Weeks 35 and 36

Week 35 (July 18)

my sweet maternity wardrobe is dwindling

This week brought to you by the letter T.  T as in TIRED.  It's back people. I'm beat. I had a good stretch - I had energy, I no longer slept on the couch at 9:30 every night, I could come home and accomplish stuff without wanting to collapse, and I could make it through my workday without issue.  NO LONGER. This week it hit me. Or I've hit a wall. I want a nap every day sometime between 2 and 3:30, I have been falling asleep watching TV by 9:30 and I generally think I just look like crap.

This week marks 35 weeks down, 35 days to go.

Let's let that one sink in a little bit.....

Okay, so we're all now sufficiently freaked out. Good.
Lots to do, not a lot of time to deal with. I AM PANICKING.

This week has certainly brought me a new sense of "I NEED TO GET THINGS DONE NOW". I suddenly think of things I have not even thought of yet - I need to get this kid a baby book (I'd like to try to be as good about this one as I was for Anna - no one laugh), I need more diapers and ahhh I need wipes, I need to start getting things together for my own hospital bag (even though we are super close to the hospital now, I'd rather not be directing Doug on where to find the jumbo sized underwear to bring back), and then clothes for the kid. Thankfully Doug found my bags of newborn/0-3 month stuff and I went through it, picking out white onesies and gender neutral and seasonally appropriate gear. I feel SO much better now, as I found a ton of onesies for the first few weeks and then people will likely send/bring gender appropriate gifts and if it IS a girl we can try to use some of Anna's stuff (well, the stuff that isn't fleece or super warm). I do have to say, I have no idea what you're supposed to dress a summer baby in though. I remember being SO panicked last time about Anna being "freezing" and having blankets and the damn hospital hat on her at all times, but is that necessary now?? Anyone? I guess I can ask the nurses in the hospital, they are pretty smart ;)

Also, My mom had a dream I had the baby on July 29. (A girl, named Jo. Which I apparently didn't even call them to let them know it happened. Cool!) So that can't happen. We need an August kid.

Oh, and totally having a girl. My intuition is either screaming at me or way off. We'll see.

Week 35 with Anna




Week 36 (July 25)

work wardrobe: down to about 5 items
Mostly black.

AHHH I can take a little breath. (Only a little one, I am still quite cramped in here).... In that this weekend we ordered carpet for the baby's room and it will be installed today, 7/25.  Without the carpet in, we couldn't finish the moulding or put the furniture together or bring a bunch of crap for this kid into the room. SO this makes me feel like I actually have a deadline and it is only a few days away.......AMEN!!

I also bought the All Free & Clear detergent I liked to use with baby Anna and have a large load of stuff to clean (once I have a dresser I will do that, so I actually have a clean place to put them away!).

I also washed all my post-baby stuff and it's all folded and ready to be put into a bag, so no one has to look for my big panties. [phew]

Still have stuff on our Amazon wish list that I need to buy to make me feel a bit more "prepared", but I think once the room is more put together I will have a better idea of what I'm missing.  I do want the Aden & Anais blankets, as Anna is still using hers and I want both kids to have their own sets. Those blankets are amazing and still totally useful 2.5+ years later. She sleeps with one every night!

As for me, I am doing okay. I can't really complain too much to be honest. I feel big and pretty gross, but overall nothing is really getting to me just yet (except people.. I hate people). My right hand has been bothering me this week a bit more than it has the entire pregnancy. At work if I do too much, it starts burning/tingling, but no where near where it was last time. I consider this a HUGE ridiculous blessing. I have 8 work days left so I know I can power through. This baby is very strong, as I've said, so sometimes the movements are really powerful and can be very uncomfortable. Been feeling a lot of hiccups the last week or so, and I cannot figure out what position the baby is in. I have a doctors appointment on 7/24 and I plan to ask for a weight approximation and the position of the baby. I keep thinking he is in there sideways, as I always feel movement out of my right side. We'll see. (I'm not super great at this whole anatomy thing)

We are less than a month away from D-Day. That fact is something I can't really wrap my head around. (There's actually a baby in there that's going to come home with us..)  I am still taking it a day at a time because thinking of how our lives are going to change makes me want to CRY (all those tears). I know it will be great and we will figure it out and Anna will adjust and Doug and I will adjust and we'll all be happy... but then I let myself go to the "Anna won't be an only child anymore" place and then I feel sad and weird and emotional and ugh who wants to deal with emotions.  Moving on.

Doctor's appointment on 7/24 was good. Baby's heartbeat was 144, my blood pressure was still good/low. Baby is "in position" - head down, but not extremely low, which bodes well as Doug is traveling for the next 2 weeks. Makes me feel better for whatever reason, although anything could change at any minute! He told me that my weight gain is "perfect, textbook" and so of course I walked out feeling like a million bucks and started planning what I wanted to get for lunch already hahaha

Next appointment on 7/31. The weekly appointments really make this thing seem real, huh?  Yes, it's the appointments, not the huge belly full of baby.

Now, just because she's the cutest thing I've ever seen...

Anna & Mommy with matching hair-do's

Anna and Baby Cheddar snuggling on the couch

yeah, somehow Anna calls the baby Cheddar from time to time so it makes us laugh and we call the baby that too. I love cheese, she loves cheese. It works.

Last time at 36 Weeks

Anna, the flower girl

The weekend of July 11, we made our way up to Mystic, CT to celebrate Brian and Kelly's marriage. Anna was asked to be flower girl a couple months ago and so we started "prepping" her talking about her 'job' in the last month. We had bought the beautiful dress and talked about how she would be a princess for the wedding and she seemed pumped. I really had no idea what to expect from her, to be honest.

Modeling her princess dress for the first time when we bought it

After a long drive up (for the LAST TIME!), we arrived around 12:45 and quickly realized our dreams of heading to the aquarium were dashed. The parking lots were PACKED and by this point Anna hadn't napped and we had to be ready for the rehearsal dinner at 5. We decided to hang at the hotel, have lunch, try to have some "quiet time" (aka desperately try for a nap.... HA) and then get ready to go.  That's pretty much how it went (no nap, quiet time in bed, showers and getting ready) and off to the rehearsal.

wasting no time getting comfy

lunch at the hotel

Anna did great, practiced throwing her 'petals' and didn't misbehave too much in church. Thankfully we were the only ones there and a bit of yelling wasn't the end of the world...

We headed to the restaurant for the rehearsal dinner and after a bit of a snafu regarding timing, we were seated in a nice private room where I felt exponentially better about Anna's behavior. We were away from everyone else, had dedicated waitstaff and our own bathroom and we were upstairs away from the general restaurant. It all worked in our favor. Anna was great! She hadn't really eaten any lunch so when we ordered her some buttered noodles I held my breath... and she INHALED them. That and some bread and a little tea party at the table and she was golden. It definitely wasn't a bad scene, but I knew as soon as my food came she would likely start taking a turn and I would end up with a cold dinner and a frustrated, overtired kid. Thankfully my parents were also in town and they came to pick her up and help put her to bed.

burning off energy before the room was ready for us

sitting down for a little tea party

inhaling her noodle dinner

the girl cousins pose

We didn't have as great of luck that night with sleep. Took her a long time to settle down [sleeping in a hotel bed for the first time], but she slept till about 2:30 before waking up yelling. Ended up in bed with us, had a few screaming fits (over what, who knows) before kicking Doug out of bed and sleeping with me the rest of the night. Popped up at 6:30 ready to start her day (early for Anna). I know I for one needed an extra cup of coffee to get going. We had some breakfast and decided to hit up the hotel pool for some fun. Doug had to be in Brian's room at 12 so we were running on limited time again, and my mom had hurt her ankle the night before on the stairs so we were all laying low. The pool was GREAT. Somehow in all my ridiculous packing for the weekend, I forgot her new water wings/swimmie contraption but she did fine anyway. We practiced swimming and kicking and of course, LOTS of jumping. Fearless, this kid.

jump after jump after jump

After Doug left to do his best man duties, we headed back to settle down in the room for more "quiet time". I knew I wasn't getting a nap out of her but I knew she needed dark and quiet to recharge and not be too amped up by go-time. We had a bath, got ready and headed out to the wedding. Anna was pumped and ready!  (And I was right, even after the crappy night sleep and the extreme swimming, there was no way I was getting a nap out of her!)

all set and ready to be the FLOWER GIRL!

she even sat through the entire hour-long mass without disrupting anyone!

We got to the church at about 1:55 (supposed to start at 2pm) as I didn't want Anna to have to wait too long and get too antsy. Too bad the traffic was horrendous and Kelly's limo got caught on the way and we ended up waiting a bit for her. Anna did fine, but right before her big moment, she panicked and started to cry. I did what I had to do and picked her up and I ended up being the stand-in flower girl instead :) Anna came around after a few feet and started smiling and said "OK let's do it!" but let me do the honor anyway. She sat through mass somehow (with the help of Gram and Pop, some new [quiet] toys and the hymnal book which she desperately looked through hoping for pictures I think.) The best part was after they were married and finally had their kiss, Anna yelled "THEY DID IT!" without prompting. Amazingly hilarious. All the potty training cheer and encouragement is really wearing off on her.

We took a few family shots and then headed back to the hotel to 'rest' again and freshen up for the reception later on.

The DePerry clan

the beautiful princess ready to go (with her new puppy purse from Uncle Brian & Aunt Kelly)

The reception site was beautiful and the weather was perfect, albeit a little warm in the sun. I haven't been too sensitive to the heat yet this summer but I think the combo of the long black dress, being 8 months pregnant and holding Anna wearing a multi-layered dress made me HOT. (And a little crabby, if we're being honest.) I wanted a big drink and to no longer have this big appendage hanging off me! We settled in and took some fun pics at the photo booth before all the fun began.

just a small sample of our ridiculously cute photo shoot

Doug's toast was funny, the food was great, and then the music began. Anna became a certified DANCE MACHINE. Once it started, we could not pry her off the dance floor. Song after song after song, she had groups of people crowded around her. She started off with Doug and Grandma and Baba and then it was strangers and all kinds of people. I went out to try to get her to cool down by bribing with cake and she looked at me and pushed me back and said "NO!"  I couldn't even get her off the floor with CAKE! It was amazing. I can't wait to see all the hilarious photos the photographer took of her getting down! After all my meticulous packing, I can't believe I forgot to bring a change of clothes for her to the reception. I guess I didn't anticipate the crazy, sweaty dance machine she would become. I only had an extra couple pairs of underwear, which I didn't think was appropriate attire for her Uncle's wedding.

We finally got her calmed down and outside to cool down (her hair was soaked and face was beet red!) and took some cousin pics. This one is one of my favorites.... making Brian uncomfortable with our baby bellies (and Chrissie just looking super cute):

It was about 8:30 and I figured if we stayed any longer or let Anna go back in to dance more that God only knows what could happen. She had been up since 6:30 going strong, so I made the executive decision to hit the road with my parents and try for bedtime.

Turns out, I made the right move. She almost fell asleep in the car on the 3 minute drive back to the hotel, and after a bit of chill out time, a snack and pjs... we read 1 story before she fell asleep in my arms. This NEVER happens. I was torn between just snuggling her and letting her get comfy in the bed for a good night sleep. I made the hard choice and snuggled her in where she didn't even move an inch as I transferred her and turned out the lights. I went in to sit with my parents for a little bit and we talked about how amazing she was for the entire day. My mom made a good point and said, "Whenever you have a rough day and feel like she just won't behave... remember this day and remember how great she was for you" and we laughed about blogging it so we'll never forget.  [now I won't!]

She slept from about 9:30pm to 8am... straight through! After the crappy night the night before, this was a miracle and MUCH needed.

she woke up feeling like a million bucks, and so did I

We finally got ourselves together after breakfast and headed over to the Mystic Aquarium. Since we had been aiming to do so since Friday afternoon, we were happy to get there early before it was too hot and the crowds were too bad.

penguins!

just hitchin a ride

sharks!

crawling into a ship wreck with Poppy

oh hello there

trying to get our friend to come say HI!

We had a great time & I'm glad after all these years of driving by the aquarium on the way to Rhode Island, we finally got a chance to go before Grandma and Baba move to NEW JERSEY!!!

We headed to their house afterwards for one last night at the house. We hung out, went to Watch Hill for ice cream and a walk along the water before heading home to relax. As I type this, the moving truck has pulled out of the driveway in Westerly headed for New Jersey!  Gone are the days of 3+ hour drives for short visits and instead Anna now has both sets of grandparents down the road. LUCKY GIRL! We are also lucky & look forward to all the new memories of having them so close. The new baby will always have a special relationship with them too, which makes me and Doug very happy.

Our weekend was definitely not an "easy" one (I definitely felt that I spent 99% of my time making sure Anna was on good behavior and not ruining a special weekend for everyone/trying for some semblance of sleep, which reminded me of days-of-Anna's-past) but it was definitely fun and full of great memories. I thought I might treat this weekend like a little "getaway" before the new baby arrives, but looking back now I want to laugh in that Carin's face. One day I will get away on an actual vacation and actually relax ... but until then, more of this crazy life!

Weeks 33 and 34

Week 33 (July 4!)

Happy 4th of July!

Well, in case you missed the memo, I am officially-no doubt about it- pregnant. It has come to my attention quite recently that there is no denying it. I am feeling a lot of strong, uncomfortable movements from my stowaway and do spend more of my day at work than not a bit uncomfortable. It's mostly that I just wish I were sitting in a cushy recliner as opposed to this chair (which suddenly seems hard as a rock under my pancake butt) and I cannot get it to stay in a reclined position, I have to actively push it back... which only lasts so long. I just feel like I am very cramped and the baby feels big and my torso is not that big and this leads to smushing. Heartburn, weird pains and lots of jostling movements from this kid. I know Anna was active but unless my memory is totally shot, this kid is 10x worse.

According to my sources (read: the Internet), at this point I have about 49 days left till my due date. Seems like a lot and a little all at once. When I think I only have 5 weeks left of work, THAT seems like not very much - especially since next week is a 3-day week which will obviously go fast, and our work calendar is filling up by the day... things are bound to fly by.

As far as sleeping goes -it's still a success, thank GOD. I am asleep by 10:30 or 11, up once to pee and some days I can even pry myself out of bed and get downstairs to walk before work. Some days the snooze button is my best friend, no regrets. I do some relaxing off and on during the day (on weekends) but haven't really succumbed to naps yet. Last weekend after some rigorous potty training, I had to lay down while Anna napped and that hour-long recharge really brought me back to life. I try to do some cleaning/laundry/whatever and then rest, then do some more stuff, then rest... etc. so I am never pushing myself for 2 straight hours cause I definitely feel that now & it can throw me off for the whole day. It's funny what things I took for granted that actually cause me pain or exhaustion now!

My left hip has been bothering me and some days I walk around work like I'm 90. Not too much I can do - I have been icing it at night and then heat. It does help, but sitting for a while does compromise it.

Belly button status:  really weird and I hate it.


33 weeks last go-round



34 Weeks (July 11)

hmm, in the same shirt as last week.
How unoriginal of me.

Right now I feel a little bit like a broken record. Not too much to report, thank GOD. Same aches and pains: left hip, right hand (occasionally), sore belly.  This kid is most definitely giving me a run for my money and has been pummeling me over the last few days. LOW punches to the bladder, side kicks that feel like they are going to break my sides open, and lots of weird rolling and motion overall. It is a strange sensation to say the least and I have found it's taken my breath away a few times recently. (literally)

Still deal with heartburn, but it seemed to level off there for a bit. I have been staying away from anything spicy so I don't aggravate it and that definitely helps.

Realized this week that I am in the one-month-left-at-work range, with only 18ish actual working days left. I don't know how on earth that happened but I really need to get my act together. I have barely worked with the woman taking over for me and as of right now I do not feel very confident in her actually doing this work. I need to really get on that. I feel like because she had another job here, she is still doing work for other people and sometimes when I think we should be working together she's doing other stuff. Not really working in our favor, I'd say. I'm trying, slowly but surely - but the clock, she is ticking.  My last day is August 8. Doug will be in Las Vegas again for the 8 days prior, I believe he returns on the morning of the 8th. Yes, missing my birthday again. SWEET!  Computers rule!

The baby's room is not really much closer to being done and that is also giving me a large dose of anxiety. Room is fully painted, blinds are hung, but there is no moulding. We want to do carpet, but haven't decided on that either. If we do wall-to-wall should we have the moulding in first, or after? I just have to pull the trigger and do it. We can't set up any furniture until both of those things are done. This weekend we'll be gone Fri-Mon for Brian's wedding so that's completely out. The following 2 weekends are basically the only time for this stuff to be done so WE HAVE TO DO IT or else I'm going to lose it. I hate this closed-door, non-finished room. Baby clothes are still stashed somewhere in the attic or basement or garage (anyone know??) and I haven't been able to look through, pick out stuff that'll work and wash it and/OR buy seasonally appropriate newborn wear (having one newborn in December and one in August is not super easy). I still have a ton of crap on my Amazon list that I need to buy that we actually need, not just want. UGH. Okay I am feeling a bit of panic. Have been totally laid back about it all till now...

Okay I must go practice my deep breathing. And maybe have a snack.

till then, here's a sweet pic of something I bought for Baby 2.0.  Love it!

34 weeks with Anna