Fall arrived in Virginia this weekend! We went from 90 degrees to hurricane rains to crisp, chilly air in one week. I’m hoping the heat stays away – I’m so over it! Everyone was running around here celebrating, and all my friends were posting photos of trips to farms, apple orchards, and all.the.fall. things. I wanted to stay close to home, so the best I could do was a Insta Story of some pumpkin spice whipped cream I bought at Whole Foods 
I’m writing this on Sunday, but as of today (Monday) I’m 39 weeks. (News will likely break on Instagram first, so check there!) I feel very much like a ticking time bomb at this point. I want to keep my schedule totally clear and don’t want to venture far from home. I’m “almost 3” cm dilated and 60% effaced, so my doctor told me do not wait to go to the hospital if contractions start up quickly. I know second babies can come fast, so I think that has influenced my home-body feeling. I don’t want to schedule things for later this week, and I hardly wanted to make a meal plan! I have gotten in some good walks, and spent some QT with Mazen. We made this chocolate house from a kit I found at Trader Joe’s last week, and it was a big hit!
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We also decorated the house for Halloween (early, but he was begging me to do it so why not?) and we put most of the decorations in his room, including a ton of these plastic spider rings. I found one in the bottom of the washing machine and it sure made me jump!
On Friday I went out to lunch with my friend Emily. It was a glorious sunny day, and we sat on the patio, covered in goosebumps by the end of our meal! We love Orzo for lunch because they have a power lunch offering where you can get a soup and a hearty salad combo.
I had butternut squash soup with brown butter and crusty bread (which satisfied every craving in my body!)
Plus this grilled salmon, endive, and beet salad.
On Friday night, Mazen and I went to Brazos together for dinner. He and his neighborhood friends are deep into Pokémon cards, so he gave me the full tour of his binders at dinner.
We always share the chips with the trio of dips, and I get two tacos – This Is My Yam with black beans and sweet potato and a classic beef with jalapeño, avocado and cheese.
We went to Sweethaus next door for dessert after Mazen sweetly asked me if we could go. I got a funfetti cupcake in honor of my niece Emerson’s birthday!
On Saturday morning we were all up early for Mazen’s soccer game. Great Harvest Pumpkin Swirl Toast + peanut butter yogurt (just plain yogurt with PB powder stirred in!) for a quick breakfast.
Look at that sky!!
We spent a few hours playing Batman city and Pokémon at home before Mazen went off on an adventure with Matt, and Thomas and I went to the grocery store and on a long walk.
I had a Daily Harvest smoothie for lunch because we had plans for an early dinner and I’d had a few snacks throughout the day (dates, almond butter, apple slices.) This one had chickpeas inside for protein and is advertised to taste like “oatmeal cookie dough.” It was delish. (Get 3 free smoothies on your first order if you want to try it! The chai flavor is my fav 🙂 )
On Saturday night we went to our friends’ house for a chili dinner – how appropriate! I made a version of this sesame kale salad with red pepper, avocado, and sunflower seeds. The chili and cornbread were spot on for the weather!
I am SO ready to meet this little baby!! I was a week late with my water breaking first when Mazen was born, so you would think I’d be mentally prepared for a similar experience this time. But I’m also expecting to be hit with a strong contraction any minute that sends me into labor. I think because I missed out on the whole “timing contractions at home” thing last time that that’s what I’m expecting this time. But things could go down the same way as they did with Mazen too. Either way, two weeks to go, tops. This is no longer a hypothetical experience in the distant future – one way or another it’s happening soon!
I love that Mazen is into Pokemon cards! Long live Pokemon! 🙂
So excited for the new baby! 🙂
Charmaine Ng | Architecture & Lifestyle Blog
http://charmainenyw.com
I walked around 5-6cm with my second son for two weeks…and still went to 41 weeks and 1 day! The good news was that my entire labor from first contraction to holding him in my arms was 6 hours 🙂 Just don’t get discouraged if you go past 40 weeks again…it’ll all be worth it when you’re holdinh him!
OMG! I would have camped out at the hospital walking around at 6! Glad it was short when it started : )
I used a birth center that was literally 2 miles away 🙂 But I still labored at home for a few hours before going in!
Same here. 5 1/2 centimeters for over 2 weeks with my second and I was still 4 days late. BUT only 2 hours of labor . . . we almost had a highway baby!
Oh man!! Glad you made it.
TMI, but it made me realize as the nurse held my baby’s head in in while we wheeled down the hallway waiting for the doctor to get her gloves on . . . certainly there can be complications in which case medical professionals are needed. But we’ve made this whole childbirth thing way more complicated and involved than it has to be. I could have reached down and pulled her out on my own.
Oh my gosh, your story sounds like Kristina’s (which she told me about over dinner in NYC a few months ago). I’m glad everything was ok!
Thinking of you!! Best of luck this week!
I’m told my hubby I’m jealous of women who have their water break first (although I do not know it increases risks a bit) because then you know it’s go time. I’ve had contractions, menstrual cramping and back pain on and off For this whole week and always feel on the edge of go time but not yet there! It’s weird!
I’ve heard the pain is worse when water breaks first (subjective, I know, but from women who have had one birth with breaking and one without or multiples) so I am hoping that doesn’t happen to me again!
Thinking of you and baby. I check your page for news he’s arrived. Good luck Kath and T.
Thank you : )
With my first, he was born an hour after arriving at the hospital (showed up 9 cm), 3 hours total labor. And he was a day early. With my second, she was a week late (wwhhaaattt!) and I was in labor for 6 hours – so you can imagine my surprise when things where longer and slower with my second, hahahaha.
Good luck Kath, wishing you a healthy delivery!
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Oh gosh – I know they say “every baby is different!”
So exciting. My second labor started slowly…things began happening over the course of a week. Then, bam…my water started breaking one morning (two weeks early!) and active labor was only 4 hours. Also, I can’t seem to find the 8 free smoothie deal at Daily Harvest?
Maybe that’s what’s going on here – slowly getting ready and “doing the early work” ahead of time?
It’s 3 free cups and try the code katheats!
I am jealous of the fall weather!!! We had a huge rainstorm in So Cal over the weekend that got me so excited, but today it’s back to a high of 80*. Booooooo! I am due in mid-November and have never been super pregnant through the summer before (my other 2 are spring babies) and I am coming down to the wire and haven’t even gotten to wear my favorite cozy maternity sweaters yet! Actually, I did wear one of them ONE time, because I got it in my head that maaaaaaybe if I just *dressed* for fall weather I could will it to actually *be* Fall weather. I had to admit defeat by about 10:30am and change into a T-shirt, lol. 😉
Enjoy your last week or two! How exciting! My first was a week late as well, and my 2nd came a day before his due date which was such a nice surprise after agonizing for a week the first time. I hope the same happens for you!!
I have almost zero fall/winter maternity clothes so I’m wearing all my jackets open over long sleeves!!
So excited for you!!!
Oh how I miss that excitement waiting for labor!! I may be the minority, but I enjoy labor and delivery.. not the pain of course!, but that feeling of being the most important person in the world at that moment. And that anticipation- there’s nothing like it. So glad you’re sharing your story, looking forward to finding out the name and who he looks like! Best luck, you’ve got this! ?
I agree with you – this is my favorite part of pregnancy and the anticipation, while it can drive you nuts, is so exciting 🙂
I went to the hospital at 38 weeks with yucky nausea and irregular contractions with my daughter (second baby), and they kind of looked at me like “what’re you doing here”? I was 3 cm when they checked me, and then 7 cm an hour later! And she was in my arms 3 hours after that. Sometimes you just know!
And i think our boys are missing the same tooth 🙂 It’s so much fun when they lose the first one!
Wow! Glad you knew to go. And yes – one bottom one down, one to go!
I can’t wait to meet him, too! Thinking of you this week.
My second was born super fast! Almost didn’t make it to the hospital… delivered 20 minutes after we arrived. I’d agree with your doctor on not wasting any time 🙂
Waiting breathlessly with you! My water didn’t break with either of my kids. The doctor took care of that in the hospital.
Looks like a wonderful weekend. Love how much you get out to experience all the area has to offer, even if you’re staying home more now. Wishing you an easy delivery.
So excited for you guys now! I keep checking to see if anything’s happening! I need to find a good cornbread recipe (about to search your site) as I’ve never seen it in the UK. It looks like a delicious savoury sponge cake? Hoping I can find ingredients and see how my blood sugars like cornbread – with our next batch of chili.
My water broke a couple days before my due date with my daughter. I was expecting to go early with my son as well but he was almost a week late! But from first contraction to birth was only 4 hours with him, so at least it was quick. I dilated so fast I couldn’t stop shaking.