Christmas Countdown

I have seen a ton of 12 days of Christmas ideas but I wanted to do something a little different so we could spend a bit more money with each gift and not get stuck with the traditional calling birds, golden rings, etc.  So I put my own little spin on a Christmas Countdown. Nine days of gifts spelling C H R I S T M A S. 

C - Candy Cane Chapstick
H - Home for the Holiday decor block
R - Reindeer
I - I believe in Santa Claus book
S - Starbucks steamers gift card
T - Truffles
M - Music 
A - Angel of Winter statue
S - Snow globe

We wrapped and labeled each gift and then delivered them all together in one big gift bag.  We picked two families to receive the packages but remained anonymous by just dropping them off on their porch. It was a great way to get in the Christmas Spirit. 

Comparisons

Measurements

1st pregnancy: I gained 22 pounds and measured 36 cm

2nd pregnancy: I gained  27 pounds and measured 36 cm

As my pregnancy has progressed it has been hard to compare it to last time because I didn't journal enough.  I can remember certain funny stories and moments that I want to write down now so I can compare. 

1st pregnancy:

I remember feeling like I was going to faint one day at work so I had to sit with my head between my legs.  I was only 6 or 7 weeks along so I hadn't shared the news, but being sick made me so happy I was unable to hide the huge smile on my face and they figured it out pretty quick.

I remember keeping track of how the baby was developing on a website and they compared the baby to sizes of food. I think I was about 9 weeks when they compared the baby to the size of a grape. I was so tired and exhausted and Kyle said how surprised he was that I was already having pregnancy symptoms and my response was "It's hard to grow a grape"

I remember not caring about throwing up a few times a week, I was happy to be sick.

I remember tears of joy streaming down my cheeks during the 20 week ultrasound.

I remember feeling pretty good for the most part and enjoying the pregnancy.

I remember taking off my wedding ring to go to the hospital to be induced.

2nd pregnancy:

I had to excuse myself from a patient one day at work to go throw up in the bathroom.

I have kept track of the baby's growth again and had fun reading what was new or developing.

I felt so content and happy during the big ultrasound finding out we were having another boy.

The baby is almost always active in the evening from 5 to 7  I love to sit focus on his movements.

This time it has been easier to see my whole belly move as a hand or foot sticks out or moves across.

He has had the hiccups quite often.

I have been swollen the last two months. Some days are worse than others but I haven't worn my wedding ring for a while. I did put it on for my maternity photo shoot but could barely take it off again. 

I feel like I have arthritis in my hands, they fall asleep easily and it wakes me up at night. I've even had my hands fall asleep while I was working on patients at work.

My ankles are pretty gross when they really swell up.

I am not sleeping well, I am often awake between 3 and 5 am. Once in a while I will get up and get started with household chores, but usually I lay there hoping to go back to sleep.

My back has been quite painful.  At first it was the lower left side, then either or both sides, then I also started having right sciatic pain. I have been doing pool physical therapy. It feels so nice to be weightless in the pool. 

Chief

It has been fun and endearing watching Chief as he has tried to grasp and understand the whole pregnancy thing. He seems to understand pretty well and is very excited to be a big brother. I need to write down a few of his comments so I can remember them. 

*Back in September we were at our favorite smoothie place ordering from a teenage boy when Derek asked him "Do you have a baby in your tummy?" Of course this boy responded with a weird and kind of embarrassed "No" and Derek proceeds with an almost then your not cool tone in his voice "My mom has a baby in her tummy"

*He has been watching carefully as my belly has grown and went through a phase where we had to compare our belly sizes after each meal. He would tell me "Your belly's getting bigger" and then at about 8 months he started to be more specific saying things like "Your belly is huge!"

*He loves to hug and kiss my belly and ask "Did he like that?"

*Lately he has been talking about his brother like he is already here. He is not shy at all and usually strikes up conversations with anyone anywhere we go and likes to share the news that he is going to have a brother.

*He told my parents a few weeks ago that of all the babies his brother is the cutest.

*I think I usually tell him when I have my check-ups that Dr. Terry is going to see how the baby is growing. For the past few weeks I have been saying that soon I will go to the hospital and the baby will come out of my tummy. One time he asked "Is Dr. Terry going to be there?" (This kid remembers everything)

*Yesterday while driving in the car he was eating some grapes and found an extra small one and said while cuddling it "Oh, it's a baby grape! It came out of my tummy!"

*He will hug my belly and say "I love my brover"

Thoughts on Pregnancy

It really is an mazing thing to be pregnant. This is my second pregnancy in ten years of hoping and wishing to be pregnant. I feel so blessed every single day to have the experience of a little baby growing inside of me. I love having a belly. It's big, it's awkward, but I L-O-V-E it. Lately I have been thinking about how much I will actually miss the belly and that closeness of feeling his every kick and move. I don't know what the future has in store for us, if we will be lucky enough to have any more children, so I want to cherish these last moments as a mother-to-be.

Maternity Pictures

Yin and Yang

Today I went to a prenatal yoga class. I love the poses, the focus it takes to balance, and the challenge it is. The instructor was so positive and it was fun to see pregnant belly's all around. It was a great start to my day. I am feeling especially grateful to be pregnant and finding joy in the size of my belly. I have spent so many years wanting to be pregnant, that it is truly a dream come true to watch my body change and adapt. I love feeling the kicks and movements when big D is active. I love to feel a body part pushing up against my stomach and see my whole stomach move. It is a marvel.

This pregnancy is also fun to watch Chief interact with the baby. For a while he played a lot of peek-a-boo with my stomach. He likes to feel for kicks, talk to him, and give my stomach kisses. He also will lift up his shirt and say that his belly is growing too and wants to compare our belly sizes. He used to say "Your belly's getting bigger" but now he says "Your belly is huge!"