Happy due date to me!

Happy due date to me!
Yep, still hanging in there. There are times I feel like I'm barely hanging in there...but, really, I am. Contractions have taken over my sleep time, making for a grumpy me.
A friend said that I was handling this really well. But, at times, meaning not all the time so don't think I'm losing faith, I find myself thinking, "eff this stupid raspberry leaf tea I'm drinking", "eff this damn ball", "eff these pelvic thrusts", "eff all this money that has gone to the chiropractor", "eff these inversions", "eff this inversion crap", "eff this evening primrose oil", "and "dammit, eff these non progressing contractions!!!!". Then I take a deep breath and pull myself back in. I am proud of myself for not giving up. Everything that has happened along the way and I am still here and the baby is still happily jumping around after I eat a mango. That's what fills my thoughts. I can do this. I will do this. And I will continue believing.
Then I get an email that says this....

Ok. What in the hell is a jackfruit? Is that like the absolute largest fruit possible??

In other news, Madeline decided that 6am would be an awesome time to wake up. That lead us down to the couch and on went the tv. Ok, so, Gaspard and Lisa...so confusing, especially at 6am. Are they rabbits with tails? No. I googled. They are puppies with rabbit-like ears that talk and walk around in a human world. No one thinks this is strange? Way too early for that silliness, but Madeline seemed to enjoy it...

My Mom is here helping us. I can't say enough how grateful I am for family and the help they have been providing. It reminds me of an article I read a few months ago how mothers used to have all of this help provided by the women in their family before and after their baby was born. It is so nice. Although, my Mom is cleaning like a mad woman, making me feel like a slug. I'm quite perplexed how someone can go from working out 3-4 times a week at 38 weeks pregnant to this lazy mess I have become. Maybe it is the lovely spread of carbs that she brought along for us...

I must say, that French toast bagel was pretty damn good.

Well, keep those labor thoughts and prayers coming, please!!! I appreciate each and every one of them! You guys are the best.
I hope these contractions are building up my pain tolerance to a point that labor will be a breeze...wishful thinking?

Family is an amazing thing

Today was a good day...the contractions gave me a break. I REALLY REALLLLLY needed that break. I had some last night, but sleeping on my knees and elbows (almost in child's pose) helped so much. They made my scar burn like crazy, so I'm thinking the head has moved down some more.

We went to the chiro for [hopefully] the last time or so he thinks! Seriously, he told Anthony that I adjusted so much easier today so he believes labor will come on within 24 hours. He hit pressure points and also demonstrated a technique for Anthony to use on me during labor. We are not going to hold him to that, but as we were leaving, Anthony said to me, "If that guy is right, we are sending him a hefty fruit basket." BAH HA HA.

Oh, and my crazy husband wanted to come home with one of these......

[well, not this week, considering they're only 3 weeks old]

Yeah, a newborn, toddler and puppy..that sounds like a blast! ha.

Anyway, my contractions came back after the adjustment. I *think* they feel different...more radiating from front to back. We shall see over the next few days! The baby has also been SO active since. 

I will labor this baby soon...I just know it!

Madeline is in her glory. We have help every day. She has been waking up asking who is coming today. Family is an amazing thing. I am so grateful for the help and the company. It means so much to us and I know that no matter how this ends, they will be here to help me along the way. 

No pictures of Be-pop and Pap because they do a lot of chasing....Madeline LOVES that.haha.

And I just love this......

Story time with Daddy.

maybe, just maybe, THIS will be my last bump pic....

I brought our [old] laptop into the bath tub...

Why does it feel better to have contractions in a warm bath? It just does.

So, I'm on the Drs time now...one week from Friday or I will have to be cut open yet again. Such an icky way to put it. I don't feel like it will happen, so that's why I put it that way. I will not accept that fate until I am on the table.
My husband is such a great support.We had our serious "what if" talk when he came home tonight and the fact that he said I still have plenty of time and this baby just wants to stay in until their due date gave me a whole new perspective. He is so compassionate and it lifts my spirits in the most amazing way.
My family is trying hard to understand the decisions I am making and I commend them for that.  They are running back and forth to help me with Madeline, which means the world to me.
I've also had so many people call, text, message, email, facebook me today, with inspirational and encouraging words. One friend texted me this: "Even if you have a c-section you will still have your baby. Your perfect baby." That brought me to tears. Another texted me about not becoming discouraged with all the advice I am being given...I appreciated that more than she knows. Another that will call just to check in and her sweet little son talks to me too, so that right there brings a huge smile...even through a contraction.

When I reflect on all of this, it makes the exhaustion of laboring for this long a little easier.

Let's get to the technical shit stuff. I went to the Dr today. Still 1cm and 50% effaced. This makes the Dr basically tell me it is impossible. I don't think so. The problem that he says I am having is that the head is still not down on the cervix and that's where it needs to be to promote dilation. My mission: to engage the baby. I have a chiro appointment tomorrow, so hopefully that will help. I also have a few different positions that I have already been putting my body in to continue trying as well. I'm sitting on a ball now...rolling my hips, trying to open these bad boys up.
During my hospital visit, I was also told that natural delivery of this baby wouldn't be possible because of my stature. Since I am "petite". Any other time I would have been flattered by this comment. The only way I am petite is my height, so to say I have a tiny frame is just hilarious.
So, that's what is on my agenda. That and laboring with a two year old that doesn't understand why I'm not my usual energetic self. Maybe I will wake up tomorrow, full of energy, spend one last day with all of my attention on Madeline, have the chiropractor adjust me, the baby drop and then go into labor tomorrow night. It could happen. It could definitely happen.
If not, popcorn and a movie seemed to occupy a toddler with a laboring mother today...

And maybe, just maybe, THIS will be my last bump pic....

No make-up, ratty hair...yeah...I just don't care.

Plus side to all of this?

My prediction was wrong, but my body decided to play a trick on me anyway. I've been contracting since 2am yesterday morning. I really thought that was it...I even "labored" alone for a few hours, trying to enjoy my body working. I prolonged going to the hospital in case I hadn't progressed that much. We arrived at the hospital at 9:30, only for my contractions to slow and I was told I had not progressed at all. Talk about a bummer. I was given the option to stay there, walk around, yada yada or go home. So, I returned home.

They have been getting stronger since...but will sometimes taper off...still not real labor if that happens.

I laid awake last night, just the contractions and me. I didn't wake up Anthony or pick up my phone or ipad or laptop. I just focused on my body, wondering if it would talk to me, tell me what the plan is. I am struggling between the feelings of whether this is my body working or this is my body telling me it can't work. I'm trying not to be negative, I'm breathing out the negative as I type and breathing in the positive.
The contractions have stopped again, the ones that had me doubled over last night. I'm going to call the Dr today and maybe they can check me, let me know if absolutely anything is happening down there. I'm going to request that they talk to me as if I had never had a cesarean before...just so they don't bring me down.

I knew this wouldn't be easy, but I am not going to give up. If this is what my body needs to do then so be it. As long as the baby is fine, I can handle this. I can do it. I have the faith inside myself and the faith of those around me.

What a jumbled post of emotions. Perhaps I should try to get an hour of sleep before the office opens. Before I start really talking crazy.ha.

Plus side to all of this? I have a house full of family. My parents, my grandparents, everyone here to offer support. They keep looking worried, but that's only because they love me. It is nice to have all of them here...Madeline is in her glory.

I have a prediction

I have a prediction. The baby is coming tomorrow and it will be a girl. That is what I'm thinking. I told Anthony the 27th all along because that is my cousin's birthday and when she first found I was pregnant, she hoped it would be on her birthday.
Plus, my body is preparing in another way at this point. I have been having contractions since Thursday/early Friday morning and [[[[[super gross detail alert, skip the rest of this paragraph, fellas]]]]] have been losing mucus plug since Friday night. Yeah, I had NO idea there was that much to lose, but I definitely found out today.
[[[[[Alright, safe to read again]]]]]
I feel like I just had to share that with everyone. I have had SO much support throughout this quest to VBA2C and I truly believe it's from documenting it on here. So many of you have reached out, messaged me, talked to me, and even Anthony, when we see you in person and it means a lot and has built my confidence in a way that cannot be broken. No matter what my experience, I am so grateful for all of the support. I'll be sure to post my entire birth story so it will either give others that have confided in me faith towards their hopes of a VBAC or they can learn from my mistakes. Either way, I will be proud of myself for everything I have done to prepare. Including my current cervix softening attempts over the past few weeks with Raspberry Leaf tea *sips super strong tea* and Evening Primrose Oil over the past few days (that didn't work with Madeline, but seems to be this time..so thanks to a good friend for convincing me to give it a try again).
The sporadic contractions over the past few days have become quite exhausting and uncomfortable, but I'm definitely trying to rest as much as I can. So nothing is getting done, as I sit here relaxing. Madeline has definitely noticed a change in me, so she only wants me to do things...like pick her up, change her, sit next to her, put her to bed, etc. She senses something is about to go down. Or it could be that my husband is on high alert over every grunt or flinch I make. So she runs over to give me a check-up....

She has also become so aware of babies while we're out in public. "Mommy, please take me to see that baby" & "Oh, he's just so cute".
She asked me the other day when our baby was coming, I answered soon. So, she grabbed me by the belly and asked me to take it off, when I didn't, she lead me to the baby's room by the belly and said, "This is your room, baby". I'd say she is definitely getting excited!!

This definitely puts the whole 9 month belly into perspective.haha.

I will never...

I will never....
-Let my kid run around a store like a maniac
-Have a kid that hits/kicks
-Tolerate tantrums
-Give my kid a snack to shut them up in a store
-Turn on the tv to get something done
-Let my child choose a snack for a meal


Says the woman that has not become a parent yet or the mother that hasn't mothered a toddler yet.

But, if you're a Mom of a toddler or a Mom of older kids that hasn't forgot what the age is like you realize...
-The kid probably isn't running around "like a maniac" because they actually only have one speed at this age
-Toddlers kick or hit when they are having trouble communicating or hell, better yet,  just to see what your reaction will be
-Tantrums are how they express their disappointment or disapproval of a situation...as annoying as it may be
-Sometimes food is the deciding factor whether your kid will sit in the cart or have the urge to try to escape on their own
-There are some things that kids cannot help with because them "helping" is not actually helping...so a half an hour of tv will not kill them
-There will be/was a time when [you are nine months pregnant] just unable to go through the battle and suddenly you come to the realization the watermelon and cheese really isn't a bad meal after all

My list goes on and on and on. It is amazing how "I will never" can turn into "this is why" so easily. My husband often reminds me of her age when I'm feeling frustrated by any of these situations and I take a minute to reflect on my "this is why" list.

Well, we had our Dr appointment on Wednesday. 1cm dilated...that's one more than I was with Madeline. And I've been having contractions since last night...nothing to go running to the hospital about, but YAY! It feels so real. I was told at the appointment that the baby was still pretty far up, but I have decided that I am so short that it shouldn't take long to drop anyway. I'm hoping after these contractions I've been having that I'm like 4cm dialted, but I'm convinced that this baby is in for the long haul and I will be one of those women with contractions for a week before active labor. And reminded myself, again, this is MY body and it will do what it needs to do. I can feel it.
Yep, here I am..
                                  

Madeline is REALLY going to miss the chiropractor, I don't know if it's the toy room or the zoo that they have there, but she LOVES it.

And our new obsession...The ABC's...

Youtube video

CAKE

Very nice day yesterday. I think Joshua had a great birthday, especially since we (or should I say my husband) surprised him with a phone. Yeah, our kid is probably the only 8th grader that didn't have one, so I'm just hoping it was a good decision.
When Madeline woke up and we told her it was Josh's birthday, the first thing that came to mind was CAKE!!!! Yeah, from 9am until 6pm our daughter talked about, thought about, sang about CAKE. She didn't really fully grasp this whole birthday = cake concept until a few months ago, but now that is ALL a birthday means. We sing, we eat cake.
Speaking of cake, it has been a tough day trying to refrain from eating it. All I have wanted this past week is sweets...I have even replaced a meal or two or three..... Today I have been trying to regain my willpower, "I will not eat cake, I will eat a mango"..."I will not eat cake, I will eat a pear". Then I remembered those homemade white chocolate oreos in the cabinet and I quickly forgot about cake and ate those instead. Yeah, I'll probably gain 50lbs in my last couple weeks of pregnancy. Super.

Other than all this cake talk, there are 11 days, well 10 since today is almost over, left until my due date and I'm pretty sure this baby is in for the long haul. Anthony wants the baby to come on Thursday, so we'll see if he/she will cooperate. My poor husband. He's such a planner. This is starting to drive him insane...we do not know the gender, we do not know when the baby will decide to make their appearance, we don't know how this whole VBA2C experience will treat us (but have super positive thoughts that it will go as hoped). To me, it's super exciting to await surprises. To him, it's pretty stressful not to be able to plan everything. I'm starting to think I should have at least let him have the gender...even though he did promise me after he found out we were being blessed with a little girl that the next would be a surprise. I'm really shocked that we both lasted this long, especially with the amount of ultrasounds we had. But, we did.

And here's the birthday fun....

He was pretty shocked about his phone.

Look at how excited she is for him. haha.

 

Madeline and Nan...

 

Dreft knock-off

I tend to be thrifty...or should I say that wasting money on certain things just makes me cringe. Spending $20-30 on baby detergent just makes me ill, so I decided to hunt for a Dreft knock-off. Tried it. Love it. I'll share it.
Makes 80 light loads or 40 heavy loads...I always use more than necessary, so I'm just going to go with that it makes 40 loads. So, here's the awesome part. 40-80 loads = <$3.00

Ingredients:
- 1 bar of Ivory soap
- 2 cups of Borax
- 2 cups of Super Washing Soda

First, microwave your bar of Ivory soap. Yep, just do it. The house smells clean and fresh now. And did you know that microwaving soap does this???....

I did not.
It's so fluffy and delicious looking. Don't eat it though

Then, throw 2 cups of Washing Soda and the fluffy soap into your food processor until blended well.
Next, add the 2 cups of Borax until, again, well blended.

DONE! I overestimated the size of the container I would need for it, but I guess I'll just make some more. I have 2 more bars of Ivory and plenty of Borax and Washing Soap left.

The savings is amazing, so I figured some of you out there would benefit. Enjoy!

FOURTEEN

This is THE weekend. The one where I get absolutely everything done that I want before the baby comes. Only one problem. I twisted/sprained/something'ed my damn ankle. I'll admit, it's pretty flippin painful..not as bad as yesterday though. But, it's alright, my determination will work through. I will prevail! haha. Hell, with everything that has happened this pregnancy, this is a piece of cake.
I'm starting to feel guilty. I know I had everything completely ready, all ducks in a row, at this point when we were awaiting Madeline. So, what in the world have I been waiting on? Who knows. I made a list of what I need and what needs to be done. Time to get on it. This post is starting to give me anxiety, so I'll move on from that.

Joshua is going to be FOURTEEN on Sunday. For real. I'm excited for fourteen though, thirteen was entirely too rough of a year. Way too much drama in the girl department. So, I'm hoping he has learned from it and this year will be better...he will slow down, be a kid and not have a girlfriend. The problem that we are having is that he may be a young teen, but he looks like an adult...tall, lean, muscular, full beard and all. The girls are digging it...me?, not so much. The mama bear kicks in hard core and I start wishing I could be a teen for just five minutes. That is all I'd need. Anyway, 3 more weeks of school and I will also have a high school student. Wow. It is amazing how fast these kids grow up. One minute you can hold them in your arms, the next they are 2 feet taller than you. Oh, that might only be me. He has that teenage attitude, but he is also a sweet, fun-loving, caring kid, an amazing baseball player (you all know this because I'm constantly bragging), an awesome big brother and truly my shining star. Even though I complain about these teenage years so much, I still love him dearly and try to help him through the best I can..making me the bad guy 99% of the time.
Here's hoping for a wonderful fourteenth year! I'm sure I'll post a cake picture. Madeline is WAY into making cakes these days, so who knows what kind of surprise we will have! ha.
How in the world do they go from this....

 

 

To this?

 

Here's some more pitching pictures from last night...

 

And one of the baby girl showing her attitude yesterday..

.

 

 

 

it was worth it

Being nine months pregnant with a toddler is exhausting. Honestly, it was all good until about a week ago...now I take a trip to the store or pick up toys and I'm DONE...like about to pass the heck out done.
Don't get me wrong, I'm not done being pregnant. I actually need this little girl/guy to stay in there for at least another week. We still need to get a little more prepared.
What I am done with is the pregnancy-induced carpal tunnel. During the day, my fingers go numb while washing my hair, shaving my legs, drying my hair, brushing my teeth, using my phone, cutting up fruit, writing anything, typing, well, you get the point. At night, pains shoot from my fingers up to my shoulders.
I'm also done with lack of sleep I get. When I have to roll over at night because of hip, arm and finger shooting pains, I'm up for a good hour afterwards and this happens at least 4-5 times. No wonder I'm so exhausted.
I'm definitely done with the shooting sensation when it feels like the baby is just going to fall out. Although, that would be nice if it worked out that way.
My family is done with my lack of patience. Honestly, everything annoys me lately and it's kind of hard to control.
Joshua even asked me how much longer tonight. Not much longer, I can make it, but can they? haha.

I will say that my body feels phenomenal right now since I had a chiropractor appointment this afternoon. So, maybe I will sleep better tonight. Madeline was so excited to go to the "back doctor" that she asked about it from the time I told her at breakfast until 2pm when we left. She absolutely loves it there. Probably because they let her come and go as she pleases...even in their home. It was an extra exciting appointment today when we pulled up and saw their peacock on the swing set. Then we were able to hold 4 day old lab puppies. Seriously, I would live with these people.

 

   

Then, I stopped by Whole Foods and they had the cannoli shells in! I wanted to hug the bakery lady as she filled my shells and added extra chocolate chips. Madeline, on the other hand, was acting like a maniac, due to her lack of a nap. But, it was worth it.

VERTEX!! a.k.a. HEAD DOWN!! a.k.a. READY TO GO!

I'm going to start right off with the awesome news, had my ultrasound today and baby's position is VERTEX!! a.k.a. HEAD DOWN!! a.k.a. READY TO GO! That's right, all those crazy things I did, like hanging upside down, are no longer crazy, all those positive thoughts, all those hopeful wishes from you!, those back to back (har har) chiropractic appointments (I may hug him on Wednesday), all that worrying hoping. I'm feeling very accomplished. And you guys will not have to hear about my breech baby woes anymore!! We all win!
Um, my husband tried to find out the gender yet again at our ultrasound today!!! But, the Dr informed him that "the boss" is the one he is actually "ultrasounding" and didn't go near the legs. Poor guy, he's getting so anxious. He insists that it's a boy, I'm not sure why he needs this confirmation so badly.
We have jumped through quite a bit of hurdles with this baby. I actually went back and read my original reveal blog  and others after that when we had our huge scare and it made me realize how far we have come. I will be honest and say there was a time that I didn't think I would get this far and I am so blessed to be at this point. As far as vbac'ing, I am going to let my body do what it was made to do and hopefully that will take me to the birth experience that I am wishing for. I have educated myself on my options and am aware this is my body and my choice. These two things will take me to where I need to be...it may not even be where I want to be, but I will have made that choice.

When I got out of bed this morning, I looked at my bare belly in the mirror and smiled. Pregnancy is beautiful. I could almost see exactly how our sweet little one was crunched up in there (I envisioned head down, of course), just waiting to come out. Then it hit me, there's a baby in my belly that I will be holding soon. Woah. I'm always so busy that sometimes I forget to take a minute and realize that we are adding another member to our family. We are taking that plunge and becoming the ring leaders of a household with a teenager, toddler and newborn. That just gave me heart palpitations. I know we can do it though...hell, combine our experience and we are like 33-34 year parent veterans. That should count for something. Anyway, I'm excited to snuggle this new little life in my arms, smell them, kiss them, nurse them, see how they fit right into our family like they were always here.

My family threw a "sprinkle" for me on Saturday. I was so confused/shocked when I walked in. It was supposed to be a little get together so everyone could meet my niece then I went out to Target with my brother, came back and they were there waiting for me. It was so much fun and such a nice surprise. I was put on the spot about the names we have for the baby. We have a little list of names, two main ones, we are kind of keeping them a secret. Our boy name has a lot of meaning behind it and our girl name is beautiful and from someone in the family. I'm very excited to see what we will be blessed with!! For the record, I'm going GIRL since the majority is saying boy.

Happy Mother's Day weekend

Happy Mother's Day weekend to all of those awesome Moms out there. We are amazing beings. We never think twice about putting everyone else's needs first. We are caregivers, protectors, lovers, house cleaners, chefs, friends, chauffeurs, cheerleaders, counselors, teachers, shoppers, planners, human incubators, singers, dancers, artists...we are everything we need to be for everyone in our family every minute of everyday. And as exhausting as that sounds, we truly enjoy it. At the end of the day, we sit back and smile at how we handled such a hectic day.

Oh, we are patients too. A shot in the ear? Darn.

I am very lucky with the mother figures I have in my life. I thank God every day that I have my grandmother, who is always there, loves us to no end and makes us feel like the light of her life. I thank God that I have a sweet mother that is always willing to help everyone and adores her grandchildren. I thank God for all of the Mom friends I have...whenever a problem occurs, they are there in full force, embracing me in comforting advice. I have many Aunts also. I'm surrounded by motherly love...I guess that is part of what has molded me into the mother that I am today.

So, I thought it would be a great idea to paint flower pots and then plant these beautiful flowering spring cactus in for Me-mom and my Mom. Madeline picked out green and pink paint for Me-mom and a gorgeous orange flowering cactus, purple paint and pink cactus for my Mom. We even used scrapbook stickers to spell out "Happy Mother's Day 2013", painted over them and then peeled them off to reveal the letters on the pot. We were very proud of our finished gift...I should have taken pictures then. I got up this morning to pack up the car and looked at our beautiful masterpieces only to find that our crazy orange cat had eaten all the big, gorgeous flowers off the cacti!!!! Errrr..I was a TAD bit annoyed with him. Total gift fail. The cards were still cute though.
                                      

Here's our cutie on this super warm day....

Ready to go to Memom & Bepops.

It's all becoming real, folks.

I'm sitting here eating a [leftover from last night's dinner] celebratory steak and potato [almost] lunch. Just came from the Drs and he seems to think the baby is now head down...I teared up. He told me not to be 100% confident in that, but he tends to be a negative nelly very honest, so um, I'm totally positive that he is right...not letting one negative thought that he may be wrong into my head. I felt a huge weight lift off of my shoulders when he was down by my pelvis and said "this definitely feels like a head". However, I will get a second opinion from my chiro this afternoon..which I will be taking Madeline to since it seems so open and kid-friendly, plus what the heck else am I going to do with her? But, ultimately I am scheduled for an ultrasound on Monday with my favorite Dr to double check this.

I just want to say thank you to everyone that is pulling for me, messaging me, thinking vertex baby thoughts, letting me vent, giving me suggestions, prayers and thinking positive for me. Thank you all so much.

So, why does Madeline love going to the Drs with me so much?? She seriously screamed "YAY!" when I got her out of bed and said we had a Dr appointment to go to...little weirdo.
Oh, Anthony also questioned when we should leave for the hospital that is 45 minutes to an hour away...answer: when the contractions are consistent and last for 1 minute.
It's all becoming real, folks.

BOOM, BOOM, POW!

Relax

Well, you guys, I did it to myself. [[sad face]] I didn't give my muscles a chance to just relax the way they're supposed to during pregnancy.[[extra sad face]]
Here I thought that taking Pilates and tightening my core muscles as many as 3 times a week was going to be phenomenal for this whole vbac process. Nope. My muscles are in a constant tension/tight mode at this point and will not relax enough for the baby to turn. That's where the chiropractor comes into play..he is going to loosen my muscles, ligaments and joints. I was also told that the whole spinning babies routine that I have already been doing is perfect and will work hand in hand with what he is doing...telling my muscles it is ok to relax.
Alright, enough beating myself up and more about my actual experience. Well, it's an hour away. So, I pulled up to a large white house with a cat on the porch, a swing set and tons of outdoor toys. Inside there was an entire playroom of fun toys and a pregnant black lab in the waiting room and kids crawling around everywhere...
                               
I'm not kidding.haha. It is a very free spirited, family owned practice. As a matter of fact, this is the office and through the front desk leads into their home. I loved them...so nice and inviting, telling me to bring Madeline next time. The mother of the practice teaches the Webster technique and edits a magazine called Pathways to family wellness. I am seeing her son, who spent about an hour just talking to me about my plans and how this would be beneficial for me. Then spent a good 45 minutes feeling out my muscles and adjusting...most amazing feeling ever, like all of my pregnancy aches were being lifted away. I won't bore you with all of the details, I'll just say I LOVED it and cannot wait to go back on Wednesday.

I am proud of my husband. He's not too fond of Drs and tends to think they're just out to make a buck. But, he has been very supportive of this, knowing how important it is to me.

Just think a little spinning baby thought for me, ok? I was given the name of a Dr that will do ECV (basically manually turn the baby) if all of this doesn't work by week 38...and from the youtube videos, I'd really like to avoid this.

Here's what we did today...

She loves the pool.

And the snack after.

Look at this sweetness...

hehe.

whose mom can scrub the best?

White baseball jerseys and white pants are the dumbest choice EVER. Do they just want to see whose mom can scrub the best? Baseball dirt is not like normal dirt, oh no. It doesn't mean just throwing in some extra bleach and oxyclean. It means breaking out a sponge and putting in some serious time, effort and elbow grease...only for it to still look dingy. They would probably look less ridiculous in bright pink uniforms than these stained white ones. Oh well, I tried...for a significant amount of time this morning.

Hopefully it will look better than that once I soak then wash it in oxyclean, borax and bleach.

Today's the day! My chiro appointment is at 4:30. I feel like a 22 year old that is anticipating a party with an open bar! Man, that just made me sound old.
So, I've kind of been thinking about it a little...but not so much that it is an obsession...yet. I think I may have done this to myself. I can feel the baby move to a transverse position and it is almost like it cannot go any further. Is it possible that my 2-3 times a week at Pilates has tightened my muscles a little too much not allowing the baby to move into the right position? <- was that a run-on question? Maybe. Is it crazy to think that? Possibly. Or maybe not. It seems to make sense to me. I'll talk to the Dr about my crazy tonight.

And one more thing that bothers me. People that side-eye my toddler and me when she's "having a moment"...you know, one of those b-r-a-t moments that already make you feel like the worst mother ever then you happen look over at just the moment when someone is staring. The worst part? It's usually a woman with an infant or an 8 or whatever year old. I'd like to tell the woman with the infant that her day will come, so keep on staring, hopefully I will run back into you, then I would give you the 'I totally understand' look instead. Or the woman with the 8 yr old that I'm sure her angel never acted that way, but just wait, they digress when they hit about 12 and you will feel like you're dealing with a toddler all over again. Oh, I almost forgot the woman on her lunch break that look at you with pity...ummm, your kid may be acting the same way right now and you don't know it, do you?, so take advantage of your freedom on lunch break instead of staring at us!
I'm mainly amused by these women that have either never experienced a toddler moment or have forgotten all about them. My kid is not evil, she's being a toddler, learning how to communicate and express herself...she just needs some help with that along the way.

baseball pictures

Had a very nice weekend at a baseball tournament, just Josh and me. I'd prefer to do things as an entire family, but this seemed to be a much needed one on one time for us both. 

I love watching him play baseball, it makes me beam with pride as he pitches, holds his composure, keeps his cool and shows good sportsmanship. That is so important at this age...even though some lose their cool [and even cry.eek!] when it's not going their way, Josh keeps the love of the game in his head and never loses stamina...even when they're losing. It just makes me proud to know I instilled that in him when he was just a little tee-ball player. Anthony has also added to the foundation as he has gotten older and more mature.  I'm pretty sure I talk/post about this every season, but I just can't help it. I am so proud of how far he has come in his "baseball career"...and to know it all started when he was just a little preschooler. Now he looks like a man on the field.

This was his first game with this legion team and when we left he joked and said he was like an "outcast" on this team since he's the only one that shows his socks and wears eye black. Then I had to tell him about all of the moms that came up to me and said what a fun kid he seemed like...for those very reasons. He definitely likes to be different, so he got a kick out of that.

This team happens to be made up of the kids we played in the All-Star game last year, which also makes it pretty funny. Once the enemy, now the friend.

I have to get some more pictures of him playing on the senior team too, but that's usually when I'm chasing Madeline around. 

But, here are some baseball pictures from today....

And this.....

My favorite. No matter how old your child is, it is always cute when they're sleeping.