23 weeks

Size of baby: About a pound, or the size of a large mango.

Total Weight Gain: About 15 pounds.

Maternity Clothes: Got a few things for the colder weather this past weekend.  Can I just say I love Gap Maternity Jeans?  They are long enough, and I was able to get two pairs since I snagged them during their half off sale.

Gender: Boy. No name.  I hope we think of one before he comes.

Movement: Just felt and saw a big roll.  He's really active right at bedtime.

Sleep: Depends on the night.  It's starting to get more uncomfortable.

What I miss: I miss going to the gym and getting a good night's rest.

Cravings: Nothing specific lately, but I sure am eating a lot.  It's rare that I eat a meal and feel completely satisfied.  I just keep wanting more.

Symptoms: Braxton-Hicks contractions.  I have been having 3-5 a day for the last week.  It's not common to have them this early, but not unheard of either.

Best moment this week:  If you ask Brady what's in mommy's tummy, he'll say "baby."  Poor boy has no idea what is going to happen to him.

I was able to get in to my OB here in Utah.  It's the same practice where I went with Tyler, so at least I had a bit of familiarity going there.  At that appointment I was measuring perfectly.  It was weird to not get an ultrasound, since I have had one at every other appointment because of the hematoma.  I had 10 appointments, all with ultrasounds, before I hit 20 weeks.  I found out I will be delivering at the same hospital as Tyler, and their policy is still to schedule c-sections at 39 weeks which is Tyler's birthday.  And one other coincidence--I moved from Texas to Utah both times I was pregnant. 

I also figured it had been quite awhile since I snapped a belly picture, so I asked my dad to do it for me on Sunday after church. 

First try:

 Ack!  That's not a belly shot, that's a butt shot.  Guess my nonstop eating is catching up to me.  Here, let's move where there are less distractions, and maybe if I put my arm here to hide my butt...

 Hmm, not much better, and does my face look fat too?  Let's try again.  Perhaps this time if I turn a little, so it's less of a profile...

I give up.  I can't pretend I am one of those ladies who only gets a little ball in the front while everything else stays tiny.  Let's face it, I am pregnant everywhere.

First day of school

I sure hope the truancy police don't show up at my door.

Tyler finally made it to his first day of second grade today.  He only missed 8 days of school.  We wanted to get a house under contract quickly, and tried several times, but discovered that when buying a short sale, banks just don't have the same sense of urgency we do.  So we finally got the unofficial word from the bank, and went ahead and enrolled him.  We hope to have the official closing date by next week, and of course I will post more later.

Here is my sweet boy.  He was a little nervous about being the new kid.  We went in this morning and met his teacher (who looks about 12!  I must be getting old) and brought her an apple.  (Of course covered in caramel and chocolate.)  He seemed good when I left, and I will find out in just a few hours how his first day went.

20 weeks

Note:  Life for the last week or so has been beyond crazy.  Moving, driving 25 hours straight (on my birthday no less), staying with my parents, trying to find a house, Dan starting his new job, and on and on.  I really hope we get settled quickly and my "regular" crazy life can resume.

20 weeks

Size of baby: 10 1/2 ounces.  About 10 inches long, if stretched from head to heel; about the size of a banana

Total Weight Gain: I was up 10 pounds at my last checkup.

Maternity Clothes: They all fit well now, nothing feels too big anymore.  And I am already getting tired of a few items.

Gender: Boy.  And having a hard time finding a name.

Movement: Everyday now.  Not all the time yet, but anytime I stop and rest, I feel him kick.  Dan has even felt a kick too.

Sleep: I am tired of waking up every night to pee.  I haven't slept all the way through the night since I was about 8 weeks.  I am just glad when I can fall back asleep.  I hate insomnia.

What I miss: I haven't felt deprived of anything lately.

Cravings: McDonald's cheeseburgers and fries are delicious!!

Symptoms: Very few lately.  I am not sick or tired.  In fact, I sometimes forget I am even pregnant.

Best moment this week:  Feeling more movement.  It was my favorite thing about pregnancy before, and I am excited to experience it again.

Our crazy summer

This summer has just been crazy.

It all started when we decided to move. 

Then I found out I was pregnant, and spent 3 months tired, queasy, and stressed over a subchorionic hemorrhage. 

I have spent all summer trying to be a good mom, but not feeling successful.  Tyler watches entirely too much television, and the twins are both adorable and completely destructive. 

When we'd been in the house just under a month, Dan told me his boss wanted him to apply for a promotion at work, that would require we move.  So I stopped trying to settle into the house until we knew anything for sure, which has left us living in an unorganized mess. 

We found out last week Dan did get the promotion, and so we are now preparing for a cross country move, and trying to do it all before school starts.  Next week we take off for Utah.  I told Dan if he was making me move, I had to be going somewhere I have some support, because by the end of the year I will have 4 children, 3 under 3. 

We also went to the doctor's on Monday, and found out we are having a boy.  I will admit to crying in the office.  And then spending the rest of the day feeling guilty==how could I feel sad over a healthy baby who I have been praying for for 8 years!

Perhaps the best word to describe these last 3 months is emotional.  So many highs and lows.  I think I have felt just about every emotion I can feel.  All I can do is try my best to enjoy the ride, right?

Summer fun

This summer has been crazy.  Let's just say that this house has not been an organized, well-oiled machine.  Chores have been haphazard, cooking has been sporadic, and at the end of the day, I am just happy my kids are still alive.

Two weeks ago, I tried to implement Tyler's chore chart.  Again.  He had his list of chores to do, and if he finished them by 10, then we had a special activity for the day.  Just simple things, but something for him to look forward to.  We went to Jumpalooza one day, got Sonic slushes, and went to our cousin's house to swim.  It really worked.  I let him have some say in what we would do, and he did his chores without complaint.  One day, we set up a water party in the backyard.  All three kids loved it.

As I said, that was two weeks ago.  I would like to report that last week we were back to our regularly scheduled chaos and disaster. 

17 weeks

Size of baby: Baby is about 5 inches long and roughly the size of a grapefruit.

Total Weight Gain/Loss: I'm up 6-7 pounds.

Maternity Clothes: Yes.  Just ordered a few more things online last week.  And a funny note about maternity clothes.  I had saved some things from when I was pregnant with Tyler, which was exactly 8 years ago.  I had 2 friends over to help pack when we moved, and we actually pulled out that box.  It was hilarious what we found--my how styles change in 8 years.  Things were so much bigger then; I like the trend of more fitting tops this time around.  I remember when I was pregnant before, my sister offered to lend me her maternity clothes, some of which were 8 years old.  At that time, I thought everything she had was a tent.  I think it's funny that I think the same thing now about my own 8 year old clothes.

Gender: Go in for the big ultrasound next week.  Hoping to change the 90% sure it's a girl to knowing 100%.

Movement: A few flutters.

Sleep: Pretty good.  I have had some insomnia, but most nights are good.

What I miss: Sleeping on my stomach.

Cravings: Nothing specific, just food in general.

Symptoms: A few this week.  First, I got a zit for the first time in forever.  Second,  let's just say I bought the big bottle of tums.  And third, I've been having some vivid dreams, as opposed to never remembering my dreams.  For example, last week I had a dream that my sister-in-law and I were in the hospital together.  (I know a lot of people know this, but for those that don't, I share a due date with my sister-in-law, January 1.  It is quite odd, since we both have struggled with infertility, and then each got pregnant on our own.)  We were walking around, just having given birth.  I was pushing both babies in a hospital bassinet, and I was desperately looking for someone with a camera because I wanted to post a picture on facebook.  At least I have priorities.

Best moment this week:  I love the second trimester--not too tired, not sick, not huge, just feeling good and getting excited.

And I must love you to include this wonderful, no make-up, late at night picture I made Dan take.  I am loving my bump.

Sleeping Babies

I just got the twins up from their nap, and they are now eating lunch.  They woke up so happy, especially Brady.  I love it when that happens, because they usually wake up pretty cranky.

We have had quite the sleeping adventures at our house lately.  I knew it was time to switch them to toddler beds months ago, but with a move, and babies who let it be known they didn't want to change, I just kept pushing it off.  Finally, when I went to check on them last Monday at naptime, this is what I found:

Out of cribs, asleep on the floor, surrounded by the mess they made.

I knew I had to do it.  (Thank goodness for Jack and Jill baths, because I was able to get into their room from the bathroom to snap the picture, considering they were blocking the door).  I got their new room ready.  In other words I took everything out but the two beds.  And that night they went to bed in their new room.  I would say in their new beds, but they don't sleep in them.  They have chosen to sleep on the floor.  At night I go and move them into their beds, but naps are on the ground.  Until today.  Carter actually slept in his bed for naptime today!  We'll see if Brady will soon.

It took a few days of crying, but they are getting more used to the idea.  They also learned to open door knobs and climb gates within the last week, so they are locked in with gates two high for now. 

And it sounds like lunch is over.  Off to get my little monkeys!