He's Here!...Or Is He?

You know how I've been talking about "Baby Boy" ever since my first ultrasound clearly predicted a boy back in April?

Here's a snippet of what happened in the delivery room at 12:54 this morning...

Doctor: And...it's a girl!

Me: WHAT?!?!

Doctor: It's a girl. See?

Me: WHAT?!?!

Doctor: Yup. Definitely a girl.

Me *turning to Hubby in shock*: All we have is blue stuff at home!


Here she is!  Announcing my as-yet unnamed baby girl (It took us 9 months to figure out a boy's name...all that work for nothing!).  She weighed 7 pounds, 7 ounces at birth.

Happy birthday, Baby Girl!

You can read her birth story here.


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Announcing....

No, it's not a baby.  Sorry to disappoint you (bet you're not as disappointed as I am though!)

Because I am apparently a glutton for punishment, I am introducing this October's 31 Day blog challenge!  (Because there's nothing like having a brand new baby and blogging for 31 days in a row right afterwards, huh?)

I've been looking forward to this all year since last year was so fun and I'm not going to let a little thing like giving birth stop me.  Besides, I've been working on my 31 blog posts for two months now, and all I'll have to do most days is hit "publish" and we'll be good to go.  I should be able to handle that.

So starting this Monday, October 1st (assuming I'm home from the hospital by then), I will be blogging for 31 days in a row, give or take a few, about tips for simplifying your life!

I can't wait to see what some of the other bloggers participating in this challenge come up with for their topics!  
  

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Why Baby Boy Still Isn't Here

After a couple of rather depressing posts, I think it's time for some humor.  I've come up with a list of reasons why Baby Boy is not interested in joining us out here.

1. We live in Minnesota and winter is coming.  If I could, I'd go hide someplace warm and cozy too and not come out until spring.  Newsflash: he's getting evicted anyways!  Suck it up, kid!

2. He has no name.  Poor thing is already suffering from third child syndrome.  We have a list of three names, but Hubby and I just can't agree on the final decision so we've been ignoring the fact that birth is imminent.  Besides, I'm hoping I'll have more leverage in the argument when I'm in labor.

3. He's heard his older siblings fighting and is scared to come out.  Somedays, I wish I could hide from them too.

4. He knows that I was somewhat secretly hoping for another girl and is afraid I'll try to put a bow in his hair.  Maybe he's seen this picture of his big brother... 

3 month old Little Man trying on a flower hat.  Love the expression on his face.

5. Right now, he gets to have chocolate and other goodies.  After he's born, he'll be on a strict diet of milk.  Plain old boring milk. 

6. He's heard the rumors that I'm a mean mom.  That's right, kid.  There will be no tv in your room, no cell phone or car until you can pay for it yourself, and if you're not out of the house by 18, I will be expecting a rent check.     



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How I Feel About Being Induced

Let me just start by saying that no matter how a baby gets here, the only thing that really matters is that he or she is here.

But just the same, I'm really bummed about having to be induced on Thursday to get this little guy out.

First of all, I was induced at 42 weeks gestation with Princess.  Her induction ended with a forceps delivery, serious tearing, and a hematoma that scared the nurses.  It was traumatizing, both physically and mentally, and it took me several months to recover.  I'm pretty sure it contributed to the postpartum depression that left me feeling like I was in a fog for the first 6 months of her life.

With Little Man, I went into labor naturally 6 days after my due date.  I labored at home for several hours before waking Hubby up to go to the hospital.  Despite the usual pain associated with giving birth, it was a wonderful experience.  One that I was hoping to repeat this time around.

I had high hopes during this pregnancy.  I mean, if my body cooperated last time, then surely it had figured out this whole giving birth thing and would do its job on its own again, right?  It didn't help that during the last month, everyone I have run into was very positive that I would be going into labor soon.  You hear something enough and you start to believe it.  And then there were all the painful contractions and the almost constant cramping in both my stomach and back.  You know, the things that usually precede labor.

But, if you read my last post, then you know that all of that pain and hopeful thinking got me to 1 centimeter dilated and 0% effaced as of yesterday.

Yes, I know things can change very quickly when it comes to labor and delivery.  And, I know that I still have 2 days before my scheduled induction which means a chance to go into labor naturally.  And, I know that this induction may not be anything like the last one.

But right now, I'm 41 weeks and 2 days pregnant, crazy hormonal since the day I got pregnant, and have been miserable and feeling like I'm on the verge of labor for the last month.  Plus, I know at least nine women (some friends, some family, some fellow bloggers) who were also due right around my due date and with the exception of the one who is due today (hope your little one is more cooperative than mine, Victoria!), they've all had their babies, some weeks ago. 

And here I sit, still pregnant and feeling sorry for myself.  I'm sure that tomorrow I'll feel better, but scheduling the induction was such a let-down that I need a day to process the disappointment.

On a completely unrelated note (haha), watch the blog on Friday or Saturday for a special announcement!      

  
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Frustration

I went in for my 41 week checkup today which included a non-stress test, ultrasound and cervical check.

We started with the ultrasound to measure the amniotic fluid.  It's definitely a boy and he's got lots of space to move around and plenty of fluid to swim in.

Then the non-stress test.  If you don't know what that is, it's where the mom-to-be has two monitors strapped to her belly, one to measure baby's heartbeat and one to measure contractions.  She's given a button to push every time the baby moves.  We passed it with flying colors since Baby Boy woke up very active during the ultrasound and continued to be a wiggle worm during the rest of the appointment.

And finally, the depressing part.  I've been having tons of painful contractions and cramping for two weeks now.  I kinda thought that might mean things were moving right along towards labor.

Guess what?

I'm one centimeter dilated and 0% effaced.  That's it.  All those contractions, all that painful cramping and that's all I get.

I stopped for Reese's peanut butter cups on the way home.

On the way out of the clinic, Hubby made a comment about me having some control over when I go into labor and I just need to "work" on it.  Have I mentioned that this is our third child?  One would think he'd understand how this process works by now.  But I did forgive him because he let me drag him to JoAnn Fabrics after the appointment. 

Oh, and my induction is scheduled for Thursday morning.  I AM having a baby this week!  Period!!!!

New Baby Things

Since I didn't really learn how to sew until after Princess and Little Man were born, I never got the chance to make baby stuff for them.  This time, I've been having fun making things for the new little guy (who at 41 weeks gestation has officially worn out his welcome in his little guesthouse!). 

Here are a few of the things I've made so far:

Terry cloth backed bib with an owl applique

Minky backed blanket

Flannel John Deere overalls

Baby blue minky beanie hat to keep that little head warm this winter!

Blue and brown owls beanie hat

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Still Here

I've been procrastinating writing a blog post because honestly, I'm not very cheerful these days.  Yesterday, I was so crabby, I could barely stand to be around myself.

But I figured that if I didn't write a post soon, people might assume that I was giving birth or something like that.

I wish.

I'm 4 days overdue and the knowledge that I could still have 10 days left is incredibly depressing (my doctor will let me go to 42 weeks).  Hubby has informed me that I will be pregnant forever because this baby is not going to come.  Yeah, thanks for reaffirming the way I already feel about this.

On Monday (41 weeks, 1 day), I have a non-stress test and ultrasound to make sure baby is still doing good and then we will schedule an induction for closer to 42 weeks.  I was induced at 42 weeks with Princess and it was a horrible, traumatizing experience whereas I went into labor naturally with Little Man at 41 weeks and I would even go so far as to say it was an enjoyable process.

Last night, I was up most of the night with painful, regular contractions and lots of back cramping.  All that pain and loss of sleep for nothing.  I'm rather irritated (and sleep deprived) about that today.

I've been revisiting this post about the pros of being overdue several times a day lately.  It's not helping.  Maybe you have something to add to the list?

If you want the latest news on the baby front, be sure you're following me on Facebook and/or Twitter. 

BTW, I may be rather cranky, but I am truly happy for Suzanne over at TheJoyfulChaos as she has just given birth to a beautiful baby girl.    

Etsy Baby Finds-Girl Edition

About a month ago, I wrote an Etsy Baby Finds post with an emphasis on blue or neutral things.  I'm having a boy, but I thought it would be fun to look for some cute girl things too.  Here goes Etsy Baby Finds-Girl Edition!

Click on the caption below each picture to follow the link to the specific item.

Newborn Kimono Style Top, Pants, and Hat Set

This layette set looks so cute and comfy!  I love the flower-like design on the knit fabric.
Layette Set from Zaaberry

Personalized Chevron Bib

 The gray and pink chevron print on this bib is adorable.  I love that you can have it personalized with your baby's name.  Matching burp cloths can be found here.
Chevron Bib from luna and bean

Pink Shabby Chic Headband

 The combination of the light pink with the rhinestone center is absolutely stunning.  What baby girl doesn't need one of these in her wardrobe?
Headband from Think Pink Bowtique

Crochet Hat with Bow

How sweet is this gray crocheted hat with the big pink bow?!?
Hat from Crochetjandra

Pink Groovy Guitars Diaper Hugger

This is perfect for keeping diapers and wipes together in your diaper bag or purse!  I love the pink guitar print.  The strap closes with velcro so it's adjustable.
Diaper Hugger from Baby Bug Boutique

Bumbo Chair Cover

I know Bumbo chairs have gotten a bad rap lately, but both of my older kids loved these seats as babies.  I recommend only using them under supervision and NEVER putting them on a raised surface.  Using a seat cover with them keeps baby's little legs from sticking to the foam-like surface.
Bumbo chair cover from GumboBaby

Denim Ruffle Baby Boots

 The sweet ruffles on these denim boots make these so sweet.  They have elasticized legs to keep them on baby which is a must.
Boots from Creative Designs 4 Baby

Owl Print Baby Dress

 I love this knit owl print!  The dress features lap shoulders so it's easy on and off.
Dress from Lil Elephants

Happy Apple Maryjanes

Maryjanes are so cute on baby girls and the flower accents on the toes make these especially adorable.
Maryjanes from Gracious May

Pink Chevron Ruffled Sunsuit

 The sweetness of the pink chevron print and the ruffles just kills me!
Sunsuit from Little Boats

What are some of your favorite finds or shops on Etsy?


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40 Weeks!

How Far along: 40 weeks today!

Baby's Size:  Hopefully we'll find out soon!

Sleep: Thanks to a mouse running up my bare arm in bed at 3 am a few nights ago *shudder*, I've been sleeping in the recliner on the couch and discovered that I sleep MUCH better there than in bed.  I sleep through the night except for getting up several times to use the bathroom and don't wake up incredibly stiff and sore. 

Best Moments This Week:  Well, definitely NOT the mouse incident! 

Miss Anything?: Being able to move.  It's uncomfortable to move, bend, stand, sit, lay, etc.  I miss being able to walk without bumping my belly into something.  

Movement?: Yes, but he's running out of room so the movements have slowed down quite a bit.  He likes to head butt my bladder and gets the hiccups at least once a day.

Food Cravings:  My cravings change from day to day. 

Things That Make Me Queasy: Being around my sister.  Haha, that sounds awful, but she's 11 weeks along with her 4th pregnancy (congratulations!!) and sick as a dog.  Being around her reminds me of the first trimester and just thinking about that makes me nauseous.

Gender: Boy!  I'm ashamed to admit that Hubby and I still have not picked a name.  We have it narrowed down to 3, but we just can't get past that.  We'll probably pick one off the list when I'm in labor like we did with Princess.  We do have the middle name, David, picked out which was easy since it's my dad's first name and Hubby's dad's middle name.

Labor Signs: Baby is head down and very low.  I was having a lot of contractions earlier this week (to the point where I thought I might be going into labor), but the last few days have been pretty quiet.  I had some bursts of energy around the same time, but now I'm pretty much shot.

Symptoms: Heartburn, fatigue, exhaustion, crazy hormones, allergies, etc...I'm sure it's a joy to be around me right now.

Mood Most Of The Time: Happy, excited, nervous, impatient .  Around 36 weeks, this whole pregnancy finally became real to me and I'm finally feeling excited about meeting this little guy soon! 

Looking Forward To:  (Hopefully) going into labor naturally!!  I do NOT want to be induced again.  I'm hoping that this is my last pregnancy post too :)

Do you remember the list of bloggers I'm following who have due dates close to mine?  Well, congratulations to Jenni on the birth of her baby boy and Kristen on the birth of her baby boy!  What a pair of cuties!


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Pregnancy Brain Strikes Again

The pregnancy brain strikes again....

Last night, I made chicken pot pie for supper (something which I haven't attempted since I made one about 8 years ago that turned out awful).  I found the easy recipe here and even made an extra one to freeze for later.  By the way, it was delicious!

Source: ababymakesfour.blogspot.com via Hannah on Pinterest

Being the glutton for punishment that I am, I asked Princess and Little Man if they'd like to help me make the pot pies.  Naturally, they jumped at the chance.  (Before I had kids, I had visions of fun times cooking with my angelic children.  I was somehow under the impression that it would be an educational, relaxing experience.  If you've cooked with small children, you know that is NOT the case.)  1 can of potatoes all over the floor, 2 spoonfuls of filling on the counter and several smears on Little Man's clothes, and approximately 7 "it's not fair" fights later, we were ready to dump spoon the filling into the pie plates.  As I filled the first pie plate, Princess asked me once again (for about the 18th time) what we were making.  As my mouth formed the words "chicken pot pie" I realized that that was not what it was.  It was a veggie pot pie.  Grabbing two cans of chicken (remember, I doubled the recipe) from the cupboard, I quickly added them to the filling.

Whew!

Disaster averted.

And, as Hubby is under the impression that food is not food without meat, it would have most certainly been a disaster.

Thank goodness that I let the kids help me with supper even if it didn't fit my pre-kid visions of perfection.


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Never Forget

 

Here's what I was doing on September 11th, 2001.  Where were you?  


I found the picture above on Facebook, but with no link to the original source.  Does anyone know where it originally came from?  

The Waiting Game

I'm at that point in my pregnancy where my due date is no longer just an obscure date.  It's this week.  On Sunday.  Granted, I could go 2 weeks over like I did with Princess, but still...

39 Weeks

So now, I'm waiting.  I have a moment of panic every evening when I start getting ready for bed and realize that if I go into labor during the night, there will be people in my house before I'll get the chance to straighten things up.  The plan is for our upstairs neighbor to come downstairs and spend the rest of the night with the kids so we don't have to get them up in the middle of the night.  In the morning, Hubby's mom will come over and pick up the kids.  She'll be taking the week off after I go into labor so will be taking care of the kids for quite a bit of that time.

Right now, it literally feels like the baby is going to fall out while I'm walking.  I've been wearing a denim maternity skirt which is the only thing that fits and is comfortable right now, but I'm starting to think that maybe I should start wearing pants.  You know, just in case.  It also feels like his head is about the size of a bowling ball and if it is, he better start thinking about an alternative route out.

I'm starting to get really irritated with the "haven't you had that baby yet?" questions.  When I'm standing in front of you, and you can clearly see that the baby is still hanging out in his cozy little 9 month home, please try to come up with a different line of conversation!

I get nervous taking Little Man out and about because he has a tendency to bolt for no reason.  You know, like out in the middle of the street when a semi is barreling down the road.  And frankly, I move about as fast as a turtle hopped up on Benadryl right now.

Sorry for all the randomness.  I've been having problems forming a complete thought lately.  I'm blaming it on a combination of pregnancy and blondeness.  Which is also what I'm blaming the recent incident at the gas station on.  I came home from the gas station thinking my van was broken because I couldn't get the gas cap off to refuel.  Hubby went to "fix" it and twisted it right off.  Oh, that's right.  It's lefty loosey, righty tighty.  Oops.  I least I had an excuse for being that...well, you know.  My younger sister tried to get the gas cap off at the gas station too and she's brunette and NOT pregnant.  Not sure what her excuse was.      


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Innocent Comments and Questions

Oh the things you hear when you're pregnant....

Especially when it's your third pregnancy, and you're huge, and the extremely hot weather has made you retain more water than you ever thought possible.

Some of the comments make me cringe because they're from people who should know better, but there are some that make me laugh, especially the ones from kids.

Here are some of my favorites:

From a little boy I haven't seen since spring: "Woah, are you pregnant again?!?"
Nope.  Same baby bump I was sporting a few months ago, but MUCH bigger.

From a 10 year old boy at church last Sunday: "How many months do you have left?"
Oh please don't do that to me.  We're talking weeks or DAYS, not months!

From Little Man: "Mommy hab' biiiiiiiiiiiiiiig tummy!"
Thanks for noticing, buddy.

From Hubby upon seeing a very pregnant newsanchor on tv (ok, he should've known better, but he's totally a guy and still doesn't understand why this may have been better left unsaid.  From his point of view, he was just stating the facts, not being insulting.): "She blows up like you do when you're pregnant."
All I could do was laugh at this one because, seriously, who says something like that?!?

From Princess upon hearing that I couldn't eat something because it might make the baby sick: "That would be bad because then he would throw up in your tummy!"
LOL, yes, that would be bad.


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I Am THAT Mom

You know that mom who runs (or in my case, waddles) into the school 20 minutes late to pick up her kid from her second day of preschool?

That might have been me today...

Let's just say it's a good thing that Grandma works at the after-school daycare program two doors down from a certain little girl's preschool class.

Do you know what people assume when you're 9 months pregnant and 20 minutes late for something?

No, I'm not in labor.  Just not smart enough to pay attention to the clock.



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In Which I Try to Poison My Children...

Yesterday, Little Man came up to while I was working on the computer (yes, I was actually working!  Those customer emails don't answer themselves) and gave me the cutest smile.

"I eat treat mommy daddy's room."

Ok.....I don't have any treats in my room.  What was he talking about?  I thought I had better look into this further because this is the child who refuses to eat people food, but has no problem eating inedible things (such as what happened here, in this story that's not for the faint of stomach)

"I eat mouse treats.  Mmmmmmm!"  And he rubbed his tummy appreciatively for extra effect.

I was still confused until Princess came over to clarify.

"He just ate some of the mouse poisons in your room.  It's okay, he only ate one."

My heart skipped a beat as I remembered that about a week ago, I'd thought I heard a mouse in my room at night and had put some D-Con mouse poison out as a precaution.  When I say I put it "out" I mean that I hid it behind a heavy dresser where a mouse could get to it, but not a small child who's not allowed in my room anyways. 

Ha.

That'll teach me.  

A quick call to the Poison Control Center verified that one piece of mouse poison would not hurt Little Man*, but to watch him for any unusual behaviors (such as growing a tail or developing an inclination to nibble cheese).

*Disclaimer: No small children were harmed in the writing of this blog post.  The mouse, which was indeed in my room, was harmed as he apparently ingested more of the mouse poison than Little Man.  


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Are Your Kids Perfect?

Last year, I went with Hubby on an overnight trip several hours away so he could take his boiler's test while the kids stayed with his parents.  The evening before his test, we went out to eat at Perkins for supper.  The restaurant was pretty much empty, but our server put us at a table right next to a young couple with two small boys about the same ages as our kids.

The boys were well-behaved throughout the meal, but they did have to be told several times to sit back down in their seats instead of standing up to look over the whole restaurant.  By the time Hubby and I were finished with our meal (which, sans kids, went much faster than the other couple's meal), I could see that the parents were starting to lose their patience and were getting frustrated with their children.

Now, I'm not the type to just go over and talk to a complete stranger, so Hubby was completely blown away when I stopped at the young couple's table on our way out the door to compliment them on their parenting skills, and tell them how well-behaved their boys were.  The couple was surprised too, and I could see a mixture of relief and pride on their faces as they thanked me for the compliment and turned back to their kids with renewed patience.

I've had the same thing happen to me before, and it's always so uplifting and rejuvenating to hear that others think my kids are actually behaving well enough to garner compliments on their behavior.  As the parent, I tend to focus more on the bad behavior than the good especially when we're out in public and the pressure to keep them quiet and still is high, and most parents I've met are the same way.     

Why do we do that?  How discouraging is it for our children to realize that we, as their parents, pay more attention to the one bad thing they did than the five good things?

I've been trying to make more of an effort to remember what good kids I really have even when they're driving me nuts.  The compliments I get on my kids' good behavior is an eye opener for me along with watching those Nanny shows (Supernanny or Nanny 911) on tv.  Yup, nothing like getting a new appreciation for your kids than watching a professional nanny tackle some of the most out-of-control kids you've ever seen.  As a bonus, a lot of times, I get some tips for fine-tuning some behaviors I've seen popping up in my kids lately.

So here it is: my kids are kids.  They're not perfect, but they're pretty good most of the time.  And me....I'm not perfect either.  I yell more than I should, lose my patience easily, and whine sometimes too.  So how can I expect them to be perfect all the time?

I think this says it all:     

Source: Uploaded by user via Hannah on Pinterest

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