In late February, I finally bit the bullet and scheduled a baby milestone photo package with my photographer, Studio.1328. I've really never been too crazy about the idea of having maternity photos taken...I mean...let's be serious...am I really ever going to display them in a frame at home? Chances are not so hot! However, this being said, looking back, I do love that we documented our growing family with photos while I was expecting both C (just some do-it-yourself snaps) & G (professional photos), and think it is special to have these last memories of our lives before each of our new littles arrived. This particular shoot was our first time attempting outdoor pictures in the winter, and I absolutely LOVE how they turned out. The boys were thrilled at the unexpected opportunity of playing outside in the snow, and even though it was a blustery chilly evening, they were great sports, and had no problem ditching their winter coats for a few photos.

 

Photo Credit || Studio.1328

39 Weeks

Week 39

How far along:

39 weeks! We are officially into uncharted territory! 

Best moments so far:

At this morning's appointment, G for once didn't have a complete conniption while I was getting all checked over. Baby's heart rate was steady at 135bpm, and I am dilated somewhere in the 2-3cm range. My doc stripped membranes (a very unpleasant...yet quick ordeal), and stretched my cervix to hopefully get things moving along. Typically, if this is going to work, I should see some sort of action within 24-48 hours, so we'll see. If not, in light of the fact that I am 39 weeks, and there is no real medical benefit to keeping baby inside any longer, plus my history of precipitous deliveries, I did get scheduled to be induced this coming Friday morning if we haven't had the pleasure of meeting our newest little peanut by then. The end is near! If we do make it to Friday, this babe will be a birthday twin with my sister-in-law, and born on Good Friday, so that would be pretty fun too! In other news, my doc is thinking this is going to be a bigger baby than C or G was (which would make sense as I am further along at this point than I was with either of them when they were born), but when I told her my newest niece was over 9 lbs, she said she's pretty sure we aren't looking at that big of a baby. Whew! Sigh of relief!

Maternity clothes:

Yes. This top from Gap Maternity continues to be one of my favorite, and most-worn winter pieces.

Sleep: 

Not terrible. It gets harder and harder to roll over without 'helping' my watermelon along. Ha. Still getting up just once a night to use the restroom, but other than that, sleep hasn't been too bad.

Miss Anything:

Energy and being comfortable. Being 39 weeks pregnant is no joke. Particularly when you have busy active little boys in your life that drain any sort of energy you might have left over just as quickly as they can. At this point, I'm pretty much only comfortable when I am sitting down with my feet up. T can probably kiss goodbye any high hopes he has for any gourmet meals from here on out. Cold cereal and frozen pizza or sandwiches is about all I have any interest in preparing. I'm sincerely looking forward to warm enough weather to sit outside on the deck again and have cold-meat...read salami...sandwiches and easy grilled meals. Summer can't come soon enough!

Baby Movement:

Yes. Baby is still active, although has slowed down quite a bit as space continues to grow tight. It's amazing that this little one is still packing on 1/2 lb a week! My personal weight didn't hardly change at all between last weeks appointment and this morning (I've gained somewhere in the range of 25-30lbs, which is pretty much spot on with my weight gain with C & G at the end of my previous pregnancies). I'd like to think that this babe is taking the extra calories I've had from my M&Ms and popcorn or ice cream late night snacks this week!

Cravings and Aversions:

Peppermint & chocolate. Last week, I made a mint cake for St. Paddy's Day, and just last night, T & I shared mint chocolate ice cream with a peppermint chocolate cookie...Yum...yum...yum. 

Queasy or sick:

Nope.

Symptoms: 

I've been super tired this week, and have needed a mid-afternoon nap pretty much every day. Thankfully, both boys have been good about taking naps this week, and I've been able to sneak in an hour or two most days. 

Looking forward to:

Meeting this little person! It's pretty exciting knowing that sometime in the next several days we will be welcoming our newest little bundle of joy! It's finally starting to show some signs of warming up around here, and it would be great to be able to get outside more regularly and not be so uncomfortable. It's near impossible at this point for me to chase our little people around or make them cooperate when it is time to come inside (or to do anything for that matter), so being able to move around more easily is definitely high up on my list of things I'm looking forward to!

38 Weeks

Week 38

How far along:

38 weeks! Any day now! Also - I made mint cake over the weekend, so the fact that baby is the size of a cake is quite fitting! 

Best moments so far:

At my checkup this morning, we got to hear baby's heartbeat...strong and steady at 140bpm. I didn't have much change from last week's checkup, and am dilated 2cm internally, 3cm externally, and still just 75% thinned. I reminded my Doc that I was guessing baby would arrive around the 22nd, and she reminded me that she will be gone most of that day, so would prefer Saturday to get her out of working the Urgent Care Clinic...LOL. Who knows...T suggested last night that maybe we'll make it to April 1st and have an April Fool's Day baby. Seeing as how the birthstone for April is a diamond, this may backfire on him if I ever decide to invest in some birthstone jewelry for my little loves! :)

Maternity clothes:

Pretty much unavoidable at this point! Above striped top is Old Navy, jeans are Motherhood Maternity, and fur vest is non-maternity. Did I mention the weather is terrible today - icy/slushy/snowy mix since we woke up this morning. Ugh. Seems that every time I have an appointment, we get some kind of wintery mix I have to drive in!

Sleep: 

Not too bad. I do quite a bit of turning throughout the night though as my legs or arms loose feeling.

Miss Anything:

Consistently warm weather! We had a few nice days last week that we could get out for some short walks around the block, but the week ahead is looking like quite a bit of precipitation in the forecast, so chances are we will be spending most of the week inside. Seems like a good week to have a new baby if you ask me!

Baby Movement:

Yes. Baby is still quite active, usually most noticeable during mid-afternoon and then before bed. I have not noticed as much action when I actually lay down at night, or in the early mornings, so maybe this babe is taking note of good times to be asleep or awake! Hahahaha.....we can dream right!?

Cravings and Aversions:

I bought ingredients to make lasagna this week sometime, so I guess you might say Italian food. When G was born, I had to cut out all tomato based sauces as they caused him quite a bit of discomfort with nursing, so I'm hoping to get at least one last meal with red sauce in before baby arrives in case we have the same issue this go around.

Queasy or sick:

No. 

Symptoms: 

Nothing too crazy. Just a general slow-down of getting around, and some fatigue. I haven't had any sort of consistent contractions this week, but hope to have some more in the coming week! With G, at this point in my pregnancy, I was experiencing some regular round ligament pain, but so far, I have not had any this time around. T says that maybe my ligaments are just so stretched out that I won't have any. I'm sure that will make getting into any sort of shape after baby pretty difficult!

Looking forward to:

Meeting this new little one! I would greatly appreciate not having a nine pound baby as I will likely be without an epidural, so the sooner the better! The boys got to meet their newest baby GIRL cousin over the weekend (sadly, I did not as it was too far for me to travel by myself this late in my pregnancy, and T was on call), and have now decided that maybe they would like a sister instead of a brother. While T & I know baby's gender, we have not shared with anyone if we'll be welcoming a boy or girl, so I'm looking forward to seeing the boys' reactions when they finally get to meet their new sibling sometime in the next couple of weeks!

37 Weeks

Week 37

How far along:

37 weeks! We made it through the week, which is more than my doc was predicting, so who knows when this baby will decide to arrive?! T is convinced it will be tonight, so we will see. At my checkup this morning, baby's heart rate was a steady 130bpm, I was dilated 1-2cm, which is a change from last week's 1cm, and baby was even lower than last week. I didn't have too many contractions in the last week, but I won't be too surprised if they pick up this week.

Best moments so far:

Finding out after last week's checkup that I tested negative for Strep B which I had with both of my previous pregnancies was a small relief. One out of four women will test positive for Strep B and need four hours of antibiotics to protect baby from potential sickness before delivery, and with G, I maybe only got about 10 seconds before he was born and the IV ripped out of my arm. Not having to worry about that this time around is great!

Maternity clothes:

Yes. Above top is old from Gap, and jeans are Motherhood Maternity skinnies.

Sleep: 

Not too bad, but I've consistently had to get up during the night for the restroom which is something I didn't have the pleasure of dealing with on a regular basis until this last couple of weeks.

Miss Anything:

Warm temps and outside exercise that is longer than just around the block. C has taken to riding his balance bike while we are out walking, and I don't think he could make it much further than around the block, but it'd be great if the weather could warm up and stay light out for a few more hours so that I could sneak in a longer walk after T is home and the boys are in bed for the evening. I'm not much of a gym person, and far prefer to get my exercise outside in the fresh air rather than on a treadmill, so I'm hopeful that we can somehow find a way to make it work to go on regular outdoor daytime walks this summer with three little people under four and only a double stroller. May have to call in the grandma reinforcements on a more regular basis so I can go without the entire crew every time!

Baby Movement:

Yes. Baby continues to be quite active - particularly in the evening, and has very big movements with lots of strong kicks. 

Cravings and Aversions:

At this very moment in time...rice crispy bars with extra marshmallows and dark chocolate M&Ms sound just about perfect. I was at the store today and totally forgot to pick up the supplies. Bummer! Maybe tomorrow!

Queasy or sick:

Nope.

Symptoms: 

I've been quite tired this week and have needed an afternoon catnap a couple of days. C is starting to fight nap time and hasn't been as consistent of a napper which makes things particularly difficult when it comes to catching up on some sleep myself or having a little time to myself in the afternoon to regroup. I'm sure this will continue to plague me after baby arrives on a whole new level!

Looking forward to:

Hopefully meeting our newest little love soon, and praying that it would happen at the hospital, and not at home! At the same time, I can't say I'm looking forward to losing a solid night's sleep and diving into having a newborn who may take months to sleep through the night. I'm also somewhat dreading the labor process itself and hoping it will go quickly so that I don't have to deal with the pain of actual labor any longer than absolutely necessary. Chances are pretty solid that I won't have an opportunity for an epidural, so I'm going to focus on the fact that after baby arrives, we will have a completely new little love to cover in kisses rather than dwell on the intensity that is the childbirth process itself.

36 Weeks

Week 36

How far along:

36 weeks! We have officially reached the week that if I go into labor, my hospital is OK with delivering me locally. Ha. As if they would have had a smidge of a chance of transferring me last week. It is a nice thought though! Our newest little love is far enough along that we wouldn't be looking at a NICU stay if born today (at least not for being born too early), and continues to measure right on the mark for gestational age.

Best moments so far:

My OB checkup this morning was a family affair, and due to a late start at the elementary school from bad weather yesterday, both boys tagged along, as well as a rare appearance from T. I sent him a text when we got to the room for my appointment to let him know where to meet us, but also that he could probably just listen for G who would be crying because he doesn't like my doctor's nurse (who is the sweetest lady and feels terrible that he doesn't like her...we have no idea why), and he's worried about his mommy. It was the first appointment T has been to, so it was fun for he and the boys to all listen to baby's heartbeat (130bpm) while my doctor was performing her checks.

After the doppler heart rate check, my doc shoo-ed the boys out of the room for a more in depth check to gauge where everything really stands. Before this check she asked if we had any bets going as to when baby would arrive. I told her I was betting March 22nd. After her check, she let me know that that would be pretty unlikely as I am dilated 3cm externally, 1cm internally, 75% thinned, and baby is sitting very low. She is reasonably confident that baby will arrive sometime in the next week. EEK! She is also out of town for several days in the coming couple of weeks and T is on call on an upcoming weekend while my doc is out of town (for conflict of interest reasons - you know...being too emotionally involved and such, he should not deliver his own child unless he absolutely has to...ie home birth), so we worked out a plan of who will cover if baby should arrive during those times.

Afterwards, when I filled T in on the news, I think he was caught off guard a bit! His first reaction was 'Geez, I better get my car cleaned out!' (Insert head-shaking wife here). I mean really...it takes a new baby to get this man to clean his car. For realz. This being said, with C being born around 37.5 weeks, and G at 38 weeks, if new baby were to come sometime this week, it would be my earliest delivery yet. At least now I have a little heads up that I really need to slow down and pay VERY close attention to any sort of patterns in contractions. Both of my other labors started in the middle of the night when I didn't have anything else on my mind, but I worry that if I were to go into labor during the daytime when I'm busy with C & G, I may not notice right away that my contractions are not just Braxton Hicks!

Maternity clothes:

Yes. Give me ALL the spandex! Even my maternity jeans are not comfortable at this point, so you are likely to see me sporting leggings or yoga pants with camis and cardigans pretty much every day from here on out!

Sleep: 

Not super wonderful, but manageable. I've been having to get up around 4:30am to use the restroom after going to bed around 11:30pm pretty much every night this week. Our boys have also been getting up earlier than typical by about a half hour or so (around 6:45-7am), which has meant getting up in the morning before I'd like. I'll be curious to see if this switches back once we hit daylight savings and it stays dark outside longer in the morning. I've also noticed that wake-up time...at least for G...is usually tied to hunger as he wants to eat literally the moment he wakes up. Lately, it has become apparent that if we aren't eating dinner by 6pm, neither of the boys eats very well, and thus go to bed with not as much in their tummies to keep them content until T & I are ready to get up in the morning. While C is a bit older and knows that a meal will eventually come, G is very adamant that he have food in his mouth no less than 60 seconds after getting him up, and generally, handing him his milk does not do the trick!

Miss Anything:

Getting around easily. My body is just tired these days, and it is particularly hard to be at this stage of pregnancy during the winter months. Bending over to get winter boots on is near impossible, and even my maternity coat no longer zips over the bump. Looking forward to spring weather and sandals!

Baby Movement:

Baby is still active, but is definitely running out of space.

Cravings and Aversions:

Fruit and dark chocolate M&Ms this week. I love fresh pineapple, and lucky for me, our local grocery store sells it pre-cut. Yes, it is more expensive to buy this way, but no, I do not have time or patience to cut it up myself. Not to mention that neither of the boys are huge pineapple lovers, and I don't think I could eat the entire thing to myself. 

Queasy or sick:

Nope.

Symptoms: 

I've had quite a few Braxton Hicks contractions this last few days. They seem to strike every other day, and are usually near the end of the day after being on my feet to cook dinner and get the boys settled in for the night, or if we have been running around more than usual.

Looking forward to:

Meeting our newest little love, now that we know we are so close! This entire process seems a bit surreal to us at this point since our time is so consumed with the other little people in our lives. We are both convinced that it will be a rough transition adding a new little person to our family with the boys current ages and needs, but with any hope, they will be the very best big brothers.

I also have a haircut scheduled this week, and we are supposed to take maternity photos on Thursday, so we'll see if we make it to then! Fingers are crossed! I stocked up on groceries this morning for the next few days, but would love to have at least a few more days and get through pictures before baby decides to arrive! I did partially pack my hospital bag, so at least that is something I can check off the list!

35 Weeks

Week 35

How far along:

35 weeks.

Best moments so far:

Does nap time count? As I near the end of this pregnancy, my overall patience level with the boys...in particular, one specific 3.5 year old who is constantly causing trouble towards his brother (think pushing, tackling, touching when not wanting to be touched, stealing whatever toy he is playing with, encouraging bad manners at the dinner table, and overall just using an extra loud and aggressive tone and attitude towards him)...has been next to ZERO. I'll be honest, I'm completely fed up, and have a serious love-hate relationship right now. I am so thankful when T gets home in the evening, or when I can take him to school for a few hours just to be able to recenter and have a chance to play with our little G without him running and hiding between my legs because his big brother is scaring him. We definitely need of a new form of discipline around here, because so far, nothing we have been doing has any staying power, and only seems to make things worse. If his act doesn't clean up in the next couple of weeks, I'm strongly considering sending him to daycare. Adding a new...and very fragile baby...while functioning on very little sleep...to the already super stressful days with our oldest, is most likely a huge recipe for disaster in the coming weeks. So...best moment? No. But at this point, it can hopefully only get better.

In a true 'best moment', I did get a dress to wear for maternity photos (assuming my photographer gets back to me before baby arrives!), and I also settled on family picture outfits for newborn photos. This had been stressing me out BIG time, so I'm hopeful that when everything arrives in the mail, it will all look GREAT together, and I won't have to worry about it again until next fall when we do family pics for Christmas cards!

Other highlights from the week include attending registration and open house for C's new preschool next fall. It seems waaaaaaay too early to even be thinking about this, but that's the way of the world! He loved meeting his potential teachers and exploring around the preschool rooms to see what 'school' is all about at the elementary level! He later told me that he was going to teach his little brother all about how to do it, and also teach him how to use the potty like a big boy. #thinkshesallgrownup #moretalkthanactions #onecanonlyhope

Maternity clothes:

Most. 

Sleep: 

Ok, but as baby continues to grow, the space for my bladder is getting smaller and smaller, and I have found myself having to get up more in the last week during the night to use the restroom.

Miss Anything:

Peace. See above 'best moment'.

Baby Movement:

LOTS. I do feel like baby's movements have maybe slowed down a little during the daytime hours, but when I finally sit down at the end of the evening, the kicking, rolling, and flipping is nonstop until after I fall asleep. I was convinced last night that the baby was going to kick itself right out of the womb!

Cravings and Aversions:

Fruit this week. Fresh pineapple, raspberries, and orange juice. Yum yum. Don't worry though, my daily craving for chocolate or sweets remains unchanged.

Queasy or sick:

Nope.

Symptoms: 

I've had more fatigue this week than I had the past few weeks, and have needed an afternoon siesta on several occasions to get caught up. I haven't had a crazy amount of Braxton Hicks at all, so I think it's safe to say that baby is not thinking of an early arrival this coming week! 

Looking forward to:

My 36 week checkup is next week, and after some discussion, T has decided he may actually make an effort to join me. He came to most of my appointments with C, and a handful with G, but has yet to come to a single appointment (aside from ultrasounds) with baby 3. If nothing else, maybe it will keep G a little more content to have dad there so he doesn't have to crawl on top of me while my doctor is trying to check baby out! After this next appointment, I'll be starting weekly checkups until baby's arrival, and it all becomes much more real!

On my mind:
I've been thinking about finding a baby book lately, but am not sure what direction to take. I did get a childhood history journal from Promptly Journals (same as the ones C & G have) that goes from pregnancy-18 years old, but I think it might be fun to have a more traditional 'baby' book with more room for pictures to document baby's first year. (The Promptly Journal is amazing, but only allows room for one picture at each month of the first year, and focuses more on the writing). G has this one, which is cute, but I'm not convinced I would buy again as many of the photos it requires are a super inconvenient 3x3 size which I have yet to find someone who prints, and some of the milestones it picks out are not necessarily things I took pictures of. I'm thinking maybe something more clean and simple like this one from Artifact Uprising might be just the ticket.

Speaking of 'clean and simple', I've been contemplating investing in a new play gym for baby that isn't quite so wild and crazy to have on our main floor. I've read several articles lately about many of the playmats on the market being overstimulating for babies, and this one from Lovevery was designed by a group of child development experts with specific milestones in mind. It doesn't hurt that it is a 2018 National Parenting product award winner, comes with play suggestions for the first year, is aesthetically pleasing to the eye, and has great reviews. Not to mention, it would be nice to have a play gym on each level of our home so that there is an obvious 'safe zone' for baby to play that is impossible to miss for the other two wild & crazy kids in this household...eh hemmm....I'm looking at you C & G. You can read more about the Lovevery play gym HERE.

In other unrelated baby news, I've been thinking about getting C's birthday party planning underway. I won't likely have too much extra time on my hands after baby's arrival to do much party planning, so anything I can get done ahead of time might be great. He's been telling me he wants a 'taco party' lately, so maybe we'll have a Four Year Old Fiesta! Taco House anyone?!

34 Weeks

Week 34

How far along:

34 weeks. How ironic that baby is the size of a box of cookies, since my countertop is currently loaded up with boxes of cookies after a Girl Scout cookie haul! In other news, we learned in our baby book that the average baby at this age is about 5.5 lbs and 12 inches long. Lots of growing in the length department for this little one to catch up with where big brothers were length wise when they were born!

At my OB checkup this morning, baby still continues to measure exactly on track, and had a heart rate of 130bpm. See what I mean about the heart rate being all over the place!? My last appointment I think it was around 160bpm, and before that 140bpm. No consistency in the home stretch I guess! G happened to be with me for the appointment, and he was so concerned about everything happening, that he wouldn't even let me get my weight checked without being held, had to come to the bathroom with me, and literally climbed onto the exam table and sat down right on my face while my doctor was using the Doppler to check for heart tones. Standing on a chair holding my hand was not nearly close enough for this little mama's boy! Such a little mother hen!

Best moments so far:

G took notice of my stomach for the first time this past week, and when I explained to him there is a baby in there, he was oh so curious! He patted my tummy, and looked at me expectantly as if to say 'how can this be?'. I informed him he was going to be a Big Brother, and his face split into a wide grin. Oh so sweet. Hopefully he will be a great big brother when the time arrives, and understand that he won't be the baby of the house anymore! Wishful thinking no doubt!

C, meanwhile, has accepted and seems to be looking forward to the fact that a new baby will be joining our family around Easter. This last month or so he has been very curious about the baby, and is always asking questions about 'when will the baby come out?', 'will the baby pop out?', etc. C struggles with sharing my attention with G during the day when he is home and not in school, so I am thinking his transition to sharing even more of his 'mom time' once baby arrives may be a tough few weeks until we get into some sort of routine. Hopefully our visitors those first few weeks will make a point to single him out too, and not just focus all attention on the newest little one!

Maternity clothes:

Yes. Usually a mashup of maternity + non-maternity layering pieces.

Sleep: 

Not too bad. Starting to think I should go to be earlier though to take advantage of these last few weeks of uninterrupted sleep for the foreseeable future.

Miss Anything:

The occasional glass of wine. We've had a lot of cold weather and ice lately, and being cooped up inside all day long with the boys has been a true test of patience. It'd be great if I could unWINEd at the end of the day!

Baby Movement:

Yes. Somewhat slowed down during the day at least, but when baby is moving, my entire stomach moves. I think there has been lots of flipping around this week!

Cravings and Aversions:

Nothing in particular.

Queasy or sick:

Nope.

Symptoms: 

I've had occasional back pain when sitting/standing in my lower left back this past week. This is the same spot that plagued me earlier on, but T assures me it is just a muscle, and not a nerve getting pinched since I don't have any radiating pain or tingling to go along with it. Either way, it has been pretty uncomfortable at times.

Looking forward to:

I ordered a personalized baby blanket with baby's NAME printed on it this week...Eeek! There's no turning back now! It has a 3-4 week turnaround + shipping time, so prayers that this little one doesn't arrive before my hospital photo prop! My parents were asking over the weekend if we had a name picked out, and I got the all clear from Grandpa T to use our chosen name even if my brother and his wife end up using the same one...HA! Chances are that we will have a new niece or nephew before our littlest love arrives, so fingers are crossed we don't choose the same name! If we do...at least we live in different towns and have different last names! While we have had baby's first name picked out for a while, we have yet to make a final decision on a middle name. With G, we didn't decide until after he was born, so unless we really buckle down, we won't likely be monogramming anything with baby's initials! Speaking of monogramming with initials...G's nursery still has C's initials above the crib, so obviously this hasn't been a priority at our house! Whoops!

This week I reached out to our family photographer to set up a baby bundle photo package, and am now stressed about what everyone will wear for newborn family pictures. Obviously most of the pics will just be of the new baby, but I love the pics we have of the boys together from when G was born, and I have one of our entire family from when each of the boys was born hanging on the wall in our bedroom. Such a special time to remember, and I look forward to capturing this memory again with our newest little one.

On my mind:
T & I were talking this week, and I commented that we may only be three weeks away from adding a new little one to our family. C was born at 37 weeks, and G at 38 weeks, so it will be interesting to see when this little bundle will arrive. A friend of mine who has more than two kiddos told me that with each consecutive pregnancy, her babies were born closer and closer to her actual due date after having a couple of early arrivers, so who knows...maybe we'll make it to 40 weeks this time! What it definitely means, however, is that I need to start thinking about getting baby clothes washed up and a hospital bag ready...sooner rather than later just in case!

I mentioned one of my biggest concerns (making it to the hospital for delivery) to my doctor this morning at my OB appointment, and she commented that I need to make it at least two more weeks to be able to deliver locally. She also let me know that she has pretty much zero confidence that I would be able to make it to a bigger city (1.5hrs away assuming I left immediately) before baby came if I were to go into labor between now and then, so in other words, we'd basically just be 'up a creek' so to speak. Hey thanks for the vote of confidence! She also voiced a thought that I should maybe consider having someone else drive C to school/me to the hospital as we get closer to my due date so that I'm not that much further away in case I went into labor while on the opposite side of town, or worry about trying to drive myself there while being in active labor if T is at work. Each delivery is different, so we can't know for sure what to expect, but if history were to repeat itself, not making it to the hospital could be a very real possibility. I am hopeful that as long as my bag is packed, I will be as prepared as I possibly can be to get there in plenty of time! A feat that would certainly be easier to accomplish if my two little sidekicks were peacefully sleeping!

33 Weeks

Week 33

How far along:

33 weeks...this past week seems to be over before I could blink, and before we know it, we will have another little one around here. Our baby book says that baby will be gaining about 1/2 lb a week from this point until the end, so lots of growing going on! I'm starting to get excited to meet our newest family member but also starting to feel the crunch to get some baby things organized...or maybe just anything organized! Commence nesting mode!

Best moments so far:

We've been in full Valentine's mode over here for the last couple of days. C has a party at school, and decided he'd like to take 'train' Valentines to his classmates and teachers, so I've spent more time than I'd care to think about constructing said Valentines. They turned out super cute - I'll give him that. Tonight, we are planning to construct and decorate a train themed Valentine box for his party at school in the morning, and he can hardly wait to work on a project. With all the talk about love & hearts around here, C asked me one night this week 'Is the baby eating your heart?'...LOL. Oh my...the questions kids come up with!

Maternity clothes:

Yes. Above sweater is old from Gap, but it's one of my favorite colors to wear, and I couldn't resist wearing a little pink to celebrate Valentine's Day this week!

Sleep: 

Not terrible. Just a lot of tossing and turning throughout the night. I may have gone to bed before 10pm last night, so I'm feeling a little more energized today than normal!

Miss Anything:

Warm weather. It has been another super cold week, and we have barely left the house for any exercise or fresh air. There is supposed to be one warm day in the coming week, so I'm hopeful it works out to get outside and maybe take a stroll around the block.

Baby Movement:

Yes, but I think movement has slowed down quite a bit this week as baby seems to be running out of room to be quite so active. 

Cravings and Aversions:

I picked up a giant box of strawberries at the store this week, and am looking forward to making some strawberry shortcake (one of my favorite desserts) for Valentines.

Queasy or sick:

Nope.

Symptoms: 

I have not had nearly the same amount of Braxton Hicks this week as I had the past couple of weeks, and I imagine this is a product of being back in our regular routine and not moving around so much.

Looking forward to:

I've started to think about packing a hospital bag, and getting together a take-home outfit for baby. With C, I was super unprepared as he came much earlier than we were anticipating (3 weeks early), and I would like to find the new baby a special outfit for coming home, and a couple of blanket/hat combos to use for pictures at the hospital. We should probably start thinking about digging out our infant carseat and getting that installed as well, but I am dreading the day when I have to put C in the 3rd row and figure out how to climb up and around the other seats to help him get buckled/unbuckled every. single. time. we go anywhere. Ugh. It would certainly just be easier to switch vehicles...hint hint...The thought of setting new baby outside in the rain & elements this spring while I help C get in and out of the car really doesn't get me too excited!

On My Mind:
One of my biggest...and scariest...concerns for this pregnancy are the logistics of getting to the hospital before baby decides to arrive. I know a couple of girls who have had such quick deliveries that they ended up delivering at home unexpectedly, and I just cringe at the thought of having to deal with that trauma to both myself and the boys who would no doubt be onlookers to the event, or at least screaming for attention or worry for mommy from the other room. My fingers are crossed that whenever the day arrives, T will still be at home, and not 30 minutes away at work, and that I will not be all the way across town running errands. Based on my experience with G, there is zero chance I will be driving myself to the hospital! Oh...did I mention that the nurses on the OB floor told T he better get an at-home delivery kit put together?! For real tho...

32 Weeks

Week 32

How far along:

32 weeks, and feeling more like 40! This past week of traveling, while lots of fun, was exhausting when you add in the fact that I'm in my third trimester and am carrying around what feels like a watermelon in my abdomen. After spending the week together on vacation, T has predicted that baby #3 will come at 35.5 weeks (a bit earlier than I'd like!) based on my general difficulty getting around and overall discomfort. While I'm looking forward to newborn snuggles, I'm most definitely not prepared to bring home a newborn in three weeks! Eek!

Best moments so far:

It was soooo nice to get some fresh air and sunshine this past week in Florida. I enjoyed several slow walks on the beach, and T & I even got to sneak out for a couple of dinners out after the boys went to bed. Thanks Gma J & Gpa T! I'm not sure how many more opportunities we will have for 'date nights' before baby comes, so it was especially nice to be able to enjoy a few hours out sans kiddos while on vacation.

Also exciting, I had an OB checkup this morning, and did not in fact gain 10 lbs while traveling! Ha! Baby checked out fine, and had a heart rate of 160bpm...two weeks ago at my appointment baby's heart rate was just 140bpm, and at every appointment previously was a consistent 150bpm, so a little random that it has been so sporadic lately, but all is still within the normal range. P.S., did I mention that both boys tagged along for my appointment? A real treat to be sure. G was so worried about the fact that I wasn't holding him that he had to stand on a chair next to the table with his hands ON me while my doctor was using the Doppler to find baby's heartbeat. He's going to be just a bundle of fun when new baby arrives and he no longer is the baby of the house!

Maternity clothes:

Yes. My standard uniform is typically some form of black pants/leggings paired with a cami and an open cardigan. 

Sleep: 

Not real great. We slept in a queen sized bed while on vacation last week, and I was constantly being woken up because I was too hot from T's body heat. Happy to be home now and back in our king sized bed with room to breathe! I think at this point in my pregnancy with G, I had started sleeping with a pillow between my knees to ward off hip pain, but so far, I haven't had any serious discomfort to make me want to introduce another pillow at bedtime.

Miss Anything:

Warm weather. Not excited for the week of negative degree temps and snow ahead!

Baby Movement:

Lots! T commented that he thinks this baby is much more active than either C or G were, and I would have to agree.

Cravings and Aversions:

Nothing in particular, but I did enjoy eating lots of fish this last week. Wish I was comfortable cooking it and could get good quality (a.k.a. non-fishy tasting) fish at home! Until then, I'll just be dreaming of my favorite blackened grouper sandwiches, and pecan-crusted snapper. Yum yum yum.

Queasy or sick:

Nope.

Symptoms: 

Lots of Braxton Hicks contractions this week, and overall discomfort. I'm guessing a product of traveling and being much more active than typical.

Looking forward to:

I'm working on planning out a little surprise for the boys from their new sibling when they come to visit at the hospital, and have been brainstorming what to include. So far, this 'big brother' t-shirt is a must-have for when they come to visit, but I'm still contemplating what else to include. I think I'll probably snatch up a couple of books about being a big brother (here & here), and maybe a new toy of some sort and snacks to occupy some time while 'quietly' visiting the OB floor...haha...wishful thinking I'm sure. With baby 3's due date very close to Easter, I don't want to get too carried away and step on the Easter Bunny's toes!

31 Weeks

Week 31

How far along:

31 weeks

Best moments so far:

We got to Florida yesterday, and are so looking forward to some fresh air, sunshine, and walks on the beach. Over the weekend, we had fun attending some Winter Games events at the lake, and spending time together as a family...likely for the last time before either my Sis-In-Law or myself has a new baby!

Maternity clothes:

Most. The dress I'm wearing in this photo ironically is not.

Sleep: 

Ok. I've been finishing up my most recent book, The Nightingale (excellent read by the way), and so have been staying up much later than I probably should. Luckily, I've been able to catch a few extra winks a couple days this week while the boys have been napping.

Miss Anything:

Getting around easily. Third trimester during the winter is a whole different ballgame than it is in the summer! Trying to zip up my winter coat or putting on boots are certainly not highlights of my day!

Baby Movement:

Lots. T has been amazed by the strength of the kicks he's been able to feel, and is always commenting on how active this little one is. I feel like there is not much room for baby to be moving around as much, but apparently, there is more room than I think!

Cravings and Aversions:

Nothing in particular. Looking forward to eating lots of fish in the next week while we are on vacation.

Queasy or sick:

Nope.

Symptoms: 

Same as last week. Overall fatigue...generally hits in the mid afternoon.

Looking forward to:

Enjoying a week of sunshine and weather warm enough that I don't need snow boots and winter gear on!

30 Weeks

Week 30

How far along:

30 weeks! Eeek! If I were to go full term, only 10 more weeks to go. I'll be honest...10 more weeks sounds like a lifetime away. I'm sincerely hoping for something more around eight or so weeks. I've found that being in the late stages of pregnancy during the coldest time of the year is not exactly what I would call my cup of tea. I know lots of ladies complain about being super pregnant in the middle of summer, but I'd take loose flowy dresses and less layers any day over this nonsense of trying to find my feet to get on winter boots, and zipping up a coat over the five layers I already have on. Let's not even talk about the added drama of getting the other two little people in my life ready to leave when I can barely move around, let alone 'chase' them!

Best moments so far:

We learned in our baby book that at 30 weeks, baby is most likely around 3.5 lbs, and will gain approximately 1/2 lb per week from here until the end. The boys came with to my OB checkup this week, and were able to hear baby's heartbeat (140bpm), and watch while my doctor did all of the measurements...they were both very curious, and we were all happy to learn that baby is measuring exactly right for gestational age. I will start having bi-weekly OB check-ins now rather than monthly, so it will be 'fun' fitting in another appointment to our already hectic schedule!

T & I snuck away for a night over this past weekend to take in a Minnesota Wild hockey game in Minneapolis. It was fun to have 24hrs of adult time, and nice to do some shopping at the mall without having little people to keep an eye on. I'm guessing this will be our last adults only night away before baby comes.

Maternity clothes:

All pants, and most tops. I may have to invest in a couple more basics. I purchased this plain white long sleeved top from the Ingrid & Isabel line at Target earlier on, and it shrunk immediately upon washing/drying. If you are in the market, the Pure Body tops from Gap's maternity line are far and away better - more comfortable, have more stretch, and don't shrink.

Sleep: 

I did quite a bit of tossing and turning this week during nighttime sleep. I'm always so hot if I'm being touched while I sleep, so I've pretty much kicked T to the complete other side of the bed. I've also still been super tired in the afternoons (after the caffeine from my morning cup of coffee wears off), and have strived to get the boys napping at the same time so that I can catch a few winks or at least lie down and rest while they are out. I honestly have no idea how I will function when we throw a newborn into the mix. Our boys are exhausting!

Miss Anything:

Energy, fresh air, and exercise. 

Baby Movement:

Baby has continued to stay very active, so I've been feeling lots of kicking this week. At some point, this should slow down as room runs out, and I'll need to be better about kick counts. Currently, I feel like baby has no resting times, and is constantly working on ninja kicks.

Cravings and Aversions:

Nothing in particular this week. I suppose you could say the extra iron pills I've been taking would be an aversion. They taste absolutely awful!

Queasy or sick:

Nope. I finally got over Influenza A, and have been feeling decent since late last week.

Symptoms: 

General fatigue, shortness of breath, and some Braxton Hicks contractions this week.

Looking forward to:

Winter Games this weekend at the lake. There are some fun looking kid friendly events this year (Kids Carnival at the YMCA, hot cocoa and knot tying at the Yacht Club, Chocolate Classic, etc), and we are so looking forward to having family in town. C's curiosity has been very focused on the status of our Christmas tree leading up to Winter Games weekend. One of the most loved events of the weekend is the 'Burning of the Greens'...a.k.a. burning of everyone's Christmas trees from this past holiday. The collection trucks have been out since late December, and are overflowing with good firewood!

Aside from Winter Games fun, we are heading to Florida next week, and can't wait for some sunshine, fresh air, and playing outside. Not looking forward to? Packing...The highs for the week range from 60-70 degrees, and the lows are in the 50s, so we are going to need layers instead of straight summer clothes. So much to plan out! Either way, it will be nice to be able to spend more time on the beach with the cooler weather. Our last visit was in June, and it was far too hot outside for the boys to be in the direct sun for any real length of time. The expected cooler weather will give us the opportunity to stray from the house a bit more and explore some non-water related activities.