Baby #2: 37 Week Bump - Full Term!

Ding, ding! This bun is fully cooked. Or so they say. Considering Cece was almost a week late, I could be looking at four more weeks instead of three (or less) so I'm not getting my hopes up. In fact, given the amount of work that still needs to be done at home and at the office, he better not come any time soon. Regardless, it's nice to know that if something were to happen, he's ready to join us in the big wide world.

Speaking of big and wide...I'm huge. And apparently so is this baby. Because the babe was in the 91st percentile for size at my 34 week growth scan, my docs want to do another scan next week. If he's still measuring that big, well I fear they might be less keen to let me go past my due date. I do NOT want to be induced and I certainly don't want to entertain any ideas of a c-section so this is not great news. Still, I keep reminding myself (and the docs!) that the margin of error for these scans is big and this kid isn't going to be a 10lb-er but hopefully more like a 7-8lb baby. Fingers crossed.

Clearly, I do look bigger than I did at this stage with Cece. Truth is I haven't gained more weight, I think its just that this kid is really sitting out front while my Cece bump was wider. Still, I have no doubt he'll be bigger than Cece.

Things are so, so different this time around. Many of my complaints are the same (tiredness, sleepless nights, back aches, heartburn) but the difference is I have no time to dwell on them or do anything about it. Some days I pay for it too. I can tell when I've overdone things becuase I'll be so achy by the end of the day and more recently have even had a few minor contractions and cramps. All reminders that this kid is coming whether we're ready for him or not!

Speaking of ready, we finally got the baby stuff down from the attic this week and washed and folded baby clothes. It's amazing how little they are. When lugging around a 25 pound toddler, you forget such things. We have a few more things to do before I feel like we are actually prepared for his arrival, but at least we are making progress.

Fall Fun

Fall is the best time of the year in New England. The leaves are in full bloom right now, there's a country fair every weekend and apple and pumpkin picking opportunities abound. This week we decorated for Halloween and took Cece apple picking. She loved the whole adventure and spent the entire day nibbling on apples. I even found two or three in various hiding spots around the house. Glad I got to them before the real mice did!

Baby #2: 34 Week Bump

Here we are at the end of our 34th week growing baby #2. I'm looking and feeling pretty big these days. I can't decide if I look bigger than I did at this point in my first pregnancy but I think maybe the bump is a bit bigger? Truth is, it's probably pretty close, but this time I feel like my bump is distributed more toward the front of my body. With Cecelia I was wider in the hips. Who knows. Either way, I gained a lot of weight during my first pregnancy and it looks like this time will be no different.

One positive is that I'm not experiencing carpel tunnel syndrome nearly as bad this time around as I did the first time I was pregnant. With Cece, it was nearly debilatating toward the end. I couldn't even hold a pencil! My fingers swell and feel creaky at times but its nothing compared to round one. However, it seems I've traded carpel tunnel for some serious heartburn this time around. It's like I have a fire burning in my chest 24/7. And no Tums or extra milk for me after the bout with my kidney stone. Super.

At my 32 week appointment my doctor actually said I was measuring small and that the baby felt like it could be behind where it should be in size. I almost laughed because I sure didn't feel small and tried not to worry for the two weeks before my next appointment where they did a growth scan (ultrasound) to be sure everything was alright in there. Well, it turns out everything is more than alright...I'm growing a monster. The baby is huge. More specifically, he's estimated to be 6 lbs already and is in the 91% for weight. His head is big and he's measuring two weeks ahead of schedule. Yikes. Now part of me is worried about delivering a 10 lb baby! No wonder I look and feel so big. He feels big too. This kid is not so much a kicker as a pusher. I constantly feel little hands and feet stretching and pushing outward. From the outside it looks like the kid is trying to escape.  It is such a strange feeling and honestly not a very comfortable one either.

Looking back on my 34 week update during my first pregnancy, it sounds like at this point we had already had our baby shower, had the nursery all set up, started birth classes, honed in on names and thought about the babe around the clock. This time? Ha. I'm lucky if I have 10 minutes during my day to think about my pregnancy. Babe doesn't have a name, a room or anything to wear yet. All the baby gear is still up in the attic and our birth plan is just to wing it. Safe to say things are a bit different the second time around!

Putting on a (Swallow) Show - A Night on the River

Each fall, hundreds of thousands of tree swallows gather each night on the lower Connecticut River. Perhaps gather isn't the right term. It's more like a swarm. They dance and mingle as the daylight fades, eventually coming together in a perfectly choreographed dance above a single island then, all at once, they funnel down into the tall reeds to nest for the night. It is incredible. I've blogged about it before. We try to take the boat out to see them every autumn before they migrate south. It's truly the stuff of National Geographic.

This year, we took Cece and my parents. Cece saw the birds last fall, but she was probably too young to appreciate the spectacle. This year, she understood better what she was seeing, but tended to be more interested in devouring the snacks on hand. Maybe next year (third time) will be a charm? Regardless, it was as mind blowing to witness as always, in fact, it just keeps getting better. The only difference is this year, I have terrible pictures and no video because I was too busy trying to keep a very active toddler from climbing out of the boat. If you don't believe me about how amazing this is, check out this recently published article from the New York Times that includes more video clips and even shows what the birds captured leaving the island in the morning on a weather radar loop. It's incredible to see. And if you ever happen to find yourself in southern New England in the early fall, be sure to make a point to visit the swallows. The show begins promptly at sundown and they never miss a performance.