28 weeks

How far along are you?: 28 weeks and 2 days! It's been awhile since I was able to make an update! 

Baby is: The size of a coconut - about 16 inches and 2.5 pounds

Movement: All. The. Time! You can see baby move from the outside, too, which always freaks me out a little! For the longest time, this babe was down so low, you couldn't feel it move without sticking your hand past my waistband, so no one else other than Stephen has been able to feel this baby move! The baby is big enough now, though, that you can feel him/her move in several different places at once. Though it is usually hanging out on my left side :) 

Weight gain: 19 pounds! I was a little worried that my glucose test would come back positive because I've really been packing on the pounds this pregnancy (and all my healthy eating habits went right out the window when Stephen left...!) but all is well!

Stretch marks?: Pretty sure there are still no new ones, but it would honestly be hard to tell at this point ;) I remember when they first showed up with Uriah, right at the very end, with bruising and popped blood vessels...! If I keep growing at the rate I have been, I'm in for some unpleasant looking and uncomfortable last few weeks! 

Maternity clothes?: Nothing but! It was awhile ago now that all my regular shirts started to be too short, so I'm exclusively in maternity shirts or non-maternity tunics (and have been in maternity bottoms since about 10 weeks!). I was big pregnant with Uriah and Ezra in the winter months, so most of my things haven't been weather appropriate this time around, since I'm bigger this time around significantly earlier on! I'm having a hard time not shopping for more clothes - surely I can make what I have work for just a couple more months, right?! ;) 

Currently craving: Nothing specific, which is actually kinda sad to me...?! I had such significant cravings with Uriah and Ezra, I've been waiting for something to stick this time around and it hasn't! Cereal always sounds good, as do turkey sandwiches. I won't turn down ice cream and every once in awhile need something really filling like rice (Thai food or Chipotle) sounds good, but my appetite hasn't been too big, so my "opportunities" to eat and crave something aren't coming up very often. I always eat breakfast, a snack, a small lunch and a small dinner - I'm running out of room in my stomach to put things! 

Aversions?: The smell of pizza sauce (only while making the pizza, not while eating it!) and the smell of store bought salsa.

Sleep: I have definitely been more tired this pregnancy than I expected! I guess keeping up with two toddlers will do that to you... ;) My second trimester energy came a bit late, but it did come! Just in time for Stephen to leave for Africa! ;) I find myself getting tired around 4 o'clock most days now, especially if we spend the morning out in the sun or out walking around, or if I don't take a nap when the kiddos do, but I can just adjust my bedtime accordingly and usually be ok to go. I find myself less groggy in the mornings now, too, because I'm sleeping better at night - less midnight bathroom breaks! ...For now ;) 

Feeling: All the Braxton Hicks contractions! I don't remember feeling too many with the other two (Stephen remembers otherwise!) so it's taken me by surprise these last few days. Mostly because they're not full contractions, it just feels like really bad period cramps down low in my uterus, which is all I felt while dilating to a 6 with Uriah...! It just has me extra aware. Also feeling lots of pain and pressure. I self diagnosed myself about a week ago with SPD - symphysis pubis dysfunction - where your pelvic bones open up in preparation for labor, which they're supposed to do! just not at 27 weeks...! It makes it painful to roll over in bed at night, walk up stairs or hills, get dressed... anything that requires me to shift my weight from leg to leg. It's not at all pleasant, especially the combination of that with the contractions, and I hate knowing that it will just get worse!, but it comes with the third pregnancy territory. 

Working on: Names! Baby boy almost has a name, still just deciding on a middle name (I think!) And baby girl names have been narrowed down to two! ...It's so hard having to pick one of each! Also working on lists - trying to figure out what we still need for both baby and mom, and what I just want for baby and mom ;) 

Thinking about & anticipating: Just before Stephen left (literally, 3 days before his departure!) at my 20 week ultrasound, we found out that this baby has a two vessel umbilical cord. While this could mean absolutely nothing, it could also mean growth problems, for both the baby's physical size and organs, especially the heart. While at the time, the baby's heart looked amazing and the baby's growth was right on track (actually measuring on the bigger side!) it doesn't mean something couldn't come up before delivery, though Stephen and my doctor aren't at all worried. I don't know that I would have been too worried either, though pregnant hormonal mommas tend to worry ;), but the two vessel cord discovery lead to a more advanced ultrasound that lead to the discovery of excess fluid in the baby's kidneys. The fluid level was high by the smallest amount, but it is still a soft marker for chromosome abnormalities. We decided not to do any genetic testing because it was such a small, soft marker and there was only one, so we are going off the assumption that the kidneys just needed more time to drain and all is in fact well. All this to say, I'm constantly thinking about the size and health of this babe and greatly anticipating our 32 week ultrasound to check the fluid levels in the kidney and the baby's size! I have always been measuring right on track, and the baby has always been measuring on the bigger side, so I would be surprised to see any red flags on our ultrasound, but I'm anxious to know more all the same. 

Recent baby purchase: Completely unnecessary baby clothes! Two different sets - a newborn jammie set and a romper set for an older babe. We don't know what we're having, and either way, we've got two complete wardrobes to work with! I just couldn't resist the sale rack at Old Navy! 

What are you most looking forward to?: Other than getting this baby Earth side?! Getting the kids a new dresser in their room so I finally have a place to put all our accumulating baby things! The nesting urge is there, but I keep telling myself it's too early so I'm not so patiently waiting for a few more weeks! 

Favorite moment this week?: Best moment by far, was Stephen coming home!! Which is in no way baby related, but completely wonderful all the same! It took a few days after his return for me to realize how hard it had been to have him gone. It had all just been snowballing and came crashing down once he was home and I didn't have to hold it all together anymore. My pregnant hormonal state didn't help ;) 

May

Baby number 3 has sorta stollen the show around here, and while I'm super happy I've been able to keep up to date with documenting this pregnancy (because I am determined not to let it get put on the back burner just because it's three!) I've been slacking at documenting the rest of it all! Though if we're being honest, this baby is still all we talk about ;) 

We tried to take full advantage of Stephen having weekends off in May, especially knowing that at the end of a busy June, he'd be taking off for six weeks...! The weather was a little touch and go, but much preferred over this constant heat we're experiencing now! Mornings at the park, swimming and splash pads, beach days and hikes, lots of snuggles and lazy evenings... It was a good month! 

 ^^ We started the month out with a trip to the fountain with some friends! It is so great to have things like this across the street (and through campus) from our house! ^^

 ^^ Making my heart melt before 7am...! ^^

 ^^ My two love the Faber kids! And I love that my kids get to spend time under their Godly influence! ^^

 ^^ A snap from the pictures we took to announce our pregnancy. Baby girl is so excited to be a big sister! ^^

 ^^ Hot morning at the park/splash pad with our favorite friends! ^^

 ^^ Trying on daddy's glasses looking SO CUTE! ^^

^^ We got a mini van in May! Best decision, EVER! All I ever wanted were automatic doors that opened with the push of a button on my key fab and rear facing vents in the backseat for those rear facing babies ...My dreams have come true! ^^

 ^^ Salamander hunting with the Appel family on our Saturday morning hike! We also found a baby scorpion...! ^^

^^ Uriah's old (and favorite!) "star jimmies" have made their way into Ezra's drawer and I cried the first night we put them on her! ^^

 ^^ I got to spend a few hours on Mother's Day with these beautiful ladies, walking around the mall, snacking on frozen yogurt and playing "this is the wedding dress I'd wear if I got married today" at Anthropologie. - "One of the best parts of motherhood is the other mothers" ^^

 ^^ Crab hunting, beach walking, shell finding, napping in the sun and loving every minute of it! We spent an entire day at the beach and had some very tired babies on our drive home ^^

 ^^ Monthly Costco shopping cart picture ^^

 ^^ Bunk beds! We've been working on making more space in their room to play (and for the baby!) and getting bunk beds was the first step in that process. We were worried about how Ezra would do outside a crib (because Uriah's transition was awful!) but she has done amazing! Looking extra big these days! ^^

 ^^ This one made it's way into a separate post, but this is 16 weeks in May with baby #3! ^^

 ^^ Our evening venture to the sand pit had us catching moths over and over again! We called it our science lesson for the day ;) ^^

 ^^ Morning at the park! These two are such good friends these days and it makes my momma heart so happy to see them playing together! ^^

 ^^ Water park adventure for Paxton's birthday celebration! The kids were terrified of the large bucket that spilled water all over the kids play structure, but Uriah still talks about that lazy river! Stephen and I got a chance to ditch our kids with our friends and head down the tube slides together - getting flipped out of the tube might have been my favorite part of the morning :) ^^

19 weeks

^^ 19 weeks, as seen by my four year old! ^^

How far along are you?: 19 weeks exactly! I love that my weeks change on a Monday. This baby is orderly ;)

Baby is: The size of a gameboy! Ha! 6 inches long and over 8 ounces. I feel like my stomach hasn't gotten much bigger in the last few weeks and thank goodness! I started showing around 10 weeks this time around, noticeably to others around week 14, so it's been nice to hit a bit of a plateau before getting bigger in the 20 something weeks!

Movement: Baby is definitely moving, yes! I've been feeling baby for a few weeks now and his/her schedule is starting to regulate a bit. Baby is always moving in the evening right before bed while I sit and talk with Stephen and most often during the kiddo's nap time. Stephen has been able to feel it now too! Just twice, the first time being last week, the day I hit 18 weeks. This makes it so much more real to me!

Weight gain: To be determined!

Stretch marks?: No new ones! My stomach has been starting to itch more frequently, though, so I've been trying to be diligent about putting on lotion, exfoliating, stretching and drinking lots of water. (Not just for the sake of stretch marks, but if it helps...!)

Maternity clothes?: All maternity bottoms and some shirts. The shirts aren't necessary at this point but the maternity ones just hug my bump a little better/cuter than my non-maternity shirts and/or are longer so they've been in constant rotation. Dresses are still proving to be super comfortable, too - my stomach has just been so sensitive this pregnancy!

Currently craving: Since my second trimester hit, I haven't had much of an appetite. I am hungry, all the time!, but nothing ever sounds good or really satisfies. I've been eating a lot of basics because of that - pb&js, toast, bananas, cereal... Every once in awhile I'll really crave real food, something really filling and a little salty like Chipotle or Thai food.

Aversions?: The smell of salsa and pizza sauce (just while making the pizza, not while devouring it!) but nothing else!

Sleep: Sleep has been come and go these past few weeks. Mostly come, with the exception of my nightly "midnight" bathroom run, but several times I just haven't slept well. I'm not having weird dreams keeping me up, so I'm not entirely sure what it is, I just wake up feeling like I haven't slept. I thought maybe it was because I was still napping during the day, but the few days I skipped nap in hopes of a better nights sleep, I didn't notice much of a difference (except for the fact that I was asleep on the couch by 6!) I have been so tired this pregnancy and am eagerly awaiting that second trimester burst of energy! I've been dragging and it's been hard!

Feeling: Tired (so tired!), sore (my back has continued to hurt, one night leaving me crawling across the floor because I couldn't stand...!), so very unbelievably ready and excited, and super sad and anxious about Stephen's time away this summer. Basically, I'm a mess ;)

Working on: Names! I've had a running list of possibilities ever since we found out I was pregnant with Uriah and I've been going back to it a lot lately, adding to it and removing names every so often. It's hard having to pick one of each! Got any favorites you don't plan on using, send 'em my way!

Thinking about & anticipating: Ezra's reaction to no longer being the baby. We talked about it before we even decided to try for another, but of course there will be some adjusting for everyone to do and whether or not she takes to the changes easily, her reaction was never a deciding factor. I worry, though, that her contentedness that has gotten her through these first two years will start to disintegrate after the baby comes. Or! Maybe she'll be just as helpful and excited and understanding as I anticipate her big brother being...!

Recent baby purchase: A bed! And a carseat! A little prematurely, I'll admit, but we found them used by the same seller, both in incredible condition and at just the right price! I was anxious to get these big things decided on and purchased before Stephen leaves for Africa because I won't be able to talk to him about these things very easily and didn't want to wait until he was home, making them sort of last minute tasks. So we jumped the gun a bit! But I am so excited to have these baby things around the house reminding me of what's to come!

What are you most looking forward to?: Our anatomy ultrasound next week! Ahh! It will be SO hard to see our sweet babe and not find out the gender! Mostly, though, I'm just super eager to know that all is well. I always forget that things could go wrong and that maybe they'll see something that leads to further tests and questions, so I'm a little worried, but continually praying for a healthy baby. I just love that Stephen will get to be around for it before taking off! This might be the last time we get to see him/her until the fall!

Favorite moment this week?: It was definitely Stephen feeling the baby move for the first time! I'm sure he was about to give up waiting, because it's only strong enough to feel from the outside very so often, but I could immediately tell he felt it by his reaction! He had been trying for a few days, as I'd been feeling the baby move for weeks, and I love that he's been able to feel baby so early! Other than running out for ice cream (which he's done once so far!) it's almost the only part of pregnancy he gets to participate in!