Our Final Vacation as a Family of Three..................

The first week in May we went on our final vacation as a family of three.  We went to Singer Island outside of West Palm.  My parents met us down there and Gwen finally got to meet her Uncle David, Aunt Gean, and friend Jenny.  I wish we had a bit better weather (it rained 2 out of the 5 days) but we had a great time anyway.

Gwen loved playing at the beach and in the pool.  She was a bit grumpy at Butterfly World, but I think she secretly liked it (even though she got bit by a bird) since she is still talking about it.  One of her favorite things to do was play with her "squirt squirt"..............aka water gun.  She would use it to clean the condo and squirt people (anyone in the elevator with us was taking a huge risk).   She ate dinner out almost every night (even had Cuban food) and got to spend quality time with Papa and Grandma. 

The transition back to home was a bit rough.  It all started when we dropped off the rental car.  Gwen cried so hard because they were taking the car from us.  She then threw the biggest tantrum EVER on the airplane where she was hitting us and everything (she had never hit us before).  I ended up crying which probably didn't help the situation.  The week after the trip was horrible too while she was trying to transition into the real world (back to a sleep schedule, school schedule, and eating healthy again).  Luckily though she is back to her old self (with some added tantrums). 

The Zoo

We took Gwen to the zoo over this Memorial Day weekend.  We had beautiful weather and it wasn't too hot or busy.  When I asked Gwen what her favorite animal was that she saw, she answered with "crocodile".  That was the one animal we didn't see.   She saw a baby Orangutan and was amazed by the size of the elephant poop.  She really enjoyed the carousal which she rode twice (was not happy that daddy chose one that didn't go up and down..............amateur).   She is already asking when we can go back.  I'll leave that up to Papa and Grandma when they come out in July :-)

Late Update

I am about a week late on my doctor's appointment update.  The office is currently seeing me weekly due to my pre-term contractions.  My blood pressure is still perfect (110/70), I am still only up 20 lbs, BP's heart beat was in the mid 130's, I am not dilated or progressing, and after an ultrasound my cervix is still long (not sure what that means).  All is well with me and I was able to go into work this week and will resume exercise next week if the weather ever cooperates (could be one of the wettest May's in history).  Luckily all this rain came when I was on modified bed rest so I didn't do anything I wasn't supposed to.

I got to see BP as well.  In one picture he/she looks like a cross between Mike and my dad.  This baby is either a boy or one ugly girl :-)  Enjoy the pics..............

Cross between Mike & my dad


 

The Big Question

Many mom's who are pg with #2 worry about being able to love 2 children with as much love/passion as they love their first child.  I actually don't worry about that.  I know I will be able to love both my children with my entire being.  My question is, do you love each child the same?

In life we are always asked "which do you like better?".  You always have a preference.  As I laid awake pondering this question I tried to come up with things that I love exactly the same.  My initial thought was my parents.   I love them both so much and if I had to chose one over the other, I couldn't do it.  I love them for different reasons but I love them just the same.  Is that how it will be with my children?

I was never one of those women that fell instantly in love the moment I held Gwen.  She was screaming and I was freaked out.  It took a few days but the unconditional love came.  What will those first few days with BP bring?  I have all ths love for Gwen and then I am initially going to throw a stranger (and some crazy ass hormones) into the mix.  I am so excited to see how this plays out............how strong the power of a mother's love truly is.

I PASSED

I passed my 1 hour glucose test.  One less thing I have to worry about :-)

28 Week Photo

Here I am at about 28 weeks pregnant:

BP Update

I had my 28 week doctor's appointment today.  This appointment included the glucose test and my Rhogam shot since I have Rh- blood.  My blood pressure is perfect, BP's heart rate is in the upper to mid 140's, and I am up 20 lbs (was up 22 lbs at this point last time).  

The doctor has put me on a modified bed rest for the next week.  What that means is I can't exercise (not even walks in the amazing weather), can't lift more than 10 lbs,  and have to lay on my left side 2-3 times a day for a couple hours at a time.  I have another appointment to be checked next Monday.  I get an ultrasound too, so I get to see BP again!!

My doctor also brought up having a stable environment for BP's birth.  We talked about the speed at which Gwen came into the world and how chances are it will be even faster with BP.  I told her how nervous that made me (but very happy). She mentioned that she could induce me if it made sense.  Something new to consider.