My only hope now is that nothing else is brewing in there!

The latest

Since returning home from Florida we have been back to house projects. Saturday especially, we spent a good portion of the day painting. No, we are still not finished! It's the never ending project! Despite the hours we've put in, however, we are so much happier with the color and haven't regretted even once getting ourselves into this. We are close to finishing too. Just a little trim, the garage doors and some touch up spots. Here's a before and after sneak peek:

{left photo: May 2007 (right before moving in); right photo: July 2008 (yes, I need a plant on my porch, I know)}

Chloe and I have spent much of the summer at a local neighborhood pool with my friend, Melanie, and her sweet kiddos. It has been heaven having a place to cool off, allow Chloe to exert some of her energy, and maintain my tan while enjoying some mom-to-mom talk.

{Chloe & Matthew}

We've also been taking evening bike rides as a family. We bought a chariot carrier to hook to the back of Neil's bike for Chloe at the end of last summer but have only recently made real use of it. She loves it and squeals with joy as we ride, especially when Neil gets going really fast. The other night we stopped at the park just a block from our house and let Chloe play for a little while.

{Swingin' and slidin' - two of Chloe's favorite things!}

And here I am at 24 weeks! I am feeling good overall, just bigger and further along than I actually am. My doctor's appointment last week went well, and I was once again reminded that weight gain is not an issue for me like it was during my first pregnancy. I gained a total of 35 pounds with Chloe, and the majority of that was during the last three months. I've already gained 26 pounds and still have OVER three months to go! So at this rate I'll be well above the 35 pound mark by the time little R or P makes his/her debut. It's all good though. I'm healthy and the baby's healthy - that's the important thing! And I still feel mostly cute. :)

My latest indulgence is baked goods. Cookies, brownies, muffins, bread - it doesn't really matter! It all sounds good to me - all the time! And while I've always enjoyed these things, I can't seem to ever get enough these days! Every other night I'm baking something. Neil and Chloe don't seem to mind too much.

Baby is moving A TON, often making it difficult for me to fall asleep at night. Go figure 10:30pm would be his favorite time to play! Yesterday in church Neil and I were giggling at my rolling and twitching belly. I love it! I can't believe how fast the time has flown by! Our next appointment is on our wedding anniversary (August 28th), and we are having a 3D ultrasound. By this point I will be into my third trimester! Holy cow!

Not much more to report. I'm working on a post about Chloe, which will hopefully be here for all to see within the next couple of days. Otherwise, that's the latest on our wonderful life!

Nice...

This morning as I was entering the grocery store, I passed an employee who without hesitation asked, "So how many days do you have left?"

How many days? Are you for real? I mean I know I'm big, but I'm not that big!

When I responded with, "Just under 4 months," the look of surprise, then horror, and then regret for having opened his mouth overwhelmed the poor guy's face. And all he could utter was, "Oh." It was quite funny. I'd be willing to bet that's the last time he asks a pregnant stranger how far along she is.

While I (still) find the incident to be humorous, I wonder if I ought to take the hint and slow down on the baked goods. :)

Halfway there!

Well folks, I'm officially halfway through my pregnancy. Thursday was the big 20 week ultrasound, and other than our little wiggle worm being just that (not making for a very happy technician), the results were in our favor and it looks like we have a healthy (and good sized) baby!

The munchkin weighs 12 ounces, and is once again measuring large. I love how every appointment so far the baby has measured even further ahead of schedule than the time before (this time it was 5 days ahead of my original due date)! It was also determined that the kiddo has a large head, just like his big sister. At one point the technician asked us if Chloe had a big head at birth and we immediately knew where she was going. We're talking 88th percentile for head circumference! Can't say that gives me much hope for a vbac.

The technician was also able to determine the gender......

...and confirmed that the "parts" looked normal. Come on now, did you really think we were going to give in and find out?

Here are some ultrasound pictures

profile

do you see the open mouth? Kinda creepy, huh?

2 perfect feet!

Chloe didn't show much interest until the ultrasound tech invited her to pound on the keyboard (when she was finished, of course). I think the goopy stuff on my stomach kind of freaked her out.

Here's baby on the outside

This was taken two weeks ago (18 weeks)

And here are some other pregnancy updates that some of you may have zero interest in:

Consistent cravings: fruit, hamburgers and pasta of any variation

Sporadic cravings: chili cheese fries, regular fries, caramel apples, pickles (cliche, I know)
A few weeks ago I was spotted in the kitchen eating pickles right out of a jar. When Neil walked in he chuckled and said, "want some ice cream to go along with those?"

Hi-ya!: I felt the baby move for the first time on May 8th (about 13 weeks). Since then a day hasn't passed where I haven't felt flutters or thumps of some kind. The baby kicks mostly inward (toward my back), which is strange to me because Chloe almost always kicked outward, making it very easy for Neil to feel with his hand. He still has yet to experience that this time around.

Puttin' on the pounds: So far I have gained 15 pounds. Neil keeps joking with me that before long I'm going to outweigh him. At the end of my pregnancy with Chloe I think I exceeded his weight by a pound of two, but at the rate I'm going I have a feeling I'll reach that point long before November!

Symptoms: I'm much more fatigued this time around, but then again I'm caring for a two-year-old 24/7. Some days I feel perfectly normal with endless energy and endurance. Other days I absolutely drag and have no motivation whatsoever! There's no pattern to it, which only makes it more frustrating. It also seems like a lot of my current aches and pains didn't come until my third trimester with Chloe. Sore back is primarily what I'm referring to. Not fun.

What I love most about being pregnant: Feeling the baby move, of course! I also love listening to Chloe talk to the baby and touch my belly. The other day she lifted up her shirt and said, "Feel my baby move!" Apparently Mommy isn't the only one who's expecting! Lastly, I love having a belly and can't wait for it to get bigger! Big pregnant bellies are beautiful to me!

So all in all things are going really well! I have a feeling these remaining 20 weeks are going to fly by a lot faster than the first 20 did!

Nesting or just plain insanity?

The cabinets that we ordered for the basement and laundry room finally came in last Friday. As we were standing in the laundry room visualizing how they'd look once installed, it suddenly occurred to me that I needed to paint! I know, who paints their laundry room? And as if we don't have enough silly house projects going on right now! But I was determined, and Neil chose not to argue (smart boy). I know it doesn't even look like I painted (the color is just a touch darker than it was), but it really did make a huge difference. These days I am all about clean and complete, and that was my end result!

Neil blames my sudden urges on nesting, claiming it started when I got the brilliant idea to paint the exterior of our house a few weeks ago. :) I will admit that feeling the need to paint the one room that is probably seen LEAST by anyone else is a bit much. Hey, at least I'm not alphabetizing the cans in my pantry (yet).

~ before and after ~

"A good swift kick!"

Funny story I just had to share! Tonight as Neil and I were chatting (he's in New Orleans this week on business), I decided to let him say hi to the kid. Yes, cheesy, but hey, I'm kind of a cheesy girl! Anyway, I pressed the phone up against my belly and only a second after he started talking, felt the strongest kick that I have yet! It was sudden, sharp and somewhat startling! When I got back on the phone to tell Neil that whatever he'd said to the baby had apparently made an impression, he laughed and proceeded to share their "conversation" with me:

"Hi baby. It's your dad! Hey, give your mom a good swift kick for me, would ya?"

Already obeying daddy's commands... what an obedient child!

Feelin' grateful...

Last night while cooking dinner, this thought crossed my mind: "Today I am grateful for a husband who will willingly eat anything I place before him - even when he's already eaten it three times this week!" The poor guy must be so sick of chicken and noodles. He's very patient with my pregnancy cravings! Gosh, just looking at this picture makes me want to gobble down another plateful!

Later on last night, I did what I do every night before heading to bed. I snuck into Chloe's room to give her one last kiss (after ensuring she was still breathing of course). When I found her like this with her baby laying on her chest (as she once layed on my chest), I couldn't help but melt (well, and grab the camera). This cute little thing is gearing up for her big sister days! What a pro she'll be by the time November rolls around. I am so grateful to have her in my life. She drives me nuts and wears me out, but I could never imagine life without her!

I spent the morning volunteering with some women from church at the Marian House Soup Kitchen. Sadly, this was the first time I've ever done anything like this. It was humbling to say the least. Over 430 people, homeless or of low income showed up for lunch. I worked in the back of the main dining area, collecting dirty plates, cups and utensils, and in the process interacted with many. I'll have to say I was especially touched by those who cleaned their plates entirely and offered me a very genuine "thank you!" on their way out the door. It showed me just how grateful they were for what very well could have been their only meal of the day. I took a break around noon and went and sat in a separate dining area, designated for families with small children. It was tough watching some of those kiddos scarf down their food as if it was the last meal they'd ever eat. One little family in particular really got me. It was a young mother with her three year old son and ten month old daughter. The sweet little baby and I kept making eye contact, and each time she'd give me a big huge smile. She was quite a flirt, actually, and oh so cute! I don't know that I've ever in my life seen such a smiley baby before! What an example she was, that even in the midst of struggles and heartache, it's still possible to wear a smile!

There is so much to be grateful for. A roof over our heads, food in the fridge, flushing toilets, electricity, health care, shoes, family... so many of the things we take for granted are the very things others wish for more than anything else. Today was a real eye opener for me, and I hope it's made me a better person.

Lucky girls

Chloe's predictions for the day were correct (see previous post).

She got a sucker at Dr. Baer's office (2, actually)

...Then onto the grocery store for a cookie! What a lucky girl!

And what made her (and her mommy) even luckier is that they got to see daddy and have lunch with him! Neil has NEVER missed any of my doctor's appointments (with this pregnancy or the last). In fact, my appointment last month happened to land on one of his Pueblo days, which was especially difficult for him because on top of having to leave Pueblo earlier than usual to get to Colorado Springs in time for my 4:00 appointment (a good 50 miles), he had a dinner program that same evening BACK IN PUEBLO. The poor guy definitely made some sacrifices to be there, but never once complained! I don't know about you, but I think that says a lot. I sure do love my Neil.

And speaking of doctor's appointments, today's went very well. We got to hear the baby's heartbeat for the first time. It was music to my ears, let me tell you! At 155 beats per minute, it sounded as strong and healthy as ever! Once again, relief! And yippee, as of this Friday, goodbye first trimester, hello second! And, while we're on the subject, I felt the baby move for the first time last Thursday. They are just little thumps at this point (mostly on my right side), but they'll get MUCH stronger with time. What incredible things. I am very fortunate.

13 weeks

This girl is obsessed with her mommy's belly!

Then and now

This picture was taken when I was 13 weeks pregnant with Chloe.

And these pictures were taken tonight. I am 9 weeks...and the same size.

I will enjoy this belly a lot more when I'm not constantly feeling as though I could lose its contents at any second. Only a few weeks to go, I hope!

Baby Love

Today we had the privilege of witnessing our baby's little itty beating heart. It took a couple seconds for the ultrasound technician to find it, (which felt more like a couple minutes to me), but once she spotted it, it was clear as could be! According to the two ultrasounds I've had so far, the baby is measuring two days ahead of schedule, which would put my due date at November 14th. Either way, all is well! Sigh...

(Sorry the picture is grainy and light. My scanner isn't the greatest.)

POSITIVEly wonderful!!!

In the words of Chloe:

This year my birthday present is going to be a sibling!

SEE!

Special delivery expected November 16, 2008!

Might I add this is ONE DAY BEFORE my 3rd birthday?!!

Mommy is...

• 7 weeks along
• Craving fruit (again)
• Feeling disgustingly nauseous
• Breaking out like a teenage boy
• Averaging four trips to the bathroom each night
• And more than anything, counting her blessings. Not many women miscarry, lose a fallopian tube, and get pregnant again within 26 days, after all!

If this isn't a miracle, I don't know what is.