Week 40

Well, this is my first time writing a 40 week post! Elliot was born on his due date so this is new territory. I feel huge & uncomfortable & have no idea what is keeping him... I'd say right now most of my struggle is with my attitude. I don't want to be pregnant anymore, I want to hold my baby, & I don't like waiting! So I'm praying for patience & joy every day. Sometimes that is evident, & sometimes it's not, unfortunately.

Fruit/Veggie

Small pumpkin (weight)

Size

20 inches, 7.5 lbs (let's be real, my baby is bigger)

Baby Changes (Source: BabyCenter.com.)

This guy is COOKED. Let's go dude!

Best Moment this Week

This weekend my family came in for Bethany's dedication. My mom took me to get a MUCH needed pedicure (pregnancy has been really hard on my tootsies!) & we had a yummy family dinner at a local dive, The Cove.

Gender

BOY! Jack Wesley.

Movement

He is fairly quiet all day, then pretty active starting around 9 or 10 at night. Makes falling asleep pretty difficult, on top of not being comfortable & not being able to get mentally sleepy.

Food Craving

I'm so over food. I don't like how often I have to eat (fortunately I'm not gaining weight anymore, & even lost a pound this week). I would say I'm indulging a little more than normal these days since I know I'm close to being done (then it's lose weight time!).

Sleep

I'm having a hard time falling asleep these days, both at night & for my naps. Once I'm asleep, I am pretty well out, except for mornings like today when I had that after-4:30 a.m. insomnia.

What I am looking forward to

Well, besides the obvious looking forward to having Jack outside of my belly, this change in the weather & seeing pumpkins out at the stores is making me excited for fall. It is by FAR my favorite season. I'm hoping we'll be able to get out to the Pumpkin Patch this year (assuming I am feeling up to it) & am starting to plan Elliot's birthday party. Now that Elliot's older, it will be fun to do fallish things with him, like carving pumpkins.

Symptoms

Braxton Hicks/cramping in the front & in my back/contractions, fatigue, not sleeping as well (or as much, really)

To Do - NOTHING! We are ready for you, little man!

-Finish Elliot's room (buy bookcase, buy lamp, make up top bunk, move in his clothes/books/toys)
-Move Elliot to new room - he's done great!

-Get out baby clothes, burp rags, etc. & wash
-Wash newborn diapers
-Raise crib & attach mobile
-Fill out hospital pre-admittance paperwork

-Print birth plan & get signed by midwives
-Pack hospital bag including getting postpartum supplies ready
-Put together pack-n-play in bedroom
-Put together swing & bouncer
-Install infant carseat
-Check/replace necessary newborn supplies: pacis, bottles/nipples, pump parts

-Buy Elliot a big brother gift from Jack to give him at the hospital

Week 39

Fruit/Veggie

Mini watermelon (weight)

Size

20 inches, over 7 lbs (let's be real, mine's probably over 9 by now)

Baby Changes (Source: BabyCenter.com.)

Jack's just getting fatter at this point.... yikes! Come on little guy, come soon & be nice to Mama!

Best Moment this Week

We took Elliot to the Shrine Circus last weekend. (I should mention that morning Josh took Elliot to get a haircut & go to lunch so I could rest since I had been up that night with contractions, & I took a 2.5 hour nap which was awesome!) Elliot loved seeing the elephants, tigers, & poodles at the circus, & for some reason thought the motocross part was hilarious. Josh really enjoyed it too, & I had to look away from some of the acrobatic parts because I was so nervous & sweaty, afraid that they were going to fall to their deaths right in front of my eyes.

Gender

BOY! Jack Wesley.

Movement

Jack has been pretty squirmy. He seems lower than Elliot ever was, but I still wouldn't say he has "dropped." Maybe because his head is huge like his brother's was? We shall see!

Food Craving

I will say I have had a bit of a craving for childhood cereals lately. I had Kix last week & Corn Pops this week. I had to resist from buying Cocoa Puffs... ridiculous. I keep telling myself I WILL go back to my normal, healthy self after pregnancy!!

Sleep

Well, it's 5:19 am & I'm blogging. I've been up since 4:30... can't sleep. I am taking more potty breaks now which stinks. I am getting a nap every day to ensure that I am as rested as possible.

What I am looking forward to

We have no more fun things planned... I'm just looking forward to having this baby! This waiting game seriously gets me every time. There is no way to know when he's going to come! We are praying it's soon. Since Elliot was so big, it's easy to assume Jack will be big too, & labor will be easier if he comes sooner. Not to mention I'm just ready to not be pregnant anymore!

Symptoms

Fatigue, Braxton Hicks/cramps/contractions

To Do - NOTHING! We are ready for you, little man!

-Finish Elliot's room (buy bookcase, buy lamp, make up top bunk, move in his clothes/books/toys)
-Move Elliot to new room - he's done great!

-Get out baby clothes, burp rags, etc. & wash
-Wash newborn diapers
-Raise crib & attach mobile
-Fill out hospital pre-admittance paperwork

-Print birth plan & get signed by midwives
-Pack hospital bag including getting postpartum supplies ready
-Put together pack-n-play in bedroom
-Put together swing & bouncer
-Install infant carseat
-Check/replace necessary newborn supplies: pacis, bottles/nipples, pump parts

-Buy Elliot a big brother gift from Jack to give him at the hospital

Week 38

Fruit/Veggie

Leek (length)

Size

19.5 inches, about 6.8 lbs

Baby Changes (Source: BabyCenter.com.)

At this point it's basically the same... he's ready for the outside world, just getting fatter the longer he's in there!

Best Moment this Week

We had a fun Labor Day Weekend (see below). On Monday, we took Elliot to the Wildlife Ranch where you drive through & see lots of exotic animals. Some of them come up to your car, knowing they will get fed, which can be hilarious! It scared Elliot though when they got super close. There is also a petting zoo & some caged animals in one area. He loved the deer (& anything that looked like a deer) & the monkeys. We then went to a local Mexican food place, then that afternoon went to Academy & then out to Chinese food with Tyler & Kelsy & Bethany. It was a very fun weekend!

Gender

BOY! Jack Wesley.

Movement

Same... he moves every now & then, but for the most part seems pretty squished in there.

Food Craving

I wouldn't say I've had any cravings lately.

Sleep

I'm still sleeping okay, with the exception of a couple nights a week probably. So, pretty good really, compared to last time. It is uncomfortable to switch sides because I feel so big, & usually the movement causes a contraction.

What I am looking forward to

Jack coming! I'm feeling quite impatient. A couple of weeks feels like forever!!

Symptoms

Braxton Hicks/cramping in the front & in my back/contractions, fatigue, easily upset stomach.

To Do - NOTHING! We are ready for you, little man!

-Finish Elliot's room (buy bookcase, buy lamp, make up top bunk, move in his clothes/books/toys)
-Move Elliot to new room - he's done great!

-Get out baby clothes, burp rags, etc. & wash
-Wash newborn diapers
-Raise crib & attach mobile
-Fill out hospital pre-admittance paperwork

-Print birth plan & get signed by midwives
-Pack hospital bag including getting postpartum supplies ready
-Put together pack-n-play in bedroom
-Put together swing & bouncer
-Install infant carseat
-Check/replace necessary newborn supplies: pacis, bottles/nipples, pump parts

-Buy Elliot a big brother gift from Jack to give him at the hospital

Labor Day Weekend Fun

Though I would have been okay with actually LABORING during Labor Day Weekend (& I'm pretty sure that won't be happening), we have done some fun stuff together. I wanted to get out of the house & do things that we may not normally do (especially all in a few days) so we could have some special memories with Elliot in the weeks before we become a family of four.

Friday evening we went out to La Cantera, a really nice outdoor mall in town, & walked around & sat in the kid's area of Barnes & Noble & Elliot looked at several books he got really excited about (trains, Elmo, Mickey Mouse, etc.). I kind of hoped that walking up & down ramps & pushing a stroller in the 100 degree heat might induce labor, but all it did was make me uncomfortable. Shucks.

Saturday morning, we went to Magnolia Pancake Haus, which is a delicious breakfast place here in town. It's always super crowded so it's not somewhere we frequent often, but after a 50 minute wait outside, we had a yummy breakfast - Elliot had a waffle & some bacon, I ate some delicious oatmeal pancakes & eggs, & Josh had some corned beef hash & toast. After nap time, we went grocery shopping, then had some friends over for dinner (the family of the pastor I used to work with). We think they are great & love hanging out with their family & getting wisdom from them regarding family & parenting.

Today we went to church, hung around the house a bit after nap time, then went out to a Turkish restaurant with a Groupon I got recently. We had never had Turkish food before, & were feeling adventurous (which is rare; both of us usually stick to what we know we like) & it was a success! We got shish kabob, falafel, & baklava. Josh declared it the best baklava he's ever had. I personally was a big fan of the thick bread & Turkish olive oil. Yum! We'll be going back for sure.

Tomorrow we have some fun plans that I'll have to write about after they occur. I know Elliot will have a blast!

Week 37

Fruit/Veggie

Swiss chard (weight)

Size

Over 19 inches, about 6 1/3 lbs

Baby Changes (Source: BabyCenter.com.)

He is now full term & his lungs are likely now able to fully adjust to life outside the womb!

Best Moment this Week

Honestly, this past week was rough! Elliot had some kind of virus that left me doing a LOT of diaper & clothes laundry, then I'm not sure if I got what he had, but I had almost a week of feeling really cruddy (just now starting to feel a little better) & food running completely through me. Kind of concerning when what you eat is supposed to nourish two people! So it hasn't been great around here.

Gender

BOY! Jack Wesley.

Movement

Jack seems to have slowed down a lot in the moving. I'm guessing he's running out of room. I think he wants more room, since he tends to stick his limbs straight out my side, which hurts! We'll see if he likes to spread out once he's out here in the real world.

Food Craving

Yuck. Food & I have NOT gotten along this week.

Sleep

I'm actually sleeping decently - better than I did at this point with Elliot. Maybe because I'm not able to relax as much during the day so I'm more tired at night. I do still have trouble falling back to sleep if I wake up around 4-5ish, but I eventually do before my alarm goes off at 6 (though I usually don't get up until closer to 6:30).

What I am looking forward to

I'm ready to have this little fellow! (Though I do feel like I'm in a bit of denial that I actually WILL go into labor & birth this little guy & do the whole newborn thing again - having a toddler is so distracting!) We do have a couple of fun things planned for this weekend - yay for Labor Day!

Symptoms

Fatigue, Braxton Hicks/contractions/cramps, upset stomach. Going to the chiropractor has fixed my sciatic pain (the pain that went down my right leg to my foot) & has almost completely removed my lower back pain - it still hurts every now & then but not near as bad. I'm sold on chiropractic care!

To Do - NOTHING! We are ready for you, little man!

-Finish Elliot's room (buy bookcase, buy lamp, make up top bunk, move in his clothes/books/toys)
-Move Elliot to new room - he's done great!

-Get out baby clothes, burp rags, etc. & wash
-Wash newborn diapers
-Raise crib & attach mobile
-Fill out hospital pre-admittance paperwork

-Print birth plan & get signed by midwives
-Pack hospital bag including getting postpartum supplies ready
-Put together pack-n-play in bedroom
-Put together swing & bouncer
-Install infant carseat
-Check/replace necessary newborn supplies: pacis, bottles/nipples, pump parts

-Buy Elliot a big brother gift from Jack to give him at the hospital

Week 36

Fruit/Veggie

Crenshaw melon (weight) - I don't know what that is

Size

Over 18.5 inches, about 6 lbs

Baby Changes (Source: BabyCenter.com.)

He's shedding most of the downy hair that covered his body, as well as the vernix caseosa, the waxy substance that protected his skin during his nine-month amniotic bath. He will be full term next week!

Best Moment this Week

Hmm, it's been a pretty average week with good moments & bad moments. Nothing specific. :)

Gender

BOY! Jack Wesley.

Movement

Jack has been fairly active this week (compared to usual, anyways). I believe he moved a little lower in the past couple of days, too.

Food Craving

No cravings I can think of. Food still kind of grosses me out a lot of the time.

Sleep

Sleep is continuing to get more uncomfortable. I wake up a lot, & have a hard time getting back to sleep. If I'm up a while, I start to get hungry/nauseous so I have to get up & drink some apple juice in order to get back to sleep.

What I am looking forward to

We are looking to take Elliot to the circus, so that will be fun! I also have some fun dates planned with friends over the next couple of weeks.

Symptoms

My hip/back/foot pain has been off & on; I think the chiropractor is helping. My stomach is upset easily, not sleeping well, Braxton Hicks/cramping.

-Finish Elliot's room (buy bookcase, buy lamp, make up top bunk, move in his clothes/books/toys)
-Move Elliot to new room - he's done great!

-Get out baby clothes, burp rags, etc. & wash
-Wash newborn diapers
-Raise crib & attach mobile
-Fill out hospital pre-admittance paperwork

-Print birth plan & get signed by midwives
-Pack hospital bag including getting postpartum supplies ready - I only have a couple of items left to get together; almost done!
-Put together pack-n-play in bedroom
-Put together swing (together, but needs to be put in our room) & bouncer
-Install infant carseat
-Check/replace necessary newborn supplies: pacis, bottles/nipples, pump parts (need to be sterilized)

-Buy Elliot a big brother gift from Jack to give him at the hospital

Elliot

Elliot is at such a fun age (22 months), & I wanted to write down some of the things he does so I can remember them.

-He does not like messes. He wipes his hands on his napkin during meals, doesn't like the sandbox, & lets me know if he spills something or finds something on the ground, like a leaf, that doesn't belong. He likes to throw things in the trash, too.

-His communication has really taken off in the past couple of months. He was pretty slow to start out with talking, but now he picks up on new words all the time & is learning how to string them together. It's a challenge sometimes to figure out what he's saying, & funny to hear him really enunciating something - like right now, "reach" sounds like "rea-chuh."

-He loves Sage (he says Sagie, which happens to sound a lot like Daddy when he says it). He likes to play with her & tries to get her to follow him around (which only works if he has food). She's really good with him. For the most part, he ignores Toby, probably because Toby has batted him in the head a few times for touching him.

-He loves his cars, including his ambulance ("anse") & his tractor ("tactor"). He likes to look at trucks in books & asks if they are "big" (hand gestures included).

-He is pretty orderly, which I'm a fan of. He knows where things belong & is good at putting them back, & is good at observing on his own how things should go. He likes to line up his toys in different places - edge of the tub, window sill, any straight surface will do.

-He is really into coloring right now. We are working on colors & although it's hit & miss, he's starting to get them down. He loves to watch us color & has figured out how we hold the crayon so he holds it that way too.

-He LOVES to watch Sesame Street. I'll let him watch an episode in the late afternoon, usually when I'm cooking or doing things around the house. He is a big fan of Elmo & Grover ("Ro-rer").

-He is really a pretty content kid, & always smiles for strangers & doesn't shy away. I do see bits of rebellion throughout the day, & we try to be really consistent with discipline. It's probably the toughest part of parenting.

-He always wants us to kiss ("diss") something if he hurts it. He really has a tough skin when it comes to hurting himself, but I've noticed him getting more upset these days, then he'll ask for a kiss, & after we do, he's completely better. So funny.

-We try to tell Elliot about Jack, & have pointed out that the green frog in the nursery is Jack's, & the infant carseat next to him is his brother's, so he'll repeat those things back to us which will hopefully help in a few weeks when we actually introduce him to Jack. I'm sure we'll have some moments of jealousy, but I imagine he'll take to him pretty well.

I forgot one...
-Elliot always, ALWAYS whispers the word "yeah." I have never heard him say it at a normal volume. I'm not sure why; we certainly didn't teach him to do that. He says "no" just fine. It's funny!