Porter's Thoughts?

(picture taken 8/29 @ Porter's 3 yr old check up)

This is a poem in "Tomie's Little Book of Poem's" by Tomie dePaola. The poem is titled 'Some Things Don't Make Any Sense at All", and was written by Judith Viorst:

My mom says I'm her sugarplum.
My mom says I'm her lamb.
My mom says I'm completely perfect
Just the way I am.
My mom says I'm a super-special wonderful terrific little guy.
My mom just had another baby.
Why?

Isn't that precious? The only difference is Porter is my pumpkin, not my sugarplum. I can't help but wonder if there has been any kind of thought like this going through Porter's head. I hope not. =P

Porter gave a card to baby Caleb when he was born; let's just pretend he wrote it. This is what it said:

"Welcome to the world baby 'Cawub'! I'm your big brother Porter. I'm super excited to have a brother. We are going to have so much fun! I'm going to teach you everything I know. We will hunt and shoot dinosaurs, play superhero's, run super fast, play 'ports (baseball is my favorite; basketball & football are fun too), make cabes (caves), torture...I mean play with our doggies, read bookies, drink lots of choc-ate milkie, play at the park, swing-swing, go down slides, swim-swim, make cakies with Daddy, have sword fights, ride my vroom-vroom, and play toys. I'll teach you how to bix stuff with tools (I taught Daddy everything he knows), get out of trouble, how to make messes 'cause that's what kids are 'posed to do, how to pray, how to not be afraid (of going to the doctor, or tooth doctor, but not of Santa Clause...you're on your own with him), how to make Mommy happy and do your chores, how to play pretend, how to act good in church and love nursery class, how to draw and do colors, how to blow bubbles, how to be cool, and how to get treats and specials from Daddy. We got the very best Mommy and Daddy too. Just 'member they were mine first. I wub you Cawub! Wub your big brother...Porter"

Pregnancy Overview

While pregnant with Porter:

• worked full time at Sprint
• tubing on the lake
• camping/4-wheeling @ Duck Creek (6 months)
  
• rappelling
• served as secretary in RS Presidency at church
  
• Blood work revealed antibodies thus sensitization diagnosis--began seeing perinatalogist
• Non-stress tests twice a week during last few weeks
  
• preterm labor...restricted activity...baby born next day @ 35 weeks
  

(Picture pregnant with Porter-August 21, 2008 at 34+ weeks)

While pregnant with Caleb:

• ice skating (one month along)
• snowboarding (1m)
  
• motorcycle ride
• 4 wheeling
• camping--cabin & trailer
• rappelling (4m)
  
• horseback riding (6m)
• served as 2nd counselor in Primary Presidency
  
• Seeing perinatalogist starting at 16 weeks due to sensitization & baby at risk for anemia
  
• Labor & Delivery visit @ hospital for pressure/discomfort/pain--27+ weeks
• positive fFN swab test...restricted activity @ 27+ weeks
• Betamethasone steroid shot to develop baby lungs @ 27+ weeks
• Me a little anemic--have to take iron pills accompanied by a stool softener (just in case)
  
• Begin weekly Progesterone injections to reduce risk of preterm labor--28 weeks & weekly OB visits
• Start weekly non-stress tests at Maternal Fetal Medicine @ 34 weeks
• Start doing non-stress tests twice a week & perinatalogist once a week @35 weeks
• Scheduled induction @ 37 weeks for August 18
• Contraction all day August 11
  
• Delivered vaginally w/ epidural August 12 @ 2:56am...Caleb! 5lb 1oz & 18.5 inches
  

(Picture pregnant with Caleb-June 10, 2011 at 27 weeks)
(~35 weeks Pregnant with Caleb-August 3, 2011)

In terms of pregnancy I have been very lucky with few of the "typical" symptoms. With both pregnancies I have only thrown up a hand full of times, so not bad at all. With Porter I remember waking up several times with a charlie horse (leg cramp in the calf muscle) and with Caleb I think I had a couple days of heartburn (assuming that's what the discomfort was). Both times my skin was happier for the most part and of course I didn't have fists full of hair after every shower or in the hair brush. My babies have not been heaters for me (something I wanted in the colder months since I'm always so cold), haven't had nausea past the first trimester, no heightened sense of smell, swollen ankles/feet, and no sore parts. I don't remember ever really experiencing fatigue with Porter but that may have been because I was working so no time to be tired. With Caleb I had some days of pure exhaustion and having to take naps even though I'd rather not. Something I started to really notice around 20+ weeks was a shorter fuse. I could tell I had less patience and several times I know I got more upset with Porter than I should have. Now I have guilt! I had a few things to overcome with antibiotics with this second pregnancy: yeast and bacteria, and a UTI. Then there's the preterm labor thing. And of course the sensitization.

Total weight gain in pregnancy #2: 26 lbs

According to the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, here are the averages of the weight gain: Baby 7.5 lbs, amniotic fluid 2 lbs, placenta 1.5 lbs, increased blood volume 4 lbs, body fluids 4 lbs, increased weight of uterus 2 lbs, body changes for breastfeeding 2 lbs, maternal storage (reserves of extra fat & protein for energy & milk production) 7 lbs. That's an average of a 30 lb weight gain during pregnancy. All that to sustain the life of one tiny little human being. It's amazing.