Check list

35 week check list:

Crib/bassinet put back together- check
Baby's room clean - mostly check
Baby toys/equipment washed - check
Baby bottles washed - check
Food cooked and frozen - check
House clean - check
Baby supplies - mostly check
Fork lift needed to turn over in bed - check
New car with 3rd row seat - check
Work issues wrapped up and passed along - check
Sudden busts of energy - check
Physical signs of advancing - definitely check
Braxton Hicks - definitely for a while now
Ryan and Bradyen ready - check
Mommy ready - check


Tim ready - not yet
Early registration for hospital - Not yet
Waddle - not yet, but slow starts and a definite sway
Internal progression: To be checked next week

Will it really take 5 more weeks to get the last 4 checked? Hmmmm....

The Countdown Begins

Or continues, I'm not sure which. I think I started counting down around 10 weeks out. This pregnancy, I consistently gained weight from the time I found out I was pregnant at 4 weeks until week 30. Even having been through it twice before and understanding it all, I was getting a little worried that I would tip the scales this go around...or break them I should say.

But miraculously from 30 to 32 weeks, no weight gain. From 32 to 34 weeks, no weight gain. Now let's just play a game for a minute. Hmmm, pregnancy number 1 (Ryan). I gained 40 lbs with ~ 6-7 hours of aerobic activity/week and healthy eating. Other than Tim always taking me to Coldstones and the Frosty craving...I was a good girl. He was head down since 32 weeks and dropped around 33 weeks. I went for my 37 week visit, I had lost 2 lbs from the previous visit and went into labor that night at midnight.

Pregnancy #2 (Brayden). I gained 35 lbs with ~4-5 hours of aerobic activity a week and was really a good eater. I didn't really splurge often with him, just a bunch of spicy food. I was 3cm and 80% effaced since week 32 and was certain I would go as early as I did with Ryan because of these facts. Until they informed me that "no your body just prepares a lot more quickly with subsequent pregnancies". And how true that really is now that I've had a chance to experience a third pregnancy is all I will say on that front. I went for my 38 week visit with no weight gain, and at the 39 week visit had lost 1 lb and went into labor the next morning. Brayden never dropped before or after labor started.

Pregnancy #3 (Gavin or Gabrielle not sure yet): I have currently gained 30 lbs with ~ 3 hours of aerobic activity/week. I have been a superior eater this time, until recently and now just can't kick the sweet craving. Keeping a full time job, a house, two kids and a husband with being pregnant just doesn't allow for such foolish things like working out every day. I have just under 6 weeks to go till the due date and for a month now have not gained weight.

Now when you do research, they say that weight gain stopping or a weight loss can often indicate impending labor. I am not so foolish as to think that I may go into labor 6 weeks earlier, only that maybe I gained all my weight early with this one and now that little person is just surviving on the fat stores I created early on.

I'm tired. The weight and size of the baby has definitely hit me and my movements have slowed down. I'm nesting some sort of awful right now. Cleaning, sorting, pacing, cooking/freezing, and even freaking out a little over the change that is about to be ours. But for the first time too, I'm getting excited over this pregnancy. We've had too much going on this year for me to really even notice that I'm pregnant and actually enjoy it like I could the other two. But I think we are all ready to meet this new person. Brayden especially..."mommy, is the baby gonna climb out yet?"

Come on baby, time to climb out.

Birthdays

In our family, April-July is birthday extravaganza. It is kicked off on 25th April with my sister, then May is the highlight...09th if my mom, 10th is Brayden, 14th is Tim's dad and the 26th is Tim. June will soon be baby #3 and then July is met with 03rd for Tim's mom, 26th for my dad and the 27th for Ryan. It's wild and crazy...especially when you throw in mother's day and father's day. I can't keep up with it all.

Growing up, birthdays were a family thing. Not that I didn't have birthday parties that involved friends, because I did have plenty that way. But the focus was family time. Perhaps it's because we didn't live near any family but whatever the reason that's the way it was. Low key and nice. We were never really a family of over exaggerating things or bringing attention to ourselves; I guess my lesson in humility was learned at an early age.

So for the first few years for both Ryan and Brayden, their birthday parties were simply a gathering of the grandparents and a few other family members. Nothing elaborate, just a homemade cake and ice cream and presents at the house. When Tim and I moved into the house where we are now, 2 years ago, that changed. I don't know if it was the "peer pressure" of our neighborhood or what.

Last year, for Ryan's 4th birthday, we went a little crazy. All he wanted was Muddy the Mudcat (local AAA baseball mascot) and the "Dancing Man" from our races. We produced both, had every kid from the neighborhood (about 15) plus a few school friends and some work friends. We ordered pizza, sprinklers and mad craziness outside. Of course we did this at the house and I was high strung and crazy about the mess and people in the house. Ridiculous.

For Brayden this year, his 3rd birthday; we rented a little indoor play place and did pizza and cupcakes but only invited kids from school. Fewer people and not at my house so less stress but higher cost. Again, just ridiculous.

When you take into account their age, let's think about how truly insane this is. They will never remember these birthdays in the long run and would probably be just as happy at a playground or at home with a few friends. Why don't we save the big bashes for the older years when they have something they are really interested in? Because we feel the pressure of giving our children more than we had, the "go big or go home" theory I suppose.

'Keeping up with the Jones'" Well, dang the Jones'. Because not only am I succumbing to the pressure of where we go and what we do for a birthday, as if it somehow validates how good a parent we are, but we are now charged with the policy of supplying other children with presents at these parties so that they don't feel "left out". What is that about? I don't remember people giving me presents when I showed up for their birthday party when I was young. It was "tough crap" it's not your birthday, get over it if your feelings are hurt, it's not about you, it's about them. But again, that's the standard now.

The standard: over spend on some crazy "venue", presents, food, number of people and then buy those ~20 other kids a present. Correct me if I'm wrong, but it's cheaper and more beneficial to go to somebody else's party. You only spend 20 bucks on a present, get free food, a tired child and a present for your kid. Now that's what I'm talking about. Okay, I think we've paid our dues for "dumbness" for trying to be like the people next door, next year, we're back to simple.

Nights Out

When you go from single/dating to being married and then married with children, something happens. Or it least it did for Tim and I. Like a slow change from every night being "our night" to struggling to find a night that belongs only to us.

Even before the boys came along, a small transformation started; we stopped going out on dates as often because we were always around each other. We got comfortable. Then Ryan was born, and as a new mom, I found it hard to leave him. Even going to the grocery store without him was hard at first. So dates became even more rare. Nights were spent either resting or doing something with Ryan.

And then Brayden joined the family. This definitely changed the family dynamic. We saw the need Ryan had to still have his one-on-one time, so we made a change. With the help of my parents, who agreed to watch each boy for 1 night each week, we were able (and still maintain) to implement special nights every week for each boy to have one-on-one time with Tim and I. Great for them, but still leaving little time for us to do stuff alone. It wasn't for a lack of offers for people to watch the boys, but again me feeling guilty about already having taken time away from them and not wanting to take more time on the weekends. But I see the difference this makes with Ryan. He really enjoys getting us all to himself, understandably so. He was first, he was used to nobody else but him. Brayden enjoys the time too, but he will often ask for Ryan before the night is over.

So now that baby no. 3 is actually becoming a reality and not just a thought in the back of our mind, again we find ourselves in a position of trying to figure out how we will get our night out.

I'm wondering if it will be impossible once the baby is born for us to continue one night each week for each boy. I guess we could do a weekly rotation. Ryan gets a night week 1, Brayden week 2, baby #3 week 3 and then Tim and I week 4. I'm a little worried about how it will all pan out, if not how it will pan out, just how long it will take to actually get into that new routine that satisfies everyone's need for a night out and time alone...you know the time and attention you need to fill your tank.

To be honest, I don't think my tank would be half as full as it is if it weren't for Tim's persistence in us getting our time. He's pretty good about noticing when it's been too long and actually planning something for us to do, if only for a night. I think I need my night.