Baby#2: 36 Weeks

Baby #2 Highlights

How Far Along: 36 weeks (Need to catch up? Here’s last week.) Today is my 36 week check-up. I won’t lie. I’m a little excited/nervous about it. Glad we’re getting close. Wondering if there’s been any progress. Hoping Dr. P’s not going to tell me this baby girl is ready to come any day. My doctor told me that at 36 weeks with Caedmon (different doctor), which made me a bit neurotic over the next 4 weeks until he finally came…the day before his due date. Doctors shouldn’t tell people things like that. Still, I’ve fought the urge to pack our hospital bags for the last month.

I think that of our friends who’ve recently had babies, we’re the only ones not planning a scheduled C-section or or induction, at least at this point. The unknown sort of throws a kink into your plans, but it’s the way I’d personally rather have it. At least I say that now. Ask me again in 4 weeks if she’s not here yet.

Size of Baby: Probably about 18 1/2 inches long and getting up around 6 pounds. Caedmon weighed an even 7 pounds when he was born the day before his due date, so I’m guessing Little Sister will be close to him in weight.

Big Brother Caedmon: Is it bad if I want to use the word “obnoxious” to describe my child lately? Ugh, last week and the first part of this week were awful. The past couple of days have evened out a bit, but he’s still been a whiny, bouncy handful. I was talking with someone at church on Sunday and we decided that we wanted to blame our children’s obnoxious behavior on the weather. They got a taste of spring and playing outside in the warm sunshine and then were relegated back to the indoors with a solid week’s worth of cold weather. Hope springs anew this weekend though, with sunshine and warmer temperatures promised.

I taught Caedmon how to fold wash cloths this past week. It’s a huge milestone for me. And you probably think that’s weird, but to understand it, you’d have to know my family. There were so many of us that chores got passed down as you grew. Once you got big enough to fold the “big towels”, the hand towels and wash cloth folding was passed on to someone younger. I feel like I have “graduated” again.

Yesterday, Caedmon and I went to the movies. He’s only been to the theater once before. He absolutely loved it and constantly asks when we can go again. I decided that since it may be a while before we get to have another “date”, we’d go. Leaving the house was really the last thing I wanted to do yesterday. It was one of those days. I was tired and had a lack of motivation to get anything done, though there was plenty waiting for me. I decided to just let it wait and we spent the morning cleaning up his disaster of a room and watching cartoons before we left for the movies.

We had a great time. We were the only ones in the theater, so I didn’t have to worry about keeping him too quiet and/or still. He was quite interested until about 2/3 of the way in, when every movie gets a little slow. At that point he ended up walking up and down our aisle and playing with some arm rests until the plot picked up again. But he had a blast. We stopped at Steak n’ Shake afterwards for milkshakes. The boy loves him some chocolate milkshake. And we went by Mimi and Papa’s for a bit on our way home. I’m glad we went. It was probably just what we both needed. Well, I didn’t need the milkshake, but that’s neither here nor there.

Total Weight Gain/Loss: I was supposed to go to the doctor yesterday, but they had to reschedule me to today. So I’m still not facing the scale until I have to. One morning this past week I was 3 pounds lighter than when I went to bed the night before. 3 pounds. Sure, I got up to pee about 87 times, but that’s just crazy. I’ve noticed that some days I tend to swell, others not at all or very little. It’s weird.

Maternity Clothes: Most of the time, except at home.

Gender: Girl!

Movement: Yes! Still a mover and a shaker. 

Sleep: Yes. Sometimes. See above. Sleep is also hampered by aching hips and the fact that every time I need to move, it’s like making an 11-point turn. Poor Husband. One of these days I’m going to bounce him right out of the bed.

Symptoms: Crazy dreams. Hips hurting. Heartburn. Soreness in my neck and shoulders. And nesting. Is nesting a symptom? It probably is.

I am trying to get things cleaned up around here this week. I remember after Caedmon was born, I didn’t get back in the cleaning groove until he was about 3 months old. I didn’t expect it to be that long and felt like I hadn’t cleaned well enough before he came for things to be ok left undone for that long. I don’t think I can handle that this time. I even have the garage on my list. I know, it’s ambitious. So if anyone wants to come do that for me, just give me a shout.

What I Miss: Nothing, really.

Cravings: Right now I would just about give my left arm for a sweet tea from Chick-fil-A. I grew up on sweet tea and could make some myself, but it’s just not the same. I could go into the why’s of that since I worked for a restaurant that spent months perfecting their tea recipe, but I won’t. I’ll just go to Chick-fil-A.

Best Moment This Past Week: Snuggling with Caedmon at the theater, enjoying a movie together.

What I Am Looking Forward To: Hopefully some warm weather this weekend!