Glasses

For a couple months Handsome 1 suddenly started complaining of "blurry" vision.  He said if he shook his head or blinked a bunch it would go away.  Over several weeks we tried to pinpoint it.  Allergies?  Looking at things close up/far away?  Fatigue due to his fine motor issues?  Nothing seemed to stand out.  He passed his K screen too so the school nurse was unsure as well. Unable to figure it out or pinpoint anything I went ahead and made an appt. with the eye doctor.  He was booked a month out so it wasn't until the end of June that we were able to see him. 

Of course, worse case scenarios for his sudden vision issues ran wild in my head (I have a brother-in-law diagnosed about a year ago with MS) and of course you always worry about a tumor when you think of sudden vision issues.  Minor case scenario in my mind was glasses but even then, I thought, I hope not.  He already has fine motor and sensory processing issues...did he really need this?

Long story short we walked out of the appointment with eye glasses after Handsome 1 was put through a bunch of tests as well as some drops in his eyes, etc (all of which he did so well for!).  It was looking like he had perfect vision, even the eye doctor said so.  Then, we did one more test. 

They dilated his pupils to basically see how his eyes did when you let the muscles "relax".  That is when I noticed him start to struggle on the eye exam.  The eye doctor explained that he actually has 20/20 vision but that he is most likely getting that with his eye muscles working REALLY hard to maintain that.  He is most likely having "blurry" moments when the muscle gets too tired and relaxes...him shaking his head, etc. makes them "get back to work".  He said he only needs them for reading/close up tasks and could wear them all the time or just for that.  We chose just for those tasks.  We fortunately had vision insurance and our eye doctor took our plan so we got the glasses from them and picked them up the next day!

I would say we have one happy boy with his choice!  I honestly wanted something a little smaller and with rims that didn't stand out so much but when he saw these and put them on after trying several he was sure these were the ones and who am I to tell him what to get for HIS glasses? 

I will also say I was apprehensive of this all.  Denial perhaps.  However when he put them on for this picture as we got in the car he said, "Mom, I can see the fuzz on the back of the car seat.  I didn't even know it was there before I put these on!"  I knew then he needed this.  Not that I wanted him to notice all my dirt, fuzz, what-have-you in the car but he can see it now!  I had no idea what he was missing and neither did he. 

He has since worn them for projects, etc. (anything up close) and has mentioned how he can see things better.  I have grown to think he looks pretty darn cute in his glasses too.  I am not sure how this will all work with school (remembering to wear them, when to wear them, keeping track of them and taking care of them, etc.) and he still resists wearing them sometimes.  They require some responsibility on his part and he isn't fond of that part :)  Best of all though, he hasn't mentioned his eyes being "blurry" since getting his glasses and when I just asked him about that, he said he hasn't had it since.  :)

34 Weeks! (Better late than never post!)

Um yeah....so I have officially "popped" I would say.  Look back at 32 weeks...noticeable difference to me...especially if you go back further to 29/30 weeks.  I am also starting to get comments that I am finally showing noticeably :)

 

Here are my "stats":

 

How far along are you:  34 weeks!  Where has the time gone?!

How big is baby: Your baby's the size of a butternut squash! At less than two months to go, he weighs in at about 4.2 pounds to 5.8 pounds and measures about 17.2 to 18.7 inches.

Weight gain/loss: I am 5 lbs up from my pre-pregnancy weight and 12 lbs. up from my lowest weight when I had lost 7 lbs. in pregnancy. My eating is better so I think we are still dealing with decreased water intake and increased humidity causing some swelling.  My BP continues to be good so that is good and the swelling seems to go down as soon as I put my feet up for a while.

Food cravings: I continue to be especially fond of PB and J sandwiches right now on white bread.  I eat one every day for lunch still.  LOL.  Thankful it doesn't seem to be bothering my blood sugars!

Symptoms: Still tired but it has subsided enough that I haven't taken a nap in a while and don't need to lay down as much but I do sit for a rest mainly to prop my feet up for swelling.  Since I need to climb stairs more now that we have a second floor, I sure get winded when I get to the top at times.  Some days are better than others.  All continues to depend on how this little guy is positioned. My stuffy nose is there but it seems like it isn't as bad (fingers crossed) but we have continued sinus stuff.  If I keep up on flushing my sinuses I think that helps some.   I definitely am feeling more uncomfortable with this little guy being more cramped as his movements are much more defined and sometimes uncomfortable and I can't bend at the waist.  I also am realizing that washing dishes is getting harder...the belly gets in the way and washing them sideways is no fun!  Depending on how he is positioned, sitting without any back support can be hard too.  The heartburn has been decreased as I am being much better about avoiding triggers...mainly pizza or anything with spice.

Stretch marks: None other than the ones acquired with the first two pregnancies and would love it if it stayed that way :)  The belly is expanding more and more though so I am sure it is coming soon and my belly button continues to be less deep. 

Maternity clothes: Oh yes!  All non maternity stuff is primarily gone except for a few shirts and skirts :)

Sleep: A little better. I wake just a couple times to use the bathroom and mostly wake to change positions since that requires conscious effort now. 

Best moment this week: Feeling little guy move is always great.  Since they are so defined now they are such reassurance he is in there and moving  :) I love his constant reminder he is in there :)  Handsome 2 continues to talk more about "baby" and be more affectionate.  Handsome 1 still doesn't talk much of the baby.  I also got to have a growth  ultrasound at the larger hospital and they said his growth looked more like 48th percentile, which was great but he does have a big head.  We got some great 3D shots of his profile I will have to share!

Movement: Oh yes!  He is still a combo between Handsome 1's constant movement and Handsome 2's lack there of :)  He seems to move when he is poked or squished or when he needs to change positions but he doesn't seem to be just "playing around in there"...his movements are for reasons :)

Belly button: In but getting stretched!

Labor signs: No thank goodness but I have started having a few Braxton Hicks I think.

What do you miss: A good night's sleep and being able to move around with ease. Bending over is hard and necessary with two kids...especially one being a toddler!

What are you looking forward to this week: Continuing to feel little guy moving around and hopefully getting a little more organized for this little guy...I have been having anxiety about "not being ready".  Hoping maybe we can get him a bureau this week!

Something interesting about this week:  Fortunately since I overall feel good and have great days, I still "forget" I am pregnant at times!  We still don't have a name for little guy!  We had one for BOTH boys at this point.  Still getting a lot of comments about "how great you look for being so far along".  I am not sure if they are just being nice or if since I do overall feel good, it shines through me...lol.

This week's confession:  I am looking forward to feeling more organized.  I need to focus more on my home, kids, prepping for baby and am really wanting to focus more on rushing less and enjoying my boys and these last few weeks more.  I am beginning to realize how close we are and that scares me.  I am nervous about labor since I know what to expect and I am sad to think how fast this has gone and I feel like I haven't fully been aware of it since I have been so busy.  I am also acutely aware this most likely is our last so it is the last time I will have this amazing experience.  Carrying a child from conception to birth...it amazes me.

See you in two weeks!