Friday, Rob and Olivia joined me for my most recent prenatal appointment. Everything is good, normal, on track and my gosh, I/baby had a major growth spurt, gaining another 6 lbs! Rob was SO HAPPY when we were shocked with number, as he thinks I have not gained enough, so far. We are assuming it is from all the "extra" water that I have been drinking and 5 pound bags of ice I eat every couple of days. My doc insisted to eliminate all the pre-term contractions, I needed to start drinking more H2o - she was right! : )
 35 weeks - 2011  35 weeks - 2009 After our a.m. appointment, we ran over to our friend's home to meet their new arrival, baby Alex. He was so tiny - even at 10lbs! I held him for a bit, until my arms got sore and my baby boy was kicking at him from below. Olivia and Alex's big sister, Naomi, played the piano and giggled like old bitties until baby Alex got hungry. We got the hint and rushed out of there, forgetting to mention we brought a gift. Our little ones will have perfect pals in these two children - Naomi and Olivia are only 5 months apart and our little guys will be less than 2 months apart. The best part is that, for now, we only live a half mile from them!
We got home, rested and lounged the entire day away! It was simply refreshing not having to work, see anyone or deal with a thing..... We napped until nearly 4:30, when we realized we were going to be very late to Rob's brother's 40th birthday party! EEKS! We rushed out the door and drove into Otsego, where we met up with his family and enjoyed splashing around at the water park. Uncle Kevin and cousin Mikenna turned out to be Olivia's new bffs; assisting her up and down the water slides and encouraging her the whole time. Rob and I also had a blast! It was perfect for both of us; for a short time we got to be "kids" - worry-free without any time restrictions... And, I felt weigh-less bobbing around in the water (bonus!). We spent several hours in the water and really loved being with grandma, my SIL (Sheri) and BIL (Kevin) and their two cuties! Olivia really got a kick out of our favorite Uncle Derrick and cousin Riley, but the little guy wasn't nearly as eager to use the slides as her. So, once they took off Olivia hung with the BIG kids and had a really great time.
Eventually, we all got cold and tired so we retired to the hotel room for some hot showers and visiting. It got pretty late, pretty quickly and Daddy insisted it was about time to pack up about 11....
Saturday we did more lounging and thought about seeing Water for Elephants. I just read the book, and it was beautiful! We decided against going, since we had just gone to Source Code on Thursday. I may have to call up one of my gal pals this week to go see it.
That evening we gathered our gear and headed to my mom and step dad's for an egg hunt and Easter dinner. It was a great time; seeing all my nieces and nephew. My brother Mike or as Olivia calls him "Mack" and step brother Scott a.k.a. "Cott" were there too! It was a very nice gathering and refreshing getting together with all of Olivia's cousins. I just wish that I had not forgotten my camera, the egg hunt was so fun and the kids we so darn cute!
Sunday, Olivia woke up to a trail of cotton tails (mama's cotton balls) and was disgusted with the "mess" the bunny left her. She followed the trail, picking each one up carefully exclaiming, "oh NO!" and proclaiming the bunny was very messy. Once my very tidy lady got over the issue, she found the trails end in her little brother's room. There, she found a perfect little basket with an Easter bunny, books, new toothbrushes and a fancy new outfit! I am sure this is the last year the bunny will be bringing her toothbrushes : ) Daddy did record the entire event, which was SO cute - but our camcorder was set to night vision, and I have yet to learn how to convert it... : (
We didn't have any other obligations that day, so we bought tickets and headed to see the TWINS! What a beautiful day for the game! We all got a little sunburnt, ate too much and were very very lucky to spend such a lovely day outside! (Perfect way to spend some last minute time as our easy family of 3.) We had phenomenal tickets, sitting on the 3rd base line in Row 3 and loved every minute of it!
Wowza, 34 weeks! Rob, Olivia and I have been taking long walks each night after work, taking advantage of all the nice weather! It is just fantastic walking around the neighborhood meeting and running into our neighbors! Most of them working in their yards; cleaning, seeding and raking. I may have mentioned this in the past, but this time of year is simply refreshing and my absolute favorite!
As for our not so little baby-to-be (approx. 5 lbs, 18 inches), he is starting lack room and tends to grind his heels into my ribs to shift around. I am starting to feel the bone on bone grinding daily. It is pretty clear to me that he's laying low... every time he gets the hiccups I feel them in my tush, awesome!
May I take a moment to critique the following photos (in order).....
First: It might be time for me to start wearing different shirts.... I have been avoiding all maternity clothes this time around, but this shirt might be pushing it.. And, in the event of inclement April weather Olivia can take shelter under the huge bump! : )
Second photo: How in the world was I more tired then than now? I clearly remember the morning we took this photo - I was trying to pose but could not stop yawning, so we just went with it.  34 weeks- 2011  34 weeks- 2009 Today marks "40 days" to go. We have been prepping a little each week; just bought a box of NB Huggies. Funny, when we were at Target, there was another family buying some diapers and they were buying size 5's. I thought, we are SO lucky - we never really got past a 3 with Olivia. (Obviously, this comment is not to be offensive to those still buying.)
We are also starting to receive lots of baby gifts for him! While it is incredibly nice and I LOVE my pals for being so generous, I was under the impression your subsequent babies didn't receive such goodies. I guess I will have to get creative and start creating thank you cards! : )
Lastly, I need your help! I have been starting to think about having a boy and all the new things that will come up.... especially, the circumcision and after care. I am terrified of infection, the actual process of the modification, etc. Can anyone offer some advice about types of ointments, diapers we should have on hand? And, if you've have a little guy, did you watch or take part in the procedure? Our insurance will cover it to be done in the hospital or in the clinic, is there a better time?
xoxo,
desperate mama
 We've been tracking this pregnancy with this google home page ticker. I can't believe were in the second to last box!
 33 weeks - 2011  33 weeks - 2009 Now where do I begin?!!
1. Miss Olivia has been potty training like an ALL STAR! She's only "distracted" when playing outside, but who isn't with all this nice weather! : ) She tells us each time she has to potty/poop and even announces "toots"! Her newest thing; throwing up her arms cheering "I DID IT" after going. She's also trying to pull up her own panties and pants after going, but usually yells out "a stuck" after they get hung up on her cute little baby butt.
2. Happy birthday to one of our favorite gals, Grandma Kathy! She came into town with her little pooch, Huntley, last weekend. We brought her out for shrimp and lobster and celebrated with lots of hugs and chit chat.
3. Circus time! Olivia, Rob, I, my brother and niece Isabel visited the circus on 4.3. It was less entertaining than I had hoped for until, Olivia was antsy trying to get out of her seat pointing and squirming around. Rob and I were trying to keep her calm and finally, I plopped her on my lap insisting that she cool it. Suddenly, it occurred to me what her qualm was - she had to pee and by then it was all over me too! : ) Mike giggled, suggesting that I start carrying an extra change of pants too!
4. Paci Free.... Monday morning (4.4) Olivia hopped out of the sack to go potty and as she was flushing, waving and saying bye bye, her paci fell out of her mouth and flushed away. OMG! I was giggling with excitement while her jaw dropped and the feeling of disappointment overwhelmed her. Selfishly, I knew this was my chance to get rid of the darn thing for good! So the following couple of naps were HORRIBLE, bed time became a bit more challenging with lots of tears. But, I just kept bringing her to the potty and reminding her of how it went bye bye when she flushed. It has finally sunk in and she no longer asks for it; the "P-word". YIPPIE! After a week, the only difference in our routine is that she insists on going potty or poop 10 times prior to finally settling into bed. We are certainly excited and take pride that gal is able to handle transitions so darn well. A parent friend of mine has complimented me several times and proclaims we are "the best parents" for getting rid of the baby-stuff before our new baby arrives. While it is complimentary, we'll have to see how well she does when our newest love arrives.
5. Doctor appointment... Everything is right on track! My little buddy is face down, I've officially hit a 20lb weight gain and we are looking forward to one last "every two-week" appt! Let the count down BEGIN!
6. Born To Be Wild - We met up with our favorite Erin and Mike for a 3D Imax experience over the weekend and, of course, Olivia couldn't part from Mike. She calls him "Mack" and loves him dearly. After the show, we filled our bellies with pasta from the Old Spaghetti Factory (gluten-free options galore!). Then, headed back to our place for some Jenga and quality time with our dear pals. Olivia stayed up far too late, but it was SO worth it!
 Meet G'ma's pooch, Huntley.  Naturally loves 'pretties' and her purse!  loves her daddy, especially when she's sleepy!
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