39 weeks

One day away.....so crazy to think how crazy fast time has flown these past months.  We are all extremely anxious and excited to meet our new addition!  Today is becoming the mother of all nesting days....loads of laundry, last minute errands, finalizing the packing of bags for both myself and the girls, pigging out on chips and soda before I have to reign in the guilty pleasure eating habits, etc....  Technically we are 'third call' tomorrow (that was as of a week ago so who knows if the first two ladies ahead of me have possibly already gone into labor, moving me up the list) and the hospital starts calls at 5am ...so basically I am anticipating a day of waiting around - let's hope we're pleasantly surprised with a morning call.  (UPDATE - a lady from labor and delivery just called and we are now 'first call' tomorrow morning!)
At my last appointment Monday, I was still 3 cms, 70-80% effaced and the baby's head was right there, ready to go.  Heartbeat was up in the 150's, weight gain was 0 for an overall of +29 pounds.  I'm still measuring ridiculously behind (33 weeks) but nobody seems concerned by that anymore - my height must be like a lounge chair in that womb....allowing this child to stretch out with a pina colada until his/her time has come.
And somebody finally made a bump shot reappearance (perhaps after a little bribe):
So stay tuned.....hopefully tomorrow is the day.  Praying for a healthy baby, healthy mama and if we can eek in one more favor request, a pleasant (and drug filled) labor and delivery.

38 weeks

I hope everyone had a fun holiday!  I have Christmas pics to weed through later today.... as much as I love the holidays, come December 26th I am ready to move on.   And with a baby coming any day now, we were more than anxious to get the house back in order....by 6pm yesterday the only hint of the holidays were the Christmas cards still prominently displayed, my cherished supply of peppermint bark and the outdoor wreaths.   Everything else has been neatly organized (thank you nesting instinct) and put in storage for the year, including a handful of new purchases from my solo after-Christmas shopping excursion to Tar-jay (aka - a little heaven on earth).    Anyway, back to baby stats.  I had my 38 week appointment yesterday and am now 3cm dilated, forgot to ask about effacement....baby still very low.   I've never asked or had my membranes stripped, but thought I'd mention it just to see what my doctor said - it's basically a crap shoot as to whether or not it will start labor but since I am so dilated and baby is so low, she went for it.  I had more contractions than usual last night, but nothing that made me think 'this is it'.   We'll wait and see.  Oh yeah, and up 3 pounds.  In one week.  Apparently I enjoyed myself during the Christmas festivities.  Total weight gain is 29 pounds thus far.  Good news is we officially have an induction date set for one week from today.   Reese's labor was pretty darn fast so I do get worried about being one of those people birthing a child on my own kitchen floor (and my doctor is inclined to agree) so she was all for an induction.  

There you have it....one last appointment next Monday and if no baby by the 2nd we head on in Jan. 3rd to finally meet this little nugget!!!!

Special guest this morning for the bump photos....just one perk of holiday office hours.
And so you don't think we sold Reese on e-bay or something, she was too busy throwing a mini-tantrum in our bed. "I don't want my photo taken....noooooooo"

37 weeks

2 milestones this week.....baby is officially full-term and Grant has successfully left and returned on his last work trip without any crazy absent-father birth stories.    Woo hoo.   At my appointment yesterday, I am now 2 centimeters, still 50% effaced and baby is even lower (doesn't feel possible) at -1 station*.
*Yes, I'm throwing in some advanced pregnancy terms on this fine Tuesday - 2 extra credit points if you have any clue what this 'station' business is all about
According to the scale I actually lost a pound but I'm calling it a wash due to the boots and heavier attire I had worn the week before - so unofficially we'll still say I'm up 26 pounds.  Baby's heartbeat was a rockin' (at least for this little nugget) at around 150 bpm.  Heartburn had subsided a bit but has returned in recent days....Tums have again become a godsend.
I think the girls are over the bump photos....Ryan is a pretty good sport (with a tinge of attitude), Reese had better things to do.

36 weeks

Like I mentioned before, Grant was out of town all last week and normally that wouldn't make me worry (in terms of early labor) but this time around I swear if I get a good sneeze or cough I will produce a child.  The contractions are becoming more intense.....traditional braxton hicks all day long (and by 'all day', I mean all day - anytime I do anything.....put on shoes, get up quickly, think about it, etc...) and now I've been getting irregular painful contractions here and there.   Not to mention the lowness of this babe.   Walking is comical.  Sitting is hilarious.  Sleeping is relatively non-existent.   Needless to say, I was a little nervous (and still am) about Grant and his travel schedule.   For my 36 week appointment I was at least happy to hear this all wasn't in my head and we are already making some progress.  1 (not quite 2 yet) centimeters dilated, 50% effaced and glorious confirmation that there is a head insanely low (and I'm not a big sissy after all).   Heartbeat was slightly higher than usual...148.  And I'm up another 3 pounds for I think a total of 26 thus far.  Still measuring 4 weeks behind but now that we had the ultrasound my doctor isn't the least bit worried.    I like my babies nice and meaty (both girls were 8+ pounders, closer to 9lbs) so we're in no rush over here but the bag has been officially packed (funny how the 3rd time around it consists of about 4 items and could probably fit in my purse) and all pre-registration paperwork has been completed.  Now we just chill and relax.....get Grant back from his one last work trip next week and ideally get to the 38 week mark and then game on, let the walking and full force nesting commence.......because mom and dad wouldn't mind a little tax and insurance break with a 2012 baby....just sayin'.
And in case you were wondering where the Reesers is, she opted out of the photo and then decided to take care of some business in the background...those are her feet dangling.

34 weeks

I had my follow-up ultrasound yesterday since I was measuring small and I'm happy to report all is well!   Thankfully we got another look because of course now I'm measuring only 29 weeks, even though we're obviously at 34....so five weeks behind would normally freak me out.  But the babe was nice and big (and fluid levels were good) - measuring in the 70th percentile (estimated weight is at 5 lbs, 8 ozs) and all measurements were actually a few weeks ahead....first thing my buddy Susan (the ultrasound tech whom I've now seen almost 8 times between this pregnancy and Reese) said was 'whoa, this child definitely is not small' as she got a peak at the head.  And speaking of head.....the nugget is head down!  Huge relief.   Although that could always change, the chances are pretty good that he/she should stay put for the remainder of the baking.    Heartbeat was still on the low side (130's), weight gain was +3 pounds for a total of about 23 pounds.   And Grant and I have switched over to the 'boy' side....I feel like this mug is that of a little dude.  And our child does not have 7 fingers.....the hand was moving as the shot was taken so you get a little bit of a motion effect.
And should our dude, be a dudette, no harm in looking like a boy in ultrasound pics as a few people thought Reese was going to be a boy based on her in utero photo shoots.

My trusty helpers with the latest bump shot:
We've been in full on baby prep mode....crib is up, car seat is ready, clothes are washed, diapers are stocked (thank you Ella!) and the girls have been helping me every step of the way. Helping is sometimes up for interpretation but they mean well.   Lately they love testing out the crib.

32 weeks

I'm a little off with my appointments, so I actually went last week at the 31 week mark.  I'm up 19 pounds, heartbeat was low again (130's - low 140's) and I am measuring a few weeks behind so next appointment we'll get another ultrasound of the little nugget.  Normally such things might make me worry but considering the exact same thing happened with Reese (measuring small/needing a late ultrasound) and she ended up coming 5 days early at 8 pounds, 11 ounces; I'm not losing any sleep over this one.  What I am literally losing sleep over, and perhaps what explains why my stomach isn't as round as it should be, would be the crazy kicking on the far (and I mean far) right side of the stomach.  I'm more interested in figuring out how this babe is laying than anything else at this point. And crossing my fingers we get the ideal head down pose on the ultrasound in two weeks.   Other than that, I'm feeling pretty darn good - amazed at how time seems to be flying by now (especially with the holidays upon us) and needing a burst of nesting energy to finish getting ready.
The girls still say we're having a boy. If you ask why a boy and not a girl, Ryan will tell you "mom, we already have two girls, we can't have another".  And the other day, I overheard the two of them arguing in the back of the car on where 'he' would sit.   Also, any stranger who offers their opinion on the matter - whether I ask or not:) says boy.  Not one single person has said girl.   Time will tell.  Grant insists we're having another girl, I lean towards girl, and everyone else in the world says boy.  Only the ultrasound tech and Ella know for sure and thankfully those two aren't going to give it up.

The outtakes.....we picked up two Santa hats at Michael's today and the girls have been insistent on wearing them around the house. I likey my Christmas, so I don't object.
And no 10 minute interval would be complete without a Reese wardrobe change...

29 weeks

I must say, this pregnancy is flying by so far.  Only 11 weeks to go, if that.  The girls are still convinced they are having a brother.   We shall see.  The little guy/gal did me a HUGE favor and relocated from sitting on my 'slightly herniated disc' (from a few years ago) thus relieving me of a majority of my back pain.   Heartburn is still a nightly deal but nothing two Tums can't cure.  My last appointment was at the 27 week mark, so as of two weeks ago I was up about 16 pounds....I'm sure that has increased a pound or two since.  Heartbeat last time was slightly higher - in the 150's and we have lots o'movement.    The little nugget also passed his/her first test......the glucose test.  Which I have just narrowly passed the last two times so I was thrilled and celebrated with some sugar, of course.   No crazy cravings - although if I could sit down and eat bag after bag of Tootsie Rolls, I would.  That and drink fountain soda.  Two terrible habits of which I try not to imbibe very often.   Halloween is going to be the real test.  I may have already broken into our Halloween candy for a piece or two.  To counter that, luckily, I've been craving sauteed vegetables and spinach salads.   All in all, pretty healthy this time around.  
Once again, a bump pic with my trusty helpers.....

24 weeks

I got a bonus round of ultrasounds at my appointment this week.  Last time around the little mover/shaker wasn't fully cooperating and the tech did not get a couple of measurements she needed.   Her nonchalance (as well as my doctors) at the previous appointment had me excited for the extra glance inside.  Fast forward till I was getting in my car that day and heading away that I started mildly freaking out "why couldn't they see what they needed to see around my baby's heart"......  I was very anxious to get back in there and put my mind at ease.   And ease it, she did.  She got what she needed and all looked good.  The best bonus....I brought my mom along so she could see her first ultrasound since 1980.   Things have changed quite a bit in 30+ years - it was fun to see her reaction to the crazy coolness that is a 4D ultrasound.
Stats: I am up another 4 pounds (total is roughly 12-13 pounds),  heartbeat was 139 and while the tech said babies at this stage are just about to start putting on some fat, no surprise here, but the newest Stiffler was already a meaty looking baby.
Monthly belly pic:

21 weeks

We've passed the halfway point of numero tres!  We just had our 20 week ultrasound (at 21 weeks, baby was on vacation after all) and all looked good.  We stuck to our guns and didn't succumb to finding out so all guesses are welcome...
Our little nugget with hand next to his/her head:
Can't be bothered with photos, already blocking us out (and/or lamenting the fact that Ryan and Reese await on the other side)...
Self explanatory but precious nonetheless...
At 21 weeks I'm feeling pretty good but I will admit that physically I am slowing down way faster than I did with the other pregnancies.  I blame two people.  Pint-sized people.  Needy, pint-sized people.  No, not Grant.  You can guess who.  R&R would be a hint.  Ironic how a little R&R couldn't be further from the truth:)   Total weight gain is now at 8 pounds and I am happily trying to increase that (bring on dessert!).  Oh yes, heart rate for all you 'boy' fans out there was in the 130s.  Still low. Very unlike the ladies were.
A little scuffle may have occurred before I could touch up the chalk or fix the settings on my camera. Reese may or may not have dropped the chalk board on Ryan's toes and then decided to jump on it while said toes were still trapped.  It was fun.  Take my word for it.  Anywho, one last pic, sans troublemakers and chalk board but with decent camera settings.

18 weeks

Here we are in all our 18 week glory.....

At our appointment yesterday, heartbeat was in the 140's and total weight gain was just shy of 5 pounds. This baby enjoys cereal (specifically this week, ugh, dare I say it, Corn Pops), fruit, anything that could conceivably set your mouth on fire (rare as I am usually anti-spicy hot), Imos pizza (with sausage) and chips. And we finally, finally have some paranoia-reducing movement going on!!!! Holla! After weeks of fluttering, this babe is reassuring me with full-on gymnastics. Thank you! And my dear, dear friend heartburn has made her return.

My helper asked that I take a picture of her "without you in it mom" - so here is Ryan at 18 weeks.  18 weeks of what?  I don't know...perhaps 18 weeks since cleaning her room.

16 weeks

I figured it was finally time to start the obligatory bump photos....up until recently there hasn't been too much to see (although the fact that I had to bust out the bella band and 'comfy' pants back around week 7 should tell you that things have happened muchhhhhh faster this time around).  I enlisted my buddies, albeit at different times, so you get twice the bump today!   Lucky you (*sarcasm).

We still plan on keeping the sex a surprise but that doesn't stop us from guessing.  I truly can say I have not a clue.  Some days I say girl:
- based on the fact that this pregnancy has been as relatively easy as the previous two were, knock on wood
- and the amazing way we come up with a girl name within .3 seconds after discovering I'm pregnant, if not before (but no, we are not sharing - mean little people we are!) and we have yet to come up with a boy name we both agree on

And other days I say boy:
- if you follow the old wives tale that boys have slower heartbeats...last appointment was in the 130's (both girls were always 150+, although I do remember Reese having a low one early on so who knows)

Ryan waivers....the last few weeks she has told me she wants a sister....named Hulu or Lula.   And if Reese's reaction to me holding any other child other than her is any indication, she'd prefer a dog, not a sibling.

But here you go....week 16 in all it's glory (I think I've gained about 3-4 pounds so far, should you be wondering).  No crazy cravings (although a new found love of banana peppers and bbq chips), I'm hungry all-day-long and there is no such thing as too much water.
Yes, I'm aware these look more like mug shots of the girls (especially Reese, she looks guilty, right?) but it's the best I could do.

Bun in the oven

That's right.....the Stiff's are expanding by one come January!
The above pic is our little nugget at the 9 week mark. I'm currently cruising along and just about to start week 12. You may have noticed a blog shortage in mid-May, early June....well you may thank the newest Stiffler for the morning sickness and lack of energy. For about three weeks, we did nothing but this, group naps on the couch:
This time around has been a hoot now that Ryan 'get's it' and can talk about the baby with me. She's been practicing a lot herself.
We are super psyched to add to the craziness and no, we will not be finding out the sex.  Surprise city come 2013.

March updates and general cuteness...

We are 13 short days away from Ryan's sister's due date (if we make it that long) --- my doctor thinks we'll go early but time will tell. Meanwhile, we are physically ready for baby #2, perhaps not mentally just yet. We're anxiously awaiting to see Ryan's reaction to her new sister - I think it'll be a nice form of comic relief to see Ryan adjust.

Saturday morning doughnuts (mom's favorite diet of late):

We took Ryan to a 'new sibling' class at the hospital last weekend --- of all the toddlers there, our little diva was the only one who had ZERO interest in reading a story about babies and playing with the newborn baby dolls (in fact she cried and pushed the doll away), all Ryan wanted to do was head back to the big table and color. At the end of class we finally persuaded her to hug one of the fake babies. So while the class was a bust, we're slightly hopefully that any jealousy issues with the new addition can easily be cured with crayons.

So maybe mom has a problem.....Dunkin' Donuts twice in one day - Ryan got a munchkin donut.

It only took 20.5 months but we finally got a ponytail holder in Ryan's precious mullet. The girl HATES anything in her hair - getting this puppy in could be considered child abuse in some states but once in and she's distracted, she sported the ponytail for a whopping 5 hours!!!! Success.

The playground at daycare --- Ryan is always excited to see us when we pick her up in the afternoon but heaven forbid you get there moments after the kids have come outside to play. Whoa. No likey leaving the slide early.

Baby #2!

The countdown begins.....we are only 6 weeks away from Ryan's sister making her grand appearance. As the picture below will show, we think we're in for another precious little chubber!

The many faces of a BIG SISTER TO BE!

That's right, Ryan is not going to be the only Baby Stiff. Stiffler #2 will be joining us in late March of 2010. This gives Ryan 6 months to adjust to the idea of not being the center of attention. Somebody needs to tell her, we're too afraid.

Yep, I have my own director's chair. You know who barks the orders around here.

New baby? Whatever, tell me something that interests me. Boring.

I'm going to pretend I didn't hear this baby nonsense.

At 14.5 months old, Ryan's vocab is expanding:

"E-I-E-I-O" and on his farm he had a cow.... She LOVES the chorus.

"Up" is her favorite word, used correctly and OFTEN

"Baby" - not in reference to the new addition but to her beloved baby dolls

"Dis" - as in "this" for anything and everything she can point to and want

"Ba-ba" for her sippy cup

A few more random pics of our little ball of fun:

The waiting game...

This will be short and sweet as there is not much else to report - at my 39 week appointment yesterday I was pleased to hear that things are progressing quite well. All the usual stats were very good (blood pressure, baby's heartbeat, etc...) and I am now 80% effaced and 2-3 centimeters dilated. I had sensed that little Stiffler had dropped even lower as the sense of carrying around a bowling ball between my legs had intensified and the doctor confirmed this - she said he/she was extremely low. I'm still not sure what any of this really means - are we talking hours? days? another week or two? Who knows. So now we wait. Although we will definitely keep up the walks in the park and trips to the gym in hopes to keep things moving along.

Friday fun - a pic of Jack and my sister.

*Also, a special hello to my cousin Ann! We love hearing from you! Thanks for all of your comments!

My how far we've come....

I thought I'd do a side-by-side comparison of baby Stiffler at 22 weeks vs. 38.5 weeks.

Not hard to figure out which is which, is it?

PS - I fried the baby yesterday while up in Breckenridge for the Stiff family reunion. I don't know what's scarier, having a sun burndt belly or the fact that in order to acheive a red glow, I had to sport a bikini while at the pool. I'm really hoping that delivery is a few days off (at the least) for fear that they will take one look at my little sunburn and call child protective services on me for harming my child. Yes, I had on sunscreen. Yes, we weren't out there too long. Yes, it was far more cloudy than it was sunny (it even rained a bit!). However my belly hasn't seen too much sunlight in quite some time. I suppose I should have known better.

Another doctor appointment Thursday so we'll chat again then.....

37.5 weeks - let's discuss the stats

We had another weekly doctor's appointment today - just as I had gotten finished telling the doctor that I am not one of those women who are in misery and trying every trick in the book to dislodge the little guy/gal early, I was told that I might want to think about finishing up any loose ends at work. What??? Work-wise, I want at least another week or two so I can cruise into my maternity leave feeling that all loose ends have been taken care of, any earlier would put a kink in my master plan. Not to mention buying us more time for Grant to grasp the concept that we will have a living, human being in our care - literally his one goal... "don't kill the kid". Anyway, out of curiosity I asked the doctor to give me a progress report since I had been feeling a lot more crampy the last few days while out walking or at the gym. She said that I am now 70% effaced and 1 centimeter dilated and she could feel the baby's head nice and low. Which would explain why my waddle has become more pronounced - quite an attractive strut to say the least. Thankfully I've read all my books and talked to friends so I know not to get too worked up about the percentages/numbers but I suppose it was a good kick in the rear to start getting my work in order. So we'll see, I still think lil' Stiffler will obey my request and wait until his/her due date. However, if this baby is anything like it's mother, he/she will disobey all parental requests and do as it pleases.

Large and in charge at 37.5 weeks:

Grants reaction to the news that this is all real & happening and not just a dream:

Car Seats and Baby Kicks

So as we get closer to our due date, we're trying to finish the last of our 'to-do' items as well as keeping each other from hyperventilating. Last night was project Car Seat Installation. However, it's not really much of a 'project' when you know that if you completely screw it up, our hospital offers free installation with the purchase of a new baby. So what started out as a family bonding experience, quickly turned to a 'just buckle the damn base in and let the hospital sort out the rest, let's go get ice cream'. One Cold Stone Creamery vanilla with oreo treat later, and we had a fairly successful car seat installation. Just don't attempt to actually buckle in a live human being, we can't guarantee that with one sudden stop the car seat won't be up front with the driver. Here's dad-to-be tackling the car seat itself and the handy dandy baby mirror.
Before:

After:

For those of you who aren't grossed out by big, bare bellies - I tried to capture the craziness that can sometimes be my stomach these days. Perhaps it was the ice cream. A little video of Baby Stiff putting on a show.
*I realized afterwards that I probably should have either narrated the video or turned off the TV, instead this lovely moment is accompanied by a Holiday Inn commercial.

Bonus Photo ---- could Jack (7 months) be any cuter??? (or more flexible?)