A Very Merry Unbirthday to You, Baby!

It was on this exact day in my last pregnancy that I gave birth to Simon. I was 29 weeks +2 days pregnant - and then, suddenly, a mother! (Read more about that here.)

Pappa's first peek at Simon!

That experience has made this pregnancy very different from my last. When I was pregnant with Simon, I had an easy pregnancy and never thought about what it might be like to have a premature baby. I thought all the normal new mama thoughts like, "Will I ever sleep again?" or "I hope breastfeeding goes well." But, for some reason, Simon had to get out and so he made his grand entrance nearly 11 weeks early.

With this pregnancy, it's hard not to think about my last pregnancy. I don't want to go into preterm labor again. I want a "normal" birthing experience. As a result, I have been forced to see a doctor (as opposed to a midwife) throughout my whole pregnancy and go through more tests and scans. As they don't know why I delivered early, all they can do is watch and see if they find any signs of preterm labor.

Emotionally, it has forced me to relive Simon's early birth and all it's drama. I have not thought back on it much, because I was always looking forward and Simon did so well. But more than 3 years later I am reflecting on it again, and do not want to relive any of it with #2.

I am here today to say that I have never been this pregnant and NOT in labor. It have to say it feels REALLY good.

29 weeks + 2 days!

From this day on, it's all icing on the cake. Of course that may sound strange, as it is significantly better for the baby to stay in that cozy little womb until 37-40+ weeks, but my experiences have given me a different, slightly messed up, perspective. So I am going to take each day as they come, but I am hoping for many more.

I hope she stays tucked in there until at least 37 weeks. That also means that I get to switch my healthcare back to a midwife, which is what I prefer. And go home immediately after birth, with a new sweet baby.

And I know it's too early to say, but here are some other things that I hope to experience:

• A 3rd trimester - including that big baby bump!
• Anticipating the arrival of the baby
• Holding my baby immediately after birth (maybe catch her?!?)
• Bringing my baby HOME after birth - and the shock and awe of it all

So stay tucked in there, little baby! Let's hold out for a while longer - it's best for all of us.

Torsby 2013

I love spending time in Torsby. There's not much there. Not much to do. It's quiet. It rains a lot. Which makes it the perfect place to totally unplug and really relax. We read more books, took naps, watched a lot of WC Track and Field, and just spent time outside. Living in the city I really appreciate a break from the concrete, and it was nice to be able to open the front door and have limitless green space at our door step.

Hurdles!

Nonno (Martin's grandfather) spent the week with us as well and got to bunk with Simon. My favorite memory of the week was waking up at 4am to hear Simon, who apparently woke up and crawled into bed with Nonno, telling Nonno about Mike Wazowski (from Monsters Inc.) Keep in mind that Simon was speaking English, and Nonno does not. It was precious.

Simon requested Nonno comb his hair. Not sure where he got that idea?!?

The boys!

We also "discovered"a huge field of wild raspberries growing right behind the house. Simon and I spent a lot of time picking raspberries and enjoying the view from up top.

On top of Raspberry Hill

Raspberries!

Simon also loved building fires and helping collect firewood. I think mostly he liked what we ate when build fires. :)

Smores!

Hole in one!

I would have enjoyed some more sun, we didn't even make it to the beach. But we had a great time and it was nice to just be together as a family and relax - our last vacation before we become a family of 4!!

Simon's Solo Week

It's been a while - it almost seems like it never happened. But it did. Simon spent a week with his grandparents in Sweden - without his parents!!

It seems it was a glorious week for all. Martin and I enjoyed evenings strolling around Amsterdam, and even had an amazing evening out on the water in the Lakes District, thanks to one of Martin's colleagues.

The week did seem to fly by - and I am not sure what all I did. But I do recall taking naps and reading two books. While I missed my boy, it was nice to have a break from the 24/7 on-call Mama job.

And Simon! Simon had a blast. I talked to him every day on the phone and he told me what he had been up to with Farfar and Farmor. They are far more active than his own parents so they were always off to some theater or local even they had heard of.

At the beach!

Helping out

Our little Viking!

After a week with Farmor and Farfar, Martin and I swooped in to take over the next week, and enjoy some nice Torsby weather (rain and cold). But I think it was a great experience for everyone - even Farmor and Farfar didn't seem too worn out. Simon was happy to see us, but he had also been very happy all week with out us.

4 Generations