36 Week Bumpdate!

Aaaaand, on 36 weeks we are having a baby! Didn't see that one coming at all!

No, I didn't gain 45 lbs in the last week, despite what the picture shows! I have several bands and monitors under the giant mumu of a hospital gown! Lovely look I tell ya!

How Big is Baby: The size of a head of romaine lettuce


Weight Gain: (I'm guessing on this one since I was in the hospital and couldn't weigh myself) +2 in the last 2 weeks, so +19 overall (which means I have about 30-35 lbs to lose to get back to all pre-baby weight and feel healthy!)

Workouts: I was told at my 34 week appointment to stop working out, and while I didn't have to go on bedrest at that time, I needed to "conserve my energy" to help little one grow and gain weight. So despite the fact that scheduled actual work outs weren't in my plan anyways, I consciously scaled back my activity. Then at 35w 4d I was admitted for hospital bedrest, so you know there was no working out there : )

Maternity Clothes: Yes please.

Belly Button: It's an outie for sure this time around. 

Sleep: Still sleeping ok for the most part. I usually wake up once to pee, but can go back to sleep a majority of the time relatively quickly. I'm falling asleep around 9:30 or so, and waking up usually in the 6 o'clock hour (unless it's a night that I had trouble going back to sleep after the bathroom). The exception to that rule has been the last 4 nights at the hospital. Sleep has been non-existant mostly because of an uncomfortable bed, constantly being checked on and poked and prodded, and just all the emotions/anxiety/stress going on. 

Cravings: Fruit, smoothies, ice cream, pizza, Indian food, caprese sandwiches, charcuterie boards, sushi

Aversions: Nothing much. Rotisserie or grilled chicken never sound good to me, but I'll eat them. 

What I Missed: Margarita!

Symptoms: Feeling really exhausted! Mild, occasional heart burn. And still have daily sharp shooting low back pain after I sit or lay down for any short period of time. You know it's bad when I lay on the heating pad before I fall asleep and as soon as I wake up.

Movement: He is pretty chill still overall but moves around a lot at night when I get in bed, usually around 8:30 or so. I also notice he's moving quite a bit when I wake up to go to the bathroom in the middle of the night.

Gender: It's a BOY!

Best Moment this Week: Baby boy is healthy and thriving despite some set backs. 

Worst Moment this Week: Being told at 34 weeks that he had dropped down to the 12th percentile, and I'd need to have twice weekly monitoring appointments. On Tuesdays I will go in for regular OB check and non-stress test, and on Fridays I will go to the high risk doc for US. That turned into getting directly admitted from the high risk appointment last friday for nuchal cord x2 (cord wrapped around his neck), and IUGR. SOOOO disappointing to miss our Chattanooga family trip that weekend, and just the general nerves of delivering 4 weeks early!

What I am Looking Forward to: Holding our little guy in my arms. Getting my body back. Taking him home with us from the hospital! 

35 Week 4 day US

We had another US today to see how the little guy is doing, and it definitely didn't go as expected!

He was very active, HR was in the 130s, and the amniotic fluid looked good.

However, he had his umbilical cord wrapped around his neck twice. 

So in combination with him being borderline IUGR and the cord being around his neck, I was sent straight to the hospital to be admitted for bed rest observation. 

We had a trip planned for this weekend to take the girls to Chattanooga so that was definitely a big bummer. Not to mention we don't have his room, or our room ready for either of us to come home post c-sec. Oh, and definitely haven't packed a hospital bag yet! But, small details! 

Luckily this isn't our first time around at parenting or the c-section process, so despite feeling like I am not prepared, it isn't stressing me out like it would have if this was our first!

So, after 8 hrs on hospital bed rest, I have been on a roller coaster of emotions ranging from calm and chill and looking forward to some netflix binge watching, to anxious and worried about his health, to crying, back to "I'm so bored" and wow my body hurts on this terrible delivery "bed" (if it could be called that, it looks like a gurney, and feels like a basement floor!).

So, it's hard not knowing if he will come tonight, tomorrow, or in 10 days from now when I'm 37 weeks (which was the goal set by the high risk specialist last week). But I will continue to hope and pray that he is growing and developing in me, so he can come out tiny, but strong and mighty!!

Happy 4th Birthday Isabella Rae!!!

My oh my. Happy, happy birthday to our sweet BIG GIRL 4 year old! I can't believe Isabella is already 4. Where has the time gone!?!?

You have been a true joy to watch grow and change and develop over this last year. You are so incredibly smart and have one of the best memories of anyone I know. You are artsy, silly, and love to be in charge. You truly blossomed in your first year of school and I was amazed at the things you came home telling me. You love eating good food, sleeping, chilling, watching tv, swimming, listening to music, singing, dancing, playing dress up, and anything princess or pink or purple. You have so much of your daddy in you (see the above list!) and look so much like him! You are an amazing big sister to Aubrey, and we can't wait to see your relationship with Baby Brother soon! You are nurturing, have such a soft heart, and are a little Mama.

Isabella Rae, we love you more than words can describe. We are grateful you made us Mama and Daddy. We couldn't imagine our lives without you!

 Isabella's 4 Year Old 20 Questions:
1.) Favorite Color: Purple and Pink!


2.) Favorite Song: You are My Sunshine


3.) Favorite Toy: Cow truck


4.) Favorite TV Show: PJ Masks


5.) Favorite animal: Pigs and horseys


6.) Favorite Book: Oink-a-Boo


7.) Best Friend: Hadley (in preschool class)


8.) Favorite Fruit: Strawberries and mandarin oranges


9.) Favorite thing to do outside: Pick blackberries from the garden


10.) Favorite Restaurant: "Crackel Bear" (cracker barrel)


11.) Favorite drink: Lemonade


12.) Favorite holiday: Christmas


13.) What do you sleep with at night? Olaf, reindeer piggy, piggie piggie dooskie, elephant, teal bear, and baby


14.) Favorite breakfast food: Bran flakes with cinnamon bunnies and cheerios


15.) Favorite snack: Gold fish or cheddar bunnies


16.) What do you want for birthday dinner? Macaroni and cheese, chicken nuggets, strawberries, and strawberry ice cream (homemade) for dessert


17.) Favorite quiet time activity: Dress up, paint, doll house and color


18.) Favorite movie: Trolls


19.) Favorite memory from this last year: going to the beach for vacation 


20.) What do you want to be when you grow up? A doctor or a "nurse that works with you Mama at the hospital to take care of sick kids."

Stats: 
Weight: 37 lbs (66th percentile) 
Height: 41 1/4 in (81st percentile)

Clothes: 4T
Shoe Size: 7.5, 8 or 8.5 depending on the brand

Aaaaand now time for picture overload. Working backwards over the last year. It's crazy how much has changed, how much we've done, and what you've gone through. We moved into a new home, you had a broken leg, we went to the beach for vacation, had a lot of park days and swimming at Tia's pool, you started and finished your first year of preschool, had an MRI for ice pick headaches, and made a ton of memories!!!