30 weeks

30 week beach bump, at your service!

The summer season ended with Labor Day last weekend, so we obviously decided to get our beach time in now. It's perfect because all the stores are selling their last wrinkly peach and all the lifeguards are back at school. We're smart. Luckily, I was able to pull off swimming without dying. Go me!

Anyway, here's photo evidence of the stomach torpedo that houses my crazy kicker...(and a couple extra of my homies)

HUGE

Hello seriously terrible tan lines

Seagull watching

Xoxo

L

29 weeks.

Hi, I'm huge.

Sleeping with this massive protrusion (aka baby boy) is becoming pretty painful. I switch sides all night long in a quest for comfort, to no avail.

Still working at the FYI channel...4.5 weeks to go. Hopefully, the commute doesn't kill me. Over 4 miles of walking a day! Aaaaah. I should probably use the subways, but it's so hard when they're disgusting and hot and only save me 15 minutes. Luckily, my back and leg have been feeling better. The doctor ordered me a belly band, but who knows when that'll arrive. 

Anyway, here's my 29 week pic. I look more comfortable than I am!

28 weeks 3D scan!

Due to major pain in my lower right side, I needed to visit the doctor today for a checkup and just to be on the safe side, she sent me for a scan. YAY. Also, the pain is okay - just a pulled ligament and muscle along with lower back pain. Fun stuff. The doctor ordered me a glamorous maternity band. Oh well, at least I got to see the baby!

Seeing him in 3D at this stage is so surreal. He had HAIR. And a real face. And a foot on his head.

Ahh...I just love him so much already:)

27 weeks.

Feeling: Pretty good! My skin has improved, but lower back pain persists. 

And I can't stop eating crappy food. Kit Kats, Raisinettes, cereal, muffins, and bread bread bread.  I literally ate 2.5 bagels today. That's not normal.

13 more weeks!

26 weeks, 3 days - Glucose Test

Aaaaah, flat orange soda day! What a sugary way to start the day! Blegh.

I am so scared to find out the results. Please don't take my carbs away from me! They're all I have!

Hand.Foot.Mouth...Torture.

Today has been fun.

Piper has HFMD (hand foot mouth disease) and it is just as pretty as it sounds. I imagine that if she could keep a diary, it would display lots of violent scribbles and sentences about life being unfair and barely surviving in this cold, hard world. Yeah. It's really that bad.

Sunday night, she seemed to be a little crankier than normal. She seemed to have acquired a cough, but it wasn't weird. Her cousins both have coughs and they just spent the whole weekend together. Not to mention, while we were away for the weekend, she slept near an ancient A/C unit. It could have been from that. Or even from daycare on Friday. Coughs appear all the time. 

But then, she started hating food. And I noticed some bumps on her butt (why isn't it called 'hand,foot,mouth,butt disease?) when changing her diaper. But I checked her everywhere else and she seemed okay! Like an idiot, I sent her to daycare.

I picked her up early and asked how she was and they said she was fine. She ate all her food, napped her whole nap time and played with the kids. Phew. What a relief. That night, she went downhill...FAST. Whimpering, crying, screaming, touching her tongue. Around 7pm, we finally got her to sit still long enough to check out the inside of her mouth and lo and behold there was a sore. Jeff whisked her off to the emergency care where they confirmed the awful truth. She had Hand Foot Mouth Disease. 

Every day since then has been seriously bad. She won't drink or eat anything. She hates everything even her FAVORITE things. Getting her to eat ice cream is a struggle. We are syringing water and pedialyte into her mouth and trying everything possible to keep her hydrated, but this truly blows. 

She never developed bumps on her hands or feet. Just her mouth. Even the ones on her butt are gone. 

I can't wait for my little lady to feel better! This is so sad!
xoxo
L

EDITED TO ADD: Piper recovered! I guess that's not too much of a surprise, but there were some iffy moments there. Tuesday through Thursday were TORTURE. Syringing calories and force feeding vanilla ice cream.  Then, things took a turn for the better on Friday and she began taking her sippy cup, food packets and pirate booty (weird, I know). Saturday, she was even better and Sunday she not only felt completely better, but she was SOOOO happy and adorable. It was like she was seriously realizing what a crappy week she had endured and just wanted to run and play and smile and laugh. Such a relief.  Hand, foot, and mouth sucks! Au revoir!

TWO kids? That sounds hard.

Today, we went to see some preggo friends at the Hoboken Italian Festival and it was no less than 400 degrees out. We almost melted away completely, but somehow survived. Thank God for that misting tent.

It was a fun, but hectic day. Trying to keep up with friends who have buns in the oven, but none on the ground quite yet. It seemed like a reasonable idea to them for everyone to sit in the beer garden. But, all I heard was, "Wait, we're supposed to what?" Sit...in...one...place. Outside? With so much action whizzing around us? Yeah, that isn't really a thing for Piper. She wanted to EXPLORE! Run free! And the whole day gave me an epiphany. 

Here it is: I really need to enjoy this time as a family of three because having two is going to be a DOOZY. And I mean, HARD. With two kids, there will be no taking turns. No one person who gets to keep a normal conversation with our friends while the other half runs through crowds like a maniac, saving our kid from herself. Today, keeping up with Piper was tough enough (the temperature could have also magnified all problems).

And while pregnancy is no treat, at least our little guy is having his needs met (have I mentioned yet, that we're having a BOY) with minimal effort (other than the usual weird cramping, back pain, restless sleep, unending thirst and hunger) from me. I need to SLOW DOWN, RELAX, and ENJOY this time. It will never be like this again:)

38 weeks, 33 weeks, 23 weeks and a very sweaty and upset 22 month old Piper!