39 1/2 Weeks Pregnant

 

So I technically haven’t gotten to my due date yet—I am now 3 days away. However, I had all these expectations that this little girl would arrive early, since both her brother & sister did, and it would have been much more convenient since there’s so many other things going on next week. (Brett’s going back to work full time so he’ll be an hour away all day long, plus Mom & Dad have something to do on Tuesday—IF they can make it at all since now a hurricane is on the way.) Add to this the fact that everyone I see at church looks at me with pity that I’m “still around” and I am beginning to get a bit discouraged. I know that babies come when they are ready, and it’s not supposed to be convenient, but I really am tired of being pregnant. Of course, I have loved the journey and I’m so glad that I have had the privilege of carrying a third child to term with great health; however, I’m just ready to hold her already!!

Since we had all the extra time, I’ve really gotten to where I feel completely prepared. I spent 2 days cooking about 6 different meals to put in our freezer for when I just don’t feel like cooking. I was able to go and get a bumper for her crib, as well as a bathtub (which we still lacked), and we’ve changed the draperies so Abigail’s room is more feminine (although still not completely done, since Andrew still naps in there) and Leah & Andrew’s room is more neutral.

 

(We’re not completely happy with these brown drapes, as they look like something in a grown-up’s room, but they’ll do for now, and they blend with both Leah & Andrew’s comforters.)

 

(This probably isn’t how her name will stay—we hope to add ribbons or something else to spruce it up! Her crib will also get a pink bumper once we move Andrew out.)

Now I’m just biding my time, unmotivated to even do things with the kids, even though most of the time I really do feel pretty good. I try to take them outside to play, and even try to do some walking to work the baby out, but I tire quickly and would rather just pass the time sleeping! (Besides that, I don’t have many clothes that fit me anymore!) At the doctor last Monday, I was not at all dilated or progressing, although that means very little to me. I feel somewhat crampy at night, and some shooting pains in my upper legs, but no contractions. I have a feeling she’s going to be a big girl, the longer she stays inside!

 

Abigail’s Baby Shower

 

Sunday we were so blessed with a beautiful baby shower for our third-born by our amazing church family (specifically our Young Adult Sunday School Class). They did a great job decorating (“pink-ing it up”), served some great finger foods, and definitely went over the top with gifts. We got a swing and bouncer seat, two of the large items we wore out after Andrew and didn’t bring with us in the move. We also got plenty of diapers—all sizes—and wipes, and lots of cute clothes. We are so blessed and we are most certainly ready for Abigail’s arrival (we’re praying for this week although it will probably be more like 2 weeks) any day now!

That is a box of all wipes. I think 800. I don’t think I’ve ever seen that many wipes.

One person was thoughtful enough to get Andrew and Leah a goodie bag. They had toys to keep them entertained the whole shower, which was during nap time, by the way.

Don’t really have a picture of all the gifts, but this is some.

 

And this is the motherload of diapers & wipes.

29 Weeks Pregnant

 

Monday I had a check up for little baby Abigail. (Although we were attempting to keep her name a secret from everyone but family, it’s slowly getting revealed and will probably not be a secret much longer. After all, Leah knows it, and she has no concept of secret, although her daddy is the one that’s let it slipped!) The last ultrasound showed some issues with her kidneys, so they did another to see if anything had changed. And they were perfectly normal! I even passed my glucose test for gestational diabetes. The only issue with the baby was that she was stubborn and wouldn’t move her arms out from in front of her face. So dramatic!

This pregnancy seems to be flying by. It seems like a long time to say I have 2 1/2 months left, but when it boils down to it, that’s 12 weeks—less if she comes early like her brother & sister! I’m not stressing like I did with the others. She has a place to sleep, clothes to wear, milk to eat. She doesn’t have a room set up yet, but I’m not in a hurry to move her big brother and give him more freedom at night. We only lack a few baby necessities (and I’d really like to get Andrew out of diapers so we don’t have 2 sets again!) but I’m really not so worried about that. I’m ready for her to be here.

I have heard people say that the third-born child is usually laid back and just “fits right in.” Well, I don’t know about the laid back part, but if this little girl is at all as active on the outside as she has been in the womb, then she will definitely fit right in with her two busy, active siblings! She seems to be my most active baby yet, although it could be because I’ve been stretched around in there by 2 previous pregnancies and I’m just more aware of the movements. She is most active between 8-11pm, when I can usually see her moving around on the outside. Either she can’t get comfortable in there or she’s practicing to be an Olympic gymnast! I fear that my third-born will not be low-maintenance and will be a busy little bee!

Now to compare: on the left I was 27 weeks pregnant with Leah (June 2008). I had gained about 17 lbs. The one on the right is today, 29 weeks pregnant with Abigail. I have gained 22 lbs.

   

And on the left is 29 weeks with Leah and then on the right is today again. Hmmm, Leah looks like she’s a little lower in there?

   

Baby #3- Halfway There!

Our family is now living the American dream: 2.5 children... Well, okay, we don't have a dog or a white picket fence. Are those required? Anyway, I can hardly believe this pregnancy is halfway over (I am at 20.5 weeks.) And yet I know the longest part is yet to come. So far this time around has been just as easy as the others. I haven't had many symptoms at all. There was a little nausea the first few weeks, but only when I didn't eat regularly, and nothing serious. I'm more tired now, during the 2nd trimester, than I was the 1st trimester, which is unusual, but then, I do have 2 preschoolers! I really haven't even had many cravings.

I feel like I'm showing way more than I should be at this point, and have already gained 16 pounds (which is about what I had gained with Leah by this time), but I'm not worried. I'm just this week feeling the baby move more regularly. I have been feeling it only slightly right before bedtime for a couple weeks now, but there is definitely more activity now.

We really haven't done much at all to get ready for the baby, yet, with the exception of purchasing a bigger car and a car seat for Andrew. But really we have pretty much anything a baby would need to survive around here. We have had someone offer us a toddler bed, so Andrew has a few changes coming up in the near future.

And now, finally, we reached my favorite milestone: the revealing of the baby's gender. Nothing really seems official until I know this one big question. Though many people tried to persuade us not to find out this time, I do not like to be surprised in something that requires so much planning and preparation. So I needed to know. But Brett, however, wasn't so sure he wanted to know. He knew though that it would be a hard secret for me to keep, so here's what we did:

It's a gender reveal cake. Partially in celebration of Father's Day, and partially so that I got the privilege of telling him the gender rather than the ultrasound technician, he stepped out during that portion of the ultrasound, and all day I kept the secret. I made him a cake with pink icing in the center, carefully concealed by plain white icing. So when he made the first cut, he knew right away it was a girl!

My preference for a particular gender went back and forth. At first, I really wanted a boy (and, thus, convinced myself that my instincts were saying boy), because: a) a boy would be easiest, since the nursery is already decorated for a boy, b) it would be nice to have the 2 boys close in age, c) boys are much less drama and generally less high maintenance (although Andrew as a baby was not so much!). Then, about 4 or 5 weeks ago my instincts started leaning more towards maybe I'm having a girl. I haven't felt much movement, and the baby is sitting very low, both of which happened while I was pregnant with Leah. And I started convincing myself that having a little girl to dress up again would be fun. So I realized I would be content either way! Brett was excited, too, and said girl was also his instinct.

Somehow we were lucky enough to see the ultrasound in 3-D this time-- I've never had that before, but apparently that's standard at this doctor. It was so cool to see our baby in "real life." Although she was quite shy and kept putting her hands in front of her face.

"No pictures, please!"

Drama Queen:

"Okay, I'm tired now." We caught her yawning!

She does have some sort of issue with her kidneys, where they are not functioning properly, not draining like they should be. The doctor was not too concerned at this point, it may be that they just haven't finished developing. They will monitor me and do another ultrasound in a month. If there is still an issue at that point, I will be placed in a higher risk pregnancy. We are praying none of this is necessary and everything turns out okay with our little girl's kidneys.

Here we go again…

As of October 31st, our children will officially outnumber us.

We found out March 12th. It wasn’t really a surprise, as I had stopped taking birth control only a month or so prior. It actually took me quite awhile to get to the store to actually get a test, seeing as how we live in a small town and I didn’t want to be seen purchasing one in a local store, and I don’t believe in spending an outrageous $15 for one test. So when we finally got the chance to get to a Dollar Store, I really wasn’t surprised at the test’s results. I was already starting to feel some of the usual first-few weeks- symptoms. I had the usual all-day queasiness, although I wouldn’t really call it nausea, so much as just a loss of appetite.

My first doctor’s appointment was Monday, the 16th. I was a little farther along than I thought—I am 12 weeks today. I had originally thought I was only 9 weeks and I would be due sometime around Brett’s birthday, Nov. 9th, but the ultrasound put my due date closer to the end of October. We will see if I make it all the way! It’s a whole different experience this time, since I’ve had 2 summer babies and this will be a winter baby—I have tons and tons of baby clothes in storage and yet I’ll probably end up having to buy some for the appropriate season!

I also have a new doctor and will deliver at a new hospital this time. It’s a little sad, since I loved my old dr. so much, but I really do like this new one, and I think it will still be a great experience. I’m not as nervous this time about the labor and delivery, or even the newborn part, really. My fears are mainly financial at this point, and how in the world we’re going to fit 3 into my little car! God has always worked things out for us and I know He will continue to do so.

We announced the pregnancy at church Sunday after Andrew’s baby dedication and everyone seemed genuinely excited for us. I know this will be a spoiled little baby, and I’m excited to see him/ her raised in this church and this area. We waited until after Sunday to talk with Leah and Andrew about the baby. Of course, Andrew has no thoughts yet; however, Leah's reaction was priceless. When we asked if she wanted a baby brother or baby sister, her response was, "But we don't need another baby, we already have one..." After my appt. she asked if she could see the baby. So I'm hoping as time passes she will start to understand a little better.

Here I Am Again...

I am 3 days more pregnant than I've ever been. :-). According to the dr. this morning, I haven't made any progress, as far as dilating. Of course, I left my 38 week appt. with Leah quite disappointed because I was only a fingertip, and then she was born 2 days later, so... Dr. Fisher mentioned she was on call all weekend, and that would definately be good with me! Monday or Tuesday I noticed he definately "dropped," for whatever that's worth. I've slept much better this past week because he's in a different position, and I can breathe better. I also have the burst of energy they say comes when it's almost time. I've been using it to clean & get other things done, although there's not much I can do to finish Andrew's room.

Yesterday I got to go to the huge Kids Exchange Consignment Sale they have twice a year at the Fairgrounds. I always spend at least 3 or 4 hours there, looking through rows upon rows of toys, clothes, and all sorts of baby stuff. This year I didn't have quite as much time, but I really did rack up! I got a bouncer seat for Andrew (all we have is a swing & I wanted something to keep upstairs & downstairs both), a nice boy blanket, some receiving blankets, a changing pad cover, and several items of clothes for Leah, including 2 pairs of jeans and 3 pairs of pj's for fall. I wished I'd had more time, but then again, I might have spent way too much...

Then last night, Brett's work threw us (and 2 other girls he works with who are pregnant) a baby shower at K & S Cafeteria. We had a good time eating (Leah esp. enjoyed her spaghetti as you can see in the picture), and then we got way more gifts than we thought we would. They all pitched in together and got some things off our Target registry: a humidifier, a baby thermometer, some sleepers & receiving blankets, and some diapers-- all things we were still really needing!

So between the sale & the shower, I think we have absolutely everything we need. (Well, I don't have any diapers yet!) We have been so blessed with gifts of clothes & cheap furniture and everything, even though it is the 2nd baby... I hope he knows, now that he has everything he needs, he can come any day!

38 weeks!

I have made it full-term-- only 16 days till my due date. I am trying to get out of my head the fact that at this point with Leah I had only 4 days left (not that I would mind that, I just don't want to get my hopes up-- Leah was fast & furious, just like she is now; this baby could be much more laid back). I saw Dr. Fisher today (the same one that delivered Leah) and, though she didn't give me any reason to believe he's coming sooner (I am a "fingertip" dilated), she said she was on-call Monday, so she could have a repeat performance.


















It's getting quite uncomfortable to do most anything these days, especially sleep, and carry my toddler around. Of course, the record-setting heat these past few weeks has not helped (I am convinced it is only this hot because I am pregnant!). I'm still feeling decent, though, and haven't really had any Braxton-Hicks, unless you count the strong back pains I get every once in awhile.

Andrew's room is still not ready, although we pretty much have everything we need. We still have to sell the couch that was in the former study, and then switch out the furniture that's in Leah's room, which will require some more painting (Brett's job, not mine!-- Leah's new furniture will be all white. Right now just the dresser is white, the bed is half-done, and the bookshelf not even started.) I'm still not as worried about getting it finished before his arrival, because I know we won't be spending a lot of time in there when he's still newborn.


His clothes are washed & hung up or put in his dresser (and he has a ton). My bag is [mostly] packed, including Andrew's stuff, and Leah has a bag packed for whoever comes to get her when we head to the hospital. His bassinet is all made up. Bottles are washed (although I hope to not have to use those). And we're trying to keep the house clean!

















This is the only decent picture I got from fourth of July. We had a few people over to our house for a cookout Sunday. Leah mostly enjoyed the cake.


Leah got a new haircut (thanks to Sarah & her patience), which I think makes her look a little more feminine and cute, and also more like me! She seems to be talking tons more lately and also have a lot more energy. We have also been having to go through a "cry-it-out" phase at nap time-- she screamed & fought it about an hour the other day, even though I know she was exhausted. (I expected this to happen after the baby, but I don't know why it is happening now-- it's mostly only if she's gotten a 10-minute cat nap in the car that she thinks she doesn't need a nap.)






















I still don't know how much she is understanding about Andrew's arrival, but I am trying to prep her a little every day. She loves to go around saying everyone's name in the family-- "Mommy," "daddy, "Leah," so I have added "Andrew" and she will now say it without prompting every once in a while ("An-ew"). She will also say "no" when asked if she's a baby, and "yes" when she's a big girl. I know she will love to give kisses and hugs to her baby brother-- my main concern is the jealousy she will experience when I'm holding him, and how much she'll try to get away with when I'm unable to stop her.
















This is how much Leah loves "fruffs." We dog-sat Sarah's dog, Sam, recently, and Leah constantly followed that dog around saying "Hi, Sam," "Hi, Sam," kissing her, commanding her to eat and sleep, and even taking her shirt off-- perhaps to be like Sam?

7 Months Pregnant

Things are starting to wind down with this pregnancy-- I can almost see the end. There's only about 8 weeks left, less of course, if I go early like I did with Leah (which I'm not really feeling will happen this time-- don't know why). I'm definately to the point where I'm ready to be done, although I still feel pretty well. I'm getting up about 4-5 times a night to go to the bathroom (oh, the preparation for a newborn) and when I wake up I ache. Every once in awhile I get sharp pains in my back, which, I know, some people start their labor like that, but it's not really like that-- just a general uncomfortable feeling. My hands and feet are starting to swell some on hotter days, and it's definately not as easy to get up & down as it could be!


This baby moves way more than I remember Leah moving. I don't know if it's because he's a boy or because he's the 2nd baby. There are times when he just outright kicks, right in the ribs, and it hurts. There are other times when he just has a party in there, rolling all around (usually after I have caffeine or sugar!). Sometimes it's so much it makes me nauseous. Usually he's most active when I'm relaxing at night, just before bed, and then when I first get in bed. Lately, though, it's been an all-day thing!


We are getting there on the preparations for his room. A family in our current church generously gave us 2 sets of boy bedding they no longer needed. We really liked one of the sets and have decided to use that. We already have the quilt, sheets, bumper & even a mobile & diaper stacker. Really all I'd like to get is probably a hamper and a lamp. We bought the letters to hang his name on the wall, like Leah's-- we just have to paint them. Thankfully, the room is already a dark blue and matches his bedding set perfectly!























We recently purchased Leah a toddler bed off Craig's List for $50, so now we can get ready to make the switch. (Leah will probably do fine, but I don't know if I'm ready for her to be a big girl yet!) We plan to put all Leah's furniture into Andrew's room and get Leah a new dresser & small table w/ chairs to go with her bed in her room. Of course, this is all contingent on getting rid of all the office furniture we just cannot seem to sell-- we've had it posted on Craig's List almost 3 months now. Right now, his room has become a huge storage area, with all the clothes we've been given and it looks like this. Poor kid!

Me @ 31 weeks

18 Months Old/ 4 Months Pregnant

Leah @ 18 Months Old:


- Still weighs only about 21 1/2 lbs. (although it feels a little heavier now that I'm pregnant!) and isn't much taller than she was at her last dr.'s appt.



- Is finally bottle-free! She still wants to eat as soon as she wakes up & sometimes asks for a "ba-ba" but is definately a morning person & for the most part happy & ready to go when we go to get her from her bed. She is not very good about drinking milk with her meals (she always asks for juice) so I make sure she has plenty of yogurt, cheese, and other milk products so she gets enough. She has stopped eating some of her old favorites (like bananas and chicken nuggets).



- Has been waking up during the night these past two weeks, and crying enough to where she needs to be consoled to get back to sleep. Maybe she's preparing me for her baby brother? She's also not been easy to put to bed. She cries and cries and acts as if she's not even tired when it's way past 8:00. Nap time is still okay on school days, but weekends are unpredictable.


- Knows the name of at least 5 Sesame Street characters, although I can't say she's ever even watched an episode (aside from one or two sing-along DVD's we have).


- Has reached a lot of other cool "kid" milestones that sometimes go unnoticed: she can kick a ball, she can stack blocks, she can put together a small puzzle, she can recognize 6 or 7 different animals by name, she scribbles well...

























- Loves to play peek-a-boo on her own now. She will cover up her face with her hands or a blanket or hide behind a door until we say "Where's Leah?" and then she'll peek out and say "boo!" She also hides behind doors and comes out to say "boo." I must get a video of this-- it is really funny!


- Has become quite the imitator. If you repeat a word to her enough, she will try to say it. Same goes for her actions. Sometimes I will catch her doing something and wonder where she's learned it until I realize she must have seen me or someone else doing it before.

- Her favorite new phrase is "No, mine!" And she says "no!" to a lot of other things. And here I thought we'd have plenty more time till the sassiness began.


- Has hair long enough to put in pig-tails, but won't sit still long enough for me to put them in-- and even if she did, she'd probably pull them right out. Here's the best I could do-- and they came out only seconds later.





















- Loves to "help" around the house. She will help me pick things up if I drop them (which is great for a pregnant mommy!) and will occasionally go get things I ask her for. She also loves to get involved if we are working on something around the house. Like when I went to put batteries in her toy:















- Has learned her own name now, even though it sounds something like "Ya-ya." When she goes around pointing at herself & saying "baby," we're quick to tell her, no, "Leah-- big girl." If I'm in the other room, she will start yelling her own name, as if she's calling me, but has gotten confused!























The pregnancy @ the 4th month/ 19 weeks:


- As usual, I was a little over-eager with the gift registering and getting baby stuff ready. I still think it's a part of my "nesting" instinct, although technically I don't think that's supposed to kick in til later. Anyway, I went to Target & Babies 'R Us "just to look" at boy stuff & ended up doing registries at both places. I don't know if we'll have a shower this time, but at least now I have an idea of what I want/ need. We did agree on a bedding set we really like (of course it is one of the most expensive!). It's not blue, but rather browns & reds-- pretty masculine!
















I also went through Leah's old baby clothes and managed (out of 3 huge bags) to pull out about 8 or 9 things that a boy could possibly wear, along with some plain white onesies & some blue receiving blankets & gender-neutral pants. I have already heard from several people that they have some boy clothes they want to give me. So we're going to have to get him a new dresser pretty soon!

We plan to sell the furniture from Brett's office & convert that to the new baby's room. It is already painted a dark blue, but we may change it to a neutral tan color. He will use Leah's crib & she will (hopefully) move into a toddler bed. So the only furniture we will really need for his room will be a dresser/ changing table. And Leah will need a toddler bed, and I would also like to get her either a table & chairs or a nice plush reading chair. We've moved the desk I had in Leah's room downstairs into the kitchen & that will serve as our "office" area until we can get a bigger house.


- Although I haven't really gained much weight at all-- like less than 5 lbs.-- I am most definately in maternity clothes now & have a distinctive "big belly."

- I think I can feel the baby moving sometimes-- mostly in the evening when I'm sitting down resting, although I'm not 100% sure that's what it is, since it is so subtle, almost just like a little butterfly. I mean, I should know what it feels like, and I'm sure I will once it is all-out kicking, but right now it is still a little early for that.



- While pregnant with Leah, I could eat anything and everything. However, this time it seems like I can only eat about half as much as I normally would before I feel extremely full/ bloated. Perhaps it's just a phase, but it's rather uncomfortable...


- We're pretty sure we have a name picked out for baby boy, but I'm not going to reveal it just yet. We will tell some of you, but not everyone. We're still kind of going back & forth between 2 or 3 different ones, anyway.













19 weeks: March 1, 2010