Postpartum: Round Three

While I don't plan on being pregnant again, I still wanted to keep track of my postpartum healing in case we hange our minds. I mean, we weren't planning on birthing a third child until we changed our minds! So you never know!

*Oh my cramps! Uterine contractions continue during recovery and they are no joke! These were worse than my previous recoveries and I took Percocet at the hospital when previously I had only taken Motrin. At home I told Matt they felt like what I imagine getting stabbed in the abdomen would feel like. I try to massage the area while it is contracting and it is so hard and painful! 

*Less overall bleeding than before. The nurses say that the more pregnancies you have the more your body know what to do and it gets more efficient at healing.

*Milk came in 3 days after birth... Rock hard. I tried not to pump but I had to relieve even a little of the pressure so I could sleep! Didn't do much good but it will pass soon. Chase seems to enjoy the milk.

*losing pound by pound. Excited to do some exercises at home to help cinch my waist once I feel like I've healed.

*8/11 able to wear my polka dot chambray shorts! They are just slightly too big regularly. They fit fairly well right now so I'm hoping my other shorts will fit soon!

*having some soreness over a couple of my lower vertebrae. I assume this is where the epidural was administered. It doesn't hurt all the time, but if I massage that area I feel like I have a bruise and it is very tender. Hopefully that goes away and doesn't persist or worsen with time. 

*Two weeks postpartum: some blood while wiping and some in pads, but about 3/4 of the day/night I would say my bleeding has stopped.  Mostly feel back to normal with a little pooch. It feels like everything has gone back to normal size down there and my stitches have dissolved.

*very emotional! Cry over commercials that aren't even supposed to be sad/emotional! My face has been having some mild breakouts too. I'll be ready for my hormones to settle once again! 

*8/16 wore the new pair of jeans Matt got me for my birthday! I have a muffin top, but I'm able to button them in comfort and if I wear a loose top it's not noticeable. Hopefully by the time I start exercising I will be close to my normal shape. I want to wait until all the bleeding has stopped before doing my regular at home exercises. I will probably wait until after my 6 week check up to do my workout DVDs just to be sure I'm all healed. 

*8/27 no more spotting! So thankful for feel mostly healed! Where my stitches were has felt a little sore lately, but they healed within the past week so I'm hoping nothing has compromised that site. I am 10 lbs away from my pre-pregnancy weight and I plan to begin light exercises this week to try to knock out those lbs. 

*9/4 the past couple days I've had some swelling along my stitches site. The stitches have all dissolved but it is agitated. I also have been having some discharge that may be due to more exertion on my part. 

*9/8 had my postpartum Dr. appt. He asked if I needed stitches because the site had healed so well. I had begun bleeding again a couple days prior. The Dr. said that where the placenta was forms a scab and sometimes that tears off and will start a rebleed. This can happen over the next couple months. So I will wait until it stops again before beginning exercise. I have begun abs work though. 

Overall, I feel great! I do want my pooch belly gone ASAP, but I know it takes some time. Nursing has continued to go well. I feel very tired, much more tired than when the first two were babies. But, of course, there are three of them to keep up with now! I think we've all fallen into our new schedule. The big boys have been more fussy lately, which I think is due to less attention. Both of them have been needing more snuggles recently. I try to accommodate them as much as possible. It hurts my mumma heart that they feel neglected, but they truly do love their baby brother, so I know it will be wonderful in the long run for them. 

Pregnancy: 39 Weeks

Turned 39 Weeks on Thursday, July 28. According to the Dr. I was 37 weeks 6 days. I had a follow up appointment from my appointment on Tuesday. Since I was having so many contractions all weekend Dr. Hamre wanted to see me again go check my progression. 

See next post.

Chase Andrew: Birth

Another whirlwind birth story! At 39 weeks, I was very ready to be finished with labor. I had started paying attention to contractions at 7 pm on Saturday. They were about 5 every hour and continued without stopping through Monday. They slowed to around 3 an hour then. The contractions were noticeable and I automatically began breathing through them even though they were painful yet. I fully expected to go to the hospital sometime Sunday afternoon/evening. Tuesday I had a Dr. appt. I saw Dr. Hamre since my regular OB, Dr. Anderson, was out of town. I was at 3 cm but since I was having so many contractions he wanted to see me back on Thursday. Tuesday to Thursday the contractions got stronger, but not closer together. 

I went in for my Dr. appt at 2 pm on Thursday. While waiting in the exam room my contractions got stronger and I had several in the hour I was at the office. I was at 4 cm dilated so Dr. Hamre sent me to L&D to be monitored for a couple hours. Was monitored from around 3:30-5:30 pm and at that point was still only at 4 cm but having strong contractions every 3 minutes so I was admitted to the hospital. I was so happy that the end was in sight!

Matt made his way to the hospital while I got a bag of fluids in preparation for an epidural. My contractions weren't horrible yet, but I was uncomfortable sitting in bed and I already hated the contractions plus I was tired from having had contractions for basically 5 full days. I decided to have an epidural and to hope my labor progressed. Matt arrived and shortly after I got the epidural, which went a lot better than when I got one with Jackson because my contractions weren't as strong yet. The first prick didn't work well and I could feel my middle (lung area) numbing instead of lower area. They redid it and it was so nice to be able to just relax. Matt commented that it was kinda like an extended date night since we usually only have 2 hour dates for dinner. Not exactly the kind of date I would ever prefer, but it was nice having some kid free time while we eagerly awaited our newest kid. 

Around 8:30 pm Dr. Hamre came to check on me and I was at 5 cm and he broke my water. I dilated another 2 cm within half an hour. The nurse kept coming in to readjust the fetal heart rate monitor. It would slide down my belly but the heart rate would also decline with each contraction. I lay on either side with a birthing peanut between my legs to help move baby down into position and to hopefully relieve any pressure on the umbilical cord to make sure nothing else was wrong with the baby. Around 10 pm I was feeling a lot of pressure and was pretty sure it was time to push. We had been watching Men In Black on the TV, but I was turned away from the TV most of the time to help with the baby's heart rate so we weren't watching too closely. When I told Matt to call the nurse he said we should just finish the movie, which only had about 15 minutes left. The nurse came to check and sure enough, I was at 10 cm and baby was right there ready and waiting. She got the Dr and other nurses needed. We did 3 pushes in each contraction. We did two practice contractions and baby's head was almost out! The Dr came in to deliver and within two more contractions baby Chase was born at 22:18! It was so shocking to me! He was so ready to come out and he just slipped right out with minimal effort on my part. I felt a surge of emotion, but more so excitement. I didn't cry like I did with the other births. I think having the epidural allowed me to just get excited for birth and have a nice rest. 

Chase Andrew is perfect! He is a little peanut at 6 lbs 14 oz and 19.75 inches long, our smallest baby. He was born on July 28. On the record he was born at 37 weeks and 6 days, which may be more accurate than my original due date count of 39 weeks. He snuggled onto my chest immediately after birth and stopped crying when I held him, stroked his perfect cheek, and cooed at him. He knew me and took comfort from me and that is just the best feeling! He was looking around and sucking the air when the nurse measured and weighed him, so they brought him back to me and he latched on quickly and has had no problem nursing. He has no cone head since he wasn't in the birth canal for too long. He is absolutely beautiful!

After I hit 37 weeks, every time the house would be clean, the dishes done, the laundry out away, groceries restocked, and myself shaved/plucked/nails done/ beautified... I would expect the baby to come! Every time I had to do a chore again I was hopeful baby would decide to come then so I could just be done with keeping everything perfect and ready for when he arrived. I was so relieved once he was born that I could relax a bit on chores and making sure we had plenty of snack options for the boys. 

Speaking of the boys, this would have been a very different birth experience without our newest sitter, Nikki Bae. I met her at PWOC just a few weeks earlier and I enjoyed chatting with her. Later I realized that she doesn't have kids and may be willing to babysit! She came to meet the boys once and hen babysat them for a Dr. appt once. She was watching the boys for my Dr, appt when Chase was born. I warned her I may have to stay at the hospital so she came prepared. She stayed with the boys from around 1:30 pm- 12:30 am. She was so amazing and I didn't worry about the boys at all. What an amazing feeling. 

We have had three happy and healthy birth experiences and three perfect babies. I am so thankful for my three sons. 

Pregnancy: 38 Weeks

 38 Weeks

*That point in pregnancy when you feel like you have a lot to do but you don't want to start anything too consuming because you could go into labor at any moment. Every time the house is perfectly picked up, all the dishes done, all the laundry done... I think it'd be the perfect time for baby to arrive. 

*Lots of little knees jutting out on my left side! Not painful, but definitely pointy. It hurts if I bonk into something while his knee is sticking out.

*contractions haven't been as frequent this past week, which makes me hopeful that maybe they'll stay calm until the real deal so I know for sure for sure we're in labor. Did have one today (7/21) that I automatically started breathing through.

*I am getting crabby. I snap at the boys more often and I hate that. They have such forgiving little spirits though, and for that I am grateful. It is so hard to say no to Daniel when he keeps asking to "bounce" with big tears in his eyes and his pouty lip when I'm on my medicine ball. I usually end up giving in and sitting him on my lap while I bounce. It is uncomfortable and hurts my hip, but he is happy and I want to be sure he and Jackson know how much I love them and that no new baby will change that. 

*I eat all the time! I'll eat and feel full and like half an hour later I'll want a snack. Not sure if baby is going to have a big growth spurt or if my body is storing nutrients for birth. Hopefully I don't pack on the last 10 lbs I was expecting in the next couple weeks! That would be disappointing.

*typically when I have contractions they come every 15 minutes-ish and last for multiple hours at a time. At least 3 hours at a time, sometimes more. They feel stronger but have yet to get closer together or feel overwhelming yet.

*7/23 started paying attention to contractions around 7 pm. Pretty sure I had contractions nonstop through to the next day when I began timing contractions on my app. The whole time they were between 5-10 min apart and growing slowly in intensity. Lost my mucus plug around dinnertime 7/24. 

*7/26 Dr Appt: a solid 3 cm dilated, which was discouraging since I thought I would be further along. But the Dr said it could be hours or days before the baby was ready. So to be prepared to come back in if contractions increase in intensity. He scheduled another appt for Thursday and said if I was at 4 cm they would admit me. I am ready to have this baby so I am coming around to the idea of using minimal pitocin to get things moving if sweeping my membranes doesn't work. 

*7/26 bloody show throughout the day.

*I feel like at this point my excited anticipation has turned to anxious waiting. I am very ready to meet my little boy, of course, but I feel like I'm more so ready to be done with labor and pregnancy. I never really got to this point with the other pregnancies and it makes me sad that I'm in such a negative place right now. I'm tired from contractions and I am thinking my birth will go much differently than I expected. My head and neck hurt horribly from difficulty sleeping and finding good sleep positions. I have more heartburn at night and am having more food aversions. This has just been a miserable end to pregnancy and I am very ready for it to be over.

It was a tough last week of pregnancy. I was discouraged and we were house bound most of the time because I was too tired to chase the boys around. The last week seems to have made up for such a messy pregnancy before that. But one week is definitely better than 38 full weeks of difficulty. I am so very thankful for easy pregnancies overall.

Waiting Game

I'm to the point in pregnancy where every twinge makes me wonder if it's the start of labor. While I've been through this twice before, I'm still worried I won't know it's time! Having lots of Braxton Hicks contractions and prodromal contractions makes it even more difficult to gauge! 

I feel very ready for birth again. I hope to have a short labor again so I can go un-medicated, but if labor lasts a long time then I'm open to an epidural again. I'm very ready to hold my sweet baby. I feel uncomfortable enough and am losing enough sleep that I figure at least having a newborn to snuggle will be better. Plus I just love the newborn phase. 

I'm keeping the house neat, trying to keep myself pretty (nails, shaving, etc), and when I feel hopeful I braid the front of my hair so it can be out of my face for labor. I try to keep on top of the boys' snacks so there is plenty for whenever the sitter has to be here with them. It's all very tiring. Baby could just sit in there for another three weeks and that just seems like so long when my body feels ready now. He feels low and my contractions are getting stronger but when they stop I feel discouraged. I know he will be here before I know it and I can't believe this whole pregnancy has already come to the end! I can't help but wish and pray that he will be born so soon though! We all feel ready, I think. 

I do wonder about having a home birth since I like to labor at home as long as possible so I don't feel pressured into any extra drugs to speed things along. One the one hand, it's scary to think of doing it at home. On the other, it would be so beautiful as long as baby and I were safe and happy. I think both Matt and I are ok with it since we know what to expect but we aren't planning to stay at home, by any means. We just made sure to talk through the option in case it happens. 

Come on, baby Chase! We're very ready to meet you! 

Pregnancy: Full Term: 37 Weeks

In the interest in not needing to catch up on updates after the baby is born, I will do weekly posts until he comes. Today is the last day of week 37 according to my original due date. Tomorrow I will have officially made it further than I did with Daniel. Of course, according to the Dr.'s due date of August 12, I will be 37 weeks in two days. 

37 Weeks

*Baby has the worst waking schedule! Awake at bedtime, throughout the night, and the boys' naptimes! We'll need to get this sorted out ASAP when he is born.

*at my weekly appt I was measuring 1.5 cm but my cervix was towards the back, behind baby's head. The Dr said it needs to move towards the front and continue thinning out, but since this is my third that can happen quickly.

*contractions are much more painful now. I don't feel like "painful" is the right adjective though. But definitely unpleasant. When they come, they last for a few hours and are regular, but then will stop. So I'm a little worried it will be like Daniel where we're not positive I'm in labor and barely make it to the hospital. 

*big time nesting- vacuumed out my car and decided to sweep out the garage because all the spiderwebs and leaves on the ground were really bothering me. Then I shampooed the carpet in the living room. It is so much cleaner now, so definitely worth it, but all the work made my body tired. 

*reinstalled all the car seats so we're ready to go. I'll miss that extra space on the back bench seat, but its new cargo is much better!

*noticed my linea nigra has darkened just slightly. It never fully faded after Daniel, but hasn't darkened at all this pregnancy until now.

*having labor and birthing dreams. All with weird twists though: like I lose my plug, but it's a rubber bath tub plug. 

*felt icky this week. Just a compilation of Preggo ills: slight nausea, low appetite, but still hungry! Neck pain, hip pain. Pile that on top of feeling exhausted from Daniel not sleeping through the night. Whenever I have pains though, I just remind myself that it's going to get so much worse!

*more heartburn. Laying in my right side helps (thanks google), but being full term means I want to flip sides for comfort every time I wake at night and several times as I try to fall asleep. When I flip to my left side the acidic taste rises in my throat again so I quickly flip back over. 

*Been practicing baby making, massaging my own Achilles' tendon, and bounced on my medicine ball to try to speed up labor. Trying to stay active, but I get so worn out with the boys that I am sitting or lying a lot. I have been taking naps when the boys do because I need the recharge. So I would like to speed up labor, but know I need rest too.

*weekly appt at 37w6d: heartbeat in 120s. Mentioned to Dr that I thought baby felt small so he felt around to check baby's length- thinks baby will be on the smaller side but not too small. Dilated to a definite 2, maybe 3. 50% effaced. Dr. could feel the baby's head so he's right there waiting. Gained 23 lbs- have been holding steady at that number for the past month or so. 

*possibly having prodomal labor: real labor contractions that occur frequently and regularly at the same time of day but then stop and start back up at the same time the next day. My night time contractions have definitely felt like early labor contractions and have hindered sleep, but they haven't increased in intensity and then have stopped. These are real labor contractions and not BH since those stop with movement or hydration etc. I am very hydrated to help with my headaches and I move around between contractions. Generally this means I will have a shorter active labor once it starts- very similar to when I had Daniel. We'll see!

*Nikki Is a new babysitter I met at PWOC. She came over last week to chat and meet the boys and then watched them for my Dr. appt. She is so sweet and doesn't currently have a job so is available 24/7 for when the baby comes. This is such a relief since our other sitters, Alyssa and Shelby, both have part time jobs! I am so thankful to have found her so I can rest at ease that whenever the baby comes she is available.

I'm really not overly worried or stressed, but a part of me can't help but worry a little about all that could go wrong during birth. There are so many possibilities. Personally knowing people who have had still born babies or have almost died themselves during delivery has increased my awareness of possibly complications. In normal preparation for labor I have been reading about drug options and what to do if we don't make it to the hospital. I have had two pretty perfect birth stories so it seems unfair that number three will be just a perfect! Like I said, I do not have too much worry or stress about this and I do trust God to provide for the baby and me, but there is that slight "what if" that I'm having trouble shaking. I am so thankful for my last experiences so I know how wonderful birth can be. I keep drawing on that and the hope of holding my newborn soon. I just pray that all goes well and baby and I are safe and happy. 

Pregnancy: Month 8

Tomorrow I will be full term! This pregnancy had just flown by and thankfully has continued to be smooth sailing. I have been thinking that baby will arrive between July 20-25 so we'll see if my random mommy intuition remains accurate like it was for the other two boys. 

33 Weeks

*Long weekend plus looking at the calendar and realizing just how close our due date is has helped motivate me to finish up the nursery. I cleared out the trash, sold the old baby items/toys I didn't want to keep, put away random toys and craft supplies that have accumulated, put away diapers and reorganized the bookshelf, and hung the C above the crib. I am waiting on a couple more items in the mail for the gallery wall and the custom print of his verse and then I'll hang all that up and I think we'll be ready! I always try to have the nursery and my hospital bags all packed and ready by 35 weeks so I can just sit back and relax at the end. 

*Putting away the newborn diapers on the changing table... Oh my word! How are they so tiny? How?!?! I always forget just how little newborns are. I just love the newborn phase and am so excited to have a little snuggle ball again. 

*lots of elbows and knees jabbing away in my belly. It also feels like he shakes his little fists often, like how my other boys would as infants when they would stretch. Chase doesn't seem to get hiccups often. I love to watch him move across my tummy, but it is also definitely strange. 

*I know I need to slow down and not overwork myself, but I've been surprised at how much I've been able to do without getting worn out. Playing with my boys has definitely helped me keep active and keep trimmer than I was in my other pregnancies. I still rest and just sit down often, and thankfully the boys seem to understand that sometimes Mumma just needs to sit, but overall I'm able to play with them or help them or get them snacks etc whenever they want/need. 

*I've always been a night owl, but I definitely struggle with pregnancy insomnia. I am always tired though. Even when I have the opportunity to nap I usually lie awake most of the time and only get a couple minutes. I pray this baby is our best sleeper and sleeps through the night early and never changes that pattern.

*this baby generally sits a lot lower then the others. But I don't feel like he's "trying to escape" as much as the others. He likes to flip and wiggle as opposed to feeling like he's "scratching". 

*unsettled stomach after eating often. Don't feel aversions before eating but feel nauseated after eating. Hits at different times of day. Hoping it doesn't last until baby is born, but if it does we are almost done either way! 

34 Weeks

*acid reflux? Still have nauseated feelings after eating often and then a little pinch in my throat often that tastes acidic. 

*haven't noticed any new stretch marks. My few marks from the other boys usually aren't too noticeable, but I can see them more clearly with them all stretched it again. 

*laid out the gallery wall for the nursery but am waiting on the custom verse print to hang them all up. I didn't like how the picture frames looked with the natural wood decor, so I painted them white. Someday I may repaint them dark brown or navy, but we had some white acrylic paint. 

*ordered a new set of pjs and a long robe for the hospital. It's always nice to have something new for hospital stays. 

*Dr. appt: only gained 20 lbs so far! I know it's normal to gain a lb. a week at this point, but I have definitely stayed smaller this time than my other pregnancies. Heartbeat in 150s. Didn't catch how big I was measuring, but the Dr. didn't say anything about being too small or anything. I'm still hoping baby is born early! 

*when I have stronger BH contractions I have been trying to practice breathing through them. I didn't practice breathing at all before having Daniel (I just expected it all to just happen since I knew it from Jackson's pregnancy) and I was kinda scrambling during labor. I found a rhythm that worked though and was able to truly breathe my way through labor with no epidural. It truly is mind over matter so that gives me hope for non-medicated birth this time. As long as labor isn't so long that I miss sleep and can't enjoy it. 

*So thankful I haven't had leg cramps or restless legs this pregnancy! When I stretch sometimes my calves will begin to cramp but I just immediately stretch them the opposite way and it subsides. I struggled with both restless legs and cramps in my previous pregnancies and it was exhausting. The cramps would make my legs sore for days afterwards and the restlessness would cause me to lose sleep. There really hasn't been any strong pregnancy symptoms this entire time and I am certainly not complaining.

*baby has been getting hiccups a LOT. He only got them maybe 2-3 times I noticed the rest of the pregnancy. He gets them daily now. Hopefully that means his lungs are developing and growing strong!

*I've been waddling for weeks, but it is really ridiculous now! I feel like my legs are turned out like a crab! 

35 Weeks

*started to pack my hospital bag. Got my new pjs and robe in the mail- the robe is perfect and exactly what I've been looking for for years. I love baby's coming home outfit... But I don't have a cap and shoes that match it super well- oh well. 

*both big boys definitely know change is coming. They have been much more clingy (compared to their normal clinginess) and always want to be on top of me. Baby 3 will probably have to fend for himself a lot more than the other two did as newborns. I just love snuggling sleepy newborns though, so we'll see if I can lie him down on his own.

*very sensitive nose. I can smell multiple scents in a room that distract me, but thankfully very little makes me feel sick.

*always. have. to. pee.

*haven't started tracking contractions, but there have been a few times I've wondered if it was the start to early labor when I realize I've had at least 4 in a 1-2 hour period. It is too early for labor so I'm not overly worried about it, but definitely am paying more attention.

*Definitely nesting! Get too tired or have contractions to be able to clean the whole house at once. But the mess bothers me and I do as much as I can handle before needing a rest. I also don't want to over exert myself and help speed labor. Not yet, anyways. I have been making sure to clean up the boys' toys more often, sweep the kitchen everyday, and I sanitized the kitchen today. The nursery is done and waiting for baby. I'm trying to declutter common areas and our bedroom- also since our sitters will be here for who knows how long, I want to be sure the house looks good for them. I need to clean the bathrooms well, tidy up our bedroom, and I want to shampoo the carpets next weekend. Then as long as I can just spot clean the house as needed we should be good until baby arrives! 

*very, very moody. I think it's more due to discomfort than hormones. I'm not that horribly uncomfortable compared to my past pregnancies, but it is harder to function like "normal" and I get so tired. It is wearing and I snap at the boys more often. I know I shouldn't and I feel guilty about it, but the boys are quick to forgive and quick to obey when they aren't being good listeners. I am very thankful for two low key, sweet boys. They make pregnancy a lot easier than it could be and I'm sure will make the transition once Chase comes home easier.

36 Weeks

*Jackson likes to put his hands on my belly and his ears against it. He said "Baby Chase? Are you coming out?"

*Definitely smaller this time all around. I bought two new pair of jeans for postpartum, my first pairs of 7 for all Mankind jeans! So excited! I figured it would be a really bad idea to try them on since with my past pregnancies I couldn't get my regular jeans up over half my thighs, let alone my hips! But these fit all the way but there was no way to zip or button them, to be expected. Gives me hope that I'll bounce back to pre-Preggo shape even quicker than previously!

*got lots of freezer meals and had to play Tetris to get everything to fit. Hopefully baby doesn't take too much longer so I get lazy and use up all the meals instead of cooking!

*baby is particularly low, but I don't think he's dropped for good yet. It often feels like he's punching down into my leg! That is a sharp pain that I hope he doesn't get used to if he plans to stay in there another month! He doesn't like it when I sit at a fairly right angle (like at church or on the toilet) and likes to jab at my legs then.

*Haven't really struggled much with Preggo acne until the last month or so. Very thankful to not have a horrible complexion like when I was pregnant with Daniel. The breakouts I do have are still annoying, but manageable. 

*weighed myself and have only gained 23 lbs! Not sure if I'm just healthier this time, or if that means baby isn't planning on being born for a bit yet. Still, if he stays in another month I can't imagine packing on 10-15 more lbs in that time! Maybe 5 or so. I don't remember exactly how much weight I gained with my past pregnancies, but it was around 35 or so, less than 40 for sure.

*can't lie or sit comfortably in the bathtub anymore. No longer relaxing and that is sad. I can lie on my side and not have it hurt my back, but that's not ideal.

Pregnancy: Month 8

I am only one day late with this post! Since I include week 32 for Month 8, I don't take a picture and don't have a reminder that it's a new month. Final stretch now! Baby could be here in 5 weeks! My current guess (and has been for awhile) is he'll arrive around July 20-25. No particular reason, just a guess. Hopefully it'll narrow as we get closer and we'll see if my mommy intuition is as strong as it was with Jackson and Daniel. I feel very ready to have this baby and hold him and love on him. I know both the boys will love having a baby around. Daniel has been ultra clingy recently so that may be difficult at first, but I worried that Jackson would get jealous too and he thrived as a big brother. 

29 Weeks

*BH contractions are making me very positive I won't be pregnant again after this. We're pretty sure of that anyways, but man, these contractions are show stoppers! Doesn't make me look forward to the labor contractions to come. But I know it's all worth it and will be over before I know it. 

*Baby is very active when I'm trying to go to sleep and throughout the night. It'll be interesting trying to get him on the correct day/night schedule once he's born. 

*have been slightly craving cheese. Cream cheese, cheese topping everything, slices of cheese. Not positive this is a craving since I love cheese anyways. 

*sitting in church I was just feeling Chase wiggling around. It made me so excited to wear him to church the first few months before I put him in nursery. I just love the newborn stage and am so excited for all the newborn snuggles! When I picked up Daniel from his class, he sat on my hip and must have bumped right where Chase was lying. Chase kicked out hard! Daniel noticed and it hurt me! Getting stronger in there! Thankful he doesn't kick that hard all the time! 

*definitely sensitive to smell. I am very thankful that I haven't been overly sensitive up until this point, but the past week everything smells stronger to me. The kitchen "stinks" but Matt doesn't smell it (again, thankful it is my overactive nostrils and not actual rotting food), my perfume smells stronger, the boys and my breath smells super bad in the morning- like I wondered if they were sick and then realized it was just overly strong to me, food scents seem overwhelming- even if it isn't repulsive. 

*Left hip still hurts. I know my hips will hurt the closer I get to birth, but this is different. I definitely strained something and just haven't been able to figure out how to stretch it out yet. I try to rotate my leg and stretch as many ways as I can think of, but I'm worried I'll accidentally stretch it too far and make it worse. Hopefully I can work it out before birth because this will not be helpful during delivery!

30 Weeks

*Daniel gets frustrated at the belly getting in his snuggle way... And Chase kicks out at Daniel when the belly gets pushed or jostled! 

*baby is definitely longer- I feel him kicking and squirming up in my ribs and so low that I swear he's about to birth himself! 

*hungry all the time! I'm trying to limit snacks for the boys so they get on better meal schedules, but it's hard not to give them snacks when they ask when they see me eating. 

*sitting through a whole church service is starting to get uncomfortable. I slouched a little because baby boy was all cramped up and kicking me every which way!

*seems to prefer sitting on my right side. That side is more bulgy most often. 

31 Weeks

*most of my BH are after dinner and night time. I hope this doesn't mean we'll have to wake up our babysitters to come stay with the boys in the middle of the night! So much easier if they can come in the morning so Matt can hopefully be home for bedtime! 

*BH are uncomfortable, but not painful. They still have me worried about birth once again. God definitely dulls our memories of labor contractions and the birth process or no one would ever have more than one kid! I know I'm equally not remembering how painful it was and also imagining it being worse than it was. I don't know exactly how that is possible, but it is!

*literally always have to pee. I think I said this every other pregnancy too, but I am so looking forward to being able to fully empty my bladder and go about my life.

*ordered and received the large wooden "C" for above the crib and ordered and printed most of the prints for the gallery wall above the changing table. Just need to find a verse print for the gallery wall and hang everything up! 

*at my dr appt I am measuring 29 weeks. So we'll see if baby still ends up coming early, right on time, or late! I had been measuring one week small up until now, but now it's two weeks small! Heartbeat was in the 150s, the baby kept moving so the Dr had to move the monitor around.

32 Weeks

*waited for the mid month paycheck to drop then ordered the final nursery items I needed! I think, at least! This weekend I plan to sell the old strollers and other random things in the nursery so hopefully it will be all cleared out and ready for Chase when he arrives! I have to go to the store to get a new diaper pail (since ours is discontinued and the bags for it are no longer being produced) and some 3M strips to hang the art on the walls... But then I think we're all set! 

Even though I know from personally experience (and from other moms of 3 or more) that my love will just grow and not divide between my boys, I still cannot imagine how life will work once Chase is here with us. I certainly love him and have bonded with him already, but I still can't imagine having the same love for him as I do Jackson and Daniel. But I know that once he is here I will love him a completely as I love them and will wonder how life didn't seem incomplete before he was born. I am so excited for our little family to grow and for the new adventures awaiting the brothers Iveson. 

Pregnancy: Month 7

THIRD TRIMESTER!!!!!! This pregnancy really is flying by! Baby is growing and making himself known with lots of kicks and elbow jabs. This is still a super easy pregnancy and for that I am very grateful. Hopefully it means baby Chase is a nice, calm newborn too! 

25 Weeks

*Nesting might be setting in. I like things tidy but I usually run out of steam before everything is super, super clean. I want to deep clean everything but definitely have to take it in stages.

*Bought some maternity shorts at Ross and they fit so much better than the one pair I already had (which was a number size bigger than I normally would wear). Definitely needed more shorts since it's already in the 90's. Also bought some summer shoes to accommodate my slightly swelling feet. I also found my original pair of "Preggo shoes" from when I was pregnant with Jackson! I didn't think I kept those since I've gone through and purged my shoes a couple times recently.

*Ordered some more nursery decor. Got a moose clock, crib skirt, and found some wooden picture frames to go above the changing table. I want an oversized letter C for above the crib. 

*Baby kicks and squirms so much! Not uncomfortable yet, but super fun to feel him. Since he has been breech at my last two ultrasounds I'm trying to figure out if I feel feet kicking or elbows/hands. 

*Definitely having BH contractions right around bedtime. Usually I try to just sit down until they relax. Makes me a little worried that this baby will come early like Daniel and Matt might be in MI for Mark's wedding!

26 Weeks

*4/28 moved around the carseats and put in the baby base so I don't have to worry about it later. Then realized that Jackson's seat is in the middle and Matt will need that when they go to MI for Mark's wedding. But it seems like too much hassle to take it out and put it back in when I'm full term and ready to pop. 

*Getting to work on the nursery! I fixed the changing table- a shelf had fallen out. I put the crib mattress on the highest level and removed all of Daniel's old baby bedding. All the furniture is in it's spots and the picture frames are waiting for their prints to be hung on the walls. I cleared out all the older boys' bday clutter and removed most of the accumulated toys. Baby Chase's personal space is coming along nicely!

*Difficulty sleeping. It's hard knowing how much of this is from pregnancy and how much from my two boys who still wake up at night. I am feeling so tired that I fall asleep before I can get comfortable and wake up with kinks in my neck or a sore back. 

*Belly getting in the way of things. Definitely have to be more mindful of my movements and exertion. I have to take frequent rests throughout the day in between chores or playing with the boys. 

*Renewed motivation to work on photo books! I feel the pressure now with baby 3 and knowing my free time will be even less than it is now. I finished Jackson's 6-12 month baby book and began to sort through our family 2013 book. I hope to at least have 2013 organized and Daniel's first year pictures organized and ready to be put in a book before Chase is born. Plus I should remove older pictures from my computer (onto my external hard drive) since more pictures will soon be coming! 

*No real cravings (I mean, I could always eat a baconator!), but for a couple days nothing sounds super good. I hope it's because my neck had been hurting and making my stomach feel upset. I sure have enjoyed eating anything I want this pregnancy and it would be a bummer if the last 3 months were filled with "nothing sounds good". 

*Weigh 124 lbs. So far I've gained 14 lbs. (going off of 110 as my pre-Preggo weight. I was a little lower than that, but 110 is easy to remember! I'll make 105 my goal weight for post pregnancy either way)

*Jackson felt the baby kick and then went "goochy goochy goo!" While pretending to tickle my belly. So sweet! He understands that a baby is coming and is very excited!

*our mop broke awhile ago and the kitchen floor needed a good cleaning. So I scrubbed it on my hands-and-knees! Definitely nesting, even though I'll need to do that again before the baby arrives! It was hard work and I had to sit and rest for awhile afterwards. 

*We drove to MI for my Grma B's memorial service and I was so proud of myself for limiting bathroom breaks. Baby makes me have to pee several times an hour and it seems like such a time waster when I'm at home. 

27 Weeks

*A friend posted Social Security's official baby name list for popularity in 2015. Chase was the #74 baby boy name. Anything in the top 100 is popular, but so glad it's not in the top 10. Jackson and Daniel have been in the top 20 consistently for years. 

*in MI went to Goodwill (as in tradition) with my mom. I always have such great luck here. I found so many cute post-Preggo clothes! Definitely good motivation to lose the baby weight and get back to being a cute Mumma! I don't understand how some women truly let themselves go once they have kids. I am still me and I like having nice clothes and looking presentable. Found some great options for dresses that will allow nursing too! I've missed wearing dresses! 

*Have been having issues with my left hip for the past week or so. One morning I woke up and it felt like I had pulled a muscle in that area and throughout the days since then it has continued to throb and hurt. Sometimes I'll take a bad step and it will hurt and sometimes when I've been sitting and stand up it will hurt. I was lying flat on the ground to stretch out and could feel the exact spot where the issue is- towards the back of my left hip. I can't figure out how to stretch it or help it, but I feel like it needs to "crack" or "pop". Oh Preggo pains! 

*recently started having headaches again. In the same spot as normal- so it's been about 6 or 7 months of being off the migraine medication before they came back. I'll call that a blessing! Hopefully this baby doesn't react to the medication when I'm nursing so I can take it again. 

28 Weeks 

*exactly at 28 weeks baby started full on kicking, not just squirming. He is so much bigger now and has more room to wiggle. It felt like he kicked his leg straight out. He is definitely making his little presence known!

*5/12 my GB Pockit stroller arrived! This is our only expensive purchase for this baby. I'm selling my other two single strollers and both PPB diaper bags to help with the cost though. It folds up so small so that will help with trunk space! I love it! 

*Baby's crib sheet finally arrived! It was custom made. It is a dark blue in a wood grain pattern. It looked navy in the online picture, but more of a muted slate blue in person. It is still cute and I'm happy with it. It is very well made so that makes up for the slight color difference.

Daniel is starting to notice the baby bump. He doesn't understand about a baby coming at all, but he doesn't like not having as much room to sit on my lap anymore!

Pockit Stroller! 

Got our old Bumbo seat from my friend, Abby, while we were in MI. I had given it to her for her baby. Perfect timing! 

Some days I feel a little stressed that we're not ready for the baby and we only have two months left! Other days I just want him to be here already and two months seems like a long ways away. All the newborn clothes are hanging up and he'll be sleeping in the rock n play at first. We'll get diapers at the hospital and can have Amazon deliver newborn diapers super quick. So we're ready whenever he decides to arrive! I stress over the little details that aren't important and can happen after he's born. I'm sure it will all happen before he's born. I can't believe we're having another baby. It still seems so shocking that we got pregnant again. We were trying, but it was a sudden decision to try again. I feel ready to handle three boys though. 

Pregnancy Insomniac

Every pregnancy I inevitably have trouble sleeping. Yes, at a certain point the growing belly makes it uncomfortable, but it's more getting my mind to turn off. Even once I fall asleep I have very active dreams that don't allow my brain much rest. I have hit that point now, at 26 weeks. 

I am not overly worried because I know this baby will be born and my other children won't die, but it is worrisome giving birth and finding care for my other kids. When I had Daniel we had a wonderful babysitter who was available 24/7 and she even left another family she was sitting for when I was in labor. She had told her other families that I was due any day so they were prepared. She now has a regular job so may or may not be available. I have two other sitters from church who have summer jobs so may or may not be available. I am getting numbers from more girls at church, but so far they all have summer jobs too. My closest friend here who I would definitely trust my kids with will be out of town for five weeks and it is right when I expect baby. My other friends all have kids themselves so I know it is stressful watching other kids, especially when they aren't good sleepers like my boys. Some of my friends I don't know how they would deal with my boys if they had them at night so I don't really want to leave them in their care. Why can't I have more friends who aren't moms and who don't work who could truly be available 24/7 for that last month of pregnancy!?!? It is slightly stressful, especially when Matt will be out of town for Mark's wedding when I am at 37 weeks. He'll have Jackson but I would still need care for Daniel. I wouldn't want him to miss the birth, but if no one was available then he would just stay home with the boys- worst case.

I know it will all work out and I'm going to keep looking for options and hopefully will find someone perfect who can commit to staying with my boys and will be patient and loving with them if it happens to be overnight. I have plenty of time but I do feel that ticking clock. 

The things and thoughts that keep me up at night. When I desperately need sleep. 

Pregnancy: Month 6

Baby is definitely growing in there! I am starting to feel very pregnant and he is taking up all the extra space my middle has to offer. No stretch marks yet, but I know they're coming! Hopefully mild like his brothers pregnancies. He wiggles a lot and it is so fun to feel him and start to get a sense of who he is. Most days I look down at my belly and cannot believe we have a third child brewing in there! I am so very excited for him to be born and join our family, but the nervousness is creeping in. Three kids is a whole new adventure and I'll need extra patience and very alert eyes! 

21 Weeks

*Still have this miserable cold! When I have coughing fits I can feel my abdomen tensing up and it feels sore afterwards. Poor baby probably gets all shaken up during those fits! 

*We went to the park for Jackson's birthday and I was talking to another mom there. When she found out I was pregnant she said she couldn't even tell! She had been facing me, so it is harder to tell as opposed to the side, but it made me feel good! 

*I might be starting to have Braxton Hicks. My belly feels so firm and hard at times, even Matt has noticed it. It comes and goes and isn't just a small bulge where baby might be sitting. Thankfully, they aren't painful yet. Hopefully my BH this time around remain just tight with little or no pain, unlike with Daniel where they were on par (sometimes stronger) with labor contractions! 

*Baby feels low based on his movements inside. My belly doesn't look super low though. 

*Have to maneuver Daniel around my belly when he wants to be held or carried, which is often. He doesn't seem to notice but it does make things more difficult for me. 

22 Weeks

*3/31 had a level 2 ultrasound in Nashville to check baby's heart and brain. The cysts on his brain have disappeared already, which generally happens. The heart issue is a echogenic cardiac foci. This is apparently so common in Asians that in Asia they don't consider it an abnormality. The Dr. wasn't concerned so we aren't either. Very thankful for a healthy baby! 

*I saw on the ultrasound that baby was measuring around 20 weeks 2 days. I have my regular Dr. Appt in a couple days so we'll see what he thinks for due date. My LMP due date is August 4 and what I've been going off. But at my first ultrasound the Dr. moved it to August 12 based on baby's size. Just one week difference thankfully so I can plan. It will be interesting to see when baby comes. Makes me want to go to MI for Mark's wedding since I won't be 37 weeks yet based on the new due date, but I don't want to tempt baby to be born while we're traveling! Heart rate was 149 bpm. 

*had my first leg cramps while I was sleeping. I felt it begin to seize and immediately straightened my leg as straight as I could. It took a couple seconds to loosen, but could have been much worse. I got really bad leg cramps with both boys so I'm hoping I will always be able to straighten my legs immediately to prevent days of sore legs from one bad cramping spell. 

23 Weeks 

*feeling SO exhausted. Hoping it's just me catching up on sleep after being sick for so long and skipping naps for a few days. 

*baby is filling out! My tummy is definitely stretching and starting to get uncomfortable. 

*4/10 Jackson felt the baby kick and smiled. He is so excited for another baby! 

24 Weeks

*can see baby moving around from the outside! It's very slight but he's definitely growing and filling in that space!

*every evening after dinner through bedtime baby likes to move to the very front of my tummy. During the night he is very active, hopefully he sorts that out before he's born! 

*more mild leg cramps. Usually when I'm stretching in bed. Since I'm already stretching it's easy to stop the cramp before it gets full blown. I need to begin doing regular stretches to prepare my body for labor and delivery. 

*people keep commenting on how small I am and some mention they couldn't even tell I am pregnant! At this point I think I have a very big belly and would hope no one would think I just have a pot belly! 

*Typical spring in TN, we had a couple beautiful days and then it got hot hot hot! Been in the 80s-90s most days and is already exhausting me! I need to buy some more maternity shorts to last through the hot summer months. 

*still no cravings or aversions. That is the strangest part of this pregnancy! The extreme absence of symptoms! But I am certainly not complaining! 

*more difficult to get comfortable to sleep. I am usually so exhausted that I will conk out hard and not notice if my belly isn't too comfortable. 

*ordered baby's navy blue wood grain crib sheet on etsy! It is custom made so it won't be here until mid-May, but I am excited! I changed the color scheme to navy, green, and brown. Possibly with a little mustard in there for small accents. Still trees and moose though. 

It still seems like we have a long way to go with this pregnancy, but we have 3 months! What?!?! That time will it's fly by and Chase will be with us before we know it! I am so excited! 

Pregnancy: Month 5

This pregnancy seems to be flying by! It has been so uneventful thus far and has been very easy and comfortable for me, so that certainly helps. I am not counting down the weeks to less nausea or less back pain or horrible acne like with the other boys. I feel pretty normal, just with a growing belly and little thumps here and there. 

17 weeks

*feel baby most often at night while I'm lying in bed. He likes to push as hard as he can forward. I can't really feel the bulge from the outside yet, but I can feel the pressure on the inside. I have an anterior placenta (in the front) so it surprises me that I can feel him. 

19 weeks 

*This pregnancy is so easy! I have so few notes because it has been very uneventful! That is definitely a blessing. 

*feeling lots more baby kicks at night when I lie on my belly. I try to push on my belly throughout the day to try to get baby to push back, but he's still pretty small for that. 

*Jackson knows there's a baby in my belly and hugs and kisses the baby often. 

*always feel like I have to pee. I'll finish, stand up, and feel like I have to pee still! It's never ending! 

*I have what seems to be the worst cold of my life. I'm pretty sure I think that every time I have a cold, but this one is bad! I had a panic attack in the middle of the night because I couldn't breathe well through my nose and haven't been able to smell/taste for days. Thankfully, it hasn't seemed to be worse since I'm pregnant- other than being more exhausted since it takes me longer to fall asleep with the breathing issues. I haven't been taking any cold medicine since I'm not sure what is safe while pregnant and most cold medicine is just to help with symptoms and not expedite healing. I will be very thankful to be back to my normal, healthy self once this cold passes!

20 weeks

*3/17 anatomy scan. Baby looks good and healthy. He was wiggling around during the U/s and kept turning to face us no matter what angle the tech tried, so we couldn't get a good profile shot. He likes to have his hands right up by his head and has one hand over his face. He was sitting with his knees tucked up to his chest and his feet straight under, not crossed. He has my nose, just like the other boys. His heartbeat was 160 and he is still a boy! 

*3/18 Matt felt baby for the first time. Baby likes to move at night so while I was putting Daniel to bed he started wiggling. So when I came back out I had Matt try to feel him moving. 

*3/21 received a phone call from the OBGYN nurse saying there were some concerns with my ultrasound. The baby appears to have two cysts on his brain and a shadow on his heart. The cysts usually go away before birth and don't cause an issue, but paired with the shadow on the heart the Dr. wants a better look. I have an appointment next week in Nashville with a stronger ultrasound machine to hopefully clear this up. I do not feel much worry or fear, which is surprising to me since I used to be in a constant state of worry. I praise God for bringing me past that hindrance in my life- it must have been gradual since I do not even know when I let go of my fear. I pray that nothing is wrong with the baby and that he can have a happy, healthy life. We will love him no matter what and we will work through whatever the outcome is. Maybe this is why Matt is being left back from the deployment. 

*At the end of this week I am still sick with my cold. I did go into the walk in clinic to make sure it wasn't strep of bronchitis- nope, just a cold. This is the longest running cold I think I've ever had. It has gone though extreme stages: first the congested nose and lack of smell, then goopy eyes, then (and now) a barking cough. I am finally coming out of it and hope to be back to my normal self on the next couple days. It is extra annoying to be violently coughing when you have a Preggo bladder! I have had to change pants a couple times and have sat on the toilet during severe coughing fits so I can concentrate on breathing and not holding in my pee! Oh Preggo woes. 

Got our infant seat back from the girl I sold it to! I bought it back and was so happy to see it will fit very nicely in our back seat with the other boys' seats.

Did some shopping at Once Upon a Child! The stuff on the left is for baby Chase. I also went to a consignment sale with a friend, but found mostly things for the older boys.

Instead of chopping my hair to my chin like with my other pregnancies, I added some color! It has been a decade since I had any color in my hair! I am loving this new look and will probably even add more before the baby is born. I want to keep my long hair so this was a welcome change.

Baby Chase, 

You are so loved by me, your Daddy, and Jackson. Daniel will love you once you are born too. You will be the perfect fit in our family and I pray that you will continue to grow big and strong inside mommy and that we will have a safe delivery. We love you so much and cannot wait to hug and kiss you. I love feeling you swimming around in my tummy and already feel such a strong connection to you. I am so thankful for he opportunity to be your mommy! You are loved!