Countdown to Zoey: 4 weeks to go!

I'd love to spend time getting some cute
weekly pictures, but it's just not going to
happen. I'm happy I got one at all this week,
even if the lighting is weird and there's a bunch
 of dirty laundry behind me, lol. 

Zoey!! Your birth day is getting so close! I am so excited to meet you, little one! We're 36 weeks now. I have the hospital bag packed just in case, I'm trying to stock up on food so that I can devote all of my time and attention to you and your sister during your first few weeks (rather than cooking, bleh), and I'm trying desperately to get your first home organized and clean for your arrival. Easier said than done, my love, but I am trying.

I had an appointment with one of my midwives today. Everything is great! You're growing wonderfully and your heartbeat will always be one of the most beautiful sounds in my world! I've been feeling a lot of pressure with contractions lately (which are all the time), so I opted for a cervical check at this appointment. Believe it or not that was a hard decision. Because logically I know it means nothing. I could be at a 4 and not deliver until 40 weeks, or I could be at a 0 and deliver tomorrow. When I was pregnant with Lauren I was perfectly fine with just not knowing. But with all the pressure this time, I wanted to know. I'm at a one. ONE. Sigh. Again, I know it means nothing. I just thought with all the pressure maybe it meant things were a little farther along than that. Michelle (my midwife at this appointment) said the pressure is because you've settled farther into my pelvis. I guess that makes sense. I've definitely got the penguin waddle down. It's adorable, just ask your dad. Haha!

Happy 2nd Birthday, Lauren!!

Lauren turned TWO this past week! TWO! I have a two year old! And she is amazing. Oh how I love this girl. All I want is for her to feel special and happy, especially on her day. I'd been planning and planning how to do that. Here's what we did:

The weekend before Lauren's birthday we threw her a big party! She LOVES Elmo. Loves. So of course we had a super fun Elmo themed party for my girl! She had an Elmo outfit complete with an Elmo shirt and tutu, and Robbie and I got Oscar the Grouch and Cookie Monster shirts (which Lauren thought was hysterical). My mom and dad spent hours making the most darling jumbo Elmo cupcakes. And most importantly, all of Lauren's grandmas and grandpas were there! She loves her mmmmMMMAAs and Papas. Thank you so much to everyone who came and helped us spoil our little lady. She had so much fun!

 TWO! 

 Lauren's first princess dress!! From Aunt Emily :) 

On her birthday Robbie and I took Lauren out to lunch at one of her favorite restaurants,  Chili's. She had glass after glass of yummy chocolate milk, and some yummy chicken and fries (with dip, of course!). And our waitress brought her her own bowl of ice cream and sang happy birthday to her :)

When we got home it was presents time! She got a chalkboard easel, bunny slippers, and a new set of blocks that Mommy made. Then the three of us just spent the afternoon playing together! It was definitely a fun day!

Wow, coloring is a lot of work! lol

HAPPY BIRTHDAY LAUREN!! 

Countdown to Zoey: 5 weeks to go!

35 weeks! That means 5 more weeks... right? Right.... the other night Robbie and I were watching a movie and it seemed like I had been contracting a lot, so I finally decided to start timing them. They were about 10 minutes apart, each lasting about a minute, but they didn't quite last an hour. Jen said I'm good as long as I have less than 6 an hour though.  But still, it's been enough lately that packing the hospital bag is going to be on my to-do list this week. If I'm still pregnant at 40 weeks, I'm going to be shocked.

Happy Birthday, My Love!

The other day was Robbie's birthday! I keep teasing him because he really didn't know how old he was... he actually thought he was turning 30 for a second, lol. But nope, my love is 28! I wanted to spoil him and make his birthday special! He does so much for me and Lauren. I know so many people whose husbands aren't that involved in their kids lives, but Robbie is every bit as involved with raising Lauren as I am. Emotionally, I just couldn't handle working 40 hours a week without his help. She adores him. I adore him. He is an amazing daddy and the best husband I could ask for. I love him tremendously. I wanted him to have a wonderful and fun Robbie's Day :) 

On his birthday I took him to a minor league baseball game! I know how he loves the ambiance of the game. Watching on TV just isn't the same. And even though it's only minor league, you still get to relax and enjoy a game, and have some crazy expensive food. lol. We had a lot of fun :) 

A few days later we had his official birthday dinner and cake and ice cream at my parents house! Robbie showed Lauren what she gets to do in just a few days, and she helped him blow out his candles! 

Happy birthday, Robbie! I love you so much :) 

Countdown to Zoey: 6 weeks to go!

I can't believe it's been another week already! 34 weeks... we are getting so close! I had another appointment with Jen this week. Zoey is head down (yay baby!) and she and I are measuring great! I'm starting to feel like maybe she's dropped a little bit. My tummy is so low and so far forward I can't close my legs when I sit, and I can actually sit and set my tummy on the chair I'm sitting on. Sexy, huh? Weirdest feeling ever, lol. I'm contracting all the time. All. The. Time. And contractions do occasionally cause a little pressure. Not a lot, but enough to make me think Zoey might be joining us sooner than 6 weeks from now. We shall see! 

My entire pregnancy Lauren has been very interested in my tummy. She points at my tummy and says "Zayaya!" (her name for Zoey) and will give my tummy kisses and hugs. She loves to look at Zoey's ultrasound pictures on my phone. One of her favorite Sesame Street characters is named Zoey and she gets very excited when she sees her on TV or in a coloring book (excited enough that we started to wonder if Lauren thought we were having a baby or a muppet, lol). But this week I started talking to Lauren about how pretty soon our baby Zoey is going to come live with us! Holy excitement, batman. The look on my sweet girl's face when we talk about having a baby sister live with us all the time... she's elated. She's been practicing wrapping babies in blankets and cuddling them. It is just so sweet. I am so excited to introduce them to each other! 

Countdown to Zoey: 7 weeks to go!

33 weeks! 7 weeks to go. Deep breath. Another deep breath. One more time. Okay logically, I know I don't really have that much more to do to prepare for little Zoey. A little more home organization. A few more things to buy. Some deep cleaning to do. But emotionally, I feel like I have an ever growing to do list and I keep thinking of more and more things I could get to make things go as smoothly as possible when we bring this little one home. I guess it doesn't help that my hormones have gone a little crazy this week, and I'm pretty emotional about pretty much everything, lol. Poor Robbie, Lauren, and Zoey. The loves of my life and I know they are taking the brunt of it. Robbie and Lauren because they have to deal with the crazy, and Zoey because I'm sure she's feeling my hormones right along with me. But I am a firm believer in positive affirmations and the power of positive thinking, so on that note... I have gotten a ton of stuff done this week! The most exciting of which is Zoey's baby blanket! I was so excited to make her blankie, and it turned out beautiful. My grandma helped me make it! I suppose by helped, I mostly mean she made it and I'm the one who helped, lol. I'm a little sewing-challenged. But who cares. I love it!

But while I may have gotten a lot of things done this week, a belly picture was not one of them. I will for sure get one next week :)

Countdown to Zoey: 8 weeks to go!

32 weeks and everything is right on track! I had another appointment with my midwife, Jen, this week. I seriously adore her. I technically see a group of nurse midwives, but I've scheduled all of my appointments this pregnancy with Jen. Any of them, however, could be on call when I deliver, and they are all wonderful. My glucose test that I had at 28 weeks came back fine. I really don't get why people complain so much about that glucose drink. Sure, it's gross. It gives me a headache. It's like drinking straight sugar. But it's really not the horrible, awful thing some people make it out to be. Anyway! The exciting news is that my hematocrit also came back fine!! Well, low for normal, but fine for pregnancy. I was actually very surprised by that. My iron is almost always low. And the prenatal vitamins I take are iron-less prenatal gummy vitamins because the iron containing vitamins makes me miserably constipated. So I really expected it to be low and to have to increase the iron in my diet. But apparently I'm doing something right, because this time my iron is just fine! Yay! And Zoey is doing wonderfully. Growing and growing. It's so much fun to feel her do somersaults and roll over and all her little kicks and punches. She's pretty quiet most mornings, but by late afternoon and evening she is awake and making her sweet little presence known.

I've done my best to work on my hypnobirthing preparation this week. As important as it is, it's so hard to find the time some days. I'm thinking about Zoey's upcoming birth more and more though, and I am so excited to bring her into the world. 8 more weeks.... I can't wait to meet her!