37 Weeks

Well I spoke too soon.  Throwing up is still completely here.  My routine the last couple mornings, eat breakfast, while washing off breakfast dish throw up a little in the kitchen sink, run to the bathroom and throw up the rest of my breakfast.  Today this even involved peeing on the floor while throwing up.  Awesome!  I will say that while throwing up stinks its easier to deal with than heart burn at night so I guess I'll take the trade back to throwing up.

Taylor and I went to a Christmas party Saturday night.  It was a lot of fun.  Baby girl was extremely wiggly during the party.  My belly was moving like crazy!  I had to try and not laugh out loud at some points with the acrobatics it felt like she was trying to do.

So I am now in the safe zone to deliver at home!!! Yeah!  I still would like her to wait until January but at least now I can have the birth I've wanted.  Now that I've made it to this point its funny because I feel much less stressed about being ready.  Shouldn't it work the opposite way? 

I'm trying to remember to soak up these last few days with James as my baby.  I've realized I do want a couple maternity pictures with at least him so we're going to try and have that happen this week before the kids go to NV for the second week of winter break.

36 Weeks

Ok trying not to completely freak out.  Only a few weeks left!  If baby girl wants to come closer to her ultrasound date I'm actually 37 weeks.  Either way I'd really like her to be born January 6.  Why?  Because that's her Grandma Tucker's birthday.

Since I posted last we have been through some major events.  Saturday Nov 22, 2014 my sweet mother-in-law passed away.  We had known since March that we would lose her sometime soon due to pancreatic cancer but had hope that maybe she would make it to see the baby.  She had been doing so well and had Taylor and I had actually been discussing how and when we would go down to Utah so Grandma could see and hold baby girl after she is born.  Just a few short days after that conversation we got a call to pray for Mom because she wasn't doing well.  A week after that conversation Taylor and I had she passed quietly from this life to the next. I'm grateful she didn't have to suffer long because watching someone you love be in pain is hard.  We are sad that Grandma is gone but are extremely grateful for the life and legacy she left.  

Before Sue passed she had been doing some shopping (not a surprise to anyone who knows her because she was the queen of gift giving and parties) and she bought a few outfits for Susana.  Taylor went down to Utah this past weekend to be with his Dad and help around the house.  He came home with a bag full of presents both for Christmas and the baby that had been purchased before Grandma's health suddenly turned.  The outfits are darling and I can just see in my mind how excited Sue would have been finding them and giving them as a gift for her new granddaughter.  It will be precious to see Susana in the outfits her Grandma picked out for her.

Because of the funeral arrangements our Thanksgiving break was extremely crazy and ended up full of travel.  Friday Nov 21 Taylor, the kids and I went down to Utah.  We were able to see Grandma one last time.  Saturday we traveled to Las Vegas so the kids could spend Thanksgiving week with their Dad.  We stayed in Vegas Saturday night and Sunday morning when we got the news that Sue had passed the night before we decided that we should go see my family like we had originally planned for a few days until we knew for sure what was needed and when the funeral was.  It also gave us a little time to try and sort out if the kids would be able to come to the funeral.  So Sunday through Wednesday Taylor and I went to my family in San Diego.  Wednesday we started heading back to Utah and stayed the night in a hotel in Jean, NV.  Thursday (thanksgiving day) we finished the drive to Utah.  Dinner that night was at Cracker Barrel.  Friday we helped with the final funeral preparations and Saturday we had Sue's funeral.  The funeral was beautiful.  Saturday late afternoon we had to drive back to Las Vegas so Sunday morning we could pick the kids up.  Sunday we drove all the way from Las Vegas to Idaho Falls.  There was some major traffic delays so it was a LONG day.  I discovered the more I sat in the car my legs would fall asleep, my feet swell, and standing up hurt.  By the time we got home Sunday night my feet were huge!  They could barely get into my flip flops!  I have never seen them so big.  The swelling went down after a couple days but lets just say a couple thousand miles of travel by car so pregnant did have some consequences.     

Fortunately throwing up has gone down a lot.  I did just throw up this morning and a couple other times over the past few weeks but not nearly as bad as before.  The replacement has been heart burn at night. Not pleasant!  Also my body has started to transition to the I sleep like a newborn baby phase.  I wish I could make a deal with my body that I really do understand I won't be sleeping once the baby is here so can I just sleep now please?  I promise I get it.  I've done this before.  Oh well.

So now these last few weeks I'm trying to balance Christmas and getting everything ready for baby.  There is still so much to do.  I got my home birth kit ready this past week minus two items so most of the essentials are ready but my house is not even close to ready.  Cue nesting/cleaning constantly phase!  James new play habits aren't helpful in this cause.  Every day he fills the house with the toys from his room.  Train tracks line the hallways and lines of cars are found every where.  Its a little dangerous walking around when James has been playing.  I have to watch where I put my feet closely and I don't dare go to bed at night if the toys haven't been cleaned up because with how often I get up I would fall all over the place if they weren't.  James is cute about the baby.  We'll see if that continues once she is actually here.  This past week he started telling me he is going to "help the baby come out."  It makes me laugh. I really just want to make it to January with this baby.  I know she could come sooner and it would be ok but I really think January would so much better ; )  Ok long entry over time to go clean and organize some more.

Festival of trees and mood lipstick

Tonight for family home evening we went to a local community event called the festival of the trees.  Each year several trees are decorated and donated to this event.  All proceeds go to a local community aide program.  It was fun to see all the trees.  They also had Santa, crafts, little items for sale etc.  It was so cute seeing James react to Santa and yell, 'there's Santa!  I see him!'  I can't wait for Christmas this year with him. 

Well as part of this event they had an area called Santa's toy workshop.  Inside was lots of little items for sale.  Ariana decided to buy a lip stick.  It looked so strange (green in the container) but hey whatever it was $1.  Of course when we got home she had to go put it on.  Soon all I could hear was crying and yelling for me to help.  The lipstick was apparently called mood lipstick and while green in the container went on clear and then changed color.  It changed color alright to BRIGHT pink and Ariana couldn't get it off her lips or hands.  She was frantically trying to scrub her lips and hands to no avail.  Her lips are really chapped right now so that didn't help at all.  She cried and cried and vowed she won't be going to school until it comes off.  I can't help just laughing at this because she is so convinced that school tomorrow is ruined and when she came up for scriptures wouldn't uncover her mouth.  Yes I tried to help get it off and did the best I could but only time is going to help with the rest.  We did get it from bright pink to a slightly lighter shade.  Alexis and I even tried the lipstick to be funny and so she wouldn't be the only one with pink lips.  (I only put a very minimal coat on so ours wasn't as bad)  we'll just have to see what the morning brings.

32 weeks

This past week went by really well with the small exception of James waking up one night from 3AM-10AM.  That night really didn't help because the night before I had been unable to fall asleep until about 3.  Funny now not so much then but at 6 AM he started jumping on and saying he needed to check his email.  After getting the girls to school he finally decided to play cars by himself and I fell asleep while he played.  I woke up and had to search the house for him.  I finally found him passed out under the kitchen table.  He stayed there until almost 1.

So aside from that day it was a great week.  I only gagged once and that involved no throwing up afterwards so hooray a week with no vomit!!!!  I've had a few times where stepping on my left foot has sent some shooting pain up my leg to my back but nothing too bad or close to what I had at this point with James.

Last Thursday we had the start of our first real snow.  Friday morning I was shoveling the driveway and my neighbor didn't like that.  She told me I wasn't allowed to have the baby in the driveway.  She said, 'I will drive you to the hospital but I don't driver babies!'  Oh if only she knew how James arrived.  She probably would have really freaked out.  Funny thing shoveling the nice fluffy snow was much easier on me than trying to pick up the leaves.  No bending required just push the shovel.

Baby girl continues to be more wiggly and her movements are very noticeable.  She normally lays on my left side and kicks me on my right but one night she switched.  She was really active that night!

With the snow here I'm having a hard time imagining what trying to get around with James and a tiny baby will be like during the winter.

Saturday night my friends here in Idaho Falls had a little shower for me.  A lot of people were out of town so just four of us went to Garcias, a local Mexican restaurant.  It was fun!  I saw an idea on pinterest I thought was great and so dud my friends.  In leu of gifts they brought a freezer meal and recipe.  I'm so excited and very grateful to have my freezer have meals ready for when baby arrives because life gets pretty crazy those first few weeks and months.

31 weeks- Let the final count down begin!

Only nine weeks to go by my calendar due date.  This little one is my first baby that by ultrasound measures ahead so while I would normally say she will go past her due date just like my others who knows!  Both Alexis and Ariana measured a week smaller than their due date.  James was right on.  Susana (or Susanna the spelling hasn't been decided yet) measures a full weak ahead.  It will be fun to see how she ends up comparing to her siblings.  She'll come when she's ready though.

The last couple weeks have been good pregnancy wise.  I still am holding to a pattern of randomly throwing up one morning each week but I feel so much better than before so I'll take it!  My back is starting to hurt more at night so I roll around a lot and I sleep in a pillow mountain.  Baby girl is definitely getting stronger.  The past couple days some of her movements are so strong they startle me.  I love watching my belly dance.  Two nights ago I couldn't stop laughing as she made my phone and lap top bounce because they were resting on her.  Alexis still always asks if she's awake so she can feel her move.   Alexis doesn't have great timing though and rarely catches her big movements.  I love that Alexis wants to be so close though.

We hired a midwife a few weeks ago and I love her so far.  Having home based midwifery is so nice!  I love not having to drive to the Dr and that my care seems much more personal.  Yes I'm excited to be one of the people I used to think crazy for wanting a home birth.  This really is something that 10 years ago I would have rolled my eyes at and sworn that it would never be me.  

"Stop crying"

Tonight Alexis got very frustrated practicing the piano.  She ended up pouting and crying all through scriptures, prayers, brushing her teeth etc. because of this.  Right before she went down to bed she had curled up in a ball on the kitchen floor and was crying again.  We told James to go give Alexis a hug to help her feel better.  He does and then we hear him say the following, "Stop crying Lexis.  Stop crying you are not a baby!"

(So funny to hear your two almost three year old tell this to a 10 year old!!)

29 Weeks

While I was pregnant with James I posted a lot.  Pretty much weekly from 20 weeks on.  Blogger became my pregnancy journal.  I've really struggled with doing that this time for a few reasons.  For one Taylor and I did not make this pregnancy public until I was 20-21 weeks because we didn't tell Alexis, Ariana and James until then.  We waited for the end of summer to tell them because this summer was full of a different change for them.  They spent half the summer in NV with their Dad for the first time and we didn't want to add any additional confusion to that.  Also I enjoyed watching my belly grow last time but have really struggled wanting to see or take any pictures this time because of my starting weight.  I know just having a healthy baby should mater most but my weight has truly bothered me to the point that it is hard to be in pictures.  I've actually requested my doctor and now midwife to please not tell me my weight because I know I will stress in ways I shouldn't right now or just flat out start to cry.  (Ya Taylor had to deal with that one Sunday right before church.  Buckets and buckets of tears because I stood on the scale.)

This pregnancy has been very different for me.  My first trimester I was pretty sick and for a lot of it my kids were gone.  A blessing because I really wasn't very functioning but I was miserable without them so it made things a little worse.  Crying and throwing up doesn't work well.  I burst a blood vessel in my eye doing that.  I also threw up in lots of new places.  Most notable episodes so far have been: 
*  Poor old lady next door got to witness me throw up on the side of the house because I was trying to take out the super stinky trash.
*  next to a hey field on the side of the road
*  down my parents hallway after getting home really late from Disney Land (my Mom gets saint hood status in my book for insisting I go lay down and cleaning up for me)
*  In my hand on the way to school
*  On Taylor's back pack in the middle of the night (it wasn't on purpose the back pack just happened to be where I was)
*  down my own hallway and wall and James thinking and yelling to me that the dog "poopied" on the floor and wall.

Sadly throwing up hasn't gone away this time.  Its not as bad as it was weeks 1-15 and I go a week sometimes without but I'm never sure when my next 'fun' episode will come.

Another difference this time is in both ultrasounds I've had baby girl is measuring a week ahead of her due date.  We'll see what that means for delivery....

Maybe its just because its my fourth but I can't keep track of my weeks.  Saying how many weeks I am actually makes it seem like I have longer than just saying beginning of January.

Both Taylor and I are very excited about this baby.  Happily (and a relief to see) Alexis, Ariana and James are too.  There have been a few questions to answer but Alexis in particular is extremely excited for her new sister.