Nursery Sneak Peak!

Pregnancy is the happiest time to feel like crap.

Behold the nursery!!!!

The lucky baby's nursery.

Clearly, we are ready for this baby to come.

But don't you worry, because instead of dealing with this mess, Rod is at Lowe's buying wood to build my dining table and I'm here blogging. Priorities, people!

Pax seems to be the only one concerned about our lack of preparation. We usually leave the nursery door closed (out of sight, out of mind), but every time Paxton walks into the abyss of mess, he comments that "this is a problem.... the baby won't like this....".

My to-do list is exhausting. I mean, we still have to name the little squish, or at the VERY least, come up with a list. And obviously the nursery needs some major work. On and on and on the list goes. Thank heaven for Amazon and online shopping because I am OVER being pregnant in the summer. Shopping half-naked, bouncing on my birth ball at my desk (you're welcome for the visual) is much more comfortable than leaving the house fully clothed.

Hair Loss Update

I came across this picture and laughed. First, Paxton's face. Such a character, that one. I was 6 weeks pregnant when this I took this. I remember thinking how huge I looked.  {{eyeroll}} Twenty-two weeks later, and my perspective has changed drastically.

As for my hair loss update: the problem has been solved and my hair is growing back. Hallelujah!

My initial blood-work showed normal iron levels, but low protein levels. I was put on a high protein diet (80g minimum!), but after a month, the hairloss wasn't improving.  I eventually went to a dermatologist and was told that the trauma of my miscarriage months prior plus the emotional nature of moving to California was the cause, but that it would resolve in three to six months.

I maintained my high protein diet, but something didn't feel right. I knew we were missing something, so I went back to the doctor.  He noticed that although we had checked my iron levels, we hadn't checked my Ferritin levels, or the iron stored in my body. A basic iron test is affected by the foods you've been eating at the time of a blood draw, while a Ferritin test gives a more accurate indicator of iron levels in the blood and body.

As it turns out, I was incredibly anemic. My body was giving EVERYTHING to baby, apparently, which left me with absolutely nothing. My midwife put me on Floradix (a liquid iron supplement) and almost immediately my hair loss stopped. I also felt 1000% more energized.

Good news: Hair loss problem solved.

Good news: Hair is growing back.

Good news: I no longer *have* to go to bed by 7:00 due to exhaustion.

Funny news: I rarely have good hair days. I lost a LOT of hair, and the regrowth is less than attractive. TONS of short hairs protrude from my scalp, too short to lay flat, and with just enough curl to look like a lion's mane.  I was delusional enough to think that I could leave my frizzy hair problems in the humid Texas climate.

I'm such a liar and I don't care

Rod+Vanessa = HUGE babies, which is why I've learned to become a pathological liar during pregnancy.  Each pregnancy I have been asked if we are having twins.  

Every. Single. Pregnancy.

"Are you SUUUURE there aren't two in there?"

Once upon a time we took our 17 month old Pax to the Fort Worth zoo. I was nowhere near the end of my pregnancy. In fact, I think I had at least 8weeks before my due date.  However, everybody there thought I was "over-due" and that we were at the zoo with the sole purpose of inducing labor by tons of walking.

Strangers looked at me with sympathetic faces and forced smiles. A few "bless your heart" comments were spoken, but it was the encouragement given for this assumed induction when I found myself lying to these strangers:

"Hopefully this walking will start labor!"

"He should be here any day!"

From that moment forward, "Any day now!" was my reply to the ever-annoying "When's your due date?" question.

The day I was apparently trying to induce labor. Except I wasn't.

This is what a 10lb baby (Crew) looks like at 38 weeks pregnant.

Once upon a time (a few weeks ago) Rod and I went on a date.  I prepared him for the lies I had already thought out so carefully.  "Ok. So. Today we'll tell people that I'm due in August, mmmk?" These types of dysfunctional exchanges occur more frequently than I'm willing to admit.

{Hangs head in shame}

I'm THAT person at the gym. Taking selfies like a champion.

 Sometimes, however, I cannot lie. Like when an older lady from church asks THE question and I'm forced to tell the truth.  I hesitated, but told her that baby would come sometime at the end of October. She patted my belly, leaned in close, and asked in a very serious tone if there were two babies, because "...you never know! Doctors can be wrong!"

I couldn't lie to the cute, older lady at Costco, either.  When I told her my (real) due date, her eyes shot down toward my belly to re-examine. Judging from the look on her face, her mind was about to explode until she yelled, "OH MY!!!!!! There just HAS TO BE two in there!!!"

The grand total number of strangers insisting I'm having twins this pregnancy: four. And keep in mind how often I lie about my due date, so I can only imagine that number would quadruple if I were actually a good person and told the truth! Also keep in mind that I haven't even reached the HOLY HUGE portion of pregnancy.  

 Bless. My. Uterus.

Just to recap: I'm a liar and I don't even care. And I'm having twins. Except I'm not.

Third Baby Problems

This poor baby has a severe case of Third Baby Problems. I documented e.v.e.r.y.t.h.i.n.g. with my first pregnancy.  Weight gain updates, weekly belly pictures, and every milestone (important or not) in between.  When the little cherub was born, you better believe I documented every sneeze, every doctor's appointment, and even the consistency of his poo for the first several weeks.

You want to know the day he first smiled? I've got it covered, plus I mention the circumstances surrounding the joyous milestone.  Wondering when he took his first steps? Got it on video AND blogged about it. Want pictures from his first birthday party? I've got 500.

I wasn't quite the over-achiever with our second. However, he still has a ridiculous amount of recorded information that I'm sure only I will ever care to read or look at again. 

Enter Third Baby Problems. 

I never remember how far along I am in this pregnancy. I get asked all the time, to which I give a blank stare. Great question, dear stranger! (Insert best guess here.) With your brothers, I always knew how far along I was. I've been telling people at church "We're half way there" for over 3 weeks, because that just seems easiest.

First baby was named while in belly. Second baby remained unnamed until his birth, but we at least had narrowed our list to 3 name possibilities. You, my poor third child, don't have a name. You don't even have a list of names.

First baby had a beautifully decorated nursery. Everything was perfect before his arrival; clothes washed and folded in his dresser, toys cleaned thoroughly, baseboards pristine and house immaculate.

 

Second baby had the exact same nursery. Same bedding. Same chair. Same dresser. Same changing pad. Same everything, minus the name hanging on the wall. I intended to hang his name on the wall, but that never happened. The house was clean, but not sparkling. The clothes were taken from a storage bin and put into the dresser without being washed.

Bless your heart, third child, because not only have we not started decorating your nursery, but I don't even know where all of the pieces to the crib are.
 
Bless your little, neglected heart, third child. I think I have a few belly pictures and some ultrasound pictures of yours floating around the house. They're most certainly lost, because unlike your brothers, you don't have a baby book yet.  In fact, your brother, the 3 year old who isn't a fan of yours, crumbled your 20 week anatomy ultrasound pictures because he's over you. So, we have your crumbled ultrasound pictures somewhere around here. I'm sure we'll find them. Maybe.

So here is my attempt to record more about life's happenings as you grow in my belly.

We bought you a new swing, baby. I told your Daddy that we needed an electric swing so I never have to relive the nightmare of not having batteries in the middle of the night with a colicky, screaming infant who would only sleep in the swing. Did I mention your Dad was working that night? Because he always seems to be away the times I need him most. I hated that night and swore I would only ever use an electric swing again.

The swing has been bought, assembled and nearly broken a handful of times. Both of your brothers tried to lounge in it, and when that got them in trouble, they resorted to strapping their lovies (Blue and Buddy) in to take a ride. To make a long story short, your swing is now sitting atop our dresser. I assure you, it's probably the only safe place for it. After the headache this swing has caused, I'm convinced you'll hate it.

One of your brothers is yelling from the bathroom that they need their bum wiped, otherwise I'd stay and tell you all about your 20 week anatomy ultrasound. It was a great day. You even gave us a thumbs up!

Mother's Day 2014