twenty-nine weeks

This week I had one heck of a doctor's appointment, in the sense that it just wasn't your in and out appointment.  Still nothing to thrilling to report.  I got my rhogam shot and did my glucose screening (I passed, whoop whoop!) so plenty of needles for one day.  Thankfully (I guess?) they are waiting until my next appointment to give me the TDAP vaccine.  Spread all those needles out.  I asked for suggestions about my restless legs that are still driving me absolutely mad, and her only suggestions match what I've been doing.  So I guess I'm just screwed.  I'll go back every two weeks from now on, until I hit 36 weeks.

how far along:  29 weeks (compare to 29 weeks with Ryann, 29 weeks with Elsie)

size of baby:  My What to Expect app tells me she is approximately the size of a small cabbage.  17 inches and 2.9 pounds.

weight gain:  20 pounds.  Apparently I haven't gained any weight in the last two weeks.  I'm not at all upset about it, and seeing as I was still measuring almost two weeks ahead at my last doctor's appointment, I think it is safe to say baby girl is still growing.

maternity clothes:  Stupid question at this point.

symptoms: Restless legs restless legs RESTLESS LEGS.  We're driving to Omaha this coming weekend and I have no clue how I'm going to make it.  They are usually much worse in the evening hours, so hopefully driving midday or in the morning will help.  Also, all the hormones = all the mood swings.  I'm grumpy for no reason, totally stressed out, and feel weepy at the drop of a hat.  We were at a wedding last night, and Ryann was standing by me during the father/daughter dance.  I turned to her and started to say "Do you think you'll dance with Daddy like that someday?" and before the words had even finished coming out of my mouth my eyes were welling up with tears, thinking of it.  We're going to have three daughters, God willing, three weddings, three father/daughter dances.  It was too much.  I held it together though.

exercise:  I haven't been quite as active this week, but still managed to get my steps in. 96,009 of them to be exact.

cravings/aversions: Truthfully I haven't been craving anything.  My appetite has definitely slowed down, I quickly get full, and I don't really want to eat.  But I do.  It's tough.

movement: I keep waiting for us to get our calm kid, but based on the numerous in-utero dance parties that are occurring in my belly, I think this girlie is going to come out ready and raring to go right along side her sisters.

sleep:  It isn't awful by any means, but it certainly could be better.

gender: Girl.

looking forward to:  I would love to say life slowing down at some point, but I'm pretty much aware that isn't going to happen.  So I'll say I'm just excited to enjoy summer with my girls and our friends.  We're planning quite the number of play dates, and while it is exhausting, I don't want to miss out on any time with our buddies!

worries: Still the whole name thing.  That's fun.  I know we will eventually give her a name (I think that is kind of required) and Christopher would concede to my top choice if I whined enough.  But I just want a name we both LOVE.  It's tough.

I'm also a little worried we won't get carpet picked out and installed before we're supposed to move in.  Whoops.  We're working on it.  They come to pack up our stuff at our current house in exactly one month.  YIKES.

what's different this time:  Despite seeming a little whiny in the symptoms section, I think this may have been my smoothest pregnancy thus far at this point.  Since I've kind of given in to not running or working out too hard, my body doesn't hate me as much.

best moment this week:  Truthfully I was really worn out and felt kind of kicked around this week.  Just trying to get a lot of stuff done and see a lot of people and have a lot of fun.  I'd have to say watching the girls walk down the aisle as flower girls last night was pretty awesome, if you pretend they weren't trying to kill each other nearly two minutes before hand.  Oy.  They looked incredibly cute and got the job done when it came down to it!  They also both LOVED being on the dance floor and had some killer moves, especially Elsie.  We had to drag her out of the reception kicking and screaming because Ryann was ready for bed.  She told me "I just wanna dance!  I no tired!  I never ever tired!  I love DANCING!!!!!!!"  Adorable.

twenty-eight weeks

Oh hey there third trimester.  Where the heck did you come from?  And at the same time, I'm so done being pregnant.  Not at all ready for the baby part yet, but I'm sick of not being able to just sit on the couch if I'm tired because my legs feel so dang crazy.  My best guess is that I've got 10 weeks left.  Yikes!  On both ends of the spectrum.

how far along:  28 weeks (compare to 28 weeks with Ryann, 28 weeks with Elsie)

size of baby:  Roughly the size of a head of cauliflower.  16 inches and 2.5 pounds.

weight gain:  Truthfully I don't want to know.  It could be very very bad.  But if I had to guess I'd say 22ish pounds.

maternity clothes:  I'm not sure I have any non maternity shirts that will cover my belly left!

symptoms:  Restless legs like crazy.  They are driving me insane.  I can barely sit still for any length of time without having the urge to get up and walk around.  I'm resorting to benedryl so I can lay down and fall asleep.  Also indigestion.  That's fun.  Lastly I got super swollen in my legs after flying.  My feet and ankles are currently a little swollen right now, but it is much more humid in Georgia than in Kansas, plus I've been on my feet a lot.

exercise:  I've been doing A LOT of walking this week.  100,340 steps!  I've been getting up almost every morning this week and going on a 45 minute walk, plus walking on the beach and around the village.  Also, pacing the house because I can't sit still.  I can honestly say a few thousand steps are just from me wandering around when I can't handle sitting.

cravings/aversions:  I crave a lot of fruit and eat a lot of sweets.

movement:  This kid is insane.  My belly sometimes looks like a circus act, or a freak show.  Ryann and Chris were able to sit and watch her bounce around the other day, from across the pool.  She has also had some sort of knee or elbow or something pressed up towards the top of my belly for a while now.  Sometimes she really shoves it up there and it is SO PAINFUL.  Earlier this week while I was on a walk I could feel it rubbing back and forth over the spot for more than half a mile.  I tried to push on her to get her to move but no luck.

sleep:  I've been having to go to the bathroom in the middle of the night more often, and waking up incredibly uncomfortable in the wee hours of the morning.  But when I'm actually asleep I sleep hard, so I guess I'll take it.

gender: Girl.

looking forward to:  Getting back home and seeing how the new house reno is coming along.  It's been a while since we've gotten over there and I'm so anxious to see the progress!

worries:  We will never agree on a name we both love.  I thought we had it narrowed down to three, but now we're back to a list of 10+ and one of us has some sort of issue with each name.  I have all sorts of crazy rules I'm trying to abide by, and Chris seems to know someone who ruins each name that fits all my criteria.  I told him that we are deciding on something in the next two weeks because dangit I want to order a personalized swaddle blanket.  Priorities people, priorities.  :o)

I'm also a little paranoid about my glucose tolerance test this week.  I haven't had any issues passing with the last two, but still.

what's different this time:  When it comes down to it, probably not all that much.

best moment this week:  Inspections on our house went relatively well, and we were able to easily sign the resolution/renegotiation paperwork, or whatever you call it.  So aside from the appraisal and actual closing, our house is SOLD!!  Such a huge relief and I honestly don't think it could have gone much better.  I'm grateful to have that out of the way, and really hope the buyers enjoy living there.

Also watching my girls run through the tide pools on the beach has been pretty awesome.  I don't want to go back to reality.  There are definitely things I'm missing about home, but can we just take the beach with us?  Please?

elsie - two and a quarter

We're 1/4 of the way through Elsie's third year of life, and I can't even begin to express how much I love this girl.  She is the perfect combination of sweet and sassy.

If I had to guess, I'd put her still somewhere around the 80th-85th percentile for size.  Strangers will ask me if she is three.  When I say no, that she is just over two, they respond with "She is a big two!" or something along those lines.  She can wear a lot of 3T clothing, is still in a size 5 diaper, and has moved up to a size 7 shoe.  Two more of her molars have come in, with no sign of the other two.  However she regularly has her hands in her mouth these days, so I wouldn't be surprised if they are on their way.

We can't go anywhere, anywhere at all, without at least one person commenting on her hair.  I mean I get it, her hair is adorable, I'm kind of obsessed with it.  But it is insane how much attention it gets.  She is pretty funny and will pull a curl out straight, and then let it go with a "bing!"  She loves her 'tur-lee' hair.

I still wouldn't say Elsie loves to sleep, because getting her in bed is always a challenge.  She just never wants to stop playing.  However once she is asleep she is a great sleeper.  Generally she is in her crib from 8pm to 7am.  Sometimes she'll sleep until 7:15am or 7:30am.  And when she wakes up she never really makes any attempt to make it known.  She just lays there and cuddles with her buddies or hides under her blanket.  Nap has been hit or miss lately.  It takes her a while to fall asleep, and sometimes she doesn't fall asleep at all.  But again, if she does fall asleep, she sleeps hard.  I usually have to wake her at 4pm because we just don't sleep past 4 in our house.

Food continues to be the way to Elsie's heart.  She'll give almost anything a try.  She doesn't like 'pice-ee' foods or shrimp, and veggies are hit and miss, but pretty much everything else is a go.  We're still dealing with huge constipation issues (mostly functional, the kid just hates doing it) so unfortunately I think we're going to try some sort of elimination diet soon to see if we can't help her digestive system out.  Between the asthma and projectile vomiting she had as an infant, I just can't believe not wanting to go is her only issue.

All of a sudden Elsie can recognize all the letters of the alphabet.  Girlfriend hates when I ask her to sing the ABC's and pretty much out right refuses (lame song I guess?), but she loves to point out letters and tell me what they are now.  She is also obsessed with apostrophes.  Haha.  I have a few shirts from various Mother's Day Runs, and she asked me what it was.   Since then she always has to tell me when she finds an apostrophe.  She can recognize the numbers 1-5 in print, and can easily count to 14.  After 14 she often skips 15-17, but can more or less make it to 29.  When she picked that up I again have no idea.  But it's cool.

Two weeks before she turned two, Elsie started taking a 2-3 year old dance class at the studio Ryann goes to.  My gosh does she loves it.  She asks me every other day if it is Friday and if she can go to dance class.  And man does she have some moves.  I've posted a couple pictures of her dance antics on instagram, and I regularly go back to watch those little clips because I love them so much.  Unfortunately I don't think she'll be able to take a class for a while after we move, because for most of them you have to be 3 and potty trained.  Girlie is definitely going to be sad when sissy gets to go to dance and she doesn't!  Her adorable little class is going to be in the recital in just over a week and I can't wait to watch the cuteness.

Speaking of dancing, one of my favorite little quirks of hers is that whenever she hears music, she almost always has to stop because she has 'just gotta dance'!  While wandering the airport on Saturday we walked by a bar where they had a song on.  She ripped her hand from mine and said "Hold on mama, I gotta dance!" and proceed to bust a move in the middle of the terminal.  Everyone in the vicinity had a smile on their face.

Elsie is still obsessed with her belly button.  She loves the color red, kittens (sorry about your allergies kiddo!) and caterpillars.  Except not live caterpillars.  Because she is deathly afraid of bugs.  But she really likes the idea of caterpillars.  She loves her friends and asks for Ta-wins and Av-wee all the time.  But she absolutely adores her sister the most.  E is constantly following Ryann around, asking me where Ryann is, and generally needs to be within inches of Ryann at all times.  Unless of course she is slapping her or pulling her hair.  Oy.  We're still working on using our words.  But seriously, if she can't find Ryann or can't be near Ryann she is pissed.  Anywhere sissy goes she has to go too. 

She loves to give out hugs and kisses.  Her hugs are fabulous and big and tight.  She almost can't resist a kiss either.  I can be sitting across the room while she is fully engaged playing with something, and if I pucker up and make kissing noises she comes running.  And on the subject of play, her pretend play is flipping adorable.  Elsie really enjoys playing with Little People and doll houses, and will make the figures talk to each other and do things like have lunch and go to the bathroom and such.  Whenever she makes them talk she uses this funny little voice.  I just love it.

Of course just like any other two-year-old, she pushes my buttons and drives me absolutely insane.  But the amount of cute rolled up in to her little body pretty much makes up for it.  I enjoy spending time with her and watching her little brain work.

Love you so much Miss Elsie!

twenty-seven weeks

 
how far along:  27 weeks (compare to 27 weeks with Ryann, 27 weeks with Elsie)

size of baby:  According to my What to Expect app, perhaps as big as a cucumber?  Roughly 15 inches (head to toe) and 2.2 pounds.

weight gain:  20 pounds.  This is terrifying to me simply because I only gained 20 pounds total in each of my previous pregnancies.  I know that really, it is totally fine.  I should come out under 35 gained as long as I don't go too crazy in the next 11-12 weeks.

maternity clothes:  Yup.  I snagged a few more summer things this week.  Hopefully I have enough clothes to last me through this pregnancy.  With less than 3 months to go, I feel like I shouldn't buy anything.  But I also don't want to feel completely hopeless getting dressed every day this summer!

symptoms:  Restless legs, or whatever it is, mainly in my left leg.  Definitely by far the most frustrating symptom.  I can barely sit long enough to read the girls a book before I'm uncomfortable.  I've also starting having a lot of indigestion or something.  Doesn't matter what I eat, how much, or how little, I just feel gross.  Also I've been having more braxton hicks contractions here and there.  They are never regular or overly painful, so I'm not worried about them at all, just more irritating and catch me off guard.

exercise:  Oh hey, I ran a 5k this week.  BAM.  I ended up signing up for the Mother's Day 5k, because I just couldn't handle the though of missing one when I'd already done it 4 years in a row.  My plan was to start out jogging, and then mostly walk with a bit of jogging for the 3.1 miles.  I ended up running the first mile (in about 12 minutes, certainly not breaking any speed records), and then I tried to walk.  And my legs were like WTF we don't run are you nuts?  After that it actually hurt more to walk than run, so I just kind of jogged most of the last two miles.  I ended up finishing with an official time of 37:55.  I can't be disappointed with that at all!  Afterwards I was pretty sore, and had a significant waddle going on, but by the next day I was feeling much better.  So thankful I signed up!

I ended up covering 96,182 steps this week.  So close to a 100,000 step week, I'm just not sure that is ever going to happen during the pregnancy.  Maybe after baby girl is born and I get back in to running more.

cravings/aversions:  Everything sounds good. And nothing sounds good.  It makes no sense.  I'm eating way too many sweets and it makes me feel like crap.  I did make fried eggs for the first time this week (why I've never tried before I have no idea) and was loving fried eggs over sweet potatoes for breakfast.

movement:  We are starting to fight with each other.  Her movements can be so crazy and painful and she gets in really uncomfortable spots!  The other day I looked down and I swear there was a knee or elbow protruding out of my belly.  It hurt so bad and I definitely had to poke her a bit to get her to move.

sleep:  Not too bad.

gender: Girl.

looking forward to:  Leaving for Georgia!!

worries:  I've had such easy deliveries and recoveries with both my small babies, that I'm always paranoid this one will be giant.  Especially with the extra weight gain.  Also currently worrying about house inspections, but more on that below...

what's different this time:  I don't recall movement being quite this painful.  Also the constant indigestion.  That sucks.

best moment this week:  Soooo... we've got a contract on our house.  !!!!!!!  Our house wasn't supposed to go on the market until Thursday, but a friend from high school contacted me and said her brother-in-law was looking for a house in the area, and was having trouble getting to view homes because of the crazy market.  Would we be willing to let them see ours before it went on the MLS?  I didn't really see the harm in it, so on Sunday (mother's day) we had a showing at 5pm.  By 6pm their realtor called me and let me know they wanted to place an offer.  I was ecstatic.  And it turned out to be a really good offer.

So basically we get to leave for Georgia with a lot less weight on our shoulders!  The inspections are all to be done on Monday, and I'm a little nervous for how they'll all go.  We haven't neglected our home, I don't really see any huge issues popping up, but then again the house was built in 1957 so you just never know.  Please pray that all goes well, and by the end of next week we're just happily hanging out until closing!

In short, Mother's Day was a pretty darn good day, between the 5k and the house selling, with a little family time thrown in the middle.

a day in my life

I really really wanted to document a day in our life before everything gets super crazy, we move and we add another member to our family.  And then I spent a few weeks completely failing at blogging and never finished typing out all my notes.  So it probably isn't the best representation of our day, but I had some pictures so I can't let it completely go to waste!

This was April 23rd, Ryann is 5 years old, Elsie is 2 years 3 months, and I'm nearly 24 weeks pregnant.

***

5:45am:  I stir a bit.  I really need to pee, and consider just getting up, but I manage to pass back out quickly.

6:27am:  This time I'm actually awake.  I roll over to play on my phone for a little bit, but maybe three minutes later Ryann flings our door open.  She says she is just too excited to sleep because she can't wait to go to the park.  We convince her to head to the family room, and then I get up and go to the bathroom.  I run down to the basement and switch a load of laundry and then go back upstairs to get dressed.  Ryann is bouncing off the walls because she is JUST SO EXCITED.  Haha.  One of the many dangers of telling her our plans before we are actually on the way to do them.  I silence her with a bowl of cereal.

7:11am:  Chris is getting ready to leave, so I have him poke his head in to Elsie's room to see if she is awake.  She gets so upset if he leaves for work before she is up to get a hug and a kiss.  Immediately I can tell she wasn't ready to be up.  I can hear her grunt yelling at Christopher.  He tries to back out of the room but that pisses her off too.  I go in to offer some hugs for my little mama's girl.  I convince her to get out of bed and give Daddy kisses goodbye before he goes.  Ryann and her scamper off for a bit to play, but a spider quickly ruins the fun.  I get Elsie a bowl of cereal, and once she is finished I turn a show on for the girls.  I throw Ryann some clothes to change in to and then go to find some for Elsie.  When I bring them to her she asks for pockets.  When I ask her to clarify she says she wants pockets in her pants like Ryann.  "Oh yes, your pants do have pockets like Ryann's."  "Yay! Paw-tits! For my phone!"  Wait what?  What phone?  Whatever...  I get their hair fixed and pack a lunch for the park.

8:38am:  We're about 20 minutes later than I wanted to be, but the truth is our plans aren't super strict for the day, so I'm over it.  We head to the gym.  Naturally the girls fight about who gets to push the door buttons and who gets to give the desk people the card.  No matter what plan we come up with in the car, someone is always pissed.  I get the girls dropped off at the child center and then head up to the treadmills.  Me going to the gym has pretty much been a joke.  I basically just walk on the treadmill.  I went ahead and canceled my membership, so I only have until the end of the month to use the club anyway.  When I get settled on my favorite treadmill, I realize Daniel Tiger is on the TV.  Are you kidding me?  Please tell me what grown adult wants to watch Daniel Tiger while working out.  Anyway, I've been toying with signing up for the Mother's Day 5K, so I decide to try and hit three miles in 45 minutes. I throw some jogging intervals in with my walking, and while it was super difficult, I survive.  When I'm finished on the treadmill I gather my things, the girls, and off we go!

10:09am:  In the car again and on our way to the park.  It's been a long time since we've been to this particular park, and we're all excited, plus we're meeting Sarah, Collins and Brooks there, bonus points!  It's a nice park, and not too far from our house, but we just rarely go since there are three within walking distance of us.  Once I'm parked and get the kids to the actual playground, I turn my back for a moment to set down our things.  When I turn back around Ryann has climbed on top of a giant boulder, and several other kids are trying to follow suit.  I can tell the other moms are a bit stressed, haha.  I tell her I need to snap a picture, and then we'll figure out how to get her down.  Pictures are always of the utmost importance, naturally.

I was worried it would be chilly, but it ends up being the perfect temperature.  Nobody cries, and we spend two hours just enjoying being outside and playing with our friends.  The kids start complaining that they are starving around 11am (always starving, always!) and by 11:20 we give in and have a little picnic lunch.  After everyone is fed we play some more, until three school buses show up just before noon.  Definitely our cue to leave!  I promised the girls we could walk the sidewalk and read the story set up by the library, so we sneak that in before heading out.  Ryann amazes me yet again with how much she can read.  I just can't get over it.  Watching her learn to read has been one of the most exciting things in the last few months, it is so exciting, seeing her little mind work and figure it all out, how to turn the letters into words, and sentences.

12:38pm:  Back home again.  I make myself some lunch while the girls spend some time playing.  Elsie is taking care of baby dolls in the family room, and Ryann has retreated to her room to do who knows what.  They're playing so nicely, so I do a little picking up and start the dishwasher.  Eventually I'm able to convince Elsie that it is time for her nap.  She fights going to her room for nap EVERY SINGLE DAY.  Once we're in there and start the whole routine she is totally fine.  It is just the transition from play time to nap time that is miserable.

1:35pm:  I've finally got Elsie in her crib.  I spend a bit of time sitting and scrolling through instagram while chatting with Ryann.  My notes are rather brief here, but my best guess is that I turn on a Leapfrog video for Ry while I run in to take a shower.  At least that is what I usually do on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

3:02pm:  Elsie isn't asleep and I give up on the hope of her napping.  How that girl can play so hard and then refuse to sleep is beyond me.  You'd think an hour at the gym and two hours at the park would wear her out, but apparently not.  I get the girls a snack, and then they spend some time playing in Ryann's room.  While cleaning out closets and bins, I found an entire plastic drawer of post it notes.  I didn't intend to give them to the girls, but Ryann found them, and my house is quickly being covered in little post it note drawings.

3:56pm:  Daddy is home!  Always a highlight of the day of course.  Especially on Wednesdays and Thursdays if he gets home early enough that I don't have to take Elsie to dance with us.  The girls are always a bit crazy when Christopher comes home, but eventually I wrangle Ryann into her dance clothes.  They read a quick book with daddy, then we gives some hugs and goodbyes and we're off.

4:34pm:  We're in the car on our way to the studio.  Ryann's classes only last an hour tonight, but we always have to leave 25-30 minutes before class starts just to make sure we don't get stuck in too much traffic.  It is always hit or miss.  Nothing like having to take the major highways during rush hour to liven up your drive.  It's parent watch week which means I get to sit in Ryann's classes for the whole time.  I have a love/hate relationship with watch week.  I love getting to see what they do of course, but the kids are always a bit nuts and I find myself biting my tongue a lot, wanting to tell Ryann to listen or pay attention or to just stop trying to talk to me!  Haha.  Oh, and for records sake, she had hip hop and tap class.

working on her 'stalls'

6:20pm:  Ryann and I arrive home to the usual post dance scene.  Elsie destroying the family room with toys while watching Thomas the Train, as Daddy gets dinner on the table.  Naturally because I'm writing this post a few weeks later and my notes don't mention it, I have no idea what we had for dinner.  My best guess, based on the picture, are taco stuffed pasta shells.  Chris and Elsie went to the grocery store while we were at dance, and Elsie talked Daddy in to cupcakes.  He can never say no to his girls ;o).  So cupcakes for dessert! 

After we're all fed, Christopher gives the girls a quick bath and I do the dishes.  When they're clean I take Elsie to get jammies on.  When I ask her which ones she wants to wear, she responds with "What sissy wearin'?"  She always always ALWAYS wants to match jammies.  It ticks her off when Ryann picks out a pair that she doesn't have.  They get a few more minutes of Thomas before I decide it is time for no nap Nancy to go to bed.  We read a couple of books, sing a couple of songs, she tries to tell me a million stories and stalls and stalls and stalls...

7:42pm:  I've got Elsie in her crib and Ryann is asking to go to bed.  Christopher takes care of her and I get on to my really important evening tasks... blogging and watching Grey's Anatomy of course.  I just can't quit that show.  Ok I also do a little laundry, and turn to the Royals game after Grey's is over.

10:27pm:  The game is still going but I have to get ready for bed. After brushing my teeth I lay in bed and watch the rest of the game with Chris.  The Royals end up winning 3-2.  And with that, I'm out. 

twenty-six weeks

started writing this Friday but never finished it...

Thanks to all the cleaning and organizing in preparation for the house going on the market in less than a week (with a before list showing this weekend!) pregnancy posts are all I can muster right now.  Better than nothing I suppose.

how far along:  26 weeks (compare to 26 weeks with Ryann, 26 weeks with Elsie)

size of baby:  according to the bump a head of lettuce, between 13.6-14.8 inches long and weighing somewhere between 1.5-2.5 pounds. Baby girl's eyes are forming and will soon open.  She is also taking practice breaths of amniotic fluid and starting to build up her immune system by absorbing my antibodies.  Hopefully I've got some good ones!  According to my What to Expect app baby girl is the size of an eggplant and only 9.2 inches.  Who knows!

weight gain:  18 pounds.  No gain this week.  Thank goodness.

maternity clothes:  Absolutely.

symptoms:  Stupid stupid STUPID restless legs.  Also I think I'm running out of room for my stomach, I've been a little queasy here and there and quickly feel uncomfortable if I eat too much.

exercise:  Still just lots of walking.  85,729 steps covered this week.  It was my first full week without the gym membership, so I put the girls in the BOB for more walks than usual.  Pushing 70+ pounds of kid up hills while nearly 26 weeks pregnant is TOUGH!

cravings/aversions:  Not craving anything in particular, and no real aversions.  I just always want food.

movement:  Some days she is absolutely crazy and some days are pretty tame.  But I have had some definite painful movements throughout the week.  I told Chris the kicks and jabs aren't so bad, it is the 'stretch and stay there' that kills me.  Like she is just trying to get some room and pushes on everything will all her itty bitty might at once.

sleep:  Not too bad.  We've been staying up late getting stuff done around the house, but once I'm out, I'm OUT.

gender: Girl.

looking forward to:  Going to Georgia and selling our house.  I just want it to sell quickly so bad.

worries:  Right now I just tend to get anxious about stupid stuff and house stuff.  Nothing really baby related.  I'm thankful for that.  I don't have any serious issues, every thing seems to be progressing as it should, so I just get to enjoy the pregnancy (more or less, I'm not always the best pregnant person)!

what's different this time:  Not too terribly much.  Being pregnant in the warmer months is making getting dressed more difficult.  I have picked up things here and there so it isn't like I'm without a wardrobe, but still, I have a much larger plethora of winter maternity clothes.  Also I seriously can't stand the way most of my 'comfy' clothes fit.  They just aren't comfortable.  Sad story.

best moment this week:  The girls played together so sweetly for like two hours Thursday morning.  They don't always get along, but they definitely have a fierce love for each other, and when they can cooperate and play and be absolutely adorable together, my heart just melts.  I hope so much that my three girls will love spending time together for many years to come!

twenty-five weeks

So I'm sucking at blogging.  What's new.  Trying to get the current house market ready + renovating the new house + life = lack of computer motivation!  (And lots of other kind of motivation too...)

how far along:  25 weeks (compare to 25 weeks with Ryann, 25 weeks with Elsie)

size of baby:  Quite possibly the size of a rhutabega.  Honestly, I don't even know what that is. 

weight gain:  18 pounds.  (insert monkey covering eyes emoticon here, yikes!)

maternity clothes:  Absolutely.  I need some maternity workout pants or something.  My workout pants are miserable.

symptoms:  Restless legs like crazy in the evening.  And just general uncomfortableness.  But nothing awful.

exercise:  Walking walking walking! Plus a teeny tiny bit of running thrown in there again.  It's just, the running feels totally fine when I do it, well, as fine as it can be to run with a bowling ball strapped to your middle.  But shortly afterwards I feel like I'm being punched in the groin and my right hip is on fire.  Somehow I'm still finding it worth it?  Ha.  Looking back at my post with Elsie I want to beat myself for not keeping up with strength training.  My arms were so much more toned!  I got in 94,787 steps this week.  I've been trying to get on the treadmill or go for a 30 minute walk each day, even if I've already met my step goal.  One of these weeks I want to hit 100,000 steps just so I can say I did.

cravings/aversions:  Food.  What's new.  Although sugar is starting to affect me more and more and I REALLY want to will myself to eat healthier.  I'm just not doing it.  Nobody to blame but myself.

movement:  Some days it is totally crazy and I want to know what the heck she is doing in there.  Like why is she trying to escape through my belly button?  And some days I notice movement, but it is nothing to write home about.

sleep:  I never get enough but it isn't that bad.  I had some contractions or braxton hicks or something for like an hour one night this week and that was frustrating and uncomfortable.

gender:  As far as I know, still a girl!

looking forward to:  Selling our house.  Less than two weeks before it is supposed to go on the market and I'm already ready for the process to be over.

worries:  Mostly just house stuff on both ends right now.

what's different this time:  Truthfully I think my pregnancies have progressed pretty similarly each time, but the amount of actual time I have to devote to thinking about the pregnancy and the baby and the gigantic life change that is coming our way is less and less.  I can't picture another little person, another little girl! in our family unit.  But it's going to happen and it's going to be awesome.

best moment this week:  I could say celebrating my birthday, but Elsie did puke all over me in the middle of her classroom on Wednesday, so that made it slightly less exciting.  The first part and last part of the day was pretty good though, so I'll get over it.  Seeing my friends from college was pretty amazing.  And getting to snuggle a baby for a little bit.  That was pretty great.