On the flip side

This little boy inside of me is a mover and shaker! At 38 weeks, our routine doc's appointment revealed something new and surprising to us all-baby brother pulled a total 180 and is now in the "breech" position!  I was a little shocked to say the least, especially since we saw him head down in an ultrasound just last week. Thus, it looks like we are headed for a schedule cesarean.

I'm not going to lie, it's been challenging for me to let go of the idea of a natural birth and surrender to another c-section.  As tightly as I was holding onto the idea of a V-back, I'm more aware than ever that God holds all things in his hands, and is working towards our ultimate good. He created this little boy inside of me, and loves him so much more than I can fathom already. However baby boy makes his grand entrance, I have peace knowing that God is in control. Much easier said than done though, I admit!

The idea of a scheduled c-seciton to me brings on many emotions. Fear being at the forefront-surgery is scary! I didn't have the best experience with Evan, so readers, please join me in praying for a smoother surgery this time around. A close runner up to the fear factor is the more complicated recovery, though I have heard many an encouraging word from women who have been there-that the second is much easier than the first. And, to round out my worries, my mommy's heart is torn over how this will impact Evan. I'm sure everything will work out just fine, but on this side all I can think about is not being able to pick him up and comfort him the way I need to, especially when he's still so young and his world will be in such a state of transition already. I hate that we'll be in the hospital longer, and don't want to spend a minute more away from him than necessary. But, though I hate to admit it, I know he'll survive without me(shocker). Again, easier said then done haha.

On the other hand, there is a teeny tiny but very possible chance this guy could turn in the next few days and come on his own time. While that would be a shining answer to my prayers, I'm doing my best to be at peace if that's not how things happen. Either way, the outcome will be the same-a beautiful, healthy baby boy. :-)

Something tells me this new little guy is going to keep me on my toes!

Hot dogs, Nemo and the green blanket

Evan is 21 months old today. This month is especially special because this is the month he will become a big brother. I'm so thankful for the last 21 months, and am treasuring these last days with just the two of us. Before I get too sentimental, here's a little peak into the world of my favorite 21 month old..

I'll start with one of his favorite things-food! Unless this kid is feeling under the weather, he'll eat just about anything and snack all the live long day. He loves most all fruit, but can be picky depending on the day of the week-especially when it comes to those green veggies. He's started saying "no" to things he doesn't like...dare I see a little attitude on the horizon? I guess it comes with the toddler territory! His favorite meals usually consist of a hot dog or chicken nuggets(with ketchup of course) and some sort of fruit cup or applesauce. Unfortunately, he's still dairy free for the most part. I'm working on incorporating more fresh snacks into his diet, and have had some success with the occasional celery and carrot stick. But who am I kidding really, those carrot sticks don't hold a candle to Finding Nemo fruit snacks. :-) 

A true boy, Evan's favorite toys are cars-anything with wheels really. In the same vein, his favorite movie without a doubt is Disney's "Cars" and more recently "Cars 2." It's starting to look like a boys world around here for sure, and I don't forsee that changing any time soon! He is definitely an active little boy and loves being silly and playing with daddy. Lately he's caught onto "tag" and loves to run in circles being chased around the house(add to that hiding behind doors and shower curtains). Other recent fun activities would involve empty cardboard boxes and flashlights-did I mention it's a boys world around here?

Recently I've noticed a growth spurt in him- both by way of mouth and of jeans! He seems to be randomly repeating a lot of our words, saying the same words often, and also adding new words to his vocabulary. Just yesterday he pointed to the turtle in our alphabet book and said "turtle" as plain as day. It's sweet to hear his little voice, and I can't wait to hear him talk more..or maybe I can, he's growing up way too fast! He surprises me daily with his increasing understanding of the world around him, and I couldn't be more grateful for the gift of watching him grow.

Lastly, this post would not be complete without a picture of his precious green blanket, or "bay bay banket" as he says. He's watching a snippet of his second favorite movie here, "Finding Nemo." I hate to say it but we may need to get him a goldfish soon!

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The schedule: (This is mostly for my future babywise reference, please feel free to tune out here haha!)
The following routine is just the "bones" of our everyday schedule-we're an on the go team and fastly fill up the space in between with friends, playdates, parks, "mops," church, groceries, just plain mommy/son fun and more! In fact, this morning was likely our last at our library's "lapsit storytime" for a while, at least until we all settle into the slower pace of life with a newborn. Boy how things are going to change!

8am-Good morning!  It was my goal to get him sleeping in a bit later before baby #2 gets here, and I am SO grateful to have achieved this new and refreshing 8am wake up call.
12 noon-Lunch
12:45/1pm-3:30ish- Afternoon nap *Can I just give my child a round of applause here for consistently taking wonderful 3 hr naps everyday! We had a challenging stretch of time in dropping his first nap, but I'm happy to say that we're in a great groove now, and he's combined the two just perfectly(you know, most days).
6pm-Dinnertime, usually followed by his much loved bath time
7:45pm-Books & bed

37 Weeks!

We are now officially full term yay! I'm happy to report that we had a very routine and uneventful OB visit this past Friday-the good kind-and got to see baby boy once more in an ultrasound. Because Evan was quite the butterball, we needed to see where exactly this one was size wise in order to make the best decision regarding his big debut.

Thankfully, he looked healthy and weighed in at 6 pounds 9 oz-which sounded pretty big to my small self but is actually very average and right on track. Based on our birth experience with Evan, my confidence in my body's ability to deliver a larger baby the good ol' fashioned way is a bit shaken to say the least. So, please join us in praying for a healthy delivery(preferably a V-back) and average sized baby Godspeed!

Stats-
Baby's heart rate-Strong in the 120-130's
Mommy's iron finally came up and broke ten- I'm thankful for this small victory!
Weight-129 and down one pound, but not super alarming due to fact that I've been sick this past week. Total weight gain so far is 22 pounds; I think I've got some room to grow after all.
BP-85/55...I normally run low, but not so much. For now, we're going to blame the afor mentioned sickness.

Admittedly not the best appointment for stats, but thankfully it looks as if baby boy is thriving doing a lot better than mommy feels! I'm already feeling almost back to normal, so hopefully we'll be running at 100%(you know, as much as you can be 37 wks pregnant with an active toddler) soon!

Can't wait to meet baby boy!

Under the weather

We are sick. It's been one of those no good, rotten, sick day kinda weeks-complete with many a pajama party and lots of time watching "Cars" on the couch. First Evan came down with a nasty croup like cough and cold, and then very thoughtfully passed it on my way. Being this pregnant and this sick is no fun, and if it were up to me, I say that mama's should never be allowed to get sick. Seriously, Kleenex beware, you are no match for this faucet of a runny nose! Thankfully though, I'm going to go out on a limb and say that, God willing, we are on the mend.

Here's to hoping that plenty of rest, water, and animal crackers(above) will do the trick to get us back up and at em' before baby makes his big debut.

Joyful anticipation

As we meet 36 weeks, my body-and belly mostly-are loudly signaling that it's almost baby time. On one hand, I am over the moon excited to meet this little guy and can't wait see a new baby bouncing in our bouncer, sleeping in his bassinet and even crying in his carseat. On the other hand, I know I can be patient and embrace these last precious moments as a family of three. As a prideful planner, I find in myself the tendency to get so wraped up in future things that I often miss the presents of the present. So while we wait on baby brother's arrival, I am set to be still and enjoy this life as it is now-just me, my husband and our sweet son. This nest is fluffed and feathered well enough. Dare I say it's time to sit back and relax, to simply and joyfully just wait.

Two carseats are now taking over our backseat-what a sight!

Thanks to a sweet and thoughtful friend, our borrowed bassinet is set up and looking just perfect in its new place next to our bed.

And, we put out a few baby things like Evan's old bouncer; we just couldn't leave that space bare after filling it with a Christmas tree for so long! I loved our swing, bouncer and other baby gear, and am excited to pull em' out of the closets for a second spin.

Next on the list, the hospital bag is mostly packed. Credit belongs to this awesome checklist courtesy of Pinterest. :-)

Evan's snack stash is fully stocked for "D-day"

and while this little guy may be a bit small for his newly washed big brother tee, I think he'll grow into his new title quite nicely. :-)

Big brother blooper

This was not in the big brother handbook haha!

35 Weeks!

See, I am pregnant remember blog? I said it wasn't so, that I would absolutely keep up with this second pregnancy in the same way as the first...but somehow baby #2 is left with much fewer dedicated baby updates than Evan. Hoping this is not a second child trend, I am determined to break the mold! Anyways, this is me with baby "B," or "C." ;-)

I doubt I'll be sporting my lovely belly for 5 more weeks, judging by the size of things. In just two weeks we'll have an ultrasound that will better determine whether or not this butterball will make an early debut-can't wait to see!

A mommy and Evan morning

This past Friday I had my 34 week OB appointment in Raleigh. To make the trip extra worthwhile, Evan and I shared a beautiful, fun filled mommy-son morning at Marbles kids museum downtown. We had been talking about special things to do with our firstborn before baby boy makes his appearance, and Marbles was at the top of the list. This place is amazing; it's colorful, bright, swarming with excited kiddos and full of a variety of activities that are interesting and fun for all ages. Literally, we could've spent the entire day there!

Of course, as luck would have it my SD card decided to shut down on me after just TWO pictures...so I pulled out the next best thing, and followed my sweet boy around taking photos with the trusty Iphone. Enjoy!

 

 

His favorite place by far-the train table!

 

We had a blast and this little kiddo ran off a ton of energy-in fact, he was fast asleep before we even got back on the highway to Wilson!

Per my 34 week appointment, I'm happy to report that baby boy is growing well. He is measuring right where he should be and had a steady heartbeat in the 120's. As for me, I've officially gained 23 pounds thus far, and feel like this turkey should be done any day now. In fact, yesterday preferably. :-) I'm much more uncomfortable at this point than I was with Evan, and am thanking my stars for a toddler who sleeps through the night and naps well so that I can grab that much needed rest myself. It's hard to believe it's already January 1st, and this could be baby #2's birthday month!