Going into my second delivery, I am much more at peace and have a calmness this time that I didn’t have last time. There was a whole lot of unknown with Hudson’s delivery because I had never done it before. But I feel a lot better when I think about this delivery and remember the pieces of information that I picked up during my first go-round that will help me get through this next time.

What did I learn last time that I’m taking with me into this time?

1. Pregnancy lasts for 10 months, not 9 months. And sometimes it feels like 10,000 months. It is a lengthy little process. But just because I think I’m ready to deliver at 36 weeks, I’m not. And the best thing for my baby is to stay put for a few more weeks.

2. Even with a vaginal delivery, you can have surgery. And stitches. And major pain.

3. Your husband will get the best sleep of his life in the hospital room. Pack a very large noise maker in your bag so you can wake him up to help you to the bathroom in the middle of the night!

4. I want to stay in the hospital as long as possible this time. I will not beg to go home. Home is the place where no one sleeps!

5. I will also use the time in the hospital to sleep as much as possible. And my sweet little newborn will go to the nursery during the night and return to me to eat every 3 hours thanks to the super wonderful nurses and nursery staff.

6. I will plan to wear my maternity pants until at least July even though I’m not going to be pregnant after early May. Facts are facts and my post-baby tummy doesn’t lie.

What fun facts will/did you take with you into your second delivery?

I am so excited for this giveaway because I recently received one of these for myself and I use it all the time. Not kidding. All the time.

Monogram Chick is giving away 3 of these adorable straw tumblers! There will be 3 lucky winners who can choose whichever design they like. And the three of you can also use your straw tumbler all the time!

Don’t forget, all Blue-Eyed Bride readers get 10% off at Monogram Chick with the code BEBMARCH.

To enter:

1. For 1 entry, leave a comment on this post. It’s that easy.

2. For 2 entries, “like” Monogram Chick on Facebook and leave me a second comment telling me you’ve done it.

I haven’t been great at all about doing pregnancy updates. I’m not big on taking bump photos and I usually don’t have anything different to say about each week. But I was reading some of my old posts from when I was pregnant with Hudson and noticed that I did a 31 week update during that pregnancy. The picture was taken by Mojito Maven in Charleston and the whole thing makes me smile. It was a great weekend with Mojito Maven and Grits in a great city with great weather.

31 weeks with Hudson- 2009

We walked a lot that weekend and I know that if I had to do that during this pregnancy, I wouldn’t make it. I am a wimp. Big fat pregnant wimp.

I can waddle and I definitely can’t run. I’m a bottomless pit and then when I finish eating, I feel like I might suffocate from all the food I just ate. When I walk (or waddle) I feel like my pelvic bone may just break. Things are not so comfortable these days.

The big different between last time and this time (not that I loved any of it last time either) is that I’m carrying 32 pounds of toddler around with me all the time. Hudson is a load and a half. Not to mention the 30 pounds I’ve gained already during this pregnancy.

Fortunately, the only swelling I’m experiencing is in my fingers. I am wearing an old silver monogram ring from college just so I don’t get crazy stares in the grocery store for not wearing a ring. I do live in the South, you know?

I had a few strong cravings this week. Pink lemonade was the major one. I wanted some Country Time Pink Lemonade and I wanted to drink it from a Ball jar. What is that about? I must have seen it on a commercial or something because I couldn’t get it out of my head. TC brought some Country Time powder home from work and I mixed that stuff up as fast as I could. And this is what I’ve been sipping on ever since. Delicious!

Then I wanted some cupcakes and Hudson kept asking for a cupcake, so I decided to go look for some St. Patrick’s Day cupcakes at Publix. But instead I found the yummy little Two-Bite Cupcakes at Publix. I made it all the way home before eating one and before I knew it, only 10 minutes had gone by, Hudson had eaten one and I had eaten 5. How would I explain this brand new, half empty box to TC?

He doesn’t like cupcakes anyway, but the shame! I know we’ve been married a while and almost have two kids together, but I need to be trying to impress him and not devouring packages of tiny little cupcakes and letting him see how big of a piggy I can be!

And then last night. I made chocolate chip cookies. (Yes, I have been eating a lot of sweets.) I love to drink milk. TC will not drink milk. He will pour it all over his cereal, drain it off the spoon, and eat the cereal. Then he dumps all the milk down the drain. But I love to drink milk with my cookies. And TC likes to pour a glass of milk, drop his cookie in his milk, retrieve the cookie with a spoon and eat the cookie off a spoon.

We were running low on milk last night and I made myself a big glass to drink with my cookies. TC fixed himself a tiny glass to enjoy and then throw away. (Ha!) I finished my glass in record time and he was done with his milk, but I wanted more. Only there wasn’t any left. Except for what was left in TC’s little glass that he refuses to drink because it makes him sick and he thinks milk is gross even though he’s willing to put it on his cereal and dunk his cookies in it.

I kept saying how I wanted more milk and he kept offering what was left in his glass. With cookie snacks in it! I went to bed wanting more milk and got up this morning and got 2 gallons at the grocery store.

I’m looking forward to getting an official birthday scheduled for baby boy. I go back to the doctor next week and I am so encouraged that this birth will be drastically different from Hudson’s. I can’t wait to hold him and see his sweet face and bring him home to see his room and meet his puppies.