Approaching D Day!

Well, we're almost there! Where you ask? D Day! Due Date Day! Due Date Day for Baby Boy #2.

I can't believe it's almost time. I am 38 weeks and 5 days pregnant. That means 9 days from my due date...12/6/13. That also means, baby can come anytime. Like my water could break right now (don't worry, it didn't), or I could conceivable go 2 weeks late (please God no!). Since I was only a few days late with Hudson, the midwives don't think I'll be late with this one, although it could definitely go that way (did I mention, please God no?!).

I'm measuring dead on my weeks (38 cm and change), weight gain is good, and goodness mercy...my blood pressure has stayed normal, if not low, this round. So all is well on that front.

I have a ton of Braxton-Hicks contractions, some twingy, some not...but since it's not standard to be checked for dilation until 40 weeks unless I ask for it (yep...not doing that), I have no idea if any of those twinges are productive. I'm trying not to be anxious for this baby to arrive, trying not to will him to come early, and doing my darndest to enjoy being the mom of 1 for now.

Since this is also likely our last baby, I'm also trying to enjoy the heck out of the pregnancy too. It's a bit hard at this stage...you know, heartburn, achy hips, being gargantuan (or pregantuan as my friend Anneke so nicely phrased). But there is still the magic of feeling a baby move inside you, being able to tell where his feet are, or his little bum, feeling hiccups and knowing that I am growing this child. Whoa craziness!

We are pretty set on a name...Hendrix Malone, although I won't fully commit until I see the little guy. Hendrix is a version of Henry that both Gary and I really like and Malone is a masculine combo of Gary's grandmas' middle names (Madge and Loy). Since Hudson has my grandpa's middle name, we wanted something from the family, but didn't find anything that fit until that little gem came to mind. At least we think it's a gem. We've gotten mixed reviews on the name. People either really like it or really don't...but it's cool either way. When little man is here, I'm sure those opposed will get over it:) Or I'll/we'll decide he isn't a Hendrix Malone and he'll be named something completely opposite...we shall see!

Speaking of Hudson, he's just too darn cute for words. He is so expressive and LOVES to tell stories and play pretend. He is also one of the most inquisitive children I've ever interacted with. Our 20 minute drive in the am and pm is completely packed full of questions:
What do chickens eat?
Where do goats live?
Why is that tree green?
What do trees eat?

And so on. Today, he learned about centaurs on a show we watch in the am (you know- half horse, half person). The only question he had about that was...Do centaurs have weenies? And then the next 10 minutes were spent making sure all the girls he knows have vaginas and the boys have weenies (he debated whether to call them weenies or penises...I told him he could choose...he picked weenies!). Oh goodness!

But I just love him and can't wait for him to be a big brother!

Here's a belly comparison for you. I'm definitely bigger this round! Yikes:)

XOXO

39 weeks with Hudson

38 weeks 5 days with Baby Boy #2

Hudson the Moose

Conversations with Hudson:

Hudson: Mom, I see a moose!!!
Me: Oh yeah? Where?
Hudson: Over there, in that tree!
Me: I think you're a moose. (yes, I'm that childish)
Hudson: No I'm not, look at this face. (Said with all the seriousness of a Zoolander model)
Me: Nope, you're a moose.
Hudson: I. Am. Hudson Wilder Barnes!

And that was that.

I just love that little boy. He is so full of energy and kindness and joy. He is all boy, but so sweet and sensitive too. For example, he cries and wants you to turn off Peter Pan when Tinkerbell gets hurt, but then runs around the house "holding" her in his hand threatening to beat up Captain Hook with his big muscles.

As for the new baby on the block...we have our 20 week appointment with our first ultrasound this Thursday. We are very excited to find out if this one's a baby boy or baby girl. I don't have a good guess either way. Some days I'm convinced it's a boy and then will have vivid images of a little girl. The beauty of it for me is that we don't get to choose. I'm happy with a baby, regardless of its hamburger or turtle status.

For a quick belly comparison, the first pic is me 19 weeks along with Hudson, followed by me 19 weeks preggers with baby Sesame! I would say I look a bit bigger this round, but hey!, I was bigger to start:)

Until next time-

XOXO

Hudson's take on little brother or sister!

Hudson is very excited for this new little baby. As much as any two year old can be, I suppose!  Here are just a few of his moments:

• He likes to rub my belly and tell people, "my Mom has a baby in her belly". 
• He loves to ask, "Mom, is the baby ready to come out yet?" or say, "I will share my dump truck with the baby". 
• One of his less generous sayings, "I will not share my craons (that's how he says crayons), the baby will have to get her own". 
• Speaking of "her", he usually thinks the baby is a girl.  
• He likes me to tell him about when he was born and then repeat, "I was born at Phoenix Batipatist Hopistal. (Phoenix Baptist Hospital). He tries really hard to enunciate each word correctly, it's just too cute when it comes out all garbled. 
• His new favorite, "When the baby comes out she will drink milk from your boobies like I did when I was a little baby". He doesn't actually remember this, we just talk about it. In fact, when I first told him my boobies will make milk for the baby, he was astonished and flabbergasted. He almost acted betrayed as if I'd been keeping some secret source of milk from him all these months

As excited as I am to meet this new little human, I'm just as excited to see how Hudson grows into a big brother and his own little person along the way!

And just to show you how cute he is...here's a video of Hudson lip singing a song in the car. 

XOXO

Here we are...almost 1 year later...and another baby on the way!

Well, I know I said I would be back to blogging, I would write posts, I would be good, I swear. Well, I lied. Not intentionally of course, but as I logged back in to this world, I noticed it's been almost a year since I blogged. Where did time go? Seriously, that's not a rhetorical question. Where did it go?

So back to the title of this post...yes, I've been gone almost a year. And yes, we have another baby on the way. I'm 14 weeks and 3 days along with a healthy little baby! WHOO HOO! Estimated due date is December 6th:) This one happened super fast...like a "couple of weeks of not preventing" fast. I just couldn't believe it. Here are the three pregnancy tests to prove I was in shock.

The top one is the faintest line from Wednesday before Flo was supposed to arrive. I actually threw it away after a minute because I thought it wasn't positive. Then I pulled it out of the trash 30 seconds later and saw that faint line. The next one is from Thursday...darker line. And then Friday's is much clearer. Make no mistake, I took probably 5 more tests just to be sure. Good thing they are from the dollar store:)

I'm already feeling this little sesame move. Not all the time and not super strong, but definite flutters, buzzing, twists and turns. It never gets old for me...it's one of my favorite feelings in the whole entire universe.

I hope to be here more often, posting updates, and saying hello. It's so nice to have a mini journal from my pregnancy with Hudson, and I want the same for this baby!  Speaking of Hudson, how cute is this little munchkin?!

XOXO

Hey there old friend!

Hi there blog world! It's been a while. I would love to say I've been super busy doing super fun, super awesome things...but alas, no! Well, actually, that's a bit of a lie. I had a wonderful girls' trip to Olympia and Seattle. It was fun, relaxing, and full of girly girl time that I desperately needed. But since returning, life has been full of working, having the sniffles, and venturing back into the world of single mommy-hood, as the hubby has been working out of town. He comes back tonight, thank you little baby Jesus. I don't have much to say but I do have a really freakin' cute little boy to show you. Sorry for the wonkiness of some of the pictures. Blogger likes to tell me they're upside down when they are not. I swear.

Riding his lawnmower! He says, "ride, ride, ride"! He will also take his toys for rides, what a nice boy!

On his first ride at an arcade. He l o v e, loved it! Again, "more ride Mommy, more,".

Water time at Nani's house. The only thing to do when it's a billion and a half degrees out.

Passed out after a long day with the cousins. He slept from 5:30pm to 5:30am. For him, almost a record. A sleeper Hudson is not, so this was NICE!

One Year Ago Today...

2/23/2012, 2:58pm

Happy 1st Birthday Hudson Wilder Barnes!

An hour from this very minute, 1 year ago today, you were born. I am caught in the memories of the exquisite, pulsing, contractions of labor. I revel in the flashes of breathless exhaustion from hours of straining to see your face, and the glorious stretching as I pushed you into this world. The feel of your warm, wet, tiny body being placed on my chest; the little panting screams that marked your voice; looking up into your father’s eyes, bright with unshed tears; feeding you for the first time from my breast; your pink fingers clutching at mine; your sweet breath whispering as you snuggled into my neck soothed by my voice and the beat of my heart.

These memories warm me…bittersweet and ragged. Beautiful.

The details seem etched in my mind. Every miraculous moment. Sometimes they are foggy, but not today. Today they are clear.

I don’t remember the weather nor do I have any concept of the happenings of the world that day, but your birth, that I remember.

It lights my heart to recall that day. But nothing like the light that you bring to my heart today. The brightness of your eyes, the pureness of your smile, the joy on your face as you yell, “MAMA”.

That is truth to me. Unsullied, unbiased, total truth. I was meant to be your mama. To grow you, birth you, nourish you, raise you, and love you. With the very core of my being.

You are a part of me. Your life is a part of my very soul. For that I am thankful. I am blessed to be your mother.

Happy 1st birthday dear son.

Love,
Your mama

You know you're a good mom when...

You see that your son has spit up some of that oh so precious breast milk he just demanded you feed him and rather than get up to get a rag you just watch the dog lick it off the floor.

Even more awesome than that...watching said vomiting son get mad because the dog licked up the awesome puddle of throw up he wanted to smash his rubber ducky in. Yep folks, I have arrived!

(I really do love my life, for serious!)