26 Weeks!

As the second trimester starts coming to an end, I'm beginning to feel some of those third tri symptoms moving on in. I've already been dealing with hip pain (which is usually kept at baby if my pillow cooperates with me at night), but now I'm entering the domain of sleep issues and frequent bathroom trips. For one, Gavin has found my bladder and particularly enjoys jumping on it. My trips to pee have become quite frequent, especially at night. Being pregnant and being one of those people who has to feel completely void of pee doesn't really work together very smoothly. To continue his jumping practice, he loves bouncing off of the bed. When I have to sleep on my side, this can cause some issues! Thankfully, his movements are not so pronounced that they hurt or really bother me, but they do distract me and keep me awake. Other than that, I'm feeling really good! It's starting to sort of sink in how quickly May is coming up, and I continuously have to remind myself that we don't even have the month of May since I'm due on the 7th. Yikes.

I just realized that I'm in double digits! This baby is on his way, for sure.

Project Big Boy Room: Update 4

We didn't get it all accomplished, but we did a pretty dang good job this past week! Jony basically had to rewire the room since the previous owners were dumb, so that ended up taking a pretty good chunk of the weekend. He got it all done, though, and it works/looks great! I'm excited that it's a finished room, so it's just about the furniture and decorations from this point on. We're pretty certain we're looking at being finished in the next two weeks or so. Good thing, too, because we have a 2 year old who is super upset that he cannot stay in his new room yet. He loves the green wall, the bookcase, his new drawers, and, most of all, his big boy bed. It seems we should have a pretty easy transition!

What we got accomplished:
-painting is finished
-ceiling fan is replaced
-wiring is all updated; there are now 2 switches for the fan/light on the ceiling fan
-outlets were replaced with tamper proof ones (some of which also required some rewiring work- sigh)
-closet drawers were installed
-bookcase was installed
-blinds were hung back up
-mattress was purchased
-all non Jeffrey room related items were moved out of the room, finally
-steam cleaned carpet

Our goal for the next week is basically all on Jony- buy the wood and assemble the furniture (bed, nightstand and desk). Maybe even start priming and painting? Doubt it, though.

And now, some pictures...

Let's Get Started

I realized the other night that, at this point with Jeffrey, we were already starting to prepare for his birth. I had just switched OBs and was researching and learning all that I could about the whole process. Well, when I can barely even remember that I'm even pregnant, that's clearly not happening. I'm not stressed at all about giving birth since I know I'll have the complete support that I need at home, but I should work on getting my body in gear again. So, with just about 15 weeks to go, I've started doing the Bradley exercises again. It's not like it's that much work for me; heck, they even feel good! I'm focusing on squatting more than bending over, and I need to get to walking again (more). Thankfully, I have the added benefit of a 2 year old helping me prep, which is probably more than I need! It's fun to do something in preparation for the actual baby since most of our efforts are going towards Jeffrey/his new room. Gavin may be getting all hand-me-downs, but at least I'm giving him some exercise time "with" me!

25 weeks!

I've been so bad about uploading my belly pics. Sorry about that. I am still taking them, though! I actually have a belly that's obvious in whatever I wear now, even though it's still not that big. I'm still bigger than I was at this point with Jeffrey, though. I think most people just assume my due date is off instead of focusing on my long torso. Gavin seems to be following in similar footsteps and heading down low, though. There's a lot of activity down there, which is annoying. I feel like I have to pee all.the.time. Thankfully, though, that does not apply to nighttime! I'm still amazed at how well I'm sleeping so far; maybe we'll have a better sleeper this time? I started putting a normal pillow inbetween my legs, and that solved my hip pain issues. Thank goodness.

Things are the same as usual- nothing new and exciting to report. My belly button is completely out (has been for a few weeks), but that's really the only major change that's happened lately. As I get bigger, Jeffrey is starting to understand more and more what's happening. This morning, completely on his own, he talked about the baby Gavin inside mama and that he was excited for his brother. Melted my hear. I think he may just be more excited that Gavin coming is getting him this cool new room ;)

I thought it was supposed to be easier?

You know, the whole "been there done that" type thing? I've already been pregnant. I know what too expect. My hips have already done the big change. So, why is it that this pregnancy seems to be harder than the first one? I'm suspecting it has to do with the fact that I have a toddler and don't rest as much, but it's hard to forget that I was working 12 hour days while pregnant with Jeffrey- as a substitute and circuit trainer, so mainly on my feet. Lately, I'm leaning towards the reasoning that this little boy may be more like his mama. A bit difficult, stubborn and a ton independent. Jeffrey is the splitting image/personality of his father, so it only makes sense, right? Now, I'm not going to say that it's been a rough pregnancy. That would be a lie; it's just been harder. My back started hurting much earlier, I've been having some MAJOR hip pain, he gets in these crazy positions (stretching, anyone?) and stays there, I was nauseous about two months longer, I'm still super tired all of the time, etc. Could be much, much worse- no question. There have been a few positive things; I'm sleeping way better than I was with Jeffrey. Although, my hips may have me moving to the upright position somewhat soon, but I'm hoping to actually sleep some in my late weeks of pregnancy (not so much the case with Jeffrey). I'm also feeling really good overall (now) and super confident about the pregnancy and delivery.

For the next 16 weeks or so, I'll just keep stretching and maneuvering to relieve as much pain as possible and remembering that it's all a lesson about how each of my boys is/will be different.

Project Big Boy Room: Update 3

This week has been a bust. With the combination of being out of town over the weekend and just craziness since we've been home, the progress is minuscule. Thankfully, we should be able to play catch up this coming weekend. Even though not much has been done in there, it looks a lot better since we got our huge bookcase out of their and up to my parents' farm. There's still some random crap in there, but what can you do? The baseboards have been prepped and sanded after the shoddy previous owners work, so it'll probably be painted tonight, along with the second coat on the rest of the trim. A second coat on the baseboards tomorrow night will mark the end of painting! We do have the plans all made up and designed for the furniture, so everything is set for a trip to Lowes to buy the wood.

Our goals this week are to: 1) finish the painting; 2) replace the fan; 3) move the new bookcase into the room; 4) put together closet system; 5) buy a twin mattress; and 6) buy all the necessary wood.

If we can get farther than that, then that would be fabulous :) Maybe it will be exciting enough for pictures next week!

24 Weeks!

Although I obviously do not want this little man making his exit anytime soon, it's so comforting to know that he has a fighting chance at viability now. With each passing day, he just gets bigger and stronger and ready to take on the world. There's just something about that that helps me breathe a little easier. It definitely doesn't hurt that he's really picking up his movement. I know that, if I have a moment where I'm freaking myself out on when I last felt him, it won't be long until I get a little nudge from within. Especially if I can get Jeffrey around. It's amazing how I can already tell how much Gavin loves his big brother. There's no shortage on the other end, either. Jeffrey has fully accepted that he's having a little brother and loves to come and talk and poke to "Baby Gavin." If someone asks him where his little brother/Gavin is, he'll point proudly. He's intrigued by the concept of being kicked, although it weirds him out a bit, I think. My niece (almost 5) also felt a kick this weekend and was equally weirded out, ha!

We had a good discussion with my mom about the actual birth day. She had a few questions, and we wanted to make sure she understood what's taking place. She is pretty excited to be there for it all, and it's so nice to feel so supported by your mom. Plus, I know that Jeffrey will be super stoked with her. We just need to really start talking about the birthing process and how I may not be super happy so that he understands (as much as possible) what's going on. I figure the more we talk about it upfront, the less likely that he'll be upset/scared when the time comes. I found a book on this topic at one time; I need to seek that out again and get that.

This week, we can be happy for viability, brotherly love and the happiness that being pregnant brings!

Project Big Boy Room: Update 2

Not a terrible amount has been done in the new room since last week. The weekend was a bit hectic, and there were other things that needed to be taken care of more immediately. I'm still feeling pretty good about our progress thus far, but there are no updated pictures as of yet. More of the room is cleared out, and the huge bookshelf is set to evacuate this weekend (which will be another wash since we're going out of town; oh well). Besides the baseboards, it is completely painted! Jeffrey loves his green wall and asked for the other walls to be green, as well. Poor guy. He'll be alright when we get some more color on those white walls (he'll be providing a good portion of the decorations, although he's unaware of this fact currently). Painting has taken a little longer than we planned because, of course, the previous owners did a crappy job. We're basically having to sand all of the baseboards since they have paint drips and dog hairs all painted on them. Lovely. PSA: Do not DIY if you cannot DIY.

A big portion of our weekend was a trip to IKEA (which is only 15 minutes away- yay for big cities!) to get the stuff for Jeffrey's closet. We were able to find exactly what we were looking for (The Stuva system, if you're interested). PLUS, we found a bookshelf that will work perfectly in his room in the "As Is" section that we always have to check out before we actually check out. We got it cheaper for the cost of building one, and we don't have to use the time to build one- major score! We also found a head/foot board for our own bed for dirt cheap, which was also pretty exciting. A great IKEA day.

We're in the final design stages for the rest of the furniture that we'll be building (honesty: Jony will be building), so we'll hopefully be making a trip to Lowes next week to buy all the lumber and miscellaneous items that we'll need. That, finishing the painting, and buying a twin mattress are all on the agenda for the next week!

Wordless Wednesday

(Cottage Sign Shoppe on Etsy)

Stepford Wife

Ok, so I'm not remotely close to this, but I AM getting closer. Even though it's only the 10th, I'm pretty proud of myself for how well I've been doing on my New Year's resolution (to be a better housewife). I actually think it's improving other aspects of my life, as well. Jeffrey is in the "my help?" stage, so he's loving tagging along with me to do all the chores around the house. My MIL got him his own little vacuum, and he is obsessed with it, especially if I'm doing it. I'm seriously considering getting the little baby Dyson since it's supposed to actually work. Jony has been really impressed with what I've done so far; mainly, that would be because I never did ANY of it beforehand. Ha! There wasn't much to improve upon. I'm loving checking off the little boxes from my Motivated Moms chore list, and I always feel good when I complete the activity from the De-Clutter Calendar. I've noticed an improvement in our house cleanliness/clutter, and it's making it a lot easier to keep it that way.

I'm really hoping that this slow and steady approach is going to be successful for me and that I'll keep at it. I usually get all gung-ho about something, really go for it and then burn myself out. So, I'm refraining from doing above and beyond what my daily list says to do. It's hard on some days, but I know it will be worth it. I'm actually converting to all-natural cleaning methods and getting little things here and there to re-organize the house slowly. I've been amazed at how much cleaning you can actually get accomplished with just vinegar, baking soda, peroxide and water! I know that by using those ingredients in my cleaning that I'll be more likely to continue after Gavin is born. I'm getting pretty used to the smell of vinegar :)

If anyone has any green cleaning tips, I'm all for it! I'm off to clean the bathroom mirrors...

23 Weeks!

Another week has gone by! I can hardly believe it. Baby Gavin is really starting to move a lot more frequently, and Jeffrey even got to feel him move for the first time! He was a little unsure of what had happened, but he was super interested. He even got kicked in the back while sitting in my lap yesterday, which he wasn't so much a fan of. The biggest pregnancy news is probably that Jeffrey has accepted that he's going to have a brother and absolutely understands what's happening (currently- no idea what the future holds!). He loves coming up to me, pulling my shirt up, and screaming to Baby Gavin. He also likes to show him all of his toys. It's pretty adorable. A big sibling moment for me was hearing him tell me that he "loves Baby Gavin."

In actual pregnancy related such, I've ditched the snoogle. It just didn't seem to be helping me, and I was waking up with an achy back. Seemed backwards, especially with how crucial it was with Jeffrey. It's made such a great impact going back to a regular pillow. I do have a little heart pillow that I put underneath the belly. Now that that issue is fixed, I'm feeling great. I cannot seem to eat enough, and I actually gained 4lbs in the last month! Such a difference than where I was two-three months ago! I'm thrilled to be in the amazing part of pregnancy.

Had a midwife appointment yesterday, and all is well. We discussed a few things about having an anterior placenta to ensure that he's in the best position for birth, but we'll go into it more once I'm in the third trimester. For now, it's time to up my walking and get my exercise on! Next visit in a month.

Project Big Boy Room: Update 1

There's currently not much noticeable progress going on, but (as you'll see in the before pictures) we had a crapload of junk in this room. Three+ years of just putting things in boxes or on the floor/closet of this room if we didn't want to deal with it or didn't know where to put it. So, not only did we have to deal with the stuff, but we had to retrofit other parts of our house to accommodate more storage, etc. This included moving the office (desk, filing cabinet, computers, printer, etc) into our bedroom, which actually works out quite well to my excitement. We also have a large walk-in closet in our living area that we readjusted to put in the small bookcase full of all my precious books and to have some storage items in. Some stuff was put in other closets and locations around the house, as well, but that's where the bulk went, if not to the massive pile of giveaway stuff in our garage. Both of those areas still need work, but we'll get to them later. One major project at a time! You'll notice that there is still some stuff in there, and that's the stuff we have no clue what to do with. We figure it'll be fine in the middle of that room for a few more weeks. The big bookshelf will be making it's way to my parents' farm later this week.

Now, for pictures. Before:

• room has been basically cleared out
• holes/cracks are filled, spackled and sanded
• paint has been purchased

Wordless Wednesday

22 Weeks!

Holy Geez, time is going by SO quickly. I was sure that I was turning 21 weeks today, but obviously I was wrong. I'm fairly certain this is not going to change anytime soon. Now that I'm feeling good the majority of the time, life is normalizing. Jony has been off work since a few days before Christmas, so we've been keeping ourselves busy with the house stuff/Jeffrey's room, as well as the Holidays, of course. It is so strange and exciting to think that I am having my new little boy this year!

As far as pregnancy updates go, there's not much to say. I'm feeling pretty good, enjoying the romping and rolling of tiny man in my belly, sleeping pretty good (save for this cold that I currently have-blah) and living as though I do when I'm not pregnant. I still have random fights with nausea and massive exhaustion, but you can't win it all. Mainly, I'm trying to cope with the oddity of doing nothing to prepare for his arrival. Since his room is still occupied by Big Brother, we're obviously not working on that at all. He doesn't need anything, and there are no clothes to buy! It'll be exciting to get down those bins of itty bitty clothes, but I still have to wait awhile until that point. In the meantime, I'll just enjoy him while he's still super easy to take care of :)

Here's to 2012!

New Year's Eve was a blast. Jeffrey was a party animal (per usual) and had no issue staying up, eating, and playing until the big event of the new year! He loved the fireworks and got some good color practice by telling everyone what color each one was, lol! He got to wear his new shoes, which he was super pumped about. I'm pretty sure he showed them to everyone at the party multiple times. He looked like such a little boy, which made my heart happy and sad. It was a great send off to the 2011 and a wonderful welcome to 2012.

We've started off the year nice and busy- working in Jeffrey's new room. We've gotten quite a bit accomplished in there, although you can't really tell. Jony has one more day of vacation (bummer), so we've got a few more things to cross off. Then, I plan to fill you all in. Finishing his room, Gavin's room, and then replacing the floor in the entire house is on our list of house goals for 2012. We were looking into doing the floors in the next month or so, but we've decided to hold off so that we don't drive ourselves crazy. May isn't that far away, after all.

As for personal goals, I'm hoping to improve my abilities as a housewife. It shouldn't be too hard, seeing as how I pretty much suck at it. Jony would accept any improvement, I'm sure! I've armed myself with a de-clutter calendar for the year and bought a program from Motivated Moms, since I love checklists. I'm hoping that having tiny tasks to do each day will keep me motivated to actually do it. Plus, the tasks are minimal enough that I can (mainly) keep track of them post-Gavin's exit.

It should be a fantastic year: Gavin, lots of house changes, Jeffrey starts MDO, life just keeps getting better :)