Benjamin Thomas Simmons

Welcome to our Family

Benjamin Thomas Simmons!

27 January 2012

7:20 pm

9lbs, 0 oz

22 in.

A Few Teasers

until I have time to update you on our quite eventful last few days!

First Moments in the Hospital with our Family of Four

Benjamin Thomas

with his two name-sakes, William Thomas "Daddy" and Thomas Burke "Opa" Simmons,

and born on your Opa's Birthday!

the new big sister Anna-Kate

This morning I woke up to the sounds of my newborn son softly crying and my beautiful two year old talking in her room beside my handsome supportive husband. I am a blessed woman!

Recruiting

What does a whiny pregnant woman do when her child sees her dusting and says, "My turn"?

She totally embraces her little girl's cleaning enthusiasm!

She would definitely just see what her child does with the duster in hand.

She would not say, "do you want to dust the TV now?"
*No child labor laws were broken in the creating of this post*

39 Weeks

Random Tidbits at 39 Weeks:
- I have appetite like crazy! Give me icecream! I want carrot sticks and apples; baby boy wants chocolate ice cream, right?!
- Yesterday I finished nannying and tutoring. Now, I wait and try to keep the house tidy and laundry caught up.
- Last week at this time, I said that I still felt pretty good. As of Friday, I was done! I am ready to not have this 10lb addition permanently attached. Nothing is easy anymore. Nothing is quick anymore. The waddle is in full swing, as well as slightly out of breath after 3 steps, back aching, feet swollen, ... Cashiers at the grocery store ask me 3 times if I am sure that I don't want help out; apparently I look quite pitiful.

This afternoon I go to the doctor. Will he schedule an induction this time? or continue to let Benjamin make the call? Will I have progressed much farther in the last week? I am ready to see what the doctor thinks this week.

Family of Three

This weekend I really wanted to enjoy being a family of three. Friday night we played with Anna-Kate before bedtime. (Then Will and I watched the great movie Courageous!) Saturday I really wanted to do something she would enjoy and that would keep us focused on time with her. So, we went to the Science museum. I love this image of Will and his daughter, who loves dresses and bows, staring at Hissing Cockroaches! We had a movie night, watching Dumbo, with Anna-Kate Saturday evening. It was nice being a family of 3! I think with only 1 week left, I am becoming quite sentimental!

June 2009

March 2010

May 2010

April 2011

May 2011

January 2012

I am excited to see what being a family of four looks like!

Transformation Complete

Can you even tell us apart?

Okay, yes, my shirt can cover my belly. But, I have to work at it.
I realized today when I got home from some errands that I had walked around like this for at least a couple hours. Ooops!

(38 Weeks, 5 days)

Tasty Nesting

People ask often how I am feeling at this point. I normally say something like, "Big, but good." I am big enough that no movement is graceful, legs are swollen at the end of the day, and my belly is clearly in the way to do certain tasks comfortably like drive, pick up something from the floor, get off the couch, ... But, I am not miserable yet.

With any "nesting" energy I have, I do not want to be cleaning. I am not that pregnant woman who is wiping down base boards or emptying the fridge to clean it. Apparently any nesting energy I have is devoted to cooking. Look at my kitchen on Tuesday afternoon
Yes, that is four pots on the stove with a proper breading station for breading and then frying eggplant. Aaah, eggplant....the craving behind this adventure.

I totally could have stopped here and eaten these dipped in marinara, but I finished the dish. (Check out the recipe HERE if you are also a eggplant parmesan lover or just love making big messes in the kitchen!)

Tonight I become a more responsible mommy-chef and make a dish that I can freeze half of for post-delievery.

at 38 Weeks

I had the big ultrasound appointment today. See that sweet face! (not a great pic, but at this time he is too low to get an awesome shot)

I am 38weeks, 2days. He is measuring 39weeks, 6 days. The computer says he is already 7lbs, 14 oz. The ultrasound tech guesses he is a little over 8lbs. The doctor says he is healthy, a bigger baby, but not big enough to schedule an early induction. We will see what the doctor says next Wed. Will they let him come whenever he wants to? or will they schedule an induction for his due date or a day or two after? We'll see....


**True confession: as the doctor (actually, P.A. Amy Gilbert for you Atrium girls) was about to walk out the door at the end of my appt, I start crying. So, she sits back down to begin the counseling portion of my appt. Why was I crying? I have been praying that he would be small enough for me to deliver. Even with the larger size we saw today, that would put him a little smaller than AK was at birth, which is definitely deliverable. So, again, why am I crying?
I think it has to do with AK and getting her ready. I have envisioned how it would all work if he was induced: calmly taking AK to her grandparents being able to prep her for what was coming, me knowing what day he was coming, ... I don't want to be induced but they had me so prepped for that idea that was what I had my mind set for. So, apparently I was crying because I was actually hearing what I had originally considered best case scenario.

Thought for this week:
if we woman have to carry the baby, endure the pregnancy sickness, enjoy swollen ankles and back aches, waddle through life for a few weeks, ....
then can't the men take the hormones, mood swings, and irrational moments for us?!

Mommy and Me

I did not dress us alike on purpose; for our morning outing we had on quite different sweaters. Three hours later when I realized how identical we are today, I could not resist a picture! How precious is my girl! especially with that grin and my shoes on!
An aside:
Yesterday I turned 30!! Funny trivia, I turned 13 on Friday the 13th and I turned 30 on Friday the 13th! What did I do for my 30th birthday? You can imagine at 37.5 weeks pregnant I did not do anything too wild or crazy. But, I defintely had a wonderful birthday. While AK was at preschool, I met up with a friend to shop (of course our first stop was Babies 'R Us; did I mention 37 weeks pregnant). I found the c-u-t-e-s-t purse ever for on sale for only $10!! and a second one that was super cute for only $5 at Charmin Charlies at Triangle Town. I definitely got the God-loves-me-birthday-special on that one!! They had just done big mark downs; I am sure in order to bring in the spring stock soon. I will take it!! Lunch at every mom's favorite Chic-Fil-A (even without the kiddo) Enjoyed a visit by a friend during AK's nap. Really enjoyed a pizza supper and an a-ma-zing chocolate cake (uuummm, don't tell that menu to my ob!) with my favorite in-laws! Gotta love birthdays, even birthdays slightly overshadowed by the impending due date of a baby boy!

Full Term and Spoiled

37 Weeks! Full term! Ready or not...here he comes!

I did not zoom in on this picture, because I took it early in the morning and you can definitely tell :) One fun[ny] thing to note is that my shirt clearly does not cover my belly. I will some times catch people noticing my belly. Not that it is big, but that they can see it. Sorry guys! (anyone else know Friends well enough to remember Rachel wearing a tank top with her belly hanging out at the end of her pregnancy? That will be me in about 2 more days!)

I thought I would have interesting news today to share after my doctor's appointment, but they didn't check me. So, still don't know the official word on dilated or how low the boy is. I do know that he has dropped and is head down. I could have told them that he is low! Look out next Wed for an actually interesting post; next Wed is my ultrasound to see just how big this guy is! and whether or not they will help him come early.

I am, however, quite spoiled! A few friends threw a sweet baby shower for me! As you can see the decor was really cute! (Look for that "Benjamin" in his nursery for sure!) Receiving all that blue was one of the several things lately that has been reminding me we really do have a baby on the way. So spoiled to have friends that take care of us so visibly!

I am also spoiled to have a husband who has taken on several projects for me lately: shelves in AK's closet, cleaning our showers (not fun at 9months pregnant), getting baby stuff out of the attic, ... No picture for this one, just love my husband who is so willing to help and follow through with projects that I want done!

A random way that I have been spoiled lately: Anna-Kate has slept 'til 7:30 - 8:15 for the last 2 weeks or so. (since we started potty training) On the particular day this picture was taken, Natalie had arrived at our house at 8:15 and AK had been awake for less than 10 minutes. That has been such a gift to me; I have enjoyed dozing to Good Morning America or sipping a cup of hot tea while watching GMA, just resting a few extra minutes before the day gets busy! Nice to enjoy before newborn-no-sleep days set in!

Project Saturday

If you had come to our house this Saturday, you would have seen projects in motion! I am so proud of my husband for taking on a new project and doing such a good job with it!

Will has never loved the flourescent light in our kitchen. He decided he couldn't live with it anymore. So, off came the light...
The next picture does not do justice to all that took place in between taking down the flourescent light and putting in the track lighting. Here Will is drawing the circle in the ceiling that he would then saw out of our ceiling. After cutting the circle out, he noticed that there were small boards in his way. Before I knew it -with the help of a screwdriver, hammer, and crowbar- my husband was pulling boards out of our ceiling. (uummm, wives everywhere, can you agree with me when I say, "don't you think we might need those boards?!")

Great job, my husband! The light really is so much warmer than that bright-white flourescent, which is exactly what we were wanting.

Meanwhile Anna-Kate had a project of her own...

Anna-Kate l.o.v.e.s to paint! On Friday at preschool, they painted with ice cubes. AK painted 3 pictures, just because she loves to paint! So, I have been trying to increase the options for art we have at home. (Hoping this also becomes a great activity once Benjamin arrives :)

These paint dotters were a big hit!

Got Eggnog?

"Hey Dad. Are you drinking milk?"
No. It's called eggnog.
"I want some. I want my own." ('want my own' is our new favorite phrase)
"Is this bigernod?" Will and I cracked up at this translation of 'eggnog;' do you think that could be the German translation?

"I love it!"

Wait a minute. I missed a drop.

This is one proud daddy of his little girl and her 'biggernod!'

(Gramps, Uncle Walter, is it time to introduce her to the Miller men's egg nog milkshake tradition?!)

36 Weeks

Are we really at 36 weeks?! 4 weeks 'til the due date!! 4 weeks! Update
I was at the doctor last Friday. He is measuring on target to a little large still. Super healthy, just still watching his size. We scheduled the late-pregnancy ultrasound for 38 weeks. In 2 weeks (Wed Jan 18), I will go in for an ultrasound. If he measures large then (like already close to 9 lbs), then they will schedule me to be induced at 39 weeks. If he measures smaller than that, then we will have the conversation of what to do. (I think that means they will induce me no later than 40 weeks.) So, look for the big update in 2 weeks!

Quote of the Week

When I was telling Will what the doctor said after the appt, I said "the doctor said that she felt like the baby was maybe about 6 lbs right now." (after she held my belly like she was holding the baby.) "If he is 6lbs now, gaining 1/3 to 1/2 lb per week, then he could actually be an 8lb baby."

Will's response, "He'll feel like he is on a slip 'n slide after Anna-Kate paved the way for him." A slip 'n slide! Funny today, just don't mention that on delievery day.

Fact
Potty training at your 9th month of pregnancy is not the wisest decision. Makes for awkward, not graceful at all, getting on and off the stool to help the child go to the potty. And, makes for an even more emotional response to the stress of potty training.

Excitement
I get to meet this little guy in 4 weeks (or less)!! My heart has finally caught up to my body. I feel like he is more active than AK was in the belly. Does that mean he will pretty quickly prove to be a busier little guy than his big sister? I can't wait to see my husband hold his son for the first time, and I can't wait to see this little guy's sweet nose and profile! (What is it about their noses and feet that get us every time?!)

Whining
My legs are swelling quite a bit. I wake up with achy swollen legs consistently. By the end of the day, I feel like I am wearing weights on my legs as I climb the stairs one more time. Getting off the couch is humorous to all who watch and obnoxious to me.

36 Weeks! See you soon little man!