How far along? 36 weeks (December 28, 2016)
How big is baby? Head of romaine lettuce, about 6 pounds and 18.5 inches
Milestones? All organs are fully mature and ready for life outside of the womb
Maternity clothes? Yes
Sleep? Lots of flip flopping back and forth to try to find a comfortable position
Symptoms? Nothing new
Food cravings? Nothing I've noticed
Food aversions? Ditto
Gender? Boy
Labor signs? Some light contractions sporadically
Belly button in or out? Flat
What I miss? Feeling comfortable in my clothes. I have very few things that I feel good in anymore. Even my maternity clothes feel tight. My mom did get me a new maternity top for Christmas that I love. I never usually miss alcohol since I am not a big drinker to begin with, but on Christmas Day Brad broke out the limoncello we brought back from Italy. My whole family did celebratory shots while I watched sadly from the sober sidelines. For the first time, I missed alcohol.
What am I looking forward to? Eloise's 2nd birthday! We are standing strong about not letting her birthday breeze by sandwiched between Christmas and HP's anticipated arrival. We got her a play pizza set and birthday cake to go in her kitchen she got from Santa, so we are planning to do a personal pizza bar so she can decorate her own little pie. And I will attempt a homemade cake. My mom and dad will be here through New Years, so we will celebrate a few days early. Brad is also planning a special surprise milkshake date for the two of them on January 4th. That will always be Daddy Day for Eloise because it was already the 4th for Brad in Afghanistan when she was born. I can hardly believe my baby girl is almost TWO! She is such a bright light in our lives.
Best moment this week? My mom, dad, and sister Whitney joined us for a very merry Missouri Christmas. I cannot tell you how great it was to share this holiday together. In a way it feels like the calm before the storm. I know life with two littles will be beyond hectic, so I have fully embraced the calm and cozy of the season with my family here to drink cocoa, watch movies, and play board games. I made reindeer pancakes for Christmas Eve and homemade cinnamon rolls for Christmas morning, two traditions I hope to continue for Eloise and HP. We enjoyed a fancy evening out for Christmas Eve dinner at Sybil's in St. James, and my dad made his famous chili for Christmas Day. Eloise did an amazing job opening gifts. She genuinely seemed to appreciate each thing, reading each book and wanting to play with every toy before it was set aside for the another package. Experiencing the joy and magic of Christmas through her eyes has to be one of the best parts about being a mom.
How far along? 38 weeks (January 11, 2016)
How big is baby? Spaghetti squash, about 6.5-7 pounds and 19.5 inches
Milestones? Baby has a firm grasp and practices gripping the umbilical cord (can't wait for it to be my finger that tiny hand is squeezing!)
Maternity clothes? Yes, strictly leggings on the bottom at this point
Sleep? Same, but Brad has been amazing about giving me back massages every night to help relax me into a nice night of sleep and ease my aching body
Symptoms? Lots of random contractions still
Food cravings? Another bag of lime tortilla chips gone in an embarrassingly short time frame
Food aversions? None
Gender? Boy
Labor signs? 5 cm dilated, 80% effaced, and having a handful of painful contractions every day but nothing consistent enough to kick start active labor yet. My mom has bumped up her return though just in case! I cannot wait for her to arrive so I can rest assured that Eloise has a buddy for when I do go into labor. Plus my mom is the biggest, best help in terms of cooking, cleaning, etc. She doesn't even need to be asked, she just gets things done. She is amazing. Hurry up Momma Sue and get here already!
Belly button in or out? Actually popping out a tiny bit
What I miss? My friends in Tennessee. It is really sinking in that the flood of support and visitors I had with Eloise probably won't happen because I am still so new to town. I am making new friends quickly just like I always do with each new Army post, but nothing compares to the friends who feel like family. A few of them already have trips in the works to come visit after HP is born, and I am very much looking forward to the comfort of their familiar love.
What am I looking forward to? Active labor contractions. For some reason my body seems to have the dilating part down no problem, but where are the contractions to kick off the real party? This is exactly what happened with Eloise too. My doctors and midwives say, "It could be any day now!" at nearly every appointment towards the end. I also cannot wait to see what HP looks like. Brad and I always marvel at how you wonder for months what your new baby will look like, but then as soon as you lay eyes on him or her it's almost like, well duh. It's as if someone you just met for the very first time has somehow always been a part of your life. You have known them for minutes but also forever at the same time. I am so curious to see if he looks like Eloise too.
Best moment this week? As my Christmas gift, Brad got the interior and exterior of my car detailed. It was in desperate need of detoddlerization (oh, the crumbs!). The guy he booked came right to the house and did everything in the convenience of our own driveway. It smells and looks brand new again, and the second car seat installed in the back makes my heart jump every time I see it. Talk about the best way to make a nesting mama happy!
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