3 weeks 2 days

I'm not being good about writing so sorry :( and look now you are maybe about to wake up or want to eat since I started typing. 

You are 3 weeks old and 2 days. Grandma Bea is here and has been here for the last 10 or so days but is going home tomorrow morning. You are asleep next to the bed in your brothers old rock and play and right now you are unswaddled and going through light sleep and swaving your arms all over. You were awake from like 8:30pm to 10:30pm last night so I'm hopping to have you do your awake time during the day today so less swadding today and maybe more day awake. You like to rest your hand on your cheek or mouth when you sleep unswaddled and its very cute. I think when you can figure it out you will want to suck your thumb. Right now you are so so on the paci except when you are really tired or really hungry and we are trying to get you changed before I feed you.

You have been eating about 8, 9, 10 times a day. 9 or 10 being the most common. You eat one side at a time right now and seem to get 2 to 3 oz of milk from a side per feeding. I need to be better about drinking water during the day so that dosen't stop. You like to eat for about 10 to 15 min at a time and I hold you upright for at least ten min after just so you have time to digest. At night I hold you for more like 15 or 20. You go about 2 to 2 1/2 hour stretches during the day between feedigns.... although when you have been awake you like to eat more often. At night you sometimes go 3 hours or 4 hours, two nights ago almost 5 hours but after that long strech you eat every two or two half hours again.  

You are very loud as you go through the sleep cycles. I don't know if Drew was this loud and grunting and sounding so upset...but maybe we forgot. You also squeel but you are still sleep. I think at 5 or 6 weeks is when you will have less active sleep and maybe won't be quite so loud. You seem to like to have a blanket over you that smells like me but I keep it low down on you and once you are out of the rock and play then you can't have it.  Maybe I'll sleep with your swaddle one night and then use it the next night. I'm so glad we have the rock and play to start this time. You have sleept in it since we got home from the hospital, although you like being held in bed with me and snuggled up close and sleeping on your side. I try not to do it too much because it can be dangerous

so far you have been a good eater and have been gaining weight well. You were born at 6 pounds and 15 oz and you now (as of mom's group on wednesday) weigh 8 pounds 6 oz before a feeding. You ate 3 oz according to the scale at mom's gorup but I also think you were having a little growth spurt. 

you seem to like rocking but not vibrations or bouncing in the bouncy seat yet. i think they may upset your tummy. 

you are crying loud now oh and just stoped.  You like being in the ergo...not a huge fan of the carseat or the stroller...just wake up and cry and fall back asleep a lot in the car and stroller. you are using your brothers old car seat and stroller and I want to get you a newer one that is less dingy. I may use the gift cards from work to babies are us for one.

You are like your brother in many ways and very unlike him. that is one of the hardest parts for me. I learned how to help your brother and what he liked and I have to learn all over again for you and feel helpless when something that worked for him dosen't work for you. I have to remember you are each your own person. maybe you will sleep better and be more intrested in food.

your brother is a great big brother and I'm very proud of him and I know he really loves you a lot although he is looking forward to when you can play and do things with him

I also struggle with being at home all day after working full time the last few years. brother is in school all day as right now all we do is sleep and feed and it would be really boring and frustrating for him to be home alone with us.

enough for now. lets have some fun wake up time soon ok and not stay awake so late tonight!

mom's groups to go to

Monday:

Tuesday:

Providence Willamette Falls community center confrence room E 10-noon. 519 15th st.

Tue, March 15, 11:00am – 12:30pm

WhereMilagros Boutique, 5433 NE 30th Ave, Portland, OR, United States (map)

DescriptionNew Moms Group - Every Tuesdays 11:00am to 12:30pm at the Doula Love office located in the Milagros Family Room This is a group that focus on moms with newborns birth to three months. The group is run by Wendy Scharp of Doula Love and Bryna Sampey of Doula My Soul

Wednesday:

Adventest new moms with Verna noon to 3pm Free

nuring mom's support group at Zenana spa

noon to 1:30pm

thrusday:

New Seassons happy valley 10-11:30am  or Woodstock same time

Friday:

• Meeting time: every Friday 1:00 pm – 2:30 pm
• Meeting place: Alma Education and Movement Space (1233 SE Stark St., Portland, OR 97214)

This down-to-earth, welcoming group consists of pregnant and new moms who support one another through our journey into motherhood. We talk openly about a wide array of topics with kind, caring facilitators who truly understand how tough it can be. Shoe free space.

37 weeks and 4 or 5 days

somehow for your brother I never wrote anything between 34-39 weeks...my guess being because I was getting so tired. ha then I didn't work full time or was trying to take care of a 4 year old. your poor brother has had a tummy bug then a cold and a viral ear infection over the last 10 days and mommy sliped in the rain and dislocated her knee and its been all sore and bruised since then. somehow you were compleatly unfazed...hope you have that same laid back personality outside of the womb.

We know you are head down for sure, I'm measuring on track week wise...I know where your butt is and you like to push one of your feet into my ribs several times a day. I think you have long legs. my belly is round round round and I think you are starting to move down a bit.  The heartburn at night from 10:30-12:30am is something fierice...I feel like the berry flavored tums are just making it worse at this point and am going to try mint flavored ones. I will be excited if you have some hair!  I'm still working full time although I am really tired at the end of the day and sore and pretty cranky. my body is getting really worn down. last night I cried for about half an hour because I'm overwhelmed at the thought of being pregnant for possibly three more weeks but also scared of taking care of you and your brother while all this wedding business is going on. if you could come just a few days early that would be great!

my last work day is next friday the 19th.  next monday is a holiday and there is no school and next wednesday is a late start day...we can do it!  This friday work is going to have a baby shower for us and two other teachers from school. dad's work gave him a shower last week. people are giving us a lot of hand me downs as "gifts" but not the kind you want a lot of the time...like a half used box of tea for mommy and a half used belly casting kit. Clothes that are super worn or out of seasson or really boy like. But dont' worry mommy and grandma jackie have made sure you have cute stuff. just had to cave in and say you will wear pink at first.  We are all set up and ready for you...even have some newborn size diapers. Oh maybe need to get some diper cream although I plan to basicly slater you in coconut oil for everything. I will admit there are two baby items I wish I could buy for you...a small pack n play/ rock and play combo and a snap and go stroller base thing. maybe I will cave and get one, although frankly we don't need either. I guess I want just one new thing for you but we will see. I did sew you a cute cover blanket thing for your car seat so hopefully people won't touch you were there germy hands.  Even thought I dread the thought of breastfeeding....dread is a strong word...worry about...we will be nursing till we are out of cold and flu seassons come hell or high water.

oh that was really disapointing...last week I learned Drew can not come meet you in the hospital because of cold and flu seasson. Frankly I think a lot of the adults in your life are way less vacinated and bring a much higher chance of making your sick and it's supid that your brother, who will be with you the second you come home can not come meet you at the hopsital.  Let's try to have a natural and uncomplicated birth so we can get out of there ASAP alright?

I need to go to work although I'm super tired. I'll try to write once a week till you come out...hopefully only about two more entries!

33 1/2 weeks

Hey little lady...you are 33 weeks plus a few days...I think. Wait...I guess the biggest thing is your name is Margaret! we decided over winter break and have told quite a few people including your grandma bea and great grandma Margaret:) maybe we will call you margo, maybe margie, maybe just margaret but not maggie I don't think. We went to the midwife on Monday and took your brother so he could listen to your heartbeat.You are measuring right on track and this midwife thought you were head down...let's go with that thought ok? my belly is quite round thought I know this time that we can still get much bigger and will. If I sit in one rocking arm chair in the house I can hold your brother in my lap but otherwise my tummy is too big. Life carriers on though even if I want to nap everyday. Back to school from winter break. boy did I enjoy not having to stand all day long for 19 days (we had two bonus snow days) the first three days back were pretty hard even though I spent a good chunk of each day parked on my tall stool chair. Being pregnant and working FULL time this time is no joke. on the really good side I just learned that I can stay home with you for the rest of the school year once you come and all summer. I won't have to go back to work the last two weeks of school. Thank god we won't have that nursing/pumping stress on us (even if we are not nursing...how about even the daycare/sleep stress).
Despite having bronchitis over winter break I have manged to keep gaining about 1 1/2 every two weeks the last four weeks. I think I am about keeping up with your weight gain when I look at how baggy my pants are.  I think the baby sites say you are 4 1/2 give or take. The force you exert when moving in my belly lets me you know definitely have been growing. I'm still not super interested in eating and food will sound ok for one serving and then I dont' want the leftovers which I feel really guilty about.  The only thing I consistently am craving is root beer. It helps me poop so I go for it. I'm trying hard to take my pre-natal vitimans...I eat lots of tums each day :P and I'm taking some fancy liquid iron supplement that is supposed to be easier on the stomach. oh and probotic pills three times a day to see if that helps with heartburn.  Over break we painted your room light gray and robins egg blue teal. We put the crib together and got you a new sheet, moved the dresser/chaning table in and got you a new changing pad cover.  I painted aspen trees on the wall and I think they turned out nice. I want to add some birds to the trees. I also painted you and your big borther as bunnies holding hands and looking at each other. I'm having a hard time painting your bunny face just right.  You have clothes for the first few months, swaddles, one pack of dipers and I think we have all the basic baby things you need but I'm sure we have forgot plenty.  We found and put together the rock and play, I bought a new/used bouncy seat that plays the same song as the one your brother had. There is a fancy infant swing I got from a lady in the mom's group that maybe you will like. We have your brothers old car seat and bases. Kori got you a sound machine....we are not supposed to bath you for a week or so now I guess but another lady in the mom's group has a tub.  Your brother and I talk about you coming out. he has been very patient and I think is starting to get a little impatient waiting for you. He talks about how you will get so big that my belly will break and you will come out. He says he will cuddle you and not hit you and will be kind with your head. I suppose that is about the best I can hope for from a 4 year old boy.  He has choosen to stop napping which is hard on the weekends although it was really a maricle he napped for this long!  I took him to swim class at a new place today and he didn't cry for once and he got into the pool and worked with the teacher. Afterwards I took him to get a matchbox car and burgerville. god I hope like cars because there are a lot of toy cars around here!

It dosen't look like there will be a baby shower for you...I have sad/mad/hurt/understanding feelings about that. You are just as specical and you deserve a party to celebrate you and the fact I am pregnant with you but our culture is like noooooo you got enough stuff last time.  Whatever.
anyway as much as I complain about feeling big and sore and tired, and am still tired after our not so restfull sleep each night you keep cooking in there! I expect you to stay in there till at least 38 weeks...then we can start talking about you coming out.  Stay safe and keep growin

29 weeks pregnant

little miss squishy...we have made it 29 weeks plus a few days now. that means we are officially in the 3rd trimester and I am feeling it. I could sleep and sleep and sleep and sleep some more and still want to sleep and on the weekends I feel like I do much to the disappointment of your big brother. he is starting to seem unsure about this whole adding a baby to the house situation. my belly has gotten too big for him to sit on my lap or give a good hug or carry him around. Its a big adjustment for both of us.  I passed my gestational diabeties screening and was not anemic at 28 weeks so that was good. I had not gained any weight in a month so now I have to start seeing the midwives every 2 weeks already but you were measuring well and my belly keeps growing so that is not an issue. I just don't feel hungry very often and when I do I can only eat small amounts at a time. you are about 15 inches and 2 1/2 to 3 lbs right now so I know my tummy muscles have a lot of stretching to do still. my body is pretty sore by the end of the day and especially the end of the week. right now you are kicking around quite a bit. We have cleaned out the guest room to be yours and have put the crib in it. We painted it robins egg blue and gray and you have a new set of crib sheets and changing pad cover. My hope is that over winter break I will paint aspen trees on one of your walls and do a floppy bunny theme. We are thinking you will be named Margrett and go by Margo. I am staring to get worried about taking care of a little newborn and keeping your brother happy. I know it will be a big adjustment for all of us. I have been working hard to take at least one bag of stuff to the goodwill each week to make sure there is ample of room for you and your stuff and just less junk around the house. We have been collecting a small amount of clothes for you. I wish I had noted how long drew was in newborn clothes before we switched to 0-3 months. you will be wearing way more pink that I would have planed because that is all I seem to be able to find...pink pink pink. nothing wrong with pink. I just am working hard to get some variety. I've also tried to find bunny and westie related clothing and have found a few things. basicly i"m not getting much beyond 0-3 months becuase we don't know when the seasons will change here in strange weather oregon and what size you will be in then.  I do have four, yes, four diffrent types of baby carriers ready to go and try out this time.
I also have a hand pump ready this time. We have two strollers, the car seat, the car seat bases, the rock and play, the amby in the rafters, two diffrent types of  nursing pillows, a boppy that can go on the bed, lots of swadling blankets (thought I am trying to find more swaddles with velcro) I need sew a car seat cover so that people keep their hands off you and we keep the rain and cold weather from you the first few months. as sore and tired as I already am I hope you keep cookin inside of me for as long as you can (but not past your due date ok)

21 weeks and 2 or 3 days

hey there! you are the size of a carrot and much to our surprise and delight at the ultrasound this monday we discovered you are a girl! wow! we are still in a bit of shock although your brother and I have got you two little newborn girl outfits and I took a bunch of hand me down boy clothes I had gathered but were not your brothers too the goodwill.  your poor brother has a tummy bug today and is napping right now. I'm worried about him, worried I will get it, worried it will make you having problems inside of me. worry worry worry...its what I do really well. it would help if you dad was not in bend today at a science teacher conference but that is the way it worked out.
its funny...I can't really start thinking about names for you yet aside from Margaret nickname Margo. Maybe when I have adjusted to the idea of you being a girl and not a boy for a few more days I will be able to come up with some names.
I am thinking of painting your room teal and bright gray and doing a floppy rabbit and aspen tree theme with some pops of yellow. first we have to get your brother healthy though! we should go to the pumpkin patch very soon as halloween is a few weeks away. your brother is going to be a dino/dragon and I am a "princess" and your dad is going to be godizillia I think? I guess we will see how it all works out.

I can feel you move around every day now. You are head down with your bum to my right hip and I feel your feet and hands kicking. You seem to consistantly be awake from about 8pm to 11pm....let's not make that a habbit when you are outside me ok? It is reassurign to feel you move each day...we are a little past the half way point but your arrival still seems pretty far off although I know it will be here before we know it.

18 weeks and 2 or 3 days

Hey #2...you don't have the relaxed womb life of your big brother do you...mom working full time, trying to keep up with your brother who is almost 4 years old. You must really dislike junk food...particularly sugar as i just still don't want any and I mean any fast food and basically anything with sugar makes me feel icky. Sometimes I want to eat..most days I just force myself too. Sometimes you want soup, or shrimp or lentil based things or fruit. lots and lots of fruit. I don't want meat...sometimes I don't even want cheese. I only throw up about once a week at this point and go back and forth between 138 and 140 pounds. My tummy with you looks about as big as it did at 6 months with your brother but they say that is normal. I think I feel your butt moving sometimes but other times you seem very quite compared to your big brother and that freaks me out. We are done with our blood gentic tests and you were low risk for birth defects so good for you:) We will have your gender ultrasound in two or three weeks and double check you look all put together correctly. At the last midwife app you "felt" the right size and place and your heartbeat was easy to find. I have boy clothes stock piled up...there is no way your are girl right? Oh well...what would I do with a girl anyway.you just keep growing...see if you could get a little more intrested in food ok? oh this week you are the size of a bell pepper