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

24 weeks - And his name will be...

Andrew James Bowen

Baby Andrew is the size
of an ear of corn!

I love keeping James' first name in the family, and using it as a middle name will keep things simple (although James Jr. has a nice ring to it!). We love the name Andrew! It was actually what Zoie was going to be named if she was a boy. Personally, I like the nickname Andy, and James likes AJ, but we'll just call him Andrew until we get to know him.

Zoie can already say Andrew! Well, she pronounces it "ah-drew", but close enough. Her language amazes me so much every day! Her little sentences are so cute. She's really good at saying "thank you" whenever someone gives her something, and sometimes she'll say it for you if she hands you something. She loves saying "bless you!" when we sneeze, though it sounds more like "bleh blue". She can't get the sss sound down yet, but I think we're getting close!

Babies are still Zoie's favorite thing. She can spend 30 minutes swaddling, singing, and rocking her Bitty Baby. She loves her baby doll to do everything with her, and gets very concerned if forgets her doll in the next room. It's fun to encourage her imaginative play, she gets such a kick out of new ways to interact with her baby doll. She loved it when I made her baby doll use the sign language she knows! I think she'll transition pretty well having a real baby to help take care of!

How far along are you? 24 weeks as of Friday.
 
How big is Baby? Baby Andrew measures over a foot long from head to heel, and weighs around 1.25 pounds. He's about the size of an ear of corn. His skin is still thin and translucent, but it's starting to change! His lungs are developing and he's practicing breathing by inhaling amniotic fluid.

Weight Gain? I'm 137.2, so haven't really changed since last week. Still up 11 pounds.

Gender? Baby boy!

Maternity Clothes? Indeed, this bump is getting bigger. Might need to go shopping again for cute maternity items!

Sleep? Sleep has actually been good lately! Zoie's two-year molars are still in-progress, but they haven't bothered her much for the past few nights. I think once her teeth break through completely, we could be on track for a toddler that sleeps through the night!

Movement? Lots of movement all day! I can see my belly jump sometimes, but usually I'm so distracted with Zoie that I don't pay attention as much. Andrew's little legs are still right against my bladder (I think he's still in a breech position), so sometimes he'll kick and I'll feel a quick jolt of omigosh-I-need-to-pee that disappears in an instant. It's a crazy feeling.

Food Cravings? Coffee. Every morning I grind up my decaf beans with just a small amount of regular beans to brew in my french press. Just enough caffeine for a tiny kick, but (hopefully) it's not too much.

Labor Signs? Nope, nothing.

Symptoms? Nothing new, luckily! Continuing as usual. I haven't gained weight this week, but I just feel heavy in general. Pregnancy is alway such a good reminder to never let myself get fat - I really dislike feeling heavy!

What I miss? I'm definitely being more relaxed in this pregnancy with "the rules", but still it's a pain to watch caffeine intake, avoid lunchmeat (listeria....), sushi... and alcohol.

Best moment(s) of the week? The weather has been beautiful, James has been getting home from work a little earlier in the evenings, and we had a great weekend hanging out. Can't pinpoint one moment, it's just been good. Oh, and the new Avengers movie was completely awesome.

What I am looking forward to? We just booked our trip to Las Vegas next month for James' cousin's wedding! It'll be great to see his dad's side of the family, and enjoy a long weekend in an exciting place. We might even get to sneak away for a date while Nana & Papa watch Zoie!

Cheers,

Martha

22... 23 Weeks - Oh boy, oh boy!

A boy... we're having a boy!

Belly is starting to
feel heavy!

I still can't get over how excited we are. I would be crazy excited if we were having a girl too, it's just fun KNOWING! For me, it makes pregnancy so much more meaningful. Instead of just a baby inside me, it's our little boy! I think about him all the time and imagine what kind of baby he'll be. Will he be a champ at nursing like Zoie was? What kind of sleeper will he be? What kinds of little baby noises will he make? I'm so excited to meet him!

It's crazy to think about, but right now (23/24 weeks) is about the time where babies have a chance at survival if they deliver this early. Our baby only weighs about 1 pound! I don't think our little guy is going anywhere for several months, but it's interesting that he's developed enough at this stage that he could possibly survive (with ridiculous amounts of help) outside my womb!

Since finding out we're having a boy, I've been having fun sorting through the gender-neutral baby clothes we own and shopping for little boy clothes. Dinosaurs and puppy dogs and fire trucks, oh my! This is a fun new world. Zoie is such a good shopping assistant, she'll carry around the items I pick out and proclaim "Bay-bee! Bay-bee!".

Zoie knows there's a baby in my belly, but I can't convince her that there isn't one in hers too. It'll be so fun when the kicks are strong enough for her to feel and see! I think she's going to love being a big sister.

How far along are you? 23 weeks as of Friday.
 
How big is Baby? Our baby boy weighs over a pound now, and measures about 11 inches long from head to rump. He's about the size of a large mango or grapefruit! His face is fully formed, and he's listening to my voice and body sounds. He can even hear loud noises from the outside.

Weight Gain? I'm up to 137 now, so I've gained 11 pounds so far.

Gender? We found out last week that we're having a BOY!!!

Maternity Clothes? Yep, loving my comfy maternity pants. Starting to wear more maternity tops, but I have plenty of looser regular tops that fit.

Sleep? Lately, the only thing keeping me up is Zoie. These 2nd year molars are terrible! We are waiting for these last two to cut through her gums, and they're painful for her. It keeps her awake some nights, and this girl just wants to be held!

Movement? Our little guy is such a squirm! During the sonogram, we saw that he was in a breech position with his feet right next to my bladder. This explains my random urgency to pee when really my bladder isn't even that full... haha. I love feeling his kicks!

Food Cravings? Unfortunately I've been craving things like crackers and starchy foods. Nooooooo!

Labor Signs? Nope, nothing.

Symptoms? The whole varicose and spider vein thing is pretty lame. Apparently it gets worse with each subsequent pregnancy, but eases up after delivery. Thanks to pregnancy, the rising progesterone levels in my body cause the walls of my blood vessels to relax. This combined with the extra blood flowing through my body makes these veins (mostly on my right side) distend! Not only are they unsightly, but they ache by the end of the day.

What I miss? I miss feeling more energetic, agile, and flexible. My motivation to exercise is pretty low since my body feels more achy and stiff, but I know exercising more would help! I always feel good after doing PiYo, which I try to sneak in during Zoie's nap time.

Best moment(s) of the week? Watching our baby on the sonogram and finding out he is definitely a BOY! It's so exciting to have two kiddos, one of each gender!

What I am looking forward to? The new Avengers movie comes out this week - James and I are going to see it on Friday while Nana & Papa watch Zoie!

Cheers,

Martha

It's a... BOY!!!

WE'RE HAVING A BABY BOY!!!

How exciting to have the experience of a girl, and now a BOY!

We would have been thrilled with either gender, but now that we know it's a boy, it's SO exciting that we'll for sure have the experience of both a boy and a girl! If we ever have a third child, it'll be fun not having a preference either way.

This pregnancy has been a little different than my experience with Zoie, so I'm not shocked that we're having a boy! It was my guess all along, though I really had no idea. So satisfying to finally be able to call our tiny baby a HE!

The sonogram was awesome. Our little boy was kicking up a storm and flipping over, so we got to see all his limbs and body in action. He is most definitely a boy - the ultrasound technician said she would "guarantee this one!" His weight is exactly on track for how far along I am, so that's a relief! His anatomy looks perfect, and he has the cutest little profile! So excited to meet our little guy in August!

Cheers,

Martha