22 weeks | Baby #4

3.7.17 | 22w3d pregnant

Photo thoughts: Yep, I'm pregnant!

Size of baby: A coconut, a spaghetti squash, a papaya...something like that. I think I read baby is about a pound now

The Bump: Seems big but people are still shocked when I say I'm pregnant. I think bundling up in winter coats and layers really helps with this effect of hiding a pregnancy. Belly button is officially out in the evenings, ready to make a debut with any semi-fitted shirts. 

Cravings/Aversions: Still hungry all.of.the.time. Still enjoying sweets, peanut butter, sparkling waters as a treat, bulletproof coffee each morning, and yogurt. Also, Girl Scout cookies will be my demise. I have an OB appointment this week and I fear the scale. Also, Truman wanted me to make frosted brownies for his birthday treat at school, and then ALSO wanted me to make my homemade chocolate chip cookies for that Friday as a treat. Then we had cake for his party, so our dessert selections are out of control right now.

What I’m loving: The second trimester of pregnancy. Watching my oldest turn seven like it's no big deal to grow up and turn into a legit man-child. Visiting my mom and Memaw this week for Truman's birthday. Moving right along on house sketches for the addition. Also really enjoying my office job, although it's hard to keep it to 20 hours a week, always seems like I could stay longer but I don't want to burn out.

What I’m anticipating: Our house being in shambles during the renovation, getting bigger and more tired, and then birthing a baby. SO MANY CHANGES ON THE HORIZON.

Miss anything? Running, my old clothes, alcohol, and feeling excessively energetic and ready to tackle the world. Also, feeling more at peace and gaining perspective with each pregnancy, so I know this time is truly fleeting. 

Worries? Not really! Occasionally I worry that with all of the changes coming up for our family this year, someone is going to have a mental breakdown. But then I remember that all of these changes are amazing ones and we will just have to handle the stress that comes along with change. A new baby, new jobs, house construction...we've got this!

Differences between pregnancies? With Porter, we had just celebrated Truman's birthday (same), a name was picked (nope), I just had strep throat (NOPE), mom and Memaw just left after a visit (same), I was planning the nursery (um, nope), and we had just put bunk beds in Truman's room for Cecelia to share. People were noticing my bump and I was mostly loving being pregnant. Yep!

With Cecelia , I was craving pizza and diet soda, NOT drinking coffee, and we had our inspection on the house so I was getting all ready to decorate the heck out of it. This post made me want a Diet Dr. Pepper and I cannot believe I wasn't drinking coffee back then. The horror.

With Truman, I was freaking barely showing. We had just bought a camcorder (!) and we settled on a name. Seriously, 2009 was a long time ago! The only thing similar to this pregnancy is I wasn't staying asleep very well, and I'm pregnant with a boy. Everything else is incredibly different and I admit, I love reminiscing about the days of my first pregnancy. What a sweet, simple time! 

How I’m feeling: Pretty good overall, but definitely more tired, I have a cold so that blows, and feeing my body change with pregnancy is always...interesting. I'm embracing it for all that it's worth, though, knowing this is really the last time. Side note: Truman says we will have a fifth baby someday and we remind him that he can grow up and have his own family next!

Sleep: Meh, not as great anymore. I do have a cold so I can't breathe well, and then if I wake up I cannot get back to bed. Also, I feel like I sleep very lightly and am aware of every repositioning effort throughout the night. I took a nap on Sunday because Porter was up FOUR times Saturday night and I wondered how in the heck I'm going to live on broken sleep again. I'm telling myself it's very different when you wake for a sweet newborn who needs to nurse versus a loud two year old who knows better. And also, not being pregnant means better sleep. I'll just get used to it again, but I'm definitely not right now.

Movement: Yes, right now as we speak, he is kicking my bladder. You can see movement from the outside and he is getting hiccups occasionally. He feels like he's literally doing cartwheels in there, as I feel kicks or punches literally everywhere!

I also want to make this category about my own movement or activity level. This week I rediscovered my Bar Method Pregnancy Workout DVD. I love/hate it. So hard. So good. It's a far cry from the cardiovascular exercise that running is, but that's okay because I need to strengthen my bod and not just beat it to a pulp on the pavement. I've also gone for a few walks outside or on the treadmill, as Weeds is my favorite treadmill show right now and it's getting really good/horrible.

Milestones: First comment of, 'is this your first baby?' is always fun, especially when the questioner follows that up with wide eyes to my 'no, this is my fourth'. Veteran mom status! 

Names: I'll make this a topic until we decide;) We have a list and some are starred, but I'm feeling very 'meh' about them now. I don't know why, because we have some perfectly awesome choices. Requirements: cannot rhyme with the other kids, but it needs to coordinate with their names. I don't really want the same starting initial as their names if possible. We like names that aren't super common but aren't completely made up. Very partial to Thomas the Train names, like Porter:) I seem to be drawn to nicknames this time, and specifically a one syllable nickname seems adorable for our boy. I like a few really strange ones that somehow Nate hasn't totally vetoed, but I think I'll keep searching online and in my head/everyday life for The One. Plenty of time to decide, I know.

This boy wants a name ASAP, I can tell.

Best Moment of the Week: Celebrating Truman's birthday alllllll week long. It was also Dr. Seuss week at school, so not only did he get to be the start student for his birthday and do fun things each day with that, he also got to dress in strange clothing and participate in school spirit while being 'wacky'. Mom and Memaw both flew in for a short visit, we had a birthday party for T on Saturday that was a ton of fun, and it was a week full of gushing over our biggest guy. He is so helpful and smart, it's hard to describe...but he deserves a post of his own on this blog, soon!

Sibling Talk: Did I mention that Truman requests to kiss my belly goodbye every morning before he walks into school? He give me a hug and a kiss, then says, 'baby boy!' and I let him kiss my winter coated belly. Cecelia has told me many times that she is 'super excited' for the baby to be born. Porter mostly likes to call himself the baby, but he did get to hold a newborn this week and loved it. 'She is so tiny, Mommy,' is what he told me as he held our neighbor's sweet baby girl. He even ooh'd and ahhh'd over baby Cleo, kissed her forehead, then said, 'How am I going to play with my trains while I hold the baby?' Logistics of being a big brother!