Truck Wash

We needed a little fun today, so after nap time, we had Dougie over for a truck wash. The boys got to work and had a lot of fun.


My 10pm phone call to L & D held a little more promise than the dozen previous calls. Apparently, a couple of women are finally pushing out babies and once they have their recovery time and the rooms are ready, I could be getting a call. The nurse thought it would probably be close to midnight. I'm not going to get my hopes up too high, but we're ready to go whenever the phone rings. Right now I'm going to get a little rest.

Still no bed

I called L & D again for the update. I'm first on the list to be brought in since I was bumped yesterday, but the ward is full of first-time moms experiencing long, drawn-out labors. I feel a little bad I took up a room for 12 hours when I had Leo if there was some poor woman waiting by the phone like this. Everyone I have talked to on the phone has been very nice. The earliest they could get me in is probably dinner time, but no guarantees. I'm suppose to call back at 5pm if I haven't heard from them. Since we can't stand to do this another day, we will go in whenever we are called, even if it is the wee-hours.

The waiting game continues

I put in my 7am call to Labor and Delivery again. So far no word back. I'm trying to stay relaxed, but it isn't easy. I just want this to be over and done with. I'm not sure if I can take another whole day of waiting by the phone.

Bumped

We've been postponed until tomorrow. Apparently L & D is still crowded with all the ladies still in early stages of labor. They'll put me on the list in the morning and we'll start the whole waiting game again. I'm hoping for better luck tomorrow.

Still waiting...

I called again and they promised to call me as soon as something opens up.

This is possibly the worst kind of torture. At least it feels like it. Especially since I really could use a cocktail or something to take the edge off, but since I'm still pregnant, I can't. Oh cruel world.

Waiting

At 7am this morning, I called Labor and Delivery. They took my name and number and said they would call in a couple of hours. At 9:30am I called again. Apparently they were very busy, but as soon as a bed and a nurse open up, they'll call me. It's now 11am and no call yet. I'm feeling incredibly crazed with anticipation and anxiety. What am I suppose to be doing right now? I've checked and rechecked the hospital bag. My mom took Leo to the park because he was beginning to climb the walls since we are all waiting around staring at the phone. Never before in my life have I ever wanted to be in the hospital. I want to be hooked up to machines, I want to be poked with needles, I want to experience excruciating pain. I just need the universe to cooperate, and the women already at L&D to hurry up and pop out their babies so they can change the sheets and get me in there!

The last day of pregnancy

It is very strange to know that tomorrow I will wake up, get dress and head to the hospital to have this baby. Though I sort of miss the element of surprise, it is reassuring to know that it is in fact going to finally happen. If you had told me I would make it the full 40 weeks of this pregnancy, I would have laughed in your face. Yet here I am. I'm a little sad, quite a bit anxious and very excited about tomorrow.

Today was the last day I'll ever be pregnant (I don't plan on doing this again). The last day Leo is an only child. I wanted it to be a good day and stay distracted so I didn't obsess about tomorrow. Unfortunately, it was about a million degrees out today so it limited our choices. Tom has been pestering me to let him buzz Leo's hair. I wanted to keep it as is until after the baby came so he would look good in pictures. Plus, every time we've cut Leo's hair it has been a very dramatic crying fit. Not easy for anyone involved. But it was getting too long, especially since baby girl has decided to take her sweet time. Earlier in the week, I trimmed his bangs and sideburns after he fell asleep in the car seat. Needless to say, it didn't turn out well. Today, Tom again was itching to get out the clippers and take care of Leo's shaggy (and uneven) 'do. Tom himself needed a haircut and planned to visit the salon. I suggested he ask his usual stylist (Calvin) if he would be willing to cut Leo's hair as well. I trusted that Calvin would do a good job (I wasn't as confident about Tom's buzz job) and thought that watching daddy get his haircut would make it less scary. As an added bonus, on our way to the salon, we stumbled upon a garage sale and scored some great deals. Leo did amazing. Not a single tear and a great haircut. Calvin is my hero.

Here are some haircut pictures.
Getting started...
Not too sure about it.
A little spritz of water.
Being a very good sport.

All done and showing off their haircuts.
We invited Addison and her parents over for some pool time and dinner. I took another final dip in the pool. This time it felt really great, and the kids had a wonderful time.

Here's Leo practicing his kicks.
Trying on some goggles.
Trying out one of our garage sale finds with Addison.
My adorable boy...about to be a big brother and have his world turned upside down.

A final dip

It's pretty hot here, so Tom took Leo in the pool for a post-dinner swim. I realized that it was probably the last time I would be able to get in the pool this season, so I squeezed into my bathing suit and went for it. Unfortunately, the water was a little chiller than I expected and I didn't last long, but it was good to experience it anyway. Nana took a picture of us all in the water. We'll teach her about zooming in sometime soon.
On to the baby update. I saw the doctor today. I'm 2 - 3 centimeters dilated now. She was hopeful the internal exam would kick-start labor. But if things don't happen, she said she'd induce me on Sunday, my official due date. I can call tomorrow and be put on the schedule. Never in million years did I imagine I would be willing to be induced, but since finding this out I've felt an immense amount of relief. The end is in sight. Tom has been wonderfully supportive. I'm experiencing some contractions tonight (stronger and more clear-cut than a couple of nights ago), so hopefully it will be a non-issue and she'll come on her own before Sunday. If not, she's being evicted on Sunday. Not exactly what I had envisioned for this labor, but I can't be pregnant anymore. At least, I can't be pregnant and remain sane.

Second time around

Let me start by saying that every day my mom has been here she's encouraged me to eat a hot fudge sunday because that is the last thing she ate before going into labor with me. Tonight I finally gave in and my darling husband treated me to a sunday from Coldstone Creamery. It was delicious, but we'll have to wait to see if it does the trick. I'm sure it won't help me with my weigh-in at the doctor tomorrow.

When you're pregnant as a first-time mom, you get an immense amount of advice, anecdotes, warnings and the like. The second time around, you don't get quite as much. I have been told that the timing of the arrival of a second baby usually follows the pattern of the first. Clearly I've proven that to be untrue. Also, second-time moms warn of how fast the second baby arrives. I can't even count how many stories I've heard of how "oh, I was shopping at Target for a jumbo size bag of jelly beans and started having contractions. I drove myself to the hospital and 10 minutes later I was holding my baby." I'm sure these stories contributed to my thinking when we headed to the hospital today.

What isn't talked about as much are second-time fears. The first time around, I was plagued with concerns about just what it would be like to be a mother. Would I be good at it? Would I even like it? How would I feel about this tiny, needy stranger? Now I know I can survive a lot, that I love being a mom and I can't imagine my life without Leo. My fears this time are equally weighty. Can I handle two? Will I love this new baby as much as I love Leo? (It's hard to imagine loving anything as much as I love him.) Am I cheating Leo out of his mommy by spreading myself too thin?

A wise mom I know told me that the minute you see that new baby, your heart grows big enough to hold both children without hesitation. She also said there is nothing better than seeing your children interact and the love exchanged between siblings. I believe her.

Maybe because I had such an unusual sibling situation, it isn't easy for me to imagine what it will be like to have my two kiddos. I know Leo will be a great big brother and I look forward to seeing him with "Sissy".

Having baby girl take her sweet time has given me extra time to dwell on these thoughts. I hope she make her appearance soon. My heart and mind are ready. Now my uterus just needs to catch up.

Stubborn? Shy? Or just trying to make mama crazy?

Well, nothing exciting to report. After a long night of contracting on and off with varying severity, we headed to the hospital this morning. Unfortunately, there is no progress. Everyone was very nice, especially my husband who went along with the hospital journey even though he was pretty sure we were jumping the gun. I guess he has a more vivid memory of my previous labor and knows if I'm not foaming at the mouth, we still have a ways to go. He was supportive, but realistic enough not to get the suitcase out of the trunk.

Though my body has been giving me mixed messages, I know a lot of it is my desperate desire to be done with this pregnancy. Wishful thinking has a power all its own. Honestly, I am kind of amazed that I'm still pregnant. Leo was early, so I had the expectation this one would be early too. Heck, I was told that by more than one doctor; it's not unreasonable for me to believe it. I'm trying not to let it get me down. I feel guilty my mom put her life on hold to be here for the delivery, and yet I still haven't actually delivered. Plus seeing the tiny babies in the hospital nursery made us all the more anxious to meet this little girl.

I know it will happen when my body is ready, but my patience is running thin. I see the doctor tomorrow. Hopefully she had reassuring news.

Womb Watch '09

Things are finally starting to happen. I don't want to jinx it or get my hopes too high, but I think this is real and soon I'll be holding my baby girl.

We'll make sure to update the blog as much as possible.

Send us positive thoughts!

Yes...I'm still pregnant

I'm 39 weeks pregnant today (the ticker to the left is a little off). I've never been this pregnant before. Leo was born at 38 weeks and 5 days. Because Leo was a little early, I had it in my head this baby would be here by now. So every morning that I wake up still pregnant, I'm disappointed. Things are definitely happening, but nothing "real" has started yet. I kind of feel like everyone is staring at my uterus and tapping their feet. She'll come when she's ready. I just hope she doesn't wait much longer, because I'm pretty freakin' uncomfortable.

Leo is really enjoying having his Nana here and has been in a good mood. He suffered a little accident yesterday and face-planted pretty hard. I was off getting a pedicure when it happened, but my mom and Tom were able to cheer him up. He was already down for his nap when I got home and they warned me he had a bit of a fat lip. When I picked him up from his nap, I was pleased to see his lip and nose weren't too bad. I was a little startled to see his front tooth chipped. Of course, it's not his permanent tooth, but it was still kind of shocking for me. He doesn't seem too phased by it and I'm getting use to this new look.

Here are some recent pictures.

Trying out his new table and chairs.
Big grin in the bath tub.
Taking in a local musician at the park with dad.
Climbing with a little help
Relaxing on the picnic blanket.
Playing in the water.

Me...39 weeks pregnant and as big as can be.

Buddy

My mom is arriving later tonight to "wait it out" with us. Baby girl will hopefully be making her appearance soon and having Nana here will be a lot easier than dropping Leo off at the neighbor's or friend's house when we have to leave for the hospital.

It dawned on me this evening that today was the last time it was just "Leo and me". My mom will be here, and then baby girl. It broke my heart a little. We had a good "last day" - visiting the museum, practicing numbers, jumping on the couch (Leo, not me). I know I'll still have one-on-one time with my best buddy, but this marks the end of special time when Leo was an only child. Okay, the hormones are going to make me into a mushy mess if I keep discussing this. I think I'll have an extra scoop of ice cream to make myself feel better. Ice cream fixes everything.

Little friends

When we're getting ready to leave for a play date, Leo likes to talk about who is going to be there. He says "Dougie, Addison". Unfortunately, for the last couple of weeks she's been visiting family in New Hampshire, so I've had to say, "no Addison today." But finally they were reunited and greeted each other with a hug. They really enjoyed playing together. Leo is becoming more interactive with his friends (both Dougie and Addison); they love to chase each other and make the other laugh. Us moms really love watching the kids interact, especially when they do well together and we don't have to remind them not to push or steal toys or whatever.

Here are a couple cute pictures of Leo and Addison



After some major babysitter drama (ask me about it when I'm less pissed), I saw the OB this afternoon. She did a quick internal exam and said I'm over a centimeter dilated and 50% effaced. She also said the baby's head is "right there". She encouraged me to pack my bag and reminded me that second babies can come pretty fast. I'm certainly feeling like things are happening (a lot of strong, uncomfortable Braxton Hicks contractions), but it's hard to tell what the timeline will be. Everybody is on alert, so hopefully thing will go smoothly when it is show time. I had planned to run some errands while the sitter was here, but that didn't happen, so I feel a little anxious that there is still some things hanging over my head. But overall, I'm pretty read to get this baby out of my belly.

Check it out.

Hot...really, hot

Being nine months pregnant in August is about as fun as it sounds. We're having some really high temps and staying cool is a priority for everyone, but especially me. Being too hot makes me cranky and no one wants that. Today we headed over to Dougie's house for some play time in their backyard. The other moms there were so great about helping Leo in and out of the pool, so I could stay sitting on my big butt in the shade.

Here he is playing in the pool with Dougie.

Our family vacation

I sorted through the pictures and made some posts about our various activities. There are a ton more pictures, so I narrowed it down to the cream of the crop, but if you are ever visiting and want to see the whole enchilada, we're happy to share.

I can't even tell you how much fun we all had. Admittedly, it was...um, challenging to travel as pregnant as I am, but it was worth it.

***HINT: Start with the post titled Monterey Bay Aquarium and read up***

Roaring Camp Railroad

Leo fell asleep almost immediately after the park and a short walk on the wharf. We decided to drive on to Santa Cruz. Along the way, we spotted a sign for Roaring Camp Railroad in Felton. We discussed our options, and maybe it was the beautiful sunshine that was lacking on the coast or the knowledge that it will be a long time before we could do another outing once the baby comes, or maybe we just didn't want the fun weekend to end, but we decided to go ahead and visit Roaring Camp. We stopped for a quick lunch and then headed into the woods a bit. It seemed especially crowded for a little out-of-the-way tourist attraction and we soon found out why. It was Thomas the Train day - a once a year event that brings out kids in droves. Leo only knows Thomas as the train on his toothpaste, so he wasn't overly impressed. He had woken up from his nap asking for a choo-choo (probably because the last thing he saw was the immobile train at the park), so Tom and I were pretty proud of ourselves that we were able to deliver in such a big way.

Already very impressed and it is just the train from the parking lot to the main grounds.
Heading out on our big ride up to the redwoods.
Posing near the authentic steam engine, named Dixianna. Maybe that's what we should name the baby girl.

Our only group shot of the trip, taken by Tom and his long monkey arms.
Wondering why there aren't more pictures of me? Check out that belly. I'm not feeling very photogenic.
Headed back through the forest after a fun ride.
Leo is still talking about the trains. He saw steam coming from a pot of boiling water today and said, "steam. choo-choo".

Dennis the Menace Park

Sunday morning we were up early. We ate in the dining hall and Tom and Leo took a walk to the beach while I packed up the room. We were out pretty early, so we headed back into Monterey to check out Dennis the Menace Park.

This steam engine is the first thing you see when you walk up. Leo thought it was very cool.
Tom braved the swinging bridge. I did it too and it was pretty damn scary. Leo loved it.

Tickling Dennis' toes.

Tom was a good sport and went down the big slides with Leo.

Drive to Carmel and Asilomar

We stayed at the very cool, but somewhat funky Asilomar Conference Grounds on the Asilomar State Beach. We were "leisure guests" (as opposed to being part of a wedding/reunion/conference group) and stayed in one of the historical buildings constructed in 1918. The grounds were beautiful and smelling campfires and eating breakfast in the big dining hall reminded me of camp. There are no phones or TVs at Asilomar and apparently, no comfortable beds. I had a rough first night and wondered what the heck I was thinking going on vacation when I'm so very pregnant. But the second night went better. Our building had a living room at the end of the hall, so we were able to plug in the monitor, put Leo to bed and hang out for a little while longer. The first night Tom and I did a jigsaw puzzle and the second night we played Trivial Pursuit. It was very fun.

Leo liked the piano in the living room and had to go to play a few notes each time he passed through.
On Saturday, we decided to head down the coast to Carmel on 17 Mile Drive. It was cool, grey and drizzling the whole day, but it was still gorgeous. I highly recommend it to anyone visiting the area.

Leo and I check out some beautiful coast line. (Check out my new short hair - not exactly planned but I've accepted it.)
"Please, people, no more pictures."
Taking in the ocean (Leo's new favorite word and favorite place to be).
Pure joy on the beach.


Making the big trek back to the car.
After his nap, he got a second dose of beach at Asilomar.


Here's a little video of Tom and Leo running on a trail during our drive. Sorry it is a bit far away, but my fat butt couldn't keep up with them.