Dear Natalie: Four Months

Dear Natalie,

Yet another month has flown by, and here I find myself with a four month old baby. Your fourth month began in mid-October and included your first illness and your first holiday. But first the stats-- at four months, you weigh 15 lbs. even (66%), you are 25.5 inches long (88%), and your head clocks in at an impressive 42.3 cm (90%.) You handled your shots at the doctor's office slightly better than at your two month appointment, but you still had a rough evening back at home. You seem to be a little more sensitive than your brother in this area, and I don't blame you. Shots are no fun. At the beginning of your fourth month, your second bottom tooth poked through, and now you have a cute set of lower teeth that are increasingly visible with each smile.

In the sleep department, you continue to do well. Teething late in your third month and early into your fourth month threw you off a bit, but most nights you go to bed around 7:30pm (the same time as your brother) and sleep until 7 or 8am. You are typically waking up about once a night now, sometime between 3-5am and we'll nurse and then you go back to sleep easily. There are nights when you will sleep for an uninterrupted 12 hour stretch, but they are less frequent than last month. We're hoping to make 12 hour stretches more of a habit in the coming month. But I can't complain too much-- you continue to take regular 2-3 hour naps each afternoon (going down at the same time as Nicholas) and if we're at home in the morning, you'll take a 1-2 hour nap. Otherwise, you continue to nap on the go very contently.

Your fourth month also brought a new milestone immediately followed by your first big illness. On October 30th, you successfully rolled over from your back to your stomach. That night we unswaddled you for the first time, and you woke up screaming around 3am. I thought it was just because you were unaccustomed to sleeping unswaddled, but when I picked you up to nurse you, you felt hotter than anything I've ever experienced. I woke Daddy up to help me take your temperature, and you were screaming so hysterically that we had to stop before the thermometer beeped, but in that short time the thermometer had already reached 103.7. We frantically dialed the on-call pediatrician and she advised us to give you acetaminophen and a sponge back with luke warm water to help bring your fever down. If your temperature didn't go down, she warned, we would need to take you to the ER at Dell Children's Hospital. You threw up two doses of medicine (due to the fever), but finally kept the third dose down and settled down to go back to sleep around 5am. Later that morning, we took you in to the doctor, where a worried pediatrician did a bunch of different tests on you, including a blood draw to check your white blood cell count. Fortunately everything came back normal within a few days. In the following day or two, your fever dissipated and the illness settled into a run of the mill cold virus (probably brought home from preschool by your big brother.) A fever that high in a three and a half month old is usually very serious, but despite giving us quite a scare, you recovered quickly and were back to your usual smiling self within a few days.

Aside from your first bout of illness, your fourth month included lots of fun, including your first Halloween. On October 18th, we made a trip out to the pumpkin patch to kick off the fall season (although it was pretty hot, humid, and decidedly un-fall that day.)

You were a trooper and tolerated us propping you up against a bunch of pumpkins and making you pose for pictures-- both at the Sweet Berry Farm pumpkin patch and later at our church's pumpkin patch.

And, despite your rough night on the 30th, you seemed well enough on the evening of Halloween to get bundled up in your strawberry costume and take a stroll through the neighborhood while Nicholas went trick or treating. He may have gotten all the candy, but you stole the show as the cutest little baby berry.

At four months, your personality is really beginning to shine. You continue to be extremely content, and happy, and now you have started giggling, which is just the most precious sound. We love to make you laugh, and when you really think something is hilarious you do an awesome snort laugh that makes us crack up too. I have also discovered that you love being sung to. Your favorites so far are Twinkle Twinkle and Baa Baa Black Sheep, and you just light up with joy when I start singing to you, usually as we rock and snuggle before bed. It is truly adorable.

Little ladybug, I am so grateful to have the opportunity to be your mother. You bring so much joy to our lives, and every month with you just keeps getting better. Time is moving much too quickly for my taste, but I also know that we have so many fun things to look forward to in the months and years ahead. I look forward to each and every day with you, and I can't wait to see what's next.

All my love,
Mommy

Dear Natalie: Three Months

Dear Natalie,

You are three months old, and just like that you've moved out of the "fourth trimester" and into full fledged babyhood. They were not joking when they said everything seems to go faster with the second one-- time is moving fast.

Your third month was a little quieter than your first two-- no visitors and no travel-- but we've had lots of fun enjoying family time at home, including a hike on the Steiner Ranch trails, lots of walks to the park, a "camping cookout" in the back yard, a day trip down to San Antonio for William's first birthday, a long walk around Town Lake in the beautiful fall weather the day you turned 12 weeks old, and lots of much needed one on one time on Monday and Wednesday mornings when Nicholas is in preschool.

This month, you also managed to keep us on our toes with a slew of feeding challenges. After receiving your shots at your two month appointment, you launched into a full fledged feeding strike, refusing to eat for hours at a time for the better part of a week. For the previous two months, I had suspected you had a case of reflux and after following up with your doctor about it several times, we finally started you on medicine at the end of the first week of your third month. After about a day or two, you started to come around and we were able to get our nursing relationship back on track.

For most of the rest of the month, you refused to drink from a bottle (even when I was away one time for 5-6 hours for a job interview), but then right before you turned three months we went through another nursing strike and you only wanted a bottle. I pumped as often as I could to try to keep my supply up and tried every trick in the book, including pumping before feeding to stimulate an immediate let down for you; feeding you while standing, walking, and rocking; feeding while lying down next to you or hovering above you; and feeding you while you slept. Finally I was able to coax you back to regular nursing, but not without shedding some blood, sweat, and tears.

Toward the end of this ordeal (on October 14th), I stuck my finger in your mouth to help soothe you and was shocked to discover a tooth! I could see the little white tip of your bottom right center tooth just poking through the gum. You were extra fussy for the prior week or so, chewing on your fingers constantly, but it had never occurred to me that you could be teething at just two and a half months old. That turned out to be the explanation for the feeding strike and fortunately you had passed the worst of the teething, so we have been able to get your feedings back on track.

While month three posed plenty of feeding challenges, you have been an absolute rock star sleeper. You slept through the night for three consecutive nights, from about 9pm-6am, beginning on September 19th. Since then, you have continued to sleep through the night about five or six nights a week. We gradually moved your bedtime earlier and now you go down somewhere between 8-8:30pm and you sleep until 5-6am. Then you will wake up, eat, and go back to sleep until 8-9am. You have also been really consistent with your naps. If we're home in the mornings, you will sleep for an hour and a half to two hours (beginning around 10am). If we're on the go, running errands or at the park, you are content to just sleep in your carseat. Most afternoons I have been able to sync up your nap with Nicholas' nap (thank you to both of you), and you'll sleep for two to three hours.

This month you also discovered your hands and feet. You figured out how to grasp your feet, one in each hand, and roll side to side in a perfect "happy baby" pose. It's pretty adorable. You are probably not far from rolling over from your back to your stomach. When you're not busy playing with your feet, you love to inspect your fingers, clenching and unclenching your fists, and moving them slowly and carefully as you examine them. You concentrate hard, staring intently at your fingers, as you slowly move them towards your mouth. Sometimes your eyes cross briefly from all the effort. You don't always find your target, but your aim is getting better by the day. Your favorite way to soothe yourself is to suck on a few fingers, preferably the two middle fingers on your right hand, while grasping your foot in your mouth. I think all of this finger sucking has also been your coping mechanism during your surprising early teething.

Despite some of our feeding challenges this month, you are still such a happy baby. You grin at us all the time, and we are so close to real giggles. I've said this in my prior monthly letters, but your disposition is just so sweet. When I nurse you before bed and you begin to drift off, you close your eyes and give me one final big grin before falling completely asleep. I also think you're an old soul-- I can see a quiet wisdom in your eyes and I have no doubt you'll teach me many things over the coming years.

I am cherishing every day I get to spend with you, ladybug. I don't like seeing time move so quickly, but I know I am really savoring my time with you and enjoying you as a baby. I'm in no rush to get to the next milestone, but my one consolation is that you just seem to get cuter and cuter with each passing day, and I know that the best is yet to come.

I love you with my whole heart,
Mommy

Dear Natalie: Two Months

Dear Natalie,

You are two months old! I feel like I blinked and all of a sudden you have moved out of the squishy, sleepy newborn phase and now you are an active, alert baby. You are smiling and cooing all the time, which we just love. Your natural disposition is just so happy, and as long as you are fed and well rested, you are just thrilled to be interacting with whoever wants to hold you or talk to you.

You continue to grow like crazy. At your two month appointment, you weighed 11 lbs. 8 oz., which puts you smack in the middle at the 55th percentile. You are a long baby, though, measuring 23.25", which puts you in the 83rd percentile for length. Many of your 0-3 month clothes are already starting to look a little short, so I think we'll probably start moving you up a size before you reach 3 months. (You are still wearing a size 1 diaper.) And, just like your Mommy and brother, you have a huge head. Yours currently measures 39.8cm, which puts in you the 98th percentile.

Unlike your Mommy and brother (and Daddy for that matter), you aren't bald and have a nice little covering of brown hair. You lost a little bit during your first month, but now it's starting to fill in and even grow a little bit longer along the back. You have 2-3 really long strands growing right out of the top of your head, which are kind of funny. They must have been your first hairs, from before birth, and you just never lost them. Your hair looks like a medium-dark shade of brown most of the time, but in bright sunlight it has a very distinct red hue. Maybe you'll be a redhead like your Daddy?  Who knows. Your eyes are also still kind of a mystery. Often they look dark blue, but they may be changing because sometimes they are kind of a brownish gray. Time will tell.

Your second month was full of lots of milestones. You took your first airplane ride with Mommy on August 18th to attend the funeral of your great grandmother (Bapa's mother) in Portland. It was a sad occasion, but you got to meet almost all of your relatives on Mommy's side. Everyone loved you, and you were a bright spot on an otherwise unhappy day. The other silver lining of our trip back to the Northwest was that we were able to drive up to Seattle after the funeral for a quick trip to visit Auntie Lolo and Uncle Mike and meet your cousin Dawson, who was just a few days old. We had thought we wouldn't be able to introduce the two of you until Christmas, so it was fun to get you together when you were both so brand new.

Natalie at 5 and a half weeks, Dawson at 6 days (and not quite sure about that girl cousin of his...)

While in Seattle, you also got to meet your Aunt Kristin, Uncle Dan, and cousin Edison, along with your great aunts and uncles on Gammy's side, Mary, John, Charlie, and Barb. It was a lot of travel, but you were a trooper. I was nervous flying with a one month old baby on my own, but you handled it with flying colors and charmed the pants off our fellow seatmates on the plane. (I was lucky enough to get seated next to a sweet grandmother on the way out and two other very nice women on the way back.)

While in Portland, you achieved your first big gross motor skills milestone at just 5 weeks-- you rolled from your tummy to your back on August 21st. You aren't quite as big of a roller at this stage as your brother, but if left on your tummy long enough you usually find a way to roll on to your back. You don't love tummy time, but you tolerate it pretty well for a few minutes at a time, and everyone comments on how strong your neck and back are. When I'm holding you to burp after a feeding, you love to pull yourself away from my chest and hold your neck and head up yourself. You still have a few of your cute newborn reflexes left, including involuntarily shaking your leg like a dog and thrusting your arms and fists out wide above your head when you get startled so that you look like Superman flying.

Once we got back from Portland and Seattle, the rest of your second month was spent just adjusting to life as a family of four and me figuring out how to juggle two kids on my own during the day. We took our first trip to a restaurant as a family of four (with no help from grandparents) on August 30th for a belated birthday brunch for me at Chez Zee, and you, me, and Nicholas have taken lots of outings as a threesome, including our first trip to the grocery store (you in the Ergo and Nicholas in the cart), the park, and other errands. We also took a family trip to the pool over Labor Day weekend, although you snoozed in your car seat for most of it, and you had your first non-family babysitter on September 13th when Mommy and Daddy went out to dinner to celebrate our sixth anniversary. You continue to be a pretty laid back baby most of the time, and you adapt well to life on the go. When we are at home, you've created a nice little schedule on  your own, which includes a morning nap around 10am for an hour and a half to two hours, a longer afternoon nap for two to three hours, usually beginning around 1pm (right around the time Nicholas goes down for his nap if I'm lucky), and bedtime around 9pm. You typically wake up once or twice-- sometimes around 3am and usually always between 5-6am. You are a great sleeper, and for that I am extremely grateful!

You love bath time, being held, and staring at the ceiling fan. Sometimes we'll catch you just grinning at the fan like it's your best friend-- pretty cute. You also seem to prefer just stretching out on a blanket on the floor and having the freedom to kick and move around rather than being seated in any kind of swing or moving baby chair like the Mamaroo. You are old school like that. You do not like being hungry or getting over tired-- when you're ready to sleep you want to sleep and get very fussy until you do fall asleep. But overall you are just a cheerful, happy baby, and we love your sweet disposition and your adorable little smile.

It's hard to remember what life was like before your arrival only two short months ago, and I'm so glad you're here-- you bring so much joy to our little family and you make us all better. I just can't get enough of you. I fall more and more in love with you every day, and I am so grateful to have the opportunity to be your mother. You are my little sunshine.

All my love,
Mommy

Dear Natalie: One Month

 
Dear Natalie,

You are one month old! All the cliches are true... it's hard to believe it's already been a month, and at the same time, we can hardly remember life before your arrival. After months of anticipation, it's been so much fun to begin to discover your personality and see what you look like. Based on your 3D ultrasound picture taken about a month before your birth, I had a suspicion that you might look a little bit like me, and so far that seems to be the case. You were born with dark hair covering your head (which has started to thin out in front), and the shape of your face and some of your features look like mine. But, your eyes look like they might be dark blue, so time will tell if you take after Daddy in that regard.

In your few short weeks of life thus far, you have been a really good baby. You are your own little person with your own preferences and tendencies, but it's hard to avoid comparisons with your brother-- he wasn't an extremely difficult baby, but you are definitely my "easy" baby so far. In your first two weeks of life, you didn't do much besides sleep, wake briefly to eat, and then fall back asleep again. In the second half of your first month, you emerged a little bit from the sleepy newborn phase, but you are still giving us one 4-6 stretch of sleep each night, followed by another 2-3 hour stretch of sleep. We are far from any sort of regular schedule, but you usually fall asleep for the evening between 9:30-11pm, wake for a feeding between 2-4am, go right back to sleep, wake again around 6-6:30am, and then sleep for one more hour before waking for the day around 8am. Certainly no complaints here! You sleep in the bassinet attachment of our Pack'N'Play in our bedroom, but you started taking morning naps in your crib on August 5th. You already have a pretty regular morning nap emerging-- usually beginning around 8:30 or 9am and lasting for about two hours each day.

You are also a champion eater, and breast feeding is going really well for us. It's been much easier than my first time around. No supply issues and not more than a day or two of initial pain. I am exclusively breast feeding, but I began pumping once every other day or so when you were two weeks, and you took your first bottle from Daddy on August 2nd without complaint. Since then, you've had a bottle on several other occasions. The only issue we've encountered thus far is that you seem to overeat and then spit up quite a bit. We're not sure yet if it's reflux, but being really full irritates your stomach and you need lots of help to expel the extra gas and pressure.

Happy one week birthday!

You are growing like a weed. At your one week doctor's appointment (which actually occurred when you were 6 days old), you had already exceeded your birth weight, weighing it at 7 pounds, 9 ounces. At your two week appointment, you weighed 8 pounds, 10 ounces. And then I had to take you in right around your one month mark for a rash that had developed on your face, and you weighed in at a whopping 10 pounds, 8 ounces. You've grown out of most of your newborn sized clothes as of about three weeks, and we moved you up to size 1 diapers at four weeks. I'm a little sad to see you move out of the adorable wrinkly, curled up newborn stage so quickly, but your increasingly squishy little cheeks and thighs are pretty cute, too. Plus you have a great 0-3 month wardrobe full of fun, colorful summer rompers, so I've enjoyed playing dress up.

With Gammy

Your personality is shining through more and more. You have the sweetest disposition, and you've already started giving us little smiles. You started smiling periodically within your first week, and while they may have been unintentional at first, they've grown more and more frequent. You have an adorable open mouthed, lopsided grin that I can't get enough of, and I can already tell you that you are happy by nature. You've succeeded in charming not just me, Daddy, and Nicholas; but also Gammy and Bapa; Grandmama and Dzia Dzia; and lots of friends.

With Grandmama

You've spent many of your newborn days on the go. You made your first trip to a restaurant with me and Gammy for lunch at Epicerie when you were just 9 days old. That night, Daddy, Nicholas, and Bapa joined us and we all had dinner at The Grove. You've also made trips to stroll down South Congress, to join us for tacos at Torchy's, and to accompany us on errands to the grocery store, Target, and the mall. Fortunately, you are an easy going baby and seem content to just go with flow.

First outing to dinner a a family of four (someone wasn't interested in being in this photo...)

As our second child, I worried a little bit that you would miss out on some of the attention that your brother received. And while I certainly don't have as much time to focus exclusively on you as I did with Nicholas, I've discovered that being a more experienced mother this time around has made me feel so much more relaxed and allowed me to truly enjoy your newborn days.

The stress and anxiety I felt during my first foray into motherhood is gone, I am just relishing you as a tiny baby and enjoying all of the ups and downs of your infancy. I know how fast these newborn days pass, and so even the middle of the night feedings don't bother me. I love observing all of your many expressions and your little jerky newborn movements, I love feeling your smooth baby skin against mine when I feed you or rock you, and I love just watching you take in the world around you.


You have brought us so much joy in such a short period of time, and I am already so happy and proud to be your mother.

All my love,
Mommy

Introducing...

Miss Natalie Ann 

July 16, 2014

7 pounds, 6 ounces

20 1/4 inches

Natalie entered our lives in true diva form via a very surprising emergency c-section two and a half weeks ago. We were grateful to have a wonderful medical team to help us through the birth, and fortunately both she and I are healthy and doing great. While the birth itself was very scary and a little traumatic, since we've been home, she's been a rock star baby, eating and sleeping like a champ. At her two week appointment, she had surpassed her birth weight by over a pound (up to 8 pounds, 10 ounces), and most nights she will give us one 4-5 hour stretch of sleep. Not bad for less than three weeks in!

Natalie has already charmed a slew of visitors, including my mom for two weeks and my dad for the later part of her visit, lots of local friends, and one of my best friends from college who lives down in San Antonio. Jason's parents arrive tomorrow, and after a week (mostly) alone with two kids, I'm very much looking forward to two extra pairs of hands. Big brother Nicholas is doing well-- he definitely has his ups and downs, but most of the time he is very loving and gentle with baby sister. Mid-July in Texas is a little like what I imagine January in Minnesota to be, meaning we are spending little to no time outside. It's been tough being cooped up inside with a newborn and a rowdy two and a half year old who needs lots of physical outlets for all of his energy, but Jason has been great about taking him to the pool multiple times over the weekends, and we squeeze in quick walks to the mailbox or early morning playtimes in the backyard whenever we can.

Overall, Natalie has been a joy to have around, and it's been so much fun to experience a newborn baby again-- this time as a more seasoned and relaxed mom. Parenting two littles is just about as time consuming and tiring as I had expected, so my posts will probably be even fewer and further between than usual, but I hope to post the full birth story in all it's dramatic glory soon. Until then, I am signing off to fold a pile of tiny onesies and then snuggle my girl.

Baby #2: Weeks 39 - 40

39 weeks

Dates: July 1 - July 14, 2014

Highlights: Due date! Here we are. I was really hoping for a 7/14/14 birthday, and I suppose there's still time, but it's looking like it may be another few days. Recent highlights include celebrating the 4th of July with friends down in San Antonio. With a toddler and a 9 month old in tow, we didn't make it out late enough to see any fireworks, but we enjoyed a nice summer meal and catching up with friends. The next morning, we checked out the Pearl Brewery farmer's market and made a pit stop at the ever delicious Bakery Lorraine before driving home. (And, no, technically I wasn't supposed to travel at almost 39 weeks, but my doctor said he thought it was probably going to be OK given that San Antonio is only about an hour and a half away.) Since then, we've been hunkered down at home, nesting like crazy. Her room is done, but we've been tackling a bunch of other little projects around the house, in between trips to the pool and naps-- lots of naps. Yesterday, my mom arrived in town, and now we're all just playing the waiting game.

Last holiday as a family of 3 - Happy 4th of July!

Symptoms: Overall, I actually feel really good for being so pregnant. I don't have any major aches and pains, and I'm sleeping decently in between my frequent bathroom breaks. I am extremely tired, but I think that's to be expected. I'm also really hot all of the time, and the hot, humid weather outside doesn't help much. I pretty much avoid going outside after about noon each day. But, again, that's not too bad at this stage of the game. Despite the heat, I've lucked out and managed to avoid any swelling. I didn't have any swelling with Nicholas either, but he was born in January, so I thought I might wind up a little more swollen this time around. But here I am still sporting my wedding bands and my shoes fit fine. Not bad for a pregnancy that wraps up in July. I'm feeling an increasing amount of contractions and crampiness-- multiple times daily-- and at my 39 week appointment my OB was surprised to find that I've dilated to 3-4 cm. Here's hoping that means her arrival is imminent.

Ready to meet you! 

What's Different: I'm still pregnant. I was induced with Nicholas and he was born at 39 weeks and 4 days, so reaching my due date (and beyond) is new territory. My total weight gain is also slightly different this time around. I gained a pound around week 38, but then lost it by week 39, so I haven't gained any weight since week 34, for a grand total of 30 pounds. With Nicholas, I gained steadily up until the end, for a total of 33 pounds (although I started a little bit lower with him.) This time I feel like my belly is a little bit smaller, but there is more weight distributed elsewhere.

39 weeks 4 days - most pregnant up to this point. (Here I am with Nicholas at 36 weeks.)

What's the Same: I'm feeling a little bit of anxiety about whether or not she's doing OK in there. Like with Nicholas, it seems like she's moving around a little bit less these days, and even though I know she's pretty much out of room, I can't help but get concerned from time to time. Being so close to the end, I just want to make sure everything continues to go smoothly. I'm sure it will, but I just need to stay positive.

40 weeks

What I Miss: Nothing that I can't hold out a few more days for... I've got a bottle of nice rose wine chilling in the fridge and I'm looking forward to cracking it open in celebration in just a few days.

And one final pic... maybe the last?

What I'm Looking Forward To: I'm looking forward to meeting the little lady, hopefully sooner rather than later. Ideally, I'd like to go into labor on my own, but if she doesn't make her appearance soon, then I am OK with a little medical nudge at the end of the week. Tick tock...

Baby #2: Weeks 37 - 38

38 weeks

Dates: June 17 - June 30, 2014

Highlights: We've been busy nesting and getting ready for baby girl's arrival. We finished up the nursery at the end of week 37, which was a great feeling. I'm just waiting on the mobile, which should arrive right around her due date. Pictures to come soon! I've also been enjoying lots of one on one time with Nicholas (pool, park, playdates, etc.), and we've made a point to go out to eat several times as a family, appreciating how easy it is right now with Nicholas to leave the house sans massive diaper bag-- that will change soon!-- and the fact that he now has the attention span to sit through a meal out without too much fussiness.

Symptoms: At the beginning of week 37, we had a little bit of excitement with several bouts of false labor, each lasting several hours. I didn't truly think I was in labor, but the symptoms (strong, general crampiness and some intestinal issues) were suspicious enough that I felt a call to the doctor was warranted. He wanted me to come in to get checked out, but confirmed it was just "uterine irritability" and prescribed lots of fluids to keep me hydrated. Since then, I've continued to experience periodic contractions, bouts of cramps, and other pre-labor symptoms, but nothing that develops into a regular pattern. However, I am starting to make some progress. At my 38 week appointment, I was 50% effaced and 1.5 cm dilated.

What's Different: With Nicholas, I didn't experience much in the way of false labor or pre-labor. I've had a lot more Braxton Hicks contractions throughout this pregnancy, and now a lot more pre-labor activity. At this point, I'm not sure whether I'll know when I'm actually in labor. I'm just trying to assure myself that if I'm questioning it, then I'm not actually in labor. Since I don't need to be induced this time around for medical reasons, the end of this pregnancy feels quite a bit different than the first time around. I still have a couple weeks to go, but am starting to get a glimpse into what the waiting game feels like.

What's the Same: Lots of fatigue, reduced appetite, some intestinal issues. Fun stuff!

What I Miss: My energy! I know sleep is going to get a lot worse before it gets better, but I also know that despite being a walking zombie, I'll have a lot more physical stamina than I do now.

What I'm Looking Forward To: I'm looking forward to wrapping up the final stretch! Her birthday is getting closer and closer... I can't wait to meet her!

Baby #2: Weeks 35 - 36

35 weeks

Dates: June 3 - June 16, 2014

Highlights: I officially finished up with my job as of the end of May, so week 35 was my first week at home full time with Nicholas. We've been enjoying lots of one on one fun together, including frequent trips to the playground and pool.

Farmer boy

At the end of week 35 we also took a family day trip out to Fredericksburg to pick peaches, followed by a picnic at LBJ State Park and a stop for homemade peach ice cream on the way home. We had a great time, and I think Nicholas has officially discovered a love for ice cream now.

Pickin' peaches with my little peach

Symptoms: My appetite continues to be suppressed by my ever growing uterus-- so much so that I haven't gained any weight since week 34 and am holding steady at a total weight gain of 30 pounds so far. I gained more weight with this baby in the first trimester than I did with Nicholas, so I expected that my total weight gain would be somewhat higher, but it looks like it may be about the same. I am also really grateful that my back pain has also pretty much completely cleared up. I've been able to resume a little bit more physical exercise, including some weekly walks around the neighborhood (or on the new boardwalk along Town Lake below.) But I'm not breaking any fitness records over here-- the heat combined with my size mean that my pace is "leisurely" at best. Still, it feels good to enjoy some regular activity. My main complaint at this stage is that my bladder feels like it's about the size of a pea. Any time she moves, I feel like I have to run to the bathroom, and even when she's not moving much, I still need to run to the bathroom every 30-45 minutes. I'm also waking up at least twice a night to use the bathroom (sometimes more), and sometimes it takes me a long time to fall back asleep due to my overactive brain racing with thoughts about everything I still feel like we need to accomplish before we bring home a baby.

36 weeks

What's Different: At this point, I think I may actually feel a little bit better than I did with Nicholas at 36 weeks. I had really bad hip pain with him, which I haven't experienced too much during this pregnancy. I was also sleeping really poorly, and I'm still sleeping decently (aside from the frequent bathroom trips)-- completely thanks to my body pillow. That thing is a life saver. My tiny bladder is also a little different this time. With Nicholas, it wasn't much of an issue.

What's the Same: Overall third trimester fatigue is in full force, just like last time around. I need to sit and rest after just about every activity (even simple household chores), and now that I'm home during the days, I need to lie down and rest during Nicholas' naptime on an almost daily basis. After dinner and Nicholas' bedtime routine, I collapse on the couch and am pretty much useless for the rest of the night.

View of downtown from Town Lake's new boardwalk

What I Miss: I'll be honest-- lately, I've been really, really missing a nice chilled glass of wine. The hot weather has arrived, and a nice cold glass of rose just sounds delicious. I'm looking forward to cracking open a bottle in a few weeks. Not too much longer now!

What I'm Looking Forward To: I'm beginning to sound like a broken record, but I'm still just feeling an urgent need to get stuff done around the house. I don't have a ton of energy, so progress is moving a lot slower than I would like. I'm lucky if I get one thing done each day. But, we're slowly crossing off projects. Now that I'm home full time, I'm looking forward to getting the nursery finalized, and a bunch of other rooms purged and organized.

Baby #2: Weeks 33 - 34

33 weeks

Dates: May 20 - June 2, 2014

Highlights: The biggest highlight of week 34 was my baby shower thrown by two good friends on June 1st. A group of us gathered at the Blue Dahlia Bistro for a pink and gold French-themed lunch in honor of the little lady. It was so fun to celebrate her upcoming arrival with good friends, good food, and an amazing cake covered in French macarons. Another highlight was finally finding and purchasing our new SUV. After driving all over the state of Texas (literally), Jason finally found a great deal on a used Volvo outside of Fort Worth. It was a long search, but I am so relieved to have this chore crossed off our list.

Symptoms: My huge appetite has slowed down considerably over the past couple weeks. I think my stomach must be pretty compressed because I've noticed a big difference in how quickly I become full at each meal. My eyes are often bigger than my stomach. I'm also feeling a little pickier about food-- not quite first trimester level, but a lot of things just don't sound that appealing to me these days. On a positive note, my back is starting to feel somewhat better, so I'm continuing to take it easy and keep strenuous activity to a minimum.

34 weeks - on my way to my shower

What's Different: Not too much at this point, aside from perhaps the decrease in my appetite. I remember that happening a little bit with Nicholas, but not so dramatically. Otherwise, it just feels like the third trimester.

What's the Same: As the baby has gotten bigger, I'm feeling her movements a lot more. She now has the hiccups regularly (not as often as Nicholas, but multiple times a week), and she is very active in the evenings when I am just lounging on the couch after dinner. I love feeling all of her stretches and squirmy movements. I can also tell when she is waking up after a period of sleep, such as early in the morning when I'm waking up, and I love feeling her beginning to stir.

Hugs for baby sister

What I Miss: Oh the usual... and my energy. I'm looking forward to a good run, a nice glass of wine, and being able to make it through the day without feeling like a nap is mandatory.

What I'm Looking Forward To: I'm still nesting like crazy, so I'm looking forward to getting more things crossed off my list and getting the nursery all set up and finalized.