Musings of a Farmer's Wife

27 Weeks!

2012-05-23T22:46:00.001-05:00

How far along: 27 weeks!

This is from the site that I read every week: “(At least according to the books I’ve chosen to listen to — some mark the beginning of the third trimester as week 27, while some make you wait until week 28. Look, we’re all big and lumpy and ridiculously cranky, let’s get this final trimester STARTED.)”

I’m with her.

How big is baby: The size of a rutabaga…? He’s approximately 2lbs and 15in long…

Weight gain/loss: Whew. +18lbs. I gained 19lbs total with Amelia. HAHAHAHAHAHAHA.

Stretch marks: Same as before.

Maternity clothes: Couldn’t fit in my regular clothing if someone held a gun to my head.

Sleep: Has been horrible. I finally figured out that part of the problem was that I wasn’t getting much support under my belly, regardless of the pillow. We took the 4in thick memory foam mattress topper off the bed last night, and I slept SO. MUCH. BETTER. Thank goodness.

Food cravings or aversions: Craving cookies. Lenny’s Sandwich Shop cookies, to be exact. Or a Target cookie. But since we (sadly) have no Target, those are out of the question.

Gender: BOY!

Movement: He has officially woken my child up from kicking/punching her while she slept in my arms. Amelia was asleep on my chest and tummy today and apparently he did not appreciate the sister taking up his space. So he kicked and jabbed and punched until she finally woke up. Already!

Belly button: Flat. Stretched.

What I'm loving: Um, still getting a decent night’s rest? Ha. Knowing what lies ahead makes me appreciate even somewhat horrible sleep.

What I miss: Breathing easily. Walking without a waddle. My bladder holding more than an ounce.

What's different this time: I don’t remember last time. Ha! I think I’m bigger, but the general hugeness seems to be leveling out with the other 2 pregnancies now. I’ve heard that you get bigger faster, but in the end you don’t really end up any bigger than before. Not sure if that’s true or not. We shall see!

I’m exhausted. All the time. I’m so, so, so, so, so tired. Did I mention that I’m tired?

I’m also getting kind of anxious. I don’t know why. I think I’m just nervous about him coming early unexpectedly so it’s making me anxious about the entire labor & delivery thing. Not scared or nervous, but just anxious. I think about it a lot all of a sudden. I reply Caroline & Amelia’s births in my head several times a day. Hope this one is more like Caroline’s birth…HA! Hers was a piece of cake!

I totally flaked and forgot to take a picture tonight. I’m actually about to go get in the bed – so maybe tomorrow? We’ll see. Just imagine me looking rather large. That’s pretty much it.

To Do List

2012-05-22T19:30:00.001-05:00

This is my before Walker gets here to do list:

(I realize that you are completely uninterested in this, but lists help me and I’ll never look at it again if I just make a word document or write down on paper.)

Find paint for nursery
Get bookcase for girl’s room
Finish cleaning out nursery and closet
Wash Walker’s clothes and organize by size
~~Order crib bedding~~
Order swing from Amazon
Put double stroller together (*shoutout to my amazing parents! Thank y’all so much!*)
Pack hospital bag
~~Make hospital bag list~~
Order fabric for Walker’s curtains
Pre-register at hospital & work out new insurance stuff
Shampoo carpets and living room rug – this is urgent. Ha!
Order Angelcare monitor – going for peace of mind this time.
Get pelvic girdle belt
Pray pelvic girdle belt helps
Clean all breastpump stuff
Make Walker’s curtains
Make girl’s “Big Sister” shirts
Make Walker some shirts/onesies/gowns
Get girls a (small) “present” from Walker
Find Walker’s coming home outfit
Plan Caroline’s birthday party (having it in late June/early July – we’re only doing a family party again this year.)
Have Caroline’s birthday party
Make Caroline’s 3 year video

I’ll be 27 weeks tomorrow! That’s 8 weeks/60 days/1440 hours from when I had Amelia at 35 weeks. I feel the need to be totally ready by that point (or before, if possible) because her crazy whirlwind birth has me paranoid for this one.

This has really snuck up on me because I just always feel like I have plenty of time to get all of this done. Maybe I can actually get something done this week!

Pictures!

2012-05-18T22:46:00.001-05:00

26w2d

Excuse how homely and generally yuck I look. It was taken at 10pm and we had just come back from town and put the girls to bed…long day! HA!

Just because I can’t resist, look at this adorable face…

She’s the most social of all seven puppies. She ADORES Caroline (or really anyone who will give her some lovin’) and I couldn’t help but snap some pictures of her. And seriously, look at that tongue! HA!

Amelia said she didn’t need her picture taken.

26 Weeks

2012-05-16T21:59:00.001-05:00

How far along: 26 weeks!

How big is baby: The size of a head of lettuce!

Weight gain/loss: Haven’t weighed in several days. I have no desire to. Even my curiosity can’t make me do it after that trip to Texas de Brazil. I ate SO. MUCH. FOOD.

Stretch marks: Same as before.

Maternity clothes: Without a doubt.

Sleep: Not bad, but not great. My pelvis is KILLING me lately. It makes simple things like rolling over, getting in/out of bed incredibly painful.

Food cravings or aversions: Lots of cookies. Lots and lots of cookies. *sigh*

Gender: BOY!

Movement: This kid is a mover! He moves all the time. I don’t think he ever really sleeps. Either that or he just jabs and kicks in his sleep – which would make sense…that’s exactly how his oldest sister sleeps. I felt my first rib kick the other day. I also felt hiccups for the first time yesterday!

Belly button: Flat. Gross.

What I'm loving: Feeling a foot slide across my belly is a really cool feeling. It’s so strange to think that’s actually my baby in there!

What I miss: Walking without pain and bending over normally.

What's different this time: My pelvic pain. It was painful with Caroline and even more painful with Amelia. But it is out-of-this-world painful with Walker. I found one of the most painful things to do is to walk up an incline. I’ve always read about being careful when walking up stairs when you have this pain, but no one ever mentioned a steep incline. When we went to Texas de Brazil, we walked through the Peabody Hotel and went up a super long inclined hallway. I honestly considered having someone go get me a wheelchair. Instead, I just took really, really small steps and held up the entire group because I was so slow. Rolling over in bed, putting pants on while standing up, walking for very long at all, and lifting anything remotely heavy is awful. I keep wanting to say excruciating, but I guess it really isn’t excruciating…but it’s not just ‘painful’ either.

I finally got on the ball this week with preparing. I made a list of things to take to the hospital, ordered Caroline’s twin size bedding for her AWESOME bunk beds, ordered Walker’s bedding, and Judd & Uncle Austin put Caroline’s bed together!

*Shoutout to Uncle Austin for being super cool.*

It really is a cool bed. It makes me want to be little again so I can play in it. When I get her room situated, I’ll post a pic and do the reveal of the bed and everything else. She and Amelia will be sharing a room soon – anxiety. Ha! I really enjoy Amelia being confined in a crib and she has never once tried to climb out, so I’m considering keeping her in a crib for a while longer. If I do, I’ll borrow my mom’s crib from her house and put it in Caroline’s room. That way I can still set up Walker’s room.

Well, I’m going to attempt to maybe go soak in the bathtub and see if it makes my pelvis feel a little better.

No picture tonight – so sorry. I really will take one tomorrow, even if it’s just in my bathroom mirror. Ha!

25 Weeks!

2012-05-09T22:00:00.001-05:00

Yay! We reached Viability Week! If Walker were born this week, he would most likely, with a lot of medical intervention, survive. I’m breathing a small sigh of relief. However, let’s hope he keeps baking for at LEAST 12 more weeks!

How far along: 25 weeks!

How big is baby: The size of a cauliflower? That’s an odd one.

Weight gain/loss: +15lbs. Definitely made up for the lack of gain last week. Those trips home complete with steak, Target cookies, and lots of fast food really do me in.

Stretch marks: Same as before.

Maternity clothes: Without a doubt.

Sleep: The only bad part is my pelvis. It really hurts to roll over. I hate this dumb pelvic pain.

Food cravings or aversions: Craving cookies. Craving Mexican. Craving ice cream. Just general things that are not great for you.

Gender: BOY!

Movement: Very much! I can feel him moving up into my lungs, too. When I sit down, I have to lean back and take deep breaths because I feel like I’m not getting enough air!

Belly button: Flat. Gross.

What I'm loving: Reaching viability week! Making progress (in my mind) on what I’m going to do with his nursery. Passing my glucose tolerance test today. Yay! Just for the record, I prefer the orange flavor drink. I’ve had both but couldn’t remember which one was worse. Definitely the fruit punch. Yuck. (Also, note to self: Next time, schedule your appointment for the afternoon…not the morning.)

What I miss: Not waddling. I’m not even really waddling because I’m that big, but more because my pelvis hurts when I walk and for some reason, adding a little waddle doesn’t hurt as badly.

What's different this time: My WEIGHT GAIN! I have been packin’ on the pounds the last several weeks. If I keep this up I’ll gain a lot more weight than I really want to by the end.

I can’t believe that this trimester is almost over. In some ways I’m glad, but in other ways, I’m on edge. I feel a lot of worry starting to creep up about having him too early due to Amelia’s early entrance into the world. I know worrying won’t do any good, but it’s in my blood I guess. I have braxton hicks contractions some, but not a ton…maybe even less than last time. I usually don’t worry about them and just try to drink some (more) water and put my feet up for a few minutes. It’s hard to sit without getting up though when 2 little girls constantly need something.

I REALLY want to carry him to full term! I would actually love to reach 40 weeks with him. (Remind me that I said this when I complain nonstop because I’ve had to carry him for 40 weeks…ha!) Regardless, we’re going to keep a close eye on everything and pray for the best!

I’m sorry I don’t have a picture. I could get up and take one right now, but both my kids just went to bed and I’m exhausted. I’m already on the couch, feet propped up, cookie in hand – and I have no intention of getting up to take a picture. Maybe I’ll post one tomorrow. Have a fantastic night!

Nursery Progress (or lack thereof)

2012-05-09T00:10:00.001-05:00

Well, there’s really no progress to speak of except my ideas.

I’m in love with this picture.

I absolutely adore the bold, bright colors. As I scoured Etsy for the thousandth time, I found several people who make handmade crib bedding using these exact fabrics! I’m not sure what color I would paint the walls in Walker’s room since it only has 2 very small windows. I’m afraid a grey this dark would make the room really dark and I’m going for bright! But maybe a lighter shade of grey? Obviously, Judd would shoot me before he’d allow me to paint the ceiling, so I’m going to have to settle for the cute bedding and bright accessories. Anyway, I’m considering copying this nursery since I’m too uncreative to come up with my own unique idea. My sister really got all of the artsy fartsy genes in our family. I try, but I’m usually just copying something I found on Pinterest or somewhere else on the world wide web.

I will attempt to make the window panels myself since you can actually do that with stitch witchery and I wouldn’t ever even have to thread my sewing machine…which is great since I probably wouldn’t be able to find it under all the junk on my desk.

We have carpet in his room so I’m unsure about the rug. How do y’all feel about rugs over carpet? I used to feel like people would think I was hiding a big stain or something under the rug but I’m starting to come around to it under the right circumstances.

Okay, so what do you think? I asked a few questions in this post but I’m too lazy and it’s too late (it’s midnight!) to go back and find them all so go read over this post again and make note of the questions/suggestions. I’ll post my 25 week post later! My gestational diabetes test is at 9:30am (in just a few hours!) so I should be feeling nice and sickly all day. Wish me luck!

24 Weeks!

2012-05-02T17:21:00.001-05:00

How far along: 24 weeks!

How big is baby: The size of a grapefruit! On a different ‘size’ note, my uterus is now about the size of a soccer ball! That’s cool!

Weight gain/loss: +11-12lbs. The same as last week. Thankfully.

Stretch marks: Same as before.

Maternity clothes: Considering moving into my larges on some of them! AH!

Sleep: Not bad. Waking up to move the pillows stuffed around my body stinks, but other than that, it’s pretty good!

Food cravings or aversions: Just food. I’ve craved a lot of soft serve ice cream this week. But really, I just love food. Mexican food is also delicious!

Gender: BOY!

Movement: Lots! Some are painful, others are just downright cool. I love to watch my belly move from the outside.

Belly button: Flat. Gross.

What I'm loving: Just carrying my baby? Ha. I’m really not ‘loving’ or ‘hating’ anything right now. Just kinda…goin’ through the motions.

What I miss: Not having pelvic pain when walking, rolling over, putting on clothes, or doing anything that requires my lower half to move.

What's different this time: My pelvic pain is getting kinda uncomfortable to be only 24 weeks. But other than that, I guess it’s all just the same ole’ same ole.

Not much interesting to say this week. This week flew by and I can’t believe in 3 weeks I’ll be going into my 3rd trimester. It really blows my mind! Actually, this whole pregnancy has flown by so far. I bet it starts dragging a little bit towards the end though.

This is me…in all my glory.

Just Pictures!

2012-04-27T23:06:00.001-05:00

So instead of rambling in this post for 15 paragraphs, I’m putting pictures! Most of these are on Facebook, but as Deda lovingly reminded me, not everyone has Facebook. These are for you, Deda! I love you!

(She was determined she was going to blow the pool up by herself.)

The many faces of Amelia.

“Hm. This part isn’t so bad…”

“AHHH!!!!”

Most of these were taken Easter weekend. I was burned (click link to see a picture of my crispy legs) to a complete crisp from this day and we took ZERO pictures on Sunday morning because if I remember correctly, I cried from my dress rubbing my legs. That day was miserable. So all we have are pictures from the Easter Bunny coming a day early. Because our Easter Bunny is cool like that…and my kids don’t know the difference yet. Have a good weekend!

23 Weeks!

2012-04-26T20:54:00.001-05:00

How far along: 23 weeks!

How big is baby: The size of a pomegranate… These are interesting! Ha!

Weight gain/loss: +11-12lb depending on the day. Hoping this gain slows down some in a few weeks or it’s not going to be pretty.

Stretch marks: Same as before.

Maternity clothes: Yes. Except my big baggy t-shirts. They are, by far, the most comfortable thing I own. However, I feel that way whether I’m pregnant or not.

Sleep: Not bad. I’m still sleeping through the night just fine but my hips and pelvis wake me up aching. I’m stuffing pillows everywhere they will fit but I can only stay on one side for an hour or so before I need to roll over. Anyone who has ever been pregnant knows that rolling over requires some effort. So I’m waking up about once an hour to roll over. I also grunt when doing this. Loudly.

Food cravings or aversions: Still lots of sweets. I’ve been forcing myself to lay off the chocolate a bit because I was gaining weight at a really fast pace. Yikes.

Gender: BOY!

Movement: Lots of movement. Mainly from about 11pm-7am while I’m trying to sleep.

Belly button: Flat. Gross.

What I'm loving: My tailbone pain isn’t as bad this time. I’m so relieved for that. Also relieved that after my last post, I finally ~~happened to run across a solution while shopping for living room furniture that we can’t afford~~ decided to take action on the girl’s bedroom situation.

It may not be this exact one, but it’s a staircase bunk bed. Caroline is just too little to climb a ladder, and I ran across a similar one to this one the other day and thought it would be perfect for the girls. I could put the rails on Amelia’s bed and Caroline can get up top. The rail holding the top mattress in has to be a tall one and the stairs have to have a 4th step so she can make that step. I’m happy with this solution! We will probably keep the bottom bed a full size. That way we only have to buy one new mattress/bedding. Plus, they may eventually want to sleep together. My sister and I always did. This will also leave some space in their room since their room is kind of small to begin with. Amelia can continue sleeping in the crib until she’s ready. I’m not going to totally push it since Walker will sleep in our room for a while anyway. De-stress the situation.

What I miss: Seeing a lower number on the scale that I worked so hard to achieve! But I know I can do it again!

What's different this time: The quick weight gain. I usually gain very slowly over the entire pregnancy. This time, I didn’t gain much at all in the first trimester and I’m packin’ it on in the second! Hopefully the third will at least be slower…

Sorry, I don’t have a picture this week. We forgot to take one and I’m looking all kinds of grungy today so that’s not happening. I’ll be sure to take one next week – I know you’re all on pins and needles.

Third Baby Syndrome

2012-04-24T15:31:00.001-05:00

I’d heard of it before but just never really, fully understood it. Now I do.
I’ve done nothing. Absolutely, positively, nothing.
We will be moving Amelia & Caroline into a room together, and I’d honestly like to have all of that worked out and settled by the time he gets here – but have I done anything? Well, no. The crib is still set up in Amelia’s room and Caroline’s full bed is still up. That’s part of the problem. I don’t really want them sleeping in the same bed together because Caroline is a terror to sleep with. Not to mention, when one pees out of her diaper – you gotta get them both up. Same for stomach virus, etc. Blah. I really want to put two twin beds in there, but Amelia isn’t quite ready to leave a crib. So therein lies my problem. I’m going to have to take the crib apart (too big to fit through the doorway) and put it back together in Caroline’s room. But it won’t fit in there without getting her a smaller bed. And then, I’m going to need that crib back to put back in Walker’s room. He will most likely be in the room with me for the first few months, but it would be nice to have the crib in his room for naps. So apparently we need a 2nd crib…again.
Our swing died on the last kid and we have to get a new one. We are swing people. We would die without it.
We also have to totally swap around car seats. Caroline will be getting a new one – (leaning towards the Britax Frontier…opinions?) and Amelia will move into Caroline’s current seat. Then Walker will have the infant seat. So we’ve gotta do that.
I also desperately need a double stroller. I think I’ve decided on the Chicco one since my carseat will just sit down in it. I made it with 2 without the double stroller, but 3 would be really difficult. Caroline still rides in a stroller when given the opportunity so I think the double is our best bet. We’d have the double + the umbrella stroller for when all 3 need it. Wow. We’re going to look like a posse of small children. HA!
Unless he’s going to sleep with cutsey pink damask crib bedding and curtains, I’ve got to do something to the kid’s nursery, too. I’ve done nothing more than look on the internet about two times and left with nothing.
So here I sit. Thinking about how Amelia came so suddenly at 35 weeks. That’s 12 weeks from tomorrow. And I’ve done nothing. Hopefully Walker will stay in there longer than Amelia, but because of my situation with her, I feel the need to be totally prepared by the time I reach 35ish weeks…if not sooner. So anyway. There’s my worry for the week.
Any suggestions for the sleeping arrangements or car seat recommendations for an almost 3 year old that weighs 36lbs? Or just tell me to hush and it’ll be fine. I realize that babies are born every single day that don’t have their nursery set up or whatever – but the planner in me is having a minor freak out today. You can carry on with your life now.

22 Weeks!

2012-04-18T22:33:00.001-05:00

How far along: 22 weeks!

How big is baby: The size of a papaya…?

Weight gain/loss: +10lb. Yes, you read that correctly, unfortunately. I’ve gotta lay off the sweets.

Stretch marks: Same as before.

Maternity clothes: Very much so. As a matter of fact, the size medium shirts that fit really well a few weeks ago are suddenly getting tight. They still fit, but I feel like I’m doing a lot of tugging to keep them down.

Sleep: Well, my actual sleep isn’t bad – I’m not waking up to pee anymore which is great. But do any of you ever have such vivid, wild dreams that when you wake up you feel like you haven’t slept well at all? I’m doing that just about every night. I dream the CRAZIEST stuff. Twice this week I’ve dreamt that I was in a car accident and I woke up as the cars were flipping over. In one of them, as I was plunging to my death in the car, I was saying to myself “Open your eyes, Kacie. It’s a dream – just open your eyes!” and suddenly my eyes shot open and I was panting and my heart was racing! It was crazy!

Food cravings or aversions: SWEETS, SWEETS, SWEETS! Chocolate, ice cream, cookies, donuts – seriously. I’m not usually a huge snacker, but it’s all I can do these days not to eat cookies for a meal. I try to fight the cravings, but if I wait more than a few days, I’m DESPERATE for something sweet then I pig out when I finally get some. Kinda defeats the purpose of holding out!

Gender: We got our 3rd look today – DEFINITELY a boy! He is totally not shy.

Movement: This kid never sleeps. The girls were always active, but they never really hurt me with their jabs and stuff until the very end. This kid is brutal. (I can already hear some of you laughing saying he’s doing a roundhouse kick there. ) But seriously, he really must be doing something kung fu-like because he hurts me! He’ll move so much at night that I can’t go to sleep until he settles down. I don’t see this as a good sign…

Belly button: Flat. Gross.

What I'm loving: Had the big anatomy scan today. He is healthy! I’m so glad! He weighs about 1lb, 1oz which is just a little above average (but not by much) and he’s the cutest thing ever with properly functioning kidneys, heart, bladder, etc. He is laying exactly the way I thought he was, diagonally, with his head on my left side and his feet stretched up into my right side. That seems to be the way to go in my uterus since he’s now the 3rd tenant to live in there and lay that way on that exact same side. I’ve never really felt kicks on my upper left side because all of my kids seem to put their feet on my upper right. Kinda weird! I enjoyed seeing him on the u/s today. He’s so cute!

What I miss: Bending over and rolling over in bed without pelvic pain!

What's different this time: Besides my weight gain and the insane amount of sugary foods that I can take down in one sitting? I guess besides that, nothing is really different except for how big I am already. I don’t remember being this big with my other two at this point. Maybe I was, but I sure feel bigger this time. Judd said I look bigger!

I have my gestational diabetes test next time (1hr) and I dread it. Bleh. That stuff is disgusting. I also wasn’t paying attention and my appointment is at 9:30am – that’s going to be pleasant! I’ll be trying not to puke the rest of the day! I think that appt is May 9. It kinda blows my mind that I’m already to this point.

I’ve had some minor braxton hicks contractions that didn’t last very long and weren’t painful – but I’m trying to keep a close eye on them. I’ve really been trying not to pick up Caroline quite so much because she’s 35lbs and gets pretty heavy! My pelvis issues from the last two times are starting to flare up kinda early but I’m dealing with it. I’m a little nervous though that if it’s already getting painful to do simple things like roll over in bed now, what on earth will it be like in 15 weeks when I (hopefully) reach full term?! Anyway, those little tidbits are mainly for myself to remember so that when I am pregnant with #4, I can come back and see when it started with #3. Ha!

Hope you all have a fantastic week!

Our (Temporary) Family Members

2012-04-15T16:35:00.001-05:00

We got temporary new additions to our family on Friday morning. I have to say, I think they’re the cutest little things I’ve ever seen.

Sassy had puppies! Duke is the daddy due to an unfortunate event. Let’s just say he’s a sneaky little dude. Caroline is going to have so much fun playing with them. I’ll be super sad to see them go when it’s time, but they’ll only go to great homes!

She’s being such a great mama! I can’t imagine nursing 7 babies at once, but she’s pretty good at it! She doesn’t leave their sides for very long.

I’m slightly obsessed with this one. He’s a dark yellow. My dad tells me that’s called “fox red” in labrador speak. Regardless, I think he’s beautiful!

I also have a soft spot for chocolates. He’s a cutie.

This little girl looks like Sassy. Sassy is a light yellow…a lot this one!

Seven little babies!

Two of the blacks, and the two light yellows are females. The chocolate, one black, and the dark yellow are male. They are the sweetest little things.

P.S. If this is a controversial issue to you, please keep it to yourself and remember to be respectful. I reserve the right to delete rude comments.

21 Weeks!

2012-04-11T17:50:00.001-05:00

My, my. It seems like yesterday I was making last week’s post. This is going by too quickly for my liking! In 7 weeks I’ll be in the 3rd trimester…AH!

How far along: 21 weeks!

How big is baby: The size of a banana? That seems smaller than a cantaloupe which was last week’s comparison…ha! He’s roughly 10.5 inches long and 13 oz. How about that instead?

Weight gain/loss: I didn’t weigh this morning…but I have a feeling it’s going to be baaaaaaad. I’ve eaten a LOT of food in the last week.

Stretch marks: One (new) one. Grossness.

Maternity clothes: Yep. Kinda sad today because my “fat” maternity jeans fit really well. *sigh*

Sleep: Great! I’ve been sleeping through the night with no bathroom breaks. However, my recent sunburn didn’t help my sleep much this week. Every move I made in the bed was like needles. (I told Judd I would rather give birth twice than go through a bad sunburn once…and I mean that!)

Food cravings or aversions: I crave food. Anything I can get my hands on. And once I start eating, I will most likely have seconds of everything that was on my plate. I don’t think I’ve ever consistently eaten this much in my life. I almost feel sick from the massive quantities of food I’ve eaten this week.

Be right back…I’ve gotta go get another cookie…

Gender: Boy! I have another ultrasound a week from today and I’ll get a third look…just to make triple sure.

Movement: Big movements! He’s moving all the time now. He was a pretty calm-ish baby until the last week or two. He’s gotten really active. Some of his little kicks and rolls can be kinda painful!

Belly button: Flat. Ha!

What I'm loving: Honestly? I love knowing what’s going on with my body. Knowing what’s normal and not normal. I didn’t really like being pregnant with Caroline because I hated the “unknown” and constantly feeling like something might be wrong from a sharp pain, etc. I know what to expect this time (even more so than Amelia, because Amelia’s was so different from Caroline’s anyway.) I like knowing! Now, if only I knew I wouldn’t have this kid in my bathroom floor I’d feel a lot better. Last time was a little too close for my liking…

What I miss: Being able to take Ibuprofen during a really bad sunburn. Seriously – I needed it desperately and had to take Tylenol instead…definitely didn’t work as well.

(My poor sunburned legs. The pasty-pale, ghostly white color of my feet is my usual color of my legs. Isn’t that sad!)

What's different this time: I’m eating like a pig. Do cows eat more than pigs? Whichever one eats more – that’s what I’m like. The amount of food that I’m taking down is astounding. Even Judd looks at me with a worried face sometimes when I eat more than he does. But I’m HUNGRY. It’s like I can’t get full. And when I do feel full, it’s a fullness that makes me feel sick. There is no middle ground of just feeling full or feeling sick. It’s one or the other. Ugh. I see this being baaaad when I go to the doctor next week. And when he scolds me for my weight gain – I’ll really just have to suck it up because he’ll probably be right. I need to step on a scale tomorrow to see how bad it is….or maybe not.

21 Weeks – Sorry for the color in this photo.

2o Weeks with Picture!

2012-04-04T22:23:00.001-05:00

Halfway there! Actually, judging by my last two pregnancies, I’m over halfway there –but you get the idea. I’m actually HOPING that I make it to 38ish weeks (if not more) this time. It was so hard, especially with Amelia, to make them wake up and eat. They were SO, SO sleepy. Within about 10 seconds of eating, Amelia would be back asleep and it was nearly impossible to wake her. She seriously would have just slept for days without ever waking up to eat. She was born at 35 weeks on the day, so she was a couple of weeks premature. She also stayed jaundiced for a little longer, too. I’ve read that babies born earlier tend to have these issues so I’m really hoping we can hold out longer this time, although there may not be anything I can do about it.

You may notice that the 19 week update never happened. Sorry. I got busy and after Sunday when I finally felt like I had time to do it, it seemed pointless since it was over halfway finished. Anyway – on to 20 weeks!

How far along: 20 weeks!

How big is baby: The size of a cantaloupe!!

Weight gain/loss: +6lb. (This 1lb a week stuff has to stop soon or I’m going to be in trouble!)

Stretch marks: One (new) one. Grossness.

Maternity clothes: All the way. Including the underwear. (If you don’t purchase maternity panties while you’re pregnant – you are totally missing out. They feel SO much better. Even if you think your regular ones feel just fine, buy a cheap pack of maternity ones and you’ll see what I’m talking about. You’re welcome for the unsolicited advice.)

Sleep: Great! I’ve been sleeping through the night with no bathroom breaks. That’s what I’m talkin’ about!

Food cravings or aversions: I’ve had a weird craving for apple juice lately. As in, I had 3 glasses in one day. I haven’t had a glass of apple juice in YEARS but while I was pouring the girl’s cups I decided I’d have one myself…and it went downhill from there. I’m having to limit myself because I’m going to drink all of their apple juice!

Gender: Definitely a boy!

Movement: Big movements! I saw my belly move for the first time last night. That is seriously SO cool. I mean, to know that my kid just jabbed me so hard that my stomach actually moved and I could see it through my clothing amazes me. Those same feet that will one day toddle around my house. So cool.

Belly button: Flat. Ha!

What I'm loving: The big movements. That’s definitely my favorite part of pregnancy. Also, I bought Walker his first outfit(s) the other day. I went to a consignment sale with my sister and before I left I got some boy clothes. Super fun. Too bad he doesn’t have a closet for his stuff to go in yet. It all ended up being stuffed in a drawer. HA! Third child syndrome.

What I miss: Nothing really. I’m happy!

What's different this time: My face breaking out like a teenager. Also, what is with my skin? My cheeks have this unattractive blotchiness all over them. I try to blend it in with my blush but it sort of makes me look like I have on clown makeup. As long as it goes away when I have the baby I’ll be fine – but if that junk is here to stay I’m going to need some better foundation coverage. Blah!

I’ll be going for my anatomy scan (what most people call their “BIG ultrasound) 2 weeks from today. Please pray that he is healthy! I tend to worry until that ultrasound when everything is checked out. I appreciate your prayers!

18 Weeks!

2012-03-21T17:31:00.002-05:00

This is me today, 18 weeks.

This was me with Caroline at 17w4d – so almost 18 weeks. I feel MUCH bigger this time!

How far along: 18 weeks!

How big is baby: The size of a sweet potato!

Weight gain/loss: +5lb.

Stretch marks: Not unless you count the previous ones.

Maternity clothes: Yes. It’s all about comfort.

Sleep: Pretty good! Enjoying all the sleep I can because I know the exhaustion that is coming!

Food cravings or aversions: Not really an aversion, but it will have to be a looooong time before I eat donuts again. They were not Krispy Kreme and that was most likely the problem. Any donuts consumed should be Krispy Kreme to be deemed worth the calories. I’m craving ANYTHING SWEET!!

Gender: Boy! Getting a second look to make sure today!

Movement: Yes! More this week than last week. Instead of feeling a few kicks and then nothing for a long time, I’m feeling something every hour or so. I love it.

Belly button: Flat. Ha!

What I'm loving: Getting to see the baby again! I love to see him on the sonogram!

What I miss: Feeling attractive. No, I’m actually serious. Any self esteem issues before pregnancy just make you feel like a total rockstar in hindsight when you currently have a watermelon belly sticking out in front of you.

What's different this time: My sweet tooth! I want ANYTHING sweet. With the girls I just wanted food. This time, I want sweets!!

Caroline–2 1/2 Years

2012-03-19T23:11:00.001-05:00

So, I haven’t done a Caroline update in forever. The girl changes SO much just from one week to another. I don’t want to forget some of the cute things that she does and says…and that’s what blogs are for, right?

Caroline, you love:

Being tickled, water, llama llama books, reading in general, Dora, Umizoomi, anything with princesses, cars, Power Wheels Jeep, fruit snacks (“Dora Snacks”), Yo Gabba Gabba, being outside, balls, swinging, jumping (trampoline, bounce house, or just hopping across the floor!), bananas, peanut butter crackers (“quackers”), feeding the ducks, Duke & Sassy, pizza, Jello (“yeahno”), paci (it’s a curse nowadays.), Angry Birds (“birds”), blankie, the iPad, music, dancing, being naked (ha!), making Amelia laugh, giving hugs, fruit loops (“fruit froops”), talking to anyone who will listen, m&ms, daddy coming home from work, mommy coming home from town, baths, cake, & riding in a shopping cart.

You dislike:

Going night night, getting ready for bed, brushing your teeth (sensing a trend here…), mommy leaving, having to come inside from playing, having to hold someone’s hand to cross the street, frogs (you cry and run away), Amelia screaming (you tell her “No, no Mia. Stop crying!”), getting in the car, having your hair rinsed after washing, having dirty hands, and getting in trouble…it hurts your feelings so badly.

You are so funny! You have such a mind of your own. You always tell me in the car when we go to the bank or a drive thru, “I wanna say hey!” so I have to roll down your window so you can yell “hey!” to the person outside. Especially at the bank because you want a sucker!

You tell me you love me everyday. I melt every time. My favorite is when I say it first and you say, “I love you toosies!” I have no idea where toosies came from but it is so cute!

You love to sing Twinkle Twinkle, Jesus Loves Me, Sing & Be Happy, and anything by the Fresh Beat Band.

Turn your volume up…she starts out quiet but gets louder!

We’re working on the “yes ma’am” thing and you crack me up. Today you asked if I wanted to put my shoes on and I told you no. You said, “Mommy, say “no ma’am” so I did and you said, “Thank you.” Ha!

You avoid bedtime/naptime like the plague. You now come up with 1000 excuses why you don’t need to go to bed. You need some “quackers” or some water or you claim you’ll go poop in the potty. Speaking of potty training – we’re slowly working on it. I’m not really totally pushing it, but you’re making efforts to at least try.

You LOVE Amelia. I seriously don’t know how you ever did without her. You two play all day long together. You play together SO WELL. I’m so fortunate with that. You do steal toys and snacks from her fairly often but you always give them back. When she cries, you go get her blankie. You ask her “What’sa matter, Mia?” when she’s upset. And you always ask about her when you can’t find her.

You are the cutest thing. I just love to listen to you talk! You have so much to say now. I love giving you choices and hearing you make decisions. I always ask you which drink you want and give you two options and you’ll say, “Ummmmmmmm……..water!” (or juice or whatever.) You ask to go outside and play with Duke & Sassy – which really means you want to get their food and feed them from your hands. They love you, too! You love when Daddy comes home from work. I always announce when Daddy pulls in the driveway and say, “Daddy’s home!!” and you’ll come running through the house copying me and wait for him to give you a hug at the door.

You’re really into princess stuff lately. You got a dress-up princess book where you dress up the princesses in different clothes and you LOVE it. Your Vtech iPad thingy has a princess game/story that you play all the time. Cinderella is your favorite. I think I might get the movie out sometime soon and see how much you’ll watch of it before you get bored.

You’ve started pulling up a stool or chair to help me cook. You always want to stir and you really want to crack eggs…ha!

You’re terrified of frogs. You didn’t get that from me. I’m not scared of frogs….I don’t like them…but I’m not scared of them. You, on the other hand, cry and scream and act like someone is torturing you. I feel sorry for you, because I DO know how you feel. The way you feel about frogs is how I feel about bugs. We’re both in a horrible place for these phobias, sweet girl.

You are such a smart girl. You know and can identify the alphabet (you know most of the lowercase and all uppercase letters) and most of your numbers. You’ve started trying to count to 100 by 10’s. Sometimes you get it and others you act like you’ve never done it in your life. You know your shapes (circle, square, triangle, and rectangle) really well. You point shapes out to me in random, everyday places. I’m always so proud! You can usually identify your name when written out, and most of the time you can get Amelia’s name, too. I think most of that comes from your love of reading books. You come sit in my lap everyday and want me to read books over and over…and we usually do! Some of the Nick Jr. shows you watch are great about teaching stuff like that, too.

You’re great in church, most of the time. You sit really quietly and play on the iPad or play with your princess book. You still have a snack but you’re really quiet in general. When we pray you stop what you’re doing and clasp your hands together – usually for the majority of the prayer (as long as it isn’t really long…ha!) I love to see you do that.

You make me so proud. I wanted to write this stuff down because I haven’t done it in a long time and I want to be able to come back and read all of this about you. You’re such a big girl, already. I wish time would stop! You’re so independent. You love doing things on your own and having us cheer for you. You are so beautiful and you make my heart so happy! I love you sweet girl. You mean the world to me. There’s nothing I wouldn’t do for you!

--Mommy

17 Weeks!

2012-03-14T23:23:00.003-05:00

How far along: 17 Weeks!

How big is baby: The size of an onion!

Weight gain/loss: Honestly, I’m not sure. I haven’t stepped on the scale a single time this week. I’m totally good with that.

Stretch marks: Sadly, I spotted a new one above my bellybutton the other day. Judd agreed he’d never noticed it before. Sadness. With both the girls I didn’t get any until the last few weeks.

Maternity clothes: Yes! The shirts make me look more pregnant and less fat. Also, why don’t women wear stretchy belly pants all the time? Why must be ever button and zip? This is so much more comfortable.

Sleep: It’s been pretty good this week! I drink less water before bed and I’m only having to get up once to pee – if that. There have been a couple of nights where I didn’t have to get up. However, it was almost painful when I woke up the next morning…ha!

Food cravings or aversions: Craving greasy food. I did this with Caroline. If it doesn’t have fat and grease dripping off of it, it probably doesn’t sound good to me. I’m also a bottomless pit. I can always have one more serving or dessert. I NEVER feel full!

Gender: We found out Sunday (yes, my AWESOME doctor gave me an ultrasound on a Sunday after church…because he’s just that awesome…) that it’s a BOY! Considering I was a little over 16 weeks at the ultrasound, there is always the possibility that what we saw could’ve have been something else (like the cord) but we all said with pretty good certainty that it looked like a boy. From several angles. I won’t buy any boy clothes yet, but we’re pretty sure!

Movement: YES! It’s happening a lot more often now. I feel him (feels so good to call the baby a him instead of an ‘it’) several times a day. I love it. It’s getting stronger, too! There have been a few that could’ve been felt from the outside! When we had the ultrasound on Sunday, that kid was moving all over the place. He was kicking and wiggling - and sucking his thumb. So cute!

Belly button: Innie, but getting flatter. Ugh. I hate that flat bellybutton look. It feels funny, too.

What I'm loving: Knowing the gender, feeling more kicks, and knowing that I’m almost halfway through this pregnancy already!

What I miss: Nothing really. I’m happy.

What's different this time: I’m definitely bigger. And the bottomless pit stomach thing. I was always able to eventually feel full with the girls. I’m serious when I tell you I could eat for hours without feeling full. It’s gross, actually. Also, my face is breaking out with a new zit every day. Also quite gross. And my face is getting fatter – as evidenced by this picture below.

You may notice my ugly, not fancy watermark. To give you the short reason – someone stole some pictures off my blog (of our family and my kids) and sent them out in an e-mail scam trying to get money. They basically pretended like they needed a nanny in London. All in all, not dangerous, just hacked me off. I thought about making my blog private, but that defeats the purpose of having one. So if I can remember, my pictures will be watermarked from now on. Just for kicks, I recommend anyone with a blog google their names just to make sure. It’s how I found mine!

It’s A….

2012-03-11T20:19:00.001-05:00

BOY!!!!

We are fairly certain that the ultrasound showed a sweet baby boy! I’m early, so there is always the possibility that things could change, but we’re pretty sure!

A BOY?! What on earth am I going to do with a boy! Mud, dirt, insects, worms, etc….I’m already nervous! Ha!

We’re gonna have one crazy house around here but it will be fun!

We’ve picked out a name:

Walker Thad D.

We are going to call him Walker. Thad comes from my wonderful Papaw. He was one of the greatest men I ever knew. I’m honored to give my sweet baby his name. I know my Papaw would be so proud!

Judd keeps making jokes that we’re naming this kid after Walker, Texas Ranger. I’m going to hurt him if that joke sticks. A friend of ours has already decided he’s going to call him “Roundhouse” for Chuck Norris. Puh-lease!

Just thought I’d give my blog friends the same update we gave our Facebook friends! Wish us luck! (Especially me! I’m not sure WHAT to do with boys!)

16 Weeks with Pic!

2012-03-07T13:27:00.000-06:00

How far along: 16 weeks!

How big is baby: The size of a large avocado!

Weight gain/loss: 3lb. Thank you family for all the delicious food this past weekend! It was worth every ounce. Also, the two rows of oreos that I ate yesterday....

Stretch marks: Not unless you count the previous ones.

Maternity clothes: Yes! SO much more comfortable since I quit doing the “rubber band trick” with my pants.

Sleep: Getting kinda not great but not horrible. I wake up everytime I have to turn over, which stinks. But other than that and the incessant peeing, it's not bad!

Food cravings or aversions: No aversions, but starting to crave mexican food again! YUM!!

Gender: Not sure yet, but everyone is calling boy. They have a 50/50 shot of being right! I think it is just now dawning on me that we could find out SOON!

Movement: YES! Usually only when in bed or sitting really still. I love it! I felt the first big roll type movement instead of little taps yesterday. It was great!

Belly button: Positively innie. But the more food I eat, the flatter it gets. Awful!

What I'm loving: Feeling the big roll type movements and finding out the gender soon! I'm getting excited!

What I miss: Nothing really! (Except maybe seeing a smaller number on the scale...)

What's different this time: How big I am maybe? Nothing else is really different yet.

16 week picture...excuse the fact that you're seeing the toilet in the background. When your husband works from sun-up to sun-down you just take the pics yourself. ;)

Boy or Girl?

2012-03-06T08:55:00.000-06:00

I'm putting a poll up on the right sidebar of my blog, right above the social icons (facebook, twitter, pinterest, etc.)

Do you think this one is a boy or a girl? It won't be long before we find out, so vote! :)

Amelia’s 1 Year Video (3 months late)

2012-03-02T08:30:00.000-06:00

‘Cause that’s how I roll. Late. Always.

Deda, this is for you – because I know you watch them over and over. I actually thought I had already put it on here and realized the other day that I hadn’t! So, this is just for you!

Feeding the Ducks!

2012-03-01T16:51:00.001-06:00

We went to the park today to do something different. We had lunch at the picnic table and then fed the ducks some bread. Caroline was so excited and talked about it the entire way there! She has also talked about it all day long saying she wanted to go back and feed “MY DUCKS.” Here’s a couple of pictures and a quick video from the duck feeding part!

Amelia generally hates being in the grass, so I brought the stroller for her and she munched on her chicken nuggets while we fed the ducks!

Guess who showed up after lunch to feed the ducks?! DADDY! He skipped eating his lunch so he could come feed the ducks with the girls. There is one thing I know for certain – he LOVES spending time with his children…and that makes me so happy!

Hope you all had a fantastic day today!

15 Weeks WITH a Picture!

2012-02-29T17:00:00.001-06:00

Pic #1 is me right now at 15 weeks! Pic #2 is me 14 weeks with Caroline. Huge difference!!

How far along: 15 weeks!

How big is baby: The size of an apple! Awww….

Weight gain/loss: 1lb. Although I keep forgetting to step on the scale in the mornings, and I purposely don’t weigh myself after I’ve eaten.

Stretch marks: Not unless you count the previous ones.

Maternity clothes: Yes! SO much more comfortable since I quit doing the “rubber band trick” with my pants.

Sleep: Good!

Food cravings or aversions: No aversions, but I can definitely tell you what I AM craving. For the first time in my life, I want ICE CREAM. Not just any ice cream – but SOFT SERVE VANILLA. Just writing about it is making me want some. I usually do not like ice cream very much and don’t eat it but maybe 2 or 3 times a year on random occasions. But I could eat it three times a day right now. So, so, so good. And don’t’ ask me why it has to be soft serve, but it does!

Gender: Not sure yet, but everyone is calling boy. They have a 50/50 shot of being right! I think it is just now dawning on me that we could find out SOON!

Movement: YES! Usually only when in bed or sitting really still. I love it!

Belly button: Positively innie. But the more food I eat, the flatter it gets. Awful!

What I'm loving: The thought that I could potentially find out the gender soon! It kinda snuck up on me and I’m surprised it’s already here!

What I miss: Not being on a hormonal roller coaster every second of my life. I can be perfectly happy one second, and needing to cry the next second for no apparent reason. I’m also prone to getting angry in about 0.1 seconds. It’s embarrassing how quickly I go from fine to ON FIRE. I have take deeeeeep breaths and decide if it is hormones or something actually worth being angry about (9/10 it’s hormones!)

What's different this time: Honestly, since I cut out my crazy amount of diet cokes, I can say it’s definitely different this time that I pee SO MUCH. Don’t get me wrong, I went a lot with the girls, but every hour I’m running to the bathroom. It’s obnoxious. I now “get” the whole “pregnant women have to pee all the time” gig. Apparently we need to be sucking down enough water to drown a whale….which is what I do. I’m constantly drinking water. Good for me, right?!

(It seemed hard to see with my flowy shirt on, but I put it up for good measure.) Excuse how tired I look! Caroline woke up at 4:30am and decided she wasn’t going back to sleep! (Whose kid is she again? Can’t be mine!) My mother will also have a mild heart attack that I’m not wearing lipstick…sorry Mom!

Happy Birthday, Judd!

2012-02-28T10:54:00.001-06:00

Today is my wonderful husband and my best friend’s 27th birthday! It’s hard to believe we’ve been together 7 years – but they’ve been the best 7 years of my life! I couldn’t have hand-picked a better Daddy for my children. He is so loving and playful with them. If there were ever 2 girls to have their Daddy wrapped around their fingers, it would be Caroline & Amelia. They just look at him with those big eyes and he’s done for! They love their Daddy!

On that same note, I couldn’t have hand-picked a better husband for myself. He has put up with a lot from me in the years we’ve been together – and I like to think that I’m much easier to deal with now than I was several years ago! We laugh SO much together. It’s one of my favorite things about him – his sense of humor! We always have fun, and I love that about him! He has made me so much more laid-back than I used to be. I can say, without a doubt, that he has made me a better person. I like who I am when I’m with him. I hope we have many, many, many more birthdays to celebrate together. I can’t (and don’t want to) imagine life without him!

The girls and I are beyond blessed to have him. We love you, Judd!

14 Weeks! Second Trimester!

2012-02-23T09:20:00.001-06:00

Second Trimester!!! YAAAAAY! Here's an ultrasound photo from when I was almost 13 weeks...

(Head is to the left and if you look closely, you can see baby's BRAIN! S/he is also sucking that sweet thumb and has its legs tucked up.) Sidenote: The last 2 ultrasounds, baby has been sucking its thumb! How cute!

How far along: 14 weeks!

How big is baby: The size of a large lemon! How cute!

Weight gain/loss: 0lbs.

Stretch marks: Except for previous ones, nothing yet - but deep down I know they're coming! They always show up right at the last minute when I think I've beaten them...

Maternity clothes: Yes! I had to wear a regular pair of jeans the other day and nearly died from being so uncomfortable. The maternity shirts make me look less fat and more pregnant whereas regular shirts do the exact opposite. Rest assured I'm wearing maternity shirts.

Sleep: Good! Especially since I already know how "not good" it is at the end of pregnancy! ;)

Food cravings or aversions: No real aversions that I can think of. Chili doesn't make me want to puke anymore and that was really it. I crave different stuff all the time, but I've definitely noticed an increase in my love for sweets. Desserts of all kind! However, that could also be because of my recent love addiction to Pinterest....

Gender: Not sure yet, but everyone is calling boy. They have a 50/50 shot of being right! I'm starting to feel BOY myself. It may just be wishful thinking though because we can't come up with even ONE girl name that we both like and agree on. On a positive note, we have come up with about a million boy names that we like, we just have to narrow it down.

Movement: YES! I was in bed the other night and baby was moving all over the place. It felt like s/he was pushing its (I hate calling my baby an 'it' because I don't know the gender yet...) body against me. It wasn't super strong and Judd couldn't have felt it or anything but I did! I love it!

Belly button: Positively innie. But the more food I eat, the flatter it gets. Awful!

What I'm loving: Second trimester! Hoping I get a lot of energy back this trimester. I've totally been lacking in the energy department. Also, I really like pregnancy during the 2nd trimester. I feel pregnant but not so pregnant that I feel like a total whale, and I'm usually not uncomfortable yet. I really have decided that I enjoy pregnancy. The first time around, I hated not knowing what to expect - but I enjoyed it a lot the 2nd time around and I think I'll start to enjoy it more with this one now that I'm feeling better. :)

What I miss: Having more than 2 pair of jeans that fit.

What's different this time: I'm still fighting for energy! With both my other two I was feeling much better and pretty normal by now. But I'm optimistic that it's coming!

So we forgot to take the picture yesterday...oops. If you've been following my blog long you'll remember I frequently had trouble remembering to take pictures with Caroline, too. Maybe I'll take one tonight and post it separately!