The Hospital Bag...

Oh this "hospital bag" has turned into a post in and of its own. Here's what I'm using as my bag:

It's from thirty-one... It's HUGE. I thought it would be perfect since there are 3 containers that go in (see above). So one would be for me, one for the hubs, and one for Parker/labor. So i got to packing.

Here's what I packed for me (since i know there are some ladies who have no clue)

1. A robe
2. Bathroom stuff (shower stuff, post shower, make up, hair, etc)
3. Nipple cream and breast pads
4. Towel (the ones there for shower are AWFUL!)
5. clothes to go home in
6. 2 breastfeeding tanks
7. breastfeeding bra
8. night gown
9. 2 pairs of underwear I'm willing to throw away (you never know if you'll like the mesh ones they give you)
10. socks (one regular pair and one no slip)
11. my prescription meds (some hospitals want to give them to you... i figure if they don't care I'll have them on hand)
12. Camera, charger, health insurance card (all this is in my purse daily so...)

Then for Parker I packed:

1. Go home outfit (one in newborn size and the other in 0-3months
2. His diaper bag
3. blanket (no needed so much but wanted... sometimes you just want your own cute boy stuff on them)
4. swaddling blanket (see above)
5. boppy
6. hat

Chris packed his bag with a change of clothes (comfy and something to sleep in), something to go home in, towel, and a bathroom bag... oh and a hat (in case he comes from work and don't have one).

I also need to pack the laptop (figure mother-in-law can stop at our house the next day and bring it) and pillows (theirs suck).

After the hospital stay I've already gotten

1. Petroleum Jelly (for Park's manhood)
2. tucks pads
3. Epsom salt
4. Pads
5. Nipple Cream
6. Nipple pads
7. Nipple shield (needed this last time when K didn't latch correctly and made me crack)

I still need to get benitztine (I don't know it's exact name but you spray it down there after you've gone to the bathroom to help with any pain), stool softener (pooping after "pooping out a kid" is scary), and anti-bac for the world.

Other essentials i didn't list but are packed that you might want to know specifically about... Lotion (you'll feel soo dry), chap stick (same), snacks (especially i you're going to breastfeed, you'll be starving at all hours) and water (that's given to you at the hospital).

Hope my list helps you to get started! It's stuff i brought last time, sent mother-in-law out for, and wish i had last time.

Can't think of a title...

So this weekend was sort of productive and sort of relaxing and i have a confession...

This weekend my mother-in-law took care of Kinsley so that Chris and I could go and look at a truck for him. We didn't end up getting it. We came back home, visited with her while K napped and then played with K a little when she woke up and off Kinsley went for a night of excitement with her Uncle, Aunt, and then to spend the night at Grandma's. Yesterday Chris and I meant to pick up K in the morning but we were slow and lazy and by the time we got our act together my Mother-in-law said that K was hair twirling (that's a sign that she's tired), so we let her nap... as her nap went on Mother-in-law offered to keep her another night since she was off on Monday. I thought this was a great idea because then i could get up early and go to work to earn some credit hours. But here's where the confession comes in...

You fell GUILTY being happy to have a break! The hubs and I rested, we did stuff around the house, we spent time together and through it all I kept thinking about how wonderfully easy it was to go everything and how nice it was to not have to stop every second for a "Mommy..." request or to hover everything around a nap time. THEN you start getting this voice in your head telling you that you're a bad person for not spending time with your child that day and an even worse person for being okay and even (OMG STOP THE PRESSES) happy about it! Now before you go calling child services on me, i LOVE LOVE LOVE my daughter... but people we need a break every now and then! My old neighbor used to ship her kid off to the grandparents all the time (okay MAYBE once a month) so she and hubs could have a date night and sleep in the next morning. I used to think out loud to myself (this is where you talk to yourself about stuff you think you should be thinking but really aren't) about her not caring for her son as much as i care for my daughter... while trying to ignore the fact that 1. she stays at home so she "cares" for her son every freaking moment of the day (OMG I love daycare!) and 2. I was SOOO secretly jealous of her that her boob wasn't attached to her kid 24/7 when she was home like mine were in the first year.

So through this pregnancy, especially through this pregnancy, I've learn to enjoy the moments that we get to ourselves. Whether it's alone or together as a couple.

So since we had SO much time on our hands we napped a lot. It was great to not have the hubs bitch at me for napping AGAIN, since he was too! We also got a lot done... cleaned and put away. We also got the hospital bag (oh dear lord, it's HUGE) packed and put in the car and the car seat is put together and put in the car. So I'm 35 and 1/2 weeks and ready for this baby to come!

35/35

Yep, 5 more weeks and 35 more days until my due date... lets hope Parker doesn't want to stay in THAT long. Here's what I look like with Park:

I don't have a pic of 35 weeks with K but here's me at 34 and 36

I think i might look a little bigger but not a whole lot. It's hard to pick up Kinsley now without feeling extreme stabbing pain and it hurts my heart since she can't understand that. Chris is being AMAZING and really trying to help me out with her, but she's not being so helpful with that. She's SUPER clingy and fussy and we just don't know what to do about it, if anything. She's even being this way at school.

Well here's to NOT being pregnant for 35 more days and maybe just 2-3 more weeks!

How i found out I'm a centimeter dialated...

So it's no secret that I've been having a TON of pain this pregnancy. Well yesterday it all sort of culminated into one giant piece of shit day.

I have had pain off and on in my upper ribcage just below my left boob. Normally i can get it to go away by laying a certain way... not this time. This time it was (and still is) really bad and wouldn't go away, started Tuesday morning. On Wednesday the pain was still there AND BAD and i now had awful stabbing pain in my upper back on the left side. Basically the left side of me sucks. Add on top of this add in crotch/hip pain and a toddler that was up from 12 until 3 in the morning off and on and i was not in good shape yesterday.

I left work to go home and rest and try to telework for part of the day but i couldn't get comfortable, or even close. Finally after being in tears practically I gave in and called the OB. They had me come in to get checked out. I explained everything and that Parker hadn't been terribly active compared to normal days. They checked my cervix and said I was (at 34 weeks 5 days) dilated a centimeter, but that might be nothing since I've had a child before. In MY humble non-medical opinion i think it means something (not imminent but...) by all the pressure I've been having down there.

They then took me to have a stress test done on Parker. This is where they hook up two monitors to you, one to watch his heart rate and one to watch for contractions. As soon as they strapped those bad boys around my belly he "woke up". He does NOT like having things on him! lol. His heart rate was perfect and I didn't have any contractions. So we're good.

They sent me on my way with a prescription for Tylenol with codeine in it and that was that. I took it last night and it helped a little. I still felt pain but it took the edge off. I'm only taking it at night so i can rest and then regular Tylenol during the day.

The pain is still here and hurts but at least we know Park is okay. AND Kinsley slept last night so I only had to get up to pee and change positions, NOT to get her back to sleep!

I love My Gym!

So we used to go to Little Gym (for those of you unfamilar with these places they are like fun places where kids can play and burn energy relatively safely and they are indoors. They also teach them stuff but that's not why we REALLY go there is it?). We went to Little Gym because it had a good class time for us (i can only take K on Saturdays) and we had two of our neighbors going to there. BUT, I didn't really like it. Kinsley thought it was cool but I don't think she was REALLY excited about it ever. Eventually summer came and babies were born and we all stopped going to Little Gym.

K needed something though and I looked into Dance classes, but the places around us were not be responsive. Then i looked into My Gym, I used to work at one in college and knew K would love their program A LOT more. BUT, the saturday class was full. But, low and behold, right before Christmas, I got the call that she could now attend!!

TOTAL HIT! They still have a great program, awesome teachers and so much to do. Every week Kinsley can't wait to go and "swing, play in balls, slide, and DANCE" (all her words!). They change the set up every week and have new songs and activities and it all just flows better!

Every week they have a time where the kids get to swing and there's always special swings during this time. This week... the ZIP LINE!

I would say she's pretty much LOVING it!

And here she is in the "big" swing of the week, the bed swing.

ONLY time a boy is allow in her bed!

My Gym was a great choice for us. No it's not as close as other places but it's SO worth it for that smile!

34 weeks

Don't I look happy! lol. Honestly i'm a hot mess... but that's okay. Baby is still there. He's kinda high this morning but by mid day (i'll try to take a photo for comparison) he'll be LOW.

How far along? 34 weeks
Total weight gain/loss: 23lbs
Maternity clothes? duh
Sleep: Lately it's been better. I've been doing less pillows low and more around my head and it's be much better... plus i'm TRYING to take less naps mid-day and instead working out or cross stitching and i think that's making a difference... even though i REALLY want to sleep!
Best moment this week: All the "lovely" comments. Coworker: "WHOA how many more days?!?!" Guard: "Month and a half! You would think I was the owner of the baby! haha" (gross)
Movement: he likes to "stretch" after I eat. by stretch i mean shove his back outward to stretch my belly and then press as hard as he can on anything internal he can find. yea!...
Food cravings: no... rarely WANT anything... i eat because i'm supposed to

Gender: Boy
Labor Signs: just lots of braxton hicks contractions... especially through the supermarket
Belly Button in or out? popping out... chris thinks it's gross.
Stretch marks? Yep he's found places that Kinsley missed and is leaving his own mark... great
What I miss: NOT being in pain at the end of every day... Being able to bend... being able to breathe!
What I am looking forward to: Holding him!
Weekly Wisdom: don't feel guilty for the number of hours of TV your toddler is watching while you're pregnant... YOU'RE PREGNANT!.
Milestones: none. I just want to be done but he needs to stay in for at least 3 more weeks.

She really is amazing!

I know i complain a lot about my crazy toddler on here but I'm going to use this post to list out the things Kinsley has done or is doing that make my heart melt.

1. When she kicks my belly she immediately says "Sorry Mommy, Sorry Parker" And then kisses my belly.

2. When i was having a "I'm sad and pregnant" moment on Sunday She said "It okay Mommy, I kiss it, all better" and she proceeded to kiss any part of me she could get a hold of.

3. At dinner we pray. If we forget she insist on saying "Prayers". We've started to let her say prayers now. this is her prayer "Prayer.. *mumbles*... Prayer... *mumbles* AMEN!" We love it!

4. Kinsley can sing a lot of songs, ABCs, Itsey Bitsey Spider, Twinkle Twinkle, The Wheels on the Bus, etc. But my favorite is Jesus Loves Me. When I sing it to her I always say at the "YES Jesus Loves Kinsley...etc" But she insist on singing for every person in our family and sometimes her daycare. Makes for a very long song. When she sings it along she walks around the room pointing (almost like a sermon) yelling "And Jesus Love MOMMY!, Yes and Jesus Loves GRANDMA!" etc until everyone, even all the dogs she knows, are covered.

5. Kinsley has an amazing vocabulary and knack for speech, but she still has come really cute toddler words
Pashee = Passy
Cutter = Color
Yayou = Love you
Good Day = Have a good day
Hold You? = Will you hold me?
Booboo Ice! = She wants Elmo Ice for her (or her baby's) boo boo
Nite Nite Mommy Bed = she's trying to convince me to let her sleep in my bed
coome = excuse me
Prayers = I want to pray
*** Hit You! = **** Hit me (she's tattling)
Chicken = all meat
I Like *** (while her head shakes no) = she telling you she doesn't like something
Gipig = Guinea Pig
Telf or shelf = She wants to watch "Elf on the Shelf"
Gogee = Her friend Josie
Bottom = Her friend Autumn
Baby Jesus = All new babies she sees
PARker = Parker (she says it almost with a norther accent)
MIIIChael = Michael (said with a southern accent... she's very confused)

6. Kinsley is very aware of the rules they enforce at "school" (daycare) and likes to tell us them at home while she's breaking them...
"Baba (Barbara) Feet Down"
"Baba sit down"
"Baba two hands" (hold cups with two hands)

7. Kinsley is also turning into a master negotiator, especially at dinner. I told her the other night that she had to eat more of her dinner and she looked at me and said "One bite chicken Mommy, den all done" (while nodding her head). She will do this often and in many situations to get her way.

8. She's a product of the DVR generation and whenever a commerical does come on she immediately says "Oh No Mommy"

9. Kinsley is a master "Mommy" with her baby dolls. She takes them on walks, feeds them (from bottles and spoons), changes their "Big Poop Mommy", rocks them, sings to them, reads to them, and more.

10. Kinsley reads books to US now most nights. She reads them backwards. We think she does this so that her favorite Piggy get his passy BACK rather than losing it.

11. She is a pro at manners and will often remember them without help. She'll say Please and Thank You. She'll also say "Thank You Mommy" when she does something FOR you. She says Excuse me when she burbs or toots or sometimes in passing someone in the store. She's (VERY SLOWLY) starting to say it when she wants to talk to me when I'm talking to others.

I'm so proud of my baby, I really am. She's blows me away every day by how smart she is, I just hope I can keep up with her!