Andrew Update: 7 Months

Wow!! What a difference a month makes. Andrew has made great strides this past month. Last month I was beginning to feel a little beaten down. The sleepless nights, and what seemed to be continual crying were really starting to get to me. I kept giving myself little pep talks, saying "I can handle this for a few more months if I have to," but I sure didn't want to.

So we did our best to let him "cry it out," or at least as much as we could. My family all came for a visit to celebrate Christmas, so we didn't feel we could totally implement our plan until they were gone. The night our family left Andrew woke up 6 times! I finally got up and fed him at 4 a.m. because I couldn't take it any longer. The next night he woke up at 1 a.m. and he cried for an hour straight (I did check on him periodically). I thought it would never end. He seemed to fall asleep for an hour and then cried for another 1/2 hour. The next night he only cried for 1/2 hour and then slept the rest of the night. And now....for almost 2 weeks straight he has been sleeping for 11 hour stretches!! Can you believe it? He went from waking up almost every 2-3 hours to 11! That little guy had me foiled! So we're all definitely feeling a little more up beat around here.

Andrew is also sitting on his own now. The girls enjoy fetching toys for him, and are constantly bringing the toys back when he pushes them too far away. He's probably going to be a late bloomer on just about everything, since they do almost everything for him. But he loves his new found trick and enjoys watching the dogs run around and play. He finally rolled over too. I know to many this isn't a huge accomplishment, but we've been working on some much detested tummy time to get to this point. He still hates the tummy time. He'll lay there and wail for 5 minutes, with his head laying on the mat in defeat. Sometimes he doesn't even try to push himself up, he gives up the minute you lay him on his tummy. But, as much as I hate to see him struggle, I give him his time.

Andrew continues to laugh, smile, and make raspberries. He has to be one of the slobberiest (word?) babies I've ever seen. And he is quite proud of the fact that he is slobbery. He hasn't lost his cuddles either. He loves to play with my hair while I nurse, and rub his head against mine while I hold him close. I know I will miss those moments later as he gets older. I almost get teary eyed just thinking about it. Yes, we are definitely seeing a more joyful baby this past month. And we are seeing a more joyful mommy too. It is nice to be on a consistent schedule. He eats at just about the same time every day and takes naps at the same time. So now, hopefully I can focus on exercising in the morning and getting myself in my own new routine.

Mamma's Boy

Now that the holiday festivities have died down, my main goal was to get Andrew on some type of schedule. He is my only child that hasn't been on some type of set schedule. I was pretty anal retentive about the girls getting their naps and bedtime at exactly the same time every day. There wasn't a whole lot of flexibility there, but you certainly did know what to expect too. However, being my last child, I figured I would more or less just go with the flow. I knew I would be busier with errands to run, and getting Kyra ready for school, so I decided with him I would be a little more relaxed and mainly try and get a eat, play, sleep schedule.

This worked for a little while, but the last three months have been kind of a bear. I know that life changes with any child you had to the mix, but Andrew is simply put not a very content baby. In my head, I keep thinking... but he's the 3rd child....aren't they supposed to be the easiest going? Is it in my head that he is being this difficult or is it reality? Am I doing something wrong, or is there something wrong with him? I know it's been almost 4 years since I had a baby, but I just don't remember the girls being as challenging. Katie certainly was a little bugger, but I don't remember her crying this much through the day. So, I decided to talk to a few veteran mom's and get their opinion.

To my surprise, two of the moms in my little poll seemed to think that he was being spoiled and that he was becoming a mamma's boy. Deep down, I grew a little defensive. This was after all my third child and I think I would know how to correctly raise a child before he or she became attached at the hip. After all, in the beginning I may have rocked him to sleep, but now I was simply laying him down and shutting the door (even letting him cry for awhile). And there are numerous times where he has had to sit there and cry while I make dinner (even though I am ready to tear my hair out by the time my hubby gets home). Yes, there had to be some other explanation. I decided to wait until my well visit at the pediatrician.

Once we arrived at the doctor's office, I explained our situation. I told her that our 6 month old was still getting up 1 to 2 times at night, and that he acted ravenously hungry sometimes and that I had to still feed him at 3 am. Could he possibly not be getting enough from nursing? Should I quit, and go to formula? I told her that I couldn't take a shower without him crying his way through it, or that he fussed so much in the evening that we usually had to hold him while we ate dinner. I told her that I was exhausted and that he just won't give me a break. So she said, "oh yes, I've seen this kind of case before. I definitely have a diagnosis for you. He's got a bad case of....."

Mamma Boy Syndrome!

Dar net! How could I have let this happen? I didn't think I came to his beckoned call every time he made a peep. But perhaps I had coddled him a little too much. After all, he is my only boy, and my last baby. And I felt bad every time he started to fuss, and the girls said he was too noisy and interrupting their play time. And I didn't want my hubby to be woken up in the middle of the night, so I did what was easiest...I stuck a bo*ob in his mouth. Yes, I guess I can start to see where this child has outsmarted his momma. Now, the hard part...I have to start breaking these bad habits.

So, we're doing the best we can in this household. It's probably not going to be easy for the next few weeks. After all, I do like peace, even if it comes at the cost of my sleep. But if I ever want a fuss free shower again or experience a full night's sleep, I guess some thing's gotta give. So, I explained to my hubby that he might have to endure some nights with crying, or sleep downstairs anyway. And I have a feeling Kyra will keep me accountable too, after all she was listening intently to the doctor. Because when I went to pick up Andrew that night, I got a scolding from my 5 year old. "Now Mom, remember what the doctor said. You need to let him cry it out!"

Yes, ma'am!

Andrew Update: 6 Months

Well, our little man is 1/2 way to being 1 year old already. I can't believe that 1/2 a year has gone by! Of course in some ways, it feels like he was just born yesterday, and others...it feels like time is going by too slowly.

As far as new accomplishments go, I'd like to say he's doing so much more, but not so much. He still isn't rolling over or talking much. I have had a hard time with this. I don't want to do the comparison thing, and make sure he is "keeping up with the Jones' baby," but I do. My most recent thought was this though, if he is this content to just BE, then maybe he will be a more relaxed and easy toddler (and that I would love!). I'm gonna go with it. He does love to stand, and is getting closer to sitting. Maybe he'll just skip the rolling over part and go right to sitting and crawling. Of course he learned how to blow raspberries too, yes this boy does love to spit and is proud of it.

His nights are still sporadic too. For the most part he sleeps till 5 a.m. But there are a few nights a week he chooses to wake up 1 or 2 times. I thought feeding him cereal might help, but he has started the whole baby food phase and it's not making much of a difference. It took him a long time to get used to the cereal too. I thought he just didn't like it, until last week when I discovered he just didn't like the rice cereal. Now that we have moved on to oatmeal, he is devouring his food. We've also tried bananas and squash and he seems to love those too. He has started to go to bed in his crib for naps now too, and with out being rocked (although not without a small 1-2 minute crying fight). It's progress, yay!! And, although we aren't on as strict of a schedule as I had with the girls, he seems to have a pattern down.

Andrew continues to take delight in his sister Kyra. She pretty much lights up his world. She could be eating breakfast, talking about her day, or writing on a piece of paper, and he laughs at her. He just simply loves his sister. Katie tries to imitate things Kyra does to make him laugh, but I think he deliberately keeps a stoic face to get back at her for getting in his face. Who knew the sibling rivalry could start at infancy?

Yes, although we have a mostly quiet little fella (believe me, when he does get fussy, he gets super fussy), he still invokes delight in our hearts. He loves to be part of the action (we put him in his Bumbo at the dinner table or else he gets jealous). He is a social little bean, and a cuddler...ahh my favorite part. Yes, he knows he tugs at our heart strings.

Andrew Update: 5 Months

Today our big man turned 5 months old. He continues to grin from ear to ear. I told my hubs the other day that he almost had Mick Jagger beat with that big mouthy smile of his. The best part about his smile though, is that it is contagious. I could be upset about something one moment, or even frustrated if he has been overly fussy, and then he seems to pick up on my mood and grins. Try not grinning back at a smiley baby!


As far as the sleep goes, things are about the same. Some nights he sleeps until 5 am, other times it's 3:30 am. I have managed to get him back to sleep a few times with out nursing, but most of the time I give in to the summons of my infant. I'm sure I'll pay for it later. The naps during the day time have proven to be more difficult too. I used to be able to rock him to sleep, but he is pushing away his cradle hold, and arching his back instead. I've tried putting him straight to bed, but often he'll cry for long periods of time. Yes, we definitely need to work on the sleeping department a little bit. The good thing is, that he does often take a fairly good nap once he does get to sleep.


As far as activity goes, well he seems to be content right where he is. He still is no closer to rolling over either way. He'll roll to his side, but otherwise he's happy just to touch his toes and look around. He's quite observant though, and even laughed at some silly penguins on TV one day. Of course Kyra remains his favorite source of entertainment. He loves to watch her talk about her day, dance, or make silly faces. And she eats it all up of course. He has been grabbing everything too. I tried holding him in my lap during church the other day and no matter where I put it, he found the church bulliten and was determined to make it crackle. I just love to see them study the mechanics of their own hands and arms. You can just see their wheels turning as they make the connection that they can make their tiny hands pick things up at will.


I'm sure as we approach his half year mark there will be much more to share. He'll be experiencing his first Christmas, first foods, and probably a few more. For now, I'll just revel in his laughter, smiles, and sparkly eyes.

Andrew update: 4 months

Well, our little sprout keeps growing. He has nearly doubled his weight in 4 months, weighing 15 lbs. Of course that's evident in the way he eats, because he is constantly hungry!! But not only has he almost doubled in weight, he is growing like a bean stalk, measuring just over 27 inches. His doctor said his gums are swollen already, so it's probably only a matter of time before those little teeth come. And he certainly is chowing away on all of his fingers.

As far as sleep goes, well we seemed to have relapsed. He was sleeping 8 hours through the night, but has gone back to waking up one or two times in the night. I have tried putting his binki back in his mouth, but that won't cut it. He wants the real deal. So, pretty soon we're probably going to have to start cereal or more supplementation. Because after you've experienced real sleep for a time, it sure is hard to go back to getting up several times a night.

As far as new milestones, there aren't a whole lot. He continues to be a very smiley, laughy baby. Often times he picks prayer time during dinner to laugh. Good thing God has a good sense of humor, because the laughter is contagious. He also seems to be a very social bug, because he wants to be sitting with us at the dinner table. He does not want to be left out of the action.

Yes, this is a great stage (aren't they all though at certain points?). Katie loves that he smiles at her, yet isn't stealing her toys. I love that we can still go places and not be tied down to naps yet, since he's still a mobile sleeper. He surely is a blessing from above.

Who's Who?

*You guys are too good. Yes, Andrew is on the left, and Kyra is on the right. Funny thing is, Kyra was only 5 weeks old when I took her photo and Andrew is about 17 weeks old!

Andrew Update: 3 months

Yes, our little guy is growing fast. I remember a few days after he was born, I felt an overwhelming sadness over the fact that I knew he was going to grow up faster than I wanted (and surprise, surprise...he has). Fortunately, I think a lot of that emotion was postpartum, because we are thoroughly enjoying the stage Andrew is in.

The best part of entering 3 months is the fact that he is becoming more predictable. Although he still gets up between 3:30-5am for feedings, they are short and he goes back to bed immediately. I am definitely feeling more energized throughout the day. He is also starting to develop more of a schedule. The times of feedings and naps are not consistent every day, but usually 1 1/2 hours after he's been fed, he gets fussy. Within usually less than a minute of me holding him in a cradle position and popping that plug in, he's asleep. I think he has his father's ability to fall asleep in an instant.

Perhaps Andrew's best quality right now though are his smiles. He shares them liberally with everyone (short of Katie, probably because she's always in his face...let the sibling rivalry begin!). They are very contagious too. He's not a big talker, but already laughs (which is just about the best sound in the world). He's grabbing toys too, and kicking in the bathtub (which seems to crack himself up).

So maybe this rough start in our last baby is taking a turn for the better. Because you can't get much better than a smiley, predictable, laughing baby!

Wordless Wednesday

For my mom, who hasn't seen the little guy in a month!!

Andrew Update

It is so hard to believe Andrew is already 2 months old today. It seems like I just wrote about his one month old update a short while ago (although I guess that will happen when you don't post things that often).

Andrew is growing like a weed. There are some days I think he grew overnight! He's growing little chunker thighs and sporting a double chin. In general he is having more content moments, which is a huge blessing considering he hasn't been the most content baby (I was under the impression that many 3rd children were easy going, but I don't think that's the case in our family...at least not yet). He wants to be held much of the time or put in a baby carrier. In his defense though, he might have acid reflux, which I'm sure is causing much of his irritability. He clenches his stomach, spits up, and gags a lot. This problem has gotten better over the last month, so we are hoping to be on the up and up. On a positive note, we got our EEG results back and Andrew is not having seizures. We were very thankful to hear that news.

I still haven't exactly heard any cooing (although my mom said she did), but he does like to squeal when he's happy and moans when he's sucking on his binki. The smiles are also poppin up more frequently, which I absolutely love. He's also a kicker. This child DOES NOT sit still. He's definitely a mover and a shaker (hmmm...is this a sign for things to come?) He is constantly waving his arms and kicking his legs, which is another reason why I still have to swaddle him when we put him to bed (otherwise he wakes himself up with his movements).

For the past week, he has been getting up only one time a night. Although after he eats at 3 a.m. he doesn't seem to want to go back to bed like he did before. Yes, now he thinks it's play time. So, he's up for close to 2 hours before he goes back to bed. I'm hoping this trend will go away quickly. I must be getting used to the night feedings though because I'm not too tired in the morning anymore (which I suppose is good considering Kyra starts school pretty soon).

The girls continue to enjoy their little brother as if he had just come home from the hospital. Katie is constantly kissing him. We have to ward her off, just so he isn't over stimulated. And Kyra is always helping me by finding a binki I've misplaced, or retrieving a burp cloth I forgot to get before I sat down to nurse.

Yes, life has certainly changed, but we are beginning to adapt, and are enjoying life as a family of five. I am looking forward to fall, getting back into a schedule (as much as I can), and hopefully gaining more time to get more daily chores accomplished. Thanks to all our friends and family who have prayed for us over the past couple of months. We truly appreciate your thoughts, prayers, and support.

(Andrew at 3 days old)

(Andrew at 2 months old. Same exact expression!)

Andrew Update

Well, already a month has gone by since our little guy was born. It's been a bit crazy the past few weeks too. I had intentions of blogging all these cute pictures and updates on how things were going, but time seemed to slip quickly through our fingers.

Andrew is growing very well. He's probably the best nurser out of all my kids (which is a big blessing, considering how much pain I was in with the other two). I'm guessing he's about 9 lbs now (since at 3 weeks old he was 8lbs 9oz). And he's grown 2 inches since birth too. The smiles are becoming more frequent now too. He's starting to make more eye contact and grinning at mamma's smiles and Kyra's goofy faces (he really responds well to her and she has been most helpful and calm at times when he's fussy).

The sleep however has not been going the best. For awhile he was waking up every hour in the middle of the night, which left a very tired mom and dad. Fortunately I have an incredible sister in-law (you'll never know how grateful I am Kris), who came in the nick of time to help fix meals, wash dishes, rock Andrew while I took in a few snoozes, and keep the kids occupied with her kiddlings. She was truly a life saver. Andrew now seems to be sleeping a little bit better, but is still waking up every 3 hours (unlike my girls who seem to only wake up once a night from the get go). Fortunately, he goes to bed right after I feed him.

We also seemed to battle with a few medical conditions. It's nothing too serious, but enough to make me a little more exhausted on top of the lack of sleep. The poor guy has had numerous trips to the doctor's office and hospital. He had a hard time getting rid of the jaundice. We had him under a Bili blanket for close to 1 1/2 weeks, and he had to have blood draws over a dozen times. Hopefully his poor heels won't be scarred. For a while it seemed we were headed to the lab almost every day. And the girls couldn't take his crying, and asked to sit in the hallway to wait for him to be done. Fortunately his levels went down and we are done with the poking.

Then today we headed to the hospital for an EEG which I believe measures some kind of brain waves. We're trying to rule out possible seizure activity. Since he was born, he has had these mild twitches, but they aren't going away, and don't go away when you hold him close. Most likely this is just his nervous system still developing (and I'm hoping that's what it is). But in a week we will hopefully know the results of this test. We're praying it's nothing more than his little body developing. He sure didn't like being hooked up to all those electrodes though. He let the tech know for sure with his wailing and hand grabbing the wires off several times. He made her work for her money this morning.

We know that we are blessed by this little guy. Like I mentioned, we've hit a few bumps in the road (which were more or less inconveniences in our lives as we get used to this little guy), but know it could be way worse. We have encountered a few friends these past few weeks that have dealt with far more difficult circumstances, which puts in perspective how fortunate we are and also makes us realize that God is in control and we have to give our concerns to Him. We take joy in knowing God gave us a growing, beautiful little boy, and thank God that he has blessed us with this new addition.

Firsts on Friday

Well, almost a week and 1/2 has gone by already since Andrew has been born, and already there seems to have been a lot of firsts. This mama wasn't even prepared for the first time he would pee on himself this morning (of course not having boys before I haven't experienced that wild willy before, and wasn't quick to have it covered early this morning. Yes Mom, you can say I told you so. I was so sure that I wouldn't experience the fountain, since he hadn't done it yet, but I did so rudely awaken him this morning).

I thought I would post some of the other firsts in pictures (in no particular order).

Andrew's first family photo. 6 days old

Andrew's first outing (out for ice cream of course...too bad he couldn't taste any!) 5 days old

Andrew's first book being read to him (Kyra wanted him to be part of the reading program at the library, so he could put a sticker on his chart and win a prize!) 4 days old

Andrew's first bath (he didn't care for it too much, but didn't mind the hair washing. It must have felt like a head massage.) 5 days old

Andrew's first smile (he looked right at me in the hospital and smiled, and has done so many times since then. He's our earliest smiler.) 3 days old

Totally In Love

Almost a week has gone by since I had my little guy. And I tell you, I couldn't be more in love. I find myself gazing at his face, watching his tiny little twitches, scrunched up face, and whimpers. Everything is precious.

When I had Kyra, I found myself doing much of the same (the gazing), however I also quickly became overwhelmed by the responsibility of being a new mother. I was overcome by the lack of sleep. And at times even longed for the way life was before baby. When I had Katie, I had some idea of the responsibility and fatigue it took to be a parent. I found myself often thinking I wasn't the best at being a mom of babies. Don't get me wrong, I love both the girls (and have from the very beginning). But that really young baby stage just isn't my cup of tea. I tend to like it when they are a little bit older. I like it when they sleep through the night, laugh continuously to the silliest little thing, are beginning to show more personality, and give you a better indicator of why in tarnation they are crying. I'm just too nervous.

So, before I had Andrew, I found myself giving myself little pep talks. Now, Sarah, you only have to get through the next few months and then life will get better. Now , Sarah, you can handle sleepless nights for a short while, it really isn't that long in the whole scheme of life! Now, Sarah, just keep on your hubby to give you lots of help and you'll make it through this stage. But to tell you the truth, I haven't really needed those pep talks thus far. I know it's probably a little premature (seeing as though I have only had a few days at home with him, and I've also had my SUPER mother here to help me with the girls) to be saying things have been going well, but they have. And I'm finding that I really love this baby stage. In fact I have found myself wishing at times that I could freeze time and hold on to this little baby body for longer than I know I have time with him before he starts to grow. He is just really that precious. He has the cutest little smile already, long little toes and fingers, and the best little shaped head. I am simply joyful that God has blessed me with such a beautiful little boy.

So, I guess for now I'll just try and capture some of these moments in pictures and hold on to the snuggling time we have for now, because I know it won't be long and these time will be over in a flash. Even my mom said, "you could keep on having children to try and recapture this stage of life, but they are always going to grow up."

A Whole New World

Well, we made it home! After 3 1/2 days in the hospital, Andrew and I are finally home. The girls are so excited to spend more time with their little brother (so much that Kyra already sat down and read him a book...awe...while he was sleeping). Of course it's been 2 1/2 hours since we've been home and he is still sound asleep in his car seat, but he has plenty of time to get used to his new diggs.

All in all, I couldn't have asked for a better baby. He has been sticking to an every 3 hour eating schedule and has been eating fairly quickly (opposed to the girls who took 45 minutes to eat, each time). He has only been crying if he's hungry or has a dirty diaper too (of course he is a boy, which is probably why he's not giving me mixed messages. What you see is what you get!) Of course all this could change, but I'll take what I can get for now. The surgery also went fairly well. It took a little longer than it was supposed to, but I am healing quickly and feeling good.

I'll have lots more to report as the days go on, but I'm tired and need to rest a bit before the little bugger gets up. So for now, I'll just leave you with a few more pictures. And again, thank you to everyone for the well wishes and prayers. Your thoughts and comments have made us feel very loved and glad to have friends and family like you'all.

Nearing the End

With just a little over a week to go till the big "Baby" day, my patience has been wearing thin. My poor girls have had to deal with a drill sargent of a mom. For goodness sakes, couldn't they stop acting like children for a change and not get out every toy in the house (oh, that's right, they are children)? Okay, I've been a little irrational in my expectations. The fact that I've been trying to widdle away at a "to do" list before the baby comes, and know that this baby could care less if I have anything done with the house is beside the point. I'm still "trying" to relax and thinking of ways to have fun with my two precious girls this last week, before our family gets larger. After all they shouldn't have to remember their last days simply following rules and cleaning up until the baby comes.

Nevertheless, when my in-laws called on Friday to take the girls strawberry picking, I quickly took them up on their offer. I was thankful for the opportunity to get some weeding done, along with the thought of some rest time. And the girls would have so much more fun with their grandparents, not to mention a reprieve from their stressed out mama. The day ended up being simply wonderful. Not only did I get the day to myself, but my hubby took me out for a nice dinner, and my in-laws made a ton of jam for me (something I would have loved to do, but these swollen feet can't stand in front of the sink that long to wash and stem). It was a very nice gift.

Now, with just 8 days before the delivery date, I am able to see the light at the end of the tunnel. Although I am looking like Hom*er Simp*son these days with my gut hanging out, since my shirts are too short and my pants won't stay up, I know it won't be long. And I plan on taking some fun little outings with my girls this week to make the most out of the time we have before junior consumes most of it. But, I also look forward to carrying a little round bundle in only a week's time!

Catching Up

Wow, it's been a long time since I posted last. And I'm afraid it's just going to become fewer and farther between. I so wanted to keep up with blogging, taking care to write all the cute things my kids say and record their precious sayings. I wanted to record how this pregnancy went so I could tell the kids stories later in their life (considering I forgot so much about the first two). But alas it didn't happen, because life happened. And that's okay. I'd like to recap some of the things that have been going on though...

The Girls
A couple months ago, the girls began swimming lessons. I know we aren't going to go swimming much this summer, but we do have a boat and I think it is important for them to learn swimming safety. Plus, they have shown a lot of fear in the past and I was hoping to have them get over that (to the point they don't even want to take a shower!!) Both girls went through some tears over the last 5 weeks, but I have definitely seen improvement. I especially couldn't be prouder of Kyra. She went from not being able to let go of my arms to jumping in the pool all by herself and turning around and swimming to the edge of the pool. She dove off the diving board, and even went under water to reach for rings at the bottom of the pool (although she wasn't thrilled about that exercise). Katie needs a little of work still, and fought going to lessons almost every time, but at least she'll jump of the edge to someone in the pool and is starting to kick and move her arms. It was a joy to watch them both.

The Hubs
My hubby has been extremely busy, much to my dismay, but at least as this baby approaches quickly his time away from home seems to be lessening. He has become head foreman of his big job site, which requires more of his time, and hence comes home a little later sometimes (which don't get me wrong I am grateful for, because he has a job, and a job in this economy is definitely a plus). He also, along with his brothers, just put in over 50 acres of field corn among 4 property parcels. His father become ill with a burst appendix over a month ago, and has been unable to help, so the boys had to put in some overtime. Of course planting corn and watching it grow is one of my hubby's ultimate joys. He gets a high off corn.

Me
I have slowly been trying to give up control in trying to have everything ready for baby #3. It would have been nice to have this boy's room all decorated nicely, had my computer ready to print out baby announcements, and have Katie all potty trained (so I won't have two in diapers), but I'm afraid it's not going to happen.

It was my New Year's resolution to have Katie potty trained by the time the baby was born. And considering the fact that she is already 3, it seemed like an obtainable goal. However, she is a strong willed child, and along with having so many constipation issues, I think it's going to take awhile yet. To her credit, she does go #1 on the potty a great deal of the time, we just have to work on the other half. I know it will come, I just need to work on patience.

Our computer has died on us too. And while this doesn't seem like a huge problem, I lost the program I loved best to download pictures, and haven't been able to find an equally good program (don't remember what I had before). I have also spent a good deal of what seems like wasted time trying to download software, when I could have been washing baby clothes or watering flowers. So, we finally drug our feet to the store to buy a new desktop after installing a new hard drive in the old computer and not receiving the results we expected. Hopefully this computer will last awhile, and I can download everything I need before baby comes.

Finally I was broadsided in a parking lot by an older couple. Fortunately I was okay, but we have a small dent in the car that bugs me. And due to Michigan's no fault law, I would have to pay for the damage even though I didn't create it (not to mention if claimed, my insurance rates would go up). We thought about small claims court, but at this point in the pregnancy, I think I'm just going to let it go.

To be honest though, this has been the best pregnancy I have had. Even though my ducks aren't all in a row, I have felt good almost the entire pregnancy and still don't even sleep with any side pillows. I have had a few rough spots, but all in all I feel great. Even this cooler weather is a blessing, because my feet and legs are not swelling up as much as the past pregnancy's. This baby is a mover and a shaker though. I have felt more kicks and punches then with either girls combined. He must be ready to take on the world!

So, after this long winded blog entry (sorry), I will leave you with this prego picture some of you have been requesting. I don't normally like photographing myself, but also regret not taking more pregnant pictures of me with my girls either. So with 19 days before baby comes, here I am smiling and ready (hopefully) to relinquish control to God and his foreseeable future for our life as a family of five!!

Trading Spaces

In order to make room for this new addition in our family, we needed to put the girls together. It would have been nice to just move Katie to Kyra's room so we could leave the nursery as it was, but the nursery is the bigger room. So all the nursery items had to be moved to Kyra's room, and all of Kyra's stuff had to be moved to Katie's room. I had wanted to make this transition a while ago, but could not decide on bed arrangements (bunk bed, twin beds, hammocks :). Alas, we found a bunk bed that we liked and decided to keep them as twin beds for the time being, so I wouldn't have to climb up and make their beds daily. Unfortunately my order was back ordered and didn't come for weeks and weeks.

Finally, a couple weeks ago the beds came. I thought it would be nice if the girls went to Grandpa and Grandma's house for the evening, so we could have some uninterrupted moving time, and surprise them with a finished room when they came back. I was glad we did, because we had furniture all over the place. I ended up being very pleased with the end result. Their room is definitely more crowded, but it looks very cute. We also still have a few finishing touches to go, like removing the nursery valance and putting it in the baby's room, but those are minor changes. And due to the fact that this baby boy is inheriting a girl's bedroom, it looks a little girly. But I'm pretty sure he won't notice for the first year or two!!

When the girl's arrived back home, their grins said it all. Kyra was a little disappointed that she wouldn't be able to sleep on the top bunk, but she got over it quickly. It has now been a week and half, and they are having so much fun. I am happy to say that Katie adjusted well immediately to her new arrangement. She still takes naps well (not getting out of bed to test the waters), and loves having her sister near by. Kyra loves her bed, but says Katie keeps her up too late talking (although truthfully I don't think she minds all that much, since I hear a good deal of the laughter from her). They have played battle ship with their beds, while shooting stuffed animals across the room, and adorned their beds with books while playing "check out" at the library. It is fun to see them using their imaginations and enjoying their space together. It brings back memories of my sister and I sharing a room and all the fun times we had playing games and chatting till late. Although, I'm sure this honeymoon won't last forever (after all I also remember putting masking tape down the center of the room too!).

Katie's room before the transformation

Girls room after transformation

Third Glance At My Little One

A couple of weeks ago I had the opportunity to have another ultrasound. I was a little nervous going in, because at my previous ultrasound they had found one kidney that was slightly enlarged. They wanted to recheck things at 28 weeks, just to make sure everythings was okay. Fortunately my doctor had told me that this happened fairly frequently, and that 9 times out of 10, it corrected itself before delivery.

I was happy to hear that the kidneys look fine now, and that my little sweet pea is thriving. But most of all I was happy to see this little guy's face. I just can't get over how wonderful these 3D images look. When the tech asked me if I had anymore questions at the end of the ultrasound I wanted to say "Can we just stay here for awhile and gaze at his profile?" Unfortunately I think she had better things to do.

Here are a couple of pics of my little guy. I've already had a few people say that he looks like Kyra. Isn't that amazing? He isn't even born yet, and we can get an idea of who he looks like!

Sweet Pea's First Pics

When I was pregnant with both of my girls, we decided not to find out with either one. It was very exciting to have that big announcement: It's a....! Although, I have to say, with Katie it was a lot harder not knowing (but definitely worth it). However, this time, knowing it is our last one, we just had to know. Being able to prepare the baby's room is a big plus. But at the same time, I also wanted to give myself a few months to mentally prepare. You see, when Katie was born, I was almost 99% sure she was a boy. And of course I was glad that she was healthy and beautiful, but I would be lying if I said I wasn't a wee bit disappointed that she wasn't a boy in those first few moments. Of course now, I couldn't be happier. The two girls are great companions, and I enjoy watching them play and learn from each other. Needless, to say we decided to find out the sex of our baby.

I love guessing games though. So, before I make the big announcement, I want you to tell me what you think we are having. Are we going to be swimming in sugar and spice like Jenny, or entering into the world of snails and toads? I will leave you with some pictures of our little one, and then share our news in a couple days (a little squirming is good for the soul). Of course no guessing if you actually do know, and you know who you are!

Our baby's profile, it had it's mouth open almost the whole time! Definitely daddy's child!

My first 3D ultrasound, again baby's mouth is open!

This picture is my favorite. Although it might be harder to tell, the baby has it's lil' hand in front of it's face, and the other arm by the side of it's head. I'm in love already!

Letter to my pea in a pod

Dear Little One -

This past week I have started to feel you inside of me. I always long for this time, because this is the first moment I feel I am really able to bond with you. It's amazing to hear your heartbeat, see you move around on a moniter, but this physical connection makes me feel closest to you. That little kick or movement across my belly is reassurance that you are still slowly growing inside of me. Keep getting stronger little one, because your family is all very anxious to meet you.

I want you to know how much your father and I already love and desire to have you in our lives. Back a year or so ago, we began contemplating if we should add another child to our family. It seemed I felt different almost every day. One day I was content entertaining your two sisters and pondered at how life had finally come to the point where it was comfortable. Your sisters were old enough that I didn't feel overwhelmed all the time with the wonderful responsibility of caring for a baby or toddler. Your father and I could each hold a child's hand, each put a child to bed, have one on one attention. I knew having a third child would mean your dad and I would be outnumbered. There was a sense of insecurity in the possibility of "rocking the boat." It seemed like such a hard decision...do we have a third child or don't we. What did God want us to do? Would having a third overwhelm our marriage? I have to say we never thought this hard about having your sisters. After all I knew I wanted at least one child, hence with God's blessing Kyra was born. Katie, well God made that decision for us. He gave us the unexpected blessing of your second sister. But you, you were the hardest. Until thoughts of you were consuming my mind daily. I knew our family just wasn't complete. I figured if I thought this much of an unborn child, then surely you were meant to be.

The next month we began trying to conceive you. We planned dates for your arrival and perfect timing of ovulation, but that didn't seem to work. After months of disappointment, I began to wonder if God really wanted us to have a third child and maybe it was just my own desire. I contemplated giving up, and putting in the towel. Maybe it was sign from God saying, you need to be content with the wonderful children you've been given. After all I know that I am deeply blessed and I should not want for anything. I also know we had put a lot of trust in the function of our own bodies, and had not relied more on God. We had tried putting things in our control, instead of having faith in Our Savior. The next month we decided not to "try" so hard. We weren't going to look at dates or time everything. And you know what? That was the month you were conceived!

I know now that even though your dad and I strongly desired to have you in our family, it was all in God's timing. He knew my desires, but He also knows the perfect time for you to enter into our lives. So grow little one. I look forward to feeling more kicks and elbows, because it means you are very much alive inside of me. And the fatigue and achy legs I can endure, knowing that in just 4 1/2 short more months I can hold you in my arms.

Lots of love,
Mommy