Slowing Down

Now that we are down to basically the last 8 weeks and he is getting bigger & bigger, I am having to slow down. I went to the gym today and since yoga class was cancelled, I went on the treadmill for an hour. I had to cut back on the speed I usually would have walked at (from 4.0 to 3.5). When I tried to up it to 4.0 (which is a 15 minute mile) My stomach got rock hard and got lots of braxton-hicks contractions and my hips felt like they were just going to fall out of the sockets. I could really tell that things are loosening up. So, down to 3.5 it was and had to remain. There was still tightening in my stomach and braxton-hicks contractions, but none of it was as intense and I didn't feel like I was going to lose any body parts.

Once Isabel starts preschool next week I am hoping to get a walk in on one of both of those days while she is there, plus keep my yoga classes.

Although, I have to say that I am pretty pooped out now. So, an hour might have pushed it a bit.

31 Weeks

30 Weeks (picture)

Here is a picture of Isabel kissing her brother in my belly, who by the way she thinks should be named Henry Grace Miller. I told her he would have a different middle name than Grace, but she really thinks it should be Grace.

30 Weeks (text)

I haven't take a picture yet today. I wanted to do a baby bellies one with Isabel again, but she's still napping (& I am not disturbing that since she hasn't taken one again in several days).

So, I just looked up the 2009 hurricane names (after I figured out this am that H is a boys name) and what do you know. H will be Henri. Dammit all! At least it is spelled differently and hopefully it will not be a bad hurricane. I thought we were done figuring out names, but now I kinda want a back up.

Also, in light of our current situation we have decided to not buy a video baby monitor (as much as I really want to and think we need to) until our situation changes. It's just not the time to drop $150 on that or a sit-n-stand stroller, which that I had planned to wait until spring to see if we needed anyways. We have been using the stroller less & less these days, so by then she might not even need to ride at all even for events of lots of walking and we can continue to use just the single stroller. I suppose that makes a great argument for spacing the kids out further.

Baby boy is still moving around a lot in there and today at yoga class I realized how much more room he is taking up. I can still do all the poses but am having to modify more & more of them. There is another pregnant woman in my yoga class, so I am not the only one that needs the modifications.

It's strange to say I am at 30 weeks now. Wow! It's 3/4 over, or even more if he comes early. Last night we watched the "Baby Whisperer" on DVD. We weren't thrilled with it because we didn't learn anything new, except how to burp a baby to reduce or eliminate spit-up (rub, not pat). So, we may have like it better if were first time parents, plus the item we were really interested in was about sleeping & getting them to sleep through the night earlier was not covered in much detail and only was a couple minutes of the show. So, I might just check out the book to see what that says.

Our house is getting to be quite messy again. 20 weeks ago it was because I wanted to die because I was so sick, but now it's because I just can't bend over to pick everything up. And at 3 years old, everything has lots of pieces and not to mention that she moves a lot faster, so while I am picking up one mess she has made 3 more in different areas of the house. Also, unloading & reloading the bottom rack of the dishwasher is starting to be more challenging.

On a more positive note, because I have stuck with my yoga practice throughout the pregnancy it is still easy enough to lift my leg up on the shelf on the side of the tub to shave my legs.

The heartburn is starting to happen in the evening. It is exacerbated by trying to pick up the place and then in the evening baby boys starts kicking a lot, so he disturbs things as well.

I have started to slowly work at making meals for the freezer by just doubling up on things. So far most of it has been soups, but I will get a few casseroles in there soon. I still have some time.

29 Weeks

Not sure if I am brave or foolish for taking a pregnancy picture in my bathing suit. I decided since I have been spending quite a bit of my summer in it I should see what I actually look like. Not as bad as I picture in my head.

Baby boy's girlfriend Molly was born on Monday this week (pictures on FB) and we took Isabel to the hospital for a visit so she could see what that was like. I actually went in the morning and we were back again (all three of us) after naptime. She was so quiet & shy there and when she would talk she was all high-pitched & squeaky. She said she was trying to be quiet for the baby. Daddy even got a chance to hold the baby and it was a good reminder of how small they are when they are first born.

Baby boy is still kicking a lot, especially when I do something that might infringe on the space he is taking up, like sleeping on my side or sitting on the floor playing with Isabel or some yoga poses. When I sleep on my side I had a few days where he would just kick & kick & kick and keep me awake and I would just give up and go back on my back, but I think he finally figured it out because the last couple nights I will feel this quick flutter on both sides & then he calms down. I imagine him in there turning himself around.

Also, a couple of days ago he found a new spot to stretch out to, under the right side of my ribs. Right now it's just midly irritating when he puts a foot there, but i know it's going to feel a whole lot worse. He sure seems to like to take up as much space as possible in there which is totally his father. I need a king bed to sleep with daddy otherwise I would get pushed & kicked a lot, not that the occasional stray leg doesn't reach over when I am curled up in a nice little ball.

28 Weeks

Well, my glucose screen came back just fine. It had to be under 140 and I was 91. So, we're good to go.

The car ride back from up north sucked. I think it was my sciatic nerve that was getting pinched and I couldn't find a way to get comfortable. I had a pinched nerve with Isabel the last couple of months, but I still have 12 weeks with this one, so it's too early to start that crap!

It certainly is getting harder to get out of bed & up off from playing on the floor and my forward folds in yoga class are having to be modified (as well as many other poses that have been modified for a while). I am glad to be back home in my own bed. It's higher (which is easier to get out of) that at the cabin and offers much more support, even though it was probably the most supportive bed there.

Well, we have officially decided on a name (of course, we are free to change our minds and may do that), but for now the name will be Henry Michael. Michael is daddy's middle name. I have to get around to typing up my birth plan yet. Daddy found the one from Isabel on the computer and I pretty much feel the same way, so I will just edit a few things and print that out.

Then we just need to decide on circumcision or not. We've had a bit of a discussion around that and need to gather more info to make an informed decision. I think we have agreed that IF we do get it done we will have a plastibell circumcision done. There is one doctor at our hospital that does them and as long as he is in town during the time of the delivery, our doctor will have him do it.

Guess that it's for now. He still is an active one in there. That should be slowing down soon, as he should be getting cramped. Although, I fear that I may eng up with foot shaped stretch marks. He is certainly a kicker!