30 weeks

30 weeks along!  we took this pic as we were headed to my best friend from high school's wedding (congrats, again, Nini & Luis!).  and although i didn't get to enjoy any of the free alcohol that night, we had a great time celebrating and showing off my baby bump while catching up with friends from my school days.  it was great to see so many other friends there with kids and who were also expecting.  i will admit, it made me feel a little old and "all grown up."  time flies!
speaking of time flying, this pregnancy seems to be getting further and further along at a more rapid pace!  i think to myself, "oh, i'm only 30 weeks along." and then i realize that there is a very real possibility that we could be delivering in as little as 7 weeks (thanks to my history of early deliveries!).  hopefully this little guy will cooperate and stay in there at least until he's full term.  currently he's "about the size of a cabbage" at 15.7 inches and about 3 lbs.

maternity quiz
maternity clothes: i did make the switch to maternity jeans this week.  i remember why i'm not always a fan...they tend to slip down!  i'm constantly pulling my pants up all day when i wear them, but they are comfy otherwise.  besides, we all know that i wear yoga pants 99% of the time when i'm not wearing scrubs for work!
sleep: i continue to require breathe-right strips most of the time for sleep, but other than that i haven't had too many issues.  i'm also happy to report that for some reason the kids have begun waking my husband up in the morning (and occasionally in the middle of the night).  it's like they know!  smart kids, especially since i'll be waking up with the baby every few hours when he makes his arrival.  matt will be on "older kid duty" anyway ;)
best moment this week: getting to enjoy a night out with the hubby (and the baby bump) with old friends. 
cravings: hmm... maybe just waffles?  we have the huge box of waffles from costco and they are delicious (even if they aren't healthy) with butter and real maple syrup in the mornings.
what i miss: my energy.  because i've been less active (read: not working out or anything) this pregnancy, and i try to keep up with home stuff, work stuff, and two kiddos i feel like i always have less energy these days.
what i'm looking forward to: maternity leave...but i am really hoping we make it all the way to 37 weeks!
weekly wisdom: stretchy dresses are wonderful for before, during and after maternity!
milestones: another week! 

march madness!

As always, it's been a busy month around here and I feel like I'm barely keeping up!  Between work and pregnancy and everything else, I'm running a little ragged some days.  Fortunately, I can always look around and see all these little blessings and know that it's all for a very good reason.  

From 3/27/2014:

noah and i were having a conversation about firetrucks, ambulances, and firefighters....

Noah: ...and they help people, they get in those firetrucks with the doors and they go help people with the sirens and lights.
Me: yes, they do. they go and help put out fires, and they go help people who are in car crashes...
Noah: when cars wreck?! they help?
Me: yes, honey and....
Noah: but even if you're bleeding the body just heals itself!
Me: yes, but sometimes your body needs a little help. so they bring them to the hospital, to the ER. that's where mommy works at night, i work in the ER.
Noah: oh. i want to work in the ER with you and help people! 

3/24/2014:

Noah: Can I have more veggies? I ate everything on my plate!
Me: wow, you sure did. You must've been really hungry!
Noah: I was! Just like that caterpillar!!!

3/19/2014:

Me: Noah, please finish your lunch so we can play some more before nap time.
Noah: Or....please finish my lunch so I can have some caaaake? ::big smile::
Me: Uhm..no. We don't even have any cake, honey.
Noah: Well, are my cousins bringing cake? Maybe they can come over and bring some cake!
Me: No, sweetie, they are all in school today.
Noah: Oh, so they aren't bringing me any cake?

...we don't usually keep cake in the house!! I think there might have been a few too many birthdays around here recently

3/19/2014:

Me: Noah, I'm going to take Sammy upstairs and lay her down for her nap.
Noah: Okay, Mom! Have up there! Have fun upstairs laying Sammy down for her nap! 

3/8/2014:

I love listening to Noah. This morning he was looking for a crown, a foam one that Matt had brought home. We had promised him last night that he could "wear it again in the morning" but it was time to get ready for bed. I didn't realize Matt had hidden it downstairs, so we were looking for it this morning after breakfast. Noah's conversation with me went like this:

Noah: Somebody took my crown, mommy! They took it!
Me: No, honey, it's still here. We just have to find it. Keep looking with me.
Noah: I just don't know where it is!
Me: It's okay, we will find it. I know it's here somewhere...
Noah: I just don't understand. I had it on last night when I was brushing my teeth, and when I helped daddy catch that fly. But we put it on the brown chair and now it's not there. We just need to find it.

3/2/2014:

Matt was talking to me and mentioned meatloaf for a meal. Then I heard the following exchange:
Noah: I don't like meatloaf, daddy.
Matt: I don't think you've had meatloaf, Noah.
Noah: No, I don't like it. It's just not for me. 

Sammy is still not quite as chatty as her brother, but that doesn't mean she doesn't steal our hearts with her smile and sass.  She has become quite the little fashionista over here -- utilizing anything she can as accessories for her outfits.  She loves necklaces and hats, and even has a certain hat that doesn't even really fit her anymore that she insists on wearing just about every day.  It's honestly pretty cute, even if it doesn't typically match her outfit ;)  She continues to sign her wishes and speak more words every day.  And she is excellent at animal sounds these days: she can now imitate a duck, a cat, a bird, a monkey, anything that roars, an owl, and a cow.  There might be more I'm forgetting! 

A hat that's too small and some lovely accessories:

 

Sam seems to really be enjoying her new bed after that initial night's difficulties.  She now loves to go to bed and snuggle under her blanket without a second thought.  And despite my worries, she seems like she couldn't care less about the crib that used to be hers sitting there in the room.  Thank goodness it seems to be working out!  Hopefully things will go smoothly once we actually start letting the baby sleep in that crib a few months (or whenever) after he comes home.  

I should also mention that since my last post, Sam has started taking her plate and cup to the counter.  While I wasn't too worried about introducing this responsibility just yet, Sam basically started doing it on her own after watching her brother.  Often times there are pieces of food that end up in a trail across the floor, but I can't really discourage her from helping.  So for now, we usually just help her hold the plate to keep it level.  I love seeing her try to be so responsible, though :)

Noah decided to accessorize, too

a girl on the go!

 a mess and some safety goggles...

Sam & baby's new room.

the signs I made

Noah convinced Sam to help him open some jelly beans he found....

by the time I found out about this they both had their cheeks stuffed full!

before bed playtime...

celebrating March birthdays:

Miss Olivia Kate...already 8 years old!

And my birthday creme de menthe...yum!

I walked up to the table to find this...I guess they didn't want to wear socks anymore?

snuggle time with a tired daddy

the parker firetruck was at the Lowe's in Murphy...they were nice enough to let us say hi and give the kids a quick tour of the engine!

sweet little bedhead :)

noah *loves* measuring things

...I was putting away the dishes and turned around to see this at the dinner table. Happy birthday to me...

If you watch Toy Story, you must wear a cowboy hat.

movie time

this is how you veg... 

the fashionable choice at the dinner table

 Super man.

Story time snuggles

29 weeks

trucking right along!  these days i feel "very pregnant" but have recently started receiving comments at work about how i "look so tiny!" for how far along i am.  this is good for my self-esteem and i'm always very thankful to hear that.  most people also usually ask if this is my first pregnancy, although i'm not sure why or how you determine how many times someone has been pregnant just by looking at them?  i did have a guy ask me, after i answered that this was actually my third child, "all by the same guy?!"  uh. yes. "oh, are you married then?" uh. yes again.  very weird....
we have still made very little progress in the names department.  we've considered a whole host of names, none of which seem "just right" for this sweet boy.  hopefully we will be able to decide soon, simply because i'd love to be able to call this baby by name.
baby measures about 15 inches long, weighing in at around 2.5 lbs!


maternity quiz
maternity clothes: still wearing my regular jeans, but probably about to make the switch over to maternity jeans.  yoga pants are still comfy :)
sleep: finally getting over my sinus infection, which resulted in me losing my voice completely for a while and then just battling congestion/snot/bloody noses.  i know, eww.  at least now i can sleep a little better.
best moment this week: repeated my glucose test, that is, i took the 3 hr one.  my schedule delayed both the test and the results.  but thankfully i was able to do my own finger-stick tests at home and then found out on monday that i most definitely do NOT have gestational diabetes!  yippeee! 
cravings: donuts!  the cravings got so bad at work that we actually implemented a "donut tuesday" for my tuesday night shift.  we get fresh donuts at the end of the shift (on wednesday morning, actually) around 5am.  my coworkers seem to have no problem with this.  also, it's good i didn't have diabetes.
what i miss: stomach sleeping.  i can get away with it for a short amount of time, but i've had to accept that i'm pretty much fully onto side and back sleeping for now.  oh well.
what i'm looking forward to: i'm getting excited about holding this new baby boy in my arms.  it's still about 2 months away, but the thought of getting to snuggle a newborn is really exciting :)
weekly wisdom: it's my third child.  i'm much less scared about "how will we..." "what about when..." and those kinds of questions.  i'm really enjoying the thought of having a newborn again...even though i also know how much work that can be.
milestones: passing the glucose test! yes!!! 

28 weeks

how on earth are we already into the third trimester?! this pregnancy seems to be flying by!  i'm trying to enjoy the moments i can with both this little one in my uterus and the time i have left with the two older kiddos before our family dynamic changes in a few months.  noah has started understanding that we are having a baby and talks about it more.  he tells me frequently that we need to "go see the midwife for a checkup for mommy and the baby in your tummy."  he also talks about the new baby and will occasionally refer to it as a "him" or as a "little brother."  of course, he gets confused about gender sometimes and will also call sam his little brother until we correct him. i'm certain he still doesn't really grasp how things will change on arrival of this little one, but i'm not sure i can even really anticipate that.
baby now weighs about 2.25 lbs and measures 14.8 inches ("about the size of a large eggplant").

maternity quiz
maternity clothes: mostly maternity shirts, but can still get away with regular shirts, too
sleep: as has become the "norm" during this part of my pregnancy, i was dealing with allergy problems after the weather changed recently which seemed to turn into a nasty sinus infection.  nasal washes, breathe-right strips, tylenol, benadryl for bedtime, and cough drops during the day seem to be helping some.  i'm much better at battling these things now....
best moment this week: it was my birthday! 
cravings: nothing special this week. 
what i miss: i didn't pass my glucose test and now i have to take the three hour :(  i guess you could say i "miss" the way i passed when i was pregnant with noah.  i failed by a single point again... just like with sam
what i'm looking forward to: getting the second glucose test over with!
weekly wisdom: trust in God.  i'm worried about this glucose test, but there's nothing i can do except take the test and wait for the results and trust that God will bless me with a healthy baby and pregnancy.
milestones: third trimester! baby also has eyelashes and can blink and open/close his eyes.  can even see light through the uterus!  

27 weeks

nearly to the end of the second trimester and feeling more energy on most days.  still blaming the lack of energy on the cold weather.  when the sun shines i get a burst of "nesting" energy and suddenly want to get *everything* done.  unfortunately, that just doesn't happen with a three-year old and an 18 month old hanging out with me all day...but that's okay, too.
baby now should weigh around 2 lbs and be about 14.5 inches long.

maternity quiz
maternity clothes: still just shirts.  tried the maternity jeans on again to see if they fit better than my low-rise jeans and decided that was not the case just yet.  i'm okay with this.
sleep: fighting my now-typical pregnancy congestion.  this time around i have invested in some "breathe-right" strips that seem to help immensely.
best moment this week: feeling this baby become more active.  i love baby kicks!
cravings: donuts!  especially when i am at work.
what i miss: my energy.  it's better that it was in the first trimester, but i'm still more tired these days.
what i'm looking forward to: not looking forward to the test, but i'm ready to pass my upcoming glucose tolerance test.  i always feel so much better once that thing is done with!
weekly wisdom: this little one is another blessing.  don't get stressed!
milestones: celebrated my birthday with the family.  realized this was the first time i've ever been this pregnant during my birthday.

26 weeks

some updates on our little third child, still growing and kicking in there!  he weighs around 1.6 lbs and measures about 14 inches long.  according to pregnancy updates, he should now be able to hear both my voice and things outside the womb, which is a really sweet thought when i think that he must hear all the things his older siblings are saying :)

maternity quiz
maternity clothes: occasionally.  for right now it's just shirts
sleep: no problems so far, although it's getting harder to sleep on my stomach.  and i'm a stomach sleeper.
best moment this week: spending time with my sons (noah plus this little one in-utero) at the dallas auto show.  
cravings: chinese food -- broccoli beef
what i miss: it's getting trickier to play on the floor with the kids.  not horrible, but occasionally it's tricky to twist and bend the way they want me to.
what i'm looking forward to: warmer weather!  it's been so cold this winter, the few warm days we've had i feel like i have so much more energy.  where is our texas spring time?
weekly wisdom: this might be my last pregnancy...trying to enjoy it!
milestones: happy that the baby can now hear his family