Tag: Pregnancy

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They have arrived!

The twins are here! Well, they were here over a month ago now, but you know very well how this blog works. Something happens, I want to write all about it, then I finally get a chance to do so anywhere from 1 to 6+ months later. I hate that it works that way because I remember the days when everything I put on here was much more timely, even daily, but that just isn’t how life works around here anymore. C’est la vie.

But I can’t let another day go by without formally introducing you to our 4th and 5th (and final!!) babies, so here we go…

Since I was pregnant with twins and incredibly old to be having babies (once you hit 35 you’re considered advanced maternal age, and your pregnancy is labeled geriatric. no joke. they really know how to make a girl feel good.), my OB didn’t want me going much past 37 weeks before delivery and definitely not past 38 weeks. So we set an induction date of Wednesday, January 31. This broke the tradition of all of our children being born on Sundays, but the date did end in a 1 like the birth dates of all the others (Della = 1, Lana = 21, Morrison = 31).

It was also a good date because it was a super blue blood moon – a supermoon, a blue moon, and a total lunar eclipse all at the same time. This cool phenomenon hadn’t occurred for over 150 years before then, so I’d say that makes these little guys pretty damn special.

I was scheduled for 8:30 that morning, so my mom came up the day before to get settled in for this, I made sure the girls had rides to and from school for that day and the rest of the week just in case Ryan wasn’t able to do it, and Ryan and I headed to the hospital shortly after 8:00.

We got checked in and settled into our delivery room for the day, and things got started. And then they stopped and we waited. And waited some more. The anesthesiologist who was going to come in to do my epidural was apparently having a busy morning, and I was obviously low on the priority list, thanks a lot. He finally came in and started to set up his little table, but then he got a phone call, said he had to take it, and left the room. Wtf, dude? I looked at the nurse like what the hell is he doing, and she apologized, saying he really is not supposed to do that at all. So she went out to find him, and Ryan and I sat waiting again.

When she came back, she said she had discovered he was dealing with a family emergency that day, so ok fine, we cut him some slack. I finally got the epidural in shortly before 11:00, and thankfully that went smoothly. I never got one with the first 3 kids, because I’d heard horror stories of the needle and it getting messed up in your back. And I really enjoy being able to walk, so I didn’t want anyone screwing around with my spine. But having to deliver 2 babies in a row sounded horrible, so there was no way I was going without one this time around. The giant needle containing the numbing medication hurt like hell, but once that was done he got the catheter in and the real medicine pumping through, and I had none of the immediate side effects he warned might occur, so we were all set.

Ryan and I started watching Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee on his computer and just waited for the pitocin to get labor going. I’d had so many Braxton Hicks contractions in the months leading up to then that I assumed I’d be at least 2-3 cm dilated by that morning. However, when they checked me after I’d gotten all hooked up in the bed, they found I was only 1.5 cm dilated and not effaced at all, so we were basically starting from scratch with zero labor signs. Awesome. There went my hopes of getting these little guys out by early afternoon.

Things were going boringly, yet fortunately pain-free thanks to that massive needle that had been shoved in my back hours earlier, when I got uncomfortable and wanted to shift positions. I was afraid of knocking the catheter out of place in my back, so the nurse helped me roll more to my right side and sit up just a little. Then I started to feel kind of funny, then really bad, then things took a turn for the worse. My blood pressure plummeted to 50/29, my heart rate dropped sharply, one of the babies’ heart rates dropped too, and I passed out and started throwing up the juice the nurse had given me at first to try to bring my blood sugar up. Ryan said my eyes rolled back and my legs jerked out straight, so he thought I was having a seizure. It wasn’t, it was the blood pressure drop that was a bad reaction to the epidural, but the nurse hit the OB team button, a bunch of people came rushing in, the new anesthesiologist jammed a needle full of something into my IV bag, and I came right back. As soon as I opened my eyes, I felt a million times better and found out what happened. To me, it just felt like I needed to go to sleep and closed my eyes. I missed all the action.

So I stayed lying down for the rest of the day, and we continued our waiting game and show watching. They broke my water mid-afternoon, let’s say around 2:00, and then I expected things to really pick up as they had with the other 3. Nope. More waiting. I finally started to feel some real discomfort and almost pain a couple hours later, after watching some contractions go off the chart and not feeling a thing. I really didn’t believe the epidural was truly going to work until I realized those mountains on the printout were massive contractions and I had felt nothing the entire time. So anyway, when I told the nurse I was feeling a lot of pressure and kind of some pain, she checked me and it was time for babies! Wahoo, finally! But holy shit did I get scared then.

They had to wheel me into the operating room, and my heart rate was probably through the roof. I was so nervous! Yes, I’d given birth before and all went smoothly, but this was a whole new ballgame. Two at once?? Plus after the bad reaction I’d had earlier in the day I really had no idea what was about to happen. We had to be in the operating room because with twins, the NICU team is automatically in there to immediately take care of the babies when they come out, just in case. Plus there was my OB, the med student (resident? whatever he was called), the anesthesiologist to monitor the epidural and turn it off as soon as I was done, and all the nurses (thank god for those nurses! they are saints). So they covered my hair, made Ryan get in his bunny suit/hair cover/and booties, and we set off down the hallway.

When we got into the OR they made me shift from the bed I’d been in all day to a tiny, hard slab of a bed that I swear was about an inch wide, and I knew that was going to be a bad idea. My hands had gotten so swollen and painful from the carpal tunnel and all the fluid they pumped into me by the end of the day that I was practically in tears by the time of delivery because they hurt so badly. Both Ryan and our main nurse took turns trying to massage them and applying heat packs. So my hands were inflamed and useless, yet they wanted me to push myself up and over onto this other bed. Not a chance. So I had to alternate wriggling my lower half and hauling my upper half with my elbows to move myself, which made my stomach churn into knots. Wonderful. By the time I was fully on the miniature OR table, I was ready to throw up again. And again and again and again. That was miserable. I was afraid I’d be barfing and pushing out a baby at the same time. Disgusting.

Poor Ryan got the glamorous job of holding my puke pan, and his services were needed again when they made me move down to the end of the OR bed. Why didn’t you just make me go there in the first place? But I got that all out of my system before it was time to push, thank heavens. Since I couldn’t feel any of the contractions whatsoever, I told them they were going to have to tell me when to push and get these little ones moving. So they did. And after just a couple rounds, Baby A came screaming into the world. He was Nat Jennings Rau, born at 5:02 pm, weighing 6 lbs. 3.5 oz. and measuring 18″ long.

10 minutes and a few more pushes later, Baby B made his appearance. He was born sunny-side up and, as such, swallowed a bunch of amniotic fluid on his way out, so it took a minute to get him going and crying when he came out. But once they made sure he was ok, we met Avit Jerome Rau, born at 5:12 pm, weighing 6 lbs. 0 oz. and measuring 19″ long.

Perfection.

A very happy, relieved ending to what for me was a long, painful, fear-inducing journey. I was elated to be done being pregnant, since this one caused me the most pain and discomfort by far. The heartburn was more severe, the carpal tunnel pain was excruciating, and the 48-pound weight gain was about a dozen pounds more than I’d gained with any of the other 3. It was the first time I actually could not see parts of my body, putting on and taking off socks was a nightmarish circus act, and every physical act made me feel like I was about 120 years old. Plus the absolute unknown of birthing and raising twins shadowed the entire pregnancy for me, so much more so than any excitement of getting to meet 2 more brand new little people. But once they were in my arms, I was thrilled to welcome them into our family. I still can’t believe we brought 2 babies home this time!

(i cannot get that picture of Ryan rotated correctly to save my life, so sorry)

So there it is. The final birth story for this family. Of 7. What?!?! That still sounds unreal, and I’m sure it will for a long time. Never ever ever did I envision having 5 children, nor did I ever want to have 5 children. But now that we do, it is pretty amazing to say that my body carried and birthed 5 beautiful, healthy babies, all of whom are currently thriving and happy.

The big siblings came to the hospital to meet the babies on Thursday after Della got done with school, and they were all instantly in love. Actually, they were more interested in playing in the big hospital room that I got for my recovery stay and getting food, but you know, they still love the twins.

(can’t get Nigh-Night rotated either, dumb blog)

We went home mid-day on Friday, after both the twins and I cleared all our checks for discharge. My mom stayed with us through that weekend, then Ryan had 2 weeks off work, which was amazing. We all got to take naps every day, and I was able to sleep in until just before the girls got off to school, so that extra sleep that I didn’t have in the early days with the other kids was a lifesaver. Then my mom came back up for a week after Ryan went back to work, yet another lifesaver. Friends and neighbors have also been massive helps, bringing meals and giving the girls rides to and from school. Simply not having to leave the house with all these children has been a tremendous sanity saver for me. The twins still have no morning schedule to speak of and nights continue to be iffy, so if I had to try to get all 6 of us ready to get out the door by 7:45 each school morning, I’d probably be out of my mind by now.

Yes, it’s hard work with the countless diaper changes daily and feeling like I spend fully half my time stuck under a feeding infant or 2, plus taking care of 3 other kids, one of whom is in the thick of potty training right now. And yes, I’m exhausted. But I’m really, truly happy. I thought having twins would be the worst thing to happen to our family, but I could not have been more wrong. These spectacular little faces make it all worth it.

Welcome home, little Nat and Avit! We all love you oh, so much!

 

 

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2018

So here’s 2018 in a nutshell – we’re having twin boys in 3 weeks. !?!?!

That’s also the reason my second half of 2017 posting was even less frequent than normal by my terrible posting standards. I wanted to tell you all about our summer and the trips we took. I wanted to tell you all about our holidays. I wanted to show you pictures of everything. However, growing and trying to get our house and family ready for 2 babies at once has proven more exhausting than I expected, so unfortunately this blog got pushed waaaaaay down on the priority list.

I’m really hoping it won’t get lost all together once the babies are born, but I’m definitely not promising an increase in posts. Hopefully I’ll be able to get some pictures up, though, so you can all see these little guys.

Here are a couple pictures, though. This was our New Year’s Eve family photo, plus a silly one. Will they be our last ones together before we’re a family of 7?? Stay tuned and bear with me…

 

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38 weeks

Will this be the last update? …

  • How far along?  38 weeks. Della was born 6 days from now; Lana was born 8 days from now.
  • Total weight gain:  Like 40 pounds. I was actually down 3 lbs. from last week’s visit at my appointment yesterday afternoon, so who knows what that’s all about. I’ll take it, though. Probably some swelling that had just gone down.
  • Maternity clothes?  I’ll just make this easy. Yes. I’m having a baby in a matter of days; of course I’m wearing maternity clothes.
  • Stretch marks?  Nope, not yet. And the third time around better not be when those suckers rear their ugly heads, either.
  • Sleep:  Terrible. I’m uncomfortable all the time. I did get one of those big curly pregnancy pillows, which isn’t bad. I’ve begun sleeping on top of all the covers with just a blanket on me, though, because trying to position that thing and roll over while under all the sheets and comforter was a battle that I’m done fighting. And now my fingers have begun to swell just enough so that my hands hurt all the time, especially at night. Yippee!
  • Best moment this week:  Finding out yesterday that there actually hasn’t been any more progression. Still 2 cm dilated and 80% effaced. Just lets me know that some of the pains I’ve been feeling aren’t anything to worry about. Yet. And hearing that the baby looked great on the monitors at my first non-stress test yesterday before my actual appointment. They hook me up to the monitors you wear during labor to track the baby’s heartbeat and movement, and we passed with flying colors. They want to see 2 heartbeat accelerations due to the baby moving around in a half hour span (the most boring half hour ever, i may add), and we did just fine. And the long weekend we just had. It was so much fun. We really didn’t do much, but it was nice just being home all together for a couple days while we’re still 4. Ryan got the swing up on the girls’ new swing set, and they had an absolute blast on there.
  • Miss anything?  Being comfortable in my own body. I’ve reached that point, and unfortunately it arrived much earlier this time than I expected. Add to that being able to tie shoes comfortably, go for a walk without fear of peeing myself, and being able to stand up without feeling like my hips are going to give out on me because this kid is sitting right on them.
  • Movement:  Yes, since 1 day before week 15. That’s the earliest of all 3 – D was 20 weeks and L was around 16 weeks.
  • Cravings:  Not right now.
  • Aversions:  Now that the first trimester is over, again, not really anything. Those first couple weeks, though, wow – life in general was an aversion of mine. Scents are still stronger than normal, but nothing like when I was pregnant with D and my entire sense of smell got turned upside down.
  • Gender:  Did not find out. I’m still sure it’s a boy.
  • Labor signs:  Lots of Braxton Hicks contractions. Wonderful. And the dilation progression. Obvs.
  • Symptoms:  Horrible daily heartburn, frequent pressure and tightening in my abdomen (the braxton hicks), my hair barely sheds at all when I brush and wash it, my stomach constantly “gets in the way” when I’m trying to do things like put on my socks and shoes, my back gets inordinately tired and hurts often, and there’s an almost constant stabbing pain in the back of my left sacroiliac joint. I literally get stuck getting out of a seated position it hurts so badly. My hands have also begun to swell just a tiny bit, which is resulting in constant aching. It’s not too noticeable when you look at them, but I can certainly feel it. I think the baby has dropped, too, because I get frequent shooting pains down the tops of my legs, which my doctor said are definitely coming from the baby’s head sitting right on my cervix. I know you wanted to hear that, didn’t you?
  • Belly button in or out?  It’s out and it’s gross.
  • Wedding rings on or off?  On. We’ll see for how much longer, though.
  • Looking forward to:  Maybe making it to my hair appointment on Saturday? Also, finding out if little #3 is a boy or a girl. Also again, I’m very curious as to when he/she is going to make an appearance. For as much as I’m ready to be done being pregnant, it would be nice to finish most of the school year without having a newborn in the mix. Della’s last day is June 11 and my due date is June 10, so it’s a total crap shoot at this point. I would love to just make it until June. Stay tuned!

Possibly the last comparison shot? We shall see. I didn’t bother with exact dates this time, but left is around 38 weeks and the last picture with Della; middle is around 38 weeks and the second-to-last picture with Lana; and right is today, 38 weeks exactly with #3. How many more will he/she get?

38w

 

 

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Almost 4 no more

Seeing as #3 could easily arrive any day now, I wanted to get at least 1 non-pregnancy-update post down before that happens.

Knowing our third child might be here momentarily, I’ve been trying to savor these last few days with just the 2 girls as much as possible. Watching each of them as they play and do whatever it is they’re doing alone. Usually that’s Lana setting up tiny tea parties and Della coloring. I’m just soaking up their respective essences even more so than usual as much as I can.

Today we spent the afternoon and evening across the street at our neighbors’ house for a little Memorial Day BBQ, so the girls didn’t have naps. Of course this is no big deal for D, but poor L was exhausted by about 6. She had a little meltdown at the end of our stay, which prompted our departure. I knew she was just beyond tired and there was nothing we could do about it, so as soon as we got home I got her in pj’s, brushed teeth, got her diaper on, and got her ready for bed. All the while with her screaming hysterically at me for no reason whatsoever other than that’s all she knew how to do at that point.

I darkened their room, turned the music and nightlights on, and sat down with her to rock. Within minutes her frantic thumb sucking slowed, her mile-long eyelashes were down permanently, her breathing slowed, and she even let out a couple little sleep squeaks that assured me she was out cold. I knew that was all it would take, but I kept rocking anyway.

I smelled her hair, watched her beautiful little face, cradled her tiny body, and loved every second. I don’t rock the girls often anymore, but I knew this one was special. It’s beyond rare that she’s tired enough to ever fall asleep in my lap, let alone while she’s still the baby. Della even came in at one point and asked why we were rocking so long. Finally, after about 10 minutes, I stood up and laid her gently in bed, tucking her in and giving those sweet baby cheeks a kiss.

Then I came out and colored with Della in her Hello Kitty coloring book. It’s been her favorite lately, and every night she’s a coloring machine. It’s one of those color wonder books where the markers are essentially clear and only show up on that particular paper, which I absolutely love. I don’t have to worry about it getting all over her or her clothes or the couch or the floor. So we took turns coloring a couple pictures, and I just loved watching her enchanted by the pages. She’s such a smart and wonderful kid, it warms my heart to be with her. I sometimes feel like I don’t spend enough one-on-one time with her, so I adore that she wants me to color with her these nights. I watched her concentrate and played with her pigtails, curly from all her playing today.

After coloring, she read a couple books with Ryan, another one of her favorite activities. She is getting so good at reading, it amazes me. When I put her to bed I didn’t mind at all giving her the extra back rubs and resting leg pats I do that she requested. Her yawns and sleepy eyes told me that she is probably well on her way to the land of nod already. I’ll go in and give them both one more tuck in and kiss before I go to bed. I still find nothing better than watching my beautiful children sleep. Ever since day 1.

With the impending arrival of #3, I am much less worried about “sharing” my love than I was when Lana was about to be born. I now know that the love in my heart for my children automatically increases exponentially as soon as they are born, so any fear that I couldn’t possibly love another as much as who we already have is completely unfounded. That hasn’t even been a thought in my mind this time around. In fact, I’m actually excited to see just how much I can love all 3 at once. And I know watching the girls with their little brother or sister is going to be magical. So in that respect, there’s a level of calm surrounding this coming birth that is nice.

I have made no bones about the fact that I would love to have another girl this time around, which is one thing I never said with the first 2. When we started having kids I always wanted a little girl, but as long as they were healthy, that’s all that mattered to me. But now that we have 2 incredible little girls, a third would just be so easy – we have all the girl clothes and the girl stuff and I know little girls. I know nothing about raising little boys. And I’m fearful that I’d be a terrible little boy mom, because I hear they’re constant balls of energy and movement and we all know I tend to be lazy. I mean less energetic than is probably necessary for a little boy at this point. Right.

So since that is out there in the universe, I’m sure #3 will be a boy. Who I will of course love from the start and make everything I just said sound utterly ridiculous. But that’s what babies do – turn your world upside down and prove just how much you can love. And quite often prove you entirely wrong when you’re just starting to think you know what you’re talking about and doing.

I think that’s about it. All the thoughts I’ve had running around in my head that I wanted to get down before #3 is here. Because once he/she is, my time on these pages I’m sure will be even more limited than it is now. But things here are in pretty good shape for baby’s arrival, too. The girls’ swing set is sanded, stained, and in place; this week I cleaned the entire house in preparation; this morning I cleaned up part of the garage, got the infant car seat adapter hooked onto the stroller, and steamed the floors; so now we’re just waiting. We do still need to pick names, but I’m sure we’ll get that done.

We’re almost 4 no more. And I pray that we thrive as a family of 5.

IMG_6360

 

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37 weeks

FULL TERM!! And in other news, my fingers have begun to feel like sausages. Excellent.

  • How far along?  37 weeks. Full term, kids. This baby could literally come at any time now.
  • Total weight gain:  Like 40 pounds. I’ve had 2 appointments since last week’s update, so I can’t hide from the scale. I’m now just a little over where I ended with the girls, but my doctor says I’m just fine. I’ll still weigh myself again that very last day to see how much total poundage I packed on, but I think it’s safe to say it’ll be between 40-45 lbs. at this point. Hopefully no more! And hopefully it comes off as easily as it did the first 2 times since there’s that much more of it now, ugh.
  • Maternity clothes?  I’ll just make this easy. Yes. I’m 37 weeks along; of course I’m wearing maternity clothes.
  • Stretch marks?  Nope, not yet. And the third time around better not be when those suckers rear their ugly heads, either.
  • Sleep:  Terrible. I’m uncomfortable all the time. I did get one of those big curly pregnancy pillows, which isn’t bad. I’ve begun sleeping on top of all the covers with just a blanket on me, though, because trying to position that thing and roll over while under all the sheets and comforter was a battle that I’m done fighting. And now my fingers have begun to swell just enough so that my hands hurt all the time, especially at night. Yippee!
  • Best moment this week:  Having 2 doctor appointments and finding out that progression toward labor is actually happening. Friday I was 1 cm dilated and 50% effaced with the baby definitely head down, and today (Wednesday) I’m up to 2 cm and 80%. To me, that sounds like a ton of progress in 5 days, but my doctor said the exam has no bearing whatsoever on predicting labor. It could happen tonight (SAY WHAT?!?) or 2 weeks from now. She said that even though it sounds like a big jump, it isn’t really that much and not to worry. Obviously if I start having painful contractions, it’s probably go time, though. I can’t remember exactly, but I think I was right around these measurements at my last appointments before the girls were born. I also asked if she could tell how big the baby is right now pounds-wise, and she felt it and thinks right between 6.5-7 lbs. at this point. She’s pretty confident it’ll be born under 8 lbs. She also said that’s pretty common – for babies to get a little bit bigger each time. Why, who knows? So just in case, the car seat is in, the hospital bag is packed save the last-minute stuff, the baby swing/chair is clean and in the living room, the bed and baby clothes are all washed and ready to go, and I’m getting the house cleaned and lawn mowed so we’re ready to put the girls’ new swing set in place. I’m also debating trying to move my hair appointment up from next Saturday to this weekend just to make sure I can get it done in time… Such a life-changing decision, I know.
  • Miss anything?  Being comfortable in my own body. I’ve reached that point, and unfortunately it arrived much earlier this time than I expected. Add to that being able to tie shoes comfortably, go for a walk without fear of peeing myself, and being able to stand up without feeling like my hips are going to give out on me because this kid is sitting right on them.
  • Movement:  Yes, since 1 day before week 15. That’s the earliest of all 3 – D was 20 weeks and L was around 16 weeks.
  • Cravings:  Not right now.
  • Aversions:  Now that the first trimester is over, again, not really anything. Those first couple weeks, though, wow – life in general was an aversion of mine. Scents are still stronger than normal, but nothing like when I was pregnant with D and my entire sense of smell got turned upside down.
  • Gender:  Did not find out. I’m still sure it’s a boy.
  • Labor signs:  Lots of Braxton Hicks contractions. Wonderful.
  • Symptoms:  Horrible daily heartburn, frequent pressure and tightening in my abdomen (the braxton hicks), my hair barely sheds at all when I brush and wash it, my stomach constantly “gets in the way” when I’m trying to do things like put on my socks and shoes, my back gets inordinately tired and hurts often, and there’s an almost constant stabbing pain in the back of my left sacroiliac joint. I literally get stuck getting out of a seated position it hurts so badly. My hands have also begun to swell just a tiny bit, which is resulting in constant aching. I asked my doctor about it this morning, and she said that’s exactly what’s causing it. It’s not too noticeable when you look at them, but I can certainly feel it. I think the baby has dropped, too, because I get frequent shooting pains down the tops of my legs, which my doctor said are definitely coming from the baby’s head sitting right on my cervix. I know you wanted to hear that, didn’t you?
  • Belly button in or out?  It’s out and it’s gross.
  • Wedding rings on or off?  On. We’ll see for how much longer, though.
  • Looking forward to:  Finding out if little #3 is a boy or a girl. I’m also very curious as to when he/she is going to make an appearance. For as much as I’m ready to be done being pregnant, it would be nice to finish most of the school year without having a newborn in the mix. Della’s last day is June 11 and my due date is June 10, so it’s a total crap shoot at this point. After these last 2 appointments, however, I am becoming less and less confident that I’ll even make it until June. Stay tuned!

Now for the full-term comparison. I had my date for Lana’s picture totally wrong last week, because it’s actually from 37 weeks. So you have to see the same one for her twice. Left is Della at I think 37 weeks 1 day; middle is Lana at 37 w exactly; and right is #3 today at 37 w exactly. Oh look, I’m smiling again.

37w

 

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36 weeks

You guys? Almost full term. !?! Sorry for the 3-week lapse, too. No, I didn’t go into preterm labor; I’m just lazy. I mean busy.

  • How far along?  36 weeks. Which means that in about 1 more week the baby could be born and basically be fine. I’m still predicting around 39 weeks for the actual birth day, however.
  • Total weight gain:  Eh, who cares at this point? From here on out I’ll stick with my theory that I’ll end all 3 pregnancies at approximately the same weight; I’ll just have gained more with these last 2 than with the first, since I started at a lower weight each time. I’ll weigh myself the day I go into labor to check that theory, but not before.
  • Maternity clothes?  Pants, capris, shorts (on those days that have actually been warm enough to wear them), some dresses and skirts, and some tops. Fortunately a lot of my long- and 3/4-sleeved shirts are stretchy enough to cover the bulge so I haven’t had to empty my wallet on another maternity wardrobe. And I have enough stuff from the previous 2 that isn’t unbearably hideous so I can wear it again this time.
  • Stretch marks?  Nope, not yet. And the third time around better not be when those suckers rear their ugly heads, either.
  • Sleep:  Terrible. I’m uncomfortable all the time, and my dreams have turned into nightmares. I did get one of those big curly pregnancy pillows, which isn’t bad. I’ve begun sleeping on top of all the covers with just a blanket on me, though, because trying to position that thing and roll over while under all the sheets and comforter was a battle each time that I’m done fighting.
  • Best moment this week:  Getting everything crossed off my baby to-do list. Hooray!
  • Miss anything?  Being comfortable in my own body. I’ve reached that point, and unfortunately it arrived much earlier this time than I expected. Add to that being able to tie shoes comfortably, go for a walk without fear of peeing myself, and being able to stand up without feeling like my hips are going to give out on me because this kid is sitting right on them.
  • Movement:  Yes, since 1 day before week 15. That’s the earliest of all 3 – D was 20 weeks and L was around 16 weeks.
  • Cravings:  Not right now.
  • Aversions:  Now that the first trimester is over, again, not really anything. Those first couple weeks, though, wow – life in general was an aversion of mine. Scents are still stronger than normal, but nothing like when I was pregnant with D and my entire sense of smell got turned upside down.
  • Gender:  Did not find out. I’m still sure it’s a boy.
  • Labor signs:  Lots of Braxton Hicks contractions. Wonderful.
  • Symptoms:  Horrible daily heartburn now, frequent pressure and tightening in my abdomen (the braxton hicks), my hair is barely sheds at all when I brush and wash it, my stomach constantly “gets in the way” when I’m trying to do things like put on my socks and shoes, my back gets inordinately tired and hurts often, and there’s an almost constant stabbing pain in the back of my left sacroiliac joint. I literally get stuck getting out of a seated position it hurts so badly.
  • Belly button in or out?  It’s out and it’s gross.
  • Wedding rings on or off?  On.
  • Looking forward to:  Finding out if little #3 is a boy or a girl. I’m also very curious as to when he/she is going to make an appearance. For as much as I’m ready to be done being pregnant, it would be nice to finish most of the school year without having a newborn in the mix. Della’s last day is June 11 and my due date is June 10, so it’s a total crap shoot at this point. Stay tuned!

Ok, I am definitely back to winning the biggest belly award with this one. Boo. Left is 36 weeks 1 day with Della; middle is 36 weeks 3 days with Lana; right is 36 weeks exactly (today) with #3. I just hope there isn’t a 12 lb. kid growing in there, ugh.

36w

 

 

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33 weeks

Ok, I’m just getting lazy now. I won’t even try to lie about it. If every other week is as often as I can make myself take a picture and sit down here, then so be it. But that means you get to see an even bigger belly each time. Lucky ducks you are!

  • How far along?  33 weeks. So it’s very literally 6 weeks until this kid appears outside my body. !?!?!!?
  • Total weight gain:  I’m changing my tune and calling it right on track now. I just had my next appointment today, and I haven’t gained any weight in the last 2 weeks. Go me, go me. So I think my theory may end up being correct – I’ll end all 3 pregnancies at approximately the same weight; I’ll just have gained more with these last 2 than with the first, since I started at a lower weight each time. So pass me a large DQ Blizzard!! I’ll take cookie dough and peanut butter cups, please. (and no, all my glucose stab tests came back completely normal, so i’m not even close to having gestational diabetes. damn skittles)
  • Maternity clothes?  Pants, yes, and a couple maternity tops. One good thing about being pregnant in cold weather is I can cover up in all my sweatshirts and sweaters and not worry about finding shirts to fit. Because apparently the gorgeous weather of last week was a total fake-out and we are doomed to endure winter FOREVER.
  • Stretch marks?  Nope, not yet. And the third time around better not be when those suckers rear their ugly heads, either.
  • Sleep:  Terrible. I’m uncomfortable all the time, and my dreams have all turned into nightmares.
  • Best moment this week:  Another good checkup today, and getting a ton done in the baby readiness department. I sorted all the newborn and tiny-sized baby clothes, pulled out all the gender neutral ones, and got them washed and put in a drawer so the kid has clean clothes, blankets, bibs, burp rags, etc. Fortunately I was able to fit almost everything in 1 dresser drawer after moving some of Lana’s stuff into her under-bed storage drawers. Poor #3, only gets 1 drawer right now. I also have pretty much everything else crossed off my “baby stuff to get out and wash list” except for 1 major thing – cleaning and setting up the pack n play in which he/she will sleep in our room for the foreseeable future. I just want to get our closet situation finalized in there before I do so. And I’ve also found some amazing deals on stuff for the baby and the girls on a local Facebook page. Extreme budgeting. That’s how I roll these days.
  • Miss anything?  Being comfortable in my own body. I’ve reached that point, and unfortunately it arrived much earlier this time than I expected.
  • Movement:  Yes, since 1 day before week 15. That’s the earliest of all 3 – D was 20 weeks and L was around 16 weeks.
  • Cravings:  Not right now.
  • Aversions:  Now that the first trimester is over, again, not really anything. Those first couple weeks, though, wow – life in general was an aversion of mine. Scents are still stronger than normal, but nothing like when I was pregnant with D and my entire sense of smell got turned upside down.
  • Gender:  Did not find out. I’m still sure it’s a boy.
  • Labor signs:  Lots of Braxton Hicks contractions. Wonderful.
  • Symptoms:  Horrible daily heartburn now, frequent pressure and tightening in my abdomen (the braxton hicks), my hair is definitely shedding less when I brush and wash it, my stomach “gets in the way” when I’m trying to do things like put on my socks and shoes now, my back gets inordinately tired and hurts often, and there’s an almost constant stabbing pain in the back of my left sacroiliac joint. I literally get stuck getting out of a seated position it hurts so badly.
  • Belly button in or out?  Oh screw it, it’s out. I can’t even pretend that it isn’t anymore. Thanks, kid.
  • Wedding rings on or off?  On.
  • Looking forward to:  Finishing up getting all the baby stuff washed and ready and, oddly, getting back to running once my body allows this summer.

All right, now. I may be biased, and feel free to call me out if I’m wrong, but I think I actually don’t look that much bigger than my Lana pregnancy picture from the same time this week. The 3 below are Della at 33 weeks on the left; Lana at 33 weeks 4 days in the middle; and #3 today at 33 weeks.

33w