22 Weeks on Christmas Day!

22 Weeks....no way! This pregnancy is going by so fast, too fast! To think we only have 4 months left seems unreal. People continue to ask of we have names, do we want a boy or girl, are we planning a natural birth again, yada yada. Truth is, we haven't really discussed those things in depth. Yeh, we've discussed names a bit, but the other things are just up in the air and I like it that way. Doesn't matter what gender Baby #3 is. Natural worked last time and I hope it works this go round. That's as much thought as I've put into it. This pregnancy has been very stress free. We haven't worried or fret over any of those things. In fact, we haven't bought or prepared for this baby in any way whatsoever. I just have this peace about it and feel as though everything is going to fall into place when the baby gets here. So different from our first pregnancy. I'm pretty sure I was worried about everything, worried about the unknown when I was pregnant with Rory. Scared. Two babies later, with a third on the way, it's time to relax.




Size of Baby: 11 inches, 1 lb, spaghetti squash.
Total Weight Gained/Lost:  +6lbs
Maternity Clothes: Very few. Im still stretching some of my normal attire.
Movement: yes, and I can't get enough
Sleep: Good! 
What I miss: drinking lots and lots of coffee!!
Cravings: Chocolate covered pretzels, diet coke
Symptoms: Lots of stronger kicks and jolts. Baby is gaining lots of strength. Baby is also sitting on a nerve or something funky is going on, but pain radiates from my right upper thigh, not really my hip, all the way to the bottom of my foot. Not sciatica pain which I've experience in my left hip with all 3 pregnancies. 
Highlights from this week:  Christmas with my precious family! This year, for the first time was not stressful...at all. I was on call on Christmas Eve, didn't get called in, so was able to spend time at my Mom's celebrating as we do every year. Christmas Day we went to Don's parents for lunch and the kids had a blast playing with cousins and eating delicious holiday food! We didn't try spread ourselves too thin and chose to spend Christmas at one place, and one place only. No running around this year. It was perfect!

21 Weeks....Cold hands, Warm heart!

My goodness it has been cold here lately. I do love the cold, but its been rainy as well which I don't like. I feel like my hands and feet are always freezing, but my heart is so warm. This holiday season has been wonderful so far and we haven't even celebrated the holidays yet. I love the cold air, Christmas music, happy kids, and wiggling baby. Every morning taking Rory to school I find joy and happiness looking at all the Christmas lights ( because its still somewhat dark), spending quality time with my sweet babies, and feeling baby#3 chime in as we'll. I love our mornings, no matter how cold, they always make me feel so warm!

Excuse the toothpaste splattered mirror. This is the kids bathroom.



Size of Baby: 7.5 inches, 14oz, a large carrot
Total Weight Gained/Lost:  +5lbs
Maternity Clothes: Getting there. Still using the rubber band trick only because I can't find dark maternity jeans that I like.
Movement: Yep! I feel baby often during the night now and love it. It's kicks aren't strong enough to keep me awake just yet, but I know the day is coming.
Sleep: Good! 
What I miss: Nothing
Cravings: Salads, fruits, omelets, beer
Symptoms: Frequent peeing again. Other than that, nothing new. When I move in an awkward way, I feel my muscles/ligaments pull. They aren't down low as they have been, but more in the center of my belly. If I yarn and stretch at the same time, it's really bad. Sciatica pain has also terrible, but not all the time.
Highlights from this week: Starting a new book that I can not put down. Divergent. A co-worker of mine recommended it and I find myself waking up in the middle of the night or at 5am to read because I just can't get enough. Feels so good to read again.

Ultrasound and Dr Appointment!

Our 20 week appointment couldn't have gone better. We had the u/s first and baby measures absolutely perfect and weighs approx. 14oz, heart rate 138. At 20 weeks, Lhana's heart rate was 137 however this baby was estimated a few ounces larger than Lhana. So is a boy, or a girl??!!?? Only 4.5 more months! Baby #3 seemed pretty content in there and wasn't kicking and jackknifing like normal. It was resting and sucking on its hands almost the entire time, even its thumb at one point. Too sweet!!

After our u/s, we met with Dr. Dodson whom I just love! She recognized that this was our 3rd child and there was no need to keep us there longer than she had to. We went over baby's measurements, which are right on target, and she asked if I had any questions and sent us on our way! Short and sweet.

20 Weeks!! I Can't Believe It!

My oh my, time is flying by! Getting to 12 weeks seemed like it took forever, but now I can hardly keep up with how far along we are. Before we know it, baby will be here! Eek!

On Friday we got to our 20 week appointment and ultrasound. Ah!! I'm so anxious to know what this baby is! Keeping Lhana's gender a secret was easy peasy, but now having one of each, I'm dying to know what #3 will be. Only 20 more weeks until we find out!

Size of Baby: 10.5oz, 6.5 inches, a banana! Wow!
Total Weight Gained/Lost:  +5lbs
Maternity Clothes: Not really
Movement: Yes! Jabs are becoming much more apparent and can be felt and seen on the outside of my belly!
Sleep: Good!
What I miss: I'm content right now. Enjoying this growing belly.
Cravings: Fruit, sweets, spicy foods, coffee, and pasta (although I haven't had any yet, I think about it all the time)
Symptoms: heartburn, weight gain, stronger kicks
Highlights from this week: Feeling kicks more often and with my hand and narrowing down baby names. We still can't decide on one particular name, but we're making progress. Don has been giving much more input this go round and I love seeing him get excited about #3. He constantly rubs my belly and talks about when baby gets here :)

19 Weeks!

Size of Baby: 8.5oz, 6 inches, heirloom tomato
Total Weight Gained/Lost:  +4lbs
Maternity Clothes: very few
Movement: yes!
Sleep: Good! I sleep great on my nights off and am getting better at sleeping during the day after my night shifts.
What I miss: running :(
Cravings: coffee
Symptoms: cramping and ligament pain in my lower abdomen, sciatica pain after sitting too long, increased appetite. I am hungry all the time and constantly want to snack.
Highlights from this week: Getting our Christmas tree put up! It truly is the best time of year! Rory got to put the star on top :)

18 Weeks

 

Size of Baby: 5 ounces, 5 inches, a bell pepper!

Total Weight Gained/Lost: +3lbs

Maternity Clothes: Regular clothes

   Movement: Oh yeh!

Sleep: Good

What I miss: Being able to indulge and know that I can cut back or work it off at the gym the next day.

Cravings: anything with buffalo sauce

Symptoms: Back pain when I am on my feet too long, heartburn

Highlights from this week: Being able to watch a whole movie without falling asleep!

17w2d

7 Weeks

17 Weeks

Check out how much baby has grown in just 10 weeks!

Size of Baby: 5 ounces, 5 inches, a turnip

Total Weight Gained/Lost: +1.5lbs
Maternity Clothes: Regular clothes

   Movement: I feel

baby mostly at night when I am at work. Baby's kicks are getting a tad stronger but still not felt as often as I remember.

Sleep: Good. I sleep between 5-6 hours a day.

What I miss: Nothing too much. I miss being off holidays:(

Unfortunately I have to work the night before and the night of Thanksgiving. I'm already dreading it. T-day will be exhausting, but I am thankful to work nights where at least I don't miss the time with my family, no matter how exhausting it may be.

Cravings: pickles, jalapenos, salads, anything with buffalo sauce

Symptoms: Occasional mild back pain, stronger kicks, heartburn, widened hips! ---> I can already tell how they have widened. The jeans that fit just a few weeks ago no longer do and its not because of my belly. I can't even slide them over my hips!

Highlights from this week: Spending an afternoon with my sweet boy! Rory and I went to get his haircut and shopped a little. I love spending time with just him! He's the bestest friend I could as for!

 



16 Week Appointment

Our 16 Week Appt. went great. It was short and sweet. I was in and out in less than an hour which never happens. Baby's heartbeat is 145-150's. I measure to date and have no complaints at 16 Weeks! I go back in 4 weeks for my 20 Week visit and an ultrasound!

 

Size of Baby: 3.5 ounces, 4.5 inches, size of an avocado
Total Weight Gained/Lost: +0.5 lbs
Maternity Clothes: Regular clothes
Movement: Yes, but it is still random. Not all the time. Mainly after I eat or if I'm squishing baby by bending over
Sleep: Good. I still wake to roll from side to side but I am not making as many trips to the bathroom. Yay!
What I miss: The gym. I've fallen off the wagon and think about going all the time, but that's as far as I get.
Cravings: Eggs, Honey Nut Chex mix, sweets, diet caffeine free coke.
Symptoms: growing belly, gas, sweet little kicks, bleeding gums, super sensitive boobies, mild heartburn at night
Highlights from this week: Hearing baby's heartbeat at our appointment. That's always a highlight. Also, having four days off in a row!!

15+ Weeks and Feeling Great!

I'm a little over 15 weeks and feel great. Some days I can go without a nap and not feel completely awful. My appetite is back and nothing disgusts me at the moment. My nausea is long gone (knock on wood) and I still feel baby moving every so often.

My bloated belly is disappearing and the baby bump is on the rise! I bounce back and forth between my regular jeans and maternity jeans. Both fit, but some days only the maternity ones are comfortable. I find that most of my maternity tops are still too big :(

 



Size of Baby: 4 inches, 2.5oz, size of an apple
Total Weight Gained/Lost: +0 lbs
Maternity Clothes: Maternity jeans here and there
Movement: Yes, but not all the time. After I eat or when I'm lying very still. It is still unpredictable.
Sleep: Good. I wake a couple of times at night to pee, but that is it.
What I miss: Fall Beer...still!
Cravings: French fries, eggs with hot sauce and jalapenos, candy. I stay hungry all the time.
Symptoms: baby kicks, sore boobs, hunger, growing belly, mild cramping here and there.
Highlights from this week: Feeling back to myself

On to the Next Trimester!!

Ah! It feels so good to be in the 2nd trimester. The stomach virus has officially left our house and we are all feeling much better. I am officially on 3rd shift full time now and finally have consistency in my schedule! Time is flying by. When asked if this is my first or second child, it still feels strange to say 3rd! I still can't believe it myself. Rory will be 5 when this baby get here! Craziness! Aside from the symptoms listed above, I do get headaches now and again. The severe back pain that I had up until week 13 has totally subsided! I feel like a new person.

**Next Dr. Appt is in 2 Weeks.

13 Weeks

The end of the first trimester is here!!! Hip Hip Hooray!! If only all of my first trimester symptoms would take a hike. I thought I was on the uphill with my nausea and fatigue. SIKE! The past 4-5 days it has taken a turn for the worst. The stomach bug hit our house last week and it was U.G.L.Y! All 4 of us got it at different times. It hit me at 5am Thursday morning at work and I have not been the same since. I got home from work that morning and contemplated a visit to the ER. My back was aching, neck was stiff, and I couldn't keep food down. I was positive I had the flu. Each day has gotten better, so I staying positive that this will soon pass.



How Far Along: 13 Weeks

Size of Baby: 3 inches, a pea pod! 

Total Weight Gained/Lost: -2lbs

Maternity Clothes: I've been wearing maternity jeans for comfort. I just love them!

Movement: I think. Its hard to decided whether its gas or movement at this point, but I'm 90% sure it's movement.

Sleep: Egh. I have slept a lot since this virus hit, but it hasn't been good sleep. I toss and turn all night.

What I miss: Fall Beer!

Cravings: Junk food. I've been eating everything chocolate that I can get my hands on.

Aversions: Sushi! I almost just gagged typing that word

Symptoms: Fatigue, nausea, back aches, nausea, fatigue, mild cramping here and there

Highlights from this week: Don and I  had a date night Saturday night. He bought me flowers and we ate an AMAZING dinner at Gabe's. I didn't get sick and even stayed up past 9pm. That's pretty impressive and made the night even better!

11 Weeks

I am officially 11w2d. I went to my 2nd OB appointment on Wed. and everything looks perfect. Baby measures as it should. I haven't gained any weight which is exciting, considering I have been stuffing my face with sweets. My nausea has subsided, but my fatigue is back. I get a severe headache if I don't nap or if I let myself get too tired. I am in bed and fast asleep well before 9pm every night. Check out B3 this week...

After out appointment went well, I posted an announcement...

So, the secret is out. I no longer have to suck in or avoid going out with friends. Oh Happy Day. We also have been asked numerous times if we will find out the gender of this baby and the answer is....NO! Of course not. We want it to be a surprise. We have clothes for either sex so it doesn't matter and we also LOVED the indescribable feeling of finding out what our baby is on birth day. There is nothing else like it! BOY or GIRL? Who knows?!? Who care?!? We are having another baby! I'm sooo excited!

 



10 Weeks and Growing

Today I am officially 10 Weeks. 1/4 of the way there. We have still only told our parents and a select few of friends. I also found out that a co-worker of mine, Jessica, is also expecting and we are due only 3 weeks apart! My due date is April 30th and hers is May 17th. We can both waddle around together. Ha! After finding out that she too was pregnant and had told our boss, I decided it would be best that I break the news as well. Cindy, my manager, was cool. I'm so relieved. Check out this pooch I'm getting... It has definitely grown and getting harder and harder to hide. I can't wait until the secret is out and I can wear this belly proud!

Symptoms: Fatigue is becoming a thing of the past. I don't get nauseous unless I eat to much or too little. No weight gain. Belly is becoming a pooch. Sleep is scarce. I roll back and forth all night. Severe back pain!! SEVERE! My boobs are still tender and I pee all the time. I've been really crampy the past few days. It isn't constant, but on and off.

I go back to the Dr. next week...Oct 9th!



First Dr. Appt!

Yesterday I went to my first OB appt with Dr. Helton. It went absolutely perfect. Baby measures right on schedule...7w1d. HR 150's. It was such a relief to get the first appt. over with and have some reassurance that everything is okay.

Sweet Baby! You can see little legs forming!

 Earlier this week...almost 7 weeks and very bloated! Thank goodness I get to wear scrubs all the time.

At 7 weeks, I am still extremely exhausted. I have been having nausea on and off, but it seems to be getting better. No actual throwing up. My boobs are sore and growing at a snails pace. No weight gain thus far but oh the cravings! I went to Kroger one night this week after work for some chips and salsa! It was a great midnight snack.

 

My next OB appt will be Oct. 9th for another ultrasound, woohoo!





5 Weeks

Today I am 5w2d. I feel great other than I can not drag myself out of bed. I do not feel like myself at all and I am so exhausted all the time that I could literally sleep 24 hours each day. I have yet to cut out my morning cup of joe due to my extreme fatigue. Hopefully I can give it up in the next few weeks. On days that I work, I take the kids to school and I come straight home and nap until 11-12. I wake up still exhausted and get ready for work. On my days off I have just Lhana while Rory is at school and I constantly look at the clock anxiously awaiting her nap time. I feel so blah all the time right now and can't wait for this stage to pass.

   I don't have much of an appetite. I get occasional sharp headaches that last only minutes. My boobs are a tad sore, but nothing like they have been with past pregnancies. I am peeing all the time and very bloated. Here's a pic from this morning...

Beginning Weight 117lbs.

 



Here is the Proof

I couldn't stand it anymore and ended up telling Don the news last night. He is very excited and has already pulled out the baby name book. Ha! He did admit that he was also nervous. Lhana was a wee little fussy one for the first 6-8 months and we were on edge 24-7 during those months. She was so difficult, we had trouble getting anyone to help us watch her (even grandparents). I remember when she was 4 months old or so, we left her with Don's parents and about an hour after we dropped her off, they called us because she would not stop crying. Their neighbor, Senior Burson (my highschool Spanish teacher), walked over to make sure that everything was okay because he could hear the crying from his house. Haha! It is funny now to look back on those awful times, but it was incredibly hard at the time.

 

Now our sweet little Lhana couldn't be any sweeter. She has done a complete 360 320 and is the most loving, affectionate baby in the world! We aren't sure if she had colic or was just a fussy baby, but we are sure that we can handle whatever the next one brings after our past experience. Check out our youngest stinker now at 18 months...

She is quite the mischievous one.

 

*I made my first OB appointment with Dr. Helton...Sept. 11th. Goodness, I can hardly wait.  

Well, Well, Well...You heard it!

Eeek!!! That's right! This momma is expecting Baby #3! Holy cow. It doesn't even sound real. I love Rory and Lhana sooo much that I'm just giddy to be expecting another sweet bundle.

How the story goes...

Don and I have been letting it happen when the time is right. We weren't trying every single night; however we weren't preventing another baby either. This topic has been amongst our minds for sometime now and we have discussed it more times that I can count. We both agreed that a 3rd child was a must. We began "trying", if you will, approx. 6 months ago. Maybe  a little less. My period is due tomorrow so I haven't actually missed it yet, but I just had a feeling. Lhana and I went to the grocery store and made a quick stop and dollar general to pick up a HPT. I took it immediately when I got home and tah dah!! The rest is history. I have not told Don yet and am trying to come up with a way to do so. I'm a little nervous. I plan to call and make my first prenatal appointment tomorrow.

According to my calculation, we are due April 30th, 2014!!