The Baby in the Belly

What a difference a month makes

2009-02-07T14:30:00.001-08:00

Here we are, February 7, 2009, one month after BITB arrived and became Natalie. The following picture was taken on my due date:Natalie now weighs a whopping 7 pounds 2 ounces, and an amazing 20 inches long. We have now come to realize the 17 inches measured at birth was a little under. It was probably closer to 18 or 18 and a half. 17 inches did seem really short! She is still smaller than Jackson was when he was born, but I can't imagine 1) being pregnant still or 2) giving birth to her now.

Here is a cute picture of our two kids:She's trying to copy her big brother already!"
--Clare

38 weeks

2009-01-21T16:52:00.000-08:00

"It's a little trip-y because Jackson was born at 38 weeks, and Natalie is already two weeks old! Just a shocking realization to me that I really could still be pregnant right now. I have already lost all memory of what it was like to be pregnant (which I know I loved being) because I am so focused on trying to take care of a preemie and a 3 year old. Here are two cute pictures of the two of them:"--Clare

Our little sugar baby

2009-01-10T15:55:00.000-08:00

About two hours after birth, Natalie ended up having to go to the NICU for a low blood-sugar count, something that is common in preterm babies. We hoped that she would only be in there for the 24 hours it takes to set up an IV, get her blood-sugar levels up, then ween her off the drip little by little, and then watch her a few hours to make sure she stays stable. Her day nurse and her night nurse were both incredible and treated Natalie with such sweetness. They cared for me too, making sure to call me up whenever Natalie woke.

We were allowed to visit her, feed her, bathe her, change her diaper, anything we wanted while she's in the NICU because her needs are so minimal. Ross and I felt a mix of worry and guilt . . . our little Natalie was in the NICU, but she was by far the plumpest and healthiest of the babies being cared for there. Across from her was one half of a twin duo born at 24 weeks (his brother was two warmers away) . . . they were so small and need so much help that Ross and I had a hard time staying in the NICU if Natalie didn't need something from us.

It was very heart breaking seeing the little ones, and I felt guilty getting to HOLD my baby and FEED my baby in front of the parents who couldn't even touch their children.

And we lucked out even more because as soon as Natalie was put on the IV her blood-sugar went right up to normal. She continued to do beautifully and was able to come back to me after 22 hours.

BITBs birth day

2009-01-10T14:43:00.000-08:00

January 7, 2009

1:00 AM

After two days of mild contractions that come and go, and that at yesterday's doctor appointment didn't even show up on the monitor (which also let me know that I was still around 4 or 5 cm, nothing's changed), I awake to a different kind of contraction.

I feel a little pain in my back, and then a little pain that grows towards center from my sides, and then I have to get out of bed to walk around and breathe through the uncomfortableness. I take one of my pills to relax my uterus and attempt to get back to sleep, but it doesn't seem to do the trick.

I start to record each one, and try to relax during the 10 to 15 min. between each one.

4:00 AM

I wake Ross to tell him he needs to take over the recording as the pain is a little more and the contractions are getting closer together.

5:00 AM

After an hour and contractions coming between 6-8 min apart we call the hospital to go over everything and see what they advise.

The nurse listens to me (and annoyingly the contraction I have on the phone with her is one of the mildest ones) she suggests that I take another pill and call back in a half hour with an update of how things are going.

5:30 AM

I call back telling them I've had four contractions since we hung up and they're starting to become even stronger. I can still breath through them, but I have to really pace and rock my body to keep me focused, the pain in my back is also becoming more intense.

The nurse says, "Well, I think you'll labor today, so have yourself a light breakfast and come in when you can." Her calmness about it all makes us laugh a bit, but also relaxes us enough to calmly go about our morning of getting Jackson up and eating breakfast. Surprisingly, my contractions have tapered off.

8:00 AM

Since 6 o'clock I have been relaxing on the couch trying to catch up on the sleep I missed from 1 to 6. However I did experience 3 or 4 sharp sudden contractions that really make me jump up with the need to anxiously walk around.

8:11 AM

I use the restroom and feel a gushing pop (sorry). I kick the door open and yell out, "Ross, my water just broke."

He starts dancing around the kitchen, "We're having a baby today, we're going to have a baby . . ." And we begin the process of gathering our go-bags, instructing my mom about what to do with Jackson and the plan of action for their getting to the hospital once I start pushing, and I call my doctor's office to tell them I'm heading to the hospital.

8:38 AM

We're in the car, call the hospital to tell them we're on the way.

***

8:40 AM

OW OW OW OW OW OW OW OW OW OW OW OW OW OW OW OW OW

I experience a contraction I have NEVER felt before. Luckily we're at a red light so I can throw off my seat belt, push my seat back, grab on to the handle above the door and to Ross's hand, and writhe, cry out and gasp through this thing that is tightening my entire lower back, my belly, and makes me feel like I have to potty (big time).

And then, Whew, it's over. I have Ross call the hospital back to say we're coming in the Emergency entrance.

***

8:46 AM

Another contraction, this one is one I can reasonably breath through, though I feel extremely hot. Two minutes later we pull up to the hospital and a nurse with a wheelchair arrives to take me upstairs.

While I check in I have another breath-through contraction that lasts almost 90 seconds; meanwhile Ross parks the car and brings up my go-bag. We meet in the birthing room with my check-in time being:

9:08 AM

I'm in a gown, on the bed and being attended to by two nurses. One checks me and says, "she's complete" to the other nurse.

"What?" Ross and I both ask.

"You're 10 centimeters."

"Um, so can Clare still get an epidural?"

"No, you're baby's coming soon."

I tell Ross to call the mothers and let them know they should head on over to the waiting room. While he's calling one of the nurses suggests I roll to my side to help with the intense and incredible back pain I'm experiencing. I feel my contractions getting bigger and they're a little hard to breath through. The nurses are also chuckling over the fact that between contractions Ross and I are having a jolly conversation and laughing to ourselves.

When he returns Ross asks, "Do I have time to get a bottle of water?"

"Um, we'll bring you something . . ."

The nurses get us both water and then introduce me to my Labor & Delivery nurse before they both leave. My L&D nurse chats with us while she finishes getting the room prepared and entering my information into the computer system.

***

About 9:33 AM

OW OW OW OW OW OW OW OW OW OW OW OW OW OW OW OW OW

This contraction has me going cross-eyed, I'm grabbing onto the side of the bed rail and can only see part of Ross's arm.

AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

Somehow I'm screaming and say I feel like I have too poop. My L&D nurse tells me not to push and takes a look. She is barely able to reach the call button and yells in "Code blue, send in the on call doctor NOW!"

All the while I'm screaming uncontrollably and hitting octaves I've never knew I could. I'm not seeing anything and feel like I'm having an out-of-body experience.

I hear commotion about me and someone says my doctor is here, people are all about me, and all the while I keep screaming and being embarrassed about it without being able to stop myself. The nurse that wheeled me up to the room suddenly leans in and tells me to relax and push.

Something clicks and I realize I want to push.

I push once, maybe twice, and feel a sudden relief of pressure and gush of wetness.

All is silent and I roll to my back feeling like I could just fall asleep.

"It's a girl?!" Ross breaks the silence and I can't believe my ears.

'I was right?' I think, and then I hear her cry.

Nurses rush around her and my doctor attends to me. I hear someone say, "Time of birth, 9:36 AM." Ross later tells me that the whole thing lasted three minutes . . .

BITB had arrived. . .It's a Girl!

2009-01-10T14:35:00.000-08:00

Introducing: Natalie Marean --- named for a Great Grandmother, a Grandmother and her own mother. Natalie arrived on January 7, 2009 at 9:36 AM. Weighing in at a whopping 5 pounds, 13 ounces, but only 17 inches long.

*middle name is pronounced muh-ree-in, say it with me, Marean.

Add two more boys to the mix

2009-01-07T06:44:00.000-08:00

"My friend, Claire, who is having twins recently found out that they are adding two boys to their family. Congratulations. She too started to go into preterm labor but we have yet to compare our stories.

So now the baby count comes to 5 boys, 4 girls . . ."
--Clare

It's been two weeks since Christmas eve

2009-01-06T16:19:00.000-08:00

"Tomorrow is week 36, but I have to mention that today is the two week mark from the Fetal Fibronectin test (remember a positive result isn't as accurate as a negative result). . . we made it this far, let's see how much further we can go! Though my doctor said that I would still be on bed rest until I reach 37 weeks, from here on out they will let nature take its course and if the baby wants out, so be it."
--Clare

January 4, can we make it 31 more days?

2009-01-04T16:19:00.000-08:00

"It is one month until my due date, though technically I don't turn 36 weeks until the 7th. I wonder how much longer this little one is going to hold on.

One of my pregnant buddies' due date was Jan 6 and we were joking about racing to the finish just a few days ago (she was starting to get antsy and tired of being pregnant). I checked in yesterday and was told by her husband that the contractions were 5 min apart. Well they made it to the hospital just in time for the nurse to CATCH their baby on HER way out.

Add another girl to the baby count. Congratulations to Emily and Jason! But 16 min from leaving the house to having the baby is a little too close for comfort for Ross and me. And the fact that Emily didn't ever push amazes me, especially for a 7 pound 2 ounce kid. Wow! I hope my pushing is almost as easy . . . at least easier than it was with Jackson that's for sure. Time will tell."
--Clare

Next up, 36 weeks . . .

2009-01-02T15:10:00.000-08:00

"We made it to the doctor appointment mile marker just fine. She is very pleased with how things have gone this past week and baby is still thriving. Her guess is that BITB is around 5 1/2 pounds, but it's hard to truly tell a baby's weight until their born. I have actually lost some weight, which is unusual for bed rest, but all of us have been thinking that the medication I'm on, which tend to make me a little jittery, is effecting my appetite and maybe speeding up my metabolism.

My doctor said that since I haven't experienced any more contractions that I can even go off the uterus relaxing medication and see how that makes me feel. Ross and I are fine with that so I'm going to wean myself off it over the next day. We'll see how that goes and if it changes anything as far as when BITB comes.

Next up, 36 weeks mile marker . . . fingers crossed!"
--Clare

Where were we in the baby count?

2009-01-02T14:54:00.000-08:00

"Ah, yes. I had left off in November with a 2 & 2 count, but we are actually to to 3 & 3 now. There are two girls and one boy who have already joined us, and two boys and one girl still "cooking". I do not know about the twins my friend Claire is having, two other girlfriends aren't finding out, and despite all the hospital visits we still don't know what we're having. And I can't remember how many more there were to count . . . I feel like I've found out about a lot more pregnancies lately, but I don't know which ones were already included and which ones weren't. . . ."
--Clare

We made it to January!

2009-01-01T15:09:00.000-08:00

"I made it to 35 weeks, and then I made it past 2008. I thought it might be neat if we had THE New Years Baby, but I'm glad we didn't. Tomorrow I have a doctors appointment, and then the next mile marker will be getting to 36 weeks on January 7. Here are some pictures: the beginning of bed rest, our winter storm, Christmas tree photo and my Jan 1 belly picture (it's not the best photo, sorry. I don't think I look as big as with Jackson . . .)."
--Clare

Never thought I'd be so happy to turn 35!

2008-12-31T09:24:00.000-08:00

"Weeks that is. YEA!

I have (as of tonight) been out of the hospital for a week. Bed rest is a little boring, but it does not seem like it's been a whole week. I think all the Christmas activities (that I participated in from the couch) helped time pass swiftly.

My in-laws have been a huge help to us, and my Mom arrived yesterday from St. Louis. We feel like we are in good hands and have all our bases covered for when BITB decides to finally come. I'm knocking on wood as I say this, but I'm feeling really good and that this kid is going to be staying in a lot longer than the fetal fibronectin indicated . . . fingers crossed. (And also, that I'd be okay if BITB came any day . . . it's almost getting to the point where I'm tired of waiting, but I don't want to jinx myself either.)

BITB is just thriving. I can tell with all the kicking and rolling that is still taking place. And here is what babycenter.com says about 35 weeks: 'Your baby doesn't have much room to maneuver now that he's over 18 inches long and tips the scales at 5 1/4 pounds (pick up a honeydew melon). Because it's so snug in your womb, he isn't likely to be doing somersaults anymore, but the number of times he kicks should remain about the same. His kidneys are fully developed now, and his liver can process some waste products. Most of his basic physical development is now complete — he'll spend the next few weeks putting on weight.'

BITB, as I said, is still wiggling around, but it's nice to know that s/he's possibly over the 5 pound mark! Go, BITB, GO! Next mile marker for us to reach is 2009!"
--Clare

Christmas from the couch

2008-12-27T21:13:00.000-08:00

"I was discharged from the hospital Christmas eve with the understanding that I am now on complete bed rest and when to take my medicine to keep my contractions at bay.

With complete bed rest I can't even do the dishes or laundry, I can't make meals, I can't lift a thing, I pretty much just have to be prone on the couch or in bed. I even have to eat lying down. (Which doesn't help the acid reflux much.)

BUT I was home for Christmas morning which was the best experience I've ever had. Ross got Jackson up and I hear them discuss how Jackson heard Santa on the roof and the clip-clop of the reindeer hooves. It was so sweet that if I went into labor then and had to miss present opening I would have been okay with it.

We had a great morning at our house, and spent the afternoon at my in-laws with a nice family dinner at the end. The only thing was that I had to witness everything from the couch, lying on my side. It was a strange experience, but if it ensures BITB a few more hours, a few more days baking in the oven I'm okay with it.

Now it is the 27th and I'm a little bored with this bed rest thing but not bored enough for BITB to arrive any minute. We are counting down the days to week 35 (New Year's Eve) then will do the same until week 36. After I reach that point there is no need to keep taking my medication, if BITB is to come after that, all should (will) be fine. Let's hope if BITB decides to come before these two weeks are up that everything will also be fine.

Our mindset has changed from the beginning of February to any day now (but hopefully the beginning of January), and we're feeling okay about it. Now it's just a short-term waiting game."
--Clare

Round two . . . a bit more dramatic (part III)

2008-12-27T15:50:00.001-08:00

"It's Christmas eve day, I'm getting my uterine relaxer medication every 4 hours, my contractions are being monitored every 4 hours as well. I am not feeling them any more and am beginning to feel hopeful.

We have moved to 3 different rooms and I'm tired of the hospital. I don't know what's going to happen but I want to be home tonight so Jackson can wake up at home on Christmas morning (the first time we've stayed put in our own house for the holiday).

My doctor wants one more test administered called a fetal fibronectin. 'Fetal fibronectin screening: This test is usually reserved for women who are having contractions or other symptoms of preterm labor. Fetal fibronectin (fFN) is a protein produced by the fetal membranes. If more than a small amount turns up in a sample of your cervical and vaginal secretions between 24 and 34 weeks, you're considered to be at higher risk for preterm delivery. A positive fFN result might prompt your practitioner to give you drugs to hold off labor as well as corticosteroids to help your baby's lungs mature more quickly. However, the test is actually more accurate at telling you when you won't deliver than when you will. If you have a negative fFN result, it's highly unlikely that you'll deliver within the next two weeks. A negative result can put your mind at ease and help you avoid hospitalization or other unnecessary treatment.'

My test was positive!

Meaning that I'd most likely deliver in the next two weeks!

My doctor called me to discuss the news and said that she would prefer for me to stay another night (AND MISS CHRISTMAS MORNING WITH JACKSON! AHHHHHHHH) but considering that I'm so close to the 24 hour mark of the steroid medication, and that it's Christmas eve, she wonders if I might end up being more relaxed going home. It was up to me.

I couldn't imagine not going home, but also didn't want to make a stupid decision. Ross and I decided all would be okay if we went home, and I'm glad we made that choice. (And can I just say how much I love my doctor! She was being both my doctor and my friend. A hard thing to do I'm sure, but I appreciate it so much.)"
--Clare

Round two . . . a bit more dramatic (part II)

2008-12-27T15:21:00.000-08:00

"Jackson is at school, I'm at the hospital talking with the on-duty nurse and waiting for Ross.

The monitors are showing that BITB is just fine with the contractions, acting appropriately, and that the contractions are coming closer together, approaching 6-7 min apart. I am also feeling them a lot more. Eventually they aren't just in my lower uterus, but start to climb up towards my navel with lots of tightening!

I am given a medication that relaxes the uterus and it begins to work almost immediately (which is a good sign). However when the nurse checks my dilation again she informs us that I'm almost 5 cm! That's half way there! Ahhhhhhhh.

I am most definitely staying the night and they administer a steroid shot to help mature the baby's lungs. This is at 3 p.m. Tuesday, December 23. Ross and I start going over our baby name choices just in case BITB decides to arrive that day or the next.

We hoped for the next because that would at least put me at 34 weeks and BITB would be even stronger and more matured (the second steroid dose would come at 3 a.m. and then we cross our fingers for 24 to 48 hours to pass--thus allowing the medicine to complete their work in maturing BITBs lungs). . . and then we would start hoping for every day after that (though maybe skipping over the 25th because I wasn't too keen on having a Christmas baby).

The night was a bit boring BUT we made it to 34 weeks . . . and while we were in the hospital, babycenter.com ironically sent me this update:

'Your baby now weighs about 4 3/4 pounds (like your average cantaloupe) and is almost 18 inches long. Her fat layers — which she'll need to regulate her body temperature once she's born — are filling her out, making her rounder. Her skin is also smoother than ever. Her central nervous system is maturing and her lungs are continuing to mature as well. If you've been nervous about preterm labor, you'll be happy to know that babies born between 34 and 37 weeks who have no other health problems generally do fine. They may need a short stay in the neonatal nursery and may have a few short-term health issues, but in the long run, they usually do as well as full-term babies.'

I didn't get to see this until today (when I was able to get to a computer again) and had a good chuckle. . . the preterm labor link had this to say:

'If you start having regular contractions that cause your cervix to begin to open (dilate) or thin out (efface) before you reach 37 weeks of pregnancy, you're in preterm labor, also known as premature labor. If you deliver your baby before 37 weeks, it's called a preterm birth and your baby is considered premature. . . .About a quarter of all preterm births are intentional. . . .The rest are known as spontaneous preterm births. . . .About 12 percent of babies in the United States are born prematurely. . . .Premature babies born between 34 and 37 weeks generally do very well. If you go into labor before 34 weeks, your medical team may be able to delay your labor for a few days so your baby can be given corticosteroids to help his lungs develop faster, which increases his chance of survival. . .'

Thanks."
--Clare

Round two . . . a bit more dramatic (part I)

2008-12-27T10:46:00.000-08:00

"This has been a very crazy Christmas celebration.

It all started Sunday, just hours after seeing my Dad leave for St. Louis my modified bed rest was about to come to an end.

During the night I started to feel a strange tightening that wasn’t BITB pushing against me or the painless Braxton-hicks that I had experienced before. This was closer to the pelvic bone and contained a little bit of pain. That night I probably experienced this 4 or 5 times.

Monday, I went about my day as best I could entertaining Jackson and trying to mind my bed rest rules as best as I could. I can’t actually remember what I did that day, we were housebound with snow falling and the bed rest, but the point of the story that matters is that I was feeling those kind of painful lower pelvic tightening between every 30 to 90 min.

I started to become a little anxious about them and while getting ready for bed Ross and I reviewed what constitutes false labor, or real contractions, and what might happen to me, and BITB, if this was in fact preterm labor (I wasn’t even 34 weeks yet! Not until Christmas Eve).

After deciding that my “contractions” were normal, especially for a second pregnancy, and most likely B-H since they went away when I moved or drank water, we went to bed knowing I’d call my doctor in the morning just to let her know what I was experiencing.

I didn’t sleep much Monday night as my “contractions” were coming closer and closer together. They weren’t necessarily increasing in pain but would occasionally increase in how long they lasted, and didn’t quite go away like the ones during the day had when I moved around or drank water. I was awake most of the night and wandering around the house to try and shake the contractions. (Oh, and that's when I discovered our Christmas tree had fallen over--at least it went towards the windows and not the center of the room.) I decided I didn’t care what the office said when I called for my doctor, I was just going to let them know I was showing up as soon as I dropped Jackson off at school.

I got Jackson safely to school, with only a few slips on the snow piling on the roads, and told his teachers that there is a possibility that someone else might be picking him up as I wasn’t sure what was going to happen that day.

I called my doctor, informed the receptionist that I was coming and made my way slowly through the unplowed roads to my doctor.

My doctor wasn’t there but I was seen by another in the office who listened to all I had to tell of my recent hospital adventure and of these things that I’m almost certain are real contractions happening. . .

She hooked me up to the monitors and I hung out for 20-30 min while the baby’s heart beat and my contractions were recorded. The doctor wasn’t too pleased with how BITB was reacting to the contractions (shying away from the monitors so the heartbeat would cut out) and said that she would send me to the hospital for a better monitoring of everything (since they have more sensitive equipment). She then examined me and proclaimed that I was now about 4 cm dilated and that I am to go directly to the hospital and most likely will be spending the night there . . .

I made appropriate arrangements for Jackson pick up, headed to the hospital and called Ross to meet me at the hospital."

--Clare

But not this early . . .

2008-12-19T15:22:00.000-08:00

"Yesterday I had a regular prenatal doctor appointment. Everything looked good, sounded good, and my weight was good. Next appointment was scheduled for the new year and at almost 9 months.

My Dad arrived in town last night for a long weekend of pre-Christmas fun. We had big plans of getting dinner then a Christmas tree (yes, it is a bit late to be getting one) that were foiled by both the airport and the weather. Dad's flight arrived on time but had to wait for their gate to open up. Then we had to wait close to an hour for his bag. In the mean time the weather outside was getting dicier, slush freezing and snow flurrying. It took us another hour to drive back home (normally about 20 min). Not a big deal, we'll secure ourselves a tree tomorrow.

That is until the morning when I noticed some spotting. Hmmmm, not this again.

I decided to call my doctor and she wanted to see me immediately. I was feeling just fine so figured that after a quick appointment, my Dad, Jackson and I would go get that tree and have fun setting it up before Ross came home from work.

Well, seeing as things had gone a bit sideways in the past 18 hours, my doctor's visit would foil my plans for the day.

After being examined my doctor said that I was slightly dilated. Hmmmm . . . they hooked me up to a belly monitor to watch for contractions. There are two monitors, one for baby's heartbeat, the other for contractions. There is supposed to be 20 continuous minutes of data for a good reading. Well BITB wasn't too thrilled to be monitored and rolled a bit, kicked a bit, preventing a continuous reading.

There seemed to be enough information for my doctor to read, no contractions and heartbeat was steady. However, it was decided that because I was about 3 cm dilated (oh, 3? I was thinking maybe 1 or even 1/2 when she said "slightly dilated") I had to go straight to the hospital for overnight observations.

OVERNIGHT!!! My dad just arrived and we're supposed to get a tree!

I call Ross and he meets us at the hospital (thank goodness we did the hospital tour earlier in the month, though that didn't really help me remember which nurses station to go to to check in) and I was given a room.

A nurse and doctor came in and asked questions and checked me out. This doctor agreed that I was dilated but thought closer to 2 cm. Either way, it's dilated, and a little early.

I was hooked up to monitors again, and was told I'd be checked after another 2 hours. Ross and my Dad went to get us some food while Jackson and I watched Sesame Street and listened to the monitor's beeping.

After two hours the doctor saw no change and thought it was fine for me to go home (YEA! but on sorta modified bed rest) and called my doctor to say so. Well, there was a short time when we were told, no in fact you're to stay over night (BOO!), but then after some more talk between the doctors I was finally discharged. Whew! I was not too thrilled to be there over night, but if it was necessary, then I was willing to do it. However, I'm glad to be home and relaxing with my Dad, my Husband, and my Son. Interestingly, how luckily am I that this experience happened when those 3 men were all in the same city with me!

And now for some modified bed rest . . . it's going to be hard not to do all the things I normally do around the house. I can't pick up Jackson, I can't vacuum (too bad, though interesting I am still allowed to do dishes and laundry), go up and down the stairs too much . . . I'll include the whole list later.

And hopefully, we wont have to see the hospital again until MUCH closer to my due date."
--Clare

Another vote for early

2008-12-17T19:59:00.000-08:00

"At the beginning of the week, as we were getting ready to turn in for the night, Ross asked again when my due date was. I always find this funny because it seems that after your first kid, things like what week gestation you are and even when you're due become less of a first thought than something you're constantly trying to remember. So, it really isn't a crazy thing that Ross didn't remember Feb 4; life is just proving itself to be busier than the first time around when being pregnant was a newfangled thing for us . . .

Ross looks at me and stuns me stupid when he says, 'I think we have a month.'

'Um, it's more like two months, honey,' I replied (thinking 32 weeks means 8 weeks left which means two months!).

'No, I think we have a month left. I just have this feeling.'

There is something eerie about Ross when he gets these 'feelings' of his. He is usually right. It's just weird. He's called a lot of things with his 'feeling' about it, enough for me to get a little jumpy when those feelings involve our having only one more month before this baby arrives. (Ross said that Jackson was going to be early and that my water was going to break. He was right on both accounts where as I was sure I was going to be late, and really only 10% of women have their water break before they go into labor so of course it wasn't going to happen to me. Aren't I supposed to be the one with intuition?)

I am not ready to even think that this baby is going to be here in a month . . . but then I thought about it and a month would be Jackson's birthday (which I think is entirely possible), and that now, at 33 weeks, I have 49 days left . . . one month would have me deliver 19 days early. Jackson was 15 days early. But still one month????? I need more time."
--Clare

Swimming for two, a curiosity for others

2008-12-11T11:34:00.000-08:00

"Though I am going it alone this time around, I seem to have gathered a few admirers at the pool. Maybe no one in Tacoma swims while pregnant or maybe it's just that people who swim in the mornings with me get a kick out of my hot pink maternity swimming suit and blue swimming cap.

Lately the water has been very cold. I don't know if it has anything to do with the Y getting spruced up, but it's not fun at all. One of the women who occasionally swims around the same time as I do, asked me if I thought the baby feels the temperature change? (It was exceptionally chilly that morning.) I said I didn't think so, but felt sorry for the baby if s/he did. My friend Jen said that she doesn't think the baby would feel the coldness, and that maybe it feels colder to me because my body is working on keeping the baby warm. I'm down for thinking about it like that, plus it helps me brace against the chill and actually get some laps in.

Today, a man was swimming in the lane next to me and when I was getting out of the pool asked if the baby kicked while I swam. What a fun thought. But no, BITB doesn't move at all while I swim. Maybe the motion lulls BITB to sleep, or maybe it's just not a normal active time. But since the man asked I have had funny visions of the two of us doing the breast stroke at the same time . . . "
--Clare

We're at 8 months!

2008-12-10T17:08:00.000-08:00

"Today I entered my 32nd week, also known as entering the eighth month. Eeep!

I have noticed a few pregnancy trends starting up again that I wish wouldn't. Acid reflux is coming back. I was made aware of the fact that once the baby reaches 31 weeks, s/he would go through a growth spurt. I think that the growing babe and uterus is contributing to this increased influx of acid reflux.

The second trend isn't too bad: I am back to needed an afternoon nap. With the growing belly and task of running after an almost 3 year old (how did that happen), I am thoroughly exhausted by lunch time. A nap is just the ticket to pep me up enough for the afternoon activities awaiting us.

The last may not be completely noticeable to others yet, and really in the possibility of things that could happen it's not horrifically terrible (though that depends on my mood), but the unsightly blemishes I started getting at the end of my pregnancy with Jackson are starting to show up. Luckily, I know that they will not scar my neck or back and will eventually disappear, but they are annoying and are not going away until I have BITB! YUCK!

Here is what babycenter.com has to say about 32 weeks: 'By now, your baby weighs 3.75 pounds (pick up a large jicama) and is about 16.7 inches long, taking up a lot of space in your uterus. You're gaining about a pound a week and roughly half of that goes right to your baby. In fact, she'll gain a third to half of her birth weight during the next 7 weeks as she fattens up for survival outside the womb. She now has toenails, fingernails, and real hair (or at least respectable peach fuzz). Her skin is becoming soft and smooth as she plumps up in preparation for birth.'

I think that BITB needs to put on that poundage as all the pokes and jabs are very SHARP! Get some meat on those elbows, hands, feet, and knees! Okay, I'll eat a few chocolate cakes if that will help . . ."
--Clare

Hospital visit #1

2008-12-07T13:46:00.000-08:00

"On Friday, Ross and I went to check out the hospital where I will give birth. Normally with a second baby, there wouldn't be a need for a tour of the maternity wing, but since the birth of Jackson we have moved clear across the country and thought it would be wise to know, at the very least, which door to enter when the time comes.

I don't know who designs hospitals, but I think a lot of them must have really been into mazes as youngsters. Half flights of stairs, secret elevators, 5 different wings extending off of one long, winding, and sometimes narrow hallway . . . I'm glad that I'll be wheeled around from place to place and wont really need to navigate except from bed to bathroom and back again, with maybe a few trips down the halls for exercise and showing off the new babe.

Now, Jackson was born in DC and the hospital there was just fine. We didn't know any differently. Our Tacoma hospital offers us a few new amenities that weren't available to us three years ago: DVD players in the recovery room (which are actually the same size as the ones in DC = small), a jacuzzi in the delivery room to help relax during active labor, and a crazy sense of heightened security.

I'm sure all of their security measures are in place for a reason, but the extent of them seems a little over the top to me. They do report a 100% success rate, so I guess that's a sign these measures are worth while . . . Your baby is with you from birth until being discharged, there is no nursery. There are little microchips in your id bracelet (as well as baby's and daddy's) that will trigger an alarm if you get too close to an exit door or opening elevator (the I guess there is a mini-lock down and a security nurse will rush to you and make sure all the bracelets match). And now, the majority of tests or treatments that BITB will receive can all be done within my recovery room, and if they have to take BITB elsewhere, I am to go along. Wonder if I'm going to be able to get any recovery sleep that I know I'll be needing. . .

But all in all, it was a great visit. The birthing rooms are large and comfortable and I'm excited to welcome BITB into the world there.

When Ross and I returned home, Jackson was still awake so I tucked him into bed again while Ross drove the sitter home. Jackson asked me, "Did baby come yet?" Too cute. He knew that we were going to the hospital and figured that meant that BITB was arriving (if only it took one hour!). I explained we had a little more time and that we were just learning about the place BITB would "pop out" in (in reference to Jackson's 'when is the baby going to pop out' questions). He seemed satisfied with that, and settled down to sleep.

60 days, give or take a handful, of just one kid to put to bed . . ."
--Clare

Growth spurt, growing anxiety

2008-12-03T12:55:00.000-08:00

"I just came back from my doctors for a regular two week check up. I was seen by another doctor at the practice because mine was in a delivery. I was bummed I didn't get to see her, but also very pleased to hear the reason was because she was at a delivery. Just kind of reconfirms that she does in fact do those sort of things and isn't just the face I see in the office. I KNOW she delivers babies, but when all my encounters with her have been in a patients room, actually hearing she's at the hospital solidifies my knowledge and actually got me excited for when I'm the reason she's out of the office and at the hospital delivering a baby.

Anyway, this other doctor was very nice, but two strange things happened. One, she measured my belly as right on target (31 cm for 31 weeks) where as my doctor had been measuring me 2 cm behind. Now, I do think this doctor started the measuring tape lower on my pelvic bone, BUT around 31 weeks BITB is supposed to hit a growth spurt so maybe s/he just hit it early. So maybe BITB won't be all that tiny after all (hmmmmm).

Two, the heart beat was only 130 bpm. Maybe BITB was just extra calm, but his/her heart beat has never been that low. (And when Jackson was asked if he thought he was going to have a baby sister or a baby brother, he replied with 'a baby brother', which he's never said before . . . give us 2 months or so and we'll find out.)

The fact that Jackson was early, and the fact that I'm into my 30s (week wise and belly measurement wise) I'm really getting to the overly anxious stage. I hope I don't have a holiday freak out . . . I need my yoga class to start up again!!!

I talked with a girlfriend of mine this morning who is due a month before me (aka: due IN a month). She also has a little toddler running around at her feet and said that she is just ready for her baby to arrive. I can't imagine what I'll be feeling in another 4 weeks . . .

Today is Dec 3, I'm due Feb 4. That's 63 days . . .

I think I'm getting a little ahead of myself and I should just be glad BITB is growing and thriving."
--Clare

Belly encounter with Becky & Kim, round 2

2008-12-02T10:59:00.000-08:00

"When I was pregnant with Jackson, I was very fortunate that my company sent me to a conference in Portland where I was able to also visit with my two college buddies Becky & Kim. This was the first encounter they had with a pregnant Clare, and we all loved it. (It is also important to note that Kim canceled a date with the new guy she was seeing to have dinner with the 2.5 of us . . . and now they're married--that trip to Hawaii BITB and I got to go on was courtesy of them!)

Here is what we looked like in October of 2005:

Last Saturday, Ross, BITB, and I went to Portland to celebrate Becky's upcoming marriage to Dave. Kim and Justin (aka "new guy" mentioned above) were also there and everyone had a great time catching up after a few months of not seeing each other. We were also able to get a photo of the 3.5 of us. I'm about 5 weeks further along than I was in the 2005 photo:

(And they insisted I wasn't as big as I was last belly encounter . . . I think it was just the shock of a pregnant Clare back in 2005 that made them think so.)

The party was wonderful, and it was nice having a "date" with Ross (Jackson was with his grandparents getting better from an ailment) again. Most of the time I forgot I was even pregnant because BITB was calm the whole party, no kicking or rolling around. And while that disappointed Becky since she wanted to feel movement in the belly, I think it was very considerate of BITB to recognize this was Becky's party and to not take the attention away from the lady of the hour."
--Clare

Do you like music?

2008-12-02T10:50:00.000-08:00

"Jackson and BITB have conversations.

Jackson talks to my belly and I, acting in BITBs place, respond to him in the best little-sibling-responding-to-a-beloved-big-brother way (luckily for me I have a big brother and know how the admiration is to go). There have been pretty funny ones and sweet ones, and thankfully no rivalry ones.

This past Sunday, Ross was playing music with Lance and their new band. Jackson was explaining this to BITB and said that he too likes to play music with Daddy. "Do you like music, baby? When you're bigger you can play music with Daddy, too."

I love that Jackson is so willing to share the things that are special to him, like playing music with Ross, with this child even before s/he arrives. And I get a big kick out of that fact that Jackson will call himself a big brother already. He's getting there, but I think he'll grasp the concept whole-heartedly once BITB arrives. I hope so . . ."
--Clare

Surreal Dreams

2008-12-02T10:43:00.000-08:00

"I have been having more baby dreams of late, but they are all jumbled and gobble-degooked. Full of stops and starts and discontinuity.

What I'm relieved about in these dreams is that they are all taking place in a hospital, not in my bed at home or at my Mom's house. What I'm not comfortable with is the reactions I'm having in my dreams to the baby or the baby's gender or the fear of Jackson's needs not being met because of the baby. They have not be the most fun baby dreams of late.

However, I wake up, relieved they're just dreams and know that no matter what happens everything will work out just fine, for us, for the baby and for big brother Jackson."
--Clare

Where did the time go?

2008-12-02T10:40:00.000-08:00

"The Wednesday before Thanksgiving was my 30 week mark. Ross and I are just floored to think that we only have 10 more weeks, 2.5 months to go. How did this happen. And really, since Jackson arrived at 38 weeks, we might have even less time!!!

We're both trying not to hyperventilate."
--Clare

Thanksgiving in St. Louis

2008-12-02T10:21:00.000-08:00

"This year was a Thanksgiving in St. Louis year for us. And in regards to pregnant traveling, I think that worked out to be the best plan. (Where as when I was pregnant with Jackson I was a very bad pregnant lady and traveled 2 weeks before Jackson arrived . . . how was I to know he'd come early?)

Most of my family had seen me in September (except for my brother John) but I think they were a bit unprepared for the change in my belly in just 8 weeks. While Ross's family is all out here and gets to see the progression at a slower rate, my family receives the shock of no belly to almost full belly. But sometimes that's more fun, there are better reactions that way.

It was wonderful for me to get to spend a week in St. Louis, where the air was crisp and chilly, but the sun shone brightly. Jackson had a grand time playing with all the St. Louis toys he only gets to play with when in town; he has a great memory for what he has to look forward to and races down to the basement at my Mom's house first chance he gets, and races to the guest room at my Dad's house for "his" toys.

BITB received a lot of attention too, and lots of yummy food (two Thanksgiving dinners is a pregnant lady's heaven). My sister Anna was the main one to feel my belly. Though she and Jackson (when he was Bucky) did have a belly game of Anna poke-poke-poking and then he kick-kick-kicking, I think BITB might not be at the interactive belly game stage, or maybe s/he is a bit more stubborn and didn't respond to Aunt Anna as actively as "Bucky" did.

But now we're back, and rightly so as it's time to get ready for Christmas, Jackson's 3rd birthday, and the arrival of BITB. It's nice to have our own home in which to do all these things, and it's nice to be able to travel and spend a lot of time with family (I'm not sure how comfortable I'd be traveling again, especially since it's not just with a belly but with a toddler as well)."
--Clare

Dec 1 picture

2008-12-01T15:46:00.000-08:00

"Here is a comparison of my belly at approximately 30 weeks (Dec 1, 2008 vs Dec 1, 2005). I have been feeling like this time around I'm carrying lower, and friends have said I'm not as big (though I wonder if the shock of a pregnant Clare the first time around made me seem bigger than I seem now, not the first ever sighting of Clare pregnant).

However, I think that the belly looks about the same when all is said and done (but maybe it's just that I'm wearing the same shirt in the pictures that makes it seem so).

What do you think?"

--Clare

No pokes this time

2008-12-01T13:54:00.000-08:00

"Something I'm finding different with this pregnancy is that NO ONE (outside of family) is attempting to touch my belly. No one has asked to feel my stomach, or done so without asking for that matter. I don't know if that is because I'm not in an office as I was with Jackson where friends felt comfortable asking, and once had permission were allowed to do so anytime. I was fine with it.

But then, I remembered this incident from the Bucky Blog:

'I went to find a cheesy magazine to keep my mind occupied during the flight out for Thanksgiving. I'm standing a few feet from the magazine racks because a woman is replacing the depleted supplies. She turns around, almost directly into me, and stops. With eyes lit up, she asks 'When are you due?' AND POKES BUCKY! Yes, she actually poked me in the belly. But what was really weird about it is that it was such a kind poke, if there ever could be one.

It took me a second to gather my wits, and when I said the end of January, her reply was 'Oh, how wonderful!' Then she gave me a big smile and went about the rest of her job. I was so dumbfounded I left without getting myself a magazine.'

And I realize that I'm pretty pleased that I haven't experienced any of that this time around. The only people who touch the belly, are connected to the belly whether it be my doctor, my family or my best friend."
--Clare

In preparation?

2008-11-16T14:06:00.000-08:00

"So some of my new third trimester symptoms includes a stubborn digestive system. This is not helped by the iron pills that I'm taking to combat my anemia--they tend to cause things to slow down even more.

The other night I was uncomfortably awake with intestinal pains, Braxton Hicks, and a lot of movement from BITB. Some were indistinguishable from the others, and some times I could feel all three at once. I tried to deal with this as best I could by imagining that this was helping me prepare for contractions. NOT that contractions are anything like gas pains, but I figured if I could mentally try to relax with this uncomfortable situation maybe I'll be more capable if and when contractions hit.

Since my water broke with Jackson and they put me on Pitocin, I have never felt a "natural" onset of contractions and that scares me a bit. Well, quite a lot."
--Clare

More dreaming

2008-11-16T14:01:00.001-08:00

"About a week ago I had another baby dream.

This time Ross and I were in bed and BITB started moving. We both looked at my stomach to see a foot push outward, making a complete foot impression on my skin before it retracted. Then a hand on the other side of my belly. Then a face was visible and a little startling.

Next thing we know our baby has been born, a girl, and we're in my bedroom at my mom's house. Ross and I are trying to swaddle the baby and having a bit of trouble (we were never good at it with Jackson either). Then everyone started to arrive with their babies to welcome ours. And when I say everyone, I mean EVERYONE. Not just family members or friends but tons and tons of people we didn't know. . . ."
--Clare

Two down, one to go . . .

2008-11-13T15:10:00.000-08:00

"Well, I have officially entered the third trimester! I swear this second half of the pregnancy is going fast, fast, fast. And I think I'm starting to get anxious for whenever "due" date arrives because I realize I've set January 1 as my goal date to achieve all pre-baby prep work. HA! We'll see if that happens.

Here is what babycenter.com says about this milestone: 'You're in the home stretch! The third and final trimester starts this week. If you're like most women, you'll gain about 11 pounds this trimester.

By this week, your baby weighs two and a quarter pounds (like a Chinese cabbage) and measures 14.8 inches from the top of her head to her heels. She can blink her eyes, which now sport lashes. With her eyesight developing, she may be able to see the light that filters in through your womb. She's also developing billions of neurons in her brain and adding more body fat in preparation for life in the outside world.'

I think BITB is lodged at an angle within my uterus because for the past few days all kicks have been aimed at my right side. They are getting stronger and I am a little sore there. 'Hey, BITB move around a bit, that hurts Mommy.'

I thought to show Jackson the movements in my belly, but decided that might not be a good idea, it can be a little freaky and he might not be ready to witness it. I do wonder if Jackson feels the kicks from BITB when he sits on my lap as we read books together. He hasn't said anything about it so maybe not.

Still experiencing a lot of Braxton Hicks, which I guess increases and can start to become painful during this last leg of my pregnancy. No pain yet, they just make me uncomfortable. And not just in my belly either, when ever I feel a B-H my face gets all hot like I'm embarrassed. Maybe it's from the increase in my blood volume? It's strange to say the least."
--Clare

All that worry . . .

2008-11-10T08:24:00.000-08:00

"for nothing.

Just called my Doctor's office to find out the results of my glucose test, and just like with Jackson I'm slightly anemic.

I should have listened to myself more about that possibility but silly me was convinced I was doomed!

Iron pills here I come! Twice a day to be taken with juice (not milk---doesn't allow for iron absorption) for the next three months. I think I'll eat some red meat and spinach too!"
--Clare

Jackson's choice for a name

2008-11-10T08:16:00.001-08:00

"Yesterday, we were all playing in the living room with Jackson's trucks and Baby Doll. Jackson mentioned that Baby Doll was his sister/daughter. I asked how old his daughter was . . ."two". . . and how old he was . . ."two" . . .so I think right now daughter and sister mean pretty much the same thing. I then asked Jackson what his sister's name was. "Maggie."

I thought that was pretty cute. Don't know if he knows any Maggies . . . OH, except for from the Simpson's (yes, and it's all Ross's fault!) maybe that's it. Took me until now to catch on."
--Clare

Too many cookies?

2008-11-08T13:21:00.000-08:00

"Well this last doctor's visit went well, though I'm still waiting to hear about my glucose test . . .

BITBs heartbeat is still going strong, and my belly measures 25 cm versus my 27 weeks gestation so possibly this baby is going to be smaller, late in delivery, or really going to grow in the next 13 weeks. THIRTEEN WEEKS??? Ahhhhhh

Generally, a pregnant woman's belly will measure in cm the same as her weeks in gestation. A few digits off isn't a bad sign, but it will be interesting to see how much more it grows in these next two weeks before I head back for another check up.

My appointments are now going to be every two to three weeks instead of once a month. All these signs keep pointing out that the end is near. And getting closer . . . eeeep. With the holiday's coming up and our traveling for Thanksgiving my next two appointments will be in two and in four weeks, I'm interested to see belly growth and weight gain.

In this past appointment I gained another 5 pounds. In total that's 15 lbs. so far. Half of what I gained with Jackson. At this rate (7 lbs in 4 weeks, 5 lbs in 3, approximately 1.71 pounds a week . . .) it's possible that I'll gain 22 more pounds???? Totaling 37 all together. Maybe I'll stop eating all that candy (it's almost all gone anyway), especially if I'm measuring small in the belly, but weighing more on the scales . . .

Speaking of all that sugar. I am a little nervous about this glucose test. I took it on Thursday. On Friday I went up to Seattle to see my sister-in-law's wedding dress (so beautiful) and the store clerk struck up a conversation with me about having kids, pregnancy, etc. Well, turns out she had gestational diabetes and that her doctors suspected right away when she said that the orange drink they give you to drink wasn't bad at all. . . I got worried because with Jackson it was a pain to gulp down in 5 min, and this time I did just fine. It still tasted sweet to me, but not as terrible as I remembered. Is that an indicator for me? Or maybe I just hyped the bad taste of the drink up beyond what it really was.

Here's how Babycenter.com describes the testing process: 'To screen for gestational diabetes, you will take a test called the oral glucose tolerance test. This test involves quickly drinking a sweetened liquid, which contains 50g of sugar. The body absorbs this sugar rapidly, causing blood sugar levels to rise within 30-60 minutes. A blood sample will be taken from a vein in your arm 1 hour after drinking the solution. The blood test measures how the sugar solution was metabolized (processed by the body).

A blood sugar level greater than or equal to 140mg/dL is recognized as abnormal. If your results are abnormal based on the oral glucose tolerance test, another test will be given after fasting for several hours.

In women at high risk of developing gestational diabetes, a normal screening test result is followed up with another screening test at 24-28 weeks for confirmation of the diagnosis.'

I checked our phone for messages last night and there was a call from my doctors. Very uninformative (but I guess leaving medical information on an answering machine is not allowed) and only saying, please give us a call back. Ahhhhh! I immediate jumped to the conclusion that I failed the test and all that candy I ate and cookies I made did me in.

But then I remembered that my nurse also took blood to check for anemia, which I ended up having with Jackson, and THAT could very well be what the call was all about. Unfortunately, I have to wait until Monday, 8 am before I can find out the real reason they called . . . and in the mean time I'm staying away from sugar and eating lots of iron fortified foods! I should have been doing a better job with my diet anyway, sigh . . . "
--Clare

Late-morning

2008-11-04T13:05:00.000-08:00

"While BITB and I were waiting to vote, Stacey and baby Gus exited the polls. What a cutie. Since it was chilly we parted quickly but I stopped by to have a more formal introduction at their house after I voted.

He is very sweet and starting to really be inquisitive about the world around him. It was almost lunch time so Gus made it known that he was getting hungry. That sound, that little baby boy cry almost put me over the edge. I started tearing up and knew I had to leave soon otherwise I'd embarrass myself by sobbing. He sounded so much like Jackson when he was a baby.

No offense to BITB if s/he turns out to be a girl, but I would love another baby boy. In a very strange way, babies aren't babies to me unless they're boys. But I'm sure when and if I have a girl I'll sing a different tune. Baby boys are all I know right now.

Oh, it was so sweet. I can't wait!"
--Clare

Mid-morning

2008-11-04T13:01:00.000-08:00

"It's election day, and while BITB has 18 more years before s/he can cast a ballot, s/he kept me company while I waited a little over an hour to vote.

Apparently those 18 years might be needed to garner some excitement about the voting process as BITB slept though the whole thing."
--Clare

Early this morning

2008-11-04T12:11:00.000-08:00

"I detected BITB's first noticeable case of hiccups today.

In utero hiccups feel like tiny, rhythmic, isolated tapping. It does not feel anything like the jabs, kicks, and somersaults I normally feel. They are so delicate and sweet.

I love this feeling, I'm not sure why. Maybe because it's such a human experience that I get a kick out of knowing my little BITB is experiencing it too. Jackson had them often so I'm excited that I'm finally feeling them with BITB.

I think too, that the hiccups thrill me so much because hiccups are a clear sign that BITB is something that I helped create, that BITB is a part of me, who I am, where I come from. I know I'm only half of the formula for this baby, but Ross rarely burps, and I don't think I've EVER heard him have the hiccups.

And, well, I'm prone to those things . . . often. Our children will get other unique traits from Ross, the hiccups are all me."
--Clare

It just keeps growing

2008-11-03T15:03:00.000-08:00

"Here is the November belly shot. I'm 26 weeks along.

From this angle it doesn't look incredibly large, but my view from up top is starting to diminish. I could only see about half of Jackson's head from above (and with his Norwegian noggin that's saying a lot). I do think BITB and my belly get bigger every day.

To the growing list of pregnancy symptoms that have returned, I'd like to add difficulty breathing (as BITB rises up due to my lack of torso and inhibits my lung space) and inability to think (this proves very difficult in many many ways).

Also with the increased size comes larger movements from BITB. The other night I swore s/he was doing somersaults and the kicks have started to move out towards my sides as well. Maybe with my lack of torso this baby is trying to gain as much room as possible by enlarging my belly horizontally as well as vertically . . .

Jackson has noticed the growing size of my belly and has started to heed his dad's words by telling me, "You can't do [insert activity] with Baby in your Belly." Very chivalrous and yet, a little bittersweet.

I have my glucose test this coming Thursday and hope that I pass it. I wasn't able to ignore all the sweets around our house that accumulated for Halloween. Hopefully that wont be enough for me to develop gestational diabetes. Last time my glucose test showed that I was slightly anemic, so I'm half expecting for that to happen again, especially since I can't seem to get enough salt in my diet (don't actually know if that has anything to do with iron deficiency but my mind is convinced it does). I'm also really hankering milk, which is a bit better than wanting to salt everything, and surprisingly it helps with the acid reflux. It's a win-win combo of calcium and indigestion calmer, yum."
--Clare

We're tied at 2

2008-11-02T14:59:00.001-08:00

"I have a correction to make. The baby count is actually tied at 2 girls and 2 boys. I forgot to mention our friends Erin and Brian just found out that they are having their first boy in March. Very exciting. So, 2 girls and 1 boy have arrived, 1 boy is in the "oven", and the rest of us aren't finding out or are too early in the game to do so. Which reminds me, I just found out another friend (Joanna, who had her son Ron 6 weeks after Jackson was born) is expecting in April. If that one is a singleton, the babies-in-waiting add up to 9! Wowzers . . . this is starting to get out of hand!"
--Clare

It's a boy

2008-11-02T14:37:00.000-08:00

"One of my mommy-to-be friends has added a boy to the baby count (Girls-2, Boys-1, unknown-9).

Congratulations to Stacey and Jake who welcomed Augustus "Gus" William on the morning of October 18! What a sweet babe. This precious one might look little, but he arrived weighing in at an amazing 11 lbs., 4 oz., and 23 inches long!!!! (Gus knocks Boden out of biggest baby we know by one pound and three ounces. WOW!) I will note to those reading this that new Daddy Jake is a foot taller than Stacey, and I think might be the reason Gus, only two days late, was so sturdy.

Everyone is doing well, recovering nicely, and enjoying the transition into a family of three."
--Clare

T minus 100 days!

2008-10-27T21:15:00.000-07:00

"Well the time has come that my gestation is crossing from triple to double digit days. Not as amazing as crossing to single digit days but 100 days means just over three months . . . that light is getting brighter.

As I get closer to the third trimester, more and more pregnancy symptoms are cropping up. The acid reflux is here to stay. I'm sad to say that I do think sweets, mostly chocolate, cause a more significant flare-ups than other foods . . . sigh.

I've also had some crazy almost charlie horses in the middle of the night . . . I wake to roll over and in doing so usually stretch my legs a bit. Lately when I do this, my calf muscles will cramp up, that only ceases when I curl up into a ball again.

Acne, achy back, and exhaustion are all rearing their ugly heads again. At least these symptoms will go away after the baby is born, right? 100 days to go. . ."
--Clare

Does it come with a shake?

2008-10-17T08:24:00.000-07:00

"I had another dream last night. It was short and very simple, and I'm thinking not very realistic . . .

Ross and I are at the hospital ready to deliver BITB. There is no pain (don't know if I have drugs because I can fully move my body but there is no pain). I'm told to just let my body do the work and when I feel pressure to call in the doctor because it's time to push.

I guess I feel pressure so we call the doctor in.

Now in the dream I, the dreamer Clare, becomes a nurse at the foot of the bed, while Ross is holding my, the in-labor-Clare, hand.

Labor Clare pushes once, ONCE!, and out comes the baby. Nurse Clare helps deliver the baby, who is very clean and perfectly formed and about 11 pounds, and places her (it's a girl) on Labor Clare's chest. We all marvel at how big she is.

I then become Labor Clare, gaze lovingly at my new daughter, amazed at how perfectly formed she is, how clean, how big . . . Ross and I are thrilled but aren't crying at all like we did with Jackson. I wonder if we should be more emotional . . . I wonder what time I delivered our daughter . . .

I try to ask Ross what time it is, I can't read the clock on the wall, and he is talking with the doctor about something exciting. When I finally get Ross's attention he brushes my question aside saying that the doctor told him that even though doctors say you shouldn't eat right after delivery, in reality you can eat anything now that the baby is out.

The doctor said that I can have all the water I want and that we can even go to McDonald's! Ross is super thrilled about this and is glowing more about the fact that I can eat burgers and fries than the fact that we just had a girl.

I look at our baby and think, 'guess we should name you now . . . .mmmm, McDonald's.'

That's a realistic dream right?"
--Clare

Maybe it's all the cookies I'm baking . . .

2008-10-16T11:34:00.000-07:00

"Woohoo! 7 lbs.!

I just had my 24 week appointment and am glad to say the weight gain has begun! Now for those of you who think I'm crazy for cheering on my new poundage, I'm really not. It seems that in pregnancy I am a late weight gainer. This isn't bad, isn't good, it just is; some people gain early, some gain steadily throughout, I gain in the end. BUT when all is said and done, it is best to gain some weight because that means the baby is getting fatter and all is growing well with room and board.

The recommended weight gain (20-30 pounds, though some say 25-35) is as follows:

Baby: seven to eight pounds

Placenta: one to two pounds

Amniotic fluid: two pounds

Breast tissue: one to two pounds

Uterus: two pounds

Extra blood: three to four pounds

Increase in body fluids: three pounds

Maternal stores (i.e. fat as baby protection and momma energy): five to twelve pounds

Add it all up and the range is 14 to 35 pounds.

I gained 30 with Jackson . . . wonder what will happen this time around. Though, what I think is funny about my seven pounds is that it is EXACTLY how much I gained each month once I started gaining with Jackson!

Here is what Babycenter.com says about BITB at 24 weeks: 'Your baby's growing steadily, having gained about 4 ounces since last week. That puts him at just over a pound. Since he's almost a foot long (picture an ear of corn), he cuts a pretty lean figure at this point, but his body is filling out proportionally and he'll soon start to plump up.' So that accounts for one of those seven pounds . . .

Also exciting at this appointment was that BITB had a very steady heart beat (156 bpm) that sounded so strong. Ahhhhh! It’s all so invigorating, this little life just thriving inside me . . ."

--Clare

Getting a sister?

2008-10-14T15:23:00.000-07:00

"Though I said that Jackson frequently refers to the baby as a 'he' ("When baby comes out he'll have a pacifier," was mentioned the other day, as an example), a new trend has developed.

When ever we are looking at things of 3, say a picture of tigers, Jackson will always point out that 'Mommy tiger, Jackson tiger and Daddy tiger' are there. HOWEVER, if there are 4, 'Sister tiger' is added to the mix.

I think this is just adorable. I will say that the fact that we read The Berenstain Bear's New Baby a lot, where Little Bear gets a baby sister might have something to do with it."
--Clare

Just call me Mrs. Butter-fingers

2008-10-12T20:00:00.000-07:00

"Today couldn't be more telling of the fact that I'm pregnant.

It's been said that a tell-tale sign of a pregnant woman is her clumsiness, her "butter-fingers", so to speak.

Today I have spilled milk (twice), dropped my knife multiple times (maybe I should avoid cutlery from now on), knocked over my opened contact case (sending me to my hands and knees searching for my precious lenses), among a myriad of other things. I feel like a total klutz.

I think I need to go to bed and hope for a better, more coordinated day tomorrow."
--Clare

A pain in the back side

2008-10-07T13:26:00.000-07:00

"UGH! This is so not fun.

I've had a consistent pain in my lower back/upper buttock for the past 16 hours . . . I never had this when pregnant with Jackson. But "they" say that every pregnancy is different. Anyone else experience a difference like this?

I have a call into my doctor to see what she says it might be (my first thought was the elusive sciatica pain but possibly it's another pregnancy related pain, as described below) and what I can take for it.

My other theory is that I stretched too far in yoga class on Sunday. But I'm not really sure that's a legitimate possibility given that the pain doesn't feel like something I've experienced before due to exercising.

Here is what babycenter.com has on the subject (which really describes my case):

'You can probably blame your growing uterus and hormonal changes for your aching back. Your expanding uterus shifts your center of gravity and stretches out and weakens your abdominal muscles, changing your posture and putting a strain on your back.

The extra weight you're carrying means more work for your muscles and increased stress on your joints, which is why your back may feel worse at the end of the day. [Mine is all day long, fun.] Your growing uterus may also cause back pain if it's pressing on a nerve.

In addition, hormonal changes in pregnancy loosen your joints and the ligaments that attach your pelvic bones to your spine. This can make you feel less stable and cause pain when you walk, stand, sit for long periods, roll over in bed, get out of a low chair or the tub, bend, or lift things. [So, pretty much anything, great!]

Experts describe two common patterns of low back pain in pregnancy: Lumbar pain occurs in the area of the lumbar vertebrae in your lower back [not my case] and posterior pelvic pain is felt in the back of your pelvis [hmmm, that sounds more like it]. Some women have symptoms of both types of low back pain.

. . . more pregnant women have posterior pelvic pain, which is felt lower on your body than lumbar pain. You may feel it deep inside the buttocks, on one or both sides or in the back of your thighs. It may be triggered by activities such as walking, climbing stairs, getting in and out of a tub or a low chair, rolling over in bed, or twisting and lifting.

Positions in which your hips are bent — such as sitting in a chair and leaning forward while working at a desk — may make posterior pelvic pain worse. . . When low back pain radiates into the buttocks and thighs, it's often confused with sciatica — a condition that's actually relatively uncommon. True sciatica, which can be caused by a herniated or bulging disk in the lower part of the spine, affects only about 1 percent of pregnant women. [So maybe that's not me . . .]

If you have sciatica, your leg pain will usually be more severe than your back pain. You're likely to feel it below the knee as well, and it may even radiate to your foot and toes. And you'll probably feel a tingling, pins-and-needles sensation in your legs or possibly some numbness. [Not me for sure, guess it's the posterior pelvic pain that I've got.]'

I swam this morning thinking that the motion and floating would help me, but it did not. I bought myself a nice hot/cold pad that was useful for the time that it was on my back. But so far the only thing that alleviated the pain was taking a walk. . . that is, until I sat down again!

I hope my doctor calls soon with advise on what pain medication she approves of, in the mean time I think I'll try soaking in a hot bath. Again, I say, UGH! This is so not fun."
--Clare

Apples to Cider

2008-10-06T14:48:00.000-07:00

"This past weekend we had a fun fall family outing. Everyone was excited to go apple picking with some family friends and celebrate the arrival of October!

The weather cooperated for 20 minutes, just enough time for us to arrive at Terry's Berries, check out all the produce growing, see chickens, goats and horses, help Daddy fill a big bucket with apples and scurry over to the pressing station.

The "gentleman" teaching about pressing apples into cider wasn't the kindest of men, but he did wear red suspenders and a straw hat which made me think he at least looked the part of an ole time cider presser.

The Dads got the job of pressing the apples while the Moms tried to keep the kids under the tent (it was now pouring down rain) and not get too muddy.

Apple picking is one of my favorite fall activities that I pretend is done for my birthday. Even though it was a very quick trip, every one had a wonderful time and I hope that it becomes a tradition. BITB however slept through the whole thing!"
--Clare

BITBs inheritance

2008-10-06T14:34:00.000-07:00

"So Jackson is really getting it now. He is starting to fully understand that the baby in my belly will eventually join us in this world. Luckily not to the extent that we have had to do a 'where do babies come from' talk. Jackson does think that BITB will just pop out of my tummy ('can we get him out now?' -- Jackson also uses the masculine pronouns way more than the feminine) to join us and I am okay with this line of thought for now.

This morning Jackson said two different things that really let me know he understood:
1. While I was getting dressed Jackson thought my top was too tight for my belly. 'Don't hurt baby!' he admonished me.
2. When getting into his high chair to sit at the table for breakfast Jackson looked to me and stated, 'when the baby in your belly comes he'll get to sit here and I'll get a big boy chair.'

Ah, I fell in love with my kid all over again for his concern and perception of the baby situation. He also mentioned that he can't do raspberries on my belly because it might hurt baby, but I replied that baby in the belly likes them as long as they're gentle.

So I think we are in the clear for some of Jackson's items to get handed down to BITB without much of a fuss from our first born. Hopefully he'll continue to sound happy about passing off his "baby" things once BITB has arrived."
--Clare

Let's hope it was a fluke

2008-10-05T20:40:00.000-07:00

"Last night, as I was trying to fall asleep, I felt it: a dull burning sensation in my throat that was all too familiar.

Acid reflux!

Oh, please, just let it be what I had for dinner last night and not the beginning of a trend. Though it was about this time in my pregnancy with Jackson that it began. Ugh.

Thank goodness for TUMS: calcium and an acid reducer, what more could a pregnant lady with acid reflux ask for (besides not having acid reflux)?"
--Clare

With 4 months to go . . .

2008-10-05T20:35:00.000-07:00

here is my latest belly picture. I have noticed a big increase in belly shape in the last few weeks (though it may not look like much in this photo) and expect that with the next doctors appointment I'll have increased in weight gain as well."
--Clare

Strange cravings

2008-10-05T20:29:00.000-07:00

"So people have often asked me if I have any strange food cravings with this pregnancy, and the answer is no, not really. I tend to not want cooked veggies . . . their flavor becomes too potent when cooked. I'll take my veggies raw this time around.

So while there's no food that I crave, it seems that the only thing that I really want is Coke. But not just any can or bottle of Coke will do, I hanker for Coke of the fountain soda variety with ice and a straw. Mmmmmmmmm."
--Clare

Second baby of the baby count is here!

2008-10-05T10:54:00.000-07:00

"Our college friends Katie and Dan have welcomed into the world their precious little girl (their first child) Evelyn Rose. Cute name. (The pressure is really on for us to pick a darling name for BITB.) Congratulations!

Here is what the new and proud parents had to say: 'Our baby was born on Oct. 3 at 2:45pm. She is the sweetest little thing. Her name is Evelyn Rose and she weighs 7lbs., 2oz. I don't know how long she is yet. She has downy, reddish hair and blue or brown eyes depending on if you ask me or Bird. Her favorite activities are sleeping, holding my index finger, sleeping, eating, sleeping, crying, sleeping, and pooping (after which: sleeping).'

--Clare

New poll

2008-09-30T13:56:00.001-07:00

See bottom of the page and cast your vote for BITBs EDA! (That's estimated date of arrival.)

Due date: Feb 4, 2009

Things to think about: Jackson was 15 days early, BITB is measuring closer to my gestation date than Jackson ever did (at the ultrasounds Jackson was 1.5 weeks ahead of my pregnancy week/day count and BITB was only 2 days ahead), the closest full moons are Jan. 10 and Feb. 9 (there are more babies are born around full moons than other times, Jackson was the day after one).

Braxton-Hicks in full effect

2008-09-30T13:19:00.000-07:00

"Sometimes I feel like an idiot, occasionally I might feel smart, but usually I just am.

This little baby growing inside me, or rather the process of being the BITB Holder (as opposed to the Bucky Holder) causes me to feel like an idiot often. Not from the forgetfulness that is frequently occurring, nor the increased amount of spacing-out time that is taking place (really, sometimes I'm not all there), it is the fact that I experience Braxton-Hicks all the time.

Now this in itself shouldn't make me feel like an idiot. It's a natural process and as webmd.com says: 'These irregular uterine contractions are perfectly normal and may start to occur as early as the second trimester, although more commonly in the third trimester of pregnancy. They are your body's way of getting ready for the "real thing.". . .Braxton Hicks contractions can be described as tightening in the abdomen that comes and goes.'

Well, that's completely me. I get a tightening sensation that lasts anywhere from a split-second to half a minute. Sometimes it's just once, other times it occurs throughout the day. They are not painful, thankfully, just awkward feeling due to the tightening.

The "I'm an idiot" part comes into play with this because apparently I had Braxton-Hicks with Jackson too, but I was such a dope that I seriously thought it was the little baby just shifting it's weight or cutely pushing it's bottom against my stomach. I found out that those feelings were actually Braxton-Hicks when we went into the hospital after my water broke and the nurse asked if I felt 'that' contraction. I said, 'what, that's not a contraction, that's the baby shifting it's weight.' 'No, that's a contraction, dear.'

Idiot.

And so, when ever I feel them now I have to laugh at myself at how dumb I was the first time around. It's a simple reminder that you can't know everything, and that maybe naivete is a blissful thing, and that it's probably best for us to be occassionally humbled into feeling like an idiot throughout life.

Hopefully I'm a little smarter this time around, for BITBs sake . . ."
--Clare

Ahhhhhh

2008-09-27T07:34:00.001-07:00

"Yesterday I treated myself royally. In honor of my upcoming birthday and utilizing the spa gift certificate my wonderful husband gave me last Christmas (yes, I know that was a while ago) I scheduled a prenatal massage for myself.

At this particular spa they will allow you to lay on your stomach/back until 22 weeks (with the support of special maternal bolsters and cut-out cushions). I was determined to receive my treatment before October when I turned 22 weeks and would have to lay on my side, something I didn’t think would be all that relaxing!

My special afternoon began with a foot soak to get me in the mood for relaxing, something that is difficult for a mom to achieve, especially one who is pregnant and one who can’t seem to forget about her to-do list!

Lemon water hydrated me, a plush robe comforted me, and soothing music attempted to put me in a state of Zen.

My massage therapist was a down-to-earth woman who instantaneously made me feel at ease and forget my chore list. Lavender with a hint of lemon and pine infused my nose and relaxed all my senses, complete calm overcame me.

Using Momma Mia products the massage therapist set out to relax all my aches and tense muscles that I didn’t even know were tight. After 50 minutes, I would have been happy with 50 minutes more, but was entering a state of euphoria (especially with the peppermint aroma therapy I received to complete the maternal massage) and could have easily fallen asleep.

After I forced myself to “come-to”, I was treated to a complimentary Swedish shower. I was skeptical that this would be anything special, but seeing as I was meeting up with some friends it would do me well to wash off the massage oils.

I tell you, that was the most amazing shower I’ve ever experienced: a large rain shower head and 12 jets of water to wash and soothe. Maybe that doesn’t sound like much in words, but I would advise anyone who gets a chance to experience one to take it! And to get a prenatal massage if you’re expecting. I might even consider another closer to my due date despite having to be on my side."
--Clare

First baby of the baby count is here!

2008-09-24T14:49:00.000-07:00

"Pippin Garnet arrived Tuesday 9:28 AM EST! She is almost 4 pounds lighter than big brother Boden was which helped make for a safe and easy water birth for both Maija and Pippin. Dad Jeremy is just thrilled and said that they are even back home and getting used to their now being a family of four. Boden loves holding his baby sister, and when I called in my congratulations, was excited to go home and see her again. CONGRATULATIONS!"
--Clare

Strangest dream yet

2008-09-24T14:46:00.000-07:00

"I had another pregnancy dream last night. I think I have had more since the last time I wrote of my dreams but this one was weird and memorable.

This dream seemed really long, but I am having difficulty remembering all of the little details. However, this is the basic story line:

I am in my bedroom (which is also a bit like a hospital room) and about to go into labor. My mom is there and I think maybe some doctors who are more blurs than anything. There is no pain in this dream, but it is a very hard labor.

I look to my left and there is one of my male cousins also giving birth. He is not having as difficult time as I am (and I’m totally perplexed by this since even in my dream I know it’s impossible for a male to give birth).

My baby is stuck in the birthing canal so the doctors had to do an episiotomy, twice. I wasn’t too thrilled with this either, especially since I then looked over to see my cousin give birth to a baby boy---easily!

I finally birth my baby and am told it’s a boy. “Are you sure?” I ask a little upset since apparently I knew I was having a girl (don’t know if this was intuition or ultrasound knowledge—and no, in real life we do not know) And also since the baby came out wearing a diaper I wondered how the doctors were able to tell the baby’s gender. I checked for myself and sure enough it was a little boy.

I woke up feeling completely confused and really out of it. I spent the rest of my early morning hours thinking about this dream and dreaming about this dream to make sure I could remember it all. It was just so bizarre!"--Clare

Linea negra

2008-09-23T09:50:00.000-07:00

"Apparently all women have a linea alba, a white line that is relatively unnoticeable that runs down the center of the abdomen (belly button to pubic bone). During pregnancy this line is renamed the linea negra as it tends to turn dark with the increase in hormones. Generally it shows up around the 4th or 5th month.

My friend Maija (due 3 days ago . . .and waiting) and I were talking the other day and wondered if the linea negra can also be a tell-tale sign of the baby's gender. Both she and I had it in our first pregnancies, and we both had boys. She does not have it this time around and is due to give birth to a girl, any day now. I do not show a linea negra this time around either (proof that the gender voting pole is right?)

Maija also said that her sister-in-law never had the linea negra until her third pregnancy: a baby boy that time. I know of another woman who gave birth to a boy and most definitely had a linea negra. However, in speaking with Lisa, she did not have a linea negra with either of her pragnancies: one girl, one boy.

It is said that those with darker skin tones are more apt to have a darker line, but many fairer skinned moms have had the linea negra as well. Was it a sign of the baby's gender??? Anyone want to add their two cents on this one? I'm intrigued."
--Clare

FYI

2008-09-22T17:05:00.001-07:00

Ultrasound is up . . . scroll down to the original posting.

Half way there!

2008-09-20T13:54:00.000-07:00

"This is what babycenter.com has to say about my being at 20 weeks:

'Congratulations! You've hit the halfway mark in your pregnancy. The top of your uterus is about level with your belly button, and you've likely gained around 10 pounds.* Expect to gain another pound or so each week from now on. . . Make sure you're getting enough iron, a mineral that's used primarily to make hemoglobin (the part of your red blood cells that carries oxygen). During pregnancy, your body needs more iron to keep up with your expanding blood volume, as well as for your growing baby and the placenta.

'Your baby weighs about 10 1/2 ounces now. He's also around 6 1/2 inches long from head to bottom and about 10 inches from head to heel — the length of a banana. (For the first 20 weeks, when a baby's legs are curled up against his torso and hard to measure, measurements are taken from the top of his head to his bottom — the "crown to rump" measurement. After 20 weeks, he's measured from head to toe.)

'He's swallowing more these days, which is good practice for his digestive system. He's also producing meconium, a black, sticky by-product of digestion. This gooey substance will accumulate in his bowels, and you'll see it in his first soiled diaper (some babies pass meconium in the womb or during delivery).'

*I have not gained the 10 pounds they mentioned, but it'll come soon enough. I expect to see a big weight jump by my next appointment at 24 weeks."
--Clare

It's a baby boom

2008-09-16T15:07:00.000-07:00

"I now believe that I know of 10 friends who are pregnant. I mentioned Claire before, who is pregnant with twins, so that makes a total of 12 babies including mine.

Of those babies I know of two girls: one is due this month to my friends Maija and Jeremy who's son Boden was born the September before Jackson, so these new babies will be exactly the same distance in months as our boys are; the other is due in October to a college friend in NY. I don't know if anyone else had found out their baby's gender but the due dates range from any day now (Maija) to Mayish.

That's a lot of pitter-pattering to come!"
--Clare

Survey says . . .

2008-09-16T14:57:00.001-07:00

"So strangely enough, everyone on my side of the family who is willing to commit says that BITB is going to be a girl. They just "know it", "feel it", or their "intuition tells" them it's a girl.

My favorite is that my step-dad Jim is convinced, CONVINCED, BITB is a girl. He says he knew Jackson would be a boy and now knows this baby will be a girl. We ladies (my mom and sister and I) asked him how he's so sure . . . "I just know" he says.

"How do you know?" we ask.

"My intuition."

And I thought only women had intuition . . . He even proved his point by giving me two cute, more girl-y than not, baby outfits as birthday presents at the celebration my family gave me while I was in town.

My dad wont commit saying that either one will be a blessing, and I haven't had a chance to ask my brother. Ross just wont say (though he teases that he thinks it's a boy because we're again having trouble deciding on a boy's name). I have yet to poll Ross's side of the family, but now that I'm back in Tacoma I can show them all the ultrasound as ask their opinion."
--Clare

Beautiful in Black and White

2008-09-16T13:30:00.000-07:00

"We had our ultrasound of BITB on September 9, at 18 weeks 6 days. It's a little earlier than usual, but still within the month time frame technicians like to use for measuring everything. We were excited to get an early view of BITB, plus I wanted the ultrasound pictures to take with me to show my family during my visit in St. Louis.

I picked Ross up from work, and we didn't have to wait very long before we were in the ultrasound room looking up at our baby. This viewing was more exciting for me than with Jackson only because I got to see the monitor screen the entire time. The room had one mounted up on the wall and Ross and I just relaxed and watched the show.

As soon as the radiology technician put the want to my stomach, we saw our baby. It was thrilling. There was an immediate profile shot, and we watched as BITB moved around. There was a leg, an arm, a hand resting on a shoulder . . . the face on shots are a bit startling as the baby looks very alien, but it was also neat to see the eyes, nose, mouth (jaw & teeth) that will continue to form into our second child.

I just marvled at the whole thing. There within me was a moving child, that I could see move and could literally count the toes of. I watched in amazement at his/her little heart beating, all four chambers moving in harmony to pump blood around, helping those little legs kick and those little arms flail.

Ross and I asked all sorts of stupid and sometimes intelligent questions about what we were seeing. It seemed like a more open atmosphere than what we experienced in D.C., but maybe we felt that way because this was the second time we've done this and we were more willing to talk openly about our little baby to the technician.

The entire process took just over an hour. The radiology technician was a very nice woman who talked so sweetly to BITB, trying to coax him/her into optimal position for organ and appendages viewing. BITB sure was a wiggler.

BITB isn't measuring too much more than my gestation date. I was at 18w6d and BITB was measuring between 19weeks, 2 or 3 days. Maybe this one will be more on time. There goes the double birthday!

After the ultrasound I had some blood work done. The end result of everything is that both baby and I look good and are healthy. We cannot wait to welcome this baby into our family!

I have my regular doctor appointment in a few days so I'm hoping to hear that I've finally gained some weight. I'm looking bigger every day."
--Clare

Exclusive first pictures of BITB

2008-09-16T13:25:00.000-07:00

Here it is . . .

Sorry about the size, I am having trouble with this crazy scaning technology. I'm sure my kids will be so much smarting about these things than I, and this'll be embarassing in the future, but for now it's the best I can do.

In this picture you get a great profile shot, and can even see a tiny (and really tiny with the size of this pic) foot just above the belly.

We did not find out the gender so the surprise will be revealed come January/February 2009! Until then . . .

Night Owl

2008-09-16T13:24:00.001-07:00

"BITB is a kicker. Really likes to tap dance away, especially around bedtime.

Tonight while Ross and I were talking in bed, BITB began to squirm about. Big Time. I lifted my shirt so Ross could talk to BITB since we know s/he was awake and Ross was almost kicked in the nose!

Just shy of 19 weeks, and we can see the jabs taking place! The only hard part for me was trying not to giggle too much because then the wiggling of my belly interfered with our seeing the baby movement. I had to lay completely still and slow my breathing and then in between the natural rise and fall of my stomach, we occasionally see a little bump-up of skin. Crazy.

First it was on the left side, then it moved around to the right. It really was funny. BITB is really active."
--Clare 9/9/08

VOTE!!!!

2008-09-08T14:11:00.000-07:00

"The little gender vote tally at the bottom of this page is super cool. But more people need to vote. Are there only 10 people reading this blog? How sad. Give some love to BITB! Put your vote in today, I did! (I am so not a politician!)"
--Clare

The name game

2008-09-08T13:42:00.000-07:00

"Tomorrow is our ultrasound and Ross has graciously indicated that he is fine with the fact that I still want to wait until birth before we know the gender of our child.

This is both scary and exciting. All the what-ifs: what if it’s a girl; what if it’s another boy?!; what if Jackson rejects a baby brother or a baby sister because he thinks he’s getting the other one . . .

And most importantly, what are we going to name this kid?

Baby name books scare me a bit because the quantity of names is too overwhelming to me. 10,000! Are you kidding me? Given too many choices, I can’t focus on anything. I knew for me, at least, we’d have to narrow our search down somehow and, being the traditionalist that I am, figured family names was still the easiest way to do so.

This was made even more obvious when Ross and I were joking around the other day with the baby name book and randomly picked a few out. Ross would flip through the paged until I said stop, and then he’s close his eyes, point to one and reveal the future name of BITB! We came up with Shy and Tevin. I don’t think we’ll use either one.

To narrow down the options, but still provide plenty of names for us to choose from and play around with, I attempted to broaden our scope by diving further and wider into our respective family trees. I’m happy to say there are some very cool names I wouldn’t have thought of otherwise that we can now add to the list of choices. There are also some very funky names that I am not even sure how to pronounce! I think we will both be satisfied with the name we choose for BITB just as much as we both were in naming Jackson."
--Clare

Attack of the baby brain

2008-09-08T13:00:00.000-07:00

"There have been a few incidents of late that make me think my mind is going, but most definitely lets me know I can no longer multitask.

As a mom of a toddler, you would think that multitasking was a way of life. EVERYTHING is multitasking: getting dressed, doing chores, making dinner, even playing. All these things occur while something else is being accomplished. Playing Bob the Builder while folding laundry while creating a grocery list in my head has become second nature. I am mother, watch me do.

And then I became pregnant. And then I started making little “mistakes” in my tasks. Leaving clothes in the wash for two days; having to go to the store three times in one day because I kept forgetting things; wearing my slippers to a meeting.

I’m getting distracted; I’m getting a “baby brain” again.

Yesterday I was getting lunch ready when the phone rang. No big deal, I can talk and make my quesadilla at the same time. It’s very easy really. Tortilla, cheese and chicken, fold in half, place on cookie sheet in oven on broil, and remove in 2 or so minutes when the tortilla starts browning.

All went well: good conversation on the phone, lots of cheese in the tortilla, popped it in the oven, shut the door, and continued chatting. Then somehow, something inside me told me to open the oven door again.

FLAMES! All over my quesadilla! “I’ve just set my house on fire!” I exclaimed into the phone, “I’ve got to go!”

I grabbed a pot holder (at least I had my wits about to do that!) and pulled our charred lunch out of the oven. The flames died down just in time for the smoke detectors to go off. I turned off the broiler, opened the door and two windows, turned on the stove exhaust and sadly stared at what would have been a lovely lunch. Sigh.

And yes, I immediately realized that one never shuts the oven door when broiling, especially in a very old oven. Phoning and cooking together are done. And keep me away from any heavy machinery, who knows what I’m capable of now. Do not operated while pregnant."
--Clare

How I size up

2008-09-04T10:24:00.000-07:00

"I wanted to do a little photo comparison from last month to this, as well as what I looked like at approximately the same gestation with Jackson.

September 2008, 18 weeks:

August 2008, around 14 weeks:

September 1, 2005, "Bucky" at around 19 weeks gestation:

I think I'm getting my pregnancy belly at around the same rate. I still haven't gained weight myself, and I didn't until closer to month 5 for Jackson. However I then gained and gained and gained each month. I guess that's the POP! A lot of people still can't tell I'm pregnant, which is slightly sad for me. I am very anxious to start looking pregnant, call me crazy. I'm dying to have my belly all big with child, I think it really invigorates me.

Something else that will jazz me up about this pregnancy is the fact that I have my ultrasound set up for the 9th right before I head to St. Louis for a long weekend. I'm excited to show my family BITB's first photographs."
--Clare

How BITB sizes up

2008-09-03T15:59:00.000-07:00

"18 weeks today and I just wanted to share with everyone the fun “size chart” that is used for describing the baby growing in my belly.

For some reason, and maybe I touched upon this with the Bucky Blog (I can’t recall), food items are used for size comparisons. It makes for a good visual, but also skews the situation since sometimes it’s based on weight and sometimes on shape, and really I don’t think a human fetus is ever theshape of an avocado. Maybe length or weight, but not shape; that would be one funny looking baby!

Weeks one through three are cellular and thus difficult to give an example of size. Week four starts the food chart off with the embryo being the size of a poppy seed. That’s small.

Week 5 – sesame seed
6 – Lentil bean
7 – Blueberry
8 – Kidney bean
9 – Grape
10 – Kumquat
11 – Fig
12 – Lime
13 – Medium Shrimp
14 – Lemon
15 – Apple
16 – Avocado
17 – Turnip (or rather weighs as much as)
18 – Bell Pepper (or rather the length of)

And now, what we have to look forward to, they get a little stranger from here on out:

19 – Heirloom Tomato
20 – Banana (or rather the length of)
21 – Carrot (length of)
22 – Spaghetti Squash (length of)
23 – Large Mango (weight of-one pound)
24 – Ear of Corn (length of-one foot long)
25 – Rutabaga (weight)
26 – English Hothouse Cucumber (length)
27 – Head of Cauliflower (weight)
28 – Chinese Cabbage (weight)
29 – Butternut Squash (weight)
30 – Cabbage (weight)
31 – 4 Naval Oranges (combined weight)
32 – Large Jicama (weight)
33 – Pineapple (weight-four pounds)
34- Cantaloupe (weight)
35 – Honeydew Melon (weight)
36 – Crenshaw Melon (weight)
37 – Swiss Chard (length)
38 – Leek (length)
39 – Mini Watermelon (weight-seven pounds)
40 – Small Pumpkin (weight)
And I don’t want to think about what’s after 40 weeks!"
--Clare 9/3/08

Another soccer player

2008-09-03T15:56:00.000-07:00

"Though I thought I felt slight movement a week ago, I wasn’t entirely sure. However, I can safely say that it was true because today’s movements matched those of last week, just more pronounced and more frequent. This is a little later than last time, but my theory is that I’m more active and not sitting at a desk all day. OR maybe this baby is just “cooking” at a more “on-time” rate and will be born closer to the due date.

Back to the good stuff: BITB was definitely moving around this morning. It feels like when your stomach does a little drop on a roller coaster or from a quick bump in the road. However, there is actual pressure causing the drop sensation and not just gravity. Maybe it's like having a die (as in one dice) in your uterus that occasionally turns. The “kicks” are mostly on my right side, not too frequent or prolonged, but enough that when I notice it I have time to put my hand on my belly and feel it a few more times.

And tonight, while BITB was rolling around a bit I tried to get Ross to feel it. He placed his hand on my belly and twice asked, “Was that it?” I couldn’t rightly say because I didn’t feel anything myself. But then he said, “WOW!” in awe; both of us felt that one! BITB just wanted Daddy to join in the fun I guess."
--Clare 8/29/08

Dream three

2008-09-03T15:55:00.001-07:00

"I had another dream last night. I was at my current state of pregnancy, 17 weeks, and I felt like I needed to nurse the baby. I was trying to decide if I should get the baby out of my uterus and nurse, or if it was too early and that would only cause me to start lactating. That was a strange one for sure!"

--Clare 8/22/08

Big brother in the making

2008-09-03T15:48:00.000-07:00

"Get ready BITB, you’ve got a great big brother to watch over you!

Yesterday Jackson and I went up to West Seattle to visit my friend Kelly and her new baby, Dylan.

Over all, Jackson is interested in babies. I think something that is the size of Baby Doll, but obviously alive is quite thrilling to him. He doesn’t have to do so much imaginary play to interact with the baby.

A few cute things occurred during our visit. The first was Jackson wanting to read Dylan a book. We had given him one of our favorites “I Love You Through and Through” and Jackson wanted to make sure Dylan appreciated it as much as we do. He sat at the end of Dylan’s bouncy seat, opened the book and “read” as best he could the story. The pages are a little tricky for his small fingers to turn so it was a quick read.

Jackson also just stared at Dylan’s little toes. He loved how tiny they were and we named Dylan’s toes just as we name Jackson’s. (Jackson is in a phase where he’s understanding that there can be similar relationships between things that belong to different people, like Dylan’s toes CAN have the same names as Jackson’s toes but they are still Dylan’s toes. Another big thing right now is people relationships: Aunts and Uncles are Mommy & Daddy’s Sisters and Brothers, Grandparents are our Parents, etc. Jackson got a huge kick out of the fact that Aunt Emily’s fiancé Ryen will eventually be his Uncle Ryen, similar to Uncle John and Uncle Carl. But I’m getting off track here. . .)

During lunch time, Kelly had to let their dog Mable out so Jackson and I were left to watch over Dylan. Dylan, being 6 weeks old began to cry a little. Jackson said in a very tender voice, “It’s okay, Dylan, don’t cry.”

And when that didn’t satisfy Dylan, Jackson added, “Don’t cry, Baby Dylan, your Mommy’s just outside, she’s coming.”

I almost cried it was too cute. What a sweet, sweet boy we’ve got.

Now if we can guarantee he’ll be that lovely to BITB, and not have any jealousy, we’ll be just fine! "
--Clare 8/22/08

A change of pants, a change of view

2008-09-03T15:46:00.000-07:00

"I love maternity pants. Seriously. They are the most comfortable things ever. I might even wear them regularly if I didn’t think people would laugh at me. I recall that last pregnancy I was a little distraught at the thought of elastic waist bands being in my life for the next 10 years, but now I see the beauty of them.

BITB is now the size of an avocado! Doesn’t seem big enough to warrant the maternity pants, but I was tired of having to unbutton every time I sat down."
--Clare 8/20/08

Building up the nest

2008-09-03T15:43:00.000-07:00

"I just sent Ross and email with the amazing idea that we should purchase a chest freezer for the basement. . . .

He emailed back: Totally Nesting!

I think he might be right. Nesting is starting early, 15 weeks, this time around."
--Clare 8/19/08

Ohm

2008-09-03T15:37:00.000-07:00

"Today I started up Prenatal Yoga again. I had been trying to use my in-home yoga video and just never felt the benefits I know I get from going to a yoga studio.

It was very hard for me to wrap my head around the fact that I was going to be doing this myself and not with Lisa. It’s always nice to have a buddy. I miss that with this pregnancy.

My instructor is around my age and just had her second baby. We got along immediately. It helped me be a little less awkward about going it alone.

I thought often of Lisa this class, wanting to shoot her glances to see if she was thinking the same thing I was about the poses or the ambiance . . . sigh

When class ended I was very tired and was surprised to learn it was a 75 minute class and not the 45 minutes I was expecting. No wonder I was sore. But I think I’m going to sleep well tonight. I am looking forward to keeping up with my Sunday yoga class, even if I’m going by myself."
--Clare 8/17/08

Another dream

2008-09-03T15:34:00.000-07:00

"Last night I had another dream. This one I remember.

I was alone in my room, a meshing of my childhood bedroom and our bedroom here, and gave birth. I looked around and wondered where everyone was.

Where’s Ross, why am I at home, I thought.

My baby was blue. Blue like a blueberry. But as he just laid there (this is when I found out it was a he), he slowly turned pink, starting from his toes and moving upwards. He was fine.

I then figured I had to name him something and decided on one of the names Ross and I had discussed. I wasn’t so sure I liked it, but woke up before I fully decided."
--Clare 8/13/08

Here come the waterworks . . .

2008-09-03T15:31:00.000-07:00

"Emotions are in full swing now. It seems that all the “symptoms” of pregnancy are hitting me earlier this time (see future post about nesting as additional proof).

Example 1: Ross, Jackson and I went over to his parents house to have dinner and talk a little with his sister Emily and Ryen about the wedding they’re planning (yea). This was during the Olympics and we were all watching which ever event was on. During a break in the action, one of the announcers starting telling the story of the little boy who accompanied Yao Ming during the Opening Ceremonies:

A little boy, about 5 or 6 if I remember correctly, was one of the few surviving children from the school that collapsed in the recent Sichuan earthquake. He bravely pulled a fellow student out of the rubble, and then WENT BACK IN to try and pull out another student! When asked why he did so, he replied that he was the hall monitor.

Tears began streaming out of my eyes, and it was all I could do not to lose my composure in front of the entire family. Ross heard my sniffles and turned to ask if I was alright. When he saw me, he clearly recognized the sign that I was fighting against a flood of tears, and Ross asked again how I was in an effort to secretly tell me he understood and that it was okay to let go if I wanted.

That time I recovered, but knew next time I might not be so lucky.

Example 2: Ross, Jackson and I were sitting in the living room playing. I was on the couch and was suddenly overwhelmed by the urge to sob. I said Ross, I don’t know why, but I think I need to cry. There was absolutely nothing going on that was prompting me strong emotions that could open the flood gates, NOTHING.

Ross again assured me it was okay, but I kept strong since Jackson doesn’t do well when I cry. (He’s only seen it once after a fender-bender but went into hysterics himself when I couldn’t answer his question if I was okay through my tears.)

Example 3: Becky and I had been playing phone tag one Sunday and finally while Ross was putting Jackson to bed, she and I connected.

She had some news to share, and I waiting anxiously for it. Dave proposed that morning! Yippie! Yippie! Yippie!

I was so thrilled that I got a little choked up about it. So many questions swirled through my head: When? Where? What happened? How did he do it? Was there a ring? Did you cry? etc.

And then while she answered all my queries, I slowly felt myself fall apart. I finally lost it when Becky told me about the ring. It was Dave’s Grandmothers. She left it to Dave’s Mother. Dave’s Mother gave the ring to Dave before he even met Becky, just after a tough time in his life, and said “I know you’ll find a woman perfect for this ring.”

SOB SOB SOB SOB SOB

“Clare, are you crying?” Becky asked.

“Yes!” I managed to utter.

Since I couldn’t form words anymore and since Becky and Dave had a flight to make we hung up and I continued to cry. Ross was by this time back down stairs and just let me melt into him and release my tears.

I guess these examples all make more sense then the laughing to tears hysteria that happened when I was pregnant with Jackson (see Bucky Blog for that entry). Maybe I’m getting wiser to my emotional needs, or maybe I just can’t fight these feelings anymore . . ."
--Clare, mid-August

How we got to BITB

2008-09-03T15:26:00.000-07:00

"Jackson is becoming a big boy: we took off the drop side of his crib to create a toddler bed; he began going to day care two mornings a week; and he knows that he’s going to be a big brother.

One day after nap time, Jackson and I were talking on the couch and he wanted to see my Jackson belly. I told him my Jackson belly is now only in pictures (he loves looking over our photo albums) but that I have a new baby belly growing.

We went over the fact that my Buddha belly is going to grow and grow (all bellies are Buddha bellies to him) and then one day he’ll go to Grammie and Bepa’s or maybe Grandmommy will come stay with him while Mommy and Daddy got to the hospital to have the baby.

We talked about bringing the baby home and what a baby does. That he can help us change and burp the baby. That the baby will cry and giggle and coo. Jackson was fairly interested in all of it. He kept asking to see the baby now.

I explained that it’s inside my belly and showed him my tummy. We talked about how we rub the belly (never hitting or poking), kiss the belly, even that we can give the belly raspberries. He is very good at that!

He got his Baby Doll and put it under my shirt, pretty neat to see him working on understanding everything. Then Jackson put Baby Doll under his shirt and walked around the living room. Too funny. I think Jackson is going to do well with the baby.

When asked what is in my belly, Jackson smiles and says “baby.”

When we say our evening prayer and bless all our family and friends, we end with “bless Jackson and bless baby in the belly”."
--Clare, early-August

Take two

2008-09-03T15:21:00.000-07:00

"The beginning of August brought another wedding, this time for Ross’s long time friend Lance, who was a groomsman in our wedding so long ago. We were excited to have our own “romantic” get away. However due to the set up of the lodging, we shared a room with another couple (who were also anticipating their own special weekend). We all quickly recovered and laughed about it throughout the weekend.

While in the mountains around Leavenworth, WA, Ross and I attempted a “hike” with another couple just around the lodge grounds. Though it didn’t really turn into much of a hike, more like a steep trail in the hillside, I was having flash backs to our attempted hike in CO during my cousins wedding 3 years ago.

It took every ounce of strength to puff puff puff, pant pant pant my way up the hillside, yards behind the others. I told them there was no need to stop and wait for me since I’d just lag behind again as soon as we started up. The exercise was good for me, but maybe I should keep off the hiking trails while pregnant. I get out of it way less than I put forth to accomplish the task.

Lance and Steph’s wedding was simply wonderful, Ross did a great job as a groomsman, and I even got to dance with him!!! I think I need to get his high school buddies to come to all the weddings we go to so that I get to dance with Ross.

I’m very proud to say that I was able to stay up past my usual bed time by 2 hours, eventually leaving the wedding festivities at 11:30 PM. I’m such the party animal!"
--Clare, early-August

Romantice get-away, take one

2008-09-03T15:12:00.000-07:00

"My lovely college friend Kim decided to get married in Hawaii (thanks again, Kim and Justin). In looking over the calendar months ago, it was decided that I alone would make the trip. Summer is a hot time at work for Ross, and it would not be a vacation for me if Jackson came along (no offence to Jackson, but a week in paradise is a little difficult to imagine dealing with dirty diapers and his adjusting to the time change all by myself).

Becky was also making the trip alone, so we decided to have our own “romantic” get away with each other and rented an amazing bungalow on the island of Kauai.

Due to some medication, Becky was not going to be able to partake in the libations available to celebrate Kim and Justin’s wedding. I used this knowledge to break my news to Becky back in July.

I said something along the lines of, “hey, Becky, you’re not the only one who won’t be drinking in Hawaii,” and just waited for the significance of the statement to sink in.

“What! You’re pregnant! Waahoo!” was pretty much her response.

We giggled and continued to plan ourselves a booze-free but FUN-filled Hawaiian vacation.

The vacation and wedding were a smash hit. The trip also rejuvenated my tired first trimester bones, and provided plenty of Vitamin D.

I wasn’t ready to return to real life, but was overjoyed at the sight of my husband and little boy picking me up at the SeaTac airport!"
--Clare, late-July

Let the dreaming begin!

2008-09-03T15:11:00.001-07:00

"Sometime before the 21^st I believe I had my first pregnancy dream. I do not remember what it was about, but do remember waking knowing that I had just had a baby dream."
--Clare, mid-July

Three of a kind

2008-09-03T14:56:00.001-07:00

"I have to do a little back tracking, I wish I had been a little more on top of recording things for this pregnancy from mid-July to mid-August, but well, no one’s perfect.

When Jackson and I returned from Charlevoix, July 6, we made a two night layover in Chicago to visit with Claire, Matt, Ellie & Noah Swanson. Claire and I went to camp together and both ended up marrying guys with ‘Swan’ last names! We also went through our pregnancies together. Claire had her twins, Ellie and Noah, 6 weeks after I had Jackson.

I was excited to share my news with Claire, and even more excited to hear that she and Matt were expecting again. The day Jackson and I left, they found out they are having twins again!!! How fun (and overwhelming) for them. They are just thrilled.

Jackson and I loved our visit. It was wonderful to see him play with Ellie and Noah, and for me to get to know these little ones. My two favorite moments were: the bus ride back from the Nature Museum where Ellie and Noah just couldn’t keep their eyes open, and taking the kids out to ice cream.We had such a wonderful time. Can't wait for the next round to get together!"
--Clare, mid-July

Adding to the baby count

2008-09-03T14:54:00.000-07:00

"Last pregnancy I knew of 9 lady friends who were also pregnant. I think this time around might be just as many or even more. I know of 3 other gals due Jan/Feb, one in March with twins (most likely delivered in Jan/Feb) and one who is due in September."

--Clare 7/17/08

Zzzzzzzz

2008-09-03T14:53:00.000-07:00

"I’m tired. Very very tired. I don’t remember being this tired my first trimester with Jackson, although I was only going to work and not running after a very energetic two-and-a-half year old. Nap time is now for everyone in this household."

--Clare 7/17/08

Will the trend continue?

2008-09-03T14:46:00.000-07:00

"Double birthdays run in my family starting in my Grandmothers generations. My Grandmommy was a twin, then my Mom was born on her sister’s 3^rd birthday, I have twin cousins . . . so this generation being born is just waiting for that double birthday. And it just might be our number 2 who provides it.

Jackson’s due date was January 30^,2006 but he was born on the 15^th. Baby 2 is due February 4, 2009 but possibly will come early as well. The 15^th perhaps? On big brother Jackson’s 3^rd birthday? I guess we’ll have to wait and see. All those double birthdays were for two girls, wonder if that means I'm going to have another boy to keep with the double gender/double birthday tradition?

Of course now that I’ve thought of this baby will probably be born on the 16^th or even into Feb.!"

--Clare 7/17/08

The rhythm of B ITB's heart, is beating like a drum

2008-09-03T14:39:00.000-07:00

"I had a check up this morning (well a reschedule check up because last week Jackson got sick in the middle of my appointment and puked all over me, TWICE) to finally hear baby’s heart beat. My OB is out on maternity leave, having delivered her own son on the 12^th, so I met another doctor at my health center today. She told me that 11 weeks is still pretty early to find a heart beat and that it may take a while, but as soon as she put the Doppler wand to my belly we heard the waa-ooo-waa-ooo-waa-ooo of the heart. 170 beats per minute. Pretty good. Hearing the heartbeat makes this seem all the more real. We’re really going to have another baby."
--Clare 7/17/08

Baby count begins

2008-09-03T14:33:00.000-07:00

"Up in Charlevoix enjoying Summer with my family. And the exciting thing is that I just learned a friend is due with her third at the same time I’m due!"
--Clare 7/1/08

Another glimpse of BitB

2008-08-28T21:47:00.000-07:00

"I went to the ER in St. Louis to make sure all was still well with my pregnancy. Spotting again. It makes me extra nervous. All turned out well and I even got to see my baby on the ultrasound. Just as cool as with Jackson’s first ultrasound! Tiny little white bean form in a black orb, and then a tiny bright white flicker-flicker of the little heart beating away. 188 bpm. So thrilling! Ross was still in Washington so didn’t get to see it... sad."
--Clare, 6/23/2008

Two for one

2008-08-28T21:44:00.000-07:00

"It seems all my ideas for telling family members get tripped up one way or another. Both my mom and my dad were going to meet Jackson and me at the airport, and I had anticipated telling them as soon as we exited the security gates. However, I did not anticipate my good high school friend Megan also being there. She and her fiancé had just deplaned from San Francisco and Megan’s family and my parents recognized each other and so both families greeted both girls! After a quick catch up, we each went to our separate baggage carousels knowing that we’d see each other again in a few days at another friend's wedding (the reason we were both in town).

I did my best to pay attention to what my mom or my dad were telling me but had to interject as the wait was driving me crazy. I grabbed one of each of their hands in mine, pulled them in a little closer and spilled the beans. It was really wonderful for me to get to tell them at the same time. I don’t generally have a chance to tell them anything in one fell swoop. Needless to say they were pleased as punch and didn’t talk about much else before my mom drove home to tell Jim, and Jackson and I went with my dad to his house to share the news with Ann."
--Clare, 6/19/2008

Love for Baby Doll

2008-08-28T21:39:00.000-07:00

"The baby is now the size of a blueberry.

Good news for us, Jackson is showing signs of growing into a great big brother. He does not know about the birthday gift waiting for him as soon as he turns three, but has been taking care of Baby Doll all week. Baby Doll is the name of his baby doll, though sometimes he refers to it as Baby Adam, Baby Sachin, or Baby Taya. Those are all babies we have recently met. And also a good sign is that Jackson switches back and forth from calling Baby Doll a he and a she. Though Baby Doll does seem to cry a lot and I’m not sure why he thinks babies cry so much since the three real babies mentioned above were complete angels when we visited with them...

Pretty exciting stuff to watch: he gives Baby Doll kisses, puts him/her to bed, puts band-aids on boo-boos. It’s too cute."
--Clare, 6/18/2008

Sharing the news

2008-08-28T21:33:00.000-07:00

Father’s Day (and Becky’s birthday).

We told Ross’s family today. One at a time, privately, because there was a family friend over for dinner that was a surprise to us. We expected an all family dinner and I was planning on sharing the news whenever someone asked me if I wanted some wine. 'No thanks, I’m pregnant!' I was planning on saying. However, with our family friend there, we instead took each person aside and told them quietly. It was kind of fun that way because then we got to watch them attempt to hold back their grins and whoops at dinner. Pam and John were very excited and admitted that they were just waiting for this to happen... Carl had guessed before and so we let him know that he had guessed right... and Emily was the funniest of all as she let out a huge 'Woohoo!' full with fist pumps before she realized she had to keep it mum!

One side of the family down, one side to go--Jackson and I will be heading to St. Louis soon so will be able to tell my family, at least my parents, in person.
--Clare, 6/15/2008

An unexpected cyst

2008-08-28T21:29:00.000-07:00

"I just got back from an ultrasound to ensure I was still pregnant after slight spotting yesterday. Everything is fine with the embryo for now; it’s growing and has a heart beat.

They did diagnose a right ovarian cyst, however. The doctor said that this is of no concern and generally it’s a sign of heightened hormones and it helps feed the embryo.

I found this on webmd.com: 'Normally after ovulation a corpus luteum of less than 3 cm resolves within two weeks. This type of cyst will be maintained, if conception occurs, to produce hormones needed in early pregnancy. If excessive amounts of fluid collect, a corpus luteum cyst can also get large enough to cause pain—or very rarely, ovarian torsion. Occasionally, this type of cyst will have a small blood vessel which continues to bleed into a corpus luteum cyst. This is called a "hemorrhagic ovarian cyst". A cyst of this type can either leak small amounts of blood, or it can rupture, spilling blood into the abdomen. This hemorrhagic ovarian cyst can be linked to prolonged pain, and merits closer follow up.'

Hmmm, hopefully this will just resolve itself soon. I think I’ll probably get another early ultrasound to check on it. The one neat thing about this is that I know which ovary the egg came from. How crazy is that?!"
--Clare, 6/13/2008

Seed to bean

2008-08-28T21:26:00.000-07:00

"I am at six weeks today and I’m exhausted. I don’t remember being this tired the first time around, but maybe that’s because I wasn’t also chasing around a toddler. The gurgle-y tummy has yet to disappear, but the sciatic pain was thankfully only one day's worth. I am finding that with more liquid and picking up prenatal yoga again that it is less intense than last week.

Baby’s heart is beating and s/he is a quarter of an inch long, about the size of a lentil bean. Just last week baby was the size of a sesame seed. That’s a huge growth rate!"
--Clare, 6/11/2008

Ick

2008-08-28T21:24:00.000-07:00

"I don’t remember my first pregnancy being this gurgle-y in the tummy or such a literal pain in my backside. I think it’s my sciatic nerve but I’m planning on calling my doctor about it. My stomach, on the other hand, just bubbles. It’s not comfortable in any which way."
--Clare, 6/9/2008

It's on!

2008-08-28T21:20:00.000-07:00

"It’s official. Dr. Haastrup gave the thumbs up. Due Feb 4, 2009."
--Clare, 5/28/2008

BitB begins

2008-08-28T21:16:00.000-07:00

"I took the test just to prove I wasn’t, so as not to get my hopes up. I figured this month would be like the rest even though I had a slight morning fever and my body felt a tiny bit different.

I took the test to just get it over with and prepare myself for another month of waiting.

And then after two minutes, a little blue plus sign showed up!

I didn’t believe it.

Possibly this tiny ink cross has just changed our lives. The doctor will confirm or deny tomorrow.

If it is true, are we really ready for another even though we say we are? How will each of us really fare?"
--Clare, 5/27/2008

The First Belly Shot

2008-08-28T21:05:00.000-07:00

This was the state of the belly back in late June.