Uh-Oh Mommy!

The day after this post, I once again felt the buttery soft hand of Seth tentatively pawing at my scaly elbow – and since I was in the middle of changing Nate's diaper at the time he more or less had free reign to do so.

I was fully expecting another "chewnits" comment, but instead got the following stated in a very concerned voice:

"Uh-oh Mommy.... is very dry!"

So thanks to my son, the budding dermatologist/concerned citizen we stopped in at the pharmacy to pick this up today: 

It promises "intense relief" and suggests it will "repair/restore" things in smaller print. Also it was on sale and came in a huge tub format which means it must be good, right? Let's hope it works. I'm not sure I can manage an entire summer feeling this self-conscious about my elbows and/or wearing long sleeved shirts to hide them from Seth's inquisitive/judging hands if it doesn't.

- L.

Is Like Chewnits!

"Is like chewnits!" were the actual words spoken by Seth earlier today after reaching out his hand to feel my elbow.

And even though I should probably be horrified, I promise I haven't laughed as hard as I did after hearing that in at least 6 months*.

- L.

*It's funny because it's completely true. "Personal care" is not a phrase I have much time to live by since I became a mom, and my elbows are a little scabby feeling as it turns out.

Toddlers: speaking the truth since they first roamed the earth.

PS. In case you are unfamiliar with "chewnits", I think my sweet son meant this.

A Small Update

It's been a little slow around here while we're waiting for our boys to arrive. We had an appointment last Thursday with our OB but it was fairly uneventful – other than garnering his deepest sympathy for "carrying around more than anyone should reasonably be expected to" there really wasn't any news to report.

We have another appointment tomorrow afternoon so fingers crossed we'll have some encouraging labour-friendly news when we leave (or at least an induction date set). These babies are entirely too comfortable I think.

- L.

The Mommy Report: 36 Weeks

I can't believe we've made it this far.

I have to concede that the past week has been pretty difficult, but I'm still hoping to keep our babies baking for at least another 7 days. I'm not really showing any signs of imminent labour so you never know. Even my OB who has been reiterating that the babies really could come at any time said that we might hang in there until Jan. 31st after all.

It's hard to imagine – and probably best that I don't imagine – how much more unwieldy my belly might be in another week or two though.

- L.

The Mommy Report: 34 Weeks

I thought I'd better not wait 4 weeks like I usually do to post an update since our little ones might be here by then, so here is me at 34 weeks. It feels like the babies have grown a lot since the last post and looking at this picture I'd say I'm onto something. I can't imagine how much bigger I can possibly get before the babies decide it's too crowded and hatch their escape plan, but I'm still hoping they continue to make themselves comfortable for a few more weeks.

Today is also my birthday and I've spent it at home with M. having a wonderful and relaxing day (and getting spoiled) while I celebrate my 39 years. We're ordering in tonight (no cooking – yay!), putting our feet up and watching the original Sherlock Holmes series (with Jeremy Brett, of course) and there's a yummy looking cake waiting for us after dinner. I even feel pretty good today! This is one of the nicest birthdays I can remember having and I really couldn't ask for anything more this year. I am one very lucky mommy to be.

- L.

The Mommy Report: 3 Days Later

For awhile now I've enjoyed checking in (almost) daily at thecradle.com's Daily Pregnancy Calendar. You can enter your due date and every day there's an update with a fun fact regarding your pregnancy and baby's progress. For the past two days the offerings could not have been more timely. See for yourself:

Although you may be quite tired, you still may have difficulty sleeping because of backache, baby movement, feeling too hot, headaches, leg cramps, or trouble finding a comfortable position.

and...

You may notice more leg fatigue and more varicose veins in your legs and abdomen. As your weight and blood volume increase, more and more pressure is placed on the veins of your legs and the legs themselves, resulting in a dull, aching pain.

The timing is bordering on eerie since I just posted a few days ago about how great I've been feeling overall and then overnight it all pretty much went out the window. Sore back? Check. Leg cramps? Check. Pressure and dull, aching pain? Check and check!

For what it's worth this is in no way a complaint, but it's certainly an observation. Now I know what all those online mommies-to-be in my due date club have been talking about for the past couple of weeks. I'm actually feeling very blessed that I've made it so far without experiencing most of these symptoms and I definitely have a newfound respect for those who have been struggling for awhile now – all I've wanted to do today is stay reclined and hope for enough of an approximation of comfort to grab a nap. I will say this much: it's certainly good training for the impending baby bootcamp we'll be facing in just a few weeks when sleep will be a forgotten concept anyway.

- L.

The Mommy Report: 32 Weeks

Well, this is what 32 weeks pregnant with 3 feet of babies looks like. I'm now up to 11.5 squares (actually I was expecting more so that was a pleasant surprise).

Everything is still going along nicely – no real complaints. Just the usual stuff that one would expect. It's getting harder to sleep comfortably, my feet are still puffy, and Gaviscon can only do so much to help with the reflux. All in all though, I feel pretty good.

It's hard to believe we only have another 4 or 5 weeks left if everything goes well. I'm still hoping I'll be one of those miracle moms that manages to stay pregnant until 38 weeks, but 36 or 37 weeks is more realistic with two. I desperately want to be able to bring my boys home with me from the hospital so the longer they stay baking the better. No Christmas surprises (or early birthday presents) please!

As for the rest, M. and I have been incredibly busy trying to get everything in order for our little ones (and poor M. has been working some long hours at the office on top of that). We're getting there, but the Christmas tree in the background is a sad testament to how crazy it's been. We put it up over a week ago, threw some lights on and a few ornaments... and ran out of steam. I'm still hoping we'll find time to get the rest of the decorations on the tree – it looks a little naked.

- L.

Desperate Times

In all fairness these could be uglier I suppose, so I'll try not to complain too loudly since they sure are comfortable and actually fit my swollen feet – not to mention ankles that lately resemble my Gram's. My only other criteria while shoe shopping yesterday was "must be good in snow" since I'm sure we can't avoid a major snowfall before the babies arrive and I'm nervous about taking a tumble.

On the plus side, I was pleasantly surprised to discover I can still bend over enough to tie these myself. : )

- L.

Whose Feet Are These?

*sigh*

Well, I can still manage my own pedicure at least.

- L.

The Mommy Report: 28 Weeks

Well, here I am at 28 weeks. I'm not sure there's much difference between now and 4 weeks ago when I look at the pictures, but I certainly *feel* a lot bigger in real life. I also seem to have a plant growing out of my head.

- L.

The Mommy Report: 24 Weeks

Finally a half-decent picture of me and my bump! A few weeks ago at Thanksgiving with M's family, my future sister-in-law Karen remarked that I hadn't put on any weight in my face, so either something changed over the last 18 days or she lied.

Bless her.



My face is *so* chunky, but you know what? It's the good kind of chunky that comes with growing two big, beautiful babies and it's worth every ounce.

- L.