So when I went back to the hospickle the next day, I was in labor but didn't know it, and had the baby around 2 a.m. on 7/18. He was fine, weighed 7 pounds 11 ounces at 36 weeks' gestation (premie). Life got busy and all when he ended up back in the hospital for high bili levels and failure to thrive. Turns out he wasn't latching well and had a poor suck, so my milk took its time coming in, and we had to supplement with formula.

Here it is though, 3 months later, and he weighs 14 pounds. He's so much fun, smiling and laughing and cooing and talking, and just a joy to have in our home. Kiddo adores her baby brother and asks all the time if she can help with him -- except she doesn't want to change dirty diapers. She's been a huge help though, learning to cook and do laundry and lots of other chorse around the house. She makes dinner about once a week. It used to be more, but now that Mojo and I are into the swing of things and he has a fairly consistent routine, it's easier.

We've all been sick with colds, so that hasn't been so fun... but we're getting better.

Hubby increased his hours a LOT after the baby got here. It helps to know the bills are being paid and I don't have to stress about working a zillion hours while trying to care for our infant son. We're doing just fine now and are grateful for all of the Lord's blessings.

The picture was taken over this last weekend. It's now my wallpaper on the laptop hubby insisted we buy so that I can work wherever the baby is (like those nights when he doesn't want me to leave his side, I can still work in bed with him). I wear him in a wrap a lot during the day, but nights have been hard.

Anyway. I need to find some lunch and have a nap.

I don't update this nearly as often as I should ... but ...

At my OB appt this afternoon, my BP sky rocketed. And I was dilated almost to a 4. I've been having contractions, but nothing super painful, so I wasn't too worried. But they sent me to L&D to have my BP observed for an hour or so, and it did drop down to a more comfortable level. I have to do a 24-hour urine collection and go back tomorrow for more checks, and if everything is okay, they'll send me home with a followup for Monday. If everything is okay Monday, they'll be inducing me Thursday, which is the 37-week mark.

In the meantime, I'm on stricter bedrest -- no cooking, no cleaning, no nothing, but they did say I could work as long as it wasn't stressful. I said not having the bills paid would be more stressful than working. lol.

Hubby made sure I heard the instructions and told me I had to behave, and that he would deal with moving the rooms around for the baby. I'm not allowed.

Since the family baby shower is Monday night, I told him I'd go but sit on my butt and not move (unless I have to pee) and we'll be buying Munchkin's birthday cake and things for her party Wednesday.

This is all assuming these contractions don't do more and I end up having him this weekend anyway. Wahoo.

Better go to bed for a nap before hubby freaks out. ;)

I realize the quality is not the best. I hadn't realized how huge I have gotten until I caught a glimpse of myself in a store window last week.

*sigh*

He kicks my ribs and punches my bladder simultaneously, or opposite sides of my belly, or whatever. He is going to be a big baby. Which is fine by me, just ... wow. Took a bath last night and watched my belly rolling around while he flipped from side to side. He shoves his knees or butt against the left side of my abdomen, near my ribs. He did this so much Saturday, he triggered contractions for the rest of the night. It was kind of scary. But they eventually did stop, and they weren't regular or anything, just intense. So ... I just kept telling him it was too early and he needed to stay put. Obviously, he did.

25 weeks!

Baby Stuff!

Oh my gosh ... I tried to get a car seat in the stores a few weeks ago and just got frustrated and upset. The one I wanted online (which said they had it in stores) is not really in stores here.

So, I just ordered the darn thing online ... along with a pack 'n' play, stroller, and a high chair, all matching zoo themed sort of stuff, so it's gender neutral and can be used if hubby decides we want another baby. (tongue in cheek; he's said he doesn't know if he can handle me pregnant again. bwahahaha).

I feel better now. We have some clothes for him and the car seat will be here in a week or two, so we can actually bring him home at least ... lol.

The best part is that because I ordered it all at once (and spent so much ... *sigh*), I ended up with free shipping. $50 saved. Wahoooo!!!

KICKING!!!

Baby has been kicking a LOT harder this week. Hubby was trying to feel it this morning, but his hands were numb after work (6 hours holding a power wash hose will do that to ya), so he couldn't. Baby started kicking again just now, so I had kiddo come in the office and she felt it! She's so excited.

I just wish hubby had felt him first, but owell. *sigh*

It's so different from my pregnancy with kiddo -- she barely moved, only to poke or head butt my bladder. This baby is a lot more active. I saw my belly move the first time last night from his wiggles; he wasn't even kicking, just moving around. And then I was laying on my side, reading a labor and delivery book, and he was pushing against the bed, just stretching. I never felt any of this with kiddo. So weird. It's like being a first-time mom again.

I'm 22 weeks tomorrow. I realize this picture is blurry, but it's a cell phone like normal and for some reason I couldn't hold still.

I was desperate for a haircut today and stopped at Great Clips. I don't have a stylist I like, so once in a while I'll pay the 12 bucks to them and get a trim ... but ... 6 inches is a bit more than a trim. And it looked WAY better before I ran a zillion errands in the wind that plagues us today ...

ULTRASOUND!!!

It's a boy!!! We're very excited. Hubby is just thrilled to bits and said watching him move around and seeing everything on the ultrasound was worth having to stay awake for. He's never seen an ultrasound before. Kiddo said she was secretly hoping for a boy, but didn't want to tell before. She was thrilled we'd checked her out of school for it. lol.

It was a very good experience, and I keep catching hubby looking at the pictures of his son and getting all gooey. hehehehe.

Twenty weeks today. Tremble at my hugeness.

Wooooo! I have a sweet husband, even if he is a punk sometimes. after I had a meltdown yesterday, he cleaned the living room (wahoo!) and surprised me with these this morning. Love him lots anyway, but am so grateful for him cheering me up so well.

Yay! Heart is beating strong and steady -- Dr. Cutie got the cutest grin on his face when he found the heartbeat. He had to look for a minute -- my flab and baby hiding. But it was there, strong, loud.

We scheduled the big ultrasound for 4/4. Kiddo wants to come, and we may just check her out of school for it.

18 weeks 1 day!

I know -- the belly is ginormous. I've still only gained 6 pounds, 4 of which I lost while I was so sick, but they've found me again! That's okay -- baby is growing and happy.

I'll update again this afternoon after my OB appt.

Still Very Sick

Actually, it seems like round two of this bug ... hubby felt better for a couple of days, went to work Monday, then they sent him home Tuesday because he was so flippin' sick. He started feeling better yesterday, but this morning is feeling pretty bad off again.

I'd been feeling better early in the week, and then it hit me like a ton of bricks yesterday. I think I got about 6 hours of sleep last night between about 9 and 6:30 this morning. I was up every couple of hours, honking, sneezing, blowing, coughing, choking on crap ... I think I've produced my body weight in mucus. (okay, probably not).

At any rate, we've been very good about keeping me hydrated and trying to control the fever ... It's really hard though. Hubby just keeps pumping me full of "tea" (hot water, lime juice, and honey) and Tylenol.

Still, baby is moving and saying hi. So I guess he/she is doing fine in there, even with my stomach muscles hurting so bad at times from all the coughing and blowing.

BABY WIGGLED AGAIN.

Just so you know. It's fine. It kicked me this morning when I accidentally squished it, and then ran laps for a few minutes.

I seriously thought I was in labor yesterday morning with cramping and pain. It lessened after about an hour and I could pinpoint it to my right flank -- it's still there but dull ... and comes now about 30 minutes before I have to go potty. The flu thing sucks anyway, but getting it and then having other bowel issues after you are feeling better, the pain involved ... Makes you really freak out when you're pregnant.

Not much on the pregnancy front. Dealing with the flu, sick hubby, hyper kid, and trying to work two jobs (until I give notice ... at the old job). So I'm tired a lot but doing okay. Wondering if baby is feeling the flu too since it hasn't been as wiggly. Owell.

Gotta get kiddo to school and bills mailed. Mwah.

What do vibrators, Robert DeNiro, video games, pastries, and homicidal robots have in common?

NOTHING. Except they were all featured prominently in my dreams last night.

Recurring dream: Hubby was playing video games and told me I'd worn him out and to use a vibe. So I had a vibrator in my pants throughout my dreams randomly. And whenever this dream occurred, I couldn't get it to turn off, nor could I remove it from my pants.

WEIRD dream: Robert DeNiro was a cop who wanted to be a pastry chef. Only he wanted to make the perfect pastry, not a mediocre substitution. So he became a robot, programmed to make the perfect pastry ... and try and take over the world. I of course discovered his perfidious pastry power-tripping plot, and his right hand robot decided to try and kill me.

In recent weeks, I've had very vivid dreams of being a spy, undercover agent, protecting small children and preventing people from blowing me up.

I can explain the vibe dream: I read an article a week or two ago about a guy who wore one in his pants in an airport and got through security. With it ON. I thought it was hilarious, but never thought I'd DREAM about something similar.

As for the DeNiro dream, my current favorite movie is StarDust and I've watched it a few times since Valentine's Day. If you haven't seen it, go watch it. The right hand robot looked, oddly enough, like his first mate.

The spy/agent dreams, I cannot explain. My all-time favorite TV show is ALIAS, which I have on DVD, but finished the series a while ago (october-ish???) and haven't turned it back on since (although I probably will now). So I can't figure out why that is playing so prominently in my dream.

I did have a rather amusing dream about trying to play competitive volleyball ... but my right arm wouldn't work right. I couldn't serve, spike, or bump ... it just would NOT cooperate. I woke up with a dead right arm ... and laughed and laughed.

The really wild thing is that hubby comes in the bedroom every morning about the same time, and in my half-awake state I tell him all about my dreams ... and he spends about 30 minutes laughing at me. I'm sure I'm having such crazy dreams because of the pregnancy though. At least, that's what I tell myself to make myself go to sleep at night.

I can still wear hubby's scrubs tied around what's left of my waist.

This makes me happy.

And no. I did not take a picture.

A FOURTH ultrasound

Yep. You heard me. He just wanted to check dates and make sure there was only one baby in there, especially since I'm feeling all this movement.

Yeah.

Still one baby.

Bigger than two weeks ago. We could see the little sutures in the skull, which is now forming.

It's still measuring on dates, but if I get gestational diabetes again, they'll induce me up to a week early.

Next visit is just a regular OB visit in four weeks.

Four weeks after that, we get to find out if we're having pink or blue. Oh, and if all the internal organs and brain are developing correctly.

Two weeks after that, I get to do a three-hour torture test. Ha. Diabetes test. He said everything looked good.

And said sex is okay, even if I spot up to 24 hours afterward.

WOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

Political Joke -- HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY!!!

This was originally about Hillary Clinton. But I much prefer this version.

One sunny day in 2009, an old man approached the White House from across Pennsylvania Avenue , where he'd been sitting on a park bench.
He spoke to the Marine standing guard and said, 'I would like to go in and meet with President George W. Bush.'
The Marine replied, 'Sir, Mr. Bush is no longer the President and doesn't reside here.'
The old man said, 'Okay,' and walked away.
The following day, the same man approached the White House and said to the same Marine, 'I would like to go in and meet with President George W. Bush'.
The Marine again told the man, 'Sir, as I said yesterday, Mr. Bush is no longer the President and doesn't reside here.'
The man thanked him and again walked away . . .
The third day, the same man approached the White House and spoke to the very same Marine, saying 'I would like to go in and meet with President George W. Bush.'
The Marine, understandably agitated at this point, looked at the man and said, 'Sir, this is the third day in a row you have been here asking to speak to Mr. Bush. I've told you already several times that Mr. Bush is no longer the President and doesn't reside here. Don't you understand?'
The old man answered, 'Oh, I understand you fine, I just love hearing your answer!'
The Marine snapped to attention, saluted and said 'See you tomorrow, sir.'

I swallowed a watermelon.

Okay, not really. I *want* a watermelon, but am not willing to pay through the nose for a crappy tiny watermelon in the winter. I will wait for summer. (hopefully).

Really though, I did eat a huge dinner last night and a huge breakfast. I'm still nauseated a lot, so I eat when I can and the rest of the time, I just don't. I do take my Phenergan, but I'm still incredibly nauseated every afternoon and evening. It's okay; I'll get through it. When I weighed myself yesterday morning, I had only gained two pounds, which I am quite happy with. I'm 13 weeks and 1 day pregnant in this picture.

The baby is quite wiggly. I've been feeling it for a few weeks but doubted it at first. But it's not debatable anymore. It is WIGGLING. It kicks me if I snuggle to close to hubby or kiddo, and it hates getting squished in clothes (hence being in maternity all the time now). It does not want me to lie on my tummy or my side so much, since I tend to roll to the front. It is more wiggly than Munchkin ever was ... which is worrisome since she is an incredibly active child.

So the other day (this may be a TMI paragraph ...), I was only leaking out one side. I told hubby and he hasn't touched me since, but that could just be stress and not related to leakage at all. At any rate, we had some "quality time" this morning. And now both are leaking. hahahahaha ... Oy.