I have been meaning to blog for awhile- but did not realize it has been 3 months since I have given an update! It is late though, so I will try and keep this short.
The last two months have been a complete whirlwind as I went back to the office full time in October and have been working 80 mph since then, between going back to running the billing department, doing my duties as VP, and preparing for maternity leave. I decided to take 10 weeks off so that I can really enjoy my newborn and hopefully slow down and just focus on bonding with her...and hopefully nursing will go better this time with that philosophy! With Keira, I was doing work the whole time I was on leave, and starting going back into the office when she was 10 days old. I am really going to try my best to leave work when I go on leave- although I am sure it will be a test to my personal discipline. I am really looking forward to having some quality time with Keira and the new baby, as I have been so busy with work, etc. lately. I have enjoyed being in the office 5 days a week as I love being able to get more done that way and feel less stressed. However, I am glad that the stint of long hours is almost over as well...as it is so hard to balance home and work when I am working that much! ;)
I have just a few days left in the office (5 to be exact)! I am taking off a week before I am due in hopes of getting my house in order, and my last minute things done, and spend a little quality time with Keira and Austin before she arrives. We will see if she holds off that long!
I am almost 38 weeks, and last week I was only 1 cm dilated, and she was weighing in right under 6 lbs. I am hoping that she will be under 7 lbs. when she is born! I love tiny babies...they get big so fast anyway!!! I so far have gained 18 lbs, but I am thinking all these Christmas parties and sweets my start to add to that number. QUICKLY! I have been consistently having contractions in the evening, so I finally packed my bag last night...so that if it happens anytime, at least now I have flannel pants and fuzzy socks packed for the hospital! ;) We are fairly decided on a name now as well, but we will wait to decide for sure until she is born and we see her. We have not told anyone (including Keira...as she has proven to be a horrible secret keeper).
In Keira news:
She is just SO much fun! She is smart as a whip, and definitely keeps us on our toes. She is anxiously awaiting Christmas, and then the birth of her sister, and then her birthday party, as we have been telling her about the order of events since June...or close to that. She has been excited for her birthday forever! She is obsessed with Dora lately, and is requesting a Dora party. However, Grandma Jane told her that "mommy and daddy might be busy with the baby" so she now tells me, "Mommy, if you and Daddy are too busy to make me a Dora cake, I will take a PARIS (princess) cake. That's ok with me" Too funny, that she is being so considerate, and thinks that a princess cake would be less work.
She just finished her last week at Kari's house for daycare while I am at work. We have loved having her go there, as she LOVES the playtime with Addie and Avery "her best friends". Even though she won't be going there for daycare anymore we are planning to still have some playdates with her friends.
She has also established that she only likes to play with girls. She has decided boys are too rough, and refuses to go to playdates with them, or sit by them in toddler time. Keira and Lauren are alot of times the only girls in Toddler Time at church and they stick together against the boys. They call each other "best friends" and have such similar feisty personalities. It is so fun to see them play together!
Keira is also anxiously waiting for her sister to arrive. She keeps telling me how she is going to help with everything, and now if I am eating something she will ask, "Does my sister like that?" Anytime we see clothes that are too small for Keira in the store she says, "My sister will look cute in that!" She is so grown up!
Keira got the card game "memory" at our Mommy and Me party this weekend.(We still get together with the same group from our parenting class...3 years later!) We have been playing it each night before she goes to bed, with her being on a team with either Austin or I. She loves it, and Austin and I have a good time competing as well! She is pretty good at picking out the matches on her own too. Last night we asked if she wanted to go look at Christmas lights or play the game, and she chose her game. ;)
Austin and I are really looking forward to Christmas with her this year. She understands so much more of it so it s so much fun! We have taught her "Away in a Manger" and "Go Tell it on the Mountain" and she loves to sing them before bed. We also took her through the interactive "Walk Through Bethlehem" where she went to all these interactive stations as if she were in Bethlehem. The funny part is that by the time we got to the end, baby Jesus (who is an actual newborn) had gotten tired and gone home! So after building up to him as the main event we didn't even see "Jesus". Keira still will ask "what happened to baby Jesus? Did he go night night?" LOL! we figure next year we will have to go again and hit that station first, so we don't miss the Reason for the Season!
Austin and I wrapped all the gifts the other night after she went to bed. When she got up in the morning, she saw them all below the tree. She saw one of hers (she only thinks she is getting one)with a Dora tag and starting dancing and jumping up and down with excitement saying, "Mine has a Dora sticker!!!!" Austin and I can hardly wait for her to actually open her gifts- since she was so excited for just a box with a Dora sticker!
Well- it is late so I am going to cut this short, sorry for all the randomness, I am just trying to write down a few things to look back on. We may have a new little girl before I post to this again, but I will update with her birth story if nothing else in the next month! ;)
