PULLED ABDOMINAL MUSCLE AND MODIFIED BED REST

Well -- I have really gone and done it now. My midwife has been telling me all along to take it easy and make sure that I was not doing too much heavy lifting -- but I felt like superwoman and didn't listen. It's really hard to listen when you have a 26lb. 14 month old who still wants and needs to be picked up and held frequently. Even though Miles weighs as much as some 3 year olds does not mean that he is a 3 year old. He is still my little baby and is so not ready to give up being picked up. Well - for the last few weeks I have been having a burning pain in the muscle between my breast and uterus that I have been writing off as just some pregnancy thing. Turns out that it was in fact the pulling and weakening of my abdominal muscle. When I picked Miles up this morning my muscle pulled completely and I am now in a world of serious pain. My Midwife has put me on strict modified bed rest -- meaning -- I do not literally have to stay in bed, but I am not to do any lifting, picking up, pulling, or pushing of any kind. I am to take it easy and rest as much as possible. This means I cannot pick Miles up anymore. She made that very VERY clear. I am so heartbroken about this. I don't think I can make it 6 weeks without picking him up and I feel so scared that this will have a negative impact on him and our relationship. I don't want him to think that I don't love him and I don't want us to grow apart because mommy can't pick him up and do all of the things that she used to. I can't even give him a bath anymore. How sad is that???? The plan of action is the following: Jason will take all late shifts at work, which means he will be here until 9am every morning. NanaBee will spend the first part of the day with MIles and I (she's the best) --helping out and we are hiring a Nanny to do a 1-9pm shift to relieve Nana and help until Jason comes home from work. With all of this support my muscle should heal in no time and I should be able to push little Lennon out with little to no difficulty. The biggest concern is whether or not having a pulled abdominal muscle will make it too painful to push. The goal here is to heal, heal, heal!!!! I am so blessed to have such a wonderful family who loves me and is willing to go to all this trouble to help me out. I really am the luckiest girl in the world.

SLEEPING SITTING UP

It's official -- I AM PREGNANT!!! You know you're uber pregnant when you have to sleep sitting in a reclined position. I had to rig a sleeping set-up in our bed last night with 3 giant pillows and my snoogle loop. Side lying is no longer a go. I tossed and turned for over an hour before I realized that there was just no way I was going to get any sleep that way. So Jay Jay helped me and I was sitting up and fast asleep in no time. I also had about 5 or so nasty leg cramps that really threw my night out of whack. I hate those little monsters. The only way to get rid of them is to walk and walk and walk until they subside. OUCHIE!!!! So -- yep -- here we go. This how you know baby is coming soon. Mother nature's little way of giving you a taste of the lack sleep that is to come. We have been so spoiled with Miles sleeping roughly 11-12 hours a night since 4 months old. Little Lennon is just weeks away from rocking our world as we know it....;0) What will that little guy be like?

LOOK... I MADE TRACKS IN THE SNOW

Click here to view this video

MOMMA, MILES, AND LENNON AT THE PARK

MOMMA AND LENNON IN THE SNOW

IT'S SNOWING!!!

THAT'S RIGHT!!!! I said -- IT'S SNOWING!!!! In Southern California!!! And I mean -- REALLY snowing. We're not talking about a few flakes here and there. We're talking all out, giant flakes, of snow flying everywhere. I am sooooooo giddy!!!!

THE (d)EVOLUTION OF PREGNANCY

7 WEEKS LEFT AND TIME HAS STOPPED

Well -- ok -- maybe it hasn't stopped, but today literally felt like a week. We have officially hit the slow down and I don't know how I am going to make it to week 40 or more without losing my marbles!!! I am swimming with so many feelings and emotions. I literally cannot wait to meet Lennon -- I am so freaking excited to get him into my arms and to see his gorgeous little face. I also don't think I can take 7 more weeks of the discomfort and pain of having this sweet pea kick me in the ribs and organs. I swear -- my right lower rib is bruised. It hurts to touch it. I am also very concerned about how I am going to get my shoes on in a few weeks here. I am almost to the point where I can't do it alone. I may just have to pick a pair and never take them off. Could you imagine me sleeping in my converse one stars???? LOLOLOL. Mostly, I am just starting to get really antsy about meeting our newest little bundle of boy. I sit in his nursery several times a day just soaking it in and fantasizing about when he arrives. Miles loves to go in with me and play with baby brothers things. We both seem to really love it in there -- so it works out nicely. Jason is getting pretty excited too and has mentioned, on several occasions, the fact that he can't wait to hold that tiny little peanut and to get the ball rolling on raising our 2 children. We're still in the processing of "growing" our foursome. We just can't wait to move into the "raising" our foursome phase. I can't believe how lucky I am to be getting the family I want!!! Momma and her brood of sweet sweet boys. I just don't think it can get any better than that. Now -- I just have to make it there. With my marbles. Well -- we'll see.

33 WEEKS PREGNANT -- OUR LITTLE PINEAPPLE

How your baby's growing:

This week your baby weighs a little over 4 pounds (heft a pineapple) and has passed the 17-inch mark. He's rapidly losing that wrinkled, alien look and his skeleton is hardening. The bones in his skull aren't fused together, which allows them to move and slightly overlap, thus making it easier for him to fit through the birth canal. (The pressure on the head during birth is so intense that many babies are born with a conehead-like appearance.) These bones don't entirely fuse until early adulthood, so they can grow as his brain and other tissue expands during infancy and childhood.

LENNON'S MOVEMENTS ARE STARTING TO HURT!!!

Ok -- those wonderful little baby movements have become very hard, strong, and painful movements that have me doubling over in extreme discomfort. Most of it is tolerable -- although Lennon has given me a few swift kicks to the ribs that have made me yelp out in pain. He is running out of room very quickly, but has no plans to sit still. He doesn't seem to care that he's waaaaaay bigger than momma's womb should have allowed and he is all about stretching out in there. His movements are also causing mild, but uncomfortable contractions and many MANY braxton hicks contractions as well. Because he's so big in there -- the BH contractions are intensely uncomfortable and my belly gets very VERY hard. The BH's are lasting minutes long -- which feels like forever sometimes. Mark my words -- LENNON IS GOING TO BE LONGER THAN MILES WAS AT BIRTH!!!!

I AM ONE SPOILED PREGNANT MOMMA!!!

Jay Jay decided to make this Christmas all about giving me the princess/girlie girl treatment. I got tons of amazing girlie girl things to help make me feel like the beautiful princess that Jay Jay says I am!!! I was showered with tons of new makeup, makeup cases, makeup brushes, perfume, hair styling accessories, and -- OH YES -- pair of diamond stud earings and a gorgeous, antique wedding band set!!! There were a few other things in there as well. Jay Jay really went all out and I have been having a great time trying out all of the new eyeshadow palettes and getting glammed up. Thanks hunny bunny -- you really do know how to make a girl feel special!!!

32 WEEK PRENATAL APPOINTMENT

We met with Renee, yesterday morning, for our 32 week prenatal appointment. Jay Jay was able to be there once again -- which was such a wonderful treat -- and he even brought the camera along to chronicle the event. Everything seems to be moving along splendidly and there are no real issues to report. There is of course the fact that Lennon is going to be a ginormo little boy and that I should start watching my sugar and simple carb intake, but other than that everything is great. My weight gain these past two weeks was 2lbs. which is perfect. I was stunned that I had only gained the recommended 1lb. per week as I had really stuffed my face with tons of holiday goodies. We did talk about when I can start trying to get my body prepared for labor and what things I can do. Looks like I will be beginning an Evening Primrose Oil routine starting at 34 weeks to help soften my cervix and at 36 weeks I will begin a combination of herbs called Dr. Christopher's Prenatal Formula that is supposed to help my body along in the preparation process. Our hope is that Lennon comes at least on time and no later. With as big as he is already I just don't think I can handle going nearly 2 weeks overdue like I did with Miles. Here's to hoping. We did get to hear Lennon's heartbeat and Miles even got to help Renee hold the doppler. Miles was so into this part of the appointment and wanted to be right up where all the action was. He was so cute. When Renee got a good solid heartbeat Miles began bobbing his head to the rhythm of the beat. It was so melt your heart wonderful. Our next appointment is set for January 10 at 34 weeks -- we will probably test my titers once again just to make sure that there hasn't been an blood sensitization. Until then!!!

THE TANDEM STROLLER!!!!

Nana & Papa got us a ton of amazing Christmas gifts this year, including the Kolcraft Contours Options Tandem Stroller!!! We were sooooo excited to receive this very cool stroller that we woke up first thing Sunday morning and put it together. It is such a "bitchin'" set of wheels. I really hated the thought of pushing around those massive side by sides and wanted something that I could actually maneuver through tight spaces. Boy is this stroller it. We've already taken Miles out in it a few times and we are really pleased with it so far. Thanks so much Nana & Papa!!!! We can't wait to shuttle both of our little boys around in this!!! PS -- how cute is Miles helping put it together??? That kid is soooooo yummy!!!!

BELLY COMPARISONS

For some reason I can't find my 34 week belly pic anywhere. All I have for comparison is my 36+ week pic and -- well -- it's close. At 32 weeks this pregnancy my belly is not too far off from my 36 week shot last pregnancy. It's smaller, but not much. My midwife did express some concern today about how big baby Lennon is going to be. She urged me to stay away from sugar and refined flour and carbs. She says that it's important to try to keep the baby from gaining TOO much weight at this point -- as she is certain we are headed for a 9lbs.+ little boy. She has faith in my ability to birth a baby this big -- but she would rather I not. She mentioned the fact that Miles was 8lbs. 9oz. and he was a very tight fit!!! So, needless to say, I am taking her VERY seriously and watching my diet very closely.

32 WEEK BELLY PIC -- OHHH SO VERY TIGHT!!!

Here it is at 32 weeks!!! Only 8 weeks left, but I just don't know how much bigger my belly can stand to get before our little Lennon bursts right through my belly button!!! My belly is feeling heavy and tight as a drum these days. Lennon is certainly running out of room in his cozy little womb!!! If my suspicions are correct -- my 32 week belly is measuring a lot like my 34 week belly when I was pregnant with Miles. The photo comparisons will continue and I plan to post those later today!!!