36 weeks

though i am just now getting around to posting these 36 week belly photos, i will actually be 37 weeks here in just a couple days......

on saturday to be exact.....  

while i was trying to capture a couple images, my sweet little boy kept saying "belly" and "blaire" and "kisses", so though it is a little blurry and i am awkwardly bending down so he can reach me, i thought this photo was really precious!  he is going to be such a wonderful big brother ;)

i am really poking out there.  i have heard lots of funny and interesting comments about how i look ready to pop; and believe me, that is exactly how i feel.

i have very few shirts that seem long enough for my belly, and i have actually started feeling really uncomfortable in maternity pants.  none of them have panels that go up high enough, and there is nothing worse than wearing a waistband part-way up my belly.  in these shots i am actually resorting back to my pre-preg pants with a belly band.....

makes me feel pretty good about myself that i can still fit my butt into them!

sort of helps to soften the blow that i have now gained 20 pounds. 

that is 4 pounds more than i did with hendrix.

and, she could still wait another couple weeks to arrive.

wowzers.

i have really gone back and forth about how i am feeling.  over the weekend i had a couple rough days and was really thinking that she would be born very soon - but i am now thinking it might have been my body reacting to just having such a full plate.....and i am settling back into the role of patiently waiting mama.

she has definitely dropped, i can see that, feel that, and the doctor noted that at my appointment on tuesday. i am feeling a ton of pressure down low on my pubic bone, but that is giving me some relief up higher on my rib cage and lungs.  it isn't terribly uncommon to drop a couple weeks before you deliver from what i have read though.......it just makes sitting and walking a lot less comfortable.

i made it to the appointment where you get tested for strep this time (hendrix was born before that ;) and had my first cervix check in which the doctor found that i am 1 centimeter dilated and 50% effaced.  she said those numbers are no prediction of anything to come and are in the very normal range for this point in time.  in contrast to my first and only cervix check with hendrix, which was the day before i delivered him, i was 1 centimeter dilated and 70% effaced.  my hubs is convinced that following in that pattern......today will be the day.  he thinks he is going to get a phone call that will pull him from work and change our family dynamics sometime today!

i did have some braxton hicks last night, and am randomly awake at 5:20 am (which is really not a normal scenario for me).  usually i try to sleep until the last minute possible - in fact, most mornings my toddler starts pounding on my shoulder saying "wake-up mommy" and then literally takes me by the hand and drags me out of bed......

it is so interesting to now be almost two weeks past when i delivered with hendrix.  while i am soooooo thankful and feeling so very blessed, i am emotionally unsure how to proceed with my schedule and plans.  i have a few things on the calendar for the next couple weeks, but most of them are easily "skippable" and i keep telling everyone that it all depends on blaire's arrival....

but honestly she could make me wait until the end of the month.

heck, she could make me wait until november.

i don't really want to think about that though......lol

the doctor said she is really happy with how far i have made it, and would consider it safe to have her anytime now.  yippee!  so i guess that really takes the fears and pressures away, and i can just relax and let it happen when she is ready.

here's to being all ready, and just patiently waiting!

blaire is going to look so sweet snuggled in her crib.....i really can't wait to meet my sweet lil babe ;)

almost 35

tomorrow i will be 35 weeks pregnant.

hendrix was born at 35w1d pregnant.

that would be this sunday.

woah

here are a couple belly shots from earlier in the week, though i am just getting around to posting them...

baby girl seems more perfectly rounded than hendrix was.  i remember my tummy with him looking quite a bit more lumpy.  and i don't think she has really dropped yet, so i don't have any plans to deliver a baby this weekend.....but you just never know what these lil' babes have in mind.

i did have my first dose of braxton hicks contractions on wednesday night, which was an entirely difference experience than i have ever had.  (with hendrix the only thing i experienced was the real deal, and i didn't even know that was what it was at first.....) bud was working late, so i was at home alone working on some photo edits, and i experienced a crazy tummy tightening of muscles that lasted for a minute or two and then relaxed.  it didn't really hurt, but it was a little uncomfortable.  

i pretty much ignored it thinking it was gas, cramps, or maybe strong kicks - who knew.  until it happened again, and again.  after the fifth one in an hour, i decided to go soak in the bathtub and head to bed so i could stretch out and hopefully stop whatever was going on.  doc had told me that at this point, if i have anything resembling contractions more frequently than 5 times in a hour to call her.......

luckily the bath worked magic and i was ready to snuggle in bed for the night.

hopefully that was just a sneak peek of labor, but not a sign that my body is getting ready to do it soon.

i really want to want another two weeks.  

that is my goal.

37 weeks

we can do it, blaire!

there are a bunch of people out here waiting to meet you and love on you, but you will be so much better off when you come out if you can just be a lil' bit patient.......

in the meantime, this mama has been nesting like crazy and all the baby preparations are ready.

really.

i think everything is in order (i guess i do still have intentions of getting my pump out and cleaned up and ready to go, it is sitting in an accessible place, i just haven't done it yet).

blaire's closet is full of sweet little clothes.  i have a couple little pumpkin and halloween things sitting in front, and the rest seems to be more along the pink and purple hues.  

i even managed to get daddy to work on building shelves in the closet, so now i have a toddler boy side which is full of all hendrix's clothes (man, those jeans and tops seems huge after folding up little newborn onesies), and a hanging side that has both her stuff on the top, and his hanging clothes on the bottom.

this freed up the dresser drawers for all her little sleepers and outfits.  i can't get over how little and sweet they all are!  i can't wait to play dress-up with my real live dollie ;)

got out all the little sized cloth diapers.....

packed up the diaper bag with a few cute outfits (for going home from the hospital) and some accessories.....you know, cute booties and hats.  i am optimistic that we will get to have our photos taken in the hospital this time, since the whole NICU trip sort of put a damper on that for hendrix.

at the very least i imagine i will bring my camera and can catch some of those precious first newborn days.  

our car seat is here, and though not installed in the vehicles yet, it is sitting out and ready for daddy to do. 

i ended up not getting too girly of a seat, though i love how it matches our diaper bag, and i think that it will look adorable with pink blankets and a sweet head of flower clipped hair ;)

looking forward to meeting you, sweet blaire.

but remember, two more weeks would be perfect!

31 weeks

31 weeks pregnant.

NOT really a great time to get my driver's license picture taken, but hey, it was time to renew it.  

please don't ask to look at it.  i look fat. real fat.  i guess i didn't realize that i had gained any weight in my face (how could i when it seems to be going all straight to my tummy??), but when you compare it to my previous photo it is pretty clear that i am chubby.  puffy.  swollen.  whatever you want to call it.

blaire you are so worth it, but you are wreaking havoc on my figure.  i am in the stage in this pregnancy when i start outgrowing even my maternity clothes. 

blaire baumgartner - 31 weeks

just for fun i dug around and found a comparison bump of my pregnancy with hendrix, and really they seem pretty comparable.  i still think it seems like she sticks out a little father than he did, and also that she seems to be riding a little lower.  what do you think?

hendrix baumgartner - 31 weeks

i'm still feeling pretty good, though i definitely am running lower on energy, and my appetite is starting to be impacted by my shrinking tummy space.  we ate at noodles & co the other night for dinner (which has probably been the closest thing that i have had to cravings this pregnancy), and even though i was starving, i could only eat about half of what i ordered, which i had easily been able to devour just a few weeks ago.  

oh well, probably not a bad thing if i slow down on the weight gain, as at my dr. appt last week i was up 8 pounds from my appointment the month before.  

speaking of weight, blaire is weighing in at around 3.3 pounds this week, and finally starting to build up a little bit of baby chub on those itty bitty arms and legs.  she is most definitely getting stronger and stronger as her little kicks and somersaults are clearly visible through my clothes.  she is an active lil' gal.....

must take after her big brother!  :)

last week was my final monthly doctor visit, and now i get to start going every two weeks.  doc said that everything looks and sounds good, and i am measuring right on target.

now moving higher on my priority list is getting a carseat bought and installed for miss blaire, and also sorting through all the clothes that i have for her and even getting them into her room.  i need to find a creative way to store all of hendrix's and blaire's wardrobes in their itty bitty nursery.......

we are getting family photos taken next week, and i am glad that i decided to do it relatively early because this bump is about to go from cute and big, to just plain monstrous!  

27 weeks

my 27 week belly.

i am absolutely loving dresses this pregnancy!  i happened to receive several really cute and trendy dresses as gifts from all the stylish gals in my life for my birthday.....and have been finding them far cooler and more comfortable than shorts.  thanks ladies ;)  there is something about them that makes me think my belly is far more endearing than it is just plain huge and frumpy......

miss blaire is weighing in at almost two pounds now; no wonder i am starting to get more and more uncomfortable as each day passes.  in fact, i actually have a sneaking suspicion that she has done some rotating from her 'head sideways' position, to more of a 'head down' position.  the biggest clue for me was the other night i felt her hiccuping for the first time.....and those hiccups were super low....like almost beneath my belly.  it seems like the kicks are higher than they used to be too, which would kind of make sense if she rotated around.  

 all the same, it seems like she is riding much lower than hendrix was.....i don't feel nearly as much pressure in my rib cage, and a lot more of it it my lower back.

oh, and my 'button' is really popped now.  you can even see it through my clothes.  

how. attractive.

my lap is getting smaller and smaller which makes me sad for hendrix, but in the last two weeks he has adopted some super cute habits about my belly, including saying 'i love you, blaire' when he kisses my tummy, and also in pointing out her bed in his room.  he likes to remind me that he has the big boy bed, and the baby crib is for blaire (which sounds a bit more like bear, but whatev....he is trying!)

here's to my third trimester....

i am ready!

26 weeks

i am now 26 weeks into my pregnancy.  i can't believe that we are so close to saying good-bye to the second trimester (my favorite trimester)!  blaire will be here in our arms before we know it!

i had a drs. appt on friday and got some of the best news so far this pregnancy.  my cervix measurements are holding strong, and i am far enough into the pregnancy that my doctor is ready to back off all the extra caution and proceed from here as if i am no longer high risk for preterm delivery!  

hip hip hooray!

she told me to call her the minute i feel any contractions (there will be no harmless braxton hicks for this mama!), but otherwise i don't go back for another 4 weeks, and we won't be doing an ultrasound at that point.  sure, i will miss getting my routine photos of baby girl, but i feel so much relief about keeping her in there long enough, that i don't think i will mind at all.  ;)

i also passed my glucose test with flying colors (which was great because then i proceeded to eat tons of sweets in the form of cake and ice cream all weekend long for my birthday!)

overall, things are good.

i'm tired.

and hot.

but happy.  really, really, happy!  ;)

22 weeks

baby girl is growing and growing.  

at 11 inches long and weighing in at roughly 1 pound, she is about the size of a spaghetti squash.  which actually sounds, kind of yummy right now........everything sounds yummy to me right now.  my appetite is massive.  i actually sometimes eat 5 square meals a day.  really. truly.

can you tell from this belly?!?

i did my first pinterest project for ME, after pinteresting for both hendrix and blaire at my last two pinterest nights, and am proud to show of this cute top that i transformed.  

i got my inspiration from this pin, and i picked up a couple oversized tank tops from good will to try it out.  i needed to buy a couple sizes larger than i normally wear, so that the shirts would be plenty long (i have found that even some of my maternity tops don't seem to be long enough....) which did require me to take in some extra fabric under the arm holes, but that was pretty simple.  

overall i am pleased with how cute and easy this project was for the investment of $1.49 per shirt. ;)

if this hot weather continues (90+ degrees) than tank tops and shorts are all i will need in my wardrobe this summer!  

20 weeks {halfway there!}

while i still can't believe it, we have already hit the 20 week mark with this pregnancy!

on friday i had an ultrasound and got to see our sweet baby blaire again, which was really awesome!  i am amazed at how much transformation takes place in just a few weeks. her eyes were closed most of the time, and she kept putting her thumb in her mouth ;)  the tech did do some 3d shots of her, but they are not real clear images.  it takes a while for the image to render, and she was just moving too much to get a clear shot.  the tech said that we will probably have more luck with those the next time around as she will be bigger then and have less room to move around ;)

speaking of, we have another ultrasound scheduled for friday, the 29th, in just 3 weeks.  while blaire measured right on track for her new due date, my cervix measurement wasn't as good as the doctor would have liked, so she wants to check it again very soon.  last month my cervix measured at 4.5 cm and this month it was 4 cm.  while any number above 2 cm is considered stable at this point, she said that it shouldn't be shortening so rapidly yet, and that could pose a problem later on down the road.  she hasn't recommended any treatment at this point, just careful monitoring.  

she also told me that she would like to see me gain some more weight ;)  that is the first time a doctor has ever told me that!  i am currently up only 3 pounds from my pre-pregnancy weight, and apparently that is a little less than her preference.  i think i can attribute some of this to healthier eating as i have been cutting out fried and high fat foods (to avoid gallbladder troubles), so i honestly think that my weight seems healthier, but i will make an effort to eat snacks more often.  i just have trouble eating very much at one time these days.......my stomach is getting squished!

oh, and my belly button is starting to pop.  i really don't like that side effect.....it makes me feel like a stuffed turkey......

otherwise things are still going well over here.  the weather has gotten really warm, and i have loved spending a few afternoons at the pool with hendrix....that cool water is so refreshing!

here's to another uneventful 20 weeks ;)

14 weeks

14 weeks baby baum #2

okay, so here is my 14 week baby belleh.  

yes indeed, i am aware that it is quite the belly.  in fact, so much of a belly that i am almost exclusively in maternity clothes.  

even the bella band isn't cutting it these days.  

just for kicks, i dug through some old pictures of my pregnancy the first time around and found my 14 week bump pic for comparison.  

14 weeks baby baum #1

i really can't get over the difference.  

i had heard that most women poke out there faster the second time around, but really, that much faster?  

i don't think i looked this pregnant until about 22 weeks last time.   

which really just makes me fear wonder what i will look like at 22 weeks this time......or better yet, 40 (if i can actually make it that far!)

so our little itty bitty (or not so itty bitty it would seem) is roughly the size of a lemon, weighing in around 1.5 ounces and measuring 3.5 inches in length.  this week's big accomplishments include the newly acquired abilities to squint, frown, grimace, pee and even  suck his/her thumb.   it is doing lots of moving around, and i am hoping we will get a chance to see lots of that at my ultrasound this friday afternoon.  ;)

hello, second trimester!

i am now 13w4d which is, even by the most conservative ways of calculation, now the second trimester. Wowzers.

our lil' babe is currently the size of a medium shrimp, according to babycenter.com .  that is roughly 3 inches long from head to bottom, weighing nearly an ounce.   while seafood (shrimp most specifically) is really my least favorite thing ever. 

especially NOW while i am pregnant.  

i can't help but chuckle as i think of our sweet little one swimming around in my tummy, and likening him/her to a shrimp!  lol

i am still feeling really well, except i have started having trouble with headaches lately.  They are not that big of a deal, but since i prefer not to take meds while pregnant i find myself just drinking tons and tons of water in my attempt to make them go away, which in turn has me spending more and more time running to the potty.  :)

my appetite is back in full force and i find myself eating nice large meals AND snacking in between meals. I don't imagine those few pounds that i had initially lost will stay off for all that much longer....

we got a good chunk of our garden planted last week so i am anxiously on the lookout for little sprouts!  the forecast is calling for sun and rain all week, so i hope that works some magic......can't wait for fresh garden beans and lettuce salads! Yum yum!

i saw my feet get puffy after an especially warm day last week and was unpleasantly reminded of that side effect which i am sure i will see lots more of this summer.  it just gives me plenty of reason to request foot rubs from my hubby, right?

here's to a new month and a new trimester :)

12 weeks {size of a lime}

my 12 week bump.

not much else to report.  i am now down 5 pounds from when i first found out i was pregnant, though my tummy keeps poking out there.  the weight loss isn't because i don't feel like eating, but more because it seems like i am able to eat less and less at one time.  i have resorted to snacking all throughout the day with hendrix, and am trying really hard to make healthy choices, though chocolate is obviously my preferred choice!  lol

my hubby and i enjoyed an overnight without our little muchkin this weekend.  we had fun shopping (i bought a new camera!) eating out, and snuggling at the movies.  

i have this urgent need to stock up on date nights now as i imagine it will be harder to have them come this fall when we need to find someone to watch two little ones.  it is amazing how awesome sleeping in just an hour later than normal can make me feel like a new person!

we also made some serious progress in our basement this weekend.....in fact, we are talking about getting the carpet installation on our schedule.....

it is so close!

more to come on that.......

but for now,

happy monday!

11 weeks

oh my, i am having trouble staying on schedule with my posting this time around.....

i hit 11 weeks on friday and also had a doctor's appointment that day.

it was my first appointment with the doctor, and though it was pretty short and uneventful, we did get to hear baby #2's heartbeat which is always such a blessing to my ears!  it was beating real fast in the 160's which is right on track ;)

both daddy and hendrix came with me, as we thought it would be good for hendrix to feel involved.  i don't think he understood anymore that there is a baby in there after the appointment than he did before, but you never know what they are really taking in. ;) 

my doctor mentioned that my risk of delivering early is higher (30% higher) than in regular pregnancies simply because i delivered so early (at 35 weeks) last time.  

they are going to carefully monitor me, which is going to involve extra ultrasounds to chart baby's size (which will give us the most accurate due date), and also to check that my cervix isn't getting too thin.  if they notice that it is, we will start on progesterone treatments to help baby stay in there until it is time.  

i am really hopeful that all the extra caution is really unnecessary, but i am excited that i will get to have another ultrasound at my next appointment (may 11th).   i never mind having pictures of my kiddos!

nothing else has really changed in the pregnancy, other than looking more and more pregnant each day.  i finally got out my maternity clothes, and have been rocking the bella band nearly everyday.   it isn't large enough to interfere with my snuggles with my current baby boy, so i don't mind it at all yet.  

i started working on some crafting projects for baby #2 over the weekend.....

more to come on that!

Arms are finally free!

Hendrix got to have his IV removed this morning!  He has managed to get his feeding levels up to accepting 35 mls at one time. At his early morning feeding he seemed to be rooting around still hungry after that so we even tried letting him nurse a little bit.  He did latch on and seemed interested in it, but it really tired him out.  We know that he was getting some, because we could see some excess running down his chin.  While his nourishment will primarily come from the bottle for now, we will continue to let him try the breast so he can get the hang of it.  :)

Look, we can finally see his right arm!  He seems to be so happy to have the freedom to move that arm around now the way he wants to.   It is so encouraging to see the tubes and monitors come off him slowly and surely, making him seem more and more like the other "big kids" in the nursery :)

He is going to be spending another day under the lights, though his bilirubin level did come down quite a bit after just one day in there.  It had started at 14.8 and the goal was to get it below 12.  It was right at 12 when they tested his blood this morning, so the doctor said that though it was kind of a fencepost decision, it just made sense to keep him in it since he will be here in the hospital anyways.  Wouldn't want to have it flair back up after we get him home and have to be readmitted.  

This picture is a little bit blurry because I was the one taking it while I was holding him, but I think his little position is just so cute!  I had just finished feeding and snuggling him, and he really enjoyed having his hands up by his face.  I sleep with both my hands up by and under my face, so I thought it was really neat to see him enjoying this position.  I am not sure how much he is going to like being swaddled the way most babies do, since he has spent the whole first week of his life naked and sprawled out so far!  

The doctor is looking at getting his circumcision scheduled for tomorrow.  We have requested to have the plastibell procedure done, and there is only one doctor here at the hospital that performs this procedure so we are working around his schedule.  The fact that we are moving forward with this now is a good sign, because he is actually well enough to handle it.  The doctor told me that he wanted to wait until just a day or two before he went home to do it.  He said that if he continues as he has the past two days, we should be home by the weekend. :)

You know, I never got around to my 35 week update post, which means that I have one final bump picture to share with you.

This was the day before Hendrix was born.

This picture was taken at the hospital two days after he was born.

Though my body definitely doesn't look the way it did pre-baby,  I am very optimistic that it will eventually look more normal again :)  I even have been able to get back into non-maternity clothes (though most of them have been sweatpants...) which is good for my soul!

My plans for the day include a couple naps, another good stint of fresh air outside, and maybe even a quick run to Target to pick up some essentials.  There are just a few things I am going to need before we take Hendrix home, and I think it will make me feel much more like a normal person to get out and run the errands myself!  

I also need to run home and pack a little bag of clothes for Hendrix!  After he gets out of the phototherapy tomorrow morning he will be moved to a normal crib and will be allowed to wear real clothes!  He will still have a heart monitor on, so I need to find some lil' outfits to bring here that have snaps on them for easy access.  I am looking forward to this little step making him look even more healthy as he keeps on growing and progressing!

Thanks for your continued prayers and interest!  We appreciate all the support!