Halloween

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Making our first stop - Auntie "Issa's" house.

Checking out their candy.  They came back after about 45 minutes because they were tired.  They each ate about 5 candies and then Jon jokingly asked if they wanted to go trick or treating again, to which they both eagerly responded, "yes!"...so they went out again for another 45 minutes! (Much to Jon's delight!)

Update on Nathan

Nathan only has gained 2 oz in the past two days.  For a 'normal' baby (i.e. one that is eating on a regular feeding schedule...not one that is eating every two hours) that is average...but since Nathan is eating more often he was expected to have a larger weight gain.  Dr. Shah's suggestion was that I continue to feed Nathan every two hours around the clock (day and night) for at least another week.  Umm...not possible if I'm expected to function for the next week as feeding Nathan takes one hour, which only gives me one hour in between feedings.

Dr. Shah suspected that I might have low milk production/supply so I've also been given a prescription for domperidone, a drug that increases milk production.

Low milk production/supply, along with a slow flow of milk equals a baby that is not getting enough calories and thus is tired when feeding and thus does not have the energy required to have a good feed.  Not good.

SO...I've given up on nursing (again).  This is the exact same thing that happened with Matthew and Kayla.  If I had a fast flow then it wouldn't take me an hour to feed Nathan and then maybe it would be do-able to feed every two hours...however, that's not the case.

SO...back to my trusty pump I go.  Oh, how I wished I would never have to see it again.  BUT, breast milk is better than formula, so if I can get my supply up so that I don't have to supplement Nathan with formula anymore then it will be financially beneficial.  Ideally, I would like to have my supply way up (as in, I would like my body to think I'm feeding twins again), so that I only have to pump a few times a day to have a full days' supply for Nathan.  We'll see what happens!  I can only do my best!

Losing Weight

I wish I could say that this entire entry would be about me losing weight...but I can't.  Yes, I've lost about 22 of the 47.5 pounds I gained, but this entry is about Nathan losing weight.

I took Nathan to see my family doctor, Dr. Shah, on Tuesday because he hasn't been peeing.  He would wear the same diaper all day and it still wouldn't even be close to being saturated.  He was weighed, and now only weighs 9lb 8oz (which was down again from 9lb 14oz from when he was weighed by Dr. Smith last Thursday).  His skin has also become quite dry and flakey.  Dr. Shah said he is starting to show signs of dehydration...but he's still doing okay.  I was told that I need to start feeding him every two hours, day and night, making sure to wake him up if he falls asleep during a feed or if he's sleeping when he needs to be fed.  We go for a follow-up check-up tomorrow at 11:20.  Dr. Shah said he wanted to see Nathan gain 1 lb over the two days...but I think that goal is a little unobtainable.  I, myself, would like to see a weight gain, period.  I'm starting to get skeptical that I can exclusively breastfeed - it looks like a combination of breastfeeding and/or pumping and/or formula feeding will be in my future.  I guess we'll find out more tomorrow!

Nathan's Birth Story

Thursday, October 17
3:30pm  Arrive at SMH for induction

4:00pm  Hooked up for fetal monitoring

5:00pm  Checked by Dr Elaine Peterson, 1 cm dilated.  Induced with Cervadil.  Apparently my ultrasound from Tuesday showed high amniotic fluid levels (Polyhydramnios)...not high enough to induce me on Tuesday but high enough that they're slightly concerned that if my water were to break while I'm at home that the umbilical cord might come out first...so they're admitting me for the evening in anticipation of a possibly quicker delivery.  Once we were settled into our hospital room my Mom and I started walking the hallways, just like with Matthew and Kayla's pregnancy, in hopes of starting my contractions.

Friday, October 18
9:00am Finished breakfast (nasty hospital food).  Had random contractions last night, but nothing regular and I think only when I was awake.  Am waiting to be seen by the dr for the day so that the can do another cervix check to see if I've dilated more and can go on oxytocin or if they have to put a new Cervadil in me.

10:45am Checked by Dr. Ng.  1-2cm dilated.  Dr. Ng decided to remove the Cervadil and said I could get started on Oxytocin...we just had to wait for a nurse to become available to sit with me one-on-one to monitor me while being on Oxytocin.  They figured it would be a 2-3 hour wait.

2:50pm Cervix swept by Dr. Deidre Smith.

3:28pm Still waiting for a nurse to be available so that I can be put on Oxytocin.  Contractions have definitely slowed down and are irregular.  Mom says, "This is bullshit."  We think she's tired of waiting.

4:45pm No nurses available still, so Dr. Smith suggests that I go back on Cervadil because at least it's something...and maybe it's all my body needs.  Head back to Triage and Assessment to have fetal monitoring done again.  Jon went home to pick up a few things and to say hi to Matthew and Kayla.

5:10pm Second round of Cervadil started.

8:15pm Mom heads home as nothing is really happening.  Jon and I start getting ready for bed in hopes of getting some rest in case labour/contractions pick up overnight.

8:30pm Contractions have definitely picked up and become consistent/regular.  Jon calls for the nurses to let them know.

9:24pm Checked by Dr. Smith, am now 3-4cm dilated and so my water is broken.  Jon calls Mom to tell her to come back.  We are informed by the nurses that the Anesthesiologist is busy on a case.  If they call him out of the case, there is an emergency c-section that would probably require his attention first.  They are considering calling in a second Anesthesiologist.

10:00pm IV put in.  Tried laughing gas to ease discomfort but I didn't like it.

10:40pm Checked by Dr. Smith, am now 6cm dilated.  Started my first dose of Fentanyl (only allowed 6 doses) and felt very light-headed and dizzy.  Was told that they had called in another Anesthesiologist, but it would take 40 minutes for him to arrive and then there was still the c-section that had to be done.

11:10pm Checked by Dr. Smith, am now 8 cm dilated.  I remember saying to the nurse, "I'm not going to get an epidural, am I?"

11:25pm Checked by Dr. Smith, am now 9 cm dilated.  The nurses told me to lay on my left side to fully dilate to 10 cm because they thought the weight on it would help my cervix to finish dilating.  One nurse grabbed a towel to push at my rectum to prevent me from pushing.

11:43pm Started pushing.

11:59pm Nathan Herbert Struik is born, weighing 10lb 8oz, measuring 23" long, and has a head circumference of 38cm (average is 34cm).  Much larger overall than all the doctors had predicted (everyone had predicted an 8lb baby)!

12:06pm Anesthesiologist arrives.

It's Only Been 5 Days?

It feels like Nathan has been here forever.  He is such an easy baby, so far - it's so enjoyable!  All he does is eat and sleep, and only allows us to see his eyes for a couple hours a day.  My milk came in Sunday evening/Monday day, and so we've stopped supplementing him with formula.  Breastfeeding is going okay...I never made it to this point with Matthew and Kayla and so it's as much of a learning game for me as it is for him.  I wouldn't say it's necessarily 'my thing', but I really want to make it work because it's more convenient than pumping.  When he's awake and alert, it goes really well.  When I need to wake him up to feed him (during the day) it's more of a struggle.  A good feeding session usually takes us about an hour.  Matthew and Kayla aren't bothered by me breastfeeding, and I even managed to throw put Matthew in time out and keep him there despite him trying to crawl away while feeding Nathan.  The downside of living in Clayton Heights is that we have no privacy because I like to keep the blinds all open, so hopefully no one was walking past as I nearly topless me was chasing Matthew through the house :).  I'm sure they would have had a good chuckle.

Nathan is a really smart baby.  He knows exactly when he is being held.  He'll be lying on the floor, and then when you pick him up he'll stop whining, and then if you put him down again he'll start whining again.  Really cute.  He often tucks in his lower lip when sleeping, right in the middle, and can often be found with his thumb between his pointer and middle fingers when his hands are clenched.  His hair so SO soft.  I could rub my hands on his head all day long.

Matthew and Kayla have learned how to say his name - "Nayfin".  They still mostly refer to him as "Mom's Baby", and like to know where he is at all times.  They typically ignore him, but will sporadically want to sit or lay by him, and give him hugs and kisses.  They like to give him his soother.

Nathan is also a really strong baby.  He has very good neck/head control and can use his legs when he's in the mood.  He learned how to use a soother really quickly, and needs little to no help keeping it in his mouth.

He likes to feed continuously during the night, which I catered to for a couple evenings, but am now working on stopping it as I would be up for hours on end feeding him, putting him back in the cradle, only to be woken up again in ten minutes to feed again.  Last night was the first evening I made him 'cry it out' for 10 minutes, and then he fell asleep.  I didn't necessarily cut out his feedings, but I made him wait at least an hour before the next feeding.  Within a few hours he had already learned that he needed to just lay in his cradle and wait patiently, or fall asleep before I would consider feeding him again.  Jon wasn't necessarily impressed that I was letting him cry as he wanted to sleep himself (Nathan is in our room), so hopefully he's learned from last night and tonight will only be an improvement.

I had to completely skip using all of Matthew's 'newborn' clothes and move Nathan right into three month clothes, which is a little sad.  Matthew was so much older when he was wearing the clothes Nathan is wearing now.  Nathan also skipped wearing 'newborn' diapers.  I am using a few random ones I had left over from Matthew and Kayla, but they definitely don't fit like they should.

I'm a little bit sad that he's already five days old!  I feel like he's already growing up too quickly, even though I know that there are exciting days/weeks/months/years ahead of us.  It will be fun to see his personality come out, and I often wonder what he'll look like as a toddler.  It's a little weird for me to think that this could actually be our last child.  Not that Jon and I have made any decisions in that regard...but not necessarily is that a decision we have control of either.  And you can tell that I've already 'forgotten' about the whole labour/delivery experience (Nathan's birth story to come in the next few days).  I just tell myself that it can't be any worse than what it was (big baby with no epidural).

Anyways, this turned out to be much longer than I intended.  I should probably think about waking Nathan up (he's just sleeping on my lap right now...and has been for the last two hours) so that he can be fed.  Here's hoping he sleeps well tonight!  Jon's taking his second day off tomorrow (administration told him he could take two days off for Nathan's birth...so he took Friday the 18th off while I was in the hospital and now tomorrow) so I guess I could sleep in if I needed to.  We have a fairly busy day tomorrow...a visit with Oma and Opa Bomhof in the morning and a doctor's appointment in the afternoon, along with various errands I would like to run.

The First 3 Days, in Pictures

I came to bed early so I could sleep...but I made the mistake of taking the camera's SD card so I could look (for the first time) at the pictures we've taken over the past few days.  SO MANY CUTE ONES!  How am I ever going to choose which pictures to use in my photo books?  And it's only been 3 days!  Here are a few of my favourites:

My first time holding Nathan.

.

Meeting their brother for the very first time.

First Day at Home

We've been home for 24 hours now, and as chaotic as it has been trying to resume our regular routine while entertaining visitors, it could have been a whole lot worse.  Why?  Well, Nathan has been asleep for about 18.5 of the last 19 hours.  Honestly.  We've barely seen his eyes today!  I'm nervous for tonight!  Last night he thought that 2am was a great time to be awake...and he wouldn't let me go back to sleep until 5am.  Here's hoping he's just catching up from a busy delivery day and needs to sleep all through the night tonight :).  The only down-side to him sleeping all day was that I had a heck of a time trying to breastfeed him because nothing would wake him up.  And even if he did wake up, he would latch on, take a few sucks, and fall right back asleep.  Luckily for him (and me!) that he has to be topped up with formula at each feed so after trying to (unsuccessfully) breastfeed him, he got the comfort of a bottle that just poured the milk into his mouth, without much effort.  I pulled out my breast pump so that I could still give him the colostrum with his formula and to encourage my milk to come in.  Starting tomorrow, when real life resumes again, I won't be so easy on him!  I think my milk is starting to come in and once it has he won't be topped up with formula, so he better find the energy to suck!

Waiting, Waiting, Waiting

I called the hospital this morning and confirmed that I was on the induction list (which I am) and if they had any idea what time I would be going in at.  As of right now, they have no idea, but figured they would be calling me by 3pm to let me know what time.  So, off to my doctor's appointment I go (1:15pm).  I guess there's still a little bit of time to go into labour on my own!

41 Weeks

2 years and 7 months ago I was in the exact same situation I am in now.  Who would have thought?  Baby Struik has (so far) failed to make an appearance on his/her own, so now I've given up hope that I will go into labour on my own.  I'm fairly confident that nothing will happen tonight, and so now we just wait for the hospital to call in the morning with my induction time.  It's EXACTLY 2 years and 7 months since I went through this with Matthew and Kayla.  I was induced at 1pm on Thursday the 17th, and they were born at (around) 11pm on Friday the 18th.  Tomorrow is Thursday, the 17th.  Maybe a Friday baby too, this time?  I'm curious to see what form of induction they will use, and if they will be sending me home right away after being induced or if I will be staying at the hospital.  With Matthew and Kayla I had to stay at the hospital regardless of induction type because I was more of a 'high risk' pregnancy.  It's difficult not knowing what time my induction will be and if I'll have to stay at the hospital because planning for Matthew and Kayla is nearly impossible now.  My Mom and I have tried to think of all possible scenarios and who will watch Matthew and Kayla under each one, so I think we pretty much have it covered.  Luckily I have enough extended family that has offered to help watch them if my immediate family can't.  It's really made me wonder how people with little/no family around manages to do it.  I guess their children go with them, or their spouse stays home and misses out?

Anyways, I should get going.  Jon's working on his 'man cave' as apparently he has all of the 'parts' he needs to finish it.  I have been receiving packages all week (and also means just as many credit card charges) and so he's quite excited to do some serious work on it.  Matthew is downstairs helping him, and Kayla is waiting for me to get her a cloth so she can clean my kitchen floor.  Seriously.  (Maybe SHE'S nesting?).  And me, I'm sitting on the couch typing this entry with my belly exposed so I can enjoy watching some last baby movements.  Only a day (or two, or three, or four?) before life gets crazy again.

Above:  Tried to capture Baby Struik's body part trying to push away at my belly.  As a reference, the slight brown line on the off centre of the picture (between my two freckles!) is actually the centre of my belly.  Definitely shows that there was something pushing otherwise it would normally be round.

Above/Below:  41 weeks.  Definitely noticed stretch marks appearing/re-appearing, particularly around my belly button this time.  And under my belly apparently...I can't see that when I look down so I had no idea they were there until I looked at this picture.  Ha!  

6 Days Overdue

I went for my fetal monitoring and ultrasound appointments at the Jim Pattison Outpatient Centre this morning, and was sent home because everything is looking good.  My blood pressure and fluid levels are good, and Baby Struik's heart rate (143 bpm) is good as well.  The hospital is using an adjusted due date of October 7th (based on how far I was measuring at my very first ultrasound), so on their books I'm actually already 8 days overdue, meaning they will only let me go until Thursday before inducing me.  Two more days, people.  This baby is running out of time to come out on his/her own!  Oh well, not much I can do about it!  Now it's just a waiting game between now and Thursday to see if I go into labour 'spontaneously', or if they'll have to induce me.  Jon's hoping for me to be induced on Thursday so that he won't be present for his parent/teacher interviews Thursday evening :).

3 Days Overdue

I'm having a difficult time deciding whether I like being overdue or not.  Strange, isn't it?  Most people seem to hate it!  I, on the other hand, don't necessarily mind at all.  Here are all of my thoughts:

I have typically enjoyed this pregnancy, as I did my pregnancy with Matthew and Kayla.  I seem to have it very easy.  I know that once Baby Struik is born I will miss feeling the kicks/movements.

I wonder if this will be my last pregnancy?  I'm a little more optimistic that maybe this is (somewhat) in Jon's and my control now even though we have no frozen embryos left because we did get pregnant on our own last year...Still...children are expensive!  We definitely won't be doing any more in vitro...so I guess we'll see what we (and God, ultimately) decides.

It's pretty 'easy' to take care of Matthew and Kayla, and I have a lot of 'me' time.  As soon as Baby Struik arrives, that disappears.

Now, on the other hand, I like to have control and know everything, so to be living day-by-day, hour-by-hour, minute-by-minute wondering if my water is going to break or I'm going to start having contractions is rather annoying.  I wouldn't mind being overdue so long as I knew exactly which day would be 'the day'.  As for now, who knows!

At my doctor's appointment on Thursday my doctor confirmed that Baby Struik is really low...which I can definitely feel.  His/Her head is right on top of my pelvic bone...which actually is awkward when trying to sit cross-legged on the floor because you just can't bend quite right.  Dr. Ng also commented on the fact that all of my weight gain must be 'baby' because I'm super spry still.  Apparently full-term pregnant ladies are a little awkward.

I've also been given my appointment time for fetal monitoring (non-stress test) and an ultrasound at the Jim Pattison Outpatient Centre for Tuesday at 10:15am.  The hour-long appointment will determine if Baby Struik is okay to remain in-utero for a few more days.  If not, then induction plans are made immediately.  Not necessarily will I make it to Tuesday...but if I do, who would have ever imagined that I would be doing fetal monitoring again (like I did with Matthew and Kayla) - not me!  Might be fun to have another ultrasound though...

Anyways, I think I would prefer to have a scheduled overdue delivery date (non-induced) rather than dealing with this waiting game.  Maybe I'll go into labour tonight?  Ha!  Probably not.  Maybe my next post will be a birth announcement?  Ha!  Probably not either.  We shall see!

40 Weeks

Now would be a perfect time for Baby Struik to make an appearance...I don't think my house has ever been tidier.  That's what happens when my Mom picks up Matthew and Kayla to take them to Muffin Morning at the church and then offers to keep them for lunch and their naps and I no longer have a job I have to go to.  I called it "Project Clean Up Sh*t Around the House".  Ha!  It's all the little piles of things to be sorted and the random jobs on my to-do list that never get done that I felt obligated to get done to productively pass time.  Every time I sat down to check my e-mail I had guilty feeling come over me that my Mom was watching the kids and I was slacking.  Ha!  No more random little jobs need to be done around here now!  My last major move-in project that would ideally still get done before Baby Struik arrives is to clean all of our blinds.  That was my intention for today...but I conveniently found all the little side project jobs to do first.  

And don't say that I'm nesting - because I'm not.  I always try to be productive...I just haven't had many opportunities to.  And I'm only cleaning the house because it was not very clean when we moved in...so what better time to clean then when you know your life is about to get a whole lot busier, in a different sort of busy way.

It's also easy to clean when Matthew and Kayla are around because they love to help.  They were actually getting upset with me when I forgot to let them vacuum.  And then they used a Swiffer to wash my floors...and my walls...and "the lights because they're dirty".  I think they know how to clean better than me because they watch my Mom clean all the time.  How sad is it that my two year olds think to wash the walls even before I do?  Sigh.  

Anyways, I forgot to have Jon take a picture tonight...conveniently.  I'm in grubby clothes and wearing glasses so I look terrible.  He'll have to take it tomorrow :).  

Only gained one pound this week...woot woot...up to 46 pounds now.  Belly circumference is now 44".

If I don't have to go into the office tomorrow for a quick meeting then the plan is to take Matthew and Kayla swimming at the rec centre, followed by lunch and then my doctor's appointment.  Baby Struik can wait one more day so that I at least can take Matthew and Kayla swimming one last time...otherwise it might be a while before they get an opportunity to go again.  My Mom would say "screw swimming - come on baby!" (in a less vulgar way).  I think she's more impatient than I am.  Probably because she doesn't have to deliver this baby.

The only thing I'm nervous about is the fact that after Matthew and Kayla were born I vowed to never give birth again...and here I am.  I've obviously completely forgotten how horrible it is.  Oh well, Baby Struik will all be worth it!  

Dropped?

**This is the second post today**

I think my little jog through Superstore's parking lot yesterday has encouraged Baby Struik to drop.  Maybe?  I've never experienced it before, so I really have no idea.  All I know is that I'm a little more uncomfortable in my pelvic region, and all of a sudden Baby Struik has become much more active again, which I'm assuming would be because s/he has more room now to kick.  Who knows!

Best Buds

Matthew and Kayla are best friends 99.9% of the time.  The other 0.1% is when they let a toy get in between them.  It doesn't happen too often, considering they are ALWAYS playing together or right next to each other.

On Saturday, Jon's sister Leanne asked if they had ever climbed into each other's bed to sleep together, to which I replied, "No."  What do you think they did tonight, for the very first time?  Fell asleep together in Kayla's bed.  I had heard commotion upstairs shortly after they were put to bed and found Matthew beside Kayla.  I told them that if they wanted to sleep in the same bed then three things needed to happen: 1) Matthew needed his own pillow, 2) They had to put some of their stuffed animals away because there wasn't enough room for everything, and 3) They were not allowed to talk anymore.  They struggled for a few minutes with my last demand/request, but are now sleeping peacefully side-by-side.  I'm hoping they don't disturb each other during the night or I may regret allowing them to share a bed in the first place!

"Grandma Has This"

**There's another post below this one too**

Matthew and Kayla's latest 'thing' is to tell me what Grandma has.  For example, I was repairing one of their books the other day and Matthew tells me that "Grandma has tape, too."  I was putting a bagel in the toaster and Kayla tells me that "Grandma has one, too."  They're colouring at the counter while I'm making dinner and Kayla tells me that "Grandma has crayons, too."  Wow.  Talk about keeping up with the Jones'!  Grandma is just one step ahead of me, in their eyes.

I Forgot I was Pregnant...

...until I took a short little jog through Superstore's parking lot.

Other than not really sleeping that great at night, I've been feeling great.  We had a bit of a rushed morning this morning trying to get out of the house by 8:45am so that we could go to StrongStart.  Matthew and Kayla slept until 8:10am this morning because they are behind on sleep, and so we rushed to make it to Langley Meadows Elementary School for StrongStart, only to find out that StrongStart has been cancelled for another week.  Sigh.  The original plan was to do some errands after StrongStart, so we just headed straight to SuperStore instead.  I was a few paces behind my Mom and Matthew and Kayla in the parking lot, so I decided to jog to catch up.  BIG MISTAKE.  After that, the pain/pressure on my cervix (?) was actually quite uncomfortable.  I persevered through errands, and thank goodness Matthew and Kayla were crashing quickly during lunch so I didn't feel bad putting them down for their naps 45 minutes earlier than usual (I guess that's what a late night followed by a day with no nap will do to them!).  I took advantage of them being down and laid on the couch, as per the instructions I found from googling it.  I felt significantly better when Matthew and Kayla awoke at 2:30pm.  Not 100%, but at least at 80% and able to carry on with the day.  I guess the pressure of Baby Struik on me during my 10 second jog was enough to remind me that I have a fully-cooked baby inside (and one that is in no rush to make an appearance).  Here's hoping I have a better sleep tonight so I can recuperate fully - I have things to do this week still!  :)

Kids Say the Darndest Things

Yesterday morning Matthew and Kayla climbed into our bed when they woke up.  They actually willingly went to Jon's side and so they've just started noticing that Jon doesn't wear a shirt to bed (which Kayla is actually a little concerned about).  Anyways, Matthew was touching Jon's nipple and so Jon said, "That's Daddy's nipple."  Kayla opened her sleeper up and said, "I have nipples.  Mine are tiny though".

Last night I was changing Matthew's diaper, getting him ready for bed and he said, "I have penis."  

"Yes, Matthew, you have a penis" I replied.  

"Kayla nope have penis."

"You're right, Kayla doesn't have a penis."

"Only boys."

"Yes, only boys, Matthew."

39 Weeks (+ 1 Day)

You know, that + 1 day could be important!

Anyways, no change here!  Baby is still comfortably inside, and giving me the impression that s/he will stay that way for a while still.  I feel great.  Like, one million dollars great.  I definitely don't mind being pregnant at all at this point.

I still have one day of work left, tomorrow, and then I'm done.  I still have an excess amount of banked hours left, so I'll continue to get paid until Baby Struik makes an appearance, and then my maternity leave will start.  It's a little bit weird thinking that this could potentially be my very last day of work at BackCheck, forever.  I love that company (for the most part!)!

I had another doctor's appointment today, which was just as uneventful as all of my others.  I'm measuring 40 weeks, blood pressure is still good, and Baby Struik's heart rate was around 150bpm.  I have another appointment scheduled for next Thursday, and then I'll have a fetal monitoring/non-stress test and ultrasound the week after that if I haven't delivered.  If everything is fine at that point, then the hospital will allow me to go 10 days overdue before they call me to let me know what the next step is.  I would really like to experience a non-induced delivery, so fingers crossed!  I've now gained 45 pounds.  

Oh!  Just thought of two things I don't think I've ever commented on before!  The most common questions I get asked are:
1.  Are you excited?  My answer?  Yes and no.  I've always strongly disliked change; I like things to be predictable and comfortable and familiar.  This is going to be another huge change for us.  It will change everything about our lives.  Not that I'm complaining, don't get me wrong!  We are very thankful for how lucky we've been with having this frozen embryo transfer work...but change is still hard/scary for me.  Yes, I'm excited/curious to see what Baby Struik looks like.  Will s/he look more like Matthew or Kayla?  Or a combination of both?  Or neither?  Only time will tell!
2.  Do you have a name picked yet?  It must be easy only have time choose one!  My answer:  No and no.  I am SUCH a perfectionist!  And Jon is too, actually, believe it or not!  We know the middle name...if Baby Struik is a boy s/he will have my Dad's name, and if it's a girl s/he will have Jon's Mom's name.  That's what we did with Matthew and Kayla (although, reversed...hence Matthew John, after Jon's Dad, and Kayla Rose, after my Mom), and always what we've said we would do for our third child.  It's the first name that's the killer.  Matthew's name is just perfect.  His name was picked because we liked the name, we liked how it could shorten (nicely) when he's older, and the meaning is great (Gift of God).  Kayla's name was picked just because we liked the name, and it worked with Matthew.  This time, I want a name that has a great meaning AND if it shortens, shortens nicely AND sounds good with Struik AND sounds good with the middle name AND sounds good with Matthew and Kayla.  Jon has told me from day one that my front-runner of a name will definitely NOT be the name chosen because he does not like it at all.  I have tried everything possible to convince/bribe/blackmail him to like it...but he just won't go for it.  It's too bad because it's actually the only name that fits all of the above criteria.  All others fall short.  I think we have it narrowed down to two (second-best) names...and I believe I get to choose which of those two I want.  It's just such a big decision that I can't make up my mind.  Hopefully I have time still.  Or maybe that's a bad thing?  Honestly though, I don't think I'll be able to decide until s/he has been born.

And for a quick update on Matthew and Kayla, before I forget to record these:
Matthew:  
- Mentions at least ten times a day how he will carry/hold my baby.  He's still very concerned about where Baby Struik will sit in the car.
- Has gone through such a huge growth spurt.  Biggest growth spurt I've ever experienced with him.  He's definitely into all 24month/2T clothes now.  I feel like every time I put a pair of pants on him they're too short!
- Has just started wanting to choose his own clothes.  Because Kayla start choosing her own clothes first, so her clothes are in the bottom two drawers of their high-boy dresser.  Matthew's clothes are in the second and third drawers (top drawer is a shared sock/underwear drawer)...which is a pain if he wants to choose his own because I have to lift him up to see them.  Oh well, guess I just have to suck it up to be fair to him!

Kayla:  
- Has started calling me "Mommy" when we're at home.  If we're not home, it's still "Mom".  It's super cute...but definitely takes getting used to!  "Mommy, look at this!"  "Mommy, come here!"  She still has no interest in Baby Struik.
- Is 100% in 3T clothes.  We spent a good few hours this week going through all of the clothes in her dresser to see what fit, and then through all of the clothes in her 'next size' box and trying them on too.  Luckily, she LOVES trying on clothes.  She's become very stubborn in wanting to always choose what she's going to wear that day.  I usually try to give her some guidelines (ex. You have to choose a pair of pants and a long-sleeve shirt), but she is VERY good at knowing what matches.