35/35

Happy 35/35 to us! This means I am 35 weeks pregnant today and I have only 35 days remaining until my official due date!

The path to a more pleasant conversation with a pregnant lady

Now that I've been pregnant for a total of almost 17 months, I came up with some general rules that I feel most non-pregnant people should follow.  I've had each one of these things happen to me - and yes, maybe I am being too sensitive, but when you're pregnant you're allowed to be sensitive ::smiley face::

Rule #1 - Never EVER comment on what a pregnant woman is eating. This includes, but is not limited to, the following statements:
"are you sure you want to eat that?!" (coworker while im at the snack machine)
"man, you've been eating a lot of junk lately!" (coworker who empties my trash at work)
"maybe you shouldn't go up to the buffet again!" (i never got this one but I'm sure someone somewhere has)

Rule #2 - NEVER mess with, or take, a pregnant woman's food. If you do, she has every right to drop kick you and/or give you the reaming of your life. You will then have to buy her a new meal immediately.  (husband and random fast food workers screwing up my order)

Rule #3 - Before you ask a pregnant woman how much weight she has gained, ask yourself "do I actually care?". You will find that you don't. (different coworker.....almost weekly)

Rule #4 - Never tell a woman who just had a baby "you look great for just having a baby". Either say "You look great", or don't say anything at all. If she doesn't look great, she probably already knows it and is probably stressing about those 10 lbs that are lingering. (tons of random people, including my ever-so-sensitive coworkers)

Rule #5 - If you ask what we pregnant women are naming our child-to-be do not follow up with "I don't like that name" or any other negative reaction. Chances are we don't care what you think about OUR choice and we certainly aren't going to switch names just because you don't like it.  (my dad)

Come to think of it, almost all of these comments I've received came from men.  I guess women just get it.

convenient parking

I've seen these signs here and there.  I've even taken advantage of them from time to time.  But I haven't fully appreciated the convenience until recently.  I've been taking Trent with me to the grocery store lately - and it's been soo cold, and with me being pregnant I can only hold Trent for so long - so it's nice that this parking spot is not only close to the store but also right next to a shopping cart kiosk.  I don't have to worry about leaving Trent in the car while I walk to return to the cart (which I wouldn't do anyway) and I don't have to take Trent to the kiosk with me then walk him back to the car in the blistering cold.  The other day when I went there was snow on the ground....the last thing a pregnant lady who is carrying a toddler needs is snow/ice on the ground.  I'm loving  this parking sign and Pathmark for providing it for me.

Pubic Symphysis Diastasis

You can read more about Pubic Symphysis Diastasis here but basically what it is is when the hormone relaxin aides your pubic bone in spreading/separating in preparation for the birth of a baby.  Well, I went ahead and self diagnosed myself as experiencing this.  Actually, my doctor semi-confirmed it.  You see, I was experiencing some major pain last week whenever I would walk around.  I didn't recall experiencing anything like this when I was pregnant the first time, so I decided to call my doctor just to make sure it was normal.  He said more than likely th epain I was experiencing was my pelvis separating (which I found out today has a name: Pubic Symphysis Diastasis), but it could also be the baby simply rubbing me the wrong way. 

I learned that this pain is actually one of the main reasons pregnant woman waddle (and yes, I was waddling last week like a champion).  My pain has since subsided significantly.  Occassionally it will hurt, but for the most part I feel alright.  I'm just grateful I didn't experience any of this while I was in California (where we did an immense amount of walking) and of course im grateful it's just another normal side effect of pregnancy.

Since I didn't experince any of this kind of pain with my first pregnancy - and since it took me 2 hours to push Trent out - I'm hoping this means my pelvis is working harder to prepare for this baby, allowing it slip right on out (giving me just enough time to make it to the hospital, of course).  Hey, a girl can dream, right?

[I dont think I have spellcheck available to me anymore.  sorry for any and all typos]

a smattering

Anonymous asks:

At this stage of your pregnancy, do you think you have a gut feeling of what this baby will be?  I used to think definitely 100% girl.  Now I'm not so sure - but I still say girl just to keep things consistent :-p

Also, will Trent be allowed in the hospital to visit his new sibling? I know many hospitals have adopted a new "no visitors under 17 years old" policy due to the swine flu pandemic.  Because of this I do not know if he will be allowed to visit. 

Is reality setting in that there will be another baby to take care of, and that Trent will no longer be an only child? There are times when the reality hits hard and I worry about the times ahead when I will have two screaming babies in need of my love and patience and attention.  When this happens I just remind myself that it won't always be easy, but all I can do is take it one day at a time and love them as much as I possibly can.  I am a strong woman, a good mom, and Kevin and I are a great team - thats my mantra.  Then there are other times it just feels so surreal - we only recently had 0 babies....and now we're about to have 2.  We joke (but are dead serious) that we don't even remember how to care for a newborn anymore.  Other moms (AKA, Chrissy) have reassured me that it all comes right back - phew!

When I think about from the angle of 'Trent's going to be a big brother soon', it feels very natural to me, like he was always meant to have a sibling.    

Pregnancy Differences

Julie asks: pregnancy #1 vs Pregnancy #2..what are some of the differences/similarities?

Answer:

Differences:

pregnancy #1 = lots of vomiting and all day nausea
pregnancy #2 = only vomited 2 or 3 times while brushing teeth (meaning it was my own fault). still had all day nausea, but not as bad as first time

pregnancy #1 = back acne
pregnancy #2 = leg acne

pregnancy #1 = sore boobs during 1st trimester
pregnancy #2 = not sore

sex drive has been different for each pregnancy.
i pee myself much more frequently this time.
i pee in general much more frequently this time.
just in the last couple days my pelvic bone has become very very sore - not something i experienced before.
this pregnancy is going by much quicker than the first.
We didn't wait as long to tell people about this pregnancy.

Similarities:

never experienced the dreaded constipation or the gorgeous hair everyone talks about.
I'm gaining weight at almost exactly the same pace as last time.
the babies heartbeats are lingering around the same spot - 140ish.

I'm sure there's more but I can't think of anything else.

birth plan

I need help from other moms out there. Did you make a written birth plan? If so, did you feel that your Dr. respected and followed it?

I'm in the 3rd trimester! 28 week check up

I had my 28 week check up yesterday. It went pretty good. I thought the doctor was going to be upset with me for not getting my glucose test done yet (I haven't had time, what with California and then I got sick...) but he actually didn't care. He told me to get the lab work done whenever I started feeling better. He commented a couple times about the fact that I recently lost some weight, but he understands that it's because I've been sick and he told me to make sure I'm drinking plenty of fluids. Aside from that, the baby is looking great. I'm measuring right on schedule, my blood pressure is good, the heartbeat is strong (140-ish)! Now I start going to the doctor every two weeks!!! ahhh, it's crazy!

Yeah, I know I look like trailer trash. Go ahead and say something about it....go ahead, see if I care.

How far along: 28 weeks 2 days
Total weight gain: Right now I'm only up 14 pounds, but that's temporary. I recently lost some weight because of a stomach virus. I'm sure I'll make up for the weight loss by this weekend. Then I'll probably be up 18-20 lbs.
How much does baby weigh: approx 2.5 pounds
Maternity clothes: I'm wearing 90% maternity, 10% non maternity
Stretch marks: None on my belly. I just have the left over ones from Trent everywhere else.
Sleep: better than the last time i filled out this survey, that's for sure. Right now I'm sleeping pretty good. I usually wake up only once to use the bathroom, sometimes not at all.
Best moment this week: reuniting Aunt Lauren and Trent
Movement: i feel the baby all the time.
Food cravings: just recently I've been wanting orange juice and (separately) banana oatmeal with banana slices in it.
Belly button in or out: still an innie
What I miss: warm weather - but that's not pregnancy related, I just really miss it!!!
what I'm looking forward to: still hopefully passing my one-hour glucose test.
Milestone: 3rd trimester! And we started painting the nursery!!

double digits

only 99 days until BBJ is born!

An Assortment

Yesterday i received an assortment of questions from an anonymous reader. I'll go ahead and answer them all in one post.

Anonymous asks:

1. Do you have any strong feelings yet on what you are having?
2. Did you have a strong feeling with Trent?
3. Any name ideas you are caring to share?
4. How will you decorate the nursery for baby #2?
5. What is most fun about Trent's age right now?

Answers:

1. Girl. For the first 20 weeks I had strong feelings that I was definitely having a girl, mostly because this pregnancy has been quite different from my first pregnancy. I know that doesn't necessarily mean anything, but whatever. My gut said girl. More recently (the last 4 ish weeks) I haven't had strong feelings either way. Possibly because in my head I've already convinced myself that it's a girl?? I'm not sure.
   
2. I remember specifically NOT having strong feelings either way. Kevin, however, thought he was going to be a girl.
   
3. none that I care to share, no ;-)
   
4. To see the nursery furniture, click here. We already have the crib, and my parents got the changing table for us. We hope to eventually get the bureau. We haven't decided yet if we're going to do a "theme" in this nursery. We may just go with some simple gender neutral sheets and bedskirt and call it a day. I do, however, plan to do a special design on one of the walls again, but it won't be an animal print this time (to see pictures of Trent's giraffe-themed room, click here), or anything related to a specific character - it's just a design of sorts. We already know what the design will be, but it's going to remain a secret until it's almost done, at which point I will post pictures immediately. Sorry, once again, for being so secretive. Other (smaller) things I would like to do in the nursery if we have the time and money include: replace the closet doors, replace the bedroom door, new window treatment(s), name letters (once born), added shelving, replace ceiling fan (shhh, don't tell Kevin I said that), and possibly re-do some, or all, of the closet shelving.
   
5. Trent is SOOOO much fun right now!!!!!!!!!!! I love spending every second I can with him!!!!! He's extremely mobile (though still not walking) and very curious. He is turning into such a big kid right before my eyes. It's amazing! He can eat almost anything now, and he loves most foods, so mealtime is always fun. He's not nearly as fragile as he once was, which opens up a whole new world to us....you should see how him and Kevin wrestle around. He loves bath time. He loves being able to sit down and go from toy to toy. He crawls over to us and just lays down when he's tired or needs a break. He's all about "sharing" right now, which is the cutest thing! HE GIVES KISSES!!!!!!! My heart melts every time. This whole "being a mother" thing is just the most rewarding and amazing experience. I can't pinpoint one thing that is "the most fun" about his current age but if I had to generalize it, I'd say the most fun part is watching him mature from an infant into a more independent and mobile toddler.
   
   It's weird. When Trent turned one I really didn't have an emotional break-down (possibly a bad way to describe it) of any kind. I didn't cry over the fact that my baby wasn't a baby anymore. I didn't try to make time stand still. I wasn't freaked out at all. Of course there was part of me that couldn't believe a year had already passed, but I was very glad to have a healthy and happy one year old and I was/am anxious to see what the future would bring.
   
   I guess it's a delayed reaction, but NOW I find myself wishing Trent would stay exactly the way he is for a while longer. I don't want him to grow up just yet. I don't want him to get bigger. I don't want him to walk and talk. Walking and talking means he's a big kid. I want my lovable little Trent to stay forever as precious as he is RIGHT NOW!

24 week check up, etc

I went to the doctor for my 24 week check up on Tuesday evening. It was the first time both Kevin and Trent were in attendance, so it was a little extra special, even though Trent wanted only to crawl around the floor (ew). We all got to hear the baby's heartbeat - which is always the highlight for Kevin and myself - then the doctor confirmed that the ultrasound we had done 3-ish weeks ago looked normal. Before the end of the appointment I asked the doctor if he had any advice or recommendations for me regarding the plane ride I'll be taking in a few weeks. He simply told me to get up and walk around often during the flight, and also to rest often when I'm sightseeing in CA (the zoo, etc).

As soon as we get back from our vacation I have to go to the lab for my one-hour glucose test. A lot of women complain about this test, but having already experienced it once I know it's not all that bad. Not bad at all, actually. It's just a little inconvenient if anything. I'll probably do exactly what I did last year: show up to LabCorp right when they open, bright and early, on a Saturday morning. I'll be one of the first patients in, and I'll be out of there in just over an hour. I'll blog more about it when the time comes.

How far along: 24 weeks 4 days
Total weight gain: I think I'm up to 16 pounds or so.
How much does baby weigh: approx 1lb
Maternity clothes: I'm wearing 85% maternity, 15% non maternity
Stretch marks: None
Sleep: Not too great. I wake up several times to pee. Most nights I wake up several more times, just because. Once in a while I have a hard time getting to sleep because my legs and/or back aches
Best moment this week: last night I had lasagna for dinner and did not have heartburn afterwards!!!! yay!!!!
Movement: I feel the baby quite a bit every day now. i love it
Food cravings: ?? i really don't know.
Belly button in or out: Innie still, but it's on the verge of becoming flush
What I miss: NOT peeing myself
what I'm looking forward to: hopefully passing my one-hour glucose test!
Pregnancy perk: not having to shave as often. my hair is growing slower
Milestone: viability (for the record, this is not a milestone I like to celebrate. I don't want to birth this baby until it is AT LEAST 38 weeks along)

Not a great shot, but here I am @ 24 weeks 3 days.

Here I am 24 weeks pregnant with Trent

handy little chart

I don't know about the rest of you, but I get very confused when someone asks me how many months pregnant I am. Sure, gestation lasts 9 months, but it also lasts 40 weeks. I always get confused as to when one month ends and another one begins. Maybe I'm just stupid. Either way, I came across this little chart and thought I'd share it with the rest of ya

movie star baby

We had our big Ultrasound on Saturday morning! It was very fascinating and exciting, but very nerve wracking as well. I was so afraid the technician would let it slip that the baby is a "he" or "she". Before she started I told her not to feel bad calling the baby "it" since we didn't want to know the gender, but she warned me that she usually says "he" just because she doesn't like to use "it". I understood what she was saying, but I knew that if she said "he" I would automatically assume it was a boy. In the end, she used the term "the baby" most of the time and said "it" once or twice. No "he" or "she" at all. phew!

For the most part it was a very quiet experience. She focused on getting all the pictures and measurements that she needed to get, and I didn't want to disrupt her concentration. I was in the room with her for about 30 minutes while she did her thing, then she got Kevin and Trent from the waiting room and brought them back to the room I was in. This is when things got vocal. She started pointing things out to us and explaining what we were looking at. Some of the parts were obvious to us but other times we had no idea what we were looking at, even with her telling us. We kept seeing the baby kick it's legs around and Kevin kept asking me if I felt it - but most of the time I did not - and he found that very fascinating.

The baby's heartbeat was a strong 140 BPM - which, I'd like to add, was exactly what Trent's heartbeat was at his ultrasound.

I don't know if anyone remembers the U/S picture we got when we were pregnant with Trent, but he basically looked like a salmon, not a baby - so you can imagine how happy we are with the picture we got this time :-P

Looks, it's a baby!

I am assuming that since the ultrasound technician is just that - a technician, not a doctor - she didn't give us very much feedback. She told us the beats-per-minute and she mentioned that a few other things were "normal", but I'm guessing if there is anything wrong or strange we will hear from our Doctor within a few days. Obviously we have no reason to believe anything is wrong so we're going to go about our life as we always do.

Have I mentioned that I can now feel the baby kick? I was actually getting a little concerned because everything I read said that I would feel the baby move earlier with this pregnancy since I already know what it feels like (makes sense), but it actually took me longer with this pregnancy. The reality is, I shouldn't have been concerned at all. My doctor could tell that the baby was moving all over the place when he used the doppler to get the heartbeat at 16 weeks....I guess I was more anxious and impatient than anything else. I first felt movement myself just over a week ago (just shy of 20 weeks) and now I feel it everyday :-)

One thing I forgot: The technician said BBJ weighs approximately 12 ounces right now!

im hungry and im pregnant. don't mess with me or my food.

I don't care who you are - you have a story that relates even some-what to the story I'm about to tell. I don't care what you say, you've been there! Whether you were PMS'ing, stressed out, sleep deprived, pregnant (that was my excuse) or just really really hungry (my other excuse), you can relate. We all have these irrational moments - at least once.


A couple weeks ago (let's say it was a Tuesday night) I was looking in the pantry for a snack. I spotted a lone coffee cake (yumm). I told myself right then and there that I would ask Kevin not to take that coffee cake the next morning because I already had dibs on it for my Wednesday morning breakfast. That night, I forgot to tell him. The next morning I was still in bed, but awake, while Kevin was showering. I told myself "when Kevin gets out of this shower I'm going to tell him that coffee cake is mine!". Of course I fell back asleep and forgot to mention it when he woke me up to say goodbye. A little while later, after I'm showered and dressed, I go to get my coffee cake (thinking maybe Kevin didn't want it anyway) but it was gone DUM DUM DUMMMMMMM.

I was now hungry, running late, and had "nothing else to eat" at the house. I'm half way to work when Kevin calls me just to lovingly see how my morning was going. This is about when I bit his head off. Our conversation went something like this:


me - how was that coffee cake this morning?


him - i didn't eat it yet, why?


me - because that was supposed to be my breakfast today. now I'm starving and have nothing to eat and have to wait until 12:00 to eat


him - you can stop by my work to get it?


me - *now with a raised voice* and be even later to work? I can't do that. I'm just going to STARVE!


him - but I didn't eat it yet. my work is on your way


me - it's not on my way! I don't have time for that.


him - stop and get something to eat then


me - i don't have any money



Tears were rolling down my face at this point. That's right - I'm crying over a coffee cake.

the conversation didn't last very much longer, but you get the gist. Once I got to work I walked over to Dunkin and get myself a muffin.


Of course I tried to apologize to Kevin a couple times throughout the day, but I had obviously annoyed him.

Later that day we're eating dinner and Kevin tells me "so, you know when you were yelling at me this morning about the coffee cake? Well, Danny was standing right there and heard every word. When we hung up he asked me why you were so upset. I had to tell him it was because you were pregnant and wanted a coffee cake. He couldn't believe any one person would get that worked up over a coffee cake". I'M MORTIFIED!!! I asked Kevin why he didn't tell me someone was standing right there, but I guess that's what I get.

It get's better. When Kevin finally ate the coffee cake at lunch time, Danny asked him if he wanted him to take a picture of Kevin eating it and send it to me via text message. Kevin graciously declined. Clearly Danny has never dealt with a hungry pregnant lady before - and Kevin has.



I'm lucky to have such a wonderful, understanding, and forgiving husband. He later stopped by the grocery store to get a few necessities and also picked up 2 boxes of coffee cakes.

20 week check up

This afternoon was my half-way-there check-up. Everything is as it should be. The baby's heartbeat is strong and he/she was swimming all over the place. Surprisingly, the Dr didn't even give me a hard time for declining the swine flu vaccine! phew. The worst part of the appointment was that Kevin had to miss it. He likes being there to hear the heartbeat and to hear anything new the doctor has to say, and I like that he likes being there. It's just really hard for him to make it sometimes because of work and having to get to pick up Trent from daycare. Kevin made a promise to Trent a long time ago - that promise: that Trent will never be the last kid at daycare. This is something Kevin takes very seriously. He has "made" me leave work early the few times he couldn't pick Trent up just so Trent wouldn't be the last kid (even though I could have left work at my regular time and gotten to daycare before it "closed". That's how serious Kevin is about it).

Here's that survey:
How far along: 20 weeks 2 days
Total weight gain: 9
How much does baby weigh: approx 10.6oz
Maternity clothes: I wore maternity shirts twice...mostly because my wardrobe sucks.
Stretch marks: None
Sleep: sometimes i get up in the middle of the night to pee, sometimes i don't
Best moment this week: Feeling the baby move for the first time
Movement: very little, but it's there!
Food cravings: pasta
Belly button in or out: Innie
What I miss: perky breasts. but i guess that has nothing to do with this pregnancy. I just miss them
what I'm looking forward to: the big ultrasound on Saturday!!!!
Milestone: again, movement!

I'm going to start with the belly picture soon :-)

belly bump

Anonymous Asks: will you be taking pictures of your bump to document the journey? did you do this with your first son?

Answer: yes and yes. With my first, I took a picture of my belly the night I found out I was pregnant and once or twice more during my first trimester. I began taking belly shots weekly when I was halfway thru my pregnancy. I got "professional" maternity photos taken towards the beginning of the third trimester (give or take). So far with this pregnancy I have only taken one belly shot but I plan to take them weekly once I start to show more. Unfortunately most of my pictures are taken with my camera phone inside the bathroom at my office - simply because that's when i remember to do it. Not sure if I will do professional pix this time or not.

sweet. potato.

I know I've mentioned this website quite a few times, and I've posted similar pictures and descriptions, but I just wanted to take a minute to explain in further detail. Thebump.com is a website for women who are trying to conceive, women who are expecting, and for mom's. One of the features on the website is a chart that basically compares your fetus' size to a fruit or vegetable. Under the picture of the fruit or veggie is a short description of some of the milestones your fetus is reaching, and some of the cool things it's doing. Kevin and I really enjoy finding out "which fruit are we this week", and finding out what it's doing. It's incredibly amazing how quickly a fetus begins developing different features and organs. To view the whole chart, click here.

I guess I shouldn't really surprised that this pregnancy is going by very quickly for us - but sometimes I just can't believe I'm already 18 weeks and 1 day along! With the holidays coming up I'm sure this pregnancy will only go by quicker.

Here's what thebump.com says about 18 week fetuses

"Your fetus has become amazingly mobile (at least compared to you), passing the hours yawning, hiccuping, rolling, twisting, kicking, punching, sucking and swallowing. And, baby's finally big enough that you'll be able to feel those movements soon. "

bump outs

Yesterday 2 people told me I have a noticeable bump :-)

in BBJ news

I am officially into my second trimester! Morning sickness has completely gone away, though the fatigue is lingering. Overall I'm feeling really good. The severe heartburn hasn't kicked in yet (something I'm extremely thankful for). My biggest complaint at the moment would be my complexion. I've always had pretty crappy skin but right now I look like a pepperoni pizza. I try not to complain because I totally realize that a little acne is nothing to get worked up about - I just avoid mirrors whenever possible.

We still haven't given much thought to the BBJ's nursery yet. In all honesty I've been too focused on sleeping and making my Halloween costume - and Kevin has been too focused on the living room floors. We still have time; it's early yet. We keep saying we will turn our attention to the nursery once our living room is put back together - which will hopefully be within the next couple weeks.

If you're wondering what a 14 week old fetus is up to.....

"Your adorable little fetus is busy with thumb sucking, toe wiggling, and (not so cute but equally amazing) making urine and breathing amniotic fluid as the liver, kidneys and spleen continue to develop. Lanugo (thin, downy hair) is growing all over the body for warmth. " ~thebump.com

It is approximately the size of a lemon right now.

things I'll do differently

I was reading a blog recently that listed all the things the woman would do differently during her second pregnancy. It got me thinking. What would I do differently during my pregnancy? What will I do differently once the baby is born? And what will I try to do the same?


Things I'll do differently:

1. I'll eat less junk during pregnancy
2. I'll eat more fruits & veggies during pregnancy
3. I'll exercise more/be more active during pregnancy
4. When I was pushing Trent out, Kevin offered to take a picture of Trent's head so I could see, but I said no. If I have the chance next time I will say yes, or ask for a mirror.
5. I might switch bottles. There's nothing wrong with the bottles we use now, there are just sooo many stinkin parts to wash.
6. I might get professional newborn photos done. I didn't do this with Trent and I kinda wish I had.
7. I think I'll get a different diaper bag - one of those messenger style bags or back-pack style. I think that style will be much easier to carry (though having a thick strap across the breast is not the most flattering look, hmmm)
8. I'll take better care of my teeth this time. It's a known fact that pregnancy can do a number on one's teeth. With Trent I got my regular 6-months cleanings, and I brushed my teeth everyday, but it just wasn't enough. I still ended up with several cavities! This time around I am making a conscious effort to brush my teeth twice a day, floss regularly, and use mouthwash containing fluoride. Yes, I know I should have been doing that all my life, but I'm gross and only brush once a day. don't judge me.
9. I hope to "babywear" this time around. I wore Trent from time to time but it hurt my back. This time I'm going to try a few different style carriers and find one that is right for me. It will be alot easier to get things done if I'm wearing #2.

Things I will try to do the same:

1. I will schedule all my monthly doctor appointments late enough in the day so that Kevin has the option to come along if he wants.
2. I will deliver at Saint Francis again. I always envisioned myself birthing babies at Christiana Hospital (probably because it's the only hospital I've ever known) but when I got pregnant with Trent, my Dr informed me that they are associated with St. Francis...so I went with it. For the longest time I always said I will switch to Christiana for any future kids - Christiana is so shiny and big and modern and pretty. St. Francis is so old and ugly and small - But you know what, St. Francis worked for us. We're going with the ole "if it aint broke dont fix it" motto. We had a good experience at St. Francis and see no real reason to switch. Actually, the only reason I could come up with, other than Christiana is so much prettier, was that Christiana is closer - but really, its not THAT much closer.
3. I'm sure I will again offer - but not force - the pacifier. I don't like the idea of a pacifier but im also not so anti-pacifier that I won't offer it at all.
4. I will breastfeed again
5. We're going to do disposable diapers again. When pregnant with Trent, Kevin and I automatically went for the disposable diapers, no questions asked. Since then I've learned that clothe diapers are something we could have easily handled. Sometimes I wish I went with cloth diapers (usually when I'm buying a $40.99 pack of disposables) but I never cared enough to make the switch. Cloth diapers are expensive as well, but it's more of an up-front cost than anything else. They are approximately $18 each and it's recommended that you have a couple dozen on hand. The big pro to cloth diapers is that you can buy one-size-fits-all, so assuming you take good care of them, you won't have to ever purchase more - and you can use them on future kids. Kevin and I agree that had we used cloth diapers with Trent, we'd definitely use them on #2 - we didn't. so we won't.

I'm sure there are more things - but these are the ones that came to mind first. If you are wondering about anything specifically (or was more details) feel free to ask!