Baby Eins. Three Years Old.

Dear Beck,

I am shocked that I am sitting here, in a hotel with a waterpark on Thanksgiving. Not because I am in hotel on Thanksgiving, but because today happens to be your third birthday. How did this happen?  I mean, I guess I knew it was coming.  It is truly amazing how much you have learned in the past year. The scariest thing is that we are so used to how you are right NOW that it is hard to remember what you were like before.  Before you knew how to jump. Before you knew how to count in English and German. Before you could have full conversations in complex sentences.

After your Kid Rock class in the spring, you and I took an ooey gooey science class together in the summer. We had a lot of fun making slime and painting. You had a blast. It was good to get out just the two of us again.  I definitely missed that for awhile when your brother came along. 

You love your brother. Usually. Unless he is trying to take things from you. Or destroy what you are working on.  You were just pushing him for awhile, but we have gotten to the point where you will now (usually) ask for help. You love to give him hugs and kisses. You like to crawl with him on the floor and have him chase you. He adores you. He smiles like crazy when you talk to him or sing to him. 

In the fall you started preschool!!  I was nervous about leaving you, but you did awesome!  We talked a lot about what would happen, read some books, and, okay, Daniel Tiger helped some too. By the time the big first day arrived, you were ready!  In the hallway you asked me "groooown ups comes back....?"  Just like Daniel Tiger sings. When I said yes, you walked into the room, found your name on the rug and waved goodbye. It was almost too easy!  You love your teachers--Monica and Molly. You love your classmates.  It is so much fun to watch you make friends. 

Some things have not changed...  You still have little interest in using the potty, but I know it will come with time. You are still napping!  Thank goodness. You take one nap typically when your brother does, and you usually sleep around 2 hours. That pushes your bedtime back until 9/930, but that is fine with us because then you get to spend some time playing with daddy after work. You go to sleep in you own bed after we read and sing, but you still end up in our room every night. I do not mind this so much anymore because I know it really will not be forever. Typically you climb into bed with us around 1 or 2 a.m.  On the morning of your birthday party, you made it all the way until 5!!!  Pretty soon you will not want the snuggles, I know. 

Oh yes, your birthday party. We had so much fun!  It was a construction theme this year and we had catering from your favorite restaurant--Moe's. What else do you love?

Cheese. Tacos. Quesadillas. Pizza. Hot dogs. Those are all the toddler food groups, right?  Oh, and chocolate. Candy too, but you do not get that too often. Swimming. Obviously. Going to the park. Climbing. Sliding. Swinging. Running. Going fast in general. Sid the science kid. Daniel tiger. Curious George. Super why. And the occasional episode of Thomas the tank engine or Jake and the Neverland Pirates. Trains. Cars. Trucks. Excavators. Construction!!  Good night, good night construction site. Strega Nona. Press Here. The day the crayons quit. Everyone poops. Building blocks. Stickers. Play-doh. Kinetic sand. Monster trucks. Puzzles. Oh, and the iPad. You also love to help in the kitchen (or play in your own kitchen)...baking, making lunch, putting away the groceries. You are a great helper. 

We went through a period of cursing. Damn--thanks, Oma. And there may have been an f-bomb--thanks, Grandpa Kahn. We ignored it and you stopped saying it. And we learned to keep our mouths shut more often. You believe that when you are "bigger," you will get to drink beer and help daddy and Kahn fix things. 

You are extremely polite. You often say thank you to strangers. Tonight, you thanked our waitress for your dinner at the end of the meal. You are more talkative to strangers in general now. You went through a phase of running in the stores when "somebody is coming!"  

In conclusion, you are a whole lot of fun to be around right now!  Most of the time. :)

Love you bunches.  You will always be my stinkerbutt, my pumpkin, my first baby.

Momma

Baby Zwei: 6 months old

Dear Keats,

Wow, kid, time is flying by... So much is happening with you!  You are already six months old.  Half a year you have been in our lives!  How is that even possible?  You are rolling like crazy.  And kicking those little legs on your tummy.  You are great at push-ups!  And you spin around a lot. Ha!  No crawling yet.  I can definitely wait for that.  :)

You have 2 teeth, with more very soon to come.  You are so very close to sitting on your own.  You do great in the bumbo or the chair that hooks on the table.  The doc has given us the all clear to start some solids, so I will be starting to make you some food soon.  You sit with us at the table while we eat now and you really enjoy watching us all.  We have given you a sippy cup with water, but you have not yet mastered it. Or the straw cup.  Or the bottle, for that matter!  You still have not taken a bottle, stinker!  Although I suspect that is partially my fault since I kind of gave up and stopped trying. It's just too much work to find time to pump and then feed you.  :)

You are constantly sticking out your tongue.  Still.  You have started babbling and we regularly hear "mah" from you.  Occasionally we will get a "bah" or a "dah". You love to talk.  You are still quite smiley, although with your teeth coming in we have definitely hit some moodier patches. Sleeping has been challenging too since you started refusing your crib at 4 months. Since then you have been sleeping in your bouncy seat next to the bed or in bed with me.  Once these nasty teeth break through I hope that you'll go back to your crib for at least a portion of the night.  You typically nurse twice during the night still.  We shall see if that drops off a bit once we start some solids.  It never did with your brother, ha!  You are also still taking 4 naps during a day. You get up with the rest of the house around 630 and are ready for your first nap around 8. After that, we usually will head out for the day and you will typically take your second nap around 1030/11 while we are on the go. These are usually short naps and you will take a longer nap while your big brother naps around 2. You will sometimes sleep for 3 hours then. After dinner, usually around 7, you take a catnap in the ergo while we go for our family walk. Then bedtime for both you and your brother and you are both usually out around 930.

You LOVE watching your brother.  You nearly always have a smile for him. And he loves playing with you too, although we have to remind him often not to be too rough.

You still have your blue eyes.  I love that.  Of course, I love your brother's brown eyes from your daddy as well, but I'm so happy to see at least a little piece of me in you. I think they will stay now.  I hope so.

The doctor says that you are happy and healthy. I must agree. You had nearly identical stats to your brother at six months, making up that pound difference at birth quite quickly.

We love you so much, Chunky Monkey!
Mama

So, you had another baby...

Dear friend,

You just gave birth to your second baby.  I am so, so unbelievably excited for you.  Babies are so wonderful. And what a blessing for your first child. As an only child, I truly believe that a sibling is the best gift. I promise that you will soon forget the pains of your latest labor and birth experience. You will fall deeply in love with your new baby, just like you did with your first.  There will also be many adjustments. I want to let you know that it is all going to be okay, but there are some things that you should know.

You may wonder (once again) if you will ever sleep again. You will. In time.  It is hard. So hard.  With your toddler running around you will not be able to sleep whenever the baby does.  You will be so tired. Enjoy any and all snuggles that you can, even if they are at 2 a.m.  Since you are always on the go, these days will pass even faster than you thought possible. 

Yes, the infant stage is hard. But, on the other had, there will be aspects that are surprisingly easy. I mean your new baby is not going to argue about what they are wearing when they leave the house. Or what snacks to pack. Babies are so portable! Remember the first time around when you were afraid to leave the house??  Baby number 2 will end up in all sorts of places that you NEVER would have even considered bringing baby number 1!  

Your toddler may regress a bit.  After all, you are paying all sorts of attention to this little thing that cries all the time.  You are carrying it everywhere!  Carry me!  I can cry too!!  Yeah...  That's hard too.  But it will also pass. It will!  

You will be perpetually late for awhile. Because you can't yet account for how long it takes to prepare two little people plus yourself to leave the house. As for leaving the house...you will want to go out!  To burn off some toddler energy and because that baby is so portable, and you are SO bored, but you will quickly realize how hard it is. How do you even grocery shop?  Bucket car seat in the cart plus toddler in the seat leaves very little room for groceries. Free roaming toddler can be dangerous. Tip: use the baskets meant for small grocery loads.  Put one under your cart and fill it up. Makes it easy to unload too. Alternatively...baby wear!  Leave the bucket in the car and strap that baby to your chest. :)

There will be times when both kids are driving you nuts. They are both crying for different reasons. Or maybe they are both sick (good times)!  It is completely okay for you to cry too. And to wonder if you really should have had another baby. How can you handle this?!  You can. Just not always. Ask for help. TAKE help. Even if you normally don't. 

Bedtime can suck. Oh boy. And I am saying this when I often have the help of another adult. Loosen up a bit. Do not stress. You will find your groove here too and you know how quickly baby sleeping schedules change. The world will not end if one kiddo gets 20 minutes less sleep. So, yes, try to make bedtime happen, but don't freak if it is later than you wanted to it to. Remember...perpetually late. 

There are good things too.  

Your heart will never feel so full as the first time they giggle at each other.  I have found myself driving on more than one occasion with my two in the backseat when a giggle fest breaks out.  It is as though they already have some secret way of communicating. Something that only they understand. I look back and they are just looking at each other and laughing. 

You will melt at bedtime when your first baby insists on giving the new baby just. one. more. kiss.  Or giving them a favorite toy. Or helping at bathtime. How could you possibly say no?  Let your first baby help whenever possible. Get a diaper. Bring a burp cloth. Sing baby a song. It will make them feel useful and included. Storytime is so much more fun with two littles snuggled close to you. 

Now let's talk about you for a second. I know how much you want to breastfeed. It will be easier and harder to give that a real go this time around. Easier because you have more experience, you know how it should go, you know it will be hard already. Harder because there's always that other little one. Hurrying you up. Wanting to do something else. Get yourself a big basket and fill it with some favorite toys and maybe some new ones too.  Go to this basket when you are nursing. Get down on the floor. Sit next to baby 1 with your trusty nursing pillow. Get used to multi-tasking. I have walked through my house with a nursing baby on top of a "my breast friend" strapped around me more times than I can count. Also...remember how your house was a wreck when baby 1 was born? And you ate the same meals out of the freezer for a week to survive?  Yeah... Things are going to be a lot messier this time around. At 6 months in, I still don't know the last time my floors were washed. Lower your expectations!!  You are doing an important job just keeping your children alive. The dishes, the floors, the laundry can wait. Again, accept help when offered!  And meal planning is your friend. 

The days are going to fly, my friend. There is nothing like bringing a new baby home to make you realize just how big your first baby has grown. You will hold up a tiny sock and think "you used to fit in this sock.  Now look at you."  It goes so fast. So fast. 

I will not tell you to "enjoy every moment" because you won't. There will be tears and messes and pee flying through the air!  And stress!  And worry!  But, if you can, find some joy in every moment. Some reason to be proud or happy or even relieved! It will make life that much more fun. 

You are going to have such a good time. I cannot wait for my littles and your littles to become friends. 

Love you all!

P.S.  A few notes about boys... Yes, you will probably get peed on at some point. They will start playing with their parts MUCH sooner than you would have guessed. And they generally do. not. stop. moving.  Enjoy. :)

Baby Eins. Two and a half years old!!

Dear Beck, as is typically the case with these letters now, this is a couple weeks late. But, for good reason! We just returned from your second trip to the great North of Wisconsin for our annual fishing trip with Oma and grandpa Kahn. That would be Ken, but you say Kahn. Anyway, we were there for a week and you had a fantastic time riding in the boat (going fast and under bridges), running around, blowing bubbles, and eating nearly endless snacks. And so what if you got eaten by mosquitos?? So badly that your ankle was swollen and your face slightly distorted. Okay, the ankle bothered you a bit, but you were a trooper and went on enjoying yourself anyway.

You are such a fun kid right now. You love your brother to bits and shower him with kisses and hugs. You always want to help. You are a parrot these days and we really need to watch what we say. Your favorite phrase is asking someone to 'keep you up' (pick). You still love puzzles. Have a million hot wheels. Went to your first class--Kid Rock--a 6 week music class. Love the playground and pushing your limits to climb the next biggest thing. Your favorite shows are Super Why and Sid the Science Kid (mom may have pushed that second one on you a bit). You love swimming. You love feeding the birds and looking for bunnies in the yard. You love tacos and mac and cheese and cheese in general. And yogurt. You recognize letters, knows your ABCs, and can count to 10. Or 12. You have your own bed now and chose the bedding yourself, but you haven't slept a whole night in it yet. I think it's coming soon... I'm looking forward to it and yet know that I will miss you terribly. You sit on the potty occasionally, but have not made any deposits yet. I think if we got serious about it you could be potty trained quickly, but we are not pushing you. A couple months ago you decided to give your pacifiers up to The Paci Fairy. You had not used them in weeks and remembered that we told you you would get a special treat when you gave them up. You did that when you were ready and we figure everything else will come when you are ready as well. Your favorite books are Tyrannosaurus Dad and The Day the Crayons Quit (aka 'Dinosaur dad' and 'colors'). You love to sing...Twinkle, Twinkle, Patty cake, wheels on the bus...but I most enjoy hearing you sing our special bedtime songs--Rainbow Connection or Somewhere Over the Rainbow. You are still an early riser and need your afternoon nap. In fact, sometimes you sleep for three hours! We are so lucky that Oma comes over 2-3 times a week to play. And on Fridays you get to spend the day with grandma! We skype weekly with Nona and G'pa and you always look forward to that as well. It is not all rainbows, of course. You are currently going through a phase of wanting to chew on everything. I recently caught you chewing on a power cable and it scared the crap out of me. Getting dressed can be a battle resulting in kicking, although that has gotten much better recently. You can sometimes be too rough with Lita the dog. And, like any toddler, you do not always listen. But, mostly, you are just a bundle of energy that we need to keep busy. I am certain that I am forgetting crucial bits, but this has already taken me three days to get down. :) Love you to pieces!! Mama

The birth story, Baby Zwei

I had a fairly good idea what I was getting into the second time around. Somehow, when it comes to labor, that did not make it any easier. Apparently, my body just likes to grow big babies and my cervix just does not like to cooperate. I was hoping for a VBAC, but ended up with another c-section. Here is the story of how Baby Zwei came into the world.

1/11. Busy bee today. Lost gobs of mucus plug (c'mon, this is the whole story!!). Cramping in back. Packed up all Christmas decorations. Made a couscous soup. Made a batch of chocolate raspberry scones and apple cinnamon muffins. Stripping cloth diapers. Wrapped the gifts for brothers to exchange. Dance parties and playdoh with Beck. And a 90 minute nap. Trying to get things going. Waiting, waiting.

1/12. More bloody show this morning. Tried to stay active doing laundry (stairs). A bit more cleaning. Sweeping floors. Etc. No major contractions anymore though. Went for a walk as a family before dinner. About 1 mile. Around 8 pm I started contracting about every ten minutes. Went to sleep around 11 pm.

1/13. 1 am. Awake and up for a potty break. Freezing. Still having contractions. Gonna try to get as much sleep as possible.

4 am. Still about 10 minutes apart. Restless.

5 am. Tell husband to turn off his alarm--he won't be going to work today. Head to the bathroom again to do some timing. It is weird, but the toilet is quite a comfy place to sit.

7 am. My Mom arrives to watch her grandson while we head to the hospital. I shower, finish packing my bag, and take one more belly picture with my first baby boy. Should have eaten but contractions 3-4 minutes apart and didn't want to anymore. Had some tea. Big mistake.

830 am. Contractions slowed to 5 minutes while en route. I am only 2 cm. Boo. Got an IV for antibiotics for group B Strep. Stuck in bed. Contractions quickly picked up intensity and I had a hard time not being able to move. Husband turned on my labor playlist and I did find myself singing and dancing along a bit. Contractions were torture. Nurse did not like that contractions were lasting up to three minutes!!! I held out as long as I could.

12 pm. Get an epidural and sweet relief. It also helped normalize my contractions. Now lasting 30 seconds to a minute each instead of three.

1230 pm. Baby's HR drops. Nurse calls a code on me. The whole floor of scrubs appears in my room. Panic. There is nothing scarier than when the experts think there is a reason to worry. Change positions. Normalizes. All is well. But now my BP is low. Meds to raise it. Checked again at a 3. Major boo. Given Tylenol for headache. Hooked up to BP cuff constantly now.

4 pm. Contractions are 2 minutes apart, lasting 1 minute and strong. Staying on one side for sake of baby's HR means one side gets more juice than the other. I am feeling the tightness of contractions. Surprised to find that my water may have broken on its own.

445 pm. Husband has been watching monitors and tattles that my cheeks are rosy and babes hr has been going up. Slight fever but also confirmed water break. Now a 6! Woohoo. Starving, but not allowed to eat. Ice chips are not filling. Convinced Chris to go get some dinner. My favorite nurse takes pity on me and brings me the best rocket Popsicle ever.

615 pm. Dr arrives. Breaks the rest of my water. She says I'm a 7. Slight meconium. But making progress.

640 pm. Headache. More Tylenol. Change positions and try sitting up for awhile to bring head down.

7 pm. Baby's HR slowing a bit. Scalp monitor placed. Dr Wong warns that slowing HR and head not descending are things they are watching closely. Also my water is a bit more bloody than they would like. Going to give me a bit more time to progress but if head stays high we will be off to the OR. This is all feeling very familiar.

815 pm. Still a 7 with no further head descent. 24 hours in, we decide it is time to have a baby. Once again, both my doctors are there. I joke that they just want to see how big this baby is. Surgery prep happens very quickly. That blue sheet comes up in front of my face and before I know they are even cutting, I feel the pull of a baby exiting my body.

919 pm. Keaton Elliot is born. 9 lbs even. 21 inches long. Cord wrapped around neck twice. And now I have my second due date baby.

10 pm. We are in recovery. Skin to skin. He latches easily. Looks like his brother. Dad heads to nursery for first bath and checks while I try to get warm and stop shaking from the drugs.

12 am. We are all back in our room. It is immediately apparent that while they do look alike, this baby is quite different from his brother. Nurses quickly, not very demanding of the boob, sleeping well. Whoa.

Spend the day trying to manage pain. Baby doing awesome. All blood sugars have been good. Nursing well according to lactation consultant. Gave us 3 wet and 1 dirty diaper--already progressing past meconium!! Gramma and grampa were first visitors. Also learned that apparently one of my ovaries was bleeding when they cut me open. Due to the traumas of labor. Interesting.

1/15. Big brother visits with Oma and Grandpa. Very emotional for me. I was not really sure that I would have kids and here I was with two boys. A family. I could not have been more proud. Brothers exchange gifts and kisses. After they leave, we have our celebratory meal.

1/16. We take advantage of the day in the hospital. Relaxing and eating all the meals I can. Watch some movies, take showers. And then...We go home!!

Things they never told you about having a second baby.

Just because you know what to expect from labor does not make it easier.

You will wonder, after a second unplanned c-section, if everything you are feeling is normal. Mostly because, just like everyone says you will, you have forgotten the bad stuff from the first time around. You will doubt you will ever feel normal again. (I am mostly there!)

You will wonder how you could possibly love *another* little person as much as you love your first. If you will love the new one in the same way. Yes and no. Your heart will grow, grinch-like, and you will love your new baby just as much, but differently, because they are a different person from your first.

You will also wonder if you did the right thing by having another, depriving your first of all your focus. That fear will be wiped clean the first time you witness your oldest kiss your baby on the head and say 'love you too.' Oh sure, he has also been squeezed too hard, unintentionally hit with things (and I am certain will also be hit intentionally at some point), and been told to go away, but that one kiss confirms that these kids will love each other. Like brothers should.

Your first illness as a whole household will make you question yourself again. Being sick and having to take care of two sick kids is the pits.

You will realize that newborns are EASY compared to toddlers. Seriously! Newborns do not need entertainment. They need to eat, sleep, and poop. Literally. When I had my first I remember being so overwhelmed. Now I am still overwhelmed, but I realize how portable the newbie is. Just haul him along! He (probably) will not complain.

You will stress a lot less about your second and that is a very good thing. Just go with the flow.

You will love and hate moments of your life and that is okay. You may wish for your children to just go away at times. Time will pass ridiculously slowly and ridiculously fast at the same time. And it will all be amazing.

Baby Zwei, first report.

Dear Keaton,

You are one two months old. Poor second child. :( If has been a rollercoaster of a two months, but it has mostly been good. I will save the discussion of my own recovery for another post that I will hopefully someday get around to writing. For now, I will talk about you.

You are awesome and adorable. As if there were any doubt. You came into this world weighing less than your older brother, but, not wanting to be outdone already?, quickly surpassed his weight by nursing and gaining like a champ. You weighed more than he did by your one month appointment. I was so impressed with you. Maybe that fact goes hand in hand with the fact that you have been a better sleeper than your brother as well. I am still waiting for this to change dramatically and am trying just to enjoy it while it lasts. At two months old, you are sleeping in your bassinet and regularly giving me two three hour stretches of sleep a night. You nurse and go back to sleep easily. I was stunned when we could just put you down. After Beckett, I never would have believed that was possible. It is really quite shocking how different babies can be.

You love to smile and are quite the charmer already. You do have a 'fussy time' in the evening hours, but it is nothing too difficult to deal with most nights. You have recently started finding your real voice and have started contributing goos and gahs to our conversations.

Your brother is intrigued by you. He brings you your blanket, tries to give you his cars, kisses your head constantly. At the same time, he realizes that whoever is holding you is fairly useless to him so we will regularly get requests of ' no, no Keaton' when he wants to play and we go to pick you up. I cannot wait until you can play together!

We have not gone out much since the weather this winter has been brutally cold, but I have nursed you in public once already--something I never did with your brother. This past week, we got a couple nice days and managed to get the whole family out for a walk! You in the Ergo, Beck in the stroller, and Lita with dad. It was awesome to do something so normal and see that it could work.

You have already survived your first cold. Your brother shared with you and I both. You got the mildest case, but we were all pretty miserable for a couple days.

You still have beautiful blue eyes and I hope they hold. I am selfish and want you to have a piece of mommy that is visible to all.

I am so proud and feel so lucky to have you in our family. Love you bunches, Mama

Waiting game.

It has been a rough week around these parts.  I started seeing a chiropractor a couple weeks ago, to help with my pregnancy aches and pains.  It has been fantastic!  I really did not believe that it would make a difference, but I was desperate.  Wincing in pain every time I rolled over in bed was getting old fast.  Of course, by this time in my first pregnancy, I had already been sleeping in the recliner for several weeks just to avoid having to rollover in the first place.  But I like my bed, darnit!  So, off to the chiro.  And it has helped a ton, not completely, but a ton.  I am still physically exhausted by the simplest of tasks.  Grocery shopping nearly killed me this week.  Pushing a cart full of groceries plus a toddler through a snow covered parking lot did not help.

The early part of this week was impossibly cold.  Temperatures in the negative teens, with windchills up to minus 50 degrees.  Needless to say, Beckett and I did not get out much.  This did not help my mood much.  He is a great kid, he really is, but boy is he exhausting.  My patience is thin at this point.  There has been much movie watching.  It's the only way I can make it through the day!

Last night was a real challenge.  A late nap threw off our whole day and bedtime was a total struggle. By the time my husband and I got Beck to sleep it was nearly 9:45.  Far too late and I was so frustrated.  I cried.  I was thinking if we could not handle bedtime with one kid, what on Earth are we doing being days away from having another one?!  Things did not look much brighter when Beck came up to me with a handful of poop while I was preparing breakfast.  Lovely.  Sigh.

Thankfully, my mother-in-law was on the schedule to be over at the house today.  Despite the fact that I am now done working out of the house, I asked the grandmas to keep coming over on Fridays to give me a bit of hand with Beck.  They both happily agreed.  I could not get out of the house fast enough today.

And so I sit, with a steaming cup of hot tea and a nearly devoured banana muffin, in the cafe of Barnes and Noble.  I just got a haircut.  I am not sure I love it, I have real bangs again for the first time in a long while, but it felt good to do something for myself.    And just being out of the house for awhile feels good too.  Who knows when I will get the chance to be alone again!

The waiting has begun.  I am due next week.  Of course my doctors are eager to see me deliver asap.  We are technically prepared, but I am not sure that we are ready.  Is anyone ever?  I lost a bit of my mucus plug this morning (whoa there!) and am having some mild cramping in my back.  Could mean something, could mean nothing.  Such is the fun of waiting to go into labor.  It is supposed to be a busy weekend, full of dinners with family and friends.  We will see what happens.  Right now, that is all I can do.  Wait.

Baby Zwei: almost 39 weeks...

Dear baby,

It has been a long time since I wrote about you.  Suffering from second child syndrome already.  Bad momma.  But things have been busy, days keep passing by, and much has happened.  Soon, very soon, you will join us.  An absolutely exciting and terrifying fact!  :)  Your dad and I have done much to prepare for your arrival in the last couple weeks.  Moving furniture, washing baby clothes, finally (finally!) deciding on your name.  At least, we think.  I think we are nearly as ready as we can be to have our world rocked again in the most wonderful way imaginable.

So, here is the quick rundown of what has happened with you recently...

-At 34 weeks, we had another ultrasound.  Estimates were that you were weighing in at 7 pounds, 12 ounces.  In comparison, "average" at 34 weeks is about 5 pounds.  Your brother was estimated at 6 pounds, 8 ounces at 31 weeks.  I am fairly certain the office staff has a pool on your final birth weight.  It remains to be seen if you will beat out your brother.  We are perfectly happy that you are another big, healthy boy.  I am only slightly disappointed because it seems as though we have started down the path to another c-section.
-At 35 weeks, I became considerably more miserable when pelvic pains set in.  Seems that I am one of those lucky women that suffers some degree of pelvic separation during pregnancy.  Yay.
-36 weeks...  Christmas!  Docs started getting a bit fidgety.  I saw the doc that I do not normally see in the practice and she had me scheduled for a c-section before I walked out the door after that appointment.  I was not happy about that.  I pushed back to get you one extra week to make your appearance on your own time.  If you have not arrived by then, I will definitely be having a c-section. I also had my last day of work.  Wow.  That was a very emotional day.  I am so lucky to have the opportunity to stay home with you and your brother, but I cannot help but feel like I am losing some part of my identity.  It will be an adjustment for sure.
-37 weeks... I started seeing a chiropractor to help with the pelvic pain and started feeling better right away.  Not GOOD, mind you, but better at least. And I will take that.
-38 weeks...  Big snowstorm hit, dumped a foot of snow on us.  I found out that I am also group B strep positive, which means that I have to get antibiotics when I go into labor to prevent passing it onto you, little man.  And, of course, I will do that!  But I am disappointed again because this means being hooked up to an IV during labor and limiting my mobility.  Another strike against my hoped for VBAC.  

I think those are the biggies.  Listen, I will not lie and say that I am not disappointed that things are shaping up for me to have another major abdominal surgery to recover from this time around.  Part of me is also slightly relieved by that fact because at least I know what to expect.  Weird, right?  Anyway, however you end up arriving, my boy, your dad and I will be ecstatic as long as you are healthy.  I would also be thrilled if you chose your own birthday!!  But, if it ends up being a date we chose on the calendar, that is okay too.  We are blessed to have two very eager grandmothers to help our little family adjust and recover however they can.

We are nearly ready for you, little man.  I hope you are ready for us soon too.

Love you bunches,
Momma