Day before Peyton's arrival

So I have a ton of thoughts running through my head right now. This time tomorrow, I will be in the hospital, in labor and awaiting the arrival of our little girl. This pregnancy had it's highs and lows. Overall, it was the smoothest pregnancy compared to my other two. I had no morning sickness at all, which I didn't expect. The only two things that made this pregnancy harder in some ways was the extreme heartburn that made me sick to my stomach one night and the 10 days of an intense itchy rash that covered my body. Thankfully, a steroid helped the rash and switching OTC medicines for the heartburn seemed to do the trick. The summer was hotter than it's been since I was born in 1980. So I made sure to spend most of my time indoors with the AC cranked up.

We tried a long time to get pregnant with Peyton, which was a complete change from our pregnancy surprise with Mason and getting pregnant on the first try with Taylor. Last year on October 14th, I suffered a miscarriage. This year on October 14th, I will be delivering my baby girl. So thankful for God's redeeming love. It's very bittersweet. I love that Peyton will share a birthday with my dad. He is a very special man to me and I love that I can give him a grandchild for his birthday.

After I dropped the kids off at school, I wasn't exactly sure what to do with my free time. I had already gotten a pedicure on Tuesday and everything is already packed and ready for Peyton's arrival. So I decided to spend the morning doing a little shopping and just relaxing around the house. It was very quiet in our house, almost too quiet.

Adam's mom is on her way up here to spend the next week with us. My parents will be arriving this weekend and staying with my Aunt to celebrate my dad's birthday and Peyton's arrival. We are so blessed to be back in Texas and to be able to celebrate Peyton with our family. Next time I post, it will be full or pictures and her birth story.

39 Weeks and 3 days

39 Weeks

Pregnancy Highlights

How far along: 39 Weeks

Size of Baby: Over 7lbs and 19.5 inches long

Total Weight Loss/Gain: Gained a total of 33lbs.

Maternity Clothes: Everything.

Gender: It's a girl!

Movement: She is still very active. I can tell that she likes to nap during the day and she is most active in the evenings, especially when I'm trying to go to sleep.

What I miss: Sleeping on my stomach. I also miss being able to roll over with ease. It's very uncomfortable and sometimes I will avoid switching sides, even when I really want to, so that I don't deal with the process of rolling over.

 

Cravings: Nothing really. I haven't really over eaten anything or had anything that really stands out with this pregnancy. 

Symptoms: My heartburn has still held off thanks to the OTC heartburn medicines. Constant bathroom breaks day and night. The pressure down there is intense and I can barely move my legs at times because it hurts to walk or get up from my seat. 

Best Moment of the Week: This is my last week of pregnancy and this past weekend was a very bittersweet weekend. We tried to do as much as we could with the kids, because all too soon Peyton will be here. 

I am such a mix of emotions and I'm sure it will only intensify as the week progresses. Yes, I'm extremely excited to be able to hold our little girl and to finally see what she looks like. I can't wait to see how the kids interact with her. But I'm also very emotional.

This is most likely my last pregnancy. Despite the little annoyances, I love being pregnant. The feeling of a baby fluttering around and knowing that God created something so beautiful out of the love I share with my husband is overwhelming. We are pretty certain that our family will feel complete with Peyton's arrival.

Mason & Taylor are very excited to finally meet their sister. Every morning, Mason wakes up and asks if Peyton is here yet. Mason was so young when Taylor was born, he doesn't really remember like without his little sister. So it will be a shocker for both of them when Peyton comes home. He did great and it really wasn't a bad transition, but I have a feeling Taylor will have a harder time adjusting to life with a newborn and someone else taking attention away from her.If any mom's of three have any suggestions on making the transition easier, let me know. We are going to make this a special week and I'm going to eat up every minute I have with the kids.

Baby Update

Yesterday I went to see my doctor for my checkup. Unfortunately for me, things are the same. I haven't changed since I was 36 weeks. We spoke about my options and decided to give it a little more time but to go ahead and schedule an induction. By my previous pregnancy standards, I'm overdue. Mason was 9 days early and Taylor was 11 days early. I'm open to giving Peyton a little more time before scheduling an induction too early, with hopes that I can go into labor on my own.

My doctor gave me two dates to choose from. The first date wouldn't work for me because the kids have school pictures that day. The second date happened to be a very important day to me and I thought it would be fitting. So if Peyton doesn't arrive before then, I'm scheduled to be induced Friday October 14th at 5am. This is also a special day because it is my dad's 50th birthday.

So for the next week, we will be waiting. Tomorrow I have a garage sale planned to get rid of a ton of the kids stuff that I have been holding onto for way too long. It will be nice not to have the boxes in my house any more.

38 Weeks

Pregnancy Highlights
How far along: 38 Weeks
Size of Baby: Over 19.5 inches long & weighs a little over 7 lbs

Total Weight Loss/Gain: Gained a total of 32lbs.

Maternity Clothes: Everything. 

Gender: It's a girl!

Movement: Constantly kicking. 

What I miss: Laying on my stomach at night. Even laying on my side is uncomfortable and I use pillows. I can't even role over from side to side without waking up. Being able to move around with ease. 

Cravings:  Nothing in particular. My appetite has remained about the same.

Symptoms: Heartburn is under control due to OTC medicine. Sleepless nights that are preparing me for Peyton's arrival. Constant bathroom breaks. Tired due to my sleepless nights and not having much energy.

Best Moment of the week: Realizing that I can try everything to get her to arrive, but it's ultimately God's timing and not my own. 

One evening this past week, we ended up at the hospital. Earlier that afternoon, I started having contractions and they were consistent and eventually started getting a little closer together. This lasted for about 4 hours before we decided to go ahead and head to the hospital. My doctor told me that if I thought I had signs of labor, to go ahead and head into the hospital.

Upon arrival, I knew the drill. They asked me a ton of questions and checked me and then monitored my contractions for the next hour. My contractions were still happening about every 5 minutes but I hadn't dilated any further. I had such a mix of emotions. I was frustrated, sad, and embarrassed. I was sent home and told to keep monitoring the contractions.Around 1:30am that night, they finally started to slow down.

My next appointment is Thursday morning. I'm hoping I've made a little more progress. Once I'm 39 weeks, they will discuss if I want an elective induction. At this point, I'm not really sure how I feel. Honestly, it would be easier to have it scheduled, especially given that our family is in Houston and it would make arrangements with Mason & Taylor much easier. I was induced with Mason based on his size and it went extremely well.  Part of me really wants to go to labor all on my own. Only time will tell.

37 Weeks - Full Term

Pregnancy Highlights
How far along: 37 Weeks 

Size of Baby: Over 19 inches long & weighs 6.75bs

Total Weight Loss/Gain: Gained a total of 31lbs.

Maternity Clothes: Everything. 

Gender: It's a girl!

Movement: Constantly kicking. 

What I miss: Laying on my stomach at night. Even laying on my side is uncomfortable and I use pillows. Being able to move around with ease. Thankfully, Adam can help me up from the floor when I'm playing with the kids. It's hard when the kids want to sit on my lap and cuddle, but there isn't much room and it's pretty uncomfortable for me.

Cravings:  Nothing really right now. When dining out the other day, I was looking over the dessert menu and almost everything on it sounded delicious. Although, that isn't really anything too far fetched, because I love desserts, even if I don't eat a lot of them.

Symptoms: I can proudly say that switching to my new OTC heartburn medicine has made all the difference. In the past two weeks, I haven't felt any form of heartburn, which has been a huge relief. Saturday evening we drove down to Waco for the Baylor vs Rice game. The weather wasn't too bad, but I did notice that my ankles and legs started to swell some. It's still there a little, nothing too bad thought. Sleepless nights have begun. I can hardly get comfortable at night and can barely turn over. I'm constantly going to the bathroom.

Best Moment of the Week: As I mentioned, we went to the Baylor game this weekend, which was the last home game we will attend before Peyton's arrival. Technically there is one more home game before her due date, but we won't be attending it. The next game we will attend will be Homecoming in November. It's so neat to think that we will be attending it as a family of five.

I had my checkup this morning. I was hoping I would have something to update, but I'm still only 3cm and 50% effaced. To say I was disappointed was an understatement. It would be wonderful if she made her appearance this week. The doctor still said he believes it will be sooner rather than later. You better believe I will be doing everything I can to make sure it's sooner. I've been extremely uncomfortable and the pressure makes it extremely hard to walk. Our bags are packed and ready for her arrival. So now we just wait and see.

What to pack for delivery

With Peyton's arrival just around the corner, I realized that I still hadn't packed my hospital bag. I made a list of all the things I wanted to bring and tried to remember some of the necessities that help make my life easier after delivery. I thought I would share some of those things with you.

1. Dermoplast.

First and foremost, my all time favorite thing to have after delivering a baby (This really only comes into play if you had a vaginal birth). This stuff is from heaven! Thankfully, after delivering Mason, my nurses shared the wonders of Dermoplast with me. It makes walking around and even sitting that much easier. Basically, I like to call it magic in a can. When I delivered Taylor, I asked one of the nurses for a can at the hospital and she looked at me like I was nuts. Not really sure why, because I thought all maternity nurses were aware of how wonderful and necessary it is for healing. I will probably buy some just to have an extra one around the house.

 2. Johnson's Nursing Pads.

I seriously wish someone told me about nursing pads before I delivered my first child. I have tried many different kinds and for me, Johnson's worked best. I will say that I gave reusable(washable) pads a try and they just didn't cut it for me.

3. Medela Lanolin.

Nursing is a beautiful and natural thing, however it can also be rough for the first couple of days to weeks. This helps with the transition and allowed me to enjoy nursing.

4. Pacifiers.

These pacifiers are awesome. I also really like the Avent pacifiers. My son took to pacifiers right away, where my daughter never took one a day in her life. She was a thumb sucker, which I didn't like at first, but proved helpful in that she could soothe herself back to sleep.


5. Soothies.

Again the nurse I had when I was in the hospital with Mason, told me about these wonderful gel pads that make nursing easier. I used to put mine in the fridge to keep them cold and it was even better.

The list is much longer than these items, but these are some of my favorites. Here is a tip that one of my nurses shared with me when I was in the hospital with my first:

When they bring the baby into your room, there are drawers underneath the cart and they are filled with items you will need, like diapers, wipes, lanolin, formula, pacifiers and a couple of other things. Every time they take the baby away to the nursery, they check the drawers to see if they need to be refilled. She said to basically empty those drawers and make your own stockpile of items to take home with you. We had almost a month's worth of diapers for Mason before we even broke into what we had at home. With Taylor, we weren't in the hospital for a full 24hours after her delivery and they never took her to the nursery, but we still stocked up on what was in the cart.

36 Weeks

Pregnancy Highlights
How far along: 36 Weeks

Size of Baby: Over 18.5 inches long & weighs 6lbs

Total Weight Loss/Gain: Gained a total of 29lbs.

Maternity Clothes: Everything.

Gender: It's a girl!

Movement: Constantly kicking.

What I miss: Laying on my stomach at night. Even laying on my side is uncomfortable and I use pillows. Being able to move around with ease. Thankfully, Adam can help me up from the floor when I'm playing with the kids. It's hard when the kids want to sit on my lap and cuddle, but there isn't much room and it's pretty uncomfortable for me.

Cravings: Not really anything food wise, but I have been on kick of wanting Iced Coffee's. This has to be a craving because I have never really wanted Iced Coffee before or been a fan. I don't even do fraps. Normally, I'm a hot coffee drinker. I wonder if this will change after deliver.

Symptoms: Heartburn, however after last week's experience, I think we finally have it under control.  I'm constantly using the bathroom. We can barely run errands without me having to stop to use the bathroom at least twice. With the heartburn under control for now, I'm sleeping better. I still have to wake up due to bathroom breaks, but I am sleeping a little more soundly.

Best Moment of the Week: I start my weekly appointments. I have one this morning to test for Strep B and see if I've made any progress.

I really should pack my bag for the hospital. I ordered a couple of things for Peyton's arrival, so hopefully in the next few weeks it will arrive.

I received a call from my best friend in Cali telling me that she found a really great deal on tickets to come visit me after Peyton's arrival. Not only that, but we have convinced some of my girlfriends to come as well. Two of them haven't been to Texas before and I can't wait to take them for great Mexican food and show them around. I feel so loved and I know Peyton will  too.

*Edit* Went to the doctor this morning and he checked me and I'm already 3cm dilated and 50% effaced. This is great news in that my body is already doing some of the work now. While this is my third pregnancy and I hope things move a little quicker this time around, I realize that I could still go long after my due date. I don't think that will be the case, but it could happen.

My chest is on fire

So normally, I keep the pregnancy stuff in one post at the beginning of the week, but it has kind of consumed my time this week. I've mentioned that I've had major heartburn with all of my pregnancies and that this time it seems to be worse. It has been waking me up at night to the point where I need to sit all the way up or stand, in fear that I will be sick to my stomach. I don't eat before lying down and I sleep with five pillows.

Monday night I awoke with it and I was seriously uncomfortable. I couldn't shake it. I then got the really watery mouth, where you feel like you should head to the bathroom in fear that you might just throw up. Well good thing I did, because the minute I did, I got sick. I thought it passed, but I was wrong. My entire insides burned due to the acid in my throat. I sat on our bathroom floor and waited to make sure it was all gone before finally heading back to bed three hours later. When I woke up in the morning, I had no voice due to the horrible heartburn.

My OTC heartburn medicine wasn't cutting it, so I opted to call my doctor Tuesday morning. After explaining my situation, they were kind enough to call me in a prescription. Tuesday night,  I slept much better. However, I was still having heartburn throughout the day.

Finally, I decided to switch my OTC medicine to another approved on on my list and thankfully it has done the trick. Smooth sleeping last night and it's been almost 24 hours since I felt a tinge of heartburn.I think my body just got used to my old OTC medicine and I needed to switch it up. Hopefully this will continue and I'm thankful that end of the pregnancy is nearing.

35 Weeks

Pregnancy Highlights
How far along: 35 Weeks

Size of Baby: Over 18 inches long & weighs 5.25lbs

Total Weight Loss/Gain: Gained a total of 29lbs.

Maternity Clothes: Everything.

Gender: It's a girl!

Movement: Constantly kicking. At my appointment last week, the doctor said she is head down, which gave me a huge sigh of relief. Since there isn't much room for her to move around, doc doesn't believe that she will flip on me.

What I miss: Laying on my stomach at night. Even laying on my side is uncomfortable and I use pillows. Being able to move around with ease. Thankfully, Adam can help me up from the floor when I'm playing with the kids. It's hard when the kids want to sit on my lap and cuddle, but there isn't much room and it's pretty uncomfortable for me.

Cravings: Not really anything food wise, but I have been on kick of wanting Iced Coffee's. This has to be a craving because I have never really wanted Iced Coffee before or been a fan. I don't even do fraps. Normally, I'm a hot coffee drinker. I wonder if this will change after deliver.

Symptoms: The heartburn is getting worse. Usually the Zantac will work, but it gets pretty bad late at night and I have woken up several times this past week with horrible heartburn and acid indigestion, to the point where I worry it will make me throw up. I sleep propped up (5 pillows) and it still happens. Thankfully we had a cool front last week and I'm able to wear my engagement and wedding rings again without any problems or swelling. I waddle whenever I get up. I can't help it, the pressure is intense. I'm constantly using the bathroom. We can barely run errands without me having to stop to use the bathroom at least twice. With the combination of bathroom breaks at night and waking up due to killer heartburn, I'm not sleeping very well. I'm convinced this is how God prepares us for the sleepless nights for the first several months.

Best Moment of the Week: Learning that she was head down.

I'm currently suffering from allergies/cold. Being pregnant with a head cold is the worst because the symptom are intensified. Thankfully, there are a few things that I can take and they are helping some. It probably doesn't help with all the Texas Wildfires we have been having and the wind that has been blowing them around. We had a few hazy days here in North Texas.

As I was looking through pictures of my past pregnancies, I realized tonight that I'm carrying very similar to my pregnancy with Mason. Which is funny if you think about the wives tales out there.

Everyone keeps asking me if I'm ready and the answer is YES! Not only do I look forward to holding our baby girl, but I'm ready to not be pregnant. It's been a pretty smooth pregnancy and I love being pregnant, but I'm so much more uncomfortable this go around. I think my readiness is also due to the fact that we are pretty sure that Peyton will be our last. I'm ready to have my family complete. Mason & Taylor ask on a daily basis when Peyton will be here. They are so excited to meet their little sister, you can tell they already love her so much.

I know that I will look back and miss being pregnant. I've learned so much with each pregnancy. With Mason, I was so excited to become a mother for the first time. With Taylor, I was thrilled to be having a girl. With this one, I'm so thankful that I was able to conceive again and knowing Peyton will most likely be our last is pretty special to me. Though there are days when I'm ready to not be pregnant anymore, I will forever treasure all of the kicks I have felt and still be in aw of the miracle of life. I'm so thankful that God chose me to be their mommy.

34 Weeks

Pregnancy Highlights
How far along: 34 Weeks

Size of Baby: 18 inches long & weighs 4.75lbs

Total Weight Loss/Gain: Gained a total of 26lbs.

Maternity Clothes: Everything.

Gender: It's a girl!

Movement: Constantly kicking and moving. Hopefully, that means she is moved head down.

What I miss: Laying on my stomach at night, which won't change for awhile with nursing. Being able to bend with ease. If something drops, I have to ask Adam or the kids to help me pick it up. I miss being able to wear my wedding rings. Since it's been so hot up in the DFW area, I haven't been able to wear my wedding rings since the end of June.

Cravings: Nothing. My eating habits have been so different with this pregnancy and I don't have any cravings compared to being pregnant with Taylor. I have always heard that if you are having a girl, you usually crave sweets and if you are having a boy you crave salty foods. This proved true with Mason & Taylor. This time, I haven't had anything that stands out. I'm not constantly hungry, which I always was with my other two pregnancies. Goes to show that each pregnancy is completely different.

Symptoms: Heartburn which I have to state first because it has been consistent in all of my pregnancies. I wake up with it in the morning and I haven't even eaten anything for almost 12 hours. Thank goodness for Zantac, because Tums never cut it for me. On really hot days when I'm outside a lot or on my feet most of the day, I'll have swollen ankles by the end of the day. I'm constantly getting up to go to the bathroom. It doesn't help that I drink a ton of water to try and combat swelling and dehydration with the heat outside.

Best Moment of the Week: I have my next checkup this week. After this weeks appointment, I start going every week until I deliver her.

 

33 Weeks

Pregnancy Highlights
How far along: 33 Weeks

 

Size of Baby: A little over 17 inches long and weighs 4lbs.

Total Weight Loss/Gain: Gained a total of 26lbs.

Maternity Clothes: Everything.

Gender: It's a girl!

Movement: Very active little girl. She is always moving around and doesn't like sitting still for long. If only she will move head down so that I don't have to worry about her being transverse.

What I miss: Laying on my stomach at night, which won't change for awhile with nursing. Being able to bend with ease. If something drops, I have to ask Adam or the kids to help me pick it up. I miss being able to wear my wedding rings. Since it's been so hot up in the DFW area, I haven't been able to wear my wedding rings since the end of June.  

Cravings: Nothing. My eating habits have been so different with this pregnancy and I don't have any cravings compared to being pregnant with Taylor. I have always heard that if you are having a girl, you usually crave sweets and if you are having a boy you crave salty foods. This proved true with Mason & Taylor. This time, I haven't had anything that stands out. I'm not constantly hungry, which I always was with my other two pregnancies. Goes to show that each pregnancy is completely different.

Symptoms: Heartburn which I have to state first because it has been consistent in all of my pregnancies. I wake up with it in the morning and I haven't even eaten anything for almost 12 hours. Thank goodness for Zantac, because Tums never cut it for me. On really hot days when I'm outside a lot or on my feet most of the day, I'll have swollen ankles by the end of the day. I'm constantly getting up to go to the bathroom. It doesn't help that I drink a ton of water to try and combat swelling and dehydration with the heat outside.

Best Moment of the Week: We finally assembled her crib and put on the bedding.

Speaking of the crib and bedding, the above picture is what it looks like. I'm not really going with a particular theme, we found the bedding on clearance for a killer deal. The original bedding I loved isn't in stock and I'm not sure when and if they will continue to sell it. So when we came across this bedding, I liked it for the color schemes. We are going with a hot pink and lime green look, with a splash of orange and red. I'm not big on pastels, so the brighter the better. The bedding has some lighter versions of pink in as well and I will just have to settle with that.

Taylor is still in her crib and will most likely remain until the end of the year or when she starts to crawl out. We don't want her to stay in there too long, but I need to at least get Peyton sleeping through the night before I tackle that. My mom made Taylor's bedding and I love it and so does Taylor. The  girl would have a fit if I gave any of her stuff to her little sister. She is a bit attached.

 I didn't ask my mom to make the bedding for Peyton because I wasn't even sure what I wanted or what we were going to do with her room until now.I'm not sure how we will decorate. Her bedding has flowers and butterflies, but I think I will take another route for wall decor and just stick with the colors. Either way, it will be cute.

I only have seven more weeks until my due date and I can tell you that I'm ready. I have never been so uncomfortable with a pregnancy until this one. For the last few weeks, I have been waddling around due to the pressure and I can't seem to get comfortable at night. I'm constantly tired, probably due to not being able to get comfortable.

It seems like I've been complaining a lot, but I promise I'm not. We have waited for this little girl for a long time and I can't wait to hold and love on our little girl. The kids are so excited and can't wait to meet their little sister.

Nursing Covers

When I was going through all of the baby stuff I have accumulated with my other two pregnancies, I realized I was down to one nursing cover. I love it, but it's rather short and I wanted one a little longer. That night, I was watching an old episode of The Office (one of our favorite shows) and it was the birth of Jim & Pam's baby girl.

As I sat and watched, Pam pulled out her nursing cover. It was long and it stuck out at the top in order for to see the baby and not make it so hot for the baby. While it was rather bland looking, I knew that style was what I was looking for. I did a little research and found out the Bebe au lait is the maker of that nursing cover. I was thrilled to see that they had many pattern selections and that shipping was free. I placed an order right away. This is the one I chose.

It was delivered yesterday and I couldn't wait to open it. I am thrilled with my choice and I know I will get a ton of use out of it. 

32 Weeks

 

Pregnancy Highlights
How far along: 32 Weeks

Size of Baby: 16 and a half inches long and weighs 3.75lbs

Total Weight Loss/Gain: Gained a total of 26lbs.

Maternity Clothes: Everything.

Gender: It's a girl!

Movement: She is very active and constantly moving. She likes to stretch and kick my ribs. It's really entertaining to watch the belly and see the wave of movements or how it will look lopsided at times. Right now she is transverse and I'm hoping she will turn her body around. With all the movement going on, I can only hope.

What I miss: Laying on my stomach at night. Being able to bend with ease. Being able to paint my own toes. Being able to give the kids baths. I know Adam misses this as well because bath time is his least favorite activity for toddlers. Being able to wear my engagement and wedding rings. My hands aren't really swollen, or at least don't look swollen, I have extremely tiny fingers and wear a size 3. The heat hasn't helped this out, so I am wearing a fake ring I found at Charming Charlies while I was pregnant with Taylor.

Cravings: Nothing really. Although, I made the mistake of reading some of my favorite food blogs before dinner the other night and I just wanted to eat dessert. This isn't really anything out of the ordinary though, I would want that while not pregnant.

Symptoms: Heartburn, frequent bathroom breaks, having a hard time getting comfortable at night. Swollen ankles on occasion. The heartburn is the worst. It's amazing how when you deliver and it goes away instantly. I look forward to that day.

Best Moment of the Week: Mason running up to my belly and giving Peyton hugs and kisses. Taylor keeps asking when she can hold her.

 

I'm pretty uncomfortable these days and I'm trying to focus enjoying the moment I'm in now. This could very likely be our last and before you know it, I will miss this moment.

 

With less than eight weeks until my due date, I still have a lot to finish in her room. We ordered her crib and it arrived this past weekend.  We also have her bedding, but I just need to put everything together. Right now her room stores a ton of boxes for the garage sale we are having at the beginning of October.

31 Weeks

Pregnancy Highlights
How far along: 31 Weeks

Size of Baby: 16 inches long and weighs 3.3lbs

Total Weight Loss/Gain: Gained a total of 24lbs.

Maternity Clothes: Everything.

Gender: It's a girl!

Movement: She is very active and constantly moving. She likes to stretch and kick my ribs. It's really entertaining to watch the belly and see the wave of movements or how it will look lopsided at times.

What I miss: Laying on my stomach at night. Being able to bend with ease. Being able to paint my own toes. Being able to give the kids baths. I know Adam misses this as well because bath time is his least favorite activity for toddlers. Being able to wear my engagement and wedding rings. My hands aren't really swollen, or at least don't look swollen, I have extremely tiny fingers and wear a size 3. The heat hasn't helped this out, so I am wearing a fake ring I found at Charming Charlies while I was pregnant with Taylor.

Cravings: Anything spicy. My eating habits are pretty normal. I'm not constantly hungry. I was just telling Adam that this pregnancy is definitely different food wise because the only time I really eat anything is at meal time. Pregnancy used to be the only time I would snack.

Symptoms: Heartburn, frequent bathroom breaks, having a hard time getting comfortable at night. Swollen ankles on occasion. We have had temps over 100 degrees for over 30 days in a row and in the last couple of weeks, the temps have risen as high as 115 degrees at our house. While I'm not outside constantly, I still like to get out and do things and be active.

Best Moment of the Week: Hearing her heartbeat at my doctor's appointment.

As I mentioned, I had another checkup last week. Everything looks good, but she is still transverse, which means she is definitely not head down. I've heard a couple of tips on trying to get a baby to turn naturally. I really hope this works and I don't have to have a C-Section, especially given that my last two labors were pretty smooth.

30 Weeks

Pregnancy Highlights
How far along: 30 Weeks

Size of Baby: Almost 16 inches long and weighs 3lbs..

Total Weight Loss/Gain: Gained a total of 23lbs.

Maternity Clothes: Everything.

Gender: It's a girl!

Movement: She is very active and constantly moving. She likes to stretch and kick my ribs. It's really entertaining to watch the belly and see the wave of movements or how it will look lopsided at times.

What I miss: Laying on my stomach at night. Being able to bend with ease. Being able to paint my own toes. Being able to give the kids baths. I know Adam misses this as well because bath time is his least favorite activity for toddlers. Being able to wear my engagement and wedding rings. My hands aren't really swollen, or at least don't look swollen, I have extremely tiny fingers and wear a size 3. The heat hasn't helped this out, so I am wearing a fake ring I found at Charming Charlies while I was pregnant with Taylor.

Cravings: Anything spicy. My eating habits are pretty normal. I'm not constantly hungry. I was just telling Adam that this pregnancy is definitely different food wise because the only time I really eat anything is at meal time. Pregnancy used to be the only time I would snack.

Symptoms: Heartburn, frequent bathroom breaks, having a hard time getting comfortable at night. Swollen ankles on occasion. We have had temps over 100 degrees for over 30 days in a row and in the last couple of weeks, the temps have risen as high as 115 degrees at our house. While I'm not outside constantly, I still like to get out and do things and be active.

Best Moment of the Week: Only 10 more weeks until my due date. Today we went to the Carters by my house and Mason & Taylor picked out two sleepers for Peyton.

 

 

Back at 20 weeks I started sorting and going through all of Taylor's old clothes. I did the same with Mason's and I'm ready for a garage sale. I probably have 30 plus boxes of clothes that will be up for sale come October (our neighborhood only allows garage sales twice a year and the next one isn't until the beginning of October, close to my due date). Peyton will have a ton of cute clothes thanks to her older sister, but I wanted her to have something that was just for her. We really need to work on her room and I need to start washing all of the clothes to prepare for her arrival. It will be here before we know it.

29 Weeks

Pregnancy Highlights
How far along: 29 Weeks

Size of Baby: A little over a foot and a half long and weighs close to 3lbs.

Total Weight Loss/Gain: Gained a total of 23lbs.

Maternity Clothes: Everything.

Gender: It's a girl!

Movement: She is very active and constantly moving. She likes to stretch and kick my ribs. It's really entertaining to watch the belly and see the wave of movements or how it will look lopsided at times.

What I miss: Laying on my stomach at night. Being able to bend with ease. Being able to paint my own toes.

Cravings: Anything spicy. My eating habits are pretty normal. I'm not constantly hungry. I was just telling Adam that this pregnancy is definitely different food wise because the only time I really eat anything is at meal time. Pregnancy used to be the only time I would snack.

Symptoms: Heartburn, frequent bathroom breaks, having a hard time getting comfortable at night. Swollen ankles on occasion. We have had temps over 100 degrees for over 30 days in a row and in the last couple of weeks, the temps have risen as high as 115 degrees at our house. While I'm not outside constantly, I still like to get out and do things and be active. 

Best Moment of the Week: As of last week, I am officially in my third trimester. Our best friends from California came out to spend five days with us and I enjoyed every minute of it. We were able to visit some of our favorite restaurants and that is always a great thing for a pregnant lady.

 

I have been absent from the blog world for the past couple of weeks. Things aren't really slowing down, but I'll be sure to blog more and even include pictures. My next appointment is next Thursday.

 

27 Weeks

Pregnancy Highlights
How far along: 27 Weeks

Size of Baby: A little over a foot and a half long and weighs about 2lbs 6 oz.

Total Weight Loss/Gain: Gained a total of 20lbs.

Maternity Clothes: Everything.

Gender: It's a girl!

Movement: She is very active and constantly moving. She likes to stretch and kick my ribs.

What I miss: Laying on my stomach at night. Being able to bend with ease. Being able to paint my own toes.

Cravings: Anything spicy. My eating habits are pretty normal. I'm not constantly hungry.

Symptoms: Heartburn, frequent bathroom breaks, having a hard time getting comfortable at night.

Best Moment of the Week: I had another ultrasound at my doctor's appointment and was able to get another view of Peyton. This is also the last week of my second trimester.

 

I had my doctor's appointment last week. My glucose screening went well and I passed. The only negative was that I couldn't take my heartburn medicine that morning and I was very uncomfortable. I don't think I have ever been so happy to take my heartburn medicine as much as I did that day when I left my appointment.

 

I discussed my itching symptoms with my doctor and after examining me, he still believes it could be an allergy. He prescribed me six days worth of medicine to help and see if it brings any relief or cures my itching. I return next week for another appointment and I'm hoping by that point the itching will be gone. Still not sure what caused it, but if it goes away, that is all that matters. It was making me miserable.

 

As I mentioned earlier, I go again next week for another checkup. I now will be going every two weeks until I hit 34 weeks. I love going to the doctor each time, because I get to hear her heartbeat each time. I don't have a recent picture of the belly but I can assure you that my belly is growing and rather large.

26 Weeks

Pregnancy Highlights
How far along: 26 Weeks

Size of Baby: A little over a foot and a half long and weighs about 2 pounds.

Total Weight Loss/Gain: Gained a total of 19lbs.

Maternity Clothes: Everything.

Gender: It's a girl!

Movement: She is very active and constantly moving. She likes to stretch and kick my ribs.

What I miss: Laying on my stomach at night. Being able to bend with ease. Being able to paint my own toes.

Cravings: Anything spicy. My eating habits are pretty normal. I'm not constantly hungry.

Symptoms: Heartburn, frequent bathroom breaks, having a hard time getting comfortable at night. Itching that started two weeks ago. 

Best Moment of the Week: We celebrated Mason's 4th birthday yesterday. He even made a comment that Peyton would be at his next birthday party.

Over the 4th of July weekend, my ears began itching. I just assumed it was some allergy. After the weekend passed, the itching started to spread and now my hold body itches constantly. I'm worried that I have Pupps. After two weeks, I've pretty much ruled out the possibility of it being an allergy. Thankfully, I have a doctor's appointment this Wednesday, so I will be sure to mention it to them. Honestly, this pregnancy has been smooth sailing until now. I don't know if I can handle another 14 weeks of itching like this. Hopefully they will be able to recommend something to help. I also have my glucose screening and another ultrasound scheduled during this appointment. Soon I will be going every two weeks.

My belly is huge. I am worried it's going to look like I have a watermelon in my belly by the time I deliver.

25 Weeks

Pregnancy Highlights

How far along: 25 Weeks

Size of Baby: A little over a foot long and weighs about 1.5 pounds.

Total Weight Loss/Gain: Gained a total of 18lbs.

Maternity Clothes: Everything.

Gender: It's a girl!

Movement: A ton, especially after I eat or when I lay down.

What I miss: Laying on my stomach at night.

Cravings: Anything spicy. Learned I'm having an aversion to hot dogs this past weekend.

Symptoms: Heartburn, frequent bathroom breaks, having a hard time getting comfortable at night.

Best Moment of the Week: Peyton was kicking up a ton one night, so much so that you could see my entire belly jump with each kick.

24 Weeks

Pregnancy Highlights

How far along: 24 Weeks

Size of Baby: A foot long and weighs a little over a pound

Total Weight Loss/Gain: Gained a total of 18lbs.

Maternity Clothes: Everything.

Gender: It's a girl!

Movement: A ton, especially after I eat or when I lay down.

What I miss: Laying on my stomach at night.

Cravings: Anything spicy.

Symptoms: Heartburn, frequent bathroom breaks, having a hard time getting comfortable at night, and I had my first experience with swollen ankles this last week, however I'm pretty sure that was due to the heat and spending most of my time outside.

Best Moment of the Week: Realizing we are only 16 weeks away from my due date. The next couple of months will be pretty busy, so I have a feeling this pregnancy is going to fly by.