A Little PINK Me Up

The bags are packed and the piggies are polished in a very tongue-in-cheek shade of hopeful. Come on baby!

For Mom...

Thirty four weeks and five days. 

 Not like I'm counting or anything.

In The Thick of It

The other day I was looking at my blogging history and was tickled to see that I had several hundred posts in 2009, half of that in 2010, half of that in 2011, and now 2012 doesn't look any more promising.

I tend to blame it on the laundry. 

But maybe it's more the little people who make the laundry :) 

So after  nearly a two week absence, where to start? 

Maybe by saying we're in the thick of it. 

Today finds me thirty weeks and two days pregnant and tomorrow I go for an MRI that will determine if my knee will require surgery and before or after this baby comes. Now I could go into all the details of the last four months...but really none of it matters. Tomorrow the doctor will, Lord willing, have a clear understanding of what the next course of action is. While our hope is that RELIEF is part of that action, we are also just trying to rest in the promise that the Lord works all things for our good. 

All things. 

Even these nesting, exhausted, hobbling mess kinda days. 

Back tomorrow with an update.

36 Weeks

Well, folks, 36 weeks {and 1 day}! I met with my OB on Tuesday and everything is still looking good! Baby is head down but not engaged. I'm 1 1/2-2 centimeters dilated and 50% effaced! I thought that was rather exciting but Dr. Okun was quick to remind me that I can sit this way for weeks. Ugh. The doc also gave the baby a good squeezin and had a weight guesstimate of somewhere between 6 and 6 1/2 lbs. This made me rethink the boys' preemie onesie I had chosen for the baby to come home in. I'll take it though. Grow baby, grow!

35 Weeks

Okay, white flag. It's-a-waving! I'm feeling just a *wee* bit uncomfortable and it's becoming quite the circus act trying to maneuver with the boys!
BUT...I'm also thankful. My discomfort is because I am one week away from term. Two weeks away from full term. And I know that it's worth all the discomfort in the world if it means we get to leave the hospital with our healthy baby.

Our THIRD baby.

Whoa.

As for the other two-here's what I spend most of my day doing:

Refereeing.

But I'm usually not laughing, or on camera, when I do it.

And because I know you will ask, they are fighting over my iPod. Not smart, right Grammy?!

But it got a smile outta both of them...at the same time :)

33 Weeks

It's incredibly hard to believe, but 2 days from now is where I was at when I delivered the boys!

I am in crazy nesting mode too. Poor Jer has been such a sport, calmly responding to my manic episodes and endless list making! He even hired a lady to come clean windows for me (probably out of fear that he'd return from work one day only to find me in labor on the front lawn, Windex in hand)! Truly though, what is it about preparing for baby that makes things that would otherwise NEVER get done suddenly seem so crucial? In my mind I know it's wild, yet the reality is that I still feel like I should scrub the blinds with a toothbrush! Oh, and buy massive amounts of meat. Even cuts of meat that I've never bought before. Like a Chuck Roast.

Pregnancy is strange.

So other thanthe radical hormones, all is good on the home front! My body is still not showing any signs of pre-term labor and at this point we're assuming that #3 will be a full-term, plump-er version of his/her brothers! We've tentatively set a delivery date of December 14th with Dr. Okun, however, she seems to think that it won't be necessary. Her words, not mine. Jer thinks the baby will come by the 4th. And I'm hoping for the second week in December. Just as babies like to do, though, I'm sure this little one will come in his/her own time, and not a moment before.

And that's okay. I still need time to figure out what to do with my Chuck Roast.

30 Weeks

Nine weeks and counting!

28 Weeks

I simply cannot believe that I am now in the third trimester! And I've got to STOP doing these pictures at the end of the day...I look so...um...bleh. I have to say, I've been a little leery of reaching this point in the pregnancy. After all, it was at 27 weeks when I developed Preeclampsia and preterm labor with the boys. It was 28 weeks when I came home from the hospital on all kinds of different medications and with a contraction monitoring system. And it was the next 6 weeks that we lived on edge wondering which contraction was going to be the final straw and we were going to have our babies. So, it's been with much apprehension that I've approached 28 weeks this time...and my OB knows it! Thankfully, at my appointment yesterday, she tried to put my mind to rest by checking to make sure that I haven't started to dilate or show any other signs of premature labor. She also performed a fFN (or a Fetal Fibronectin Test) which if negative indicates a 99.99% chance that you will not deliver your baby in the next 2 weeks. Both checked out great! So while we still have some time between now and a healthy full-term baby, our chances of getting there this time seem more promising!
As for the rest of the appointment, well, here's the stat's...Baby's heartrate was 147 bpm(cause it's a BOY, people!). I measured at 31 weeks (yikes!). I gained 6 1/2 lbs for a total of 19.6 lbs (double yikes!). I got my orders for the glucose test (yuck!). And I start going every two weeks (anyone want to volunteer to babysit?!) Fun times!

26 Weeks

Can a baby "feel" big in utero? No, seriously?! I feel like there's a small toddler rolling around in my belly most of the day! The kicks are up and down and sideways...and non-stop! It usually keeps me up for a good hour at bedtime and wakes me in the morning. I don't ever remember feeling the boys move like this and I especially don't remember my belly moving like it does now either. For just a little less than 2 pounds, this baby has some spunk!

I'm still feeling good and for the most part, no pregnancy "symptoms." On a couple different occasions, I've felt the rib pain that we all know and love so much. But other than that, still pretty comfortable, just t-i-r-e-d. I have my last monthly OB visit on the 29th and then we go to twice a month. That, paired with the fact that my pregnancy ticker has us under 100 days, tells me we're getting MUCH closer.

24 Weeks

I had my monthly OB appointment yesterday. Baby looks great! Heartbeat was 152 bpm and my belly measured at 27 weeks, which the doc said could be an indicator that it's a big baby! What a change of pace that would be for us! Only time will tell...15 more weeks!

22 Weeks

My blossoming belly, all the way from The Keys!

Halfway There and Some Videos Too!

Last week marked the halfway point to "D" day for #3! HALFWAY! Doesn't that just seem so surreal?! I just still can't get my head around the fact that in 19 weeks we, Lord willing, will have another baby at the house! It's just right around the corner...

We also had our 20 week ultrasound and check up last week and things looked great! The baby was super active and we got a great look at everything...well...almost everything! That part will still be a surprise for the delivery room! It was absolutely incredible to be able to see the baby in 4D though. Just a totally different experience than the ultrasounds we had with the boys. I must say, I was a little taken aback to at being able to see so much resemblance between this baby and the boys, and so early on too! Jer and I also see a lot of my dad's side in this baby as well. I see my Mazzzz mostly. That makes me happy. It also makes me anxious to meet this baby and put the whole package together!

Enjoy the videos! No sound.

#3 bobbing head and moving hand

#3 opening and closing mouth


#3 turning over

17 Weeks

I had another doctor's appointment today and all went well! I measured at 18 weeks, have gained a pound since the last appointment, and heard the baby's heartbeat (147 bpm). I also had a chance to ask the doc about why I haven't been feeling much movement. She gently reminded me that this is only ONE baby and that it's not uncommon to not feel much movement until 20 weeks! So different, this single pregnancy thing! I feel like I have no idea what to expect! By 17 weeks with the boys, I felt like a boxing ring, had heartburn so badly it was hard to eat, had gained nearly 15 pounds, and was measuring in the third trimester. This time at 17 weeks, I struggle between wearing maternity (which are too big and look almost silly) and non-maternity clothes (which are tight and often uncomfortable), still can sleep on my stomach somewhat comfortably, and have to think really hard about if what I'm feeling is movement or just dinner talking back. I just don't feel very pregnant. Plain and simple.

Plus, it doesn't help that yesterday a lady told me that she thought my baby pooch was just stretched out muscles leftover from a twin pregnancy. Nice.

WHY? WHY DO PEOPLE TELL YOU THESE THINGS?!

Anyway, our next appointment is scheduled for August 4th, at which point we'll have our 20 week ultrasound. Lots of pictures and hopefully a little video to upload! Exciting! And in the meantime, if you feel so inclined, feel free to vote in our little baby poll in the upper right hand corner. No rules, just vote as much or as little as you like, and we'll see if your guesses are right!

15 Weeks

I reached 15 weeks this last Wednesday and with it came feeling the baby move for the first time! If I remember right, 15 weeks is when I felt the boys move too, only I was convinced that's not what I was really feeling. It took me calling my mom, mother-in-law, and many friends to FINALLY believe that it truly was the babies moving. This time around, however, I'm not so naive. And while it caught me a bit off guard, I was instantaneously 100% sure that it was #3 moving around. Ahh, what a wonderful thing to feel the baby move. In fact, I think it's my absolute favorite part about being pregnant! It's something that only you and that little one share. And I particularly love how much that movement changes as the baby grows. I specifically remember rubbing on Ben's knee when it would poke me in my side and then when he was born that knee felt so familiar! Such an amazing thing!
15 weeks also brought with it a momma no longer plagued with queasiness. I was beginning to wonder a bit if I might struggle with morning sickness for the duration, but alas the clouds have cleared and the birds have begun to chirp again :) Now that my appetite is back, I also had my first ever craving. And I am slightly ashamed to admit, not what, but when I had to have it!! First off, it was Ham and Cheese Hot Pockets. Not so bad, right?! Kinda gross but not anything like some of the concoctions you hear of. However, the urge came at 7 in the morning! I don't think my shaving husband could have been any more shocked when I asked him to run to the store for me! But he obliged and 30 minutes later the world seemed right again!
As for more ultrasound pics, we have out next OB appointment on the 16th of July, which puts me at 17 weeks, and then we'll be scheduling our 20 week ultrasound after that appointment. And for those of you wondering but who haven't yet heard, we will be finding out this baby's gender....in the delivery room! We have decided to keep the gender and name a secret until the big day! Yes, again! This should be MUCH harder this time since we will have such amazing and clear 3d pics! But I trust we will be able to see it through again and what fun it will be to put the package all together on the day this little one is born!

#3

We found out today that I'm about 13 weeks along with ONE new baby and am offficially due on December 23rd! Our ultrasound was amazing, as it was mostly in 3D, and we got to see #3 doing all sorts of acrobatics. That was a total change from the regular 2d we had with the boys! So spoiled we are with all this new technology. Not much time to blog so I'll leave you with these few pics! I know that's all you want anyway :)