First Photos

I have been planning for a while what I want the first professional photos of Arielle to look like. The photos we take will be the ones used for her birth announcement, which will also be an insert in my Christmas letter... oh yeah, still have to write that. I've got time, right? (eek)

I bought the fabric a while ago and had a vision for a longish skirt attached to a onesie to make it comfy for her and easy to get on and off. I wanted a longer skirt because it's going to bug me if she's on her back for a photo with a regular length dress and has her legs curled up so that all you see is the inside of the dress because it's all bunched around her torso. I figured with a longer dress, that wouldn't happen. It's only a theory. We'll soon see. Soon, as in, between now and 6 weeks from now... which isn't really very soon.

I want to make a matching ruffle-y tie-back top for Eden, but I don't know if that will get finished or not. All the pattern pieces are cut. It's the next thing on my list of sewing to-do's. Once again, we'll see. I'm VERY proud to show you the finished product for Arielle. I did it all tonight and couldn't wait to post it for show and tell.

Here it is in all its glory!

I used the pattern from Whimsy Couture's Etsy shop for a tiered ruffle dress. It's the second pattern of hers I've used (the first was her peasant dress pattern for Eden and Arielle's Christmas dresses) and they have both turned out great!

More from Week 36

Chuck and I went out to dinner tonight. We were originally going to drop Eden off with a friend, but her little one got sick, so it didn't work out. We decided to go out anyway and take Eden with us. She did great and our meal was delicious. It turns out this wasn't a good night to have a date anyway because Chuck's actually back at work finishing up as I write this. He came to dinner in scrubs, but I took the chance to dress up a bit. I even put Eden in a dress. I thought I should take a picture or two to commemorated the event. They're not very good, but I didn't have the energy to try to set up the real camera. These are from the Mac.

Eden thought it was great fun to watch me hit the button and run to the foyer while the computer counted down from "3" before it snapped the shot. She was in stitches and wanted in on the game. Such a sweetie pie.

Belly Shot: 36 weeks

We made it! The OB wanted me to make it to 36 weeks and here we are! I also wanted to make it here so that my mom would be able to document the last stage of my pregnancy with some photos of Chuck and I. The only photos I have so far are of just me, so I really wanted some of us together. Here are a couple I was able to retrieve from her camera before she left. I just couldn't wait to show them off. There were so many I absolutely looooooved, it was hard to choose just two.

Bradley Bit: a Bit Behind

We are slackers.

I thought we could overcome it, but our slacker tendencies have overcome us at the moment. Even though I'm trying to keep myself from being disappointed by reminding myself that Arielle really has 6 more weeks if she wants them, it would also be smart to realize that she could choose to come at any moment. We haven't practiced a single contraction, haven't done a single minute of relaxation and haven't studied a single page from my binder in weeks.

I got a bit of a wakeup call yesterday when Arielle decided to stretch out and put some major pressure on my cervix. I seriously felt like she was getting ready to pop out and say "hi." No contractions, just a lot of pressure. It made me realize that another baby was really going to come through there in just a few weeks. I haven't been nervous at all, but after that, I did get a little nervous and pulled out the Bradley book again.

We need to jump on the bandwagon again and get crackin' with some exercises and some reading. I did get one good thing to share from the chapter I read. It's a mnemonic for remembering how to handle all suggested interventions at the hospital - BRAIN - Is this Beneficial? What are the Risks? Are there Alternatives? What does my Intuition tell me? What happens if we wait and do Nothing? I would tend to switch the I for a G (What is God telling me?), but that would mess up the word... :)

Oh, and the other thing I read that was good was just the use of the words "birthing team." I wouldn't have thought to use that terminology except for a home birth, but it is true that the nurses and my OB at the hospital are my birthing team and it may help me keep a positive attitude for me to think of and refer to them that way.

Belly Shot: 35 weeks

Only one more week until no one will try to stop my labor if it should decide to start.
Anyone else see that she's dropping?

Waiting

I heard this song by John Waller this morning and, even though I don't feel like I'm desperately waiting for Arielle to come yet, I might need this reminder in the near future. I remember being completely consumed by wondering when Eden would arrive the last few weeks of my pregnancy with her. It will probably help to have her as a distraction this time.

These words are still worth meditating on.

I’m waiting
I’m waiting on You, Lord
And I am hopeful
I’m waiting on You, Lord
Though it is painful
But patiently, I will wait

I will move ahead, bold and confident
Taking every step in obedience

While I’m waiting
I will serve You
While I’m waiting
I will worship
While I’m waiting
I will not faint
I’ll be running the race
Even while I wait

I’m waiting
I’m waiting on You, Lord
And I am peaceful
I’m waiting on You, Lord
Though it’s not easy
But faithfully, I will wait
Yes, I will wait

I will serve You while I’m waiting
I will worship while I’m waiting
I will serve You while I’m waiting
I will worship while I’m waiting
I will serve You while I’m waiting
I will worship while I’m waiting on You, Lord

Doctor's Visit: 34 weeks

Another uneventful OB appointment. (That's a great thing.) Arielle's heartbeat was 160 and Eden was talking about it the whole time we were in the office and for the rest of the day that day and even some the next day. She says "hah-bee? hah-bee?" anytime I talk about "baby Arielle" or "the baby in Mommy's tummy" or even "being a big sister."

The OB did the group-B strep swab on me and, while it was available, she decided to check my cervix... without telling me. I was just chatting away with her when I suddenly realized that there was something uncomfortable happening. I asked her if she was checking my cervix and she said nonchalantly "I just thought I would really quickly." I told her I'd prefer she not in the future, at least not without telling me. She said she wanted to check to make sure that my Braxton Hicks haven't been doing anything significant. I can understand that, but I do wish she hadn't told me I was 1 cm. Now, even though I KNOW that it means NOTHING, I'm still struggling to keep my hopes of Arielle coming early (just a little early) in check. Women can be dilated for weeks with no change. It indicates NOTHING. nothing nothing nothing nothing... sigh.

More Words from the Highchair

Sorry for my occasional sniffle...

Belly Shot: 34 weeks

Why not just do one every week now? :)

Thoughts And Feelings At 34 Weeks

I said that in October I was going to pull out the double stroller and try it out so I could get used to maneuvering it through doorways. Well, October is here and I'm too embarrassed to do it. It would just look funny, wouldn't it? I shouldn't care that it would look funny. Who cares? Not me. Right? After all, what will look funnier; me strolling around with only one child in a double stroller now? or me running my double stroller into everything and not being able to get through doorways when I have two children in it?

Arielle feels BIG. She's really making herself known and we can easily feel body parts (though we're not skilled enough to identify them...) when pushing on my belly. I'm feeling a bit of downward pressure that I wasn't feeling last week as well as more Braxton Hicks. I'm noticing my belly in my way more often than before. I don't even attempt to put up the mugs in their proper cabinet any more because the countertop just doesn't let me reach where I need to.

My back and other muscles are easily stressed and I'm pretty sure I've come close to pulling a muscle or two and have stopped whatever I was doing just in time. I'm trying to be extra careful when picking up or playing with Eden. I make her stand up in her crib before get her out and I always bend from the knees. I do NOT need to be laid up with a pulled muscle right now.

Chuck's first week of call is the first week of November, so that would be a really inconvenient time for Arielle to come. Not that she's due then or anything. God's perfect timing is really what we need and that's all there is to it.

I thought a few weeks ago that by week 35, I would be sooooo ready for her to vacate my womb and sooooo distraught at the thought of her being even a day late. It's not week 35 yet, but I have to say that I'm really not miserable, nor am I in a hurry for her to come. Yes, it would be nice to be somewhat recovered by Thanksgiving and not have to wait through another holiday (like we waited through Christmas for Eden) for our new arrival to make her appearance. There's just a lot I'd still like to get done.

My new revised list now includes making Eden and Arielle outfits for Arielle's first photo shoot, making Eden and Arielle Christmas dresses, completing the burp cloths and hair bows for a friends baby shower gift, completing the planning and the invitations for Eden's second birthday party, choosing Arielle's birth announcement, writing the bulk of our Christmas letter with a place planned to put the info about the birth, planning and having our last photo shoot (Chuck and I together), putting Arielle's clothes in drawers and on hangers and then, of course, your basic getting and keeping the house clean.

That's a little overwhelming. I've got 8 weeks at the most.

For Grandpa

But you can watch too... even if you're not Grandpa. :)

Exercises

A friend of mine is interested in birthing without an epidural for her second child and has asked me for any info I have that could help her out.

Since I don't know when the next time is I'll be able to see her to borrow some books from me, I thought I would post something on here for her to start with.

These are the exercises every pregnant woman should do every day. They open the pelvis, keep everything limber, strengthen the pelvic floor and just plain, make you feel better.

You should do at least 20 cat/cow stretches 2-3 times a day and they are especially effective at night to help me relax right before I go to sleep. Tailor sitting as often as possible can help the baby get into the easiest birthing position where the spine faces your belly button. This position also helps stretch the muscles around your pelvis.

Pretty much all that applies to tailor sitting

applies to squatting with the addition that squatting is a position you could actually labor/birth in. You can do this one with a partner if your achilles tendons aren't very flexible.

The last one you need to know about is Kegels... and I can't post a picture of that. Look them up. Do them. At least 100 a day. Your pelvic floor will thank you. :)

Let's Party!

My baby shower is this Sunday! I'm very grateful to the girls that have organized it for me and I'm pretty giddy about cake and other goodies and celebrating what may be my last child's impending arrival. And parties are just fun. I need to take Page Hughes' advice (speaker last week at MOPS) and start planning more myself... after I get a handle on being Mommy to a 2 year-old and an infant.

Only a little over a month to go and Arielle will no longer be causing my belly to itch, my feet and hands to swell and my gastrointestinal tract to.... well, have issues. I think I'm the least nervous about the actual birth. I'm more nervous about trying again to breast feed and also just managing the day to day stuff with two. It's definitely a concern based on just plain not knowing what it will be like or how well I'm equipped to handle it. I know God's got it (if I just give it to Him), but my emotions often get the best of me anyway.

I'm not really motivated/organized enough right now with one to cook, clean and do other wifely things and still keep her satisfied without depending greatly on the TV. Actually, I don't really have that option because if I tried to sit her down in front of it and walk away to be productive, she would be into something the minute my back was turned. The point is, will we even have clean clothes to wear after Arielle arrives? Will we eat any home-cooked meals? Will I ever shave again? *shudder*

I know it's all possible. I've seen it. For the challenged moms like me, though, I can understand a need for something like Mother's Morning Out. I'm going to be looking into that starting January. Of course, I'll still have the Y to take a break from the babies while burning off that baby fat, but that doesn't clean my house. Maybe I can organize a house-cleaning baby drop-off schedule where at certain times of the week friends drop their baby off at another's house, go clean for a couple hours and then come pick them up. I would be tempted to go home and sit in my tub or take a shower... but that's cleaning, right? :)

If you are inclined to, lift me up in prayer. I need God's help to get this housekeeping thing down and I'll need some extra supernatural intervention to figure it out with two.

Go Me

I was just reading over old posts and noticed my list of things to do at the end of my Aug. 31st post. I've done 5 out of 8 things I listed and I feel I deserve a pat on the back. :) Pat, pat, pat.

Our Typical Morning

I wanted to capture Eden in her brand new Rabbit Moon outfit that Meme and Papa got for her. It's just a bit big, but I had to see how she would look in it. Adorable, of course.

It was raining this morning and Daddy had gone to get some gutter materials at Lowe's. We were left to entertain ourselves.

Fun, huh?

Belly Shot: 33 weeks

I know I usually skip a week, but I felt like taking another pic. It isn't very good at all. I thought the lighting in my bathroom would be good, but no. Oh well.

This week is different than last week, which is why I felt another pic was warranted.

My hands are feeling constantly swollen now. I've definitely noticed my belly keeping me from sitting up because it totally rests on my thighs. I'm having to get creative when I read Eden a story at night because there's hardly any room on my lap.

It's FINALLY cool here in Jackson. It still gets warm during the day (high 70's), but I haven't had the air on constantly. I've been able to just open the windows and get some nice cool air flow. It's absolutely HEAVEN at night. Like right now... I'm sitting on the couch in shorts and a tank top next to an open window and the cool air is feeling wonderful on my skin. I actually slept with a little bit of the comforter on me last night... for part of the night. I usually just have the sheet on me, or not even the sheet.

The cool air is making me happy.

One New Helpful Habit

I have decided to tell God out loud every time I'm frustrated with Eden. I've done it for one day and it really seems to help. He already knows, of course, but to just tell Him what I'm feeling instead of keeping it to myself really seems to release some tension and give me some perspective. Just hearing myself say what I'm feeling helps with perspective. It also makes me take a second to think about how to word what I'm feeling (equivalent of counting to 10?). All in all, I think a great habit to get into before Arielle arrives.