The Comma Pillow

I had to break down and start sleeping with "the pillow" again. Nope, it's not just any pillow. It's my Boppy pillow that I bought when I was pregnant with Isaiah and my sleeping starting to really suck because I was so uncomfortable. It's shaped like a comma and, for some reason, I completely forgot how to use it! For over a week, I was sleeping with the little end of the comma between my legs and the big end up by my belly. Well, this was not helping at all and I had always chucked the pillow to the floor before morning ever rolled around. I finally complained to Evan one night that the pillow wasn't working and that I guess I just had to resolve myself to 10 more weeks of terrible sleep. He suggested I was using it wrong....that perhaps the big, chunky end was supposed to go between my legs and the little end of the comma was to go under the belly. I thought this sounded ridiculous, but I decided to give it a try. What did I have to lose?

I hate it when he's right. How could I have completely forgotten how to use the stinking pillow? It made a world of difference and it really does help to have that pillow wedged around me while I sleep. In my defense, how could I have thought this? Look at the picture - I tried it the exact way it's pictured. I guess it figures that I would need to use it all backwards. Leave it to me to be difficult!

In other news, the baby continues to move around like CRAZY and grow like a weed. Our next prenatal checkup is next week Monday, but I don't anticipate any problems. I'm starting to get periodic heartburn and swelling in my ankles and fingers plus tingling in my toes is starting to become an issue. More than anything, I just feel BIG already. Not a comforting fact when one considers how much BIGGER I am actually going to get. Oh well!

2 Months to Go

About 2 more months before this baby is predicted to arrive, huh? That's it? That's all the time I have left before my life is going to double in the craziness factor? I was just starting to get the hang of this whole "parent to a toddler" thing. We've got the big boy bed going, I've been able to scrapbook a couple times a week, and I'm actually semi-comfortable going out in public. But soon, it's going to be a whole new ball of wax. Back to the world of engorged breasts, 10-12 daily diaper changes, 2 am feedings, pumping, gas bubbles, hemorrhoids, sleeplessness, and non-showering. Oh, and that's just the baby! Add in everything that concerns Isaiah and you've got a world o' hurt coming. Don't get me wrong....I am thrilled to have another on the way. I love being a Mommy and I can't wait to experience that joy all over again. I remember the amount of work it was when Isaiah was a newborn and I'm not going to lie and say "I'm sure I can handle it" because I'm pretty convinced that I'm going to find myself suddenly highly unqualified to be the mother of two young boys. But, like everything else with parenting, we learn as we go and just try to survive.

Like I keep telling myself when things get difficult: "This is only temporary."

I'm a Hippo!!

I feel like a hippo.

That's it.....I just wanted to say that!

Braxton Hicks

Believe it or not, I have started to have contractions every now and again. Granted, they are only the "practice contractions" that are completely normal at this point in the pregnancy, but it is kind of weird to just be walking down the aisle in Target or something and suddenly feel your belly tighten up like a rubber band. At least I know that my body is getting ready, right?

The baby's room is still an absolute disaster area. I have the crib moved in there now that Isaiah is officially in the big boy bed and I have managed to get it all set up with his bedding, but that is about the extent of the development the room has taken toward becoming a nursery. The guest bed is still propped up against the wall, the computer is in there, and a whole bunch of stuff that will eventually end up in either the playroom or the baby's room is piled in there because we have nowhere else to go with it for the time being. I'm just dying for the basement to get to the point where I can start moving stuff down there. That won't be until after the drywall is up and the flooring is down, so I'm looking at late August at the earliest. It's going to be a pretty close finish!! The good news is that the baby won't really need a whole room to himself when he first arrives and we'll be able to get by with using the changing table in Isaiah's room, a boucy chair, and the Pack n Play for a few weeks. One way or the other, I am holding out hope that the basement will be at least some level of "done" by the end of September. I'll only be on maternity leave for 2 months so it will really cut into the time I can help once I go back to work.

All in all, everything is progressing well! We're prepared for what to expect due to the baby's kidney condition and he looks to be otherwise perfectly healthy and normal. I'm trying to resist the urge to buy a whole bunch of cute baby stuff because I already have quite a bit, but there will be plenty of the utilitarian stuff that we still need - diapers, wipes, diaper cream, formula, bottle liners, breast pads, breastmilk bags......the list goes on and on. I know I don't get a shower for baby #2, but who do I talk to about getting a quick hose-down? :-) Just kidding.

27 Weeks!

Less than 3 months to go until my due date and I figured it was about time to take another belly photo. Oh, the difference 6 weeks can make! I already feel HUGE, so it's going to be pretty scary over the next couple months when I get even bigger and the weather gets even hotter. Can't wait! Oh yeah....and I cut my hair.

Update: Ultrasound

I had an ultrasound on Friday to follow up on a couple issues that I previously wrote about. One was a cyst that had appeared in the baby's brain on the 20 week ultrasound. The good news is that the cyst was gone at my checkup on Friday, so I was very relieved about that. However, the problem with the kidneys that had presented itself earlier did not go away. The fancy name for it is fetal pyelectasis and you can read more about it by clicking HERE. It is not a serious condition by any means, but the baby will need some special care once he has arrived come September. Evan and I are both grateful that our baby is 99% perfect and healthy and we look forward to meeting him in only a couple months! We still have so much to do to get ready for his arrival. Hard to believe my due date is only 3 months away!

Checkups and Follow-ups

I had a routine prenatal checkup last week and everything was A-OK. Baby's heartrate was 152 beats per minute and my fundal height (the measurement of my uterus) was exactly on track with where it should be. I am purposely not looking at the scale when Kari weighs me at each visit, so don't even ask how much weight I've gained so far. I really don't want to know. Maybe I'll ask for a final number come September so I can record it in the baby book, but maybe not. I was still hanging on to about 20 leftover pounds from Isaiah when I got pregnant, so I am not exactly looking forward to what that scale will be saying by my birthday. Yikes.

As for follow-ups: I have another ultrasound coming up on June 12th. At our 20 week ultrasound at the beginning of May, Dr. Schad noticed a couple things that warranted some follow up. First, the baby's kidneys were two different sizes when they should be about the same. This can mean nothing or it could also suggest some kind of blockage to the bladder. He said it is fairly common and should go away within 6-8 weeks, so we'll be checking on that on the 12th. Also, he found a cyst in the baby's brain. I know.....that sounds scary. I about swallowed my tongue when he first said it too. I assured me, however, that this too is a fairly common thing that develops in fetuses and that it too should go away on its own within 6-8 weeks. The cyst is NOT a tumor or anything like that. So, we'll be checking to make sure that it has disappeared at the next ultrasound. I will be sure to share the results once it's done!

Apart from that, I thankfully have little to report! When it comes to pregnancy, no news is good news at this point. As long as things stay relatively uneventful, I know things are progressing as they should be. I do have days every now and again where I can literally feel my belly stretching out as I go about my day. It's weird and uncomfortable, but at least I know my little guy is growing. He still moves around a LOT and is capable of some very strong kicks. Maybe he's already trying to play with his big brother!