Little Dude's Birth Story

During my last trimester of my pregnancy with Little Dude, my hips and back gave me a lot of problems.  By the time I hit 40 weeks, I was a lot of pain, barely able to walk, and ready to have the baby NOW.  However, since my other three pregnancies went to 42, 41, and 42 weeks respectively, I figured I still had some time to go, especially since both of the 42 week pregnancies had to be induced.

One day before my due date, I felt an urgency to finish up all the last minute things I had on my to-do list such as packing the suitcases for the kids, packing the hospital bag, getting the baby stuff out, etc.  I spent Monday and Tuesday working on things from my to-do list in between resting because of the pain in my hips and back.  On Wednesday, March 5th (one day after my due date), I woke up not feeling well.  My lower back ached, and I was having a lot of cramping and contractions.  I spent most of the day on the couch with a heating pad on my back.  Things got progressively worse as the day wore on and I couldn't help wondering if it was the beginning of something, but I didn't let myself get my hopes up.  Around 4 in the afternoon, I went to the bathroom and realized that I'd lost my mucous plug so I knew that things were going somewhere, but since that had happened 2 days before going into labor with Little Man, I didn't read into it too much other than to be happy that it probably meant I wouldn't have to be induced again.

Home from the hospital at 1 day old

Hubby took the kids to church that evening while I stayed home because I was in no shape to go out.  Right after they left, the contractions started becoming stronger and more frequent.  By the time they arrived home an hour and a half later, the contractions were becoming pretty regular.  However, I was still in denial since I didn't believe that I could go into labor that "early."  I started timing the contractions and by 10:00, they were about 6 minutes apart and strong enough that I finally felt certain that this was it.  I called the birthcenter and let them know we were on our way and then called Hubby's mom to come stay with the kids.  By 10:30 pm, we were on the road.  In the 40 minutes it took to get there, the contractions became much worse and were less than 4 minutes apart when we arrived at the birthcenter.    

The nurse checked me at midnight and I was dilated to 4 centimeters.  I was a little disappointed because the contractions were pretty strong and painful by that point so I had been hoping to be a little bit further along.  The doctor wanted to be sure that I was progressing before formally admitting me so we settled in to wait until 2 am when I would be checked again.  By 2 am, I was in a lot of pain with terrible back labor and ready to get an epidural.  The nurse checked me and I was dilated to 6 centimeters so I was admitted and the anesthesiologist was called.  He arrived a little before 2:30 to start the epidural and it didn't take him long to get it in.

Sleeping in the pack n' play

The relief I was expecting from the epidural never came though.  It did absolutely nothing for the pain even though the anesthesiologist kept increasing the dose to try to make me more comfortable.  The contractions were incredibly intense and getting closer together.     

I should have seen the signs that I was in the transition stage of labor-I was shaking, throwing up, having hot flashes, feeling a lot of pressure, etc.  I didn't think I could go from 6 cm to 10 cm in an hour though!  A few minutes after 3 am, I started to throw up again and as I did, I felt an incredible pain and pressure in my pelvis that didn't let up.  I yelled for the nurse and when I told her what was happening, she ran to hit the call button for the doctor and the next thing I knew, the room was full of nurses and the doctor was throwing her gown on as fast as she could.  Two quick pushes and the baby was out.

Random fun fact: The doctor who delivered Little Dude was the same one who delivered Little Man.

Little Man shared his special John Deere blanket with his little brother

The doctor laid him on my chest as soon as he was born and the first thing I noticed was that he was completely green, like a little alien.  It turns out that he had had a bowel movement before birth, but because my water didn't break until after he was delivered, nobody realized it.  He was born still in his amniotic sac which broke on its own after delivery.  This is pretty rare and only happens in about 1 in 800,000 births  Thankfully, he was born so quickly that he didn't get a chance to inhale any of the meconium so he was fine.  He was observed for a while that night and periodically throughout the next day just to be safe though.

We could have stayed in the hospital until Saturday, but opted to leave on Friday instead.  I wanted to rest at home instead of in an uncomfortable hospital bed and Little Dude was doing great so we didn't see the point in staying an extra day.

Little Man shared his special John Deere blanket with his little brother

My recoveries after having Little Man and Star were fairly easy (aside from the cellulitis I got after having Star), so I was expecting this one to go smoothly too.  Unfortunately, this pregnancy messed up my back and hips pretty badly so it's been rough, plus I'm just not springing back from giving birth the way I had hoped.  Thankfully, Hubby's mom kept the three older kids for a full week giving me time to rest at home, and Hubby has been absolutely wonderful helping out around the house and with the kids.  My parents and my younger sister have also set aside their own plans to come over and help me out.   

Baby #4 - 40 Weeks

How Far along: 40 weeks and full term!

Bad picture, but you get the idea of the size of my stomach!

Baby's Size:  Full size and ready to be born!  The last two appointments I've had, I've been measuring big.

Sleep: I've given up sleeping in my bed and sleep on the recliner now.  It's so much more comfortable, and I'm able to sleep through most of the night there.

Movement?: Yes, but not so much anymore because baby is running out of room!  I love feeling a little foot or elbow pushing against my stomach and being able to push back.  I'm probably annoying this kid like crazy...

Food Cravings: Nothing too serious right now. 

Gender: It's more than likely a boy.  But until I see the proof myself after the baby's born, I'm not going to say that with 100% confidence. 

Labor Signs: In the last few days, the frequent contractions I've been having for the last few weeks have gotten much stronger and more frequent.

Symptoms: My hips and my back...I seriously can't walk or carry anything (or anyone!) without being in a lot of pain right now.  I'm definitely not going to hold out for 42 weeks before being induced this time because the pain is awful.  My doctor told me to take it easy and not move around too much which is great advice except that I have three young kids including a 17 month old who still needs to be carried a lot.        

Mood Most Of The Time: It changes from minute to minute.  At this point I'm sick of all the questions and I'm in so much pain from my hips and back that I'm pretty irritable.  Right now, the thought of living like this for another week or two is an unbearable thought so I'm just focusing on getting through one day at a time.   

Looking Forward To: Going into labor!!!  I'm reallllllllly hoping I go into labor naturally like I did with Little Man instead of having to be induced again.  In my experience, inductions are much harder labors. 

Miscellaneous: I have the hospital bag packed except for the last minute stuff (medicine, pillow for Hubby, etc) which is written down on a list sitting on top of the bag so I remember to throw it in before we leave.  I also packed most of the kids' stuff for when they stay at my in-laws.  Because they don't have enough clothes in their closets to pack for 3-5 days while still having enough left to wear until then, I wasn't able to finish completely, but at least I have some of it done.  

  

Baby #4 - 39 Weeks

I'm free-styling my pregnancy update today because I just don't think I can fill in another of those questionaires right now.  Also, no picture because...just no. 

Sometime at about 38 1/2 weeks, I hit the Pregnancy Wall.  You know, the point in the pregnancy where you say to yourself, "I'm officially done.  I can't do this anymore.  This kid has got to get out now!"  Except the baby didn't get the memo and is happily staying put with no intentions of going anywhere.  So, I'm still pregnant.  The worst part is that I know that realistically I could have another 3 weeks left.  3 weeks is an eternity when you're so big that your stomach bumps into EVERYTHING, you are having constant, but useless contractions, you're pretty sure you're a candidate for a double hip replacement, you can't bend over due to an inflamed ligament in your stomach, and you are down to only four shirts in your closet that still cover The Belly.

I finally bit the bullet and packed my hospital bag yesterday.  I'd made the packing list last week, but hadn't gotten around to actually doing anything about it yet.  I think I was subconciously hoping that being unprepared might send me into labor a little early, but no such luck.  When I go to the birthing center to have the baby, the three older kids will be staying with my in-laws.  My mother-in-law takes a week off of work whenever a new grandbaby is born so she can help out which is really great.  However, I haven't packed for the kids yet because none of them have enough clothes to have 5 days worth of clothes packed in a suitcase while still leaving them enough in their closets to wear until then.  But, if I go into labor on my own, I'll have enough time to throw some things together for them (and I briefed my MIL on where to find anything I might forget) and if I get induced, I'll know the date in advance so will be able to pack the night before.  So I'm really not too worried about that. 

I missed my OB appointment last week because we had a serious blizzard up here in the Midwest.  My doctor's office was even closed because so many roads were shut down that people couldn't get to work.  My next appointment is this Thursday, and Princess has an orthodontist appointment the same day to be fitted for an orthodontic appliance to correct her cross bite (incidentally, I received a payment book today from the orthodontist for the next 10 months and a bill for the initial payment of over $1300....um, yeah I'll just write a check out for that, no problem...).  My younger sister will be watching the two younger kids at my house so it'll just be me and Princess and we're going to have a much needed Mommy-Daughter day which I'm looking forward to.

Anyways, I think I've rambled enough for now.  I'll leave you with a link to my list of pros to being pregnant and overdue.  Leave a comment if you have anything to add to that list because I could really use some pros right now! 

Third Trimester Problems

I'm 38 weeks so third trimester problems have been plaguing me for a while now, but at this point in the pregnancy, things really get interesting because of my size.

Here's my list of #thirdtrimesterproblems.  

When I play my fiddle, I can't play the E string because the bow bumps into my stomach.

I'm pretty sure my arms are getting shorter.  I'm starting to feel like a t-rex.   

When Star stands in front of me holding onto my legs, I can't see her.  The only way I know she's there is by the little hands grabbing my knees.

When Little Man runs up to me to give me a hug, he bounces off my stomach.

I would rather leave a $50 dollar bill on the floor than bend over to pick it up.

My idea of exercise is getting up off the couch or rolling over in bed.

Getting up only once to use the bathroom counts as a good night of sleep.

95% of my maternity clothes are too small to cover my belly.

It's the middle of winter, but the idea of not putting on a pair socks when I go out is kind of appealing.

Fred Flintstone feet...'nuff said.

I have a very real fear that I won't be able to get my wedding ring off my swollen hands.

I'm ready to go to bed before the kids are at night.

My fastest speed is "slow turtle."

Any shoes that are not slip-ons are completely out of the question.

No more sitting in booths at restaurants!  Only tables with chairs that slide out, thank you very much.

The nesting instinct is kicking in big time, but I'm too big and uncomfortable to do much at all.

I'm starting to feel like people are viewing me as a ticking time bomb.

Questions like these.    


What would you add to this list?  Tweet me @supermommyornot with the hashtag #thirdtrimesterproblems or leave me a comment!
    

Baby #4 - 38 Weeks

How Far along: 38 weeks

Baby's Size:  According to babycenter.com, the baby is over 6 pounds now.  

Sleep: I wake up 1-2 times a night to use the bathroom and it usually takes me a good 5 minutes to get out of bed because the pain and stiffness from laying in one spot for so long is tons-of-fun.  Hubby complains that I wake him up every time I have to get up to use the bathroom :)

Movement?: Yes, but not so much anymore because baby is running out of room!  I love feeling a little foot or elbow pushing against my stomach and being able to push back.  I'm probably annoying this kid like crazy...

Food Cravings: Nothing too serious right now. 

Gender: It's more than likely a boy.  But until I see the proof myself after the baby's born, I'm not going to say that with 100% confidence. 

Labor Signs: Contractions have picked up and are getting more frequent and painful.  I'm one of those lucky people who get to spend the last few weeks of pregnancy in what feels like the beginning stages of labor. 

Symptoms: Stiffness, discomfort, an inability to bend over, fatigue, heartburn, emotional...you name it, I've got it.  I also have a painful inflamed ligament in my stomach so that's extra fun.  I'm also nesting like crazy, but can't do much at a time or lift or move anything so I'm pretty limited in what I can do which is very frustrating when I want to ORGANIZE ALL THE THINGS!        
  

Mood Most Of The Time: I'm getting closer to the time when all I want to do is stay in my house until the baby is born because the constant comments and questions get really irritating towards the end of a pregnancy and I get really cranky.   

Looking Forward To: Being able to spill the beans on a big announcement that is (believe it or not) not baby related!  Hopefully later this week, I'll know the final details and be able to share my news with you! 

Miscellaneous: I had an ultrasound last Thursday to check for placenta previa.  It was the worst ultrasound I've ever had.  Between the baby and the ultrasound technician both pushing down on my cervix and then having to be tilted on my head to try to get the baby to move away from the cervix so the tech could see where the placenta was and then that not working either so having to have my first transvaginal ultrasound, it really just wasn't a great experience.  I went straight from the ultrasound to my doctor's appointment and since my doctor didn't have the ultrasound results by the time my appointment was done, she told me to stick around town for a few hours in case I had to come back and deliver.  WHAT?!?!  Thankfully, I do NOT have placenta previa, and I have been given the go-ahead to deliver naturally...or be induced at 2 weeks overdue for the third time.  I'm hoping for the first option.
And on a completely unrelated note, I should probably get busy packing the hospital bag and the kids' suitcases so they can stay with my in-laws while I'm in the hospital.

Baby #4 - 35 Weeks

How Far along: 35 weeks

 
Baby's Size: Baby is about the size of a honeydew melon and is approximately 18" long and weighs 5 1/4 pounds.  Baby is pretty much done developing and is working on gaining weight for birth.

Sleep: I would be thrilled to get a little bit more.  Or a lot more.  Basically, more sleep would be awesome.

Movement?: Yup!  My favorite part of pregnancy even though some of the kicks and jabs hurt now.  However, this baby doesn't seem as active as the others were so there's not as much pain associated with the movements as there was in my other pregnancies. 

Food Cravings: I would kill for an Asian Slider from Bakers' Square or a sandwich from Chik-Fil-A.  Lucky for me, I have a doctor's appointment in The Big City this Thursday and there's a Bakers' Square nearby.  Unfortunately for me, the closest Chik-Fil-A is over 3 hours away from me.  

Things That Make Me Queasy: My morning sickness symptoms return in the last trimester (yay...) so I have to be careful to eat frequently and not skip meals or snacks.  Also, it turns out that cleaning up someone else's puke makes me throw up too.  Found that out this morning while cleaning Little Man's puke bucket out.

Gender: Okay, I decided to finally spill the beans!  The ultrasound tech said it looks like a boy.  However, I will believe it when I see the baby on his or her birthday :)

Labor Signs: The Braxton Hicks contractions haven't been as frequent as they were a month ago.  I do have to be careful not to overdo it though as that means painful contractions for several hours afterwards. 

Symptoms: Oh my word, the heartburn.  I have severe acid reflux disease and when I'm pregnant it gets even worse.  I'm finally seeing a GI doctor next week about it since it's pretty much uncontrollable even with a daily prescription.        

Mood Most Of The Time: I'm getting closer to the time when all I want to do is stay in my house until the baby is born.  Not because I'm nesting or anything, but because the constant comments and questions get really irritating towards the end of a pregnancy and I get really cranky. 

Looking Forward To: I know I should say that I'm looking forward to having the baby at this point, but since this is my last pregnancy (I'm serious this time!), I'm not ready for it to be done yet.  Plus there's the whole thing where I know that the baby is easier to take care of now rather than after he or she is born :)

Since I'm 35 weeks, I finally decided to put together my to-do list of things I need to do before Baby gets here.  

• Move cradle to the living room
• Wash baby clothes
• Make at least 6 freezer meals.
• Pack my hospital bag, the diaper bag, and the kids' overnight bag
• Get the newborn essentials: a few packs of diapers, pacifiers, etc
• Rearrange car seats in the van and install convertible carseat for Star so the baby can have the infant carrier that Star is still using
  
• Wash and sanitize baby bottles and pacifiers
• Pick up infant swing at my friend's house

Baby #4 - 33 Weeks

How Far along: 33 weeks

Yes, I know I'm huge.  Yes, there's only 1 baby.

Baby's Size: Baby is about the size of a pineapple and is approximately 17" long and weighs 4 pounds.  His or her skeleton is hardening and baby is working on gaining weight to keep warm after birth. 

Sleep: Ha!  I don't sleep well at night AT ALL anymore.  It takes me 15 minutes to roll over from one side to the other and I wake up frequently throughout the night with weird vivid dreams.

Movement?: Yup!  My favorite part of pregnancy even though some of the kicks and jabs hurt now. 

Food Cravings: My cravings change from day to day right now.

Things That Make Me Queasy: My morning sickness symptoms return in the last trimester (yay...) so I have to be careful to eat frequently and not skip meals or snacks.

Gender: Okay, I decided to finally spill the beans!  The ultrasound tech said it looks like a boy.  However, I will believe it when I see the baby on his or her birthday :)

Labor Signs: The Braxton Hicks contractions haven't been as frequent as they were a month ago.

Symptoms: Princess informed me that I walk like a penguin now which I attribute to the pain and stiffness in my hips, especially my left one.    

Mood Most Of The Time: A little Significantly stressed out about how we're going to handle sleeping arrangements when the baby gets here.  I've tried and it just doesn't work to move Star in with the older two kids so she's still sleeping in our room and is a very light sleeper.  Looks like I may be sleeping in the living room with the baby until we get our own house!

Looking Forward To: I know I should say that I'm looking forward to having the baby at this point, but since this is my last pregnancy (I'm serious this time!), I'm not ready for it to be done yet.  Plus there's the whole thing where I know that the baby is easier to take care of now rather than after he or she is born :)

Baby #4 - 28 Weeks

How Far along: 28 weeks. As of last Tuesday, I was officially in the third trimester.

Baby's Size: Baby is about the size of a large eggplant and is approximately 14.8" long and weighs 2 1/4 pound.  He or she is able to blink his or her eyes and has eyelashes.

Sleep: Pretty much always tired lately, but not as bad as it was a few months ago.

Movement?: Lots of movement :)  This baby doesn't seem as active as the others were which maybe means that he or she will be laid back and easy going, right? :)

Food Cravings: My cravings change from day to day right now.

Things That Make Me Queasy: Been feeling pretty good lately.

Gender: We're keeping it a secret because of what happened last time and because I just get so annoyed with the comments and assumptions about my family when I tell people what I'm having.  Princess is hoping for another sister (she even put it on her Christmas wish list at school yesterday) and Little Man is hoping for a brother.  Princess is still holding out hope for twins, one of each, but I'm 99.9% sure that there's just one baby in there :)  

Labor Signs: Having several Braxton Hicks a day.

Symptoms: The usual.  Killer heartburn, fatigue, achy legs,. joint pain, especially in my hips.  I bought a maternity support belt yesterday and am wearing it today to see if it helps with the muscle pain.  I passed my glucose test last week with no problems so that was good to hear.    

Mood Most Of The Time: Meh.  Not so good lately. 

Looking Forward To: Wrapping some Christmas presents! 

Baby #4 - 26 Weeks

How Far along: 26 weeks. Next week, I'll officially be in the third trimester!

Baby's Size: Baby is about the size of an eggplant and is approximately 14" long and weighs 1 2/3 pound.  He or she is able to hear my voice and is beginning to practice taking breaths.

Sleep: I seem to go through a period of a few weeks where I need a ton of sleep.  I just got through one of those periods and am feeling a little better, but I could still use a nap most days. 

Movement?: Lots of movement :)  This baby doesn't seem as active as the others were which maybe means that he or she will be laid back and easy going, right? :)

Food Cravings: I've been craving eggnog and Little Debbie Cherry Cordials lately.  And yes, I'm definitely putting on too much weight.  Ugh.  I eat more when I'm stressed out without even realizing it and the last month has been extremely stressful to say the least. 

Things That Make Me Queasy: Been feeling pretty good lately.

Gender: We're keeping it a secret because of what happened last time and because I just get so annoyed with the comments and assumptions about my family when I tell people what I'm having.  I can tell you that the baby is healthy and right on track for growth. :)  My standard answer when someone asks what I'm having is to smile and say, "Well, we know it's either a boy or a girl!"  So far, that's worked pretty well :) 

Labor Signs: The Braxton-Hicks contractions are starting to get a little stronger, but nothing too bad yet.

Symptoms: The usual.  Killer heartburn, fatigue, achy legs.  

Mood Most Of The Time: Depends on the minute you're asking. 

Looking Forward To:  Turkey!  I love turkey and I only get to eat it once a year at Thanksgiving (I tried making turkey for supper one time and Hubby was not impressed since apparently turkey can only be served on Thanksgiving)

Baby #4 - 24 Weeks

How Far along: 24 weeks.  Because I'm at the point in this pregnancy where things don't really change much from week to week, I'm moving to biweekly posts for the time being.   

24 Weeks

Baby's Size: Baby is about the size of an ear of corn (just in time for harvest season!) and is approximately 12" long and weighs 1 1/3 pound.  Taste buds are forming and pretty soon, baby will start to put weight on so he or she will be a chubby, cuddly newborn.

Sleep: Can't get enough.  I've been needing (not wanting, but needing) naps frequently. 

Movement?: Lots of movement :)  Princess was able to catch a few kicks the other day and thought that was pretty cool.  This baby doesn't seem as active as the others were which maybe means that he or she will be laid back and easy going, right?  Lol

Food Cravings: Anything with pumpkin.  I think that has to do with the season we're in :)  I've also been craving veggies, but unfortunately, only if they're smothered in butter which kind of makes them less healthy, right?

Things That Make Me Queasy: Been feeling pretty good lately.

Gender: We're keeping it a secret because of what happened last time and because I just get so annoyed with the comments and assumptions about my family when I tell people what I'm having.  I can tell you that the baby is healthy and right on track for growth. :)  My standard answer when someone asks what I'm having is to smile and say, "Well, we know it's either a boy or a girl!"  So far, that's worked pretty well :) 

Labor Signs: A few Braxton-Hicks contractions here and there, but nothing too bad.  Last time, I was having a lot of them by this time so this is much better.

Symptoms: Tired, hungry, crying at everything and nothing.  Little Man went to church on Wednesday night and told someone that Mommy had been crying before church.  She then proceeded to yell across the church to ask if that was true which meant that everyone turned around and looked at me.  *Embarrassing*

Mood Most Of The Time: Depends on the minute you're asking. 

Looking Forward To:  My glucose testing at my next doctor's appointment...NOT!  I've always been fine on the numbers so I'm not worried about that, but that big cup of super sweet fruit punch makes me gag.

Random Monday-November 4, 2013

Little Man told me that when he gets hurt, I should give him bacon and a hug.  I'm pretty sure that that combo would fix any owies I get too.

Little Man was asking me questions about the baby in my tummy the other day.  Here are a few of my favorites:
"Is the baby going to fly out of your tummy?" (Ha!  If only it were that easy!)
"Is the baby crying in your tummy?" (Only if you keep poking my stomach.)
"Is there a baby in your leg too?"  (Wait a minute, what are you implying?!?)

Little Man's typical bedtime prayer: "Dear Jesus, thank you for a wonderful day. Thank you for "What Does the Fox Say?' *breaks into an enthusiastic "wa pow pow pa pow pow pow!" and dances crazily mid-prayer before moving on*.  Thank you for the tractor that went in the field with the trailer and it didn't get breaked and Grandpa drived it and I didn't even get to ride along because I want to and Grandpa didn't come get me so I could.  Amen."

BTW, if you've seen the viral song "What Does the Fox Say" on Youtube, you should check out this parody.  If you ask me, it's even better than the original :)



I love this picture that Princess drew of her and Little Man in school.  She wrote their ages and first initials above each one.  I'm not sure, but I think Little Man has a beard and mustache. 

Because my craft room is actually a 2 foot wide area behind the couch in the living room, I have to cut fabric on my living room floor.  Due to having, well, children, I usually do this during nap/rest/ask-every-5-seconds-if-it's-time-to-get-up-yet time, but sometimes, I'm working on something that needs to be done asap.  Such as a dress for Princess to wear to school the next day.  However, this is what happens when I lay my fabric on the floor to cut:

I've been told that I have a very cute fabric weight.  This may be true, but I'd rather have a fabric weight that doesn't wiggle so much.

Baby #4 - 22 Weeks

How Far along: 22 weeks and I just realized that it's been 4 weeks since I did a baby bump update!  Whoops :)

Baby's Size: Baby is about the size of a spaghetti squash and is approximately 11" long and weighs 1 pound.  Tooth buds are forming beneath baby's gums.

Sleep: Not bad personally, but Star's sleeping has really gone downhill so that means that mine has too.

Movement?: Lots of little kicks and I can feel them if I put my hand on my stomach too now.  Love it!

Food Cravings: Pop.  I hate that I keep drinking it, but I have been seriously craving it lately.

Things That Make Me Queasy: Been feeling pretty good lately.  If I get overly tired, I get nauseous.

Gender: Well....I had an ultrasound a few weeks ago, and we found out what we're having (well, at least what they say we're having).  We're keeping it a secret though because of what happened last time and because I just get so annoyed with the comments and assumptions about my family when I tell people what I'm having.  I can tell you that the baby is healthy and right on track for growth. :) 

Labor Signs: Nothing :)

Symptoms: Low energy and being tired.  I noticed the other night that my feet were slightly swollen at the end of the day.  Ugh.  I had a lot of problems with that with one of my other pregnancies too and since it's already starting at 5 months, it's probably going to be a problem this time too.

Mood Most Of The Time: Optimistic.  I can't say much yet, but there's some big changes coming to our family (you know, other than the baby, haha) and honestly, things have not been going like we'd planned or hoped.  Yet, it's not bothering me as much as I thought it would.  I guess my decision to fully trust God with this pregnancy extends to the other stuff in my life too right now.  :)

Looking Forward To:  Making some cute stuff for the baby.  I found the perfect fabric at Hobby Lobby and bought a yard to make a minky backed blanket for the baby. 

Baby #4 - 11 Weeks

How Far along: 11 weeks

It turns out that when you get pregnant with your 4th baby when your 3rd one is only 8 months old, you pop almost right away!

Baby's Size:  Baby is the size of a fig and is approximately 1 1/2" long.  Baby's tooth buds are beginning to form under his or her gums and some of his or her bones are beginning to harden.

Sleep: Just fine because the heartburn isn't bad yet, the baby isn't keeping me up with kicking yet and I'm not huge yet.  I am really tired and sometimes fall asleep in the middle of the day on the couch.

Best Moments This Week: Since we just let the news out the weekend before last, I'm still running into people who don't know yet.  It's always fun to see the surprise on their faces when Princess or I tell them.  However, we need to work on Princess's delivery because she keeps telling people that "Mommy's going to have TWO babies!"  She's counting Star and the new baby, but most people go straight to thinking twins, lol.

Miss Anything?: Not really.  Sometimes I forget I'm pregnant because this has been pretty easy so far.     

Movement?: Not yet.

Food Cravings: My specific cravings change frequently.  I'm definitely craving restaurant food from pretty much any restaurant.  Weird, I know, but also very annoying because I live 45 minutes away from most restaurants.

Things That Make Me Queasy: Eating a big meal, not eating frequently throughout the day, staying up too late at night.

Gender: No idea!  After what happened last time, I'm not sure if we're going to find out and/or if we're going to tell people if we do. 

Labor Signs: None, and I hope it stays that way for a while!

Symptoms: Fatigue, mild nausea (nowhere near as bad as I had it with the other three kids!), food cravings.  Most of thy symptoms have been much better than they were with my other three pregnancies except for the itching!  My exzema and dry skin is really flaring up and I itch. all. over.  It's incredibly annoying.  I must be carrying this one differently than the last two because with them, I was wearing maternity jeans by 6 weeks.  Right now, I still fit into my regular pants just fine.   

Mood Most Of The Time: Excited about the baby.  My moods throughout the day change quite a bit (sorry, Hubby!)

Looking Forward To: Hearing the baby's heartbeat for the first time at my doctor's appointment tomorrow!

What!!?!?!!

Princess has a secret she wants to share with you :)

Are you shocked?  You better believe I am!  I was pretty much positive that Star was going to be my last baby so this is an awesome surprise!

I'm incredibly a little freaked out because not only are Star and the new baby going to be only 17 months apart (I've always known that I wanted my kids at least 2 years apart in age), but this also means we're going to have to move.  I know I said that last time I was pregnant (wasn't that just last summer?), but this time we're really and truly out of space.  There's just no way to make our tiny 2 bedroom apartment work with 4 kids, naps, and Hubby's crazy work schedule that often requires him to sleep during the day.  Plus if we move, I will have more opportunities to make some extra money by babysitting during the week. 

During my last pregnancy, I let the stress of...everything and the negativity of others get to me, and I spent most of the pregnancy depressed, super stressed, and just downright miserable. 

That's not happening this time.

I choose to respond to this pregnancy with joy.
I choose to trust God.
I choose to be thankful that God has blessed us again even though that blessing comes with a great deal of responsibility. 

I choose to be joyful.

I found out I was pregnant on June 26th.  I took a test on a hunch, fully expecting it to be negative.  It didn't show a result right away, and I had to leave to get the kids to storyhour at the library so I tossed it in the garbage and we left.  A few hours later, we were home and the kids were eating lunch.  I'm not sure why, but I decided to pull the pregnancy test out of the garbage just to make sure it was still negative.

It wasn't.

I started crying with happiness, fear, excitement, etc.  Pretty much every emotion went through me in the first 10 minutes.  I told a private group I'm in on Facebook about the test because all of the ladies in the group are awesome and supportive and, most importantly, not local so I knew if I told them there wouldn't be any chances of anyone near me finding out :)  They advised me to take another test as it might be a false positive from sitting in the trash so long.  I took another test later that afternoon and... Bam!  Instantly two lines popped up.

I'm 10 weeks now and due on March 4th.  After what happened last time, I still intend to find out the gender at the ultrasound, but I'm not sure if I'm going to share the results with anyone else.

And just to finish this up...here are a few other bloggers I follow who are also expecting!

Jenni from the Blog-She is also having her fourth baby and her third one is about the same age as Star.
Hormonal Imbalances
Proverbs and Pacifiers
Everything and Nothing From Essex
Tales of Beauty for Ashes
This Year's Love Will Last-Her pregnancy announcement video was the sweetest thing I've ever seen.

Are you pregnant?  Just had a baby (anytime in the last year counts!)?  Have an awesome birth story (seriously, all birth stories are awesome so if you have one, it counts.)  Link up your blog!

Cleaning House

If you've been around my blog for a while, then you might remember the 31 Days series I did last October called "31 Days to a Clean House".  Shortly after finishing the series, things went downhill.  First, I got a ton of Christmas orders from my Etsy shop (not complaining about that, by the way!  It was awesome!) and was so busy cutting, pinning, and sewing fabric into cute little outfits that housecleaning got sent to the bottom of my to-do list.

And then I got the best gift for Christmas ever and, between the crazy hormones, morning sickness, and fatigue, it completely threw me off my game for 9+ months.  Most days, I could barely get off the couch to take care of the older two kids let alone do any cleaning.

But yesterday, I pulled out my Control Journal and started following it again.  I also helped my older sister set up her own Control Journal and we're keeping each other accountable and on track.  Everything is easier when you've got someone to do it with!

I'm only 2 days into it, but things are already looking better around here.  And seriously, I spend 30 minutes to 2 hours cleaning every morning and that's it.  What's not to love about a system that keeps your house basically spotless with little effort on your part?
 

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31 Days-Trust Your Gut

This 31 Days post is going to be a little different.  Don't worry.  We will be back to our regular posts tomorrow.

With my first baby, the ultrasound predicted a girl.

I didn't believe it.  I had heard of ultrasounds predicting girls and then turning out to be boys too many times and since I was secretly hoping for a girl, I didn't want to get my hopes up, only to get a surprise in the delivery room.

The ultrasound was right and it was a girl.

With my second baby, the ultrasound predicted a boy.

I believed it.  I'd always heard that if an ultrasound said it was a boy, it would be right.  Besides, I'd seen the proof myself on the ultrasound screen.

The ultrasound was right and it was a boy.

With my third baby, the ultrasound predicted a boy.

Something didn't feel right, but I'd seen the ultrasound and it sure looked like a boy.  I was completely shocked after the ultrasound because I had been so sure the baby was a girl.  There were 4 reasons why I thought that:
1. Princess had told me it was a girl.  She's never been wrong.
2. My sister had told me I was having a girl.  She's never been wrong.
3. The pregnancy was just like my pregnancy with Princess and nothing like the one with Little Man.
4. I just had a feeling.

Every time, I started having doubts (maybe it was a girl...maybe the ultrasound was wrong...), I would pull out the ultrasound pictures and reassure myself that it was a boy. 

This is looking directly up at the baby's bottom.  Do you see why I thought it was a boy?!?

Yet, during the rest of my pregnancy, I had a feeling, a voice in the back of my mind, that there was going to be a big surprise at the end of the whole thing.  I tried to drown it out by stocking up on all blue baby things, but somehow, it just never felt right.  My mom told me after Star was born, that she never felt that a boy was right either.

Even still, I had talked myself into believing the ultrasound so well that when I had a baby girl, it was a complete shock.

I'm glad things turned out the way they did though.  I would've loved to have another sweet little boy, but I wasn't looking forward to the family dynamics of one big sister with two little brothers to pick on her.  I grew up with two younger brothers, but at least I had an older sister to team up with.  Although, Hubby is now lamenting the fact that there's no hope for Little Man since he's sandwiched between two girls (he likes to copy his big sister in everything she does, which includes wearing girly dress-up clothes and jewelry, and playing with dolls).  I think Little Man will turn out just fine and will be a great daddy someday :)

And to wrap this post up, how about a picture of Grandma (my mama!) holding the 2012 grandbaby edition?

Want to see a complete list of the posts in the 31 Days to Simplify Your Life series?  Click here.

   

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Star's Birth Story

I was scheduled to be induced on Thursday, September 27th, at 11 days overdue.  I called the birth center Thursday morning and they asked me to call back at 10 am to see if things had settled down there enough for me to come in.  At 10 am, they were still really busy so my induction was rescheduled for Friday.  It actually turned out to be a good thing though because I had a very relaxed day with the kids and was able to finish a few sewing projects.  The next morning, I called the birth center again and they told me to go ahead and come in to be induced.

We got there at 8 am and the doctor came in to check me before he put the Cytotec in.  I was still at 1-2 cm which is what I had been on Monday when I was checked.  I was kind of discouraged about that, but I wasn't leaving that hospital without a baby!  A few hours after the Cytotec was put in, I started having some mild cramping and a few contractions, but nothing worse than what I had been having for the last few weeks.  The doctor came back after 4 hours to see if I'd made any progress and put in another dose of Cytotec if necessary.  I was barely at 3 cm so we settled in for another 4 hours of waiting for the Cytotec to kick in.  Within a few hours, the contractions were getting worse, but still not anything too bad.  They were pretty irregular and didn't seem to be getting me anywhere.  Sure enough, when the doctor checked me again 4 hours later, I was only 4 cm.  We'd been at the birth center for over 8 hours by this point and had been really hoping things would move a little bit faster than they were.  The doctor decided to break my water to see if things would speed up.  Before he broke it, he asked me if I was sure I wanted to do that as there would be no turning back after that.  Ummmm, I was almost 2 weeks overdue and had been at the birth center all day with cramping and contractions.  YES, I was ready!

About an hour after my water was broken, the contractions started to get pretty painful and the baby's heartbeat started to dip.  I was started on a saline drip which got the baby's heartbeat right back up where it needed to be.  I was checked again at around 8 pm and was still at 4 cm, but the contractions were becoming pretty unbearable and since I knew we still had a long way to go, I asked for an epidural.  Around 9 pm, the doctor decided to start some Pitocin to see if that would work since nothing else was really getting things done.  Thanks to the epidural, the Pitocin didn't make much of a difference in my pain level, but it finally did the trick!  In less than 3 hours, I went from 4 cm to 10 and was finally ready to push.

The nurse called for the doctor and had me start pushing while we waited for him to get there, assuming I would be pushing for a while.  During the second push, she suddenly told me I had to stop pushing and wait for the doctor.  He ran in, threw his gloves and gown on (which seemed to take forever since all I wanted to do at that point was push) and caught the baby on the next push.

At this point, Hubby and I got what was probably the biggest surprise of our lives when the doctor announced that we had a baby girl as the ultrasound back in April had clearly showed a boy or so we thought!

Just born!

The nurse laid the baby on my chest where she promptly peed on me.  I couldn't stop crying and absolutely couldn't believe that I had another little girl!  I had been kind of hoping for a girl before the ultrasound, but had gotten used to the idea of a boy so having to change my mindset so suddenly was a huge shock.

While the baby was being cleaned up, I called the grandparents.  I called my mom first and the first thing I said was "She's here!" to which my mom replied, "She?!?!  No, it's a boy!" It took a minute to convince her that I wasn't pulling her leg.  I asked her not to call my sister (who, being pregnant, had asked me to wait to call her until at least 7 am) because I wanted to be the one to talk to her myself in the morning.  Next, I called Hubby's mom who was also completely surprised, but thrilled nonetheless!

About an hour after the baby was born, a nurse came in to give me the pneumoccocal vaccine which my doctor wanted me to get because of my severe asthma.  She gave it to me in my leg several hours before the epidural wore off.  By Saturday evening, the injection site was red, slightly swollen, and sore, but I wrote it off to not moving my leg around enough after the shot.

5 days old

The next morning, I was discharged and we packed everything up to go home.  We were waiting for the pediatrician to come in and discharge the baby when all of a sudden, I was freezing, aching all over, and extremely tired.  I climbed back into bed and tried to get warm, but was shivering so badly that the whole bed was shaking.  The nurse called the doctor back in and he decided to start me on several antibiotics through an iv since my symptoms and high fever had come on so quickly.  The nurse piled 6 extra blankets, including 2 warmed blankets on me, but I still couldn't get warm.  By this time, my whole thigh where I had gotten the shot the day before was extremely painful, swollen, and bright red.  After a day of sleeping and antibiotics, I felt a little better and my fever came down considerably.  My leg was still so painful that I couldn't bear anything or anyone to touch it and I could barely walk.

8 days old

Monday morning, I spiked another fever and all my symptoms came back, although not as severely as the day before.  The doctor decided to keep me one more night.  During the night, the pain in my leg improved considerably to the point where I could move it around.

Two days after we were supposed to be discharged, we finally got to leave although I had another 7 days of oral antibiotics to take.  The doctor came to the conclusion that somehow the injection had caused cellulitis in my leg.  He said it was a good thing that it had happened while I was still in the hospital and not after I got home!

8 days old

So basically, the labor and delivery weren't that bad and I felt great afterwords, but one little shot is what did me in!  It's been over a week since my symptoms started in my leg and although it's still a little swollen and sore if one of the kids kick me in the leg (which happens way more than I realized!), I'm feeling almost 100% again.

I think I've finally decided on a name to call Baby Girl on the blog!  I'll introduce her in the next post.   :)   


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He's Here!...Or Is He?

You know how I've been talking about "Baby Boy" ever since my first ultrasound clearly predicted a boy back in April?

Here's a snippet of what happened in the delivery room at 12:54 this morning...

Doctor: And...it's a girl!

Me: WHAT?!?!

Doctor: It's a girl. See?

Me: WHAT?!?!

Doctor: Yup. Definitely a girl.

Me *turning to Hubby in shock*: All we have is blue stuff at home!


Here she is!  Announcing my as-yet unnamed baby girl (It took us 9 months to figure out a boy's name...all that work for nothing!).  She weighed 7 pounds, 7 ounces at birth.

Happy birthday, Baby Girl!

You can read her birth story here.


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Why Baby Boy Still Isn't Here

After a couple of rather depressing posts, I think it's time for some humor.  I've come up with a list of reasons why Baby Boy is not interested in joining us out here.

1. We live in Minnesota and winter is coming.  If I could, I'd go hide someplace warm and cozy too and not come out until spring.  Newsflash: he's getting evicted anyways!  Suck it up, kid!

2. He has no name.  Poor thing is already suffering from third child syndrome.  We have a list of three names, but Hubby and I just can't agree on the final decision so we've been ignoring the fact that birth is imminent.  Besides, I'm hoping I'll have more leverage in the argument when I'm in labor.

3. He's heard his older siblings fighting and is scared to come out.  Somedays, I wish I could hide from them too.

4. He knows that I was somewhat secretly hoping for another girl and is afraid I'll try to put a bow in his hair.  Maybe he's seen this picture of his big brother... 

3 month old Little Man trying on a flower hat.  Love the expression on his face.

5. Right now, he gets to have chocolate and other goodies.  After he's born, he'll be on a strict diet of milk.  Plain old boring milk. 

6. He's heard the rumors that I'm a mean mom.  That's right, kid.  There will be no tv in your room, no cell phone or car until you can pay for it yourself, and if you're not out of the house by 18, I will be expecting a rent check.     



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How I Feel About Being Induced

Let me just start by saying that no matter how a baby gets here, the only thing that really matters is that he or she is here.

But just the same, I'm really bummed about having to be induced on Thursday to get this little guy out.

First of all, I was induced at 42 weeks gestation with Princess.  Her induction ended with a forceps delivery, serious tearing, and a hematoma that scared the nurses.  It was traumatizing, both physically and mentally, and it took me several months to recover.  I'm pretty sure it contributed to the postpartum depression that left me feeling like I was in a fog for the first 6 months of her life.

With Little Man, I went into labor naturally 6 days after my due date.  I labored at home for several hours before waking Hubby up to go to the hospital.  Despite the usual pain associated with giving birth, it was a wonderful experience.  One that I was hoping to repeat this time around.

I had high hopes during this pregnancy.  I mean, if my body cooperated last time, then surely it had figured out this whole giving birth thing and would do its job on its own again, right?  It didn't help that during the last month, everyone I have run into was very positive that I would be going into labor soon.  You hear something enough and you start to believe it.  And then there were all the painful contractions and the almost constant cramping in both my stomach and back.  You know, the things that usually precede labor.

But, if you read my last post, then you know that all of that pain and hopeful thinking got me to 1 centimeter dilated and 0% effaced as of yesterday.

Yes, I know things can change very quickly when it comes to labor and delivery.  And, I know that I still have 2 days before my scheduled induction which means a chance to go into labor naturally.  And, I know that this induction may not be anything like the last one.

But right now, I'm 41 weeks and 2 days pregnant, crazy hormonal since the day I got pregnant, and have been miserable and feeling like I'm on the verge of labor for the last month.  Plus, I know at least nine women (some friends, some family, some fellow bloggers) who were also due right around my due date and with the exception of the one who is due today (hope your little one is more cooperative than mine, Victoria!), they've all had their babies, some weeks ago. 

And here I sit, still pregnant and feeling sorry for myself.  I'm sure that tomorrow I'll feel better, but scheduling the induction was such a let-down that I need a day to process the disappointment.

On a completely unrelated note (haha), watch the blog on Friday or Saturday for a special announcement!      

  
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