36 weeks | Baby #4

It's my golden week of pregnancy, when my weekly count matches my age. Hilarious to think that with Truman, week 28 was golden. Oh, how far we have come!

36 weeks, all four times: carrying differently every pregnancy!


Also, surpassed the 'one month' mark this week. Four more weeks seems ridiculously soon, right??

My weekly OB appointments have begun, and yesterday was a good one. I'd been having a lot more Braxton Hicks all day before the appointment, even just sitting in my desk chair, so it was nice to have a check up and NOT go into labor after a strange 'practice contraction' day like that.



I declined an internal exam because it's too early to get my mind set on any progress. Perhaps next week I'll cave? But baby boy measured well, heart rate was 152 and he was actively kicking the doppler the entire time. I lost two pounds somehow (?) which brings me back down to 28 total and my BP remains normal. Hallelujah!



Also, I finally told my OB that I'm listening to the Hypnobabies tracks and she is 110% behind me here. I don't know why I was nervous to tell her that I'm trying to stay mentally prepared, to be focused with positive thoughts, so that I don't completely lose my sh*t during labor. I mean, she's had four kids of her own and three of those were without epidurals---so she's a pretty 'natural' OB and totally gets it. Also, she's delivered 2/3 of my kids so she knows that this certainly cannot hurt to try!

She said, 'I love it, I love that---I wish more of my patients would listen to those tracks!' And I reiterated that I'm not saying I *won't* get an epidural, but I despise that time frame between deciding I need an epidural and waiting for it to arrive/take affect. It's the WORST. If I can ride the waves and eliminate the fear and anxiety that comes with labor, remembering that every contraction brings me closer to holding my baby, I will be able to embrace this final labor and delivery for all that it's worth. In envisioning it happening quickly, peacefully, but it will no doubt be intense;)

Baby boy has dropped if my bladder has anything to say about it. I seriously think I pee nearly every hour now, which is absurd and annoying, but I'm also trying to force down the fluids more than ever with this summer heat wave we're experiencing. When I drink more, and have to pee more, it seems like I have more BH contractions, just because there is so much pressure down there! I can feel him punching my bladder and cervix and definitely feel the 'lightening' sensation that I can breathe easier and have more room up top now. Oh, and did I mention that I have some wicked varicose veins in my legs and groin this time around? Really hoping those go away after birth, some are pretty gnarly but not painful so I won't complain too much.

Still not feeling very hungry lately, but I'm trying to eat a lot of protein along with my massive fluid intake. Also, have discovered the best ice cream known to man: Ben and Jerry's 'The Tonight Dough'. I need you to stop what you are doing right now and seriously consider going to the store if you've never tried it. Nate introduced me to this flavor, as a true ice cream lover, and I have come around to the idea of having several bowls per week. SEVERAL. Because this stuff is mind blowing, for real, and I don't usually love ice cream like my husband does.

It's fun to see how different my belly looks in the morning versus the evening hours. When I wake up he's super high and pointy, just floating around and giving my bladder/cervix lots of space. Then by about 4pm he's a bowling ball between my legs. I can't stop rubbing my belly to feel various appendages jut out at me and he's an acrobat that prefers my belly button for a punching bag. We all love to watch the Belly Show and frequently discuss what type of little person he's going to be. The kids (ahem, Porter) also gave me their cold this week and now I feel like my sinuses are going to pop out of my cheek bones, but I'm definitely better than I was a few days ago. Being sick when very pregnant in the summer is the opposite of fun but I'm glad it wasn't anything too bad. And I'm very thankful for Kleenex but can't wait until I can take Ibuprofen again.

Porter has been randomly asking when the baby will come out, tells me that he loves his little brother, and wants to hold him. He also asked me when the baby will start talking and frequently refers to himself as a baby, but whatever. Cecelia and Truman love to feel my belly jump and are practically giddy when they talk about this baby being born. They both had their last day of school yesterday, so it's feeling even more real when we discuss this baby's birthday happening 'this summer'. It's summer! And it is going to happen pretty freaking soon!!

I will not cry, I will not cry. BUT COME ON.




First day//last day. Bah!

So proud of this guy, who will be in Second Grade in a blink.


And this little lady rocked her first year of school, she's ready for Senior Kindergarten!


As if that's not enough to get me right in the feels, Truman lost his seventh tooth this week. AND I helped the kids in his class put together a sweet 'thank you' book for their teacher, which made her cry when we gave it to her, which made EVERYONE cry.


And this girl and I cannot get enough of popsicles, so there's that.


I finally started working on my list of things to buy for this baby. It's nothing major, but I added a bunch of new sleepers (some with magnetic closures, what??), swaddle sacks, a new Wubbanub pacifier, some diapers, and Aden and Anais blankets to my Amazon cart the other day. ALSO, I felt the urge to treat this fourth baby to a 'real' going home outfit from Etsy. Personalized, freaking adorable baby onesie, leggings, and a hat? YES. Not his name but the real deal will announce it. Hopefully it arrives in time as it can take 3 weeks to ship!



The other thing on my list is to figure out what breast pump to use, then order new parts and bottles and storage bags. I have two pumps right now, one Hygeia from 2010 (!) and one Medela from medical insurance with Porter. Both have seen better days and when looking into ordering new tubing and parts, I realized that I can probably get a brand new pump with my insurance again! So I'm going down that path this time and feeling like it's a major check mark to have a working breast pump and all of the supplies ready to go. Pretty sure I had my pump and all parts ready by 20 weeks in the past, but who is counting?



Another boy will soon be a part of this crew. Sigh.


So, I'm just hot and tired but not nearly as d-o-n-e as I was with Porter. Even with Cecelia, I was timing some concerning contractions at 36 weeks and was worried about her making an early appearance. I was navigating the waters of high blood pressure and intermittent bed rest with Truman, and I had no idea he would be in our arms just two weeks later.

All things considered, I'm hitting my golden week feeling grateful and really pretty good! I hope it continues and plan to enjoy this part of summer when baby is still on the inside;)

35 weeks | Baby #4

Grand old milestone: 35/35! Thirty-five weeks down, thirty-five more days to go. Since it's now June, I can officially say that I'm having a baby next month. Holy.Moly.



Let me just tell you, I'm feeling every bit of 35 weeks all of a sudden. Baby boy has had a growth spurt, I gained almost 6 pounds in two weeks, my belly feels like it might actually explode, and the temps have risen from the 60s to 88 degrees as a high today. No, Gracias. Just no. Too hot. My toes are currently swollen and I was worried I couldn't get my ring off tonight. I'm tired because of all that plus solo parenting both days this weekend, while Nate was at a continuing education course.

Heat + 35 weeks pregnant + 3 existing children + absence of parenting partner = rather cranky mom, but proud to make it through in one piece!





My belly is huge and heavy by the evening hours, it feels pretty light and airy in the mornings though. The top of my stomach where it meets with my ribs is still REALLY sensitive and feels stretched to capacity. The amount of veins on my stomach are astonishing and I keep looking for stretch marks, so far no dice but there's plenty of time! I also feel like he's really low all of a sudden, like my bladder is his favorite pillow that he constantly rams his head into over and over again. Peeing all of the time. Not comfortable to sit for very long, or stand for very long. Most comfortable laying on my side which is not the best daytime activity. ;)

Biggest boy, littlest boy :)


I had an OB appointment on Friday where baby measured on track, my eyes bulged at the weight gain (but my doctor didn't even mention it), BP still good, and baby's heart rate was 149. I go every Friday until he is here which is seriously cray. She said she might check me next time at 36 weeks and I told her that I've been having a lot more Braxton Hicks (non painful) contractions. She said as long as there aren't more than six in an hour, it's probably okay but I still need to 'chill out' a little bit. I haven't timed anything but I'm pretty sure the tightening of my entire uterus does happen at least 4-5 times in an hour, regardless of what I'm doing (sitting at my desk!). She said after 37 weeks, it's not a big deal but I don't want to ignore signs of possible early labor when he'd be premature right now.



So in two more weeks, I can let 'er rip? ;) My OB is very 'by the books' as you can see. I do NOT think I'm going to have the kid early, and these practice contractions happened with Porter even earlier than now and meant nothing. I'm still in the mindset of making it to the bitter end with this pregnancy but the summer heat wave does have me feeling a little more deflated, like OMG...can I really do this without passing out at 7pm every night?

I think I can, I think I can...

This weekend felt rather productive in the 'prepare for this baby' front. I finally went up into the attic, pulled down all of the NB and 0-3 month clothes, plus the swaddles, more crib sheets, Boppy pillow and covers and washed it allllllll. I folded it and put it in Porter's dresser, nicely arranged. Also, I went through the other dressers and closets in our bedrooms and did a huge purge. Officially putting sweaters away and paring down my own wardrobe into what truly works for this belly makes me very happy. And now I have a solid list of what baby boy actually NEEDS before he is born.





Newborn diapers, new bottles, new pump parts, a few pacifiers, some velcro swaddles, a few NB and 0-3 zip up sleepers and we should really be set. That's not too bad, right? It was really fun to see what I kept for sentimental value with the boy baby clothes, and it seems like I did hold onto several key pieces. Like this 'favorite' sleeper of Truman's, which we bought when I was pregnant with him over seven years ago. HOW!!??



Non-pregnancy news: we might break ground on the addition this week! Also, last week of school for our bigs, fastest school year ever. Hard to believe that I'm going to be at home, with a new baby and the three kids, during a big home renovation in a matter of WEEKS. But we are so excited for it all, this summer is going to be a memorable one!

I can't wait to sit outside (in the shade), with the baby on my chest, while watching the 3 big kids run around in the backyard (sidestepping nails and construction, but whatever).


Headed into the final stretch, still in disbelief but I suppose it's feeling a little more real at the same time.

Cecelia is FIVE!

Our girl turned five over Memorial Day weekend, and it was a celebration that spanned a few weeks this time around. Today I want to complete the birthday tradition by writing all about our little lady, attempting to capture a personality bigger than words could ever describe. I'm going to do my best anyway!

Time flies when you're raising a tenacious daughter, yo.


I love comparisons so much that I actually remembered to get this shot, yet again. The newborn picture still ranks up there as one of my all-time favorites, as it was the day we brought her home from the hospital and Nate caught that grin on camera somehow! My baby girl is growing up before our eyes, wahhhhhh!

When people hear that I'm having our third boy and Cecelia will remain our only girl, many of them comment that she is so lucky to have three brothers to watch over her as she grows up. But honestly? Cecelia is the toughest of the bunch and I see her watching out for her brothers instead! I mean, she's going to have a heck of a time dating anybody in the future, because with three brothers and a dad to protect her, I don't think many guys will stand a chance;) But still, sister proves to be extremely independent, confident, and still quite strong-willed. She is simply one of a kind and being our only daughter, she really puts us through the emotional rollercoaster more than the boys do. Even Porter at age two doesn't hold a candle to Cecelia's range of emotions, which is saying a lot!



Cecelia's feelings do get hurt if someone doesn't want to play with her, or if her brothers mess with her things. There is still a substantial amount of pouting and whining with her, but she's always been verbal enough to express her emotions. Sometimes she just needs reminding that we can talk about our feelings instead of stomping off in a huff, pouting while tripping over a lower lip. Also, she is sort of a bear in the mornings and right before bed, which is also when she tends to get a severe injury (i.e. paper cut, bumped knee) that will cause major tears. So yes, she is tough, except when she just isn't. ;) It's much, much, MUCH better than age three though and I have high hopes for age five being her best year ever.





The biggest thing that's happened this year for our girl is starting Junior Kindergarten. She goes to the same school as Truman all five days per week, for about 2.5 hours each day. Cecelia has seriously blown us away in school this year, showing us that she is freaking smart, incredibly kind to others, includes new friends in her play, listens well to authority, and understands/follows the rules. I'm not sure why we always thought, 'Yeah, Truman loves school and his teachers love him....but just wait until they experience Cecelia!' We just assumed that she would be more of a wild child in school and possibly more difficult to teach, but we were wrong on that guess. Her teachers love Cecelia and sing her praises for being a great kid (which we already knew, but it's always nice to have that fact confirmed).





CC can now write her name and has even started sounding out some words on paper, stringing together the first sentences. Drawing is Cecelia's favorite hobby, and our house is proof of this skill with hundreds of post-it notes and scrap papers full of stick figures, hearts, letters, and sweet Cecelia-artwork. I love when she runs up to me, multiple times every day, saying, 'this is for you, mom, it's a picture of us together playing.' Her stick people have gained details and I think her favorite thing to draw must be our family. She'll also go to town with coloring books and has a passion for glitter pens (all things that sparkle, really), so right now she's been drawing with those pens instead of my favorite thin sharpie markers that she used to steal from me all of the time.

She can be a teacher, but is the teacher peeing and pooping? Probably.


She REALLY loved our family trip to Chicago over spring break, here is a picture of CC and I sharing our bed together in the hotel room


SUPER into fingernails on her stick figures...


Besides drawing, writing, and coloring, Cecelia is actually learning to read a little bit! Most of the words she recognizes are by sight but she has definitely sounded out a few words with minimal help from us. Her teacher sends home 'bag books' that we read together, with Cecelia pointing to the pictures first, then pointing to each word, and then piecing it all together. This boggles my mind and makes us so proud.



Cecelia is obsessed with being outside and now that our weather is finally changing for the best, you can find her digging in the dirt for worms and bugs. Yes, this girl is a tomboy when it comes to getting dirty, grabbing slugs and nightcrawlers, and especially rollie polies. We have a collection of random cups full of dirt and (usually dead) bugs that will sit right outside of our back door, welcoming all of our guests with the aftermath of Cecelia's digging escapades.



Daddy's girl as much as she is mommy's little lady.


But for as tough and dirty as this little lady can get, she is still quite girlie. She adores all stick-on jewels, glitter, stick-on earrings, necklaces, tiaras, dress up princess outfits, skirts that twirl, and getting her nails done with me. ;) We've gotten a few 'pedicures' together and it's seriously so much fun to pamper ourselves every now and then. She is incredibly obsessed with Shopkins lately, and I still don't really understand their purpose....other than to drive mothers crazy by getting lost all over the house because they are SO SMALL and strange. Also, baby dolls are still her jam, and she's started getting into legos. Well, she makes Truman build her some lego creations so that her Shopkins have houses and beds. Her previous obsession with chapsticks seems to be dwindling now, replaced only by the absurd number of Shopkins in this house.

Oh, we know.


That one time I agreed to hand write all of her Shopkins onto a master list...


She's also super close to riding her bike without training wheels and I'm sure by the end of this summer she will be rolling on two wheels. This is about a year earlier than Truman's accomplishment of ditching the training wheels! She is also amazing on the monkey bars and has upper body strength that surpasses mine in a heartbeat. Again, pretty sure Truman couldn't do monkey bars for another year or two but this little lady does not play around with monkey bars. She took a gymnastics class for several weeks in the fall, and then a weekly dance class from September through April. Both of these classes were a hit for our girl but she loved dance most of all. I mean, she's pretty long and lean so it was a little harder for her to whip that stringy body around on a bar, but it was more her style to do ballet and tap.





Speaking of the superficial, Cecelia is shockingly tall and thin (or maybe not so shockingly so);) I don't have official stats but she can wear a 5T or sometimes an XS in tops, fitted bottoms will be too short if 4T but to baggy if larger. Her feet are a size 12 already which is sort of gargantuan. And she is officially 39.3 pounds and SO CLOSE to hitting that 40# recommendation for a booster seat! Life will be much easier with a booster because the five point harness is super annoying for her, since the straps always hurt her (tall) shoulders.



She remains our best eater and will happily down salmon, burgers, spinach salads, carrots, eggs, and trail mix. Lots of protein for our girl! Her favorite meal is probably butter noodles and sometimes she turns up her nose at things like cheese pizza and chicken nuggets, like her five year old palate is beyond the usual kid stuff. Cecelia also hates raisins in things randomly, so oatmeal or some granola bars are just OUT. She will always, always, always, ask me to share my can of La Croix, will always ask for more butter on her bread, and has a wicked sweet tooth shared by all in this family. We have recently discovered our love for baking together, and we prefer to stick to cookies, banana breads, brownies, and cupcakes. She's the best little helper with this, although her brothers will happily lick our batter if we let them.



I cut Cecelia's long, curly hair earlier this year when it became extremely difficult to manage. She actually asked me to cut her hair for several weeks and finally one night we just went for it in the bathtub. She was SO EXCITED to have shorter hair and I'm in awe with how fast it's already grown. It's so much easier to comb through now that it's shorter and luckily the curls didn't disappear as everyone warned. We still have to do a lot of hairline braids to keep her hair out of her face, but headbands and ponytails also work for this lady.





Cecelia sleeps really well at night, still sharing a room with Truman on his bottom bunk. We've talked a lot about her having her own room once our addition is done and it's pretty exciting to think about containing all of her art supplies within her own room, storing her own books in there, and possibly painting her walls pink with lots of girlie touches. She's trying to convince me that her entire room must be decorated with Shopkins and I'm holding strong with the idea of pink walls but no cartoon characters;)



Bedtime is usually around 7:30-8 and she doesn't have a problem sleeping until 7am, when the kids can watch their digital clock and exit their rooms if they are awake. She goes hard all day and definitely does not nap anymore. I've shared a bed with her a few times when we travel and she's just the best bed buddy---she curls up and barely moves all night long, unlike both of her brothers that prefer to thrash about all night long.



Cecelia's relationship with her brothers is something else entirely. She and Truman can be best of friends, happily drawing together, running around on the playground together, or giggling about some inside joke. It's been so sweet to see them walking to school together and I love hearing about how they see each other during the school day, and reportedly they always wave and acknowledge their sibling. OR they can be pushing each other's buttons like none other, and it's usually Cecelia who ends up in tear over these battles of wills. I'd say she and her big brother get along 80% of the time though, and I love that Truman is so compassionate towards his little sister and hope it continues indefinitely.









Then there's the relationship between Cecelia and Porter, where she gets to call the shots and be 'mother hen' to her little brother. He eats it up, most of the time, and I will catch her literally telling him what to say, word-by-word, as they play. And he does it!! Example: "Porter, say, 'Don't go into that room, Thomas!!'" (Without hesitation he will repeat her) "' Don't go into that room, Thomas!'"







He calls her 'grandma' more often than not because they have some weird game where she's his grandma and he has to do as she says. They actually have a language all of their own, because I realized the other day they were calling dandelions 'pooty poos' as if the two terms were interchangeable. Porter WILL push the limits with 'grandma' though, and she gets super frustrated with him if he's not willing to follow her lead. But she adores Porter, and many times she requests to read to him, tuck him in at night, and will give him kisses as we do his bedtime routine together. She's an excellent little mommy and I know she will be a wonderful helper with her next baby brother!







She still wants to be a fairy when she grows up and hopes to grow her wings very soon. During her yearly birthday interview (below) she mentions this. I love her innocence and don't ever want to tell her that she can't actually be a fairy, nor can she grow wings. Anything is possible?

Her first 'friends' birthday party was this year and we had it at Michaels Arts and Crafts. It was the 'pretty princess' theme, lead by a staff member (not by me!), where they did three crafts as a group. It was pretty hilarious and she freaking loved it. I made her a Shopkins cake, as requested, and both the cake itself and the frosting had to be pink. Her actual birthday was spent with donuts, the day after included presents from her family and store-bought Shopkins cupcakes, and the first day back to school after the holiday weekend included brownies as her school treat for her friends. She really benefitted from us spreading out her special day across several weeks this year!











I'll wrap it up here, with her birthday interview at the end of this post. But I will just say this: Cecelia is still our cherished rainbow baby, full of so much potential and so much sassy sweetness. I can barely remember a day before Cecelia was on this earth and we are so grateful she's ours. We so enjoy watching her grow and can't wait to see what is in store for this special human being.

Love you, little lady.
xo
Mommy