37 Weeks and Thoughts

I'm 37 weeks (tomorrow).

Regular clothes (I wear the same 5 shirts everyday I feel like)

Nighttime clothes like all my other pictures.

Obviously there are no more comparison pictures from Cason's pregnancy.  My doctor and I are now "joking" that I'll be begging her for an induction at 39 weeks.  I've said all along that I'll be prepared for 35 but will go 41 and be the most miserable, complainy second-time mom ever.  And this is pretty much how it's shaping up.

Ryan and I both have bags packed.  The infant seat is installed in the car.  I have everything I need for the first days home... the bottles and pumps are out of their boxes, newborn and 0-3 clothes are washed, swings and bouncy seats are ready.  I'm READY... but I guess Claire is not.  Keep on cooking.

***Warning, post gets really long now and I don't have the energy to proofread tonight :)  ***

I realized I haven't really done a good job of keeping up with the "feelings" and other details of this pregnancy like I did with Cason.  I don't feel "guilty" about it like you sometimes here people say about their second and thirds but I do realize I wish I'd written more down about this pregnancy.  So, here are a few things I want to remember.

Like with Cason, I was sick for all of the first trimester and into the second.  With this pregnancy, the sickness wore off about 4 weeks sooner and I was able to eat most things a good two months sooner.  And once I started feeling better, I ate... which means I gained weight.  This was new for me since I didn't eat much until about 25 weeks and still never really ate a ton with Cason.  I only gained 17 pounds the entire pregnancy.  For record keeping purposes, I've gained almost 40 pounds with Claire... and I guess there is more to go.

I haven't "enjoyed" being pregnant... it's just not my thing I guess.  I don't know if I really ever want to do it again.  But, I don't think that takes anything away from my excitement about this little girl that is about to join our family.

I'm tired, a lot.  I don't remember being this tired and exhausted with Cason but Ryan says that I was.  I'm sure chasing Cason around has a lot to do with it this time too.

Ryan also tells me that I really don't complain more this time than I did last time... which is really sweet of him.  I think he's lying!  :)  I'm uncomfortable and FEEL huge but when I look at myself in the mirror I don't feel like I look huge.  But, it's funny because I'll be out and one person will say "Oh, you are the cutest thing, there is no way you are that far along" then another person will say "Oh my, you are about to pop".   Ha.  Then, I took this picture for this week and I realized... I do look like I'm about to pop... I look as big as I feel... I guess the mirrors in our house are the skinny kind!  :)  Must be the awesome builder!  

Claire is a very active little girl.  I mostly remember with Cason that he was kicking me in my ribs... ALL.THE.TIME... he just hung out with his feet up in my ribs.  Claire has never made it up to my ribs but she is all over the place.  She's "head down" but man, she can still get some good kicks and jabs and rolls all over the place.  And, they hurt!  I do love feeling her move but sometimes I wish she'd just lay off a little!  :)   At any given time, you could probably put your hand on the side of my belly and feel her foot (or hand or knee or elbow) pushing out.  But you don't even have to feel it... my belly just looks like a rolling ocean most of the time.  It's cool and freaky all at the same time.

The other big part of this pregnancy has been the anxiety.  I'm sure that sounds very dramatic, but I feel that the anxiety of #2 is way worse than #1.  Maybe with #1 there is so much new, so much to figure out, so much to do that I didn't have time to worry about life after baby.  Maybe because my world revolves around Cason now, I realize how challenging things will be with him and Claire to provide for.  I don't know what all the factors are but I feel like I think about the "how am I going to do this???" questions a whole lot more.  I know we'll survive... we aren't the first people to have 2 kids, in diapers, ha.  But it's hard to just let go and know it will be okay... especially when you add in the anxiety of "when's she going to arrive" that I probably would not have had Cason not come so early.

I guess the last thing to document is how Cason is doing with this.  He really doesn't "get it" but then I think he sort of does.  Up until very recently, if you ask him to say "Claire" he would look you straight in the face and say "No".  Now, Cason does say "No" to everything (Me: "Do you want a cookie?"; C: "No"; Me: "Okay, fine"; C: "Coooooookie!!!!"; Me: "Yeah, that's what I thought") but the no in response to "Can you say Claire" had its own special inflection.  But, despite that, he learned about a month ago to point at my belly when you say "Where's Baby Claire?".  And finally yesterday he started to say Claire.   He would previously say "C-C" and sometimes we could get "sister" but that was it.  He knows what a baby is and has been around babies at school so I know it won't be a total shock to him.  But, who knows what he'll think when the baby comes home with him every day???

35 Weeks

Well, tomorrow is the day... the day that I enter uncharted territory.  Tomorrow I am 35weeks, 1day.   This is the day I went into labor with Cason.  He was born in the early hours of 35weeks, 2days.  Today, I'm 35 weeks pregnant with Claire.  Wonder when she'll arrive?

I've stopped commuting to work and do have some form of a bag packed... it has clothes, toothbrush, toothpaste, shampoo and conditioner... I dunno what else to pack.  I need to pack a bag for Cason and a bag for Ryan.  Maybe this week.  I also need to get the infant seat installed in my car.  Probably should have done that tonight instead of update the blog.

Cason is finally responding to the "where's Baby Claire" questions and usually points to my belly.  Sometimes he points to his belly, or Ryan's belly, but normally its mine.  Until last week, if you asked him to say "Claire" he'd look at you very direct and say "No".  He finally said it, once, last week.  I've been unsuccessful since but he no longer says "No", he just ignores me.  Luckily he's been around babies at the babysitter so I don't think it will be a complete shock to him when she arrives but I'm still a little anxious about how he'll react to her being here ALL.THE.TIME.

34 Weeks and Ultrasound

We went for an ultrasound at the high risk doctor today and everything looked great.  She is head down!  They said she is measuring 5 pounds, 10 ounces.  According to the baby tracker websites, this is about a pound more than average for 34 weeks.  Yikes.  Claire was very active until right when the tech turned the machine to 3D. She then decided to take a nap with her hand covering half her face.  Ryan and I were disappointed we couldn't see her whole face but we still think she looks a lot like Cason if these pictures mean anything.

And for fun, here is a comparison of my 34 week belly and 33 weeks with Cason in the same shirt.  I appear to have carried him much lower than Claire, though I feel exactly opposite.

31 Weeks

Nothing exciting to say about this.   31 Weeks, non-maternity shirt getting really short.

27 Weeks -- 6 Months

I am officially in the Third Trimester. The due date is (less than) 3 months away now!

I went back to see what corresponding pictures I had for this point in Cason's pregnancy and found pictures we took at the exact same time.  For a true comparison, I put on the same shirt I was wearing then and took a photo.  I had some trouble with my self time pictures focusing properly so the only one that came out I'm faced the opposite direction.  I definitely think I'm bigger this time around.

And here is one to match the rest of my belly pics from this pregnancy... in my evening clothes.

25 Weeks

I had a follow up ultrasound at 25 weeks with the High Risk OB and everything looked good.  They said she’s measuring 2lb, 2oz though I don’t know how accurate those measurements are.  Here are the two pictures we got to take home. In the first one I think she looks like Cason.

And here is a picture of me at 25 weeks.

 

I’ve been feeling pretty good after finally starting to go to the chiropractor.  I was so stiff and uncomfortable and after a couple of adjustments, I am much less whiney!  I’m also packing on the pounds… at 25 weeks I had officially equaled my total 35 weeks of weight gain with Cason.  I guess that’s good? 

Glucose Test is right before Thanksgiving and then I start my every 2 week appointments.  I go back to the High Risk OB for growth check ultrasound at 35 weeks.

22 Week Bump

Not much new to report.  I'm getting bigger.  This little girl seems to be much lower than Cason and seems to really love using my bladder as a pillow or a punching bag.  She moves all the time and is starting to follow Cason's pattern of being very active while I'm sitting at my desk working.

22 Weeks Baby #2	23 Weeks Cason

I edited this to add a comparison to 23 weeks with Cason. I definitely think I'm carrying this baby lower.

18 Week Belly

I’m 18 weeks pregnant with baby #2 and feeling better, eating better, etc.  I’ve finally started gaining weight which is definitely sooner than with Cason. 
We heard the heartbeat last week at our check up and hopefully will find out the gender in 2 weeks.  I have to see a different doctor for the gender ultrasound so I’m waiting on them to call and schedule the appointment.  
I’m feeling lots of little movements during the day along with parts of days where this baby decides that my bladder is a comfortable pillow.  I don’t remember having to pee all.the.time with Cason until much later on.  But some days, I’m going every hour while others I’m back to the bladder of steel I’ve always been so proud of!  (TMI?)
Anyway, here is a picture of my me at 19 weeks with Cason.

And at 18 weeks with #2, looks about the same?

My belly is not this big all day… I think I wake up with practically no belly and this is what I look like by bedtime. I have to be careful how I dress or I’m super uncomfortable by the end of the day.

33 Weeks - Belly Picture

Ryan and I attended the Easter Egg Hunt at the Woodforest Welcome Lodge on Saturday morning.  Finally got a good picture of the two of us and my belly!

I'm really growing which has it's ups and downs.  We are both getting more and more anxious and ready to meet Cason... 7 weeks to go!

32 Week Picture

"Neanie" took this picture before she and "Grandpa" headed back to Jackson. I still had wet hair but the picture is cute enough. Ryan is so photogenic... no fair!

27 Weeks – Growing Belly

I’m definitely pregnant. It’s a beautiful day in Woodforest so I had Ryan take a few pictures of me that I won’t need to crop my head out of!!   Admiral joined in on the fun.
 
And a close up…
I’m feeling good.  Sleeping okay but miss the feeling of sleeping through the night.  I guess it will be a LONG TIME before I know what that feels like again. 
I have the 1 Hour Glucose Test at my 28 week appointment on Friday.  This is my last every 4 weeks appointment; I start going every two weeks after that.  Based on due date, I’ll officially have 3 months left on Tuesday… can’t believe I’m two thirds of the way there!

23 Weeks -- Belly

There is no doubt I'm pregnant now. I'm getting lots of "you're finally showing" comments from my coworkers and it's nice to know I don't just look like I have a gut.

I'm still wearing a lot of my non-maternity pants with the Belly Band but am having to stick to maternity tops these days. One of my co-workers had 3 plastic bins of maternity clothes she's letting me borrow and I'm so grateful (and Ryan is too!)

I'm just over 5 months pregnant... over half way there. 24 Week appointment is tomorrow then I'm going to try to check out a couple of daycares to get that process started. I'm feeling pretty good but am staying fairly tired. I'm not sleeping great trying to get used to this side sleeping thing. Ryan bought me the Boppy Pregnancy Pillow today so we'll see if that helps.

Cason is moving around a lot. He really liked the Raising Cane's I had for lunch yesterday (or maybe he didn't like it?) because he really started to move. It cracked me up because he's normally not that active around lunch time. It normally starts late afternoon and then again when I get in bed. Ryan has felt a few kicks but as soon as he puts his hand on my belly, Cason stops moving and as soon as he takes it away, he'll start kicking around again. Little stinker.

We got a call today that the rest of our furniture is here (way earlier than promised) so we have to figure out if we should pay for delivery which is probably the best idea since the big dresser has to get upstairs. Hopefully we'll figure that out to get it here this weekend. Now I just want to get the message that the bedding has shipped too!

19 Weeks -- First Bump Picture

I'm entering the 19th week and finally starting to "show" but in normal clothes probably not enough for people to know for sure that I'm pregnant and not just fat. :)

I figure I better start taking the belly shots to document my progress. So here I am... 19 weeks.

I weighed myself at home earlier this week and weighed in at my pre-pregnancy weight. This is a good sign since I'd been losing weight slowly during much of the first trimester. I'm definitely eating more but probably still not enough. The mornings can still be hard and though I'm hungry, nothing sounds good until about 10:30 or 11:00am. It's not as easy to force yourself to eat as you might think.

Our "big ultrasound" is Tuesday morning. Please think good thoughts for the baby's cooperation in showing "the goods" then look for an update with gender news sometime Tuesday late morning/early afternoon!