Pictures!

26w2d

Excuse how homely and generally yuck I look.  It was taken at 10pm and we had just come back from town and put the girls to bed…long day! HA! 

Just because I can’t resist, look at this adorable face…

She’s the most social of all seven puppies.  She ADORES Caroline (or really anyone who will give her some lovin’) and I couldn’t help but snap some pictures of her.  And seriously, look at that tongue! HA!

Amelia said she didn’t need her picture taken. 

26 Weeks

How far along: 26 weeks!

How big is baby:  The size of a head of lettuce!   

Weight gain/loss: Haven’t weighed in several days.  I have no desire to.  Even my curiosity can’t make me do it after that trip to Texas de Brazil.  I ate SO. MUCH. FOOD.

Stretch marks: Same as before.

Maternity clothes: Without a doubt. 

Sleep: Not bad, but not great.  My pelvis is KILLING me lately.  It makes simple things like rolling over, getting in/out of bed incredibly painful.  

Food cravings or aversions: Lots of cookies.  Lots and lots of cookies.  *sigh* 

Gender: BOY!

Movement:  This kid is a mover!  He moves all the time.  I don’t think he ever really sleeps.  Either that or he just jabs and kicks in his sleep – which would make sense…that’s exactly how his oldest sister sleeps.  I felt my first rib kick the other day.  I also felt hiccups for the first time yesterday!  

Belly button: Flat. Gross.

What I'm loving:  Feeling a foot slide across my belly is a really cool feeling.  It’s so strange to think that’s actually my baby in there!

What I miss: Walking without pain and bending over normally. 

What's different this time:  My pelvic pain.  It was painful with Caroline and even more painful with Amelia.  But it is out-of-this-world painful with Walker.  I found one of the most painful things to do is to walk up an incline.  I’ve always read about being careful when walking up stairs when you have this pain, but no one ever mentioned a steep incline.  When we went to Texas de Brazil, we walked through the Peabody Hotel and went up a super long inclined hallway.  I honestly considered having someone go get me a wheelchair.  Instead, I just took really, really small steps and held up the entire group because I was so slow.  Rolling over in bed, putting pants on while standing up, walking for very long at all, and lifting anything remotely heavy is awful.  I keep wanting to say excruciating, but I guess it really isn’t excruciating…but it’s not just ‘painful’ either. 

I finally got on the ball this week with preparing.  I made a list of things to take to the hospital, ordered Caroline’s twin size bedding for her AWESOME bunk beds, ordered Walker’s bedding, and Judd & Uncle Austin put Caroline’s bed together! 

*Shoutout to Uncle Austin for being super cool.*

It really is a cool bed.  It makes me want to be little again so I can play in it.  When I get her room situated, I’ll post a pic and do the reveal of the bed and everything else.  She and Amelia will be sharing a room soon – anxiety.  Ha!  I really enjoy Amelia being confined in a crib and she has never once tried to climb out, so I’m considering keeping her in a crib for a while longer.  If I do, I’ll borrow my mom’s crib from her house and put it in Caroline’s room.  That way I can still set up Walker’s room. 

Well, I’m going to attempt to maybe go soak in the bathtub and see if it makes my pelvis feel a little better. 

No picture tonight – so sorry.  I really will take one tomorrow, even if it’s just in my bathroom mirror.  Ha!

25 Weeks!

Yay!  We reached Viability Week!  If Walker were born this week, he would most likely, with a lot of medical intervention, survive.  I’m breathing a small sigh of relief.  However, let’s hope he keeps baking for at LEAST 12 more weeks! 

How far along: 25 weeks!

How big is baby:  The size of a cauliflower?  That’s an odd one. 

Weight gain/loss: +15lbs.  Definitely made up for the lack of gain last week.  Those trips home complete with steak, Target cookies, and lots of fast food really do me in.

Stretch marks: Same as before.

Maternity clothes: Without a doubt. 

Sleep: The only bad part is my pelvis.  It really hurts to roll over.  I hate this dumb pelvic pain. 

Food cravings or aversions: Craving cookies.  Craving Mexican.  Craving ice cream.  Just general things that are not great for you. 

Gender: BOY!

Movement:  Very much!  I can feel him moving up into my lungs, too. When I sit down, I have to lean back and take deep breaths because I feel like I’m not getting enough air! 

Belly button: Flat. Gross.

What I'm loving:  Reaching viability week!  Making progress (in my mind) on what I’m going to do with his nursery.  Passing my glucose tolerance test today.  Yay!  Just for the record, I prefer the orange flavor drink.  I’ve had both but couldn’t remember which one was worse.  Definitely the fruit punch.  Yuck.  (Also, note to self:  Next time, schedule your appointment for the afternoon…not the morning.)

What I miss: Not waddling.  I’m not even really waddling because I’m that big, but more because my pelvis hurts when I walk and for some reason, adding a little waddle doesn’t hurt as badly. 

What's different this time:  My WEIGHT GAIN!  I have been packin’ on the pounds the last several weeks.  If I keep this up I’ll gain a lot more weight than I really want to by the end. 

I can’t believe that this trimester is almost over.  In some ways I’m glad, but in other ways, I’m on edge.  I feel a lot of worry starting to creep up about having him too early due to Amelia’s early entrance into the world.  I know worrying won’t do any good, but it’s in my blood I guess.  I have braxton hicks contractions some, but not a ton…maybe even less than last time.  I usually don’t worry about them and just try to drink some (more) water and put my feet up for a few minutes.  It’s hard to sit without getting up though when 2 little girls constantly need something. 

I REALLY want to carry him to full term!  I would actually love to reach 40 weeks with him.  (Remind me that I said this when I complain nonstop because I’ve had to carry him for 40 weeks…ha!)  Regardless, we’re going to keep a close eye on everything and pray for the best! 

I’m sorry I don’t have a picture.  I could get up and take one right now, but both my kids just went to bed and I’m exhausted.  I’m already on the couch, feet propped up, cookie in hand – and I have no intention of getting up to take a picture.    Maybe I’ll post one tomorrow.  Have a fantastic night! 

Nursery Progress (or lack thereof)

Well, there’s really no progress to speak of except my ideas. 

I’m in love with this picture.

I absolutely adore the bold, bright colors.  As I scoured Etsy for the thousandth time, I found several people who make handmade crib bedding using these exact fabrics!  I’m not sure what color I would paint the walls in Walker’s room since it only has 2 very small windows.  I’m afraid a grey this dark would make the room really dark and I’m going for bright!  But maybe a lighter shade of grey?  Obviously, Judd would shoot me before he’d allow me to paint the ceiling, so I’m going to have to settle for the cute bedding and bright accessories.  Anyway, I’m considering copying this nursery since I’m too uncreative to come up with my own unique idea.  My sister really got all of the artsy fartsy genes in our family.  I try, but I’m usually just copying something I found on Pinterest or somewhere else on the world wide web. 

I will attempt to make the window panels myself since you can actually do that with stitch witchery and I wouldn’t ever even have to thread my sewing machine…which is great since I probably wouldn’t be able to find it under all the junk on my desk. 

We have carpet in his room so I’m unsure about the rug.  How do y’all feel about rugs over carpet?  I used to feel like people would think I was hiding a big stain or something under the rug but I’m starting to come around to it under the right circumstances. 

Okay, so what do you think?  I asked a few questions in this post but I’m too lazy and it’s too late (it’s midnight!) to go back and find them all so go read over this post again and make note of the questions/suggestions.  I’ll post my 25 week post later!  My gestational diabetes test is at 9:30am (in just a few hours!) so I should be feeling nice and sickly all day.  Wish me luck!

24 Weeks!

How far along: 24 weeks!

How big is baby:  The size of a grapefruit!  On a different ‘size’ note, my uterus is now about the size of a soccer ball!  That’s cool!

Weight gain/loss: +11-12lbs.  The same as last week.  Thankfully.

Stretch marks: Same as before.

Maternity clothes: Considering moving into my larges on some of them! AH!

Sleep: Not bad.  Waking up to move the pillows stuffed around my body stinks, but other than that, it’s pretty good!

Food cravings or aversions: Just food.  I’ve craved a lot of soft serve ice cream this week.  But really, I just love food.  Mexican food is also delicious!

Gender: BOY!

Movement:  Lots!  Some are painful, others are just downright cool.  I love to watch my belly move from the outside. 

Belly button: Flat. Gross.

What I'm loving:  Just carrying my baby?  Ha.  I’m really not ‘loving’ or ‘hating’ anything right now.  Just kinda…goin’ through the motions.

What I miss: Not having pelvic pain when walking, rolling over, putting on clothes, or doing anything that requires my lower half to move.

What's different this time:  My pelvic pain is getting kinda uncomfortable to be only 24 weeks.  But other than that, I guess it’s all just the same ole’ same ole. 

Not much interesting to say this week.  This week flew by and I can’t believe in 3 weeks I’ll be going into my 3rd trimester.  It really blows my mind!  Actually, this whole pregnancy has flown by so far.  I bet it starts dragging a little bit towards the end though. 

This is me…in all my glory. 

23 Weeks!

How far along: 23 weeks!

How big is baby:  The size of a pomegranate…  These are interesting! Ha!

Weight gain/loss: +11-12lb depending on the day.  Hoping this gain slows down some in a few weeks or it’s not going to be pretty.

Stretch marks: Same as before.

Maternity clothes: Yes.  Except my big baggy t-shirts.  They are, by far, the most comfortable thing I own.  However, I feel that way whether I’m pregnant or not. 

Sleep: Not bad.  I’m still sleeping through the night just fine but my hips and pelvis wake me up aching.  I’m stuffing pillows everywhere they will fit but I can only stay on one side for an hour or so before I need to roll over.  Anyone who has ever been pregnant knows that rolling over requires some effort.  So I’m waking up about once an hour to roll over.  I also grunt when doing this.  Loudly.  

Food cravings or aversions: Still lots of sweets.  I’ve been forcing myself to lay off the chocolate a bit because I was gaining weight at a really fast pace.  Yikes.

Gender: BOY!

Movement: Lots of movement.  Mainly from about 11pm-7am while I’m trying to sleep. 

Belly button: Flat. Gross.

What I'm loving:  My tailbone pain isn’t as bad this time.  I’m so relieved for that.  Also relieved that after my last post, I finally happened to run across a solution while shopping for living room furniture that we can’t afford decided to take action on the girl’s bedroom situation. 

It may not be this exact one, but it’s a staircase bunk bed.  Caroline is just too little to climb a ladder, and I ran across a similar one to this one the other day and thought it would be perfect for the girls.  I could put the rails on Amelia’s bed and Caroline can get up top.  The rail holding the top mattress in has to be a tall one and the stairs have to have a 4th step so she can make that step.  I’m happy with this solution!  We will probably keep the bottom bed a full size.  That way we only have to buy one new mattress/bedding.  Plus, they may eventually want to sleep together.  My sister and I always did.    This will also leave some space in their room since their room is kind of small to begin with.  Amelia can continue sleeping in the crib until she’s ready.  I’m not going to totally push it since Walker will sleep in our room for a while anyway.  De-stress the situation.

What I miss: Seeing a lower number on the scale that I worked so hard to achieve!  But I know I can do it again!

What's different this time:  The quick weight gain.  I usually gain very slowly over the entire pregnancy.  This time, I didn’t gain much at all in the first trimester and I’m packin’ it on in the second!  Hopefully the third will at least be slower…

Sorry, I don’t have a picture this week.  We forgot to take one and I’m looking all kinds of grungy today so that’s not happening.  I’ll be sure to take one next week – I know you’re all on pins and needles. 

22 Weeks!

How far along: 22 weeks!

How big is baby:  The size of a papaya…?

Weight gain/loss: +10lb.  Yes, you read that correctly, unfortunately.  I’ve gotta lay off the sweets. 

Stretch marks: Same as before.

Maternity clothes: Very much so.  As a matter of fact, the size medium shirts that fit really well a few weeks ago are suddenly getting tight.  They still fit, but I feel like I’m doing a lot of tugging to keep them down.

Sleep: Well, my actual sleep isn’t bad – I’m not waking up to pee anymore which is great.  But do any of you ever have such vivid, wild dreams that when you wake up you feel like you haven’t slept well at all?  I’m doing that just about every night.  I dream the CRAZIEST stuff.  Twice this week I’ve dreamt that I was in a car accident and I woke up as the cars were flipping over.  In one of them, as I was plunging to my death in the car, I was saying to myself “Open your eyes, Kacie.  It’s a dream – just open your eyes!” and suddenly my eyes shot open and I was panting and my heart was racing!  It was crazy!

Food cravings or aversions: SWEETS, SWEETS, SWEETS!  Chocolate, ice cream, cookies, donuts – seriously.  I’m not usually a huge snacker, but it’s all I can do these days not to eat cookies for a meal.  I try to fight the cravings, but if I wait more than a few days, I’m DESPERATE for something sweet then I pig out when I finally get some.  Kinda defeats the purpose of holding out!

Gender: We got our 3rd look today – DEFINITELY a boy!  He is totally not shy. 

Movement: This kid never sleeps.  The girls were always active, but they never really hurt me with their jabs and stuff until the very end.  This kid is brutal.  (I can already hear some of you laughing saying he’s doing a roundhouse kick there. )  But seriously, he really must be doing something kung fu-like because he hurts me!  He’ll move so much at night that I can’t go to sleep until he settles down.  I don’t see this as a good sign…

Belly button: Flat. Gross.

What I'm loving:  Had the big anatomy scan today.  He is healthy!  I’m so glad!  He weighs about 1lb, 1oz which is just a little above average (but not by much) and he’s the cutest thing ever with properly functioning kidneys, heart, bladder, etc.  He is laying exactly the way I thought he was, diagonally, with his head on my left side and his feet stretched up into my right side.  That seems to be the way to go in my uterus since he’s now the 3rd tenant to live in there and lay that way on that exact same side.  I’ve never really felt kicks on my upper left side because all of my kids seem to put their feet on my upper right.  Kinda weird!  I enjoyed seeing him on the u/s today.  He’s so cute!

What I miss: Bending over and rolling over in bed without pelvic pain!

What's different this time:  Besides my weight gain and the insane amount of sugary foods that I can take down in one sitting?  I guess besides that, nothing is really different except for how big I am already.  I don’t remember being this big with my other two at this point.  Maybe I was, but I sure feel bigger this time.  Judd said I look bigger!

I have my gestational diabetes test next time (1hr) and I dread it.  Bleh.  That stuff is disgusting.  I also wasn’t paying attention and my appointment is at 9:30am – that’s going to be pleasant!  I’ll be trying not to puke the rest of the day!  I think that appt is May 9.  It kinda blows my mind that I’m already to this point. 

I’ve had some minor braxton hicks contractions that didn’t last very long and weren’t painful – but I’m trying to keep a close eye on them.  I’ve really been trying not to pick up Caroline quite so much because she’s 35lbs and gets pretty heavy!  My pelvis issues from the last two times are starting to flare up kinda early but I’m dealing with it.  I’m a little nervous though that if it’s already getting painful to do simple things like roll over in bed now, what on earth will it be like in 15 weeks when I (hopefully) reach full term?!  Anyway, those little tidbits are mainly for myself to remember so that when I am pregnant with #4, I can come back and see when it started with #3.  Ha! 

Hope you all have a fantastic week! 

21 Weeks!

My, my.  It seems like yesterday I was making last week’s post.  This is going by too quickly for my liking!  In 7 weeks I’ll be in the 3rd trimester…AH! 

How far along: 21 weeks!

How big is baby:  The size of a banana?  That seems smaller than a cantaloupe which was last week’s comparison…ha!  He’s roughly 10.5 inches long and 13 oz.  How about that instead?

Weight gain/loss: I didn’t weigh this morning…but I have a feeling it’s going to be baaaaaaad.  I’ve eaten a LOT of food in the last week.

Stretch marks: One (new) one.  Grossness.

Maternity clothes: Yep.  Kinda sad today because my “fat” maternity jeans fit really well.  *sigh*

Sleep: Great!  I’ve been sleeping through the night with no bathroom breaks.  However, my recent sunburn didn’t help my sleep much this week.  Every move I made in the bed was like needles.  (I told Judd I would rather give birth twice than go through a bad sunburn once…and I mean that!)

Food cravings or aversions: I crave food.  Anything I can get my hands on.  And once I start eating, I will most likely have seconds of everything that was on my plate.  I don’t think I’ve ever consistently eaten this much in my life.  I almost feel sick from the massive quantities of food I’ve eaten this week. 

Be right back…I’ve gotta go get another cookie…

Gender: Boy!  I have another ultrasound a week from today and I’ll get a third look…just to make triple sure. 

Movement: Big movements!  He’s moving all the time now.  He was a pretty calm-ish baby until the last week or two.  He’s gotten really active.  Some of his little kicks and rolls can be kinda painful!

Belly button: Flat.  Ha!

What I'm loving:  Honestly?  I love knowing what’s going on with my body.  Knowing what’s normal and not normal.  I didn’t really like being pregnant with Caroline because I hated the “unknown” and constantly feeling like something might be wrong from a sharp pain, etc.  I know what to expect this time (even more so than Amelia, because Amelia’s was so different from Caroline’s anyway.)  I like knowing!  Now, if only I knew I wouldn’t have this kid in my bathroom floor I’d feel a lot better.  Last time was a little too close for my liking… 

What I miss: Being able to take Ibuprofen during a really bad sunburn.  Seriously – I needed it desperately and had to take Tylenol instead…definitely didn’t work as well.

(My poor sunburned legs.  The pasty-pale, ghostly white color of my feet is my usual color of my legs.  Isn’t that sad!)

What's different this time:  I’m eating like a pig.  Do cows eat more than pigs?  Whichever one eats more – that’s what I’m like.  The amount of food that I’m taking down is astounding.  Even Judd looks at me with a worried face sometimes when I eat more than he does.  But I’m HUNGRY.  It’s like I can’t get full.  And when I do feel full, it’s a fullness that makes me feel sick.  There is no middle ground of just feeling full or feeling sick.  It’s one or the other.  Ugh.  I see this being baaaad when I go to the doctor next week.  And when he scolds me for my weight gain – I’ll really just have to suck it up because he’ll probably be right.  I need to step on a scale tomorrow to see how bad it is….or maybe not.

21 Weeks – Sorry for the color in this photo. 

2o Weeks with Picture!

Halfway there!  Actually, judging by my last two pregnancies, I’m over halfway there –but you get the idea.  I’m actually HOPING that I make it to 38ish weeks (if not more) this time.  It was so hard, especially with Amelia, to make them wake up and eat.  They were SO, SO sleepy.  Within about 10 seconds of eating, Amelia would be back asleep and it was nearly impossible to wake her. She seriously would have just slept for days without ever waking up to eat.   She was born at 35 weeks on the day, so she was a couple of weeks premature.  She also stayed jaundiced for a little longer, too.  I’ve read that babies born earlier tend to have these issues so I’m really hoping we can hold out longer this time, although there may not be anything I can do about it.

You may notice that the 19 week update never happened.  Sorry.  I got busy and after Sunday when I finally felt like I had time to do it, it seemed pointless since it was over halfway finished.  Anyway – on to 20 weeks!

How far along: 20 weeks!

How big is baby:  The size of a cantaloupe!!

Weight gain/loss: +6lb.  (This 1lb a week stuff has to stop soon or I’m going to be in trouble!)

Stretch marks: One (new) one.  Grossness.

Maternity clothes: All the way.  Including the underwear.  (If you don’t purchase maternity panties while you’re pregnant – you are totally missing out.  They feel SO much better.  Even if you think your regular ones feel just fine, buy a cheap pack of maternity ones and you’ll see what I’m talking about.  You’re welcome for the unsolicited advice.)

Sleep: Great!  I’ve been sleeping through the night with no bathroom breaks.  That’s what I’m talkin’ about!

Food cravings or aversions: I’ve had a weird craving for apple juice lately.  As in, I had 3 glasses in one day.  I haven’t had a glass of apple juice in YEARS but while I was pouring the girl’s cups I decided I’d have one myself…and it went downhill from there.  I’m having to limit myself because I’m going to drink all of their apple juice!

Gender: Definitely a boy! 

Movement: Big movements!  I saw my belly move for the first time last night.  That is seriously SO cool.  I mean, to know that my kid just jabbed me so hard that my stomach actually moved and I could see it through my clothing amazes me.  Those same feet that will one day toddle around my house.  So cool. 

Belly button: Flat.  Ha!

What I'm loving:  The big movements.  That’s definitely my favorite part of pregnancy.  Also, I bought Walker his first outfit(s) the other day.  I went to a consignment sale with my sister and before I left I got some boy clothes.  Super fun.  Too bad he doesn’t have a closet for his stuff to go in yet.  It all ended up being stuffed in a drawer.  HA!  Third child syndrome.

What I miss: Nothing really.  I’m happy!

What's different this time: My face breaking out like a teenager.  Also, what is with my skin?  My cheeks have this unattractive blotchiness all over them.  I try to blend it in with my blush but it sort of makes me look like I have on clown makeup.  As long as it goes away when I have the baby I’ll be fine – but if that junk is here to stay I’m going to need some better foundation coverage.  Blah!

I’ll be going for my anatomy scan (what most people call their “BIG ultrasound) 2 weeks from today.  Please pray that he is healthy!  I tend to worry until that ultrasound when everything is checked out.  I appreciate your prayers!

18 Weeks!

This is me today, 18 weeks.

This was me with Caroline at 17w4d – so almost 18 weeks.  I feel MUCH bigger this time!

How far along: 18 weeks!

How big is baby:  The size of a sweet potato! 

Weight gain/loss: +5lb.  

Stretch marks: Not unless you count the previous ones. 

Maternity clothes: Yes.  It’s all about comfort.

Sleep: Pretty good!  Enjoying all the sleep I can because I know the exhaustion that is coming!

Food cravings or aversions: Not really an aversion, but it will have to be a looooong time before I eat donuts again.  They were not Krispy Kreme and that was most likely the problem.  Any donuts consumed should be Krispy Kreme to be deemed worth the calories.  I’m craving ANYTHING SWEET!!  

Gender: Boy!  Getting a second look to make sure today!

Movement: Yes! More this week than last week.  Instead of feeling a few kicks and then nothing for a long time, I’m feeling something every hour or so.  I love it.

Belly button: Flat.  Ha!

What I'm loving: Getting to see the baby again!  I love to see him on the sonogram!

What I miss: Feeling attractive.  No, I’m actually serious.  Any self esteem issues before pregnancy just make you feel like a total rockstar in hindsight when you currently have a watermelon belly sticking out in front of you.

What's different this time: My sweet tooth!  I want ANYTHING sweet.  With the girls I just wanted food.  This time, I want sweets!!

17 Weeks!

How far along: 17 Weeks!

How big is baby:  The size of an onion!

Weight gain/loss: Honestly, I’m not sure.  I haven’t stepped on the scale a single time this week.  I’m totally good with that. 

Stretch marks: Sadly, I spotted a new one above my bellybutton the other day.  Judd agreed he’d never noticed it before.  Sadness.  With both the girls I didn’t get any until the last few weeks. 

Maternity clothes: Yes!  The shirts make me look more pregnant and less fat.  Also, why don’t women wear stretchy belly pants all the time?  Why must be ever button and zip?  This is so much more comfortable. 

Sleep: It’s been pretty good this week!  I drink less water before bed and I’m only having to get up once to pee – if that.  There have been a couple of nights where I didn’t have to get up.  However, it was almost painful when I woke up the next morning…ha!

Food cravings or aversions: Craving greasy food.  I did this with Caroline.  If it doesn’t have fat and grease dripping off of it, it probably doesn’t sound good to me.  I’m also a bottomless pit.  I can always have one more serving or dessert.  I NEVER feel full!

Gender: We found out Sunday (yes, my AWESOME doctor gave me an ultrasound on a Sunday after church…because he’s just that awesome…) that it’s a BOY!  Considering I was a little over 16 weeks at the ultrasound, there is always the possibility that what we saw could’ve have been something else (like the cord) but we all said with pretty good certainty that it looked like a boy.  From several angles.  I won’t buy any boy clothes yet, but we’re pretty sure!

Movement: YES! It’s happening a lot more often now.  I feel him (feels so good to call the baby a him instead of an ‘it’) several times a day.  I love it.  It’s getting stronger, too!  There have been a few that could’ve been felt from the outside!  When we had the ultrasound on Sunday, that kid was moving all over the place.  He was kicking and wiggling - and sucking his thumb.  So cute!

Belly button: Innie, but getting flatter.  Ugh.  I hate that flat bellybutton look.  It feels funny, too.

What I'm loving: Knowing the gender, feeling more kicks, and knowing that I’m almost halfway through this pregnancy already! 

What I miss: Nothing really.  I’m happy. 

What's different this time: I’m definitely bigger.  And the bottomless pit stomach thing.  I was always able to eventually feel full with the girls.  I’m serious when I tell you I could eat for hours without feeling full.  It’s gross, actually.  Also, my face is breaking out with a new zit every day.  Also quite gross.  And my face is getting fatter – as evidenced by this picture below. 

You may notice my ugly, not fancy watermark.  To give you the short reason – someone stole some pictures off my blog (of our family and my kids) and sent them out in an e-mail scam trying to get money.  They basically pretended like they needed a nanny in London.  All in all, not dangerous, just hacked me off.  I thought about making my blog private, but that defeats the purpose of having one.  So if I can remember, my pictures will be watermarked from now on. Just for kicks, I recommend anyone with a blog google their names just to make sure.  It’s how I found mine!

It’s A….

BOY!!!!  

We are fairly certain that the ultrasound showed a sweet baby boy!  I’m early, so there is always the possibility that things could change, but we’re pretty sure!  

A BOY?!  What on earth am I going to do with a boy!  Mud, dirt, insects, worms, etc….I’m already nervous! Ha!  

We’re gonna have one crazy house around here but it will be fun!  

We’ve picked out a name:

Walker Thad D.  

We are going to call him Walker.  Thad comes from my wonderful Papaw.  He was one of the greatest men I ever knew.  I’m honored to give my sweet baby his name.  I know my Papaw would be so proud!

Judd keeps making jokes that we’re naming this kid after Walker, Texas Ranger.  I’m going to hurt him if that joke sticks.  A friend of ours has already decided he’s going to call him “Roundhouse” for Chuck Norris.  Puh-lease!  

Just thought I’d give my blog friends the same update we gave our Facebook friends!  Wish us luck! (Especially me!  I’m not sure WHAT to do with boys!)

16 Weeks with Pic!

How far along: 16 weeks!

How big is baby:  The size of a large avocado! 

Weight gain/loss: 3lb.  Thank you family for all the delicious food this past weekend!  It was worth every ounce.  Also, the two rows of oreos that I ate yesterday....

Stretch marks: Not unless you count the previous ones. 

Maternity clothes: Yes!  SO much more comfortable since I quit doing the “rubber band trick” with my pants.

Sleep: Getting kinda not great but not horrible.  I wake up everytime I have to turn over, which stinks.  But other than that and the incessant peeing, it's not bad!

Food cravings or aversions: No aversions, but starting to crave mexican food again!  YUM!!  

Gender: Not sure yet, but everyone is calling boy.  They have a 50/50 shot of being right!  I think it is just now dawning on me that we could find out SOON!  

Movement: YES! Usually only when in bed or sitting really still.  I love it!  I felt the first big roll type movement instead of little taps yesterday.  It was great!

Belly button: Positively innie.  But the more food I eat, the flatter it gets.  Awful!

What I'm loving: Feeling the big roll type movements and finding out the gender soon!  I'm getting excited!

What I miss: Nothing really!  (Except maybe seeing a smaller number on the scale...)

What's different this time: How big I am maybe?  Nothing else is really different yet.  

16 week picture...excuse the fact that you're seeing the toilet in the background.  When your husband works from sun-up to sun-down you just take the pics yourself.  ;)

15 Weeks WITH a Picture!

Pic #1 is me right now at 15 weeks!  Pic #2 is me 14 weeks with Caroline.  Huge difference!!

How far along: 15 weeks!

 How big is baby:  The size of an apple!  Awww….

Weight gain/loss: 1lb.  Although I keep forgetting to step on the scale in the mornings, and I purposely don’t weigh myself after I’ve eaten.   

Stretch marks: Not unless you count the previous ones. 

Maternity clothes: Yes!  SO much more comfortable since I quit doing the “rubber band trick” with my pants.

Sleep: Good! 

Food cravings or aversions: No aversions, but I can definitely tell you what I AM craving.  For the first time in my life, I want ICE CREAM.  Not just any ice cream – but SOFT SERVE VANILLA.  Just writing about it is making me want some.  I usually do not like ice cream very much and don’t eat it but maybe 2 or 3 times a year on random occasions.  But I could eat it three times a day right now.  So, so, so good.  And don’t’ ask me why it has to be soft serve, but it does! 

Gender: Not sure yet, but everyone is calling boy.  They have a 50/50 shot of being right!  I think it is just now dawning on me that we could find out SOON! 

Movement: YES! Usually only when in bed or sitting really still.  I love it!

Belly button: Positively innie.  But the more food I eat, the flatter it gets.  Awful!

What I'm loving: The thought that I could potentially find out the gender soon!  It kinda snuck up on me and I’m surprised it’s already here!

What I miss:  Not being on a hormonal roller coaster every second of my life.  I can be perfectly happy one second, and needing to cry the next second for no apparent reason.    I’m also prone to getting angry in about 0.1 seconds. It’s embarrassing how quickly I go from fine to ON FIRE.  I have take deeeeeep breaths and decide if it is hormones or something actually worth being angry about (9/10 it’s hormones!) 

What's different this time: Honestly, since I cut out my crazy amount of diet cokes, I can say it’s definitely different this time that I pee SO MUCH.  Don’t get me wrong, I went a lot with the girls, but every hour I’m running to the bathroom.  It’s obnoxious.  I now “get” the whole “pregnant women have to pee all the time” gig.  Apparently we need to be sucking down enough water to drown a whale….which is what I do.  I’m constantly drinking water.  Good for me, right?! 

(It seemed hard to see with my flowy shirt on, but I put it up for good measure.)  Excuse how tired I look!  Caroline woke up at 4:30am and decided she wasn’t going back to sleep! (Whose kid is she again?  Can’t be mine!) My mother will also have a mild heart attack that I’m not wearing lipstick…sorry Mom!

14 Weeks! Second Trimester!

Second Trimester!!!  YAAAAAY!  Here's an ultrasound photo from when I was almost 13 weeks...

(Head is to the left and if you look closely, you can see baby's BRAIN!  S/he is also sucking that sweet thumb and has its legs tucked up.)  Sidenote:  The last 2 ultrasounds, baby has been sucking its thumb!  How cute!

How far along: 14 weeks!

How big is baby:  The size of a large lemon!  How cute!

Weight gain/loss: 0lbs.

Stretch marks: Except for previous ones, nothing yet - but deep down I know they're coming!  They always show up right at the last minute when I think I've beaten them...

Maternity clothes: Yes!  I had to wear a regular pair of jeans the other day and nearly died from being so uncomfortable. The maternity shirts make me look less fat and more pregnant whereas regular shirts do the exact opposite.  Rest assured I'm wearing maternity shirts.

Sleep: Good!  Especially since I already know how "not good" it is at the end of pregnancy! ;)

Food cravings or aversions: No real aversions that I can think of.  Chili doesn't make me want to puke anymore and that was really it.  I crave different stuff all the time, but I've definitely noticed an increase in my love for sweets.  Desserts of all kind!  However, that could also be because of my recent love addiction to Pinterest....

Gender: Not sure yet, but everyone is calling boy.  They have a 50/50 shot of being right!  I'm starting to feel BOY myself.  It may just be wishful thinking though because we can't come up with even ONE girl name that we both like and agree on.  On a positive note, we have come up with about a million boy names that we like, we just have to narrow it down. 

Movement: YES!  I was in bed the other night and baby was moving all over the place.  It felt like s/he was pushing its (I hate calling my baby an 'it' because I don't know the gender yet...) body against me.  It wasn't super strong and Judd couldn't have felt it or anything but I did!  I love it!

Belly button: Positively innie.  But the more food I eat, the flatter it gets.  Awful!

What I'm loving: Second trimester!  Hoping I get a lot of energy back this trimester.  I've totally been lacking in the energy department.  Also, I really like pregnancy during the 2nd trimester.  I feel pregnant but not so pregnant that I feel like a total whale, and I'm usually not uncomfortable yet.  I really have decided that I enjoy pregnancy.  The first time around, I hated not knowing what to expect - but I enjoyed it a lot the 2nd time around and I think I'll start to enjoy it more with this one now that I'm feeling better.  :)

What I miss:  Having more than 2 pair of jeans that fit. 

What's different this time: I'm still fighting for energy! With both my other two I was feeling much better and pretty normal by now.  But I'm optimistic that it's coming!

So we forgot to take the picture yesterday...oops.  If you've been following my blog long you'll remember I frequently had trouble remembering to take pictures with Caroline, too.  Maybe I'll take one tonight and post it separately! 

13 Weeks!

How far along: 13 weeks!

How big is baby: The size of a plum!

Weight gain/loss: -1.5lbs

Stretch marks: Except for previous ones, nothing yet.

Maternity clothes: Yes, mostly!

Sleep: pretty good!

Food cravings or aversions: Chocolate! Sweet food! I could eat desserts all day!

Gender: Not sure yet, but everyone is calling boy. They have a 50/50 shot of being right!

Movement: Yes, a few times a day! It's very light and fluttery. I love it.

Belly button: Positively innie.

What I'm loving: Feeling the baby move! Can't wait for it to happen more often!

What I miss: Not having to pee every 5 seconds. ;)

What's different this time: I'm bigger this time around for 13 weeks than I was with either of the other two. It makes me wonder if I'll be even bigger in the end! You always consider yourself huge in the end and assume you couldn't possibly get any bigger, but I wonder if this means ill be huge! Ha!

I'm going to start taking pictures next week I think! :)

23 Week Picture!

The first picture is 22 weeks with Caroline. The second picture is 23 weeks with Amelia! My 23 week picture with Caroline was just of my belly, which I added, but it's hard to compare...and I'm not taking belly pictures this time. I think I'm a *little* bigger this time around but not by too much!


(23 weeks with Caroline!)

Over Halfway Finished!

It's so true when they say that the 2nd pregnancy goes by faster. I bet the 3rd+ FLY by! I'm 22 weeks this week. I'm not ready for her to be here at all yet. HA! That's another difference between pregnancies! With Caroline, I was constantly wishing she was already here, but this time around I'm thinking of all the things I need to get done and how difficult it's going to be with two under two. We'll get through it and I'm glad they'll be so close! If you want to see what she's up to this week, head to my 22 week post from my 1st pregnancy!

I can't remember if I announced her name on my blog...so...drumroll please!

Amelia Harper! We think the name Amelia goes great with Caroline since they both sound a bit "vintage" and maybe even a little southern. Caroline is going to make such a great big sister! I got Amelia's bedding from Target and I absolutely LOVE it. It's pink damask with a little green thrown in in random places. I'm also attempting to make her the puff quilt in coordinating colors from the tutorial at HoneyBearLane...but we'll see how that part turns out!



Ya know something really funny? We spent a ton of money on our super nice camera, and yet I always seem to take my pictures with my phone. Sorry it's bad quality. It's the bumper, crib skirt, window panel, and two sheets. I'm so happy with it! I haven't posted much about this pregnancy but it's basically because we've had so much other things going on since we got pregnant.

I really want to post some before and after pictures of our house! Would y'all care to see? If not, I won't go through the work of doing it. HA! :) Let me know!

It's A GIRL!!

We had an ultrasound yesterday and the results are in! We're having another little girl and we're THRILLED! I'm so glad that Caroline will have a sister so close in age. My sister has been one of my most cherished blessings in my life and I'm so glad Caroline will get to experience that.

We saw the three lines despite the cord being in between her legs AND her feet being crossed. We finally caught the look and definitely saw the 3 lines! I was the only person in my family that guessed girl...and my guess is always wrong! Ha! Poor Andrew...he's destroyed that this little girl ruined his perfect score.

Obviously, I'm going to have the tech make sure again at my big sonogram - but we're pretty sure it's a girl!

(On a total sidenote: my new internet gets installed tonight!!! AHHH!! To my blog readers that stayed faithful in my lapse, THANK YOU!)

26 Weeks! With Pictures!

Um, I'm a little late. But only by 2 days! I've been a BUSY girl this week! We had vacation bible school at our church this week and I decorated a room and taught! I had a lot of fun but I have very much enjoyed my rest today. VBS was from Monday to Thursday and I took down my decorations Thursday after it ended. Today was my day of rest. Ha! Well, kind of. :) As you will see in a later post (probably tomorrow) my wonderful BIL & sister brought me my crib and changer!!! Judd put it all together for me while I put a closet organizer together to help calm the clutter in her closet! I'm so excited to have the stuff in her room! I'm working on lots of things to make her room look special, so get ready for nursery posts! Anyway, let me tell you what's going on with my sweet Caroline this week.

26 weeks

• Air sacs are developing in her lungs...which means (dun dun dun dun!) she could possibly be able to take a breath at the end of this week!! This is EXCELLENT!
• Her retina is fully developed. Even though her eyes are sealed shut, they are complete!
• Brainwaves are detectable this week. That's pretty cool! My little intelligent one...
• She can actually recognize my voice versus someone else's now. I feel special. :)
• She weighs about 2lbs!!!
• She is around 14 inches long from head to foot. She's getting so big!
• The end of this week marks my entrance into the 3rd trimester. Oh my goodness. Deep breath....

Caroline is definitely making it hard for me to get a good night's rest - and she can't even cry yet! My back hurts so badly some nights that I cry. It's a very odd place for it to hurt, too. Right under my shoulder blades on both sides. I have to sleep ON my back...if I sleep on either side, I'm in excrutiating pain. The only thing that helps the pain is heat. Add this pain to my lower back pain - and we've got a problem. If I lay on my back for too long, my lower back hurts. So I'm constantly waking up to pain in different parts of my back and having to move to help it. So sleep is getting hard to come by. Oh well...just preparing me for the long nights ahead, I guess.

Well, there you have it! Let me also point out that I am now into DOUBLE DIGITS on my number of days left. Um, holy cow. Counting today (which is technically already over!) I have 96 days left. CRAZY. SCARY. Am I ready for this?

Some days, my need to hold her is overwhelming. Other days, all I can think about is how badly I need her to stay put for a lot longer because I still have so much to do. My nesting has been kicked into overdrive. I've done 10 loads of laundry this week. Get this - I ran out of hangers because we've never had all of these clothes clean at one time before. Yeah. I've been trying really hard to keep our house clean because if I let it all pile up on me, I can never find the energy to get it clean again.

Judd is working really hard these days. He gets home pretty late and leaves really early. I definitely miss him this time of year. I've been going out there to see him a lot and it helps me feel like it hasn't been ages since we've talked. I rode in a SEMI for the first time ever the other day. He tried to make me drive it but I was terrified of killing us so I opted to stay in the passenger's seat. Lucky for all other drivers on the road! Your lives have been spared another day!

Well, I guess I've updated you on the last week. Sorry I didn't post in between but VBS kept me very busy! Cassie (my SIL) brought her two boys here this week so we hung out with them a lot. She's such a good mom...and the boys are definitely adorable. She finds out her 3rd baby's sex next week. For the record, I'm guessing girl. We'll see if I'm right. ;) Without further ado - here's my WHALE of a 26 week picture. Please excuse the hair...it's been a long week. Ha!



The belly...in all its glory.


Large and in charge.


I look tired. Ha ha!