McBaby 3: 28 Weeks

Someone isn't excited for her time as the baby to come to an end!

Hello third trimester!  We made it to the last stretch!  Baby is as big as a coconut and coming in at around 1.5-2.5 pounds.  Baby moves and kicks so much these days!  I'm having strong BH contractions but still nothing worrisome at this point.  I'm having insomnia when I flip back to sleeping at night sometimes.  Really not a funny joke for someone who is pregnant with two kids working night shift!  I just love waking up and being wide awake at 4am, NOT!  My energy took a hit this week.  I don't know if baby is going through a growth spurt or if this third baby is just taking a tole on me finally.  I've gained 17.5lbs so far so I'm super happy with that!  Every pregnancy I fear it will be the one I gain an insane amount of weight, but with decently watching what I eat and exercising 2-4 times a week I've done pretty well so far.  It helps so much too to have a solid foundation and healthy lifestyle to start with. 

Sun Out Bump Out

Last week I failed my 1 hour GTT test by about 32 points, yikes!  Yesterday I sat in the lab office for 3 hours and did the 3 hour GTT test.  For those who haven't had the lovely experience let me explain the process!  First you have to be fasting since midnight the day before, then that morning the lab takes an initial fasting blood draw.  After that they make you drink a little bottle of koolaid with 100g of sugar versus the 50g of sugar you drink with your 1 hour test in 5 minutes.  After the initial they take a one hour, two hour and three hour blood draw.  If you fail more than one reading then you're diagnosed with gestational diabetes and by fail I mean if your blood sugar reading is too high either with the fasting or the hourly checks.  Thankfully I was only high on my two hour check, so I passed!! Whew!

1 Hour Drink

We have about 10-11 weeks until baby arrives and we're still cranking out our to-do list.  We went through all the kid's toys/playroom last week and donated ANOTHER van full of boxes to Goodwill.  I just can't believe how quickly the boxes can fill up!  Another item down!  Next, is sorting and shrinking our girl's clothes we have piled up.  Since having two girls, we have way too many clothes for each size until 4T so we need to prioritize and dwindle down our stash so that it all fits in one storage closet.  After that...the only thing left to do is pack that hospital bag!!!

This week we did check another huge item off our list...finally made the plunge and bought a new baby hauler!  We became a van family!  We bought a Honda Odyssey and she's a beauty!  She has way too much technolody, bells and whistles for us but we're slowly figuring it out each week.  Norah was probably the most excited.  She's only asked to sleep in it 5 times.  I can't wait to see the baby seat all snugged up in the middle!

We are also still on the fence about cord blood banking.  The biggest draw back is that it's pricey (of course).  Depending on what company you use, it's about a $1,000-$1,500 initial fee then around $300-$600 year storage fee for 10-12 years (after that the cells aren't typically useful from what we've read).  This baby very well could be our last, so if we were to ever take advantage of it now would be the baby.  We can use the stem cells for siblings as well (as long as the parents are the same).  Decisions Decisions Decisions!

Another two weeks down, about 10 to go!

Still working full time nights!  Strong enough to grow AND deliver babies!

McBaby 3: 26 Weeks

My last week in the second trimester!  These last two weeks went great!  I'm still feeling great, no major complaints.  I have been having some nice BH contractions, but nothing alarming yet, just uncomfortable.  I LOVE all the kicks and movement, it's my favorite.  My BP is staying low and so far I've gained 15lbs!

I had another OB appt on Tuesday.  Baby sounds great, strong heart beat!  She scheduled my glucose test for GDM for this coming week, ugh.  I failed the 1 hour with Scarlett and had to sit through the 3 hour test.  Let's hope this doesn't get progressively worse with each pregnancy.  We also set a date for my repeat c-section!  We're not broadcasting it just yet, because I have a feeling it may get pushed back.  When we get closer we'll start letting people know.

I'm still CrossFitting 2-4 days a week and actually ran/walked a 5k today!  I only run small distances now, no long distance running goals anymore.  I nap almost daily.  No food aversions, but this week I craved donuts HARD.  I might have stopped twice in one week and I'm NOT a sweets person.  Thanks kid! 

We bought this cute little nesting pillow for baby and of course the big kids had to try it out first.  I can't wait to see the new baby snuggled up with these two crazies!

Two big events happened in the last two weeks.  First, our first baby started Pre-K!  She was so excited she hardly slept the night before.  We think she likes it so far.  Honestly, we're still in shock a little bit!

Secondly we spent all of two days sorting through boxes we hadn't opened in two years, making Goodwill piles, filling up two trash cans, hanging degrees and shadow boxes and moving in/out furniture to FINALLY having a working, clean, beautiful office!!  I can't believe the two car loads to Goodwill + two trash cans we took out of that one room.  We feel so much lighter!  We also have room to set up a crib if need be in case Miss Scarlett isn't ready to share with Norah quite yet.  Such a weight off our shoulders.  We also ate at all our favorite restaurants in QUIET, added a fun date night and squeezed in a hour hike at Turkey Mountain.

Now looking toward the 12ish weeks we have left of what could be our last pregnancy!  September will bring my glucose testing, hopefully buying a van to fit our new family of FIVE, OB appts every two weeks now and entering in the 3rd trimester! 

McBaby 3: 24 Weeks

Big week for our little baby!  As a L&D nurse, 24 weeks means the difference between life and death.  At 24 weeks of gestation a baby has a chance at survival if born early.  We definitely don't want a 24 weeker, but it's so nice to breathe that huge sigh of relief knowing that if something happened, this baby has a chance now at life.

Updates!  I'm still doing pretty good.  The round ligament pain has let up a bit these last two weeks.  The hemorrhoids though...ugh.  You think being a c-section Mama and not having to push I could avoid them but due to the increased pressure of baby, increased blood supply, etc....I still get them.  I'm already feeling Braxton Hicks contractions, but nothing painful or too close together.  

I finally felt baby move!  And baby hasn't stopped since.  We can feel her on the outside now too.  Daddy and Norah love putting their hand up to feel the kicks.  That feeling never gets old.

I'm still doing CrossFit 2-4 times a week with a few trips to the YMCA too.  No more long distance runs so instead I'm killing myself on the elliptical or stair climber for some cardio.

No crazy food cravings or aversions!  I'm back to eating/drinking my old favorites.  It is hard limiting my caffeine intake though, especially during the night shifts at work.

Speaking of work, my patients ask me all the time (now that I'm for sure showing) "How do you handle being pregnant and working nights?"  Honestly it's not as horrible as one would think.  The biggest change I've noticed is I've become a hard core napper.  When I'm not pregnant I don't nap.  I don't nap with newborns, I don't nap ever.  But working nights I have to nap at least one day a week, plus being pregnant on top of that I find myself napping EVERY DAY.  I feel lazy sometimes, but I remind myself I'm doing some big work growing a tiny perfect human, so I try to give myself some grace.

I should have my glucose test coming up in the next month.  Also in September we should be scheduling the big date for baby day!  We can't wait to meet this little girl or boy!

McBaby 3: 22 Weeks

McBaby 3: 20 Weeks

OHHHH WE'RE HALFWAY THERE!!!! OOOHHHHH!!!!

Wowzers this is flying by way too fast.  I know I type this every time but I can't emphasize it enough.  I can confirm that with each pregnancy the belly pops bigger sooner and the time just speeds up way too fast.  I'm just seriously proud that every two weeks I can remember to take a bump picture thus far.  It's the little things!

Last week we had our big baby ultrasound to check out all the body parts/organs.  Everything looks great so far as they can tell.  I had the scan done at the Office of Advanced Maternal Fetal Medicine (high risk specialist) instead of at my regular OB's office.  Nothing super alarming, but since this is my third c-section my OB wants to ensure my old scar site isn't thinning out again too soon or my placenta isn't doing any weird things (with subsequent c-sections your placenta can implant oddly and do damaging things each time).  Nothing so far, so fingers crossed!

Daddy's nose!

The HARDEST part was looking away when the technician hovered over the naughty bits.  My husband made me look at him the whole time so I couldn't peak.  So, I guess we're officially waiting until D-Day.  Honestly if he wasn't in the room with me I think I would have snuck a peak!  We're really excited though and I am happy we're waiting.  You just don't get truly surprised anymore  these days, so we're hanging onto it while we can!

As far as Mama goes, I'm feeling great!  This week I even got 5 workouts in, that never happens!  The collagen seems to help with the round ligament pain and my bump support belt during exercises.  I've gained 10lbs so far and I looked at my past weight gain charts with the two girl's and it's right on track as before.  Hopefully I can keep it to 30-40lbs like my usual.  No swelling, nausea, heart burn or weird side effects yet.  My hair/nails are growing like crazy but this veteran knows I'll loose all of it around February haha!

My husband seemed a little bit in shock this week when his 20 week update hit his phone.  I guess this first half flew by for him too. He's almost finished with our farmhouse desk and next month we'll tackle that big project.  I'm definitely starting to feel that nesting mode sink in.  I love it and embrace it each time.  I love the energy that comes with it and the feeling of getting my space organized.

Norah asks on the daily "How's the baby doing?  Is she getting bigger?"  She's obviously team girl.  "I'm going to change her diaper and shop for clothes for her.  Can I sing her to sleep?  Can she sleep in my room?"  Gosh I just love her big sister role this pregnancy.  I can't wait to see her hold this little guy/gal for the first time.

NAMES!  We've nailed down a girl name.  Whew!  The boy name though...we have a short list but nothing that's a hard yes for both of us.  We just may leave the hospital without a name if this little babe is a boy!  We're keeping our names on lockdown until delivery day too.  So many secrets this pregnancy HaHa!

Cheers for an uneventful first half!

McBaby 3: 18 Weeks

We're one week away from being about halfway for this pregnancy!  EEEKKK!!  My to do list needs to start getting serious!  This week we have our big anatomy ultrasound!  Fingers crossed my placenta, baby, old incision site all are holding up well.

This last week I've finally started feeling more like myself.  I am back to drinking coffee in the morning again!  That and meat were my biggest aversions this pregnancy.  I am still drinking all the green tea and of course it's watermelon season!  Just like previous pregnancies, no nausea or heartburn but the round ligament pain is real. Other than that I'm feeling great!

Scarlett definitely isn't noticing anything different, but Norah for sure is!  Every day she comes down in the morning and asks how the baby is growing.  I always say it's getting bigger and bigger!  She kisses and pats my belly.  It melts me.  When she was 2, and I was pregnant with Scarlett she didn't know really what was happening to Mama.  This go around she does, and it's so much more special.  She loves being involved.  She just told me this morning she wants to go shopping for the new baby some clothes.

She got to go with me to my last OB appt, see the baby in ultrasound and hear the heartbeat.  She loved that!

I'm still working out 2-4 days a week depending on my night shift schedule.  I'm done with the long distance running already.  That round ligament pain in a b*tch this third time around!  I've already busted out the bump support belt.  Instead I'm doing small distance runs and 2-3 mile long fast walks!  I'm still lifting/CrossFit too but of course scaling the weight and movements down tremendously.  

We created a small registry if people want to buy us anything for the new baby.  It never hurts to start early!  We're just sticking with Amazon this go around.

McBaby 3 Registry

We definitely need a bassinett, diapers/wipes, breastfeeding/bottle supplies and a few odds and ends still to buy.  Next month we're shipping the kids off to Nana and Pops for a weekend and finally after almost two years in the house, tackling the office!  Thus far it's been a junk/computer/storage room but we're finally getting everything hung up, storage and a desk built and the room finished!  We'd like to save a corner for baby too if Scarlett isn't quite ready to vacate her crib upstairs yet.  After that is finished, we'll feel a lot better about welcoming the baby home.

This is flying by so fast.  I hope I can keep up with pictures and making little notes for this third one!  <3

Adios First Trimester!

Already 1/3 of the way to meeting this precious baby of ours!  Time is flying by so fast, we can hardly keep up.

12 Weeks

14 Weeks

Mainly I've been really nauseous which is a new symptom!  Especially strong smelly urine which unfortunately I deal with a lot at work!  I've was extremely tired weeks 8-12.  I probably napped daily whether I was working that night or not.  I've had a few food/drink aversions....ground meat, chicken, COFFEE, yogurt greek shakes and hot dogs. 

Foods that I've been really getting after:  watermelon, Sprite, green tea lemonades, salad, feta cheese, ice cream, acai fruit bowls and chips with salsa. 

I'm still working out as usual, just no more maxing out on lifts and running slower.  I've been trying to keep the weight gain as minimal as I can this first trimester too.

I have been slowly feeling the ol' round ligament start to pull a bit when I roll out of bed, so I'm adding collagen to my diet to see if that helps!  I read something a few weeks ago, so I figured it couldn't hurt.  At least I can't possibly gain anymore stretch marks after two kids at this point, so I don't have to worry about that! LOL

We are already mapping out future weekends to ship the kids off so that we can get a few big things accomplished before baby is here and I get too big to help effectively.  We really want to get our downstairs junk room finally finished into our office (and enough room in one corner for baby's bassinet when we want to move them out of our room for a little while).  My husband is buying wood today to start on our farmhouse desk, so excited!  And an additional book case (he already built one).

It will look like this, but all stained dark walnut. 

Also, we need to purge a lot of the kid's clothes into manageable size tubs.  We don't need 4 tubs of 2T clothes!  We'd also like to go through baby stuff and weed out what we didn't use with Scarlett.  So we have a few projects to do, but nothing a few weekends without kids can accomplish. 

We'd also like to find a bunk bed set for the girls to share when Scarlett is ready to transfer to a real bed.  We need one though that is pretty low for the bottom bunk, almost just sitting on the floor so we'll have to spend some time looking or Dad might have to build us one!  That would leave Scarlett's room to move the new baby into when we are ready for them to transfer upstairs.  Filling this house up with kiddos!

We are putting together a list of things we'd love for baby #3.  We'll get an Amazon wish list up soon.  Mainly it's new nipples for bottles, BFing freezer bags and a few new furniture items.  Also Mama NEEDS a jogging stroller this go around.

We have started putting money back for my unpaid maternity leave.  How is that that the US still doesn't have paid maternity leave?  I did with my first one in the Air Force and it was phenomenal.  I got lucky with my second babe and timed it between finishing school and starting my new job.  This baby we're saving up the difference for, which thankfully we planned a bit ahead so we have time to save.  We plan on keeping Scarlett in daycare and Norah will be in school, so hopefully that will give me time with baby alone to heal and recover through the first few months of postpartum without chasing two other kids around.  I'm hoping this third c-section was as easy to recover from as the second, but you just never know. 

Alright, enough rambling!  We can't wait to meet this little nugget of ours!