The Home Stretch

So we are now doing the final countdown to when our baby girl will arrive (Squee! Yay! Woot! etc). The time seems to have flown in some ways, although these last few weeks have been brutal. I've had a lot of difficulty sleeping and have felt so run down. I don't remember feeling this way at all while pregnant with Miles. It was pretty much smooth sailing except for super swollen feet for the last week weeks that puffed up so big I thought they were going to explode at times. This pregnancy has, in the grand scheme of things, been very easy too, with some notable differences. I was much more nauseous during the first trimester, but still never puked. I also just realized last night that I have a linea negra this time around, as well as some slight "pregnancy mask" darkening on my cheeks. It's amazing to me that it took me 36 weeks to notice, but when you have a job and another kid to worry about, it's funny how little time you have to pay attention to your pregnancy.

Anyway, I signed up for one of those weekly emails from BabyCenter and this week's assured me that since I've gotten the nursery ready and all of the clothes are washed and put away, I can just relax and wait for the baby to arrive. Errrmm, no. I haven't washed a damn thing and the nursery is a jumbled mess. My husband installed the fan and put together the crib and I have bought lots of cute stuff on Etsy to decorate it with, but everything is still in boxes. My diapers need to be pre-treated, we need curtains to cover the closet doors and some decorative pictures would be nice too.

With everything going on, I also forgot to really buy any clothes for the baby. Some generous friends gave me lots of their hand-me-downs which are in great condition and super cute, but I was feeling guilty that already this baby was getting the short end of the stick. Thankfully I was recently invited to do some shopping at The Children's Place to preview their Fall collection. I instinctively headed over to the boys' section before reminding myself that this trip was all about baby girl.

The amount of cute in the baby girl section was mind-blowing and I probably went a little bit nuts. Twee hot pink booties? Sure! Knit floral dress with MATCHING BLOOMERS? Yes, please!

I used to laugh inside when friends would show up to a playdate at the park and their daughters were wearing tutus with matching glittery ballerina slippers.....but then I totally picked up these:

I also completely fell in love with their fall Woodland Creatures collection. These pieces match the cute Happi Tree line I bought for the nursery. I guess this owl motif is very popular now!

I was also happy to see lots of purple in the line (it's my favorite color) so I also grabbed up this hoodie and some purple Tees with matching leggings.

I'm excited about the new stuff and can't wait to put it on the baby! Now, if you see me plastering a giant flower on my baby's hairless head, please tap me on the shoulder and suggest I seek help.


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Miles has an announcement!

Yes, we are expecting baby number two by the end of the year! We are, of course, very excited and looking forward to a new addition to the family. It's part of the reason it's been so quiet around here lately. Although I must say I've gotten very lucky in the pregnancy department twice so far (knock on wood!), I was feeling that general first trimester yuckiness. A lot of nausea that came in waves all day long. Super tired, yet difficulty falling asleep at night. Strong food cravings and intense aversions to smell. I'm finally starting to feel like myself again, which is nice. I'm sort of sad my general superstitiousness around pregnancy didn't allow me to bitch more in real time, but I'm sure there will be a lot more pregnancy-related indignities to complain about down the road.

So far this pregnancy is not unlike my first. I'm lucky in that I don't vomit, but I'm unlucky in that I tend to gain more than the recommended weight and quickly. I'm trying to be better about nutrition this time and keep the weight gain to a minimum. I'll let y'all know how that works out.

We've decided to go with a midwife and an out-of-hospital birth this time, which I'm excited about. My first birth was not bad for a hospital birth, but I am looking forward to having more choices, being mobile, not being separated from the baby, and hopefully having an easier start to breastfeeding. The midwife we've chosen came highly recommended, and in addition to being a fab birth attendant, she's also a La Leche League Leader.

As anyone who's used both an OBGYN and a midwife can tell you, the midwifery model of care is so vastly different, and in my opinion, superior. My midwife has actually gotten to know me in a few short weeks and I know a lot about her as well. She talks to me about her pregnancies and birth and her kids. She gives me a hug after every visit. I never wait more than a few minutes to see her and I am never rushed through an appointment. My visits take place at the birthing center where I lay down on a bed while she takes my vital signs. I think I've been to 3 or 4 appointments already and nothing invasive has been done to me yet. On my first visit to the OB last time around, I was laying eyes on this man for the first time ever while wearing nothing but a paper blanket with a matching half top. So yes, two totally different experiences so far and I imagine the differences become even more profound once you've actually given birth.

I'm really looking forward to sharing this new journey with all of you, and starting all over again with a new baby. This will most likely be our last, so I am going to try and treasure every moment.

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