Get Ready for a Plethora of Cute Outfit Posts...

Everyone told me, "Oh girls clothes are so much cuter than boys. You'll love it."  I never believed it because I always thought we had so many cute clothes for Tommy.  Well, I feel like I have to take a picture of her in every single outfit because they are all soooo cute.  It's ridiculous.

Here's a few from just this week.

 Is this not adorable?? This sleep sack is from Gaga.  So cute.

This is just a ducky sleep sack that my aunt gave us but it matches her headband!! She loves it! HA!

This is the little outfit I put on her for her first visit to the grocery store.  Doesn't she look like a little washwoman?? Hilariously adorable.  

This one is a bit hard to see since she's all scrunched up and sleeping.  But it's a little dress with ruffle butt pants.  

This picture makes me chuckle because she looks like a little Buddha baby.  Look at that chin!

This picture is just a bit scary.  I swear I didn't put this on her backwards.  She just really likes to turn her head to check things out.  I have no idea what she's looking at.

This outfit was a gift from one of my employees.  She hardly fits into it anymore so I'm glad I got it on her before she grew out of it.  So cute!

 Love that little elephant.  I'm sad she's already growing out of it. :(

So yeah, this is just the first of many posts on clothes.  Here... we.... go...

Coming Home

Trying to play a little catch-up during nap time.  This will be quick.  I just wanted to post some comparison pictures between Tommy and Charlotte.  This was on the hospital bed literally minutes before we left the hospital each time.

Can you tell who's who?? HA.

Quick Pics

I don't have a lot of time to blog right now but I did want to post some of my fave pics that I've taken lately from our life as a family of four.



Go Boilers!! Seriously. Charlotte's 0-2 for games. Let's get a win for the little lady.




Tommy is a big brother and he loves it. He's still afraid to hold her but he loves to talk to her and stare at her. She always stops crying when he talks to her. It's so sweet.



How about a wink and a smile?



Is that the biggest yawn you've ever seen?



I have two kids, people!! In the words of Quincy from Little Einsteins, "I... can... not... believe it!"

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How's Baby Charlotte?

You may be wondering how baby Charlotte is doing.
I hope this explains many things...





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End of Pregnancy Roundup: Look at Applesauce Grow!

Here's the Preggo in Review from my pregnancy with Tommy. 

Here's the review from my pregnancy with Applesauce...

14 Weeks



20 Weeks

23 Weeks

29 Weeks 

32 Weeks

34 Weeks

36 Weeks

37 Weeks

38 Weeks

39 Weeks

40 Weeks

40 Weeks and 3 days: On the way to the hospital! 

40 Weeks: A Little Late

That's 40 weeks, y'all.  Dang.  

40 weeks with Tommy.

Your Growing Baby

Congratulations - your baby is now fully formed and ready to be born.
(Everything else is just a super happy extra special bonus.  Hooray. Eyeroll.) 


Your Growing Belly

If your due date has come and gone, your pregnancy is officially post-date. If you're still pregnant two weeks from now, then your pregnancy will be post-term. Anywhere from three to twelve percent of pregnant women may go post-term. The good news is that the baby is going to come out at some point—the bad news is that it may be as much as two weeks from now.

In the meantime, your care provider will check your dilation (how open your cervix is, if at all) and effacement (how thick your cervix is), to try to predict when labor will begin. If you hit forty-two weeks, your doctor will assess your health with a non-stress test and may use ultrasound to see if your baby has enough amniotic fluid. If your baby seems fine, you and your care provider can discuss when to schedule induction of labor. No matter what, one way or another, somehow, that baby's getting out!

You

I decided to stop working the Friday before my due date.  I worried it might be too early and that I might regret it but I ended up having a really wonderful week.
Wait, I take that back.  There was one bad thing that happened.  Tommy got into something at daycare and had a pretty bad allergic reaction.  But we administered the proper meds and he was fine within half an hour so that was good.  His new teachers now know what it's like so I guess if anything came out of it, that would be one good thing.
Anyway, the 40th week was great other than that.
-I got my hair did. Thanks Steph!
-I got some super quality time with Tommy T.  I got to see him fall asleep during dinner.  That was hilarious.

We took Tommy to Jump It one evening.  Tommy's Godmother Traci told us that if we go during the week after work, it's hardly busy at all.  It was awesome! He pretty much had the whole place to himself!

 This little booger has gotten so independent.  It's incredible.  He wasn't afraid to climb anything!

 He tried everything! He had so much fun.  $5 for almost 2 hours.  Can't beat that!

He also had his own unique way to do everything!

During the week, I also got some nesting done.

-I cleaned out the bathroom.

-I also organized Tommy's toy bins.  Because that was a good use of my time.  It will totally stay organized for more than a week, I'm sure. :) 

-I altered a pair of maternity pants. 

I had a pair of maternity jeans from when I was pregnant with Tommy that were a little out of style but they were comfortable.  Comfort in the 40th week is definitely my top priority. So here they are.  Baggy pants to skinny jeans! Nice toilet shot! :) 

So I honestly was very busy all week and it went really fast. I was feeling pretty decent too so that was a huge plus.  

Full term at 40 weeks! I'm so lucky to make it to my due date.  ;-) 

Guh. 

39 Weeks: Anytime, Applesauce!

Your Growing Baby 

You're in the home stretch! After nine months of growth and development, your baby is ready to be born, or nearly so. At week 39, your baby is fully developed and anywhere from 17-23 inches long and weighs 6-10 pounds. Don't be frightened if your OB-GYN says your baby is large: It's extremely difficult to judge a baby's weight accurately from the outside.

Your baby is adding neural connections and growing hair and still gaining weight. Researchers have theorized that when babies are ready to be born, they send a chemical signal of androgens to the placenta, which increases the production of estrogen and leads to labor. If so, it's proof of the old saying that "only a baby knows when it's ready to be born."

Your Growing Belly 

Don't be surprised if you get discouraged now. Relatives may be calling regularly to find out if labor has started. Ignore them and make plans every day—see a movie, take a walk, read or simply lounge around at home. Relish this peaceful time while it lasts! To get some relief from your weight and aches, do plenty of hands-and-knees cat stretches and pelvic tilts. Soak in a warm bath, swim, or just float in the pool to take a break from gravity.

You

This has been a rough week. Work has been stressful.  I've been much more tired than usual.  Sleep is harder to come by.  Pressure is worse.  Discomforts are high.  Typical end of pregnancy crap.  Still even a little heartburn occasionally.  I'm pretty sure I've been feeling contractions here and there.  I'm feeling random groin pains still too.  Fun.  

I went to the doctor today and she said I was close to 3 cm dilated and 80% effaced.  Seriously? Do you know how much pain I was in to get to 3 cm last time? A lot more than this time, that's for sure. I contracted all day, all evening and then my water broke at 3:30 am.  I made it to the hospital by 7 am and BAM only 3 centimeters.  Lucky for me the contractions only hurt during the evening.  But this time? BAM, already almost at 3.  So I guess that's a good thing, right?? We'll see! The doctor thinks it will be soon so that's exciting.  She asked me, "Are you ready to have this baby?" I've wanted to have this baby all week but as soon as she said that, I got really nervous.  You mean it's finally here? This could really be happening soon?? It's crazy.  

So what does 39 weeks pregnant look like? 

Here's a pic from the wedding this weekend since I don't feel like taking one tonight.  This was right at the point in the Backstreet Boys song where the guy sings, "Am I SEK-SHOO-ALLL?? Yeeeaaaahhhh!"  It's my favorite part.  You cannot NOT dance to that part.  So I did.  And Katie caught me dancing at the reception.  Anything to get this baby out, right?  "Am I everything you need? You better rock your body now. EVERYBODY! YEAHHHH!!"  

Anytime, Applesauce! We'll be delighted to make your acquaintance! 

38 Weeks: On a Boat

Yep, that's me... in a swimsuit... and 38 weeks pregnant.  Yikes! But I paid enough for a maternity swimsuit, I might as well get some use out of it, right?


Your Growing Baby (from FitPregnancy)

The average newborn has a length of 21 1/2 inches and weighs 7 1/2 pounds. She is fully developed, though still adding connections between neurons in the brain (this continues well after birth). Her nails have been growing and now reach to the ends of her fingers and toes. Her movements are quite restricted by her close quarters.

Your Growing Belly 

You're probably having a whole lot of back and neck strain, lots of fatigue, and not much relief! You continue to add a pound a week and have a hard time getting around gracefully.Keep eating small, frequent, nutritious meals, and if you think that your contractions may be the real thing, eat something. The calories will help fortify you for the job at hand.

You! 

Well I have to say, that's the first time I've read that you still gain weight in the last month.  A pound a week too?  Yay! Now I don't feel so bad.  That sounds a lot more realistic.  Hopefully these last few pounds are going toward the baby and not my giant backside.  :-) 

How am I feeling? Fine as usual.  No huge complaints. The heat SUCKS.  But as long as I stay in the A/C I'm okay.  I'm super tired due to the messed up dreams I've been having along with the frequent bathroom trips at night.  The baby's movements, when she's stretching, really kind of hurt.  It's impressive! She's a strong little stinker.  

My doctor's appointment was today.  There was some progress but nothing to get too excited about.  The head's a little lower (-1), 75% effaced, and 1.5 cm dilated.  It's better than nothing! 

Here's the pic from my pregnancy with Tommy T... 

Quite a difference from a winter pregnancy to a summer one!! 

So that's all the news for now.  Until the next time! 

37 Weeks: Happy Full-Term Point!

Your Growing Baby (from Fit Pregnancy)

Your baby is now 20-21 inches or so and weighs about 6-7 pounds; he looks very much like a newborn. In the vast majority of pregnancies, the fetus begins to move into delivery position.

Your baby is practicing her breathing, but she has increasingly less space to practice stretching and kicking. Your baby' intestines are also building up meconium, a greenish-black substance made of baby by-products such as dead cells, shed lanugo, and amniotic fluid. It'll become your little darling's first bowel movement, hopefully after she is out of the womb.

Your Growing Belly

This week, you may expel the cervical mucus plug, aka "bloody show," at any time. If you're worried about stretch marks, be patient. They'll begin to fade a few months after you deliver. Stretch marks are caused by broken collagen fibers under your skin's surface. The strength of your collagen is genetic, so if your mom got stretch marks, you probably will, too.

The hormone relaxin is causing all of the smooth muscle in your body to unclench. You'll feel like you have loose "rag-doll" joints. You're probably having Braxton-Hicks contractions, which you may or may not notice. How can you tell these contractions from the real thing? If you have to ask, they probably aren't. Real contractions grow progressively stronger, more intense, and more regular.

What About You? 

I'm still trucking along. I had my 37 week appointment today.  My exam revealed no progress.  Still at 1 cm dilated and 50% effaced.  The baby is at position -2 so I won't be sharing a birthday month with her, that's for sure.  But that's fine because I'm still only 37 weeks.  The longer the baby stays in there, the bigger and cuter she becomes! I'm still measuring right on target so she's probably 6-7 pounds just like the info says.  

But honestly I just keep growing.  They say right on target but it feels like one giant belly. It's really sticking out there, huh? I broke out the old American flag tank.  I think I'm close to busting through it! 

Fits a bit different now huh? (23 Weeks? Nearly half my pregnancy ago! Crazy!)

I definitely wasn't sticking out as much last time, was I? I was a lot more excited to hop up to the 37 week mark.  

It doesn't seem that long ago but it was almost 3 years ago.  Cannot believe it.    

 I tried to do something similar to show my excitement for reaching the 37 week point but it just doesn't come across the same.  :-)  Happy Full-Term Week! Very excited! But more excited to meet this baby!

On the Road to Becoming a Big Brother

The hospital where I am going to give birth offers classes of all kinds.  Tonight we decided it might be fun for Tommy to attend the class for brand new siblings called "Especially for Children."  It was free and we would get a tour of the hospital so we went for it.  Andrew ended up getting stuck in Fort Wayne for work so I had to take him by myself. Not a problem but taking Tommy anywhere by myself at this stage is pretty darn exhausting.

The nurse giving the class said she would fit the class to the age group that was there.  There was a 10 year old, 4 four-year olds and 2 two-year olds.  So the class was a little above Tommy's head but he did great.

The first part of the class was a movie. Sweet! It featured a pirate and a parrot named Carrot. The movie talked about what was going to happen when the baby arrived.  Or ARRRRRRRived, I guess. Ha!

 Then we practiced changing, swaddling and holding a baby.  He's a natural! Except he was poking the baby in her eyes and mouth.  Might want to work on that.

 We went on a tour of the delivery unit.  All the kiddos took turns pressing buttons on the beds to raise it up and down.  Now that's a treat!

 They also enjoyed looking out the window to the parking lot.

Since Tommy Hawk was such a good boy, we had Chick-Fil-A for dinner.  You're looking at a guy who was well-behaved AND stayed dry all through the class! I was wayyyy too afraid to let him attend wearing big boy undies so he wore a pull-up but he would have been fine. What a big boy!

I think someone is ready to take on that big brother role! Way to go, Thomasaurus!