baby #4, 28 weeks

I just came across this post from when I was 28 weeks pregnant with baby S. I thought it would be fun to do a post for this pregnancy at 28 weeks too. :)

How far along: 28 weeks!
Due date: Nov 14th 2015. (Hoping baby will arrive 2 weeks early like my other three!)


Total weight gain/loss: Way too much! I've never weighed this much before. Just get me through this pregnancy and I SWEAR I will start loosing like crazy!!!



Maternity clothes: I've been wearing them since early in my first trimester

Stretch marks: I have a few. Nothing too noticeable.... pretty good for my fourth pregnancy I think.

Sleep: Sleeping great!

Symptoms: Exhausted ALL the time, hormonal, moody, crying at everything ha!

Food cravings: Nothing much really

Food aversions: Nothing much

Labor signs: None

What I miss: Sleeping on my stomach, walking normally, having more energy, not being moody. But also just trying to enjoy and the last several weeks of what is probably my last pregnancy.

What I'm looking forward to: Meeting my sweet baby!! Having my body back to normal! Eating raw cookie dough haha!

Movement: I feel the baby move several times a day.

Milestones: Reaching my 3rd trimester. Appointments are every 2 weeks now!

How big is baby: According to BabyCenter: By this week, your baby weighs 2 1/4 pounds

(about the size of a large eggplant.)

She can blink her eyes, which now sport lashes. With her eyesight developing, she may be able to see the light that filters in through your womb. She's also developing billions of neurons in her brain and adding more body fat in preparation for life in the outside world.

and measures 14.8 inches from the top of her head to her heels.

She can blink her eyes, which now sport lashes. With her eyesight developing, she may be able to see the light that filters in through your womb. She's also developing billions of neurons in her brain and adding more body fat in preparation for life in the outside world.

 Gender: A girl!

Names: Pretty sure we'll be using the girl name we chose right after I found out I was pregnant! Ha! Such a change from last pregnancy.. we weren't sure what we were going to name our third until after she was born.

Best moment(s) last week: Feeling baby move every day and hearing her heartbeat on Friday! Doing great getting through my glucose test appointment (hoping I passed) but at least I was able to lay down and didn't really feel sick at all... that's definitely a first for me!

getting back to blogging

I'd like to get back into blogging a little. After baby S (now 17 months old) I kind of lost interest in and didn't make time for regular blogging. Baby S has definitely kept me busy!!

We're having a great summer! J finished up kindergarten in early June and she's excited to start first grade this fall! C is starting kindergarten in August. I'm not sure he's terribly excited but maybe a little. :) S will turn 18 months in July. She is a handful. She never stops moving, she's a busy little thing and always into something. She started talking well before a year and has been using full sentences for months now. We're excited to welcome baby #4 in November! We just found out we're having our third little girl! I think having two little girls so close will be fun. :)



We've been having a lazy summer. Busy but pretty low key. Lots of fun outside in the water, trips to the museum and a few other outings. The kids are excited to see fireworks tonight and go to a 4th of July parade tomorrow! I'm well into my second trimester now which is always SO much better than my first so I'm feeling well enough to take the kids out pretty often.

I'm excited to start blogging again and will try to add pics of the kids soon!

Hope everyone is having a great summer!! :)

Birth Story

(Baby S's first pic!) 

Our sweet baby girl arrived four weeks ago on Thursday afternoon, January 16th!

I didn't feel good the day before.... just more tired and achy than normal. Wednesday evening I started having contractions pretty consistently for about 2 hours. I was at the Dollar Tree with my mom and the kids when I started feeling contractions but we needed to go to Walmart. At Walmart I actually rode in one of those scooters for the first time ever! Ha! I felt so dumb but I didn't feel like walking either. Late Wednesday evening all the pains stopped and I was pretty annoyed. It was a full moon and I was really, really hoping I would go into labor.

Thursday morning I was still feeling fine. No contractions at all. I took the kids to school and went on to my 38 week appointment.

(Side Note: I was induced with my first 2 babies at 38 weeks with high blood pressure. Even though my blood pressure was great this whole pregnancy I joked for months that I hoped it would be up at my 38 week appointment so my doctor would go ahead and induce. My first 2 babies were 8lbs 5 oz and 7 lbs 14 oz at birth so I couldn't imagine going past 38 weeks with this one. I knew she would be a good size at 38 weeks.)

So, I went in to my 38 week appointment. I knew something was going on when the nurse checked my blood pressure three times. Sure enough, my blood pressure was up. I wasn't really surprised because I had been feeling a little off the past couple days. I have to say I was excited because I was more than ready to be done. With my history I was pretty sure high bp at 38 weeks meant induction right away. I got to an exam room and my blood pressure was still up. I was also 3 cm dilated and 80% effaced by then. The doctor and I went over my past pregnancies and inductions. The whole time I kept my fingers crossed that he would please induce me (I was thinking the next morning) because I did not want to go home and be on bed rest for a week .... which I figured would be my only other option. (I was on bed rest for 2 weeks before I had J and it nearly drove me crazy.) I asked the doctor if he'd induce the next morning and he was like "Actually, I'm thinking of today. Let me make a phone call." He left and came right back and told me to walk right over to the hospital and they'd induce right then! I was kind of shocked. That's not what I had expected at all. I was really hoping I could at least go home and pack my bags. But I walked across the parking lot to the hospital and checked myself in. It was a weird feeling to be so unprepared and walk in with just a coat and a purse. Ha! (Of course I texted and called my husband with updates several times. I think he was shocked that things were going the way I had joked.. bp up and being induced again at 38 weeks. I'm not sure he's convinced that I didn't make my blood pressure go up. Ha!)

I got to my room and changed into a gown. I was there by myself when they started Pitocin. I had my water broke right after. Thankfully hubby was able to get off work right away. He went home and packed my bags and came up to the hospital. He was there by the time I got my epidural around 4-5 cm. It took a while for the Pitocin to kick in but when things started moving they moved fast! I went from 7-10 in no time. They started Pitocin around 11 am and I started pushing right around 4 pm. Pushed for, maybe, 10 minutes and then she was here at 4:10!

I couldn't have asked for a better outcome! I know inductions and epidurals aren't for everyone but they're definitely for me. :) I love how quickly things move and how pain free it is. I've had all three babies the same way (induced and epidural) and three great birth experiences. :) 

(7lbs.14oz. 19 inches) 

(Me and my sweet baby girl)

(J loves her baby sister and is such a great help with her!) 

(C loves his baby sister too!) 

(All ready to go home from the hospital.) 

She's Here!!

Baby girl arrived Thursday, January 16th at 4:10 PM at 37 weeks, 6 days. She's healthy as can be, a great eater and (so far) a great sleeper! She let us sleep 5 hours straight the past 2 nights! If you follow me on Instagram or my personal Facebook I know you've already seen a million pictures. I'll be posting her birth story here soon and lots more pictures, of course! We love our little baby girl so much.. she fits into our family perfectly. :)

37 Weeks!!

I had this whole post written out and even published on my blog but for some reason that post had a glitch in it and was messing up my entire blog. So, I had to delete the whole thing and start over. 

Anyway, I can't believe I'm already 37 weeks! At this point in my first two pregnancies I had just a week to go until I delivered. I had high blood pressure at the end of my first two pregnancies and was induced, with both, right at 38 weeks. I'm thankful that my blood pressure is fine now but I'm also anxious to see when, and how, this baby will arrive. The doctor thinks it could be any time which makes me nervous. I've never gone into labor on my own. I'm due on the 31st but I'll be induced a few days earlier if I make it that far. 

It's crazy to me that exactly 5 years ago I was on bed rest with J and she would be born in about 2 weeks. She was due February 5, 2009 and born on the January 23rd. This baby is due on the 31st but will be born earlier.. one way or another. I'm just hoping to avoid J's birthday and several other family birthdays that are this month. 

Last week I made a list of things I still need to do and buy. I'm slowly chipping away at it and getting things done, and bought, little by little. My list looks like this now: 

TO DO: 

- Have car detailed

- Re install baby carseat & base

- Wash baby's going home outfit

- Wash newborn and 0-3 clothes 

- Wash towels and blankets

- Wash Rock N Play cover

- Wash boppy cover

- Pack diaper bag

- Pack my hospital bag

- Pack big kids' bags for night at grandma's

- Wash and wrap "Big Brother" and "Big Sister" shirts

TO BUY:

- Diapers

- Health kit

- Wash rags

- Bottles

- Formula

- Bottle drying rack & accessory 

- Pacifiers

- Snap N Go stroller

- Swing or Mamaroo

- Baby book

- Figure out "big brother" and "big sister" gifts, buy them, wrap them

We still have a lot to do but we're getting there. I think we'll get the car detailed and the carseat & base re-installed this weekend. We're also hoping to rearrange, clean and organize our room a bit and get it already for the new baby in the next few days. 

I was able to accurately determine the personalities of J and C before they were born just by their movements and what we saw them doing in the sonograms. J moved a lot and seemed anxious to get out! She would jump around and seemed like she had such a little temper. I correctly guessed that she would be a go getter, have a temper and have plenty of spunk. And man, she does! When she was born she was mad. It was funny! It took her quite a while to settle down and when she did her eyes were wide open and she was taking in everything. Everyone was amazed at how alert she was. 

C, on the other hand, was very calm in the womb. I thought he would be very laid back and easy going and he is. He was born, barely cried and went right to sleep. Ha! 

This baby girl's movements have always been so calm and easy going. In the sonograms we've seen she's always moving slowly and calmly. It's really cute. So, I'm pretty anxious to see if I've pegged her personality accurately like I did with the other two. I totally *get* J. She and I are exactly a like.. it's scary. But if I'm guessing correctly with this baby her personality is going to be very, very different than mine. It'll be interesting to see.  Here are a few more 3D sonogram pics from around 30 weeks. I think her face is so pretty and calm looking.

I love how she's sticking her tongue out here. We have this part on video too and it's so cute. :) 

How far along: 37 weeks! 

Due Date: Jan. 31, 2014

Total Weight Gain/Loss: About 30 lbs now. :/ 

Maternity clothes: Of course

Stretch marks: I got a few during my second pregnancy but haven't gotten any more with this one.

Sleep: Not too good and I'm always exhausted. 

Symptoms: Tired, moody, anxious, heartburn, achy

Food cravings: Still craving ice water and ice!  

Food aversions: Sweets still aren't sounding as great as they normally do. 

Labor signs: Dilated to 2 cm and 75% effaced (if you care to know.) The doctor thinks I could go into labor at any time. I've had cramping off and on and braxton hicks are becoming more frequent.  

Belly button - in or out? Neither.  

What I miss: Being able to sleep, not having a stuffy nose, being able to actually lean over my plate and eat, not having heartburn. But, I wouldn't change any of it for the world. :) 

What I am looking forward to: Meeting our sweet baby girl and deciding for sure on her name! And watching the big kids meet the baby for the first time! :)  

Movement: She moves quite a bit but I can tell she's running out of room.  

Milestones: I'm down to the last few weeks! I think 37 weeks may be considering "full term" too.

How big is baby: (According to Baby Center)Your baby weighs 6 1/3 pounds and measures a bit over 19 inches, head to heel (about the size of a bunch of Swiss chard). 

Gender: It's a GIRL!!! :) 

Names: I've actually been debating two first names for months now. I've been leaning towards the name hubby prefers but the other name won't get out of my head. Ha! I told my husband we'll have to wait and see the baby before we can decide 100% on the first name. I *think* the middle names are set though. 

Best moment(s) last week: Having a great appointment! Feeling the baby kick and move around. Hearing her heartbeat. :) 

36 Weeks!!

(30 sonogram taken around 30 weeks)

How far along: 36 weeks! 

Due Date: Jan. 31, 2014

Total Weight Gain/Loss: I've gained about 25 lbs BUT I also started out at least 35 lbs overweight. I'm not one to worry about weight during pregnancy but I have some major weight loss goals once the baby arrives. 

Maternity clothes: Heck yeah and I'm outgrowing half of them! 

Stretch marks: I got a few during my second pregnancy but haven't gotten any more with this one.

Sleep: Pretty good even though I get up to pee like 5 times a night. Ha! 

Symptoms: Not too bad considering. Tired, achy, hormonal, moody but overall pretty good. I don't remember feeling this *good* with my other too.. 

Food cravings: I crave ice and ice water like crazy! This is typical for me in pregnancy.. especially late pregnancy. A good craving to have, I guess. :) 

Food aversions: Sweets don't sound as good as they normally do. I've had chocolate sitting around the house for DAYS now which is normally unheard of. Usually it disappears in no time. 

Labor signs: I was dilated to 1-2 and 75% effaced at my appointment Thursday. Lots of cramping and weird little pains too. 

Belly button - in or out? Neither.  

What I miss: I miss walking normally, not getting tired so easily, being able to breathe well and not having heartburn.

What I am looking forward to: Meeting our sweet baby girl!!! :) 

Movement: She moves quite a bit. 

Milestones: I'm down to the last few weeks!!! 

How big is baby: (According to Baby Center)Your baby is still packing on the pounds — at the rate of about an ounce a day. She now weighs almost 6 pounds and is more than 18 1/2 inches long (about the size of a head of romaine lettuce).

Gender: It's a GIRL!!! :) 

Names: This name thing is driving me crazzzzy!! We have a name that we're probably going to use (and it's really pretty and a nice name) but I don't feel like I'm in love with it. I wish there was a name that I just loved. So, I'm still considering other names but haven't found anything in 9 months so it's really doubtful that I'll find something else. The kids and my husband LOVE the name we have picked out so we probably will go with it.. 

Best moment(s) last week: Having a great appointment! Feeling the baby kick and move around. Hearing her heartbeat. :) 

And... here are some things that we still need to do and buy before the baby arrives. 

TO DO: 

- Have car detailed

- Re install baby carseat & base

- Wash baby's going home outfit

- Wash newborn and 0-3 clothes 

- Wash towels and blankets

- Wash Rock N Play cover

- Wash boppy cover

- Pack diaper bag

- Pack my hospital bag

- Pack big kids' bags for night at grandma's

- Wash and wrap "Big Brother" and "Big Sister" shirts

TO BUY:

- Diapers

- Health kit

- Wash rags

- Bottles

- Formula

- Bottle drying rack & accessory 

- Pacifiers

- Snap N Go stroller

- Swing or Mamaroo

- Baby book

- Figure out "big brother" and "big sister" gifts, buy them, wrap them

And.. I think that's it! I feel SO unprepared right now. Ha! With my other two I was more than ready for the baby to arrive by 36 weeks but with this one I'm kind of hoping she waits a while (not too long though!) so I can get all these things ready. With Christmas, Christmas shopping and Christmas preparations then getting really sick I just haven't had the time or energy to get all this stuff done the last month or so. I'm finally feeling better so I need to get moving! 

Weekend Wrap-Up

Thursday morning I had my second glucose test while the kids were in school. I got sick during my first test and had to retake it. Luckily I made it through this time! And I assume I've passed since I haven't heard back from them. After my appointment I was starving and headed to McKinley's for a yummy sandwich and a Berkley cookie. Their Berkley cookies are to die for. My husband and I LOVE these cookies. Definitely my all time favorite. Their lunches aren't too bad either. :)

 Afterwards I went up to the kids' school for their Thanksgiving lunch. Here is J being silly with the girls from her class. Her class wore pilgrim hats.

 C's class next door wore the indian hats.

 One of the moms from C's class made these cute little snowmen out of potatoes. The kids loved them!

 J and her class right before it was time to go home. I spent my time running between both kids' classes.

 J drew this picture of our baby in her Spanish class as the thing/person she is most thankful for. So sweet!! :)

 The kids are always putting stickers on my belly for the baby. It's annoying but so sweet and adorable at the same time. :) (Excuse my old brown shirt.. my "at home wardrobe" is kind of limited at this point.)

 Saturday the kids and I went to a birthday party for a little boy in J's class. It was freezing outside so it was nice to get out of the house and let the kids run off some energy at the party. They had tons of fun bouncing in the bounce house and running around.

 C looked so sweet napping Saturday afternoon. It's been gray and overcast and so cold the past several days. Wonderful napping weather!

 Saturday night C enjoyed a warm bubble bath while the husband and J were out grocery shopping. It's starting to become a ritual.. one kid goes grocery shopping with daddy on Saturday night and the other stays home for a bubble bath in our big tub.

 C was so cold after his bath. He sat like this and watched a movie for a while.

 Saturday night J fell asleep wearing a new winter hat. :)

And C fell asleep wearing his Monster eyes on the way to church Sunday. :)



Sunday morning the husband and I volunteered in J's class. I know I've said it before I love the age she's at. Four and five year olds are so much fun and getting to be so independent. We really don't have to "work" in their class but just sit back and enjoy the kids. And the kids (especially the girls) are always anxious to help pick up, clean the table, pass out snacks. It's so cute!



We always pass C and his 3 year old class on our way to and from the big room with J's class. He's turning into such a big boy. At the beginning of the year (Sept.) he would cry when he saw us but now he just calmly waves and carries on. Because of the cold weather most of the kids played in the indoor playground on Sunday. We saw C all alone sitting on a bench beside his teacher while the dozens of other kids ran around playing. We correctly guessed that all the noise and all the kids were overwhelming to him. We think he has a bit of scensory issues going.. nothing major.. but loud noises and lots of activity can definitely get to him.



The kids all learned about "being thankful" in their classes on Sunday. As soon as we picked C up he ran over to each of us (me, the husband and J) and hugged us and said "I'm thankyou for you!" Then he ran back to me and hugged my belly and said "And I'm thankyou for you too baby!" Melt my heart. It was the sweetest thing ever and I love the way he says thankyou for instead of thankful for. :)



We had a lazy, lazy Sunday afternoon at home. We did get our Christmas tree up. I still need to put out a few more decorations and I need to clean house. With the weather being so cold and overcast I've been feeling very lazy lately. Being pregnant doesn't help. I feel like I'm always exhausted and the house has been a total wreck for days. :/ I did manage to get the baby's dresser set up last week. It's fun seeing things come together for our new arrival! I'm hoping to get my diaper bag, a stroller and a few other things in the next couple weeks. I'm 30 weeks now so I'm hoping that means just 8 more weeks since my other 2 were born at 38 weeks. Of course, this one has been a little more stubborn so who knows.



Hope everyone had a great weekend!!

30 Weeks!!

How far along: 30 weeks! 

Due Date: Jan. 31, 2014 

Total Weight Gain/Loss: Too much. Oh well.  

Maternity clothes: I've been in maternity clothes since 6-7 weeks

Stretch marks: I got a few during my second pregnancy but haven't gotten any more with this one.

Sleep: Great! I've been sleeping like a rock all night and usually take a long nap with C every afternoon. 

Symptoms: Tired, achy, hormonal, emotional and the heartburn has kicked in. I think my ankles are starting to swell a bit too. But overall I'm doing great! 

Food cravings: Nothing

Food aversions: None really 

Labor signs: Nothing

Belly button - in or out? Neither, really.  

What I miss: Not much 

What I am looking forward to: The day the baby is born! I can't wait to meet him or her and find out what we are having! 

Movement: I feel the baby several times a day. I think he or she is starting to run out of room. The baby puts his or her feet (I think it must be the feet) up under my ribs ALL the time. 

Milestones: Reaching 30 weeks! The baby should be here in 10 weeks or less!  

How big is baby: (According to Baby Center)Your baby's about 15.7 inches long now and weighs almost 3 pounds (about the size of a large cabbage). A pint and a half of amniotic fluid surrounds him or her, but that volume will shrink as he or she gets bigger and takes up more room in your uterus. His or her eyesight continues to develop, though it's not very keen; even after he or she is born, he or she will keep his or her eyes closed for a good part of the day. When he or  she does open them, he or she will respond to changes in light but will have 20/400 vision — which means he or she can only make out objects a few inches from his or her face. (Normal adult vision is 20/20.)

Gender: We won't find out until the baby is born. 

Names: Not positive on a first name for a boy but the middle name has been decided. If we have a girl she will have 2 middle names. I'm pretty sure we're set on the first name and first middle name. I'm not sure on a second middle name. 

Best moment(s) last week: Feeling the baby move around is always the best! I also have great appointment yesterday and actually made it through my glucose test without getting sick this time. 

Pregnancy - 28 weeks!!

How far along: 28 weeks! Woohoo third trimester!! 

Due Date: Jan. 31, 2014 (It was Feb. 1 for a while, then they changed it by a day.) 

Total Weight Gain/Loss: Uh, way too much! Ha! Let's just say every pregnancy there is a number I try hard to stay under and I'm already just 8 lbs below that number. Not looking good with 12 more weeks to go. :/ 

Maternity clothes: I've been in maternity clothes since around 6-7 weeks

Stretch marks: I have a few from my second pregnancy but haven't gotten any more, so far, with this one. 

Sleep: Great, except for the part where I'm waking up ten times a night to pee or waking up after having some weird dream or nightmare.

Symptoms: Tired, achy, hormonal, emotional, going a little crazy... and heartburn has just kicked in big time. The normal pregnancy stuff. 

Food cravings: Nothing major at this point

Food aversions: Not too many at this point

Labor signs: Nada

Belly button - in or out? Neither, really.  

What I miss: Feeling a little more sane, not having heartburn, being able to walk without aching. That said, I've actually been feeling pretty good overall. 

What I am looking forward to: The day the baby is born! I can't wait to meet him or her and find out what we are having! 

Movement: I feel the baby several times a day. 

Milestones: Reaching the 3rd trimester! And, I can't believe it, but I'm already starting appointments every 2 weeks until the new year, then it's every week. 

How big is baby: According to BabyCenter: By this week, your baby weighs 2 1/4 pounds (about the size of a large eggplant) and measures 14.8 inches from the top of his or her head to her heels. He or she can blink her eyes, which now sport lashes. With his or her eyesight developing, he or she may be able to see the light that filters in through your womb. He or she is also developing billions of neurons in his or her brain and adding more body fat in preparation for life in the outside world. 

Gender: Still don't know 

Names: Nothing for sure yet except for the middle names. I *think* we've almost decided on a girl's first name (for the fourth time!) but can't swear to it. Then there's a boy name I've LOVED for about 3 years, and would almost certainly use, but the husband isn't really crazy about it so I'm still looking for that perfect name we'll both love. 

The worst moment of the week: (Just adding this one in.) Fasting for HOURS before my stupid glucose test, getting to my appointment, barely chocking down the nasty beverage, then throwing it all up 30 minutes later. Lucky me. I get to do it all over again (well, hopefully not the throwing up part) in 2 weeks. Yay 

Best moment(s) last week: Feeling the baby move and I think the movements are getting stronger. Reaching the 3rd trimester! And feeling pretty good physically. I also picked out going home outfits for both boy and girl. 

Actually I'm torn between two outfits for a little boy. The one above is from Target and my kids' favorite. 

 But I also like this striped suit from Carters.

And I really love this sweet baby girl outfit from Target. It's hard to see here but it has little white elephants all over it. I love elephants so this is perfect! We also picked up a headband with a pink flower for a baby girl. 



After this I just need to pick out girl and boy baby books and I think that's the last of the gender specific stuff we'll need at the hospital. We can get by with gender neutral blankets and towels for sure and everything else I have picked out is pretty generic anyway. I've already sorted through J and C's newborn clothes and I'm surprised at how few newborn outfits I saved. Most of their stuff was bought second hand so I guess it wasn't worth saving after they were done with it. Once our new baby's born we're going to have to run out and buy some newborn outfits.. not that I'm complaining. New stuff is always fun. I told the husband to plan on a trip to Target on our way home from the hospital. :) 



I'm so excited to be in my last trimester. Twelve weeks doesn't seem like long, in a way, but I know this is the part that tends to drag on forever too. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that this baby comes a little early like our other two!