it's a phase.

Russ began his job at IBM 6 weeks ago.  6 weeks ago, the night Russ left, Ryker began his horrible sleep spell.  This consisted of him waking up several times at night, sometimes he was inconsolable-sometimes not, awake and ready to start the day at 430a-5a-515a-530a, screaming "MOMMY" and calming down as long as one of us slept with him.

As the weeks went by my anxiety with the situation went up.  I was like DAVID, "IS THIS GONNA BE FOREVEEEEEEEEEEEEEER???"  My brain kept saying, "baby is coming, baby is coming."  And you know of course Ryk would wake up at the exact opposite time that new baby would wake up.  AND we would be sleep-deprived x 500.  And WE would in fact go crazy.  Like legit-looney-bin crazy.

And then Ryk started sleeping longer, and not waking up.  We had a bit of a setback last night, but still manageable.  So ONCE AGAIN the BABY/TODDLER/CHILD proves that the whole "it's Just a phase" may indeed be correct and applicable to every part of child rearing that feels unbearable.

So Megan D H-F:  when Muffin Man is in his/her 22 month of life and waking up all night long- remember it will pass.  Because in the end... "it's just a phase."

:)
Momma

Ryker! Go Man Go!

This past Wednesday, Ryker looked up at Russ and said, "Potty?" 

This is not new.  Ever since AJ became potty-trained, it seemed that Ryker picked up on the lingo and wanted to sit on the toilet.  But he never did anything, and we still put him up there.

BUT this Wednesday...after Ryk said, "Potty?"  Russ put him on the toilet and he actually did a bit of potty.  Holy heck.  And I'm not naive, I understand that this is very much a process and it could TAKE months. 

BUT HE FreAKIN WENT POtTy on the POTTY.

:)
Momma

The little boy isn't so little anymore.

It has arrived...

The birthing tub is here. Now we get to Friday so I am at 37 weeks and can legally have a Homebirth. And we are good! 

Love,

Momma

Sunday Spoiled

And My Sundays start out with AJ running outside to grab the paper.

And then Russell making me an egg and mocha.

And then I am allowed quiet time while I read the paper:)

It's quite lovely.

Lucky momma/wifey

Meg

It's the end...

You know it's getting to be the end of pregnancy when:

*The IKEA people think it's a good idea to take your CART full of really necessary items that you spent the last hour RUNNING all over IKEA to grab, AWAY.  EVEN though your cart is hanging out in the CART parking lot-which states, "IKEA people will not touch your cart for 2 hours.  After 2 hours your stuff will get put back."  I seriously almost fell into a puddle on the ground.  I wanted to holler and CRY, and ohhhhh I wanted to find that person that PUT MY DARN CANDLES AWAY. 

*Last night I was on an organzing kick.  Put this away, put that away, clean up this, hang that, update this, etc.  I was doing laundry, while talking to Russ- and hear AJ laughing.  Russ goes to look and he took 1/2 of my clothes, that were nicely folded on the shelves, and PUT them all on the floor in the bathroom.  Russ was laughing, AJ was thinking he was pretty hilarious.  I simply turned around, and went into Ryker's room to lay on the bed.  I wanted to cry.  My emotions were insane-angry, sadness, PURE exhaustion (is that an emotion? it felt like one).  I knew that I was thinking about this in a really silly way, but I couldn't help it and knew I need to breathe and realize that this was not a big deal.  But FOLDED.  LAUNDRY.  IN PILES for TANKS, SHIRTS, LONG-SLEEVES.  Oh Aj...someday you'll see....don't mess with a nesting Momma!

I'm really a pretty even-keel pregnant person.  But I'm slipping.  I'm more tired-and feel like I have alot of things that need to be tided up.  It's almost like I'm living like today could be my last day before the baby.  So at work I have to finish up my paperwork, and make sure I see that student just in case, and GET all the reports turned in, hurry! You never know.  And then I get home and I got to make sure those dishes get done, and that laundry stays put away, and MY BIRTH stuff.  I need to have it PREPARED.  Just in case, just in case, just in case.

And for real, this baby is realistically not going to be on-time.  Heck, this baby isn't going to be a day late.  If I know my kids, this baby is going to take some time.  So I got time.  I really do.  AND even if I don't.  THE WORLD will continue to spin.  So until then deep breaths, time-outs if necessary, and really try to enjoy my boys before another one slips into the mix-those are my lessons and goals.

Love,
Momma

36 week Ultrasound

Wow.  Can't believe we are to this point... I know I say this constantly.

BUT OHEMGEE.OHEMGEE.

Anyways...had an ultrasound to recheck for the echogenic foci.  Remember? 
So slightly nervous, and grateful that Russ came- we checked the baby out!

Muffin Man looked great!  But 36 week ultrasounds are so different than 20 week ultrasounds.  Baby was BIG, and things were squished, and it was a bit harder to see anything!  But I did see a little chest going up and down, a heartbeat of 144, a sleeping baby with a hand squished up by the mouth, and LITTLE hair whispies on the back of the head. HAIR.  On my baby....Squeeeeee!  I don't know why but hair feels real!

The tech needed to measure the femur (which was perfect btw) and said you might want to look away because if you're good at spotting the sex-you'll most likely see it.  I looked away, Russ stared straight at the monitor.  But he swears he saw nothing, I actually believe him considering at one point he was like, "WHAT IS THAT?"  And I said, "That's the BABY's face!!!"  He doesn't quite get these ultrasounds.

I heard back from the midwife and the foci is still present, but nothing else was out of the ordinary!  So who knows because measurements can be off, but this baby had an estimated due date of NOVEMBER 15 (which is EXACTLY what we calculated) and they are guessing the baby weighs 5lbs, 15ozs as of now.

Getting excited, getting excited, BOY/GIRL?, How much weight? When? WHat's the birth gonna be like?  HOly crap, let's do this.

:)
Love,
Momma
 

The Bornin Guys

From what I can remember of our conversation with AJ the other night...


Somehow we got on the subject of the baby in Momma's tummy... 

Meg:  "AJ, do you remember when Ryker was in my tommy?"
AJ:  "No, he wasn't in there."

Russ:  "Where did he come from them?  Where was he?"
AJ:  "He was with the 'Bornin Guys'."

Russ:  "Oh really? Who are the Bornin Guys?"
AJ:  "Just a bunch of guys."

Meg:  "Are there girls there too?"
AJ:  "Yup."

Russ:  "And how about you?  Where did you come from?"
AJ:  "I was with the Bornin Guys too."



Who needs storks anyway, when you have the Bornin Guys.

35 and Stayin' Alive

I'm a day shy of 35 weeks.  And I feel like there has been a whirlwind of emotions/aches/experiences lately.  Let's talk first about emotions:  I am reaching the stage of Uncomfortability.  The stage where things hurt, and are tired.  The stage where you start thinking..."yea ok.  I'd be alright having this baby ANY TIME NOW!"  The stage where I'm worried.  I'm worried I'll deliver too soon, I'm worried because I want everything to be okay with my baby,  I'm worried if I don't feel movement, I'm worried about all these braxton hicks I've been having.  I'm worried that I'll go on bedrest.

Bedrest.  Right.  Stubborn-German-Taurus-Nebraska-Athlete Girl doesn't always do well with things out of her control.  So the other day when I completed a very hectic day at school with lots of emotions, I ran to my midwife, and of course was instantly shown the evil CUFF of doom.  And what do you know-my blood pressure was high, just like with Ryker, just like with AJ.  The good news of everything is that it was not HIGH for others, but high for my usual.  Anyways down the rabbit hole of maybe taking some time off before the baby.  YADA.  Then I go crying to Russ-all night long, because I'm not READY to be done at work. I DON'T WANT to take time off when I don't have a baby to snuggle.  Anyways, the toddler in me is coming out-can you hear her??  So healthy mom, healthy baby.  Whatever. I still have emotions about it.  But in order to honor my goal to lower my BP I'm going to quit talking about it.  Meditation. Breathe. Yoga. Woo-sa.

So as stressful as the other day was, and as much as my back hurt last night, there is something in my heart that wants to keep this baby in me as long as possible.  I'm grieving that this is my  last pregnancy.  I'm grieving the fact that I will never get to feel another little human being inside me move like crazy, or hiccup all the time.  No more ultrasounds.  No more maternity clothes.  No more.  And I know how fast it all goes.  I just look at AJ to be reminded of how quickly this baby will turn into a toddler.  I want to soak it up.  Soak up these last few weeks.  I want to honor myself, honor this baby that is still in me.  AND acknowledge the wee bit of sadness that I have going on about this.  Because it's all good. 

I'm nervous too about what this little one will mean for our family.  I've been prepping the boys (mostly AJ), and Russ and I have had many discussions on what life will be like.  Luckily we aren't going through our first rodeo.  But with each child-there are other challenges.  Will Ryker struggle big time? How about AJ?  What do we do when all 3 kids are awake in the middle of the night?  How will Russ and I still get our much needed alone time as well as our date nights?  How the heck do I get all 3 kids to the grocery store, or even yet buckled in the car?  Are my emotions going to be uber crazy after this pregnancy?  How long will it take for me to fit in my jeans?

Ahhhh questions.  Patience is the answer.  Who knows?  Who knows what the future will bring, but I just gotta soak this time up.  Everyday, every experience.  Doesn't mean that I don't get to cry, or be mad, or complain.  It's real life.

Love,
Momma