Full Term: Pregnancy #2

Well I am full-term as of yesterday. (By the majority of the medical world's standards anyway;).

37 weeks.

I'm feeling excited, huge, anxious, and tired just thinking about the physical exertion required to give birth. I'm also feeling nervous, but mostly about whether or not my delivery will be easier and how I am going to take care of two tiny kids on my own once my mom leaves. But we'll cross that bridge later.

At the doctor's office yesterday I learned I am 2.5cm dilated and 30% effaced. Sadly, I know that means very little (since I was at 3+cm and 90% effaced with Tenley for over a week without so much as a contraction) but since this is our second baby, who knows.

I do know that I am not going to get my hopes up. My doctor is planning on inducing me in 2 - 2.5 weeks and if I happen to go into labor before then, yay! But I really don't think that'll happen.

So in the meantime, I am still filling my days with things to do. I loved the suggestions I received on ways to keep busy (like by getting a manicure or pedicure--I really want to do that) and would love more still if you have any to offer!

I was reading this blog post about loving the post-delivery hospital stay and I have to say I completely agree. I loved staying at the hospital when I had Tenley. At Orem Community (which is a tiny hospital), the rooms are spacious and they give dad a good-sized bed (the couch flattens) with plenty of pillows and blankets. It kind of felt like we were in a hotel room. You also deliver right in your room which I loved--I didn't have to get shuffled around from place to place.

Even better, I loved the nurses I had--each one was so kind and helpful and they are always at your beck and call, offering water, ice, food, and more. They changed all of Tenley's diapers at the hospital and would have taken her to the nursery if I hadn't decided to keep her right next to me in the room (which turned out fine because she slept like an angel from the start). They helped me with breastfeeding (which was almost easy once they provided me with a nipple shield) and I got tons of free baby stuff throughout the days I was there.

I loved that I didn't have to worry about anything except relaxing and enjoying my newborn. They let me (and encouraged me) to take several warm baths, changed my bedsheets constantly (which helped me feel refreshed), brought me extra pillows and plenty of ice (mostly for sitting on;), and meals came at regular intervals (I was surprisingly not hungry for the first couple of days, but I nibbled at what they brought). It was the best, and I remember not wanting to leave--so much so that I asked my doctor whether I qualified for an extra night (I didn't, darn it). It was a little scary to leave the safety and order of the hospital with all those trained nurses nearby should anything go wrong. Going home meant the real world, and I wasn't sure I was ready for that!

This time, I am not as concerned about what could go wrong as much as I am looking forward to not having to take care of any trivial things for two full days after delivery. As someone else stated, I'm looking forward to my hospital stay almost as much as I anticipate our son's arrival! I think it's all about the hospital you're at and the service you receive there. Fortunately I got lucky with our first.

I am definitely wondering about how my labor will compare to Tenley's. Hers lasted 13 hours plus 4 hours of pushing. Honestly, I'd take 24 hours of labor and ten minutes of pushing over 4 hours. That was just ridiculous, but supposedly (hopefully!) it gets easier the second time around so we will see!

I am also wondering about recovery time (I felt pretty great after two weeks with Tenley) which is often shorter with subsequent pregnancies.

Last, and most of all, I am wondering what our little son will be like. Will he be as calm a newborn as Tenley, or will I learn what it means to be up all hours of the night trying to soothe a little one? Will he be as great at nursing as Tenley was, or will it be harder this time? Will he look like Tenley and Dalin, or will he have more me in him?

These are the main questions I've been asking myself lately. I am trying not to be overly excited/emotional or anything because I don't want to be disappointed when he doesn't come until I'm induced or if he is a tougher newborn than his sister was. Deep inside though I am hoping to be pleasantly surprised on both accounts;)

When do you think this little guy is coming? And do you think he will be as big as Tenley who was 8lbs 3 oz (even though we're likely forcing him out two weeks before she came) or smaller?*

*Note that I weighed 136 lbs at my heaviest with Tenley...at my appointment yesterday I weighed 134.5 lbs. But I'm not sure what that means since babies usually gain about a half a pound a week in the end.

P.S. My bff Sarah came over for a little while today and we took these pics of Tenley haha. So cute.