7 days to go

Dear Little Pea,

We are officially 39 weeks!  When I was pregnant with Michela I started to get discouraged at this point because of my lack of progress.  This time, I don't care about progress or lack there of.  I'm simply enjoying the last couple of days or weeks with you as my inside baby.  I'm not looking for any signs of labor or looking up the next way to encourage labor naturally.  I'm just going day by day and happy to feel you roll and stretch inside.  With that said, I have had a ton of braxton hicks contractions the last two days.  I'm having several braxton hicks in a day and have them when ever I switch sides at night.  I'm pretty sure they're braxton hicks contractions and not labor contractions because they neither hurt or are rhythmic.  I'm curious to see what the doctor says on Thursday when we go to our next appointment.  I certainly look forward to meeting you and my excitement continues to grow as we get closer to our due date.  You take your time and come when you're ready.

Our house is decorated for Christmas and your room is about 98% completed.  We just need to do a couple finishing touches and it will be perfect!  Of course the finishing touches can't be completed until your arrival because it involves your name.  :)

 The stocking on the left is merely holding the place of your personalized stocking.  After your birthday we will take that one down and hang yours.

The little socks above your stocking is our new advent calendar.  There will be little goodies inside for you and your sister starting December 1st.

 And a picture without the flash.

 This will be where you rest your head in your room.  One of Daddy's students brought you that blanket.  Her Grandma made it especially for you!  I love it!

Above the window Daddy is going to hang wooden letters to spell your name.  The purple and pink rectangles are going to have photographs of you and our family.  You can also see a backpack on the rocking chair.  That is my new diaper bag.  I need something extra large to hold enough cloth diapers to keep you and your sister clean when we are out and about.  I thought my college backpack would be the perfect solution since the diaper bag that I thought I wanted is nearly $200!!!

Keep growing strong Little Pea!

With all my love,

Mommy
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UPDATE:  2.25.12

Dear  Penelope,

Daddy had the week off of work for ski week.  We finally completed your name and hung them in the nursery.  I love them and hope you do too!  Oh and the backpack mentioned in the earlier letter; it didn't work out so well so we ended up spending the $200 for the giant diaper bag.  :)

Love,

Mommy

Watch Me Dance!

Dear Michela,

You are our dancing queen.  You also love watching yourself in videos.  So we made a silly video of you dancing!  :)

Love,

Mommy & Daddy

Watch Me Dance!

Happy Thanksgiving

Drawing

Dear Michela,

I am your mother so know that I'm giving an unbiased opinion! ::wink wink::  Let me tell you why you are an advanced toddler.   You love to draw.   Your drawings may look like scribbles to some but you are an artist.  You will draw something and tell me exactly what you drew.  This morning you drew an airplane and a flower.  You kept coming back to the airplane to tell me that you drew an airplane.  You knew exactly what you were drawing and wanted to make sure I knew it!  I would scan your masterpiece and share it in this letter but our scanner isn't working properly.

You also hold your crayons with a modified tripod grasp.  I thought it was early for you to be holding a crayon that way so I hopped on the computer for some quick research.  I Googled age appropriate grasps and according to multiple websites you are holding a crayon like a 3-4 year old!   Yea I know that websites can give false information but I'm sure these are facts!  You can't go wrong with diagrams like this one!  :)

You are also one very creative little girl.  For nap time I have removed access to all toys and books by placing them in your closet and shutting the door.  You haven't figured out how to open the closet just yet so this strategy works for now.  I do keep your stuffed doggie out because he has become your cuddle toy.   Since all of your toys are out of reach you have found other ways to keep you awake during nap time.  You decided that the nursing stool that used to be in your room (I took it out a few days ago) is fun to stand on in different parts of the room.  You also like the bins your diapers are in so I have to put them on top of the changing table when it's time to take a nap.  Lastly, you love pulling your blankets over your head.  I'm surprised at how long simply covering your head with a blanket will keep you entertained.  I'm glad you are able to find joy in the simplest of things, even if you should be settling down for a nap.  

I love you my little advanced baby.  Keep learning and exploring.

With all my love,

Mommy  

Dun Dun Dun

Dear Little Pea,

We had an appointment on Thursday and got to see you via ultrasound!  We didn't have any pictures printed because you are just too big to get a clear shot.  We could see your heart beating strong and your head in the "go" position!  It was kind of a distracting appointment though because your poor sister had her 2nd flu shot dose just before.  Poor baby flipped out when ever the nurse or doctor came in and she did not want them any where near me!  So after we saw you on the ultrasound machine Daddy took Michela outside while the doctor finished with me.

I had the Group B Strep test done and the doctor checked my cervix for dilation.  The Group B strep test is just an easy swipe with a long Q-tip.  I learned that I am 1.5 centimeters dilated.  I know I can be 1.5 centimeters dilated for weeks but at least I'm 1.5 centimeters closer to 10!  :)

Today I received the results for the Group B Strep and I tested positive.  I emailed the doctor to see what this means for me exactly but I believe I will simply receive antibiotics while I'm in labor to help prevent you from contracting the bacteria.  I also guess that they will test you once you're born to see if you have it and treat you if necessary.  I haven't heard from the doctor yet because it's Sunday but I suspect I'll hear from her or one of her colleagues in the next couple of days.

Keep growing strong and know that I love you!

With all my love,

Mommy

Full term

Dear Little Pea,

Today we are 37 weeks which means that we are officially full term!  You can come at any time and be perfectly healthy!  YAY!  Now we are simply waiting for you to send the signal to my body saying that you're ready to be an outside baby.  Your signal will jump start the whole laboring process.

This weekend Daddy is going to install your carseat in the car and I'll pack my hospital bag.  I'm trying to be on a cooking spree but it's been a little challenging with your sister the past week so I haven't had much energy to cook.  All in all, we have some meals in the freezer and I have plans for more.  I think we'll be pretty well stocked by the time you arrive.

This morning your sister pulled up my shirt, said "hi sissy" and kissed my belly.  She then gave you (my belly) a big hug.  I can't wait to introduce you to her and see how you two interact as you grow.

I love you baby girl and have enjoyed our journey thus far having you as our inside baby.  As far as I can tell you are still head down.   Your hiccups are really low so that tells me you're in the "go position".  I'm ready for you when ever you say go!  Take your time and send your signal when you're ready.  Just don't wait too long or we'll have to get things going with your help.

With all my love,

Mommy

Nap battles

Dear Michela,

This week we have had the battle of naps.  You skipped 3 naps this week and cried for an hour before going down for one.  So needless to say you have been sleep deprived.  Last night you fought bedtime for the first time but eventually fell asleep after a 20 minute battle.

I have been doing a lot of reading about naps this week and I may have a solution.  Everything I have read says that when a toddler drops from two naps to one nap we should move your bedtime earlier.  You have been down to one nap for a few months now and we didn't bump your bedtime up because you go to sleep pretty early as it is.   It sounds like you have been deprived of much needed sleep and this week it finally caught up to you.  So my new solution is to bump your bedtime up so you're in bed by 6:30.  That will hopefully help you get the extra sleep you need at night and keep you from being overly tired for your nap.  I don't know, we'll give it a try for a week or two to see if there is any improvement on the nap front.

This morning you went to the store with Daddy and fell asleep in the car at 9am.  We left you in the car and put the baby monitor with you so we could hear you when you woke up.  You slept for over 2 hours!!!  I of course had to worry about you in the car (I guess it's a mom thing) and didn't trust the monitor so I kept peeking in on you.  Normally we try to prevent you from sleeping in the car because it messes up your naps.  Since your naps have been sporadic lately we let you sleep.  You need the rest!

I love you baby girl!  Get some rest and continue to be my happy girl.

With all my love,

Mommy

Sleep? What's that?

Dear Michela,

This morning I started out slightly frustrated.  You are not following the rules of daylight savings and have been waking up at 4:30am!  That is just too early for you (and I) to be waking up.  I tried for a good 45 minutes to get you to go back to sleep with no success.  At around 5:00 you got out of bed and tried to talk to me while I lied on the floor.  You brought me a book but I ignored you.  Then you started to ask for milk (to nurse).  I again ignored.  So you went to your changing table, pulled out a clean diaper and put it on my head.  How could I not find that funny?  Our morning routine begins with a diaper change, nursing, then breakfast.  You putting the diaper on my head was your way of telling me that it's time to begin our day!  You're such a cleaver girl.

This afternoon you refused to take a nap unless I nursed you to sleep.  I'm not going to get into that routine so I didn't nurse you to sleep.  You unfortunately decided that if I wasn't going to nurse you to sleep that you weren't going to nap.  Grrrr!  So you woke up at 4:30am and went all day without a single wink of sleep.  Needless to say, we were (I still am) exhausted.

We had breakfast for dinner tonight!  Yum!  Daddy made bacon, eggs and potatoes for dinner.  You ate eggs with toast and yogurt.  You didn't want the bacon.  While you were eating your yogurt you started to fall asleep!  You were so funny to watch!  I have seen pictures of toddlers asleep with their head on their dinner plate but never understood how that could happen - until tonight.  You had been up for 12.5 hours and obviously exhausted.  I decided to stop laughing  help you clean up when you completely missed your mouth and put a spoonful of yogurt on your eyebrow.   This is why an afternoon nap is good for you!   I put you to bed tonight at 5:45 and you were asleep by 5:50.  Hopefully this doesn't backfire and you wake up extra early tomorrow.

I hope tomorrow you sleep until 5:30 / 6 and take a nice long nap in the early afternoon.

I love you baby girl.  Lets get some sleep!

Love,

Your Exhausted Mommy

Monthly Check-in: 36 Weeks

How far along?: 36 weeks!  One more week until we're considered full term!  

Total weight gain?: I am up less than 5 lbs than last month!  Woo hoo!  That makes the grand total around 23-25 lbs.  

Maternity clothes?: Yup.    

Stretch marks?: Nope 

Sleep?: I have learned that daylight savings and toddlers don't work together.  Your sister decided twice this week to wake up at 4:30am!!!  Please don't do that to mommy too!  Pregnancy related, my legs hurt when I'm in bed making me wake up every hour to change positions in hope that it alleviates the pain.

Best moment this week?: In the last two weeks I have been feeling you flip around.  What I mean is I'll feel you kick my bladder in the morning.  By the time evening comes you're kicking my ribs!  I just hope you're not wrapping your umbilical cord around your neck with all the flipping you're doing in there.  The last couple of days you have remained head down.  At least I think you're head down because that's where I feel your hiccups. We'll find out next week when Dr. Tien gives us an ultrasound.  


Another great moment this week was hearing your sister say your name.  (Yes onlookers, Michela can say Little Pea's name but she will only repeat it after we say it.  There is no use in trying to get her to say it.  muhahaha)



Movement?: Yes. See above.

Food cravings?: I don't have any specific cravings these days.  It seems to vary day to day.  One day I'll crave chips while the next I'll crave hot chocolate.  I haven't been able to give into these cravings thankfully!  Imagine the weight gain if I indulged in all of my cravings!

Labor signs?: Nope.  Sunday I had quite a few braxton hicks contractions but no pattern formed and they never were painful.  

Belly button in or out?: In but it's shallow.

What I miss?: Sleeping without pain.  Oh and lying on my back and still having the ability to breathe!     

What I'm looking forward to?: Reaching full term next week.  As scared as I am to have two baby girls in the house, I'm excited to meet you and introduce you to the world.

Lets see how my bump has grown!

Cool Fall Day

Dear Michela,

This is why I love cool days.  Cute jeans, adorable vest, and a crazy owl hat on my cutie-pa-tootie!  Okay so the hat was a little over the top for yesterday's weather but I had to get a picture with it none-the-less.

Love you cutie-pa-tootie!

Mommy

17 months

Dear Michela,

You are now 17 months old.  Time seems to be speeding along and I'm not sure I'm ready for you to be 1.5 next month!  You now have several words that you can say and seem to be interested in trains.  We can hear the train when we're in the front yard and you get very excited!  Daddy and I showed you a couple youtube videos with trains blowing their whistles so now when you hear the train pass you stop exploring or playing to say, "Choo, choo".

We can also see airplanes take off from the airport from our front yard.   When ever you see one or hear one you stop exploring and say "sky".  You can say airplane but instead you say sky.  I interpret it as you're saying, "Look in the sky!"

Since Halloween was Monday our neighbors have had decorations in their front yards.  Your favorite decorations are ghosts.  You don't say ghosts but you say,  "oooOOOoo" while pointing at them during our walks.  You also noticed the over sized spiders in some of the neighbor's yards.  When you see them you start the hand motion for the song Itsy Bitsy Spider.  That's your sign for spider and will use it when you see real spiders crawling in the house.  I love all the language you're learning and using.  You continue to surprise me with new words everyday!  :)

One of my favorite sounds is your belly laugh.  I know I can count on Daddy to make you laugh.  Daddy is the funniest person you know.  I caught him on video making you laugh.

{video - click on the link below to watch on the blog}

I love you baby girl.  Keep learning and growing.

With all my love,

Mommy

35/35

Dear Little Pea,

Today we are 35 weeks with only 35 days to go until our due date!  Obviously I know that you can come before or after your due date but it's fun to count down.  I am super excited to meet you and give you a kiss for the first time.  You have been growing in my belly for quite some time now and I'm excited to see who you are.  I'm also scared.  I know that I have just as much love in my heart for you as I do for your sister but I'm scared how I'm going to function with the two of you together.   Michela demands a lot of attention and I know you will demand just as much if not more!  I'm sure we'll figure out a routine that works for us.  For now all I can do is think about it and worry.  

Yesterday Lowes delivered our chest freezer for the garage.  I can't tell you how excited I was to see it set up.  Now I can start cooking and preparing meals for after your arrival!  YAY!  I wonder how long it will take for me to fill it up?  We're starting with butternut squash soup and turkey burger patties.  I think it'll be fun cooking but I'll have to be creative with time.  As I mentioned above, Michela demands a lot of attention.  Luckily she likes to "help" in the kitchen so I'll be able to get some things prepared while she's awake.  Other things I'll have to do while she's sleeping.  The only problem with that is I want to sleep when she sleeps!  All well, I'll figure it out!  When in doubt, you're due between two holidays that are usually filled with yummy foods!  I'm sure I can get some leftovers to take home if we're in a bind for dinners.  :)

Now, a little about you these days.  Either you are a petite baby or you hide your size well.  At our 32 week appointment my fundal height was measuring 29/30 weeks.  Dr Tien wasn't worried and said that it looks like you already dropped (meaning, you are sitting low and ready to go).  I of course go to the worst possible senario and worry that the placenta isn't doing it's job.  I only think about this on occasion and the worry is fairly minimal.   I think it's just what mom's do best, worry.  The times I think about it are when strangers say how small I look for being due in December.  I hear, "wow, you're so small!  When my sister was as far along as you she was huge!"  I should say, "Great!  I'm sure your sister would love to know what you thought of her size when she was pregnant!"  But I don't say anything at all.  I just smile and let that irrational fear slowly creep into my mind.  Grr!  The saving grace is that you are one little wiggle worm.  Sometimes you hurt me when you stretch, roll, and kick.  I love watching my belly when you're on a rampage.  Just keep your feet out of my ribs okay?  Thanks!    

I love you baby girl!  Keep growing strong!  I look forward to seeing you via ultrasound on Nov. 17th.

With all my love,

Mommy

Moo