Good news!

While Ian was taking Bella to Grandma Ruth's for the day, the good news just seemed to start pouring in!

Ian's client lap top went on the fritz on Tuesday and he's been without it for a few days. Luckily the client had someone local to repair it and he called to let Ian know he could pick it up this morning. The lap top was being repaired near the airport, so when he received the call, he was already on the Veteran's Expressway, heading in that direction. It saved him at least an hour out of his busy day and he was quite thankful of that.

I had my 33-week OB appointment this morning and I also received good news. I am no longer on modified bed rest! Woo-hoo! The nurse practitioner assured me that the OB who prescribed it and the hospital were being overly cautious. This was music to my ears! She did say that I need to continue to take it easy and limit how much I'm picking up Bella. Contractions off and on during the last trimester are completely normal and if contractions start, I need to empty my bladder, lay down and drink plenty of water. This good news means Bella and I will no longer be homebound during the week... yay! Obviously I won't be running any marathons or jumping on a trampoline any time soon, but I'm sure if I'm feeling well enough to take Bella out, then that would be perfectly alright.

The nurse practitioner and I also discussed the size of baby #2. I shared with her my concerns about delivering a 10-pound baby and the fact Bella was born 2-weeks early and weighed over 8-pounds. She said she would look over the u/s results from last week and share my concerns with the OB. She didn't want to commit to any course of action, which is fine by me, I just wanted to let them know just how big this baby could be. When she reviewed the u/s report from the perinatologist, she said, "Oh, she's only in the 57th percentile overall." ONLY?!? All of the measurements, except for one had her 2-3 weeks ahead. I really don't want to be induced, but I also really don't want to deliver a 10-pound baby. If my labor and delivery could go exactly it did with Bella's birth, I'd be a very happy mama. I hope this baby decides she is ready, any time after 37-weeks, and decides to come before she gets too big. I'm glad the OB will be keeping an eye on this and when the time comes, we'll have a plan in place.

I finished my afternoon with a wonderful prenatal massage. I have been experiencing some pain in my lower back and shoulders, so this massage was definitely needed. During the massage, I nearly forget I was 33-weeks pregnant and I left the massage feeling like a new woman. It's amazing what a good massage can do! We rounded off the evening with a mini-date night. Ian and I went to dinner at the Italian Kitchen and had one of the best meals ever. We even ordered dessert (surprise, surprise) and split it like two civilized adults. With the exception of Ian spilling his entire glass of water all over me, it was a really nice date. We discussed what we'd like to do with Bella over the next few weeks to ensure we spend quality time with her before baby #2 arrives. We also discussed what we were most looking forward to when baby #2 arrives. Ian said he's looking forward to seeing the differences between our two children, which I quickly interjected and said, "I hope not much because Bella has been close to perfect and she's made this really easy for us." I said I'm looking forward to seeing the girls interact and form a bond. We both agreed that we're looking forward to seeing what baby #2 will look like (I'm sure she will look like her father and sister) and discovering her little personality. Aww, just thinking about all this makes me very eagerly to meet her!

Our weekend will consist of work for Ian and a few projects around the house for me. I need to hang all of the wall decor in baby #2's room this weekend and finally complete the nursery project. Everything has turned out beautifully thus far and I can't wait to make the big reveal! We will pick Bella up from Grandma Ruth's tomorrow afternoon after her nap. We're going to a local place that builds customized swing sets with the hope of finding the perfect swing set for our backyard. Bella is going to be so excited to see the swings and slides, but just wait until she finds out she may be getting one in her own backyard soon! Speaking of which, I need to go take better measurements tomorrow so that we know how much space we are working with. In the meantime, Ian and I will continue our mini-date night with our DVR and a movie. I suggested we do this from the comfort of our bed because I can't seem to get comfortable anywhere else these days. Oh the joys of the last trimester of pregnancy!!! Goodnight y'all.

Love always,
Ian, Kim, Bella & Baby #2