Week Twenty-Four

Week 24 of pregnancy: June 22-29, 2011

Symptoms: Nothing new, lots of baby kicks and rolls!

I had a doctor's appointment today, which was pretty boring other than the fact that I've finally gained weight (8 lbs!)

But what's exciting to me is that my next appointment (the NEXT one!) is the glucose tolerance test! Which means I'll be in my third trimester! And that appointment will mark the beginning of my every-two-weeks appointments! That's just crazy.

Maybe I'm getting ahead of myself, because I that magical appointment is still four weeks away, but I have a feeling that the month of July is going to fly by. I mean, Monday is the 4th of July already! Then we have a couple of weeks that I'm *hoping* will be filled with trips to the pool (and buying our double stroller!) before our "big" vacation to Omaha. And then it's appointment time! I just know it's going to be here in the blink of an eye.

The other big news in our lives is that Declan had to get stitches in his chin - poor baby! The neighbor kid was mowing and ran over an old motorcycle kickstand, it flew straight into Declan's chin where he was standing by our car, 30 feet away. Luckily Lindsey was already there, waiting in her car for us, so we just rushed to the ER where they had to sedate him, scrub the wound, and put in a bunch of stitches. Upwards of twenty.

Luckily, he's healing well and acting like nothing happened. The neighbors are being pretty crappy about it, but oh well. As long as he's okay. We're just thankful that it didn't hit him in a worse spot.

Even though it was in no way his fault, I still feel like this is my initiation into the world of raising rambunctious boys.

Re: Rain

Sweet baby Jesus, please let it stop.

Thank you for sending some to Texas. But I really meant send ALL of it.

It is officially summer now, and I'm still pasty, porcelain white. Can a girl get a few days of sunshine, here?

Amen.

Weeks Twenty-two & Twenty-three

Week 22 of pregnancy: June 8-15, 2011

Week 23 of pregnancy: June 15-22, 2011

Symptoms: Waddling?

These weeks have been similarly uneventful, so I chose to combine them.

I've been walking with Lindsey a few times, we go 3-4 miles at a time, and it feels great to get the exercise. However, the next day at work I waddle. You win some, you lose some. The waddling usually goes away after a day of rest. But there's no denying that Baby Brother is sitting low between my hips, and they ache like the dickens after either too much or too little activity (ie, sleeping in one position for more than an hour.)

I have to wake up every hour or so just to roll over and relieve the ache, but I get terrible heartburn in every position except lying on my left side. So I have to weigh the pain in my hips with the pain in my esophagus, and decide which one I want to get rid of. The obvious solution would be to keep Tums on the bedside table, but there's really no way to do that without Declan eating them all. I learned that the hard way.

I officially asked for the weekend of my birthday off of work so that we can go to the Omaha zoo! I love planning trips. Honestly, I've never planned a vacation that isn't a trip to see family. I get to make an itinerary and book a hotel room, what? It may seem contradictory to my disorganized homemaking habits, but I LOVE planning.

So far I'm thinking we'll start driving early Saturday morning, around 6 or 7, and go straight to the zoo. We'll have lunch there, hopefully stay all afternoon, then find a restaurant for dinner. We'll swim at the hotel pool, get a good night sleep, and eat free breakfast (still hotel shopping.) In the morning I want to go to Fontenelle park to play at the splash pad and playground, go have lunch, then head to the Omaha Children's Museum afterward. After that, we might pack up and head home so that the babies can nap in the car. I'd like to be in Des Moines by dinnertime, so that I can have a nice birthday dinner. Sounds like an awesome and busy birthday weekend to me!

Before we go on our little trip, I'd really like to get our double stroller. I've been shopping around like crazy, but I can't find it anywhere for less than the MSRP, $429. Mom offered to pay for half as my birthday present, which would be awesome. I'm thinking I'll use my paycheck that's coming on July 13th, buy it somewhere with free 2-day shipping, and hopefully have it by zoo time. Since Lindsey is coming with us, I figure Declan and Delana can test it out for us! :)

I can't believe it's almost time for another doctor's appointment (a week from Friday). Baby Brother is getting so big! I can't wait to meet him.

Missing Austin

It's clody, cool and rainy today, as it has been for 3/4 of the last 3 months. There have been exactly TWO days that it has been warm and sunny enough to go to the pool. And we're halfway through June.

Ridiculous.

So, needless to say, I'm feeling pretty homesick for Texas, where we start swimming in April and don't have to quit 'til October. I can't wait to visit for Thanksgiving. Although it will be too cool to swim, at least we'll be able to hang out comfortably outside, while up here in the Great White North, it will probably be snowing. Ha.

Here is a list of things I would like to do while in Austin:

- Take the boys to the zoo

- Walk the hike & bike trail

- Ride the train at Zilker Park

- Eat a Thundercloud sub

- Spend some quality time in my favorite recliner at Mom's house

- Play with Declan at a playground that actually has other kids

- Eat real Mexican food

- Play Apples to Apples with my family

- Stuff myself silly at Thanksgiving

- Buy Declan & Baby Brother TEXAS shirts

- Take lots of pictures

- Somehow figure out a way to bottle heat and sunshine, and bring it back to this miserably gray state.

Week Twenty-One

Week Twenty-One of pregnancy: June 1-8, 2011

Symptoms: Itchy belly, a little nesting

As you already know, it's a boy!! I am so excited. We have it narrowed down to 3 names for Baby Brother: Archer, Holden, and Jonah. I think it will end up being Archer, but we have to go through the whole bureaucracy of voting and compromising.

I am way more pumped than I expected about having a boy. And my immense excitement and happiness is making it hard for me to deal with other people, who seem disappointed, or expect me to be disappointed.

Take Aaron for example. He admitted that he would have liked a girl better. He went on to say that he's having trouble thinking of this baby as anything other than an expense. And that he felt he'd have trouble not favoring Declan. I got so sad! I love this little baby so much already, I can't imagine other people not loving him the same way. Especially his dad!

Friends and coworkers, upon finding out that it's a boy, have given me sad puppy faces and asked "how I'm dealing with it." WTF? It's my CHILD. He's my SON. No one asked if I was disappointed that Declan was a boy, everyone was excited right along with me. I think that, amongst women especially, the pressure to have a baby girl is huge. Or maybe I'm imagining that because I'd love to have a baby girl someday. But that day is NOT now or in October, and that's FINE. Gah, I just want to wear a sign around my neck saying "I'm having another baby boy, and I'm excited about it. You can be, too!"

Rant over. Change subject.

Our swing is here!! I'm way more into this swing than is normal. Click here to see it. So cute, right? It's super soft, too. I was worried that it would be too girly for a boy (I bought it before we knew), but it's really perfectly unisex, leaning boyish, if anything. Mostly cream & brown, with some green. I set it up already, a decision which I may well regret, considering our rambunctious toddler. But I couldn't resist!

I also bought a few outfits last Friday, and made an order with The Children's Place today (they're having a semi-annual sale) which included 4 pairs of socks, a sleeper, and a pair of jeans for Baby Bro. An online mom friend of mine is sending us all of her son's old newborn stuff, free of charge. I'm not going to get my hopes up about it, since everyone has different taste, but we should get at least a few usable things out of it!

Declan is lounging on the floor right now, playing with his bellybutton and watching Sesame Street. If it stays hot today (it's been 95+ for the last two days!) we're planning on heading to the pool this afternoon! But scattered t-storms are predicted, so we may end up with a trip to the playground, if it's cloudy. Mama doesn't do swimming if it's below 90 or cloudy. :)

Another Reminder

New Year's resolution 2012: Join the National Bone Marrow Registry.

You have to recover from delivery first, so I won't be eligible until December anyway. It's fast, easy, and can save lives. My kind of resolution.

I would encourage anyone over 18 to join as soon as they can.

Reminder for Later

Much later.

I've figured it out by consulting multiple calendars and gender charts. I'd like to conceive Declan and B.B.'s little sister in mid-late May 2015, so that she's due in early February 2016. That way Baby Bro and Declan can both be in school (well, preschool at least) and I can have some time to myself.

I know this is silly, but like I just did a bunch of work to figure that out (just for curiosity's sake) and I wanted to write it down.

IT'S A BOY!

That's right, Declan is going to have a baby brother!

I am so excited. I thought that I would be less excited for a boy than a girl, but I am honestly super pumped right now. They will be best buddies! Plus, we can reuse all of the cute clothes that Declan only got to wear a few times! Haha.

Here is my very favorite picture of Baby Brother:

His profile looks a lot like Declan's did, but I can see the differences, too. Declan's forehead was a little different... Lower maybe? And Baby Brother's nose has a little more of a turn-up to it, more like his Mama's did as a baby :) Maybe this will be my blue-eyed boy, too! Here is a comparison of Declan's ultrasound pic (18 weeks along, May 2009) and Baby Brother's (20 weeks along, June 2011).

Now we have to get down to the naming battle, because it is very weird to know that he is a boy, but not be able to call him by name. It may be a long road, since Aaron and I have such different taste. I wouldn't be surprised if we took multiple names to the hospital with us (although that would NOT be my preference, I like knowing his name beforehand!)

I can't wait to meet my new baby boy!

Week Twenty!

Week Twenty of Pregnancy: May 25 - June 1, 2011

Symptoms: Belly growing, hips aching at night

Man, this week has been crazy. Not pregnancy wise, just... life in general.

Monday, Aaron was off of work. I was exhausted from the weekend, and got frustrated when I couldn't relax when I got home from work, but had to join in the outing for ice cream and the park. Then that night, Lindsey's grandma died.

Tuesday I was double exhausted, and the state inspectors showed up at work. That work day was the craziest I've had in a long time. Lindsey called Aaron that morning to tell him that her grandma's funeral is scheduled for the same time as our ultrasound, so she wouldn't be able to babysit.

Wednesday, Declan had diarrhea and I had to change TEN blowout poopy diapers, including puddles of poop in various places around the house.

Today, the state inspectors wanted to watch me take care of people at work. It was like a test in school, but way more nerve wracking because you can't get fired from school. Then I found out that Aaron has to work mandatory overtime tomorrow, and can't make it to the ultrasound. So this afternoon, I was hunting for a babysitter like crazy, because there's no way that Declan could hang out in the ultrasound room for an hour.

Finally, I got a hold of Aaron's dad, who promised me that between him and Aaron's grandma, someone will be able to watch Declan tomorrow. So now I am starting to get excited again, instead of stressed.

I'll be updating more tomorrow, I'm sure!