When Jack was Born

Jack Christopher Robinson is here!  Six pounds and twelves ounces, 19.5 inches long.  He arrived on 6/26 at 12:55 pm, just short of five hours of labor.  I couldn't believe it.

Giving birth for the second time was a completely different experience.  I got up in the morning knowing that I'd be induced and be giving birth later.  I showered, kissed our sleeping Eliot good-bye, and off we went to the hospital.

They broke my water around 8:00 am and I was at three centimeters.  After some blood work, they began my pitocin at 8:45 am, but I was already having contractions about three minutes apart and moderately intense.  I told the nurse and my doctor that I wanted to go ahead and get the epidural whenever I could because last time I went an extra four hours without it--and it was not fun at all.

About 10:00 am, the doctor came to administer the epidural.  As I lay there limp over a table trying my hardest not to move (with the knowledge that a very large needle would be going into my back), we talked about Jack Kerouac and Existentialism.  The epidural came at a good time because the contractions never reached that absolutely horrible place like they did with Eliot.  They hurt, but I could still keep my eyes open at least.

It wasn't too long after that when I started grumbling about other pains.  I couldn't feel my contractions, but I was feeling weird pressures.  But that couldn't be Jack already, right?  I mean, no way.  I wasn't expecting to have him until 4:00 pm optimistically, but more realistically around 7:00 pm.  Somewhere around 11:00 am, I couldn't take it anymore and asked the nurse if maybe something was going on.  Sure enough, I was at six and the pressure I was feeling was Jack making his way down.  That was fast.

Over the next hour, they had me change positions a few times because Jack's heart rate would go down and then come back up.  It wasn't a major cause for concern, but we hoped to level it out.  The pressure kept growing stronger and would intensify with contractions and then back off.  Around noon or 12:30 pm, I called the nurse again and said I felt so silly, but it was hurting a lot and didn't seem like nothing.  ...And I was at nine.  Whaaat?  She called the doctor to come immediately.  Chris frantically called his parents to tell them to come and bring Eliot right away.  My parents were there already, but his family had been watching Eliot at our house with plans to come later.  Fortunately, his mom and sister were already on the way, so Elizabeth came in quickly to take photos while I was breathing the best I could with tons of pressure and trying so hard not to push until the doctor came.  With Eliot, I suppose my epidural was turned up more, so I hadn't felt pressure like this before.

I don't know what time the doctor came, but they were set up and ready to go quickly.  As I pushed, the doctor said his heart rate was dropping again, so we needed to get him OUT.  After two or three rounds of pushes, Jack was born.  The doctor told me to reach down and grab him.  I did.  She said, "Well, pull him out."  He was slippery--I thought I needed help and was kind of out of it anyway.  I pulled him up and placed him on my chest.  He is safe.  Finally, he is safe, I thought.  He has hair.  He looks like Eliot, but he looks different.  As it turned out, the cord was around Jack's neck, which had caused his heart rate to go down.  I heard Chris choke back tears of joy, just like when Eliot was born, and the nurse asked if he was OK.  There our Jack was.  Born at 12:55 pm.  Just shy of five hours of labor.

 Chris kept Jack company while they cleaned him up and I tried to nurse before bringing in the family.

The first person to walk through the door to meet Jack was Eliot carried in by Christopher.  I was so happy to see him in this collision of worlds.  I had been missing, thinking, and worrying about Eliot all day while laboring and worrying about this new son at the same time.  I had just met our Jack, but I loved him dearly and wanted us all to be together and bond as a family.  I missed home and I yearned to build our new home with my husband and our sons, which I couldn't do instantly in our hospital room--I wasn't even cleaned up all the way yet. Eliot was cautious at first and a little confused.  Interested in Jack, but confused as to why I was laying in a bed and what all these machines were.  A little later, though, Chris's parents brought him back again when we were settled into our room and Eliot was all over Jack.  He wanted to find his feet, touch his arm, point to him, say his name over and over.  He loved him and asked to hold him.  Eliot did not show a hint of jealousy at this point, but I know I'll need to give Eliot his special, individual attention and affirmation while we all adjust.

Overall, things went smooth with Jack in the hospital.  He did a great job nursing.  Unlike Eliot, he slept in the bassinet (Eliot would only sleep while being held) fine and gave us about two and a half hours straight of sleep each night.

As for appearance, he has this amazing head full of dark brown hair.  I kept saying that maybe my heartburn was for something, but I didn't really believe it all the way since almost everyone in our family (with a few exceptions here and there) is born bald and then has blond hair as a child. Poor Eliot didn't have any hair to speak of until he was a year and a half.  Chris's dad has mentioned that Chris's uncle and also his great uncle (who happened to be named Jack too!) were both born with lots of dark hair, so perhaps he gets it from that side.  I am hoping that Jack's hair stays.  He looks similar to Eliot as a newborn, but his nose is slightly more broad.  His cheeks are also a little different.  Jack has dark blue eyes, which I suspect will either change to brown or hazel.  I know he'll keep changing from day to day, looking more like one of us and then the other, but I do know that he is pretty darn cute.

And the hospital photo:

He looks so much like Eliot in that hospital picture.

We were eager to get out of the hospital and go home perhaps moreso this time than with Eliot because we knew our little boy was waiting for us.  However, Eliot had so much fun with his grandparents and Aunt Elizabeth.  They even took him to Busch Gardens.  We thought we were never getting out of there because they hadn't done any of Jack's tests or pictures on Thursday.  How could they fit it all in (and also discharge me) on Friday morning?  Somehow, it worked out, Jack received all good reports, and we were home by noon.

Up next:  life with two.  Spoiler alert:  it's going great!

38 Weeks

38 weeks today.  Eight days until I get induced.  I'm telling you, I feel so much less antsy this time around.

Not much has changed, really.  No contractions to speak of, just pains at night I think from the day and also from Jack moving all over the place.  Sometimes I hurt in the mornings too, so I try to rest up more.

Knowing I have so little time left has helped me to be more proactive.  While I always feel like my house is a mess despite my non-stop efforts, I've been cleaning a lot.  And doing other things too, like trying to keep all of the towels clean, all of the bills paid far in advanced, all of my grading done early, all of the dishes done and put away, all of the cars washed (when your "nesting" extends to the cars, you know you're close), and the pantry full of food.  I want to have everything ready for me to take a little "leave of absence" as coordinator of the home while I'm in the hospital.  I want our home to be ready to receive company at all times.  I can't keep everything straight in the house like I've been trying to, but at least it's better than it could be.

We took our maternity photos a few days ago, which I wrote about.  I think they look great!  Our house still doesn't have much in the way of our photos hung up on the wall, which I plan to change (they're just packed away in a box), but I am so excited to frame some of these and hang corresponding photos of me pregnant with Eliot.

I hadn't been nervous about hardly anything with this pregnancy or adjusting until recently.  Last week, I was nothing but excited and anxious.  I have felt so ready to be un-pregnant.  Now as we approach Jack's arrival, I am feeling a little worried about if I can handle everything--the birth, the adjustment, having a newborn again.  Can I do it all and do it well for our Jack?  I shouldn't worry, though, because I managed to do it the first time and now I know so much more.  I remind myself that I felt the same way when Eliot came.  I was so excited, but then when I sat on the hospital bed waiting for my pitocin to begin, four days overdue, I thought to myself, "I don't know if I'm prepared for this."

Eliot is so ready to be potty trained and I feel a little guilty about that.  He tells us when he is going sometimes and asks for diaper changes.  He breaks in on people in the bathroom and asks for his turn.  However, I don't want to start now, just barely a week before Jack comes, and then be inconsistent since I'll be adjusting to a newborn.  It's not like he's behind or anything--he isn't even two and a half--so my plan is to see how things go and aim to potty train him by the time Jack is a few months old.  Then I can really give Eliot the attention he deserves during the process.

I suppose I might have one more weekly update left before Jack comes.  Right now, he is moving all over the place, kicking, and adjusting.  I can't wait to meet our boy, settle into a routine as we find our new "normal," and be a family of four!

DIY Maternity Photos

I had some big plans for our maternity photos.  We'd go to the Botanical Gardens in Norfolk and they'd be awesome.  However, that plan continued to grow more complex.  I wanted to go on a weekday to avoid crowds, but we were getting some rain.  The garden I wanted to take photos in requires a bit of walking, which I'm not good at.  And perhaps most complicated of all, on the way to that garden is a kids' splashground area, which Eliot would sure want to play in.

There are some fields by our neighborhood with awesome buttercups.  Chris and I thought that would make a great alternative and we could go whenever.  Morning or evening light is the best, but apparently buttercups also close up around these times.  Oops.  We made the most of it anyway, and I love how the photos turned out!

And I realize that I am really missing my contacts.  I have been wearing just glasses for about six months now because my contacts started making my eye very irritated.  I only wore my contacts for about an hour here, yet my eye was already goo-ing up.  Yuck!  I'm calling the optometrist....  This is the first time I've had this problem in my 13 years of wearing contacts.

Chris and I take our own photos with a remote.  I generally set up the family shots and then run in.  Taking pictures with a toddler can be difficult and even moreso when there isn't a person standing behind the camera, but somehow we've taught Eliot to look at the camera and smile.  He says, "Cheeeese!  Yogaaa!" over and over.  It's so funny.  Sometimes it requires some tickles for smiles too.  And afterward he is rewarded with playground time.

I gotta say, though, I am pretty proud of how well these photo sessions turn out considering we take them ourselves in just about ten minutes. And we didn't get any ticks or chiggers!  It's the little things.

And just for fun and comparison, here I am at our 28 week (third trimester) photo session with Jack followed by a 37 week photo with Eliot.

37 Weeks

Since I'm near the end, I might update weekly since so much seems to change.

This week, I made it a point to get all of the details in order.  We made our last trip to Target and online orders for things like the video monitor, thermometer, infant insert for the Ergo, new pacis, mittens, waterproof crib mattress cover, and so on.  Then I put together the swing, hauled out the co-sleeper (but didn't attach it to the bed yet), washed and folded everything, re-organized the dresser (again), and set up Jack's own little diaper basket.  His diapers are so tiny compared to Eliot's....  And Eliot thinks they're so neat (even though they're the same) that he keeps bringing them to me.  Ha.  Chris keeps telling me that I need to learn how to relax, but cleaning and organizing is relaxing to me.  And I guess that's just nesting, right?

I also have our bag mostly packed and I'm working on getting all of the camera stuff together.  One card cleared, planning to charge all the batteries today...  There's just a few things to grab on the way out if I end up going into labor myself.

Not much in the way of contractions at this point, but Jack is really low and putting a lot of pressure on me.  I understand that second-time moms don't always have the baby "drop" prior to labor, but I think he has.  I start getting excited for these signs, yet I know the reality is that it just means I'll be giving birth in the next few weeks or month, not the next few days.  This process is so gradual and so little can predict when only a few days remain. 

Jack's movements have hit that really painful place if I'm sitting wrong.  Or sitting at all...  They don't bother me so much if I'm laying down or reclined.  He moves a lot around 9:00 am and 8:30 pm.

With two weeks left until my induction, I feel like we're there.  However, that is still a bit of time, so I'm trying to keep busy.  Chris has had a lot of work to do lately, but we've had some fun anyway.  I took Eliot to the zoo, just the two of us.  The three of us got icecream at the ocean front.  And then we played "jungle golf".

I had my 37 week appointment yesterday.  Maybe I'm paranoid, but I was certain I was losing fluid.  Like, waiting for the doctor to come in and tell me to go to the hospital kind of certain.  They had to take my blood pressure twice because I was so worked up.  However, the doctor said I wasn't.  I'm not entirely convinced that I'm not losing a tiny bit of fluid, but I set my appointment to be induced, which has brought me some relief.  June 26th is the day.  When I got home, Chris said we should go to the bay.  I don't have a maternity bathing suit, so this was it.  I honestly feel uncomfortable in a bikini not-pregnant too, so all of the stares made me feel even more awkward--it's not that I feel like I look bad, but I worry that people think it is in poor taste.  But it worked.  And I got some smiles from strangers too.

Overall, I'm feeling pretty good!  Way better than I felt at 30 weeks or 33 weeks or even 35.  It's hard and painful to bend over to pick up Eliot's toys (they sit around longer and I try to get them all at once) and I feel like I need to lay down a lot due to the discomfort of sitting, but I'm less achy, no heartburn, few Braxton Hicks contractions, and overall doing all right!

The Remaining Few Weeks: A Second Time

Being pregnant with our second babe has been so different than the first time around.  The seasons are opposite, my understanding of what is to come is more complete, and while I dealt with more worry at the beginning (this was due to the fact that I had a miscarriage about a year ago, so I was even more worried this time throughout the first trimester), I'm much more calm at this point.

Near the end of my pregnancy with Eliot, I grew anxious.  Every twinge made me wonder if I was going into labor or would be soon.  I googled everything, yet learned nothing.  Everything said "soon," but "soon" is far from quantifiable.  "Soon" could be hours or weeks or even a month.  It is a slow process that we begin at different times and progress at various rates.

Last time, I googled every symptom, ate eggplant parmesan with a lot of basil (and I did have a lot of contractions after that eggplant!), and went for walks to hopefully get Eliot going with real contractions.  This time, I'm googling symptoms to remind myself that it's normal, eating cereal, and walking when we do something fun while hoping it won't get Braxton Hicks contractions going.

This time, though, I am not convincing myself that I will go early, which has provided me much relief.  I pay attention to my contractions and am prepared in case somehow Jack decides to come early, but I don't sit around waiting for labor to begin.

Communication with my doctors has been so much better this time, so while I know you can't be in control of birth at all really, I feel like we're all on the same page.  I didn't quite understand last time what the plan was if I didn't go into labor on my own.  I didn't want to be induced--I wanted to avoid it--so instead I waited and I waited and had an emergency induction at 40 weeks and 4 days.  Eliot was born the next morning.  Due to our complications with Eliot, we're planning our induction this time.  I know I'll have to be induced eventually (that's just how I and all the women in our family are), so we might as well plan for it to avoid the emergency part like last time.

I'm not that worried about labor and delivery this time.  Chris is because he said it was so scary last time and he remembers being very tired.  When I think about it, it kind of was the worst pain I've ever been in, which is frightening to know is coming again.  I remember shaking, that I couldn't open my eyes, and I kept saying I was going to puke and didn't know if I had a bucket nearby.  However, I just am not that concerned for some reason.  I did it before, I guess, so I can do it again.  I didn't get an epidural until 2:00 am, which was nine hours in, so maybe if I get one earlier (and I could have, but they didn't tell me), it won't be as bad.  And last time, I had worked all week and that day.  Then we went to the doctor after work.  We were already tired.  Then we went to the hospital afraid because Eliot's fluid was low.  They started my pitocin around 5:00 pm.  I labored all night.  At 6:53 am, Eliot was born.  No wonder we were exhausted--we had been up all night knowing I was in danger of needing a c-section.  This time, though, it will likely be different.  With planning our induction, we will probably go in the morning.  I probably won't sleep well the night before, but I will be resting in bed at least.  I'll labor during the day, and I suspect I'll probably have Jack in the evening or night.  I guess what I'm trying to say is that I'll be more rested, so I probably won't be as exhausted when Jack arrives.  Plus, I really didn't sleep during my hospital stay with Eliot.  He wanted to be held to sleep at night (sound familiar?), and I remember not feeling that tired.

I do have new concerns this time around, though.  When I had Eliot, I just had to worry about my pets.  We also had a gas leak at our house, but Chris's parents fortunately arranged for it to be taken care of.  Now I am worrying about Eliot.  I've never spent a night away from him.  He sleeps in his own bed at night, but it isn't always easy and I know he won't go to sleep on his own in new surroundings.  My mom and Chris's mom both are willing to watch him, and he adores his Nana and Mawmaw.  However, three days seems like a long time to be apart from my Eliot.  I'll be worrying about him a lot.

I am still a bit nervous about leaking fluid and not realizing it.  With Eliot, it started at 38 weeks, which is in one week.  However, everything looked great at our 36 week ultrasound and we're taking control the best we can with the planned induction, so I am worrying less than earlier in my pregnancy.

Here we are.  The last couple of weeks.  I'm just trying to stay busy.  When I'm not busy, I just sit and think about having this baby--and that will drive you crazy waiting and waiting for weeks.  We got this; I'm not worried.

Taking It Easy//Busy Days//Taking It Easy

I go so back and forth between wanting to hang around the house to then needing to get out.  We seem to go in two-day rotations.

On Monday and Tuesday, we mostly stayed at home with one kind of small outing each day (to the mall on Monday and then my doctor's appointment on Tuesday).

By Wednesday, we had enough resting and wanted to go on adventures.  We spent the morning in the backyard playing with Eliot--we helped him water the palm trees, Chris drank coffee and read the newspaper, I took pictures and did some work, and Chris and Eliot went swimming.  I love our backyard.  We put so much into it this summer and it really feels like a resort to me.

After dinner, we drove down to the oceanfront for icecream and to play at the beach.  My favorite smoothie in the world comes from Kohr Brothers (so it is actually more of a dessert than a healthy smoothie), but all of their locations have closed aside from the ones at the ocean front.  Good luck finding parking...  We found a lot about four blocks away, so I was able to get my favorite smoothie for the first time in about three years.  Fortunately, I make a [healthier] version at home that tastes really close.

Eliot played in the sand and we got a little wet.  Chris took some photos, but I feel like I look a little silly.  It was windy.  I hadn't done my hair or make-up.  Looking at these photos, I realize how ridiculous it must look for me to carry Eliot.  He's so... BIG.  He's not a little baby anymore by any means.

By the time we got home, I was sore and exhausted.  We ended up walking ten blocks, which I suppose isn't a lot, but to me right now, yeah, it is.

I'm really spoiled with Chris working at home.  Usually, we do nearly every outing together.  On Wednesday, though, Chris had some extra grading to do, so I took Eliot to the zoo by myself.  Sometimes Eliot doesn't listen the best since he's an excited little boy learning boundaries and asserting his independence.  It's understandable and it doesn't make me mad, but that doesn't mean that it is OK all the time or that it isn't hard sometimes.  I was kind of worried that he'd run away by himself because he loves to run to and is always counting down for a race.  Our trip to the zoo was the total opposite of my worries.  He was perfect--helpful, even.

I brought our new double stroller to the zoo to "break it in" because it gives toddlers the option to sit or ride standing up.  I knew I couldn't carry him the whole way and it'd be too much walking for him the entire time.  Eliot spent about 45 minutes riding up front and pointing out where he wanted me to go.  Works for me.

Around lunch time, we both were super hungry.  We've had trouble with Eliot in restaurants, and the zoo is like a cafeteria-style restaurant.  I knew I couldn't carry him to keep him near and also carry a tray.  But I just carried the tray and told him where to walk...  And he listened.  He did exactly what I asked.  Whoa.  He even sat in a booth with me and ate his food happily until the very end when he wanted to eat under the table--and I eat really slowly, so I'm sure he got bored.

Then it was more animal time!  We saw all the cool animals up-close, which doesn't always happen.  The new tigers have arrived.  We saw an elephant drinking water.  And best of all, we saw a momma and baby giraffe that had just been born that morning.  And you know how Eliot loves babies.

On the way out, I bought Eliot a mom and baby giraffe stuffed animal.  Of course, when we got home, he asked that I cut them apart.  He doesn't usually like stuffed animals, but he loves babies so much that he has been carrying the pair with him everywhere and asking to play "mommy-baby".

After two hours of walking all over the zoo, I was so tired.  Too much for two days in a row.  I rested some and put together Jack's new swing while Chris went to the gym and grocery store.  Then I made dinner while Chris and Eliot played basketball out front.  At 9:30 pm, Eliot was still going strong yet acting so clumsy, but I told him that I was off the clock and made him go to bed.  What happened to his 8:45 pm bedtime, you ask?  I'd like to know too.  When he got sick, his schedule was thrown off again, but he is still sleeping in his own bed, just with a little less ease.  We'll get there again.  It might just take a week.

By the way, doesn't Eliot have near perfect form?  The kid has loved basketball since he was a newborn--no joke.

And now the rain comes, making it so I have to take it easy.  It's a good thing, too, because sometimes I can't get myself to stop when I should.  There are a few things I want to do before Jack comes, like take maternity photos at the Botanical Gardens.  I hope we can get a day without rain next week--overcast is fine and even preferred, just no rain.  About three weeks left...

36 Weeks

36 weeks and doin' all right!  Of course, I kind of feel like a manatee (slow moving and a little, um, large), but I'll take the third trimester aches over the first trimester nausea, constant hunger, and fatigue any day!

I had been getting some really intense contractions, worse than what Braxton Hicks should be, but they didn't progress enough to be labor.  While I wasn't worried that I was going into labor and declined Chris's repeated offers to go to the hospital, I hoped that they were helping me progress some.  At my 35 week appointment, the doctor confirmed that I was at one centimeter, so hopefully that means the pain is for something.  With Eliot, I started progressing about a month out too. To me, it simply means less work for later, not that I think I'll go early.  I just can't let my mind go there or I'll drive myself crazy.

35 weeks

I was trying to help Eliot understand what to expect with a newborn, so I showed him some videos of himself as a baby.  He was so excited and asked to watch "more baby movies" whenever one would end.  Eventually, though, he realized that he was bald as a baby and grew incredibly distraught.  He kept grabbing his head and asking for affirmation that he had hair.  It was pretty silly.  Eliot really likes babies for some reason, so I think we're stepping into the best situation we can at this point.

Over the weekend, we had our "yay Jack"/baby sprinkle/pool party.  I probably should have called it a "baby splash" instead of shower or sprinkle since it was a pool party.  We spent the morning picking up the stray sticks in the yard, arranging chairs, and cleaning up the house (with the help of my mom).  Then in the afternoon, I prepared the food and my parents helped set the food out.  My mom helped so much by picking up some food from Sam's and Chris drove all the way out to Suffolk to buy authentic, Carolina-style barbeque.  We also had vegetarian options, like veggie pigs in a blanket (thanks, Kimmy!) and blackbean sloppy Joes.  While I planned to make more from scratch, Chris reminded me that I am quite pregnant and don't need to out-do myself.  In the end, we had well over half of the food left over, so it's a good thing I didn't go baking bread or preparing dips from scratch in the morning like I planned.  Anyway, the pool party was simple, some family and a few friends, and perfect.  It was fun talking to everyone and watching my sister wrangle six kids in the pool by herself.  I would have helped, but I honestly don't feel comfortable in a bathing suit around people right now (I never bought a maternity suit because I figured I'd only wear it once).

My friend Lara took this picture of Eliot crawling under her chair.  In case you are wondering, those are temporary pirate tattoos on his chest.

Unfortunately, we didn't take any photos at the party because we all were so busy enjoying ourselves.  I feel a little sad about that--I really would have at least liked a photo of the three of us together as a family--but I don't have any pictures from Eliot's shower either.  I do have all of the cards, though, and invitations, so that's something, I think.  Even though I said no gifts were necessary (and really meant it!  I just wanted to recognize and celebrate our Jack), we received some awesome presents for Jack.  I'm so excited to put that swing together (I didn't have a full-size one for Eliot), cozy Jack up in those onesies and swaddlers, use the Burt's Bees for his baths, and watch him gaze at the toys.

I have written about worrying about my weight some, but I guess I just needed to wait until the end.  I went from gaining only one pound over three weeks to suddenly gaining seven pounds over three weeks!  I haven't changed what or how I eat at all, but it's good to be gaining more now.  The nurse mentioned that sometimes there is a delay, which makes sense.  I have gained 26 pounds so far, which is great, I think.  They say to aim for 20-30, and since I weighed less at the beginning of pregnancy, high 20s to low 30s is a good place for me.  Fortunately, the weight has mostly all gone to my tummy and hips, so I don't feel very big in the face or arms.

36 weeks

At my 36 week appointment, I had my last ultrasound.  Jack is still head-down.  He weighs about five pounds, which will put him around six and a half to seven and a half pounds--similar to Eliot's weight.  His fluid level is doing just fine (hurray!), and he was practicing breathing.  During each of my ultrasounds, he has been practicing breathing, which the ultrasound tech said is a great sign for a thriving baby.  He certainly looked smooshed in there, so I probably won't post any pictures of the ultrasound (they were so unclear), but his facial features look a lot like Eliot's to me.

With the end so in sight, this whole pregnancy seems over, yet it also seems like I have much more time left that will just drag on.  The "any day now" comments have begun, and I appreciate the encouragement, but I am trying not get my hopes up about Jack coming early.  I'm running out of things to do to keep myself busy, especially since I am more slow at getting around.  I try to do laundry or clean to keep myself occupied, but it is hard to bend over.  I've accept that swollen ankles and hands are just here to stay (especially with the heat).  They don't bother me too much.  I think Chris is more ready for me to be un-pregnant than I am, and he's even more nervous about my labor and delivery than me!  I have done it before, and I know I can do it again.

The Nursery

Jack's nursery has been together for a while, but I have a few "extra" things in there (like Chris's surfboard...), so it had been difficult to grab a few photos.  Alas, here it is!

I wanted to do an "underwater" theme for Jack, but I really didn't have to buy much at all.  We already had so much of it.  Chris and my mom painted the room a blue-grey back in February.

The crib is the same one Eliot used (ha.  He barely used it--he hated it).  Instead of getting lots of baby bedding with a quilt and all, I just bought a fitted sheet, baby blanket, and mobile from Babies R Us.  I also have a breathable bumper that I will put on later, but I plan to wash everything again closer to when Jack arrives.

These pictures don't look as crooked in real life.  Sigh.  I'm not great at hanging pictures, and while the frames look the same, one has a bracket to hang and one has a wire, so it's kind of weird.  Anyway, they came from Berkley Illustrations.  They used to be hanging in our downstairs bathroom at the old house.

This is what you see when you enter the room.  It looks a little bare and unfocused since we don't have a dresser for Jack, but we'll get him one eventually and it will look more complete.  I'm just having Eliot and Jack share a dresser for a while.

I used this same rocking chair for Eliot.  My mom used it for my sister and me, and my sister used it for my niece and nephew.  I plan to order a cushion for it--maybe I'll do that today.  The pictures came from Studio Tuesday on Etsy.  I had them hanging in the playroom at the old house, but I liked how aquatic they were for Jack's room.  The lamp actually goes more with the next photo and came from Target.

I got this stand when I went away to college and have used it for many different purposes.  It served as a dresser in my dorm.  It was a bookcase at our apartment when we first got married.  I used it as an end table too.  It held Eliot's toys in the playroom at our old house.  Now it holds Jack's toys and maybe some essentials for the middle of the night, like diapers.  I had posted the whale painting when we announced Jack's name, but I painted it with water colors and also made one for Eliot's room.

I'm really happy with how the nursery came out.  Almost everything was re-purposed and fit perfectly.  I guess moving helped with that since I didn't have a specific place in mind for the prints I already had--which fit with the underwater theme.  The only things I bought were the bedding, mobile, rockingchair cushion (soon, I hope), hamper (which Jack and Eliot are sharing and Eliot's old one broke in the move), and lamp, I think.

Second Baby; Second Chances: The Hospital Bag

I've been getting painful contractions every now and then.  They last a minute or so and are close together, but they don't progress enough to be "real".  With four to five weeks left, I'm not very worried about going into early labor (or even labor on my own) with Jack based on both my medical past and family history, but for peace of mind I plan to get our hospital bag kind of together this week.

I was all kinds of nervous about everything with Eliot, including the simple act of packing a hospital bag.  Perhaps my worries of the unknown with giving birth for the first time were being expressed by my desire to "get right" what I could control.  And that was the contents of my hospital bag.

I totally overpacked.

And when my doctor said, "You're going to the hospital for an emergency induction.  Don't even go home.  Don't even go get your bag.  Go straight to the hospital.  Go.  RIGHT NOW!"  Well, that made me realize how little "control" that bag actually symbolized.  At the time, we lived a mile from the hospital, so my doctor then said it was fine to stop by the house real quick, but we should hurry.

In my first bag, I included items that seem silly now, like a bathing suit (hey, they kept saying during our hospital tour how awesome birthing pools are!) and a curling iron.  I wanted to look my best for all of these important pictures, but I didn't even shower until the morning we left.  Next time, I'll shower earlier because it makes you feel so much better, but I felt like I couldn't pry myself away.  Also, some people suggest bringing movies, which could work, I suppose.  Chris brought The OC.  Really, though, he was so captivated by Eliot that Marissa shooting Trey seemed irrelevant.  Instead, he watched football at one point while cuddling with Eliot.

I also left out some important items.  I didn't have a nightgown for the hospital, so I felt strapped to the bed (I didn't want everyone to see my bare backside in the hospital gown and for some reason didn't put on two like they suggest!).  I didn't have nursing pads for my bra (I had been too embarrassed to buy them).  And I didn't have back-up batteries for our camera's flash, which promptly died.  I didn't bring Eliot mittens because I didn't realize how much he'd be scratching his face.

So, this time around, I have new hospital bag plans:

For mom, nightgown (I actually got a little dress on sale from Old Navy because I couldn't find a good nightgown), nursing bra, nursing pads, socks, going home outfit (sweatpants and a tee-shirt for me), deodorant, a hair tie or two, toothbrush and toothpaste, soap and shampoo if the hospital does not supply them.

For dad, a couple of tee-shirts and a pair of pants, deodorant, shared soap and shampoo.

For baby, a photo outfit, a going home outfit, mittens (2), socks (2), baby hat (2), shoes, boppy, carseat, baby blanket, swaddling blanket (2 or 3), burp cloths (2 or 3).

For everyone, cell phones and charger, laptop and charger, camera with extra batteries, camera memory card reader, some snacks (like cereal bars).

The hospital generally provides diapers, wipes, a hat, receiving blankets, and white onesies, so much of these items are optional, non-essential, and for fun.  I mean, you don't even need underwear (because you won't be wearing your underwear anyway).  If you forget something, Dad can swing by the house or someone else can easily pick it up for you.  No reason to fret over the hospital bag--just bring the essentials.

34 Weeks

Just a little over a month left!

I got so excited after my last doctor's appointment because I started breaking everything down by weeks.  Suddenly, Jack being here doesn't seem so far!
-At 35 weeks, I will have a doctor's appointment and the Group B Strep test.
-At 36 weeks, I will have just had Jack's pool party.  We've definitely been looking forward to that as a big event.  We keep saying, "Let's finish this project before Jack's party."  It's to the point that I don't know what we'll do after the party--but I probably won't want to do anything.  At my 36-week appointment, we'll have an ultrasound!  I had three ultrasounds with Eliot (and the last one was an emergency type situation the day I was induced), and now this will be FIVE with Jack.  I truly appreciate how the doctors here take more precautions.  They give everyone a 36-week ultrasound, and to me that seems like a good idea.
-At 37 weeks, I will have another appointment and can schedule my induction if I am going to be induced at 39 weeks.  I'll also learn if I am progressing any.
-At 38 weeks, it'll be another appointment, checking my progress, and scheduling my induction if I plan to wait until 40 weeks.  By this point, I'll be going crazy, but it will be pretty much over.

I have to be honest here and say that the looming July due date didn't always bring me peace.  It scared me because of my dissertation.  It has been hard to write with a toddler, and I know it will be more difficult with both a toddler and a newborn.  I know I can do it, but I also knew that I really needed to finish my proposal before the baby came or I'd keep putting it all off.  My proposal itself is 58 pages long, and without getting into too many details, the remaining work requires a lot of steps and, yes, work, but it is more "auto pilot" in a way than the proposal has been.  I finished my proposal one week ago.  My committee is offering some light feedback and then we're hoping I can defend it before Jack comes.  If not, it isn't too big of a deal.  I'm just glad the proposal itself is written with some minor revisions remaining that I will get to this week.  With that behind me, I am able to relax and focus on Jack coming.

With Eliot at this point, I didn't want to do much more than lay around.  This time, though, I am itching to remain active.  We work in the yard pretty much every day, which has been eventful enough to keep me from feeling like we never leave the house.  Sometimes I find myself regretting it, though, because I end up with pains.  I went to the beach last week and tried to drink water and snack constantly, but still got sick in the car (after only staying an hour).  I was getting a lot of contractions for a few days, and Chris kept saying he was taking me to the hospital.  I said I was doing too much; Chris said I wasn't drinking enough water; the doctor said both at my 33-week appointment.  So, I've been drinking exclusively water lately and one glass of lemonade with dinner.  The other morning, it rained so we couldn't do much yard work.  I had done my work for my job before Eliot woke up.  After the sun came out, I settled into the hammock and Eliot fell asleep cuddling my legs.  I lay in that hammock for about an hour doing nothing, just looking up at the leaves in the Japanese maples above me and the palms around the pool.  It was great to have one hour to myself to relax, feel my older son sleeping on me and my younger son squirming inside, and not worry about or do anything.

I think that my appetite is increasing some.  I am eating larger portions than before, which are still a little less than I'd eat non-pregnant.  If I splurge, I feel so blerg that I can't find the motivation to do anything at all, not even (or especially not) dishes.  Chris has taken over dish duty in the evenings because I'm just so done by then.  My weight is doing OK, though, I think.  Over a couple of months, I wasn't gaining much (a pound every two weeks?) despite eating frequent, small meals; however, I think I'm at about 20 pounds gained, maybe a little less, so I am on pace to be at a good place when Jack comes.  For a long while, I had been craving icy, sour things, but lately, I don't know, nothing sounds great.  We tried splitting a blue raspberry drink from Dunkin Donuts between the three of us the other night to celebrate finishing the spring semester, but, meh, I'm just not into it anymore.  That's actually probably a good thing.  I'll just try to focus on drinking more water in the meantime.

Summer is my favorite season.  The beach, the pool, the warmth, the fruit, eating outside...  I was kind of worried about Jack coming right in the middle of the summer because I thought I'd feel too horrible at the end of my pregnancy to enjoy any of the usual summer activities and that then I'd have my hands full adjusting to a newborn.  I worried the summer would breeze by and we'd be stuck in another long, cold, nasty winter.  However, we've been doing a LOT of work to make our backyard into a tropical oasis, so I honestly don't even miss the beach too much.  And, you know, we might figure something out beach-wise too.  Until then, just stepping into our backyard is enough to make it feel like I'm at a resort.

This pregnancy, I have lived in four tank tops, two shirts, a pair of leggings, and two pairs of jeggings.  I also have a pair of non-maternity shorts that fit OK.  Instead of buying maternity shorts, I cut off one of the pairs of jeggings.  At first, it felt short-sighted.  Then I remembered that I won't be pregnant come fall when the weather grows cooler.  Well, it didn't work out as awesome as I hoped (the shorts are kind of too tight around my legs since they were jeggings), but it's nice to have another option.

Jack is moving a lot, especially when I eat.  I say that every time, but he is.  I love feeling him punch and kick and shift around.  It really blows my mind that he is in there--I never fully comprehend pregnancy.

When I break down the weeks and all of the exciting things we have going on, it feels like Jack will be here in no time.  In fact, it seems like it is just days away.  I hope it keeps feeling that way so I don't go too nuts waiting.  I am feeling antsy in my own skin.  It's not that I dislike being pregnant or that I even want it to end immediately necessarily, but I'm just ready to meet our boy.  I worried so much about missing feeling Eliot move at the end of my pregnancy--I thought I'd wake up the next morning and feel sad.  I was wrong.  Not only did I not wake up (because I never fell asleep), but I didn't miss being pregnant at all.  I was too captivated by our new baby boy.  I know it will be the same again, but that doesn't mean I'm not trying to hang on to each moment of this pregnancy and feeling for each kick.  That antsy feeling, though, it lingers still.  Just five or six more weeks.  Getting there.

Growing Palms and Babies

My mind and time has been consumed with the growing of two things:  our gardens and our baby boy.

Every day, there is work to be done in the yard.  Eliot splashes on the pool steps, plays in his sandbox, and throws everything (and I mean everything) he can get his hands on into the pool while I garden close by and Chris continually works on his excavation projects to prepare for more planting.  I push myself further than I should physically and drink too little water for a pregnant lady, resulting in pains later.  Chris tells me to go inside to give my body and fair skin a break.

We've been working hard to transform our backyard for a more, well, tropical feel.  The house came landscaped with awesome flowerbeds and brickwork, but everything was so overgrown that we had a lot of work on our hands.  A tropical backyard has been Chris's dream, and he is doing an amazing job.  I have been eager to take photos of our final product, but there is always so much more to accomplish that will make the yard look even better and more presentable.

Yesterday's work

Four of our six palms.

By the way, that dark area in the pool is an ore that Eliot threw in the pool.  Like I said, Eliot throws everything in that he can find.

Today's palm adventure on the other side of the pool:  a pindo palm.  Chris has been clearing that flower bed for over a week--so many bushes, roots, and four holly trees came down.  Eventually, we'll add two more large palms and another pindo to the fence line, but this is it for this year.  We might plant an agave plant or some flowers too.

We have one more palm to plant--just one more.  I think our backyard work will be finished in the next week.  I mean, we could do more, but we gotta call it quits eventually.  Eliot loves it, though.  He gets to play by the pool and dig holes every day.  That kid gets so many baths and showers.

All of the yard projects help keep my mind off of the baby growing.  I mean, it's not that I don't want to think of him, but I know I could drive myself crazy with the waiting and the growing and the speculating.  What will he look like?  When will he come?  What will labor and delivery be like this time?  How will we transition?  Wait, is my belly button seriously gone now?  I'm at 33 weeks, so I definitely have some time left to ponder the coming of our babe.  For now, I'm trying to keep busy.