Grants Farm and Being 37 Weeks Pregnant

A couple of weeks ago, George and I had an unexpected free Saturday. I actually got up and put on my gym clothes, fully planning on attending a step class, and then I realized, "What am I doing? This may have been my previous plan, but now that George is free, we should do something as a family. We don't have much longer to do stuff like this before the baby comes!" So, I changed clothes and we decided to go to Grant's Farm. It was really hot, but we went early, so it wasn't AS bad. Apple was so excited to see the animals! Here, Apple shows us what she sees, which I think are monkeys.

Elephants are always a favorite!

We decided to let Apple try the carousel for the first time. At first, she was scared, but when it was going, she LOVED it! And of course, cried when we took her off of it!

We felt lucky that our family shot turned out this good! It was near the end of our trip and we were all uncomfortable with the heat!

Look at our little navigator. Let's just say she doesn't get this from me! (Well, except for the not watching where she's going part!)

I try to teach 'em young! One of my favorite things about going to places like this is Dippin' Dots. I love them, but I won't buy them unless I'm in an outside place. It was Apple's first time tasting them. She was pleased!

In other news, I am in week 37 of my pregnancy. It seems so odd to only have 3 weeks left. With Apple, I was getting ready to conduct a concert and arguing with my OB on why I should be allowed to have the concert instead of going on bed rest. I was also thinking that I really wanted to have the baby early (as long as it was after the concert!) This time around, I'm less anxious to have the baby. I'm trying really hard to have everything ready by the 20th of July. After that, the baby can come whenever. If baby takes its time, that's fine. I wouldn't mind having the rest! If baby comes early, that's fine too. I'm close to having everything ready, but I always feel like I don't have enough food prepared and frozen. And believe me, I have a LOT of frozen meals already. It still just doesn't seem like it's enough. And I still need to make and freeze loaves of bread. Baby clothes are washed, nursery is basically ready. I just keep chipping away at things. I would like to have everything ready early so I can relax as it gets closer. So far, I'm on schedule. I didn't gain any weight in the 3rd trimester at all until this past week when I put on 4 (That's right, FOUR) lbs. in 2 days. Yuck! Can you say water weight? I hope that trend doesn't continue!

I did want to post this picture of my touching the ground during week 37. When I would comment in my 2nd trimester about how I was surprised that I could still touch my toes (especially since this is a recent development anyway!) several people said, just wait until you're... Well, I'm pretty sure that I'm now... and look! I'm very pleased about this! Especially since being limber is supposed to help with labor. I do realize that it isn't exactly a flattering angle and my feet are swollen, but I still wanted the proof!

Amazon order

Let me start by saying I hope this isn't TMI. I don't think it is, but sometimes my filter doesn't work!

When I had Apple, I had a lot of pain in the rear. For many weeks. It made breastfeeding hard, because it hurt to sit down. It made sleeping hard (and you already don't get much sleep with a newborn) because laying on my back hurt. It hurt! For about 5 weeks!

Last week, I needed to place an Amazon order. You know, when you order $25 dollars worth of stuff, you get free shipping. The hospital that I'm delivering at doesn't use sitz baths and I've heard really good things about them from several people. It turns out, they aren't that expensive, so I decide to add one to my order to get free shipping and hopefully some relief from the pain after I have newbie. I also order some stuff to put in the sitz bath.

The next day, I get an email saying that amazon has mailed some of my order separately and I won't be charged for it. The following day, I receive my sitz bath, by UPS. The next day, I receive the stuff to put in the sitz bath.

They've finally mailed the rest of my order (books that were all in stock) and they're just being sent USPS, which is fine. I guess I just find it humorous that clearly the workers at Amazon think that if you have need of a sitz bath, you should not be trifled with, and you WILL be getting it quickly! They know what's important!

Needs for New Baby

Okay, several people have asked me what we need for baby number two, and I'm finally ready to answer that question. If you plan on buying something for me, either because you plan on coming to my sprinkling or you just want to help, these are the items that we WILL be buying ourselves. They are all things that we need. The two things that we DON'T need and will only give us more work (since we'll have to return them) are disposable diapers and wipes. We are cloth diapering and I know we'll stick with it, because we're already cloth diapering Apple.

2 covers for the changing pad (registered for at Babiesrus)
Extra sheet for crib (registered for at Babiesrus)
Baby Hangers (registered for at Babiesrus)
Seat protector (registered for at Babiesrus)
Nipples for bottles (registered for at Babiesrus)
Drop in liners (registered for at Babiesrus)
Humidifier (not registered for, any humidifier is fine)
Newborn sponge for baths (registered for at Babiesrus)
1 or 2 new newborn sleepers with tags and gift receipt (registered for at Babiesrus, but you can
pick something else out)
A couple of toys to hang on the carseat (registered for at Babiesrus)
A baby book (registered for at Babiesrus)
Cloth diapers and supplies (registered at Cottonbabies, http://www.cottonbabies.com/9061.php details to follow)

Don't be afraid to buy the cloth diapers. Cottonbabies is in South County, and the people are extraordinarily helpful and friendly. Also, they do free shipping, so you don't even have to drive there. Also, individual cloth diapers are pricier than disposables. It's okay to give me 1 cloth diaper. That's one less for me to buy!

This message isn't trying to say you must buy me a gift. I don't expect anyone to, however, if you were already planning on buying me something and wanted to help with things we needed, this is our list. Like I said, we will be buying these items no matter what!

Cloth Diapers (I promise I haven't gone crazy!)

So, George and I had decided that with Baby #2 we were going to try cloth diapers. By that, I mean that I decided and George didn't disagree, so that's what we're doing! :) Apple has very sensitive skin and I expect this baby to as well. I think that going with diapers without chemicals (chemicals on your most delicate area, 24 hours a day, for 2+ years of your life? Eesh!) in them would be a benefit to new baby, so we decided to go for it.

My cloth diaper journey begins. I start looking online for information on what in the world I'm doing, because let's be honest. To most of us, cloth sounds scary and crazy. When you start researching, it gets even more confusing. What in the world are all-in-ones, pocket diapers, inserts, covers, one-size, prefolds, and on and on. It's a little overwhelming. I talked to a mom at our church who cloth diapers and got some basic information from her. Slowly, I start to figure some stuff out, but it's still overwhelming.

Enter Cottonbabies. Cottonbabies is a cloth diapering store (with lots of other stuff as well) and they have a cloth diapering 101 class. I attend the class (the only one without a husband attending and who already has a child) and learn some more. I come to the decision that I want to try cloth out with Apple. That way, I can figure out what I'm doing before a newborn comes into the picture. So I buy some Fuzzibunz One-Size Diapers and some cloth wipes. Apple has now been wearing cloth for one week today. I really like putting cloth on her. I feel good about my decision. Here are some of my previous concerns on cloth diapering (now that I'm SO experienced. Ha!) and I'll be truthful!

1. I was concerned about leaking. It seems I've always read about cloth diapers leaking. This hasn't been a problem for us at all. Even with the 12 hours overnight. Maybe it's because Apple is an older baby, but when the diapers fit right, it's not an issue.

2. Ugh! Is my house going to smell all the time? Nope. Our house smells less now that it did with disposables. To be fair, if I would have taken out the disposables every day or every other day (like I do with cloth), I think the smells would have been MUCH less. The other thing I wasn't expecting (which might not be a good thing) is that her stinkies are a little harder to detect by smell in cloth.

3. How do I know what will work for my baby? I tried Fuzzibunz and happened to love how easy they were. George thinks they're easy too. I've recently added to our collection with BumGenius 3.0 One size. They're doing just fine too. You just have to try.

4. How do I clean the diapers? Thankfully the diapers come with something that says how to wash the diapers. And once you get into a routine, it's not that hard.

5. Will I be grossed out by cleaning poop? I'm grossed out because about once every two months, I have to fish Apple's poop out of the bathtub. That's gross. Getting the poop out of the diapers is easy.

6. Will diaper rash (which Apple gets FREQUENTLY) get worse or better? Neither, so far. Last week, we had 2 days where she had diaper rash from her stinkies, but I guarantee she would have gotten the same rash wearing disposables.

I've also discovered some other things (these are more on the negative side)

1. A lot of moms who cloth say, "Oh, it's just as easy as disposables." I don't think so. Maybe I'll think that later, but it does take a little longer to change the cloth.

2. It is extra work. We're doing an additional load of laundry every other day. It isn't hard work, but it IS extra work.

3. I haven't completely figured out how to use the diaper sprayer (attached to the toilet) without spraying myself.

4. I'm scared to use prefolds. One-size doesn't fit as well on skinny newborn legs, so in the beginning with new baby, we will be using prefolds and covers. Hopefully, I'll figure it out quickly!

5. George and I both aren't huge fans of cloth wipes. They are necessary, because you keep them with your diapers. You can't store disposable wipes in your diaper pail because you can't wash them. So, if you use disposable wipes, you have to throw them in the trash and now your house stinks. But, I do think disposable wipes are way more convenient than cloth wipes. (We're still sticking with the cloth)

6. You save a lot of money in the long run (ESPECIALLY if you plan on having more kids), but the start up cost is a lot. Individual cloth diapers are pricey. They pay themselves off easily, but they are pricey.

7. You get some looks when you drop your child off with someone (like church nursery, gym nursery, a babysitter, etc.). I've gotten three kinds of looks. Thankfully, the most normal reaction is just a, "Okay. Sure." Then, a lot of the younger generation looks at you like you're crazy. But my favorite look is from the older generation. At our church VBS, two older ladies watched Apple. I took her the first night, told them I was cloth diapering, showed them the diapers, and they were flabbergasted. Both of them had this look like, "This is not cloth diapering. WE cloth diapered. It was a lot more complicated and involved pins. This is just a washable diaper." :)

So far, we think it's worth it to cloth. I wish I would have considered it with Apple earlier, but it didn't even cross my mind as an option. It's also definitely not for everyone! And it's not what most people think anymore. Hopefully, we'll continue to have a good experience with it when new baby gets here!

Pregnancy and Exercise

This pregnancy has been extraordinarily different from my first. There have been two major lifestyle changes that I believe contribute the most to this. The first is, I no longer have a paying job. What a huge blessing this has been! Last time, I conducted a concert 3 weeks before my due date. No wonder I had pre-eclampsia! Also, I was so stressed with making all my sub plans. Every evening was spent on the computer working on things. Ugh. I don't miss that part of my job at all!

The other big factor is exercise. I didn't start exercising until last June, when school was out. While working, I didn't feel like it was possible. I was already drowning under all my responsibilities and couldn't add one more. But when I quit, I no longer had an excuse. With Apple, I gained 61 lbs. Yikes! I didn't exercise and while I ate a lot of veggies, I also ate whatever else I wanted too. In three months, I lost 30 lbs. Ugh again. That left another 31 to go. I worked really hard and got within a couple pounds of my pre-weight. Then, I was suddenly pregnant again.

I decided to keep exercising. By this time, I was exercising 5-8 hours a week, depending on what else was going on. It was really hard the first trimester because I have a HUGE problem with morning sickness. While it was bad this time, it (thankfully!) was nowhere nearly as bad as with Apple. However, I had seen on a birth board that many people stopped working out the first trimester due to sickness or tiredness, and then had issues getting back into it. I was determined to push through. There were a few times when I had to leave the class early because I thought I would get sick if I stayed, but most of the time, as long as I took my prescription before, I did fine. And then came the second trimester. No more sickness, much more energy. Exercise=game on! Once my OB asked what exercises I did, and I responded with, "Oh, I go to several step classes, a weight lifting class, 2 Piloga classes, a yoga class, and a high-low aerobics class each week." She said, "So, when you say you exercise, you don't mean you walk for 30 minutes each day." "Um, no."

Enter trimester 3! Month 7 was the same as the 2nd trimester. Everything was fine. Now, I'm 32 weeks. I can still bend over and touch the ground without bending my knees. (We'll see how long that lasts!) Unfortunately, I can no longer, as of this week, attend two classes in a row. So, how has this changed my pregnancy? I can't believe how much more energy I have this time around. I can do so much more. I hear other pregnant women (especially from a birth board for others due in July) complaining about all sorts of pregnancy-related stuff (tiredness, not being able to get comfortable, not being able to paint toes, don't want to walk long distances, etc.) for several months now and I'm only now starting to feel some of these things. I definitely felt those earlier with Apple. I don't get as hot as I did. I look like I did when I was 6 months pregnant the first time. My stomach doesn't itch like it did. My blood pressure is MUCH lower. I really think it's because of exercising. My body is still strong and it's made a huge difference. Also, I've only gained half as much weight this time around as I had the last time, and it isn't because I started out so much bigger, because I was only a few pounds bigger! I wouldn't have exercised if I was high risk or my Dr. said it wasn't good for me or baby, but I'm so happy that I have been able to exercise. So, if you're thinking of getting pregnant, I highly suggest starting a workout routine now and keeping it up, even when it's hard. It makes such a huge difference!

Now the question is how will this affect my labor and bounce-back time? An update on that (hopefully) in 8 weeks!

My birthday

I had a fantastic birthday! I don't think I would have done anything differently. George and I actually had made plans this weekend to visit friends who live 3 hours away. Unfortunately, it didn't work out, and we were both bummed. So, we decided to come up with something else to do! George had already taken my birthday off, and we decided to visit the zoo. The weather was perfect! It was a little hot, (especially if you are 31 weeks pregnant!) but with the shade and breeze, it was really quite comfortable! We tried to leave at 8, (which is quite a feat for our little family!) and actually successfully left at 8:15. We had bagels and cream cheese for breakfast. This is a big deal because Apple and I eat oatmeal everyday except Sunday for breakfast. George and I had packed and gathered as much stuff as possible the previous night. It was well worth it! Because we got their early, we were able to park close to the entrance without paying parking ($11). Then, we went to the Children's Zoo, which is also free the first two hours the zoo is open. Apple went in to see the goats. She wouldn't pet one until she saw me petting one that was just laying still. She started to pet it, and then a different goat started jumping around, and she did NOT like that! Afterwards, we went to the stingrays. I've wanted to see this exhibit for over a year, but last year, we made it to the zoo the week after they closed! I finally got to see and pet a stingray. Apple was not thrilled. Also, because we had arrived earlier than normal, more animals were out and playing. We saw the chimps and orangatangs and that doesn't often happen. Here are some of our zoo pictures.

Apple and George with a giraffe, a favorite.

Apple and George with the penguins. THE favorite!

Mama and Apple

When Apple was walking, she wanted to be pushing the stroller. I'm not really sure why.

Family photo!

We left the zoo around noon and had packed a lunch. We sat outside the zoo at picnic tables. We had sandwiches, apples, carrots, chips and water. I always think that lunches like that taste SO good when you've been outside in the heat for awhile! We were well covered with shade and there was a breeze, so it was really nice. We actually wondered why we had never done that before! Then we went to a cupcake place that was near the zoo. It was quite tasty and the shop itself was really nice. Apple was pleased with her cookie, but not very hungry, so George unfortunately had to finish it. Finally, it was time to come home for a family nap.

You might think, wow, that's quite a day, but it isn't over yet! That evening, our local waterpark had a free night for residents. We decided to take Apple, who loves ANYTHING that has to do with water! For 1 1/2 hours we enjoyed the water park. I took Apple on the lazy river with me, and she was not thrilled. However, she LOVED the toddler area! She wouldn't sit and she kinda freaked out anytime she fell, but she loved the fountains and splashing and especially these little fountain things that are under the water. George loved the fact that everyone also got a free hotdog and soda! Everyone had to bath when we got home, and I'm pretty sure that Apple thought that this was the best day ever! George was home, she got to spend most of it outside, she got to play with water, she had all her favorite foods, and she got a bath. I don't know if we'll be able to top this day!

Bathtime

Apple loves baths. Today she didn't want to take a bath, but later changed her mind. Everytime I put her in the bath, I say, "No pee-pee. No stinkies." Today, when I put her in she said, "NO STINKY!!!!!!" That's right!