Final Plans...Check!

Months ago, my sister and I began planning the birthday party to celebrate Rachel's third birthday and my nephew Owen's fifth birthday. Unfortunately, though their birthdays are June 23rd and 26th, respectively, the local parks were booked up. So we slipped 2 weekends into July (the 9th, to be exact) before we could get the party planned. I was a little wary of this, but it was the best we could do at the time, so I made a deal with baby to have him/her respect big sister and stay in until at least July 10th.

Normally we hold the celebration at Blacklick Woods, but this time we went for a park in Gahanna called Friendship Park. It turned out to be a really nice shelter, very close to the playground (maybe a little too close, considering the little ones had trouble focusing on anything BUT the playground), and the weather couldn't have been more perfect.

And little brother/sister honored the deal and stayed put through the party.

This was my last set of plans before my due date. Everything else is loose and tentative, just in case this kiddo makes an early appearance.

Speaking of early appearances, it doesn't look like the kiddo will be making one. I am not 37 weeks (which is considered full term), but the doctor reports that I am still only about a fingertip dilated and not effaced at all. The baby's head is down and in position perfectly, but apparently my body is not giving up this pregnancy thing anytime soon.

I am not complaining too much. I remember the sleepless nights after having Rachel, and while I am none-too-eager to return to that level of zombie-hood, I am kind of done being pregnant for a while. I feel really large (despite everyone's comments about how small I still look for being so far along), and the pressure/pain in my pelvis is getting pretty old. Plus, I would really like to meet my new son/daughter!!

So for now I wait. I told my doctor I would like to let things go until August 4th or 5th before we talk induction, though I am hoping something happens before then. And chances are, it will, given Rachel's dramatic entrance into the world. I just might be one of those women who doesn't have contractions on her own -- I will wait around until my water breaks or whatever.

As for Rachel's party -- it couldn't have gone much better, with the one exception that the Mickey Mouse Clubhouse cake I made for her kept dismantling in the heat. It looked great while it lasted though!! And the kids had so much fun.

Next year we will have to see if we combine this little one's birthday with Rachel's!

Almost Full-Term

It occurs to me that I really haven't done justice to Baby #2 in my blog posts. I realized this last week when I got back from the doctor. I had been experiencing an unusual amount of discomfort (even pain) since going to the Zoo on Rachel's birthday, so the doctor did an internal exam a week earlier than normal. During the exam, she discovered that Baby's head is very low. She also determined that I was just shy of 1 cm dilated. So I went back to figure out (from blog posts) how far along I was at 35 weeks with Rachel. That made me realize that I haven't been nearly as descriptive about the pregnancy with Baby #2. So I will have to try to make up for that in the remaining however-many weeks I have left!
To start, I had my mini-shower for Baby #2 on June 25th! My friends Kim, Lawrene, and Jen (also my SIL) organized this for me and I can't thank them enough! I had such a good time and got some nice things I needed for Baby #2. I had started a registry for Baby #2 with various small things (and a couple bigger ones I intended to buy myself) that you have to re-purchase when you have a second child. My awesome family and friends were so generous that I really don't have much left to get! I even got enough gift cards to get the glider I want. With Rachel, I always used a rocking chair, which was okay, but I remember being very uncomfortable at certain points, and I thought it would be really nice to have a more comfortable chair for the late nights with Baby.

The shower was a lot of fun. It even included a game centered around the gender of the baby. Apparently most people think this baby is a boy. I still waiver back and forth, but my inclination is leaning toward boy. I don't have a reason really, other than the difference in how I am carrying this pregnancy. I have gained less weight (28 lbs so far as compared to 39 lbs by this point last pregnancy), and the majority of it is in my belly (36-week picture posted below). But I have talked to a few moms who had this happen with babies that ended up both being girls, so I guess this doesn't hold much weight (no pun intended).

So anyway, as I mentioned, I have been in some pain since June 23rd. The best way I can describe the feeling is that it feels like I imagine a guy would feel after getting kicked in the balls, after the initial sting has worn off. It just feels sore and achy, like I pulled a muscle. The doctor seemed to think the baby being so low contributed to this feeling, and chalked it up to normal discomfort.

I was still feeling this at my 36-week appointment on Tuesday, and the nurse practitioner mentioned that if I am in a lot of pain at 37 weeks, they can try to strip my membranes to induce an earlier labor. It isn't guaranteed to work, but she said it might help. I haven't had any contractions that were noticable, and I didn't progress past the <1 cm from week 35, but I don't know if I will ask for the membrane stripping or not. I am in no real rush to get Baby out -- I guess I just hoped to make some progress from week to week to encourage me that the pain I was feeling had some purpose. My main goal was to get past this Saturday (July 9th) because we are having Rachel & Owen's birthday party that day. Once I am past that, I have no plans to do much of anything, so if Baby makes an early debut, I am fine with it. I have work in a pretty stable situation...the only issue is in a promotion I am hoping to interview for something this month. That's a whole other story though.

I feel pretty good about where we stand with baby-readiness though. I washed the carseat cover and installed it in my car. I ordered the extra carseat base using some gift cards we got for cashing in rewards points. I washed the bottles, the cover for the swing, the crib mattress pad, and some smaller gender-neutral clothes we had from Rachel, and the nursery is fairly clean. I even pre-paid the majority of our hospital bill.

Tune in next week for the latest news on Baby #2. I hit full-term on Sunday!

Happy 3rd Birthday Rachel!!

It seems like just yesterday I was sitting around, waiting to have contractions so I could go to the hospital and meet my little girl. Maybe it feels so familiar because I am only 5 weeks away from my due date with the new baby. Three years ago, on June 22nd, at 11:45 p.m., my water broke and we went to the hospital knowing that we would soon get to meet our daughter Rachel. Almost exactly 13 hours later, we welcomed Rachel Louise Wood into the world.

I didn't know what to expect from having a baby. There were certainly a lot of people offering advice and wisdom. There were definitely sleepless nights. There was a big learning curve. But more than anything, there has been a LOT of laughter and a ton of love.
Rachel is such a joy to be around. Her smile lights up any room. And as she has grown up, her personality has developed into such a hoot! She has a great sense of humor, she is a social butterfly, she is intelligent, and she is sweet. I am not saying the kid is perfect (we have recently hit a phase where listening has become an issue), but she amazes me each day with how great she is.

For her 3rd birthday, we took the day off and went to the Zoo. We were lucky to have Duane come with us, and I could really tell that Rachel enjoyed it more when he was there to share experiences with. We saw monkeys, elephants, a tiger, some lions, and a various other animals. But I think the biggest hit of the day was when we let Rachel ride the carousel. She had been on one at Cedar Point last summer, but this time, she seemed to enjoy it even more.

We managed to escape the Zoo without getting rained on, and we headed home to enjoy the rest of our day. We got pizza for dinner and a Dairy Queen Reeses Blizzard Cake for dessert. Rachel enjoyed both, but I think she really just liked blowing out her candles. She asked for 4 candles, and when she blew them out the first time, she requested that we relight them and let her blow them out again, for good measure. (Hey, it was her birthday...)

And her birthday wasn't complete until her cousin and best friend Caden paid her a visit. I think that just topped off the whole day.

This morning, we went for her 3-year check-up (which for some reason required a urine sample), and she checked out remarkably. They really enjoy her at Dr. Dan's office. She is advanced in her speech and right on track developmentally. She is also advanced socially. She came in around 35th percentile for weight and 23rd percentile for height. Previously she had been in high percentiles for height, so I guess her genes caught up with her! Sorry kid!

Then we went for her 3-year pictures. She couldn't have been better. She was super excited -- I couldn't get her to stop running around, jumping and smiling. It seems like last time we were there she wouldn't smile at all!

I managed to limit myself in the picture selection, since I figure we will be getting more pictures done in about 6-7 weeks, but it is still amazing to see how much she has changed throughout these 3 years!

Baby's First Concert

When I was little, I remember my mom talking about some things that she did/happened to her while she was pregnant with each of us. It particularly stands out to me that she fell off a snowmobile while she was pregnant with my sister Julie, which I must say...explains some things. =) But the story made me think about what I have done since I have been pregnant.

When I was pregnant with Rachel, I got the opportunity to go to the National Championship game featuring my Ohio State University Buckeyes versus LSU. While the outcome wasn't what I had hoped for, it was a memorable experience nonetheless, and I was thrilled to share in it with my mom.

So what could I possibly do while pregnant with Baby #2 that could ever compare? Unfortunately, we didn't have the money to send me to the Sugar Bowl featuring my Buckeyes this year. However, when my friend Lawrene asked me if I wanted to go to the Bon Jovi concert when they came to Columbus, I readily agreed! I have been to 3 Bon Jovi concerts, and even though I am not an avid concert-goer, I love Bon Jovi. I can't say I have heard a song I didn't like.

When we planned to attend this concert, we were about 3.5 to 4 months pregnant. So it seemed quite far off, imagining our 7-month preggo bellies at a rock concert. Lawrene even made shirts for us that said "Future Bon Jovi Fan" in big, glittering letters. So when the concert arrived last night, we sported our shirts (and bellies) quite proudly.

Although we had a bit of a traffic hiccup, we made it to the concert in just enough time, and Baby #2 definitely enjoyed all the sounds he/she heard from the womb, because I felt a lot of movement throughout the night. I danced, I sang, I had a GREAT time. By the end of the night, though, I was DEFINITELY exhausted.

So looking back, I hope one day my Future Bon Jovi Fan will see these pictures and think of them fondly. If not...well, I still had a good time!

March

So again, I have neglected my blogging for about a month. Not much has really happened. I have had to make a LOT of cakes lately. One for a very special 3-year-old boy named Aiden. Normally Aiden's mom requests a shamrock cake every year, because his birthday is very close to St. Patrick's Day, but this year, she decided to go for a Mickey Mouse-themed party. Luckily for me, they make Mickey Mouse pans. Shaped pattern pans are truly the best for me as far as decorating goes, so this cake went very well for me.

I also made various birthday cakes and a shower cake for a co-worker's baby shower (a teddy bear shaped pan). Then came the robot cake for my nephew Noah. I can't believe he is 7 years old! The robot examples I found online used candy and donuts for the pieces and parts of the cake, and Noah was really excited to have donuts and cake together! I think I definitely hit the sugar quota in this cake, and the kids were all really excited to get pieces of candy with their cake.

Finally, my sister-in-law requested a WWE cake for her nephew Landyn for his 8th birthday. This presented the most significant challenge for me, because he wanted it to have a WWE championship belt, which has a lot of detail to it. I knew I wouldn't be able to replicate all of the detail work, but I used the pictures below to come up with a cake for him. The picture doesn't show it, but I used fondant, which I painted with gold dust, and texturized the center badge to make it look like authentic gold. I was really worried about this cake because I have no idea what the WWE belts really look like and I didn't want to miss any key elements, but I think it turned out pretty well.

Baby #2 is doing great! It is moving around in there quite a bit these days. Sometimes it wakes me up in the morning with little knocks on my belly. I love feeling each kick, and Duane can even see him/her moving in there now. He has felt the baby kick a couple of times, and he is very excited to meet the baby. We had our 20-week ultrasound on March 16th. It was really exciting, but the ultrasound tech would not let us take video. She said she would give us all the photos we wanted. The ultrasound itself was great. I could identify the baby's parts on my own at times. I could see the baby's eyes and mouth and even counted the fingers on one of its hands at one point. We held strong in not finding out the gender, and the ultrasound tech told us to look away when we got to that part. She did use a pronoun for the baby at one point, but we aren't sure if that was a generic pronoun, so we are basically calling it nothing. She informed us that she wouldn't put the gender in the chart either, because there was nothing wrong with the sex organs, so there was no need for the doctor to be alerted. So I guess the only one who knows for sure is the tech (and God of course!).

But at the end of the ultrasound, the tech only gave us four pictures, and three of them were really blurry. It was very discouraging, because the ultrasound itself was so clear, and Rachel's 20-week ultrasound pictures were so much better than these, and I don't want our second baby to feel short-changed one day when we look back at the pictures. Even the nurse practitioner admitted the photos the tech had given me were not very good. So I scheduled a 3D/4D ultrasound with an independent ultrasound place, which I had been hesitant to do because we are worried about finding out the gender. However, the woman assured me that they are very careful to respect the wishes of parents who do not want to learn the gender, so I thought this would be a great way to give Rachel a chance to see the baby before it is born too.

I also decided to send some feedback to the doctor's office, because I was very discouraged about this ultrasound experience, and I learned that a couple of my friends who go to the same doctor also had a negative experience. So I sent some feedback via the internet form, just generally expressing my disappointment.

I received a call this week from the office offering me a complimentary ultrasound to get some better pictures. They claim the ultrasound machine at that particular office has been having trouble for a while, and they encouraged me to attend the other office. They even offered a 3D ultrasound this time. My appointment was supposed to be Thursday (March 31st), but when I arrived, the waiting room was packed, and I could tell there would be a long wait. Apparently the doctor has been using the machine for a while, so I was the seventh person in line for the tech. I rescheduled for this Thursday (April 7th). I am really eager to go, but I have to be very careful to have the technician hide the gender from me.

On the name front, we have a girl name picked out, but we have decided not to share names before the baby is born. We want to introduce our new baby to our families when they meet him/her for the first time. We are close on a boy name, but Duane is still searching for an Italian boy's name that I actually like. Strange that I (the Italian one in the relationship) don't like any of the Italian boy names. We are pretty sure we have the middle name, but it hinges on the first name, of course.

Rachel is doing really well. Her speech is very clear now, and she is starting to take some interest in the potty, though she still hasn't really gone on the potty. She talks to my belly and pats it sometimes. She tells the baby she loves it. I am not sure she knows what is coming, but I think she will be a great big sister.

Things are busy for both of us on the work front. Duane is traveling a lot for work, and his motorcycle racing season is fast approaching, which means 1-2 weekends a month on my own. It also means baby will be here before we know it! I bought coming home outfits of both genders!

So maybe there has been more going on than I realized...

Valentines Day and 10 things I like about Spring...

We celebrated Valentine's day a bit different at our house this year. Rachel doesn't really understand the concept of holidays yet, but I wanted her to have something special for Valentine's Day, so I took her to Color Your World at Easton on Saturday while Duane was having lunch with a friend. That's where we worked together to create Daddy's Valentine's Day gift. (Picture to come when Daddy has received said gift, as it takes 7 days to finish.)

Because she was so well-behaved and it was a decent day for walking, I took her to Build-a-Bear in the main part of the mall. VERY CROWDED. I let her pick a bear and we waited in the agonizingly long line so that she could stuff her bear. She really enjoyed pushing the pedals to stuff him. I let her get him a headband to wear also, but we skipped the accessories otherwise, because she tends to undress her dolls and stuffed animals no matter what they are wearing. She seemed very pleased with her bear, but as we waited in line to pay, she had a bit of a meltdown. She wasn't screaming or crying -- she just wouldn't stay next to me, so that when I pulled her back to my side, she pouted and laid on the floor. (Might I add that if you see a mom in front of you with a grumpy toddler who keeps wandering off, it is NOT polite to try to move up in line ahead of her while she herds her child back into line. That does NOT help mom's disposition.) So by the time we left Build-a-Bear, I asked Rachel if she had fun and she said no. That broke my heart to hear, as the whole goal of that store is for the child to have fun creating their own stuffed animal (otherwise I would have bought a pre-made bear in the store for one-third of the price!).

We continued our Valentine's Day festivities on Valentine's Day. As a child, my favorite treat on Valentine's Day was a heart-shaped donut from Jolly Pirate's. My mom used to buy them for us on Valentine's Day (they also make eggs for Easter, shamrocks for St. Patty's, and pumpkins for Halloween). So I have carried on the tradition, it seems, because I buy them for my family on Valentine's Day. They are delicious and filled with so much cream! The texture of the donut puts all others to shame.

When I got home that evening, I received my gift from Duane. This year, I strongly hinted to him that I wanted some jewelry. I only have a few necklaces that I will wear, so I wanted something to show off. He delivered big time! I love my new necklace. I have worn it every day this week! It is made of white sapphires and rubies. He did such a good job picking it out -- I think he should get me jewelry more often!

Tuesday night was our official Valentine's celebration. My mom watched Rachel while we went to dinner at Red Lobster. We wanted to avoid the crowds from Monday, but we still had a 20-minute wait to be seated! It was worth it though. The evening was really nice. It gave us a real chance to sit down and talk without being interrupted every few minutes, and the meal was delicious.

The weather the rest of the week has been pretty wonderful. It is in the 60s now, which is unusually warm. I am not going to lie, I like cold weather. I don't complain about snow (though I do complain about ice) or cold temperatures (unless we hit 0 degrees). I like defined seasons. Summer is too hot for me, I love autumn as it cools off (though sometimes that isn't until November!), winter is nice because I get to wear coats, and spring is lovely (except for the rain). But I prefer to ease into each season and not be jerked back and forth between warm and cold. I guess I shouldn't live in Ohio. So this warm weather pocket has been very nice and I am trying not to focus on the fact that I am destined to be jerked back into cold, then warm, then cold another few times. So I have created a list.

10 Things I Like About Spring

10. Opening up the windows in the house to let a cool breeze come through.

9. OSU Spring Game! I really want to go this year, and I think it is Easter weekend, which is jam-packed with events for us. We'll give it a whirl though!

8. Not having to bundle Rachel in a thick coat, hat, and gloves when we leave the house.

7. Being able to wear jeans and a long-sleeve shirt and not be too hot nor too cold.

6. Sitting on our deck with Duane, watching nothing, talking, sipping coffee.

5. Tax refunds! I usually like to have this done in winter, but this year it will likely be close to spring :)

4. Easter! I think Rachel will get into the egg hunting this year!

3. Going up to the lake with my parents and getting out on the boat for the first time. Sometimes this doesn't happen until May, but I have a feeling it will be sooner now that they have their lakehouse.

2. March Madness. I never used to watch much basketball -- definitely more of a football gal. But I love March Madness. I run a bracket every year for people at work and their families and it is so much fun watching everyone's choices, especially when there is a big upset!

1. Taking walks to the park with Rachel so she can play.

Parties, Princesses, and Potbellies...

Sunday was my parents' 40th wedding anniversary! In this day in age, 40 years is quite the accomplishment, so my brother, sister, and I decided to throw them a big bash to celebrate their blessed day. However, we wanted to pull off a surprise party, so we planned the event for Saturday night, and my parents believed they were going to dinner with their best friends.

Stressful though it may have been at times during the planning, it was all worth it when my mom and dad walked through the doors and everyone yelled "SURPRISE!" It literally took my mother 20 minutes to get her wits about her, as she fought back tears and worked to overcome the surprise she felt.

I have to say that my parents not only raised 4 great children (yes, I said 4), they also have some of the most wonderful friends in the world. I have grown up watching them all with awe -- they are all unique and each couple has its quirks, but they all celebrate life in such a way that you can't help but have a good time when you are around them. I have grown up to be the person I am because of the community of friends surrounding me, and as one of my parents' friends likes to tell me, he is honored that the children of his friends have grown up to be his friends as well.

All of these wonderful friends and family members contributed to the party by bringing a dish of food, and we had gnocchi and cake as well. There was so much food left over at the end of the night, we could have left it for the Superbowl party the next day! I can't express my gratitude to those who attended and especially to those who brought a dish of food with them.

My contribution to the party was a replica of my parents' wedding cake. I had to use a 40-year-old picture (see above) to get the design, and it lacked some definition, but I think I managed to make a smaller-scale version of the cake. I was pleased with it, and I am awfully picky about my cakes. And more importantly, mom and dad were happy to see it. They even cut it and relived their wedding day by shoving it up each others' noses!

Meanwhile, Rachel has been her usual adorable self. She received some princess dress-up jewelry and some "clacker" shoes (as she calls them) for Christmas. She looks so ladylike, with the exception of the nose-scratching! She is obsessed with her Leapster Explorer game. I love it because it is educational. She is learning to count, learning to write her letters, and every day she continues to amaze me with what she knows! She is very much a visual learner, and she watches the game do something and then attempts to do it herself. I am so proud of her!

Baby #2 was moving a little bit a week or two ago, but I haven't felt as much lately. I think it will pick up quite a bit over the next few weeks. I go to the doctor for my 16-week check up on Valentine's Day. I am excited to hear the heartbeat again, in the absence of feeling the movement. Duane and I tried brainstorming some names the other day...let's just say it didn't go well. He is looking for a name with meaning, possibly something Italian to represent my heritage. I hated all the Italian boy names and the girl names he suggested weren't what I would prefer. He felt dejected after a while, so he gave up. I will have to try to find some "meaningful" names and make a list so we can narrow it down from there. Luckily we have about 5 months, and we just have to get it narrowed down to 2 names of each gender.

Things with the pregnancy have gotten better. My nausea has faded to almost nothing, my energy is back, and I am popping out just slightly (see 14-week photo to your left). I need to start exercising -- I sound like a broken record about that, but I just can't make it to the gym after work because Duane's car is out of commission and his van doesn't have a back seat, so he can't pick up Rachel.

Speaking of Duane, it appears that he got a big promotion at work! We are thrilled. Nothing is in writing yet, but his Regional Manager announced it on a conference call with all the other regional managers, and apparently they think the world of him at his company. So one of us is being rewarded for our hard work! Maybe he will get a company car so I can get back to the gym...