Tale of a Baby Human... THREE

Cribs...

2010-05-01T15:02:00.002-04:00

Today's baby step in as far as getting ready for Three...

Nope, it's not a name. (HA! That's funny!)

I put the rail back on the crib.

What? no applause? ;)

Simon of course, found this process to be highly interesting and spent a good half hour playing and reading books in the newly assembled crib. LOL. He even asked me to bring in his pillow and noise machine.

23 Weeks...

2010-04-29T17:12:00.002-04:00

...and I'm in a good place, I suppose. Not altogether uncomfortable, acid reflux here and there but not unmanageable, back to yakking multiple times a day, but I'm so used to that that it simply doesn't faze me all that much.

Looking forward to getting to 30 weeks these days because then I feel like the real countdown is on.

I've started shopping here and there for little things we need. Bought some nursing stuff at BRU last weekend because they were having a huge sale in that whole department and I had an awesome coupon. Waiting for another good set of coupons or a sale so I can get the bottles and maybe an infant seat if I can't find a decent one at the consignment stores.

This weekend will be the big clothing sort and wash.... oh how I love the tiny clothes and remembering both my big boys wearing them. :)

And yep. that's the uneventfulness happening at 23 weeks.... 17 to go!

Okay,That's Just Weird...

2010-04-28T10:52:00.002-04:00

So you know how my tickers are a day off from each other. This is all well and good... I go by the later one, which makes me 23 week tomorrow. (Yay for another week crossed off!) But today I noticed that the top ticker claims I have 99 days to go and the floaty baby ticker claims I have 120 days to go. (if you click the numbers they change to different kinds of countdowns/countups) That's kind of a strange discrepancy don't you think?

Progress...

2010-04-27T13:27:00.002-04:00

The baby's room is getting a fresh coat of paint tomorrow, which, I'm hoping will inspire me to a) name the baby and b) start working on everything else.

Should take the painters all of about an hour since the little guy's room is smaller than most peoples' walk-in closets. A fresh coat of the existing happy yellow is just what it needs. That and a good dusting and the first round of tiny clothes washed and freshly hung up in the closet. :)

As Yet, Still Nameless...

2010-04-25T07:39:00.004-04:00

I ran into my sister-in-law's mom yesterday at the spring fair and she asked me about the baby and if we were going to keep the name a secret. I explained that I do intend to keep the baby's name a secret but that so far, that has been easy because we don't even HAVE a name yet. LOL.

Sadly, it's true. I told Tom yesterday that I really think I am just going to end up taking a list to the hospital and noodling on it there while I'm in labor because truly, we are no further with names than we were five months ago. He said he thinks if it's gotten that bad, we need to just start at square one. So, I started perusing more baby name sites this morning for inspiration...

Also, Tom has taken to calling the baby "Baby TBD".

In other news, WOW we have an active one this time. And keep in mind his kicks and punches are even muffled a bit by the extra padding of the front placenta and I really only feel his moves on ONE SIDE because it's situated both up front and to the right, so I'm only feeling the half of it. And let me tell you, this baby is a MOVER. He especially likes the hours between 9pm. and 11p.m. (yawn) So much for Three being the most laid back of my children.

22 Week Belly Pic...

2010-04-22T07:26:00.000-04:00

The green shirt was unintentional... but happy Earth Day anyway! ;)

Two Words.

2010-04-20T20:42:00.001-04:00

Braxton. Hicks.

Yep. Right on schedule.

Is It Just Me? Or is Time Standing Still?!

2010-04-19T07:41:00.002-04:00

Is it baby time yet?

Oh wait, no... we still have the rest of spring and most of summer to get through.

Really? (sigh)

My GOSH this is going by slowly.

The weight gain, on the other hand... sheesh. I've reached the point I always reach where I start to panic. I've talked myself down several times now because I ALWAYS start to panic at this point and it always works out fine in the end. But still, I'm starting to feel like no matter what I do, every time I get on the scale, it's a pound heavier. The last three months I've only gained the recommended 2-3 pounds a month, which would be great but but it's the FIRST two-and-a-half months/15 pounds that are really killing me.

Have I mentioned that approximately ten of the currently gained 21-22 pounds (yes indeedy, 22 pounds at 21 weeks) or so are in my boobs? Because yeah. I remember now why, aside from the bout of mastitis, I gave up the breastfeeding/pumping so quickly last time... it's because I couldn't wait to be rid of these monstrosities. Seriously. I am just not one of those girls who relishes the giant change in chest size that pregnancy brings.

I've started occupying my time by making a list of the few baby things I actually need, which is really startlingly small. I figure I'll buy a couple things here and there over the next 18 weeks and spread out the cost a little. I need a whole new set bottles and nipples this time around, an infant seat and extra base, and, if I decide to go through with making a more concerted effort at the breastfeeding/pumping, storage supplies and whatnot for all that. Oh, and diapers, wipes and baby soap/shampoo. Yep. That's it. Third kids are pretty cheap, well, at least in the beginning. ;) I think I'll also end up needing a few 3-6 and maybe 6-9 month cool weather outfits, but I'm hoping to hold off on that until the baby gets here, so I can get a good idea of how fast he's going to grow (i.e. Ben style or Simon style) and what of his brothers' cool weather stuff he'll be able to wear.

I sure hope the next 18 weeks past quickly!

21 Weeks...

2010-04-16T12:28:00.003-04:00

19 to go... not that I'm counting or anything. :P

The painters are coming in a week or two to paint the nursery. I think we're just going to do a fresh coat of the existing yellow. I considered the bluish purple or the green that are both in the bedding set, but Ben's room and the adjacent bathroom are already blue and the whole first floor and upstairs hallway are a green... so yeah, yellow it probably is -- hopefully with the addition of some wainscoting if I can convince my father-in-law to do that when he's finished helping Tom with our laundry room. LOL.

After that, I'll put the crib together and the bumpers back in and at some point, whenever we get around to choosing a name (sigh) we'll put a new name on the wall. Other than clearing off some books from the big bookshelf in there, that should pretty much be it. Then I can focus on my favorite part of an impending new baby, getting the clothes ready. :)

I had a sudden panicked thought last week and off and on all this week that I should really get the gender of the baby double checked before I do/buy too much more. I don't know what it is... except maybe that the sonographer never really showed me the typical "it's a boy" shot I'm used to seeing (seriously, it never really came up on the screen) and never really seemed 100% on it herself. I didn't really think about that until a few days ago and yeah, it sent me into a bit of a panic spiral. The weird thing is that I mentioned this to my mom figuring she'd laugh it off and she had had the very same thought. I'm sure the ultrasound is most likely right, especially since I do know she actually put "male" on the official report... but for some reason, I can't shake the "what if it's wrong?!" thoughts.

Let's just say I am NOT someone who would take kindly to a "Hey lookie here! Oops! We made a mistake and it's a girl!" surprise on the day of delivery. As much as I would have loved either gender, I have to say at this point, I'm already pretty smitten with this baby boy and to find out it was a girl at this point (or later) would just take a lot of getting used to and my world would be pretty well rocked for awhile.

So yeah... reassure me until the medical community can. It IS a boy, right?

Update...

2010-04-13T08:04:00.003-04:00

Actually, not much to update.

There's lots more movement lately, but it's relative. Compared to what I felt with the other two boys, it's not much at all. So very different! I'm probably feeling now what I was feeling with them around 14-15 weeks!

Ordered a maternity bathing suit, actually two of them, since I hope to do lots and lots of just lounging in the pool over this hot summer... ugh on both the suits and the hot summer.

I think we're getting a little closer to a name. We're at the point now where we are test-driving names (living with a name for a week or so just to see how they feel.) Still very noncommittal on a middle name, but at least we have some good candidates now. My doctor, who is very religious(though I honestly can't figure out if she is Muslim or Christian), said we should definitely name the baby Isaac or perhaps Ishmael. Yes, really, Ishmael. She's funny. All I could think of what The Old Man and the Sea. ("Call me Ishmael..."), but apparently Ishamael was also Abraham's other son. Huh. Ya learn something new every day!

So yeah, that's the update. Like I said, uneventful around here! And uneventful is good, I suppose!

Hiccups...

2010-04-12T08:35:00.002-04:00

Three had his first case of the hiccups last night. LOVE the in utero hiccups! They are so funny! :) Sadly, I can't feel them from the outside so far with this one, only from inside, which is weird because they feel so strong coming from inside that it seems like I SHOULD be able to feel them with my hand... but no. :( Silly misplaced placenta. :(

20-Week Belly Pic...

2010-04-08T16:32:00.004-04:00

Ugh. I did not miss this particular maternity shirt, but it happens to be one of my most comfortable ones right about now. Can we say human Easter egg?

20 weeks with Simon...

And here's 20 weeks with Ben... the first of four times I went to Disney pregnant. Really and truly this time... not ever again.

20-Week Doctor's Appointment...

2010-04-07T12:35:00.005-04:00

...and all is well!

The ultrasound report came back with the baby measuring almost a week big, but healthy and perfect as can be. (The doctor at the perinatal center pretty much told me that on Thursday, but it was nice to hear the official report)

For some reason, my babies always measure a bit bigger than their dates at the 18-20-week ultrasound, but always end up being in the 6-1/2 pound range in the end (my mom compares it to a goldfish in a small tank... a.k.a. my ridiculously short torso. LOL... they can only grow so big in there!), so it will be interesting to see where this little guy ends up at birth. My belly itself is measuring right on at 20 weeks.

The nurse and I have instituted a don't ask, don't tell policy regarding the weigh-ins. I have a vague idea of where it is at any given appointment, and I do weigh myself at home, but I don't like to hear it at the dr.'s office, especially since their scale weighs three pounds heavier than mine. In the end, I'm sure I'll gain between 30-40, it seems pretty pre-programmed for me, frankly. But I hate hearing the numbers go up every month.

So anyway, uneventful appointment, which is always a good thing!

Okay, Enough Already!

2010-04-06T15:41:00.004-04:00

Let me preface by saying a giant THANK YOU to the few people who read here and to my family and close friends because you all are not the guilty ones of whom I speak in this post...

Okay, but the rest of the world -- attention please: The news that someone is having a child of the same sex for the second or third time (or more!) in a row is really not a reason to take pity on them.

When you ask me what I'm having and I tell you (usually rather enthusiastically I might add... and if you don't hear the enthusiasm, it's because I'm already dreading your potential response) "It's another boy!" The right response is NOT "Oh... should I say congratulations or were you hoping for a girl?" Nor is it, "Oh... that's too bad, you were probably hoping for a girl." NOR is it, "Oh, I feel so sorry for you!"

Okay, I realize some of these are knee jerk responses made without any malice, and I'm sure I've made similar remarks to people myself over the years. But really, I can tell you from this side of the fence now, I really do not need sympathy that I'm having a having another boy. He is healthy! He is going to be born into a wonderful family with two big brothers! And for the last time, I do not need a daughter to feel fulfilled as a mother, nor was I particularly hoping for a girl over a boy.

Here's the deal. God has given me three little boys. That is what I'm supposed to have and as far as I'm concerned, it's absolutely perfect. God has also given me a perfect little niece who lives nearby on whom I can dote and thusly really, I have the best of both worlds.

So really, enough with the pity. There are plenty of people out there who don't get healthy babies out of this whole baby-making adventure and who would kill to have even just one of ANYTHING. No way in heck I am going to complain because God didn't see to it to make sure I had a variety.

Actually, if you want to take pity on me, take pity on that fact that I am going to be ridiculously whale-like and hot (and not like, good-looking hot) all summer long. This 80-degree spring day is nearly doing me in!

A Little Whining. Just a Little...

2010-04-05T13:51:00.003-04:00

For the most part, I feel really great this pregnancy. Heartburn, but it's minimal. Still sometimes hurling in the morning, but that's not bad either. But I am getting BIG and I have reached the point of just feeling awkward and heavy. It's an effort to get up, sit down, roll over, bend over, go up the stairs... I'm also hating my clothes.

Sometimes I think, "Oh wow! Just about 20 weeks down! Halfway there!"
and other times It think, "20 weeks down, 20 MORE weeks to go... ugh"

Oh well, eyes on the prize, right? Eyes. on. the. prize.

Current Name Frontrunners...

2010-04-05T07:58:00.003-04:00

People keep asking me where we stand on names for this little guy... and honestly, I am more overwhelmed than ever. I do think we have it, at least for the moment, down to a moderately short list of ideas. NO ideas on the middle name yet... it continues to befuddle. I am thinking of just taking all these names to the hospital in a hat and picking one when the baby comes out. And as for the middle name, I am hoping something inspires me in the next four months or so.

In no particular order: (not much has changed since last I posted this except that I am more indecisive than ever!)

Isaac
Samuel (Sam/Sammy)
Jonah
Jacob
Peter (Ben came up with this one and I am trying to decide my feeling on it. Tom likes it.)
Henry
Joseph
Oliver
Patrick
William
David
Alex

Weirdness...

2010-04-02T13:39:00.004-04:00

Last night, I was outside with the boys and Tom. I had wandered down the street a little ways to help Simon with his bike and I noticed our neighbor directly across from us, whose son passed away in their home three years ago had wandered over to get his mail. He rarely says much to anyone, save for the polite wave and hey-how-ya-doin, here and there. So, imagine my surprise when I saw him stop and strike up a conversation with Tom.

Simon and I worked our way back over and he said, "Congratulations!" I thanked him and asked if Tom had told him what we were having and he said, "Yes! That is GREAT news! Three boys! Nothing more wonderful!" (I think actually, that's what he had)

Then he uttered the comment I'm getting quickly accustomed to, "Bet the next one will be the girl!"

I laughed, and replied that we were in fact, QUITE finished and three was plenty. I think I also said something to the effect of if God had a fourth child in the cards for us, there was going to have to be some major intervention on part. LOL

He laughed and started to walk back home then suddenly turned on a dime and said, "You know, let me just tell you ONE story.."

And it went something like this (I'm sure I'm not quoting him exactly right... but you'll get the gist) --
"My mom had three daughters. She said she never wanted to be pregnant again. Then she got pregnant again. She wasn't thrilled about it. And then she got ME and she really wasn't happy about THAT! (?!) Then one of our neighbors, his son died. (?!) And from then on, she always said that she would NEVER take having another child for granted again."

And then he smiled, turned around and walked back home.

WHAT THE HECK!?

So I laid awake all night wondering if God was trying to tell me that I wasn't finished with this whole baby business. I mean seriously, what was UP with him telling me that story?! Let me tell you, I really REALLY want to be done. I have ZERO desire to ever be pregnant again. (another baby would be fine, but being pregnant? Yeah, so over it)

I have to wonder now though if Three is actually our last.... gah. I can't even think about it anymore right now. Not while I'm still suffering from acid reflux and morning sickness.

Sigh...

2010-04-02T13:18:00.003-04:00

I was playing Legos with Ben this morning and right smack in the middle of a conversation about Han Solo and the ship we were building, he said, very quietly, "I really wish the new baby was a girl."

It's kind of funny to think that my six-year-old SON is the one in the family who is slightly bummed about the news from yesterday. For whatever reason, he was REALLY wishing for a baby sister and has talked about it for probably two years. Of course, he doesn't see it from our parental perspective of practicality, not to mention the fact that he's too young to understand how lucky we are just to be having a healthy baby. Still, I feel sort of bad that I didn't deliver (it was one of the reasons I had on my list to root for a girl)

Honestly, even if we tried again, odds are that I probably STILL wouldn't grant his wish. I know he'll love his new baby brother, but I did think it was really sweet that he loved the idea of a baby girl. He just adores little girls, as is evidenced by the bond he already kind of has with his little cousin. He's so gentle with her.... 180 degrees different than the rough and tumble relationship he has with Simon.

I hope he gets some more female cousins in the future!

I'm sure he'll *really* appreciate having another brother in the house instead of a sister in a few years when he's able to move out of the shared bedroom and into his OWN room. LOL!

My Three Sons...

2010-04-01T21:21:00.002-04:00

18-20-week ultrasounds Left to right: Ben, Three, Simon

I think there is a striking similarity between Three's and Simon's... but who knows?!

The Details...

2010-04-01T13:48:00.006-04:00

So, yep... I am now the proud mom to THREE boys, which is kinda crazy to think about! I actually was fairly sure I spotted the goods pretty early on in the ultrasound when she was looking at the umbilical cord, so I wasn't surprised when she told us it was a boy. I've gotten pretty adept at reading ultrasounds, which actually isn't a good thing because I was a little bummed that I didn't get the big surprise with everyone else! Oh well.

The small twinge of disappointment I felt for a moment was for three reasons --
1) I'll never get to use any of my girl names
2) I won't get to raid the other department for clothes, for my own kids anyway. My niece(s), however, will be well clothed
3) I didn't get to rub it in Tom's face (he was so down on it maybe being a girl that it was getting a little annoying)

But on the whole, I am completely relieved to just know finally and that it is, in fact, another boy because I feel so comfortable with the idea of another little boy. We are thrilled! All I could think about on the way home was getting up to the attic to get down the newborn clothes. I can't wait. :) I also can't wait to hit the order button on the boy clothes I have in my Gymboree online cart. ;) I also can't wait to see all three of my little dudes TOGETHER. It's a picture I have been waiting for for six years!

The baby is healthy and all looks well, which is another huge relief. I'm always so nervous something will show up. There were some tense moments (only on my end, I think) where the the sonographer and the perinatal center doctor were doing some heavy scrutiny of the baby's hands to make sure they opened and closed. The sonographer assured me that she had seen them open plenty, but just didn't get a picture good enough to satisfy the doctor. In the end, it all looked fine. Whew.

AND... as I suspected, my placenta is in the front, which explains the lack of movement I feel. She told me that this pregnancy is going to feel VERY different with respect to the baby's movement. I won't feel a lot of constant jabs and punches and kicks. She said I'll probably only really feel the big flips and pushes as the baby gets bigger and definitely not all the time. So weird, and a little sad! I love that part of being pregnant! He's an active little bugger too, flipping around all over the place and making measurements hard to get.

And lastly, I'll post the rest of the actual ultrasound pics later, but this baby's profile looks EXACTLY like my other two. So it will be fun to see when he's born just how much he looks like them. Not many people notice that Ben and Simon actually look a lot alike until Simon puts a hat on and then you can really see it. And they both definitely have the same nose and mouth, and I think this baby shares that too. :)

So that's that! Time to do some shopping and decorating! :) So excited! Oh, and Tom was so happy to find out it was a boy and he would never have to deal with a preteen/teen girl under his roof, that he has given me total naming rights. HA! I'll take it!

Baby Three is a...

2010-04-01T13:24:00.001-04:00

And Once Again....

2010-03-29T07:27:00.004-04:00

... I've managed to get myself caught up in the whole guess-the-gender thing. I don't know why I do this. I'm not very good at this game, honestly. I've been 50/50 on my own babies and even worse on guessing other peoples'.

I was determined to go into this ultrasound with no set idea of what i thought it could be. But I have to say, as of the last day or two, I am definitely feeling a STRONG girl vibe. I won't deny that it's partially the influence of the silly pee test I took... but also that, actually, there are big things that differentiate this pregnancy from the other two and I just have a different feel altogether. I have thought of this baby in girl pronouns for quite some time now, which, as I've mentioned before hasn't really ever happened to me. (but you could chalk that up to the fact that almost everyone close to me seems to think girl and refer to the baby as such)

We'll see if I'm right. :) No disappointment either way, I promise. Just excited to know. :) I do hope I can videotape when she tells us though because I have a feeling that either way, the reaction in the room is going to be worth capturing.

Time to Vote!

2010-03-28T11:48:00.001-04:00

Vote now!

Belly Pic -- 18 Weeks, 1 Day...

2010-03-27T17:46:00.001-04:00

Taken a few days ago, finally got it off my memory card.

And 18 weeks with Simon...

Pondering the Nursery...

2010-03-26T10:19:00.003-04:00

Since Simon has now moved in with Benjamin, I can start thinking about how to spruce up the nursery to make it special for Baby Three. None of it really depends on the baby's gender, but, for some reason I still always like to wait until we know what we're having to start decorating. Something about having a more accurate mental picture of the baby seems to be inspiring.

We're definitely repainting because after we got rid of the changing table, we had to move some wall shelves to make room for the boookshelf I put in there, so there are holes all over the wall that need to be repaired. Plus, the room has seen its share of bumps and bruises over the past three years and just needs a fresh coat of paint. We'll either just do the same yellow again or switch it out to the light bluish/purple or green that are the other colors in the bedding/curtains for a change of scenery. My other hope is to put some wainscotting and a chairrail up in there.

I'd like to figure out how to absorb our children's book collection into the boys' room somehow so I can put a few decorative baby things and some pictures on the bookshelf. I imagine some of the books are going to have to spend some time in the attic, which is sad... but we're just simply out of room!

And lastly, we need to decide on a new name to hang above the crib, which, at the rate we are going with that, will probably not happen until the baby actually comes HOME.

I have to admit that although I'm excited to see it all finished, I'm not really feeling much of a sense of urgency about it this time. LOL. I guess that's par for the course when it's the third time around. ;)