39 weeks

I am on the left, the fridge is on the right. Just in case you were confused...

At 39 weeks I have gained 30lbs less than I did with Ruby - although the latest pregnancy picture I have with her was at 36 weeks so I have nothing to compare to.

I'm done. I'm soooooo done with being pregnant. Forever. I am looking forward to not being an invalid, in constant pain and discomfort all. the. time. I will never do this again and I am very much ok with that.

I officially finished work. I was done with going in to the office last Tuesday and my obligation to assist via telephone and email was over on Friday. I haven't heard a word from them. No, "thank you for your extra efforts" no, "good luck, let us know when the baby arrives". Nothing. They can kiss my ass.

I have been drinking the organic red raspberry leaf tea like crazy for the past week. Praying it's going to do something for me. I also have an acupuncture appointment for this Thursday evening, hoping to get something happening with that. And although it's really hard to walk, and I pay a dear and painful price for it - I've been trying to at least get out and walk around the block with Ruby in the stroller every evening.

I have no idea what this is going to look like from the other side, but I'm very ready to be done with this phase.

36 weeks

Had my 36 week midwife appt yesterday. She was quite concerned about my "spell" and of course if it happens again I am to head directly to emergency. Do not pass go. Do not collect $200. The fact that I couldn't form a coherent sentence is what has everyone quite concerned.

In the meantime, she checked my cervix and it is shortened, soft (she could have put her finger through it if she wanted to... not sure why she'd want to), and facing forward. I remember being 39 weeks with my last pregnancy and it being long and hard and closed (I believe I used the term "rusty steel trap"). She said that if went into labour tonight, she would not be surprised. She also said that if I was already in labour, she would be telling me, "Not long now!".

This could mean something and it could mean nothing. I know.

In the meantime she wants me to be finished work. She is writing a letter to my boss to advise that I should be done. I have made a deal that I would come in and work a couple of hours each day and then take my laptop home and be available to help from there. That's where we stand now - my boss said that in a couple of weeks we'd reassess... uh... yeah in a couple of weeks I'm long gone. I'm not going to be available after June 1st.

Right now I'm frazzled with the stress of training my replacement, working full time, keeping up a house, meals, laundry, etc - Ruby was sick last week, Steve and I fought this weekend, and yesterday the daycare lady drove over my stroller with her van (she doesn't want to replace it, thinks her husband can "fix" it). I'm maxed in the stress department. Not to mention I'm extremely uncomfortable, I feel like I'm peeing every time I walk, and standing up makes me feel like I need to take a poop. What I really want is some time to rest and catch up and feel good before I go into labour. I'm not due til June 16th but if the boy comes early I'm fucked at this point. I'd rather be bored and have too much rest than to be running out the door to the hospital carrying my laundry basket so I can fold clothes on the way there...

Anyways, I expect that the shortened hours will help. I hope they will.

My home "photographer" sucks. I am not overly crazy about the following photo but I've been so slack at taking milestone pictures of my belly this time that I thought I better just suck it up and post this or I'd end up with nothing. Here's the 36 week belly shot.

(Fuck, do I look rough):

28 week comparison

Just for fun, I thought I would compare pictures of me at 28 weeks pregnant.

And by "fun" I mean to say that I enjoy torturing myself by obsessing about my weight and appearance and then putting pictures of myself on display and opening it up to world to comment and torture me further...

I didn't weigh myself throughout my pregnancy with Ruby and as I've mentioned probably no less than twenty-seven times, I gained 68lbs. Because I didn't weigh myself as I went along, I have nothing to compare with this time around. Thus far in my current pregnancy I've gained 27lbs. I would think (hope and pray, beg the Gods) that I am not going to gain another 41lbs in the next 12 weeks. So I *THINK* I'm doing alright - or at least better. I know one thing for a fact, and that is that there have been considerably less cheesecake slices consumed to this point.

Still, I needed to post the two pictures so I could look at them, compare them, pick them apart, dissect them, obsess over them.

The angles are slightly different so that doesn't help but I think, I *THINK* my face looks slimmer with #2. Also it may be a different bra, but my boobs look smaller too - a fact that Steve has also noticed and commented on. I like to think my ass looks smaller too but that could be the difference between jeans and black pants. I'm also apparently doing a better job of makeup application than I was 18 months ago...

Pregnancy #1

Pregnancy #2

28 Weeks

With 12 weeks left to go, I suppose I should start getting organized for Junior’s arrival. Currently his bedroom looks like a good place to film the next episode of “Hoarders”. I'm expecting A&E to call me any day now.

While we did move the spare bed and computer desk out, we have been using that room as a dumping ground for items that we don’t have a place for and/or that we don’t want Ruby getting her little hands on.

I did buy a piece of art to hang on his wall that is, according to both my parents, too harsh for a baby’s room. No, it’s not teddy bears and fire trucks - it's definitely not made for a baby's room, but it's got some edge and it's different. Not to say he won’t have teddy bears or fire trucks – I just want to decorate the room a little less traditional. It’s got great colors in it that I can decorate a room around.

I also bought him a 3-pack of t-shirt onesies the other day. My mom bought him a onesie and a pair of jeans. Other than that (and a few neutral hand-me-downs from Ruby), the boy has nothing.

I’m wondering if anyone who has any experience with having kids this close together could weigh in here and give some advice on what I can get away with NOT buying.

I was planning on keeping the boy in a bassinet in our room for the first 3 months like we did with Ruby. By that time Ruby will be 21 months old. I was hoping that at that time I could get her a big girl bed and give the boy her crib. I have to buy her a bed eventually anyways and it would be nice if I didn’t have to buy another crib AND a bed. Is 21 months too young for a toddler to be in their own bed???

Also, I have the Quinny travel system. Complete with the car seat and stroller. I’ve also got a little convenience stroller that I use for the mall and such. I was going to sell my Quinny stroller to get some money to buy a stroller built for two but realized that I can’t sell it as I need the baby car seat that goes with it. (And also I love it a LOT). So do I NEED a double stroller? I suppose I do. Do they work well? Are they as cumbersome as they look? Anybody know of any good ones? Any suggestions are welcome.

I went and had my 1 hour gestational diabetes test yesterday. The nurse asked me (twice) when I was due. When I told her, she made a comment indicating how LARGE she thought my belly was for someone 28 weeks pregnant. Thanks. Isn't that just what every pregnant woman wants to hear? Why do people feel that their opinions on my appearance are just SOOOO valid and SOOO important that they just absolutely MUST tell me how big I look? I don't get that. And this was an older woman who according to her, has 7 grandchildren. I'll bet her daughter-in-law just *adores* her.

With Ruby I took a belly picture every 4 weeks. This time I forgot to take one at 24 weeks. Things are just so much more hectic this time around. So here's my 28 week picture:

(Steve thinks my boobs are smaller this time around. Now THOSE kinds of comments about my appearance I do not mind at all.)