39 weeks

Or: When will this ever end?!

Today, I'm tired. Because overnight, for a good 13 hours, I had contractions. They hurt. But they never progressed. They never got closer together. They just were. I slept for maybe 3 hours total.

I was so hoping that was IT. We had a friend lined up to come over and stay with Eli, since it was over night. We were 2 contractions away from calling the doctor. But, then they slowed down again. And I was devastated.

I never went through false labor like that with Eli. Usually, if I had contractions, they'd last a couple of hours max, and that was it. But 13?! That was ridiculous.

I am so anxious to be done, to have him in my arms (instead of my belly) but at the same time, I feel like I need to slam on the brakes. I need just another day with Eli. David and I didn't get one last night out.

But, with each passing day, I feel my chances of a VBAC slipping away. And that scares me, because the thought of going through major surgery again terrifies me - the time in the hospital, the recovery, the pain. UGH. The thought of it makes me want to cry. So please, Baby Brother, Let's Do This.

Three and a Half.

Eli,

For the past month or so, any time someone asked how old you are, you’d reply “I’m Three and a Half!” with such gusto. And now, you truly are Three and a Half. I cannot believe it.


I really thought that by the time you turned Three and a Half, your baby brother would be here. But he’s turning out to be more like you than I thought. He’s still hanging out in my belly - and you’re beginning to wonder if he’ll ever come out. You asked me one day how he is going to come out of my belly, and I couldn’t think of a way to explain it to you - but before I could open my mouth, you asked, “Will they put a rope down your mouth to pull him out?!” I have no clue where that came from, but I LOVE the way you think, buddy.




This month, we’ve spent a lot of time counting. You count everything, over and over and over again. You love to read numbers off of signs and papers and the tv. You have mastered counting to 100, after just a couple of days of help from Mommy (and even then, only with the tens). I guess I don’t really know what to expect from a Three and a Half year old, but you continue to blow me away with everything you pick up, and how you pick it up so quickly.




You are also still very into spelling words. If we aren’t counting, we’re spelling. You’ve added a lot of words to your list of words you can spell this month, so many that I am not sure I could list them all here. You really test both Mommy and Daddy’s spelling abilities, because you’re constantly asking us how words are spelled...

Last month, we started the potty training process. It wasn’t going well, until all of a sudden! You went potty!! And then, you didn’t. One night, you decided that you wanted to go sit on the potty. So, Daddy took you in there, and I sat outside listening. I thought I heard that tell-tale noise,and then I heard you say, I did it!! We all were so excited, and you earned a prize (Squinkies! yay!). You did it a couple of more times that weekend, and I thought we had turned a corner in the whole process. But, Then, You just decided you weren’t going to do it again. It probably doesn’t help that I’m 9 months pregnant, either, because I can’t sit on the floor with you and wait and I’m just too tired to worry about it now. I am not sure when we’ll finally get it, but it has to be sometime before August, when you start preschool!





We were lucky enough to have visitors this month! Your cousin Gracie had a volleyball tournament here in Indianapolis, so she and Aunt Kelly were able to come and spend a little bit of time with us while they were here. We even headed downtown one morning to watch Gracie play! There is nothing I love more than watching you interact with your family. Those moments are too few and far between. We have to learn to cherish them when they do come...




We took you to your first official Easter Egg Hunt this year. You were so excited to go find your 10 eggs in our neighborhood park. You just couldn't wait to go pick them up and put them in your basket - until it was time to go. When they yelled "Go" you lost it. You just kept repeating, "I don't wanttttt toooooo," until we explained there would be candy involved. Then, you couldn't find your 10 eggs fast enough.

Well, Buster, This is definitely the last letter I will write you before Baby Brother joins us. These last few days are very bittersweet for Daddy and I. We are so excited to meet Baby Brother - and for you to finally meet him. But, I am also kind of sad, because soon our days will change, and it will no longer be the two of us. It will be hard at first, and it worries me how you’ll handle it (although, I am sure you’ll handle it like every other change you’ve encountered - like a champ). I just want you to know how special you are to me (and Daddy, too), and just how much I love you. There are no words to show just how proud I am of you. You will always be my baby, Eli. No matter how old, or how big you get.




I love you forever and ever,
Mommy

38 Weeks

Oh man, am I tired. My body is so DONE with this, yet here I am. Still very pregnant.

It's probably a good thing though, because I feel like there is still SO much to do around the house. And, It would be terribly convenient for him to come when the family is in town. Or, at least close to when they begin arriving. But, he'll come when he's ready, right? :)

I think we've settled on a name, finally. I guess we'll see once he's born, if he looks like the name we chose. I can't wait.

I've spent the weekend washing onesies and clothes and putting them away. We have a small pile of newborn clothes. I wonder if we'll be able to use them?!

This weeks photo is kinda funny - He was pushing his little tushy out and my belly was so crazy looking. He's been doing that a lot lately. He's running out of room, and I think he just needs to come out to play. SOON.

37 Weeks

AKA - FULL TERM!!!

Well, Here we are. The waiting game has begun. Although, we do still have some items to purchase and some things to get done around the house. I am ready.

I'm averaging about 5 hours of sleep every night now. One hour at the beginning (off and on between 11 and 1ish) and then I wake up to pee. I usually don't fall asleep until after 2 or 2:30 and then I am up for good by 7. I guess my body is trying to get me ready for the sleepless nights coming up, but man, I could really use the rest now.

I've been having sporadic contractions. Nothing regular. But a few have taken my breath away. I'm hoping that means we'll be seeing this little guy sooner rather than later. But, I'm not getting my hopes up.

36 weeks

ANNNND, I'm miserable. The weather here has been quite nice - and normally I would welcome the warmth. But Pregnant Alison doesn't care too much for it. I could probably tolerate it a little better if my allergies weren't making me completely miserable. Everything is blooming now, and my sinuses do not approve. I'm doing my best to avoid taking any medications that I don't need to, because We've only got 4 more weeks. So, I can handle it. I think.

My belly is growing ever-bigger, and I am quite uncomfortable about 90% of the time. I'm not sleeping well. I can't bend over. I can't breathe. I feel like a big ball of misery to be around. Thankfully, David and Eli seem to be able to handle it, because they aren't complaining too much.

We put a few more things in the nursery this weekend, and now it's looking much more like a baby's room than a catch-all. We just need to finish getting the bedding in the crib, put the Submarine up on the wall, and paint some bubbles... It doesn't seem like a lot, but whoa, does it.

Daddy brought up Eli's old 0-6 month clothes last night. I plan on going through them at some point this week and rewashing them so I can get them put away. Looking through some of it, I see we're going to have to buy a few more things than we thought. Having kids in 2 completely opposite seasons is kind of a bummer. At least we have some things that will work for the first month or 2, depending on how big he is when he arrives.

We still don't have a name. But, We've got a good list going, I think. Hopefully we'll have it picked out soon - but we still do not plan on announcing it until he's born. Until then, we will call him Google Farkas (which Eli thinks is hilarious. So hilarious, that he tells complete strangers that we might be naming his Baby Brother that...)

35 Weeks

Holy Crap. 5 Weeks Until Baby Brother's Due Date.

I feel like things are beginning to come together. The nursery still needs some work, but it's getting there. I feel like we could get some things wrapped up here this weekend. We got the ceiling light hung, the shade and drapes hung. We need to get the chair moved in there, the crib reassembled and the bedding washed and in place.

I have lots of clothes to go through and wash. I am hoping we'll have some to last us a couple of months before I have to start buying anything. The only thing that stinks about having a spring baby is the fact that Eli was a fall baby.

We're seeing the doctor weekly now. I can't believe it. That means things are really about to happen. I feel like this pregnancy has gone by SO quickly. It seems like just yesterday that we found out we were expecting.

3 years 5 months

Eli,

This could be the last letter I write you when it’s just the three of us. The odds of that are slim, but it could just be that I write your 3 and a half year letter while at the hospital with your baby brother. I can’t believe that it’s getting so close, and that our days as family of three are numbered.

This month started out with us introducing the potty to you. We’ve ditched the diapers, but are now stuck on pull-ups. The first week or so, we did great sitting on the potty. You’ve yet to actually GO on the potty. I’ve tried a few different tricks (the biggest being bribery with new Squinkies), but to no avail. I know it will happen when you are ready, but I am ready now. So, yesterday I made a deal with you. When you do go potty like a big boy, we’ll throw a potty party - complete with cupcakes. That seemed to really get you excited. Hopefully now that things will die down again before your brother arrives, we can really focus on getting you to relax and just do it!

(I'll refrain from posting the cutest picture EVER of you sitting on the potty. We'll just keep that to ourselves. Until you meet someone and decide to settle down. Then, I'm busting it out and blowing it up - poster size.)

One afternoon, you watched Star Wars (Episode IV) with Daddy. It wasn’t the first time you’ve seen it, but you really paid attention this time. Since that time, you’ve had many “sword fights” with Darth Vader. It’s hilarious, because you will just start swinging your sword around and stop and let me know that you’re hitting Darth Vader. He seemed to really make an impression on you.




You’ve been REALLY into letters and numbers this month. You’ve started recognizing words, starting with ON and OFF (which you learned on your little computer). You get SO excited when you see a word you know anywhere - even if it’s just part of the word you see. Like OFFice. It makes me laugh every time. We’ve added IN, OUT, BIG, and BOOKS to your list of words you recognize. You also know how to spell your name, and are always curious as to what letter a word starts with. We play that game a lot, and many times I run out of words that start with...




One morning, Daddy had you in front of the fridge with your letter magnets. He helped you spell the word “Books” out. You read it out loud, and then stated “Wait. We need A LOT of books” and you added a couple of extra letters. It was too clever, and incredibly cute. You’re just too smart.




The biggest thing to happen this month is your room transformation. We painted both yours and Baby Brother’s rooms over the past couple of weeks, and we moved you out of the crib and into your big boy bed. Ever since I showed you the picture online of what it looked like, you’ve been SO excited to be able to have it all to yourself. After much work on Daddy’s part, we finally got it up this weekend. You’ve taken to it like a champ! That first climb into bed kinda broke my heart a little bit, because we’ve been putting you in bed every night since you were born. But, you’re a big boy now and you put yourself to bed. You’ve slept great in it; I’m so proud of you.




I love you forever and ever,
Mommy (That starts with "M")

34 weeks

We've been super busy this week trying to get Eli's room and the nursery put together. Lots of painting and furniture moving (most of which Daddy did). Big Brother's room is almost complete, and the nursery is well on it's way.

Now that the nursery is coming together, it's time to start thinking names. But, I suggest you don't even ask us what the name will be, because we'll wait until he's here to make that announcement - just like we did with Eli. :) We have to keep something a surprise!

This weekend, someone commented that I don't look big enough to only have 6 weeks left in my pregnancy. This was someone who we don't know personally, and when I said, "Thanks!" He replied that he didn't know if that was a compliment or not... well, Thanks Buddy! But knowing that I gained right at 50 lbs with Eli, I'll take the fact that I don't look like a house as a compliment!

There are a few things we need to get for Baby Brother. And the fact that he'll be born in the spring instead of the fall, I'll have to go through what clothes we have from Eli - I am hoping that most of the early stuff will work. But, other than that, I think we're pretty prepared. Just ready for him to make his grand entrance!

33 Weeks

This weekend, we're finally starting the nursery and getting Eli's bedroom decorated for his new bed. We've received the artwork for the nursery, I cannot wait to get it all up! 

 We had an ultrasound this week, and Baby Brother is head down - feet down. It was kinda funny to see that he had his toes touching his forehead, but it really explains why my left hip is always feeling pressure. Little turd likes to do the downward facing dog in my belly. Our doctors appointment went well, and I walked out of there feeling pretty confident about the possibility of a VBAC. But, only time will tell. I am feeling quite FULL of baby. I honestly don't know how I carried Eli to 41 weeks, because I feel like this little guy has already run out of room. 

 I so don't want to jinx this, but so far this pregnancy I've been able to avoid the awful swelling that came along with Eli. I can still wear my rings, my toes don't look like sausages. I don't look all bloated and miserable. I suppose I can handle all of the back aches and reflux if I'm spared the swelling.