CHECK IN HERE- December Chat thread!

[StarCat]

Seems like we;ve all been a bit slow on here lately.  Myself included. I think we are long overdue for a chat thread. 

I"ve been working a lot.  Stressing out about finances, trying to get my $^#@ together for Christmas.  Yes, still!  and yes, I know it is this week!   I haven't been able to work out at all and am gaining weight like CRAZY!  But i'm really hungry ALL THE TIME! 

and it just is not a good season to watch what I eat.  mmmmmmm Christmas Cookies!!! 

Baby is doing great though, he moves like crazy.  I love him so much already.  We decided on a name, Lucas Spencer.  I have done NOTHING to prepare for him.  I have a baby shower to plan right now for a very close friend who is expecting her 1st after more than 3 years of infertility.  I am so excited for them and want their shower to be perfect.  Once I get through that I will be able to focus on getting ready for my baby.  I'll get there.  I had my 24 wk appt last Friday which should be my last appt. with the midwife at the OB's office and next month I will schedule my 28 week with the birth center once our insurance changes.  I'm pretty excited for that!

I haven't kept up on the spotlight threads because no one really responded to the last few I posted but if you guys want I would be happy to pick it up again. 

Whats going on with everyone??  Are you guys ready for Christmas?  Anyone celebrate solstice?  How are the April babes in belly's doing?? Hopefully staying warm, its even cold in Florida!!!

[justrose13]

i'm here! busy, busy, busy getting ready for the holidaze...

my partner and i celebrate the solctice... we'll have dinner and exchange gifts tuesday night. it's exciting... the full moon is on the solctice as well as a [full] lunar eclipse! lots of good energy to be had!

we also celebrate xmas with our families and we are still getting our sh!t together for that... just some gift cards and wrapping left, though... nothing too big.

our little monkey is moving lots and lots, too! it's so neat and weird... but awesome! my DP can finally feel the li'l one moving around in there and i'm so happy to be able to share that with her!

starcat, i know what you mean about xmas cookies... we had a cookie exchange and both my DP and i participated... 12 dozen cookies each! so we received 288 cookies... O.M.G. i quickly packaged up some for each of her brothers and her parents and also quickly froze some for ourselves for later... i had to get them off of our counter... we just. kept. eating. them.
and i just have to say, it's so nice what you are doing for your friend's baby shower...

[SeattleMolly]

I'm a teacher, so my 2 weeks off started today. I'm catching up with girlfriends and seeing a friend who recently had a baby and would like to unload 0-3 clothing. She is the 4th person who is giving clothing away, and we may have too many at this point!

We're flying from Seattle to TX on Christmas Eve to spend time with my husband's family. I'm excited that we'll have our own bed and bathroom for the stay. I'm getting pretty picky about my personal comfort these days! It will be the last plane trip before baby comes. I thought I could swing a trip to see my sister in February, but nesting has set in, and I'm sure I'll want to stick around for the 6 weeks before baby.

I'll make some Christmas cookies today (a couple dozen only!) and ride my bike hooked up to an indoor trainer. That is getting more difficult (my tummy touches the seat). We're done shopping for presents!

Love to all the mamas!

Molly

[ILoveMyBabyBird]

doing good here! I started walking on the treadmill again today, i really haven't exercised since shortly after my BFP, but give me one month where my weight gain is like i think 5-6 lbs this past month and i am nervous, so i am just starting slow with 15 minutes at 3/mph, but it's a start. I will be 23 weeks tomorrow i can not believe how fast time is going by. I am going to get through to the new year and then start really focusing what the baby needs, and getting the pantry/freezer fully stocked. So far not shopping too much for baby aside from working on building up cloth diapers, i've spent a little over 100$ so far. I keep looking at crib bedding sets, while i know the baby will sleep with us some, i would prefer her to sleep in a crib in our room, ds still is climbing in bed with us at 4 1/2, so I don't know what to do there. midwife appt. tomorrow, just want to get it over with, lol. Had the anatomy scan, she kicks all the time, so i know she is doing well and i am feeling good, so the next 2 couple months of visits are just going to boring lol!

[alireb]

Another one here who is packing on the pounds!  I wake up starving every morning!  I am still eating more healthy than last pregnancy so that's something :)

I've been having the worst insomnia so I'm a walking zombie most days and of course my son has decided to give up napping just when I need it the most! 

We haven't done anything to prepare for baby, but I did buy the crib sheet and skirt and crib.  I'm hoping to finish cleaning out the new baby room in the next few weeks while DH has some time off.  Then we'll pick out the paint and he can work on that too. 

We have DS's 3rd birthday coming up and while we're not doing a formal party, it's still stressful because of my in-laws. 

Oh and I had my last appointment with my OB the other week and am formally switching to the birthing center for my 28 week appointment in early January.  It happens to be the glucose test too, so fun, fun! 

[Stayseeliz]

I'm doing well. I had a fantastic appointment this morning. Heard baby's HB, my BP was down and it was nice and quick. I go back next time for my GTT. The dr said one more 3 week appt after that then we'll start with appointments every two weeks. WOW! This is flying by!!

I'm SUPER excited about Christmas. We're traveling 9 hours to my parents house but we decided to get a hotel on the way down there to minimize the amount of times we'll have to stop and so we won't be so tired when we get there. I know it will be a good long while before we get down there again (probably next summer) so we're going to stay a week. I can't wait but there is much to do to get ready to go. I'm done with all my shopping so that's a big bonus though.

I've gained more than I would like (20ish lbs) but I talked to the dr about it today and he seemed unconcerned. I'm exercising and eating right most of the time so it's not my fault at least. I think it doesn't stress me out as much since this is probably our last and I know I won't have to watch the numbers go up and up again! Plus I noticed that my belly totally blocks the read out on the scale at the dr's office so I can't even see it anymore! LOL! :)

Glad everyone seems to be doing well!! Hope everyone has an amazing week!!

[nadia105]

I am finally feeling a little better after battling bronchitis for the past week.  I appreciate sleep so much more after something like 5 nights without it!  I literally coughed a couple inches off my belly -- how weird is that?

I am 24 weeks today :).  I always breathe a little sigh of relief when I get to this point, with viability being so much more likely.  I have a friend due the same day as me who is having twins, and she has been on hospital bedrest for a week already -- scary! 

I have a mw appt tomorrow, hoping to not get in trouble for still not having gained any weight.  It wasn't a problem before I got pg, has never been one when I was pg, and babe was measuring a week ahead at the 20 wk u/s, so I am going with it.  I started off this pg about 30 pounds heavier than the others, so it makes sense that I don't need to pack on as much as before.  I just don't get hungry during the second half of the day.  I get starving in the morning, eat a bunch then, and I kind of get by with some small snacks (okay, and candy, I have a mean sweet tooth!) the rest of the time. 

We have all of the kids' things for christmas, but a few more things to pick up for other family members.  Nothing too big, pretty much just g.c.s and a present for MIL.  She asked for a potato peeler.  That's it.  We'll get her one, but I have to find something else to give her with it!  I still need to wrap all of the kids stuff though, I don't want to put it all off until the night before.

LIttle guy is getting more active all the time, Dh finally felt him around 22 weeks, and now at 24 I have seen a few of his bigger thumps!  This is kind of the nice part of the pg, big enough eveyone can tell it's a baby and not a gut, but not so big that the belly gets in the way all the time.

[naturalmummy]

hello ladies. i've been MIA for a while. I blame it on my extended MS, which has finally resided - YAY! and holiday craziness. Glad to hear others still have a few errands to do this week. i do! Just GCs too and a few supplemental gifts. Oh and ALL the wrapping, which I guess I should be doing right now, but...i still need to eat dinner and i needed to post on here. I miss this forum!

DS has a bad cold so i was up with him ALL night last night. he's fine, he is just so congested he couldn't fall asleep. So basically he laid on me all night. I propped myself up in bed a bit b/c i didn't want to be fully flat on my back, but my belly is getting to the point where he can't always find my lap or lay on me like that.

I think he has officially stopped nursing, which i am so sad about, but i can't blame him since my milk has been gone for months. I think I'm in denial though. i am still looking for a copy of Adventures in Tandem Nursing in hopes that some how he'll miraculously nurse again. I can already tell he has forgotten the latch. I tried to get him to nurse last night since he was so miz but it hurt SO bad since he basically doesn't latch right anymore.

Anyways, looking forward to a few months of hard core nesting in 2011 - cleaning closets, donating, preparing for baby #2, etc.

Oh, and one more thing. We will find out the sex on Christmas Eve -- we have an envelope from the Dr that is SO ready to be opened. We can't wait!!!

Happy Everything!!!

[Morwenna]

I've gained a ton of weight too--I actually had my midwife check my weight from the last pregnancy and I am less now, but I had lost almost 40 lbs before getting pregnant this time and wasn't very happy to put a lot of that back on.  I eat really well though, I just think that my body must think it needs plenty of fat stores to get me and the baby through the winter!
 

I haven't shopped much at all--somehow this pregnancy doesn't seem quite real to me--it might be because it was a total surprise and I just haven't gotten over that yet!  I feel lots of movement--but they are small movements and mostly on the sides vs. the middle of my abdomen.  I have an anterior placenta, so that may be why.  I did buy a bunch of Elbee diapers--very excited about getting those!  I've known Laura of Elbee online for years now and am thrilled to have some lovely diapers, hand-crafted by her, for the new one.  I have knit several things, but have yet to put them on my ravelry page, or I would link you.

I am teaching my husband to do my job--it's going a bit  s..l..o..w..l..y, but he's doing well.  I want to get to the point that he can do all of the dyeing so that I only have to do the computer/paperwork part.

I, too, waited until the last minute to get any shopping done (with 6 kids, there was a LOT to do--even though I try to be frugal) but I have pretty much finished that now.  We are working tomorrow, then will have 5 days off in a row, which I am very much looking forward to.

We also are getting a KING sized bed!  With all the kids we have, you'd think we would have had one before, but no.  I have a co-sleeper that I may or may not use, but our 3 yo still gets in our bed most every night and there just won't be room for 2 adults, the 3 yo, AND the new baby in a queen bed.  We are getting a solid-wood oak frame, and then we are also having a wool mattress made!  Our first all-natural mattress, which I am also quite happy about.  That's our christmas present to ourselves :)

Sounds like everyone is busy and happy.  I can hardly believe that after the holidays, I only have 3 months to go!!

[Queen of my Castle]

I'm glad you started this thread, StarCat! It has felt slow in here, nice to be chatting again!

I just finished a week's worth of visiting and Christmas-ing with my sister and her 3 young kids- it was an exhausting blast.  She's from St. Louis MO, and was up to visit with her husband.  It was great to see her, but so busy with our combined 6 kids, 6 and under! I feel like I've already had most of Christmas, even though the 'real' even is still to come.  At least this week is quieter now. :)

I'm LOVING feeling the baby so much!  I'm getting kicked all the time, sometimes quite strongly, sometimes it 'presses' out, sometimes it's already hitting my pelvic floor and cervix! I love it, I love it finally making it's presence more known.  I can find it better now, feeling where it is.  My sister is an apprentice midwife, and she brought her pocket doppler so I had fun at night hearing the baby's heartbeat.  Since I haven't done an u/s it's so nice to feel a bit more connected.

[bleumoose]

I've gained a lot too, somewhere around 20-23. This month I don't think I've gained much of anything, though. Good and bad, that. I'm eating less.. I'm just not all that hungry, which is VERY strange for me. Usually I'm a bottomless pit when pg. With all the holiday goodies though, I'm sure that the next couple weeks will help make up the lack of gaining lol

I'm 21-22 weeks. I think. I've lost track of the week numbers somehow. Baby girl is moving a whole lot now, which I love. She's giving me some good thumps, but I have yet to be able to feel them from outside the belly.. too much padding I think lol. I have an appt with the MW this week, which I'm glad about. Ever since the OB who did our US last time told us she's measuring 25th %ile, I've worried about her not growing and being too small, so I need some reassurance that my fundal height is okay (they have yet to measure my fundal height.. is that strange?).

I'm nearly done with Christmas shopping. I'm so glad I got most of it done in Oct and Nov. With my mom sick, if I had to do it all this month I don't think it would be done :P I even have about 90% of the wrapping done. This week I'll be baking and making candy and enjoying my kiddos--- TRYING to enjoy my kiddos... this morning I thought I was going to lose it on them, they were at each others' throats >:( not a great start to winter break.

Originally Posted by ILoveMyBabyBird 

ds still is climbing in bed with us at 4 1/2, so I don't know what to do there.

Don't know what to do about having Ds and baby in bed together? Or something else? We had both DS and the baby sleep with us full time for many months and it wasn't bad. DS1 was 2y9mo when DS2 was born.

Originally Posted by Stayseeliz 

 The dr said one more 3 week appt after that then we'll start with appointments every two weeks. WOW! This is flying by!!

WOW. That seems like it came up really fast. April will be here before we know it.

Quote:Originally Posted by Morwenna 

 I feel lots of movement--but they are small movements and mostly on the sides vs. the middle of my abdomen.  I have an anterior placenta, so that may be why. 

 

I have an anterior placenta too, and now that baby is bigger, I can really tell. I feel very little in the middle of my belly, but a lot all around the middle and low down. The other day she was thumping the middle really hard and I was laughing that I was so glad there are no nerves in the placenta, or I'd be in pain.

Edited by bleumoose - 12/20/10 at 7:53pm

[CookAMH]

alireb, that is great about switching over to the birth center!  If you are interested, inquire with them about doing a meal instead of the nasty drink.

I gained 6lb this last four weeks, not too good!  I'm thankful to live in an area where I can get out to walk in the winter and not have it be freezing (more like 40s so very bearable).  I just need to get out, it's been so busy. I like to think my daily activity counts for something, but I know actual walking is good.

Babe also moves a lot here too! Had 24 week apt tonight. I can't believe some of us are so close to the third trimester! I'll have a follow-up u/s in January to check my cervix which was on the shorter side a few weeks ago. Midwives don't seem concerned though.

I haven't been sleeping very well the first half of the night. I wake up often. I'm taking generic zantac for heartburn, just can't get past needing that at night. I've been taking Natural Calm (magnesium) some nights before bed, some say that helps them sleep. I haven't noticed!

nadia, I agree about the fun part being able to see movement. I've gotten some good thumps too and DH regularly feels the baby at night when we get in bed.

My 20mo is a lot of fun these days (always has been) and I think how he is going to have no idea what is coming, even though he'll be close to 2 when baby comes. What do you think, or what has your experience been with a toddler that age?

I haven't gotten anything ready either. I'll probably start once I settle down from Christmas. I'm also hoping to paint the nursery at our church with a couple friends, so that is on my radar for January. I know my energy will be lower as the weeks go by.

[Nanette56]

Hi ladies!! Nice to chat again :)

I'm not going to talk about how much I've gained, it's just depressing lol. But neither the M/W nor the OB are concerned, so I'm trying not to stress! First visit with perinatologist went well, my cervix is nice and long per the sonogram, babies were 1lb 9 oz and 1lb 11 oz at 23 weeks, so everything's looking pretty good. I have my first OB appointment in January, and it's really making me lose sleep at night. I just found out he has a 40% C-section rate :( He came highly recommended by my m/w though, so I'm hoping after I set him straight, he'll understand I'll make him fire me before I make concessions about that particular issue! (Still planning on an oops (u/c) delivery, but want him on board in the event of a transfer)

Re: movement- these little boys are acrobats. I don't know how they seem to have so much room in there. My belly is constantly in motion- it's so strange, they weren't moving much, and then all of a sudden whammo- it's pretty cool that DH can see and feel it now though.

COOK- I'm having really terrible hearburn issues too :( I don't know what to do about it, it's alllll day long! I haven't tried any OTC stuff yet, do you recommend the Zantac? Milk works, but only for a little while. Hopefully they'll move down soon!

I posted a request for help on FB with the nursery, because I haven't done ANYTHING with it yet, and am running out of steam already. I told volunteers they would be paid in baby kisses, and immediately got LOTS of responses :) My girlfriends are planning my baby shower for February, so hopefully I can get it done sometime before then!

Anyway glad to hear everyone's doing so great, we've almost made it to the third tri! Can you believe it??

Whatever holiday you're celebrating hope it's wonderful girls :) xoxoxoxo

[kaPOW!]

[CookAMH]

Originally Posted by Nanette56 

COOK- I'm having really terrible hearburn issues too :( I don't know what to do about it, it's alllll day long! I haven't tried any OTC stuff yet, do you recommend the Zantac? Milk works, but only for a little while. Hopefully they'll move down soon!

Zantac definitely works. I know some are uncomfortable taking it since it's a C drug, not really tested on pregnant women. I felt the benefits were worth it for me (a good night's sleep). Waking up half the night with heartburn and nausea, month after month, isn't good for me.  I do know it's recommended over a product like Pepcid, since it has magnesium stearate (sp) in it. I do try to avoid eating too late and having certain triggers in the second half of the day (chocolate, for one). Yeah, sometimes I'll get up and burp, and drink some milk and it subsides enough to go back to sleep.

[Blanca78]

Thanks for the thread, StarCat! I feel bad because I had originally volunteered to do the Sunday spotlights, and then got caught up in end-of-term stuff and totally spaced, plus noticed that the threads weren't that active.

NaturalMummy--I'm another who has a card w/the sex. We're thinking of opening it New Year's Eve, but part of me is still really wedded to waiting until birth.

I'm 22 weeks today and have been feeling movement for the last 2.5 weeks or so. It's still pretty faint--doesn't seem to be getting too definitely stronger, although there have been a couple decent thumps in there and DH felt it for the first time the other day. I was freaking myself out a bit today worrying that movement isn't getting stronger and in fact seems to be a little less noticeable the last couple days--I just don't know what's normal for 22 weeks. Is it supposed to still be in the "goldfish" stage, and felt somewhat intermittently? I'm getting lots of little tickles, but that's about it.

I'm so ready for this pregnancy to feel more official! I mean, movement is definitely helping but isn't as noticeable as I'd imagined it would be. And I'm STILL not showing a ton--it depends on what I'm wearing, but for the most part it just looks like spare tire to me, not a definite bump.

So we're at my in-laws. My father-in-law is challenging. Makes obnoxious comments about women and puts my MIL down. It's hard to be around, but my MIL is a dear (if somewhat emotionally draining) and we are managing to keep to ourselves for the most part. It blows my mind that my husband turned out to be such a sweetheart--not a sexist bone in his body, and one of the most empathetic and intelligent people I know. It makes me sad to see him depressed around his parents. On the upside, my MIL dug out a bag of his baby clothes--some really sweet little sweaters and things. She also found a tape she made of DH babbling and giggling when he was one!

After this I'm off to my parents. I plan to interview MIL and then my mother, recording both of them talking about their pregnancy/labor experiences with myself and DH, so that our kid can listen some day.

I haven't done any baby shopping either. I need to start making a list of stuff, and then I'll run it by you more experienced mamas for your editorial comments! Hope everyone has wonderful holidays.

[nerdymom]

Hello all! I've been so drained the past 3 weeks or so that I haven't been on at all! My DS ended up with RSV which gave him an ear infection, bronchitis and pneumonia almost 3 weeks ago, and he was so ill and had such low oxygen saturation levels one day that he was nearly hospitalized. I was at the doctor's office every morning last week week for nebulizer treatments, plus he is still on an albuterol inhaler. Plus I am fairly certain I had RSV as well, but was so caught up in DS that I just didn't pay attention to how sick I was. So our Christmas preparations were pretty much halted and I am making up for lost time this week. I am not letting it stress me out though! I am concentrating on being joyful and spending time with my family. If the house is a mess and none of the gifts are wrapped and certain presents have not been sewn, oh well. My kid is healthy again and my husband has a few days off so we will just enjoy the moment! No stress is my creed.

As for this pregnancy, I seem to be so busy right now that I just don't have time to be hungry. I am thankful that heartburn has not [yet] set in for me. Last time it was just awful through my second and third trimesters. I don't think I have gained more than 8lbs, I am 22 weeks now. I just don't have much of an appetite, and I noticed yesterday that I am eating less than I normally would at each meal because I am getting fuller sooner. Andy seems to be a much calmer child than Jack was in utero. Andy kicks me, but not in the aggressive manner Jack did. Jack used to use my bladder as a soccer ball, but today I had a huge full bladder and was sitting in traffic and Andy didn't kick it once. Jack would have been after it like it was the World Cup.

I am planning on pulling out the baby clothes and cosleeper, ordering cloth diapers, ordering my wrap (a didy, I am so excited!), and buying the bed (KING SIZE!!) and linens in the new year. The bed will be our tax return purchase. I'm going to try to wait for the tax return for the diapers and didy as well. I've already done quite a bit of nesting by rearranging every single room in the apartment and deep cleaning before Thanksgiving. After Christmas is over I will concentrate on filling the freezer and setting up the baby things.

[Oregonicmama]

Thank you Starcat for starting this thread!!

I am 22 weeks as of Thursday, at the tale end of this DDC, and feeling lots of movement.  A couple nights ago this LO even woke me up!  I'm still having a really hard time sleeping at night.  But it's a little worse b/c not only am I waking up at 4 and unable to fall back asleep for at least an hour, but now I can't fall asleep when I go to bed either.  :(  I haven't been falling asleep till 2:30 or 3, then I wake up around 4 or 5 and lay there usually til 6.  I am so tired all the time, I hate it.  This is so far from the normal me.  I'm usually super busy and get tons of stuff done... I feel so useless. 

On top of not sleeping I've been getting terrible heartburn, I'm STARVING every three hours, and I've been sick for a week.  I started feeling a little better today, but I have been so run down.  I thought I would have to miss DD2's much anticipated gymnastics bday party last Sat (my baby turned 6!), but I toughed it out, took some tylenol, and just didn't touch anyone!  I've never been sick and pregnant before and it really sucks.  I just want some theraflu and I can't have it! 

We met with our midwife yesterday.  I love her.... she was my midwife with DD2 and has worked with almost all my friends too.  She is really great.  This week was the first time she tried to hear the HB with the fetoscope and she found it right away!  DP and DD2 both heard it too.  :)  My favorite part of our appointments is at the end when she gives me a 15 minute hot stone massage.  HEAVEN!  But our meeting wasn't all positive.  She told me she is flying home to MN April 20-24 for a wedding (she just found out about it a couple weeks ago).  I am due April 28, but both my DDs were born 10 days early (and I was born 2 weeks early), so this makes me pretty uncomfortable.  She has an assistant who I know, who has attended a handful of births on her own, and one I don't know who has a little experience, and she offered that they can be on call as a team in case I go into labor while she's away.  BUT if she can't be there I would have chosen someone else, not these assistants.  I really don't know what to do.  I love my midwife and really want her at the birth, especially since I've already birthed with her once.  My labors with my girls were really easy and uneventful (aside from the main event).  DD1 was a U/C, and the midwife reminded me that with DD2 she literally sat there and watched me birth, I didn't really need her help with anything.  But I just feel weird about working with her the whole pregnancy and then having someone else there at the birth.  A couple of my friends have apprenticed with her in the past and DP pointed out that we could have a U/C and ask those friends if they'd be willing to help out.... I just don't know.  :(  I'm hoping to go early with this baby (I don't get along well with Taurus's... lol), so Ill cross my fingers and toes for this one to make his/her entrance on April 18th-ish. 

On a happy note DP found a prenatal water yoga class for me to try out and I am very excited.  I think I'll try and go on Thursday.  It sounds really nice, and the pool is heated to 92 F (I'm always freezing and the other pools we've gone to have been way too cold). 

We're almost done Christmas shopping.  Tomorrow is our last big day for that.  Hopefully we will finish it up tomorrow so we can relax and enjoy this winter break. 

[gumshoegirl007]

Yay for the chat thread!  It's been super quiet around here...

Things are just moving along and I cannot believe that I'm already 6 months pregnant!  This baby will be arriving any day now, or rather, I hope the last three months just fly by.

I'm perpetually exhausted and I'm wondering how that's going to impact the rest of my massive to do list.  Just like you Orgeonicmama I'm having big problems sleeping.  I'm able to fall asleep at the drop of a hat in the evening, but my body really likes to wake up and stay up at 4 am or 5 am.  I'm not requiring it to do anything before 6:45 am.  The last couple of weeks have been hellish because I've been exhausted, cranky, and have a low patience threshold.  I'm trying to keep it all together and just be a nice person.  Work is also incredibly stressful and I'm sure that that's not helping my mindset or disposition.

I saw our midwife this week at 25w4d and the pregnancy is going well. I'm getting kicked constantly. I love feeling her move, kick and squirm, but her new cervical kung fu isn't exactly my favourite move. It makes me jump, which just seems weird when I'm driving or in meetings.  We're stilling mulling through on potential baby names for this girl. 

I'm looking forward to January when I get to finish the nursery.  We've now purchased all of the furniture (yay for used shopping this fall), and I'm just waiting for the curtains we ordered so I can make the final colour and finishing selections.  Now we just have to finish moving DD out of the room that's going to become the nursery to her new room.  She's moving from the upper floor to the basement (the perks which sold her is having her own bathroom and access to our family room - we just refinished the basement this spring).  Last night she opted to sleep down there for the first time which lasted about 45 minutes before she came up to her old bed.  It's going to be an interesting transition for us all and we'll just need to work with her on her feelings of being so far away.

[Sihaya]

Nearly 25 weeks pregnant here and can't even wrap my brain around all the things I need to get done before April! This week I started making meals to put in the freezer and Friday we will be getting a second chest freezer because our fridge freezer and chest freezer are already full . I'm planning on freezing about 50 dinners in addition to more than 50 breakfasts, 16 dozen muffins, around 45 desserts, and a bunch of bread. Most of my other to do items right now involve deep cleaning of our house and especially our back bedroom, which has become a repository for all kinds of junk, but is where I plan to set up the birth pool and give birth. We don't need to buy much at all for this baby and just need to get out the clothes and diapers we used with DS and have them ready.

Pregnancy-wise, I'm doing pretty well. My energy level is still fairly high. I've recently started having mild heartburn, hemorrhoids, and leg cramps, all signs that the third trimester will be here soon. Baby moves very frequently, especially when I am up and around more. I've seen my midwife and her apprentice twice so far and am very happy we get to use her again for this birth. So far this pregnancy is just as "normal" and "boring" as my son's was and I'm hoping it stays that way right through the birth.

I've been attending hypnosis for birth classes a couple of Saturdays a month for the past two months in addition to doing my Hypnobabies Home Study Course and it has been just wonderful. In addition to just being a nice time to relax, she is working with me on my specific issues and fears and I feel like it's really helping me prepare for this baby's birth and not get stuck on the things that didn't go perfectly last time or might go wrong this time.

After the new year, I'm going to start going to water aerobics classes once a week and I'm really excited about it because I remember how much I loved being in the water in my third trimester last time.

I haven't been posting much here because the new format is still really foreign to me, but I have been reading along.