37 weeks

37 week Doctor's appointment is under our belt. Dr Rao says I'm measuring on track this week and the baby's heartbeat is strong. I am almost 1 cm dilated, and the head is still down and low. He said unless my water breaks, I'll definitely see him back there next week. I told him I was hoping our next meeting would be in the labor and delivery room, hehe. He said he doubts it :)

37 weeks and really starting to swell this week...I can't wear my wedding band anymore!

On Sunday, my sister in law, Sarah, and my mother in law, Joyce, hosted a nice luncheon to celebrate number three. It was at a new restaurant here in Hudson, Ohio, called "Peachtree". It's a southern restaurant and is really good! I will say that it's more "southern gourmet", rather than classic southern, down home cooked food. But it is delicious and just seeing 'Shrimp and Grits' and 'Fried Chicken' on a menu was comforting. The weather was really bad that day so several weren't able to make it, but the Ohio family was there and I am so happy they were. It's nice to feel so loved! 

The nursery is 98% ready. All I have to do is paint the small side table that is sitting next to the rocking chair. I'll do it this week and post pics of the finished room!

Full Term!

We made it. 36 weeks...9 months...full term. Baby is fully developed and if he/she comes tomorrow, he/she won't be considered premature. What a relief and what a great feeling! Now, I don't necessarily want the baby to come too early...but I sure wouldn't be upset if it happened a little early! I'm sure he/she is staying cozy in there, and with the weather up here, I don't blame him/her! (I am READY to know the gender -- this he/she/him/her is getting old, haha)

Ya'll. It. Is. Cold. I have never been exposed to so much snow in my life! For example, we had about 5 inches left on the ground from last week's storm, and last night we got another 6 inches...and it is still coming down hard out there now! It's pretty, at least. These windows really let us see a wonderland every morning.

Weston and Nora Kate have been going a little stir crazy and the weather really makes for cozy days confined to the house. Nora Kate has started exploring her climbing abilities and Weston has jumped in the bounce house and played so much Mario that sometimes he just lays down and falls asleep. It can get a little nutty but I have to think that all this cancelled school and snow is allowing me to spend this time with the "bigs" before their baby brother or sister arrives. It's definitely bittersweet.

I went to see Dr. Rao on Monday for my 36 week appointment. He says I'm measuring on track and everything looks great. The head is down and I am a "fingertip dilated". Hey, it's progress! I've started taking my Evening Primrose Oil and am preparing for labor/delivery! It's time to really have everything together. The car seat is still in the box but at least we have it. The baby clothes are all washed and folded, not quite in their drawers, but they're clean. The baby swing, vibrating chair, etc., are all still in the basement, but we know where they are and I'll get them out closer to time. They will only be in the way before the baby comes. We are ready and excited!!

[ 36 weeks...we won't discuss my weight gain]

8.5 months {34 weeks}

We had our 34 week appointment on Monday and since it was a holiday (MLK), Weston didn't have school. So Weston, Nora Kate and I all went to my appointment - you can imagine how "relaxing" that was for me, ha! It actually wasn't too bad. Weston is as easy as they come, and NK is ok as long as she has juice, a snack, a lovey, a binkie, and the Dr isn't touching me! Haha. She panics when Dr Rao touches my tummy and listens to the heartbeat. I think she has her own fears and is worried he is hurting me. Bless her. Anyhow, I am measuring right on track and the baby sounds great!

NK kept telling me she was "stuck"...I had to keep telling her she's "supposed to be stuck in her stroller"!

Sweet Weston sitting patiently in the waiting room :) Love him.

My belly is groooooowing! Phew! It is really starting to get tight in there - I'm sure the baby is having trouble moving around. The moving has slowed and they are actual turns and rolls now. I can feel the feet in my ribs and the arms/hands down in my hips. I'm hoping the baby is already head down and I am correct in what I'm feeling :) Either way, the pressure has started and I had my first braxton hicks this week! Yay for those - it means we are SO close!

We got Nora Kate moved into her new room last weekend and started on the nursery. NK's room looks great! Here are a couple pictures before we really put her knick-knacks in there...it now has all of her baby dolls and tea party stuff and girly girl things.

I'll post pictures of the nursery once we really get it together. Gamma got us a really cool giraffe and the kids love it - Weston and NK want to "ride" it, ha. It's almost 5 feet tall! Thanks, Gamma! The baby will love it in his/her room. 

Nora Kate is getting ready for the baby and has been really interested in her "babies" lately. She has started feeding them and putting them to "night-night". The baby NK is playing with in the picture below was one of my favorite dolls growing up - a Cabbage Patch doll named "Lou Anna". So happy I saved it!

33 Weeks

It's been 4 weeks since I've last blogged, oops! Since the last time I updated, we drove to GA, spent 2 weeks there over Christmas, and have finally gotten back into the swing of things in Ohio.

While we were in GA, Lydia put together a dinner at Little Hawaiian for me and Laurie Kaye to celebrate my number three and her second. LK is having another little girl and is due April 22. We had such a fun girl's dinner! Thank you to everyone who came. It really means a lot!! :) We are so blessed to have such wonderful friends!!!

I've been feeling pretty good lately...aside from my hips KILLING me, I really don't have anything to complain about. In the past two weeks I have been a NESTING MACHINE! I can't seem to sit down because I am constantly organizing or cleaning. I have gone through ALL of Weston's and NK's clothes - from newborn to now and put them in large storage tubs labeled whether it's boy or girl and which size. There are about fifteen 20 gallon tubs filled. And I have one tub filled with gender neutral newborn and 0-3 month size clothes, I'll wash them all pretty soon and put them in the nursery (that has yet to be started!). So now when we get home from the hospital, all we have to do is grab the bin that says which gender we need and the size 0-3 months. 

Ok, so the nursery...We are moving NK to the guest room into a new convertible crib (we aren't rushing her out of a crib) and are using her current room as the nursery. I am going to paint two of the pieces of furniture and put off-white, thick vertical stripes on one of the walls in the room. SO MUCH TO DO! And only 7 weeks left. Panic time! I'll feel much better once the nursery is finished and NK is in her new room and the clothes are washed and...ah...I could go on and on and on. But let's be honest...both Weston and NK both slept in the bed with me until they were 6 months old so there's no absolute rush to have the nursery 100% finished. But let's be honest again, and since you know me, you know that the nursery WILL be done in plenty of time, haha. 

I'm trying to spend some one on one time with my main squeezes before their little brother or sister arrives. It's the little things that remind me to sit down, take a breath, and enjoy every minute!

**Weston is convinced the baby is a BOY. We will see!

28 and 29 Weeks

We went home for Thanksgiving (when I say home, I mean my home, GA) and stayed for 10 days! It was great to be there and spend time with so many of my friends and family. The kids and I drove down and Eric flew down for a few days over the actual holiday.

Our Thanksgiving was super special at our cousin's, Rob & Christi's, house and everyone had such a wonderful time.

I can't believe that we have ELEVEN weeks until we meet this little gender surprise in my belly!! This pregnancy has, by far, gone by faster than either of the other two! IT. IS. CRAZY. I do not feel like I have been pregnant for more than a few weeks. And here I am, going to my 30 week appointment this Thursday.

Baby #3 is kicking and punching and rolling and hiccuping his/her way through the days. This baby is always moving. And it's sweet, too, because the most wild times are right before bed and as soon as I start stirring in the mornings. It's sort of it's way of telling me goodnight and good morning :) Ahhh...to think I'll be holding a newborn so soon is so exciting!!!

Weston is super pumped and is always touching my stomach and kissing it. It's so sweet. Nora Kate is not going to know what to think when we bring home a baby! ha...should be interesting :)

I've gained 13 lbs so far...at my last appointment I'd actually lost 2 lbs. Who knows how that happened...I sure am eating a good amount. Now that I'm on my 2-week doctor rotation, I have to get on the scale more often - hopefully we can keep it under a 40 lb weight gain, unlike I did with the other two!

29 weeks 

25 Weeks

Eric and I went to Pittsburgh, PA last weekend to the Notre Dame game. It was a lot of fun! 

We got our first big snow a couple of weeks ago! It was literally a winter wonderland that we woke up to! Weston was SO intrigued and excited!

25 weeks pregnant! I had a check up yesterday and everything is perfect. Dr. Rao said I am measuring right on track and the baby sounds great. I gained QUITE a few pounds over the past 4 weeks since my last appointment! YIKES! My doctor said maybe I should only have one piece of pie over the holidays instead of two and then said he was kidding - but we all know he wasn't! Ha! It was a serious joke :) Let's just say I'll be paying more attention to my food intake over the next 15 weeks. Or at least until I'm so big and miserable that food is the only thing I enjoy on a daily basis, ha. Now I'm kidding. Or am I...

The baby is moving so much and I smile or giggle almost every time. There are no words to describe to anyone who hasn't been pregnant what it feels like to feel that little life moving in your tummy. Pure joy :) 

I go back to the doctor in 3 weeks to get back on schedule, and then I go every 2 weeks! I can't believe it's already time to start the two week rotation. 

Aaaah, the infamous glucose test. It was just as awful this time around as it was the first 3 times. And I say 3 because if you recall, I had the flu when I took it the first time with NK and they made me retake it because my blood wouldn't be viable with the virus. So I've had to drink this a total of 4 times. I stand firm on the belief that it tastes like a McDonald's "orange drink" that has been left in your car for about 2 weeks in the hot sun. And the orange still tastes better than the fruit punch or lemon lime. Let's hope my test results are normal so I don't have to do it again!

Busy, Busy...23 weeks

We are SO busy. All the time. At least I feel like we are :)

Things just don't slow down, really. I suppose we are just as busy as the average family...it just feels much more so when you have a 4 year old and an almost 16 month old running and babbling nonstop, and a "23 week old" in your uterus...ha!

Baby number three is "the size of an eggplant" this week and growing rapidly. The kicks and punches are so much more pronounced...sometimes you can even see my stomach jabs if you're watching and waiting for it. Little love punches!

My belly is pretty low, isn't it!? My new doctor up here in the cold OH says that with every pregnancy your muscles are more and more stretched. And with every pregnancy the LESS they go back to where they're supposed to be. So my muscles on the inside are a little more like rubber bands and aren't holding my stomach up like they did with Weston and not even as much as they did with Nora Kate.

We are going to Pittsburgh this weekend to the Notre Dame game! The trip/tickets were Eric's birthday gift. Let's hope this Mama can stay awake for the festivities :)