Picture Pages: June

37 weeks

Not a ton of difference from 35 weeks, which makes sense since I lost a couple of pounds between my May 29 and June and 19 appointments.  Hovering around 16-18 pounds overall gain since the end of last October.

Amy said she won't start checking progress until 38 weeks (maybe next Monday, July 2?) and that as long as everything looks good, she'd consider stripping my membranes the following week.

Bags are packed, infant car seat installation happens today, and we have our maternity/family photo shoot next Sunday with Scott Church.

Still feeling great except for some returning indigestion and heartburn, and hoping I have a couple of weeks left at work to tie up projects and loose ends.



Picture Pages: May

35 weeks

Considerable difference from 31 weeks.  And although this basketball looks similar to Cayden at 34 weeks or 36 weeks, I think this baby boy is situated higher than Cayd was.  Because I don 't remember being so short of breath last time around, and CRNP Amy says Barrett is putting pressure on my diaphragm, which is the cause for the windedness.

I also don't remember the heartburn -- which lasted for about a month, but thankfully went away a week or so ago -- last time around, nor the sciatic pain before Cayden was born.  Sleeping with a pillow between my knees has helped with the latter, but on days when I do too much (like bounce around at Bounce U yesterday, racing Cayden for speed and bounce height), there's no avoiding it.

I also admitted to Brian feeling much less prepared this time around, ironically, because I hadn't really concentrated on baby prep beyond situating the nursery.  But this weekend I made great strides in pulling out all the old infant prefolds and diaper covers; re-snapping all the Bum Geniuses to the smallest size and re-stuffing them with the infant inserts; bringing baby stuff up from the basement; making and freezing six -- that's SIX -- easy-prep meals; laundering/washing chair covers, mats and tubs that have long been packed away; and starting a list of stuff we still need for this baby.  Like nursing pads, a new travel swing (darned if they don't make them sturdy enough to get through one baby, but not sturdy enough to make it through two moves without bending out-of-whack), C and D batteries, and a coming-home outfit for Barrett.

A quick visit to Craig's List late last night and a drive a couple miles up Rt. 22 this morning did check one biggie off the list: a double-stroller.  $75 later, and I'm thrilled with a used, but like-new sit-n-stand.  Cayden liked it so much he made me push him around the first floor in it this morning, doing wheelies and dizzy-spins in the entryway.  And then Hercules climbed in the just-washed bucket-seat cover for a nap.

We've got some odds-and-ends-to-do's left on the list (greasing the squeaky closet hinge in the nursery, tightening the bolts in the glider, finding buttons to hide the screws in the wooden wall shelf and deciding if we really want to junk the monster of a tube-TV and TV stand in the playroom for a space-making flat screen), and I imagine the hospital bag will get packed next weekend.

But progress was made this weekend, and I'm feeling far less anxious about not being as prepared this go-round.