Baby Updates

I'm 35 weeks tomorrow.  I had Riley at 35 weeks, 1 day.  That means I've been on a serious kick to be prepared this time around!  I have a hospital bag started.  Last time I hadn't even begun to think about a hospital bag. All the burp cloths are sewn, washed and put away.  I have a super cute big sister t-shirt/little sister onsie combo washed and ready to go.  The coming home outfit has been washed and packed in the bag.  I even have a hospital outfit for myself packed! I'm feeling much more prepared!!

We made some serious progress on the nursery over the weekend and I think it's finally complete.  I'm officially ready for a new baby to join our family.  Here's a few pictures of the nursery (sorry for the poor picture quality! It was late.):

 Curtains!

 New Shelf and bookcase.  Still working on getting all the letters to stay on the shelf. :(

 Wall flowers above the crib.

 Coat rack

 Riley's ready for Harper too! Practicing being a big sister with her stuffed animals.

Me swollen and feeling huge - 34 Weeks, 5 Days

Riley Nicole At 2 Years, 8 Months

Riley continues to show more and more sass as she gets older.  I think we're going to have our hands full with two little girls in our house!  Here are just a few things that we've seen develop over the past month:

• Riley pouts the minute that she is told no.  She will walk away with her head down, hold her hands out in front of her like they are hurt, and/or, cry.  She will cry for up to 30 minutes sometimes.
• She will choose (willingly) to go to timeout over doing something that she's been asked or told to do. For example,  I wanted her to eat more for dinner and told her that she had to eat two more bites of meat.  After ignoring me a couple times I told her that she would go to timeout if she didn't take a bite before I counted to three.  Before I even counted she starts to get down and said "ok...timeout..." and walked to our usual timeout spot.
• She likes to pick out her own clothes and usually does a better job than Daddy in the morning.  Sometimes if you get a shirt and she decides she wants to wear it, but doesn't get to get it out of her drawer she will pout (which will most likely include crying).
• She still loves to swing and always wants to be outside when she sees our neighbor boys "Gabin (Gavin) and his baby."
• She loves to wear her raincoat and asks to wear it almost every day.
• She is soooo excited to be a big sister.  She loves to kiss my bell and say "Hi baby Popper.  I can't wait to meet you!" 
• She loves to play in the baby's room and is always asking us to go upstairs.
• I think I've answered her "why?" questions too much with "because that's the rules."  Now she will say she needs to do something "because that's just my rules."
• Her favorite toys include: dolls and their accessories, balls, bubbles, books, Hi-Lights Magazine, movies.
• She broke out in a rash two weeks ago and the doctor prescribed her medicine for strep throat.  Her rash has turned into eczema and we are still fighting to get her soft skin back.
• She got some hand me downs from her two cousins.  Every night she has worn her "old" pajamas.  I kept asking her if she wanted to wear her new pajamas from Kennedy and Addie and she insisted that they are her "old" jammies!

Riley And Sam

Sam bit Riley for the first time.  It may be because she does stuff like this to him...

I guess she hasn't figured out that he doesn't really like stickers as much as she does!  I'm just happy that I haven't found them on my furniture.

Off To Grandma's House We Go...

Inside her purse: Elmo phone and sunglasses!

Planting Seeds

I decided to get an early start to our garden this year.  Since Iowa weather is still unpredictable in April and we haven't tilled the ground we started our seeds inside.  Riley loved planting them and asks almost daily to see "her seeds."

 Preparing the "greenhouse."

 Daddy planting the blueberry tree. 

 Planting!

Tumbling Pictures

 Crazy Hair!

 Her Favorite!!

Red Light, Green Light

33 Week Update

• I only have two progesterone shots left!!  I'm excited.  Especially considering that a pharmaceutical company went out and got an FDA approved patent for progesterone (shutting down all other compounding pharmacies) and is now charging a whopping $1500 per shot!  My insurance company doesn't pay for the drug and I pay under $100 for a vile that has 4 1/2 shots.  Health care in America...
• I have my first (and hopefully last) illness of this pregnancy - Strep Throat.
• I feel huge and am swollen.  I have gained as much weight as I did with Riley which is depressing because I had such high hopes to NOT gain as much weight.  I haven't been able to wear my wedding ring for the past few weeks. 
• I did some yard work on Sunday and was sore for two days.
• I have a toddler who has now decided that she'd like to sleep like an infant and wake up three (or more) times a night.
• The baby is moving around a lot.  She seems to sit on my left side and is constantly pushing her back or butt out.
• She has hiccups almost daily.  This was new to me as Riley never had the hiccups.  It is such a weird feeling!
• We are 80% sure that if I make it to 37 weeks we'll be delivering at the new Mercy West Lakes Hospital.
• I have an overwhelming feeling to get the basement and nursery done and to deep clean the house.  I also planted a blueberry tree (in a pot) and started my peas, beans, onions, and leek seeds in my indoor "greenhouse." Nesting maybe? 
• Brett has been working a couple hours every night on the basement and we are now in the finishing stage!  Brett will begin to texture all of the walls and ceiling this week. He, more than me, is very ready to be done.  Apparently pregnancy can make a woman very judgemental and unable to help with most things! :)
• Hardly any of my spring and summer shirts from my last pregnancy fit now.  I can't seem to find any of my maternity capri pants either.  I have a depressing wardrobe right now.
• I'm beginning to have all the anxiety of having two children to be responsible for.  I keep wondering what I will do if I have Harper in the stroller (or wherever) and Riley decides to run off when we're out and about.  What do I do???
• I'm beginning to face the reality that I could have two children in two weeks.  Riley was born at 35 weeks. EEEEEKKK!