Friday Funny

Pregnant- 26wks 1d-- 97 more days!!!!!!!!







Gender: Still a surprise. A lot of people have been asking lately and even hinting that we know. I promise you people- WE HAVE NO IDEA! People also think I should know since I have been pregnant with both a boy and a girl. I have to tell you, this pregnancy is so much different than that other 2. I really have no feelings one way or the other. It is actually a really strange thing. I just KNEW with Nylin and Jace. This one? No clue.



Size of the baby- Peanut has put on quite a bit of weight by week 26 and is around a whopping 1.7 pounds. Peanuts total length is about 14 inches and is now starting to add a little fat to his/her bones, though s/he won't start accumulating too much fat until the last few weeks of pregnancy.

Peanuts Growth and Development
Peanuts heart continues to grow and develop at 26 weeks. We have even heard that we might be able to hear the heart beat through a traditional stethoscope placed on my belly. In addition to organ maturation the nerve pathways in Peanuts ears continue to develop and this will allow him/her to respond to sounds more consistently.




Sleep: I need more sleep. The two older kids keep coming in my room. I have no idea what to do anymore. I thought about getting up and going into Nylin's bed last night. Jason, Nylin and Jace were all snoring.
I am not too comfortable right now anyway and having to hear them snore is just not helping. Something has to change and FAST. I just have no idea what to do about it at this point. I really messed up by letting Nylin sleep with me when she was little. Jace started seeing her in my bed in the morning and I guess he figured that is where you are supposed to go when you wake up in the middle of the night.



Feeling: This week has really given me a run for my money. Late last week I started getting a lot of pelvic pain. It has only progressed. The best the doc can come up with is Syphysis Pubis Dysfunction. Sounds scary huh? It basically just means I have a lot of the hormone that is supposed to soften the pelvic area in order to prepare for birth. It causes my pelvic bone to be pretty soft which means sensitive. If I stand too long, put too much pressure on it or move my legs apart (think putting pants on or going up stairs) it will hurt. There is really nothing they can do so I just have to take it easy and pray it does not get really bad. I am going to stay optimistic here and say I can handle this and we are not going to have further complications from this. Just thinking of having even MORE pain if I do not take it easy scares me. It also freaks me out to think if I make it worse by not taking care of myself that I could end up in C-Section. If you know me then you know I am afraid of a c-section much like one might be afraid of death. Irrational? YES! Can I help it? NO!
I am just going to take it easy and hope for the very best.

Movement: Peanut is starting to put him or herself on a schedule. It seems like s/he is moving around at the same times everyday. I am going to start charting these times to compare to when Peanut arrives. They say the schedule they make on the inside is much like the schedule they have on the outside. I am in big trouble if this is true! Peanut wakes me up at least twice a night kicking the crap outta me.
Nylin and Jason are dying to feel Peanut and I am hoping to catch the little booger so they can feel.

Belly: I feel like I look the same. I was looking back at my 15 wk pic and comparing it to this week and I do not think I have grown too much. I popped early and it has pretty much leveled out. I am sure this will change in the coming weeks.
First picture is 15 wks and the second was just taken yesterday.



Next Appointment: March 17th- I will be 29 wks. After this I will go every 2 wks. I am in total shock that it is time for that already!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Cute new survey

I might do this once a week, I think it is so cute.

Outside my window... it is a sunny day & I can see the animals in the woods.
The time is... 4:47 PM CT
Today I feel... tired!
I am thinking... I wish someone would come cook and clean for us tonight.
At the moment, I am thankful... for my husband, who makes me smile real smiles
I am going... to pick up the kids in a few minutes.
I am wearing... jeans and a long sleeve tee
I wish... It was warm enough to go to the park and play.
I am reading... Blogs, blogs and more blogs.
I am working on... crocheting a hat for Baby Carson!
I am hoping... for more energy
I am hearing... Nylin playing "Don't Spill the Beans"
I bet you didn't know... I have broken all my toes, at least once.
One of my favorite... fruits is clementines

Public Service Announcement

Some things I hear from people regarding my pregnancy are just not right.
I have come up with the top ten things you should NEVER say to a pregnant woman. Live It, Learn It, Love It.
PLEASE keep an open mind when reading this. I am not speaking to you specifically.(unless you asked one of these questions of me, haha!)

10. "Can I touch your belly?"
-No! I am pregnant, that does not make me public property people.


9. "Was this planned?" or "How did THAT happen?"
- Planned or not planned, that is none of anyone’s business besides mine and my husbands. If you are a close friend or family member this could be acceptable. However if I do not know you but we happen to be shopping at the same place it does not give you the right to pry into my personal/sex life. The point is, we are pregnant, and we are super excited to be having another little baby joining our lives.
And it happened the same way it has happened for a million plus years.

8. "Are you sure you are not having twins?"
- Unless you KNOW for sure someone is having multiples, DO NOT ASK THIS. Pregnant women feel huge anyway, even if they are right on target and have barely gained any weight. Having someone ask this is just a blow to the ego and just plain rude. I know I have a big 'ol belly sticking out BUT that is what happens when you are pregnant. Maybe I had one too many chocolate covered strawberries on Valentine’s day, but again that is what happens when you are pregnant. Baby in belly = protruding belly.

7. "You can really tell you are pregnant! Your face/butt/hips/thighs are really starting to fill out."
-Really? Would you like it if someone told you that you were starting to "fill out". Pregnant women still have feelings ya know?

6. Any unsolicited story about the worst labor experience ever.
-I am not a fan of former pregnant women sharing "helpful" advice when they should know better. If it is truly helpful advice it is one thing, telling someone you tore from one end to the other is not helpful, it is scary.
Unless the pregnant woman asks about how the epidural failed, Do. Not. Tell. Her.
"

5. "Should you really be eating/drinking that?
-What are you, the public nutrition police? Criticizing whatever a pregnant woman is eating or drinking is not appropriate nor safe. What a pregnant woman eats and drinks is her business, not yours. I am pretty sure having a cup of coffee here and there is not going to ruin my child.






4. "Are you going to breastfeed?"
-My personal favorite is when people say "Boob or bottle?" REALLY??
This is a very personal choice and you should not be asking this. It is no one’s business.

3. "You look ready to pop, I can't believe you still have (insert time frame here) to go."
-Thank you. So what you're saying is I'm fatter then what I should be? A pregnant woman can be very self-conscious of her growing size. You're probably doing nothing but making her feel even more insecure then she already is, especially if she still has a few months to go.

2. Anything negative about name choices.
- I am sure pregnant women do not care if you once had fish or dog with the same name we have chosen, I know I do not. Thanks for making me associate my child’s name with an animal though. I appreciate it.

1. "Are you planning on having more kids or are you going to get fixed?"
-Again with the personal questions! This is something to be decided between the pregnant woman and her husband. And fixed? Really? What are we dogs?


For some odd reason people seem to have no boundaries when talking to a pregnant woman. Next time you think about asking a pregnant woman an inappropriate question, or rubbing her belly . . . Ask yourself, would I say or do this to any other person? If the answer is no, then you should probably think twice about what you may say or do.

Pregnant- 25wk 2d

Weight- I know and I care, however I do not care to share. Just know that I am cutting out the late night snacks, laying off the chips and reducing my portions sizes.

Gender: Still a surprise.


Size of the baby- Peanut is approximately 1.5 pounds and just under 13.7 inches long. From this point on, Peanut's weight and length will grow at his/her own rate.



This is a big week Peanut! Around week 25, the structures of his spine are starting to form, including 33 vertebrae (rings of bone), 150 joints, and 1,000 ligaments. These structures will eventually support Peanut's body weight. Peanut's capillaries are also forming this week. Capillaries are the tiny blood vessels that move blood from the heart to tissues in the body. By the end of week 25, air sacs and blood vessels in Peanut's lungs will develop, getting him/her ready for his/her first breath. Peanut's nostrils have been plugged up, but they are now beginning to open up.

With the advances in technology, if Peanut were to be born this week, s/he has up to an 82 percent chance of survival with aggressive ICU treatment.



Sleep: I have been sleeping much better this week. Jace is still sneaking into our bed around 3 (I think- he is really sneaky and quiet about it!!!!). He seems to cuddle up and not say a word, whereas Nylin would be kicking me in the face. Nylin is staying in her bed. We are day 4 now. We had to start over one night and she was devastated. $30 (notice the $10 hike Jason added!) is a small price to pay for sleep.
I am having to get up in the night to go potty and my wrist are driving me nuts with the carpal tunnel, but I can live with those things. I usually go right back to sleep with those things, however it is usually difficult with a foot in your face.


Feeling: Pretty good. I notice I am a little more tired in the evenings than I have been lately but that is to be expected. I have also been having some Braxton Hicks contractions which sucks but it comes with the territory.

Movement: I feel Peanut all the time. I LOVE IT!

Belly: still the same or so I think so. Some people think I look HUGE- which is fine but I hate that they TELL me that! Jerks.

Next Appointment: March 17th- I will be 29 wks.

Kara's 2nd Birthday

Kara turned 2 over the weekend. I am still in shock that my little girl is 2 already!!! It seems like she just came into the world. She is growing more and more everyday and I love it. She is talking and doing all these "big girl" things. Sometimes the talking is more like sass-ing but she is a girl ya know?

Here are a few pics from her big day.

A few quick things.

1. Happy birthday to my big girl, Kara Ann! She turned 2 years old yesterday!!! I will have a full update tommorow when I have more time :) for now here is a quick peak at the big girl in her birthday shirt and her awesome tutu from her Aunt Becky and Uncle Ruyhe.



2. Happy Valentines Day!
We are not doing anything really special today. We had our favorite takeout last night and made chocolate covered strawberries. It was awesome. We are going shopping for a little ring for me today since my fingers swelled up overnight. I think we will go to Target and get some cheapy bling bling- yay for bling. LOL
The kids got little cookies from Grandma Margo for Valentines Day. They are AWESOME! She got Kara a vegan cookie and it is really good! (Kara is lactose intolarant). Thanks Grandma!

3. I hate this snow. I want it to all melt and go away! I am TIRED OF SNOW. Bring on the spring!!!!!!!!!!

4. The baby kept me up half the night and into the morning kicking like crazy. This baby is active at night. I hope that is not an indication of when Peanut arrives. I like my sleep. I prefer to wake up, nurse and go back to sleep. No playing or any of that cutesey stuff. There is plenty of time for cutsey when the sun is up.

That's all for now folks. I will give a full birthday update later. I cannot wait to show you all the pics.

Pregnancy Stuff, I think.

I am too tired to come up with a post that makes any sense. You might leave this post a little confused and have one million questions, welcome to my life.

I have pregnancy brain to the fullest right now. If you did not know already: Pregnancy brain is a condition that affects expectant mothers, usually during the first and third trimesters. Sometimes known as placenta brain or baby brain drain, the condition is usually characterized by short-term memory loss or forgetfulness.
In addition to those lovely symptoms I also have a problem concentrating. My mind is going a million miles a minute yet going no where. How is this even possible? I cannot read a book, hold a normal conversation or remember what I had for breakfast. It is bad. Really really bad. The worst part of all of it is that a co-worker warned me that she never got her brain back after her third child. UH WHAT? I cannot continue this way. I feel stupid. Like really stupid not just silly or slightly crazy, I mean all out stupid. Sometimes I am mid sentence and cannot remember what I was talking about. All you moms out there have to know A LITTLE bit about this, right? Please do not tell me I am alone in this. Please. Anyone?

Along with pregnancy brain I am also experiencing pregnancy crabiness. Now I know you can relate to that. If it wasn't you it was someone else you know. If you know me for real then you know I need no help in the crab department. I am pretty crabby all on my own, throw some pregnant hormones in there with that and WHOA NELLY!

Ok- so off of that tangent and maybe a little happiness for you all?

Today I am officially 24 weeks and 2 days pregnant. Do you know what that means? Viability baby! Peanut is considered viable at 24 weeks, which means if Peanut was born TODAY he or she would actually have a fighting change at survival, with medical intervention of course. The survival chances at 24 weeks are actually 50/50 but as the days and the weeks progress the numbers do as well. By 26 weeks Peanut would have a 90% chance at survival. Although having the baby born at this time would not be ideal, it is comforting to know that if he or she were born we would have a chance of keeping him or her around for a long time to come.

Some more pregnant updates:

Pregnant- 24wks 2d

Weight- don't know, don't care.

Gender: Still a surprise.



Size of the baby- Peanut is growing steadily, having gained about 4 ounces since last week. That puts him/her at just over a pound. Since Peanut is almost a foot long (picture an ear of corn), s/he cuts a pretty lean figure at this point, but his/her body is filling out proportionally and s/he'll soon start to plump up.



Peanuts brain is also growing quickly now, and his/her taste buds are continuing to develop. The lungs are developing "branches" of the respiratory "tree" as well as cells that produce surfactant, a substance that will help the air sacs inflate once Peanut hits the outside world. Peanuts skin is still thin and translucent, but that will start to change soon.


Sleep: What's that? I am waking up at least 2 times a night to go to the bathroom. Every time I get up and come back it is like a kid magically appears in my bed. Nylin and Jace are having some serious sleep issues and they think that a king size bed will magically cure that. Daddy and I are not happy about this.

I have actually stooped to bribing my child. I promised Nylin if she can stay out of my bedroom at night for 14 days straight I will give her $20. I will take her to GameStop or Target or where ever her little heart desires and let her spend every red penny of it. I will not make her save any and she can get whatever she wants. I will not even put in my 2 cents.

As for Jace- he does not understand bribery yet. I wish I could just lock him in his room. I am pretty sure that is frowned upon so I have to come up with something else. Of course pregnant brain paired with lack of sleep is not allowing me to think clearly so if you have any ideas I would gladly accept them.


Names: Not sure at this time. We have a few months to decide on that and I quite frankly I am not too happy about hearing some peoples opinions on it, despite my previous request to not hear anything negative. When we see our little Peanut we will name him or her and then no one can say anything about it, and if they do it will be too late and I will be physically able to whoop some serious rear end.


Feeling: Physically I am starting to feel more pregnant. I am getting hip and rib pains at night and even woke up twice to leg cramps, yuck. I am thought it started earlier than this so I am actually quite happy that I only have 16 wks of that stuff :)

Movement: I feel Peanut all the time- the kids and the husband have yet to feel though. Every time I actually let Jason try Peanut stops. Stubborn baby!

Belly: still the same- no picture this week. I think it is the same as last week.

Next Appointment: February 17th- I will be 25 wks.

DISCLAIMER- I do realize this post contains a lot of crabiness and complaining. I know this. I am just puttng it all out there and I am sorry if it is offending or if I sound like I am whining. I am SO VERY thankful to be pregnant, healthy, have great kids and an awesome husband. My kids and my husband actually make things a lot better for me. In this particular post I just happen to be highlighting the crappy stuff.

Daily Funny

Jason: Nylin are you in LaLa Land?

Nylin: Where is LaLa Land?

Me: That is where Daddy grew up.

Jason: Better than growing up in Affton.

Confession

I hate when people talk to me in the morning.


There is some sort of calmness in the babbling of my toddlers in the morning, and the simple conversations I have with my 6 year old. Anything more than that annoys me.

23 weeks

I skipped a week of updating. I am not really sure how that happened.


Pregnancy: 23 weeks tommorow.

Weight Gain: I am not really sure and I do not really care. I am pretty sure the baby and I are both healthy so I could careless at this point. I eat what I want and I will deal with it later.

Sleep: I am sleeping GREAT. My kids on the other hand are not. This is causing a problem for Jason and I. Jace has been waking up everynight screaming which wake up Nylin. Kara could carelss thank goodness! Nylin and Jace both end up in my bed and I end up on the edge. I think I need one of those saftey rails on the side of my bed- FOR ME! I think I will borrow Jace's for a while. We are going to try something new tonight and see if we can make it all the way through. In my late night awakeness I have even considered putting thier beds in my room so they will leave me alone. Jason nixed that idea in a second. HAHA!

Gender: Still a surprise.

Size of the baby- (I forgot to do this in my 21 wk update!)
Weeks 22-24 (Month 5): Papaya
Average size: 10.5-11.8 inches, 12.7-20.8 oz.
Face is fully formed! Peanuts skin is still quite red and heavily wrinkled. Peanut can hear loud noises in the womb now.

Names: Still:
Girl names- Kennedi Rose or Kenley Rose, we will decide when she gets here, if Peanut is a she.
Boy Name- Jackson John

Feeling: I fell pretty good. I am starting to get carpel tunnel and have to wear wrist braces at night- boo! I do not remember it being so early last time but I guess every pregnancy is different. If I do not wear the braces my hands are completley numb for about 10 minutes first thing in the morning. Ever tried hitting the alarm clock with a hand you can not feel? It is interesting to say the least.
Heartburn is still here and I do not see it going anywhere.

Movement: I feel Peanut all the time now. I love it. Jason and the kids still have not been able to feel from the outside. I am ok with that though. I am stingy. I like having that feeling all to myself.

Belly: Everyone says I am carrying high. I think I am carrying about midbelly. What do you think?


Next Appointment: February 17th- I will be 25 wks.