10/12/20
Whoops! It's been awhile and there is a lot to update on!
Tomorrow, I will officially be 39 weeks pregnant. Unbelievable... but also, I'm so ready!
My 35th birthday was yesterday so I'm officially a geriatric pregnancy now.
I went to the doctor today and allowed them to check me. I'm already 2 cm. dilated and she said his head is "right there." She thinks that once I go into labor, it won't take long for him to come out. Eeeekkk!! It's getting close!!
How I've Been Feeling
This pregnancy has definitely been different from the Mertoddler's. I'm having a lot more discomfort and trouble sleeping or sitting still.
A few weeks ago, I was having severe pelvic pain. It hurt to move my legs and switch positions in the middle of the night. Getting up from laying or sitting was extremely painful and even walking sometimes seemed impossible. But that has lessened now that I'm not working. I think sitting all day (to teach online) caused a lot of that discomfort. Because now that I'm not working anymore, I feel much more comfortable. It could also be that this little guy's head is just so far down there, it's pushing my pelvic bones apart.
Obviously, chasing after a 3-year-old while pregnant makes a huge difference too. There's much less resting, sleeping, and down time when a toddler is involved. I'm constantly getting up and down off the floor to play with him. Carrying him around or picking him up to snuggle and get kisses is sometimes difficult to do but I won't stop doing it. I need my Mertoddler to feel all the love from his Momma even if it is hard to move around sometimes. I'm also making sure that I never blame the baby for my inability to do things I once could. Instead, I say things like, "Momma's belly is getting in the way." Or "It hurts to do that because my belly is so big now! Why don't we do this <insert a better idea> instead?" He is really attentive to my belly and likes to hug it and give the baby kisses. It absolutely melts my heart. He also comments on how big it's getting and pokes my belly button. He is such a sweet boy and I can't wait to see him as a big brother!
Sleeping isn't going well. I don't know if it's because we switched monitors. The noise coming through the new monitor is more high pitched and crackly than the old one. It could also be that I'm just SO VERY PREGNANT and this baby moves around all night long. It seems like I can never get comfortable. I'll wake-up 4-5 times throughout the night for no apparent reason and then just lay there wondering what I should do about it. But at least I'll be used to sleep deprivation once Baby gets here.
Contractions? Braxton Hicks? Those are great questions! My stomach does get tight pretty regularly now, especially when I'm playing with Mertoddler or cooking. But it's never painful or uncomfortable so it's hard to know whether or not I'm having Braxton Hicks.
A few weeks ago, I was in a meeting (online) and suddenly felt very uncomfortable down there. My stomach was tight and I was feeling a lot of pain and pressure. So I stood up and started swaying. The pain was a but more intense, which caused me to start sweating. I was about 35 weeks pregnant and seriously thought I could be going into labor. I had a couple more episodes following that one. They lasted about 5 minutes each and then just stopped. I haven't experienced anything like it since then. How bizarre! It must have been some severe Braxton Hicks.
Now, let me tell you what I'll miss about this pregnancy: Feeling this sweet boy move around ALL THE TIME. He's on the go all day long, it seems. It feels like he's doing full somersaults in my belly. I absolutely love watching it from the outside and patting his little booty when it's sticking up. I love rubbing his little feet when they push out through the side and laughing when he's popping around. He also gets the hiccups several times a day which is just the cutest thing. And, lastly, I love it when Mertoddler gets to feel him kicking from the outside. He'll talk to to my stomach and then rub it. Watching his eyes light up when the baby responds is the best thing ever. He giggles at the kicks and bumps and it makes me the happiest Mama. I never thought I'd get to experience this and here I am living a dream! I'm trying to make the most of it and soak it all in.
While I'm thankful for this pregnancy, I'm also ready to have this baby. I don't think I could go to 42 weeks again. Not this time. But I'm reminding myself to remain patient and just enjoy. Cause I will really miss being pregnant and (more than likely) will never get to experience it again.
Here's the Plan: If Baby hasn't arrived by my next appointment on Monday, October 19, we will schedule an induction for the weekend (23rd or 24th). In the meantime, I'll be doing some Baby Spinning exercises to get his head in the correct position. He's currently Right Occiput Transverse, which means he's facing my left hip with this back to the right. So I only feel kicks on the left side. (See photo). My midwife thinks that if I can get him turned correctly, labor will begin much sooner. I'm really hoping that I can get him in a good position and start laboring naturally to avoid another induction. But, it won't be the end of the world if that does happen. As long as I can deliver this baby safely, I'll be a happy Mama!
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| Picture from spinningbabies.com |
I seriously can't wait to meet him! I've been nervous about how differently I might feel with Baby #2 or how it might change my feelings for Mertoddler. I have guilt about not being able to give Mertoddler as much attention and don't want him to feel left out. It's been weighing on me big time and causing a bit of anxiety. But then I dreamed that the new baby arrived. The dream felt so real and I was so in love and happy with both of my boys. Something about that dream has put my mind at ease and I'm more excited than ever to have this baby now. I'm ready to love them both and be the best Momma I possibly can be!
Work/Pandemic Updates
Work started back at the end of July. Due to COVID, they pushed the first day of school back to mid-August which gave us 3 weeks of pre-planning. My midwife wrote a note requesting that I be allowed to work from home so that's what I did! I attended all of our meetings online and did a lot of paperwork, professional learning, and webinars. It was quite an adjustment, especially since we attempted to keep Mertoddler home for the first two weeks. But that clearly wasn't going to work when Merman's meetings overlapped with mine and when I had doctor's appointments to attend, leaving Merman alone to work with a toddler. He ended up getting a lot of screen time and it made me feel very guilty. So we made the tough decision to send him back to daycare full time. It wasn't ideal to put him in a room full of germy toddlers everyday but it was the only way we would be able to accomplish anything with work and ensure that our toddler wasn't becoming a screen zombie. :)
So far, it has been great! The daycare is taking many precautions and Mertoddler has just blossomed and become so much happier since the return. He loves playing with his friends, singing, dancing, going out to the playground, and learning. In fact, his teacher says that he LOVES to learn and does so easily. It really helps me know that we made the right decision to send him back.
Once the students started back to school, everything was virtual. Things went really well and I actually found myself enjoying the new virtual teaching routine. I was able to create lessons plans and activities online that aren't typical for my position as an ESOL teacher (oh yeah- did I mention that they moved me from EIP to ESOL so I've also been learning a new job!?). But I hated the sitting. I've never wanted an office job and now I know I never want one! Sitting in front of a screen all day is utterly dreadful. After teaching hours, we had meetings galore, then paperwork, then lesson plans. There were days that I just had to get up and walk outside for the fresh air, sunlight, and LACK of screens. It was also pretty uncomfortable to be sitting all day while in the 3rd trimester. All I wanted to do was get up and MOVE. But, overall, it wasn't a bad experience and I was starting to get used to the routine of it.
That's when the county decided that we should return face to face on October 5. And my heart sank. That date was 2 weeks prior to my due date and I just didn't feel safe returning to a building FILLED with people, putting me at risk of exposure so close to labor. After a lot of calling and meeting with HR, we were able to come up with a plan that would prevent me from having to do so.
Fall Break began at the end of September and teachers were required to return to the building the week prior to that in preparation for the students' return. I was told that I could no longer work remotely so I decided to go into work that week. We were still teaching online so I felt safe staying in my office bubble and continuing to work. However, that was my last week of work. I was approved for COVID leave from October 5-16. Because the doctor recommended it, I am being given 10 days of paid COVID leave to quarantine prior to my due date. Once that time is up, my FMLA will kick in and I will remain in quarantine until the baby arrives. At that point, maternity leave begins. Regardless, I cannot be out for more than 12 weeks total so my return-to-work date is January 19! Can you believe that?!?! I'm over the moon! Because of fall break, Thanksgiving break, and Christmas Break, there are a few freebie weeks in there that won't count against my FMLA time, which allows me to spend more time out with the baby. YAAAAYYY!!!
It feels good to be free and not at work stressing over catching COVID and figuring out how to teach online and face-to-face at the same time. I'm also loving this time to "nest" and prepare. I've been doing some self-care, working on the nursery, and getting things in order for my mom to stay with Mertoddler once I go into labor. It has been pretty stress-free and I'm thankful for that.
Speaking of nesting... the nursery is *almost* finished! I'm just waiting for the plant stand to arrive (should be here on my due date). Otherwise, everything else is up and ready for baby to come! I absolutely LOOOOOOVE the nursery. It may be where I nurse and spend ALL of my time because it's just so stinking pretty. My vision came to life and looks better than I could have imagined. (Yes, I realize I'm tooting my own horn but... COME ON!)
Random Life Updates
We finally have a name! It has been very difficult to agree on one as we both have such different opinions and tastes in names. I don't know how we ever came to an agreement but I'm glad we did. Since we're so close to the birth, we're thinking about waiting to announce his name when we announce his arrival. We shall see.... but I already ordered the Christmas stocking with his name embroidered on it. :)
Since being stuck at home during the pandemic, I've had the itch to update a bit so I ripped the fabric wallpaper off the lower panels of the dining room walls. Merman sanded the areas down. And then I painted the chair rail and everything under it white. We even replaced the wooden colored blinds with white blinds and I LOVE IT! The room looks brighter and more open than before. (This was my classroom office while working from home and it made my heart happy). Now I'm ready to replace all the wooden blinds in the house with white ones but Merman isn't on board just yet. I'll have to keep working on him...
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| I can't believe this is the only picture I took! *more to come* |
We are getting a new car!! And, this time, it's going to be my car. We've been on the hunt since spring but not really taking it seriously until the last couple of weeks. Way to wait til the last minute, right? My heart was set on a Chevrolet Traverse but we kept our options open and ultimately I got my way. It's slightly over budget so I'm hoping we don't regret it. But, with two boys, leather seats were a must! And, for me, captain seats were the only way to go. We finally found the perfect traverse that met all of our needs so I called the local Carmax to have it transferred to our area. It arrived within days and after test driving it, I was sold! Unfortunately, today is a bank holiday so we're having to wait til tomorrow to finalize the loan paperwork and get everything in order. Hopefully, we'll be driving it home tomorrow evening. I really need this car to get here before the baby does.
Socially Distant Sprinkles
On September 13th, my sister and best friend (with mom's help) threw me the most amazing drive-by sprinkle. They decorated the driveway and front porch with the most beautiful decorations. My sister had special coozies made as souvenirs for everyone who came by. My friend ordered specially made cookies and they even thought to have a basket of Goldfish for those with kids in the car. Over the course of 90 minutes, I stood in the driveway as friends stopped to drop off a gift, sign the guest print (that is now hanging in the nursery), and grab a water (with coozie) and a cookie. Most people were wearing masks. Everyone stayed socially distant. And, best of all, I got to see and catch up with so many friends. It was GOOD for my soul as we hadn't seen each other since before COVID. I'm talking more than 6 months. Many of them had not seen me since becoming pregnant so I really enjoyed showing my belly off.
My sister even had custom onesies made along with the most beautiful floral arrangements and diaper cakes. I really was blown away by the beauty and thought put into each little detail. And we were spoiled rotten!
Work also threw a celebration. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to be there because it was during the quarantine period (Oct. 8). The celebration was for 4 different people (2 weddings and 2 babies). So they set-up and decorated tables in the media center. Staff were to come in, grab a cupcake, pass by the tables to say hello, drop off the gifts, and keep moving. As required by the county, everyone had on their masks and stayed socially distant. The media specialist set me up on the laptop so I could visit as people walked by and still get to be part of the celebration. My team leader dropped the gifts off the next day and I was overwhelmed by the amount of gift card love we received. I was able to finish out our Target registry! Whooo!!
Merman also had a virtual shower thrown by his department. They tricked him into thinking it was a meeting and then surprised him with a virtual shower. They sent fancy cupcakes to our house and e-mailed a HUGE gift certificate from Amazon (which allowed us to complete our Amazon registry). This was back in early September when I was still working from home so I snuck downstairs to say hi and show off the belly. We have really felt the love from everyone this pregnancy.
10-14-20
Well, once again I didn't get around to editing and publishing and now I have updates!
1) We got the car!! I'm officially driving around a massive boat! lol. I spent yesterday getting all of the lienholder paperwork completed and picked up the check to give the dealer. Then I picked Mertoddler up from daycare, swung by the house to get Merman and headed to the dealership. It was pretty simple as everything was already set-up for the sale. We just had to wait around for the paperwork, make the down payment, and hand over the check. The whole process took about 1 1/2 hours. Mertoddler was such a trooper and so well behaved. He had a minor tantrum about 40 minutes into the process. He decided that he didn't want to wear his mask anymore. I broke some rules and pulled out my phone. I told him that if he kept his mask on, he could watch YouTube. We have NEVER done this but I had no idea how long it would take and being in public in the midst of a pandemic while I'm supposed to be quarantining made me very anxious. So screen time won! :)
Mertoddler and I took the new car home! We rode all the way home with the windows down (his request). Then I allowed him to "explore" once we pulled into the driveway. That's when I realized that I didn't have the house key! I'd given my keys to Merman to drive the other car home but he was picking up dinner first. So Mertoddler and I were stuck outside. Of course, he suddenly has to poop and we can't get in so... he totally pooped in the yard! ha! That was probably a site to see. Me holding up a 3-year-old with my 39 week pregnant belly while he takes a dump in the yard. hahahaaaaaa!!!
Merman finally got home only to realize that my house key wasn't on the keychain! Which means that we were locked out of the house. Luckily, Merman had the garage door opener and was able to break into the inside door. But now I'm missing my house key. I tried to call the dealership today to see if anyone turned it in but they put me on hold for at least 10 minutes so I finally just hung up.
And, you won't believe this! There's already a small crack in the windshield and we have no way of knowing if that was there before we bought it. I set up insurance today and took it for a little joyride to Starbucks. That's when I noticed the crack. Thinking it could be a spiderweb or small spider, I rushed home to check it out. Merman came outside and confirmed that it's a tiny crack... like a small pebble hit it. So now I've got to try calling the dealership AGAIN to see what can be done. Oi!
2) HOLY BRAXTON HICKS!! Two nights ago, after writing about how good I felt, I had a full night of Braxton Hicks with no sleep and it was miserable. It started when I was cooking dinner. Merman took Mertoddler to the playground so I was home alone and it was killing me to cook. My stomach was extremely tight, my back was hurting, and I kept getting a sharp pain in my groin. So I took lots of breaks and chugged water as often as possible. Once the boys came home, we ate dinner and Merman made me lay down. But they continued through the night and into the next morning, finally stopping around 5:30 AM. I was up every hour of the night because of the discomfort. I tried using the bathroom to see if that would help but the contractions persisted and my back felt like it was locked in place.
Since then, I've taken it easy and have been feeling much better. I'm definitely still having Braxton Hicks and feel like this baby is pushing down into my cervix as hard as possible. I really need to get started on the Baby Spinning today!
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