number 2 [week 30]

Symptoms: The big 3-0! Celebrating this sort-of milestone has included the onset of Braxton-Hicks contractions. It's funny because at my 28-week prenatal appointment, my doctor asked if I had been having any practice contractions and explained that I was probably having a bunch that I couldn't feel and that it was totally normal. I'm feeling these ones now; they're not really painful, but rather feel just like pressure as my uterus and stomach tighten. Not completely comfortable, but not agony either. Just a taste of what's to come, I suppose!

Cravings: It's hard not eating carbs, for real. Cheesecake sounds good.

Aversions: I've been scared to eat the wrong thing, probably avoiding more than I should.

Missing: A carefree diet. And chocolate.

Mood: Changing my eating habits has been extremely emotional. I was concerning myself over every carb, constantly worrying about my blood sugar and how it's affecting Wesley. Hopefully I'm done crying about it for now and can just focus on being healthy. I didn't anticipate this whole thing being so scary.

Sleep: It's been difficult lately with the combination of leg and feet cramps, waking to go to the bathroom, dreams, and overall discomfort. Not having a restful night's sleep is obviously hard on me in the morning and later in the day.

Dreams: Another bad one, but not involving Eric leaving me. (Yay?) I dreamed that we were in a car accident; Eric had been driving erratically through a parking lot and lost control, resulting in hitting a parked car. We weren't injured at all, but the damage to the other vehicle was pretty extreme. I was furious with Eric for driving so irresponsibly and for how the accident would affect our finances. Simon was with us in the car when it happened, so I was terribly worried about him even though he seemed visibly fine. This dream had me awake for a while afterward, the adrenaline from the anger toward Eric and the concern over Simon rushing through me. This is the first dream I can remember that's involved something "bad" happening to Simon, and it was completely nerve-wracking.

Movement: My little bear has been busy, beating on me all week. He sure is a strong one!

Best Moment: I finally had it with the constant back pain and discomfort and looked into chiropractic options provided by my insurance. I found out that I can see Complementary Care providers (chiropractors, massage therapists, acupuncturists, nutritionists) at a discounted rate under my health insurance plan. My friend, Kristen, recommended her new chiropractor to me, whom just so happened to be on the list of eligible providers. I was able to make a same-day appointment and went in to meet the chiropractor and get an adjustment. Oh. My. Goodness. I felt a million times better! And not only was my adjustment successful, but the doctor was amazingly nice and knowledgeable about the causes of misalignment related to pregnancy and gave me some great tips for my labor experience. His office also offers prenatal massage, so of course I booked an appointment for one and plan to schedule another adjustment when I feel like it's needed. So far, I'm still feeling really great and love not having my entire spine crack when I get out of bed in the morning. I've seriously been on a chiropractic high!

Baby Buys: Simon and I went to Once Upon A Child looking for items to put together his Halloween costume. We came up empty, but did manage to find some newborn jammies for Wesley. There just so happened to be a sale, and I scored 3 for the price of 4, including some adorable Christmas pjs! My little babe will definitely be snug as a bug in all of his warm, fleecy footies this Winter.

Other News: Nothing much else to report; I'm still impatiently waiting for the carpet install for Wesley's room. I've received no word for an earlier available appointment. His closet still needs to be cleaned out and repainted, and I need to start thinking about wall decor. We'll see where we land with my Halloween deadline of having a finished nursery.

Looking Forward To: Relaxing before gearing up for our full calendar of festivities for October!

number 2 [week 29]

Symptoms: This week has been a bad combination of charlie horses and foot cramps and what apparently is called restless leg syndrome (RLS). I've been waking during the night with horribly achy legs, looking for comfort in rolling onto my opposite side and/or changing my leg position. One particularly bad charlie horse woke me in near-screaming pain, frightening poor Eric awake as well. According to the information in the link, iron deficiency may be a cause for RLS. I just started taking iron supplements twice a week since my blood count from my last prenatal appointment was low, so we'll see if those help with both issues over time.

Cravings: The Olive Garden. When doesn't that sound good?

Aversions: I'm trying to eat more protein in the morning, and of course eggs come to mind. And of course, fully cooked eggs are still kind of blah.

Missing: Those dang runny eggs. Eric makes the best fried egg sandwiches! Wah!

Mood: I've been quite emotionally hormonal lately. The water works have been present, as has the 'tude. Oops.

Sleep: Lots of napping occurred over the weekend. I had a week of 2-hour trainings after school Monday through Thursday, which left me feeling super tired on some days. Luckily I had that Friday off and enjoyed a 3-day weekend complete with 3 days of naps. I would've loved to sleep in on one of those days, but that just wasn't in the cards.

Dreams: The break-up dream returned again with an ugly vengeance, visiting this week 2-3 times. The last dream was the absolute worst, causing me to wake up at 4:00 am and leaving me awake for what felt like almost an hour. It was so emotional that I laid in bed and cried, a reaction I've never had before. These nightmares can really just go away and jump off a cliff any time now. I'm so done with them.

Movement: I've been routinely tracking Wesley's kicks and filling out my Kick Count Card as instructed by my doctor. Baby Boy is doing great and making his 10 movements in well under 10 minutes most nights. His rolls and jabs are getting stronger and stronger, making my belly look like a science experiment. Simon and I played with Wesley before bedtime one night, poking at the hard spots where Wesley was parked so that Simon could feel his brother nudge back in response. Those sweet moments make me look forward to the days our boys will spend playing (and no doubt roughhousing) together as best friends.

Best Moment: The week felt like it dragged with extra hours at work, so nothing of noticeable delight really happened. I think I was just super happy to have Eric home over the weekend. I was absolutely fine with him being gone in Tahoe the weekend before and had a lot of fun spending time with family, but for some reason I just missed him so much. Maybe it was just that emotionally hormonal side that I've been experiencing or my subconscious feeling partially insecure with him being so far away while being so pregnant. Whatever the reason, I'm relaxed in knowing that we won't be spending any more nights apart again before Wesley comes--and for a long time after, too. It was comforting having Eric home, and he happily took excellent care of Simon and me.

Baby Buys: Our extra car seat base for daycare came in the mail from my dear friend, Kerry! She wasn't able to make it to my baby shower, but kindly sent a gift from my registry. This will be greatly needed when I return to work, so I appreciate Kerry's sweet gesture so much.

Other News: I've mentioned my low blood count and eating more protein for a reason. Along with my CBC results, my glucose test numbers came back and showed my blood sugar tolerance higher than the normal range. My doctor recommended me for the 3-hour glucose screening test, which required fasting for 8-10 hours and a total of 4 blood draws, one upon arriving at the lab and 3 at the 1-hour, 2-hour, and 3-hour marks after drinking the delicious glucose beverage. My results all came back within the normal range, but my numbers after ingesting the drink were at the high end of 'normal.' As a precaution, my doctor suggested I follow a gestational diabetes diet to help my body in keeping my blood sugar steady. It sucks to be limiting delicious carbohydrates in my diet, but it's better than having to poke my finger to check my blood sugar several times a day. It's been most surprising to me because my sugar levels were completely normal with Simon, but of course every pregnancy is different.

Looking Forward To: Just thinking about meeting my dear Wesley. I catch myself rubbing my belly where he makes his bigger movements, imagining that I'm rubbing his back while holding him in my arms. I know I've still got a considerable time left to wait, but this mommy is growing anxiously excited.

number 2 [week 28]

Hello 3rd trimester! 

I can't believe we've already made it this far!

Symptoms: Tired? Check. Back aches? Check. Reflux? Check. Anxious to meet this boy? Check!

Cravings: Carbs. I'm convinced it's because I'm trying to not eat them. 

Aversions: I wish it were carbs. 

Missing: Energy. Not feeling tired so easily. Moscato. 

Mood: Hanging in there. This past week just flew by, but it was a good one. I really have nothing to complain about and am thankful for life.

Sleep: I grabbed my prego pillow and what do you know--I'm sleeping heavier. I forgot how cozy it was and still have no idea why I stopped using it for a few weeks. Nothing I do makes sense.

Dreams: I dreamed that I was walking around with Wesley, pushing him in a carriage-like stroller. He was wrapped in a swaddling blanket and I couldn't see his face. As I walked, people stopped at my stroller and commented on how adorable Wesley was and that he was the cutest baby they'd ever seen. After several comments I finally reached down to adjust the blanket and see his face. He looked exactly like my dad, but without a beard; and I mean as if my dad shaved off all of his facial hair today. My newborn baby resembled his 59-year-old, bald-faced grandfather. Weird to say the least.

Movement: While catching up on the new season of Dancing with the Stars, Mr. Wesley was shaking his groove thang during the entire 90-minute episode. It was hysterical. Maybe I'll have a little dancer on my hands?

Best Moment: Remember last week when I alluded to knowing a secret? There was a big one that I was keeping: Eric's Aunt Sam flew in to town last Thursday to surprise Ashley for her birthday. The surprise was unveiled at Ashley's birthday dinner, which she was unaware that we were attending. The surprise was a huge hit, and we enjoyed a great night at Red Lobster. Eric was gone at Levi's bachelor party that Friday and Saturday, and Simon and I enjoyed more family dinners, shopping, and having Ashley and Sam spend the night at our house. Eric returned home around lunchtime on Sunday and was able to visit more with Sam and made delicious burgers for dinner. We had a lovely time and are looking forward to her next trip out here for Christmas!

Baby Buys: Sam wanted to get me a baby shower gift, so we went to Buy Buy Baby and she generously bought us our new changing pad for Wesley's room. She also insisted on getting a present for Simon and let him pick out an Octonauts toy at Babies"R"Us. He was over the moon.

Other News: Eric and I went to my 28-week prenatal appointment where I took my routine glucose test and received the whooping cough booster and RhoGAM shot. My doctor also gave me the Kick Count Card to start and a birth plan worksheet to begin thinking about. This trimester marks the final round of this pregnancy journey, and I cannot believe that we are already to this point.

Looking Forward To: Moments of relaxation, wherever I can find them!

walking after dinner with Aunt Sami & Auntie

number 2 [week 27]

Symptoms: I can't believe this was the last week of my 2nd trimester! I feel like my pregnancy has just been flying by, even though I also feel like I've been pregnant forever. This week was just another week full of back pain, leg cramps, fatigue, heartburn and acid reflux, and cute baby hiccups. And for additional fun, I've also had worse nearsided vision (from what my doctor says is extra fluid in my eyes due to pregnancy - why am I even surprised) and caught the return of the linea nigra. I'm grateful for it all, but sometimes I feel like the medical conditions are just piling on top of each other one after another!

Cravings: Chocolate and pizza. Wesley is seriously undermining my attempt at healthy eating habits.

Aversions: I'm over chicken. This mama wants steak.

Missing: It's all the same! Alcohol, sushi, cold meat. I'm counting down the weeks.

Mood: Still happy. Looking forward to meeting my baby bear and already way too excited for Christmas. It'll be our first as a family of four and I'm super giddy!

Sleep: It's been rough the last few nights. I've been tossing and turning more often and feeling uncomfortable. I'm not using my pregnancy pillow and I have no idea why. The more frequent cramps in my legs make it all worse every time I change positions.

Dreams: I had this odd dream that Simon was swimming laps in his bath tub like a little Olympic swimmer. The odd thing was that even though he was swimming underwater, he wasn't holding his breath and was instead breathing in water. It scared me that he was swallowing so much water, but he didn't act bothered one bit. In reality, Wesley is the child of mine who is currently breathing in watery amniotic fluid and flipping laps in my uterus. I wonder if my subconscious transposed my two boys?

Movement: On Saturday, Wesley was seriously a constant wiggle worm ALL. DAY. LONG. He barely slept at all and repeatedly beat on my belly hour after hour. It's wasn't painful, but instead cracked me up as I couldn't believe he was so full of energy. My tummy continued to go crazy well into the evening and even tickled Daddy's face as Eric rested his head upon my bump to talk to his little boy. Wesley's movement has been back to normal since, but Saturday was quite the exciting day for some silly reason.

Best Moment: We made our annual "Fall" trip to Apple Hill on Sunday. While we're still a few weeks out from the first official day of Autumn, it is already officially Apple Hill season with most growers open. We brought my dad along with us as a thank you for all of his help around the house, and Jen and her family also met us up there for fun and treats. We packed a lunch and visited 4 different apple growers, indulging only in fudge, apple donuts, and fresh Early Fuji apples for home. My dad bought an apple crisp to share, and we were barely able to make a dent in it. The weather was so beautiful and breezy, a preview of the Fall temperatures for which I cannot wait. We had so much fun, and Simon had a blast running around with Bliss and Brydon.

Pregnancy Purchases/Baby Buys: Still nada, but I did sell the last of the maternity clothes that I didn't want to keep and the owl wall decals I had framed in Simon's old nursery (sad to see them go, but he's outgrown them). It's great clearing things out and getting some cash back!

Other News: Eric will be out of town in Tahoe this upcoming weekend for Levi's bachelor party. He'll be gone two nights, Friday and Saturday, returning Sunday. I'm not worried about being on my own with Simon, but I do see myself being quite tired by the time Eric gets home.

Looking Forward To: It's a secret, so I can't tell. There is something exciting happening that I'll get to share next week!

Brydon, Bliss, & Simon

our family of almost 4

silly poses with Cho-Cho

number 2 [week 26]

Symptoms: Feeling as well as I possibly can. I haven't noticed any major changes since last week. Wesley's started having hiccups, almost daily, which is just so incredibly adorable and funny. I feel super large and waddly and am trying to keep hydrated and moisturized as much as possible.

Cravings: Momma finally got some Oreos! I may have been feeling particularly stressed after a long day and sent my darling, loving husband out to the store at 9:30 pm. He returned with a package of Double Stuffed sweetness. That man is truly my soulmate.

Aversions: Not really an aversion, but recently I had been eating too much snacky food before lunch and was becoming too full to finish my lunchtime salad a few days in a row. I felt guilty and asked Eric to make me smaller salads in better hopes of finishing them. So far it's been a success.

Missing: Sushi. I've probably already mentioned that, but come on... it's SUSHI.

Mood: Still really happy and eager to meet my next boy. I feel pretty crummy in the evenings when my energy has peaked out and my back can no longer tolerate being upright. That part's a bummer.

Sleep: I fell asleep early a few nights this week. I think I'm still sleeping pretty hard. Cramps have been giving me a break!

Dreams: Before my baby shower I dreamed that Erica RSVP'd "no" to the event, which makes no sense in real life because she was one of the hosts. It was super silly, and I almost didn't realize in the morning that the memory wasn't real!

Movement: Wesley has been moving higher and higher. It's uncomfortable sometimes if he's in a particular spot, squishing my internal organs. He pushes my belly out in odd directions more often and continues to dance every time I eat.

Best Moment: My baby shower was this past weekend! Jenny and Erica hosted it at our house. It was penguin themed, after Wesley's nursery, and included cute touches like penguin cupcakes and a waddling diaper toss relay. My hosts, along with additional helping hands, did a great job putting everything together for what was a fun event. Wesley was loved on with many wonderful gifts, for which I am so thankful.

Baby Buys: I made a few exchanges from the shower, and I've also got some gift card money to spend. I'm going to hold off for the time being.

Other News: I was so mad to find out that the soonest available installation appointment for the carpet in Wesley's room is OCTOBER 21. I can't fully set up the nursery if we're just going to have to move all of the furniture out again for the install. The inside of the closet still needs to be painted and can be organized once finished, and I guess I can hang stuff on the walls as well. This just puts stress on my Halloween deadline for the nursery being done. Hopefully I can still meet it!

Looking Forward To: The upcoming 3-day weekend! Eric doesn't have to work, and we've got nothing planned. Hello relaxation and fun!

penguin cupcakes

my hosts, Erica and Jenny

Wesley's sign

number 2 [week 25]

and...

my 100th post!

Symptoms: My hair is getting so long! I've basically been growing it since the A-line cut I had when pregnant with Simon, but lately it's felt super long. Can I attribute it to my daily intake of prenatal vitamins? I don't know; my hair has always grown very fast. 

Cravings: Remember how I said I was craving Oreos? I decided to hold out until this past weekend's camping trip to give in to my craving. I love to use Fudge Creams for s'mores in place of Hershey's chocolate, but my regular grocery store (where I've purchased them before) did not have them on the shelf! I didn't have time to look anywhere else after buying our camping groceries, so I did not enjoy my favorite campfire treat. So my craving continues!

Aversions: My dad mentioned mayonnaise the other night and my stomach flipped. Which is weird, because I have no issues with mayo.

Missing: The ease at which I used to be able to move. Getting dressed inside a tent was quite interesting!

Mood: Still feeling really upbeat! I decided that every time someone asks me how I'm feeling, I'd respond and ask them the same question in return. I thought it was funny. How you're feeling is just as important, too!

Sleep: Still having some mid-slumber cramps and charlie horses. Luckily, I was able to sleep pretty comfortably while camping with my pregnancy pillow in tow. We usually stack our two air mattresses on top of each other, so comfort isn't normally an issue when we camp.

Dreams: I had the break-up dream again. I was at my baby shower, which was co-ed, and several male friends/guests asked where Eric was. I knew he was gone playing hockey instead of being at our baby shower, and our guests had no idea that he wasn't there because he wanted to leave me. I was quite upset and keeping the news to myself, thus being completely miserable and not enjoying myself at all. Stupid dream.

Movement: Simon got to feel his brother move! He was sitting in bed with us for his bedtime story and had an arm resting across my belly. Suddenly Wesley kicked, and we both looked at each other with surprise! Simon was so excited to feel his brother, who kicked a second time and left Simon smiling and proud. We've been waiting for the two to make contact, and hopefully it will happen again soon. 

Best Moment: CAMPING! We spent two nights up near French Meadows Reservoir for the birthdays of our friends Levi and Jeff. Simon was a big boy and slept on his own in a sleeping bag at the end of our air mattress. Eric and I were so proud of him for sleeping through both nights independently. He was pretty tuckered out at night (even with naps!), so sleep came very easy for him. We were lucky with warm weather during the day and tolerably cold temperatures at night. It was so nice to relax and visit with friends. Eric was a huge help with Simon since I'm not moving too fast these days and took on most of the loading and lifting without letting me help much. I do most of the packing anyway, so I guess it evened out!

Baby Buys: Shower gifts are starting to arrive! I'm trying to hold off on purchases until after my baby shower.

Other News: My dad has been over helping out big time with house projects. Since my baby shower will be at our house, there were a few things that I wanted to do before hosting a house full of people. Along with putting the finishing paint touches on Wesley's room, I wanted Simon's bathroom and the playroom wall painted. Hopefully we'll have enough time for everything to be finished before the shower. Eric and I have appreciated my dad's help so much since he's been busy at work and I can't tolerate the smell of the paint/lift anything heavy/climb a ladder safely to help.

Looking Forward To: My baby shower this weekend!

French Meadows Reservoir

our camping cutie

view at the campsite

number 2 [week 24]

Symptoms: Still having lower back and hamstring pain after periods of sitting. Both are becoming a part of temporary daily life. I think my hands have swelled a little bit since my wedding rings are still fitting tighter at times. At this point in my pregnancy with Simon I had removed my toe ring, but I don't think I'm quite there yet this time around.

Cravings: CHOCOLATE!

Aversions: Still not put off by anything. *Yes!*

Missing: I feel like it's just going to be deli meat again and again and again for the next 16ish weeks.

Mood: Really actually feeling fantastic!

Sleep: I got my first middle-of-the-night charlie horses this week, wooot! (Not.) I also had some cramps in my toes the other night before bed. When I have to roll over at night I end up completely waking so I can readjust my body pillow.

Dreams: There hasn't been anything exciting enough for me to remember when I wake up. I have, however, completely daydreamed about salami. No joke.

Movement: Wesley is still a busy little bee. He might be starting to get used to our back-to-school schedule, as I'm feeling him a little earlier in the mornings now.

Best Moment: Thanks to our wonderful friend, Renee, Simon now has his "big brother" bed! There is officially no longer a baby in the house, especially with no crib currently in use! For now, the crib is broken down and hanging out in the living room so it's out of the way for carpet measuring in the nursery. Simon's new bedding and sheets look great on his new-to-him twin size bed, although I still need to find a mattress cover and bed skirt. His room just became way more grown up, and I cannot believe how big my first baby is becoming right before my eyes.

Pregnancy Purchases: Nothing exciting this week, except for a refill on my prenatal vitamins. Yippee.

Other News: I had my 24-week prenatal appointment. My doctor and I discussed birth control options for after Wesley is born and my options and different choices for my childbirth experience this time around. I don't remember if I mentioned that Eric and I signed up for the 'Preparing for Childbirth' class offered by Kaiser. I'm looking forward to learning some breathing and relaxation techniques to ease labor and delivery and my different options for pain management. I would like to deliver naturally this time without an epidural and as little medical intervention as possible, and I really want to have more control over this birthing experience.

Looking Forward To: Sharing about this summer's camping trip! Our last one as a family of three!

first night in his "big brother" bed!