Friday, January 27, 2017

23 more days and counting...

I went to the birth center yesterday for my first weekly checkup. Because I had already had a baby, and without any complications, I didn't need to do the full vaginal exam, but I did my own swab test for Strep. I have lost a few pounds over the course of the last couple weeks, which I think is because I have been in super nesting mode and more active than usual. Baby's still right on track as far as growth, so that's all good. Plus, like with my first, I am right on the same track as I was with Joss as far as weight gain (I gained 50 pounds with her), right now I'm just under 40lbs weight gain and still have about another month +/- so that's just the norm for my body.

Not many discomforts, didn't have any questions this time, just a regular belly check. I did get the reassuring comfort that if baby is the same size as Joss (9lbs 9oz) or small, he will basically just fall right out since my body has already done all the hard work to pave the way for an easy delivery. It sure was a lot of work with her, but I did it! And I'm ready to birth again with the new bub. Feeling good and confident. My mom arrives a week from today eeeep!! We are so excited. Not really any more worries about Jax arriving too soon, and I've contacted our babysitter/house/dog-sitter and she is available for on-call child care if it comes to that in this next week, which I feel pretty sure will not need to happen.

I received two sweet pieces of baby mail today, from two of my aunties back in Mendocino, with birthing necklace contributions/beads and sweet gifts for Jax, including his first handmade item, a beautiful emerald knitted green baby blankie. I feel so much love from back home, even though I live so far away and miss being around family, they are always there for me and my Texas family when we need their love. Writing and sending thank yous to send their way soon. <3

Last night Jason brought home a bookcase that a co-worker was getting rid of (yay!) So Jocelyn's room has a bookcase now, rather than all her books thrown into two big cloth cube cubbies. I spent the morning rearranging her room, and putting all the books in her new bookcase, with all the baby/board books on the bottom shelf for little brother. Feeling really good about having everything set up for his arrival. A few big things that Jason will help me with, putting his carseat into my car, next to Joss's, moving his changing table downstairs, and organizing all our cloth diapers. The drawers I cleared out in my dresser for Jax I need to put his swaddles/receiving blankets in, and we'll need to wait until after he's born to see what size clothes he'll start wearing first (Joss wasn't able to wear any of the newborn things we had for her and went straight to 0-3 month clothes - 8-15lbs). I also cleared out some of the large wicker storage baskets downstairs that we keep our extra sofa pillows in for Jax.

I have a small box of all the contributions for my labor/birthing necklace and will start putting it together maybe when my mom is here since we used to bead together a lot when I was growing up. It sounds fun and sentimental to me to include her with that. I also need to get Jax a baby book, so we can have his footprints on his birthday at the birth center like we did for Joss. I did some shopping to start making food to stock up our secondary freezer with postpartum easy meals. We'll start that this weekend. Also trying to practice as much self care as possible. I took a long bath yesterday with a face mask and caught up on all my reading for my two book clubs- one of which is a parenting bookclub, and we are meeting next weekend to start discussing the first couple chapters of Peaceful Parents, Happy Kids. A lot of great insight to stay calm and grounded through the 3 year old meltdowns, and a reminder to look inward, rather than project outward any frustrations I feel in parenting.

There is a lot of crazy happening out in the world, in this country, right now, but I'm keeping my house and home a place of serenity and peace, and so grateful to have the space we do to call our own and welcome our new baby boy in the weeks to come. Always a lot to be grateful for.

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