Tractor Party Planning

My dear sweet cousin came for a visit the other day. With her, she brought lunch and her adorable 5 week old baby C. I loved the cuddle time with baby C as we chatted about life and the transition to motherhood. She brought up Kid's upcoming birthday. And I realized that Kid will be 2 in about six weeks. Holy cats that will be here soon!

We chatted about Kid's birthday, and how I was feeling conflicted. Can I begin planning it? But the baby is going to show up at any time! How will I pick a date?!

Smarty-cousin of mine reminded me that I can plan everything except the date. Then, once baby gets here, I can choose a date and plug that into the invites.

Done and done.

Kid loves tractors, and the Hubs loves John Deere. It has been decided that Kid will have a tractor party.

First things first, the food. That really is the most important thing, anyway. A few years ago, I threw a John Deere baby shower for a friend, so I plan to use a lot of those ideas. And, of course, Pinterest. I love Pinterest. But at the same time, it is impossible to have an original idea because it's probably already on Pinterest. I digress.

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*I couldn't locate the original source of this image! Someone, please help!!*

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And then, of course, there are the activities! I'm not putting together a collage of activities because those are going to be a surprise. That, and, Kid is 2. We aren't having a "friend" birthday party. The only kids that will be there are his cousins (he has 6 of them) and two buddies. Most of the kids will be Kid's age or younger and I truly don't believe that activities are necessary. We will offer some tractor rides on the Hubs' John Deere tractor. That'll definitely be Kid's favorite part!

Bigs & Littles

Once again, I joined the Bigs & Littles party happening over at Southern Beauty Guide. This was my second time, and it was just as good as the first.

If you're not familiar with it, bloggers get paired up depending on their size and reach. A big blogger (not me!) is paired with a small blogger (definitely me) to talk shop and learn a few things.

My first time around, I was paired with Brittany of Everyday Thoughts. It was so wonderful to get to know her via email and through our blogs. She really helped me to realize that I truly can make this space whatever I want. And! She just announced that she is pregnant with number 2. I can't wait to follow along with her pregnancy and life stories!

This year, I was paired with Rebekah of Blue Giraffes & Concrete Jungles. Truth be told, it was really hard to connect with Rebekah at first. Not because she was hard to talk to, or unapproachable. No. She was the opposite. We just quickly realized that our schedules were exact opposites. While she had more @free time" (I put it in quotes because that was when her kiddos were at school - there was still work to be done!) during the day, I was booked solid until after bed time. Teaching during the day, and a husband that often works evenings, made it difficult to connect.

But then! I was put in bed rest. Suddenly, I had nothing to do. Rebekah and unconnected a lot over email, but it was so nice to talk with her face to face. No, not in person. That would have been cool. If only I could afford and impromptu trip to New York! We spoke via FaceTime.

It was perfect and I feel that I learned so much. I even made myself a few goals to work on over the next couple of weeks from our conversation.

1. Leave a meaningful comment on at least one blog a day. I'm keeping this one small because I do not want to go to any ol' blog and leave a generic comment. No. I want to find posts that really speak to me and leave a meaningful comment.

2. Become more actively involved in the Minneapolis blogging scene. There are a lot of great bloggers in the metro area and I need to put myself out there. Meet up with some of the amazing women that I first met at the MN Bloggers Meet Up. 

3. Advertise. I've known that I've needed to do this for awhile. In fact, Beittany and I talked about it, too. But for some reason, I just haven't committed to it. Now is definitely the time. 

Tips & Tricks :: Surviving Bed Rest

Being prescribed bed rest is kind of a blow to the ego. Everyone (that hasn't been on bed rest) tells you how great it will be to stay at home, not have to do anything, and just hang out. I'm here to tell you that bed rest really isn't that awesome.

I consider myself lucky. Bed rest for me started at 33 weeks pregnant. A lot of women are put on bed rest much earlier in pregnancy and have much more time to "do nothing."

Doctors prescribe bed rest for a variety of reasons, mine being signs of preterm labor. My first child was born 6 weeks early. This time around, my doctor wanted to keep a closer eye on things, in hopes to keep this baby in a little longer. The difficult piece, though, is that there is conflicting evidence as to whether or not bed rest truly helps. Of course, I will follow doctor's orders on this one.

Anyway!

Everything you need to know about surviving bed rest.

1. Continue with your regular day care routines for older children (or set up a care schedule). There is no way I would be able to follow my doctor's orders with a toddler here. If you don't have a regularly set daycare schedule, I suggest calling in all of the support people you have to take over at least some of the care of older children.

2. Plan easy meals for your partner to make. Maybe yours is a master chef. Mine is not. I sent him with a very thorough list to the grocery store with extremely simple crock pot meals in mind. My bed rest prescription allows me to get up to shower, use the bathroom, and eat meals. No cooking for me. Leaving simple directions for the hubs to throw a few ingredients into the crock pot has made his life much easier.

3. Make special time for your kiddos. I know I said to find them daycare while on bed rest. But, my little one has had a difficult time with his mama being on the couch all night when he is home. We have had to start a few new routines so he is sure to get his mama time in. I am also sure to wake up with the boys in the morning and get a few minutes of snuggles with Kid while Hubs gets ready. Not only is it beneficial for the toddler, it makes me feel like I am still needed.

4. Accept any and all help. My dad came by to pick up laundry yesterday. My mom picked Kid up for the day today and stuck around to clean the kitchen and bathroom. Friends have been swinging by with a warm lunch. Another girlfriend is dropping by with two freezer meals this afternoon. I have had friends drop of DVDs and books, others have come to just hang out. They've helped drive me to the doctor while the hubs has been at work. While I plan to make them each a little thank you gift, for now, I can only thank them.

Just beginning bed rest? Feel free to send me an email!

Are you a bed rest veteran yourself? What other tips do you have?

Today

At this time in my pregnancy two years ago, I was feeling pretty cruddy. It was the day after Easter, and my first day of Spring Break. It was the end of the husband's Spring Break. We were watching TV, and he fell asleep on the couch. I shooed him off to bed as I finished writing my spring break to-do list.

I was going to get so much done! Put the finishing touches on the paint in the baby's room. Finish the airplane mobile. Get the changing table and crib set up - put sheets on the mattress, add diapers to the bins. Make a few freezer meals to have on-hand. Pack the hospital bag. 

Then, I realized that I was exhausted. It was only Monday, and I had all week to get things done. To bed I went.

Of course, I first brushed my teeth and washed my face.

And while I stood in front of the mirror, mouth full of foamy toothpaste, my water broke.

At 33 weeks, 5 days pregnant.

Having never been pregnant before, I wasn't 100% positive that my water really did break. I could have just peed a little. That had been happening more than I'd like to admit, but it was usually when I laughed too much or sneezed. Not while brushing my teeth.

Six hours later, Kid was on my chest and Hubs was snapping pictures.

Today, I am 33 weeks and 5 days pregnant. Kid's overnight bag is packed. The hospital bag is ready to go. The nursery is not painted, I have no freezer meals. And we are doing everything we can to keep this little lady in and growing.

I've had two injections to help with baby girl's lungs. I have to sit on my butt all day. I wish I could go to work.

And I'm getting a little nervous. I don't want my water to break today, like it did last time. I don't want it to break in the next week. Or the next month. I'm not ready to go into labor.

Life doesn't happen when you're ready, though. And if she wants to show up, she will make her entry. Bed rest is helping me do what she needs. Rest. So she can continue to grow.

So here's to bed rest. And cracking open my second book. Has anybody else read Freakonomics?

Now What?

I'm 33 weeks and my uterus is thinning. Sorry if that grosses you out, but it's the truth.

And I was just put on bed rest.

I have another doctor's appointment this afternoon to get the nitty-gritty, but for now, I'm mostly bothered by the fact that I cannot lift anything. Including Kid. That's the only thing that has made me cry thus far.

Hubs is most worried about having to do the grocery shopping.

Of course, we are worried about our baby girl, but we know that this move is the best thing for her. No more hours of standing and moving from me, just rest. Rest, rest, rest. And that is what little miss needs. Her mama to rest and not stress.

I should have been more prepared for this, being that Kid was six weeks early. But it was unexpected. I cried on the phone to my doctor. I love my doctor. She's so patient and understanding.

But now, this first morning of bedrest, I am done being sad about it. I am moving on to being happy and relaxed. A girlfriend is bringing me a stack of books. Another is bringing a few dinners to throw in the freezer.

I'm going to relax while I'm stuck at home and think about how this girl is getting more time to grow and develop. Because that is what we want. A healthy, even if she's a bit early, baby girl.

Maybe this will give me time to stock upon sleep for those early months (ha!).

Just Some Life...

I'm packing a hospital bag for the first time. My last pregnancy ended six weeks early with the arrival of Kid. We rushed off to the hospital with nothing more than what was on our backs and a camera (at least I thought of that!). My older, wiser sister ran to my house and grabbed a few items for my hospital bag.

I'm also noticing that my belly button is pretty dang close to popping out. Yikes! This is also a new experience for me.

We are just under a week away from when I went into labor last time, and I'm really hoping this little peanut stays put. Hopefully, she will join us at the end of March or very beginning of April.

We went in for an ultrasound Saturday night to "check on things." And they wouldn't let me leave until I talked to my doctor. She put me on pelvic rest (Happy Valentine's Day!) and gave me orders to sit as much as possible. Ugh. We go back in to the clinic soon to "discuss."

And I am worried. About so many things. Preterm labor. The NICU. Bed rest. Work. Finances. There are so many things to think about. My sister has been reminding me that I need not worry about anything until the appointment. I've composed a list of questions, that will provide so many answers. I want to be at my appointment now, though. I don't want to wait an hour.

In other news, I'm realizing that Kid will be 2 before I know it. And the mom guilt in me is feeling like I should be planning his second birthday. I have a few themes to choose from: balls (namely, golf), Elmo, or tractors. I lean toward Elmo or tractors. Because I am almost positive he will have a sports themed birthday later in life. But I don't think I want to add any more stress to my life at the moment. Not that I really have that much stress to begin with, but I know my doctor will tell me to eliminate as much as possible.

If you're the praying type, or you send positive vibes, send some my way. My goal is to keep this peanut in for another month. March 16th is my goal.

Pregnant 2.0

Life has been beautifully busy lately. The weather has been ... interesting, to say the least, so we have spent a lot of time outdoors (away from screens, hence the lack of posting). While I most definitely miss the piles and piles of snow we usually have, this has been an okay winter for it to be MIA. Being that I'm 32 weeks pregnant, I can't exactly go out and enjoy my typical winter activities.

Snowboarding is a no.

Skijoring is also a no.

Cross country skiing is a maybe, but it'd have to be the "classic" style and not skate, which is more fun.

We are even rethinking our tree tapping this year.

Now that I have this all written out, we'll probably get dumped on. Or, we will get all of our snow in March and April.

I've made it to 32 weeks pregnant and this little peanut is growing and kicking right along! My closest girlfriend is 2 weeks ahead of me - it has been so fun to compare notes.

So what's different about being pregnant a second time?

1. Movement. I noticed this little lady move earlier than I noticed Kid. Most likely because I was more in tune with what I was supposed to be feeling. With Kid, I always thought, "ooh! movement!" and then it was gas.

2. Body changes. I look really pregnant. I have for awhile now. I like to call in muscle memory. It wasn't that long ago that I was pregnant with Kid. My body remembered exactly what to do: spread out, get bigger, change. I'm not upset by this, but I do know I will have a lot of work to do post-delivery.

3. Exhaustion. Don't get me wrong. I was tired when I was pregnant the first time. But I definitely noticed the second trimester energy. I don't think I have had much energy this entire pregnancy. I've spent it all chasing around a toddler! And he's almost two. I can't believe it. Needless to say, I have definitely been taking advantage of his weekend naps and getting a little shut eye for myself!

4. Emotions. Maybe it's because I'm growing a girl this time around, but my emotions have been all over the place. Hubs and I were talking about car seats and I started crying thinking about how #2 would be in a car seat that isn't rated as well as Kid's. Tears. Big crocodile tears. Over a car seat. And a car seat "issue" we won't have to deal with until #2 is two. Really!?

5. Preparations. I've been more prepared this time around. My hospital bag is half-packed. I went to the hospital while in labor with Kid and didn't have a hospital bag (thank God for sisters!). I have things in place at work that make me feel okay leaving tomorrow if needed. We have bitty newborn sized clothing hanging in the closet, all ready to go.

What differences did you notice between your pregnancies?