39 Weeks 4 Days

How far along? Baby O2 made it to 39 weeks and 4 days and then we met Cade Mac Olivier 

Total weight gain? 25 pounds
Maternity clothes? Was able to finish the pregnancy still mixing maternity bottoms and tanks with non-maternity cardigans, dresses, and jackets.

Stretch marks? Thank you to both of my children (and 3 bottles of Palmer's cocoa butter lotion) for not giving their mother any stretch marks.

Sleep? Sunday was spent only sleeping a couple hours until contractions hit from 2-6 am.  Then I started getting ready for work and they went away.  The other nights before delivery day were spent sleeping great.
Best moment this week? Obviously that would be Cade's birthday :)

Miss anything? Nothing- I knew this was my last week of pregnancy and spent lots of time rubbing and watching my tummy move as our baby squirmed inside of me.

Movement? Very low movement getting ready for delivery day.
Food cravings? Still the sweets.

Anything making you queasy/sick? Not a thing

Gender? Until Baby O2 arrived I was still guessing girl... more to come on the birth story post!
Labor Signs? Major contractions Sunday night into Monday morning and then contractions here and there every day up to delivery day.
Symptoms? Tired, slight heartburn, and some hip/leg cramps. 

Belly button in or out? Out all the time 

Wedding rings on or off? On the whole pregnancy this go around!

Happy or moody? I wake up happy and go to bed happy every single day thinking this could be the day we meet our little love!
Looking forward to? Exact same as last week- Meeting our baby and seeing Cole become a big brother.  Can't wait for our family to be complete!!

Daddy moment?  Anytime I'd tell or text Trent that I was having a contraction he would get all excited right along with me hoping it was the beginning of the real deal.  

Big Brother Cole moment: With the nice weather the few days before the baby came we made sure to get out and about with Cole to enjoy the pretty evenings.  We took some wagon rides, played on the driveway, and he rode his scooter full blast.  Can't wait to see both of my kids on that driveway playing together someday!!

39 Weeks

39 Weeks: Baby O2 is the size of a mini watermelon.

Our little miss or mister weighs a bit over 7 pounds and is around 20 inches.  This week the baby continues to build up a layer of fat to control the body temperature after birth and the outer layers of skin are coming off as new skin forms underneath.

How far along? 39 Weeks

Total weight gain? After dr appt on Friday we were up 25 pounds.
Maternity clothes? Mixing both maternity and non-maternity.

Stretch marks? Still none!

Sleep? The body is definitely getting ready for baby because I'm taking several bathroom breaks a night and once I'm awake in the mornings I'm wide awake.  Getting ready for the newborn nights I'm sure.
Best moment this week? Getting my approval for the full 12 weeks of maternity leave.  I had just found out earlier that week that since I haven't been employed by the school district for a full year I had to get a doctor's night in order to take the 12 weeks under the Family and Medical Leave Act.  I had a slight panic attack the day I found out and sent Trent a stream of OMG emails but luckily it was no problem to get the approval from our doctor.  Now I can look forward to that bonding time at home with our baby.  It's time you definitely can't get back and since this is our last baby I'm going to enjoy every single second.

Miss anything? After grilling out tonight Trent mentioned it would've been better with a summer shandy and I'm pretty sure there was instant drool on my part.

Movement? Low low low movement with lots of pressure.  In this blog with Cole I had also written that I had lots of low movement this week with him.  I didn't remember having it as low with him so I'm glad that I had the blog here to remind me that it's normal and the baby is just getting ready for D-day.
Food cravings? I've been hardcore craving chocolate this week.  And ice cream. And sweets. And peanut butter. All that healthy stuff obviously!

Anything making you queasy/sick? Not a thing

Gender? The suspense of the gender has been such a cool experience- so totally different from finding out with Cole. Trent is still saying boy, I'm leaning 70-30 towards girl, Cole says it's a baby, and my class made a graph to predict the gender and we ended up split 50-50.  Can't wait to find out in 7 days +/-.
Labor Signs? We were still dilated to 3 cm at our doctor appointment on Friday.  The doctor said we'd probably be staying there until it was show time which could be tomorrow or still another week depending on what the baby feels like doing.  In the last few days I've started having some hip cramps or spasms.  Not sure what to call it because I'll just be standing and my left hip will suddenly give out.  It hurts but goes away quickly.  My body is getting ready for the big job I have ahead of me!  I've had a few contractions here and there the past few days but never anything with a pattern to them yet.
Symptoms? Definitely tired by the time I get home.  Two nights this last week I accidentally took 20 minute power naps on the couch while Cole and Trent were playing.  I'm also having heartburn a couple times a day but it's still not unbearable like it was with Cole. 

Belly button in or out? Out all the time 

Wedding rings on or off? Still on and coming off in the shower so unless I puff up this week I might actually get to keep them on the whole pregnancy.

Happy or moody? HAPPY! But I still have one more week to have a meltdown on Trent and blame the baby ;)  We both still can't believe that I never had "one of those" moments this entire pregnancy haha. On Friday, I did warn Trent that if the doctor didn't approve my 12 week maternity leave I was guaranteed to flip out for sure. He's happy we avoided that one!
Looking forward to? Meeting our baby and seeing Cole become a big brother.  Can't wait for our family to be complete!!

Daddy moment?  Trent is ready to go and is on full alert for the baby.  Anytime I make a face he's instantly all over me asking if I'm okay.  He's just as ready as I am to meet this little guy/gal! 

Big Brother Cole moment: As if I didn't already know that Cole idolized Trent, he proved it again today when we were getting ready to go hang out with Daddy in the shop.  I told him he could wear his Carhart work jacket and then he insisted on getting a hat.  But he kept whining when I gave him his hat... turned out he wanted to wear one of Daddy's hats.  They looked like two peas in a pod today- work boots, Carharts, and hats.  They crack me up!

38 Weeks

38 Weeks: Baby O2 is the length of a leek.

The little one weighs 6.8 pounds and is over 19.5 inches long.  This week he/she has really plumped up, the organs have fully matured for the real world, and our baby has a strong grasp to get ready and hold our hands.

How far along? 38 Weeks

Total weight gain? After dr appt on Friday we were up 23 pounds.
Maternity clothes? Mixing both maternity and non-maternity.

Stretch marks? Still nada... can I make it this time around too without getting any?!?

Sleep? Kind of uncomfortable getting settled into a comfy position but falling asleep is really no problem. Teaching all day and hanging with Cole Man all evening must wear me out!
Best moment this week? Date night with Trent this weekend was much needed!  Plus Ashley and the kiddos came down this weekend and stayed the night with us so we had lots of fun seeing the cousins playing together. 

Miss anything? Looking forward to a nice cold Corona with lime...

Movement? I can tell the baby is running out of room as my entire belly will sway and wave as he/she tries moves around.
Food cravings? Thankful for a husband who enjoys nightly ice cream just as much as I do!

Anything making you queasy/sick? Not a thing

Gender? This week I'm back to guessing girl for some reason.  I can't wait to find out if God has picked out another little boy or a little girl to bless our family!!
Labor Signs? Shockingly, when we went to the doctor on Friday we were told we had moved from 1-2 cm to 3 cm dilated.  Holy moly.  We never moved past a 2 with Cole before being induced so I was not expecting to hear 3 cm whatsoever.  Now we're curious if we'll end up having a January baby or if we'll make it to our February 1st due date... or beyond??
Symptoms? Tired in the evenings but still plenty of energy during the day and overall I honestly don't feel like I'm 38+ weeks pregnant.  Feeling good!

Belly button in or out? Out all the time 

Wedding rings on or off? Still on and no swelling yet.

Happy or moody? How can I not be happy... we're so close to the finish line and I was very blessed with another healthy pregnancy.
Looking forward to? One more day to do a few smaller classroom related things and I'll be completely sub ready for maternity leave.  Then it's just a waiting game :)

Daddy moment?  Thanks to Ashley babysitting Cole we were able to enjoy a rare date night with just us two.  We went to Radius Brewery for drinks (for Trent), appetizers, entrees, desserts... we enjoyed it all!  It was so nice to enjoy a meal without entertaining a toddler the whole time.  After dinner we even headed to the movies!  Say what?! We saw American Sniper which was SO good. 

Big Brother Cole moment: We're pretty sure the transition of Cole to his big boy bed can officially be called a success!  He is still going down most nights at normal time no problem and seems to like the space of his bed with his stuffed animals and "pom-poms"... his word for pillows.  We bought side rails to prevent him from falling out but of course he is such a wiggle worm he's fallen off the end- luckily only twice- but still :(  makes mama feel bad!  It's pretty cute in the mornings that he'll now get out of bed and greet us at his door at the gate we set up each night.  There's also been some instances where we see him get out of bed and peek under his door to holler at us.  Didn't take him long to figure that one out!  Overall, we're so proud of how well he handled the transition to a full size bed and are so thankful we got it done before little baby brother/sister joins us!

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!!