36 weeks AND two days!

Nearly past the preemie phase (37 weeks is considered full term)! While this pregnancy is not nearly as hard as the previous one, I am definitely feeling the woes of end of pregnancy. My back KILLS. My vagina hurts (pelvic pressure, whoa). I'm so big. I feel emotional. Lots of Braxton Hicks/cramps. UGH.

I'm also feeling slight panic as the nursery isn't even close to being done and won't be anytime soon considering Darren is recovering from surgery still. I guess at least I have all the clothes washed, they are just stuffed into a plastic bin and not organized, which is't the end of the world but the nesting instinct in me begs to differ.

This weekend Darren and I had a lunch date at Barrio and then went grocery shopping while his parents came up to watch the girls. Grocery shopping was hilarious because Darren obviously can't lift anything so I pushed the cart, grabbed all the food, loaded everything onto the belt, bagged everything, put everything in the cart and loaded the van with my ginormous preggo belly. Outsiders can't see Darren's surgery scars so they were probably like, "why won't he help her????" haha. After grocery shopping I thought I might die though. My back hurt soooo bad! The end is near!

Excited to meet my little bean over the next few weeks!

A trip to Fairview hospital... for Darren!

Well Darren has his appendix out Monday night. Not the trip to the hospital we've been expecting!

Darren had the typical appendicitis pain that starts around the belly button and moves to the right side, but it was never very severe and didn't come with a fever or any of the secondary symptoms. All weekend we debated whether he needed to go get it check out or not. Finally on Monday he went to see his doctor, who sent him to the hospital for a cat scan. His appendix was inflamed and needed to come out.

My parents came over to watch the girls and I met him at the hospital for his surgery. The very friendly people of Fairview Hospital kept stopping me asking if I knew my way to labor and delivery. The security guard asked if my doctor called ahead. Ha, not in labor just yet I kept telling everyone! Got there around seven and they wheeled him into surgery around 9:40. I felt mild panic all day - no 35 week pregnant lady likes the idea of her husband undergoing surgery - but the procedure seemed pretty routine so I had calmed down some by the time he went in for surgery. Everything went fine (did you know they take the appendix out through the belly button???? Apparently they are even doing some hysterectomies through the belly button now.) and he was in the recovery room by about 11 something. I stayed till about one a.m. until he was settled into his room and headed home. Got the girls ready in the morning, dropped them off at daycare and went back to the hospital. He was discharged by 11 a.m. so a fast stay.

We must have made an interesting pair walking down the hospital hallway with my giant pregnant belly waddle and Darren's slow post surgery walk in the stylish hospital gown with the IV stand trailing behind him. We are pathetic lol.

At least the recovery seems pretty fast. He can't lift anything heavy for two weeks. Challenging when you have two toddlers. A bigger challenge when your wife probably shouldn't be doing a ton of heavy lifting either. We are so lucky we have so much family and friends in the area. So many people have already offered to bring us over food (we have a delivery schedule!) and help with things like laundry. I promise to pay all this kindness forward some day when I can. The meals are a huge help.

Today was Darren's bday (terrible timing being two days post surgery!) but we are making the best of it with a dinner delivery from Buca di Beppos.

Two records, an ear infection and another twin sale

Two records were set this weekend. 1. I have now been pregnant longer than I was with girls. 34 weeks and two days as of today! 2. The girls slept in on Sunday until 8:35 a.m. Mind = blown. I can only assume it was because of the time change and being sick.

Took the girls into urgent care this weekend. Both acting funny and tugging on ears. In a shocking role reversal, Bailey was fine and Brooklyn had an ear infection. So one more antibiotic/sickness before this awful winter is over.

Cuties!

The twin sale was this weekend. Since I'm pregnant, I was able to bring Darren with me so he got to experience the chaos of the member's only preview sale. We did pretty well. Mostly clothes this time and a few toys. Spent $200 for all the stuff pictured below. My favorite find was the toy box with the bead maze (the kind you see in a doctor's office) on top for $4.50.

Now that I've passed 34 weeks, I feel so much more relaxed. Would love to make it another 4 weeks at least. I'm feeling super uncomfortable and miserable though. And GIANT and gross. End of pregnancy is hard whether you have one or two babies. (Though obviously it was soooo much harder with two). I am so sore and tired and just have terrible cramps and pelvic pain all day. I see the doctor on Wednesday so I'll find out if I'm more dilated/effaced than I was at 32.

Nearing the end!

Hit 33 weeks on Saturday. Here's the last comparison belly shot (never got a 34 weeks photo since I went into labor at 33 weeks 6 days). I feel GIANT. Somehow I thought I would look dramatically smaller this pregnancy but in the picture it doesn't really translate. My sister, however, said the picture doesn't really do it justice and I am way smaller this time. Thank you Katie. You make me feel less big and gross.

I saw my doctor for my 32 week appointment. Been having a lot of pressure/cramps/Braxton Hicks so she checked my cervix. Already 1 cm dilated and 80 percent effaced. I didn't get put on bed rest, but she told me to take it easy and wrote me a note requesting I work from home as much as possible. So basically I am to cut out all optional activities like grocery shopping. My doctor seems to think the baby is going to come a little early, but hopefully after 35 weeks.

I ended up in L&D last week with a false alarm. I think it was a combination of my appointment and just feeling really nervous. I was having a lot of uterine irritability but no major contractions (a few minor ones) so they sent me home. The doctor at the hospital didn't seem to think I had any risk of preterm labor so that was in contrast to what my doctor thought. I'm going to continue to listen to my doctor though. Overall I felt really stupid for going into L&D. I know everyone says better safe than sorry but I still felt silly. Oh well!