37 (almost 38) weeks

Oh my word, could my belly get any bigger? I don't think so, but it does. Each week, I manage to gain 2-3 more pounds. I think total weight gain is now 40-42 pounds.

But, that is okay because THE END IS IN SIGHT! We have a inducement date.

September 13.

I was sad to not be pregnant anymore when I had David. That is so not the case this time. I think the heat and sheer exhaustion have done me in!

Nothing else really to report on the pregnancy front so much. I was dilated to 2cm and 50% effaced at my doctor's appointment last Thursday. My blood pressure is still low and swelling is minimal. (I can still wear my wedding rings.)

My due date buddies this go round, however, are dropping like flies! My friend Mrs. Phillips delivered her baby boy on August 31st (10 days before her scheduled c-section) and Maggie delivered her sweet twins on September 1 (full term for twins). Oh, and Clay and Emily have their sweet baby boy in their arms (4 weeks early) and are awaiting adoption finalization. I have one more friend at church who is due two days after me and as far as I know, she has not had her baby yet!

Claire wanted to by in this belly picture. I thought it was funny that she was standing just like me. (She plays "mommy" all the time. Unfortunately for David, he is her victim. David will be very glad when baby Luke arrives and she can transfer all her "mommying" to someone else!)

Now that we have a date, I have cranked it into high gear to get everything finished up for Baby Luke's arrival. Everything is finished in the nursery except for (1) pictures in the picture frames, (2) a shelf that needs to be painted and hung and (3) name letters. We also need to buy (1) a diaper champ, (2) a new baby monitor and (3) a going home outfit for Luke.

I think that is it! The letters have been ordered and I am hopeful that Will will paint the shelf on Monday. The pictures won't be in the frames until after Baby Luke's newborn photo session. The rest can be taken care of with a quick trip to Target and a children's clothing boutique.

Sadly, I have to work on Tuesday and Wednesday this week, but we have two big mediations on Thursday and Friday that we are trying to get ready for. If these cases settle, I will have a much more pleasant maternity leave! I am hoping to spend Thursday getting a manicure and pedicure and running a few last minute errands while the kids are in preschool. On Friday, we have playgroup, a birthday party and soccer practice, and Will is headed down to the Alabama/Penn State game on Saturday.

A quick survey ... we want to buy Claire and David gifts from the baby when they come to see him in the hospital. Any suggestions?

Ramblings of a tired pregnant woman ...

I have neglected the blog over the past couple of weeks so I thought I would share a few things that are going on in our lives right now (in list form).

(1) The heat heat has finally subsided some this week. There is actually a hint of cool in the air in the mornings and evenings. We have enjoyed playing outside more and hanging out with our neighbors on their back porch. It has been nice to get out of the house without melting.

(2) The kids start preschool this week. I went to their open house this week and met their teachers. I think they are great! The kids are definitely ready to go back to school and so am I!

(3) All the big kids in our area have gone back to school now, which makes traffic into work very bad. Even if I leave a little later than normal. My commute to work has gone from 20 minutes to about 30-35 minutes. I am glad I don't have to drive it that much longer (at least for a few weeks anyway).

(4) Baby Luke is still growing. I really don't think my belly can get much bigger. I have officially gained 40 pounds this pregnancy (which is 10 more than ever before).

(5) I am super busy at work. In fact, I worked over 100 hours this month. Normally I work between 60-75 hours per month.

(6) David is a fast food restaurant spotter extraordinaire. He can spot Sonic, Chick-Fil-A and "HotDonalds" from a mile away. He is also very good at spotting Target.

(7) After 15 years of playing their lottery, Will finally got tickets to the Masters golf tourney (one of the practice round days) in April 2011. He got the letter in the mail yesterday and he was super-pumped.

(8) Claire was evaluated for free speech services through Metro schools last week. They are almost positive that she will qualify which will put an extra $150 back in our pockets every month (and we had really affordable speech therapy through a good friend).

(9) Will wants to put our house on the market in October so we can move into a neighboring county with a better school system. I want to wait until the spring for my sanity's sake! And, I don't want to lose our free speech! (See #8)

(10) We have not been to the pool since our vacation in mid-July. How sad is that? Maybe we can squeeze in one more pool trip before it closes Labor Day weekend.

Happy Tuesday!

35 weeks down ... 4 weeks to go!

Finally! Some good belly photos done by a professional.

I meant to do a pregnancy update sooner, but I kept forgetting to take a belly picture, and then decided to wait until after Jadie took our pictures this weekend since I knew she was going to do a few maternity shots. I am very pleased with the outcome!

As of yesterday, I was 35 weeks along. I will be induced the week of September 13-17 (at 39 weeks) so I only have 4 more weeks to go. I have gained about 5 pounds since my last update bringing the total weight gain up to about 35 pounds.

I am going to the doctor every week now. Yesterday, I was dilated to 1cm. Last week, my cervix was still closed ... so, there has definitely been some progress. Over the past 2-3 weeks, I have had some really bad pain in my lower back and pelvis area. My doctor said it was something called symphasis pubic dysfunction, which means that the ligaments that normally keep my pelvic bone aligned become too relaxed and stretchy and that causes pain and instability. My treatment options are Tylenol or wearing a maternity girdle. Um, no thank you in this heat. I will take some Tylenol and just deal with the pain!

The baby has dropped a little bit, which makes sitting more comfortable, but now my belly button has popped out. This is a first for me! The heartburn is a little better now too. I don't really crave anything food wise and can't eat my whole meal without feeling full-up.

The sleep is going much better. I just can't get enough of it. I have been getting in bed right after we put the kids down at night (around 8:30) and I'm still exhausted all day long. But, on the plus side, my blood pressure is still low and I haven't experienced any swelling (yet), which is shocking considering how hot it is outside.

I am starting to get a little freaked out by how soon this baby is going to be here. I'm ready for the baby for the most part, but it's trying to get the rest of my household situated before the baby comes since I will be out of commission for a few days. And work is really busy. Depending on what date I am induced, I only have 10-12 more work days. Yikes!

Getting Ready for Baby

This past weekend was the first one we have been home in a while. We worked around the house all day on Saturday trying to get some things finished up before Baby Luke arrives next month.

We hung curtains and pictures in Claire and David's room. It is finished for the most part ...


... except for this disaster area. I need to clean off and redecorate the top of the chest of drawers, and clean, paint and decorate the book shelf next to the chest. I really not sure I want to leave that big toy bag of stuffed animals out either, but for now, it will probably stay.


I also still need to address the empty walls on the side of each kids' beds. I would like to hang these on Claire's wall, but I have yet to make any for David. I would also like to make some kind of bulletin board or magnetic board for each kid. Something like this perhaps? [Will thinks we should not go to the trouble since we will probably be selling our house next spring to move into a better school zone. I disagree.]

On to the nursery ... I think I've said before that we are not making any major changes to the nursery. It did need a few touch-ups though.

(1) Curtains. Will is re-hanging the curtains on a different rod so I could put the valance up that we never used before (it matches the bedding). Claire is supervising (in her underwear).

The finished product (before it was just the gingham panels).

(2) The crib. I have used this crib for all of my children. Claire did no damage to it.

David went all "woodchuck" on it. So now it has been taken apart so we can take it outside for sanding and a little touch-up paint. I guess we all know what Will is going to be doing this weekend!

David found Will's screwdriver and decided to do a little more work on the crib.

I still have a few pictures to hang and a closet to finish cleaning out, but otherwise, the nursery will be finished. Yeah!

Friday Night Flashback

My sister and brother-in-law came over to hang out with us last Friday. We always have such a fun time with them. Here are all the kids hot and sweaty from playing outside ... eating watermelon of course. Ian (my nephew) ate about 10 pieces of watermelon I think. I'm not really sure where he puts it all because he weighs less than David and is 6 months older.

My sister and me.

And here I am poking her with my big ole' belly. Ha! It makes her look all the more skinnier.

We had a big night of Band Hero planned and the girls decided they needed to look "fabulous" for our band reunion. Last time we did this, the kids were all content to play with the busy bee toy band instruments while the grown-ups played with the real Wii instruments. That was not so much the case this time. Let's just say that there were a fears tears shed over the whole ordeal.

Uncle Jon & Aunt Ashley getting ready to "rock"!

Another reason for our little impromptu get together ... Will wanted to use his new kitchen toy and he needed a non-pregnant drinking buddy. Remember this? Well, I broke down and bought it thinking I would give it to Will for his birthday/Christmas gift (both in December). However, it was on backorder when I ordered it and it shipped while we were on vacation, so Will saw it when he went to get our mail from our neighbors. And naturally, he thought we should test it out to make sure it works ... for the next 5 months. I have told him that he is getting nothing else for his birthday or Christmas come December so he better enjoy! Will and Jon had fun making margaritas, daiquiris and mudslides on Friday night. So far, the new kitchen gadget is getting great reviews! I'll let you know what I think come mid-September!

Thanks to Jon, Ashley, Evie & Ian for a fun night!!

Pregnancy Update: 32 weeks

Here I am at 32 weeks ... moving right along. August is either going to go by really slow or really fast. I'm guessing the latter. (On a side note: I know the lighting is horrible in this picture but I made Will take it late one night when I was about to download all the pictures from my camera.)

I have come to notice that many other people who blog during their pregnancies fill out this little update, so instead of rambling about how hot, tired and hungry I am, I will record my thoughts in a more organized manner.

How Far Along: 32 (almost 33) weeks

Total Weight Gain: 30 pounds

Maternity Clothes: Umm ... yeah. I have actually purchased larger tops than what I started out in.

Best Moment this week: Feeling lots of hiccups the past few weeks. I can tell exactly where the baby's head is and let's just say it's down low. One night, Will put his hand on my tummy and felt it too. We thought it was hilarious!

Gender: Boy!

Movement: Lots. Baby Luke is very active! Especially at night when I am trying to sleep. I am ready for this baby to drop because he is starting to crowd my lungs with all that moving around!

Food Craving: cereal ... sugary sweet (like Froot Loops and Captain Crunch), watermelon (I cannot get enough of this stuff) and salad ... a good salad from a restaurant (not one I make at home).

What I miss: being able to eat anything without feeling like I am having a massive heart attack from the heartburn; running.

Sleep: If I get 6 hours of uninterrupted sleep, I am satisfied. There have been many nights with only 3-5 hours sleep. Naps are my friend, but few and far between unfortunately.

What I am looking forward to: drinking coffee without feeling guilty and drinking a glass of wine (can you tell the end is near)

Belly Button: Stretched to the limit. It never popped out in my previous pregnancies, but I am getting there on this one.

Stretch Marks: I already had them on my belly and hips from an overweight childhood. No new ones from any of my pregnancies, which is nice I guess. After this pregnancy, I am definitely going to try some of that stretch mark cream that is supposed to reduce visibility.

Symptoms: heartburn, breathlessness, insomnia (but not much swelling, which is good considering all the heat I am having to endure this summer).

Digital Art Canvas

So the pregnancy insomnia has really set in and the past two nights I have woken up in the wee hours of the morning because I am (1) starving, (2) hot and (3) have to go to the bathroom.

On the plus side, I have gotten to play around with Photoshop and make some projects I've wanted to do for a while. These are for Claire's new room. I got the idea here. I will hang them in a set of 4.

Now I need to make four "boy" prints for David's side of the room. And I need to print them and get them mounted on canvas (8x8 or 6x6 size). I am notoriously bad about printing things like pictures, etc.

All of the products used to make this art (except the photos) came from http://www.theshabbyshoppe.com/.

28 weeks ... and counting

I have officially entered my third trimester now. At my doctor's appointment last week, I had gained 10 more pounds. I actually weighed myself three different times to make sure. I have officially gained 25 pounds so far this pregnancy, which is the total amount I gained with Claire and only five pounds less than I gained with David. See picture comparison below.

Yikes! I must be growing a giant baby!! I hope the weight gain will plateau soon!! According to babycenter.com, my baby is approximately 2-1/4 lbs. in weight and almost 15 inches long. I am guessing my baby weighs a little more than this.

Nothing too eventful at this doctor's visit. I got to hear the heartbeat and the baby kicked the Doppler several times and then moved away. I don't think he liked our intrusion very much. I did pass my glucose test, which is a good thing, but my iron is low so I will have to take an iron supplement. Maybe that is why I am so tired all the time. I also got my Rhogam shot since I have a negative blood type. I will now start seeing my doctor every two weeks for the next couple of months. I can see the end in sight!!

It is becoming harder and harder to climb the stairs, bend over and lug the other two kiddos around, but we are making it. And while I am clearly having no trouble eating enough, I am filling up much quicker and having to eat more frequent, smaller meals/snacks. But on a positive note, I am sleeping like a rock!

I still have a few small things to do to the nursery, but no major changes. All of this would be easier to do IF WE HAD A NAME, but we don't yet. I'll just add that to the list ...

24 weeks ... and counting

Well, I am actually 25 weeks now. The picture and the doctor's visit happened at 24 weeks. I've just been too busy to update the blog until now.

Everything looked good at my last doctor's visit. I heard the baby's heartbeat and got all the instructions for my glucose test at my next visit. Oh how I love drinking that sugary sweet flat orange soda. I'll start going to the doctor every two weeks after that.

I had gained 5 more pounds putting the grand total at ... who's keeping count? Not me. I seem to be gaining more weight earlier in my pregnancy this go 'round, but I am hoping it will plateau off soon. Especially since I am actually exercising this pregnancy (something I didn't do at all during my previous two pregnancies).

I am really feeling pretty good. Just tired and hot. I have never been pregnant in this 80-90 degree heat before. Both of my other babies were born in April. It is going to be a long hot summer! I really am trying to enjoy this pregnancy though as we have planned for it to be my last.

The past two weeks I have had an unquenchable hunger. Like I cannot eat enough to get full. No particular cravings except I really like cereal, juice, fruit and dairy (which tends to give me really bad heartburn). Did you know that Sonic has buy one get one free milkshakes for the month of June? (Don't worry, I don't drink both of them.) All I can say is this little boy is HUNGRY! Maybe it is because he is moving around so much in my tummy. I am feeling lots of activity down there and Will has felt him kick a few times too.

The pregnancy insomnia has hit full force. (See Exhibit A ... the photo above ... with the lovely bags under my eyes.) I don't have any trouble falling asleep, but I wake up between 2-4pm to go to the bathroom and then I am hungry and hot and then I can't get comfortable enough to go back to sleep. I usually end up tossing and turning for about an hour and then just getting up and hoping a can squeeze in a nap at some point later in the day.

We are getting ready to potty train David and move him into his big boy bed (into a room with Claire) so that the baby can have his nursery. Please say a quick prayer for us over the next couple of weeks! Ha!

Some Recent Sewing Projects

Thanks to my bout of insomnia (thank you, pregnancy), I got several embroidery projects finished up when I spent the night with my parents last week.

DISCLAIMER: I know that the lighting in these pictures are horrible. I'm sorry. Just deal with it.

First up, two bib/burp cloth sets for baby gifts.

I hate that the "sam" on the bib doesn't show up better, but that was the only color thread I had that matched. It does show up better in person than in the picture above.

Next, another baby gift ... a bib, burp cloth and onesie set. We actually used these to decorate at a baby shower. Remember this? It was something similar, but on a smaller scale.

And then David got some new shirt/short sets for his summer wardrobe. Since baby #3 is a boy, David will not be getting his name on anything else so we can hand his clothes down to baby brother.

I meant to outline the whale in the lime green, but was a little delirious at this point. It still looks really cute with the yet-to-be-hemmed shorts.

The golf green shirt has matching green/white check shorts. I'm not sure where they were when I took the picture.

I think this is my favorite. The bulldozer. I paired this with red knit shorts from Wal-Mart. Their Garanimals brand clothing is great for kids. Shirt and shorts cost a total of $7. (All of these tees are from Wal-Mart.)

20 weeks

I am officially 20 weeks (this past Sunday) ... halfway there. Here is the 20-week belly shot. I definitely look pregnant! I had gained 5 pounds since my last visit, probably because I have been eating pound cake twice a day for the past 10 days and not because I am carrying a baby that weighs a whopping 10 ounces right now. I actually started going back to the gym a couple of weeks ago, but apparently the exercise does not offset all the pound cake consumption!



Last week was the big ultrasound visit. You know, the one where you find out the sex of the baby? And other much more important stuff ... like how the baby is developing. I have to admit, I was a little nervous when we went in anticipating how it was going to go. But everything went great.

We got to see lots of footage of our sweet baby. According to babycenter.com, the baby is approximately the length of a banana from head to heel.

Here is a shot of the upper body.

Sweet feet! All fingers and toes were accounted for.

Here's looking at you kid (the face). I'm not going to lie. These shots kind of creep me out a little bit since all you can see is the bone structure of the face.

More of a full body profile shot.

Oh, and in case you were wondering ... it's a BOY! Is there any doubt?!? On a side note, that left leg does not appear to be in a very comfortable position.

Since we already have one of each, I really did not care what this baby was, as long as it was healthy. And he was! We are so thankful for this little miracle growing inside of me.

Next up ... choosing a baby name.

16 weeks

Here is the baby bump at 16 weeks. (I've never taken a picture of myself in the mirror before, but nobody else was home. This is our master bath and I am thinking now that it looks pretty blah.)

I went to the doctor this past week and I got to hear the baby's heartbeat. Yeah!! Very exciting!! Also, I had only gained 1 pound since my last visit 4 weeks ago ... I have the stomach virus to thank for that. And the fact that I am no longer having to eat something starchy every two hours to hold the nausea at bay. This was very exciting since I had gained 8 pounds from what I normally weigh at my first visit (at 12 weeks). Yikes!!

I am now into full-fledged maternity pants. But I am okay with that. I love the elastic waistbands. Why don't women wear pants like that all the time? I can still wear most of my regular tops if they are long enough ... most maternity tops are still a little big for me.

I am feeling much better, but I am still very tired. Sadly, I am not sleeping well. I sleep like a rock until about 4:00 a.m., when I wake up starving and desperately needing to go to the bathroom. I usually end up going to the bathroom and trying to fall back asleep, but I am too hungry, and then get up and eat a bowl of cereal. (How is that for a run-on sentence?)

As far as cravings go, I am all about some oranges right now. Specifically, orange juice and orange slices. I really like cheese too. And Mexican food. And Jersey Mike's club sandwiches. I am not eating a ton of sweets this go 'round, which is very different from my previous two pregnancies (I once at three pieces of cake in one day ... that is insane, pregnant or not.) I'm not sure what that means in the old wives' tales of the sex of the baby, but that is just how it is this time.

I go back to the doctor on April 28 for my ultrasound. Please pray that the baby will be growing and developing as it should. We haven't decided it we are going to find out the sex or not this time. We found out with my first two, but since we have one of each, I thought it might be fun to be surprised this time. But, my super-organized, Type A personality is dying to find out. It will probably be a last minute call.

Excuses, Excuses ...

I can't believe it has been almost two months since I last posted, but I have a good excuse ...

That's right ... I'm pregnant with baby #3. I found out on January 15, but it was still very early, so we waited about 4 more weeks before we started telling our close friends and family. Then, we waited until my first doctor's appointment to tell everybody else.

The pictures below are from my first OB appointment on March 4. I thought I was about 10 weeks along, but ended up being almost 12 weeks along.

First trimester ... check! Due date is September 19.

Here is a profile shot of the baby.

And a front view. It looks a little bit like he/she is waving at us. Boy or girl, baby was very busy during the ultrasound.

I have had bad morning (what should really be call "all day") sickness, bronchitis, a bad allergy attack and a 48-hour stomach virus with this pregnancy, thus the lack of attention to the blog.

And, for memory's sake, here is my first belly shot at 14 weeks (today). There is a little shadow on the belly, but unfortunately, I am really showing that much already. I have a feeling it is going to be a long, hot summer!

For the record, Claire is positive that this baby is a GIRL and she has already named her Mary Caroline. We will know in a few weeks if she is right.