I just got back from my 36/37 week appointment (I’m 36w2d), and it looks like I’m making some more progress! I’m now at 4 cm and still 80%/ -2 station. I haven’t had too many contractions, granted I get way more in the evening than I do during the day. Still, I’ve progressed one centimeter in about four days, so I’m guessing things will really start moving now that bed rest is behind me. After checking me, my doctor and I chatted for a bit. She told me call for pretty much anything because I am so far progressed and just with my history, they don’t want to take any chances and have me deliver in the car! She did tell me that when I come in next Tuesday (Valentine’s Day), to bring my hospital bag with me because if I’m dilated past 5 cm, they’re checking me into the hospital. So. Unless I just don’t progress between now and then, it looks like we’ll have a baby by Valentine’s Day. Wow.

If you ask me? I think he’ll come before then. Today, I’ve started to get back pain and downward pressure with my contractions, which is how it felt when I started to go into actual labor with Knox, so I really don’t think it will be much longer. I just hope I start to feel better soon because I have a stupid sinus infection and so does Trevor. Knox gave us both his illness which has turned into this fun stuff- we are both on antibiotics, now, though, so at least we won’t be contagious to Brody. Still, I’d rather feel good going into labor and delivery, rather than be all stuffy and congested! I feel better than I did yesterday, though, so at least I’m moving in the right direction!

Here at home, I *think* we’re ready for him! I cleaned the mess (literally) out of this house on Saturday and have been psychotically spot cleaning since then. I sterlized all the pump parts/ bottles/ pacifiers today and my hospital bag (and his) are packed and ready to go. I have thought pretty much nothing about labor and delivery until now, and when I start to get uncomfortable contractions, I think “oh crap.” Ha! It’s too late to turn back now!

So now, we wait. Feel free to venture a guess as to when the little man will arrive, I am guessing the 7th or the 13th… we shall see!

Oh, and apparently, I am giving birth to a full-grown man. Look. At. This. Belly.

36 weeks and 2 days pregnant with Brody

P.S. I’m not taking my laptop to the hospital with me, so if you want to know when labor stuff starts to happen, make sure you’re following me on Facebook or Twitter because I can update those from my phone!

Um, so I’m off bed rest and medicine now.

This morning, I am off to Babies ‘r Us where I will use a gift card to buy a ridiculously cute coming home outfit for Brody. Then, I am coming home to scrub this house to within an inch of its life. Crazy nesting cleaning urge, take that!

Now, for the important stuff. You guys know from my post the other day that Knox turned into a crazy counting machine and almost made me faint from the sheer shock of hearing him count to ten in his own way (1,2,3,4,8,9,10… who cares about 5,6,7 anyway, right?). Well, Thursday night, the trend continued.

I started singing “Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star” to Knox, and I haven’t sung that to him in a LONG time… like since he was much smaller, because we’ve been concentrating on counting and activity songs that require participation/ movements like “Ring around the Rosie” and “If you’re happy and you know it.” Anyway, I started singing “Twinkle twinkle” and I hear Knox mumbling something to himself. I stopped and listened and almost died of shock when he said this: “up above… high!”

Is this really happening?? It’s like he really gets it, all of a sudden. All day for the past two days, I’ve been hearing “8,9, 10!” or “up above, high!” then see a bright and smiling face, so full of pride in himself. You guys? God is so great. I’ve prayed and prayed about Knox and his speech, and I know that so many of you guys have prayed for us, as well, and I truly feel that God is answering those prayers right before my eyes. It’s truly amazing, and I am so, so happy. The past few days have been like the best dream I’ve ever had, to see him progressing like this and being so thrilled with himself!

Now, for your viewing pleasure, a short video of Knox’s “singing” (but please ignore mine!!). I’m so proud of my sweet boy! I’ve tried to capture the counting on video, but no dice as of yet! Hopefully soon.

After many months of planning, crafting and decorating, Brody’s nursery is finally finished!! I absolutely love how it turned out, and I am so excited to bring him home to his new room sometime very soon! Without further ado, here are tons of pictures of Brody’s space!

This picture shows the wall color most accurately- it’s a bright, cheery aqua, but it shows up light blue in most of the other pictures for some reason!

Well, there it is! I hope you guys like it as much as we do. Knox certainly loves it, he loves to sneak in and take toys from Brody’s basket! Now, all we need is Brody!

In case anyone is wondering where any particular item in the room came from, here’s a source list for the room, I think I got everything in there!!

Crib: Legendary by Baby’s Dream
Glider: Wal-mart
Dresser: Ethan Allen via Craigslist, refinished by me
Crib skirt: etsy, Rocky Top Design
Large wooden B: etsy, Vintage Blue by Sophia
Animal paintings over dresser: painted by Linny Fish Creations, inspired by Oopsy Daisy Collection
Book slings: DIY
Animal silhouettes over crib: DIY
Pillow: DIY
Floating shelves: Target
Piggy bank: Carters brand, Tuesday Morning
Elephant and giraffe figurines: Kohl’s, spraypainted orange
Count your blessings print: free printable, Pinterest
Every good and perfect gift print: made by me, get your free printable here
Chalkboard Toy basket: World Market
Roman shade: JC Penney
Curtains: Wal-Mart

So my kid? Counted to ten. You could have knocked me over with a feather! Yesterday, I swore he said “one, two, three” while he was playing, but he wouldn’t do it again. Then, last night, my brother came over and told me “I think he just counted to four.” We were debating whether this was a fluke or not. Tonight, he proved otherwise. We were sitting on the couch, and I held up my hands to count, he likes to touch my fingers when I say each number. I said “one” and he said “one, two, three, four, {unintelligible sounds} eight, nine, ten!”

OH. MY. GOSH.

My kid, that doesn’t talk, just counted to ten. And then he did it again. And again. And again.

He knows there’s more between four and eight, he just can’t quite remember what they are, yet!

I feel like he’s finally “getting” it. Once he said “more” and started to see that he actually got things when he spoke, I think he may be realizing that talking isn’t all that bad! He also said “ball” today while he kicked his soccer ball and told me “Night, night” when I left the room tonight without being prompted.

What an awesome day!!! Thank God for this progress!!

P.S. Tomorrow? Come back for Brody’s nursery reveal!!

I’m officially having the “what have I done to my poor first-born??” guilt. I am so, so excited for Brody to arrive. I’ve been preparing for his arrival for months and months and loved him before he was even conceived. I just knew we’d have a little Brody one day, and he held a place in my heart before he even existed. Of course, now that his arrival is imminent, my eyes turn to Knox. My sweet little boy that has been the center of my mommy universe for the past three years, even through the stressful journey to conceiving him. That guy is blissfully ignorant of the fact that his little brother is coming into the picture… extremely soon.

I know every single mother of more than one child goes through this. The guilt over bringing another baby into the picture, over what it will do to the other child/children and all the ways it will change their life. I know that it’s going to be a good thing for him in the long run. He’s going to have a little brother to love, to talk to, to play with and hopefully to NOT beat up on! I can see them being best friends throughout their lives and growing into old men together. But right now, all I can see is that innocent two year old that has no clue what’s about to happen to him and his perfect little world.

Knox needs so much of my time right now, not just because he’s a rambunctious toddler, but because he needs extra time and attention from me for his speech therapy. We met with his speech therapist today and he’s about a year behind in his language, so it’s going to take a lot of work. His prognosis is good at this point, but it’s going to take time. Time is something that is going to be in short supply around here in the coming weeks. Tending to a newborn is a full-time job, as anyone knows that’s ever been around one. But what about the baby I already have? How am I going to juggle two little boys two and under? How am I going to be everything they BOTH need? How on Earth am I going to cut it?

I’m just going to have to. I’m going to pray like I’ve never prayed before, and I’m going to have to lean on God for help, patience and strength because I cannot handle it all on my own. I know Trevor and our families will help out as much as they can, but I’m just going to have to tell myself that I can be a good mom to both of these boys at the same time. They each need me in different ways, but they need me just as much as the other one does. I’m not going to do this perfectly. I’m not going to win any awards for Mother of the Year. But I am going to do it.

How did you do it with two or more? Was the transition rough or smooth? Impart your wisdom on this soon-to-be mother of two little boys because I need it!

________

*After writing this, I sat down to do my daily devotional. I have to share some of it with you:

“I am your strength and shield. I plan out each day and have it ready for you, long before you arise from bed. I also provide the strength you need each step of the way. Instead of assessing your energy level and wondering about what’s on the road ahead, concentrate on staying in touch with Me. My Power flows freely into you and through our open communication. Refuse to waste energy worrying, and you will have the strength to spare… I am with you and will watch over you wherever you go.”

Psalm 28:7, Matthew 6:34, Psalm 56:3-4, Genesis 28:15

(from “Jesus Calling” by Sarah Young, January 31)

The Bible verses fit perfectly with how I’ve been feeling, and included some of my favorites. I tend to gravitate towards verses about dealing with anxiety! I love my God. So much. He is so much bigger than my problems, and He always finds a way to tell me what I need to hear. If that isn’t devotional isn’t direct, I don’t know what is! He thinks I can do it, I just have to let Him help me.

I thought I’d give you guys a peek into my riveting life- at least how it’s been for the past several weeks while on bed rest. I think one of the hardest things about being confined to your bed/ couch is the monotony. Luckily, having a cute two year-old helps add some excitement into the picture, but most days are pretty similar. I find myself thinking of my weeks in terms of when I get to leave the house or have someone visit. For example, “okay, it’s only two days until my doctor’s appointment” or “one day until church” or “Trevor’s working tomorrow, so ______ will be coming over to help.” I try to vary my location some, alternating between the living room and the playroom couches- I don’t actually do any resting in bed unless it’s night time and I’m asleep! For the most part, here’s how the day goes.

7:30 or 8:00 am- Wake-up. This time can vary depending on what time Knox wakes up or if it’s a preschool day.

8:00-8:30- Get Knox dressed, brush his teeth, put him in the playroom while he drinks his milk and I get ready. I do try to get dressed and fix my hair/ put on make-up every day. Otherwise, I feel like a total bum, and it makes me depressed! It’s nice to at least not look like crap if I can’t do anything! Of course, I’m only wearing yoga pants and a t-shirt, but wearing pj’s all day makes me feel like I’m sick or something.

9:00 am- Breakfast for Knox and I. I’ve already taken a Procardia and drank at least two glasses of water (or chocolate milk if I had dreams about it… don’t laugh, I totally dream about drinking milk when I’m pregnant!) by this point.

*If it’s a preschool day, this whole schedule is shifted back by about half an hour. We leave the house at 8:30 for school, which is less than five minutes from our house. Trevor always takes him if he’s home, if not, I do it and pray for a close parking spot!

9:30 am- 12 pm: Chill out time. Typically I lay on the living room couch while Knox plays with his toys. Trevor’s home two out of three days, so those days are easiest since he’s here from the time Knox wakes up. He does a good job keeping Knox entertained and keeping him from injuring himself!  I try to lay down as much as I can from this point forward. Though I do get up frequently to pee. By frequently, I mean about 20 times a day. Yes, that is the actual number… I counted the other day because I thought it was getting ridiculous. I also guzzle water like crazy ALL day.

My buddy, the Nalgene bottle.

If Trevor’s working, my mom tries to come over in the mornings around 9:30, which is a big help in watching Knox!

To keep myself entertained during this time of the day, I usually watch the Today show, check my email and surf around Facebook/ twitter for a while. Of course, Knox is super playful at this hour and loves to climb up on the couch with me. He will sit and we’ll practice talking, or he’ll just cuddle for a while. He will go through all of his books, then move on to his toy basket. He’s pretty entertaining to watch, so I don’t watch much TV when he’s around!

*On preschool days, Knox gets picked up at 12:00 pm

12 pm-ish: Lunch. I do eat lunch at the table because Knox needs supervision! He usually eats some form of chicken, fruit and crackers/crunchy item, and I’ll have leftovers or a sandwich or something like that. If my mom’s over, she’ll pick up lunch for us on those days.

12:30 pm: Nap time! Trevor does this if he’s home, or my mom if he’s not. On the rare days I’m alone, I do it. While Knox is asleep, I usually read (currently “Catching Fire”… second in the Hunger Games trilogy), blog or watch something on Netflix. I’ve already gone through all of the seasons of “Parenthood” (which rocks) and am almost finished with “Downton Abbey” (also, quite awesome).

2:30-3:30: Knox wakes up and snuggles with me while he drinks his milk. This kid LOVES milk!

Then, we play, normally in the playroom for a change of scenery. If Trevor’s working, his mom comes over around this time if she’s off, or if she has to work, she’ll arrive just after 5.

I take another Procardia around this time, and am still guzzling water.

This is the longest part of the day for me, for whatever reason. It always seems to drag by!!

5:00 pm: Bath time for Knox. Trevor or his mom do this every day. I really miss giving my little water baby a bath- he loves the bathtub so much!!

6:00 pm: Dinner time! I’m getting super sick of “convenience” food items. Ie: frozen lasagna, frozen pizza, basically if it’s frozen, I’m sick of eating it! Last week I really wanted to cook something homemade, so I sat on a bar stool and made Apple Pancakes! Since I’m not on strict bed rest, I didn’t feel too badly about that!

When we grocery shop (online! Love that convenience!), I try to get things like Rotisserie chickens, Pasta-roni and microwavable veggies, so it tastes like a home-cooked meal, even if I don’t have to do much cooking! If Trevor’s working, his mom will pick us up dinner. I know. Our moms rock!!

6:30-8 pm: More living room play time for Knox. He drinks a third cup of milk around 7:30 and starts to wind down.

8:00 pm: Knox’s bed time. Trevor or his mom do this daily, as well. They brush his teeth, read him some books and lay him down. He puts himself to sleep, generally within 30 minutes or so. I did have to read to him last week because I missed it so much!

8:00 pm- 12 am: More resting. After Knox is in bed, Trevor and I may watch a show together, or just talk for a while. He normally does the dishes or some laundry, and I will get a basket of laundry and fold it on the couch. Somewhere in this time range, I take another Procardia. I also take a shower and do a devotional every night. I’m using the “Jesus Calling” devotional by Sarah Young, and it’s amazing, if you’re looking for one! It really helps me to re-focus and connect with God, which I sorely need in the midst of stress.

I continue to surf the Web, read or watch TV. Trevor usually beats me to bed- all of that laying around doesn’t make me very tired, so it’s typically 12 or 1 before I go to bed.

Then… it starts all over the next day! Super exciting, right?

I’m so, so thankful that our families have been willing to help so much, it’s been such a blessing! I can’t imagine having to do everything alone… that would take the rest out of bed rest, for sure! Plus, it’s nice to have women to talk to!

The best days, like I said earlier, are those where something “different” happens. Saturday, our awesome friends, Cole and Lindsey, came over with their two kiddos to bring us dinner. It was so sweet, and so much fun! Noah, Knox and Sam did lots of playing (and so did their dads!) in Knox’s tunnels while Lindsey and I got to talk.

This week is particularly slow because I am so ready for Saturday to get here! Saturday= 36 weeks and the end of bed rest and all medication! Guess what I’ll be doing this weekend? EVERYTHING. When I went off meds with Knox, he was born five days later, so I am very curious to see how it will be with Brody!

The winner of the Linny Fish Creations Custom Pet Portrait Giveaway is…

Comment #50… (by the way, aren’t y’all proud that I finally figured out how to do a screen shot on my mac? It only took me four years. Command+Shift+3, by the way)

Congratulations, Tiffany! You are the lucky winner of a custom 5×5 pet portrait!!  Please email me at “thesouthernbellebaby@yahoo.com” within 48 hours to claim your prize!

Thanks so much to everyone that entered, and even if you didn’t win, you can still get 20% off your order from Linny Fish Creations through the end of February with the coupon code “SOUTHERNBELLEBABY”- so if you want your own pet portrait, house painting or jewelry station, you should really start shopping!

Even though I don’t have much to do, blogging hasn’t been happening as often as you’d think it would be. Namely, because I have nothing to write about! When you do nothing all day, you generate not much in the way of exciting blog fodder. Oh well, I think I have enough random snip-its to compose a post today!

- I went to the doctor yesterday, and I’m still at 3cm and 80% effaced, but Brody’s head is now engaged and at -3 station. My doctor is not overly concerned with this, at this stage in the pregnancy, so we’re keeping with the same plan. Originally, she said we’d discuss release from bed rest at 35 weeks (which is what happened with Knox), but I guess she changed her mind because she wants me to stay on moderate rest until 36 weeks. I’ll go off the shots and the meds then, as well. So, just one more week and one day left! Thank goodness!

- We met Knox’s speech therapist last week, and we LOVED her! She will be coming over this Tuesday with the interventionist to set goals for Knox and what we want to accomplish in therapy. I’m looking so forward to getting started with it!

- Knox has been making some more progress with talking, which is very exciting. He’s started to say much more randomly and in passing without being prompted. His interventionist has been trying to get him to sign “more” and we’ve been doing the same. It’s hilarious because we’ll sign first, and ask him “can you say “more?” Instead of signing himself, he’ll grab our hands and make US do the sign! Can you say STUBBORN??! Of course, today, the interventionist wouldn’t give him the toy he wanted until he signed or said “more,” and she said “Say MMM, MMM, more” and he looked at her and yelled “Mmmoh!” He was so angry, but he got his toy!

- Brody’s room is so close to being finished! The big “B” for his wall came in yesterday, so as soon as that gets hung… pictures will be coming! Yay!

- I cannot wait to clean my house. How sad is it that I’m looking forward to cleaning? Seriously, though, the nesting urge is in full-swing and sitting here instead of scrubbing something is maddening!

- Tomorrow morning, the girls in my Sunday school class are throwing a “baby brunch” for me and another one of the ladies in class (we’re due two days apart with our second babies). I’m excited to get out of the house for a little while and socialize (even if I have to do it while sitting!). It’s a good way to celebrate hitting 35 weeks Saturday!

P.S. Don’t forget to enter the custom pet portrait giveaway through Sunday!

As many of you already know, my friend, Lindsey, is an amazing artist. Like, truly awesome. She made my day life and painted these fantastic pictures that are hanging in Brody’s nursery. Remember how I saw these in an expensive baby store but didn’t want to pay the $400 price tag? So, I hired sweet Lindsey to paint them for me, instead!

But that’s not all she can do. Oh no, not even close! Check out her custom pet portraits:

I KNOW! She blows me away!! Lindsey has done portraits of both of our dogs, and I have hired her to do several for family and friends, as well. In order to better share her immense creativity with the world, Lindsey has started her own Etsy shop, Linny Fish Creations, where she offers up:

Custom pet portraits:

Custom House paintings:

Even her own creations, custom window pane jewelry stations:

Here’s the good news: one of you is going to win a custom 5×5 pet portrait of your very own!! Yay! If you want one (and let’s be honest, of course you do!) skip on over to my giveaway blog HERE and enter! Lindsey is also offering a 20% off coupon code to all of you, good through the end February, and you can find that on the Giveaway Blog, as well. Good luck!

Sunday night I was laying on the couch (shocker, right?) eating a brownie, drinking some milk and reading “Ina May’s Guide to Childbirth.” I don’t know if it was all of that reading about labor or what, but I was getting a lot more contractions and cramps than I normally do. I just drank some extra water and hoped it would pass. I figured I would go ahead and go to bed since that generally calms things down. When I woke up in the morning, I found a little something extra during my bathroom trip. *TMI alert* There was what seemed to be a small, blood-tinged booger in my underwear. It was not much (we’re talking very small) and had obviously come out during the night. Hmm. I figured there would probably be more of whatever it was later in the day, so I just hoped it was a piece of mucus plug and not the beginnings of a bloody show.

When I was going into labor with Knox, I had the bloody show at about 5 p.m. and Knox was born by 7 a.m. the next morning, so I didn’t want a repeat of that situation!! A few hours later, another bathroom trip revealed a gelatinous whitish blob… mucus plug. I know the mucus plug doesn’t mean much, aside from the fact that you’re probably dilating and effacing, but in my case that’s not exactly news. It doesn’t mean that labor is imminent, and many women lose theirs weeks before they deliver. Still, my doctor told me to call for pretty much anything new, so I let them know, and they echoed my feelings that all was well and not to worry, just to call if contractions picked up or got more severe.

Anyway, in the interest of documenting all things pre-term labor, I’m sharing that gross tidbit with you all. Of course if you follow me on FB or twitter, you already know this and are probably bored reading this again!

Today has been pretty calm (hopefully that will continue!) though I have had a good many contractions this afternoon. I think it’s just due to a full bladder, though, because I have to pee every five seconds today!

I leave you with this picture, which is thankfully, totally unrelated to the topic at hand (I may show you pictures of my stretch marks, but I will not be posting pictures of my mucus plug!). Last night, Trevor was doing squats and let Knox (and his tiny giraffe toy) “help” him by sitting on his shoulders, which is possibly Knox’s favorite spot to be on the planet. He laughed and laughed, but of course has a more serious face when I take out the camera phone!

ETA: So, I went back and looked at my old blog entries when I was on bed rest with Knox, and apparently I did lose my mucus plug with him! How I forgot that, I have no idea, but I actually lost it with him around 33 weeks. Interesting.