"This one"

I am not officially due until may 16, but I am SO pregnant at this point. 

First, a pic of me pregnant with A vs. M, because, how can I not compare my 2 pregnancies? 

Black shirt: New Year's Eve 2009-the last picture I took when I was pregnant with Anderson because I had him less than a week later. I love how I had time to wrap a scarf around my neck and everything. So sweet. (Fast forward 7 days and my hair will never be brushed again...)

Gray shirt: Barely 36 weeks...and way bigger than I was at 39 weeks with Round I. 

They started the same...too bad it appears that Max is gigantic ( I blame him, it is probably me...).

Green shirt: Europe trip with the Bug in the Belly at 9 weeks (of course I didn't know he was the Bug then) and, yes, I had weird bangs. 

White shirt: Standing in the kitchen with This One at 8 or 9 weeks ( my fingers are crooked, I can't tell what I am holding up)

Anyway, on to this pregnancy. I have kept sort of detailed notes (I try to remember to at least write something every week) in this AWESOME journal called, "The Belly Book" by Amy Krouse Rosenthal. I highly recommend all of her stuff-she is awesome. I had the same one with Anderson & I like to compare the 2 pregnancies with the notes that I kept and the weekly pictures.

I loved being pregnant the first 33 weeks or so. Sure I was exhausted, peed constantly, had heartburn and had weird leg/hip/stomach pains, but is there anything cooler than growing a person? There just is not. Now...I am sort of getting into the "God makes us miserable at the end so labor/screaming newborn does not seem so awful" phase.

This One moves ALL of the time. Anderson moved a lot, but Max seems to be even more active. (Oh Lord, please prepare me for his toddler years). Generally he starts off with some light stretching, followed by a gymnastics floor routine, some butterfly strokes and then a little running in place as a cool down. This happens a few times an hour, so all in all, I am enjoying the Summer Olympics taking place on top of my intestines. Seriously,despite the craziness,  I LOVE feeling him move and will be very sad when he is no longer with me all of the time.

I am hungry all of the time, which is absolutely no different than pre-pregnancy. I am craving all things salty. Mexican food , Nachos, Ramen Noodles, chips, macaroni & cheese, etc. Again, not too different than pre-pregnancy....One random thing I am craving is cheerios. I eat a lot of those. I am thinking maybe the Mexican thing means he will be born on Cinco de Mayo??

I wake up probably 5 times at night to pee, which is because the boy is low, low, low (if he comes out wearing baggy sweatpants and boots with the fur...ha, ha!!) on my bladder. When I asked my doctor about him being so low, she looked at me and said, "Melissa, you are short. Where do you expect him to go?" Oh, right. Also, I have a 3 year old who does not ever sleep through the night and a giant Gabs stalking me as I sleep, so let's just say that the one hour increments of sleep I get are preparing me for newborn non sleeping.

A funny conversation:

Me: Once Max is here, I am going to have to spend the night in the hospital for 2 nights, but you can come and see me (trying to get him ready because the boy is a planner...not sure where he gets that from)

Anderson:Yeah, and then that doctor will pop Baby Max out

...pause...

Anderson: But, how does the doctor get the baby out? Does he have to break the mama's tummies?

Me: Oh, look a cement mixer!

Another day....

Me:Anderson, you cannot kick my tummy! Please be careful ( ALL he wants to do is be Ninja turtles, play football, wrestle, be transformers where we have to start on the ground and grow up, etc.)

Anderson:Why can Max kick your tummy but I can't?

The boy has a point. 

Some pics of This One as he (really,me) has grown...

The beginning. Will I ever wear those jeans again??

18 Weeks. Was I even pregnant?

22 Weeks. Now, Reese is here!!

 30 weeks. 

32 weeks (that dress is clearly a favorite, as is that precious baby asleep on her cousin) I had to include this pic, because it is too awesome.

34 weeks-Easter. I should stick with solid colors, I think...

Besides the obvious, here are a  few things that I am glad I know with Round II:

1. Storytime is not for everyone. Particularly boys. 

2. Cleaning cannot always wait. I am sorry, but it just can't. I would love to just play all day, but part of being a mom is making sure my kid does not eat dog hair and stink because we have no laundry. Everyone gave me this advice when Anderson was born, "Just enjoy that baby, cleaning can wait!" And, yes, to some extent that is true, but if I have to vacuum I am not going to feel guilty about it. 

3. Choose your battles. Anderson is a terrible sleeper and a super picky eater, but, DAMN IT (I feel like a small cuss word is required for emphasis), my kid will be able to see! Eyepatch=always wins. 

4. The worst feeling in the world will be that of helplessness with regard to him. I am not talking about his uncontrollable crying or not being able to figure out what is wrong. I am talking about watching a kid make fun of his eyepatch, wrestling the darn thing on him as he is crying in the closet or standing in the middle of an empty field during an Easter egg hunt. Those are the moments that just stink and nothing in life can prepare you for those. I am already dreading middle school. 

5. It will be ok because a baby boy is the greatest thing that can ever happen to anyone and my  life will never, ever be just a life again. 

I am SO excited to meet this baby boy!!

My prediction:

Max will be born on May 8 at 2:30 pm

 ( I want him born on Cinco de Mayo, Victory in Europe day or Mother's Day, but I prefer earlier because I have to go back to work the same day in July regardless when he is born and I want a few extra days...Also, I WILL NOT (do you hear me, Max Glover??) go into labor in the middle of the night, again. I just won't let it happen. Beginning a period of sleep deprivation with being awake for a 48 hour period does not help anything.)

He will weigh 8lbs 1oz and be 20 inches long

Part of me wants to say he is going to weigh 30 lbs to make up for the extra weight I have gained, but I don't really want to deliver that. 

He will have blue eyes like the 2 perfect blue-eyed guys in my life already. I also think he is going to be born with hair. 

A picture that I am just now scanning...He was about 22 weeks at that point!