Tomorrow...

Tomorrow my life is going to change.

Tomorrow is my scheduled c-section. My due date is actually Thursday, Nov. 4th, which puts me at about 39.5 weeks. Because I was induced at about 38.5 weeks with Sam, I have literally never been this pregnant. I am big. When I say big, I mean ridiculously, outrageously, I-don't-even-blame-people-for-asking-if-I'm-having-multiples huge.

To demonstrate my point, here are two photos of my belly from tonight's trick or treating adventure (read on for details about that...)!

As you can imagine, with this massive size comes massive discomfort on many levels. I am READY to have this baby. My countdown started days ago, but now that there are literally only hours left (14, to be precise), the gravity of what is about to happen is finally starting to hit me.

Tomorrow, I will become a mother again. Tomorrow, I will make David a father again, and Sam a big brother. Tomorrow, I will meet the person who has been growing inside me -- kicking me, frustrating me, amazing me -- for nine long months. Tomorrow, I will transform our family. Tomorrow, my heart will explode with love and joy and gratitude. Tomorrow is going to be one of the happiest days of my life.

Tomorrow, everything will change.

I can't wait.

Halloween :)

Happy Halloween!!

Wow, this year was SO much fun. Sam is old enough now that he can at least understanding a little bit of what's going on. We asked him what he wanted to be for Halloween, and he told us in no uncertain terms -- SPIDERMAN! Grandma bought him his costume, which he has been begging me to wear every single day. Over the past week or two, we've been getting him prepped by telling him that Halloween was coming up, that he was going to get to wear a "Spiderman outfit," and that he would go knocking on doors saying "Trick or treat" and getting candy. Some days, the very first thing out of his mouth in the morning would be "Trick or treat? Halloween?? Spiderman outfit???" I hated letting him down day after day, but was really looking forward to the day when I could say, "Yes, buddy...it's today!!"

That day -- finally -- was today! In the morning, we headed over to my parents' house to carve pumpkins...and by we, I of course mean that poor David got stuck doing most of the real work. But Sam was sort of into it, helping out a little. After lunch and a nap, we headed back home, where my Mom, sister Moon (or "Momo," as Sam calls her) and nephews Lucas and Daniel met us for dinner before trick or treating.

After dinner, it was finally time for Sam to get into his Spiderman costume -- and you have never seen a cuter, more excited Spiderman! He was A-DOR-A-BLE. I can't stress it enough. I was worried that he would only wear the mask for a few minutes, since kids are notorious about hating to have masks on, but he wore it the WHOLE TIME. I mean, from the minute we put it on him, through getting back in the front door after the last house, he would not remove that mask. I think he really thought he was Spiderman -- every few houses he would crounch down, stick out his finger and say, "I shoot web! PSSST!" Seriously, adorable.

A whole gang of little kids and their parents from the neighborhood hit every single house in our development (all 34 of them!), and after that we headed home. Sweet boy that he is, he only asked for a couple pieces of candy, and then willingly took off his costume and let us put him to bed. It was a completely successful night, and it couldnt have gone smoother or been more fun. I am SO glad that I decided to schedule my c-section for the day after Halloween, so that I could have the opportunity to do this with him.

Some photos to enjoy!!

Weight Ultrasound -- 37.5 Weeks

So these are the last ultrasound photos we will get for this little one. What does everyone think -- boy or girl?? Most people are saying boy, but I have a few who are still thinking girl -- wishful thinking perhaps!

The reason I got to have an ultrasound this late in my pregnancy is because I went in for an appointment yesterday, and I was measuring a bit too big for how far along I am. So my doctor ordered a weight ultrasound, which I had this morning. I had one of these with Sam too, for the very same reason. The tech this morning said that this baby is weighing in at a little more than 8 pounds right now, which puts him/her in about the 92nd percentile for his/her gestational age. They told me that babies tend to put on about half a pound a week from this point on, which means they are estimating about a 9 pound baby -- big, but nothing ridiculous! Sam was about that big (8 pounds, 14 oz to be exact), so it would come as no surprise to me! Besides, I love big, fat, healthy babies -- there is just something about big cheeks and fat rolls that gets me every time. And since I'm having a c-section this time anyway, I don't really need to worry about how much the baby weighs, so bring it on!

Other than that, everything looks good. My blood pressure is still awesome, and I am already 2 centimeters dilated, which I guess means the baby could really come at any time! Even if I go all the way to my scheduled c-section, we are only 13 days out...so I am now officially in countdown mode! It's just crazy to think that in 13 short days, we will welcome a new member of the Brown family. I'm excited and scared and eager and bewildered!

I will keep you all posted -- send me some positive vibes for an easy and fast next two weeks!

36.5 Weeks!

As of today, I have 26 days left until we welcome our new little one into the world, which makes me about 36.5 weeks along now! I would be a lot more excited, except that I know from experience that these last few weeks are the longest -- time seems to slow down the closer I get to my due date. I'm VERY large (as you can see from the photos I posted above) and highly uncomfortable, but at least the weather has finally started to cool off, which makes hauling this load around a little more bearable! At my last appointment, the doctor said that my blood pressure still looks awesome, which means I'll most likely escape the pre-eclampsia I had with Sam. Still on schedule for a Nov. 1 c-section (yikes...), and just trying to get a few things done before the baby comes (like packing a hospital bag, washing some baby clothes, getting the bassinet set up in the bedroom, etc etc). I'm trying to stay very mellow and Zen about the whole thing, but the excitement and anticipation are starting to get the best of me!! Girl? Boy? Who will he/she look like? What will Sam's reaction be? I just can't wait to find out :)

More to come!

32 Weeks and Counting!

I have definitely not kept up with taking belly shots as much with this pregnancy as I did with Sam's, but as you all know, there are reasons for that!! They are known as toddler, job, grad school, and life in general ;)

This pregnancy has absolutely FLOWN by up to this point -- I can't believe that I am already 32 weeks in. That means that in just 56 short days, David and Sam and I will get to meet this new little person. It is simultaneously scary and thrilling. I have thoughts like, "How will I feel when I first hold him or her in my arms? Will this new person fit into our family? How will Sam react to not being Mama's baby anymore? Will David and I be able to adjust to having two kids? Will falling in love with this baby be the same as it was with Sam?" And the list goes on and on...

Mostly, as I approach these last two months of my pregnancy, I am surprised by how relaxed I feel about it all. I am more mellow, more mentally prepared, more welcoming of this change. I have this secure feeling that no matter what happens, we will be just fine. Better than fine -- this whole thing is going to be awesome :).

So here are a couple of belly shots -- 7 months in! That's some belly, huh??? ;)

Our New Miracle

Today, David and I got to go to what might be our last ultrasound for this baby. We got a few awesome 3D pictures, which I've posted below. We had so much fun getting to see him or her in such detail -- being in the room while a 3D ultrasound is being done is almost like watching an actual video of your baby to be! While we were watching him (or her!), he (or she!) kept making little faces -- smiling, opening his/her mouth, grimacing. It was so awesome to see. David was blown away -- he said that the baby became "real" to him today.

The only way I would get to have another ultrasound is if my doctors decide that they need to do one right at the very end of my pregnancy to get an estimate of how much the baby weighs. The ultrasound tech today said that was a good possibility, considering the baby is already measuring above the 90th percentile is every single category (length, weight, head circumference, abdomen, femur length, etc). He or she already weighs 4 lbs, 3 oz -- whereas the average baby only weighs between 2.75 and 3 pounds. At least this explains why I'm so huge -- although it does not bode well for the next few weeks! I've spend the past few feeling enormous, hot and incredibly uncomfortable...and I'm afraid it's going to get a lot worse before it gets better!

No matter what, it's all worth it. This pregnancy has been so different for me than Sam's was. I've been bigger, busier, and it has seemed to go by much faster. But I've also been able to enjoy it more in a way. Because it's my second time around, I know what to expect -- and I'm able to relax and go with the flow a lot more than the first time. Also, having Sam taught me how bringing a baby into the world expands your life in every direction...so I'm much more excited and less scared. I also don't worry about whether or not I will be able to love this second baby as much as I love Sam -- I just know that he or she will exponentially multiply the joy and love in my life just like Sam did. There is more than enough love to go around, and no such thing as too much...in the words of Shakespeare said, "The more I give to thee, the more I have -- for both are infinite."

Hope you enjoy the photos -- I'll keep ya posted!

Have you ever seen such a beautiful face?

So we're taking bets -- boy or girl??

The ultrasound tech said that he was face up, and every time she pushed the wand down on my stomach, he would get a little tiny dent in the front of his nose!!

Cute cheeks :)

This is a shot of the front of his face...

Just a shot of his nose, lips and chin!

Profile shot

Another front of the face shot

One of his tiny little feet!

Trip to DC

David and I were lucky enough to take a weekend getaway to Washington, D.C. a couple of weeks ago. We wanted to take a trip somewhere for a long weekend to spend some one-on-one time together before Baby #2 arrives, and D.C. seemed like the perfect choice! David had never been, and for someone as die-hard patriotic as he is, that's a real travesty. My mom watched Sam and the dogs for us (yes, again...I know, she's a gem), and we were off for three nights!

We decided early on that we were not there to be crazy, see-it-all tourists. In a city with as much to do as D.C., there is no way you can see it all, and attempting it will just have you more exhausted on the way home from your trip than you were starting out! And besides, I am way too pregnant and it was way too hot for all that! Instead, we took it easy and focused on just being with each other -- anything interesting or notable we saw or did was icing on the cake! We slept late, had breakfast at the hotel every day, and took our time walking (or waddling, in my case) around the monuments, museums and other attractions that make the city great.

We took a hop-on, hop-off bus tour (which was a perfect way to see a lot of the monuments without having to walk the equivalent of a marathon!), and we also toured three of the great museums of the Smithsonian -- Air and Space (a must-see for David), American History and Natural History. We also went to the International Spy Museum (very cool), and had dinner at a couple of fantastic restaurants (I highly recommend Georgia Brown's and Clyde's for anyone planning a visit). David's very favorite thing was seeing the original Declaration of Independence, Constitution and Bill of Rights at the National Archives -- he even bought copies for us to frame and hang on our office walls at home! I loved just strolling around the gorgeous streets of Georgetown on our last day there.

While we were there, we also got to see some great friends of ours -- the Panters. Jake is David's buddy from Omaha, where they flew the RC-135 together and formed a true, lifelong "bromance." He, his wife Holly and their four daughters (Lydia, Samantha, Nora and Sophie) are now living in northern VA (Jake is at the Pentagon), and we were so lucky to have a chance to spend some time with them! They are a great family, and always such a blast to be around -- we spent about half the visit trying to convince them to move to Florida (the seed is planted in your head, Holly...don't fight it!). At the very least, we're hoping for a visit soon!

The best thing about the trip was purely, simply TIME. David and I are busy people. We both work full-time in a hectic and sometimes stressful career field, we are both in graduate school, and we have a toddler. To add to that wonderful chaos, we are now expecting our second miracle -- who will no doubt fill our lives with more joy, laughter, and (let's be honest) exhaustion! It was wondeful for us to be able to get away and spend some time just strolling and lounging and cuddling and talking -- reminiscing about our past, discussing our dreams for the future or just laughing at nothing at all.

At the end of every day, we would lay in the plush, king-sized bed in our room at the historic Phoenix Park hotel downtown, and David would talk to my belly...whispering things to our unborn baby that sometimes even I could not hear. It filled me with an indescribable feeling. Contentment, I guess -- mixed with joy, love, comfort and gratitude. I married an incredible, loving man. I have a beautiful, intelligent, healthy son. My family lives all around me, and enriches my life in ways I could never explain. We have a comfortable home, fulfilling jobs, and live in the greatest country on earth. We have built a life that is full of opportunity, adventure and promise. It is more than I deserve...I am lucky, blessed, thankful.

Here are some photos -- hope you enjoy looking at them as much as we enjoyed taking them!