38 down, 2 to go

Since I missed the 37 week post last week, you get two pictures this week.


37 weeks: Your baby is as lofty as a stalk of Swiss chard and weighs 6 1/3 pounds. (Length: a bit over 19 inches, head to heel.)
38 weeks: Your baby, now as long as a leek, weighs nearly 7 pounds. (Length: more than 19 1/2 inches, head to heel.)

Nothing much new to report. We got the car seat (which is good, otherwise we wouldn't be able to bring him home) and a stroller. I've been washing and folding the clothes so they'll be ready for him and trying to keep the house clean (and crossing my fingers that it will stay this way while I'm in the hospital).

Friday night I got hit with a really bad pain in my lower belly. It almost feels like I pulled a muscle on the left side of my belly - I've never had this pain before while pregnant. And it's by far the worst of all the pains I've had so far. I literally can not move when it strikes. I'll feel it while walking, trying to stand up, moving in bed, sitting down, etc. And it'll come all of a sudden and is so sharp and strong that I just freeze in place. And any movement I do after that just makes it worse. Keith and I went to the temple yesterday morning and as I was walking back to the locker room to change back into my everyday clothes, one of the worker ladies saw me (I was walking funny from the pain) and said "Sister, let me come help you. Let's have someone get you a wheelchair. And then after you've changed, we'll have someone pull your car around for you" and she came over to me to try and help me walk. I told her it was okay, I could make it, I just needed to go slow, and that my husband was there. She was reluctant to leave me alone (I guess I must have looked pretty bad) but I made it back to the changing room eventually. :) I know that my pregnancies are not as tough as some people's are, but this one has been pretty tough for me. From all the extra pain I've been having and breaking my foot, I've been more laid up this time than any other, and it's so frustrating!

I have my 38 week appointment on Thursday, so we'll see then if this baby is going to come this week like all his sisters did. I sure hope he does - I am SO ready to get him out. I wasn't a few weeks ago, but I definitely am now. A couple friends and I were talking about this the other day and one mentioned that she thinks that's why we're pregnant for so long. So that we'll get to the point where we'll say "I'm ready to do whatever it takes to get this thing out of me!" Otherwise, we might not be so willing to go through labor. It totally makes sense.

And no (for EVERYONE who's been asking me), we still don't have a name.

Time for your input!

As the time for this boy's arrival is getting closer and closer, I've realized I need to hurry up and take care of something EXTREMELY important.... the name of this blog. :) Obviously I can't keep it Raising Girls, as I won't be raising just girls any more. I am so NOT creative and have no ideas for what the new name should be (it already took me long enough to figure out the original name). So I figured you guys could help me out. If you have any ideas for me, PLEASE leave a comment and let me know. Then I'll create a poll and you can vote to help me choose the winner. Don't be shy!!! I know I have quite a few lurkers who visit my blog and don't leave comments. Now is the time to comment, people! Let's see what you can come up with!!

36 down, 4 to go

Your baby, almost 6 pounds and still packing on the pounds at a rate of about an ounce a day, is comparable to a crenshaw melon in size. (Length: more than 18 1/2 inches, head to heel.)

It's definitely getting closer!! I've started doing a lot of preparing (it's about time, right?). I took a break from scrapping and have been sewing spit rags and blankets like crazy. I found a lot of clothes on sale at Target and got clothes at my baby shower, so I've been doing a lot of washing and folding as well. We also deep cleaned our house and have been trying really hard to keep it clean so that it doesn't get so horrible again before the baby comes. I finally found a name for the AWFUL pain I've been feeling in my groin area since about 15 weeks - it's called Symphysis Pubis Dysfunction and it totally fits with what I've been feeling. I usually get this pain just for the last few weeks, but this time it started around 15 weeks and has progressively gotten worse. I feel it the most when I'm laying down in bed, trying to roll over, and then in the morning when I wake up and try to get out of bed. As I walk around, the pain lessens but never goes away completely. I'm really excited for it to be over once the baby's born.

false alarm

We spent a couple hours at the hospital last night. I've been feeling contractions since earlier than 20 weeks with this pregnancy. So I've gotten used to them and if I get a few in a row, I just lay down until they go away. Yesterday around 2, I started having some contractions that also came with horrible back pain. Every time I had a contraction, it felt like I was being stabbed in my lower back. When I went into early labor at 32 weeks with Elena, the only thing I felt was back pain - not even any contractions. So the back pain worried me. I drank a whole bunch of water and laid down. But they kept coming - about 10 minutes apart for 2 hours. I called my doctor's office and they said not to mess around, to just go over to L&D and get checked out. I waited another hour...they still didn't stop, so we headed out. I even got a bag ready with the video camera and everything, just in case (and then Keith left it at home). They monitored me at the hospital for about an hour and a half. I was having contractions the whole time, but there was no progression (I'm still dilated 1 cm) so they sent me home. The nurse said to lay down, take a warm bath, and take it easy. And obviously if it got worse to come back in. The back pain continued until I fell asleep, but when I woke up this morning it was gone.

While we were at the hospital, Keith was saying "Let's just get this over with now. Wouldn't it be cool to have him tonight?" And I realized that it wouldn't be cool. As uncomfortable as I am, I don't feel ready to bring him home. We don't have a baby car seat (the one we bought for Amya and used with all the other girls has expired so we threw it away); we don't have a bed (again, bought one of those playpen/bed things for Amya and by the time Maricela was done with it, it was so warped from all the chunky babies and the netting torn all over the place that we threw it out); Kara's not here (she's flying out at the end of the month to help take care of the girls while I'm in the hospital and for a few days after I get home); I still have basically no clothes/blankets for him (not even an outfit to bring him home in ); and my house is a wreck (I have all these organizing/cleaning/preparing things I want to get done before he comes that I haven't done yet). So I think my life is going to be pretty busy these next few weeks as I go into overdrive to try and get ready for this new little boy and try not to go into labor at the same time. Whew!

P.S. Keith says not to worry about not having a bed - he can just sleep in a laundry basket for a while. :P

Nursing Hideaway

The blog I Never Grew Up is hosting a giveaway for a nursing hideaway cover from Lilacs & Lollipops. I've seen these called a different name (Hooter Hiders) and even printed directions for how to make one. I always have a hard time with nursing in public because I'm afraid the blanket I'm using to cover up with will fall off and I can't see what's going on to help the baby, etc. I've been meaning to make one and haven't yet.....maybe I'll win this giveaway and won't have to! :)

My favorite one is the Blue City Girl Paisley, seen here.
Interestingly, Lilacs & Lollipops is based out of SLC. They have a lot of cute stuff - there are also burp cloths and wipie case covers that are made to match the nursing covers. I've also seen patterns for those and have printed them up, intending to make them, and still haven't. It would be so much easier to buy them off this website (and they are SO cute) but they'd mean so much more if I made them myself. I feel a trip to the fabric store coming on....are you up for one, Amy? I guess we'll see what happens. :)

35 down, 5 to go

Your baby, now as hefty as a honeydew melon at 5 1/4 pounds, doesn't have much room to maneuver in your belly. (Length: more than 18 inches, head
to heel.)

Yeah, there's a few things I need to change in that description. I had my ultrasound and this baby is big. His head is measuring 3 weeks bigger than what it should be (based on my due date). That means right now he has the head of a baby at 38 weeks gestation and his body is measuring 1.5 weeks bigger (36.5 weeks). Right now he's about 6 lb 8 oz and the doctor said he should grow another ounce every day. Based on these calculations, they could change my due date to March 23, or leave it where it is and see if I go early (38 weeks) like I did with all the girls.

This is making me quite nervous. If I go early (let's hypothetically pick March 26), he could weigh over 8 pounds. If I go any later, he definitely will weigh over 8 pounds. If his head continues to grow, on March 26th it will be the size of a 41 week baby. OUCH!!! My biggest baby was 7 lb 7 oz. This baby is shaping up to beat that record. The u/s tech said that's the reason I'm measuring bigger. Not that baby boy is humongous, but definitely bigger than my other babies have been. I am now officially as big as I have ever been, with at least 3 more weeks to go. My uncomfortable-ness has reached an all new level. I can barely move without needing Keith to help me get started. Once I get going though, watch out. Like I taught the third graders in Jan, an object in motion will stay in motion until something stops it. You don't want to be the "thing" that stops me - just ask Téa. She learned to steer clear of me when I fell on her. :)

Here are some recent belly shots.....we needed to get Keith's brother Arax involved for some perspective. We were trying to figure out who's belly is bigger...what do you guys think?



I think that's enough of a baby update for now. I hear Oreos calling me.

34 down, 6 to go

Your baby has bulked up like the average cantaloupe -- to about 4 3/4 pounds. (Length: almost 18 inches, head to heel.)

Somehow it feels like there's something WAY bigger than a cantaloupe in there. The boy is moving around so much - the girls will just be sitting next to me on the couch and they can feel him kicking without having to put a hand on my stomach or anything. Just sitting next to me is enough. He gets the hiccups ALL the time and they like to feel that too. I haven't measured myself this week, but I'm assuming I'm measuring at least 38 weeks. All the girls came at 38 weeks and I measured right on for them, so that means I'm now as big as I've ever been, with at least 4 more weeks to go. How big am I going to get???? I'm hoping this boy will follow the pattern of his sisters and comes a little early to put me out of my misery. My maternity pants are already getting tight on me and there's no way I'm going to buy more. When I bought them they were so loose I thought "These will totally last me the whole time". Yeah, not so sure about that now.

Just for kicks, here's a video I found on YouTube. It's a little boy baby, playing for 4 hours but sped up to last about 2 minutes. It's really cute. But I don't think any of my babies ever played that well for 4 hours.

33 down, 7 to go

Your baby is proportioned like a pineapple when it comes to weight -- a little over 4 pounds. (Length: more than 17 inches, head to heel.)

I had my regular checkup on Tue and when the doctor measured my belly, he said "You're right on....exactly 33 cm." I immediately questioned him - I've been measuring 4 weeks bigger for the last 13 weeks and all of a sudden I'm right on? He measured again and, sure enough, I was really 37 cm. He'd mistaken the baby's head for the top of my pelvic bone and that's why the measurement had come up a little short. :P At least we know he's head down and not breach! I have another appt in 2 weeks and he said we'll do another ultrasound at that one, so we can find out if this baby's going to be a porker. The good news was I hadn't gained any weight since my previous checkup....hopefully I've pretty much topped out.

In other news, I've now officially thrown up while pregnant. Last Tue, Maricela threw up a little in the morning, took a big, long nap, and then was fine. Then Téa threw up Wed night. And then Amya and I both threw up all night long Friday night. It was horrible. And we'd just been to our ward's Valentine dinner, where I had stuffed myself. I think I'll just let you picture it from there.....it was not pretty. Keith started feeling sick Mon night, but never threw up. Lucky him. But we're all over it now and hopefully that'll be the last of sickness in our house for awhile.

32 down, 8 to go

Your baby is taking up more and more space in your uterus and weighs as much as a large jicama -- about 3 3/4 pounds. (Length: about 16 3/4 inches, head to heel.)

I can definitely attest to the "more and more space" part. This baby boy has got to be huge! I can not get comfortable at night, as my stomach is in the way no matter what my position. And he moves constantly....to the point where I want him to take a nap or something just to give me a little relief. He used to be shy about moving when Keith would have his hand on my stomach, but not anymore. Keith gets to feel him move all the time....in fact, the other night, baby boy moved so violently that it scared Keith! He's always been a little squeamish about how it seems like there's an alien in my stomach and when this little guy moved, he pushed out really hard and made my stomach pop out. It freaked Keith out a little bit and he said he was done for the night. If only I could say that too!

I finally got some baby boy clothes. Up until I got these, the only piece of clothing I had for this boy was a $3 onesie from WalMart that said "Daddy's Helper". Old Navy was having a sale on their website, so I picked up a few things. I was so excited to get them in the mail. And then when I got them, and realized that there really wasn't that much (about 10 items) and thought about how much I need, I got a little depressed. I am SO not ready for this little guy to be here! But then again, I am SO ready to get him out of me!

31 weeks down, 9 to go

Your baby now weighs as much as four navel oranges. (Length: over 16 inches, head to heel.)

And here's a really bad picture of me, taken a couple nights ago. Please remember this was taken at night, after a long day, after a lot of stress, after (I don't know what else, but there's gotta be a reason I look so bad.) (Also, please ignore my dirty door.)

And I can't believe I'm posting this one, but it needs to be documented right? Besides the fact that I started contracting sooner with this pregnancy than any other, and I'm already heavier than I've ever been (with weeks still to go), and my stomach's measuring bigger than it should be (which I've never done) that's not all that's different about this pregnancy. This time, I also get to experience bloating. I've never done this before. Never! And now, every day when I take off my socks, it almost looks like I still have socks on! I practically have cankles. I'm telling you, this boy better be worth it! :)

Oh, in this picture you need to ignore the dirty couch. I've given up on having clean walls and couches and that sorta thing until the kids get older. There's just no point in stressing over getting them sparkling clean, just to have them marked up 10 minutes later.

30 down, 10 to go

At the beginning of this pregnancy I had this plan of posting a picture of how big the baby is and how much it weighs every week. As you can see, I haven't done that at all yet. But I figure better late than never.....so here's the info on what this baby looks like at 30 weeks (according to BabyCenter.com).

"Your baby rivals a good-size cabbage in weight, tipping the scales this week at 3 pounds. (Length: about 15 3/4 inches, head to heel.)"

And once again, instead of the plan of taking a pic of me every week to watch my belly grow, we've taken a total of 2 pictures. Two. I'll try to get Keith to take one of me this week, but I always hate the pictures he takes.......but if you're wondering, my belly is measuring 4 weeks bigger than I really am so yes, I'm huge.

I'm Back, Baby!!!

Whew! After almost two whole months of no computer and no internet, we are back up and running. It seems like it took forever!!! And now there's so much to catch up on.

Here's the biggest news that I haven't been able to share on here yet. On November 20, I had my 20 week ultrasound to check on how the baby is growing and find out the sex. Are you guys interested? You want to know? We are going to have......

A BOY!!!! After four girls, we are going to be adding a boy to our (not so) little group of kiddos. I must say it was quite a shock, especially for Keith. He was just so sure that it was going to be another girl, and actually hoping for another girl, that when we realized what we were having, he just sat there in shock for the whole rest of the appointment. Didn't really say much of anything, except "He could be wrong, it could still be a girl". Um honey, no, that's a definite boy. :)

He's since warmed up to the idea and we're both pretty excited for this new adventure. I told Keith he can take care of all the diaper changes on this one. I'm not interested in getting hosed down, which I hear is a a common occurance with little boys. Í'm a little nervous though, as I have no boy experience and am not prepared for a boy at all. There isn't one single piece of blue clothing in this house at all. I guess we've got some shopping to do.

Here's a profile pic of the little booger...

We're pretty excited about our new addition!! (But does this mean I'm going to have to change the name of my blog?)