Wow, three months...

I knew it had been awhile, but didn't realize it had been this long. The past month or so has been super crazy getting ready for Birthdaypalooza 2012, and now we've started "A Very Pinterest Christmas." I'll post quick updates on the girls and us, and I promise to be back with the good and not so good Pinterest ideas we've tried!

Cadence:
She's doing ok. We have an appointment on December 4 with a psychiatrist to see if she has ADHD, impulse control issues, a processing disorder or something else altogether. I'm not opposed to medication if the doctor thinks that is what she needs, but I also won't object at all if they suggest behavior therapy or something else. I love her to pieces, but she's still having outburst over very tiny things, *can not* sit still AT ALL, and has started pulling her hair out resulting in bald spots. She's so bright and funny and creative, and it breaks my heart to see her so angry and frustrated all the time. I'm really hoping this will help and give us some answers.

Amelia:
She's two. And definitely acts like a two year old! I hear a lot of "No, Mommy! Mine! You a mean mommy! No Sissy! No touch! DON'T!!!" and my favorites, "go bed, Mommy!" and "EAT SOUP, MOMMY!!!" She is absolutely hilarious most of the time, and is much much much better with Maddie. She loves to hold her, kiss her, and thinks it's so funny when she makes faces or talks and Maddie laughs at her. She loves "meme mouf", "Jake Ho Ho" and "Sissy YaYa" (Minnie Mouse, Jake and the Neverland Pirates and Cinderella for those of you that can't speak toddler), and gets so excited whenever a Disney World commercial comes on. I can't wait utnil we can take her. She's a handful, but she's MY handful, and I wouldn't change her for anything.

Maddie:
She'll be six months old next week! She's still very tiny - in 0-3 month clothes still - and I'm going to talk to them next week about her weight in relation to how much she eats (a ton!) and spits up (also a ton!) She is rolling over, and has figured out how to roll/scoot/wiggle herself pretty much wherever she wants. She's still not quite sitting up on her own, but wants to so bad! I'm really excited about Thanksgiving tomorrow, because she's now eating whatever mushy things we are, and I know she's going to lose it with all the food we'll have tomorrow. She's usually happy (unless I put her down or pass her off), and smiles all the time. She's also set a bedtime for herself. She goes to bed about 8 or 8:30 every night, and will sleep until 4ish the next morning. I had one 10 hour night, but it was the exception. Usually she sleeps about 8 hours or so straight, and it's so nice. She's such a good baby, an we've been so lucky.

Mike and me:
Well, we're both still at jobs we're not completely thrilled with, and still not making quite enough for me to be at home full time. However, there are some things in the works, so maybe something will change for one or both of us soon.

It's been crazy having three little ones around the house, and even though Maddie has been here six months, I think we're all still adjusting to everything. It's so weird to look around and see 5 stockings on the mantle (yes, I've already decorated for Christmas!), and have three kids crammed in the back of my Jeep, and have three to check up on before I go to sleep. And I've ran into another problem I didn't have with Cadence and Amelia: I'm getting Amelia and Maddie's babyhoods mixed up! Cadence and Amelia were so far apart that it hasn't been that hard to remember which of them did what. But with Amelia and Maddie only being 19 months apart, it's all becoming a babyhood blur. And of course it doesn't help that my children all look alike!

I have tons of pictures from the mega Birthdaypalooza 2012, and of all the Christmas gifts and holiday foods we've been making. I'll definitely be back shortly to upload some of those!

In case I don't get back tomorrow, I hope everyone has a happy Thanksgiving!

Seven years ago...

Seven years ago Mississippi was hit by one of the worst hurricanes in history. We still live in the same house, but at that time we had a 10 month old, not a seven year old, almost 2 year old and 3 month old. Right now all the forecasts are saying that Isaac will hit right on the MS Gulf Coast - just like Katrina did - only this one should be slightly smaller. However, once again, Mississippi is being completely overlooked on a national scale. I came across a facebook page earlier that was called "The Land Mass Between NOLA and Mobile" (yes, I liked it.) For reference, here's what our coast looked like A YEAR AND A HALF after Katrina:











Those pictures are all from Biloxi and Gulfport. And this was after all the awesome, amazing people down there had been working for 19 months on cleaning and rebuilding. The days right after Katrina were horrific, and seven years later we are finally getting back to some sense of normal. And, of course, Isaac has to head our way and plans to hit almost exactly on the seven year anniversary of Katrina.

So, a note to all of the media outlets out there: We may not be as cool or historic as New Orleans and Mobile, but we are still here. We exist. And we are survivors. I have no problems with hearing reports about all of the Gulf Coast, because we are all a family. Just don't forget about the unwanted stepchild in the corner. We deserve to have our story told, too.

Praying it passes soon

I'm not sure if it's lack of sleep, stress, or hormones, but the dreams, anxiety and panics have started again. It doesn't happen often, but every once in awhile I have nights where I can't sleep and I keep imagining all the awful things that could happen to us. The most common is fire. I'm absolutely terrified that we're going to have a house fire in the middle of the night and I'm not going to be able to get all three of the girls out. And for the last few days, I've also been having crazy dreams, and will start getting panicky for no reason at all. I walked in a minute ago to calm Amelia and almost started crying when she looked up at me and said momma.

I know that these feelings will pass soon, but I absolutely hate feeling this way. I  KNOW it's irrational. I KNOW that I'm overreacting. I KNOW that I'm being a hormonal mommy. But when it's midnight or so and I can't sleep, and all I keep thinking about is crazy house fires or car wrecks or who knows what else, it's hard to remember that I'm being irrational and overreacting. Very very hard.

Middle of the night ramblings

It's about 3:30am right now, and the only reason I'm up is because the baby has decided that something is wrong and she must scream. She's finally settled some, but not asleep, so I'm doing this to keep myself awake until I can head back to bed.

I'm realizing again what the words "walking dead" mean. Last night I was in bed about 11, and woke at 2:30, 3:30, 4:15, 4:30, 4:45 and 5:00. Tonight it was sleep at 11:45, then up around 1:15, 3:00 and now 3:30. Monday night and Tuesday night were just as bad. It's not always Maddie. Sometimes it's Amelia (last night is because at 4:15 she decided she needed a "siss-sess bambaid" to sleep. It took me until 4:45 to figure that out.), and a few times it's been Mike. I told him I'm about to the point I'm going to head to Momma's tomorrow, pass off the three kids, and then lock myself away to go sleep. I'm REALLY tempted to do that.

Cadence auditioned for a play last week, and even got a callback. Unfortunately, we got a letter on Wednesday that she didn't get any part. She was really upset, but I'm proud that she even got up there with the other 64 people to audition for only 25 parts. It was for Pinkalicious, so it would have been the perfect first play for her, but I know there will be other opportunities. We're also back to being on any color but green at school. Thankfully she has an awesome teacher who seems really concerned about working with her to get to a less talkative state.

Amelia is talking up a storm, and is Disney obsessed. She begs for "mouse and quack!" every morning (Mickey Mouse Clubhouse for those of you not fluent in Ameliaese), and loves to point out Pooh and Siss-Sess (any princess.) Tonight we put on Belle pjs, and I asked her who was on it expecting "siss-sess." Instead she looked at it, grinned really big and told me it was Belle. She is also starting to get into movies, and reminds me more of Sarah each day. She even grunted to help me open a jar the other day. I could just eat her up!

Maddie is growing like a weed, and so extremely sweet. She's a good mix of the other two, and is getting redder by the day. I'm SO happy about that. And thankfully she seems to finally be asleep, so I'm going to try and head back that way before another kid wakes. Maybe I'll get an hour or so in!

My "baby"

I was up late tonight getting clothes finished for Mike for tomorrow, and went to put something in Cadence's room. When you walk into Amelia's, it's covered in dolls and preschool toys and board books, and even though there is a "big girl bed," it's still very much a kid's room. I walked into Cadence's room, and was greeted with a DS charger, her hot pink camera, a few containers full of sparkly jewelry and headbands, and another container full of nail polish and the makeup she's managed to get others to buy her. There are still dolls and barbies and a few other kid things, but her room is slowly morphing into a tween room instead, covered in hot pink, lime green and sparkles. I know she'll be 8 in November, but she's not suppose to have a tween room yet!

She starts school next Tuesday, and will be in second grade. In the last year and a half she's gone from being our only kid, to having two sisters. She has a love of anything zebra printed, is a fabulous big sister, and is extremely creative. She's also extremely sensitive, and takes everything personally. She's dramatic, entertaining, loving, and goofy. She's extremely book smart, but can completely lack street smarts at times. And as crazy as she makes me, I wouldn't want her any other way.

Cadence is definitely the total opposite of Amelia, and is the opposite of me as well. It's taken me awhile to understand her attitudes and mood swings, and to be able to not take her reactions to things personally (actually, I'm still working on that), but I love her more than anything. I know that she will be the one to constantly amaze me, and will go on to do unbelievable things. I can't wait to see what God has in store for her.

Birthday Freebies are coming in!!

Last year I decided to sign up for a lot of freebie things for my birthday, and was so happy when a week ago they started coming in again for this year. I also received some freebie things from the companies for signing up, and this past week I started getting "anniversary deals" in my email box as well. Here's this year's list of freebies!

Birthday:

• Marble Slab - free small cone
• Dairy Queen - BOGO Free Blizzard
• Sonic - free medium Tots, a regular CreamSlush^® Treat, or medium Soft Drink
• Baskin Robbins - Free scoop
• Backyard Burgers - Free Cobbler
• Ruby Tuesday - Free Burger
• Schlotzsky's Deli - Free small sandwich or pizza
• McAlister's Deli - $5 off next purchase
• Arby's - Free small shake
• Chili's - Free Brownie Sundae 
• IHOP - Free Rooty Tooty Fresh and Fruity
• Disney Movie Rewards - 100 points

e-club Anniversary:

• Cheddar's - Free chips and queso
• Dairy Queen - BOGO Free Blizzard
• Marble Slab - BOGO Free Shake
• Arby - Free Roast Beef Sandwich
• Chili's - Free Appetizer

Updates and Kids books

I could really get used to this "stay at home mom" thing. I've been able to take Cadence to camp, went with Amelia to Baby Bookworms at the library today, have had time to take care of little things, and of course, hang out with Maddie. Tomorrow I have my six week checkup, and it's reminding me that I don't have much more "stay at home" time left. That sucks. It's necessary, but it still sucks. Makes me really wish we were very very wealthy and I didn't have to worry about it! ;)

Cadence started Girl Scout camp yesterday, and seems to be having a blast. She's coming home really tired (even though she'd never admit it), and I'm worried that she won't be able to get out of bed by the end of the week! She's brought home photos of her artwork the last two days, and I can't wait to see the art show at the end of the week.

Amelia has FINALLY warmed up at Baby Bookworms, and actually interacted some today (and, of course, it was the last day of the summer session. It continues through the year, though.) She also "read" more than enough books for the summer reading program. She needed 20, and I think we ended with closer to 50. Her entire sheet was filled, and I've discovered some really great kid books in the process. Some of my favorites:

The Baby Lit series A beautiful series of board books based on classic literature. So far we've read Alice in Wonderland (colors), Jane Eyre (numbers) and Pride and Prejudice (numbers.) There's also Romeo and Juliet and Dracula (both numbers) and A Christmas Carol (colors.) I love the Alice in Wonderland one so much that I'm tempted to buy it, tear it apart, and use the board book pages as the artwork in Amelia's room. They are that beautiful. Amelia adores Pride and Prejudice (she's carried it around all day while hugging it and saying "MINE!!") and Alice in Wonderland (she's insisted on checking it out of the library twice because she's seen it on the display and had to have it), and I'm pretty sure I know what she'll be getting for Christmas. 


The Boy Who Cried Ninja This book is absolutely hilarious, and seriously, how can you go wrong with a book that contains ninjas, pirates and a time traveling monkey?? It is a funny story about how a boy's parents don't believe him when he says ninjas (and other various exceptional creatures) do different naughty things around the house, but he can't lie because that gets him in trouble as well. The end is great, and Cadence laughed all the way through this one.


Robot Zombie Frankenstein The title alone was enough to make me want to check this one out, and I wasn't disappointed at all. It's two robots trying to outdo each other by making themselves into bigger and crazier things, and it includes pie. Cadence thought it was funny, but with all the zombie craze at the moment, I think I found it funnier than she did. The illustrations are bright and colorful (and kept Amelia's attention), and the words are simple and very effective. Awesome book!


Dinosaur vs. The Library  Dinosaur is on his way to the library, and challenges all his friends along the way. His huge ROAR allows him to win against everyone - except the librarian. This is a great book to introduce animal sounds, and to talk about inside/outside voices. Again, very bright pictures, and it's mostly animal sounds so very easy for toddlers to follow along. And seeing Amelia "ROARRRRRR!" with him was well worth it! And I just realized that they also have Dinosaur vs. Bedtime, Dinosaur vs. The Potty and in September, Dinosaur vs. Santa. I'm very excited.

I also LOVE the Bink and Gollie books that Cadence has been reading. There are only two out at the moment, but she devoured both of them and is (not so) patiently waiting for more to appear. I'm on the lookout for more books like that for her, so if anyone knows of any, please share! And thanks to Bink and Gollie, Cadence met her reading goal for the library as well. The end of year carnival is Thursday, and I'm glad we were able to stick with it and both girls finished the program.

Books 17-19 of 24

This should catch me up with the ones I've read, and I'm only 5 away from my goal! Not bad since I still have over 5 months to go.

17) First Bite: The Wicked Queen's Tale by Laura Briggs & Sarah Steinbrenner

I enjoyed this book, but it took a little while to get into it. The book starts out explaining a lot of back story, so it took a little while to piece it all together. But once the story got going, it was excellent. I really enjoy reading different variations of the most popular fairy tales, and this was a great twist on Snow White. I also started reading it while I was watching Once Upon A Time, and there are similarities. I was impressed with this one, and have started the second book in the series which is about Hansel and Gretel. There is also a third about the Fairy Godmother. I'm eager to see the twists that they put on these as well.

I gave this 4 books

18) The Priest's Graveyard by Ted Dekker

This was a really dark Christian fiction book about a guy who sees his mom and sisters raped and murdered while living in Bosnia, and he then kills their killer. He comes to the US as a priest, but does more than just help in church. He also tracks down the scum of the earth and takes them out. It was more graphic than what one would usually expect from Christian fiction, but I really enjoyed it. It went into some dark topics, and did a great job covering them and making a completely believable story from them. I've missed having new Ted Dekker, and have two more sitting in my "to read" pile. I really hope they are as good as this one was.

I gave this 4 books

19) The Film Club by David Gilmour

Somewhat depressing, but so so so good. It's a story of a guy who has a son that is getting in trouble in school, and he lets him drop out on the promise that he'll watch at least 3 movies a week with his dad. It covers the movies they watched, what was going on in their lives during this time (the good and the bad), and was a great parent/child story. A lot of things his son said and did reminded me of Cadence, and I just hope to be as understanding and loving if (or when) we face hard teenage years. It was excellent, and I'm so glad that I picked it up on a whim at the library the other day.

I gave this one 5 books.

Busy week next week

Next week will be crazy, but will be a great test run in getting the girls up and out the door on time every day. Cadence is going to Girl Scout camp, and has to be there at 8am every morning. I also have my six week check up next Wednesday, and then on Thursday I have to take Jonathan to the airport and am going to see Singin' In The Rain with Sarah that night. In the last six weeks I haven't had more than a day at a time that I needed to be somewhere at a specific time, so next week will definitely be a challenge. 

I think Cadence has everything ready for camp, and she's really excited. I hope she enjoys it as much as I think she will, and I really hope it's the start of many years of great Girl Scout memories.

Cadence has a blog!

I've helped Cadence set up a blog, hoping that by having a "cool" place to write things down, maybe it will help with her temper. I'm going to try my best to not give her ideas or take it over for her, and I have a feeling she may post more than I do!

If you want to visit, she has her first post up. She has decided to call it "A Made-Up Fairy Tale," and I know would love for people to visit.

Books 8-16 of 24

I realized that even though I haven't been reading like a crazy woman (like I hoped I would during maternity leave), I'm still ahead of my "2 books a month" goal. Problem is, I haven't talked about the last 12 I've read. So, here I go, but it may take a few posts.

8-9) Catching Fire and Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins

I will admit, I didn't love these two as much as the first one, and by the end of Mockingjay, I was reading just to finish the series. I liked the story (as much as one could, considering the plot), but my main thought was that somewhere along the way, Suzanne Collins replaced Katniss "Girl on Fire" with Bella Swan "Girl who Whines Too Much and Can't Make Decisions On Her Own." By the end, I was actually hoping she wouldn't come out alive, and I really really didn't like the "tied in a neat little bow" ending. They weren't awful, but Hunger Games was definitely the best of the three.

I give them both 3 books, but only because they helped complete the series.

10) Zombie Cinderella by Kevin Richey

Yeah, I like zombie stories, and love fairy tales, but wasn't that impressed with this one. The Snow White zombie book I read earlier was really good - gory, but not too gory, funny but not stupid, and very readable. This one, however, was gory just for the sake of gore. I don't watch horror movies that are excessively gory, and this would definitely be in that category if someone made it into a movie. The storyline is decent, but there were parts that were just gross.

For that reason, 2 books.

11) Wildflowers of Terezin by Robert Elmer

So, so good! It's about two people during WWII, one a Jewish lady and the other a Lutheran pastor, who's lives get intertwined because of the Germans deporting Danish Jews. It's a great story that shows the struggles of the normal people during that time - the ones that knew what was going on was wrong, but were scared, worried, and just downright terrified of getting involved and getting themselves in trouble, too. It does a good job of showing some of the horrors of concentration camps without getting extremely graphic, and I loved the ending. It was a great book, and one that I had problems putting down.

I gave this one 5 books.

12) Michal: A Novel (The Wives of David) by Jill Eileen Smith

I really enjoyed this one as well. I've read lots of Christian based fiction, and some of my favorites are the ones about women in the bible. This one is about Michal, one of the wives of David, and talks about her life before and after they were married. Jill Eileen Smith did a great job of making me connect with her, and there were a few times that I was on the verge of tears or laughing out loud. Michal became a real person, and it was a great story. I believe that there are a few more that Smith has written, and I'm eager to read them as well.

I gave this one 5 books.

13) The Big Read Button by Bob McClain

This is from the same guy that wrote "Snow White and the Seven Deadly Dwarves," and it was short and sweet. It was a great little suspense/horror story, and reminded me of some of the Stephen King short stories I've read. It wasn't extremely gory, and left some things to the imagination. I really liked it.

I gave this 4 books

14-16) Fifty Shades of Grey, Fifty Shades Darker and Fifty Shades Freed by EL James

Wow. I will admit that I didn't have a clue what these books were about before I started them, and read Fifty Shades of Grey on the recommendation of a friend. By halfway through the first book I was laughing hysterically at all the sex scenes. By the second book I was skipping them altogether. There is just so much in those scenes that is so completely improbable, and it made them SO funny to me. I also noticed by the end of the first book that there were A LOT of similarities between it and Twilight - Overbearing, controlling boyfriend, same area of the country, family size is similar, Mary Sue girl and super hot guy - the list goes on. The only difference is where Twilight didn't have any sex at all (until they were married, that is), this had so much it became a joke. I will say, the story in the later two was better than in the first, but I still didn't get the lust rush that is seems the majority of American women seemed to get.

I gave all of these 2 books. Only because of the comedic value. 

I have 3 left to go before I'm caught up with the ones I've read, and I'm currently sitting on my couch with 5 more books that I checked out today and 3 or 4 on my kindle. I'm not sure if I'll get them all read, but I'm going to have fun trying!

One Month Old

I can't believe it. Saturday my tiny little baby turned a month old! I took her in for a weight check, and she's now up to 8lbs 13oz (she gained over a pound in two weeks.) She's starting to stay awake more, and smiling at us (mainly the girls, but I've gotten one or two!) She's such a good baby, and it's hard to believe she's been in our life for a month already!

I love you sweet Maddie Pearl, and can't imagine our life without you!

Want ALL the crayons!

The girls and I spent about 2 hours wandering around Target today, and I found the coolest things. Crayola now has a set out that is exclusive to Target called "Pick Your Pack." You choose a box to hold your crayons that you can decorate yourself, and then you pick and choose from 8 count packs that have different themes. Some of the options are "Cupcake My Day," "Glitterati," "Sports Fan," and "Pirate Treasure." I will admit, I want them all. And I won't even pretend they are for the girls. They would totally be all for me.

Images are from Target.com

Reasons to wait on having kids

Don't get me wrong, I love my children. However, having two unmarried, childless sisters is a great and constant reminder on why you should live a little before settling and having kids. Between buying gifts for their nieces, going to the movies, and hanging out with friends, that's enough to make me jealous. The highlight of my day is usually going to Target on my own, and my social life is all lived on Facebook. But the biggest? Cecily left today going to London for a month for school, and Sarah will be in London, Paris, Scotland and who knows where else in July. Plus, she gets to go to Disneyland Paris!! 

My summer? Baby Bookworms, Girl Scout meetings and camp, and dreading maternity leave being over because I won't get to cuddle Maddie all day anymore. Not that I don't love all those things, but it's just not quite the same as studying literature in London or visiting Disneyland Paris.

Going by too fast

My tiny little baby is now almost a month old. I can't believe that my maternity leave is half over, and in about a month I'll be back at work. So far I've loved every second of it - taking Amelia to Baby Bookworms on Tuesdays, lounging around the house with Maddie and watching her sleep, watching crap tv, and of course the cat naps during the day. I've heard that there are some... things... going on at work, so it should be very interesting when I go back in August. But honestly? I'd rather be here. I know that we wouldn't be able to live anywhere like we do now if I quit, but man, I'd love to be at home. Especially since I'll be shelling out so much for daycare. If only the side projects would pan out, or Mike could get moved at his job so he'd be happier. If only, if only...

Madeline Pearl

I can't believe my newest little one is 3 weeks old today. She arrived at 2:30 on May 30, weighed 7lbs 6oz and was 20 inches long. At her two week checkup last week, she was up to 7lbs 9oz, and was 20.5 inches. She's now staying away more often, and is starting to get a decent schedule going at night. It's so hard to believe that she's here and as perfect as she is!

Newborn Maddie



 1 Week


 2 Weeks
 

3 Weeks

Last few days as a family of 4

I turned 38 weeks on Friday, and they let me pick a day for the induction. On Wednesday, May 30 (barring any complications or unseen events) we will go from a family of 4 to a family of 5. I was told to be at the hospital at 6:00 pm on Tuesday night, and they'll start the induction Wednesday morning. If it goes like Amelia's did, she'll be here before noon.

Knowing that this time next weekend we'll have a newborn around here has made me want to spend way more time with the two I have. As of Wednesday, everything will be different. It will never be just the 4 of us again. And as excited as I am about the baby, that makes me sad. I feel like I just got used to having the 4 of us, to having Amelia around, and just got our routine down pat. And now it's all going to be different.

I am excited - I'm looking forward to nursing again and the sweet newborn cuddles, and watching Amelia adapt to being a big sister. To having a baby again, and the sweet tiny clothes, and definitely the 2 months off during the summer where my only job during the day will be to take care of and pay attention to her. But I'm worried - about Amelia adapting to having a baby taking over some of my time, that something will go wrong with the delivery or something will be "wrong" with her, and about being able to be a mom to three. I worry about finances and no sleep and our overcrowded little house. And I worry if I'm ready for this or not.

Mike and Cadence went and spent all day yesterday together, and Amelia and I went shopping. Today we're going to church, then hanging out, and we'll spend today and tomorrow cleaning last minute things to make sure it's all ready for me leaving. I'll go grocery shopping, make sure the bed and everything is ready, and try to make sure my house is decent enough for company since I know there will be tons of it the next week or so. 

I'm scared and nervous and excited and just overwhelmed. I'm not sure what to expect or what this baby will be like, or how my little family will react to me having to give so much attention to this new little one at the house. It's scary, but exciting. And I just hope I'm up for it.

That's not the word I'd use to describe it...

I've heard lots of woman say that they loved being pregnant because they felt beautiful and womanly and sexy. Now, this is my 3rd pregnancy, and while I've ranged from "Holy crap, this is torture!! Why do women do this to themselves???" (first) to "This isn't so bad. I can understand why someone would do this over and over - bonus: cute babies!!!" (third), "Sexy" isn't a word I would have ever used to describe being pregnant. Ever.

It is true that some women experience an increased sex drive, especially during the second trimester, but even during that time I would have never said that I felt "sexy" while pregnant. "Beautiful"? Maybe. "Womanly"? Definitely. "Beached whale that waddles everywhere she goes"? Without a doubt. But not sexy. I can't find anything attractive about any of this:

• Morning Sickness - Nothing says "sexy" like running to the bathroom to puke multiple times a day.
• Swelling - Those sexy heels I used to wear? So extremely attractive when you have swollen feet and cankles.
• Headaches - I was one of the lucky ones that actually GOT headaches from the hormone shifts, and it was so awesome having to deal with vomit-inducing headaches for months on end.
• Weight gain - I know it's normal to gain weight because of the increased blood flow, the baby growing, etc, but you end up going for a few months where you've put on some pounds, but you don't really look pregnant yet. It's a lovely time.
• Sinus issues - because of the increased blood flow and weight gain, most woman have sinus problems. I've had it all three times. Gotta love stuffy noses, snoring, and sinus headaches.
• Hemorrhoids - Again, weight gain and blood flow cause hemorrhoid problems as well. Sex-y.
• Gas and digestive problems - As the baby grows, it starts pushing on your intestines and colon. It causes all kinds of lovely issues. Thank goodness my husband loves me and knows that I'm not always a gas machine!
• Non-stop peeing - Between Baby Girl on the bladder, and having to drink non-stop to stave off dehydration, I go to the bathroom every 20-30 minutes. I'm also going multiple times at night. I need to just buy stock in Angel Soft at the moment.
• No Sleep - There's the pregnancy insomnia, the fact that I can't get comfortable, the baby sitting in my ribs so I can't breathe, and I'm having to pee constantly (see above.) I keep telling myself that it's just trying to prepare me for her getting here, but man, a little sleep before she arrives would be nice!
• The Waddle - There's nothing sexier than a woman with a beach ball under her shirt, waddling like a duck. Quack Quack!

Then, of course, is labor and delivery. This is baby #3, and it's been 7 years since having the first. Yet, my husband still refuses to come into the delivery room with me this time. He was thrilled when my mom wanted to come in with #2, and has told me I can't have this one until at least May 28  because my mom won't be back from vacation until then. He is still scarred from the screaming, yelling, crying and cussing, not to mention the actual delivery itself in all it's bloody glory. Yep, that's pure sexiness right there.

There are lots of things I'm loving about being pregnant this time, and I do have my moments where I feel pretty and beautiful and excited about the new life growing inside me. However, I will be very very happy to be somewhere closer to a normal weight again, and not have to deal with a majority of the issues listed above. Maybe then I'll start using "sexy" to describe myself again.

Happy Mother's Day!

I've spent the day on the phone with PayPal (someone in New Zealand was using Mike's credit card), and Amelia's room won't be finished by the end of the day, but I got lunch made for me, Cadence brought me home a pretty plant from school and made me a card, and I've have had a blast hanging out with my girls. Happy Mother's Day to all the Momma's out there, and here's some pictures from my weekend.

4 weeks to go...

I had my 36 week appointment today, and everything is looking good. My blood pressure is good, her heartrate was strong, no signs yet of labor, and I'm now officially on weekly visits until she arrives. I also found out that my Group B Strep test came back negative, but since I was positive with both of the other girls, there's a chance I may get antibiotics anyway as a precaution. I start checks next week, and was told that if I was "easily induceable" at any point after that and want her here, they'll induce me. I'm going to try and hold out until at least June 1 (39 weeks), but at that point, I don't think I'd turn an induction down!

I've spent the last few days trying to get things ready. At work, I've talked to them about vacation time, maternity leave and insurance, and I also have the major list started for the guy that's going to be filling in for me. As far as the room, it's to the point I hope to start painting tomorrow night. Over the weekend we got all the trash and donated items out, both dressers are ready (one even has clothes!), and got most of the items put away that we are keeping, but don't need to stay in there. Today I got the carpet shampooed and the desk finished and pictures on craigslist for it. We're now down to painting, arranging furniture and toys, and then fixing the ceiling and ceiling fan when my dad is here this weekend. I also need to wash and put away Baby Girl's clothes, but hopefully we can get Amelia in there before that has to be completed. It's actually looking like a real room, and I can't wait to get her settled.

Cadence is almost finished with school, and the next two weeks are going to be so busy. This week she has Field Day on Friday, and next week is Awards Day. We also have Girl Scout meetings, a bake sale, her Bridging Ceremony then Memorial Day. I also have weekly doctor's appointments, and a shower for Stacey that I work with. At least I'll have a ton of things to keep me busy until Baby Girl gets here!

Picture filled update

Me, at 33 weeks

 
Eating lunch with my favorite first grader

 Easter:
 
 It's a purse!!!

 
 Nail polish!!

 
My pretty girls

 
The Easter Bunny even brought me stuff at other people's houses!

Day at the park and Museum with Girl Scouts: