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

"Mee-Maw" Day

The day started out a bit rainy, but we were hopeful that it would clear up.  We decided to head out to Smolak Farms on Mother's Day.  They didn't have any special events going on, but that morning Gwen had asked to see animals and we thought this would be a great idea.  Smolak is our preferred place for apple picking in the fall, and we even got our Christmas tree and met Santa there last year.

The weather ended up being a blessing because as we had hoped, it did clear up and there were only a handful of other families who had the same idea as us so we were able to enjoy such a relaxing and low key day together without any hectic Mother's Day crowds.  After we checked out all of the animals and Gwen played on the little climbing structures, we went inside to their farmstand for lunch, and then to the green house so Gwen could smell *ALL* of the flowers and I was able to buy some cherry tomato plants.  We decided to start a potted vegetable garden for Gwen this year - more on that later...

Here are some pics of my favorite lady and me (along with baby brother, of course! @34.5 wks).

these birds (some sort of hen, maybe?) were out of their cages, and just walking around with everyone

the peacock was showing off the entire time we were there, he even started shaking his feathers around for us

we can never pass up a photo op with "Gwen The Goose"!

Oh, and if you're wondering about the title of this post, watch this video.  One day, randomly, she started calling me "Mee-Maw".  But only when she's being all sweet and lovey, and telling me that she loves me.  It melts my heart <3

"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.