39 Weeks and Definitely Counting Down

I had my weekly check up today and my Dr. told me that we should expect to meet Reese any day now. And since I’ve been feeling on the verge of labor all evening, I thought it would be a good idea to do a final update before I forget the details and have the story of Reese’s birth to share instead. No belly picture this time, but we’ll take one before we head to the hospital. Instead, here’s a little bit of our life lately before I get to the Q&A.

 

 

Enjoying a beautiful summer day in August while Grandma Steiner was here visiting. Jace had been playing in the yard and wanted to cuddle even though there isn’t much room for him anymore!

 

 

Both my babies.

 

 

My mom was a HUGE help in getting Reese’s nursery finished!

 

 

Jace “helping” Daddy hammer brackets onto the back of some art for Reese’s room.

 

 

My mom and I at my shower.

 

 

My sweet friends Jenea and Alexis and sister-in-law Rayanna threw me a wonderful shower!

 

 

Nelson ladies—my MIL Becky, me, Rayanna, Kate, Hailey and Jamie.

 

 

My mom returned a few weeks ago and is staying until Reese comes. She found a caterpillar on our front door the other day and Jace enjoyed looking at it from a safe distance.

 

39 Weeks Update

 

How far along? 39 weeks
Total weight gain/loss: about 21 lbs. (I’ve lost a few pounds over the past month)
Maternity clothes? Everything I wear except for a maxi skirt. I’ve been rotating between a maxi skirt I made and one I bought for whenever I leave the house. Otherwise I’m always in a pair of sweat pants.
Stretch marks? No. I don’t even have the purple bruise marks I got on my hips with Jace.
Sleep: I wake up every hour and a half to use the bathroom. But at least it isn’t hip pain that’s waking me up these days!
Best moment this week: Hearing from my doctor today that I’m almost at 2cm dilated and my cervix is very soft, so she could come at any time now!
Have you told family and friends: Of course. It’s pretty hard to miss these days.
Miss Anything? Bending over. Being able to have Jace sit in my lap. Not wondering at all times if I’m going to go into labor. A night without heartburn.
Movement: Her movements have been more subdued lately. She still has a few very busy (and typically painful for me) spurts in the evenings, but she likes to take long naps. Last week my doctor monitored me at my appointment to make sure everything was ok. They thought it would be a 30-40 minute session, but after a burst of energy when the test first started, Reese took a very long nap. Over an hour and several attempts to wake her up, she finally became somewhat active again and they were able to give her an A+. Our little lady likes her naps!
Food cravings: I’ve been wanting sweets a lot lately, but that may not be pregnancy related.
Anything making you queasy or sick: Overeating, especially with rich food. Reflux made me throw up last week.
Have you started to show yet: Very much so. And I’m feeling very uncomfortable and ready to be done these days!
Labor Signs: Tons of Braxton Hicks, some painful contractions off and on. Obviously progressing according to my dr. too.
Belly Button in or out?  Probably more flat than anything.
Wedding rings on or off? On. I take them off every night just I case I have swelling, but so far so good. I’m very thankful to not experience swelling in my feet, ankles and hands.
Happy or Moody most of the time: Happy, but I have had a few more emotional swings lately.

My Favorite Two Year Old & 34 Weeks

 

I really can’t believe how quickly our Jace is growing up. We moved him up to a big boy bed on August 5 and he has seemed so much older ever since! He LOVES his bed! We feel like the transition went better than we could have even hoped for. For the first two weeks he only got out of bed if we gave him permission—meaning when he woke up in the morning or after a nap, he’d lay in bed talking and playing, and eventually start calling out asking if he could get up. He now gets himself out of bed, but not until he’s laid there for a while. We’ve settled into a really sweet routine of him joining me in bed in the mornings to watch a show or two. I love the special time with him knowing how much everything is going to change in a month and look forward to him being in the routine of hanging out upstairs for a while when he gets up.

 

 

The things he chooses to say crack us up and amaze us all at the same time. Some of my latest favorites are…

-After we went to get a coffee for me, he told me, “Mommy, I need coffee. I need to feel better.”

-When he’s really thirsty and drinks something, “Ah! That’s so good. I feel better.”

-Any time he eats or drinks something he really likes, “Ah, that’s so good.”

-We were in the waiting room at my doctor and another couple waiting asked him what his name was. He said, “I Jace.” Then he pointed at my belly and said, “That’s Reese.” It was so sweet to see his awareness of her, and I think he was proud too.

-Any time he doesn’t think he can do something or doesn’t want to do it he says, “I too big to _____.”

-When seeing his cousin Cami after church on Sunday, he ran up to her with his arms out for a hug and shouted, “Cami! I’m so happy to see you!”

 

 

And in baby news… We’re at 34 and a half weeks! 10 weeks ago I continued doing the little Q&A Update thing, and thought I’d do it again now.

 

How far along? 34 weeks
Total weight gain/loss: about 23 lbs.
Maternity clothes? Everything I wear except for two loose/drawstring shorts from Old Navy. Several of my tops are getting too short to cover my belly, my pants feel confining, and my short dresses are too short now since the belly holds them out too much. I really like wearing sweats these days!
Stretch marks? No. I don’t even have the purple bruise marks I got on my hips with Jace.
Sleep: I wake up 2-3 times a night to use the bathroom. Between those wake ups, I have to switch which side I’m laying on often because otherwise my hips start aching too much.
Best moment this week: Finishing all the decorations/projects for the nursery except one! I also had a very sweet baby shower for Reese thrown by my sister-in-law, Rayanna, and two of my friends. I felt very loved and blessed.
Have you told family and friends: Of course. It’s pretty hard to miss these days.
Miss Anything? Standing up easily from sitting anywhere—furniture or floor. Holding Jace in my lap. Laying on my stomach/back. Non-maternity capris. Sleeping through the night.
Movement: She’s predictably unpredictable. I can guarantee she’ll kick when I first wake up in the morning (she’s so nice to me, just like her brother was, and doesn’t kick during the night), and before I go to bed at night. But otherwise, it’s really hit and miss when she’ll feel like being active. She does respond well if I drink a lot of cold water quickly. She likes to stretch and push her feet into my ribs.
Food cravings: Nothing too specific. I do like the ideas of sweets a lot these days though!
Anything making you queasy or sick: Just having some nasty reflux off and on. Last week I had a bad night where the reflux woke me up several times during the night. Otherwise, I love the third trimester. I feel the best during this one.
Have you started to show yet: Very much so. I’m feeling quite large these days.
Gender prediction: I predicted girl and I was right!
Labor Signs: Lots of Braxton Hicks contractions, but nothing serious.
Belly Button in or out?  Still in. It never came out during my pregnancy with Jace.
Wedding rings on or off? On. I take them off every night just I case I have swelling, but so far so good.
Happy or Moody most of the time: Happy, but I have had a few more emotional swings lately.

Some Summer Recap

I can’t believe how quickly summer is flying by for us! Maybe it’s due in part to the fact that summer doesn’t really start around here until after the 4th of July.

 

 

We had a fun time celebrating our nation’s independence. We enjoyed a barbecue with friends in Salem and then our little family of three went to Bryant Park here in Albany to watch the city’s fireworks show. Jace LOVED the time with Mommy and Daddy. He got so excited when he realized we were laying on the blanket with him. I kept thinking what a special time it was and that I’d treasure it as one of our last few special times with him as an only child.

 

 

Jace’s creativity and sense of imagination have come out big time! It’s so funny to see the games he comes up with and hear the stories he tells.

 

 

Another summer memory that I know I’ll treasure will be our trip to California. It was so fun for the three of us to have all that time together and I felt like Jace’s vocabulary expanded so much each day. We started out our trip in Visalia staying at my Grandma and Grandpa Steiner’s. We also spent an afternoon/evening with the Cannons and Hansens. Jace, Cannon and Leah had so much fun together!

 

 

We also quickly noticed that our son is the instigator of bad behavior, but knows how to stop right before anyone notices. He was really good at bringing out the sillies in Cannon and Leah and then quickly stopping as their parents became aware of it.

 

 

It was also so fun to meet baby Jasper!

 

 

We loved the time at Grandma and Grandpa’s as well.

 

 

Then we headed over to Cambria for the rest of the week and Jace LOVED seeing the “Oooh-cean.” Sadly, it was his first time seeing the Pacific! 

 

 

It was so fun taking him to the same beach I grew up playing on (he wasn’t interested in touching the water).

 

 

Walking the same pier my parents walked us down.

 

 

And playing at the same park my dad spun us around and around on the tire swing at (although the play equipment has all been updated).

 

 

Jace liked the beach in Cambria a lot better than in San Simeon because we had his tennis shoes on so he didn’t have to be bothered by sand in his sandals or burning his feet.

 

 

You can’t really tell, but he was all about kicking the sand.

 

 

 

 

Our second day at the beach proved more exciting for him as Daddy built him a lake and made countless trips to the water and back to keep it filled for Jace’s boat.

 

 

We rinsed him off in the same utility sink as my parents did with us kids.

 

 

Nolan and I also enjoyed the daily trips to the park because it meant we actually had cell service and internet access!

 

 

Our good friends the Phillips were also on vacation in the area, so they came and spent a day with us. Jace LOVED having his best buddy Hannah around.

 

 

This picture is so typical of how these two can be together—Hannah adventuresome and out to have fun, and Jace more reserved/caution/fearful.

 

 

Nolan had brought his disc golf practice basket and he and Brett had fun playing on the beach while Jenea, the kids and I played around and took pictures. The kids loved playing with their daddies at the end though!

 

 

Our (visible) family of three.

 

 

Our last night in Cambria we took Jace to get some ice cream—which he thought was incredible that there was an “ice cream store.”

 

 

Then we took a windy walk along the boardwalk.

 

 

On our way home we stopped for an evening/night at Nolan’s sister and brother-in-law’s. Jace loved the park by Auntie Jenni and Uncle Alan’s house!

 

 

He also thought their little doggies were pretty special. For the last leg of the trip we stopped in Danville for breakfast at my aunt and uncle’s and were happy to be able to see my cousin and her husband as well.

 

 

Our little guy proved to be a great road trip kid and we were so glad to get away and have all that family time. Now we can’t wait for next year’s vacation!

28 Months & 24 Weeks

Hard to believe my babies are 28 months and 24 weeks… both are growing so much these days (although one can been seen from the outside and the other can be felt from my inside).

Last night before falling asleep, I realized I had three favorite moments during the day (none of which are related to the pictures below).

One day after work Nolan got himself some chips and salsa for a snack. Jace climbed up on the couch next to him, wiggled up close like you see above, and helped himself to A LOT of Nolan’s chips, all dipped multiple times in the salsa.

Favorite Moment #1: After cleaning up Jace after lunch, I told him it was nap time and he started WAILING that he wanted to go outside. Normally when he fights bed time he does everything he can to get away from going upstairs. I got him out of his chair, put him down and expected to have to force him upstairs. Instead, he grabbed Nowie (his stuffed kitty) and, while still sobbing, headed up the stairs to his room. I guess he knew he needed the sleep but figured he at least didn’t have to be happy about it.

I got him a bubble blowing lawn mower at Walmart a week ago and he LOVES it. All he wants to do is go in the backyard and mow the lawn. The morning after he got it, the first thing he said to me when I went to get him up was “Jace a-pay in the yard? Mow the yard?”

Favorite Moment #2: Usually when I get Jace up in the morning or after a nap, he’s laying in his bed just playing with whatever is in there with him. He’ll typically roll over as soon as he sees me and yell, “Jace a-tired! Jace seeping!” and then pretend to still sleep. It takes a while to get him out of bed. This time, though, he started calling, “Mommy! Mommy! Mommy!” and quickly stood up, reached for me and gave me a hug while patting my back. Until this week, he’s pretty much lacked in the affection area, so this was especially precious.

Jace LOVES doing art projects. We have his crayons out all the time on his little table. I had some friends over to do craft projects with our kids and Jace LOVED drawing with colored pencils and then painting with Mod Podge.

Favorite Moment #3: After rocking, singing and praying with Jace before bed, I asked for a kiss like I do every time I put him to bed. Usually he either offers me his forehead or cheek for me to kiss, or pretends to kiss me through his pacifier. This time, he took out his binki and actually gave me a kiss.

Our house is being re-sided this week, so Jace has especially loved playing with his hammer. He pounds on EVERYTHING very passionately and yells, “Jace a-knock on house!!!”

Reese is growing quickly and moving tons. I can feel how much stronger she’s getting! We’re now at 24 weeks, so well past half way. I’ve seen a few people post progress updates on their blogs using this form, so I thought I would too.

How far along? 24 weeks
Total weight gain/loss: about 12 lbs.
Maternity clothes? All I can wear! I love my maternity pants and need the length and room of maternity tops.
Stretch marks? No. I didn’t get many with Jace and all of them faded away pretty quickly. I’m hoping for that again this time!
Sleep: I’m sleeping pretty well for the most part—waking up around 2 and 6 am to go to the bathroom. My legs just below my hip sockets to start aching A LOT if I lay on one side too quickly, and it’s especially painful when I’m not sleeping as deeply after the 6 am bathroom visit.
Best moment this week: Reese was flailing up a STORM the other night and Nolan got to really feel her kicking. Jace was more of a kick and punch kind of kid, while she feels like her WHOLE BODY gets into these movements.
Have you told family and friends: Oh yes.
Miss Anything? Being able to do more than a few things before being completely worn out or sore, getting up and down from the ground easily, cuddling with Jace comfortably.
Movement: She has her busier days and her calmer days. It’s like she wears herself out and then needs more rest time. As said above, she seems to FLAIL in there. It’s nice being able to tell how much stronger she is getting. Up until this week she’s also been sitting really low with all her kicks being felt very low, but now she’s moved up in my belly.
Food cravings: Nothing too specific, but once I get an idea of sweets I really need to have some. So I’ve made many more cookies and treats in this pregnancy than I normally do. I also, as it was with Jace, really enjoy eating salads.
Anything making you queasy or sick: Even though I’ve been on Prilosec for my heartburn for 10 weeks now, I can see how my acid reflux is getting worse. Most nights after dinner I feel like everything could just come back up, as though I’ve drunk too much water. Once I’m laying down a small burp can result in things actually coming up (ick! Sorry if that’s TMI for you!)
Have you started to show yet: Most definitely. I hope I’m unmistakably pregnant.
Gender prediction: I predicted girl and I was right!
Labor Signs: Thankfully none and hoping it stays that way for at least 13 more weeks!
Belly Button in or out?  In. It never came out during my pregnancy with Jace.
Wedding rings on or off? On. I take them off every night just I case I have swelling, but so far so good.
Happy or Moody most of the time: Happy. Pregnancy tends to even out my moods.

Updates

Considering I haven’t blogged here in quite a while and never officially announced my pregnancy here either (but I’m guessing everyone who looks at this are either family/friends/know me on Facebook so it isn’t a surprise, right?), I thought some updates on our family were in order. Taking it from youngest to oldest…

Reese

Our little lady is due October 4 and has a name! She will be Reese Elizabeth Nelson. I’ve actually been really blessed and have had five ultrasounds already (one at 6.5 weeks to confirm a heartbeat, 8 weeks for my first doctor appointment, 12 weeks because my doctor likes to check on the baby again, 16 weeks because a resident started my appointment and couldn’t find the heartbeat, and then 20 weeks to find out the gender and make sure everything was ok). It has been so fun to watch her growing and developing! She is right where she should be size-wise and everything about her ultrasound and my blood work was just as it should be. She’s a much calmer baby inside of me than Jace was—I tend to feel her moving when I first wake up, then again late morning, maybe a few kicks in the afternoon, and then something before bed every few days. The placenta is at the front of the uterus, adding another layer between her and my belly, as well as she’s sitting very low, so both of those factors make her harder for me to feel. We’re so excited for her and are making plans for a beautiful nursery!

Jace

At almost 28 months old, our two-year-old is busy, funny, passionate, emotional, imaginative, adventuresome, whiney, sweet, expressive, verbal and bossy.

He still loves his beloved Bluey (blanket) and Nowie (stuffed kitty). The other day I had pulled everything out of his bed to wash his sheets, Bluey and Nowie. He noticed his pillows on the floor, held out his hands from his sides and said, “Where’s Bluey?" Then started calling out, “Bluey! Where are you!?” He was only semi-okay with Bluey taking a bath.

He LOVES playing outside, running after Toby, drawing with chalk, blowing bubbles and hitting our fence with his plastic golf clubs. The park is a special treat and leaving is always met with major tears and meltdowns. He likes to tell the things around him what to do. Right now he’s playing at his table, talking to his stuffed Clifford, “Criffer, sit in a Nahm-ing (Lightning from Cars) chair. Jace a-sit in a Nahm-ing chair too. Jace a-color pit-chur. Yew-oh crayon. Jace a-draw a hub-a-cop-cer (helicopter) with yew-oh crayon.” Gets up, walks around table, picks up Clifford. “Criffer! Sit in Nahm-ing chair!” Puts Clifford back, walks around the table and takes his seat again.

We find ourselves very entertained by him.

Jill

This picture is from a few weeks ago, but I don’t think I look too different now than I did then. I’m at 21 weeks now and enjoying this pregnancy now that I’m out of the first trimester and on heartburn medicine. I’ve been loving being a stay-at-home-mom and have so much fun filling my days with Jace. I’ve noticed my crafting/sewing has slowed down considerably since stepping down from work, but that could be partly due to pregnancy. I have a feeling it’ll be picking up quite a bit as we prepare for our little girl! I’ve been letting the writer in me have a voice again by starting a devotional-type blog called Satisfied with Adequate. Click HERE to check it out. I’m still having fun with my craft blog and have some fun sponsorship opportunities coming up. It’s pretty exciting to get paid for trying out craft products!

Nolan

Nolan is still loving his job with the City of Albany. It’s nice to see him heading into the summer season with construction projects to oversee and keep him busy, while also trying to find the time to design plans for upcoming projects. He’s much happier at work when he’s busy. His boss is very complimentary of the work he does—both directly to Nolan and in front of others, so that’s very affirming. We foresee a great future for him in this job! When he’s not working he’s an awesome daddy to Jace. They have so much fun building trains together, cuddling, playing a Dora game on the computer, and just talking with one another. He works so hard and keeps our yard looking nice (or getting it there at least), is the most loved teacher in the 9 am two-year-olds class at church (one of the dads jokingly calls Nolan his son’s other dad) and I respect him so much.

We’re looking forward to a fun summer since we’ll have the ability to do fun things on the weekends now that I’m not working. I have a feeling these upcoming months will fly by and then we’ll be a family of four!

Why I love being the mom of a little boy…

Rescueman Dan now has a great partner for fire fighting—Woody.

Two tractors, upside down.

Trains on tracks. Jace calls this set up the “train’s house.”