Emma's Birth Story

Better late than never....

Emma Rose was born on June 22, 2012 at 9:04am, weighing 7lbs 1oz and 21" long.  She graciously arrived right on time, on her due date! :-)

I was scheduled to go in for an induction on Thursday night (June 21). All day I was having fairly consistent contractions (5-10 minutes apart), but they were never consistently spaced enough for me to think it was "time". By that night we were still waiting to hear from the hospital to let us know it was time to come in for the induction. We decided to get everything packed up and head out to dinner with Hannah and my parents (who had come into town the day before in preparation for the scheduled induction). 

We decided to eat at Chipotle and had a nice dinner while I continued to time contractions on my phone.  After dinner we still hadn't heard from the hospital but we didn't want to go home just to have to turn back around.  So we sent Hannah home with my parents (knowing it would be our last time seeing her as our only child) and decided to head to Target to do some browsing.

 While we walked around Target I started having some mildly painful contractions and even had to stop to breathe through them several times. I knew this was a good sign!  By 8pm we still hadn't heard from the hospital, so we called only to find out that they didn't have any beds available for inductions yet.  They said they would call us as soon as they did.  At that point, Brian's parents were almost to Atlanta (they were driving back for the induction as well) so we decided to meet up with them at Cheesecake Factory for dessert.  As we sat there I had several contractions (3-5 minutes apart) and they were increasing in pain.  When the waiter found out that I was in labor, he couldn't believe it.  It was so funny to see the look on his face.  I assured him that I had been through this before and I promised not to deliver the baby in the restaurant. :-)  By the time we finished up it was nearing 10pm and the hospital still had not called.  We called again and found out that they were not going to have any beds available until morning....not the news we wanted to hear.  We decided to head toward home and on the way I called my midwife.  After telling her about my consistent and mildly painful contractions she told us to head into the hospital.  So as soon as we pulled into the driveway, we turned back around and headed for the hospital. 

When we arrived at the hospital they were so packed that we had to wait a bit for them to find us a room.  When I was finally checked into my room, they checked my cervix and I was 3cm....no cervadil for me.  We decided to do some walking to help keep things moving along.  Contractions were definitely starting to pick up in intensity.  They checked me again at midnight and I was 4cm.  My midwife suggested that we try to get some rest so we laid down and attempted to sleep.  Yeah right!  I was a nervous wreck!  I knew the pain that was coming and I couldn't calm down.  I started having a mild panic attack and my contractions started spacing out, although they continued to be very painful.  Around 3am I ended up calling my parents to get their advice about what I should do - epidural or not.  Thankfully they were wide awake too! :-)  After much deliberation and prayer I decided it was time to get an epidural.  After my intense natural labor with Hannah, I just knew I couldn't do it again. 

The epidural was placed at 5am and I had the best nurse to talk me through it step by step, as I was definitely not excited about getting a needle shoved into my spine! It was so much easier than I expected...just a slight bee sting feeling and it was done. It took quite a while for the epidural to take full effect, but once it did it was wonderful. My back labor was gone and all I felt was pressure....A LOT of pressure! I also had the epidural shakes where my whole body was shaking uncontrollably...not painful, but strange and annoying. The pressure was so strong down there that they checked me several times to be sure I wasn't ready to push. By 6am I was already 6cm.  Because of the epidural, my body was finally able to relax enough for my labor to kick into gear and the rest of the labor was super fast.

They started setting up the delivery supplies by 7am, which I was convinced was wrong.  There was no way I would be pushing a baby out anytime soon, but I guess they knew better than I did because just two hours later Emma arrived!  At 8am I was 9cm and my midwife broke my water.  Unfortunately Emma had already had her first bowel movement while inside (meconium) so that meant that a NICU team would have to be present at her birth to assess her breathing. 

At 9am I started pushing and after just 4 minutes Emma was here.  I truly felt no pain and couldn't believe how much better this delivery was compared to my first!  I even had them bring over the mirror between contractions so I could see what was going on down there.  I NEVER thought I would want to see that, but I'm actually glad I did...pretty amazing!  I didn't even break a sweat during the delivery and told the midwife over and over just how amazed I was that I felt absolutely nothing!  So strange, but wonderful! 

Emma came out screaming at 9:04am and the NICU team immediately assessed her right there in the room.  While I was bummed that I couldn't hold her right away like I did with Hannah, I was glad that everything checked out fine and she never had to leave the room.  Her APGAR score at 1 minute was an 8 and at 5 minutes was a 9....just like her big sister!  After about 20 minutes I was able to hold her and nurse her for the first time.

Getting the epidural was THE BEST decision!  Not only was the labor so much more enjoyable (I was on my iPhone when I was 8-9cm dilated!) but it was nearly a necessity because of the trouble we had getting my placenta to detach.  While the NICU team was assessing Emma, I was delivering the placenta - yes, it is cruel that you have to deliver something else after you just pushed a 7lb baby out!  For some reason my placenta was being stubborn and my midwife had to literally reach her entire arm inside to scrape the placenta out!  INSANE!  If it weren't for the epidural I would have been DYING!  God knew that the placenta would be troublesome, so I truly believe it was His perfect plan for me to get the epidural.  Even my midwife kept saying how glad she was that I got the epidural.  Her words were, "We would not be friends right now if it weren't for that epidural" as she stuck her entire arm inside me.  YIKES!

Throughout my entire third trimester I was so worried about the labor, delivery and recovery.  I prayed that things would be completely different from my first.  So far things were going GREAT!  Labor and delivery were a piece of cake.  Next up, recovery.  My two biggest concerns were that I would be able to pee after delivery and not need a catheter (I had three after Hannah's birth) and that I wouldn't have huge blood clots again (the size of grapefruits after Hannah's birth!).  About an hour after Emma arrived, I tried to pee but couldn't.  So in went the first catheter.  Thankfully about an hour later I was able to go on my own and didn't requite anymore catheters!  YEAH!  As to my second concern, once again God answered all our prayers.  I never had a clot larger than a quarter and surprisingly my bleeding was very light overall.  By the second day in the hospital I was wearing my own underwear (goodbye hospital mesh panties) and no longer using the ice packs down there.  Things were so much better the second time around!

So, epidural or all natural?  EPIDURAL all the way!  Of course I realize that many people do not have such a good experience with an epidural and shockingly some people prefer an all natural delivery, saying it is less painful.  While I will never understand that, I do understand the desire to go all natural.  While my first labor and delivery and recovery were not at all what I had hoped for, I am ultimately glad I decided to go all natural because I can at least say I did it.  And for my second labor and delivery I am so glad I chose the epidural!  I got to experience both types of labor and I'm so happy I did. 

If it weren't for the horrendous pregnancy that I had (severe hyperemesis for the entire pregnancy) I may even consider doing it all again...that's how easy the birth was!  Such a blessing!

While we could not be more thankful for the labor, delivery and recovery that I had, our ultimate thankfulness is for the beautiful little baby that we now have in our family!  Emma Rose is the perfect addition to our family and we are so in love!

Pregnancy: 39 Weeks 5 Days

I wrote a post every day during my 40th week of pregnancy with Hannah (what can I say, I had a lot of time on my hands!)  Here they are - 39 Weeks 1 Day, 39 Weeks 2 Days, 39 Weeks 3 Days, 39 Weeks 4 Days, 39 Weeks 6 Days

The time has arrived....Emma is coming!  I wanted to be sure to post one last weekly pregnancy post before writing about her eviction. ;-)

Here's what happened this week...

What's going on with the baby right now?

• It's time Emma!  Your due date has arrived!

What's going on with me?

• At my appointment today (Wednesday) everything was great...blood pressure, heartbeat, and weight.  I was 1cm, but the midwife was able to make be 2cm (OUCH!).  But my cervix is still thick and just doesn't look like anything is happening.  Induction here we come (more on that in my next post).
• The painters arrived on Saturday of this past week and finished up on Monday.  What a MESS!  Thankfully they blocked off the rest of the house from their "construction" zone, but there really is no way to keep the sanding dust out of every room of the house.  It gets in the air ducts and is blown everywhere.  UGH!  So, I spent the majority of this week dusting every square inch of the house.  Thankfully my amazing mother in law was here for a day and helped out too.  So nice!
• Surprisingly we have done nothing to try to naturally induce labor - no spicy foods, no excessive walking, no jumping jacks, no eggplant parmesan, no castor oil, no evening primrose oil...nothing.  I just hate going through all of that for none of it to work and then to be let down and constantly thinking "is this going to do it?"  So we decided to skip all of that and just let nature take it's course....so here we sit!
• I gained one pound this week, so I am up 31 pounds from my pre-pregnancy weight.
• Still very minimal swelling, no carpal tunnel and really not too incredibly uncomfortable.  However, the heartburn is still an issue and the nausea returned for the past few days.  Yuck!  Hyperemesis is no joke!

See my next post for more about our scheduled induction.... 

Pregnancy: 39 Weeks

Check out my post from Week 39 with my first pregnancy (Hannah).

Any day now we will become a family of 4!  We are finally ready (well except for one last home renovation project that starts tomorrow!).  We can't wait to meet our sweet baby Emma! 

Here's what's happening this week...

What's going on with the baby right now?

• She is about 20" long and is just over 7 pounds (of course this is just an estimate).  She is about the size of a small watermelon.
• ONE WEEK to go!!

What's going on with me?

• At my appointment this past week (on Tuesday) everything was great.  Blood pressure, weight and Emma's heartbeat were all perfect.  I am still only dilated to 1cm, so nothing exciting to report there.  However, that didn't surprise me because it was the same with Hannah up until I was induced 4 days past my due date. 
• Amazingly I lost 2 pounds this week!  So that means I am up 30 pounds from my pre-pregnancy weight.  That's 13 pounds less than I was with Hannah at this point. 
• I am thrilled to say that Emma's room is 95% ready!  YEAH!!  The furniture arrived last weekend and I was so eager to get everything set up that I had most all of it done by Monday.  There are just a few finishing touches we need to do to make it 100% ready, but at this point if she comes, we are ready for her! 
• My swelling is still very minimal and it looks like carpal tunnel will not be an issue with this pregnancy like it was with Hannah's.
• Unfortunately the heartburn is still bad and I even had to take Zantac one night to be able to sleep.  However, even if the heartburn is managed, I still can't sleep.  I'm uncomfortable and my mind just won't shut off.  There isn't any one thing I am thinking about but for some reason I get a surge of energy at bedtime, despite being completely exhausted all day long.  Speaking of that, I spent several days this past week in my pjs because I was just so tired!  I assume that is my body's way of preparing for the hard work of labor, so I am trying to rest as much as possible, but that's not easy with a two year old to take of.
• This coming week is going to be CRAZY!  We have a painter coming tomorrow to paint the foyer, stairs, and upstairs landing.  We have lived here for 5 years now and this is the only area of the house that hasn't been painted...it's time!  However, this process will involve lots of sanding (to remove the oil based paint from the trim and doors) and what I imagine to be a huge mess!  I am a bit overwhelmed with the idea of having to dust my entire house again, but at the same time I am excited to get the home renovation projects done.  We'll see what I have to say about the mess in my next post. :-(
• Next appointment: Wednesday, June 20th (hopefully this will be my last appointment)

Goals for our remaining days before Emma arrives - Buy a present for Hannah (from Emma), pack the hospital bag, continue cleaning the house, and possibly freeze some more meals for after Emma's arrival. 

Nesting To Do List

Nesting has finally kicked in (at least for today), so I wanted to make a list of things I want to get done before Emma's arrival (not baby related things, since I already have a POST about that).  I just know that it will be a long time before I will have a chance to do these things again, so I need to do them now!  Of course, some of these things will need to be done multiple times before Emma's arrival (dusting, vacuuming, toilets, sheets, etc), but I am a cross off junkie, so I had to add them! :-)

- Organize/Clean Master Bath Drawers
- Organize/Clean Master Bath Cabinets
- Clean Mirror, Counter, Sink, Window, Blinds, Light fixture, Pictures on the wall,Scale, and Door in Master Bath
- Clean Toilet and Shower in Master Bath
- Vacuum and Mop floor in Master Bath
- Dust Master Bedroom
- Vacuum Master Bedroom
- Clean Windows and Blinds in Master Bedroom
- Hang curtains in Master Bedroom
- Organize Brian's dresser and closet
- Organize drawers in nightstands in Master Bedroom
- Change Sheets in Master Bedroom
- Put away all the things in the guest bedroom (from the carpet install)
- Vacuum and Mop stairs and upstairs hallway
- Vacuum Hannah's room
- Dust Hannah's room
- Put away everything that doesn't belong in Hannah's room (from the carpet install)
- Organize Hannah's closet
- Change Hannah's sheets
- Organize hallway luggage closet
- Organize/Clean Guest Bath Drawers and Cabinets
- Clean Mirror, Counter, Sink, Window, Blinds, Door, Light fixture, Toilet, Shower, and Tub in Guest Bathroom
- Vacuum and Mop Guest Bathroom
- Clean all of the bath toys
- Vacuum Emma's room
- Vacuum Guest Bedroom
- Dust Guest Bedroom
- Put away all the things in the Dining Room (from the carpet install)
- Dust Dining Room (table, chairs, mirror, windows)
- Vacuum and Mop Dining Room
- Vacuum and Mop Entry Way
- Vacuum Playroom
- Deep clean couch and chair in Playroom
- Dust Playroom (furniture, big toys, windows)
- Vacuum and Mop Family Room
- Dust Family Room (furniture, windows, tv, bookshelves, fireplace)
- Deep clean couch in Family Room
- Vacuum and Mop Wet Bar
- Clean sink, counter, and cabinets in Wet Bar
- Clean under sink cabinet in kitchen (cleaner spilled in one of the baskets)
- Clean cabinet to left of microwave (salt and pepper spilled in there a while ago)
- Use Murphy's Soap on the cabinets around the stove (grease splashes on them)
- Organize recipes
- Clean out freezer in kitchen (bag of frozen peas spilled in the bottom of the drawer)
- Organize Hannah's plate/bowl drawer in kitchen
- Deep clean kitchen (appliances, counters, sink, table, chairs, light fixtures, doors, windows, etc.)
- Vacuum and Mop Kitchen
- Vacuum and Mop Half Bath
- Deep Clean Half Bath (counter, sink, window, blinds, toilet, door, etc.)
- Vacuum and Mop Laundry Room
- Organize cabinets in Laundry Room (move a lot of the extra cleaning supplies to the garage cabinets)
- Clean fridge in Laundry Room
- Deep clean laundry room (window, blinds, washing machine, dryer, sink, rug, etc.)
- Organize garage sale items in the garage (put in big trash bags)
- Organize cabinets in garage (reorganize to store extra paper goods and cleaning supplies)
- Organize/Clean shoe shelf in the garage
- Upload all pictures on the camera (wait until June for this, so it's empty close to Emma's due date)
- Upload all videos on the flip camera
- Clean front door, back door, and door to the garage (inside and out)
- Clean the Pilot, inside and out
- Organize the storage room in the garage

Pregnancy: 38 Weeks

Check out my post from Week 38 with my first pregnancy (Hannah).

Here's what's happening this week...

What's going on with the baby right now?

• She is about 19.5" long (the length of a leek) and has just about reached her birth weight (somewhere between 6 and 8 pounds).  I am hoping for a smaller baby than last time, but only time will tell.  (Hannah was 8.2)
• 2 weeks to go!  14 days!!!

What's going on with me?

• I had a doctor's appointment this week and was 1cm dilated, but my cervix is still very high and long.  The midwife let me know that I have the option of inducing at 39 weeks if we want, however I doubt we will do that.  There are several reasons we won't do that, but the main ones are that Brian's parents will be out of the country until June 18th and the other reason is that I am still undecided about if I will go all natural with this labor, so inducing makes it much more likely that I would need pain medication.
• I gained 4 pounds this week!  YIKES!  That puts me at +32 pounds from my pre-pregnancy weight.  Hoping that I won't gain much more.  The only thing that makes me feel a little better is that at this point with Hannah I had gained 42 pounds. 
• Surprisingly I am only getting up one time in the night to pee.  I'm pretty sure it was the same way with Hannah.  I apparently have a very large bladder. :-)
• While this is technically not about me, it's related.  I wanted to talk about how Hannah is doing with Emma's immanent arrival.  As far as I can tell she is still thrilled!  She is constantly wanting to talk to Emma and show her toys and says, "Emma come out soon".  It's precious.  She hasn't shown any signs of jealousy or anxiety about any of it.  While I am thrilled about this, it also makes me nervous.  Maybe she just doesn't get it at all.  I am constantly telling her how Emma is going to live with us forever and how right now it's just Mommy, Daddy and Hannah but soon it will be Mommy, Daddy, Hannah AND Emma.  I tell her that Emma will have the same Mommy and Daddy as her and that she will have to share her Mommy and Daddy.  She definitely doesn't get that part.  She will often say, "No, that's my Daddy".  I definitely think that sharing Daddy is going to be the hardest part of all of it.
• We did our maternity photo shoot this past weekend and it definitely was different this time around having Hannah with us.  She decided to not take a nap that afternoon, which made for a very uncooperative two year old.  We will be lucky if we get one good picture out of the whole bunch. 
• I had a horrible headache all day on Wednesday, which made me a little worried that my blood pressure might be elevated.  So I went to a local pharmacy and tested it.  Thankfully it was perfectly normal.
• Brian is out of town for a friend's wedding and I have been on my own for the past two days with a toddler and a HUGE belly!  It's been tiring, but we have had fun and I've really enjoyed my time alone with Hannah.  Tomorrow Brian's parents are coming into town (on their way to London for a week!) so it will definitely be nice to have the help! 
• Emma's furniture will be delivered TOMORROW morning!!  YEAH!  I am so thrilled to finally be able to get her room ready.  Talk about last minute.  Also, Buy Buy Baby has offered us a $150 gift card to compensate us for our trouble.  I think that is very fair and I am pleased with the way the district manager has handled all the problems we have had with this order.  However, I am still holding my breath to see how the delivery and assembly goes tomorrow.  Praying everything is right!
• I took Hannah to Babies R Us yesterday to pick out a present for Emma (to give her at the hospital).  She didn't really seem to get the whole idea, but we did it anyway and once we picked something out she seemed a little more excited.  Of course she wanted to get something for herself too, but we talked about how special it was for her to pick out something just for Emma.  I also let her know that Emma would be giving her a special present too.  So that made her feel better.  We ended up picking out a lovie for Emma (she needed one more to add to the collection and Hannah loves all of hers so much that I thought this would be perfect).  I really picked it out, but Hannah didn't disagree, so it worked out nicely.  Then we spent about an hour walking around, playing with toys (free entertainment!).  The lovie has been sitting on the kitchen counter since we yesterday (I've really let the house go the last few days that Brian has been out of town) and every time she sees it she says, "Oh Emma, I got you a special prize (surprise).  It's a lovie Emma!"  It's so precious!
• We put Emma's car seat in our car last weekend and every since, Hannah has been so excited about it!  Every time we get in the car she is sure to point out to Emma that we have her seat in the car (she insists on lifting up my shirt to show Emma).  She talks about how she is going to hold Emma's hand (their seats are side my side, so she will have easy access....could be a bad thing!).  She really is so excited!
• Swelling was not bad this week at all.  Didn't notice any really.  Still not wearing my wedding rings though.  Also, no carpal tunnel still!  YEAH!
• Heartburn was brutal this week.  I couldn't sleep many nights because of it and I even had it during the day at random times.  Yuck!
• Next appointment: Tuesday, June 12th

Goals for this coming week are similar to the last two weeks (can you sense my lack of urgency?) - Buy a present for Hannah (from Emma), pack the hospital bag, deep clean the house, and wash bedding for Emma's room.  So much to do and so little motivation.  It hasn't sunk in that Emma could be here any day!

My Baby Bucket List - Updated

I got this idea from another blogger - http://babydickey.com - and loved it, so thought I'd copy! This is a list of things we want/need to get done before baby #2 arrives. 

BABY ITEMS we need to get:
-Crib
-Dresser
-Bedding set (bumper, 2 sheets, crib skirt, pillow and sham for chair)
-Chair for the nursery and ottoman
-Nightstand, hutch, toddler rails, and conversion kit for full size bed
-Crib Mattress
-1 more sheet for the crib (yellow, grey or white)
-Waterproof mattress pads (2)
-Newborn(1 pack) and Size 1 Diapers (2-3 packs)
-Pottery Barn Chair with her name for our monthly pictures (just like Hannah)
-Possibly some new nursing bras and tanks
-Nipple Cream - All Natural (Personal, I know, but it's a fact of life with nursing!)
-Changing pad covers (2 - yellow, grey or white)
-Personalized Pottery Barn blanket (just like Hannah, but in yellow, grey or white)
-Wall decorations for the nursery
-Curtains for the nursery with built in black out panels (yellow, grey or white)
-Sound machine
-Lamp for the nightstand in the nursery (yellow, grey or white)
-Pottery Barn baskets and liners for the hutch
-CD player for nursery (possibly use Hannah's instead)
-Trash can to use as diaper pail for nursery
-Baby book - start filling it in now!
-Floor Lamp
-Lovies (1 more)
-Mirror for the backseat of the car
-Sensitive baby wipes
-All natural diaper cream
-Nursing pads
-New breast pump or parts (thank you Bubbles for chewing up my old one!)
-Pacifiers
-Gum cleanser and brush
-Double stroller (suggestions???)
-Aden & Anais Swaddle Blankets
-Coming home outfit for Emma (have Hannah help pick it out)
-Baby gate for Emma's room
-Teething tablets
-Gripe Water, Mylicon Drops, Colic Calm
-Outlet plug covers
-First Year Calendar
-Closet Organizers (dividers)

THINGS TO DO in the nursery:
-Empty room of everything that's currently in there
-Choose paint color and purchase it
-Paint (walls and touch up trim)
-New carpet
-Fix the closet shelving
-New door hardware on door and closets
-Figure out lighting
-Make letters to hang above the crib to spell out baby's name
-Have the nursery furniture delivered and assembled
-Hang curtains
-Hang letters that spell "Emma" above her crib
-Recover the glider with fabric that matches the bedding (getting it upholstered and should be ready in 2-3 weeks)
-Move the internet router from Emma's Room to the Guest Room

OTHER THINGS TO DO:
-Strip all cloth diapers in hopes of using them with baby #2
-Air out the crib mattress for 28 days before baby's arrival (gets rid of chemicals) - Started on April 10, so it will be ready on May 8! 
-Get the Pottery Barn Blanket monogrammed
-Wash all newborn and 3 month clothing...stain removal with oxi-clean
-Hang and fold washed clothes and put away
-Figure out how to hook up the IP cameras we bought to use as video monitors for the girls' rooms
-Preregister at the hospital
-Stock the freezer with meals for after baby arrives!
-Plan a night or weekend away with Brian before baby comes
-Maternity photo shoot (Sunday, June 3)
-Set up a newborn photo shoot for after baby arrives
-Pack my hospital bag
-Install car seat (wash the cover)
-Set up pack n' play, swing, bouncy seat, activity mat
-Write thank you cards as needed

Hospital Bag Packing List

It's that time again - time to pack the hospital bag!  I feel like I just did this for Hannah's birth.  Here we go again!

During our hospital tour we were told to pack two different bags - one for labor and delivery and then another for recovery. So I have separated my list into those two categories. After I have something packed in my bag, I will cross it off the list.

Labor Bag
- iPad and charger
- Cell phone and charger
- Camera (digital and Flip), charger, cord for uploading pics, and extra batteries
- Baby book (for getting footprints)
- Tennis ball and massager for Brian to use on my back! :)
- My own pillow with a distinguishable pillow case (one I don't care about getting ruined) and one for Brian
- Hard candies (to keep my mouth from being too dry)
- Chapstick
- My own gown for delivery
- Magazines
- Picture ID and Insurance Card
- Snacks for Brian
- Hairbrush and hairties
- Makeup (one can dream, right)
- Deodorant, lotion

Recovery Bag
- Thank you notes (to write for hospital staff and any presents we receive while in the hospital...if we have time)
- Going home outfit for me (something comfy and maternity) and shoes
- Going home outfit for Emma
- Hat for Emma
- Toothbrush and toothpaste (for me and Brian)
- Shampoo, conditioner, soap (all travel size)
- Bathroom stuff for Brian, pjs for Brian, outfits for Brian
- Straightener
- Razor
- Nursing pjs & robe (light weight)
- Socks
- Nursing tank tops and bras (comfy ones for sleeping)
- Nursing pads
- Body pillow
- Receiving blanket for Emma
- Boppy pillow for nursing
- Nipple cream
- Car seat - installed in car!
- Maternity underwear
- Snacks (peanut butter crackers, granola bars, brownies, etc.)
- Empty tote bag (for bringing home all the hospital goodies)

Pregnancy: 37 Weeks (FULL TERM!)

Check out my post from Week 37 with my first pregnancy (Hannah).

We started this week in Florida, visiting Brian's family and enjoying our last few days as a family of three.  We ended it with some major home renovations - wood flooring on the stairs, landing and in the laundry room.  Talk about chaotic!

Here's what's happening this week...

What's going on with the baby right now?

• Emma is officially full term which means it is safe for her to come at any time.  While the house is definitely not ready, my body is!
• She is about 19-20" long and weighs about 6.5 pounds
• She is definitely not moving as much now.  It has been so infrequent that we have actually been pretty nervous at times this week.  But I honestly just think she is out of room in there.
• 3 weeks to go!

What's going on with me?

• I had a doctor's appointment this week and everything was good.  Emma is still head down, blood pressure was good, weight was good, and my iron level was higher than it was earlier in my pregnancy (even though I never took the iron supplements that they told me to take).  It's still a tad low (10.9 and they like it be at least 11) but it's close enough.  They also did the group B strep test, which was negative.  It was negative with my first pregnancy as well, so I am happy about that.  Just means I don't have to have the antibiotics during labor.  She also checked my cervix but nothing is happening yet...still closed.
• I had a crazy dream this week.  You could see Emma's arm and hand through my stomach and her hand was stretching the skin on my belly so much that she was holding onto my finger.  So creepy!  But for some reason everyone in my dream thought it was so cute. 
• All my maternity shirts are getting too small so I have been forced to buy a few more.  I hated having to spend money on something I know I will only wear for a few more weeks, but whatever.  I found some good deals at Target and bought 2 tshirts, 2 tank tops and 1 pair of shorts.  Should get me through the next couple weeks. 
• I am up 28 pounds from my pre-pregnancy weight.  Since I didn't weigh myself last week it's hard to say how much I gained this week, but over the last two weeks I gained 5 pounds.  More than I would like, but there really is NO WAY to control it!  Overall I am just happy that I am not as big as I was with Hannah at this point.  I was 11 pounds heavier then I am right now...OH MY!
• Swelling wasn't bad this week.  However, I am not wearing my wedding rings anymore because they are just uncomfortable.
• No carpal tunnel, thank you Lord!
• Heartburn was manageable this week.  Still just using Tums or Rolaids to help the burn.  My favorite ones are the Peppermint Tums.  I was using the fruit flavored Rolaids and they are just nasty!
• Nausea was manageable this week as well.  However, the construction smells brought back some bad memories (not sure from what) that made me VERY nauseous at the end of the week.  I was trying to remember when I last smelled those odors but can't pinpoint a time during this pregnancy.  The only thing I can think of is when we remodeled our family room during my first pregnancy (while I was also very nauseous).  Crazy what your mind (and nose) can remember.
• I was exhausted this week.  Not easy when you have a two year old and construction going on in your house!  We had wood flooring installed on our stairs, landing and in the laundry room.  What a mess!  There is now a thin layer of construction dust on every surface in my house and it's stressing me out!  Unfortunately I just don't have the energy to get it all clean.  I am working in very short sessions (5-10 minutes) and doing what I can, but there is just so much to do!  I definitely had a minor breakdown the other day about all there is left to do before Emma's arrival.  There are so many things I want/need to do but just don't have the energy for.  I'm hoping that Brian will help me out this weekend (especially since he will be out of town next weekend!). 
• Braxton Hicks contractions are definitely more frequent, but nothing consistent and nothing that's actually making me dilate yet.  Just false labor.  Fun!
• Next Appointment: Tuesday, June 5th (weekly appointments from now until the end)

Goals for this coming week are mostly the same as last week because I didn't finish any of them!  AHHH!  - Buy a present for Hannah (from Emma), install Emma's car seat (which also means we need to clean my car), pack the hospital bag, deep clean the house (even more necessary now!), set up all the baby gear (swing, bouncy seat, etc.), and possibly cook more meals for the freezer.  Still no furniture in Emma's room...this is getting serious!

Pregnancy: 36 Weeks (9 Months!)

Check out my post from Week 36 with my first pregnancy (Hannah).

We started this week with a sick toddler, which is never fun!  She just had a standard cold, but was so snotty and clingy.  Her nose was so raw after the first day...poor baby!  We ended the week in Florida, visiting Brian's family.

Here's what's happening this week...

What's going on with the baby right now?

• She is about 18.5" long and weighs about 6 pounds
• Emma is gaining about an ounce per day at this point
• She is swallowing amniotic fluid, which causes hiccups.  With my first pregnancy, Hannah had hiccups every single day, but Emma definitely doesn't have them as frequently.
• Survival rate = 99+%.  Of those, only 5% have serious complications.
• 4 weeks to go!

What's going on with me?

• TONS of swelling!  My feet, hands and face are swollen.  There were a few days at the end of the week that I couldn't wear my wedding rings.
• I don't think Emma has dropped yet, as I don't have much pressure down there yet.
• No consistent contractions yet, just Braxton Hicks from time to time.
• Still no signs of carpal tunnel, which I am SO thankful for!!
• Heartburn was even worse this week, waking me up in the middle of the night and even happening during the day.  NOT fun!  This has definitely affected my sleep in a negative way.
• The nausea wasn't too awful this week, thankfully.  But it is definitely still an ever present companion.
• I got a haircut...12 inches chopped off.  Drastic, but I LOVE it!  It had been 2 years since my last cut, so it was definitely time!
• Not sure how much weight I gained this week because I didn't weigh myself.  But in the middle of the week I had gained 1 pound, so I am at least up 23 pounds from my pre-pregnancy weight.
• Next Appointment: Tuesday, May 29

Goals for this coming week - buy a present for Hannah (from Emma) to give her when she comes to the hospital, install Emma's car seat, pack the hospital bag, continue spring cleaning the house, and cook a few meals for the freezer for after Emma arrives (I did one large batch of ziti this week, so at least we have that in there).  We are still waiting on Emma's crib and dresser to be delivered and we probably still have another 2-3 weeks to wait.  A bit stressful!

Freezer Cooking

I am 4.5 weeks away from my due date with baby #2, so I am in major nesting mode.  There are so many things left on my to-do lists (Baby Bucket List & Nesting To Do List) so I am trying to choose a few things each day to get crossed off.

I spent some time today researching freezer meal ideas.  I was on the hunt for recipes that included freezing and reheating instructions (not easy to find) and were semi-healthy.  I also have a hatred for any recipe that includes cream of ___ soups.  There is something about that stuff that creeps me out.  I complied a list of 30 different recipes (some are very similar) and will pick and choose from the list what I want to prepare before Emma's arrival.  The first one I will tackle is Baked Ziti.  I will adapt the recipe a bit to fit our tastes (organic ground beef and our favorite jar of pasta sauce, Rao's) and will probably make 3-4 smaller pans instead of 2 large pans.  Definitely a good comfort meal to have on hand!

Here is the list I complied today.  We'll see how many I can knock out before I run out of steam or Emma arrives.  I'll update as I cook and let you know how it goes.  I would love to be able to post updates once we actually eat the meals to let you know how they were, but no promises.  Things will most likely be crazy around here. 

Enjoy!

• Baked Ziti - http://allrecipes.com/recipe/prego-now-and-later-baked-ziti/
• Chili - http://allrecipes.com/recipe/veggie-vegetarian-chili/detail.aspx
• Bean Burritos - http://www.shutterbean.com/2009/make-your-own-freezer-burritos/
• Calzones - http://www.thekitchn.com/how-to-make-calzones-and-freez-151276
• Spinach Lasagna - http://www.babycenter.com/0_frozen-assets-10-easy-recipes-to-freeze_1461090.bc
• Chicken Chili - http://www.babycenter.com/0_frozen-assets-10-easy-recipes-to-freeze_1461090.bc?page=3
• Chicken & Black Bean Chili - http://pregnant.livejournal.com/17071127.html
• Lazy Lasagna Chili - http://pregnant.livejournal.com/17071127.html
• Spaghetti Sauce - http://pregnant.livejournal.com/17071127.html
• Crockpot BBQ Chicken - http://pregnant.livejournal.com/17071127.html
• Baked Ziti - http://pregnant.livejournal.com/17071127.html
• Lasagna (unbaked) - http://www.tammysrecipes.com/easy_lasagna
• Macaroni & Cheese (unbaked) - http://www.tammysrecipes.com/creamy_macaroni_and_cheese
• Three Cheese Baked Spaghetti (unbaked) - http://www.tammysrecipes.com/three_cheese_baked_spaghetti
• Spinach Rice Casserole (unbaked) - http://www.tammysrecipes.com/spinach_rice_casserole
• Chicken Taco Filling - http://freezermealsforus.blogspot.com/2012/02/bajios-slow-cooker-chicken.html
• Ham & Cheese Ziti - http://freezermealsforus.blogspot.com/2010/05/ham-and-cheese-ziti-by-melissa.html
• Beef & Bean Burrito Pie - http://freezermealsforus.blogspot.com/2011/03/giant-beef-and-bean-burritos.html
• Spaghetti Sauce - http://followinginmyshoes.com/healthy-living/recipes/slow-cooker-spaghett-sauce/
• Meatballs - http://followinginmyshoes.com/my-recipes/easy-homemade-meatballs/
• Marinated Chicken for the Grill - http://lifeasmom.com/2010/04/chicken-in-marinades.html
• Dr. Pepper Spaghetti - http://freezermealsforus.blogspot.com/2012/02/dr-pepper-spaghetti-by-amity.html
• Manicotti - http://freezermealsforus.blogspot.com/2012/03/manicotti-by-kristi.html
• Cranberry Chicken - http://freezermealsforus.blogspot.com/2012/04/may-guest-cook-kara-curfman-cranberry.html
• Honey Sesame Chicken - http://freezermealsforus.blogspot.com/2012/02/slow-cooker-honey-sesame-chicken.html
• Mac N' Cheese with Tomato - http://freezermealsforus.blogspot.com/2011/04/sabrina-nelsons-mac-and-cheese-with.html
• Sunshine Chicken - http://freezermealsforus.blogspot.com/2011/01/sunshine-chicken-by-amanda-from-amity.html
• Mexican Stuffed Shells - http://freezermealsforus.blogspot.com/2010/09/taco-filled-pasta-shells-by-cassie.html
• Cheeseburger Pie - http://freezermealsforus.blogspot.com/2010/03/cheeseburger-pie-by-cassie.html
• Sweet & Spicy Chicken Stir Fry - http://freezermealsforus.blogspot.com/2012/02/sweet-and-spicy-chicken-stir-fry.html

Pregnancy: 35 Weeks

Check out my post from Week 35 with my first pregnancy (Hannah). 

We started this week in NC at my cousin's wedding.  It was so wonderful to get to spend time with my family.  It made me wish even more that we all lived in the same area (or at least the same state!).  Hannah did a great job the whole weekend despite us keeping her up way later than normal.  But we paid for that on the ride home....she had a complete meltdown!  I was literally ready to jump out the window on several occasions!  I don't think any long road trips will be in our near future.

Here's what's happening this week...

What's going on with the baby right now?

• Only 35 days until my due date!!  5 more weeks!
• She is 18-20" long and weighs 5-6 pounds
• She is the size of a small roasting chicken ;-)
• Survival rate = 99%.  Of those, only 8% have serious complications.

What's going on with me?

• I had a doctor's appointment this week and it was VERY uneventful and quick.  Blood pressure was perfect, weight was up (no surprise there), and Emma's heartbeat was normal.  Walked in and walked out.  At my next appointment I will get the group B strep test done and then I will start going every week for check-ups until my due date.
• I absolutely blew up this week!  I am huge (thanks to my 6 pound weight gain last week) and swollen.  My rings are suddenly much tighter, but I am still able to wear them.  My face looks very chubby now, which I hate.  For the first 30 weeks of my pregnancy I heard so many times how small I looked, but I'm definitely not hearing that anymore!
• My uterus now reaches up to my rib cage. 
• This week I was exhausted and very unmotivated!  The nesting urge has disappeared which isn't good because we are nowhere near ready. 
• Still no carpal tunnel, thankfully!!
• No sign of losing my mucus plug yet, but this doesn't surprise me.  I didn't lose it with my first pregnancy until my due date and even then I still had to be induced 4 days later.
• I am starting to really get nervous about labor and delivery.  With my last labor I had several complications (heavy clotting, three separate catheters because of swelling, and I passed out after delivery).  I am very nervous about those things happening again!
• Heartburn is still a major problem.  At the beginning of this week it was so bad that I developed a nasty cough because of it and then had a sore/hoarse voice for the following few days.  Acid reflux is no joke!
• Sleep has been sparse this week.  With the heartburn being so bad at night I haven't been sleeping well through it.  Also I've been dealing with some pregnancy insomnia which is definitely not fun.
• On the last day of this week (today) I felt VERY nauseous all day and threw up my dinner.  I hadn't thrown up in nearly two months, so this was an unwelcome reminder of the horrid first 4-5 months of this pregnancy.  I'm hoping this was just a one day fluke and that I will feel better tomorrow.  But I do remember the nausea getting bad again in the last month of my first pregnancy, so we'll see.
• Amazingly I lost 3 pounds this week!  So now I am up 22 pounds from my pre-pregnancy weight.  I'll take it!
• Next Appointment: Tuesday, May 29

We are still waiting for Emma's crib and dresser to be delivered.  We talked to the store this week and they are definitely going to compensate us in some way for all the trouble this has been, so at least that's good news.

My goals for this coming week - install the car seat, start packing the hospital bag, nail down the date and time for our maternity photo shoot, and continue my heavy "spring cleaning" of the entire house (if I can find the energy).

Pregnancy: 34 Weeks

Check out my post from Week 34 with my first pregnancy (Hannah).  WOW, that picture is awful!

Here's what's happening this week...

What's going on with the baby right now?

• She is about 17-18" long and weighs about 5 pounds (not much change from last week)
• She is the size of a cantaloupe
• 6 weeks to go

What's going on with me?

• Thankfully I don't have carpal tunnel yet with this pregnancy, like I did with Hannah at this point.  I'm praying that it stays away because that was awful!
• Swelling is still manageable and I don't notice it unless I am on my feet for an extended period of time.  Thankfully my wedding rings still fit just fine.
• This week during my last pregnancy I was already talking about installing the car seat and packing my hospital bag.  Wow!  I was really preparing ahead of time.  I really haven't even thought much about either of those two things - although I did write my Hospital Bag Packing List already.  Maybe I will start trying to tackle that in the next month or so. ;-)
• Sleep is still okay, but not great.  Still waking up several times in the night, tossing and turning.  But I have been taking a nap during Hannah's nap every day and that has really helped.  I've been taking a nap in my bed and putting my pjs back on and everything...it's been amazing!
• I gained a TON of weight this week - 6 pounds!!!!  That means I'm up 25 pounds from my pre-pregnancy weight.  Insanity!
• Next Appointment: Tuesday, May 15

We had more drama with Emma's furniture this week.  Since the crib is still not ready for delivery we wanted to at least have them deliver the dresser, night stand and hutch so we would have everything else in place.  They agreed to do that for us (and refunded the delivery and assembly fees) and came out yesterday with all the furniture (minus the crib of course).  They set it all up (about an hour of assembly) and then called me up to check it out.  WRONG DRESSER!!!  AHHH!  I almost fell over.  While it is very pretty, it's not what we ordered.  So, they ended up leaving it here and will come out to replace it with the correct one as soon as they can get it.  Not sure how long that is going to take, but I'm just baffled by how unorganized such a large company is!  This is not a mom and pop shop, it's a big box baby retailer - Buy Buy Baby.  Needless to say, I wouldn't recommend buying baby furniture from them or at least not something they have to special order.  While I am sure they will make it all right in the end, it is frustrating to have to jump through all these hoops to get it right. 

Here's another fun pregnancy survey I found:

How far along? 34 weeks
Total weight gain/loss: +25 pounds
Maternity clothes? HAHA, are there actually people that are able to wear regular clothes at 34 weeks pregnant??  No way!!  Even my maternity clothes are getting too small!
Stretch marks? Nothing new...I have a few tiny ones on my thighs from Hannah's pregnancy and by my belly button.
Sleep: Okay, but certainly missing the ability to sleep through the night!  It's just preparing me for Emma's arrival!
Best moment this week: Having my parents come back from their month long cruise (yesterday) and then packing up and leaving for my cousin's wedding in NC (today).
Movement: More than last week, but not a ton.  She's just not as much of a mover as Hannah was.
Food cravings: This week I couldn't get enough peanut butter cookies and frozen caramel frappe's from McDonalds.  YUM!
Labor Signs: Some braxton hicks, but nothing too eventful.
Belly button in or out? Out
What I miss: Feeling "normal"....the nausea is still present every day and the heartburn is pretty intense.
What I am looking forward to: Our trip to NC for my cousin's wedding.  We are driving up today and come home on Sunday.  Can't wait to see family!!
What I am NOT looking forward to: Labor....as much as I want this baby out and the hyperemesis to be completely gone, I'm not ready for the intensity of labor!
Weekly Wisdom: Oxi-Clean is AMAZING!!  If you haven't tried it before, do!  I spent the week soaking tons of Hannah's baby clothes (when I packed them away they were perfectly clean, but now they have yellow spit up stains on them) in oxi-clean and couldn't believe how well it worked.  Just soaked overnight in a bucket of HOT water with 2-3 scoops of the oxi-clean baby powder, then washed them like normal the next morning....viola!  Perfectly clean!

Pregnancy: 33 Weeks

Check out my post from Week 33 with my first pregnancy (Hannah).

Here's what's happening this week...

What's going on with the baby right now?

• She is about 17" long and weighs about 5 pounds
• The bones in her skull are not fused yet to allow for overlapping during the birthing process so she can fit through the birth canal.
• Survival rate if born now = 98%.  Of those, only 12% have serious complications.
• She is the size of a pineapple (had some with dinner to celebrate!) ;-)
• 7 weeks to go

What's going on with me?

• I had a doctor's appointment this past week and everything was great.  Blood pressure was great, weight gain was great, Emma's heartbeat was great, and I am measuring right on track.  So nothing new to report.  I'll go back in 2 weeks and then at 36 weeks I will start the weekly appointments.
• I am huge!  I often find myself trying to squeeze through a tight space thinking it will be no problem and then not being able to fit.  Oops!  I also find that I drop food on my belly often!  It always makes me laugh when I look down at my shirt and realize there are remnants of my last meal splattered across it. 
• Sleep this week was a little better.  My hips didn't hurt as bad this week (not sure what the change was), I'm only peeing one time in the early morning, I finally put a big bottle of Tums in my bedside table so I can pop some whenever I need them, and I'm didn't wake up as many times in the night.  I'll take it!
• Not a ton of movement from Emma this week...which had me a little scared the other night.  But she does get the hiccups most every day and is sure to give me a few pushes here and there.
• I gained 2 pounds this week, so I'm up 19 pounds from my pre-pregnancy weight. 
• Next Appointment: Monday, May 14

At the beginning of this week we did a lot of shopping for Emma.  We spent most of the weekend buying different odds and ends that we needed - pacifiers, diaper pail, sound machine, lovies, diapers, wipes, lamps, etc.  Even though this is our second girl, there still seems to be a lot of things that we need.  The worst news this week was when we found out that the store we ordered Emma's furniture from had ordered the wrong crib!  They were supposed to deliver and assemble all the furniture on Saturday, but we received a call Saturday morning telling us the bad news.  Now we have to wait at least 4 more weeks for the correct crib to be delivered!  AHHHH!  Talk about waiting until the last minute!

Pregnancy: 32 Weeks (8 Months)

Check out my post from Week 32 with my first pregnancy (Hannah).

We started this week in Raleigh, NC at a friend's wedding. Definitely a great start to the week! We were so happy to get home to Hannah on Sunday afternoon as we had missed her terribly!

Here's what's happening this week...

What's going on with the baby right now?

• She is about 16.5" long and weighs about 4 pounds
• She is the size of a large jicama (never tried that) or a honeydew melon
• Fingernails and toenails have grown in completely
• She is sleeping 90% of the time (not enough room in there to do much else)
• 8 weeks to go - 56 days!

What's going on with me?

• My blood volume has increased by 50% and my uterus is now pushing into my diaphragm, which causes shortness of breath. I have noticed this some, especially when I am trying to keep up with Hannah. Just going up and down the stairs has become a chore.
• Sleep continues to be a commodity. I can't get comfortable, I toss and turn all night, I wake up to pee at least once per night, my hips ache, I'm hot all the time, heartburn wakes me up, and once I wake up I struggle to fall back to sleep.
• Tons of braxton hicks contractions lately! Everytime I get one I get an intense urge to pee and they actually are a little painful. Just a little precursor of what's to come.
• My belly button has officially popped out now and probably has been that way for a couple weeks, just forgot to mention it.
• Hemorrhoids are still a nusisance, but have gotten better since last week. (Because I know you were wondering!) haha
• I'm starting to get a little sad about Hannah not being our only child anymore. I know that ultimately this is a good thing for her (siblings are wonderful!) but it's hard to not feel a little guilty about her no longer being the center of attention. She is at SUCH a fun stage right now that I hate to mess with anything. :-(
• Emma continues to be fairly gentle with her kicks and punches. She really doesn't move all that often (which of course now I am worrying about) and when she does it's more of a rolling or pushing motion instead of hard jabs.
• Heartburn continues to be awful! Tums and milk are my best friends!
• I have now gained 17 pounds from my pre-pregnancy weight, still under what I was with Hannah's pregnancy, but quickly catching up!
• Next appointment: Monday, April 30th

Pregnancy: 31 Weeks

Check out my post from Week 31 with my first pregnancy (Hannah).

In 6 weeks this pregnancy will be considered full-term!  In 9 weeks I will have reached my due date!  And in 9 weeks, 1 day if this baby hasn't made her appearance I will have to evict her! :-)

This week we had new carpet installed in three of the four upstairs bedrooms (Hannah's room was done before she was born).  It was a very chaotic day on Saturday with the installers here for about 6 hours, making a ton of noise!  Hannah didn't get a nap, which made for a very fussy afternoon and the carpet was not exactly what we had expected.  After a few days it has grown on us, but we still aren't 100% satisfied, but it will have to do.  I am glad to be done with it though and look forward to having Emma's furniture delivered (next weekend) and set up!

At the end of this week, Brian and I headed to Raleigh, NC for a friend's wedding.  We left Hannah at home with Brian's parents (THANK YOU!) and were able to have a fairly relaxing weekend.  It was great to be able to sleep in and the six hour drive was very pleasant without a toddler in the backseat. ;-)  But man we missed her!!

Here's what's happening this week...

What's going on with the baby right now?

• She is about 16" long and weighs about 3.5-4 pounds.
• She is the size of a large head of lettuce
• She is about to start a huge growth spurt phase, which makes me a little nervous.  I already feel huge and uncomfortable, so I don't know how there is even any more room for her to grow!
• Her eyesight is improving and the iris can dilate & constrict.
• Survival rate = 96%. Of those surviving, 20% will have serious complications 
• 9 weeks to go...Single digits! 

What's going on with me?

• I had a doctor's appointment this week and everything was great.  My blood pressure was perfect, weight was great (+12 pounds from prepregnancy weight), Emma's heartbeat was beautiful, and I found out that she is head down (great news!).  The only "bad" news I got was that my midwife (the one that delivered Hannah) is pregnant and due at the end of July.  Yeah for her, but boo for me because she may not make it to Emma's delivery.  While she is due a full month after me, she delivered her first at 37 weeks, so who knows when this one will come.  While I would love for her to be the one to deliver Emma, I guess I will have to get used to the idea that it may not be her.
• Still dealing with hip pain at night and find myself tossing and turning all night to ease the pain.  I think it's time to invest in an air mattress like my friend suggested!
• Braxton Hicks contractions (practice contractions) are happening fairly regularly now, mostly in the evening or when I am sitting down during the day.
• TMI alert!!!  I am dealing with some major hemorrhoids right now.  It has been very painful.  If things don't improve soon I will have to talk to my obgyn about some relief measures I can take.  OUCH!
• Emma is hiccuping all the time now.  I feel them at least once per day, just like with Hannah.
• Emotionally I would say that I am doing really well.  With Hannah's pregnancy I was starting to get very nervous around this time and had no idea what to expect.  But this time around I feel like I know what I am getting into (it's gonna be NUTS!) so I have a better grasp on things.  However, that also makes me a little more nervous this time around as well.  My biggest fears are the actual labor (for those that don't know, I went 100% natural with Hannah and am still undecided what I will do with this one), how I will juggle two little ones at one time, how Hannah will handle having to share me and her daddy with Emma, and simply what our day to day life will look like.
• Emma is still kicking a bunch, but thankfully they haven't been very painful kicks so far.  She's taking it easy on me! :-)  I have noticed that something (foot or knee, not sure) is often pushing under the right side of my rib cage which is not very comfortable.
• On Sunday of this past week I felt pretty nauseous and was exhausted.  I'm not sure what that was about, but I am chalking it up to another growth spurt.
• Heartburn was awful this week!  I've been popping tums and rolaids non-stop in the night, even having to take them in the middle of the night when I am awoken by the burning.  Not fun!
• I didn't weigh myself this week since we were out of town, so last I knew I was up 12 pounds from my pre-pregnancy weight.  We will see how much that jumps up next week.
• Next appointment: Monday, April 30th

I found this tip for when baby arrives that I wanted to be sure to remember.  They suggest that when the older sibling comes into the hospital room to meet the new baby that someone else should hold the baby so you can give all of your attention to the oldest.  Then introduce the baby to the older sibling after lots of hugs and kisses from mommy and daddy.  Hopefully I will remember this tip as I really think it will be good to use with Hannah to make her feel special!  My plan is to have a nurse hold Emma until we are done smothering Hannah with hugs and kisses and then have her bring Emma over for the big introduction.

Another good idea I read about was having Hannah help pick out Emma's going home outfit.  That way she will feel included.  Since we haven't even started thinking about that yet, I think that will be a great idea.  I'm sure what we will end up doing is having a few different choices and letting her chose from them because the idea of letting her go wild in the store is a bit overwhelming.

Pregnancy: 30 Weeks

Check out my post from Week 30 with my first pregnancy (Hannah).

A fairly uneventful week around here.  Brian's parents were here for Easter weekend, which was fun!  And then my parents stopped by for a night during the week on their way to Australia for a month long cruise!  Must be nice! :-) 

We also did our family hospital tour this past Saturday (with Hannah and Brian's parents) which was good.  We didn't learn anything that we didn't already know - seeing as we were just there for two separate weeks in November - but it was still good to have a refresher.  It was also nice for Hannah to go back to the hospital under good conditions instead of the last two times when I was so sick and she visited me then.  Hopefully she will start to associate the hospital with positive experiences.  Thankfully she didn't seem scared at all and was really excited to see new babies!

Here's what's happening this week...

What's going on with the baby right now?

• She is about 15-17" long and weighs about 3 pounds.  She is close to the length she will be when she is born, so over the next 10 weeks she will be gaining weight more than length.
• She is the size of a head of cabbage
• The fine hair coating, called lanugo is beginning to disappear (although Hannah was born 4 days late and still had the fuzz all over her body!)
• Survival rate = 95%. Of those surviving, 25% will have serious complications
• 1.5 pints of amniotic fluid surrounds her, but as she continues to grow, that will decrease
• Her eyesight is continuing to get better, but she’ll be born with only 20/400 vision – meaning she can only see objects a few inches from her face
• 10 weeks to go!

What's going on with me?

• This week I gained 1 pound, so overall I am up 12 pounds from my pre-pregnancy weight.
• I seemed to have a little more energy this week, which was good!  I am even starting to get a little bit of the nesting bug, but not quite enough to do anything about it yet.  HAHA  We are having new carpet installed tomorrow in three of our upstairs bedrooms, so having to move everything out of those rooms has helped spur my nesting urge a bit.  I am determined to not put anything back in the rooms unless it is something we absolutely cannot live without!  I am so sick of the clutter!
• Still dealing with hip pain at night.  A good friend suggested sleeping on an air mattress, which I might have to try if things don't start improving.  But last night was good, so we'll see.
• No round ligament pain this week, so I guess that was just a growth spurt last week.
• Still doing our morning walks, although this week we started back with having morning activities three days per week (Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday) so we didn't have as many walks as the previous weeks. 
• Another week with no anti-nausea meds!  So glad because I can definitely tell a difference in my mood.  The pregnancy "funk" has definitely started to fade and I am feeling so much better overall.  So thankful!
• This week was a bit frustrating in the clothing department.  I spent nearly an hour trying to find something to wear on Thursday morning...nothing fit!  Gone are the days of wearing pre-pregnancy clothes.  I do still have a couple pairs of pants and shorts that fit okay, but definitely tighter than they were a few weeks ago.  Pre-pregnancy shirts are definitely a no-go!
• Next appointment: Monday, April 16th

With the new carpet going in tomorrow, we are well on our way to being able to decorate the nursery!  I am so excited to see it all start coming together.  The nursery furniture has been waiting for us at Buy Buy Baby for a while now, so as soon as the carpet is in, we will pick it up and start the assembly process.  YEAH!  I think seeing the room come together with make it so much more real.  Right now I think I am still in denial that this is all happening so soon.