thirty-seven weeks

My doctor's appointment this week went MUCH better than my check-up last week.  I was incredibly anxious going in to the appointment, worried that my blood pressure would be high again and that they would want to induce me.  But magically it was 124/86, no protein, everything is measuring just fine, my blood work has remained stable.  So I left with instructions to continue to take it easy, and to try not to have the baby until my doctor was back in town.  Haha.
   
how far along:  37 weeks (compare to 37 weeks with Ryann, 37 weeks with Elsie)

size of baby:  Baby girl is about the size of a winter melon (another one that I have never tried!).  19-22 inches and 6.5ish pounds.  Something like that.

weight gain:  28.5 pounds.  Not 29.  Lets make that clear.  Don't judge.  :o)

maternity clothes:  Yup.  My maternity swimsuits are barely covering the belly, so I guess it is about time to be done with this whole pregnancy thing, right?

symptoms:  The swelling is unreal.  Some nights I can barely wiggle my toes.  Headaches.  Nausea.  Restless legs.

exercise:  50,599 steps.  Still trying to do my best to take it easy.

cravings/aversions:  Nothing sounds good and yet I want to eat everything.  Definitely lean towards cold things like fruit and salad.

movement:  Today during lunch she was moving around like crazy.  My mom and the girls watched from across the table, she was absolutely insane.  I seriously can't believe how much she still moves around.

sleep:  The last several days have been pretty good in the sleep department.  I'm only waking once to pee and actually falling back asleep.  And yet I still wake up with a pounding headache.  It sucks.

gender:  I'm still in a bit of disbelief that our third girl will be here so soon!

looking forward to:  Not being pregnant and it not being a million degrees outside.  I hate that I'm not really enjoying this pregnancy, as it very well may be my last.  But I'm sorry, it just isn't fun.  I'm grateful for the ability to carry a baby, it truly is a miracle.  But it isn't super enjoyable right now.

worries:  I worry that I won't be able to make it back to KC to deliver this baby.  I know that as long as she comes out safely and healthy that we will all be fine, but I'd like to deliver at the hospital I know, with the doctor's I know.

what's different this time:  I feel like I'm much more uncomfortable than I was with the last two, and a lot of that, A LOT, has to do with the heat which is causing the extreme swelling.  Also the amount of contractions.  With Ryann I didn't have a single contraction until they administered the pitocin.  With Elsie, maybe I had a few?  Maybe?  This time?  Some sort of contractions every day for weeks.  Nothing that has really made me worry, nothing extremely painful, but they are there!

best moment this week:  I'm blanking on something to put here.  It isn't that life hasn't been good, but it has just been, well, life.  More little baby packages arriving, that's fun.  My mom finished the crib skirt.  I got my hair colored and my toes painted.  Technically I'm ready for baby girl, just a few odds and ends I want to finish up!

And another picture from this week because who knows how many belly pictures I've got left!

thirty-six weeks

A guy who was checking out some water issues were having in our basement (yay, of course), asked me how far along I was.  When I told him he said I must be carrying a small baby.  Thanks dude, but that belly feels GIGANTIC.

Unrelated, things just keep getting better and better.  Ha.  Haha.

On Tuesday I had my nurse's appointment to recheck my blood pressure after last weeks high reading.  I knew it wasn't going to be good when the nurse had to squeeze the thing tighter because she didn't catch the first number.  My first reading was 172/94.  Well that's no good.  She left me for a little bit, came back and rechecked it.  The recheck was 128/70, which is perfectly fine, obviously.  But that first number sucked.  Which is exactly what my doc said when she poked her head into the room.  There was no protein in my urine, and my labs were stable from the week before, so the diagnosis is still just gestational hypertension.  No pre-e.  Her recommendation?  Bed rest.

Naturally, my first stop after the appointment was Target.  I follow directions really well like that.

I'm doing my best to take it easy.  But I just feel like there is so much to do and I don't want to put everything on Chris and my parents.  My daily step count has dropped to between 5,000 and 6,000.  Christopher is taking my blood pressure daily or if I'm feeling really crummy, and other than Tuesday, we haven't seen a reading over 135/85.  I'm taking naps and spending time on the couch.  I'm just not fully adhering to the doctor's advice.  We'll see how everything goes at my next appointment.       

how far along:  36 weeks (compare to 36 weeks with Ryann, 36 weeks with Elsie)

size of baby:  I'm starting to not believe the What to Expect.  Baby girl should be around the size of a large cantaloupe, and it says 19-22 inches and around 6 pounds.  Seeing as both girls were born at 38 weeks weighing just over 6 pounds and only 19 inches long, I'm guessing the approximation doesn't apply to my kids.  But maybe number three will prove me wrong.

weight gain:  I forgot to weigh myself, but I'm guessing around 27 pounds.  I've developed a love for the Tostitos cantina style chips so that isn't really helping anyone.

maternity clothes:  Regular clothes just plain don't fit for the most part.  So yes.

symptoms:  Headaches and nausea.  Swelling.  Restless legs.  General uncomfortableness.  Basically, I feel really pregnant.  Not all that surprising four weeks from my due date.

exercise: 57,226 steps.  I know I've got less than three weeks until this little girl will be here.  Who knows, it might be only a week.  But I'm frustrated with the need to 'lay around'.  I mean maybe with my first pregnancy I would have been all over the excuse to do nothing.  But I got things to do.  Places to go.  And watching other girls on instagram with similar due dates hit the gym, or walk four miles, I'm jealous.  I'm sure I'll be over it soon though.

cravings/aversions:  Watermelon.  Food in general.  Cookies are cool too.  And I really want a milkshake.

movement:  She still is pretty crazy.  And the girls just love trying to catch her move.  Elsie thinks it's a fun game, and Ryann likes to snuggle with my belly.

sleep:  Some days are fine, some days really suck.  The night before my appointment I maybe slept for four hours, for no reason at all.  I'm wondering if a super crappy night of sleep had anything to do with  my blood pressure being so elevated.

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

looking forward to:  Seriously it is stupid how much I'm looking forward to sleeping on my stomach.  And I'm hoping baby girl can hold out throughout the next week because I've got a pool date with friends on Monday, a hair appointment on Tuesday, a pedicure on Friday and we're supposed to be celebrating Christopher's birthday next weekend.  Again, all of those obviously adhere to the bed rest recommendation...

worries:  As much as I'm excited to meet our little girl, I'm worried that she'll have to make her appearance this coming week.  Just hang on one more week girlie!  I guess really I should be telling that to my body...

what's different this time:  This is the worst my blood pressure has been this early on, and the bed rest recommendation is new.  With Elsie I was going to the gym up until 37 weeks.

best moment this week:  Several evenings this week we've gone to my parent's house for dinner, and then gone swimming in their pool.  I'm loving it.  Elsie figured out how to swim with the puddle jumper and slowly but surely the girls are getting braver in the water.  We'll turn them in to little pool loving fish sooner or later!

Also getting some fun baby things in the mail was pretty awesome as well.  And unpacking all the little newborn clothes.  I love little baby things.  :)

thirty-five weeks

Please excuse the terrible picture.  I kept forgetting to take one, and there isn't really any where 'good' to take a picture in our house right now.  So I guess here is a peek at Ryann's bathroom?  And my super sleepy eyes.  Yay.

Well, this pregnancy had to get exciting at some point, right?  Haha, just kidding.  But I did have a doctor's appointment this week.  It was the first one we had to drive back to KC for.  I got the girls all settled at a friend's house, then headed on my merry little way.  Everything was going swimmingly, until the nurse took my blood pressure of course.  She asked, "do you usually have high blood pressure?" Oh you know, only during the end of my pregnancies.  Apparently it was 150/104 when she first took it.  That's no good.  I laid down on my side for a few minutes and she took it again.  130/84.  Not perfect but WAY better.

My doctor isn't super concerned yet since it came back down and their was no protein in my urine, but she won't let me go two weeks without coming back in.  They also drew some labs, and my LDH was slightly elevated.  It can be a marker for pre-e, but apparently is the least concerning thing they check, and it was only slightly elevated.  Nonetheless I get to go back on Tuesday for a BP check and another lab draw.  I'm not really at all surprised.  I was expecting the blood pressure to become an issue at some point, as it has with the last two pregnancies.  I just don't really want to end up on bed rest, so I'd appreciate the BP to hold out for at least another two weeks.  

how far along:  35 weeks (compare to 35 weeks with Ryann, 35 weeks with Elsie)

size of baby:  What to Expect is telling me that she is roughly the size of a canary melon.  I'm sorry, what the heck is a canary melon?

weight gain:  26 pounds.

maternity clothes:  Definitely.  I'd prefer to just live in my pajamas but I also refuse to do that.

symptoms:  Swelling.  Lots and lots of swelling.  Braxton hicks.  Restless legs.  General uncomfortableness.  All the good stuff.  Oh, and I seem to need a 20 minute nap each day now.  It's like all the sudden I get SOOOO tired and I just have to lay down and sleep for a bit.

exercise:  77,592.  After my doctor's appointment I've been really trying to take it easier.  It's irritating to not hit my step goal daily, but I'm not going to be pregnant much longer, so I guess I can deal.

cravings/aversions:  Mostly watermelon, strawberries are good too, and popcorn.

movement:  This girl has to be running out of room.  Some of her movements are downright painful.  And she has regular dance parties in the middle of the night.  I hope that trend doesn't continue after birth!

sleep:  I wake up once a night to go to the bathroom, and sometimes I just can't get back to sleep.  Plus Ryann has been waking up before 6am, and keeps coming in our room, despite us insisting she has to stay in bed.

gender:  Girl.

looking forward to:  A weekend with no plans!  Christopher finished his sports medicine boards and we have zero activities of any sort scheduled, so I'm hoping we can have a little fun, and get some more unpacking done.  I've got a few visits from friends on the calendar for next week and while the house will be nowhere near perfect (as if it ever would be), I'd like to make it look as good as possible.

worries:  That I'll get put on bed rest.  Bed rest with two kids and a house full of stuff to unpack and organize just seems mean.  Also, Ryann and Elsie haven't really been listening to me this week.  I feel like I'm constantly talking to myself and having to yell and be mean to get their attention and I hate it.  I absolutely hate it.  But I'm not sure what to do.  Life will definitely be interesting when #3 arrives.

what's different this time:  Swelling, for sure.  This is the first time I really haven't been able to wear my rings.  Also I don't recall being so exhausted towards the end.  I'm sure I was tired, but this is crazy tired at random times.

best moment this week:  Elsie has decided that she has to kiss baby sister goodnight every night.  Well, she has been doing that for a while, but now she has to 'kiss baby sister's cheeks', meaning she kisses both sides of my belly every night.  It is ridiculously cute.

thirty-four weeks

yay!  finally got internet access and set up the new wi-fi on my computer...

Sadly in the new house there isn't a way for me to take a picture in front of my cute little shower curtain.  Actually we barely have any mirrors in the house right now because I can't find ones for the bathrooms I like.  So this late night after the 4th of July in front of a closet picture will have to do. 
 
how far along:  34 weeks (compare to 34 weeks with Ryann, 34 weeks with Elsie)

size of baby:  We've reached pineapple status!  Seriously one of the more painful sounding fruits to compare baby to, but whatever.  She should be somewhere between 19-22 inches long, and around 5 pounds.

weight gain:  I have yet to locate my scale, but eating habits this week haven't been the best, so I doubt it is pretty.

maternity clothes:  Of course.

symptoms:  Swelling, restless legs, random bouts of nausea, general uncomfortableness.  I know I didn't pick a summer baby, but if I could, I would NOT pick a summer baby.  Third pregnancy and 90+ degree days do not make for a comfortable pregnancy.

exercise:  84,824 steps.  I haven't had a chance to walk on the treadmill this week really, however just living in a bigger house and unpacking stuff and carrying it all over, I'm clocking between 11,000-13,000 steps a day.  And man, I can feel the introduction of stairs in my legs!

cravings/aversions:  Watermelon.  Just freaking give me all the watermelon.

movement:  She is so crazy sometimes.

sleep:  Six hours is apparently my max.  After that I just can't force myself to sleep.  And naturally our air conditioner went out twice this week.  Let me tell you how easy it is to sleep in 80 degrees when you're already pregnant and miserable.  On the subject of the air conditioner, man was I mad.  As part of our home warranty/insurance thing, we get free maintenance visits twice a year.  I decided to go ahead and schedule one for our A/C, thinking I was being all nice for our buyers making sure everything was in good working order.  The guy told us everything checked out great despite our older unit, but come to find out the next day he broke something.  I could go on, but eventually it got fixed and the unit is working just fine.

gender:  Girl.

looking forward to:  Getting all our boxes unpacked (as if that will ever happen), a dresser I ordered arriving so I can switch Elsie's clothes over and unpack baby sisters clothes, other random things.

worries:  Mostly just stressed about getting settled and figuring out what to do with the girls during the day.  I know of some activities for kids where we're at now, but not a ton, and some of them I'm just not feeling up to.

what's different this time:  Well, I don't have itchy palms.  What a weird symptom, I don't remember having that with Elsie, but apparently I did.  And just the whole pregnant in summer thing.  That is kicking my butt!

best moment this week:  I can't decide between having one last play date at our house in KC, or walking in to the kitchen of my new house and being absolutely in love.  Both were pretty awesome.  But it was so good to have our friends over one more time before everything got crazy and we moved out.  I love all the 'mom friends' I've had so much and I am going to miss seeing them on a regular basis like crazy.  All of their kiddos have a special place in my heart.

Also, Elsie and Ryann love on my belly sometimes and it makes my heart melt.  Chris snapped this picture the other day.  I had just come up from my walk on the treadmill and was looking super awesome (HA), but Elsie was trying to feel baby sister move.  It is the sweetest.

thirty-three weeks

 
Had another appointment this week.  Both girls got to go with me, it was a blast, naturally.  Haha, honestly they weren't that bad until like the last few minutes, but I'm thankful I've gone this long without having to take them both with me.  Everything is still looking good, and we discussed an induction at 39 weeks.  Again I know elective inductions aren't approved by all, but I refuse to miss the first day of kindergarten (which is basically my due date) so I'm over it.  Not to mention I've yet to make it to 39 weeks before needing to be induced anyway.  So, if baby girl hasn't made her debut by August 6th that will be her birthday!  6 weeks or less to go.  Craziness!
    
how far along:  33 weeks (compare to 33 weeks with Ryann, 33 weeks with Elsie)

size of baby:  according to my What to Expect app, baby girl is weighing in around 4.5 pounds and measuring somewhere around 19 inches long.

weight gain:  24 pounds.

maternity clothes:  Yup.  Although pajamas are preferred.

symptoms:  Restless legs and swelling are by far the most prominent right now.  And the giant belly.  Truthfully this week has been hard.  I'm starting to get really uncomfortable and a lot of times my urge is to lay on my stomach to feel better.  But that isn't an option, so I just wanna cry.  I hate that I'm not really enjoying the pregnancy at all right now.  It very well could be my last one.  But I'm so done.  I've been nauseous a lot, and getting headaches, but the few times I've had Chris take my blood pressure it has been fine, so everything just adds up to being pregnant.

exercise:  84,251 steps this past week.  I'm still averaging over 10,000 steps a day, but each day it gets a little bit harder.  I need to spend more and more time resting or my legs ache and swell.  It's annoying, but it's life.

cravings/aversions:  Watermelon.  All the watermelon.  I've had giant bowls of watermelon for lunch at least three times this week.

movement:  Occasionally she hits a nerve in my sides or something and holy cow.  It definitely makes me gasp.  She gets the hiccups a lot too.

sleep:  Still regularly relying on half a benedryl to get the job done.  I usually wake up at least once a night to go to the bathroom.

gender:  Girl.  And honestly that is another part of the pregnancy that is just getting old.  Not that we're having another girl.  I'm thrilled.  I can't wait to meet her.  Just like I was with both of her sisters.  I love shopping for headbands and cute little rompers and oogling all the little baby girl things.  But I'm so over every single person asking if we know what we're having, and then having to have a full conversation about the fact that we're not having a boy.  My poor husband.  Will we keep trying for a boy?  I'm sure plenty of you know how it goes.  There are some women who will tell me they came from a family of girls and how much they loved it and I do enjoy hearing those things.  But, I just... Oy.

looking forward to:  Moving in to our new house next week!  I mean, I think I'm looking forward to it.  There is going to be a lot of chaos and craziness going on in the next few weeks, but I really am looking forward to start settling in to our new home.

worries:  I don't really know what I'm worried about right now.  There are so many big things going on, and it is stressful and crazy and exhausting.  But I'm not particularly worried.

what's different this time: Apparently I was swollen with Ryann.  I don't really remember it.  But I know there is no way I was this swollen with Elsie.  Thankfully it is only from the knees down that I'm aware of.  I'm still able to wear my rings.

best moment this week:  Getting the nursery painted!  I'm loving watching it come together.  And the rest of the house in general.  But baby things are always especially fun.

thirty-two weeks

how far along:  32 weeks (compare to 32 weeks with Ryann, 32 weeks with Elsie)

size of baby:  What to Expect tells me that Babs is the size of a head of lettuce, measuring 19 inches long and weighing 3.9 pounds.  I'll believe it when I see it, Ryann and Elsie were both 19 inches at birth, and while I know they don't do much more in the length department, I highly doubt she wouldn't grow at all.  Or maybe this kid will be giant.  You never know!

weight gain:  23 pounds.

maternity clothes:  All of my non maternity stuff has pretty much officially been retired.  I attempted to wear a semi longer stretchier shirt, and the bottom of my belly kept peeking out.  Whoops.  And there is no hope for any of my regular t-shirts.

symptoms:  Hip pain, restless legs, swelling, extreme irratibility.  Yikes.  My mood swings are like whoa and I feel bad for my family.  I know they more or less understand, but I'm kind of a bitch.

exercise:  92,502 steps.

cravings/aversions: I want lots of fruit, some sweets, and nothing heavy.  I've had a slice, A SINGLE slice, of pizza a few times in the last few weeks and it makes me so sick every time.  Too much grease and cheese?  I dunno, but I want nothing to do with pizza.

movement:  Sometimes she is absolutely crazy.  I just look down at my belly thinking WTH are you doing in there?  And then sometimes she is pretty calm.  I'm still impressed at how high her body parts seem to get.  Like I'm pretty certain a foot is going to come out my armpit or something.

sleep:  I was doing alright, but this week, ohmygawd.  I was waking up for 2+ hours at a time, super uncomfortable, needing to pee, etc.  So I tried taking one benedryl two nights in a row.  While I slept, I felt like a groggy monster during the day.  The third day I took half a benedryl, and that seemed to be the magic dose.  I didn't take any last night and wouldn't you know, I was up from 2:30am-5am tossing and turning.

gender:  Girl.

looking forward to:  I want to sleep on my stomach so bad it is ridiculous.

worries:  That our carpet won't be installed and our house won't be finished when we go to move in, two weeks to go and the house is still a huge mess.  I mean we're at the point where it is pretty much livable, so it shouldn't be a huge deal.  Just the carpet.  I'm not having all my furniture moved in to a house without any carpet.  So hopefully we can get that done.  Also, the appraisal on our current house never came back.  It is the only think we're waiting for and it is starting to stress me out.  As easy as the whole home selling process has been for us, I'd hate for the appraisal to screw it up.

what's different this time:  Again, everything sounds pretty similar.  The huge difference to me is being pregnant in the summer, and dealing with heat and swelling.  I was never noticeably swollen with the other two.  This time my sandals look like I'm trying to strangle my feet.  Poor feet.

best moment this week:  Wednesday evening one of my sorority sisters, who recently moved back from DC, hosted a girls night.  It was absolutely wonderful to see some of my favorites, and the food was perfect.  I was such a happy camper.  Thank you so much Laura!

Also, we decided on a name... :o)

thirty-one weeks

Thirty-one weeks.  I'm legit pregnant now, right?  Haha, but 31 weeks sounds a lot closer to the end than 30 weeks did.  And I'm feeling quite pregnant.  So there's that.

I had another doctor's appointment this week.  My regular OB is out of town so I saw one of the male doctors in the practice.  He was actually recommended to me by more than one person early on with Ryann, but I was super anti a male doctor.  Turns out he is super nice (just like everyone said) and I really like him.  I still prefer a female doctor, but I wouldn't be upset if he was on call when I delivered.  The appointment was incredibly uneventful, aside from the TDAP vaccine, and he thanked me for being most likely his easiest patient of the day.  #winning

Something I'm not so much winning at lately, I feel like anyway, is parenting.  The mommy guilt is in full force, because I'm tired.  I want the girls to entertain themselves.  But they want me.  They need me.  And I feel like I should be giving them lots of attention before I completely rock their world.  But bending over sucks.  Getting up and down off the floor sucks.  Ugh.  Most days I suck it up and do my best, but I know I yell to much and tell them to wait a minute too much and overall just expect them to be more independent than they really need to.  I know it is just a season of life, but I still feel bad.  And seriously, poor Elsie isn't going to know what to do with herself when baby sister is here.  She is still very much a mama's girl through and through.  I think she is going to hate me.

how far along:  31 weeks (compare to 31 weeks with Ryann, 31 weeks with Elsie)

size of baby: A coconut perhaps?  About 18 inches long and 3.2 pounds.  For some reason Ryann thought the idea of a coconut in my belly was hilarious.

weight gain:  22 pounds.  Not at all surprised after not gaining anything for three weeks.

maternity clothes:  I'm actually wearing a non maternity shirt today, but it's really stretchy.  So it doesn't count.  Yes, maternity clothes.  And some of those shirts are nearing the too short end.

symptoms:  A big f-you to restless legs.  I'm exhausted in the evenings and I just want to lay on the couch and watch HGTV, but I can't freaking sit still.  Broken record much?  Also just some nausea and exhaustion sitting in here and there.  I'm just starting to feel very, well, pregnant.  Not that I really remember what it is like to feel normal.  Some braxton hicks here and there.

exercise:  86,572 steps this week.

cravings/aversions: Chris is referring to me as a 'fruitivore'.  It is all I truly want.  The girls and I went through one cantaloupe, 2 mangoes, 3 pounds of strawberries, 4 peaches, half a pound of blueberries and 4 apples in about 4 days.  That is absurd.

movement:  According to my app Babs (as Chris and I have taken to calling baby sister, sorry girl!), is starting to develop a more regular sleep and wake cycle, and I would say that is consistent with how movement has been.  When she is active she is very active, but there are more calm quiet periods now.

sleep:  The laying down to go to sleep part SUCKS.  It's miserable.  But once I'm actually asleep I'm usually good until 5am or later.  I'll take it.  My hips have been very sore when I wake up and I am counting the days until I can lay on my belly again.

gender: Still a girl as far as I know.

looking forward to:  Decorating the new house.  I'm so anxious to get stuff set up.  Better uh, pick out carpet first!

worries: My mom caught my mistake.  I copy and paste these from my posts with Elsie and just change out the stuff for this pregnancy.  Apparently I was worried about Christmas last time.  Right now I'm just worried that three kids are going to make me completely lose my mind.  Haha.

what's different this time:  The only time I've ever experience swelling like I have been, was after Elsie was born because they had pumped me so full of fluids.  A summer pregnancy is very much different than a winter/spring one!

best moment this week:  Totally blanking on this one and I just don't care.  I'm so lazy right now I don't want to make my brain work.

thirty weeks

how far along:  30 weeks (compare to 30 weeks with Ryann, 30 weeks with Elsie)

size of baby:  Approximately the size of a butternut squash, 17 inches and 3.1 pounds.

weight gain:  19.5 pounds.  In the last three weeks I've actually lost half a pound.  Again I have no doubt baby sister is growing.  I was still measuring two weeks ahead at my last appointment.  She's fine.  I just have WAY less interest in food.  There is no room for food + baby.

maternity clothes:  Yep.

symptoms:  Restless legs from hell.  Indigestion.  Super sore hips.  Swelling.  Oh the swelling.  I truly never noticed the swelling with either pregnancy before this, but man, one hot day and I can feel it.  July is going to be the death of me.  My rings are currently stuck on my finger.  My feet hurt to walk on.  I'm a mess!   

exercise:  I walked 93,546 steps.

cravings/aversions: Fruit fruit fruit.  Give me all the fruit.  Especially strawberries and watermelon.

movement: She is still a pretty active little thing in there!

sleep:  Restless legs make it hard to fall asleep.  My hips aching make it hard to stay asleep.  Sad story.

gender: Girl.
 
looking forward to:  Moving.  Less than a month!  As much as I don't really want to move (to a different city), I'm excited to have a new house to organize and decorate and set up.  I want to go through all the newborn clothes and have them in drawers and I just can't do it yet!

worries:  I know it will happen.  I had these same worries going from one to two kids.  But I'm scared that I won't connect with baby sister.  I don't know her at all.  I already have these two precious little people in my life.  How is there room in my heart for a third?  Again, this is silly.  I felt the same way before Elsie was born, and my heart just doubled in size when she came along.  It will grow again.  But at the same time it feels so strange to be bringing another little girl into the world.  And terrifying to change up what we already have, to completely throw our little family for a loop.  It will all work out though, I know it will.

what's different this time:  I have more food aversions right now than I remember having in my third trimester with Ryann and Elsie.  I'm no doubt still eating, but everything just sounds gross except fruit or salads.  And cookies.  But when do cookies every sound bad?  Also no blood pressure issues yet to speak of!

best moment this week:  I feel like all the weeks are blurring together.  I can't remember what happened two days later.  Thank goodness for instagram to remind me what we do with our days.  Getting a beautiful progress update photo from my mom was definitely a highlight.  I can't wait to get over to the new house and see it in person!

Gah!  So in love with my master bath floors.  We still need to pick light fixtures and mirrors for in there, and after seeing how awesome the floors are I feel pressure to find the perfect ones.  Oh man.

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?

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.

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.

twenty-four weeks

Wow.  I really need to clean my mirror... But unrelated, VIABILITY WEEK!  Twenty-four weeks just makes me breath a little easier.  Yes, this little lady can stay put for a minimum of twelve weeks in my opinion, but she has got a chance.  A chance at survival.  And that is huge in my opinion.

I had a doctor's appointment on Wednesday.  Naturally my doctor was called out right before I got there for an emergency c-section, but I managed to beat another doc's patient in by a few minutes so she just saw me first.  Blood pressure is fine.  No one complained about my weight gain.  And my next appointment is scheduled for the end of May, where I'll do the glucose test and get my rhogam shot.  All sorts of fun there.  I think I might even get to drag both girls to that appointment.  Can't wait, obviously. 

how far along:  24 weeks (compare to 24 weeks with Ryann, 24 weeks with Elsie)

size of baby:  I've seen everything from a papaya to an ear of corn.  Somewhere between 9 and 11 inches.

weight gain:  16 pounds.

maternity clothes:  Very much so, yes.  To prep for putting our house on the market, I've been cleaning out and organizing all the closets (like I should be doing yearly but probably haven't really done since before Elsie was born, whoops).  You know what makes downsizing your closet easier?  Being pregnant.  60% of my clothes don't fit or are out of season.  There are still PLENTY in there, but it looks much cleaner now, and organized in rainbow order.

symptoms:  Mostly just a lot of movement in my belly, as well as the inability to bend over comfortably.

exercise:  I attempted to run a bit on Thursday.  I could barely walk the rest of the day, but I managed to cover 3 miles in 45 minutes, and run just over a mile of it in short increments.  That sounds so pathetic, but it really is such a struggle right now.  I covered a total of 94,738 steps.  I've been doing pretty good making sure I at least get on the treadmill to walk for 30 minutes each night, if nothing else.

cravings/aversions:  Mustard.  For some reason I can't get enough mustard.  I've been eating hot dogs (at least the natural ones, eek!) with ketchup and mustard all week.  So weird.  I need to come up with something else I like with mustard besides hot dogs.  Haha.

movement:  She is definitely getting stronger and stronger everyday.  I can feel her while I'm standing up moving around, and sometimes she is just insane.

sleep:  Not too bad.  Sometimes I wake up randomly and just can't fall back asleep, but for the most part I can't complain about sleep right now.

gender:  Baby sister!

looking forward to:  Getting back to the new house to see the progress.  Seeing some of my sorority sisters in a week.  My birthday I guess.  I kind of forgot it was coming!

worries:  Not too much.

what's different this time:  Sounds like I was a little more uncomfortable and what not at this point with the last two.  Truthfully I think I just don't have time to worry about myself or how I'm feeling right now.  I am so focused on a million other things.

best moment this week:  Thursday morning we spent two hours at an awesome park, and it was just a really nice morning.  There wasn't any fighting, no tears, it was great.

twenty-three weeks

how far along:  23 weeks (compare to 23 weeks with Ryann, 23 weeks with Elsie)

size of baby:  My What to Expect app says the size of a papaya. 

weight gain:  15 pounds.  I didn't gain any weight this week.  I have no idea how that happened.  But I'll most certainly take it.  I'm estimating that I have 15 weeks to go, so if I only average a pound a week I could possibly end up at only 30 pounds gained.  Fingers crossed!

maternity clothes:  Yes.  And my mom took me on a little early birthday shopping adventure for some more maternity clothes that I am so very grateful for!  I still need to get my hands on some comfy lounge wear that I really like, but now I have more than one pair of regular pants that I'll actually wear.  And a pair of shorts.  And a swimsuit.  YIKES.  Honestly while I'm at my parents pool I plan to let it all hang out in a bikini because I'm not washing a maternity suit over and over again.  But one or two that can actually cover the belly for public purposes might not be a bad idea.

symptoms:  Nothing too terrible.  My legs get really restless in the evenings and it is uncomfortable to just sit on the couch (THE HORROR) and bending over sucks.  But otherwise I haven't had any terrible headaches or anything.  I'm grateful for that.  In the last 10 days or so, I've had a couple of weird vision issues.  Not 'seeing sparkles' like I've experienced with the last two pregnancies, but something of that nature.  Like stuff just looks weird.  I'm not sure what to make of it, but I feel fine otherwise, so until someone tells me my blood pressure is out of whack I'm just going to assume I'm crazy.

exercise:  I'm trying to come to terms with not running.  It just hurts too much.  Hell I can barely walk at more than 3 miles an hour without something hurting.  Kind of depressing, but it is what it is and I'm still making sure to get my steps in and not be a complete lump.  Actually, 90,749 steps this week.  BAM.  I'm starting to feel like my arms are really really lacking definition, so I'm hoping one of these days I'll kick my own butt and lift a weight or two.

cravings/aversions:  I like to eat food.  Good food.  That's about it.

movement:  I definitely feel her moving daily, and sometimes it is strong enough that I see my belly moving.  But sometimes I have to stop and concentrate to notice it still.

sleep:  I keep waking up really uncomfortable or needing to pee.  It sucks.  And I stay up too late and get up too early.  Meh.

gender:  A little princess.  Or whatever the heck she wants to be.  ;o)

looking forward to:  Our new house reno's being finished and shopping for home decor!  My mom and I browsed Home Goods this week and there were so many things I wanted to buy, I'm just not sure where I'd put stuff.  I need to check the return policy, and then maybe go back in a couple of weeks and buy stuff, then just return what I don't use.  I have a hard time committing to purchases and generally end up just buying nothing, so I'm going to need a little push from my mama to come home with anything!

worries:  I'm worried that we will never agree on a name.  I've started joking that we're just going to go with 'baby sister', and call her BS for short.  Also I'm worried that selling our house is going to SUCK.  On Wednesday I sort of cleaned out my craft/office closet (which means I found the floor and my desk, I did not organize any of the shelves) and it was kind of miserable.  Bending over, getting on and off the floor.  Gross.  I need to kick it into high gear and get all my to-do's finished in the next couple of weeks before I get too much bigger!

what's different this time:  I absolutely did not run a half marathon this week.  Looking back at that, I almost can't believe it.  I feel SO different this time.  I assumed I'd just keep right on running like I did while pregnant with Elsie, but it just was NOT happening.  And it was all the sudden.  I ran at 10k without a problem at 16 weeks.  And now I can't make it more than .15 miles.  While reading my old post I was reminded that someone called me selfish for running while pregnant and that it was endangering my baby and what not.  To me this just proves that only YOU know your own body, and you have to listen to it.  I did feel fine running while pregnant with Elsie.  Not perfect all the time, but I knew I wasn't hurting myself or my baby.  This time around, I can just tell it isn't right for me to be running.  Every person and every pregnancy is different and only you and your doctor can decide what is right for you.

best moment this week:  Nothing major.  Coming home with maternity clothes that I didn't hate was pretty good.  And honestly, some of my favorite moments each week are when Elsie and Ryann actually play nicely together.  It just makes my heart so happy when they are sweet to each other.

twenty-two weeks

how far along:  22 weeks (compare to 22 weeks with Ryann, 22 weeks with Elsie)

size of baby:  Who the heck knows.  The bump says a papaya and around 11 inches, What to Expect says a spaghetti squash, but only 8 inches.  She's growing, and is comparable to the size of some sort of food item.  But I'm not sure which one.  :o) 

weight gain:  15 pounds.  I... just... I'm really enjoying food.  Whatever.

maternity clothes:  NOTHING IS COMFORTABLE.  But yes, maternity clothes.  Hopefully when my mom is back in town I can con her into another trip to the maternity store.  :o)

symptoms:  Just general uncomfortableness, nothing terrible, nothing great.

exercise:  Pretty much just walking now. 79,169 steps this week.

cravings/aversions:  I had some strawberry lemonade from Wendy's and that was pretty tasty.  Wouldn't mind some more.  Basically though, food.  Food is good.

movement:  Some days it is really strong and catches me off guard, and sometimes I don't feel her very much at all.  Often it is just a lot of pressure in various areas, as opposed to distinct jabs or kicks.  I told Christopher the other night I felt like she was stretched out in a giant X, because there was pressure on both my hip bones and up in my ribs.

sleep:  Not great, but not terrible.  Sometimes I stay up too late because I don't want to get ready for bed, despite the fact that I'm super tired.  Stupid.  Or I just pass out on the couch and wake up a few hours later.

gender:  Girl #3.  I get at least one 'bless your heart' or 'your poor husband' every day.  Three girls is going to be a blast, I just know it.

looking forward to:  Truthfully, I'm looking forward to September.  Ok maybe July, I could maybe handle July.  April, May and June just look too stressful.  So much to get done right now, so many decisions to be made.  I just don't wanna.  But I'm also determined to enjoy these last three months of living in KC so I better suck it up.

worries:  Lots of random stuff.  But I would say all that random stuff is just occupying my brain, not really making me worry in particular.  I'm stressed, but not worried, if that makes any sense.

what's different this time:  I'm pretty much still in disbelief that in probably 17 weeks or less I'll give birth to another little girl.  I simply cannot imagine it.  Can't picture our life with three kiddos.  It will be awesome, and amazing, I know it will.  But it still seems so surreal.  Also I feel like I've been to the doctor a lot less for myself.  That's cool. 

best moment this week:  Finding out that Elsie is really only allergic to cats was pretty stellar.  We don't have to worry as much about having her outside.

twenty-one weeks

written April 3rd

how far along:  21 weeks (compare to 21 weeks with Ryann, 21 weeks with Elsie)

size of baby:  Supposedly the size of a banana.  These fruit analogies are entertaining, especially to Ryann, but man they can be confusing.  Supposedly somewhere around 7 inches and 11 ounces, although I feel like our little girl is a bit bigger since she measured 13 ounces at the ultrasound a week ago.  Yes I'm well aware those measurements can be wrong.

weight gain:  12 pounds.  I've almost stopped caring.

maternity clothes:  I hate all clothes.  But yes, maternity clothes.

symptoms:  Between sleep deprivation and hormones I'm a complete emotional nut.  I also would like to eat everything.  But I think the latter is more related to stress than the pregnancy.

exercise: I managed to run a mile in .15 mile increments on Tuesday.  And then I spent two days sitting in the hospital with Miss Elsie and didn't do a whole lot at all.  I only got in 62,983 steps this week.

cravings/aversions: Nothing in particular.  I just like eating.

movement: It isn't super strong but I feel her moving a lot.  A few times it has been very strong though.  One night Christopher had his hand on my stomach and she nailed him a few good times.  We were both surprised at how distinct it was.  I was surprised by how high I was feeling movement already, but looking back on my post with Elsie I had the same thoughts.  I did see my belly move twice one night.

sleep:  The night before we went to the hospital I slept horribly.  And then I spent a night in the hospital playing keep Elsie's oxygen level up.  So sleep this week was miserable.  And the amount I've cried today shows it.  But whatever.

gender: Girl.

looking forward to:  I don't know right now.  I just want to survive the next few days and hopefully feel a little more 'normal' mentally.  I'm just drained and I don't want to do anything.  Yet I want to accomplish so much.

worries:  Pretty much right now I'm only worried about Elsie.  I feel like she is a little bomb waiting to go off and I'm terrified of dealing with her asthma long term.  I know it will become more second nature and less scary as we go on, but right now I'm just overwhelmed.

what's different this time:  The two major differences from my pregnancy with Elsie are the amount of weight gained and lack of ability to run.

best moment this week:  Not sure this is the best moment, but I did enjoy that when Elsie was taking a nap on my lap (and by lap I mean sprawled across my whole body), baby sister was kicking her over and over again.  Elsie didn't notice, but it was funny to me.

twenty weeks

Halfway there!  Or, if history repeats itself, only 18 weeks to go.  This pregnancy is pretty much flying by and I can't do a damn thing about it.

We had our anatomy scan this week and it was so wonderful to see our little baby again.  Chris hasn't brought the ultrasound machine home since 13 weeks so I was anxious to check on her.  We saw all her fingers and toes (I think), all the chambers of her heart, her kidneys, her stomach, her liver, it was so interesting.  I don't recall the tech really going in to depth during the ultrasound or taking so many measurments with the last two, so it was fun.  My doctor said she looks very healthy, and the tech said she probably weighed 13 ounces, measuring 20 weeks 3 days (at 19 weeks 6 days).

As for me, everything looked good as well.  My belly was measuring a couple centimeters ahead, but I'm not all that surprised.  Blood pressure was still in the 120's over 80's so we're good there too.  I talked to my doctor a bit because I wasn't sure if I was already have braxton hicks contractions here and there.  Based on my description of them she said it was more likely irregular cramping, and went on to tell me that the majority of her patients who are pregnant with their third say it is much more painful than they recall the first two pregnancies being.  Yay.

how far along:  20 weeks (compare to 20 weeks with Ryann, 20 weeks with Elsie)

size of baby:  according to the bump a banana, about 6.5 inches long and weighing 10.2 ounces.  I have no idea what she is doing in there right now, lets just go with growing.

weight gain:  10.6 pounds.  I could say 11 pounds.  But the fact that I gained less than a pound this week deserves some sort of victory dance.  Haha.

maternity clothes:  Yes.  Just say no to real pants.

symptoms:  Sore ligaments and pelvic region.  If my entire pelvic area didn't hurt so much I would barely feel pregnant.

exercise:  Running is seriously a joke.  I have no clue how I ran that half when I was pregnant with Elsie because my right side hurts from the waist down every time I try to run.  I can't fathom not running again until like September.  I'll live, but Christopher and I agree, I'm a much happier person when I get to go for a run.  Walking just doesn't do it for me.  But I got in 83,230 steps.  Making it my goal to add in either a day of strength or yoga or something this week.

cravings/aversions:  Ben & Jerry's peanut butter half baked ice cream.  I may have bought four of the little containers at once for fear of running out.  SO GOOD.  No real aversions this time.  Can't decide if that is a good or a bad thing.

movement: I'm feeling more and more movement every day!  It is definitely getting stronger.  I love it.  I think she has even woken me up in the middle of the night a few times.

sleep:  Again a couple of nights of not sleeping well, but mostly I'm just fine.

gender: Sugar and spice and hopefully extra super nice...

looking forward to:  Miss Ryann's birthday weekend.  I hope she is a happy camper, and at least a little bit grateful for how we celebrate her.  Also walls have started to get painted in the new house and they are moving towards staining the floors and I'm just giddy.  I can't wait to see how everything turns out.

worries:  After seeing our sweet girl on the ultrasound and everything looking good, I don't really have much I'm worrying about.  She's healthy.  I'm still healthy.  The home reno is going well.  Elsie is a hot mess (I'll get to that at some point), and that does occasionally stir up my mind, but ultimately I'm pretty content right now.

what's different this time:  The painful ligaments and groin area.  And not being able to run or walk too fast.  So annoying.

best moment this week:  Seeing our baby girl on the ultrasound.  She's got a cute profile!  And looks just like her sisters.  I think... :o)

nineteen weeks

Well hello belly.  That thing is definitely growing like crazy.  And it looks to me like it is bigger and lower than it way with Elsie.  I can barely stand the feeling of anything on the lower part of my belly.  Everything is just so irritating and uncomfortable.  I'm not sure if it Baby 3's position, less ab stregnth this time around or what.  But bleh.

how far along:  19 weeks (compare to 19 weeks with Ryann, 19 weeks with Elsie)

size of baby:  My app claims that baby girl is the size of a tomato this week.  I generally see a tomato as being kind of small, but whatever.  She is roughly 6 inches long and half a pound.

weight gain:  10 pounds.  I have no excuses for this other than poor eating habits.  The extra weight might also be adding to the uncomfortableness.

maternity clothes:  Yes.  Wish I liked more than one pair of my pants.  Really I think I'm just going to invest in some semi cute lounge clothes or something.  I don't know.  If I could wear pajamas all the time that would be great.

symptoms:  With all the belly issues I've had some ligament paint, but other than that I'm pretty symptom free.

exercise:  Running is becoming a joke.  It is so frustrating knowing that I freaking ran a half marathon at 22 weeks with Elsie.  I can't make it half a mile without being uncomfortable.  All of the ligaments in my right hip and on my right side hurt.  They just do.  I'm going to have to find other ways to stay active and I hate it.  Obviously I'll listen to my body and do what is right for me and the baby, it is just so irritating to not be able to do what I feel like I should.  I did cover 90,708 steps according to my fitbit, so not too shabby at all.

cravings/aversions:  Nothing in particular either way.

movement: Yes, sometimes it seems super strong, but I'll still go a day without really feeling anything.  Definitely starting to pick up though!

sleep:  Twice this week I woke up in the middle of the night and had trouble falling back asleep, but other than that not bad at all.

gender:  I can't wait to get the girl confirmation at my ultrasound this week.

looking forward to:  My ultrasound on Thursday.  I can't wait to see our sweet little girl and I hope everything looks great.

worries: Slightly worried that something will be wrong at the ultrasound, even though I have no reason at all to believe it would be.  Also a little worried I'm going to gain 40+ pounds this time if I can't get the eating habits under control.  Yikes!

what's different this time:  The belly and the inability to run are the biggest differences right now.

best moment this week:  Baby wise Chris was able to feel the lightest tap of a kick.  That is always fun, and I feel like he begins to bond even more with the baby once he can feel it too.  Technically this falls in the following week but we had Ryann's birthday party on Friday and it was a lot of fun.  She seemed to have a really good time as did the other 14 kiddos in attendance.  There were no tears and no fighting that I'm aware of, so it was a win for sure.  Can't believe she will turn five in one week!

eighteen weeks

how far along:  18 weeks (compare to 18 weeks with Ryann, 18 weeks with Elsie)

size of baby:  my What to Expect app tells me baby is about the size of a sweet potato, or 5.5 inches long.  Baby girl is developing yawning and hiccuping skills as her own unique set of toe and fingerprints!

weight gain:  Errr... 8 pounds.  Whatever, I'm over it for now.

maternity clothes:  Yes.  I just have zero interest in being uncomfortable at all.  Why fight it?  And this time around my workout pants are uncomfortable.  I'm not tying them, I don't remember them bothering me with Elsie, but my gosh they are annoying.

symptoms:  Not too much this week.  Other than the belly I barely feel pregnant at all.

exercise:  Sunday I ran just over five miles.  It wasn't pretty, but it wasn't that bad.  The rest of the week any time I've tried to run it has just felt miserable.  I think part of my problem might lack of water intake.  I am struggling so much to get in enough water, I just forget to fill my cup or I'm super busy or some other lame excuse.  I didn't write down all my workouts, but my fitbit claims I covered 82,059 steps.  I'll take it.

cravings/aversions:  Super buttery salty popcorn and biscuits with strawberry jelly.

movement:  It still isn't consistent at all, but I think more and more I'm starting to feel movement.  If I'm not thinking about it, or if this wasn't my third kid, I'm sure it could easily be missed.  Hoping she gets a little stronger in the next two weeks.

sleep:  I could have just copied this section from my 18 week post with Elsie.  Sleeping on my stomach is no longer an option, which kind of sucks, but really only pisses me off if I wake up in the middle of the night.  When I initially get in to bed I'm usually so tired I pass out almost instantly regardless of what position I'm in.

gender:  Girl.

looking forward to:  Our anatomy scan in a couple of weeks.  I haven't been super antsy about it because I already know we're having a girl, but I also haven't 'seen' her since 13 weeks on the crappy portable ultrasound.  I hope I get to see that cute little profile and hear that everything looks great.  Also, just life in general.  The weather is nice, fun things are on the horizon, there is a little bit of fun in everyday.  We're in a good (and hectic) place and I'm loving it.

worries: While life has been good, I've had a few challenging days with the girls in the listening/following directions and such department with the girls, and that always makes it terrifying to think of adding another to the mix.  I've also been laying on the mom guilt in my head, because I don't cook enough healthy meals, or spend enough time doing this or that with the kids, I yell too much, the list could go on and on.  I want to be super mom, but I'm just not.  I know it's ok, but I know almost every mom out there understands too.

what's different this time:  I was just discussing with a friend today that this pregnancy just seems so completely unreal, and so far in the back of my mind.  I know I felt that way a bit with Elsie, but my goodness I forget I'm pregnant a lot.

best moment this week:  The weather is by far the best thing this week.  It is such a wonderful thing to welcome after the bitter cold over the last month.  Spring is in the air and I just freaking love it.  Spring is 100% my favorite.