3 weeks and counting...

Well, 3 weeks from now, I will be a mother of two! This past week has had it's ups and downs for me. One day I will be into some serious nesting and trying to prepare for the baby and the next day I can't keep my eyes open, I cramp all day long with constant Braxton Hicks, and lots of low pressure. I was so nervous the other day with all the cramping that I was worried because I hadn't packed my bags yet. It seemed so far away and now I just hope I am prepared in time. With Benjamin, I researched the heck out of everything, read books, etc. This time, I haven't done any of that, other than personal experience, so I actually feel less prepared this time around because none of it is fresh in my mind. I know I will be fine, but I still worry.
I have been the most sad about leaving my little guy for 5 days. Some times when I put Ben to bed or I am snuggling with him during the day, I find myself in tears because I am missing him already. I worry that he will no longer be my baby and that he will be upset that he does not get 110% of my time and attention. He is going to be such a good big brother and a big help to mommy, I just don't want things between us to change.
We took Ben on his last "only child" hoorah this past weekend. We just took him to a hotel close to Milwaukee that had a toddler pool. I was so worried about the sleeping situation because he has only been in his big boy bed for a few weeks and I had no clue how he would do on a hotel pull out bed right next to us. How do you think my big boy did??
We got there after 5:00 after eating chicken nuggets in the car on the way, went up to our room on the 3rd floor, and got ready to jump in the pool. It was so funny to see this little guy hopping and bouncing down the hallway in just a little swimmer diaper with his butt cheeks hanging out on our way to the pool. He loved the water and the little frog slide in the toddler pool. Most of all, he loved his freedom in the water. After about an hour in the pool, we had a last minute meal of cheetos, subway, and m&m's (his favorite!) We decided to keep him up a little later than normal so we didn't have to go to bed so early so bedtime that night was at about 10:30. We brought his bed rails for the pull out bed and his two favorite pillows so it was a little familiar to him. Other than taking a few minutes to get over the fact that he could see daddy in the bed next to him while I sang him to sleep, he passed out almost as soon as I laid him down. He slept straight through the night but got up really early around 6 after it was light enough to again see daddy in the bed next to him so we got up for our free continental breakfast before heading back to the pool. This time he had some big boys to watch so he learned how to kick his legs while daddy "swam" him around the adult pool. After an hour or swimming, Ben was ready to get outta there so we headed to the room to pack up and head home. He had a good time and I was glad we were able to do it before baby came. Doctor said yesterday that she is finally no longer breech so that should make for an easier c-section delivery. She is starting to drop and I can feel all the pressure below and feel her feet gliding around and poking on the top.
Below are some pictures from our getaway and other updated pics.

Waiting at the window for daddy to come home.

Mommy and handsome baby!

The view from our hotel room!

Big boy in the pool.

Weeeeeee!

Watching The Wiggles!

Mmmm, candy!

Fun with my cup in the water.

Where's Benjamin??

There he is!! Playing in my old car seat before my baby sister gets it!

I think I fit in here just fine!

Baby Sister practice

Here is a video of Ben "singing" Rock-a-by-baby and practicing with "baby sister" in the swing! Click on the play arrow below to view!

Not my pillow!!

I have discovered that my tactic for the big boy bed transition was well planned without knowing it!
First of all, know that my child DESPISED anything in his crib other than himself, his nuk, and his burpcloth!! Any previous attempts I made at putting a pillow or blanket in there with him had failed. He would immediately stand and throw them out. So, when I had purchased the new sheet set for his queen size big boy bed that had pictures of cars all over it, I thought maybe I would give him a pillow with his new pillowcase so he can call it his own. For about two weeks before the transition, I would place this pillow in his crib with him AFTER he woke up instead of trying to actually get him to sleep with it. He thought it was fun and would snuggle up to it and say, "nigh nigh". He would also point out every single car on the pillowcase and repeat the word car over and over again as he pointed. So, he realized that this pillow was his and his alone.
A couple weeks later, he saw his big boy bed for the first time and he was so excited about all of the same cars all over his bed. He immediately snuggled up to the pillow like he did when it was in the crib. I didn't realize until today that my plan to familiarize really worked. After taking his pillow on a trip with us and taking it off to wash when we got home, I placed the pillow without a case on his bed for nap time. As I watched him in the video monitor after putting him down for his nap, I witnessed him lay his head down first on the same pillow that he always lays on which was the one without the pillowcase. Within 2 seconds, he lifted his head up and looked at the pillow and scooted over to the other pillow that he NEVER sleeps on because it had the same pillow case. He doesn't like the other one because it is placed on the outside of the bed and not towards the wall where he likes to sleep. So it just proved to me that he knows what is his and prefers it and he knows that this is HIS bed because it has something familiar to him even though it is not his crib. So for anyone who will be transitioning in the future, this might be something to think about to make your child more familiar with his/her new settings.

Growing too fast!

I am just so proud of my little guy. After springing the whole "big boy bed" thing on him and taking it like a trooper, two days ago, I decided to take away his Nuk. We were playing during the day and he grabbed it and threw it over the side of the couch. Since he couldn't see it or get it, I just decided to tell him it was all gone and left it at that! Two days later, the only times he has asked for it was during the day when it's his "settle down" time when he likes to snuggle on our laps and watch some TV. We just tell him that it's all gone and he doesn't ask again. He hasn't even asked for it at bed time. I was worried that he would wake up during the night looking around for it...probably because he did that when he did have it, but he has slept just as long and just as good even being in the new bed and without the Nuk. Our biggest trial will be when going in the car and when we need him to calm down at certain places we go. He is used to it during trips, while getting his hair cut, after a meal, etc. All I can do is trust that we are making the right decision and trust that he can handle it on his own.
One way I know that now is the time is that I feel like he has grown up so much, so quickly lately. Tonight after his bath was the first time that he wanted to help get himself dressed. He did a pretty good job trying to get his shirt on, although it was backwards, but had no clue on how to work the pants. Now that he seems interested in dressing and undressing himself, I foresee potty training soon in the future!! Other than the potty training, getting him to take his milk out of a sippy or a cup will be our last big transition for him for awhile...I hope! I don't care how many transitions...as long as he is still my baby!!

Nice day for a car ride!

Ben waited all day for daddy to come home from work so he could go outside and play. Mommy was just too tired to do it by herself today so for hours and hours, all I heard was, "Daddy, outside. Daddy, outside!" He was so excited when Daddy finally came home so we could pull out all of his toys and cars from the garage to play with. Last summer we purchased a used motorized "Jeep" from someone on Craigslist and attempted to introduce it to him then. He was scared and cried at that time and we thought we just wasted a few bucks and hoped it would be different this year. He looked at it with Daddy yesterday and was still a bit skeptical but would sit in it as long as it wasn't moving. Today, mommy came out and pushed on the pedal while he was sitting in the car to see his reaction. He seemed excited but it hurt mommy's big 'ol belly to bend over and keep pushing on it so daddy tried. It's not too easy to do. So I came and took his foot and pushed on the pedal expecting him to put up a fuss...and he didn't fuss. The video below will show whether he liked it or not!! Click on the play arrow to watch!