Labor... Delivery... and Baby Andrew!

It's been almost 3 weeks with our newest little love!

Our baby Andrew was born on September 5th, 2015 at 2:33am - and he shares his birthday with our wedding anniversary! It wasn't quite what I had in mind for our anniversary date, but it definitely made for a festive celebration.

42 weeks! Ready to go.

At 42 weeks pregnant, we finally went to the hospital for a scheduled induction. I felt torn - I really wanted a natural labor and delivery, but the risks associated with continuing pregnancy past 42 weeks made us uncomfortable. I tried all sorts of home remedies to get labor going - long walks, essential oils, massage, pressure points... Nothing seemed to do much. Maybe castor oil would've worked, but I'm glad James talked me out of trying it. It has unpredictable effects, including intense cramping and diarrhea - not how I wanted to start labor!

We arrived at the hospital around 5pm, arms loaded with bags and pillows... and lots of snacks, a music player, a yoga mat... And a big blue exercise ball! We were calm, collected, and prepared. What a weird way to have a baby!

After getting settled in our room and finishing some paperwork, the nurse put a saline lock into my arm. However, she stabbed the catheter under my skin and totally missed the vein... she had to switch to my other arm! Oops. The bruising was very attractive in days to come.

Finally around 7pm, the doctor inserted Cervidil (it looks kind of like a tampon) - a drug used to soften the cervix. Usually it works overnight, and by morning induction continues by breaking waters and starting an IV of Pitocin to get contractions strong enough to dilate the cervix. Luckily, Cervidil was all my 42-week-pregnant body needed to kick-start contractions!

A little after midnight, my contractions went from calm and annoying to wild and painful. The nurse removed the Cervidil as soon as things were getting crazy, because it can be dangerous if the contractions are stacked (almost no rest between them) like mine were.

After Cervidil is removed, it typically takes 30 minutes for its effects to wear off. The stacked contractions I was experiencing were so intensely painful and exhausting that I finally accepted some pain relief - Flexeril. I didn't even know what it was at the time (which goes against everything I believe in, I research everything that goes into my body!), but it helped me to feel brief comfort between contractions. Turns out, it's a muscle relaxant!

My contractions kept getting bigger and stronger. Things were happening so quickly! The nurse checked me, and I was already dilated to 7cm. My body took the reigns once Cervidil wore off, so at least my contractions were spaced out a normal amount.

Before we knew it, we were in transition! This is when your cervix finally dilates to 10cm. Some women throw up, and I actually felt really nauseous. I can't even describe how intense this stage of labor felt - your brain goes into a very primal place. I could literally feel my baby descending and getting ready to be born! There was plenty of screaming and yelling... it hurt like hell! I'm glad the rooms were soundproof. Well, I guess we left the windows open... but I'm sure no one was outside at 2am. Right...?

Anyways, the nurse scrambled to get the doctor ready and everything prepared. I remember thinking, "Why are they rushing around? It's not like the baby is going to be born right this second!"And then they told me I could push. I wasn't prepared! I didn't even have the urge to push. I was afraid to start pushing, because I've heard of so many women pushing for an exhausting number of hours.

But nonetheless, I pushed. To my surprise, Andrew's head popped halfway out! I couldn't exactly stop there (his poor little face!), though I really felt like taking a break. It was so uncomfortable. Everyone shouted "push!" - so a few more pushes and Andrew was completely born. Whew!

Birth was a beautiful emotional event, but physically, it felt like a warm watery alien slithered out of me. It was such a weird feeling. Our lovely blue-ish baby was placed on my chest right away, and James got to cut the cord. It was over! We made it.

Well, almost over. I had to focus on pushing the placenta out, and then endure the sharp pricks of stitches. And then we had our happy undisturbed family time with cuddling, nursing, and admiring our new son. He weighed 7lb 6oz and measured 21 inches long.

We're now a family of four. It's been an exciting few weeks adjusting to having a toddler and a newborn! Never a dull moment. Zoie is such a good big sister - her empathy and concern for Andrew is amazing! She has such motherly instincts. Poor Andrew might grow up having two mamas!

More updates to come on the adventures of Zoie and Andrew.

Cheers,

Martha

38 Weeks - The Waiting Game!

Such a heavy belly!

We're getting so close! Less than 2 weeks from my due date.

Most babies are born within a week before/after their due date, so starting next Friday it really could be any day! I've been feeling some Braxton-Hicks contractions randomly, but that can't tell us anything about when labor will start. We continue with the waiting game!

I've been declining cervical checks at my weekly appointments - I don't know why doctors want to "check" you so often! Even if I was dilated a few centimeters, that doesn't necessarily give us any information as to when I might have this baby. You can walk around dilated for weeks! I would much rather listen to my body and wait for labor to occur instead of building anticipation and stress over a measurement. Furthermore, I tested positive for Group B Strep (womp womp), so I want to reduce the risk of pushing the bacteria closer to the baby.

My doctor keeps reassuring me that Group B Strep (GBS) isn't something to worry about, since only a tiny fraction of babies are affected and an even tinier fraction if the mother receives antibiotics when labor starts. I'm allergic to penicillin, so I'll have to receive an alternative. It's pretty scary when you Google what happens when a newborn contracts a GBS infection!

It's a bummer that we're supposed to go to the hospital for an IV of antibiotics the second my water breaks, or whenever labor begins. I was hoping to spend early labor in the comfort of my own home! The hospital is only 5 minutes away. Who knows how long labor will last? Then again, it could be super quick. The IV won't take more than 30 minutes, but it needs to be administered at least 4 hours before the baby is born.

We have our hospital bag almost packed and ready! I learned my lesson from last time - no fitted yoga pants! The cold packs the hospital provides when you're recovering are huge (and wonderful), but the last thing you need is awkward bulging in your cute pants. Big loose gym shorts are essential!

Other essentials we're bringing: Bluetooth music player, exercise ball (this hospital doesn't provide them), my yoga mat, James' swim trunks (so he can help if I want to labor under the shower) and our own pillows and towels. For snacks, I like Rise protein bars and Odwalla smoothies, along with gum and mints.

I'm getting so excited! What kind of baby will he be? What will he look like? What will he sound like? What will Zoie think when she meets him? We'll find out in a few weeks! Or days? Who knows!

How far along are you? 38 weeks as of Friday! Less than 2 weeks until Andrew's due date.
 
How big is Baby? My belly is still measuring bigger each week, so Andrew must be packing on the weight! I bet he'll be about 7-8lb when he's born.

Weight Gain? I'm about 149, so total gain is around 23lb.

Gender? Our little Andrew is a BOY!

Maternity Clothes? Yep! Nothing else is long enough. Even some of my maternity shirts are getting a little short.

Sleep? I've been lucky with some good nights without insomnia! Zoie typically sleeps through the night, but this past week she's been sick and congested, which wakes her up a lot. James has been amazing and lets me sleep while he takes care of her.

Movement? Little Andrew is still head-down and ready to go, but he rolls his body around like crazy! Knees, feet, and who-knows-what jabs and shifts beneath my skin. It's wacky to watch and feel.

Food Cravings? I was just telling James today that I'm a little disappointed I haven't had more cravings this pregnancy. I should have taken advantage more often - The baby needs a Georgia Mud Fudge Blizzard! Right now! But boringly enough, our diets have been extremely healthy.

Labor Signs? Still nothing, except some random Braxton-Hicks contractions. A BH contraction feels like my belly is hardening for a minute, and then relaxes.

Symptoms? My tiredness has increased. My belly feels even heavier. But I'm highly motivated to complete house projects and get everything ready! The pregnancy "nesting" instinct is handy towards the end.

What I miss? I miss getting comfortable. With such a big belly, I don't stay comfortable in one position for very long - couch, bed, chair, driving... it'll be so nice once this belly is gone!

Best moment(s) of the week? James built a table for our new BBQ grill/smoker (The Big Green Egg), and it turned out beautiful! He also built me a raised garden bed so I can grow vegetables and herbs. It's so exciting having these projects complete!

What I am looking forward to? James' mom is flying in soon for a week, and it'll be so fun to have her visit! Zoie has been missing her Nana. It's a huge relief knowing Zoie will be taken care of in case we go into labor early. We're swapping moms the following week and my mom will stay with us for a while until Andrew is born! We're so appreciative of both our families' support - it's such a weight off our shoulders not having to worry about Zoie when we need to go to the hospital!

Cheers,

Martha

36 weeks - It's getting close!

We're having a baby in (hopefully) less than a month!

There's a basketball under my shirt!

So much has happened in the past few weeks. We moved from Kansas to California, had a fun road trip in between, and now we're getting settled in our new house. Getting settled also means we've taken on a dozen projects, like re-landscaping our lawn, planting a vegetable garden, building a table for our new Big Green Egg grill, craigslist-ing old items and purchasing new ones, and solving interior design challenges in our new space. So much to do before our new baby gets here!

Second time around, the baby preparations are much different (and easier). We already have almost everything ready - car seat, mini crib, lots of tiny boy clothes, and swaddle blankets. We'll do mainly disposable diapers until Andrew fits into the cloth diapers we already have, but we do have a couple newborn-sized Tots Bots Teenyfit that we'll use as often as we can launder them! They're amazing. So fuzzy! And expensive.

There are a lot of things we don't really need as well. Pacifiers? Never used them. Bottles? On occasion. Breast pump? Personally, it's pretty uncomfortable and I'd rather hand-express a few ounces when needed.

When Zoie was a newborn, she spent most of her time being held by someone or worn in a carrier. I plan on holding and wearing Andrew as much as I can, but there are times he'll need to nap in some type of rocker/sleeper (hmm which to buy?). One of my biggest concerns is balancing my time with Zoie and Andrew. And what about when I'm nursing Andrew, will Zoie use the opportunity to become mischievous? Ideally I'll be involving her with tasks to help me, so she'll feel included and won't get jealous. I don't see any perfect solution, but every family makes it work.

Zoie has been exploding with development! She turned TWO last week, which she definitely enjoyed. She woke up to balloons, presents, a yummy breakfast, and a new tricycle! We had a cake and candles for her later that night with friends. Now anytime she sees either a cake or candles, she announces "Happy Bur-bay"!

It's been a great couple of weeks so far - Monterey is such a wonderful place to live! The weather is literally perfect every day. There's so much to do within a short drive that we've hardly filled our gas tanks. I love being on the west coast again, I feel so at home here. However, the drivers are a little aggressive... Four-way (even two-way) stops? It appears to be a race of who can jump on the gas petal the fastest. Lane-changing can be exciting too. But overall, I really like the people and the community here. And finally, when I present my own reusable bags when shopping, the clerk doesn't look for a price tag!! It's the normal, expected thing to do here! It's a tiny thing, but it makes me feel even more relaxed here.

How far along are you? 36 weeks as of Friday. Less than 4 weeks until our due date!
 
How big is Baby? At my appointment on Thursday, my doctor said he bets our baby is about 6lb already. He has no concerns about Andrew's size or growth rate, which is such a relief compared to my last pregnancy! He's probably at least 18 inches long. About the size of... a newborn!

Weight Gain? My weight fluctuates between 147-149 right now. Haven't gained much in the past few weeks, but my belly is getting bigger! My overall weight gain is 22-24lb.

Gender? BOY!

Maternity Clothes? Yes indeed. The bump can't handle any regular shirts these days.

Sleep? I've been having some insomnia lately, where I'll wake up at 3:30am for no reason and just lay in bed for an hour, trying to fall back asleep. It sucks - what a waste of precious sleep! It's like my body is prepping me for taking care of a newborn. Thanks but no thanks, body!

Movement? Rolls, kicks, body shifts, hiccups... I feel it all! Andrew likes to play footsie with my right ribcage. Pretty weird feeling.

Food Cravings? Salad. I could have salad for almost every meal and be a happy girl! It's so delicious and refreshing.

Labor Signs? Nothing yet. Andrew is head-down and ready to go, so now it's just the waiting game as Andrew gains weight in my womb and decides he's ready to make his entrance into this world!

Symptoms? Nothing new, luckily. My skin on my belly is starting to feel tight, but no stretch marks. I've been applying special almond oil with vitamin E daily, so I think that's been helping.

What I miss? Alcohol! The grocery stores here have great selections of beer, and there are lots of wineries I can't wait to visit for wine tasting.

Best moment(s) of the week? I had a prenatal massage on Friday... and my massage therapist happened to be a birth doula as well! It definitely helped my tight muscles relax, and I loved talking with her about birth. It made me even more excited for our upcoming birth experience - I'm ready!

What I am looking forward to? Finishing projects and getting things done. It's such a high to accomplish a huge list of things that make your life easier and more enjoyable! And in between working on projects, we're busy exploring our new city and community. There's so much to see and discover, and we're blessed to have friends here to share experiences with!

Cheers,

Martha

30... 31... 32 Weeks - Packed up and ready to go!

Our adventure begins!

Little Andrew in my big belly!

We're camping out in an empty house. It's actually pretty fun! We kept all the essentials we need to be comfortable, so it's not so bad. We'll spend a few nights in a hotel as we vacate our house, and we'll be off to California!

While James and his dad are road tripping with our two cars, and Zoie and I are flying to meet them in Phoenix. I'm relieved we decided to fly most of the way - this belly is growing large rather quickly. It's hard to get comfortable sometimes, and long-distance driving sounds difficult for both of us. We'll take a couple relaxed days driving from Phoenix to Monterey, that will be easy.

James is from Flagstaff and has family in Phoenix, so we're really looking forward to visiting friends and family next week. We'll celebrate the 4th of July in Flagstaff, and we're even spending a day at the Grand Canyon.

Two weeks ago we went to James' cousin's wedding in Las Vegas! Our trip was packed with wedding events, great restaurants, cruising around The Strip, and watching the Tournament of Kings at the Excalibur. Zoie did amazingly well for such a busy weekend - she slept through the night all 3 nights! She had a whole queen bed all to herself in the hotel. Such a relief to know she'll sleep okay during our travels to California - we're going to be staying in hotels for almost 2 weeks before arriving at our new house.

It's hard to know exactly how much Zoie understands about moving. We've spent some time explaining what's happening, and at least she's okay with our stuff being "all gone". She'll point around at the emptiness, make the sign for "where", and then she'll say "new house!".

Yesterday while Zoie was going potty, a moth suddenly flew right by her face! She was pretty scared and startled. Luckily, it quickly disappeared outside the door. I reassured Zoie that the scary moth was "all gone", and she said "new house?" - I couldn't stop laughing.... bless her heart!

How far along are you? 32 weeks today. Two months left! It feels like forever.
 
How big is Baby? Baby Andrew weighs about 3.75 pounds, and measures around 16.7 inches from head to heel. At this point, he'll be gaining weight quickly and packing his skinny body with baby fat!

Weight Gain? Our scale is packed up, but I think I'm about 146. That's about 20 pounds - and I feel every pound weighing me down. I can't wait to shed this weight!

Gender? Baby boy!

Maternity Clothes? Yep! I have a pretty good wardrobe of maternity items now.

Sleep? Sleep is still going pretty well! I keep a pillow between my knees, otherwise my hips get sore. Zoie is still sleeping well, which is great for us! My sweet husband has been taking over nighttime duties if she does wake up though, which has been wonderful. Everything is more difficult for me with this huge belly!

Movement? Yep! Lots of movement throughout the day, but our little boy has lengthy stretches of rest. He might be a slightly calmer baby than Zoie was, and maybe sleep won't be such a struggle. Oh, and hiccups! I finally started feeling them about 2 weeks ago. Little Andrew gets hiccups all the time now.

Food Cravings? Not much right now. Our diets have been very random since we've been in moving mode.

Labor Signs? Still nothing, luckily.

Symptoms? Is feeling huge a symptom? I feel huge. Being pregnant is frustrating sometimes. Of course you get a baby in the end, and it's completely worth it, but it feels like a long time to sacrifice your body to make a person.

What I miss? I used to really look forward to evenings/nighttime, but that's the time of day when I'm most uncomfortable. My body gets fatigued, feels swollen, and my motivation to get things done just disappears... I miss life before third trimester.

Best moment(s) of the week? Realizing how many words Zoie knows! Her language is exploding. The other day, I put her into the bathtub without the rubber bath mat (it was packed up), and she exclaims "slippery!" as she happily slid her bottom around on the porcelain. I had no idea she even knew that word!

What I am looking forward to? Vacating our house and beginning our adventure! Our trip is planned, hotels booked, and we have a house waiting for us in Monterey. Woohooo!!

Cheers,

Martha

28... 29 Weeks - Getting ready for our next adventure!

We only have about 3 weeks left in Kansas!

Imagine a butternut squash inside!

It seemed so far away for so long, and now we only have a few weeks left! We finally have our move and travel plans scheduled and confirmed, so there's really not much to worry about. The only uncertainty is where we'll live - but I'm sure we'll find a house in the next two weeks.

I don't think Zoie really understands that we're moving, but she has traveled so much that it might just seem like another trip. She might be confused when our house is packed into boxes, but hopefully she'll enjoy the empty space to play for a few days!

Zoie is getting excited about being a big sister, that's for sure. I keep explaining that soon the baby in my belly is going to be a real baby we can hold and snuggle! And this girl seriously loves her babies. Her favorite activity is wrapping her Bitty Baby in a blanket, and rocking her to sleep while singing a lullaby. However, she doesn't discriminate. She'll take any object and rock it to sleep with anything resembling a blanket. She even wrapped my phone with a wet paper towel and sang it to sleep! Yesterday at Dick's Sporting Goods, she opened a box of soccer cleats and was delighted to find the shoes swaddled in tissue and tucked into their box bed. She pulled them out, rocked them back to sleep with a lullaby, and returned the cleats snuggly to their box. Dawww...

Less than 11 weeks until our due date! It's coming up quick, and we can't wait to meet baby Andrew! It's going to be fun moving to a new house and re-designing a nursery/toddler room. I'll post photos when we're finished. We don't need much baby gear, but we've been slowly stocking up on baby boy clothes - and they are much different purchases this second time around! Comfort, ease of diaper changes, and ease of laundering are the priorities. That pretty much means bodysuits with cozy pants, or pajamas! What outfit would I want to snuggle with...? That is the question :)

I have one more prenatal checkup before we move - and then it's time to meet my new doctor in California! Might sound weird, but I've never had a male doctor before. The local female OBs in Monterey didn't have very good reviews, so I'm going with a highly recommended male doctor.

My last appointment was interesting. I passed my glucose tolerance test (to check for gestational diabetes), but my doctor was a little alarmed at how low my blood sugar was an hour after ingesting such a concentrated amount of sugar. I'm the opposite of diabetic! Which is cool - it means my body can handle carbohydrates more easily than some people. Also means I'm less likely to become obese - yay!

How far along are you? 29 weeks as of Friday.
 
How big is Baby? Our little boy is about the size of a butternut squash! He's about 2.5lb, and somewhere over 15 inches from head to heel.

Weight Gain? Currently about 144, so that puts me up around 18 pounds.

Gender? It's a BOY!

Maternity Clothes? Oh yes. The bump is growing quite large. I just got some new maternity shorts and t-shirts from Target, it's HOT in Kansas right now!

Sleep? The last two weeks have been... AWESOME! Zoie is a completely different sleeper since her last molars finally came in. We are done with teething! She's been sleeping through the night regularly (like 8:30pm - 7:30am), with almost zero wake-ups! Even when she does wake up, we'll give her a drink of water and snuggle with her for a few minutes and she'll fall back asleep. It's so nice to finally have truly relaxing nights!

Movement? Lots of strong movement! Sometimes it gets uncomfortable as little Andrew sticks his limbs in my ribs and kicks hard against my belly. He's a pretty wild sometimes, but also has decent periods of sleep.

Food Cravings? Still just coffee (mostly decaf). I just bought a new coffee press called an AeroPress, I like it better than my french press! It makes a delicious brew.

Labor Signs? Nope! Nothing I'm noticing.

Symptoms? My ab muscles are getting weaker and weaker as my belly gets bigger. I'm getting less and less coordinated as I move and bend throughout the day. Looking forward to having my body back!

What I miss? Not much I miss lately, other than my old body. I miss being agile.

Best moment(s) of the week? It's been so fun watching Zoie lately. She's becoming more and more of a little person with so many distinct personality traits. There have been a dozen instances over the last week where we just marvel at the funny things she does or says.

What I am looking forward to? We're spending next weekend in VEGAS for a wedding! Looking forward to a fun time with family!

Cheers,

Martha

27 Weeks - Only a month before we move!

We have so many changes going on right now! Whew.

James changes jobs on Tuesday, we're moving to California in about a month, and we're having a baby in 3 months! So much to think about and plan for. Scheduling our movers, cleaning and vacating our rental house, planning our road trip, finding a new house... lots of uncertainty for our family in the next two months! By the time we're finally settled, we'll be welcoming our newest little member of our family!

It's exciting just the same - we're both ready for change. Kansas has been wonderful, but we're ready for the next big adventure! This is such a great opportunity with the Army for James to be able to get his Master's degree over the next two years, and for us to live on the California coast! And just when we're acclimated to the mild Cali weather, we'll move to beautiful snowy upstate NY for a few years while James teaches at West Point.

We still have plenty left to do in our last month here - hiking on the prairie, enjoying the zoo and discovery center, visiting our favorite restaurants, and taking Zoie to her favorite playgrounds and splash parks. It's odd to think we might never be in Kansas again!

So, we'll have a Kansas baby and a California baby. And who knows... maybe a New York baby after that? Or we could just stop at two. Two would be so much easier. But three would be fun... ;-)

How far along are you? 27 weeks as of Friday.
 
How big is Baby? Baby Andrew is somewhere over 2 pounds, and measures 14-15 inches long. He's about the size of a head of cauliflower. Zoie has been pointing to my belly and exclaiming "Baby Andrew!" more often, so I must be looking big to her! She even offered to feed him a bite of chicken from her fork the other day.

Weight Gain? About 141-142. Up almost 16 pounds.

Gender? Boy!

Maternity Clothes? Indeed. I can still get away with a couple regular shirts, but they're getting too short.

Sleep? It's been a rough week - Zoie's been waking up a lot at night. It's so sad when she pulls at her mouth and tells us "teeth hurt!" at nighttime. Ibuprofen works for her sometimes, but not completely. Luckily, her 2nd year molars are almost done breaking through her gums!

Movement? I've been noticing more distinct "awake time" and "sleep time" with baby Andrew. He sleeps a lot more than Zoie did in the womb! Zoie moved and kicked so constantly, her "sleep time" seemed very limited. Andrew will have longer periods of being totally calm. I've also noticed that I haven't felt any hiccups yet, I wonder when I'll feel it?

Food Cravings? Nothing much really, besides coffee.

Labor Signs? Nope! I never really had Braxton-Hicks contractions with Zoie, so we'll see if I ever feel them with Andrew.

Symptoms? Allergy symptoms have pretty much cleared up. They flared up for about a week, but I'm pretty much back to normal! Besides my annoying hernia, the only pregnancy symptoms I'm dealing with now are feeling huge and less agile.

What I miss? I miss lots of little things about not being pregnant. Mountain biking, ordering alcoholic beverages, curling my legs up in a chair without my belly obstructing my comfort... and not feeling clumsy. It's easy to underestimate the clearance my belly needs when I'm maneuvering around objects! Tight parking spot and trying to get out of the car? Fail...

Best moment(s) of the week? We had fun going to a hibachi dinner with James' parents on Friday night, but Zoie was pretty frightened of the fire on the grill! She loved the food - chicken, beef, shrimp, fried rice... it was delicious. This evening, James and I left Zoie with her Nana & Papa and enjoyed a date night! We only have a month before we move - we'll miss Nana and Papa so much!

What I am looking forward to? Tuesday is a very special day! James is changing jobs, there's a big ceremony, and we're having a BBQ to celebrate with family and some special friends!

Cheers,

Martha

25... 26 Weeks - Almost third trimester already?

One more week until third trimester!

It's been a good two weeks. On Tuesday, we had another sonogram to take a closer look at our baby's heartbeat. During our first anatomy scan, the technician found an irregularity with baby Andrew's heartbeat. My doctor said it can happen randomly as the baby's immature heart is growing and developing, but she wanted to be sure that we couldn't replicate the irregular heartbeat on a second sonogram. If it was still there, she would then refer us to a perinatologist. I tried not to think about worst-case scenarios, but I was pretty worried until we had the second sonogram!

Luckily, Andrew's heartbeat looked perfect the second time around. Everything was just as it should be. It was fun to see him squirming around again - he's such a cutie! I can't wait to see what he looks like. His weight and measurements are still right on track, which is a huge relief! With Zoie, her seemingly small size and decreasing growth rate had my doctor so concerned that we induced labor right at 39 weeks. She actually turned out to be much bigger than predicted from the sonograms. I regret not having the chance to experience natural labor, so I'm incredibly relieved we're not faced with the same issue. I'm hoping for a natural childbirth with baby Andrew!

The hospital we are planning to deliver at in California sounds wonderful - they recently upgraded to wireless waterproof fetal belly monitors and offer birthing stools to women who wish to use them! How awesome is that? I've also picked out my new doctor and spoken with his office about our arrival. I'm getting excited thinking about the final trimester and meeting our little boy!

How far along are you? 26 weeks as of Friday.
 
How big is Baby? Our little guy now weighs over 2 pounds, and measures around 14 inches long from head to heel.

Weight Gain? This morning I was 140.8 pounds... So I'm up almost 15 pounds! Last pregnancy I was up only 11 pounds at this point. Humph. Gaining weight isn't fun.

Gender? A BOY!

Maternity Clothes? Yep! These days, fewer and fewer of my regular shirts can appropriately dress this bump.

Sleep? Just when it seems sleep is getting better, spring allergies flare up again and attack! Zoie and I have both been suffering from sneezing, runny nose and itchy eyes. Definitely harder to sleep right now. Something outside is pollinating and it needs to stop!

Movement? Just as much movement as ever! It's getting stronger and making my belly jump more. Baby Andrew is still kicking my bladder, and sometimes it feels like I still need to pee right after I go!

Food Cravings? Chocolate, sugar, and all good things that are bad for you.

Labor Signs? Nah, still nothing.

Symptoms? Allergies have returned! Hello again, runny nose and itchy eyes. Last year I didn't experience spring allergies at all... so I think it's definitely a pregnancy thing!

What I miss? I miss having intact stomach muscles! As my belly gets bigger, my ab muscles pull apart (diastasis recti) and become weak. It's getting slightly harder to get up from the couch or the floor.

Best moment(s) of the week? I had a wonderful, relaxing Mother's Day where James took care of everything. He got me flowers and treats, and took the reigns with Zoie so I could relax. Ahhh :)

What I am looking forward to? James has a 4-day weekend for Memorial Day! Not sure exactly what we'll do, but we'll have fun!

Cheers,

Martha