bumpity bump

Post in progress...

Due date is June 20th, but I wanted to keep a running post of my bump pictures, so I'll update a few more times depending on when this boy decides to make his entrance :)

Updated!! He's here :)

12.22.12 - 14w 2d

1.1.13 - 15w 5d

1.9 - 16w 6d

1.15 - 17w 5d

1.30 - 19w 6d (+2.6 lbs)

1.31.13 - 20w

2.13 - 21w 6d

2.25 - 23w 4d (+8.2 lbs)

3.11 - 25w 4d

3.15 - 26w 1d

3.17 - 26w 3d (+12.8 lbs)

3.27 - 27w 6d

3.31 - 28w 3d (+11.2 lbs)

4.10 - 29w 6d

4.12 - 30w 1d

4.22 - 31w 4d (+17.6 lbs)

4.27 - 32w 2d

5.6 - 33w 4d (+16.6 lbs)

5.13 - 34w 4d

5.20 - 35w 4d (+18 lbs)

5.25 - 36w 2d

5.30 - 37w (FULL TERM!)

6.5 - 37w 6d (+19 lbs)

6.9 - 38w 3d

6.15 - 39w 2d

6.20 - 40w (as we were leaving for the hospital!)
Total weight gained = 22lbs

We welcomed Nathan John into the world on the first day of Summer, 6.21.13.  We are overjoyed!

waiting...........

I'm constantly being told that going from 1 to 2 kids is a nightmare significant adjustment, so I've been mentally trying to prepare myself and am expecting it to be pretty tough.  At the same time, I'm hoping that expecting the worst, will actually make things seem less challenging????.....haahh...ahhhh...

Lately though, instead of being nervous, I've just been getting really excited to finally meet this boy!  Not sure if this sounds bad, but when I think about how amazing the first couple of days in the hospital were with Gwen, I hope it's just as amazing with him.  Justin and I really came together and worked as a team.  I felt like we bonded in a different way after she was born, and it just made the whole experience so much better.  This time, instead of it just being the two of us, we want to be sure that Gwen is included and comfortable.  All signs point to an easy transition for her - she's still constantly talking about her baby brother, saying good morning to him and giving him hugs and kisses.  She tells us that he'll be sleeping in her old crib while she stays in her big girl bed.  That she'll be sharing her toys, and helping to feed him, rock him...annnd sharing her pah-pah(!).  But there's no way to really know how she'll actually react until he's here.  We're lucky to have a lot of help from family, and Justin is planning a lot of daddy-daughter time including Gwen's first movie - the sequel to Monsters Inc. (which she's obsessed with).

I'm just so excited for our family to be complete, let's get this show on the road, people!!

hugging BB during facetime with Annie Annie

38w 3d

35.5 Weeks

30 days to go and we just had our [i think] final ultrasound.  Baby boy checked out perfectly healthy, and at 5lbs 6oz he's a peanut in the 26th percentile.  He's head down now, so we're looking to be in great shape!

So far I'm up 18lbs from my pre-pregnancy weight, so I'm on track to gain a little less than I did with Gwen - I think my final number with her was 28lbs and the Dr recommended anywhere between 25-30lbs for both pregnancies.

We were able to get a really great look at his face, which made me even more excited to see him in person in just a few short weeks :)

nose and lips <3

profile

5.20.13 - exactly 1 month before my due date!

"The Boy" Update

I haven't written about my pregnancy much lately.  Which, I guess is a good thing because overall it's been pretty uneventful.  That could be due to the fact that I'm preoccupied with our increasingly independent 2 year old these days, and half the time I forget that I'm pregnant at all.  Well, I guess that's not entirely true because let me tell you, the boy does NOT let me forget that he's there.  I remember being pregnant with Gwen and not feeling her all day long and then trying to coax her to move in the evening.  After she was born it made sense that she was the most calm, easy-going baby ever.  There were a good 4 months where she was sitting unsupported, and not even trying to go anywhere.  She was completely content just sitting up and watching the world go on around her.  Well if that correlation plays out this time, then we're really in for it with this boy.  The kid is a nut in there.  Flopping, Rolling, Jabbing, Kicking, Throwing his whole body around.  Just about any time I eat, drink, lie down, change positions, he feels the need to throw a party.  I predict he's going to keep his Momma pretty busy once he's on the outside :)

Gwen has been getting very excited for her new brother to arrive.  She calls him "baby brother" and gives him kisses and snuggles.  She also gives him all of her stickers (read: puts them on my belly) when she gets them from dance class, Drs visits, etc.  She keeps asking us to read the same book over and over about a little girl named Penny who gets a baby brother.  The last page shows Penny and Parker making snow angels together and Gwen points to them and says "Gwen! Baby brother!".  Obviously, big transitions like this can pay a toll on kids, but I'm thinking if any toddler has a good shot at a somewhat smooth transition to a new baby it would be Gwen.  *Fingers crossed* I don't come back to this post in a few months and laugh at myself.

Here I am most recently at 34.5 weeks.  I'm officially getting stares at the gym...

We have an ultrasound scheduled for next Tuesday, soo we'll get to see the boy and get an idea of how much he weighs.  According to WTE, at this point he should have already reached his full newborn length - around 20 inches, and average weight is about 5.5lbs for now.

Halfway

This pregnancy is seriously going way quicker.  I'm at that awkward in-between stage; regular clothes aren't looking so hot, but maternity clothes are still too big.  Gotta love the trusty Lulu yoga pants!

I'm feeling like I have much more energy these days, and I don't really have any complaints.  That wasn't really the case with my first pregnancy.  It was one thing after another last time; tooth pain, ear pain, fainting, Dr appt after Dr appt....

I really believe that I'm feeling better because I'm not spending as much time obsessing over (and Google-ing) every tiny little symptom and expecting the worst!  I'm not going on those silly message boards like I did the first time, all they really did was put thoughts in my head and scare me.  Plus I'm chasing around a toddler now, so I don't have nearly as much time to think about everything that could go wrong.

So here we are at the halfway point, folks!

It's a...

BOYYYYYY!!!!!

More importantly, the ultrasound looked just perfect and our little guy is looking great at a whopping 9oz. I think his HR was around 150-160bpm :)

Can we talk about how great I am at guessing?!!!  Yes, there's a 50/50 chance but both times I just had these gut feelings about the gender, which to me is just amazing.

Justin and I are extremely excited to have a little boy join our family.  Of course, all we wanted was another healthy and happy baby, but we both had our fingers [slightly] crossed for a boy.

I have to say that ever since we found out, I've been feeling like I need to buy more pink for Gwen.  I've always tried to stay away from the whole girly-pink-overload, but now, knowing that she'll probably be our only girl I'm feeling like I need dress her in tutus and tights every day - it's going to be a dressy spring!
We made a quick trip to Target to check out the baby boy clothing and I was a bit disappointed.  All of the baby girl stuff was so much cuter, but I'm thinking he'll just be living in onesies for the first few months and by the time fall and winter roll around he'll be a bit easier to dress, and we'll have more options.

I love knowing now that he's a boy, it just makes me feel so much more connected to him.  I'm starting to feel him kicking and rolling and I love being able to call him "HIM" instead of it :)  We've also been throwing around some names.  We have a few that we're leaning towards (sorry, not sharing them here), but I'm so fickle, I'm sure we'll wait until the very end like we did with Gwen.

I picked up some blue balloons to surprise Gwen with the morning we found out.  She's super excited for her baby brother :)

2012 Christmas Card (plus a small announcement)

That's right, Gwen is going to be a big sister!

I hit the 12 week mark in the beginning of December, so what better way to announce it, than with our Christmas Cards?!  I'm due June 20th, so Gwen and the new baby will be just a few weeks shy of 2.5 years apart, which I think will be a good age difference.   It's so much fun to fantasize about what Gwen will be like as a big sister.  She adores her little cousin, and is obsessed with baby dolls and roll playing with them (feeding them, changing their diapers, holding and rocking them).  Once the baby comes, I have no doubt that Gwen will be the best and most helpful big sister!

As excited as we are, baby growing is serious business.
I have to say that I almost forgot how miserable the first trimester is.  My morning sickness hasn't been as bad as it was with Gwen.  I really only get nauseas when I think about certain foods - tomato sauce for one...or if I let myself get too hungry.  But once I started eating, for the most part it makes me feel better (I've been carrying around almonds and string cheese just about every time I leave the house).  But the exhaustion....oh my god.  I remember being tired with Gwen- I would go into the group fitness studio at work during slow times and lie down on the mats, and every day after work I would pass out on the couch.  But now, chasing a toddler around, it is a million times worse!  Some days I just feel like a zombie going through the motions.  Thank god Gwen is a good little napper (with the exception of about 2 weeks where she pretty much refused to nap, or only teased me with an hour or so, compared to her typical 3-4 hour naps!).  Thankfully I'm starting to get some energy back now.

Anyway, it's all worth it right?  Now, having Gwen, I can say that I would go through the blasted 1st trimester a million times over for her.  Here are a couple of shots of our new little love:

9 weeks 4 days

12 weeks 4 days

Hmmm....girl or boy?  We shall find out in late January, people!!!! :)