Monster Truck

For the past few months, Nathan has been peeing on the potty pretty consistently, even having dry diapers a lot of times (including overnights, which I think is pretty impressive for a little kid). However, getting him to poop on there has been a losing battle- months of trying have yielded nothing. Up until now, we promised him TWO m&ms if he pooped on the potty (he gets one for peeing), but thought maybe we needed to up the ante. So when Jason brought home a remote control monster truck that was on clearance at Costco, we made a snap decision to frame it as a potty reward. Would you believe that my kid pooped on the potty not FIVE MINUTES after this offer was made??? Of course then we had to scrounge around for the correct batteries, etc. Never in our dreams did we think he would "earn" his big present that quickly... Stupid parents...

Chiropractors

I have been visiting a chiropractor fairly regularly the last half of this pregnancy, in case the alignment of my pelvis/spine had anything to do with Nathan being asynclitic (crooked). However, I never REALLY bought into the whole thing. Well, on Wednesday night, I went to the gym. I did usual types of stuff. When I left, I felt fine, but by about an hour later I had a searing pain right where the two halves of the pelvis meet in the front (pubic symphysis) that caused me to more or less shuffle and really restricted my ability to lift my leg above a certain angle, including when trying to roll over in bed.

I went to the chiro yesterday and explained the pain, and she said if it was what she thought it was, she could fix it and I would be amazed. I tried to climb on the table and actually had to walk around to the other side because I couldn't even lift my left leg enough to get ONTO the table. She did about 1 minute of manipulation and had me get down. I. could. not. believe. it. I was instantly able to walk normally, and I could even climb right up onto the table from that first side! It's still sore, but I'm now a believer for sure.

A new phase

This morning, we had a new kind of experience... We have not been able to get Nathan to poop on the potty, but he will let us know he's about to go by telling us he's hiding or wants privacy. Then he'll go do his thing and let us know when he is done. At that point, we have the usual conversation about getting TWO m&ms if he goes on the potty next time (he knows this and usually will tell me that's what he'll do next time). Well, this morning he told me he was hiding in his bathroom- no problem. I sat down at the computer and he came up behind me "mommy, look, I went poo poo, see??" With his diaper in his hands. Wow. It could have been a lot messier, we really lucked out. I just told him very calmly that he needed to tell me BEFORE, and that we needed to go put a clean diaper on.

I thought (was hoping) that this was a fluke. But then...

He has been laying in bed not napping for the past hour, instead, he fashioned an imaginary "baby brother" out of his towel and has been talking to him ("we go to splash pad, but no go in alligator water, it'll bite you!") and rocking him. So cute!

Lately I have been telling him before bed that if he has to pee to call for me to come get him to take him to the potty. Well, I hear "mommy, I have to pee!" So I run in there, and he is laying there with his diaper in hand, telling me he peed in his diaper. Sigh. Almost there. Luckily, he really did pee in the diaper and then take it off, rather than the other way around!

Name and PUPPP

So, I think I am finally settled on the name Lincoln (Jason decided this was the name months ago, but it took a while to grow on me). I think part of it has been that I just have felt very surreal about the baby coming, but magically today I'm feeling ready for him to be here, ready for him to have a name, and ready to adapt to life with two kids.

For sure, part of it was that up until now I was sort of mourning the fact that this will be my last pregnancy and last baby, but this morning when I woke up I was feeling excited about the prospect of moving on to the next stage in life, having two kids who will be able to communicate and play with one another, and of course eventually go on cruises again :) It's all perspective- lasts give way to firsts!

In other more depressing news, at my midwife appointment yesterday I mentioned the awful rash I had last pregnancy, and that I was fearful that it would recur. Well, as soon as she took one look at my belly, she said "you have a rash, and it looks like PUPPP." Very matter of fact. My heart sank. Last time, my OB swore it wasn't PUPPP because I wasn't miserable enough. To that, I say bullshit. I didn't sleep, I could barely work, and my hands felt arthritic from all the scratching I did. I felt like a crazy person.

I had been a little itchy on my belly, but chalked it up to stretch marks. It turns out that I just can't see the southern hemisphere of my belly, so I didn't realize it was an actual rash. Sigh. I have already broken out the calamine lotion and purchased a special soap that makes my house smell like a forest fire. I am crossing my fingers and praying to every god that this rash doesn't spread like it did last time. I'm also now motivated than ever to get Lincoln to arrive soon, before I become a complete train wreck.

I'm in the home stretch at work, only 4 more work days left!!!

Special visitor

Last weekend we enjoyed a visit from my brother, "Uncle Jesse," who came down from Indiana for a few days. Nathan ADORES Jesse, see?

We had lots of fun- went to Toojay's to meet up with my aunt who was in town, Jesse read bedtime stories to Nathan, as you see above, and then the next morning we wrapped up the weekend with playtime in our new splash pool and then a trip to Whole Foods. The splash pool was a great find- $15 on sale at Target and it has a slide, a ball toss, a spraying palm tree, and a water curtain. Tomorrow when I fill it up again, I may get in and lounge around as well. Shhhhhh :)

We still have no definitive name for the baby, there is a frontrunner, but it just doesn't hit me that it's the PERFECT name, so we'll see.

The public at large continues to pile on the unwanted comments about how low I am, am I SURE there's just one baby, etc. I don't mind too much from people I know, but twice this week I've gone out (once to the gym/Publix and once to a work meeting) and have had no less than three random people each time make comments. Let me say this about that. Would you ever go up to an obese person and say "wow, you're FAT! You might keel over from a heart attack at any moment!" or to a little person "Boy you're short, I bet you need a ladder to carry around!" I don't think so. I can't control the way my body looks, sorry. And if you've already asked once if it's twins and I say no, there's really no earthly reason to say "are you SURE??"

Interestingly, although I am drawing a lot of stares, I'm getting more respect at the gym than most places. No one asks me if I need help setting up my bench, or looks at me with a worried expression. I'm thankful for that, and I'm thankful that I'm still able to go to the gym at all. It's definitely getting harder, and I'm not able to make it through an entire cardio class, but I figure a half hour a few times a week is better than nothing.

Final preparations are being made- hospital bags are mostly packed, baby's room is mostly done (my mom will disagree, but the basics are in place), and I'm in wrap-up mode at work (only two more weeks of work till I go on leave!!). I went back and re-read my blog from when I was pregnant with Nathan, and am watching carefully for warning signs of that horrible rash I had last time. I'm just crossing my fingers on that one. I've also been pretty good about practicing hypnobabies, though I am not entirely sure it's working.

I'm hoping to not quite make it to my due date this time, with my two guesses being 8/2 or 8/6. Next Thursday is my first midwife appt. in a few weeks and I believe she will check me. Then we're basically in watch and wait mode!