37 Weeks

37 Weeks: Baby O2 is the length of a stalk of Swiss chard. 

The baby weighs 6 1/3 pounds and is a bit over 19 inches head to heel. Over these next two weeks he/she will spend all his/her time putting on weight and letting the brain and lungs finish maturing. 

How far along? 37 Weeks

Total weight gain? Back down to 22 pounds according to my doctor's appointment this week.
Maternity clothes? Mixing both maternity and non-maternity.

Stretch marks? None yet...

Sleep? One bathroom break a night and waking up anytime I need to switch sides but even with those things going on I'm sleeping great.
Best moment this week? Getting sooo much baby related done.  I feel like it's a weight off my shoulders having knocked off most of our to do list.  We're all packed for the hospital, have our Plan A and Plan B lists typed up and stuck on the fridge, did the baby laundry, and did our last shopping trip to get all the last things on the need to buy list. I also started getting my maternity sub stuff going since I only have 3 weeks left of work.  Woohoo!!  

Miss anything? A Corona sounds oh so delicious.

Movement? Still moving a lot especially in the evenings/night.
Food cravings? While buying some snacks for the hospital stay I refound the birthday sprinkle Oreos.  Glad I didn't remember about them until the end of this pregnancy!

Anything making you queasy/sick? Not a thing

Gender? Only 21ish more days before we meet him/her!  Getting out all of Cole's newborn stuff did kind of make me yearn for another boy to use all the cute little man outfits one more time.  But dressing a girl would be sooo much fun too.
Labor Signs? At our doctor's appointment this week our doctor said we were 1-2 cm dilated and Baby O2 is super low.  In her words, "Ohh baby is right there."  I can tell too because I've been feeling a lot of low pressure.
Symptoms? No more stomach soreness- I'm blaming the flu for that last week. Having heartburn most nights after dinner and just a bit slower but overall I don't feel like I'm 37 weeks pregnant most days.  Now that I've said that out loud I probably jinxed myself. 

Belly button in or out? Out all the time 

Wedding rings on or off? On- Last week I said I wasn't going to put them back on but I ended up changing my mind because I'm not experiencing any swelling yet.  Still time for that to happen though!  Until then I'll keep them on as long as I can.

Happy or moody? Feeling happy and at peace this weekend.  I kinda felt some anxiety last week after coming down sick, not getting as much done as I wanted, heading back to work after a wonderful break, having a million baby things to do, etc. I do feel some mommy guilt here and there that Cole won't be getting enough attention and isn't going to be the baby anymore.  I know that's probably silly though because we're giving him a sibling- his partner-in-crime.  I'm just sad he's so big and doesn't seem like a baby anymore. Please tell me that I'm not the only crazy mother who has had these feelings right before baby #2.
Looking forward to? Knocking out another week of work, getting my hair done this weekend, and maybe my husband even taking me on a date before the baby comes??  Hint hint :) We haven't been on a date since our anniversary... in JULY.  Not cool.  You'd think we've been busy or something haha.

Daddy moment?  Trent not only stepped up huge this weekend helping me out but he also spent two days down at the Dynamic Discs store helping out with a huge remodel.  Such a jack of all trades which I LOVE about him.  I'm one lucky girl!!

Big Brother Cole moment: Cole Man is so fun right now.  He has his tantrum moments too, don't get me wrong.  But his personality is just coming alive and he learns something new to say every day. One of his words that is cracking us up right now is how he says "more."  More was one of the first words he learned to say and was the first word he learned to sign.  But here lately he has added an s onto the end and he says "mores" which is to die for in his little boy voice.  Gosh I could just eat him up.  

36 Weeks

36 Weeks: Baby O2 is about the size of a head of romaine lettuce. 

Our little one weighs almost 6 pounds and is putting on the weight at about an ounce per day.  He/she is more than 18.5 inches long. This week Baby O2 is shedding most of the downy hair and the waxy vernix that covered the whole body.  He/she swallows these substances for the first bowel movements- nasty.

How far along? 36 Weeks

Total weight gain? need to check but I don't feel like getting off the couch...
Maternity clothes? Still mixing maternity and non-maternity.

Stretch marks? None yet...

Sleep? Sleeping great but hot.  I also wake up anytime I switch sides to adjust my pillows.
Best moment this week? Spending some extra days with Cole Man to end our Christmas break :( I got lots of cuddle time and we napped together almost every day.  

Miss anything? Being able to play in the floor as easily as I'd like to with Cole.

Movement? Lots of movement still, not as forceful as it was.
Food cravings? Still just really thirsty. Cherry 7-Up has really been hitting the spot.

Anything making you queasy/sick? Nothing... unless you count having the flu this weekend.

Gender? Leaning more towards boy since Trent also had a boy dream this last week.  But then again... it could be girl since I'm not as puffy and broken out as I was with Cole...
Labor Signs? After a really crappy Friday we can breathe a bit easier and say no labor signs.  On Thursday night Trent and I stayed up till about 1 am watching a movie which was no big deal since we were both on break.  When we were going to bed I asked Trent if he minded if I turned on the ceiling fan because I was so hot and kinda queasy.  Not long after falling asleep I woke up throwing up and it never stopped.  It was miserable.  We were supposed to have a doctor's appointment that morning so Trent called our doctor to see if they wanted us to come in or not.  After hearing how much/long I'd been throwing up they said we needed to head into the hospital and go to Labor and Delivery so I could get IV fluids, Zofran, and so they could monitor the baby since we are so far along.  Once we were there they saw that I was having contractions and I got worried that we'd be having a baby.  Luckily, the contractions calmed down once I got the fluids in me.  They said the contractions were probably just caused from being so dehydrated.  I spent the rest of the weekend recovering and taking it easy.  I know my immune system is shot and I'm just run down because I've also had an annoying cold for two weeks.  This last month we are doing nothing so that we can all rest and stay healthy!  Definitely praying that Trent and Cole don't get the flu too...
Symptoms? I've officially slowed down and had to start relaxing more. Not sure if it's from throwing up so much, having contractions, or just being 9 months pregnant... but my stomach is SORE.

Belly button in or out? Out all the time 

Wedding rings on or off? I took them off in the hospital just in case the IV fluids made me swell. They didn't but I'll probably keep them off just in case since they are kind of tight.

Happy or moody? Happy yet kinda stressed since we were completely done with everything for Cole at this point.  Not so much with this one- plus work at January seems a bit crazy too :(
Looking forward to? Made our final shopping list for the last minute things we need to buy and we plan to pack our hospital bags this week.  Let's just say that Friday was a wake up call that we need to get ourselves and Cole prepared.  

Daddy moment?  Thank God that I got sick on a day when Trent was off.  In my condition I can't imagine how I would've taken care of Cole and gotten him to daycare when we were told to head to the hospital. Trent and my mom took such good care of us! 

Big Brother Cole moment: My sweet boy gave up his crib this week and officially moved into a full sized big boy bed so that Baby O2 could have his crib.  Talk about an emotional moment for mama.  I was sitting and helping Trent reassemble the crib when I couldn't hold the tears in any longer.  Seeing my baby in that big bed made him seem so small.  Amazingly, he's transitioning like a champ and we haven't had any issues with him getting down to play or anything.  He's crying a bit more than usual when we lay him down but it's gotten a bit better each night.  When he wakes up in the morning he even stays put and just plays with his stuffed animals until we come to get him.  Cole, you are one amazing little boy!!  Please stay my baby forever...

35 Weeks

35 Weeks: Baby O2 is the weight of a honeydew melon. 

The baby weighs 5.25 pounds and is over 18 inches long.  This week the kidneys are fully developed and his/her liver can process some waste products.  The baby's basic physical development is mostly complete- the main job now is to put on weight!

How far along? 35 Weeks

Total weight gain? 24 pounds- I blame Christmas food ;)
Maternity clothes? Mix of both maternity and non-maternity. I am so proud to say that I have bought ZERO new maternity clothes.  I made do with what I had from Cole.  What's the point of wasting money on clothes I'll never wear again?  I'd rather get new clothes for after the baby :)

Stretch marks? None yet...

Sleep? No problem whatsoever but I am back in the routine of 1-2 bathroom breaks in the night just like the first trimester.
Best moment this week? All of our Christmas celebrations.  The joy on Cole's face as he wandered out on Christmas morning to a room full of presents was priceless.  It's funny that the last couple mornings he has whooped with joy when he has seen his new toys- like he forgot they were his. And the fact that we'll have TWO of them to share in the excitement next year- Can. Not. Wait.

Miss anything? A cocktail on New Year's would be nice... there's always next year!

Movement? Still the most at night.
Food cravings? Nothing crazy... just thirsty all the time.

Anything making you queasy/sick? Nothing

Gender? Ahhh I just can't wait to find out!!  One minute I say girl then the next I say boy.  Trent is sticking to his boy prediction since he thinks he saw "something" at the sonogram.
Labor Signs? Nothing at all... baby is baking away.
Symptoms? Hot- I don't think I've slept with the covers on in a week. Baby is also pushing down low and I'm feeling some pressure.

Belly button in or out? Out all the time 

Wedding rings on or off? Still on since I haven't hit the swelling stage like I had with Cole.

Happy or moody? Happy- the last month countdown is on!
Looking forward to? Enjoying this week off with Cole Man.  These could very well be the last days I have of just Cole and Mommy so I'm going to soak up every second and stare at him while he sleeps.  Can't believe he won't be the only baby for very much longer :(  I tear up just thinking about it.  #preggohormones

Daddy moment?  Trent was just as excited as Cole for the presents on Christmas.  I'm not sure who has been playing with the trucks and trains more. 

Big Brother Cole moment: I think Cole might know that something is about to go down in 33ish days.  He has been a bear with bedtime the last few nights.  At first we just blamed it on traveling and being away from home... but he's doing it here at home too.  The last couple nights he just clutches my neck so tight and cries out, "I want mama." How can I not give in to that?! If he wants to snuggle with me I'm not going to say no because when we were in Great Bend I was chopped liver.  Glad I moved back up on his list haha!

34 Weeks

34 Weeks: Baby O2 is the weight of a cantaloupe. 

The baby weighs 4.75 pounds and is almost 18 inches long.  This week the fat layers are filling out, making him/her look rounder and the skin is smoother than ever.  His/her central nervous system and lungs are continuing to mature.

How far along? 34 Weeks

Total weight gain? 21 pounds
Maternity clothes? Definitely in pants with a mix of shirts.

Stretch marks? None as of now

Sleep? No problem whatsoever.
Best moment this week? Our whole Saturday!  We ran some quick errands in Olathe, had Maddy Girl's first birthday party, went down to Union Station so Cole could experience the Holiday Express Train, and then we headed back to Emporia for the Rusco's annual ugly sweater party.  Grammy drove down that evening to watch Cole so we could have a kid free night.  Trent more than enjoyed himself too ;)  Jam packed day of fun!!

Miss anything? Nada

Movement? All day and night long
Food cravings? Holiday cookies and lots of them!

Anything making you queasy/sick? Nothing

Gender? I have been guessing girl but last week I had a dream that the baby was a boy and oh my word he was so cuddly cute... just like his big brother :)
Labor Signs? Nothing at all in this last week.
Symptoms? More frequent bathroom breaks, hot when I sleep and that's really it.  No pains, no heartburn, no swelling... definitely different than it was with Cole at this point.

Belly button in or out? Out all the time 

Wedding rings on or off? On 

Happy or moody? Oh so happy- love this time of the year with our family and friends.

Looking forward to? Christmas!!!!!!  Can't wait to see Cole's reaction to the excitement of presents and fun with his family.  After watching his joy of opening presents with Maddy at her birthday party, I can't wait to see what he'll do at Christmas :)
Daddy moment?  Trent loves holiday stuff as much as I do and was just as excited as Cole for some of our fun this last week like carriage rides and the train.  

Big Brother Cole moment: Cole is more than ready for Christmas.  After opening some presents from Wendy and Jeremy and then "helping" Maddy open her birthday presents, Cole knows exactly what to do!  He is all about ripping off that paper and screaming at whatever is inside.  Christmas is sure to be wild this year and we can't wait!!

33 Weeks

33 Weeks: Baby O2 is the weight of a pineapple. 

The little one weighs over 4 pounds and is 17 inches long.  This week the skeleton is hardening, except for the skull plates which won't fuse together so he/she can fit through the birth canal.

How far along? 33 Weeks

Total weight gain? 20 pounds which is 5 pounds less than I was with Cole at this point.  With Cole I'd already started swelling too.
Maternity clothes? Definitely in pants with a mix of shirts.

Stretch marks? None as of now

Sleep? No problem whatsoever.
Best moment this week? All the projects that we accomplished this week: nursery trim painted white, new doors in nursery and Cole's room painted white, pallet wall finished, new dresser put together, and the baby's new bookcase built/painted.  SO much got done thanks to Lora coming up for the weekend to help Trent knock out some of his to do list.  Those two accomplished so much in a couple days!  We also had another doctor's appointment this week and the baby sounded perfect with a heartbeat in the 140s still. 

Miss anything? Nada

Movement? This baby is a mover like his/her brother was but in a different way.  Cole was a kicker- he liked to kick on the sides in short, quick kicks.  This baby... likes to puuuuuusssshhhhh as hard as he/she can in the very middle of my tummy.  This one definitely likes to stretch out in my tummy!
Food cravings? Sweets

Anything making you queasy/sick? Nothing

Gender? We shall see in 49ish more days!
Labor Signs? Nothing at all in this last week.
Symptoms? The stage where it hurts to bend over has officially hit.  Let's see if Cole will be understanding of this stage haha.  Not likely...

Belly button in or out? Out and puffy most of this week. 

Wedding rings on or off? On 

Happy or moody? Overjoyed and loving this holiday season with the excitement of Baby O2's arrival shortly thereafter!

Looking forward to? Only one more week of work and then it's Christmas break!!!!!!!  
Daddy moment?  Trent is already making sure that Cole and Baby O2 have equal treatment :)  Since Cole had a custom bookcase built by Daddy then Baby O2 had to have one as well.  I told Trent we could just buy one since he already had so many other things to do.  But a bookcase from the store just wouldn't do in Trent's eyes.  So one more project he added to the list and already got done this weekend!

Big Brother Cole moment: Out of nowhere this weekend Cole started calling his glow worm that he sleeps with, Baby.  He also insisted that Baby get wrapped in one of his old swaddling blankets and has now slept with him all weekend long.  He whines/cries until you hand him Baby all wrapped up and snug.  He rocks it, kisses it, and holds it in his arms while he sleeps.  It has cracked us up because he has never ever shown any interest in stuffed animals or treating anything like a baby. I'm sure with 5 girls at daycare it has slowly rubbed off on him.  Great practice for this big brother!!

32 Weeks

32 Weeks: Baby O2 is the weight of a large jicama. 

Our baby weighs 3.75 pounds and is about 16.7 inches long.  This week he/she now has toenails, fingernails, and real hair- even if it's just peach fuzz.  The skin is also becoming soft and smooth.

How far along? 32 Weeks

Total weight gain? Haven't checked this week and I'm too lazy to take this laptop off my lap and go weigh myself...
Maternity clothes? Pants for sure with a lot of leggings and dresses for work.  I've also started wearing some of my maternity tees/tanks with my regular shirts and cardigans.  I'll probably start wearing some of my maternity shirts this week so I can make sure and get my use out of them.

Stretch marks? None as of now

Sleep? No problem whatsoever
Best moment this week? This week's list would definitely include the Christmas parade, nursery progress, and our family/maternity pictures.

Miss anything? Nada

Movement? All over all the time!
Food cravings? Ashley's picture of her fluff popcorn meant that I had to get creative and make my own since we didn't have any fluff popcorn in the pantry.  It was delish and totally hit the spot!

Anything making you queasy/sick? Nothing

Gender? We shall see in 56ish more days!
Labor Signs? One instance of Braxton Hicks and that's it.
Symptoms? Couple nights of heartburn and starting to have to go to the bathroom much more frequently.

Belly button in or out? Mixture of out and flat. 

Wedding rings on or off? On 

Happy or moody? How can you not be happy during the holidays with a 20 month old?!  Cole makes everything so much more fun!  The thought of two of them next year in matching Christmas jammies- omg I die.

Looking forward to? Several fun Christmas activities this week like a carriage ride, visiting Santa, and making cookies.  Lots of cookies for this lady :)
Daddy moment?  Trent spent two days taking apart pallets, cutting off nails, sanding boards, and hanging more wood in the nursery.  There is only about 1/3 of the wall to finish up and then onto the next project!  While we were taking our maternity pictures today we swung by Ikea and picked up some things for the nursery.  A big dresser that comes in 3 flat boxes must mean some fun building in our future.  At least that's something I can help out with!

Big Brother Cole moment: Cole is officially obsessed with Elfie our little elf friend. He thinks it is so funny whenever Elfie moves to a new spot and says, "bye bye guys" whenever he walks by Elfie.  Even if we are just going to another room.  Poor Elfie is having to hang out up high though so that Cole doesn't touch him and steal his magic!

31 Weeks

31 Weeks: Baby O2 is the size of a coconut. 

Our little one weighs 3.3 pounds and is over 16 inches long.  This week he/she is heading into a growth spurt and is plumping out as fat accumulates underneath the skin.

How far along? 31 Weeks

Total weight gain? 20 pounds
Maternity clothes? Just in pants

Stretch marks? None as of now

Sleep? Sleep is no problem at all but I do seem to wake myself up when I'm trying to move from side to side and have to adjust pillows.  The dogs smothering me doesn't help much either!
Best moment this week? How can I pick just one?!  How about a list in no particular order:

1. Hearing Baby O2 at our appointment again this week.  Just perfect and the heartbeat was in the low 140s again.

2. Hosting our first Thanksgiving in our new home with both sides of our families.  We are SO blessed to be able to have everyone under one roof together.

3. Getting almost all of my Christmas shopping done.

4. Best Black Friday purchase= new car for mama!!

5. Getting our outside lights up and doing all the inside Christmas decorating with Cole's help

Miss anything? Having some festive beverages with my sister-in-laws would've been really fun at Thanksgiving :)

Movement? This baby likes to reallllly stretch and push his/her appendages out until it can't be pushed anymore.  I love watching it though.
Food cravings? Any and all Thanksgiving food

Anything making you queasy/sick? Nothing

Gender? We shall see in 62ish more days!
Labor Signs? Not a thing this week.
Symptoms? Mouth breathing and I'm hot when I sleep but that's really it for this week.

Belly button in or out? Mixture of out and flat. 

Wedding rings on or off? On 

Happy or moody? Full of JOY! The 5 day Thanksgiving break was full of so much fun.  We have sooooo much to be thankful for.

Looking forward to? Several fun Christmas activities with Cole this week and then maternity/family pics this weekend!  Plus- only 3 more weeks until Christmas break.  Not that I'm counting or anything...
Daddy moment?  My husband's timing is so freaky sometimes.  Weird timing coincidence between pregnancies: 9 weeks before we had Cole we went out and bought our truck, Ke$ha.  And what do you know... 9 weeks before this baby we traded in Ellie Edge for a new ride- Farrah Ford our Expedition. The timing of the purchase was  not done on purpose but is pretty funny.  It was definitely a Black Friday purchase unlike any others we've made before haha.

Big Brother Cole moment: I'm convinced that seeing the excitement of the holidays through Cole's eyes is far better than experiencing it ourselves.  The littlest things make him squeal with excitement.  To see his reaction when he first found "Elfie" his elf was priceless.  Our tree, lights, pictures of Santa, etc. all make him flip and say, "Oooohhh!" or "Petty" for pretty.  He even knows that when we ask what Santa says... he goes, "Ho ho." Usually only two hos which is pretty cute.  However, the biggest moment of Cole's for the past week was when he said, "I love you" to me twice in a row.  I officially don't need a thing for Christmas after that gift from him.  He's done it a couple more times to both of us so I know it's not a fluke.  Gosh, I love that boy.  I can't even fathom how much I'll be able to love TWO of them :)

Don't mind our PJ day look to put up Christmas decorations :)