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!

Baby #2: 35 Weeks

Baby #2 Highlights

How Far Along: 35 weeks (Need to catch up? Here’s last week.) Only 5-ish weeks left to go! That sounds really weird. It’s coming fast!

Size of Baby: Probably a little over18 inches head to toe and about the weight of a honeydew melon, about 5 1/4 pounds.

Big Brother Caedmon: I won’t lie. This has been a challenging week. I think we’re both a little on edge. Monday after our grocery run (yes, I went back to Monday this week), I threatened to eat chocolate for lunch. We’ve been at odds this week for some reason, and I’d like to go on record as saying that I don’t really appreciate it. It’s not anything big, just little naggy, psycho stuff. You know, like banging on the trash can incessantly every time he puts something in. Yelling for no apparent reason. And whining over every. teensy. little. thing. And perhaps I’ve been a bit on edge, with my to-do list growing quicker than my belly and not seeming to shrink even when I check things off daily. I’m really hoping the end of our week & weekend are better.

Total Weight Gain/Loss: I am just going to continue to claim the +25 from last doctor’s visit. I go again in two weeks and I don’t even want to know until then. Maybe even then. I may stop looking at the scale altogether until Little Sister is about 6 months old.

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

Gender: Girl!

Movement: Yes! Still a mover and a shaker. 

Sleep: Yes. Sometimes. See above.

Symptoms: Crazy dreams. Hips hurting. Heartburn. Soreness in my neck and shoulders from having to reach so far for everything. It sounds ridiculous, but standing at the kitchen sink nearly kills me because I have to stand nearly a foot away from the counter. My belly is in the way!

What I Miss: Nothing, really.

Cravings: Nothing in particular, just sweets!

Best Moment This Past Week: Prenatal massage via a gift from my most awesome Husband and the baby shower on Saturday!

What I Am Looking Forward To: I’m taking Caedmon on a little “date” today, and I think we’re both going to have fun.

Nesting Much?

Nesting is in full force. At least that’s what I’m calling it. Otherwise it would be more like, “crazy woman trying to get everything done at once and freaking out about it.” See? Nesting is easier. So we’ll just stick with that.

With Sister’s room still covered in piles from our awesome shower that need to be put away and her room far from being done, Husband and I got down the boxes of “baby gear” from the attic last night.

I forgot how much stuff comes with babies.

Now I’m freaking out just a little more. Because while I thought we were running out of room before, we’re really going to have trouble finding a place for some of these things.

I mean, there’s just no good place to put a miniature bathtub. And it’s one of those things you need. So you find a spot and secretly look forward to the day you don’t need it anymore. And then cry when it finally gets here.

So that’s what I’m doing today. I’m nesting. Or losing my mind, whichever comes first.

Baby #2: 34 Weeks

Baby #2 Highlights

How Far Along: 34 weeks (Need to catch up? Here’s last week.)

Size of Baby: Almost 18 inches head to toe and about the weight of a cantaloupe. If you saw my belly, you’d agree it’s a bit larger than a cantaloupe.

Big Brother Caedmon: We’ve had an exciting week. It started off with finding Snoopy and then a trip to Children’s for laser surgery. My plans to relax yesterday were shot all to heck when Caedmon got up yesterday morning bouncing off the walls. So we hit up the bouncy place with a friend and worked those wiggles out. Today he’s getting to wear his St. Patty’s Day t-shirt (that has a guitar on it!) to KDO, and he is a happy boy.

I’ve noticed recently that he’s sort of regressed in a few areas. My once independent “I will do it myself!” boy has turned into an “I can’t do it! I need help! You do it for me!” boy. I think part of it is just his stage of life and that he’s such a perfectionist that he doesn’t want to try unless he’s certain he can do it the way it “should” be done. And part of it is probably the changes he sees with preparing for Little Sister. And she’s not even here yet. Anybody else deal with this with their older kid(s)? Please share!

Total Weight Gain/Loss: I am just going to continue to claim the +25 from last doctor’s visit. I go again in two weeks and I don’t even want to know until then. Maybe even then. I may stop looking at the scale altogether until Little Sister is about 6 months old.

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

Gender: Girl!

Movement: Yes! She’s been a stinker this week, still pushing on my pelvis and rib. How she wedges herself in like that and uses her leverage to push on me is amazing. One night I was in honest-to-goodness pain from her little feet trying to bust out my side. I’ve said before that she was calmer than Caedmon, and clearly I jinxed myself. Because Caedmon was never this wild, especially toward the end. Oh, he got crazy, but the most annoying thing he did was bury his feet in my ribs and wiggle his toes. That was quite uncomfortable, but at least he stayed in one place. She still flips around and manages to nearly beat me to death in the process. I fear for what that means when she finally makes it to the outside.

Sleep: Yes. Sometimes. See above.

Symptoms: Crazy dreams. Hips hurting. Heartburn.

What I Miss: Nothing, really.

Cravings: Nothing in particular, although I’ve thoroughly enjoyed some sweet tea from Chick-fil-A lately. I’m finding that though I’m often hungry, nothing really sounds good anymore unless it’s some form of sugar. That cannot be good.

Best Moment This Past Week: Definitely finding Snoopy.

What I Am Looking Forward To: Baby shower on Saturday! My sweet friends are throwing me a shower and I know it will be awesome!

Baby #2: 33 Weeks

Baby #2 Highlights

How Far Along: 33 weeks (Need to catch up? Here’s last week.)

Size of Baby: A little over 17 inches head to toe and about the weight of a pineapple. There’s a fruit I can get behind.

Big Brother Caedmon: We had a blast on our mini-vacation earlier this week. And he’s feeling better now that the antibiotics have kicked in. I just hope this is our last bout with ear infections for a while. A long while.

Total Weight Gain/Loss: I was at the doctor yesterday, so the official count is now +25 pounds. This pound-a-week thing is killing me. I have two words for you: back fat. It’s not pretty. And I really hope this weight melts away after she’s born as easily as it did last time.

Maternity Clothes: Most of the time, except at home. But ya’ll. I did the unthinkable. or at least what I thought was unthinkable. I wore a bathing suit this week. Not a maternity one, I might add.

We’d planned on taking Caedmon to an indoor water place, and I knew I wanted to be able to get wet and play with him some. But I also knew I didn’t want to spend mega bucks on a new suit. And Husband thought it was bizarre to ask to borrow someone else’s. So to prove a point, I went and put my regular suit on, thinking it would look hilariously small and he’d let me ask to borrow one. And that totally backfired because it sorta fit. I just needed bigger bottoms. So we made that purchase and I wore my rash guard shirt for a little extra coverage.

Of course Husband took a picture. And before I show it to you, I want to say that I hadn’t gotten everything “fixed” yet, so the back is a little wonky. But as I mentioned before, I was more um, “contained,” big belly included, than several others were who were not pregnant. Which made me feel good for about 2 seconds until I looked down at my thighs. They are currently not my friends. Also, please excuse my child. And his tongue.

Gender: Girl!

Movement: Yes! I literally thought she was going to beat me to death from the inside out on Sunday afternoon while we were driving. I hope that doesn’t mean she’s not going to like riding in the car, because that just can’t happen.

She’s still flipping back and forth from side to side, pushing her little feet so hard that it feels like they’ll bust out any second. She flips upside down occasionally…when she feels like it, I suppose. I really hope she flips upside down and stays there soon! Of course, when I saw Dr. P yesterday, she was upside down, just like she’s supposed to be. Showing off for the doctor, obviously. I’m beginning to think she’s doing it on purpose to make me look crazy. Not that I need any help with that. (You saw the picture above, right?)

Sleep: Yes. I’m usually so tired by the time I go to bed that I don’t wake up unless Caedmon yells. That of course means a trip to the bathroom on the way back to bed and may or may not wake Sister up, which means she may or may not start going nuts. I don’t like it when she goes nuts at 2am.

Symptoms: Crazy dreams. Hips hurting. Oh, I also found out this past week that the reason I’ve been having pain across the front of my hips is because my pelvis has been a bit twisted. I suppose that’s what happens when someone is inside of it, pushing their little feet on one side. I also have a rib that keeps popping out, and that’s less than comfortable.

Heartburn. Sometimes if I eat one tiny bite. Sometimes not at all. It’s a bit bizarre.

But I’m not complaining. Those of you who haven’t had babies need to understand: this is just the way it is. Pretty much all of these things happen to everybody at some point in their pregnancy. Some have it worse than others. But the miracle that comes along with it is totally worth it. And once that baby gets here you’ll have a new set of issues to deal with. But you’ll be holding a sweet baby and be so completely sleep deprived that you won’t care about them. Also, it’s a matter of perspective. If you whine and complain, you’ll make yourself miserable…even more miserable than you might already be. So you just have to suck it up, know it’s temporary, and enjoy it while it lasts. Because sometimes I think I would give anything to have Caedmon quiet, contained, and clean again.

What I Miss: Nothing, really.

Cravings: Nothing in particular.

Best Moment This Past Week: Getting to spend some extra time doing fun things with Husband and Caedmon!

What I Am Looking Forward To: Strangely enough, just getting through the next week. After this next week, things should calm down a little as far as places we have to go, etc. I’m looking forward to being able to focus on our house and each other instead of going to the next thing!

Babymoon

Is it still called a “Babymoon” if you take your three year-old? We did. And that’s still what I’m calling it.

We got out of town for a few days and had some fun with Caedmon before Little Sister arrives and turns our world upside down. (Plus, with all the stuff we have to take when we travel, I have no idea how we’re going to go anywhere with two kids, at least for a while!)

We went to an “indoor water park.” I use that term loosely. But he had fun, and that was our goal.

Yes, I played in the water too. At 32 1/2 weeks pregnant, I donned a bathing suit (non-maternity because I wasn’t about to buy a new suit just for this one trip) and played in the water some too. I probably looked a bit ridiculous (Husband has a photo on his phone. I might show it to you.) But I mentioned to Husband later that I think I looked better in a bathing suit with my big pregnant belly than a few people who were there and did not have a pregnant belly. Not judging. Just felt pretty dang good about myself for a few minutes. And then it was over.

After the water park, we made a late-night stop at Krispy Kreme for a donut with sprinkles. Because that’s the kind of thing you do on “ba-ca-shun.”

Monday morning, we hit the outlet mall. The guys were not thrilled, but they were troopers. We didn’t make it to all the regular places we go when we’re there, but with the damage we did at the Carter’s store, it’s probably a good thing. The good news is that I found something for Baby Sister to wear home from the hospital and a few newborn-size things, which seem to be hard to find around here. Again, the level of cuteness in girls’ clothing is astonishing after shopping for all things blue and trying not to buy 17 shirts with trucks on them.

Caedmon was over the shopping, though.

And by this time, he was hungry and a bit whiny. (I discovered later he had a low-grade fever. Stupid recurring ear infection.)

After some Phineas and Ferb gummies to refuel, we made our way to Build-A-Bear so he could make something for Baby Sister. I really wanted the long-eared bunny, but he chose a teddy bear. And named her Coconut.

We also went to Ride Makerz. It’s like Build-A-Bear for cars and trucks. He. loved. it.

It took forever for him to decide what he wanted to build. There were a LOT of choices! But he finally settled on a blue Dodge truck.

Then, we chose wheels, tires, and sounds (no extra sounds for us, thankyouverymuch) and got ready to put everything together.

My boy…the serious one even when he’s having fun.

After it was put together, Daddy helped Caedmon trick his truck. (I think Daddy was more interested in adding accessories than Caedmon was. All he wanted was a set of orange cones and a light bar.)

Caedmon sat in the floor and played with the truck. When we got ready to go, he freaked out a little bit because he thought he had to leave his truck there, poor guy! Once we convinced him that we got to take it with us, he was happy to check out and go home.

Well, not home, per se. We went back to the “ba-ca-shun house.” If you hadn’t noticed yet, Caedmon is very literal. And when we would say we were going “home” from shopping, etc. he thought it meant we were driving all the way home. He would clarify each and every time – “You mean to our ba-ca-shun house?”

Yes, to the “vacation house.”

But not before we stopped by the Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory. You should’ve seen Caedmon’s eyes when we told him we were going into a “chocolate store.” They were almost as big as mine. Taking a three year-old and a pregnant woman into a “chocolate store” and asking them to choose is cruel and unusual punishment. I wanted some of everything. And Caedmon wanted everything that didn’t have nuts in it. But he ended up with the white chocolate/sprinkles-covered marshmallows and a chocolate-covered graham cracker. Husband was disciplined and just smelled the yumminess. I got a “Black & White” Rice Krispy Treat and a Snickers-covered caramel apple.

And yes, I ate the apple for dinner. Hey, it’s fruit.

We had plans to go to the movies and do a few other fun things, but by the time we got back to the “vacation house”, Caedmon was feeling really lousy and had a fever. He’d been complaining about his ear, so I knew the ear infection was back. So we napped. And decided to get a Redbox movie and stay in for the evening. It was a good choice. We had fun and I think we all needed the rest.

Yesterday we got up and came home. And cleaned up our mess. And went to the doctor. And picked up Oz from the kennel. And just chilled.

It was a good “ba-ca-shun” and we made some fun memories. I do wish Caedmon hadn’t felt bad half of the time. There are just some things you can’t predict or do anything about, and so you have to roll with it and do the best you can. Thus is life. Especially life with kids. I wouldn’t have it any other way.

Baby #2: 32 Weeks

**Please pray for Sarah!** Sarah had surgery yesterday at MD Anderson. Angela, Sarah’s sister-in-law, is blogging updates, and Sarah’s husband Pat is updating their blog as well.

Baby #2 Highlights

How Far Along: 32 weeks (Need to catch up? Here’s last week.) 8 more weeks to go, and only 6 until my self-imposed “stuff has to be done by” deadline. It’s getting close!

Size of Baby: About 16 3/4 inches long and 3 3/4 pounds, or the weight of a jicama. I didn’t even know what a jicama was until we moved to Texas and had some in a salad at Chuy’s. I miss Chuy’s and their Jalapeno Ranch dressing. But I digress.

Big Brother Caedmon: Caedmon has felt much better this week, and I’m thankful. It was a rough few days of transition from sick to well, but we made it. It also seems that he’s become increasingly loud for no apparent reason. I hope Little Sister is getting used to it, because I don’t think it will be stopping any time soon.

Total Weight Gain/Loss: +23, according to my last doctor’s visit. And that’s all I shall say about that.

Maternity Clothes: Most of the time, except at home. I still haven’t taken to stealing Husband’s t-shirts quite yet, but it’s probably not far off.

Gender: Girl!

Movement: Yes! She’s a mover and a shaker, this one. I’ve noticed that she’s been flipping upside down more lately, but she still likes to keep her feet in my side in between times. Caedmon always liked to bury his feet, and still does, given the chance. Maybe we have weird feet issues in our family.

Sleep: Yes. In fact, I slept through both a terrible storm and earthquake on Sunday night, only to be awakened because Caedmon had gotten up to go potty and had “something in his eye” that wasn’t really there.

But there are also nights that I’m awakened for one reason or another and can’t go back to sleep. Tuesday night was like that. Heartburn kept me awake. It didn’t help that Little Sister woke up too and was having herself a 2am party. So we watched Red Eye. Bonding.

Symptoms: Crazy dreams. Hips hurting. Heartburn. Just more normal stuff like that, nothing big.

What I Miss: Nothing, really.

Cravings: Nothing in particular.

Best Moment This Past Week: We went to Target to register…the three of us. It was an event. But it was fun! I also got to have lunch this week with a friend who is expecting her first baby any day now. It was great to get to sit and talk with someone who is right there with me. Sorry waiter guy, that we kept your table tied up for 2 hours!

What I Am Looking Forward To: The sibling class that had to be canceled last month due to weather is this weekend. I am excited to take Caedmon and see what thousands of questions come from it! He’s already asked me about where Baby Sister will be born (He points out the hospital where he was born every time we drive by. She’ll be born at a different hospital.). I’ve promised him a tour after my doctor’s appointment next week. That’ll be interesting.

Baby #2: 31 Weeks

**Please pray for Sarah!** Please continue to lift Sarah and her family up as she comes to your mind. Angela, Sarah’s sister-in-law, is blogging updates, and Sarah’s husband Pat is updating their blog as well.

Baby #2 Highlights

How Far Along: 31 weeks (Need to catch up? Here’s last week.) I saw Dr. P yesterday, and all is well. Now we start going every 2 weeks! It’s getting close to the final countdown. (Yes, I always think of the song when I hear that phrase.) She was actually sort of head down when Dr. P checked on her. But she didn’t stay that way and her feet ended up in my side just a short while later, little stinker!

Size of Baby: A little over 16 inches long and a little over 3 pounds, or the weight of four navel oranges. Oranges are a much better comparison than cabbage, if you ask me.

Big Brother Caedmon: Caedmon started off the week a rather sick little boy. This was Monday:

He actually fell asleep right there on the couch. So I took him to the doctor. Tuesday he felt better. He made up for some of his missed onreyness and even helped me take the trash out.

Yesterday though, was yucky. Y.u.c.k.y. And I’m not really sure if it’s still the stomach virus he’s getting over or the antibiotic he’s taking – or both – that’s causing his yucks. I’m really hoping he feels better today, because if he doesn’t, we’ll be going back to the doctor.

Oz has been worried about him. At 3am Wednesday morning when we had to change sheets & pj’s, Oz was waiting at Caedmon’s door when I got up to go take care of him. Oz usually doesn’t bother to get up in the middle of the night. For anything.

When I got up yesterday morning, I found that Oz had moved his bed from the office to right outside Caedmon’s door and had slept there the rest of the night. (He scoots his beds around all the time. It’s usually not to a specific location, though.) And last night when I put Caedmon to bed, Oz moved the bed back to the hallway and parked himself there once again.

Is that a sweet doggie, or what?

Speaking of doggies, Snoopy is still lost. Which has been tragic because that’s the only thing Caedmon has really asked for since he’s been sick. If Caedmon is well enough today, we’ll be going to the mall to let him choose another one. I can order an identical one online, but I don’t want to wait for it to ship. I can’t stand my boy being without his Snoopy while he’s sick. And don’t worry, if we find the original Snoopy, I’m positive Caedmon has enough space in his heart for two Snoopys.

Total Weight Gain/Loss: Ok, here it is…the official weight from my doctor’s appointment yesterday: I’d gained 4 pounds from my last appointment. So that’s +23 total. Dr. P was fine with it, and I guess I should be too, but it’s still a hard number to look at. And comprehend. I gained 26 total with Caedmon. I’m guessing I’ll be passing that up quickly since I have 9 weeks to go! I’m just hoping I don’t gain a pound a week from here on out. I don’t know if I can take it.

Maternity Clothes: Most of the time, except at home. And now my “big” t-shirts are getting to the point where they’re getting too small. Watch out, Husband…I’m coming after your shirts next!

Gender: Girl!

Movement: Yes! She’s lately become a fan of sticking her feet in my side. At any given time, you can probably press on my side just a little and feel her feet. She might even push back.

Sleep: Oh, it comes and goes, but I mostly sleep well. It’s been a rough week since Caedmon has been sick, though. Hopefully he’ll be better soon and we can all get some more rest.

Symptoms: Crazy dreams. Hips hurting. Heartburn. Just more normal stuff like that, nothing big.

What I Miss: Nothing, really.

Cravings: Nothing in particular.

Best Moment This Past Week: Finally getting some things cleaned and organized in Baby Sister’s room and figuring out what we need and what needs to be done. I know, I’m weird.

What I Am Looking Forward To: I get to start going to the doctor every two weeks now…which means more sitting in the waiting room, but it also means getting to hear that little heartbeat more often! It also means we’re getting close to meeting her!

It’s Friday!

It’s Friday. And I’m so glad. Even if all our days seem to run together sometimes, Friday is somehow always better than the rest. I know, it’s all in my head. But let me have it, people.

I spent the majority of yesterday cleaning out Little Sister’s new room. Yes, we just moved furniture in there, but the pile o’ junk that we were accumulating for a) a garage sale or b) a huge trip to the donation place kept growing as we moved things around. And it was starting to take up a lot of room. Still not enough to justify putting forth the effort for a garage sale, but enough to itemize for our tax return next year.

That’s right, Uncle Sam, I’m already thinking about next year and the brand new deduction we’ll get to mark on our tax return. Take that.

(I know that’s really sad. But as expensive as it is to have a baby (and how much you boost the economy by buying all sorts of stuff), you should get a double deduction for the first year. I’m just sayin’. Somebody wanna write that proposal for Congress to take up? I’m sure they have plenty of time.)

We still have to clean the closet out in that room, and it’s going to be painful. Mainly because there’s nothing else we can really get rid of in there and we are running out of room. Scratch that. We are out of room. I love my house, but if I could just have some more storage space, that would be awesome.

Once the closet is done, I feel like I can start doing other things. Because I will be able to put things away in the closet and get them out of the middle of the room. And then I can take pictures. There are currently no pictures because I almost start twitching every time I look in there, and who wants to have memories of that? Or start twitching again in 15 years when I pull out the photo album?

(Just kidding. I don’t do photo albums. I really mean, when I pop the DVD in and scroll through the photos.)

I had this grand idea to make several kissing balls from The Idea Room’s post for her room. To use either as a mobile or to hang from the light. They’re not hard, but they take a sweet forever. And I do mean forever. I’m loving how it looks, but at the rate I’m going, I may get one finished by the time she’s born and the rest…by the time she’s actually allowed to kiss a boy, which will be age 21.

Meanwhile, Caedmon is managing with his missing Snoopy. We haven’t seen him since Tuesday. And it’s been a little difficult, but Eeyore has done well in his stead. I seriously have no idea where Snoopy could’ve gone. He didn’t leave the house…he’s here…somewhere. We will find him one of these days, I’m sure. But since it took me 2 1/2 weeks to find the spackle (that was sitting in the exact spot I left it in), Snoopy might just be lost for a little while longer. A crazy preschooler who likes to stash stuff and a Momma with pregnancy-brain isn’t a very good combo when it comes to locating items.

Also, Caedmon has had an issue with clothing the past week or so. As in, he doesn’t want to wear any. Most days, even when I force him to get dressed in the mornings, he looks sort of like this by noon:

Although in this photo, he’s actually wearing socks and shoes. I have no idea why, because those usually don’t get anywhere near his feet unless we’re going somewhere.

Clearly the warmer temperatures are going to his head.

He’s also been stripping his pajamas off after I put him to bed. I find him in the morning with just his underwear on. As long as he doesn’t freeze to death during the night, I don’t care. It just means I don’t have to worry about buying the boy pajamas.

So now we’re off to enjoy our Friday. And the rest of our weekend that will neither be snowy or frigid. Ya’ll have a good one, too!

Baby #2: 30 Weeks

**Please pray for Sarah!** Sarah’s surgery is scheduled! Please lift her and her family up as she comes to your mind. Angela, Sarah’s sister-in-law, is blogging updates, and Sarah’s husband Pat is updating their blog as well.

Baby #2 Highlights

How Far Along: 30 weeks (Need to catch up? Here’s last week.)

Size of Baby: About 15 1/2 inches long and about 3 pounds, or the weight of a good-sized head of cabbage. Not sure I like my daughter being compared to a head of cabbage.

Big Brother Caedmon: Caedmon has been outside this week! I sent him out to play one day, realizing that we didn’t have to dress in 17 layers of clothing. It was marvelous. He was digging in the remaining snow wearing sweats. Odd, remembering how deep that snow was just a few days before and that he could barely even move outside.

Total Weight Gain/Loss: Still only claiming the +19 from my last doctor’s visit. The scale and I aren’t really on daily speaking terms, so I honestly don’t know what I’ve gained at this point. The day of reckoning comes next week at my appointment. We’ll wait until then.

I finally got to make that apple pie I’ve been talking about. Jill and Brandon helped us eat it. It was pretty good, though I think I’ll make a few changes next time. See? Baking something always leads to baking something else. It’s a vicious cycle. Sometimes I feel like Monica in the infamous Mockolate episode.

Maternity Clothes: Most of the time, except at home. And? Because Baby Sister is literally hanging out in front of me, even though I’m not huge, nothing seems to fit right. Yesterday I wrestled with my shirt all day, yanking it down every 10 seconds. Not because it’s too short, but because the way my stomach is shaped right now, it continually rides up. The belly-hanging-out-look is not one I’m going for and I’m pretty sure would not be Clinton and Stacy approved.

Gender: Girl!

Movement: Yes! Although she’s got to be getting cramped. Also, I’m not sure how she manages to get her feet all the way over in my side, but she does. She’s obviously talented.

Sleep: Some nights I sleep like a rock. Other nights I get up to go to the bathroom no less than 7 times. And still other nights I have such strange, vivid dreams that I wake up feeling like I didn’t sleep at all. One the other night involved a rattlesnake that looked like a black and white cat, fur included. Freud would have a field day with that one.

Symptoms: Crazy dreams. Hips hurting. Heartburn. Just more normal stuff like that, nothing big.

What I Miss: Nothing, really.

Cravings: Nothing in particular.

Best Moment This Past Week: Warmer weather and sunshine – sometimes at the same time! And getting the rooms swapped so we can make some progress in getting ready for Little Sister!

What I Am Looking Forward To: Getting rolling in Baby Sister’s room and getting some things organized! Finally!

Baby #2: 29 Weeks

**Please pray for Sarah!** Sarah is at MD Anderson today for a consultation. Please lift her and her family up as she comes to your mind. Angela, Sarah’s sister-in-law, is blogging updates, and Sarah’s husband Pat is updating their blog as well.

Also, Happy Birthday to Trump.

Baby #2 Highlights

How Far Along: 29 weeks (Need to catch up? Here’s last week.)

Size of Baby: A little over 15 inches head to toe, and about 2 1/2 pounds. The size of a butternut squash. Finally, a vegetable that I recognize!

Big Brother Caedmon: Caedmon had a great time getting out of the house this week after being cooped up for the majority of last week. We went to the bouncy place on Monday with some friends and he not only loved it, but burned some pent-up energy.

And I completely enjoyed talking with Marci and Jenna while the kids played.

Total Weight Gain/Loss: Gonna go ahead and continue to claim the +19 pounds from the doctor’s visit two weeks ago because I’m not stepping on the scale after a snow week where I made snow cream twice and baked more than a couple of times.

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

Gender: Girl!

Movement: Yes! And Little Sister didn’t stay in the vertex position long. On Friday she went back to her transverse little balled-up position. It was much more comfortable for me (and probably for her) when she was a bit more stretched out. Hopefully she’ll realize she liked having a little extra space and go ahead and move again.

Sleep: I’ve been sleeping pretty well. It’s still not helpful that Caedmon likes to wake up around 5am and yell at me for no apparent reason…and keeps yelling until I go in there and tell him to go. back. to. sleep. Which he usually does. Sometimes I do, sometimes I don’t.

Symptoms: Crazy dreams. Hips hurting. Just more normal stuff like that, nothing big.

Heartburn slapped me upside the head about 3am Monday. It was not fun. And it’s been back a few times since then. It looks like Tums have now become a regular part of my diet.

The (possibly) broken toe is better. It still hurts, though. And I’ve become super paranoid about kicking something when I walk around without shoes, especially in the dark. Guard your little piggies, people.

What I Miss: Nothing, really.

Cravings: Nothing in particular.

Best Moment This Past Week: Getting out and seeing people after being snowed in and cooped up in the house!

What I Am Looking Forward To: Getting back to “normal” after nearly three weeks of snow and crazy weather!

Baby #2: 28 Weeks

**Please pray for Sarah!** Sarah, a young mom at our church has been diagnosed with a brain tumor. She’s such a sweet person and lover of Jesus. Please lift her and her family up as she comes to your mind. Angela, Sarah’s sister-in-law, is blogging updates, and Sarah’s husband Pat is updating their blog as well.

Baby #2 Highlights

How Far Along: 28 weeks (Need to catch up? Here’s last week.) Third Trimester, ya’ll! Woot!

Caedmon and I picked up Little Sister’s bedding last week when Mom got it finished. I love it. I’m waiting to show you pictures until I can get it in the crib. Of course, that entails moving the furniture in three rooms, so it’s going to be a couple of weeks!

Size of Baby: About 15 inches long and the weight of a Chinese Cabbage (Seriously? Again with the weirdo vegetables!). And I think that maybe, possibly, perhaps Little Sister has finally flipped. (Not in the mental way. That won’t take long around here, though. I mean geographically(?). )

Monday night, as we were waiting for Snowpocalypse ‘11 to hit, she was a wild woman. She had been all day. But I laid down to watch TV with Husband and she kicked it up a notch. As I laid there, I started feeling her in spots she doesn’t normally venture to. I was hoping she was in the process of turning herself over, but I didn’t want to get my hopes up. I also thought that maybe she would end up back in her little wadded up ball the next day.

But all day Tuesday and Wednesday it seemed she was in a different spot. Maybe not completely transverse, and maybe not completely vertex, either. I suppose we’ll see. If she’s transverse, she’s double jointed, because I don’t know how she can hit me at the top and bottom at the same time otherwise.

Big Brother Caedmon: We’ve been snowed in a few days this week with it being too frigid to even go out and have fun. So we’ve found other ways to occupy our time. We’ve watched lots of cartoons, played with lots of cars, built lots of block towers and even brought the snow inside to play with. He’s a trooper, really. But after the second day, he was as ready to get out of the house as I was!

He also got kicked in the head by his sister for the first time. I’m sure it won’t be the last. He was hugging my belly (giving her a hug) during one of her wild moments and she laid a swift kick right to the spot where his head was. He thought it was pretty funny. He won’t think it’s so funny when she’s a little older and a little stronger.

Total Weight Gain/Loss: Gonna go ahead and continue to claim the +19 pounds from the doctor’s visit last week, even though I’d rather not.

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

Gender: Girl!

After Caedmon was born, Husband’s Grandpa B bought him a gift. He never used it. First, because by the time we got it, it was too small for Caedmon. Secondly, it was not meant for a boy. Husband and I giggled about it a little (Well, I giggled. I’m sure he chuckled in a manly way.). I ended up sticking it in the tub of baby clothes when I stored it in the attic.

Grandpa B passed away a while back. But as I was pulling out some clothes for Baby Sister, I found the gift he’d given us. Ironically, Grandpa B was the first one to give us a pink outfit for Little Sister, it’s just that none of us knew it yet.

Movement: Yes! We’ll see over the next few days if she stays stretched out a bit or goes back to her balled-up little transverse spot.

Sleep: I’ve slept so hard the past week that there have been a few times I’m ashamed to say I didn’t wake up. One morning Husband got up, showered, and got dressed and I slept right through it. I guess I’ve been catching up.

Symptoms: Crazy dreams. Mild, occasional reflux. Hips hurting. Just more normal stuff like that, nothing big.

Oh, and I might be waddling a little bit, but it’s not because of my big belly. I promise. It’s because I most likely broke my toe the other day and it’s kinda a whole lot sore. My chiropractor checked it out for me on Monday. He said no one will do an x-ray at this point because I’m pregnant and it’s not worth the risk, but his best guess was that it’s broken. And just like I figured, the treatment is the same as if it wasn’t. But it’s difficult to immobilize a toe when you have to chase a three year-old all day.

What I Miss: Nothing, really.

Cravings: Nothing in particular besides sweets. If we end up snowed in much longer, I might have to try Jenna’s Mint Chocolate Chip Snow Cream recipe!

Best Moment This Past Week: I washed some of Caedmon’s newborn clothes & sleepers I think Baby Sister might get away with wearing. It’s hard to remember him being that small and that some of those clothes were even too big for him at first!

What I Am Looking Forward To: After being snowed in a few days, getting out of the house!

Baby #2: 27 Weeks

Baby #2 Highlights

How Far Along: 27 weeks (Need to catch up? Here’s last week.) And if you missed my recent belly shot, it’s here.

I had a check-up yesterday and an ultrasound to re-check some measurements. Baby Girl is measuring right on track and everything looks great. She’s transverse (laying across my belly) with her feet and hands in just about the same spot…in her face. I have no idea how she stays wadded up like that, but she seems to enjoy it, as we tried to get her to move during the ultrasound and she was having none of it. Her heart rate was 159, which the tech said was excellent.

Size of Baby: About 14 1/2 inches long and the weight of a head of cauliflower. Officially as of the ultrasound yesterday, she weighs 2 pounds, 3 ounces, exactly the 50th percentile for her gestation.

Big Brother Caedmon: While we were at the grocery store on Tuesday, Caedmon saw lemons and asked if we could make lemonade. Or “wem-me-made.” He’s been asking about how lemonade is made lately and silly me, I told him with lemons, sugar and water instead of “CountryTime mix, son.”

I brought it on myself. So we bought lemons and made wem-me-made.

We had to count them first.

And inspect closely.

Then roll around a bit to help the juice come out.

And squeeze.

“Hey, this is hard!”

So I finished squeezing. And he’s right. It was hard. But the stirring was much more his speed.

“It tastes yummy!”

It was pretty good! I’m glad he asked if we could make wem-me-made. Next time though, I’m buying a citrus juicer.

Total Weight Gain/Loss: Yesterday at the doctor’s office, I finally stepped on the scale. I’ve officially gained 19 pounds. I knew it was coming but I about choked. The worst part was that I had to stand on the scale for a sweet forever because the girl taking my vitals was trying to help someone else find a chart and couldn’t look at the digital readout. So I stood and waited, staring at the number until she was finished. She finally finished, checked my weight, and apologized for taking so long. She didn’t know how sorry she really needed to be.

And then I ate a hamburger & fries from Sonic for lunch and could feel my rear getting bigger. But it was so good.

Maternity Clothes: Most of the time. I actually wore a non-maternity shirt on Sunday to church that I thought didn’t fit anymore. It won’t in a few weeks. Time wasted. It’s a shame, really.

Gender: Girl! Still a girl! I asked the tech to check yesterday just to make sure. It was hard to get a good booty shot since Baby Sister was so wadded up, but there were definitely no boy parts.

Movement: Yes! But with her balled-up little self, I have no idea how she finds space to move around. She might find that if she were to move she’d have more room. But then she’d be hindering my breathing and eating, so I’ll take the aching hips, I suppose.

Sleep: I’m getting up about twice a night, and dreams sometimes wake me up because they’re so insane. And my hips hurt so I can’t stay on one side very long, which means I have to wake up for an 11-point roll over. Other than that, I’m sleeping great. Ha! I’m really not complaining because I know it’s all short-lived and it won’t be long before this girl is waking me up from the outside!

Symptoms: Crazy dreams. Mild, occasional reflux. Hips hurting. Just more normal stuff like that, nothing big.

What I Miss: Nothing, really.

Cravings: Sugar. And since that encompasses so many things, that’s probably why I’ve gained those 19 pounds. And making these probably didn’t help either. (Recipe tomorrow!)

I actually shared some of these with Dr. P and her nurse at my appointment yesterday. She said they’d had a rough morning and the comfort food was appreciated. I’m glad it could brighten their day and I appreciated getting it out of my house!

Best Moment This Past Week: Getting to see Baby Girl on the ultrasound again yesterday!

What I Am Looking Forward To: Mom has finished our bedding and I can’t wait to see it in person!

Thoughts of Randomness

1. Oz has been hibernating a lot lately. As in, staying burrowed under his covers in his crate all day. We thought maybe he’s been cold. Because, well, it’s been really cold. So the other night, Husband bought him a sweatshirt.

He hated it.

But it kept him out of his bed for a while. I don’t know if it was because he was warmer or because he was so distraught at the sweatshirt. Either way, if I notice him hibernating again, it’s going back on.

2. I finally did it. I’ve been saying that when it snows, I’m taking Caedmon to Mom & Dad’s and letting someone else play with him outside. That’s exactly what we did on Friday.

Dad went out with Caedmon first.

They also managed to coax Aunt Fidget outside.

Where some sort of trampoline/snow throwing game commenced.

The boy squealed with delight the entire time.

And then Fidget pulled him around on a disc sled. She just thought she’d been getting a workout. I think she was pretty beat by the time he was done with her.

They came in to warm up for a while, then Dad took him down to the neighbor’s to sled with them. Caedmon came back with a rosy face, chapped lips, and a big smile. He had a blast. And I got to stay warm the entire time. That’s the way to play in the snow!

3. About the extent of my cooking on the weekends is usually Mac & Cheese or a frozen pizza. A girl’s gotta have some time off. So unless it’s a special occasion, that’s the kind of stuff we eat on Saturday and Sunday nights. Husband has decided he’d like to cook dinner on Saturday nights. (We used to trade weeks – I’d grocery shop & cook for a week, then he would. He’s got some mad skillz in the kitchen.) This past Saturday was his first Saturday night meal. He made Alfredo Potatoes and they were a hit. Way to go, Babe!

4. I finally bought my first pair of Toms shoes. I got the black glitter. I feel cool. And I’m only about two years behind the coolness curve. Maybe I’ll get some Uggs in about two more years.

5. Caedmon has a nasty ear infection, but only in one ear. It’s weird how one ear can be so gross and crusty and the other is just fine. He wore his Grinch pj’s to the doctor’s office, and Dr. B shared his love of all things Grinchy with us. He told Caedmon that after he finished all his medicine, he’d have “the strength of 10 Grinches, plus two.” Caedmon thought that was pretty cool. Have I mentioned how much I like Dr. B?

6. I’m going to go ahead and declare our Fever = Snow and Snow = Fever streak over. It’s snowed twice now and Caedmon hasn’t had fever. Sick, yes. But fever? No.

7. And now, for your viewing pleasure (maybe), a random belly shot.

This is at 26 weeks, 4 days. Baby Girl is such a low rider. She’s killing my hips, but I can breathe and eat, so I guess I’ll take the trade-off.

8. I’m working on a special red velvet treat to share with ya’ll for your pre-Valentine’s Day planning. I hope it turns out like I’m imagining. If not, let’s face it, I’ll probably eat it anyway. Jill has promised to taste test it for me tonight. I know she’ll tell the truth.

9. We’re changing our grocery day. I know. Some of ya’ll are like, “You have a ‘grocery day’?” Yes. Yes, I do. But Grocery Day being on Monday was killing me by the end of the day with everything else I had to do. So we’re going to try it on Tuesdays. It will be a shock to my system, but I think it’ll work. I’ll let you know how it turns out.

10. Now that the new TV shows have started back up, what are ya’ll watching? I want to know if I’m missing something good!

Baby #2: 26 Weeks

Baby #2 Highlights

How Far Along: 26 weeks (Need to catch up? Here’s last week.)

Size of Baby: About 14 inches head to toe or the length of an English Hothouse Cucumber. (Seriously? Again with the weird vegetables.) Weighs about 1 2/3 pounds.

Big Brother Caedmon: Caedmon loves his new furniture. He’s still getting used to sleeping under actual blankets and stuff. And he pretty much sleeps all over the bed. But I’m teaching him to straighten the covers when he gets up, so we’ll see how that goes.

He’s been a mess this week. Loud, energetic, and just a…boy.

Here he is with the lion’s mane he made at church on Sunday.

Total Weight Gain/Loss: I’m in complete denial at this point. I refuse to even step on the scale. So I have no idea how much I’ve gained since my last appointment, and I say “how much” because I know I have. I just don’t want to know right now. I have to weigh next week at the doctor’s office, and that will be soon enough. I have a feeling that getting to see Baby Girl on the ultrasound again will make up for having to face the digital scale.

Maternity Clothes: Pretty much only in public. At home, I still wear my regular sweats & t-shirts. Although, I bought two cute dresses at Target this past week that are non-maternity and I’ve worn them with skinny jeans & leggings. They’re cute and I justified the purchase to myself with the ever-popular “I can wear these after the baby’s born” but I know that’s a slim to none chance. I tried that with some clothes with Caedmon and never wore them again.

Gender: Girl!

Movement: Yes! She’s definitely a mover and a shaker these days. Her most active time of day is later in the afternoon and evening. Sometimes she doesn’t settle down until 11pm! I’m really hoping that means she’s not going to be an early bird like two other people I know. I need somebody (besides the dog) who wants to sleep late with me!

Sleep: After getting up no less than 5 times the first night in his Big Brother bed, Caedmon’s slept like a charm this past week. Let’s hope it keeps up! I’ve been sleeping well when my hips allow it. Some nights are worse than others. And having to wake up to roll over is never fun. I feel like it takes 5 minutes and an 11-point roll-over to get from laying on one side to the other. Poor Husband probably gets bounced all over the place in our horribly wiggly bed every night.

Symptoms: Crazy dreams. Mild, occasional reflux. Just more normal stuff like that, nothing big.

What I Miss: Nothing, really.

Cravings: Nothing in particular right now. But I have enjoyed my once-weekly allotted Red Velvet Cheesecake Blast from Sonic. And? Monday night Husband brought these home from Krispy Kreme.

It’s the Triple Chocolate Donut. Sinful is what they were.

Best Moment This Past Week: We got Caedmon settled in his new furniture and got his Christmas toys organized. It was such a relief to finally have places for things and have his stuff taken care of for a little while. Poor guy, hopefully this will be his last big transition for a while. Little Sister’s going to rock his world!

What I Am Looking Forward To: I signed Caedmon up for a “Big Brother/Sister” class in a few weeks. I’m looking forward to going to that with him!

Baby #2: 25 Weeks

Baby #2 Highlights

How Far Along: 25 weeks (Need to catch up? Here’s last week.)

Size of Baby: About 13 1/2 inches long from head to toe and weighs about as much as an average-sized rutabaga, or about a pound and a half. I don’t think I’ve ever laid eyes on an actual rutabaga. And I’m pretty sure I’ve never eaten one. Seriously, where do these people come up with this stuff?

Big Brother Caedmon: He loved playing in the snow on Monday. But he quickly gets cabin fever and by Monday night, this was the conversation at our house:

Caedmon: “Momma, I’m thinking about going somewhere.”

Me: “Really? Where are you thinking about going?”

Caedmon: “To the bookstore.”

Me: “I don’t think we’ll be going to the bookstore.”

Caedmon: “How about Sonic?” (He knows my weakness!)

Me: “No, no Sonic either, though that would be nice.”

Total Weight Gain/Loss: I’ve maintained since my doctor’s appointment. Yay! So still at +15. We’ve eaten a lot better since the holidays. But that Red Velvet Cheesecake Blast is so tempting! And why does the Valentine’s chocolate have to be out already? Monday, I was seriously hungry all. day. long. And what did I want? Sweets. Of any sort. “You’re killing me, Smalls.”

I still haven’t made an apple pie. Seriously, if I make one, does anyone want to eat it? Minus a slice, of course.

Maternity Clothes: Pretty much only in public. At home, I still wear my regular sweats & t-shirts.

Gender: Girl!

Movement: Yes! She has busy days and quiet days. On her busy days, I can sit on the couch and watch my belly jump. On her quieter days, she’s like a dainty little thing, politely tapping at the walls of her cozy little home. I’m really hoping that doesn’t mean she won’t hold well to a schedule. Because if ya’ll know anything about me by now, it’s that I need some order in my life.

Sleep: I’m sleeping pretty well. I’ve pretty much put the coughing fits behind me (knock on wood) so that makes it much easier to sleep.

Symptoms: Crazy dreams. Mild, occasional reflux. Just more normal stuff like that, nothing big.

What I Miss: Nothing, really.

Cravings: Nothing in particular right now besides sugar.

Best Moment This Past Week: Having some time to take some BABY things out of Caedmon’s room and get them ready to go into BABY SISTER’S room. Actually, it was sort of bittersweet. I loved getting some things out for Lil’ Sis, but realizing that those things can permanently leave Caedmon’s room was a bit sad. My boy’s growing up, ya’ll.

What I Am Looking Forward To: Caedmon’s getting some new (to us) furniture this weekend, and I’m so excited! His current stuff will be passed down to Baby Sister, and he’ll get to have his new Buzz Lightyear sheets on his bed. I think I’m looking forward to that more than he is.

Baby #2: (23 &) 24 Weeks

Baby #2 Highlights

How Far Along: 24 weeks (Need to catch up? Here’s 22 Weeks.) I skipped last week due to the holidays and craziness of life. You didn’t miss much.

I just realized the other day that this little girl is due the Thursday after Easter. I hadn’t realized that 1), Easter was that late this year, and 2) she was due so close to a holiday. Of course, since it’s a “floating” holiday, it probably won’t be that way every year, but still. We might end up with our own little Easter bunny this spring!

Size of Baby: About 12 inches or so from head to toe. All of the “measurements” these sites come up with crack me up. Because at this point, there’s really no way to know how big this baby girl really is.

Big Brother Caedmon: We had a great Christmas. He’s growing so much and is becoming such a big boy. He amazes me each day with how bright he is and how many things he notices that I either take for granted or just overlook. Getting to re-acquaint myself with the world through his eyes is pretty awesome.

He loves to give hugs and kisses to Baby Sister. He also insisted on sharing his “nite nite” with Baby Sister one day, and made sure I carried it under my shirt so she could have it.

Bizarre? Yes. But I still loved it. His nite nite is very near and dear to him, just in case ya’ll didn’t know. The fact that he was so adamant about sharing it was very sweet.

He also regularly asks if it’s time for Baby Sister to come out yet. I think he’s tired of all the waiting. I can identify with that, but I’m glad she’s nestled safely where she is for a while longer.

Total Weight Gain/Loss: The holidays were not kind. I stepped on the scale at the Doctor’s office the Monday after Christmas. It wasn’t good, ya’ll. I’d gained 7 pounds in a month. So couple that with the 8 I’d already gained, that’s a whopping total of +15 pounds since the beginning of this pregnancy. I was quite relieved when Dr. P commented, “Today’s not a good day to weigh – for anyone.”

I think I remember a 10-pound month with Caedmon around the same time in my pregnancy, so I’m going to go ahead and determine right now that this will have been the heavy month. I’m not going to starve myself or anything like that because a girl’s gotta eat. But all the leftover Christmas cookies and holiday yummies are definitely g.o.n.e. from our dwelling. And? As tempted as I was to make a red & white dessert (like this) for the Sugar Bowl, I refrained. But I did make some sweet tea. It was good.

And I’m going to go ahead and take the opportunity right now to blame this on the baby. With Caedmon, I didn’t crave sweets except for a few specific things. This baby girl must have a sweet tooth, because that’s pretty much all I want to eat. If I keep this up, I wouldn’t be surprised if she’s born with cavities. So we’re breaking the sweets habit. Or at least cutting back. For real.

Though for some reason, I have the strange desire to bake an apple pie. Anyone want one?

Maternity Clothes: Pretty much only in public. At home, I still wear my regular sweats & t-shirts.

Gender: Girl! We’re going to get another peek at her at my next appointment, and there’s a part of me that wants to have the ultrasound tech check again, just to make sure. Each time we had an ultrasound with Caedmon, we begged them to please make sure he was “still” a boy.

Movement: Yes! She’s starting to run out of room down low where she likes to hang out most of the time, so she’s moving up now and then. And since she’s getting bigger, her movements are more apparent. I sat on the couch one afternoon and watched my belly jump for a solid 20 minutes. I love it.

Sleep: I’m sleeping pretty well. Except that the dreaded sinus junk and cough is back, so that doesn’t help things.

Symptoms: Crazy dreams. Mild, occasional reflux. Just more normal stuff like that, nothing big.

What I Miss: Nothing, really.

Cravings: Nothing in particular right now.

Best Moment This Past Week: Getting to start on some artwork for our little girl’s room, and seeing Caedmon so interested in helping!

What I Am Looking Forward To: Getting to work on some organization this week and feeling like we’re getting back to normal…and getting rolling on some things for this girl!