Brady's Brother or Sister's Early Arrival??

Ever since the doctor told us that the older kids are almost right with their sibling predictions, we've been really curious to see what the boy would say. But each time we ask Brady if we're having a boy or girl, if he's getting a brother or sister, he doesn't answer. At first we thought it was just because he didn't understand the question (seeing as how he answered "oatmeal" the first few times...), but it's quite obvious now that he's simply refusing to share his prediction with us! After my appointment yesterday, though, we may not have to wait until May to find out...

Happy Birthday, Brady!

I have been having some cramping and back aches, and coupled with the Borders incident, I thought it best to tell the doctor about it. This led to an impromptu internal exam which proved quite interesting. (Warning: the possibly too-much-personal-pregnant-lady information is coming up!) My cervix has already shortened, is 50% effaced/softened, and beginning to dilate. The baby has in fact dropped and is positioned, head down, very low. During the exam, the doctor could feel his/her head and was a little surprised at just how low it is. These details could mean nothing; things could remain this way until the middle of May. Or it could mean that my body is gearing up for labor a little too early. The ultimate goal is to bake Baby J-2 for another few weeks (at least) and I have to take it easy for the remainder of the pregnancy. Zach, of course, is now paranoid and doesn't want me to leave the house. Ever. While I certainly appreciate his concern, that just won't be happening!

Father and son!

Aside from the surprise exam, the rest of the news was good. I've gained a healthy amount of weight...although it was suggested I don't gain any more. (Yeah, tell that to the Easter Bunny!) My blood pressure is good if even a little high for me at 108/80. The baby's heart rate was also good at 166 bpm and the nurse actually ventured a guess that it's a girl based on the faster heart rate. I'm not so sure because Brady's was always fast, but since we have decided on a boy's name, it probably will be a girl! After all, that is how our Mia Rose came to be Brady Thomas!! Anyway, the the baby is measuring perfectly for where we are in the pregnancy, which means we're poised and ready for a successful VBAC! The doctor commented more than once how healthy both me and the baby are, and she said she has a really good feeling about the VBAC. Suffice to say, Dr. Hoca is now in the running for my favorite! :-)

Mother and son!

Still a great sleeper to this day!

I have officially completed and sent the paperwork for my leave from work, so that makes things even more official! The possibility of Baby J-2 making an early arrival has Zach and I pretty pumped, and also reminiscing, hence the baby pictures of Brady throughout this post. We cannot wait to welcome this little guy or gal into our family and I am--dare I say-- actually looking forward to those middle-of-the-night feedings where the rest of the world is asleep while my baby is in my arms. Until then, though, we shall wait, and pray, that Brady's brother or sister joins our family when the time is right and when he/she is healthy.

One week old <3

Thank Heaven for Little Boys, Their Dads, and Week 34!

So, after my dramatic post the other day, things have taken a turn for the better. Brady has dazzled us with newly learned lessons, ie: finally taking the initiative to feed himself, given us a much easier time at night, and one Mr. Zachary Jankowski has really come through in the clutch for me.

Enjoying his breakfast!

We had been hoping that Brady would show some interest in feeding himself before the baby came as to make mealtime with a toddler and an infant a little easier, and fortunately, he has. He's always been pretty chill/lazy when it comes to trying out new things that require extra physical effort: crawling, walking, holding his cup, etc. He figures as long as one of us suckers will cater to him, he won't have to expend the energy.  We've opted to lay low and wait until it appears that the new feat is his idea, rather than prodding from the parents, and it's worked for the most part. This whole self-feeding thing has come at a great time! Don't get me wrong, he's been shoving food in his face with his chubby little hands for months now; but he's finally turned on by the notion of silverware. So much so that each time he successfully forks in a bite, we all have to stop what we're doing and clap. And if you don't celebrate with him, he lets you know. Loudly.

Very proud of himself!

In addition to his fork act, Brady has also been practicing going to sleep like a normal little boy again. For this, we are oh-so-grateful! The past few nights have only required the usual bedtime routine and ONE tuck-in. That's quite a concept for these parents who were growing accustom to revisiting the boy's bedroom 3-5 different times before he would finally go to sleep. Although a few of his morning wake-up calls have come a bit earlier (6:45 am on Saturday...), we're not complaining!

These two events deserve a hearty AMEN, like the ones that Brady shared in church on Sunday. He also shared the fact that he remembered Father Mike's name (by yelling out, "MIKE!" during the homily...) and applauding the choir's efforts with vigorous clapping and "YAYs!!" after each song. I do believe it's the first time anyone has ever applauded our choir, and if you heard them, you'd know why. As per usual, though, he began bidding everyone a farewell before the mass was actually over: "Bye bye, church!"

He's still on his golf kick, so much so that he's broken a few clubs as a result of his maniacal swinging. Zach has had to duct tape them to endure Brady's practice sessions. We'll see how long they last...

Sheer concentration...

Preparing to smash the ball into the wall. We will need to rebuild once he moves out.

His "I'm awesome" face.

Both of my boys have been super fabulously fantastic ever since I shared my pregnancy woes. Zach says he's on the hunt for "some really big shirts" since I keep complaining that all of mine are too tight :-) I'm not sure where exactly he'll find these shirts, but he keeps telling me that "People are fat 12 months out of the year, so we should be able to find something for your 9th month of pregnancy!" Zachary also graced us with homemade French toast twice this weekend AND he took care of Brady's bedtime routine last night, allowing me the time for a calming, candle-lit bath. I don't know which was better: the food or the bath. Next time, I'll have to try eating the food IN the bath.

My "little" cousin, Lauren, before her Freshman/Sophomore Dance.

We finally scheduled our just-in-case repeat c-section. If Baby J-2 decides to bake longer than the doctors deem necessary, he/she will be born on May 18th around 7:30 am. In other baby preparation, I washed the crib bedding and some clothes this weekend; what a trip folding up those teeny onesies! I really don't think I remember how small a newborn is! We also set up the swing and Pack-in-Play so Brady can get used to them. He asked once to sit in the swing, we explained it was for babies, and with disdain in his voice, he said, "Babies. Bech." Zach has him on a "if it's for a baby, you don't want anything to do with it" kick. Let's hope that attitude doesn't translate into "you don't want anything to do with the baby!"

34 Weeks!

So here's hoping that weeks 34 - 40 continue to be as splendid as these past few days have been. Granted, I still want to wear a toga (or a tent...), but each time the baby moves I'm reminded of how amazing this whole growing-a-kid thing really is. It's a pretty awesome job and despite my temporary fall from pregnancy grace, I do appreciate the whole experience.

Zen Prego No More...

When I was pregnant with Brady, everyone remarked how calm and happy I was. I was dubbed the Zen Prego at work. My husband made the comment that he was surprised at how nice I was even though I was large and uncomfortable. Well, that has all changed...

I am on the war path, people! It feels like the worst PMS multiplied by one million. Maybe it's because work is so crazy and there have been so many changes and transitions that my head is spinning. More than likely, though, it has something to do with the awesome things people in my own family have said to me lately:

1. Are you really happy that you're pregnant again?

2. Whoa! You got really big really fast! This person then asked my mom how much weight SHE gained when pregnant because clearly I'm entirely obese.

3. I just can't believe you're doing this to Brady; he's the baby.

In addition to that, Zachary, whom I love more than life itself, has put himself at the top of My List. The other day he freaked out when he walked into the bedroom and I was in there with "no ventilation" and a ton of plastic bags that I was organizing. He claims the "fumes from the plastic" were toxic. This is the same man who has been painting our master bath and just tonight, ran the automatic oven cleaner and literally smoked me out of the downstairs. Talk about fumes! I came upstairs to get a bath only to find his painting supplies in it, including the actual paint, splattered all over the tub. Might I remind you that it was also Zach who spilled gasoline all over the car a few weeks before Brady was born and everything was covered in the stench, including the car seat?! Needless to say, today is not ending well.

On top of it all, I'm ashamed to admit that I think I'm really over being pregnant this time. I want to be a happy prego, I really do, it's just so hard running after Brady (who, by the way, turns into Satan every Friday now...), putting on shoes (the slip-on ones I had been wearing BROKE!), and doing every day things. I literally don't fit into my maternity jeans any more and I am beyond uncomfortable. I want to wear a toga, but apparently that's not socially acceptable. Whatever. I'll move to Greece.

So, that's me in a nutshell. I don't even have new pictures to post for you. There, now you can feel as irritated as I do...

Braxton-Hicks and Killer Kicks

We have officially entered our 33rd week of Baby J-2's Baking, but I have to admit: after this Saturday, I wasn't so sure we would make it this far!

Compare this 33 weeks pic to the 32 weeks; there's a BIG difference!!

Brady and I met Aunt Jen, Uncle Doug, and Lani for what was supposed to be a relaxing morning at the Mills, but things quickly took a turn for the not-so-fun when we were in Borders. I got super sick in Borders, was forced to drag poor Brady in the restroom with me, and eventually got scared enough that I called Jen on her cell and asked her to come help me! I felt like I was having another gallbladder attack which is impossible since I no longer have a gallbladder, but I was dizzy, nauseous, couldn't stop sweating, and then the pains came. My belly got really tight and really hard and the pain was stabbing, not mounting like with regular contractions, so I didn't know what the heck was going on.

Ready to be a big brother...just not yet!!

Jen wanted to drive me to the hospital or home, but I wanted to give it some time so I didn't worry Zach. As the words, "I don't want to scare Zach" were leaving my lips, he called my cellphone. I could barely catch my breath, but I answered and explained what was going on. He, of course, panicked and insisted he come and get me, but I bargained for some time and with some deep breaths and a few relaxation techniques I learned in my childbirth classes two years ago, I composed myself and knew I could drive home. I had to put an early end to Brady's playdate, but we made it home safely. The only thing that kept going through my mind was that Zach was supposed to go golfing and, just like when I went into labor with Brady, he stayed home to make sure all was well. Luckily this time it wasn't labor, but I sure did think it was the real deal for a while there!! Those sharp, stabbing pains on top of an already very active fetus do not make for a good combination! Braxton-Hicks are the devil!

Going pro!

Brady's golf obsession has taken over our lives. He wants to do nothing else with his time, he watches it intently when I relent and put it on TV, and his very favorite part of the game is now watching his Dad practice in the back yard. The first time he witnessed this godly event was from his bedroom window, so now each morning when he wakes up, he runs to the window in hopes of seeing Zach out there swinging away. I can tell the little man is in awe that Daddy hits the ball every time. Well, almost every time ;-)

I just love them!

Everyone wants to give Brady lessons in form, stance, club grip, etc., but he's not as interested in all of that as he is posing after each swing. As I know next to nothing about golf, except that the likelihood of Brady receiving a blow to the head from a linebacker is next to none therefore I am 100% in support of this athletic endeavor, I opt to just be the photographer!

"The Post-Swing Pose"

We've had a stretch of good weather (well, until today what with the hail, tornado warnings, and possible snow tonight...), so we've been outside quite a bit. I can't wait until spring is hear in temperature and not just name; I know Brady is going to LOVE being outside more often. I'll just have to limit the wagon rides until Baby J-2 comes; the other day I pulled the boy up and down our road just once and thought I would die. I'm not ashamed to admit that I needed a nap that day, too!

Pappy critiques his form

We finally got rid of the enormous old-school television that has been taking up space in the corner of our living room; one of Zach's students and his dad picked it up today! This a load-off for me because I wanted that thing outta here before the baby came so we could comfortably accommodate the Pack-in-Play and swing. In other nesting news, Zach has finished the toilet/shower room of our bathroom. We chose blues and browns and so far, so good! We feel like we're at the beach and it's wonderful! 

Pals :-)

We're still waiting to schedule the won't-be-necessary-repeat-C-section. Each time I've called, Magee isn't ready to schedule May patients yet, so I'm told to try back a few days later. I guess I'll keep trying even though I'm clearly wasting everyone's time :-) In fact, Zach doesn't even think I'll make it to Easter. Let's see how accurate his fatherly instincts are!

Brady and Baby J-2 Updates!

I was re-reading some old posts (at 3 am because I can't sleep through an entire night these days) and realized I was wrong about only having one pregnancy dream with Brady. I had forgotten the second dream, where a nurse announced that she could see boy parts and I then yelled at her for ruining the surprise we had waited 9 months for. So...if that's any indication of how my dreams determine the gender of our children, Zachary and I better find a boy's name we agree on and pronto!

32 Weeks! Love that belly <3

Since we're on the subject of one Mr. Brady Thomas, on Friday he woke up and decided that it was the perfect day to test his boundaries...and my patience. The morning began with him kicking like a donkey on the change table. This is not uncommon, though it is mostly remedied with simple questions that distract him like, "Where is your nose? Can you point to the baseball?" Such was not the case that day. He continued to kick and caught me on the arm, so I had to use my stern teacher voice and explain boo-boos and all that jazz. He stopped kicking, so I thought it was over. It was not. When I bent over him to fasten his diaper, he soccer kicked me so hard right in the belly that tears immediately sprung to my eyes. I'm ashamed to admit that my instinctual reaction was to slap his bare leg, but alas, that is what I did. He cried, I cried, and then I rocked him for about ten minutes afterward. I tried to explain in as simple terms as possible that it is not okay to kick people because it hurts and it's not nice. I then quietly scolded myself for teaching the "no kicking" rule by hitting him. Hypocrite.

Practicing for the big game

Later in the day, he was throwing every and anything he could get his hands on, including the dogs' bone. This is a large, hard bone that, if it hit someone (or something), it would definitely do damage. I told him no and was walking toward him to get it when he fired it and it cracked off of Bella's leg. This earned Brady his first time-out. Unfortunately, I didn't have a time-out plan, so he ended up in his room, in his bed, bawling. I waited outside of his room for about two minutes and when I went back in, he was yelling, "Mum! Suh-yee" (Sorry). I couldn't help but smile and thankfully, the rest of the day went much smoother.

"Home-yun" (Homerun!)

Even though the boy is displaying his baseball skills in these pictures, his new found love is...golf. It's so painful to watch the dang sport as it is, and now he requests it as part of his television viewing experience. He especially enjoys when the guys swing their clubs and when the ball goes into the sand or water. While he clearly doesn't understand the point of the game, it is pretty entertaining to listen to him yell things like "Good shot!" and "Missed it!" He's also trying to emulate Zach as much as possible these days. They "work out" together in the Jankowski Fitness Center and Brady tries to perform walking lunges just like his daddy. In fact, he was practicing said lunges while we were at the doctor's office for Baby J-2's check-up today. Zach and I were laughing so hard and everyone else in the place was pretty entertained, too!

Perfecting his balancing act!

Speaking of the check-up, all is well with me and baby. I've gained two more pounds, the baby's heart rate is 140 bpm, and her head is already down and ready for the big day. I also got to meet the infamous Dr. Shaheen and I do believe my having put her up on a pedestal proved fruitless. While she was very kind and attentive, she and I are just not on the same page in terms of how we feel about pregnancy (I love it, she thinks it's a bit inconvenient), inducing labor (I say no thank you, she thinks it's a good solution to relieve the discomforts of pregnancy), and repeat c-sections (I'll schedule mine if need be, she scheduled hers the day after her due date to get things over with ASAP). Anyway, if I am two weeks past due, I have no choice but to have a repeat Cesarean, so Zach and I are currently looking at the calendar to see what day works best. We're leaning toward the Friday after, which is 4 days past due, but because it's Friday the 13th, we may rethink that date! I feel pretty confident that I'll go into labor around my due date, so having to schedule this repeat c/s is no biggie.

His cup is stuck in his shirt!

To conclude the longest post ever, I have to mention that Zach is currently "nesting." Albeit quite different than my kind of nesting, he's in full force. It's presently 9:30 pm and he's upstairs painting our master bathroom. How this pertains to a newborn is beyond me, but the white walls made him snap the other day and he deemed this project as immediately necessary. Whatever floats his boat, I guess ;-) Before and after pictures to come!

He yelled "Stuck" until I was done taking pictures!

Asses, Asses We All Fall Down!

Today being Ash Wednesday, we took the boy to mass to get his ashes. We took him last year, too, but this time around was a lot more fun for Brady. He enjoyed yelling, "PURPLE!" as everything in the church is draped in this color. He also participated in some hearty "Amens!" Not to be outdone, a little boy on the other side of church began screaming for attention, and Brady (quietly, thankfully) said, "Uh oh. Sad."

Ash Wednesday, 2010

Among the many random things that the boy shared in church, his announcement of the ashes was by far our favorite. All week we had been telling him we're going to go to church, Father Mike will touch your forehead, and he'll make a cross with ashes. So when Father Mike began the "ashes to ashes, dust to dust," Brady took the opportunity to happily share his wisdom of, what else? ASSES. I will say that I came this close to peeing my pants.

Ash Wednesday, 2011

As poor Brady has entered what Zach dubs the "Huge Head" toddler phase, he's falling down a lot more often! Just the other day, he and Zach were outside watching the dogs play frisbee (Brady yells, "Dood dirl" (good girl) whenever one actually catches it!), and Zach said he squatted down to look at the pile of rocks in our driveway and the next thing he knew, BAM. Brady was on his face. Zach of course helped him up, but couldn't help laughing since he said the sheer size of his melon was the cause of the topple. I've noticed, too, even in the house among his familiar toys, he's having a hard time keeping his balance. I used to ask him if he was drunk, but since he's started repeating everything we say in public, I figure now is the time to stop that.

31 Weeks!!

The SAT course I taught for a few weeks is finally over and honestly, I'm glad. I do miss teaching actual students, but I don't miss being hugely pregnant while teaching. I wanted to sit on a desk, but was afraid I would tip it; I wanted to sit in a desk, but couldn't fit. The classes were about 3 hours long and at the end of each one, I didn't have ankles and my feet were plumping out of my shoes. Very attractive.

Pregnancy Dream!

I know I just updated the blog yesterday, but the dream I had last night is worth a post of its own:

I only ever had one pregnancy dream before; I was about 8 months along with Brady and the dream was about the labor, not the birth or the baby itself. I was floating in warm water on a raft, very soothing, and at the end of the dream, there was a note from my Gram who had passed away just a few months before Brady was born. It was reassuring and positive, and I think one of the reasons why I wasn't panicked or even nervous when I eventually went into labor. But that was the extent of the dream.

Watching the train with Grandma

In last night's dream, I was in labor at the hospital, refusing to "go with the program" as my mom would say! All of the doctors and nurses wanted to give me different drugs to speed up the labor, and I kept saying no. What's weird is that no one was there with me, not even Zach! It was only the medical staff dressed in starched whites with a bright light that was blinding me. I wasn't afraid and I wasn't necessarily in pain, but I remember thinking, "Where the heck is everyone?!" Finally, Dr. Shaheen, the doctor I have yet to meet but have heard such wonderful things about that I am convinced she's the second coming of Christ, shows up. She's dressed in pastels (no idea why I remember that) and she makes everyone else leave. She moves the light so that it's off of my face and tells me that my body is free to take its time. In the dream, I close my eyes and the next thing I know, the baby is out! I reach down and put HIM to my chest and ask Zach (who has reappeared) if he likes the name Owen!! This little guy was blond like Brady, but had darker eyes. I'm thinking that the gender and the name are stemming from the fact that our friends in Michigan just had their first little boy, Owen Paul. But who knows? Owen isn't an option, but maybe we're in for another huge surprise since everyone is again convinced this little bundle is all girl!

"I didn't do it!"

On a related note, one that I forgot to mention in yesterday's post, Baby J-2's heart rate was as low as it's been yesterday. That's not a bad thing, it's still in the healthy range at 140 bpm, but it's also been between 150-160...and so was Brady's. Old wives tales claim the higher the heart rate, the better chance it's a girl. We've clearly proven that wrong with Brady, but I can't help wondering if the lower end of the spectrum means girl for us?! Only time will tell and I am beyond excited for this! I am so glad that we didn't find out the gender (all credit goes to Zach for this!); even though I was a little anxious (okay, obsessive) about it for a while, there truly is no greater surprise!!!!!!!!!!!!

Up to no good!

"You're One Crazy Mama"

I had my bi-weekly check-up today and those exact words came from my doctor: "You're one crazy mama!" I guess I should probably take them as a compliment, but they also left me feeling a little leery about where this doctor really stands on my VBAC hopes.

Brady gives Bella hugs

The appointment started out with me waiting in the exam room for almost an hour; half of that time I spent dozing off so I didn't mind the waiting all that much! By the time nutty Dr. Kremser graced me with his presence, I could tell he was running behind and really just wanted to get me out of the way. That was enough motivation for me to take my sweet, sweet time when asking questions. Mwahahahaha :-)

I should give credit where credit is due, though; Dr. K. complimented me more than once today: he's very pleased with my gradual weight gain (he has apparently forgotten the "Eight Pound Month"), my low, steady blood pressure, and my positive attitude. He remarked that it's very obvious I love being pregnant, and I was encouraged by those words. That said, in each compliment there was a condition: I need to keep the remaining of my weight gain to the "bare minimum;" my blood pressure is impressive seeing as how I'm "high risk;" and finally, he countered my positive attitude with the now infamous "you're crazy" quote. He actually asked me if I still wanted to "give the VBAC a try." Ummm...YES. I of course felt the need to politely correct him: I will not try for the VBAC; I will succeed with the VBAC. This is when he asked if I had been a cheerleader in high school because I'm, like, so totally positive. I hate cheerleaders, so...

Ready for spring training!

Dr. K. then told me he wanted to talk to me realistically about my plans to have a VBAC. He sat down on his little swivel chair so I knew he was serious. Then he started asking me all of the questions he had asked me months before: how far along was I when I went into labor with Brady? (went into labor on my due date) Did I fully dilate? (yes) Did I get to push? (for 3 hours) Where was the baby's head? (right there) And on and on and on. I was about to remind him that I have ALREADY EXPLAINED THIS TO HIM when he looked at my charts and saw it all written there. He concluded that with my "cheerleader-type outlook" and the fact that there is no physical reason impeding my delivering a baby, I am a "perfect VBAC candidate." Finally--a light at the end of the Dr. Kremser tunnel!

How cute is this kid?!

My next appointment is on the 15th and this time, I'm venturing to the Monroeville office to meet Dr. Anne Shaheen. She is the practice's personal VBAC success story, so I know she'll be in my corner and not downplay the mind-body connection that Dr. K. mocks as cheerleader-eque. I'm also going to offer her one trillion dollars to be on call when I go into labor. I'll let you know how that works out.

Needs yet another hair cut!