33 weeks

Well Merry Christmas!  Late but this week was dominated by Christmas festivities.  Cookie and I had a grand old time seeing family and eating our share of sweets and basically getting exhausted 15 minutes into any holiday event :)  Being in your third trimester makes gatherings a bit more tiring than usual.  I hate to admit it but we are still recovering.  I have been sleeping like the dead at night.  Uffda.

We had a good week though.  My doctor appointment went well.  Baby's heartbeat was at 131 bpm and I was measuring at exactly 32 weeks.  I did have the doc do a cervical check and thankfully everything is still as it should be.  I will always be 1 cm or so dilated as I am a 2 time mom already but baby was sitting high and everything was shut tight as it can get.  I feel much better now.  My next appointment is at 36 weeks and this will be when I have my GBS test.  Start praying for a negative test.  I REALLY want a negative test.  I don't want to be on penicillin this time and I want labor to start naturally on it's own.  I like the surprise.  I want all surprises possible. 

Cookie is still very active and painfully so at times.  This baby is very strong.  Probably my fault since I go through SO MUCH MILK on my own.  I have given this baby bones of steel.  I enjoy the rolling sensation though and when baby sticks his/her butt out enough to form a lump.  I know of all things pregnant related the movement is what I miss the most when I am not pregnant.  I will miss that. 

Max and I have a goal to have everything possible ready for this baby by 36 weeks.  This will give us some mental relief in the off chance that Cookie decides to make an early arrival.  Really, there isn't much to do.  I have already washed all the clothes and the car seat is ready to be installed.  I'm holding off on installing it though because I will often only have 1 daycare kid in January so I have the option of going places.  Then again, it will be pretty exhausting taking 3 little kids anywhere so maybe I won't want to.  Who knows. 

I will start the prep for moving Simon into Dexter's room.  I need to get the pack and play up in our room and wash the sheets for that.  I need to buy some more nursing bras.  Mine didn't survive past Dexter and Simon.  I suppose I need to purchase post birthing supplies for myself.  I have none of those around.  I do have a lot of sewing to do.  I am counting on a certain friend of mine to help keep me company on a sewing day to get a lot of that done.  I am making both a boy and girl specific car seat cover (I want at least ONE thing gender specific!) and I have to make some wool diaper covers for the wee little one.  Simon's certainly won't fit him/her.  I would love to find some cotton gauze to make those lovely blankets you see everywhere but that are so expensive.  I can't find any that are cute though and within my price range.  I want bold colors not pastels.  I'm told I should just buy white and then dye it myself.

Time is sure flying by.  I knew it would.  It just seems so unreal.  Max doesn't share my feelings on time.  He isn't surprised by anything nor does he ever say "doesn't is seem crazy that in x amount of time..."  Whatever.  What a party pooper. 

7 weeks until due date!

31 & 32 weeks

Our office isn't heated well at all so we cut it off from the rest of the house.  It is freezing.  So freezing that I didn't want to come in here to write my 31 week blog.  At least I'm honest.

The last two weeks have gone ok.  Cookie is growing like a weed and starting to pack on the pounds I'm told.  Sadly, I am also packing on the pounds.  I no longer like photos taken of me because I look like a huge, fat cow.  And don't even write any comments that I don't look like that.  You can't make a pregnant gal feel better no matter what.  I mean, come on, take a look at my second chin.  Ugh.  Unattractive central.  I am not whining.  I'm simply writing honestly about how I am feeling.  I'm happy that baby is putting on the pounds though.  This is good.

I had a rough few days because the baby positioned him/herself right on my lower spine.  It was incredibly painful and hard to deal with.  Max was in Vegas during this time and so I couldn't even take breaks to rest my back because I was in charge of everything.  Unfortunate timing.  Daycare made it very hard as well.  All I have to say is if THAT is a taste of back labor and back labor is in my future... yikes.  That will be a tough one to deal with.  Thankfully after three days the baby finally shifted again and I was back to the normal aches and pains of being in your third trimester.

I'm surprised at how my feet haven't seemed to swell very much at all.  There are times where they are slightly swollen and throb a bit but that isn't very often.  When I was pregnant with Simon, my feet were double in size and my heels had giant cracks in them.  I suppose this is the difference between a summer pregnancy and a winter pregnancy.  I'll take it.  I did buy some "fat shoes" on Black Friday in anticipation of swollen feet.  There is still ample time for that to start.

I've noticed that I have an extreme issue with butter.  Yes, butter.  I grew up on I Can't Believe it's Not Butter and Max grew up on the real deal.  I switched because who cares really.  I don't eat butter by the pound or anything.  BUT now when butter is in any sort of food or cooked with anything, all I can taste is metal.  Seriously, it tastes like metal.  I LOVE homemade mac and cheese.  Love, love, love it.  Always have.  The last couple batches though I have hardly been able to get down because of that metal taste.  Ugh.  Yuck.  I gave up yesterday and told Max I'm switching back. 

What else... I crave sweets like no other.  This is a good time of year to indulge in that craving.  This is not a good time of year when it comes to the first issue I talked about in this blog.  Only a week left and the sugar fest should be over. 

Time is going so quickly I feel I can't stop to take a breath.  One of my daycare moms is pregnant and due a few weeks before me.  She is a teacher so today is the last day I have her little lady until after Christmas break.  Then I only have her for one week before her baby comes (scheduled C-section).  This time will fly by because its like a "vacation" and vacation always goes faster than normal.  Once she has her baby, its only a matter of weeks before my own comes.  January 31st is my last day of daycare before my maternity leave starts.  That is only a little over a month away!  Holy smokes. 

I have my next doctor appointment on Monday.  I'm looking forward to hearing baby and seeing how s/he has grown.  There has been a couple of things going on that I don't plan on sharing that make me suspicious and I plan on asking if he can do a cervical check to be sure everything is nice and tight and secure down there.  I don't want an early labor.  There are just some things happening that didn't happen until the end with the boys.  I know that everything is very normal and I'm not concerned about that part of it but just the timing part.  Every pregnancy is different but it would ease my mind a bit to know Cookie is safe, sound and tucked in tight.  We will see. 

8 weeks until due date!

30 weeks

The 30th week of pregnancy had nothing out of the ordinary to share.  I honestly can't remember the events of last week.  Isn't that sad?  I don't know if this is pregnant brain taking over, mommy brain taking over or just sheer tiredness.  Either way, I cannot think of what happened this week.

I know that I had an evening of contractions.  Mild but definitely not Braxton Hicks.  I spent that evening laying on the couch again, drinking tons of water again and basically yelling at myself for my lack of desire to drink anything.  From what I have heard, this is the opposite of most pregnant women.  They like water and drink it by the gallon.  Yuck. 

I am getting quite awkward while moving around.  The waddle is almost constant unfortunately.  I find this to be one of the least attractive bits of pregnancy.  I suppose I wouldn't feel that way if I got stretch marks but so far, I am clear of those (even on my toosh!) so the waddle will be my #1.  Oh, well, the hormones making my eczema flare up isn't very attractive either.  So they can tie.

I think my stomach looks weird in my photo... do you?  Perhaps Cookie dropped a little bit?  Is that why it looks weird?  The baby could just be in a weird position too.  Who knows.

This child, man oh man, this child is STRONG.  I read back on my previous blogs about Dex and Simon and I said this about them too but this kid kicks and HARD.  I don't even think it's that he's more strong than the other two boys but that s/he kicks in the worst places.  Never have I felt my pelvis bones knocked into so much.  I like to picture the way astronauts look in space when bouncing around the space craft... you know how they push off the walls with their feet to gain some momentum?  That is what I picture the baby doing but using my pelvic bones.  It is such a weird feeling.  And yes, it hurts.  Cookie also likes to drag his/her butt or feet or something across my lower ribs.  Simon used to do this and it still hurts.  Kids these days.  They think they own the place.

I noticed that with every pregnancy my curiosity about who is in my belly grows stronger and stronger.  I am SO curious about whether we have another little boy in there or a little lady.  I daydream constantly about what it would be like with three boys or with a little girl.  My Pinterest is full of DIY stuff for if we have a girl.  I doodle our boy and girl name all the time.  I'm pathetic.  I'm like a middle school tweenager who writes out her crush's name over and over.  I just want to know!  Time is moving so fast but only in this aspect is it moving slowly.  Soon enough we will find out. 

10 weeks until due date.  We are entering the single digits.  Wow.

5 years

On December 06, 2008 I married Max. 

On this day I became part of a new family. 

On this day we started our journey to creating OUR family.

Marriage is not always easy. 

Marriage is not always driven by selflessness and love.

But finding someone that knows you, understands you and accepts you is an amazing comfort.

Knowing that your spouse is yours forever is an amazing comfort.

 

 

On December 06, 2008 I made one of the best decisions in my life.

 

5 years ago.

 

I wouldn't change a thing.

 

 

 

 

 Pregnant with Dexter.

 Pregnant with Simon.

Family.

(Unknowingly pregnant with Cookie in this photo)



What I've read #3

My friend has had Divergent on her Kindle and wanted us to read it with her.  I was on a break with my Kindle for a while since I had so much to do and reading takes away my ability to do anything but get sucked in a story.  Finally, I am back on happy terms with my Kindle (obviously) and decided to read Divergent.  Well.  That was on Monday.  It is now Thursday and I have read the entire series.  Yes, the entire series. 

It is very good.  If you liked the Hunger Games books you will like these.  They aren't the same, per say, but they both are young adult books and have similar themes running through the stories.  I hold this one as equal in likability to Hunger Games.  I immensely enjoyed them and think they were worth the money I paid for them.  I think Divergent was $2.99, Insurgent was $6.99 (GASP) and Allegiant was $3.49.  My Black Friday presents to myself. 

I highly recommend them.  Review found here.

I got this book for $0.99 off Amazon off a recommendation from my favorite author, Amy Harmon.  It was a chick flick.  Or a book version of a chick flick.  Not too much rough language, no naughty scenes, humor and romance wrapped into one.  It was a VERY easy book to read.  I liked it.  I probably won't read it again but I liked it. 

Review found here on Amazon.

29 weeks

Week 29 marks the week where I have started to feel pregnant.  Well, I have started to feel BIG pregnant.  The waddle has come on when I am tired.  Oh fine.  More than that.  My back aches more and my hips are starting to have some aches.  My feet are starting to swell up a bit at the end of the day.  Nothing out of the ordinary of course and all completely in time with normal pregnancies but as of yet, I haven't really felt pregnant pregnant. 

I have been getting lots of heartburn.  After about 5 minutes of laying down in my bed at night the heartburn will rear its ugly head and last quite a while. Normally I can just fall asleep through it but sometimes it is pretty bad and I have to prop myself up to sleep.  Again, normal stuff.

Cookie is still very active and all over the place.  Like his/her sister, Cookie enjoys laying as far out in my belly as possible and that is creating a lot of pressure.  It is nice though in that you can see every twitch and wiggle baby makes.  Dexter likes putting his hand on my belly to feel the baby.  Simon LOVES to give the baby kisses. 

My 28 week appointment went well.  Baby's heartbeat was 140 bpm and I was measuring at 27 weeks.  Normally I am measuring ahead but this is my first baby that is a wee bit behind.  This could all be based on position of course.  I gained too much weight.  I think this.  The doc didn't say anything about it.  I told my doc that I wasn't planning on coming back for another 4 weeks.  I think after 28 weeks they like you to come every 2 or 3 weeks but come one.  This is my 3rd go around.  I don't need to come that often.

The glucose drink was as gross as I remember especially since I got a really cold bottle this time.  I passed with flying colors though and have no tests in sight until the GBS test.  The big one in my book.  I was GBS positive with both the boys and so my chances are high that I will be this time again.  It didn't matter much with Dexter but it was a big deciding factor in our decision to have my water broken with Simon at 39 weeks.  I am praying we are negative this time.  I didn't like knowing when we were having Simon.  I enjoy the surprise.

Other than that the only thing I can tell you is that I am exhausted.  All the time.  Seriously.  All the time.  I feel I could sleep for 15 hours a night with a break in the middle to eat.  The more kids you have the more tired you are.  No rest for the weary when you have little ones at home!

28 weeks

Welcome to the fastest pregnancy known to man.  In real time that means Welcome Third Trimester. 

Holy Moses.

This honestly is the fastest pregnancy.  How has the 3rd trimester creeped up on me like this?  I'm entering panic mode.  I have all the material things I need for the baby... clothes (well, I have enough girl clothes to get me through a week), blankets, diapers, car seat and boobs for feeding.  I do not have any sort of mental prep done for this third wee baby of ours.  I realize that there really isn't a way to prep for 3 kids 3 years and under but come ON. 

Holy Moses.

Ok.  Moving on.

I have sorted through newborn girl and boy clothes.  I have taken off the car seat cover to add to the clothes to wash.  I need to pull off the cover on the swing and the bouncer to wash.  I need to acquire some bed rails so I can kick Simon out of the crib and into the bunk bed/room he will now share with Dexter.  I need to wash/strip all the newborn cloth diapers I have. 

I have time.  I realize this BUT the holidays are going to whiz by and command all my time so once they are finally done and things settle down I will only have a month until baby arrives.  I would like to spend that month concentrating on the boys and preparing them rather than preparing for baby.  I can do that now and be done with it.

This week I have felt pretty good.  I have had a major shift in how I feel and have been very upbeat and chipper.  I have had a few comments on that actually... makes me realize how horrible I was.  I'm a little behind on sleep but that is due to my 3 year old and not to the baby.  I'm sleeping pretty good when I actually get to.

I started getting Braxton Hicks already.  I never got them this early with the boys.  I had forgotten all about them.  I was feeling a bit crampy and weird on Thursday and couldn't figure out why.  I chalked it up to the fact that I had carried around the two 1 year olds at the same time a couple times throughout the day and I know I'm not supposed to do that.  I took it easy that night and laid around and drank lots of water.  (Something I do not do enough of.)  Finally, around 8 at night it hit me.  Braxton Hicks.  I was having cramps but the rest of the "weird" was Braxton Hicks.  You would think after two full term pregnancies I would remember those things but I didn't.  They seem to come on when I over-do it so they are my alarm that I need to take it easy. 

Monday is my glucose test.  I'm not really looking forward to that but it's not THAT bad.  Ugh.  I'm trying to remember if you pee in the cup first and they take your blood second or if you get blood taken both times.  I can't remember.  Do you guys remember?  I guess it doesn't matter... if I pee in the cup though I will try to be really good about drinking water so that I don't get another lecture on not drinking enough.  Water is just... blah though.  I can't do it.  It doesn't sit well. 

I'm looking forward to getting measured though.  28 weeks marks when they start measuring me with the tape measurer to see if I'm on track or not.  This point in time is where we discovered Simon was measuring 3-6 weeks ahead of schedule and had to have another ultrasound done.  I don't want another ultrasound.  Ultrasounds just mean more of a chance to accidentally find out baby's sex.  I want that surprise at the end.

I ordered a book today on natural childbirth.  I want to do everything I can to try and stay in the mindset that I can do this.  I can get through the pain.  I am woman hear me roar.  I didn't get an epidural with Dexter until I was 10 cm dilated.  I dilated so fast that when they started I was a 7 and when they finished it was push time.  I was able to experience pain-free birth for the final step.  If I would have known that I would have gone naturally for Dexter. 

I'm rambling.  The point was I know what I am going to experience and I know that it is a good idea for me to do as much mental preparing as possible and find the things that work for me and teach Max what he needs to do to encourage me to get through it.  I will do this.

P.S.  I know my outfit is rocking in this weeks picture.  Remember, I have been without a washer for TWO WEEKS.  I'm down to the nitty gritty of laundry.

Book Review: Slow Dance in Purgatory 1 & 2

I have now read all of Amy Harmon's books and I can say that I am a big fan.  I like some better than others but they all have been good and worth reading.  They have been worth buying too since I have bought all of them.  Lucky for me her books are a deal at $2.99-$3.99 a piece.  I have gotten some on "sale" and others I didn't. 

I was hesitant to read these two books because, sadly, I do judge books by their covers and titles but as I have read everything else I felt I needed to read these as well.  I think Slow Dance In Purgatory was her first book?  Or maybe her first published book.  I have no idea.  Either way, they were very good.  Super easy reads.  I had them both polished off in 24 hours.  If you need a nice mind-getaway then any of her books are for you!

Slow Dance in Purgatory review here.
Prom Night in Purgatory review here.

27 weeks

A few days late.  This was a busy weekend and I can tell you that Cookie (and myself) are SO glad it is over. 

This was a normal week.  Honestly, being 3 days late has made me forget about what happened last week anyway. 

Here is what I know:

-I was tired.
-I was hungry.
-I had heartburn.
-I make lots of grunts and weird noises when trying to get off the floor or couch. 
-I can't see my feet.

Everyone asks me if this pregnancy feels any different than my previous two and I don't know how to answer that.  With my easy pregnancies, I don't have any symptoms really to compare but couldn't that also mean that this pregnancy is the same as the last two?  The only real difference is that I am much more hormonal (but this could be situational and not pregnancy related.  I carried Dexter low and I carried Simon high.  Dexter's heart rate was always around 150 while Simon's was lower around 130.  Everyone swore he was a girl and he wasn't.  So who is to say if we have a little fellow or a little lady floating around in there.  I'm guessing I'm more curious than any of you!  Max and I both would honestly be happy with either a boy or a girl but he is rooting for a girl and I am rooting for a boy.  He says that would take the pressure off #4 having to be a girl and I say we have all the boy stuff and there will be a break between #3 and #4 so better to have the 3 boys close in age.

Time will tell.

Book review: Making Faces by Amy Harmon

I finally let myself read this book after weeks of it burning a hole in my Kindle.  I love Amy Harmon and I love the books that she writes.  This book came out on October 20 so it is very new and sadly, means that there won't be another new one for a while.  *insert sad, sniffling face*

I enjoyed this book thoroughly.  It wasn't my favorite book of hers, maybe not even my 2nd favorite but still definitely good and worth reading.  I think my friends would like it a lot.  Making Faces is a very easy read and strums on those heartstrings for the romance and emotions involved. 

If you want the official book review from Amazon, look here.

26 weeks

This past week was pretty boring in terms of my pregnancy.  I didn't feel much different than the week before.  Baby is still such an active night baby.  I'm really dreading when I have to turn that around once s/he is out.  Although, s/he must be starting to be awake a bit more because there is an added time frame around 9am where baby is up moving for a wee little bit.  Then the rest of the day baby is silent and sleeping.  Come 9pm, give or take 10 minutes, baby is up and at it all night long.  Yikes.

I happily am still stretch mark free.  I know I will get them because they will come in the exact spots that they were for my previous pregnancies but lucky for me, they are not on my stomach.  My rear end looks like a road map at the end of pregnancy though... was that TMI for you?  I don't care. 

I suppose I can tell you that pregnancy does not do nice things for my eczema.  I don't have much of it but where I do have it is always badly inflamed during pregnancy.  Something about the hormones makes it flare up.  Unfortunately, my eczema is on my face and so I think it looks like I constantly have waxed off a Go-T.  You will not see this in my photos because I edit them out.  That's right, I am a liar.  I am a photo liar.  But, I figure, I do not need to see visual reminders of this particular symptom of my pregnancies.  It's bad enough I am telling you and now you will look for it every time you see me.  Don't do that.  My fragile ego won't be able to take it. 

I've been getting more sleep lately so that I helping with my exhaustion.  I thought it would be helping a lot more than it is so that really tells me I have been over-doing it.  Soon, things will calm down for me and I will be able to regularly get more sleep and take more breaks during the day.  Well, not during the week.  Ha, like small kids let you get a break.  My soundtrack of getting off the floor from playing with the kids is quite comical.  There is a lot of groaning, sighing and finally an "ahhh" when I am on 2 feet.  I think I will have to put a chair in the toy room so I don't have to sit on the floor anymore. 

25 weeks

Holy hell I look like crap this week.  I just want you to know I realize this and I'm not walking around in some dream-like state that I look like Gisele Bundchen.  Who I really don't like by the way.  I could look like that too if I had 8 zillion dollars and nannies and, you know, DNA like hers.  What a jerk.

This Friday marks the end of the most difficult week of daycare I have had yet.  This might also be why I look like crap.  The kids were very difficult and the more pregnant I get the less patience I have.  This is unfortunate for the children but the most unfortunate for me.  I feel like Cookie is going to come out in some permanent state of anxiety and stress because of how things have been lately.  This isn't true right?  What movie is that from... she was all worried the baby was going to come out wired for stress for life.  Oh yes, Knocked Up.  I'm not sure if that's true but it is how I feel.  I need a relax day.  A ME day.  A day with no pressure, no guilt, no work, no kids.

Well now I am just complaining.  I need to SNAP OUT OF IT.  Whining to myself over a blog so everyone can read it.  I am going out of my mind.

Baby is healthy and active as ever.  I feel hiccups now and Cookie has them all the time.  You can easily feel baby from the outside doing everything like rolling, twitching, hiccups and not just kicking.  I think it's fun and I feel baby from the inside too!

My doctor appointment went well.  Cookie's heartbeat was at 152 bpm and s/he was irritated at the pressure of the Doppler on my belly.  That is one thing about this baby, s/he doesn't like pressure at all on my stomach.  Even the maternity band on my pants can get this kid ticked off. 

I am experienced with pregnancy so I had no questions related to that but I did ask quite a few questions about water births since that is the route I am planning on taking this time.  I want to go all natural, "I am woman hear me roar" style.  This may be a crazy idea.  I don't know.  Ask me in roughly 105 days when my due date approaches.  My doc did tell me something kind of weird that I hadn't heard before.  I guess they do a "quick test" for HIV on your routine blood tests and my "quick test" came back positive. He tells me this is quite common for pregnancy.  They are, of course, required to do the real test which OBVIOUSLY came back negative.  I do not have HIV.  I hadn't heard of this though.  Have you? 

The scale wasn't being nice that day and told me a tale I would rather not hear.  Am I eating salad and crunch on carrots all day long?  No.  I am not.  Am I drinking water until the cows come home?  No.  BUT I am eating small meals throughout the day and not gorging myself and am getting a hell of a lot more exercise than I got the last 2 pregnancies.  I think I am doing better than those pregnancies but the weight gain is still climbing steadily at a rate that I am not fond of.  Hopefully I can stick to my goal of 15 lbs less than what I gained with the other two.  You will have to trust me.  I can stand to gain 15 lbs less than those pregnancies and still have enough to spare.  My body packs on the pounds when a child is brewing.

Ok.  I am rambling and making a fool of myself enough today.  I am going to bed.  It will probably be more like a coma.  Until next week....

  

24 weeks

24 weeks.  Is this considered 6 months?  The way they measure pregnancy is ridiculous.  I'm 24 weeks but technically I'd really only be 5 months.  They say pregnancy is 9 months but really you are pregnant for roughly 40 weeks which if you are measuring every 4 weeks would be 10 months.  This is a constant bicker back and forth between Max and I.  Not a bicker, more like a friendly banter.

I'm rambling.  This should give you your first clue to how I feel.  I'm beyond tired. (I know I say this every week.)  Thankfully, this has nothing to do with my pregnancy.  I am so fortunate to have had 2 healthy, easy full term pregnancies and this pregnancy is proving to follow in those footsteps as well.  October has been insane for photography so I spend 10ish hours a day watching kids, make dinner, spend time with my family and once the kids are in bed I am up all night editing photos.  I am overdoing it right now.  I acknowledge it and understand why I am getting stern talks from family.  This is temporary.  I would never put Cookie in harms way but I don't think a lack of sleep will hurt Cookie too much.

Staying up all night just solidifies my knowledge that Cookie is on the opposite schedule.  S/he keeps me company as I am editing.  The baby really gets irritated when I am sitting at my computer chair for too long.  Things must be getting cramped in there!  I think I felt the hiccups a few times but as soon as it registers that the baby has been consistently doing something in there, it stops.  Of course.

This is also my first pregnancy to have my belly button pop out.  It doesn't show in my picture but it has popped.  I never found that to be attractive on a pregnant belly but one can't choose I guess!  I think Dex and Simon have gotten the baby confused with my belly button and always motion to my belly button when talking about the baby or when they want to kiss the baby.  The baby isn't anywhere else in this belly of mine. 

Today is the first day that I have felt uncomfortable.  Nothing severe mind you.  Come on, I have been 39 weeks pregnant at the end of July... nothing compares to that.  I think the baby was sitting as far out in my belly as possible and it just made all my movements kind of awkward and made moving around a little tougher.  It's a 3 step process to get myself off the floor (which I do often being a daycare provider) and oh man, hiking up the stairs with the 1 year olds in my arms is a work out.  If I don't gain as much this pregnancy I know it will be because of those stairs.  I have had to consciously give up holding two of the babies at a time which is really annoying because it makes for extra trips for me.  Each kid is roughly 25 lbs so its probably not smart to regularly lift 50 lbs at a time.  I know what you are thinking... you are right.  I have some guns on these arms :)  Ask my husband.  I look puny but I bet I pack a punch.  Oh yeah.

I have my 24 week apt on Monday so I will have some direct baby news to report then and, ugh, knowledge of my weight gain.  Dumb.  And I made my apt for after lunch so I could coincide it with the boys' wellness checks so dog gone lunch will show up on the scale as well. 

23 weeks

Late.  Whoops.  This is the first time I forgot.  I remembered last night that I forgot my Friday picture but I was schnazed up for a date night with the hubs and my outfit would have been way too much of a pain in the arse to get my belly to show so we took my photo today.  2 days late. 

This was a very tiring week.  Extremely bad timing as I have SO MUCH to do once the kids go to bed.  I have mountains of photos to edit and if I am tired my creative gene just goes out the window.  I wasn't just tired though.  Exhausted.  I am still exhausted.  I think I need a vacation.  I have too much on my plate right now.  Hopefully whatever is going on to cause me to be so tired will subside so I can get back to it and make it past 830 at night.

It is fun to watch my belly wobble and move with Cookie's kicks and jabs.  We weren't able to watch this sort of thing so early with Dex or maybe even Simon (I forget) but when Cookie goes to town dancing a way in there, my tummy wobbles all over the place.  S/he is also starting to kick things and it can be painful depending on what is kicked.  S/he is a very strong little bugger.  It's not a severe pain of course but enough to make me admonish the baby and try to press my stomach in an attempt to get baby away from what was being kicked. 

No other news for you.  Boring week.  I think exhaustion won over all other symptoms so there you go.  I am a boring bird.  Who goes to bed at 830.  Poo.

 

I had a pretty cute photo bomber this week!

22 weeks

Holy moses I almost forgot it was Friday.  I have SO much going on this weekend that being pregnant just isn't something I have time to think about.  Sorry Cookie.  I was about to hit the sack and it hit me that I turned 22 weeks today.  Well, Cookie did.

I do not have much to report this week.  With so much going on in life besides my pregnancy, I am extremely tired and pretty exhausted by the end of the day.  Thankfully Cookie is letting me sleep through the night now so I am getting more rest than I was last week. 

We did very well on our trip up to Grand Marais this past weekend.  We hiked and climbed and walked all day and I surprisingly didn't get sore at all.  Cookie was a champ and didn't let pregnancy slow me down.  Obviously we were much more careful about the trails we picked to climb on and my friends played the role of "Mom" and didn't let me get too adventurous but we had a great time.  Cookie's first get-away :)

We got the seatbelt fixed in my car so we were finally able to make sure all 3 car seats fit in the back of my Camry.  Yes, it is possible.  All fit perfectly fine and while we will be squished, everyone is buckled in safely and fit.  Now that I have the infant seat in the car (which I did only to test it), I am feeling really lazy and don't want to reinstall it later.  Maybe I will be like a first time Momma and have my seat set up crazy early.  Then I don't have to do it again when I am huge!  Sadly, my husband can't figure out how to belt them in properly.  I'm not lying.

Cookie has most definitely got his/her nights and days mixed up.  Baby has been very quiet during the day but as soon as, well right now (9 pm) hits there seems to be a little dance party happening in my belly.  Too bad I'm too tired to participate.  This will be incredibly fun to fix once Cookie is out of my belly (NOTE SARCASM).  I can't remember which of the boys were switched around but we got lucky and it only took a week to get him on the right schedule. 

Ok.  I have to go to bed now.  I honestly have a super busy weekend ahead of me and you will be lucky if I am even able to recover enough for week 23's post. 

21 weeks

I am brain fried.  I think we all should be happy I'm even capable of writing this today.  I have had major insomnia these last couple nights.  If even the slightest thing wakes me up at night, I have no ability to go back to sleep.  The combination of no sleep and running a daycare has me a bit frazzled and, well, brain fried.  I don't recall this particular thing happening when pregnant with the boys.  It's really annoying.  Granted, I am getting some reading done at night and have found Facebook really is completely dead at 3 in the morning but I really would prefer sleep.

Oh my ultrasound!  We saw our precious baby this past Monday.  It was amazing.  Cookie is growing directly on track for his/her due date.  They guessed he was about 12 ounces right now and everything is developing normally.  We got especially good pictures of his/her face and the facial features were so clear.  We definitely know there is no cleft lip, both lips were formed perfectly.  Cookie was asleep all morning until we walked into the room and then s/he was crazy!  It was fun not only feeling what Cookie was doing but seeing exactly what was causing those feelings on the screen.  The heartbeat was at 146 beats per minute.  My weight seems to be much better for this appointment.  Much easier to handle.  No.  I'm not telling you what it is.  I wrote it down in Cookie's journal so that I could track it there.  Then it's a secret.  Nosy peeps you are.

My belly is going to get so much bigger, this I know but holding two daycare kids at a time is getting a big excessive.  Going up the stairs 18 times to put everyone down for a nap is getting a little more tiring too.  My belly is definitely growing and starting to get in the way.  When Simon hangs on to my legs he really has to tip his head back to see my face.  It's pretty comical.  Soon he will just fall backwards if he isn't careful!

I gave up sleeping on my stomach a while ago but now I have to admit I shouldn't sleep on my back anymore.  I get a weird feeling in my lower back when I do and I know it's because the baby is too heavy to be laying on that nerve behind the uterus.  Bummer.  Just another reason why I can't sleep.  I take up way too much of the bed now because I try to get as close to sleeping on my stomach as possible but I have to jut out my leg so it hoists up my belly and it results in 2/3 of the bed being mine.  Technically, as I am 2 people, I should get 2/3 of the bed, right? 

Chocolate is amazing this week.  I have gotten to stuff my face with chocolate cupcakes, brownies and we always have butterfingers in the fridge now.  Yum-o.  I better watch this particular craving.  It could bit me in the butt... or just plain stay in my butt. 

20 weeks

20 weeks.  Let's see. 

I was/am sick this week so that is always fun while pregnant.  Being unable to sleep has shown me that my Cookie is extremely active in the middle of the night.  Much more active at night than during the day.  My baby must have his/her days and nights mixed around. 

I think my lack of appetite this week has made my stomach not grow at all... which is a good thing I suppose.  My baby belly is slightly larger than I prefer.  I don't want to be a beached whale at the end of this. 

We can feel the baby from the outside now.  Baby is getting stronger and stronger.  Max always doubts when he feels it.  He says he always thinks its just his heartbeat or something making it pound but its the baby. 

I am enjoying having the bump there because it makes a nice resting place for the little kiddos butts.  I hold little kids all day long and my arms get tired so the bump makes a nice seat for them.  I'm sure Cookie doesn't completely approve but I'm mom so s/he's got to deal with it.

We have our ultrasound on Monday!  So excited to see this little baby.  We aren't finding out the sex remember so don't ask me.  I won't know anymore than you will.

I heart books!

I am an avid reader.  Always have been.  I would have to say it is my favorite hobby.  My mind is one of those that just doesn't stop.  I'm always thinking of something and the only way to just shut everything off and take a break is to dive headfirst into a book. 

One problem with my love of reading is that I have no self control.  There is no way I can stop reading a book.  Most of the time I will read a book straight through or if it's a long one, it MIGHT take me 2 days.  Three at the most.  I read the Twilight series in 3 days.  I read the entire Harry Potter series in a week.  I read the Hunger Games while up at the cabin for a weekend.  You get the picture.  I especially try to stay away from series since they take up more of my time. 

Either way, I have many people asking me for book ideas to read or what I have recently read.  I go in spurts with my reading.  I try to stay away from my Kindle when I have stuff I need to do.  Then I'll miss it too much and pick it up and read, read, read. 

So this week, since I've been so sick and unable to do anything more than tend to the kids during the day and collapse on the couch once all the daycare kids have been picked up, I have read two books.  I won't lie... both I read straight through.

I prefer fiction over anything else and I tend to find period books.  If that isn't your style then you won't like what I read.  I'm just saying.

The first is called A Different Blue by Amy Harmon.  Let me tell you, this gal can write.  I read another of hers called Running Barefoot and it was honestly an instant favorite.  This one was no different.  I loved every bit of this book.  I plan on reading her other books and have already pre-ordered her next book Making Faces which comes out on October 20.  She will definitely be an author to watch for me.  I don't plan on doing a book review... not my style.  Here is the link to the amazon page for this book.  You can read the review from there.

Last night, in my misery, I read In the Field by Willow Aster.  Another good one.  Not quite as good as Harmon's books but still a good read.  I enjoyed it and would probably try another one out by the same author.  Again, here is the Amazon link.

I'll try to keep up with this.  I like to have a "back-up" of the books I've read.  I tend to own all the books I read because I often like to go back and re-read them or just read my favorite parts.  Hard to do when you don't own the book.  I am the biggest cheapo (next to my husband) and tried to harness in my one spending habit and went to the library.  It was great.  Free books and all I had to do was return them on time.  Problem was, I couldn't remember what books I had read and when I got a certain part of a book stuck in my  head or got the urge to re-read one, I didn't know the title or the author.  This was before that fancy new library program that keeps track of all the books you read.  There is one particular book that I would love to re-read and I have tried so many times to figure out what book it is but haven't had any luck so far.  It drives me nuts.  Needless to say, this is why I try to own all my books and why I enjoy a "back up".

 I search for freebies off the Amazon hot 100 free list.  Most of the time those are trashy romance novels but once in a while I find a good enough one.  One to get me by.  Only once have I found a very good read.  I don't remember which one that was.  Either way, both these books were $3.99.  I spend my "play money" on books.  I think it's worth every penny!  Cheap, smeap.  We all have our vices!

I remembered!  My good freebie book was The Midwife's Here by Linda Fairley.  It's a true story about how Linda started school for nursing and found her calling to become a midwife.  She is the longest standing midwife in Britain.  She's actually written a second book (uh oh, a series!) and I can't wait to read it!  Amazon link...

14 weeks through 19 weeks

I've had quite a few people mention comparisons between my weekly photos.  This was what was on my desktop.  Enjoy seeing a beer belly grow.

19 weeks

Oh my gosh.  This is my halfway point.  19 weeks is my halfway point.  I haven't made it to 40 weeks yet so this is my halfway point.  Holy crap.  How is this pregnancy half done already?  I'm not ready.  I'm not ready to be a mom of 3.  I will be, don't get me wrong, but I'm not ready right now.  This halfway business freaks me out. 

Next week is my ultrasound and I can't WAIT to see my baby.  I can't wait to see him/her moving around and see his/her little face and hands and feet.  To see that little heartbeat bomp, bomp, bomping and see the 4 chambers.  I can't wait to NOT see the sex of the baby.  Well, hopefully.  I'm always scared baby will be legs spread right when the doc puts the sonar thing on my belly and that would ruin it.  So far we have been lucky.  In my opinion, there just isn't anything like the moment where not only do you get to meet your baby for the first time but you also get to finally see if it's a boy or a girl.  I think it gives you a little extra push to help get through labor.  I plan on laboring naturally this time so I'm sure that will help keep me going.

This week has been relatively normal.  My hormones have been much more tamed down and a result my mood swings much more manageable.  I think everyone in the family appreciates that. 

Cookie is very active.  S/he is either doing nothing, or in high gear kicking and swirling around in there.  S/he better enjoy the room now because it will only get more crowded.  The little stubborn bugger though won't move when a hand in on my belly.  I'm pretty sure the kicks are strong enough to feel from the outside now but every time baby is in a kicking mood, the second I put my hand or Max's hand on my belly the baby stops.  S/he will not move at all until the hand is removed.  This could be 5 minutes or I have been still like that for 20.  Right when the hand moves though it's back to party time.

We knocked one big "to-do" off the list this week which lifts a big weight off my shoulders.  We still need to get a bunk bed and another twin mattress before Cookie comes.  Simon can't be sleeping in the crib with the baby now can he!  Dexter will get kicked out of his bed into the top bunk, Simon will get kicked out of his crib into the bottom bunk (well secured though with bed rails) and then baby will have the crib.  I'm not worried at all about how Dex will do on the top bunk.  He climbs the ladders on the swing set just fine.  I am worried at how Simon will do with the freedom to get on and off his bed.  Dex switched over like a champion at 18 months when I was 7 months pregnant with Simon.  Didn't even change his sleeping habits.  I hope it's the same for Simon.  How lucky can two parents get though?

Ridiculous

So last night we ended up having an impromptu birthday party for Max.  His mom came over and his sister Ken with her other half David and the kiddos.  They brought b-day cake for us all to enjoy.

Max and I got into a debate on whether the icing was whipped or not.  I don't like sugar frosting so I knew it wasn't that so I said it was whipped.  Max said it wasn't.  On the argument.  Not argument, that's not correct.  More like bickering.  Our bickering continued until my hormones couldn't take it and I said "who the heck cares".  Over freaking icing.  Max always has to win though.

Either way, I woke up to this:

I don't know where he got it but he found the missing label that clearly said "buttercream frosting". 

I text Max.

J: A. You are ridiculous.  B.  I guess neither of us were right since it's not whipped or sugar frosting.
M:  A. I know.  B.  I was not wrong, I said it was NOT whipped.
J: Remind me why I married you?
M: No need.

Oy vey.  I don't know what I'll do if my kiddos inherit this stubborn gene of Mr. Max!

18 weeks

This week has been better than last week.  My hormones have been much more manageable and my moods much more... predictable.  Poor Max.  We were talking about it the other night and even Max had to agree that I have been much more moody this time around.  Of course I had mood swings and hormone episodes when I was pregnant with Dexter and Simon but nothing compared to what this little baby is producing this time around.  If I didn't know any better I would say it was a girl in there causing all this havoc.  Only a girl causes so much drama :) 

I am starving all the time now.  I need to eat at least 4 times a day with a snack to keep my stomach from being in a constant growl mode.  This is a difficult task seeing as I take care of 5 kids aged 3 and under all day long.  I have to steal bites here and there without any of them knowing because heaven forbid any of them see me eating when they are not.  There is hell to pay when that happens.  I'm not digging the veggies and have been trying to eat fruit but since I don't like most fruit that is tough.  We go through a lot of apples and bananas right now.  Max bugs me all the time that I'm not eating enough vegetables.  I have to agree to a point but he eats like 2 pounds of veggies in a day and I'm not about to copy that.  Forget about it.

I can feel the baby rolling around in there now.  At first it was just the flutters, the little butterfly wings or bubbles.  Then it moved on to distinct kicks and little pops where baby was stretching or just moving around and now I can definitely feel rolling.  The baby won't kick or anything but when s/he changes position I can feel the roll of baby shifting.  It's nice to feel this constant reminder that Cookie is healthy and growing.  I know a lot of first time mom's don't even feel their little ones until now or even later.  I didn't feel Dexter for the first time until 18 weeks.

Slight insomnia has kicked in.  I have to remind myself that this is phase that I encountered with each of my pregnancies and it will go away.  Technically, normal people could function just fine of my amount of sleep I get every night but pregnant me (especially pregnant daycare provider me) needs much more sleep.  I got lucky one night and was able to fall asleep around 10 but now I'm so far behind on sleep I walk around with my eyes burning. 

We still haven't completely nailed down names yet.  We have the girl name, thank goodness and we have a pretty good pick for the boy but haven't finalized it.  I guess it just needs more time to brew.  Hopefully we can get it finalized within 2 weeks because my goal was to have the names picked out before my ultrasound which is a little over 2 weeks away. 

TWO WEEKS.  I am halfway done with this pregnancy already in TWO WEEKS.  Actually, if you average out my other pregnancies next week is more like the middle point for me.  I had Dex at 38 weeks 2 days and Simon at exactly 39 weeks.  This is the fastest pregnancy on planet earth.

FYI- my belly looks smaller this week because for once I didn't take the photo right after dinner.  Seriously, food makes my stomach ginormous.

17 weeks

We will sum this week up as a hormonal roller coaster.  My moods have been coming in crashing waves.  From high to low we have experienced them all and it is no fun.  No fun for the hubs, no fun for me and I'm sure no fun for the kids as my patience is gone much quicker.  I am not used to this.  I am a very level-headed person.  I don't know how some women are naturally like this.  How do they deal?  Yuck.  I want the old me back. 

The baby's kicks have gone from feeling like the little bubbles or butterfly wings to distinct kicks.  They are faint but they are there.  I love to think of Cookie's little legs stretching or lashing out in irritation when I'm bending over and making his/her space smaller.  I'm excited for those kicks to get stronger, at least enough so that Max can feel from the outside.  I think I can wait for the end when the baby is super strong and it hurts. 

Otherwise nothing new to report.  Hormones have taken over my brain and have turned me into someone with multiple personalities.  Watch what you say.  Watch what you do. The hormones are always listening and they are always watching.

16 weeks

Lovely picture.  I know.  Max is in Vegas so I had to set up the tripod and figure out positioning all by my lonesome.  My sons were no help at all.  So this is like take 5 and I'm kind of cranky and so you get this face.  If I can deal, so can you.

This was a slightly eventful week.  I had my doctor appointment this past Monday.  Cookie sounded very healthy and had a heartbeat at 153.  Little bugger was super active though and only would stay in one spot for about 3 seconds before you could hear the heartbeat fade away.  Then the doc would have to search for him/her again. I wonder if this is a preview of how active the baby will be once s/he is moving around. 

Other than that everything else checked out ok.  This was my first visit in the office so it was my initial OB appointment.  I had to have the regular tests done plus a couple extra since I am contemplating a water birth this time.  I really want to go all natural when I give birth to Cookie and I have heard a water birth is really helpful in dealing with the pain so why not.  I love baths.  Why not be in extreme pain while in a nice "relaxing" tub?

I also had to have my thyroid tested since I am experiencing hot flashes.  It is almost embarrassing to type that.  It makes me feel like I am in menopause which isn't embarrassing at all.  It is ridiculous to be embarrassed about that.  I am pregnant and it screws up your body.  Anyway, this is the first pregnancy I am experiencing hot flashes so doc just wanted to be sure everything was copacetic. I actually haven't gotten the result back yet.  Hmm, I was supposed to hear back within 24 hours.  I'll have to call on Tuesday.  I'm sure if something was really wrong they would call, right?  Dog gone it.

I'm disappointed by my weight gain.  I gained 59 pounds while pregnant with Dexter and 55 pounds while pregnant with Simon.  That's a LOT.  I didn't watch what I ate while pregnant with Dexter and so when I was pregnant with Simon I ate much more carefully.  Obviously it did nothing as I still gained that much weight.  I have been trying to be really mindful of what I am eating this time so I don't gain so much.  I thought I was doing extremely well but the scale said differently.  I am in no way going to tell you how much I have gained thus far but just know it's too much. 

Heartburn has also kicked in already.  The other night I was drinking water before bed and that gave me heartburn.  It's always so annoying when something like water gives you heartburn.  I don't get it all the time like you do at the end but it's started.  It's never started this early before.  What the heck. 

I had a scare the other night.  I woke up around 1am to some cramping.  It was coming in regular intervals and I got terrified that something was wrong with the baby.  I downed two giant bottles of water and laid on my side.  I know if you are dehydrated it can bring on contractions.  After 45 minutes or so it finally subsided, thank goodness.  It always amazes me how much you can love someone you have never met.  Nothing like a night like that to remind you how much you love the little miracle growing inside of you. 

15 weeks

It happened!  I felt little Cookie move.  The first time was on Sunday.  Technically it was when we were leaving the cabin and I was scolding Dexter for something, who knows what.  I was giving him the "I mean business" look and I felt that familiar flutter.  Of course, it was easy to pass off as something else especially since I was in the  midst of some stern parenting but on the way home I felt him/her again right where my seat belt was digging into my belly.  Cookie must not have liked how tight it was.  What a wonderful feeling.  I know what it feels like of course as I have had two kids already but to feel it again after so long, oh divine.  A real reminder that there is a miracle growing inside of me.  A whole brand new person, a mix of Max and I with a personality to be discovered growing and physically proving s/he is in there.  I can't get over it.  I just love it. 

I have felt Cookie several times since then.  Not every day and not often but still, sometimes.  That is enough for me.  I know that soon I will start to feel the baby all the time and near the end it will actually get painful at times but for now it is enough.  I remember at the end with Simon, it felt like he would take his heel and bump it along all the ribs he could reach like a xylophone.  That hurt.

Other than that not too much new has happened.  It seems like the tiredness is finally wearing off.  I have stayed up until 10 several times this week.  I know, crazy!  I still need a little rest time in the afternoon when the kids go down for a nap but at least it's not so bad.  Good timing too because in a week I have two more kids starting in daycare and I will need my energy!

Max and I have not gotten too far with our baby names.  Well, we have the girls name nailed down but girls names are always easy.  The boys name, well, not so easy.  I have a deadline for us of 20 weeks.  This sounds ridiculous I'm sure but Max is an excellent judge of how people react to things so he correctly identified the sex of both Dexter and Simon by just reading the signs the doctor gave us while performing our 20 week ultrasound.  This might sound like a load of bologna to you but seriously, the kid is good.  I have absolutely NO desire to even have an inkling of what this baby is so aside from barring Max from the appointment, I told him he is not allowed to share his opinion with anyone, will write his guess down on a piece of paper which I will put away until after Cookie is born (then I can see if he was right again) and we have to have the names picked out.  I want no mind games going on thinking Max is just compromising on a name because he knows the baby is actually the opposite sex.  Nope.  So, we have 5 weeks.  I have the appointment scheduled and that is our deadline.  Hopefully we make it.  So far, it isn't going well.

You guys should see how big my stomach gets after I eat dinner.  Last night Max was chuckling at me and said, "You easily look like you could be 6 months pregnant right now".  It's ridiculous!  I like having a baby belly but this is making me feel like I will be so huge by the end that I will be stuck on the couch like a beached whale.

Now, I am no spring chicken.  I have been through this twice now so I don't need to hear any "you think you are big now!" stories.  I know I will get bigger.  I know I will get huge.  I know that my feet are going to swell and will fit into no shoes.  This is concerning this time around since I am due in February.  I was able to deal with flip flops for both my July baby and my October baby.  I don't think flip flops will fly for a February baby.

FYI- My pictures lately have not been good... I realize this.  I keep forgetting to see if there is a smudge mark on my lens and that's why the photos have been blurry.  Either that or Max has really forgotten his photo skills I taught him :)

14 weeks

The last week has gone by uneventfully. I am officially in my 2nd trimester. Already. I was hoping for that magical tired switch to finally be turned off but it's still on. I feel like I'm not as tired as I was but still tired. I have a hard time if I go to bed too late (aka 930) or if I don't get that small respite during the kids nap. obviously this won't happen all the time and I just have to deal with it. Perhaps the more kids you have the longer this particular symptom lasts. I will have to test this theory I guess when we continue on this baby making path.

Dexter still loves to talk to my belly and feels like he isn't REALLY talking to the baby unless my shirt is pulled up and my belly exposed. He says this means the "door" is open. Dexter really doesn't like shut doors so he assumes the baby doesn't either. He has also been pretty consistently telling us the baby is a boy now. Typical man, can't make up his mind.

  I can't sleep on my belly comfortably anymore. This seems really early especially since I am a stomach sleeper. I was able to last a lot longer with the other two. It is possible, yes, but not comfortable. I'll miss it very much.

I have made the switch into maternity clothes. I was not looking forward to this and still don't enjoy it. I am not quite big enough for them but my regular clothes are just too tight and uncomfortable. I also stretched out all my clothes when I was pregnant with Dexter and dealt with it but I have gotten new clothes since and I don't want to ruin them. I know I have said I look forward to the 20 weeks belly and I am still, for more reasons now, looking forward to it.

I spent some time with my little niece recently and it made me really look forward to having a wee little one around the house again. Yes they are more work but oh, the cuddles! I am having a hard time really believing that is in my near future. Obviously I know I am pregnant and we have started to get junk we need but to actually be around a baby was a different type of eye opener. Simon has just grown so fast it's hard to remember him as just a little one. Uh oh, I better stop there. I'll start to get teary thinking of my kiddos when they were babies.

13 weeks

The weeks are going by pretty quickly!  I just know this pregnancy is going to whiz by and before I know it this baby will be making his/her way out.  I can't picture having 3 kids yet so I'm glad there is time!  Plus, it will be winter when this baby comes and I'm definitely not ready for winter.

I'm having all the same symptoms as previous weeks... well ONE symptom.  Exhaustion.  Tired, tired, tired.  I can't get enough sleep.  I have never been blessed with the ability to take a nap so I need my 11 hours of sleep a night to make it though the day.  I also need the kids 2nd nap to be able to collapse on the couch and recover from the morning.  Every pregnancy you have the more tired you are it seems.  I remember being so tired when I was pregnant with Dexter and I couldn't even believe the lack of energy I had.  I spent so much time on the couch.  Now I look back and laugh at myself.  This brief amount of time I get to write this blog is about how much time I'll get sitting down until 2nd nap.

Max and I started getting some stuff for Cookie.  A couple weeks ago we bought a newborn stash of cloth diapers for Cookie so I suppose we started preparing then but this week we bought our new infant seat for the little mister/misses and we bought a new car seat for Dexter.  We plan on keeping our Camry and shoving everyone into the back seat so we needed to get some different car seats so they all fit.  Again, Max and I are on crazy pills.  Max is an incredibly gifted debater (especially against me, who cannot argue my side for anything) and he says that 2-3 car seats are going to cost us a heck of a lot less than a van.  I guess I can see the point in that. 

Anyway, so Cookie gets the Graco Snugride 35 in Orlando and Dexter gets the Diono Radian R100.  We will start with these two seats and hopefully one of the seats we already have will continue to work for Simon.  If not, well then I guess Simon gets a new seat as well.  All the research I did on 3 car seats in a small car showed that to have 3 seats across you need a Diono Radian.  It is the narrowest seat with the best safety rating.  Spendy freaking bugger let me tell you. 

I'm still waiting to feel Cookie for the first time.  I am thinking that the little bops I'm feeling is probably just my muscles stretching.  I'm excited because I felt Simon at 14 weeks so if that holds again, I only have to wait a week!  THEN things will really seem real.  Another little baby to cuddle and love.

My poor boobs only get an 8 month break from breastfeeding.  Poor things.

I feel like I'm quite big for 13 weeks.   I did a comparison of all the kiddos. I guess my uterus never gets a break either :)

12 weeks

Not too much new to report.  The first trimester is pretty boring isn't it?  Well, not if it's your first go-around but once you hit #3 it's boring. 

With the closing of the first trimester next week, I hope to report a giant increase in my energy and the need to sleep for 11 hours a night to be behind me.  I do daycare people.  These kids just don't understand I can't go go go for 14 hours straight.  Crazy buggers.  I'm so, so, so tired.  I could easily have fallen asleep a 1/2 hr ago.  I can't wait for this part to be over.

I swear, SWEAR sometimes I feel the baby but I tell myself there's no way.  It's way too early to be feeling this little one.  I felt Simon for the first time at 14 weeks.  I feel like it would be around the same time but if I keep feeling those little bops then I will just have to admit that I am feeling the baby.  I just really don't think I would so soon.

My belly- aka gut- seems to really fluctuate.  It's always bigger after I eat.  In my "reveal" on FB I looked gigantic.  I have had so many people comment on how large I looked.  I do believe it was all due to angle and the fact that I had baby in there and food baby in there.  We took the photo right after dinner.  I'm already looking forward though to the 20 week look.  That is always my favorite.  You look pregnant but are still cute pregnant.  You haven't quite reached huge pregnant but you can tell there is a baby there.  Plus the baby is moving much more strongly at that point and that is so much fun.

No cravings this week.  I made myself a chocolate shake yesterday with the Magic Bullet and that thing HIT. THE. SPOT.  I will probably be making one all the time now.  Cookie likes his/her sweets.

The name game sucks.  I'll leave it at that.

Ranch Chicken Enchiladas- AKA Ranch Taquitos

I got this recipe off Pinterest (of course) and it was a HUGE hit in my house.  It is fairly simple to make and tasted delicious!

I put some boneless skinless chicken breasts in the crockpot in the a.m. and come dinnertime, shredded it up and rolled together the tortillas.  Into the oven for 30 minutes and you have a delightful, ranch filled taste bud fest to devour!

After I had cooked it in the oven, I found the tortillas got crispy and not enchilada-like so we think they are more like taquitos.  We will see how it turns out next time since Max is already requesting this for dinner again.  I just made this last Tuesday. 

If you would like the recipe click here!

11 weeks

Baby A3 is a cooking.  Already!  I have barely written in this blog in a while.  It's been so long that when I pull it up my 38 week blog from Simon is still showing!  And he is now 1 year old! 

I have heard that with each baby you have you do less than what you did for the previous kid/kids so I am determined to have the same things for each.  I have little boxes for each of them with all the precious little knick knacks I don't want to get rid of.  I don't do baby books but I have a journal for each of the kids that I write in periodically and I have written weekly blogs for both Dexter and Simon so of course, baby A3 (whom will be further known as Cookie) will have weekly blogs as well. 

My pregnancy so far has been very easy.  Except for mind numbing exhaustion there hasn't been much difference at all.  My body poofed out right away so I have had to suck in my gut for quite some time since people are always giving me the once over to see if I was pregnant yet.  We finally told everyone this past Saturday so it is nice to let it all hang out!

My first cravings were cookies and strawberry cream cheese.  Hence, Cookie's nickname was established.  We will not be finding out the sex again so Cookie will remain his/her nickname until February 14th-ish when baby decides to make his/her arrival.

We had our ultrasound at 10 weeks and that was to establish a firm due date.  I wasn't sure when we got pregnant since I had been breastfeeding but amazingly, we were fairly accurate.  Only a few days off.  There was only one baby in there (thank the Lord) and Cookie was very healthy.  Heartbeat was at 176 and due date was set for Valentines Day.

Max and I both feel that with how easy my pregnancies were the first two times, and with how difficult it will be to get to the doctor now that I do daycare that going every 4 weeks is unnecessary.  We have made our next appointment for 15 weeks and after that will wait until the 20 week ultrasound.  Not sure what our plan of action will be post ultrasound but that is plenty of time away.

Dexter and Simon are 21 months apart and Simon and Cookie will be about 18/19 months apart.  Max and I are on some sort of crazy pills.  We love this little Cookie though already.  Dexter loves to talk to my belly and give it kisses.  It is SO cute.