Baby #4: 39 Weeks

As I type this, I just got home from the doctor, and it looks like we're going to have a baby tomorrow! Wow! It feels really crazy that we're about to have FOUR kids!

37 Weeks

We're as ready as we can be for baby girl's arrival. Her room is ready, her clothes are ready, we have many (many) diapers and her sisters (at least the big two) are very ready! We just need a name (ha!) and a baby!

I've been feeling about the same as my last post. Still tired, lower back pain that gets really bad at times and some swelling, especially my right leg. It's hard to get comfortable to sleep and to stay asleep once I get to sleep which can be frustrating. I also have heartburn starting in the afternoon most days, and that gets really bad when I lay down. Tums and lots of pillows help most of the time. 

I have been able to stay pretty active through this last month, and I met my goal of going to the gym through 39 weeks. I even made it to the new release of Body Pump on Monday where I got many, many comments from fellow pumpers about how I could still be there. It didn't feel great, and I had to take a few tracks off, but I made it. And made the decision that would be the last day no matter when baby girl came.

39 Weeks, 5 days

My sister is staying with us this week to help out with the girls, which is amazing. I had her quick snap a picture of my belly since it seems this will be the last day of my giant pregnant belly. Now to repack my hospital bag, get a hair cut (yes, I scheduled an appointment for this week) and continue freaking out about having a baby!

Baby #4: 36 Weeks

Wow! There's less than a month to go to my due date. How in the world did that happen?! I'm feeling a mix of totally ready for baby girl to join us, and totally not ready for baby girl to join us.

I'm really trying to enjoy all the little baby movements I am feeling. With just about a month left of being pregnant, I want to remember how cool it is to feel baby wiggling on the inside. I especially love baby hiccups. Such a strange feeling. I'm also trying to love my big pregnant belly, because I know my belly two months from now will not be nearly as cute (ha!).

I'm feeling okay now, but so, so tired. I'm tired all day, but have trouble getting comfortable enough at night to actually sleep. Lady C has also been waking up earlier, which is not helpful. We had two weeks of sickness go through the house (fevers, strep and pink eye... grrrr), but we're all healthy now, and hopefully we're done being sick for awhile! Besides being tired, I've been dealing with heartburn, varicose veins, swelling in my right leg and serious lower back pain. I'm really ready to be able to move around like a normal person again. I'm trying to embrace this last month with the belly, but it does make moving around a lot harder.

Late last month we took away Lady C's pacifier and last weekend we moved her to Miss A's room in the bunk bed, both big transitions for the current baby of our family, and not the easiest transitions either. I knew last weekend was the start of Daylight Savings but didn't consider it when making the bed switch for Lady C. Probably not my best decision. We're on day 3 in the big girl bed and things are going okay. I've been treating myself to ice cream after she's asleep since wine is not an option. Ha! On the to do list this week: stock up on newborn diapers, wash the newborn clothes and get the car seat cleaned up. After that I will hopefully feel much more ready for baby's arrival. And if we happen to decide on a name, even better (though I find that unlikely with our track record).

Baby #4: 30 Weeks!

Last week I went in for a regular appointment with my doctor, and as she's looking at my chart she said, "Looks like you're 30 weeks today." And, while I knew how far along I was, it also totally freaked me out! This pregnancy has absolutely flown by! I feel like I just found out I was pregnant, and now we're just about 10 weeks from meeting our baby girl!

Overall I'm feeling okay right now. If I do too much (or too little) during the day I end up with major lower back pain. My doctor suggested a maternity support belt and that does seem to help, but it's not super comfortable so I don't wear it all the time. I'm also really tired, but I have a hard time getting comfortable to sleep. Thankfully my other girls are good sleepers and let me sleep in. Otherwise I have some heartburn, but not too bad at this point. 

I'm still making it to the Y three to four days a week. I do group fitness classes and modify them depending on how I'm feeling. The class instructors are moms too and have been really helpful giving me ideas for how to stay active throughout this pregnancy. We've also taken a few family walks on the weekend when the weather is nice enough. There have been some really cold days, but overall the winter hasn't been too bad. 

It's still fun to feel baby girl move around in my belly. She doesn't seem as active as the other girls, but there are still 10 weeks to go. I'm sure the little kicks will get stronger over the remaining 10 weeks. Little J loves to kiss my tummy (kisses for the new baby) and Miss A likes to snuggle in to see if she can feel new baby kick. 

Over the next 10 weeks there is a lot I want to get done. Lady C is moving in to Miss A's room so that is the biggest thing we need to do, though we're going to wait another month before making that move. Lady C is still such a baby in many ways, so the idea of her in a big girl bed seems a little crazy. I'm also planning on taking Lady C's pacifier away, but we'll see when that happens. She sleeps so well right now I'm a little scared to take the pacifier away. Otherwise the nursery is mostly set up, I just need to hang things on the wall and switch to newborn clothes.

Baby #3: Final Weeks

39 Weeks

40 Weeks

I wrote most of this post at 39 weeks, and added to it throughout the week.

Due date: August 2nd.

What I'm loving:  Feeling baby move, and watching baby move my whole stomach.  It's SO crazy to watch!

What I'm looking forward to:  Baby being here!  It's so close!

What I'm missing:  Being able to move normally and sleep comfortably (especially on my stomach).

How I'm feeling:  Ready to be done, but overall pretty good.  The girls sleep until 8 most mornings, so I'm still feeling rested even though my night time sleep isn't great.  Update as of Thursday: I have never been more uncomfortable.

Exercise: Trying to keep walking, but not much more than my daily activity right now.

Cravings/Aversions:  Craving ice cream (seeing this article about the 10 best milkshakes in the Twin Cities happened at the perfect time... and 2 are within walking distance of my house!)  Also, such a weird aversion for me, but I am having a really hard time eating chicken.  With both Miss A and Little J I couldn't handle red meat.  Now, I love red meat, can't handle more than a few bites of chicken.

Differences between pregnancies:  Here's 39 and 40 weeks with Miss A, and 39 to 40 weeks with Little J (which actually includes her birth story).  Miss A was born the day after her due date, and Little J 3 days early.  We'll see what Baby #3 decides.  I was hoping for July 25th, but as we've passed that date, I'm feeling like baby is going to stay put until at least my due date.

Other Thoughts: See how nice any shiny the deck is in the picture?  I stripped the old stain off the deck and put new stain on over the weekend.  There are lots of house projects being worked on right now.  Cleaning out the basement, painting (shutters, flower boxes, front door, side door, back hallway/stairway), scrubbing floors... I'm going to chalk it up to nesting.  And keeping myself busy so I don't go crazy waiting for baby.  Update as of Thursday: I may have overdone it with all of those projects, and I'm paying for it now.

Twosday Thirteen

Today I'm linking up with Heather for Twosday!

Fun Weekend Activities with the Girls

The girls don't look very excited, but they really did like it!

1. Twins Game.  E was helping some friends move on Saturday, and they offered us their tickets for Saturday night.  It was our first game of the season, and the girls loved checking everything out, and having hot dogs for dinner.  
2. MOA.  Sunday was E's birthday, and somehow Miss A convinced him that he wanted to go to the Mall of America to celebrate.  E and the girls went on a few rides, we had lunch and I picked up a little brother/little sister onsie to match the big sister shirts I got for the girls.  

Fun Weekend Activities without the Girls

Little J photobomb.

1. Bar Patios.  Our babysitter was able to come over Sunday night so I could take E out for his birthday.  We stopped at The Liffey for a bit before dinner, and Sweeny's (one of my favorite TC spots) after dinner.  It was so nice to sit, relax and talk.
2. Mancini's.  This was maybe a strange pick for a summer night out, but Mancini's Char House is a St. Paul landmark that we somehow hadn't been to in our (almost) 7 years living in the city.  Mancini's has an awesome, old school feel.  E especially loved it.  

Things I'm Loving at 38 Weeks

1. Unlimited ice cream.  Well, maybe not unlimited, but we are going through large quantities of ice cream around here.
2. Feeling baby move.  I know that baby could come any day now (though I'm trying not to drive myself crazy with that idea), so I'm trying to pay extra attention to baby's movements.  Baby is especially active at night, and it's fun (and a little weird) to watch baby parts move across my belly.

Things I Could Do Without at 38 Weeks

1. Comments from strangers.  Our waitress on Sunday asked when I was due, and when I said 2 weeks, she said, "It looks like it could have been yesterday."  Not something any pregnant woman wants to hear.
2. The heat.  I know that I have been pretty spoiled with a relatively mild summer, but today we made it to the 90s and I mostly hid inside.

Things I've Been Listening to Recently

1. Mom & Dad Are Fighting Podcast.  Erin shared this on IG a month or so back, and I've gone through all of the episodes.  I love the mix of interviews and discussions of different parenting topics mixed with personal stories.  Each episode the hosts share a parenting triumph or fail, which are always relatable.
2. This American Life Podcast.  This is one that I used to listen to all the time, but after taking a break for a few months, I recently started listening to all of the episodes that had collected on my phone.  I especially liked the 20 Acts in 60 Minutes episode.

Things I've Read When I Should Be Sleeping

1. 43 Things Only Girls With Curly Hair Understand.  Totally relate to pretty much everything.
2. The Joy of Writing Letters.  I love writing letters, and find this to be so sweet!

Baby #3: Week 37

Due date: August 2nd.  Hopefully less than 3 weeks to go!

What I'm loving:  Summer!  Work hasn't been too busy for E, so we've been able to fit in a lot of summer fun activities this month.  Overall, the summer has been pretty mild, which I'm loving.  We've had enough hot days (in my opinion) to get in swimming, but nothing too unbearable.

What I'm looking forward to:  Baby being here!  I'm trying not to get too hooked on the idea of baby arriving early, but it's hard not to think about the fact that baby could come any day now.  My doctor joked that she was waiting for me to come in while she was on call last weekend.  I'm okay with letting baby cook a couple more weeks though.  I think July 25th would be a fun birthday because both girls were born on the 25th, but I know baby is in charge of that decision.

What I'm missing:  Being able to move around normally.  Bending over and rolling over in bed are two challenging tasks right now.

How I'm feeling:  Tired.  Cranky.  My sleep hasn't been the best lately.  I have a hard time falling asleep at night, and I'm up at least 3 times to go to the bathroom.  Each time I get up I have a hard time falling back asleep.  This is not normal for me at all.  Thankfully, I'm not working, so I have a lot of flexibility with our days.  That has helped a lot!  Also, one of my doctors comments that I'm having a pretty "boring" pregnancy.  It's a nice reminder that while I have a lot of pregnancy discomforts, it's all normal stuff.  I'm so, so thankful to be having a third "boring" pregnancy.

Exercise:  Lots of walks.  Not a whole lot else at this point.

Cravings/Aversions:  Nothing major.  Still lots of fruit and ice cream.

Diet:  I'm eating less overall now, I think, because I get full much more quickly and I'm having a lot more trouble with heartburn.

Differences between pregnancies:  At this point with Miss A I mentioned her kicking up in my ribs a lot, and her little sibling likes to do the same.  I'm constantly pushing down on the upper right side of my tummy, much like I remember doing the first time around.  My skin feels really stretched out right now, and the top of my belly along with my belly button are painful to the touch by the end of the day.  I like to joke with E that I feel like Baby #3 is trying to get out through my belly button.

I skipped 37 weeks with Little J, but at 38 weeks I was feeling rather big.  Feeling that way again with Baby #3, though my weight has leveled off a little over the past few weeks, which is making me feel a lot better.  I've gained more weight this time around, but I think (hope!) the number will stay reasonable over the next few weeks. I was also worried about not having a name picked out, same as this time around.

Other Thoughts: Last week I did a deep clean of the nursery and got all of our neutral baby clothes, blankets, swaddles and bedding ready to go.  I also stocked up on diapers and wipes.  It's crazy how much smaller the newborn diapers are than Little J's!  Our nursery has a jungle theme so not a lot needs to be updated.  There are a few things I'll change up after baby arrives, but for now it's set to go.

I keep having moments where it hits me, wow... I'm going to have 3 kids soon.  How am I going to manage 3 kids??  How will I go anywhere with 3 kids?  Am I going to go crazy?  Overall, I think we'll be fine after an adjustment period, but it's feeling a little wild that E and I are about the be outnumbered by the kids.  And there's going to be a baby at our house again.  A tiny little newborn.  It feels like it was so long ago that Little J was a baby.  I'm both really excited and a little nervous about bringing another newborn home.  

Baby #3: Week 35

34 Weeks.  I'm going to blame pregnancy brain
for why I left my camera in WI after our visit last weekend.

Due date: August 2nd.  One month to go!  I saw someone else post that 35 weeks is 35 days to go, which is really helping me see the end.  And push me to get the rest of my to do before baby list done!

What I'm loving:  Today's cool weather!  It hasn't been a ridiculously hot summer, but I get warm so quickly right now that a few days in the 70s feels amazing to me!  I'm still loving baby hiccups too.  I think they're so funny.  It doesn't seem like I feel this baby move as much as the other two, but when baby moves I really feel it.

What I'm looking forward to:  Not being pregnant.  I'm trying to enjoy these last weeks of being pregnant, but I'm hot and tired.  And I can't wait to meet the new addition to our family!

What I'm missing: There have been a few warm days when I really would have liked a drink.  I also miss running, which seems funny to me, but last summer I ran before E went to work in the mornings, and it was a great way to start my days.

How I'm feeling: Tired.  I am really thankful to be done with work right now, so I am getting more morning sleep, which makes up for my later bedtime.  I haven't been having heartburn as much with this pregnancy, but for the past couple of weeks I've been getting really intense heartburn every night around 10:15pm.  If I'm already sleeping, it wakes me up.  If I'm not sleeping it makes it nearly impossible to fall asleep.  Most nights I'm feeling better by 11pm, but it is no fun for the 30-45 minutes it lasts.

Exercise:  Still getting in a few longer walks and a couple days on the elliptical during the week.  Some days the girls and I will walk in the morning, and we'll walk with E again in the evening.  I'm trying to stay active but I can really feel myself slowing down.

Cravings/Aversions:  I don't know if I'd call it a craving, but since getting my appetite back around 20 weeks, I've been loving steak and other red meat.  With my other two pregnancies red meat of any kind made me sick throughout my pregnancy, so this has been strange for me.  I'm also still loving fruit, especially strawberries.  I have big plans to get out to pick strawberries with the girls this week.  E found our first raspberry ready in the backyard today, so hopefully baby wants lots and lots of raspberries!

Diet:  Getting better all the time.  I'm still eating more sugary snacks than I probably should be, but I'm eating a lot more fruits and veggies too.

Differences between pregnancies:  Still feeling bigger this time around, and right now, slower too.  On Sunday evening I noticed that my ankles were pretty swollen, which I did not have with my two pregnancies.  Getting my wedding ring on and off is also getting tougher.  I'm still hoping I can keep wearing it for this last month!  For comparison here is 35 and 36 weeks with Miss A and 36 weeks with Little J (how little does Miss A look?!).

Other Thoughts: This baby really needs a name.  We are getting nowhere fast on picking a name for a boy or a girl.  Baby is a serious contender right now.

Also, we were in Wisconsin this past weekend for camping and Baby JR's baptism (more to come soon).  It was really fun to see my family, probably for the last time before baby arrives!  We're home with no major plans from now until August.  Sounds nice and relaxing.  I think spending time with Baby JR over the weekend really got the girls in baby mode.  They were carrying their baby dolls everywhere on Monday.  Miss A holds her doll, and bounces.  When I asked her why, she told me that's what her baby likes.  Miss A and Little J are both very excited to be big sisters and big helpers!

Baby #3: Week 31

 

Due date: August 2nd.  Less than 2 months to my due date!

What I'm loving:  Feeling baby moving around.  There are far fewer kicks now, but there's a lot of movement that I can feel and see.  It's kind of crazy to watch something move across my belly from inside.

What I'm looking forward to:  School being done!  Just a few more days left with students, then a few make up days and I'll be done.  I can't wait to be home with the girls all day.  I'm hoping we can fit in a lot of summer fun before baby arrives!

What I'm missing: Not feeling like a giant and being able to move around like my normal self.  Miss A lost a marker cap under the couch earlier today, and normally I could get it out pretty quickly.  Now, not so much.  I've found myself bumping in to things with my belly more frequently too, as I don't always remember how big my belly has gotten (and I still have 2 months to go!).

How I'm feeling: Most of the time I'm feeling good, but for sure more tired.  I'm sleeping okay most nights, but if I don't get enough sleep I am really dragging the next day.  The move to bunk beds for the girls also means it's harder to get naps in during rest time because they are very chatty.

Exercise:  I stopped running a couple of weeks ago, partially because I'm feeling big, and partially because our weather is crazy.  It feels like we skipped any consistent spring weather and went straight to summer.  This week has been in the 80s, and that's too warm for me to be running right now.  We've been doing almost nightly family walks around the lake, which is about a 2.5 mile loop.

Cravings/Aversions:  I want to eat all the fruit.  And all the sugar.  I've been indulging in lots of desserts lately, especially ice cream.  I also loved ice cream when I was pregnant with Miss A, so I'm guessing that will stick around this summer.

Diet:  No major aversions right now, so I've been eating pretty well, except wanting sugar all the time.

Differences between pregnancies:  I feel bigger this third time around and carrying the weight more all over than just in the belly, which I'm guessing is not uncommon.  It's also different to be so big when it's so warm out.  We may be spending a lot of time at the pool this summer!

Other Thoughts: A few of my sweet friends from work threw a little shower for me and Baby #3 last week.  I loved that I got to have lunch with my friends (a rare occurrence), eat pizza and an amazing ice cream dessert and got a few new things for Baby #3 to use when he/she gets here.  I was glad to be able to celebrate Baby #3, and I will really miss those ladies next year.

We also got to go visit my brother's new little one, Baby JR last weekend.  It was so fun to snuggle a newborn!  Miss A agreed.  She couldn't get enough of holding the baby, helping with the baby and generally following my SIL around.  She's been talking about Baby JR a lot too, which is sweet, and makes me cautiously optimistic that she'll be a good helper when our baby arrives.  Little J also enjoyed meeting and watching Baby JR.  She was getting really tired and wild before we left, but when Uncle B let her hold Baby JR she was nothing but smiles.

Baby #3: Week 27

Little J is swinging in the background... I think she spent over 2 hours swinging on Sunday!

Due date: August 2nd.  Just about 3 months to go!

What I'm loving:  It stopped raining just in time for the weekend, so we were able to spend a lot of time outside.  Much needed by the whole family!  I also had a really good week last week where I felt good most days and had energy.  I only had to nap one day.  With the extra energy, I was able to get a lot done last week.  I sent this picture to Heather on Sunday night, because I was so proud of myself for actually finishing my weekly to do list!  I can't remember the last time that happened.

What I'm looking forward to:  My mom is coming to visit this weekend, which is always a lot of fun.  Now that it's May, I can actually see the end of the school year in sight too!  I'm excited to have a little time with just the girls to squeeze in some summer fun before baby joins us.

What I'm missing:  Sleeping through the night.  I'm up at least once every night.  Sometimes I can fall right back to sleep, sometimes I'm up for quite awhile.

How I'm feeling:  Overall, I'm feeling pretty good right now.  My legs bother me if I'm on my feet for too long, but wearing compression socks has helped on bad days.

Exercise:  Still getting 3 to 4 days a week of cardio, a mix of elliptical and run/walks.   I feel so much better when I'm consistently exercising, but the elliptical is driving me a little crazy.  I'm hoping the weather stays nice so we can get out on some evening walks.

What I miss:  Real runs.  I'm glad I've still been able to run a little, but I miss being able to run my whole route without needing to stop to walk.
 
Cravings/Aversions:  No major aversions right now, thankfully!  I've managed to cut back on the sugary cereal too :)  I have been craving lots of fresh fruit, especially strawberries and pineapple.

Diet:  I've been eating much better for the past few weeks.  Less sugar and many more freggies.

Differences between pregnancies:  This pregnancy still feels a little harder than my first two, but maybe I've blocked out the rough parts of the first two :)  I'm a little worried about what the summer months will bring.

Other Thoughts:  I'm at a point where I'm noticing that my belly is getting in my way.  I worked on cleaning out some closets last week, and squeezing in to small spaces is not so easy anymore.  Same for getting up after crawling around on the ground.

Baby #3: Weeks 21-23

24 Weeks

Due date: August 2nd

What I'm loving:  Real spring weather!  This winter has been terrible, but the past week was beautiful, including a day in the 70s!  Baby is also a lot more active now, and I love feeling baby's kicks.  E can even feel baby move now, which is extra fun.

What I'm looking forward to:  More spring weather!  Having the next two Fridays off work!  Being done with my glucose test.  I had a terrible experience with the 3 hour glucose test when I was pregnant with Miss A, so getting it done, and hopefully passing on the first try, would make me very happy!

What I'm missing: Sleep!  I have not been sleeping well at all.  I'm up multiple times at night, and have trouble falling back asleep.  Which leads to a lot of naps.  Which takes up all of my time to get things done during the afternoon.  I also think not sleeping is part of the reason why I am craving so much sugar lately.

How I'm feeling:  Tired. Which in turn makes me cranky.  I know that I'm being much less patient with my girls, E and at work.  I'm hoping the upcoming long weekends will help me get some extra sleep and energy.

What I miss:  Having energy.

Exercise:  I'm back to consistently exercising 3 or 4 times each week.  The spring weather has made it possible for me to run outside, which feels great!  I have been having back pain, especially on work days when I'm on my feet a lot, so doing cardio and stretching have been helping with that.

Cravings/Aversions:  Sugar!  I baked, and then ate, WAY too many cookies this past week (this recipe... they were SO tasty!).  Still loving sugary cereal too.

Diet:  Ok.  We've been out of town the past two weekends, which means a lot more eating out than usual, but at home I've really been working on increasing my servings of freggies every day.  Now to work on limiting the sugar!

Differences between pregnancies:  I feel like my belly is different with this baby.  Maybe less round?  Less pregnant looking?  I'm not really sure how to describe it, except to say it seems different than with the girls.  I'm sure that my stomach muscles are not as strong, considering this is the 3rd pregnancy in about 4 years, which may be why it feels different.  I also feel more tired (I think).  In my 23 week post with Little J I mention sleep starting to get uncomfortable, but not too bad.

Other Thoughts:  We've been talking a lot about names over the past few weeks, but have come up with nothing that we both really love for either a girl or a boy.  A couple weeks ago I had a dream that I had to go take care of Little J and Miss A right after baby was born, and E and my brother ended up naming baby without talking to me.  Since then I've been bothering E to figure out a name almost daily, but we're stuck.  It's such a big decision, and we've had trouble deciding on a name each time.  We were down to two names with Miss A when we got to the hospital, but we had many more in the hospital with Little J.  I know we still have some time, but I'd like to have it narrowed down to at least a few for each gender.

Miss A has also been really sweet about baby lately.  She loves to give my belly hugs and kisses, and last week she brought a big pile of books over by me so she could read to the baby.  I think part of it is trying to avoid nap time, but I think she's also excited for baby to get here.  She has switched to team pink lately, hoping that baby is a girl, because she "doesn't like boys."  Little J has also started giving my belly kisses sometimes.  She still seems a little confused about the whole baby idea.

All 3 bellies

Fit Pregnancy

Back when I was pregnant with Miss A, I was really committed to working out throughout my pregnancy.  For me, working out has always been partially about managing my weight and partially about relieving stress.  I started a new job that fall, in a new school, new grade levels, teaching new subjects, so keeping my stress in check was important.  Plus, working out had been a part of my weekly routine for years, and everything I read about working out while pregnant was positive, so I stuck pretty much to my regular routine.  I continued going to the gym until around 38 weeks when I was more tired and getting a lot of funny looks from other gym members.  Plus it was nice enough outside for E and I to walk around the lake most nights.

After Miss A was born, I had a hard time getting to the gym.  The one E and I belonged to didn't have child care, and I hated leaving as soon as E walked in the door to go work out.  Miss A was born in late March, and we had a beautiful spring, so we walked miles every day.  By my 6 week postpartum visit I was a few pounds under my pre-pregnancy weight and fit in my old clothes okay, so I didn't really worry about it.

I gained a few pounds back as I was weaning Miss A (she was about a year old) but it was still winter here, so I didn't worry much about it.  Then I found out I was pregnant with Little J, so I really wasn't worrying about it.  During my first trimester with Little J (as will all three pregnancies it turns out) I was really sick and tired, so I wasn't able to do much.  Summer came, and I walked a lot with Miss A and E, and pretty much called that my exercise throughout the rest of my pregnancy.  In fact, we made it out for a nice, somewhat chilly walk around the lake the day before Little J was born.

When Little J was born, my postpartum experience was much different.  For one thing, Little J was born in late November, meaning there were limited options for outdoor activities.  I could have gone to a mall to walk, but the idea of getting two kids under two bundled up to go walk around a mall was not appealing.  I also had to go back to work a lot earlier with Little J (8 weeks versus the 5 months... big difference!).  I picked up a Jillian Michael's DVD and some hand weights at Target, and tried to do those a few times a week.  Those helped me get started on my weight loss and back into a workout routine.

That spring was probably the nicest spring I can remember.  We had Miss A's birthday party and Little J's baptism over St. Patrick's Day weekend and it was 80 degrees.  We were about to have people out on the deck and playing in the yard.  It was wonderful.  The nice spring also helped me start running.  Running had never been my go to exercise, but it was something I could do fairly quickly in the evenings, and I knew it would be effective in helping boost my weight loss.  A friend suggested we run a 5k later that spring, and once I signed up I was committed to not embarrass myself at the race.  I ran a lot that spring, making it below my goal time for the race, and below my goal weight for a Biggest Loser contest we were having at work.  I continued running throughout the summer and fall, and the next year when it warmed up again I started running again.

When I found out I was pregnant this time around, in early December, 2013, I was in a pretty good workout routine.  The weather had gotten colder, so I was mixing in time on the elliptical (we got one for the house) on days I couldn't run outside.  So far I've been able to keep up with cardio 3 to 4 times per week, which I'm pretty happy with.  I joined a rec center near our house with a running track so I have somewhere to run in this crazy winter we're having.  I'm not running fast or far, but it's helping me to stay active.  I'm not sure how long I'll continue, but at 18 weeks it's still feeling okay.  The elliptical is a nice alternative.  The movement is much more smooth, but I don't always feel like I'm getting the best workout.  As the weather gets nicer, I'll probably add in a lot of walking too.  I haven't done much for weights during this pregnancy, but now that I'm starting to feel like myself again, I'll probably try to work more light weights in too.

I really feel that working out during my first pregnancy helped my postpartum experience, so I'm trying to keep that in mind as I go through this pregnancy.  I'm being careful to listen to my body and not do too much, but I'm hoping to continue some kind of work out routine throughout this pregnancy.  Any advice or suggestions for things to try in the coming months?

Baby #3: Weeks 16-20

Due date: Still August 2, 2014.  My due date with both girls was moved back over a week, so I keep expecting to hear the due date is actually later in August, but at the ultrasound Baby #3 was still measuring within a day of the August 2 due date, so we'll see.

What I'm loving:  Feeling baby's kicks.  Seeing Baby #3 during our ultrasound.  This week, Miss A and Little J both told me about their babies.  Miss A said, "I have a baby in my tummy.  I'm not sure if it's a girl or a boy."  (I think it's a little frustrating to her that she doesn't know if the baby is a brother or a sister.)  Little J likes to point to her belly button and say, "Baby!" while she sticks out her belly.  It's super cute.

What I'm looking forward to:  Real spring weather!  I haven't been very motivated to exercise lately, but I think being able to get outside would really help.  I'm also excited for E to be able to feel baby's kicks.  So far baby's kicks haven't been quite strong enough.

Cravings/Aversions:  I'm loving ice cream.  So much.  I've also gotten my sweet tooth back big time.  Give me sugary cereal, cookies, bars... yum, yum, yum!  I came home from one grocery store trip with a giant bag of Fruit Loops, 3 kinds of cookies and 2 kinds of ice cream.  The girls thought it was great (except I don't share very much).  For awhile drinking water was making me feel sick, but that is finally gone, so I'm back to drinking a lot of water, and I think that has helped out a lot.  The only things I've really been avoiding are leafy greens (keep salads far away, please) and red meat (similar to my other two pregnancies).

How I'm feeling: Still tired, but overall MUCH better than my previous update.  I have far fewer days where I feel sick now, though I still have occasional days where nothing sounds good to eat.  Except ice cream.  I'm always up for ice cream.

What I miss:  Having energy and eating normally.  I'm hoping for a little second trimester reprieve in the next few weeks.

Exercise:  Exercise has been really hit or miss lately.  I'll have a really good week followed by a week when I barely do anything.  I got a nasty head cold that knocked me out for almost a week, which really hurt my work outs.  Still trying to run at least once a week.  I'm limiting myself to indoor running until sidewalks are clear, and it can be tough to get the track's schedule worked out with our schedules.  Come on warm weather!

Diet:  Improving.  I'm not limiting myself on any junk food, but I'm trying to increase the number of freggies I eat during the day.  For breakfast I've been big on Fruit Loops, but I at least try to have an apple with the cereal to balance it out a bit.  I tried a salad with dinner recently, but it made me feel really sick, but I have been eating broccoli (a favorite of the girls), asparagus and (oh so many) carrots.

Differences between pregnancies:  I feel like my belly has taken longer to pop with this pregnancy than when I was pregnant with Little J, but I'm not seeing a big difference in the picture (20 weeks with Little J here).  With both girls I was still throwing up at this point in the pregnancy, but with Miss A, but that never really went away.

It's a...

SURPRISE!

We had our big ultrasound on Tuesday, and baby looks healthy (and super cute if you ask me).  I had my regular OB visit following the ultrasound, and my doctor said everything looks good and baby is measuring right on time.  

With both Miss A and Little J, we found out baby's gender at the ultrasound, but this time around we decided to wait to find out when baby is born.  You can see more on Little J's gender reveal here.  I'm not sure exactly what made us decide to wait this time.  I had been thinking about it myself, but before I said anything to E he brought it up.  Since that quick conversation, the decision pretty much stuck.

I have two friends at work who didn't find out baby's gender at the ultrasound with their last babies.  One who told me it was really fun, and very emotional when baby was born.  The other said it drove her crazy.  Hopefully I'm not going crazy this summer that I don't know if baby is a he or a she.

The only problem with not knowing baby's gender is that we now have to come up with a boy name and a girl name.  Picking names is not an easy task for us (it was a hospital decision with both girls).  Hopefully we can figure out names before baby is born this time around!

Baby #3: 13-16 Weeks

I doubt that I'll keep up with weekly updates for this pregnancy, but I do plan to do updates ever few weeks.  Today I'm just over 16 weeks which seems like a good time to update what's been going on with Baby #3 and me.

16 Weeks! Please excuse the weird flash.

Due date: August 2, 2014

What I'm loving:  I am able to feel baby move sometimes!  The little kicks aren't very strong (yet), but there's definitely some movement in there.  It's also been really fun to follow along with Laura, Julia and Cassie's pregnancy updates (I borrowed this format from what I've been reading on Laura and Julia's blogs).

What I'm looking forward to:  We have our big ultrasound scheduled for the second week in March, and we're looking forward to getting a good look at baby.  I'm also really looking forward to spring.  It has to come soon, right?  This winter is really getting me down, and I can't wait to be able to be outside again!

Cravings/Aversions:  My biggest craving this week was for Gardetto's.  Chex Mix will do in a pinch.  Plus those are fun snacks to share with the girls, because they don't like the rye chips, which are my favorite part.  Much like my first 2 pregnancies, I'm having a hard time eating red meat.

How I'm feeling:  I'm feeling better overall, but still not great.  I still feel nauseous early in the morning, right before bed and randomly throughout the rest of the day.  I feel the best if I eat a lot of small meals throughout the day.  I'm surprised my students haven't commented on my eating yet.  I have a small snack between almost every class.  For much of my first trimester I was having a hard time drinking enough liquid, especially water, but that has also gotten a lot better.  I think staying hydrated has helped me feel better overall.

What I miss:  Eating normal.  If I eat too much in one sitting I start to feel really sick, so I am limiting what I eat at meals, no matter how tasty the food is.

Exercise:  I've been trying to keep up with cardio 3-4 times per week, although this past week I only managed 2 times.  We have an elliptical at home, so that has been my main source of cardio.  I'm so thankful for Netflix right now!  I also joined a nearby rec center with a track where I can run in this crazy cold weather.

Diet:  Improving.  So far in this pregnancy I've been relying on carbs to keep my tummy somewhat happy.  In recent weeks I've been adding in more of a variety.  Even veggies are starting to make their way in to my meals.

Differences between pregnancies:  I feel like I've been a lot more tired during this pregnancy, but I think that having 2 little ones to keep up with is probably a big part of that.  Also, I'm not a winter person to start with, and this winter has been ridiculously cold.  When I get home, I just want to curl up under a blanket!  Another difference is that while I feel sick much of the time, I haven't actually thrown up during this pregnancy (keeping my fingers crossed on that one!)

The First Trimester, Round 3

I should say to start that this post is not very positive.  I wrote this throughout my first trimester which was not a very enjoyable time.  Don't get me wrong, I am extremely excited to be pregnant again.  I love my job as Mom, and I can't wait to have another baby in our family.  I know many people would love to be pregnant and feeling all that goes along with pregnancy, but I wanted to post my thoughts on the first trimester as it was happening (that I may or may not pull out when baby is older and I need her/him to take care of me).

So, remember back in December and January when I barely posted?  Yeah, turns out the first trimester with baby 3 is just as crazy as with babies 1 and 2.  I felt good for about the first week after finding out I was pregnant, then BAM!  Morning All day sickness and SO tired.

I don't think my sleepiness has been helped by the crazy cold winter we're having.  I want to be curled up under a blanket at all times.  Seriously, school was just cancelled for Monday due to the unprecedented cold.  I think the forecast is calling for a high of -13.  Not cool.

As far as food goes, most things are out for now.  There is very little that looks or sounds appealing.  When I do eat, I'm taking in a lot of carbs... bagels, crackers, breadsticks, pasta.  

Sweets are especially low on my list of things to eat.  I normally have no self control when it comes to holiday snacks, but as I was baking for Christmas this year, I wasn't able to eat a single cookie.  It was really sad (and proof to E of how sick I'm really feeling).  One sweet treat I have been loving is Coco Puffs.  I could eat Coco Puffs for every meal.  I bought a bag about the size of Little J yesterday.  Miss A is enjoying that craving with me.

I know that it's okay for me to give myself a break right now because I have a legit reason to be a little lazy, but I've also been experiencing some crazy Mommy guilt.  I was not very fun in the lead up to Christmas.  I have not had a lot of patience with Miss A and Little J.  Our house... is a crazy mess.

But, at almost 10 weeks now, I'm feeling a lot better (I thought I was feeling a lot better, then I went back to work and realized I still feel like I got hit by a truck most days).  I had a week and a half off for winter break, and I took advantage of that time to sleep in and take care of myself.  I spent a very large percentage of my time off in my pajamas, and the girls and for the most part the girls and I just chilled.

I'm trying to keep up with some sort of exercise, but 30 minutes on the elliptical is about as long as I can make it, and it's a slow 30 minutes.  I remember things being about the same during my first trimester when I was pregnant with Miss A, but I was able to do more after the fatigue lessened.  I'm hoping for the same this time.

The most frustrating part through this is that through most of this, nobody knows (for sure... most of my family suspects) that I'm pregnant.  Of course I told my mom, Heather and a few other close friends (we went to a small New Year's Eve party, so we decided to share the news instead of try to hide it).  Work is the worst.  I've been actively avoiding some of my closest work friends because I feel icky all the time.  Soon now though!

Big Sisters!!

We have a new favorite book at our house...

That's right, we'll be welcoming Baby #3 this summer!  We couldn't be more excited about the coming addition to our family!

I've been saving some thoughts on round three of the first trimester which I'll share soon.  In brief, I was sick and tired (which is why I haven't been blogging much this winter).