36 Weeks! Just one left until full term!

36 Weeks! In just a few days, my baby will technically be considered full term! That's not too exciting really, since 37 weeks is the medical determination of full term, and I doubt the babies got the memo. They seem to like to stick around a little longer.

We're nearly ready for her arrival. I don't think she'll stay in until her St. Patricks Day due date, but I am not expecting her to make an appearance before March 12 or so.

I'm so lucky to be surrounded by caring and generous people. Two friends of mine helped me paint Abby's room a few weeks back. The walls are a light grey, the ceiling is white, and i'm working on a few pieces of pink to go in the room. I'll post before/after shots when its all done.

Beyond my friends, husband and family, I have to share the absolutely amazing work environment I have. I am surrounded by awesome co-workers, who are supportive and fun to be around. I haven't even worked there a year, but I will miss each and every one of my team mates during maternity leave, without doubt. I love going into the office, and I love the ability to work from home. I love the good senses of humor i'm surrounded by, the get-it-done attitudes, the lack of ego and drama, and just the team chemistry.

Our prep for the home birth is nearly complete. Last week, my midwives visited our home to pick the best locations for labor and delivery. Because I am hoping for a water birth, we debated the use of a birth tub, or the giant tub in our bathroom. Because our bathroom tub is larger than the birth tubs my midwives stock, and because a plumbed in tub is easier to clean and keep full, we've decided on using ours. The downside of our tub vs. the birth pool is that my midwives can only access it from one side, rather than their preferred three. The upside is the bath ledge, which gives them somewhere to lean and sit while helping me.

Our birth kit arrived today, which includes all the disposable supplies that we'll need on the big day and immediately postpartum. All the chucks, rubber gloves, foot print kits, etc. It's comforting to have it all here and ready to go.

I also took hypnobirthing training from my lovely aunt, and have great faith that it will help me relax and focus during the contractions. It was a very relaxing experience, and I was surprised at the effectiveness in our training session.

The hubs has been hard at work building me a co-sleeper (pictures to come), so that Abby can sleep with me, but safely. JT slept in our bed for the first 6 months or so, and it was fantastic. He was also a very insistent belly sleeper, and I imagine Abby will be too. Their dad certainly is. The part that makes me nervous (rational or not) is that between kids, we upgraded to a tempurpedic bed, which was one of our best decisions ever. I LOVE OUR BED. But, I am uncomfortable with the idea of a baby sleeping on her belly on the memory foam. So our custom co sleeper will give her a firmer mattress to sleep on, that is attached to and level with the bed right next to me.

Aside from the prep, I feel large and uncomfortable or fantastic depending on the minute you ask me. Most of my maternity clothes are now too small, my feet are hugely swollen (no pre-eclampsia though, yay!), and I could really use a pedi, because there is no way I can reach my toes.

Here's the latest views of my ever expanding belly:

35 Weeks

36 weeks!

WEEK 36 INTERVIEW

BABY’S SIZE? A honeydew melon (this seems too small to me)

DAYS UNTIL NEXT DOC APPOINTMENT? 2

TOTAL WEIGHT GAIN/LOSS? +30
MATERNITY CLOTHES? I'm down to two maternity dresses, blue jeans, and 4 shirts. One pair of leggings still fits. 

STRETCH MARKS? Not that I have noticed!

SLEEP: not so much. I can't stay in one position very long, but am so tired these days I fall back asleep fast when I roll over or have to get up.

BEST MOMENT THIS WEEK: Feeling her startled reaction when the dogs started howling right next to me. 

MOVEMENT: slowing down as she runs out of room, but still one very active baby. She's able to find my most sensitive rib, and the sensitive edges of a dead nerve patch from surgery last year and kick it until I use ice to scare her away.

FOOD CRAVINGS: Oreo ice cream with chocolate sauce or Life cereal.

ANYTHING MAKE YOU QUEASY OR SICK? Nothing new this week, but EVERYTHING gives me reflux.

MISSING ANYTHING? My feet, my ability to concentrate, and my ability to form full sentences that are remotely intelligent. 

LABOR SIGNS? The braxton hicks contractions have changed from down low and from the sides, to top down. Its much more like the actual contractions I remember with JT. They're still not painful, just uncomfortable.

BELLY BUTTON: Popped out like a turkey timer.

WEDDING RINGS ON OR OFF? off. Too much swelling for them or any rings.  

HAPPY OR MOODY MOST OF THE TIME? Mostly happy, but amazingly easy to send into irrational frustration and/or tears.

32 Weeks!

32 weeks, 3 days! That's where we are now. Everytime I start to feel like she can't get any bigger, she does, and so do I. With just over 7 weeks left till our due date, we're kicking this baby prep stuff into high gear.

This weekend, two wonderful friends are going to come help me paint the nursery grey. When its done, it will be grey and white and pink with elephant decorations.

Craig built some awesome shelving for her closet, so I can happily spend hours putting her adorable wardrobe away. She has the cutest, tiniest little outfits.

I spoiled myself this week and spent an evening at the local beauty school, where I got a mani, pedi, and facial for the bargain price of $26. It was lovely to be pampered and to finally have my toes look decent.

I've also been doing a lot of reading, and there are a couple of books I just have to share. Whether you are pregnant, plan to get pregnant, doing a home birth or signing up for an epidural right away, I highly recommend these books as a way to educate yourself. I wish I had known half of this stuff when I  was pregnant the first time.

Pushed - by Jennifer Block: This book is a fascinating comparison of the maternity and birth system in the US versus that of other industrialized countries. It's got a lot of studies and statistics in it, and is cut and dry.

Guide to Child Birth - Ina May Gaskin: You can't ask for more knowledge on the topic of birth than what Ina May Gaskin has. A well-known midwife, she has helped bring thousands of babies into this world and believes that women are perfectly capable of doing this, without all the complications we see so regularly today. She has a deep appreciation for OB's as escalation resources, but otherwise defends women's bodies natural ways of going about childbirth. The first half of the book is birth stories (some are pretty crunchy), and the second half is a statistical and research based analysis of birth options. Such a great book.

I'm currently reading Childbirth without Fear.

Here's the latest view of my ever expanding belly:

31 Weeks

32 Weeks

WEEK 32 INTERVIEW

BABY’S SIZE? A squash

DAYS UNTIL NEXT DOC APPOINTMENT? 7

TOTAL WEIGHT GAIN/LOSS? +24
MATERNITY CLOTHES? I'm out growing many of my maternity outfits now. I have t-shirts and other items that don't cover my belly, and several dresses that have given up trying and now just hang like a curtain. 

STRETCH MARKS? No new ones so far.

SLEEP: not so much. I can't stain one position very long still, and none of the tricks i've tried have helped. Oh well, we're nearly there. 

BEST MOMENT THIS WEEK: Playing games with her while relaxing in my recliner on Monday. She's such an active girl. 

MOVEMENT: Oh yes, all day, every day. lots of knees and feet poking out on my right side, and a cute little butt that always seems to be sticking out. My belly is rarely symmetrical these days.
FOOD CRAVINGS: Oreo ice cream and raisin bran or trix. 

ANYTHING MAKE YOU QUEASY OR SICK? Parmesan cheese still, and now bananas (still love them, but they hurt me).

MISSING ANYTHING? being able to put on socks alone. Not going to lie, i'm becoming a pretty bad driver these days. Between my lack of attention span and my fading depth perception, i'm staying off the roads whenever possible. 

LABOR SIGNS? The braxton hicks contractions occur every night now, and while they are usually not painful, they are developing a pleasing pattern each night that tells me my body is getting ready for the big day.

BELLY BUTTON: I have a small depression where it used to be.

WEDDING RINGS ON OR OFF? off. Too much swelling for them or any rings.  

HAPPY OR MOODY MOST OF THE TIME? Mostly happy, regularly tired, occasionally unreasonable.

WEEKLY SYMPTOMS: I've been having a lot more trouble with my back this past week, sitting for any length of time can be very uncomfortable for me, but the swollen feet i'm sporting don't want to take on my weight either. 

Mommy Review: Forehead vs. Ear Thermometers

Have you heard of Influenster? it's a website where you participate in market research and get to try (and keep) new products. I was actually pretty excited when I received the Braun Forehead Thermometer to test and review, because i'm a mom, and that's just how I roll these days.

I already own the Braun ear thermometer, so i've decided to compare the two for this review:

On the left, the new forehead thermometer, on the right, my trusty ear thermometer which has been part of our household for at least two years.

I tried both of these tonight on myself, my 5 year old, and my hubs.


















The most important feature of a thermometer is its ability to be accurate, right? so off my right temple and right ear:

Forehead Thermometer

Ear Thermometer

Both read 97.3 degrees.

I did the left temple and ear too, and got 97.5 with the forehead and 97.7 with the ear. Only a slight difference.

Other things I like about each:

1. The forehead thermometer has a backlight LED display, which is great for sneaking into dark kids rooms to take temperatures without turning on the lights to read it.

2. Speaking of sleeping kids, the forehead is a lot easier to get to when a kiddo is asleep.

3. The forehead thermometer doesn't require a cover to work, where the ear thermometer does. Generally not a problem, until you run out in the middle of the night and the thermometer doesn't work.

4. The forehead thermometer doesn't need a nifty case and ear cover holder like the ear version does, meaning I get more space in my medicine cabinet.

Things I dislike:

1. They both beep to signal they are done, which is cool up until you are trying to measure that sleepy sick kiddo's temp. Perhaps someday Braun will give us a little led system or the option to make the beeps really really quiet?

Overall, I like them both. My gut tells me the ear version is more accurate, but they came in so close, I am okay with the difference. They are both more accurate than going for the underarm method, in my opinion.

I will most likely choose the forehead version going forward. It will work better on my soon-to-arrive daughter, can be used on a sleeping five year old, can be read in the dark, and as my son says, it's just plain nifty.

p.s. I received this product complimentary from Influenster and Braun for purposes of review.

30 Weeks! Let the countdown begin...

Wow oh wow - i'm a slacker. It's been quite a while since I posted. Time has been flying by, with the holidays, and getting huge, and traveling. Thanks to the lovely Katie for keeping me on this!

Baby has been growing well, and i'm feeling large and awkward these days. We spent the Christmas holidays on the East Coast with my parents, and had a blast. I don't believe I traveled in my third trimester the last time around, and I learned why its a bad idea. It was a 5.5 hour flight from DC to Seattle, and while I boarded the plane with normal sized feet, but the time we touched down in Seattle, they had swollen to 4 times their normal size and I  was having shooting pains up my left leg. It was incredible uncomfortable. So when a lovely TSA guard at Seatac took a look at me and said "you must be due any minute!" I may not have been as polite as I should have…

I'm now on an every 2 week schedule with my midwife, and continue to love working with her. I like several things in particular:

1. Her faith and reassurance that pregnancy and childbirth are completely normal and do not need to be treated as a disease, temporary disability, or sickness. This is something my body was made to do. 

2. Her availability to me 24-hours a day, by phone or text if I have concerns, or need reassurance, or just need to spew a little crazy. Combined with our full 1-hour appointments, its awesome. 

3. She had a baby in October, so I have the benefit of all her training, and her recent personal experience. Plus, I get to hold her sweet baby during some of my appointments. 

4. Evidence based care - she doesn't medicate, or insist on certain tests, treatments, and courses of action unless there is a proven reason for it, and always tries to heal with diet, exercise, and natural means first. 

Our student mid-wife left over the holidays to start her next 1-year internship, and instead of a new student, Kristen (our midwife) is hosting a very experienced Certified Nurse Midwife who is immigrating to the US from Iran, and needs to gain home birth experience to get her license in Washington. So I am benefiting greatly from not only Kristen's training, but Selma, who spent 30 years doing hospital births in Iran and the UAE.

We've been working to get our house de-cluttered and organized for our Abigail's arrival, and i'm a little crazy with the nesting instincts. While I know, logically, that her room doesn't NEED to be painted before she is born (she won't even use it for 6 months after!), I can't seem to relax about it. I need to get that done before my brain explodes.

While I was back east for Christmas, my mom and sisters threw me a little baby shower, and it was such fun. We live in three states, on two coasts, so getting all of us in one house is no easy feat. I got some very sweet presents for Abbey, and got to enjoy some of my little sister's wonderful cookies.

The only real problem I have been having has been my back. I lost a lot of muscle and tissue and support with the rib removal last year, and the growing weight of my belly is straining it. I often get muscle spasms when I sit for more than 20 minutes. When I discussed this with our midwife, she suggested a TENS Unit, which provides shallow, electrical nerve stimulation to the area for pain relief, and it makes such a difference! It's nice to have a choice that doesn't include pharmaceuticals.

Abbey is a very active baby, who will often stay awake for 10-12 hours at a time, moving non-stop. She recently discovered that she can kick me in the ribs. I can feel her hiccups now, which is unbelievably cute. I'm curious what her personality will be when she arrives.

Here's the latest view of my ever expanding belly:

30 weeks, not a great shot. 

WEEK 30 INTERVIEW (and changing up the topics!)

BABY’S SIZE? A cucumber

DAYS UNTIL NEXT DOC APPOINTMENT? 11

TOTAL WEIGHT GAIN/LOSS? +19

MATERNITY CLOTHES? I'm out growing many of my maternity outfits now. It makes me sad…

STRETCH MARKS? No new ones so far.

SLEEP: I wake up to roll over every hour or so, but am getting some good sleep in between. 

BEST MOMENT THIS WEEK: Hitting the 30 week mark! only seven weeks till full term and 10 until she is born. I have a feeling she will come a little early (could this be wishful thinking?)

MOVEMENT: Yep, 10-12 hours straight for days on end this little one moves. You only have to look at my bump to see her little butt shaking back and forth across it. Perhaps I have a dancer on my hands.

FOOD CRAVINGS: Mexican food, smarties, canned pears are all regular loves of mine. I also love anything with cinnamon. 

ANYTHING MAKE YOU QUEASY OR SICK? Parmesan cheese tastes like barf to me right now. 

MISSING ANYTHING? I've noticed there isn't a lot of air near the ground when I bend over to put on shoes or pick something up… I also miss walking up stairs without losing my breath. 

LABOR SIGNS? Oh the braxton hicks - they hit me 4-5 times a day now, and while they don't really hurt, they are very uncomfortable, and tend to piss off the baby, so the contraction is often followed by some really vicious kicks. 

BELLY BUTTON: Pretty much non-existent.

WEDDING RINGS ON OR OFF? off. Too much swelling for that. I've switched to other, larger rings for now.   

HAPPY OR MOODY MOST OF THE TIME? Mostly happy, regularly tired.

WEEKLY SYMPTOMS: Back aches/muscle spasms, crazy nesting instincts, inability to finish thoughts coherently.

Week 21! more than half-way done.

It's been a few weeks since i've posted, mostly because i've been too busy nesting. Between sewing, knitting, sorting through baby clothes, and de-cluttering my closets, it's been all about home for me lately. I find our constantly cluttered house to be very stressful, so I have been trying to de-clutter it before our little one arrives.

We were able to reschedule our ultrasound during our 19th week, and confirmed that we are having a little girl! I felt it was a girl from the beginning, but its great to have confirmation. It's also great to know that she is growing perfectly, has all the right parts, and is right on track for our due date.

Since confirming we'll be completing our family with a daughter, I have been sewing like crazy. I spent a happy sunday afternoon at JoAnns, buying all sorts of girly material. I swear, I can't stop making these adorable circle skirts out of every leftover fabric quarter I have. My serger makes it oh-so-easy to whip one up in 10 minutes.

We've decided on a pink and grey nursery look, so it isn't too babyish. It is still our guest room, after all.

I have been going through all the boxes of Little John's clothes to pull out anything that can work on a girl, and packing the rest of the boy stuff up for our nephew's use. I discovered that I really don't have much left to buy for this baby. We have so much stuff already, and i've been picking up pink sleepers everywhere I go, that we're pretty much set for this gal.

The only things I need to buy are:

• A new car seat, as ours have expired.
• A new portable swing, ours was given away
• Diapers
• Burp cloths
• Wall paint
• and I really want one of these this time around: Baby K'Tan. I had a moby wrap with John and I LOVED it. This is the same idea, but with less inconvenience. 

It's been 5 and a half years since we've had a baby around, so I expected to need more stuff, and am so pleased we're nearly set already. 

Week 20 marked the half-way point for us, and its fun to know we're on the downhill side of this. We're so excited to meet our little girl. 


Here's the latest view of my ever expanding belly:

21 Weeks 4 Days

WEEK 21 INTERVIEW

BABY’S SIZE? A carrot

DAYS UNTIL NEXT DOC APPOINTMENT? 4

TOTAL WEIGHT GAIN/LOSS? +5 pounds

MATERNITY CLOTHES? Yes. I have long since said goodbye to my regular clothes. I tried to wear a pair of my yoga pants last week, and the baby spent two hours kicking at the waistband before I gave up and changed pants.

STRETCH MARKS? No new ones so far.

SLEEP: I've been sleeping much better this past week! 

BEST MOMENT THIS WEEK: Several over the past few weeks - confirming its a girl, watching my boys get so excited over it. Finishing clean out of all our old baby stuff and her room. 

MOVEMENT: Yep, lots of crazy kicking, and tons of rolling over, and her favorite new game - kick mommy in the hoo-ha. 

FOOD CRAVINGS: Prime rib, and chili cheese dip. Not at the same time. 
ANYTHING MAKE YOU QUEASY OR SICK? Parmesan cheese.

MISSING ANYTHING? some of my sweatpants that don't fit anymore. Getting up out of my recliner without help. 

GENDER? Girl! 

LABOR SIGNS? nope, but i've had a few braxton hicks contractions, which are uncomfortable. I had lots of these with John, so no surprises here. 

BELLY BUTTON: In tact, so very shallow. 

WEDDING RINGS ON OR OFF? on, most days.  

HAPPY OR MOODY MOST OF THE TIME? Mostly happy, but can be irritated in a snap. I have irrational attachments to food cravings. Once i've decided I want something, and then get denied that thing, I'm very prone to tears. 

WEEKLY SYMPTOMS:itchy legs, sleepiness, and a changing center of gravity. 

18 weeks - excitement and disappointment

This week was full of ups and downs! We were very excited for our mid-pregnancy ultrasound, and decided to take our little man with us so he can see baby too. We arrived only to be sent home because the ultrasound machine was broken and they said we'd have to wait another week or so. Boo. Wish they had called before we kept John home from school and before I drank the required 32 oz. of water. 


So we're back to waiting. In the mean time, our little one is growing fast. She is big enough that I find it really uncomfortable when she rolls over, which she seems to enjoy doing. She spent the past few days laying horizontally, low in my pelvis, making me even more awkward than normal. 
Her kicks are getting stronger, and though Craig has felt her several times, John finally felt her for the first time this week. He was a little freaked out and a lot excited. 

We also started the process of putting her room together over the weekend. We have been using our third bedroom for a guest room and junk storage, but I spent a good chunk of the weekend sorting through it. Several trash bags, and one huge Goodwill trip later, we've managed to get the guest bed into the corner, the closet empty, and the crib where it belongs. Of course, i'm going to have to move it all to paint, once we figure out what we're really having. 

WEEK 18 INTERVIEW

BABY’S SIZE? A mango

DAYS UNTIL NEXT DOC APPOINTMENT? 23

TOTAL WEIGHT GAIN/LOSS? 4 pounds up.

MATERNITY CLOTHES? Yes.

STRETCH MARKS? No new ones so far.

SLEEP: Sleep is my long lost friend. I'm thinking of moving to the couch, or guest room, or anywhere else to attempt a better nights sleep. 

BEST MOMENT THIS WEEK: John's face when she kicked his hand. shock, excitement, and a little freaked out. 

MOVEMENT: Yep, lots of crazy kicking, and tons of rolling over, which doesn't feel so nice for me. I'm able to feel my belly and find her head/rump, though I can't yet tell which is which. 

FOOD CRAVINGS: Turkey sandwiches from Quiznos with mozzarella, tomatoes and lettuce. Sugar cookies.

ANYTHING MAKE YOU QUEASY OR SICK? Parmesan cheese.
belly and find her head/rump, though I can't yet tell which is which. 

HAVE YOU STARTED TO SHOW YET? a long long time ago, it seems. Now i'm starting to lean back when I walk, and when I drop something I can be seen devising a plan of attack before attempting to retrieve it. Craig has been mocking me. 
MISSING ANYTHING? sleep. going 24-hours without a neck ache.

GENDER? We're still thinking this is a girl. 

LABOR SIGNS? nope.

BELLY BUTTON: In tact, getting really shallow.

WEDDING RINGS ON OR OFF? on. 

HAPPY OR MOODY MOST OF THE TIME? Mostly happy, but can be irritated in a snap.

WEEKLY SYMPTOMS:itchy legs, no matter how much lotion I apply. Headaches, and exhaustion. 

17 Weeks and getting anxious!

Yesterday was our 17 week checkup, which we had a week early, as our midwife is expecting her own baby any day now. I got to hear the heartbeat again, which was in the high 140's, and she measured my bump at 20cm, which is a little large for 17 weeks, but its still within the normal range. 

Baby has been plenty active, and still expresses her displeasure with tight pants and when I rest my iPad on my stomach. 

We replaced John's bed with bunk beds, much to his surprise and delight, and turned his bed back into the crib it once was. I've slowly started collecting the baby things around the house so I can do an inventory. 

Our ultrasound is on Oct. 18, and we cannot wait to see what we're having! Think pink! We've decided to take John with us, and he is ecstatic. He is okay with a brother or a sister, and hopes (though his parents don't) that he gets one of each. Oy. 

WEEK 16 INTERVIEW

HOW FAR ALONG? 17 Weeks, 3 days

BABY’S SIZE? An Onion or Sweet Potato

DAYS UNTIL NEXT DOC APPOINTMENT? 34 days until my next checkup, 10 until the ultrasound

TOTAL WEIGHT GAIN/LOSS? 2 pounds up. Bring on the chocolate.

MATERNITY CLOTHES? Yep. I occasionally try to pull off my pre-pregnancy jeans with a belly band, and usually regret it by noon. 

STRETCH MARKS? No new ones so far.

SLEEP: Sleep still eludes me. I cannot get comfortable, and I can't seem to get into a deep sleep. We may try melatonin supplements to help with this. 

BEST MOMENT THIS WEEK: Hearing her heartbeat at our checkup yesterday. I love that little sound. 

MOVEMENT: So much. This kiddo seems to have lots of room to swim, since i'm currently measuring a few centimeters larger than average for my due date (which we're sure of). I can often feel her kicking/punching on the upper left of my stomach, and the lower right. sometimes both places at once. I have also started to feel it when she rolls over.

FOOD CRAVINGS: Still craving red meats and cheese. We had lasagna the other night and it was amazing. 

ANYTHING MAKE YOU QUEASY OR SICK? Not this week. Life is good. 

HAVE YOU STARTED TO SHOW YET? Yep. Complete strangers can tell this is all baby. 

MISSING ANYTHING? wine. 

GENDER? We're still thinking this is a girl. 

LABOR SIGNS? nope.

BELLY BUTTON: In tact, getting really shallow.

WEDDING RINGS ON OR OFF? on. 

HAPPY OR MOODY MOST OF THE TIME? Mostly happy. a little tired. 

WEEKLY SYMPTOMS: More movement, more headaches, and still plenty of exhaustion. 

16 Weeks - Trying to keep track

I'm trying to document this pregnancy better than my last, which wasn't documented at all. I was too excited/sleepy/nauseas to do this before. Plus, if I wasn't eating, I was barfing. This baby has been so much easier, so here we go. I'm borrowing this interview format from the awesome @jonnajae of inspiremethis.com.

We're 16 weeks along now, and this pregnancy has been so much different than with my little man. We're seriously hoping for a girl this round.

Here is the first photo I took at 11 weeks pregnant:

And here I am today, at 16 wks + 2 days:

WEEK 16 INTERVIEW

HOW FAR ALONG? 16 Weeks, 2 days

BABY’S SIZE? About an avocado.

DAYS UNTIL NEXT DOC APPOINTMENT? 6 - we're having an early appointment because our midwife is due with her 2nd baby in 2 weeks!

TOTAL WEIGHT GAIN/LOSS? 2 pounds up. no complaints here!

MATERNITY CLOTHES? oh yeah - for weeks now. The belly pops out a lot faster with baby #2. I broke out the belly bands by 10 weeks and was fully into maternity clothes by week 13.

STRETCH MARKS? only the minor ones left over from Baby #1 which are so minimal.

SLEEP: ugh. This baby hates sleep, but loves making me exhausted. I cannot get comfortable, I wake up and roll over every hour. If I have to get up to pee or just because of an intense dream afte 3 am, i'm not getting back to sleep.

BEST MOMENT THIS WEEK: Putting on my first pair of maternity leggings. omg how did I not live in these things before now? So comfy.

MOVEMENT: Lots! I'm loving this part. I started feeling little butterlies and scratches around 10-11 weeks, when I was curled up in a ball. Now, baby makes herself known throughout the day. I can feel kicks/punches and sometimes a full-body roll. Its so much easier to recognize the movements with Baby #2. She really hates tight pants and anything resting on my stomach.

FOOD CRAVINGS: Melted cheese in all its glory. Quesadillas, grilled cheese, cheesy dip, etc. And meat. for spending the better part of the year cutting animal products out of my diet, this child has done her best to undo that. I love prime rib.

ANYTHING MAKE YOU QUEASY OR SICK? Not too much. With John, everything made me sick and certain smells would send me running. this time around, i haven't been nauseas since 7 weeks, and only really nasty smells get to me. That said, soy things don't sit so well with me, but i've never been a big fan, so no loss there.

HAVE YOU STARTED TO SHOW YET? Yep. Complete strangers can tell this is all baby.

MISSING ANYTHING? Sleeping well, being able to walk my son to school without wanting a nap afterwards, Its only a few blocks!

GENDER? We think girl. We hope for a girl. This pregnancy has been completely different than my pregnancy with John, in so many great ways. I was miserable with John. Now, I finally get why women say they LIKE being pregnant.

LABOR SIGNS? nope.

BELLY BUTTON: In tact, getting really shallow.

WEDDING RINGS ON OR OFF? on.

HAPPY OR MOODY MOST OF THE TIME? mostly happy, but I get really irritated and cranky really quick when things turn.

WEEKLY SYMPTOMS: less sleep, bigger belly, more headaches and heart palpitations.

There's an elf on our shelf.

Day 1:

The elf was named Hawkeye. On the first day, he used Captain America's tank to have a war with Mr. Potato Head.

Mr. Potato Head lost.

Day 2:

The elf built himself a hot air balloon out of K'Nex.

Day 3:

Hawkeye had a few of his best friends over for a poker game last night.

I Ran.

I ran today! for the first time since my rib broke (early August), I ran. Not fast, and not far, but i've never been a fast runner. I just love to run. It will take a long while to rebuild my stamina, I think, but i'm so delighted to be able to run at all, that I don't care. 49 days since surgery, and I ran. That unsupported rib jiggles around when I run, and that's just weird, but at least it doesn't hurt.

Over the past few weeks, I've made some serious progress in recovery, and have celebrated little milestones like being able to drive again (last Monday) and being able to sleep laying down (two weeks ago). I can now walk a couple of miles each night.

My incision is completely closed and is scab free, though it's a nasty shade of purple for the foreseeable future. Once it is fully healed, the doctor said it will turn white and blend in. He did such a great job, I don't think it will be at all noticeable. The chest tube site is going to be the worse scar, but is healing faster.

I still have some issues:

• The unsupported rib acts like a steel band around my lung when i'm tired or have been sitting too long. 
• The area on my side that will be forever numb can't get goosebumps anymore. It feels so weird!
• When I don't stretch my arms and chest enough, a couple of ribs in the upper right side of my chest are yanked out of position and really hurt. My chiropractor taught me some good stretches to help with this. 
• Sleeping on my right side causes a fluttering in my lung, which causes me to cough. 
• Sleeping on my left side still causes some pain from the surgery positioning, so I have to keep my right arm supported. 
• My back is still very weak, and sitting or standing for too long makes it hurt. I'm told that as my muscles knit to the mesh patch in my back, this will improve.

Here are a few pictures of what i've been doing:

Lots of puppy snuggles.

And sweet little boy snuggles.

Hanging out with my handsome boy.

I cut out lots of paper bats for Halloween.

The little man in our house loved how they turned out.

Two firsts: my first glass of wine, post-op, and my first date night with the hubs!

I just finished my last appointment.

Today is a big day, because I attended my final doctor's appointment for this stupid tumor. The hubs and I just left the Northwest Cancer Care Office, where we had a final wrap-up appointment with Dr. Meyers, who I would recommend to anyone who actually needs cancer treatment. I'm so very glad that I don't.

So with that now done, I have no more scheduled doctor's appointments, and no obligations to follow up with any medical practice, unless something goes wrong with my recovery.

Speaking of recovery, it's a long, painful, and slow process. I feel like i've taken a few steps backwards this last week, and I am pretty sure its my own fault. As i've felt better, i've been trying to do more things, get out more, etc., and each ambitious day is followed by a terrible night and day after. Those days have been filled with lots of pain and copious amounts of frustration. I've also slacked on my physical therapy and breathing exercises, because I had started to feel more normal again. Bad choice.

Today is the start of my 4th week post-op and I am bored and frustrated stuck in bed, where I can't get comfortable anyways. It's hard not to overdo it, but I pay dearly when I do, so its back to bed and jigsaw puzzles for me.

Tomorrow is the first day I will be home alone all day. JT decided this weekend that he is sick of hanging out with boring grownups all day, and asked if he can go back to daycare, and Craig has all day meetings, so it's just me and the dogs!

The cost of great care.

I got the itemized statement (pre-insurance payment, thankfully) from my stay at the UW Medical Center. I'm so thankful for my very excellent health insurance, because this stuff isn't cheap:

Pharmacy - $3,013.61
Daily Service (nursing) - $5,967.00
Supplies - $2,583.00
Laboratory - $995.00
Pathology - $497.00
Radiology - $1,115.00
OR Services - $14,996.00
Anesthesia - $3,352.00

The list goes on, and the total exceeds $35k. That doesn't include the doctor's time, the post-op visit, and a lot of other outstanding bits and pieces.

It's hard to believe I consumed $3k in drugs in 4 days, but as Andrea mentioned in her posts, I was pretty freakin out of it, so clearly they worked. My nurses were worth a lot more than $6k.

Yay for a great job with great benefits!

Thinking back on a misdiagnosis.

A friend asked me if I am upset with my doctor for telling me I have cancer, now that I know I don't. The answer is no, i'm not.

Here's the thing, the pathologist looked at the cells from my biopsy and saw spindle shaped cells. That led to the diagnosis of spindle cell sarcoma. The doc told me he was 80-90% confident in the diagnosis based on the biopsy, and the pathologist was getting a second opinion from the Mayo Clinic.

What I actually had, a neurofibroma, is also made of spindle shaped cells. So from my view, i'm thankful that he went with the worst-case diagnosis. While I am not sure anything can prepare you for the emotion and depression that comes with being diagnosed with cancer, that initial diagnosis made it possible for me to be treated by the best doctors in the nation, within a month. My surgeon is the best thoracic surgeon around. He and Doc Conrad are directors in their areas for the UW Medical School. These are the guys who are entrusted to teach their skills. I couldn't have asked for a better care team.

I'm ridiculously relieved that the first diagnosis was wrong, but at least I was prepared for the worst, and it opened the doors to top-level care. He followed my case very closely, even when I was out of his care. Our doctor here in Richland is fantastic, and I will continue to trust him with our care and recommend him to every family I can.

Doctors are humans, they do their best, and they do it in a high-pressure environment.

Our annual trip to the pumpkin patch.

The progress of recovery.

I keep saying I will post about my recovery, and finally I am. Picking up where I left off after leaving Seattle for the Tri-Cities:

It was so nice to get home. There is such comfort in being in your own space. Especially when you walk in and that space is decorated with balloons, 'Welcome Home' banners, and presents from a sweet friend.

It took some effort on my mom and Craig's part to get me comfortable, but they're amazing. When Craig and I bought our living room furniture several years ago, we never expected the oversized chair that contained a twin sized pullout bed to be so useful. I'm able to be tucked into that bed, watch football, and interact with my family when i'm not sleeping. My husband also rigged it so I can sleep propped up, which reduces the back pains.

Luckily, I have these two sweethearts to keep me company. JT keeps coming over to me to say "I love you, my beautiful princess". I'm a very lucky mom.

JT won't let me take a photo without that cheesy smile. His very sleepy dad hasn't slept through the night since my surgery, to take care of me.

My sweet Natasha has been faithfully on or under my bed this whole time. she's a great foot warmer.

The first few days, my medicine regimen included 3 oxycodone pills every three hours, combined with alternating ibuprofen and tylenol. Because the oxycodone makes me sick, I also got to take nausea meds. Between Craig and Mom, someone had to get up every three hours through the night and give me my meds. Since then, we've slowly progressed to taking 2 oxys every 4-5 hours, which helped me go from sleepy zombie to sedentary but awake and lucid. Now days, i'm down to one or two oxycodones or hydrocodones every 6-8 hours, no nausea medicine, and some ibuprofen and tylenol.

The after effects of surgery have been interesting:

• the nerves in the front of my stomach are looking for the nerves that were damaged and removed during surgery in my back. Since they can't find other nerves to talk to, they are instead hurting non stop. It's like having that pins and needles feeling when a limb falls asleep, but it occurs every time anything touches the right side of my stomach, including clothes, any arm movements,  and showers are a real experience. 
• My side is numb. The surgeon warned me it would be, but its still weird to put my hand on my skin and not be able to feel it. 
• The stitches where the drainage tube was were huge, and itchy, and since they were on my side, there was no avoiding rubbing them with my arm. I was delighted to get them out on Monday.
• The incision on my back has been...oozing....since surgery, which is also very normal, but feels gross. 
• When I lay on my back, I get strange stabbing pains in my side, and a tight band of pressure forms around my ribs, making deep breaths darn near impossible. 
• I coughed the other day and tore some muscle in my abs. fun stuff. 
• My shoulder is very sensitive right now. It was injured when I was stuck on my side for three hours during surgery, and many hours more for recovery. If I approach any position like laying on my left side, shooting pains in my shoulder warn me that is a bad choice.
• The drugs make me very sleepy, in addition to some other side effects.

I left the house for the first time last Wednesday(?) to get a mani/pedi with my mother in law. We had a good time, but apparently sitting in a massage chair getting pampered is tiring, because I passed out as soon as we got home :). 

On Sunday, we went for a walk to the neighborhood park, which wore me out beyond belief. I was breathing heavy before we made it off our block. I can't wait to regain my back strength and stamina.

Today we took JT to the pumpkin patch to prepare for our Halloween display this year. It's going to be awesome, so if you are in the Tri-Cities area, plan to stop by on Halloween! It was fun, but again, exhausting. It's amazing how little I can do without getting winded. I was back in my sweatpants and in bed within 10 minutes of getting home.

I'll go back to work somewhere around the end of October or first two weeks in November, depending on how I feel, and when I can go all day without a nap. :) In the mean time, I can be found on my pull-out, watching TV series on netflix and doing jigsaw puzzles.

P.S. checkout these beauties that came with our dinner delivery from our lovely friend Linda.