Yep, I've reached it. The infamous "end of pregnancy, so uncomfortable I cannot sleep" stage. I have the gel memory foam mattress pad and the uber comfortable pregnancy body pillow but sleep is still beyond reach most nights. Get this, even though my nights are rough and I'm not seeing as much of the back of my eyelids as I would like to, I'm still up bright and early in the morning, 6:20-6:30ish, with no desire to go back to sleep. Even on days I don't take Enoch to school. It drives Joe bonkers because I will then sit in bed and do something silly like type up a blog post or make a nonsensical list or do my nails. Clipping and filing only of course, no painting. Why would I torture him with fumes that early? Haha. Luckily, today he had basketball so I actually worked as his alarm clock. That's convenient!
I'm not complaining, I love to be pregnant. Even with the nausea, dry skin, acne, exhaustion, sleepless nights, etc, that this little girl has given me. I feel blessed to be pregnant for the third time. I'm pretty sure I'll miss being pregnant once this little girl comes. And not because newborns are eye opening and life changing no matter what number child you're having, but because there is a closeness you have with an unborn baby that no one else has. It's a physical closeness and a spiritual one.
Joe and I had a nice conversation the other day about how some women want to be treated more like men. They feel they are just as "worthy" or "capable" of doing what a man can do, maybe even doing it better. Sometimes this boggles my mind. I won't bore you with the details of my opinion because it truly does not matter. What does matter, to me at least, was Joe's comment. He said, he was truly jealous that a woman could bare children. He said, we as mothers have a bond with all of our children that a father simply does not have. Sure, they helped make those sweet children, and they truly love those children as fathers should and do, but mothers have 9 months of uninterrupted time and contact with their baby that fathers will never experience. And that makes him a little sad. To tell you the truth, I had never thought about that. Joe can put his hand on my stomach and feel baby move but he cannot feel what I feel when baby moves. Does that make sense? I also see similarities in how my kiddos act once they're born that they had in the womb. And 9 months of carrying and helping build and grow a baby? It's a phenomenal thing to be apart of.
I use to complain about being a woman. Periods, emotions, OB/GYN visits, etc. ladies, you know what I'm talking about. Sometimes being a woman can be uncomfortable but I am so grateful that I am a woman. I can bare children. What a ginormous honor and blessing. I know my Heavenly Father loves me because of this great gift he has bestowed upon not only me, but everyone woman on earth. Even if some of us don't get the opportunity here on earth, we all will in the eternities. What a beautiful blessing to have and to look forward to.
Thank You.
Joe and I have been hitched for 8 years now. 8 years… I feel like I just made the 7 year post. This year has completely passed us by. Its gone so quickly. I hear the years just keep moving quicker as you get older. I’m glad I have someone amazing to spend those quick years with. Joe is my rock, the man of my dreams, the bestest friend and the toughest critic. I love him so much. I couldn’t do any of this without him. He is by far my favoritest person in the whole wide world. I love you Joe and everything you do for me. I only hope I can be and do the same for you! Here’s to the Eternities.
Our creations. ; )
Yeah, the dumb Preying Mantis he threw at me! haha.
Always makes me laugh
A fun dinner date.
Dad of the Year winner every year.
An awesome napper
Fantastic kisser
A great counselor
A wonderful pal
And the best comforter
I love You Babe! Happy 8th Anniversary!
Enoch has spent a lot of this school year sick. His teacher told me, in the five years that she’s worked at Vanguard, this is the sickest she’s seen the school. So, for your delight, here is a photo of Enoch sick. Digging on the netflix.
Maybe I’m lying to everyone, maybe Travis does still take naps… he just doesn’t take them at the same time everyday.
Again, a snoring Trav.
And here are my weirdo children eating Nori. Gross. If you don’t know what that is, its crispy seaweed. Again, gross. They love it though!
Loves his moments with Dad.
On the 29th, my big Brother Josh and his wife Lauren, welcomed their first born into this world. Gaius Alexander Knight Fuerst was born at 8:05 pm, weighing in at 8 lbs 4 oz and 20 inches. Good sized boy! All is well and both mom & baby are home now. Alana and I were like two crazy kids at Christmas meeting that little boy, he will be cherished. ; D
Proud Daddy!
Again… proving that I am a liar…
Day number 2 with Mr Gaius!
Travis was thrilled about Gaius’s arrival! Said he was his best friend!! So cute…
We met up with some friends we hadn’t seen in AGES. They graduated school and took off to Las Vegas! Crazy kids. Now they are firmly planted back in CO. It was good to see them and their adorable little boy. We enjoyed some Pho on our visit with the Thomings. It was a yummy night filled with catching up and some good laughs. Can you tell the boys were starved?
Travis & Sean
My Cutie Pie
My Handsome Boy
Baby Girl!
And Us. Wow, we’re a great looking bunch!
Okay, I’m a liar, we get it Travis.
Travis’s art, he’s pretty talented and quite the visionary. On the right, his shark. On the left, his zebra.
And Enoch the artiste!!! His giraffe he drew for me. Awe!
And that my friends, is what my iphone had to say about November 2012! Catch you in December!
We had a very quiet and relaxed Thanksgiving this year. Just the way I think we like it. Bonnie flew to Utah to be with her parents and family out there for Thanksgiving and also to drive Tutu & Papa back home from Utah. They had a really good time. We had a pre-Thanksgiving dinner the night before with my family which was loads of fun and it was the last time we all saw Lauren pregnant. Thursday, Joe got up and played football with the guys while Lawry and I did some cooking. We had a really nice and simple Tday luncheon with Lawry and then we took off for Olathe! What followed was a fun filled 3 days with the Hortons! We got to Delta around 9:30, did some walking around Wal-Mart with Rocky for a bit and then followed them home. The boys went nuts once we got to their house. Just nuts. They were running around like banshees until midnight!
Friday was nice and lazy. We hung out, the boys got up early and did some shopping after Enoch’s visit with Rocky at the clinic. Then once they got home, Janna and I took off for some Black Friday shopping. We went super late in the day but there were still some good deals left. Then after shopping, we came back and made a late Thanksgiving dinner which was delicious! We definitely slept well on full tummies that night.
Saturday, Joe, Enoch, Rocky & Hunter got up bright early to go fishing. Turns out, it was a surprise ice fishing trip! They all had a really good time and came home with tons of fish to show for a long day.
Sunday was nice, we went to Rocky & Janna’s ward. Travis was SO excited to go to nursery with his buddy Hunter once again. He just marched right in, told the leader his name was Travis and that he was 3 and was good to go! Enoch had a little bit of a tough time. He wasn’t too sharp on going to primary but he was able to go with Konner and his class and that made Enoch feel a little better. By the end of church, he really enjoyed himself. Rocky and Janna have a really sweet ward and it was nice to visit! After church, they fried up the fish filets they caught the day before and we had a scrumptious lunch before we headed home.
Travis & Hunter just enjoying each other. They play SO well together, it was fun to listen to them and their BIG ideas.
Tayler was SO much fun to cuddle, kiss and squeeze the whole time were there. She is such a pleasant baby and I’m so jealous! So cute. Her baby blues and red hair just make her so much more yummy! And will one day be a “lady killer” according to the crazy lady at Target! HA. How could anyone mistake this gorgeous girl for a boy?! WITH the little red bows on her shirt to boot! Haha. Gave Janna & I a good laugh.
The guys fileting the fish. Didn’t think you could filet trout but here’s the proof! Enoch was SO helpful.
Love that face! Haha.
Fish guts and scales! YUMMY!
Only the cutest Christmas tradition ever, painting Christmas ornaments with buddies. The boys loved doing this and we may have to steal the Horton’s tradition!
The view I woke up to every morning. All three of the are the best cuddlers ever. Couldn’t complain.
Enoch was THRILLED to see that cows lived SO close to Rocky & Janna. He was super jealous. He really wanted to pet them but these cows were SO shy, they just kept wandering away. There was also a Rooster wandering around the property that Enoch chased a time or two. The kid was in heaven. He’ll be a farmer or a zoologist or a veterinarian one day for sure. He just adores animals.
Look at that big old happy face! COW!
Best Friends for life, obviously. ; )
Joe doing Trav’s hair for church. Made me melt so I had to snap a photo. We don’t get to see Joe on Sunday mornings very often so this was nice. Love you babe!
And the coolest picture ever! Enoch & Konner ice fishing like MEN!!! They loved it. Can’t wait to do it again I’m certain!
Thank you to the Hortons for opening your home and your hearts to us! We just love and adore you! Here’s to many more memory making trips in the near future!
I’m posting this a little closer to 35 weeks than 34 but that’s okay. You won’t see another post until after 36 weeks anyway. I have some blogging to catch up on!
Lets get going…
At 33 weeks and 4 days, I was having some consistent contractions. Pretty much all day and whenever I’d get up and walk around or do anything really other than lay down. I’d even have them when I was sitting. We had just gotten back from Olathe, CO the night before from visiting with our friends the Hortons (that post is on it’s way!). That’s a five hour drive so I just figured I had sat in a car too long and my body was trying to readjust. I called Joe and let him know and he freaked out a little and had me call my dr. They of course had me come in to be looked at. Luckily, Joe came home early and helped with Marshall and Travis and was also able to pick Enoch up from school so I wouldn’t have to worry about it. Good thing too, I was at the Dr from 2:30 until 4:30. Haha. She checked me, then did an internal ultrasound and everything showed I was fine. No dilating, no effacing, etc. I had to do a urine test too which showed none of the hormones for preterm labor were present. Sigh of RELIEF. Haha. Then last but definitely not least, they hooked me up to be monitored just to make sure my contractions weren’t serious. It was an hour of hearing nothing else but her heartbeat. It was pretty awesome. She’s a pretty calm little thing, which is nice. She does move a lot but when they put the monitor on, I think it was nap time. That little heart beat never gets old, let me tell ya. : ) So after being monitored for about an hour, they sent me home, no worries. And I was also informed to cancel my appointment on Friday if things stayed calm. So that was nice because things did stay calm and I didn’t have to go back. So here’s a new milestone, making it to 34 weeks without going into preterm labor! That’s pretty awesome! Way to go Baby G!
I’m still measuring right on time with my due date, all my levels and fluids look good, I’ve gained 27 pounds thus far. Stuff is looking good! 34 weeks, 5 days and going strong! I did have about 4 uncomfortable contractions yesterday but we’re taking it easy today so hopefully those won’t pop up again. Its normal though to contract a little more and to have them a little more uncomfortable than normal around this time. It still stresses Joe out. I feel so bad! He’s worried and he has every right to be but that’s a good sign of a good husband, right? Concern and worry. :D I love him.
I can’t wait to do the progression photos in this little girl’s baby book! I may even do a video, that would be fun!
33 Weeks
34 Weeks
I’m thinking I like stripes this pregnancy. : )
My 36 week appointment is December 13th, the day I hit 36 weeks. Here’s to all fingers and toes crossed that we make it and I actually get a 36 week ultrasound! HAHA. Joe and the boys will be coming with me to this appointment too which I’m kind of excited about. I took the boys to my second appointment and that just didn’t go so well. Joe has yet to go to any appointments with me which is so different from my pregnancy with Enoch. He came with me for all my needle poking visits. During Travis, I dragged my sister Alana with me for those. This time around, I’ve wrangled the needle poking appointments by myself. And I was alone for my 20 week ultrasound this time too. ODD. But its been good and I’ve proven to myself that I can be a big girl. I do have a little courage in me. Haha. So thanks for putting up with all of my belly photos and bump updates and stories of complaining. We are almost to the end here and I’m sad to say I will miss these updates and photos. I will however be super excited for BABY photos and BABY updates once she gets here. What a lovely replacement!! Our journey in the land of having a little girl will begin soon and we’re beyond thrilled. : )
I had my 32 Week visit on Friday. Everything is still measuring right, I’ve gained a total of 26 pounds, Baby’s heart beat was SUPER easy to find this time since she’s getting so big, and then we chatted about hopefully having another successful VBAC and how my Doctor really likes delivering at Skyridge. They have a NICU at Skyridge but they don’t have a Kaiser NICU team – that means if I deliver before 36 weeks, I would have to deliver at St. Joe’s, because they have a Kaiser NICU team, unless I want to pay a TON of extra money. Which I don’t. Thank you. I will deliver wherever I need to deliver. And all will be well! My next appointment would have been scheduled at 36 weeks but since I tend to go into preterm labor around 34 weeks, that’s when she scheduled my next appointment for. So I will be going back in 2 weeks instead of 4. That puts me at ease quite a bit. I will also get an ultrasound at 36 weeks if I make it that far this time! We shall see! I always thought my friends had cooler doctors than I did, getting an ultrasound at 36 weeks but no, I had never had a 36 week ultrasound because I had never made it that far with my boys! So here’s to hoping.
Baby moves a lot and its SO much fun to watch her. I love seeing the “ocean wave” like movements on my belly. Makes me giggle. It honestly freaks Travis out. He really doesn’t know what to make of it. Enoch just loves it. His face is priceless every time he sees her move. As far as contractions, I have Braxton-Hicks start at about 3 months. Since about two weeks ago, I’ll have Braxton-Hicks contractions solid, all day long, about every other day now. My stomach will just be hard, constantly, all day. Then there are days where I’ll have a contraction that stops me in my tracks and I’ll have to sit down and breathe through them. I’m getting more and more of those now. Some make it hard to breathe. Fun stuff. This is about the time that I start getting nervous. I’m always worried that I’ll have something happen to stress me out so bad that I go into labor and I can’t stop it as usual. I really make Joe nervous. Even if I get up to pee in the middle of the night, he’ll sit straight up and ask if I’m okay and where I’m going. He takes really good care of me and makes sure I take rest when I need it. I’ve had a lot of people tell me I’m lucky to have babies early but truly, its stressful. And I still experience the end of pregnancy feeling, the soreness, tiredness, and doneness, I just experience it sooner in my pregnancy. I feel like I go through all the morning sickness and no bump portion of pregnancy forever, then I pop half way through and then I have the baby a few weeks later. I don’t get to just sit and enjoy pregnancy for a good amount of time. Okay, I’m done with whining! ; D
Here are the 29-32 weeks photos!
People say I’m still so tiny but I honestly don’t feel like it. Things are getting pretty tight in there!!
29 & 30
31
32
Travis really loves to use my belly as a pillow now. My boys are so much fun.
I’m hoping to squeeze in some family pictures between now and when Baby comes. I think I’d like to be pregnant in family photos once! Right? Again, here’s to hoping!
