35 Weeks

Not sure how frequently I'll be able to post for a while. Our computer is on the fritz right now. The PSU (power source unit) has decided that it's time to die. We can still get it to work a little but it makes this awful burning smell that fills the room when running. Fortunately, since it's only the power source, we won't loose any of our data. We just don't have power to the unit. So, until we can either get a new one or replace the computer, I won't be posting very frequently. If some big news happens regarding the baby (or anything else for that matter), I can always post from my phone. It's just annoying trying to write anything of length on that tiny little screen.

Litl B doesn't have much room to maneuver now that he/she's over 18 inches long and tips the scales at 5 1/4 pounds (pick up a honeydew melon). Because it's so snug in there, he/she isn't likely to be doing somersaults anymore, but the number of times he/she kicks should remain about the same. The kidneys are fully developed now, and the liver can process some waste products. Most of the basic physical development is now complete — the next few weeks will be putting on weight.

Pregnancy Highlights

How Far Along: 35 Weeks 1 Day

Total Weight Gain: 9 pounds. This is an area I'm really struggling with. My midwife still isn't concerned since the baby is growing but I just sometimes wonder if everything is all right. I struggled to put on weight with Dayson, but nothing like this one. I keep gaining and losing the same 2 pounds. BJ says I'm eating more with this one than I did last time so I'm not sure what's going on. I'm leaving it in the Lord's hand as He knows what's going on. Please pray that I won't worry so much.

Maternity Clothes: I've got several maternity shirts that are starting to get short. Not to mention, because my belly is so round with this one, my pants don't want to stay where they're supposed to. Frustrating...

Best Moment This Week: Having a nice quiet anniversary and Christmas. BJ's mom took the kids for two nights, it was such a blessing.

Gender and Name: Names are picked out and the clothes are all ready. Now it's just the waiting game to see what gender Litl B is.

Movement: About the normal amount. Had a little scare Christmas morning when I didn't feel anything for several hours. The only thing we can think of is this little one turned towards my back which made it difficult to feel anything.

Food Craving: None, too much heartburn.

Sleep: I average a few hours each night. I get up at least twice for a bathroom break and sometimes I just need to walk around for a bit before I can crawl comfortably back to bed.

Symptoms: Lots of braxton hicks and more pains this time around than I can remember having last time. Definitely still having rib pain since this little one is sitting up so high.

What I miss: Walking more than a few feet without any discomfort.

What I'm Looking Forward To: Have my midwife appointment this week. Looking forward to hearing this little one again.

33 Weeks

Two pregnancy posts back to back! Guess that's what happens when you get so far behind on one of them. Not much new to report here. Getting anxious to finally meet this little one. To think that I only have a month and a half left is just crazy. Technically, I have four weeks until I'm considered "full term", though I've heard they are changing that number. In any case, it's coming up quickly.

This week Litl B weighs a little over 4 pounds (kind of like a pineapple) and has passed the 17-inch mark. He/she is rapidly losing that wrinkled, alien look and the skeleton is hardening. The bones in the skull aren't fused together, which allows them to move and slightly overlap, thus making it easier for him/her to fit through the birth canal. (The pressure on the head during birth is so intense that many babies are born with a cone-head like appearance.) These bones don't entirely fuse until early adulthood, so they can grow as his/her brain and other tissue expands during infancy and childhood.

Pregnancy Highlights

How Far Along: 33 Weeks

Total Weight Gain: 9 pounds.

Maternity Clothes: Maternity... is there anything else that will fit over this belly?

Best Moment This Week: Getting some good sleep while taking a nap.

Gender and Name: Obviously we don't know, but I have my suspicions. Can't wait to see if they're right.

Movement: This week the baby has been into stretching. The problem is, there's no room so it makes things really uncomfortable.

Food Craving: I almost had a craving though I think I would call it just a strong desire. Eggnog...haven't had any for a long time and seeing it in the store because of the holiday season has made me want some.

Sleep: Since I'm getting down to the final weeks, I'm giving up on getting a good nights sleep any time soon. If this little one ends up anything like Dayson, I'm looking at at least the next 19 months of getting up through out the night.

Symptoms: Ribs are still sore. The most uncomfortable thing that's hit hard this week is heartburn. Wish that wasn't a symptom of pregnancy.

What I miss: I know what I'm going to miss, being pregnant. As much as I'm ready to be done, knowing this is the last child that I will probably carry, it's bittersweet.

What I'm Looking Forward To: Making it through another week with this one inside of me.

And because I like to do comparison pictures on occasion, here's one of me at 33 weeks pregnant with Dayson along side this weeks picture. I wouldn't say that I'm a lot I'm bigger this time around (though it kind of looks like it) but I'm definitely carrying this little one up higher and out front more. Funny how each pregnancy is different.

Week 32

It's been a busy week! Along with church activities, a little boy who woke up with a fever and doing my first session of senior pictures, I haven't had a lot of time to play catch up on the blog. Christmas is coming up soon, though this year, my mind is distracted with baby stuff and trying to get things ready around here. Why is it when you're pregnant, things around your home just aren't clean enough or smell right? I don't normally get into a nesting mode, but this time around I'm feeling the urge.

By now, Litl B weighs about 3.75 pounds (a large jicama, otherwise known as a Mexican yam) and is about 16.7 inches long. Most women are gaining about a pound a week and roughly half of that goes right to the baby. In fact, he/she will gain a third to half of his/her birth weight during the next 7 weeks as he/she fattens up for survival outside the womb. There are now toenails, fingernails, and real hair (or at least respectable peach fuzz). His/her skin is becoming soft and smooth as it plumps up in preparation for birth.

Pregnancy Highlights

How Far Along: 32 Weeks 4 Days

Total Weight Gain: 9 pounds.

Maternity Clothes: Maternity... is there anything else that will fit over this belly?

Best Moment This Week: Having the opportunity to do pictures for a special young lady.

Gender and Name: Can't wait to find out if it's a boy or girl. We'll share the name then!  ☺

Movement: Lots of wiggles and hiccups. This child gets hiccups like Iyana did while I was pregnant with her, several times a day.

Food Craving: No cravings, not even in my typical mood to bake.

Sleep: Was hoping this week would be better. Between the usual getting up for the bathroom run and stretching my back, Dayson has been up and our neighbors haven't been the quietest. Finding that nap times are the only chance I get to make up for all that.

Symptoms: My ribs hurt. Not where I popped the rib out of place, but all along the front. This little one is sitting up a little high and is constantly pushing on anything that gets in his/her way which most of the times is my ribs.

What I miss: Breathing normal and sleeping.

What I'm Looking Forward To: Spending some time with friends this week and getting some rest when I can.

Thankful

Feeling very thankful right now. When becoming a parent, you want what's best for your children. If there's any sort of illness or physical problem, you try to fix it in anyway that you can. When Dayson was born, we noticed that his legs curved in quite a bit. Not thinking much of it since most newborns have that, we never said anything to the doctor and since he didn't seem to notice it, we thought things were fine. Fast forward to when Dayson started walking shortly after 9 months and we really started noticing again how much his legs were bowed. When he had his first year check up, I asked about it. Again, the doctor didn't seem concerned since he hadn't been walking that long. He said to keep an eye on it and if things didn't improve by his next appointment, we would talk about it more.

They didn't improve, in fact, it seemed like at times it got worse. When Dayson's 18 month appointment came around back in March, I talked with his doctor again about him not being able to walk completely normal due to him being bowlegged. Not only was his walking affected, he was falling over frequently because his ankles were weak as well. It never seemed to bother Dayson, but as his mom, I only wanted to fix it for him. The doctor referred us to an Orthopedic specialist who agreed that Dayson did indeed have some problems with his legs. After taking a good look at him and moving his legs in all different directions, he decided that he wanted to wait six months before doing any treatment such as braces or specialised shoes to see if he would grow out of it by himself. Wasn't really the news I wanted to hear as I wanted to see immediate improvement. We live in such a fast paced world where everything (well, almost everything) can be fixed with a click of the button or you can have something right now. That's what I wanted. I hated seeing my little boy struggle with falling over frequently.

God had other plans though and gave our doctor the wisdom needed in how to approach Dayson's problem. It was a lesson in patience and trust for me. Patience is so hard when all that you want is your child better. I'm thankful though for God's many lessons in our lives, even when He has to teach them to us over and over. He never gives up on us.

Here's a video of Dayson that was taken before his 18 month appointment. At one point, you can see where his leg and ankle just give out on him and he falls over. Like I said, it never seemed to bother him and for the most part, he was a very happy child.

Just recently, we went back to the specialist for the follow up appointment to see if he was improving. As soon as the doctor walked in and without moving or testing his legs, he started saying right away that Dayson looked so much better. The results after the testing? He doesn't need braces or specialised shoes! When he had Dayson stand straight with his feet together, he was only able to place one finger in between his knees (the specialist is a big guy too with large hands). Last time he was able to place three fingers in between. When checking his feet and ankles, he said that there was only a 10% inward turn to them now compared to the 25% that it was last time.

Praise the Lord for this improvement! It's so hard not to worry when it comes to your kids. I'm so thankful that God has not only been healing Dayson's legs but also working in my life to trust Him more everyday with all that I have.

Here's a picture that I took today. Can you see the improvement in how he stands? So much better! And yes I know, he wasn't at all thrilled for me to be taking his picture.

Thank you Lord for Your many wonderful blessings in my life. Thank you for being patient with me as I have learned to trust in You more. And most of all, thank you for the wonderful children that you have given me to raise!

31 Weeks

This week, Litl B is measuring over 16 inches long. He/she weighs about 3.3 pounds (try carrying four navel oranges) and is heading into a growth spurt. The head can turn from side to side, and his/her arms, legs, and body are beginning to plump out as needed fat accumulates underneath the skin. He/she's probably moving a lot, too, so there may be trouble sleeping because of the baby's kicks and somersaults.

Pregnancy Highlights

How Far Along: 31 Weeks

Total Weight Gain: 9.5 pounds. Yay! Finally gained back what I had lost a couple of weeks ago plus gained some more.

Maternity Clothes: Maternity now. Looking forward to the days when I can wear normal clothes again.

Best Moment This Week: Getting an (early) special Christmas/birthday present from my parent's and mother-in-law. Thank you!

Gender and Name: Coming soon! ☺

Movement: Lots of elbow and knee pokes this week. Some were actually a little painful.

Food Craving: Still the same, trying to have an appetite.

Sleep: Really rough week. Didn't help that Dayson decided that 3:30AM was a great time to be wide awake.

Symptoms: Due to lack of sleep, I'm feeling a little bit grumpy and emotional. Hoping for a good nights rest this coming week to help with that.

What I miss: Holding Dayson on my lap without him falling right off.

What I'm Looking Forward To: Being one more week closer to seeing this little one.

Wanted to make sure that I got at least one picture of the kids and I while I was carrying their little brother or sister. And no, Dayson isn't that tall, he's just on a step stool. ☺

30 Weeks

It's official! I have made it to the third trimester, let the countdown begin! Actually, I entered the third trimester a couple of weeks ago, just been behind on getting things updated. It's such a good feeling to make it this far in the pregnancy. Even though I've had two previous healthy pregnancies, one always worries about any problems that may happen. If things go like before, I'm probably looking at a week or two beyond the 10 that's left. That depends on who you ask though. BJ thinks maybe this time I'll actually go a little early. We'll just have to wait and see.

Litl B is about 15.7 inches long now, and weighs almost 3 pounds (like a head of cabbage). A pint and a half of amniotic fluid surrounds the baby, but that volume will decrease as he/she gets bigger and takes up more room in the uterus. His/her eyesight continues to develop, though it's not very keen; even after birth, he/she will keep their eyes closed for a good part of the day. When they do open them, he/she will respond to changes in light but will have 20/400 vision — which means he/she can only make out objects a few inches from his/her face.

Pregnancy Highlights

How Far Along: 30 Weeks

Total Weight Gain: 7 pounds. After my last appointment, I went through a really hard time eating anything. No appetite or desire to even feed myself, mainly due to the coughing and rib pain. Ended up losing two pounds. I'm now almost back up to my previous weight and am working really hard on feeding this little one.

Maternity Clothes: Maternity now. Looking forward to the days when I can wear normal clothes again.

Best Moment This Week: Knowing that my cough is finally passing. I still have it but can tell it's not as deep and really is going away. Yay!

Gender and Name: Coming soon! ☺

Movement: Still feeling frequent movements. Noticing that this little one is running out of room as there's lots more wiggles.

Food Craving: Just trying to eat more, no cravings.

Sleep: If I go to bed late enough (and assuming none of the kids get up), I can actually sleep until the alarm goes off around 6:30. If I go to bed at a decent time, I get up at least once.

Symptoms: The morning sickness is still hanging around. I've unfortunately had to take medicine three times this week so far. Still have some rib pain but it's so much better than when it first gave me problems.

What I miss: Being able to lay down on my stomach.

What I'm Looking Forward To: Baby appointment this coming week!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Today is a great reminder of being thankful for all that you have. God has blessed us greatly with the life that He's given us, even when times seem tough. Lately with all the sickness that we've had go around in our family, I've had to try really hard to find the things to be thankful for. Having that kind of attitude really helps improve the situation. No matter what you're going through or how hard life seems to be, there is always something to be thankful for.

Today, I'm thankful for the little things. Last night was kind of rough with Dayson. For some reason, he refused to go to sleep. After letting him talk and sing to himself for almost two hours, I finally went in to get him out of bed. What did I find when I went in there? He had stripped off all his clothes but fortunately (and a thing to be thankful for) he left his diaper on (that's been a challenge lately). Even though it was late and a bit frustrating that he was still up, I got to spend a few minutes snuggling with him in the rocking chair. This doesn't happen hardly at all anymore so it was a blessing.

Earlier this week, Iyana and I actually got to go out and spend some time together. We did some shopping and walking around the mall looking at things. It was so nice to have some just girl time amidst all the craziness in our lives. I know once Litl B is here, it's going to become that much more difficult to have these moments and so I cherish these times with her.

Since I haven't posted anything for a while, especially about the kids, here's a couple of video's to see what all they have been up to. Iyana had a homeschooling get together recently for Thanksgiving. It was great fun for all. The kids all memorized or read something out loud to practice their public speaking skills. Iyana told a turkey limerick and a verse out of Colossians that she had memorized.

Here was the Thanksgiving finger foods "feast" that the kids had.

 

Dayson has been learning some new songs in Sunday school. Here he is singing with BJ and doing some of the hand motions to one of his favorites, "I'm in the Lord's Army". And if you're wondering about his clothes, these are the ones he picked out and put on. He's into the dressing himself phase. He's also wearing a little heart necklace that he helped make at church which is another thing he loves.



27 Weeks

The closer we get to my due date, the more anxious I am to meet this little one. Some of that could be due to the fact that this pregnancy has been a bit difficult on my body. As some of you know, I'm still dealing with a bad cough. It has now lasted just over 4 weeks. Last night while at church helping watch the little kids, I was sitting on the floor putting a puzzle together when I started coughing. While coughing, I felt (and possibly heard) a pop in my rib cage. After that I had the most extreme pain that I think I've ever felt. I was able to keep it together until church was over and even managed to walk outside. Getting in and out of the car proved to be a great challenge and then once home, getting up the stairs was even harder. I'll admit, I cried the entire way up because it hurt so bad. Iyana was such a great help in taking care of Dayson so that BJ could help me, but she was in tears herself. Poor girl was so scared that something bad was going to happen to me.

We found out this morning that I had popped a rib out of place. My chiropractor was able to work on it though he said it was really tight and would take a while to heal. We're hoping that the pain will be more manageable by tomorrow. If not, I'll go back in to get some more adjustments. I'm so thankful that things aren't worse. I'm also thankful for Iyana helping out and BJ being so kind and patient with me as I've moved so slow.

Litl B is roughly 2 pounds (like a head of cauliflower) and about 14.5 inches long. He/she is sleeping and waking at regular intervals, opening and closing his/her eyes, and perhaps even sucking on fingers. With more brain tissue developing, the baby's brain is very active now. While the lungs are still immature, they would be capable of functioning — with a lot of medical help — if he/she were to be born now.

So glad I took this on Saturday.

 

Pregnancy Highlights

How Far Along: 27 Weeks + 3 days

Total Weight Gain: 7.5 pounds. I'm at the exact same weight gain that I was when I was pregnant with Dayson. Kind of weird.

Maternity Clothes: Maternity now. Looking forward to the days when I can wear normal clothes again.

Best Moment This Week: Hearing of God's blessings.

Gender and Name: Like with Iyana and Dayson, we won't be finding out the gender until the baby is born and we won't be sharing names until that time as well. ☺

Movement: All this past week, it's like a switch has gone off and this little one is now busy. It's been fun feeling all the movements and being able to point out the hands and feet.

Food Craving: Still no cravings. Makes me thankful in a way.

Sleep: I was finally starting to sleep a little better until the last three nights. Last night in particular was pretty bad.

Symptoms: Um, pain? Besides the pain, I have about one of two days a weeks that I still deal with morning sickness.

What I miss: Feeling normal.

What I'm Looking Forward To: Being able to walk and move around normal with no pain.

26 Weeks

This has been a pretty rough week. Between me coughing still and Dayson coming down with a bug, my energy level has been next to nill.

Litl B now weighs about a pound and two thirds and is about 14 inches from head to heel (no wonder I've been starting to feel little feet up around my ribs). The network of nerves in the ears are better developed and more sensitive. He/she is inhaling and exhaling small amounts of amniotic fluid which is essential for the development of the lungs. These so-called breathing movements are good practice for when he/she takes that first big gulp of air.

Pregnancy Highlights

How Far Along: 26 Weeks + 3 days

Total Weight Gain: 7 pounds. Will find out the exact weight gain when I have my appointment.

 

Maternity Clothes: Mostly maternity now. Had a friend from church give me some long sleeved shirts which was much needed with the weather getting colder.

 

Best Moment This Week: My mom has come to visit for a few days.

 

Gender and Name: Like with Iyana and Dayson, we won't be finding out the gender until the baby is born and we won't be sharing names until that time as well. ☺

 

Movement: Haven't felt the kicks as much this past week but that could be due to all the coughing I'm doing. This poor little one probably doesn't know what's going on with mommy constantly coughing.

 

Food Craving: None. I've had the hardest time just getting an appetite.

 

Sleep: Between all the coughing I've been doing and a little boy who has been really sick this week, sleep really hasn't happened.

 

Symptoms: Still the occasional morning sickness. No nausea meds since late last week so that's a big improvement! The biggest concern is still this coughing bug that I've got. I'm thinking I may just have to bite the bullet and go see the doctor.

What I miss: Feeling normal.

 

What I'm Looking Forward To: Baby appointment on Tuesday. I like sitting and chatting with my midwife and also hearing the baby's heartbeat.

Birth Stories - Part 1

I've always enjoyed reading birth stories. There's just something about hearing of God's creation being brought forth that has always fascinated me. It's amazing to me at how God has created us and that He has blessed us women with the ability to not only grown and nourish a new life inside of us for 40 weeks, but to give birth to that new life.

I had mentioned back when Dayson was born that I would write out his birth story and never got around to it. I did the same thing with Iyana (though I didn't have a blog back then). Today, I'm going to change that. I'll be starting off with Iyana. Hopefully I can remember enough of the details.

Back before BJ and I got married, we were both told by different doctors that having children was not a likely thing to happen for us. Even after knowing that, we decided to take precaution and made a plan to wait 5 years before even considering what our options might be. During that time, we wanted BJ to finish his schooling at BSU and then head to seminary over in Pennsylvania. God had other plans for us though. After being married not even 6 months, we found out we were expecting. What a shock. I remember being so happy and excited but at the same time, terrified. The expression on BJ's face was priceless. After telling him, he gave me the biggest bear hug and walked around with such a huge smile.

Fast forward a few months. After dealing with 18 weeks of morning sickness, the only other problem I really had with the pregnancy was some horrible backaches. Other than that, I really enjoyed being pregnant. I worked full time up until about a month before Iyana was born. My doctor was so sure that I would deliver early (my due date was 2/28/02), so we decided to prepare for having her in early February. Needless to say, that didn't happen. I cried on my due date. People kept calling and asking if we had had the baby yet. I honestly felt like a failure. When we went in to see the doctor for my next appointment, she talked to us about inducing labor in a few days. That didn't help the way I felt. Here I was, a first time mom, scared and not knowing what to expect. The thought itself of being induced was scary along with thinking my body wasn't going to work like God had made it for.



40 Weeks

Roughly 32 weeks

(The pictures that I have of pregnancy and the birth aren't the best of quality but I'm so thankful to have these memories)

Sunday, March 3rd came along. I honestly don't remember if I made it to church that morning. I do remember feeling completely exhausted and cranky. BJ had to work that afternoon. He called shortly after getting there asking if I would run to the pharmacy to get his prescription and bring it to him. I agreed to do it but definitely wasn't happy about it. As what almost always happens when trying to pick up a prescription, there were lines and the process took longer than I had patience for. After dropping off his meds and making sure there was nothing else that I needed to do, I headed home and took a much needed nap. During that time, my phone rang several times which irritated me further. I kept wanting people to just leave me alone so that I could be miserable by myself. Finally getting to sleep, I awoke to the weirdest feeling...the one where it feels like you're wetting your pants. I jumped up as quickly as any pregnant woman could and waddled to the bathroom (this was about 5:30pm). After using the bathroom, I knew for sure that my water had broken. No longer was I the tired and cranky pregnant woman, I was now the excited, scared pregnant woman.

I called BJ at work and his boss answered the phone. Keeping things calm when I talked with him, I made sure he wasn't in trouble for me calling at work and then did some small talk with him. When he was about to hang up, I mentioned that maybe he should come home now. He had no idea what I was talking about so I finally said that my water had broken and that he needed to come home. That of course made perfect sense and he headed straight home. While I finished packing the last minute things needed, I called my parents so they could start the long, 9 hour drive to come see us. Mom assured me that everything was going to be fine and to calm down, they would be there the next day.

Because I had tested positive for group B strep, I was told that as soon as I went into labor or my water broke, I needed to get to the hospital ASAP for antibiotics. BJ came home and we quickly packed up the car and left. He was so tickled that he got to park in the "Expecting Father Parking" at the hospital. We grabbed our stuff and headed upstairs to labor and delivery. While checking in, my water decided to completely break (guess it had only been a trickle before). Let's just say there was a lot there and I was left drenched. Even after all that, the nurses still wanted to check to make sure it really was my water that had broken. I was like, "are you serious!?", do you not see this huge puddle under me? Once they were satisfied and we were all checked in, we were starting to walk back to where our room would be when we noticed BJ's mom standing there waiting for us. Now, the only people we had called were my parents so that they could start that long drive. I hate saying this but I was not happy to see her there. How in the world did she know to show up there when we hadn't let anyone else know? While I went back to the room, BJ went out and talked with her. Apparently, since I didn't answer my phone while I was trying to take a nap, she got concerned. When she didn't hear back from me for a while, she called BJ's work. They were the ones who told her that we were on our way to the hospital. Guess we should have said something to his co-workers about not saying anything. We got it all settled and everyone was happy again. BJ made calls to the rest of the family to let them know the big day was finally here.

An hour after my water broke, my contractions started. I really wanted a natural labor with no medications, but I was totally unprepared for what was about to hit. When my contractions started, it wasn't something that was every 10 to 15 minutes. Right off the bat, they started in at 3 to 5 minutes and stayed that way. I felt like I was dying. I wasn't breathing like I had been taught, nothing was comfortable and I was just plain scared. I still really didn't want the epidural, so I opted for some Stadol. It was supposed to take the edge off... I don't think it did anything. My doctor finally came in and in what I can remember, pretty much told me I wasn't going to make it through labor without the epidural. Those may not have been her exact words, but that's how they came across. With not knowing any better, I believed her and got the epidural. Now, that brought relief. Once I got the epidural, I dilated rather quickly and we all thought that the baby would be there very shortly. Wrong! We sat there for another 9 hours before she finally made her appearance. It was a rather boring wait, I had to stay mostly on my left side since they kept losing her heartbeat. Eventually they put an internal monitor on her head so it would be easier to keep track of things.

Around 5am on March 4th, they said that they wanted us to rest for an hour and then we would start the pushing phase. I don't know about you, but being told that you were going to start the last phase before meeting your new little one kind of makes it hard to want to "rest". We did what we could and patiently waited for the nurses to come back in and get things started. I can't complain, I only pushed for 45 minutes. It was hard, especially since I couldn't feel anything and the doctor ended up using the vacuum to help get her out. But, at 6:30am, we finally had the blessing of seeing our new baby girl. Iyana Maelyn was born just as the sun was rising and filling our room with beautiful light. I was so exhausted at that point but so happy. BJ once again had that huge grin and maybe even a tear or two in his eyes.

Iyana Maelyn

7lbs. 8oz.

20.5 inches long

 

He was so excited to have a daughter.

Finally seeing who had been kicking me for so long.

 

Our new family of 3.

 

We've had a blessed 10+ years with Iyana. I'm so glad that God had other plans for us rather than us waiting the 5 years to meet her.

 

Stay tuned for birth stories - part 2. ☺

 

24 Weeks

It's true what they say. The more children you have, the less pictures or things get written down for them. I'm hoping once the baby is born that things get a little better, but so far, life has been so much busier and I haven't been getting my weekly posts out. Is that a sign for things to come? Hope not.

Week 24 + 4 days

 

This week, Litl B is weighing in at just over a pound and is almost a foot long (picture an ear of corn). Though still on the skinny side, he/she will soon start plumping up. His/her brain is also growing quickly and the taste buds are almost fully developed. His/her lungs are developing "branches" of the respiratory "tree" as well as cells that produce surfactant, a substance that will help his/her air sacs inflate once he/she hits the outside world. His/her skin is still thin and translucent, but that will start to change soon.

Pregnancy Highlights

 

How Far Along: 24 weeks + 4 Days

 

Total Weight Gain: 7 pounds.

 

Maternity Clothes: Mostly maternity now. I have a couple of regular shirts that are loose enough to wear for a while which is nice.

 

Best Moment This Week: Being able to fellowship with friends.

 

Gender and Name: Like with Iyana and Dayson, we won't be finding out the gender until the baby is born and we won't be sharing names until that time as well. ☺

 

Movement: This one is still a lot calmer than Dayson was for which I'm thankful. I am starting to notice a pattern though. Between the hours of 10pm and 1am, I notice a lot of activity and squirming around.

 

Food Craving: Been cooking and baking a lot but no major cravings.

 

Sleep: Had one really good night of sleep. The others we just won't talk about.

 

Symptoms: Aside from the morning sickness making more of an appearance again this week (it really hasn't gone away, just got a little better), I've come down with this random cough. Started out as just annoying but has progressively gotten to the point that my muscles hurt from coughing so much. No other symptoms though. You would think a cold would be on it's way, but so far so good. I do have a good nurse for any time I cough. All day long after every cough, Dayson asks if I'm "alright". He won't take yes for an answer, he'll keep repeating himself until I say "I'm alright, thank you".

 

What I miss: Being comfortable. As much as I'm trying to enjoy this pregnancy since this is my last, this time around has been a little difficult.

 

What I'm Looking Forward To: Doing a photoshoot for some friends this weekend. Hoping the weather holds up so we can do them outside.

Cuties

I love these two so much!!

22 Weeks

After being gone house sitting for the weekend and not able to access my blog, I'm finally back and able to get my 22 week post up. It's hard to believe that I only have 18 weeks left of this pregnancy (give or take a few days). I'm happy to say that it looks like the morning sickness is finally backing off. Not gone completely, but definitely getting better.

Week 22

 

Litl B weighs almost 1 pound and is around 11 inches long (the length of a spaghetti squash). His/her lips, eyelids and eyebrows are becoming more distinct. The eyes have formed but the irises still lack pigment and the tooth buds are now developing beneath the gums.

 

 

Pregnancy Highlights

How Far Along: 22 weeks + 3 Days

Total Weight Gain: At my last appointment, I had finally gained 3 pounds. Pretty sure I'm up again from that but won't know for sure until my appointment tomorrow.

 

Maternity Clothes: Mostly maternity now. I have a couple of regular shirts that are loose enough to wear for a while which is nice.

 

Best Moment This Week: Since I missed posting last week, I'll post for both. Last week we had a great surprise of my parents making a quick trip here to pick up a vehicle. It was great seeing them for a couple hours. We didn't tell Iyana and Dayson, so it was a great surprise for them too. Also, as I mentioned above, this past week, the morning sickness is starting to back off. It's amazing how much of a difference feeling well can make.

 

Gender and Name: Like with Iyana and Dayson, we won't be finding out the gender until the baby is born and we won't be sharing names until that time as well. ☺

 

Movement: Movement has definitely picked up. Have had a couple of kicks that actually kind of hurt too.

 

Food Craving: Still nothing major. I do find that I tend to want something if I just saw it on TV or in a magazine. I'm also starting to get in the baking mood again like I did with Dayson. Weird how I'm not craving the stuff I make, but really feel the need to make it.

Sleep: Rough week for sleep. Hoping to be able to make up for that this coming week.

 

Symptoms: Because my belly popped out within a short amount of time, I'm dealing with a bit more backaches. The other thing that I've never liked with pregnancy is the round ligament pain.

 

What I'm Looking Forward To: Have my appointment this week! Can't wait to hear this little one!

 



Here's a comparison shot of me pregnant with Dayson and Litl B at 22 weeks. Interesting how each pregnancy came be so different and yet similar. Even though it feels like Litl B is sitting a lot lower this time around, I look like I'm carrying higher.

20 Weeks

Half way!! Is it really possible to be at this point already?!? As much as I've longed to finally be at the half way mark knowing (or at least hoping) that I will finally start feeling better, I'm feeling a little bittersweet about it. With this being the last pregnancy for me, I want to enjoy every moment of it. Granted, this time around it's been very difficult to enjoy a lot of it so far but I'm looking at the little things. Such as feeling this little one daily now, having a day or two in a row with no headaches and sometimes even no nausea, and seeing our baby on the ultrasound and hearing that all is well. I will treasure these memories. Now, on to Litl B and what's going on this week.

Week 20

Litl B weighs around 10.5 ounces and is 6.5 inches from head to rump or about 10 inches from head to heel. If you do the fruit comparison, he/she is at the banana phase. He/she is swallowing more these days getting good practice in for the digestive system. At this point, the taste buds are also in working order. I've been told that if I eat a lot of a certain food, there's a high likelihood that the baby will love that food later on.

Pregnancy Highlights

How Far Along: 20 weeks

Total Weight Gain: At my last appointment, I had finally gained 3 pounds. Pretty sure I'm up again from that but won't know for sure until my next appointment at the beginning of October.

Maternity Clothes: Mostly maternity now. I have a couple of shirts that are loose enough to wear for a while which is nice.

Best Moment This Week: I've had a couple of days now that I haven't had to take any meds. While we were in WA, I took them 3 or 4 times. The rest of the time there I felt really good. So thankful!

Gender and Name: Like with Iyana and Dayson, we won't be finding out the gender until the baby is born and we won't be sharing names until that time as well. ☺

Movement: Feeling lots more movement now though this little one is still on the calm side compared to what Dayson was at this point.

 

Food Craving: No major cravings, though I do have times when something sounds really good. Fruit settles pretty good so I've been eating a lot of that.

Sleep: Most nights I still get up at least once, but I have had a couple now to where I got to stay in bed the whole night. ☺

Symptoms: Not as many headaches and the nausea might be backing off a little. I'm still holding my breath to see if it'll stick.

What I'm Looking Forward To: Still looking forward to the cooler weather. The nights and early mornings have been wonderful!

2 Years

Little late getting this posted, but we were out of town all of last week. Dayson turned 2 years old on September 1st. So hard to believe he's that age already. Seems like just yesterday that after what seemed like a never ending pregnancy, he was finally in our arms.

We had a nice quiet celebration with family up in WA. The weather was perfect and the kids had so much fun playing outside together.

Love all of his expressions!

 

One of my favorite pictures. Love his eyes.

Enjoying the sun while waiting for the guests to arrive.

Not happy about having to sit down.

This is much better.

Loves to "drive" the tractor.

What's a party without a tractor ride?

Make a wish birthday boy!

He did better this time when we sang happy birthday to him.

So happy it was done.

First bite!

Loved the whipped topping.

His all time favorite movie...The Pirates Who Don't Do Anything. He was excited.

Playing with bubbles.

The rock pile is always a fun place to play.

His throwing skills have really improved. Now to just teach him to watch where he is throwing.

Can I ride too? She said "no".

His reaction after she "drove" away. Not too happy.

Dayson and I, Iyana and my cousin Melia and her daughter Olivia.

Such cuties!

 

Happy birthday little man!!

We love you so much!!