36 weeks

I can't believe it but it's that time again - full term! I don't know if its because its the holiday season or because pregnancy the 2nd time around is so much busier, but this baby making thing has just whizzed by.  We just had our 36 week doctor appointment and everything is looking really good.  The baby is head down (yay!) and she seems healthy and happy in there.  My doctor told me that I looked really petite but was surprised that they baby was measuring 7lbs already. That means she's in the 84th percentile! We still have a ways to go, and these things are notoriously inaccurate, but I feel like she's a bigger baby that Ellie was. Ellie somehow magically smooshed into my body whereas this baby seems to really poke outward (and upward).  She feels bigger to me.

At the time of my appointment the baby still hadn't dropped but since yesterday I feel like that has changed.  I am all of a sudden feeling very heavy in my "lower regions", I constantly have to pee and I can't bend or move easily anymore. I am also starting to really feel my braxton hicks contractions. They aren't painful but they definitely aren't comfortable.  This is new for me since the first time around I was too oblivious to realize what they were. All this to say, I think we're getting close folks!  I told the baby that she has to hang in there until the grandparents aka "the reinforcements" arrive. I can't even think about having a baby until I know that Ellie is taken care of. It would be way too much stress for my little brain and heart to handle. Thank God for the roaming grandparents!

Beyond the physical stuff I am starting to feel really ready for this baby girl to arrive.  I am tired of waiting and wondering what life will be like with two babies and just want it to happen already. Although I don't think she really understands, I think Ellie is getting ready too.  She totally realizes that something is happening in my belly and loves to pull my shirt up and kiss and hug the baby.  We are teaching her "gentle" which is a work in progress but she has gotten pretty good at being gentle with my belly.  Lets hope that translates to the real thing. When we ask her where her little sister is, she will point to my belly.  All good signs that she'll take this in stride.  I'm sure it will be difficult for her but luckily Christmas and family are right around the corner to keep her distracted. We've pretty much gotten all the baby stuff out of storage and we are all set up. We rearranged the furniture in the living room to accommodate the pack n' play again and all the baby clothes are washed and ready to go. My hospital bag is pretty much ready and it is so much smaller this time now that I know what is really needed and what isn't (my first bag was pretty laughable).

When we rearranged the house I didn't think we were going to be able to get a Christmas tree this year which broke-my-heart.  I was afraid that Ellie would be too interested in the lights or pulling the tree skirt off and getting water everywhere and for awhile I convinced myself we couldn't get one. Then I started seeing everyone I know with kids Ellie's age posting Christmas tree photos on Facebook and I thought, "Hey! If they can do it, I can do it!".  So now we have a beautiful tree and the house is all cozy and Christmas-y.  I don't know what I was thinking - How could I, Rebecca Jauregui, survive this season without all the holiday cheer?! Not going to happen! So far so good. Ellie had made friends with a few of the ornaments and loves to walk around the house with them.  To my surprise, she could care less about the lights or the tree skirt. She has only broken one ornament and that was pretty much my fault for putting it too low. All the ornaments she can reach are soft and/or ugly and I don't care about them. We'll probably be investing in some more soft ornaments since we'll have little hands in the house for awhile.

So that's all for now.  Probably the next time I post we'll have news of our littlest one.  Wish me luck! I forgot to take a picture of me at 36 weeks but I will try to post some soon.