Look at that Belly Grow!!

24 weeks

Well it's been a busy couple of weeks that's for sure! We are in full organizing and painting mode getting our house put together since remodeling and getting ready for the new baby. Saturday was a fun day in St. Louis shopping at Ikea. Got a lot of fun stuff stuff to help organize the kids rooms, the craft room, and the office. Jude's room is now complete except for a few decorative pieces. The craft room is complete as well minus pillows, curtain, etc. We are now painting the trim and ceiling in the girls new room which was previously the playroom. I am so excited to see this room come together! Once that is complete we will paint Daphne's old bedroom and get it set up as our new office and study. The extra spare bedroom downstairs becomes our work out/playroom for the whole family housing my elliptical, weights, the kids basketball goal, trampoline, slide and other fun and active toys. I promise to get pictures up as soon as we have everything complete and ready. Of course that could be summer ha! 

Baby and I are just dandy! I am feeling her move more and more each day and I just love it. My favorite thing about pregnancy with all three! She's often active when I am of course a little more settled and relaxing. The bump keeps getting bigger and making things a bit more uncomfortable. I notice I just get sore quicker with too much work.  My workouts are great in the mornings and making me feel more positive about myself. I can run forever but the push ups and planks are really getting more and more difficult! I have quite the sweet tooth with the pregnancy and that needs to end....glucose screening is coming up next week. Yikes! Jeff and I finalized a name list and there are a couple that I love! Or at least starting to. I've had a tough time getting attached to a name this time around. Right now I'm taking turns writing the  names down on stuff around the house with the other kids names. I guess I am thinking that will help me choose! Next week I have an appointment with Dr.Ott and my glucose test!

25 Weeks

For some reason 25 weeks makes life with a new baby start to feel even more real. My panic mode is setting in and that's a bummer for my hubby. :)  I have us on a deadline to get the inside of the house done in the next couple of weeks. He's been a very good sport about it all and putting in the extra work to help my visions come true! Needless to say all this extra work is definitely putting a strain on my body. Between working out, running, painting, moving and organizing my body kind of hates me right now. I'm gonna go with it all being a good thing in the end by making me stronger for labor and delivery right?? I also need to begin thinking about maternity pictures and getting outfits altogether, and on top of that Easter is slowing approaching us along with Jude's Praise Kids performances and the start of T-Ball. I might be a little crazy the next month or so! My number one goal is to try and plan a little baby moon for the husband and I in May. We need that time away for sure! 

I had a doctor's appointment last Thursday with Dr. Ott for just a normal check-up. All is well with weight, blood pressure, and baby's heartbeat. Pretty boring appointment overall but I will not complain about that. I did do my glucose test that morning too. The drinks have never bothered me too much except for the extra burping...lovely and lady-like! They had fruit punch this time so I chose that over orange and it was a good choice. The reason I do not like the screening is due to the fact that I have to go hours without eating beforehand. I know, I know you are supposed to eat as normal but let's face it....most people do not pass doing that. Good news is that I did in fact pass so no extra testing for me. I've been pretty lucky to have passed with all three pregnancies.  My next appointment is April 10th. I will have a growth scan check with the high risk doctor, a regular check-up, and my TDAP shot. 

Little Firecracker at 25 weeks!

Daphne at 24 Weeks!

Jude at 25 Weeks!

Miss Daphne was 17 months old last week...already!!!

My little lucky charms for sure!!

How far along? 25 Weeks and 4 Days

Size of baby? Our sweet little girl is the size of a head of cauliflower. My belly is starting to prove that too!

Total weight gain: 16 pounds

Stretch Marks: Nope. 

Maternity clothes? Maternity shirts for sure but still cannot do the pants. I have to pull them up way too much. Looking forward to spring and summer. Maternity shorts and dresses fit me much better. 

Symptoms: Definite heartburn and food not settling well. I have discovered that too much dairy just makes me feel sick. My body is pretty sore from doing too much and I do wake more often just being uncomfortable. 

Sleep: Still wake up on my back and that makes me so sore.

Movement: She can be a little mover when I have time to sit still and really feel her. Jeff got to feel her move for the first time and see my belly move yesterday at church. :)

Wedding Rings on or off? Still on and loose. 

Miss Anything? My body not being so sore.

Bellybutton in or out? Definitely out and Daphne loves to push on it!

Food cravings: Nope although I do prefer to stick with just pretty plain food such as toast, bagels, and fruit. 

Anything making you queasy or sick: Not really although I still prefer to not eat seafood.

Gender: Little girl.....and I'm pretty sure I have a name picked...maybe I'll share it the next post!

Happy or Moody most of the time: I can be super happy and then I let the stress of my to-do list get to me and I'm moody. 

Best Moment this Week: Feeling all the movement from our little firecracker, Jillian and her kiddos coming to visit, enjoying the new swing set from Papaw and Mimi.


Looking forward to: We are on spring break this week so we are taking it easy giving me more time to get things done around the house. We will also be spending a couple of days back home with grandparents. Not only is this great for the kids but necessary for me as I know it will make me relax for two days! Spring!!!!! Nicer weather, landscaping, home shows, Easter...I love it all! 

Half Way!!

20 Weeks

Daphne decided to quit nursing a couple of weekends ago at 15 months. Same as Jude. It's a sad moment to "lose" my baby but at the same time I am happy to have a few free months before nursing our next little one. For Valentine's Day Jeff decided we needed to celebrate the fact that I could finally have dairy. Let's be honest....15 months without dairy is WAY too long!!! We chose to go to Deliggi's where we love their Fettuccine Alfredo. I must say it was fantastic. Afterwards we went to Dairy Queen and shared a brownie blizzard. Let's just say that was a little too much dairy for this Mama. I felt pretty awful afterwards, and have quickly discovered that I can only handle dairy in small amounts right now and I am okay with that. I wasn't a huge dairy fan to begin with. If I want pizza I can have pizza now (yea!!!). I'll just remember to keep it to a slice at a time!

I can feel Little Miss moving a bit more often but even then I have to be sitting very still. I learned that a piece of licorice got her moving one night so I may try that again. Quite the sacrifice for me! :) I wish I could feel her more as I always get nervous, but I know my placenta is anterior and it is still kind of early. We see the high risk doctor this week and I am ready to get it over with it. I'm excited to see our Firecracker again but am just praying for positive words that our band will hopefully not cause too many issues. 

20 Weeks with our Little Firecracker

21 Weeks with Daphne

22 Weeks and Doctor Appointments

We met our high risk doctor February 23rd when I was 21 weeks along. It was a bit worrisome of an appointment but overall my outlook was pretty positive. I knew God had us. A good friend of mine volunteered to babysit the kiddos for us so Jeff and I could do this appointment alone and with focus. Thank goodness she took them too! We there for 2 and a half hours! Crazy!!! It took me 20 minutes alone to fill out all the paperwork. The ultrasound was the huge and major portion of the appointment. I am not kidding you when I say that I was in this ultrasound for close to an hour.  An hour of having my belly poked and prodded. Needless to say my round ligaments were sore and I REALLY had to pee by the end of the appointment. I think Jeff and I may have our hands full with this little firecracker! :) She was not the most cooperative at wanting her pictures taken. She was curled up in a little ball most of the time with her head tucked down. This meant no facial pictures and no profile picture. The lack of a profile picture was the problem; they really wanted one apparently. It took two techs and the doctor at trying to get her profile and in the end our little firecracker won out! She refused to get in the position they wanted. She was moving around like crazy and always turning and jumping but would never be where she needed to be! Looks like we may have a stubborn little one on our hands!! We did get the adorable picture below though of her hand and ear. :)

In the end we definitely got good news from the appointment. Her growth is on track and she looks great. Her femur even measured out normal this time around. We also found out that I do not have a band across my uterus...yea!!! However, I do have a circumvallate placenta. What's this you ask? This is where I have a curve to my placenta. The issue this may cause is a slower growth rate for the baby. So we will just get extra ultrasounds to keep an eye on our little firecracker. Nothing new for us! It was interesting because at our 20 week ultrasound with Daphne we were told I had the same placenta. I had another ultrasound at 24 weeks and they said I no longer had a curve and maybe the angle just changed or looked different. We found out from our high risk doc that a circumvallate placenta does not go away. So there is a chance I had it the whole time with Daphne and they just didn't notice it again. Could that have caused her smaller size? Doubtful. Docs seem to believe I just genetically have small babies. So here is to praying that our firecracker has normal growth! :)

As for me I am feeling pretty good. Running and working out every morning makes me feel much stronger and just plain better about myself. I have managed to continue a 30 minute program and still on level 6 while also continuing work outs like push ups, planks, and leg lifts. Gotta keep these muscles intact!! I have noticed that with this pregnancy I am so much more worried about my weight and just do not feel as positive with how I look. I feel guilty anytime I eat too much or something that's not great for me. I am not sure if it's because we were not planning this pregnancy so I didn't have the mindset prepared for weight gain. I am not sure if it's because I got a little extra thin with Daphne's allergy problems. I am not sure if it is because my belly just seems to be growing at a faster rate which means my weight is too with this pregnancy. Maybe a little of all three?? Of course, everyone has their opinion on how big I am. It really starts to make me doubt myself and how I look when all I hear is how big my belly is. Then I see the weight continuously going up on the scales and I just freak out. My fantastic hubby tells me that I am ridiculous and worried for nothing. I am not gaining weight much anywhere else besides belly and that's just how I carry. Always have. Dr. Ott even said I was perfectly normal and to ignore everyone's comments. So here is to the needed prayers for peace of mind and acceptance for how my body is changing. In the end this is happening because I am growing another little person. This is amazing in itself. I know there are women out there who would give anything to have this chance. Anything to have their weight going up the scales. Anything to have a belly that no longer fits in normal clothes. Anything to have an outie belly button. Anything to have the possibility of stretch marks. Anything to know that after the baby is here you will always have the extra skin hanging. All these signs are just signs of love and a true and beautiful miracle from God. To all those who believe my belly is huge......that's ok....I have a baby in there....I am growing this baby.....a baby from God for Jeff and I to love....So let this belly grow!!!!!

What's Next??

I have an appointment in 3 weeks for a check up and glucose screen. Never enjoy that overly sweet drink but bring it on! I also have a high risk appointment, regular check up and tdap shot scheduled for April 13th. 

22 Weeks-Yes, lots of belly

23 Weeks with Jude

Baby girl at 21 week ultrasound

Coraline loved hugs from Jude at her 1st birthday party!

She loved giving kisses to Daphne too....Daphne not so much :)

Sweet cousins

How far along? 22 Weeks and 1 day 

Size of baby? Our sweet little girl is the size of an ear of corn or a coconut. At our ultrasound she was specifically 14 oz. last week.

Total weight gain: 13 pounds...too many..ugh

Stretch Marks: Nope. 

Maternity clothes? I just wear some maternity shirts because they look better on my belly. My maternity pants are still too big and look baggy.

Symptoms: Moodiness for sure...or maybe it's just not feeling positive with myself right now. Needing to use the bathroom more, round ligament pain, fullness already with eating, discomfort when sleeping sometimes, bleeding gums...overall I can't complain at all.

Sleep: Still wake up on my back and that makes me so sore.

Movement: I feel her consistently now throughout the day. Particularly when I get sometime to just sit without interruptions. 

Wedding Rings on or off? Still on and loose. 

 

Miss Anything? Cute clothes, more energy in the afternoons

Bellybutton in or out? Already out...didn't take long!
 

Food cravings: Nope.

Anything making you queasy or sick: Not really although I still prefer to not eat seafood.

Gender: Pretty baby girl!!!

Happy or Moody most of the time: I've been more moody here lately. I am very happy to be having another baby. But we have a lot going on in our lives right now so I think I am just carrying extra stress.

Best Moment this Week: Definitely see our little firecracker squirm everywhere in her ultrasound last week! It was also nice to our master suite remodel completely done!


Looking forward to: IKEA shopping trip next weekend with the hubby and getting our home all ready and organized for 3 kids. I am also super pumped that it is March and spring is right around the corner. I love spring!!