Checking In (with TONS of pictures)

Oh, hey there! Just popping in to say that all is well. We are settling into being a family of 5 and everyone is happy, though not necessarily healthy. We've had at least 2 people sick since Christmas. Asher and I are both on our 2nd round of sickness. We snuggle and sniffle together.

Dudes. Life as a working mom of 3 is buuuusy. I miss being home with my babies all day. Never before have I imagined myself as a SAHM, but I desperately want to make that happen soon. We're working on it. Having insurance is kind of a necessity though, so for now I work.

Asher is an angel. Seriously. He basically just smiles and talks and sleeps all the time. He's the kind of baby that convinces you that it would be a great idea to have another. Yes. I just said that. We want another. I've probably lost my mind.

And so, without further ado, meet Asher Grey.

Love at first sight!

All items from his nursery: black and white rug, turquoise blanket that I crocheted, and wooden toy that Vivienne picked out for him.

He is SUPER happy all the time!

And here are my little lovelies today. I visit them every day on my lunch break to snuggle and nurse and watch Viv tap dance/play dress-up/jump on the couch. It's always the highlight of my day.

Happy Valentine's Day, by the way.

Baby Bump @ 37 Weeks

Total Weight Gained/Loss? As of last week, I was up 24lbs. I go again this afternoon but I don't expect much change, if any.

Maternity Clothes? I made the mistake of trying to wear my pre-baby jeggings today and I'm miserable because the waist band is cutting into the underside of my belly.

Sleep?  It's not happening. Let's move on.

Movement?   Asher gets really crazy active in the morning. He kicks and punches and stretches so hard that I swear he's trying to bust his way out - and may actually succeed! This goes on for about 2 hours and makes me feel like I'm going to throw up. Definitely not my favorite part of the day.

Food Cravings?  ice cream (currently French Silk) and honeycrips apples

Food Aversions?  pretty much just fast food in general

Belly Button?   Aaaaalll the way out but it pulls back in when I have contractions.

Best Moment of the Week?  We started Logan on ADHD meds over the weekend after a long battle with his behavior. It's been like night and day and I've sat here at my desk and cried over the positive emails and text messages I've received from his teachers and daycare lady.

What I miss:  Pretty much just not being pregnant. Not hurting when I move. Not wanting to cry or punch someone all the time.

What I'm looking forward to:  My chiropractor appointment tomorrow morning and then, of course, finally meeting Asher next week!

Milestones?   Nothing major to speak of right now, just counting down to the big day!

Baby Bump @ 36 Weeks

Total Weight Gained/Loss?  As of my appointment 2 weeks ago, I was down to 19 lbs, but I'm probably back up in the 20's this week. I go this afternoon, so I'll find out then.

Maternity Clothes? Entirely. Even some of my maternity shirts are getting a little short.

Sleep? There is no such thing.

Movement? It was cute at first but I'm so over it now. Asher gets the hiccups probably 5 times a day. PLUS, all the kicking and punching and everything else. He's actually made me feel sick on several occasions due to all of his movement. I have a TON of contractions. I like to tell myself that I'll go to the doctor today and he'll tell me that the contractions are actually doing something and we're making progress and need to move up our c-section, but I know that's just wishful thinking. Oh well.

Food Cravings?  At this point, I'm pretty much just eating whatever I want. I have some ice cream most nights. This weekend I bought a big bag of apples because I couldn't walk through the produce aisle at walmart one more time and have to smell them without bringing some home.

Food Aversions?  Nothing specific.

Belly Button?   There is no hiding it, but it sucks back in really far when I have a contraction. For the lighter ones, that's how I tell if I'm contracting or if he's just stretching.

Best Moment of the Week? My parents kept the kids Saturday night so that Kyle and I could "relax" before the baby comes. We ended up staying pretty busy but we did go out to dinner and it was DELICIOUS! Oh, AND AND AND I bought a van last week. It has a sunroof and it's kind of awesome.

What I miss: Not being pregnant.

What I'm looking forward to: Not being pregnant.

Milestones? The nursery is in pretty good shape. We bought a van. Most of the house is picked up. I've wrapped up a majority of the things at work that require my attention. Now I just need to pack my hospital bag and actually CLEAN the house and we'll be ready to go.

Baby Bump @ 32 Weeks

Total Weight Gained/Loss?  21 lbs and still pretty tickled with myself! It's nearly all belly (and fat knees and ankles but I try to hide them whenever possible).

Maternity Clothes? That's about all I fit into these days except for a non-maternity dress or two. Most of the non-maternity tops that I've been wearing are now too short to cover my whole belly.

Sleep? There is no such thing.

Movement?  Pretty sure my belly movements would measure high on the richter scale right now. This little guy is ACTIVE! What happened to that whole thing about the baby getting bigger and not having room to punch and kick? Isn't that supposed to have happened by now?

Food Cravings?  I find myself craving something fresh but I haven't found out exactly what that is yet. Maybe fruit? I don't know exactly.

Food Aversions?  I'm not really into food in general right now, but I suppose I wouldn't consider that an aversion.

Belly Button? Totally out. You can see it through my shirts now.

Best Moment of the Week?  I would say my anniversary on Friday and my birthday yesterday, but we haven't been able to celebrate or anything so it wasn't a big deal.

What I miss: Mostly just being comfortable. Everything hurts and there is no comfortable position.

What I'm looking forward to:  My best friend's wedding next weekend!!! I kind of hate being a bridesmaid but I'm really looking forward to getting all glammed up for this wedding. I feel so frumpy most of the time, it will be nice to feel pretty again.

Milestones?  I got the nursery painted this weekend. That was really weighing on me and it's such a relief to have it done. I still have to clean it up and redecorate a little, but a large bulk of the work is done now.

Baby Bump @ 30 Weeks

How Far Along? 28 Weeks 4 Days

Total Weight Gained/Loss?  As of last week, I was up 17lbs. Pretty thrilled about that, I'm not going to lie.

Maternity Clothes? I'm definitely moving more into maternity as my belly gets bigger. The shirt in this week's picture isn't, but it won't stretch much further. I'm looking forward to fall weather and being able to layer and mix and match so I don't look like I just wear the same 5 things all the time.

Sleep? Benadryl has become my best friend. I take 2 a few hours before bed and I do a whole lot less tossing and turning.

Movement?  It's still constant. I swear, sometimes it feels like an earthquake in there. I have no clue what he's doing.

Food Cravings?  Red meat and green beans. This is weird because I don't generally eat vegetables and when I was pregnant with Vivienne, I couldn't stand the smell of red meat.

Food Aversions? Nothing that I can think of.

Belly Button? It's definitely out.

Best Moment of the Week? We went for our 3d ultrasound last week. It was so amazing to see Asher in action. He looks EXACTLY like Vivienne. I'm not even exaggerating. I'm going to have to make sure I write their names on the backs of their ultrasounds because I won't be able to tell the difference otherwise. Obviously, he's beautiful. He shares his sister's pouty lips, chubby cheeks, and angry eyebrows. These two youngest children of mine, are the grumpiest looking babies I've ever seen. LOL.

What I miss:  I'm going to stick with beer again this week. Kyle had a few during lunch after our ultrasound and they smelled soooo good!

What I'm looking forward to:  Would it be cliche to say that I'm just really looking forward to meeting the little guy? Yes? Ok, how about getting the nursery done? I'm really anxious to get stuff checked off my list.

Milestones?  I'm 30 weeks (and a few days now) so I guess we're sort of in the home stretch.


Hey! Remember when I actually talked about something other than being pregnant? Me either. But I do have two other kids and they're pretty stinking adorable - even if they are completely obnoxious - so here are a few recent pics of them from a local Fireman's Carnival:

And a few from Viv's birthday which was supposed to be a pool party but got rained out (though Kyle and I did get in the pool with all the kids for a few minutes in the rain anyway):

Baby Bump @ 28 Weeks

Am I starting to look tired yet? I definitely feel it.

How Far Along?  28 Weeks 4 Days

Total Weight Gained/Loss?  I'm probably hovering around 20 lbs. I was up 13 at my last appointment and I go back on Tuesday. I'm not thrilled about the thought that I've probably gained about 7lbs this month, so I'm going to have to work to make sure this doesn't become a trend. Still, aside from my ridiculously fat knees (seriously, who ONLY gains weight around their knees?????), I'm all belly.

Maternity Clothes?  Still pretty much the same: maternity pants and mixed maternity and non-maternity dresses and tops.

Sleep?  Not really happening these days.

Movement?  Non-stop. I call him Thumper. I hope this is not a sign of things to come. He gets the hiccups several times a day and he lays down so low that it feels like my crotch is pulsating. Weird.

Food Cravings?  Pretty much anything I shouldn't be eating right now: baked goods, ice cream, chocolate, etc. I suppose that would explain my 7lb gain in the last month.

Food Aversions?  Nothing that I can think of.

Belly Button? It's definitely out.

Best Moment of the Week?  I finally went to a chiropractor about my sciatic pain. I was really nervous because I've never been to a chiropractor before and was afraid I'd fart when he pushed on me (for the record, I did not, not this time anyway). He told me the right side of my pelvis is tilted and that's causing it to rub on the sciatic nerve. Awesome. So, I'm crooked. I see him again next week, and then once every other week after that. Hopefully this will help.

What I miss:  Not being uncomfortable. Beer.

What I'm looking forward to:  First, I finally scheduled our 3d/4d ultrasound! As of next Thursday we'll know if we're having another mini Kyle or if I actually contributed something to this one. :)  Also, Vivienne's birthday party is on Saturday! One of my best friends is coming to town for the party and is going to stay with us and help me work on the nursery. I THINK we have our paint picked out and I'm excited to get this ball rolling! We're also minivan shopping and I've found a very promising prospect. Unfortunately, it's about 2 hours away and our schedules are pretty booked for the next week or so. I hope it doesn't sell fast!

Milestones? Hopefully in two weeks I'll be able to say that the nursery is ready, but I don't really have anything to check off the list as of right now.


This is the basic design plan that I put together for the nursery. We LOVE color in our house so I went super saturated and fun. I think the bold colors and black and white patterns will be visually stimulating for the kids AND will make it a space that we all really enjoy being in.

Baby Bump @ 26 Weeks

How Far Along? 26 Weeks and 3 Days

Total Weight Gained/Loss? 13 lbs. I'm pretty pleased with myself to tell you the truth. As round as my belly is now, I expected it to be a lot more. My legs are swelling a lot though, unfortunately. My knees and ankles look pretty fat and gross.

Maternity Clothes?  Almost entirely, though I'm always pleasantly surprised when I find non-maternity shirts in my closet that fit and look great. Actually, most of my dresses are non-maternity too.

Sleep?  Depends on the night. Sometimes I sleep like a rock. Other times I toss and turn all night. I think it just depends on Asher's positioning. Last night I was able to fall asleep comfortably flat on my back - which is usually uncomfortable. I don't know where he was, but I wish he'd spend more time there at night!

Movement?  CONSTANT! I swear, he wakes me up in the morning with his thumping and it continues ALL.FREAKING.DAY.

Food Cravings?   I ate a whole lot of rainbow sherbert over the weekend, but I'm blaming that on the strep-like virus I was battling. My throat reeeeeally hurt. And I'm still putting picante sauce on pretty much everything that makes sense (no weird combos).

Food Aversions?   Nothing specific I can think of. Shrimp still really don't appeal to me. My father-in-law made crabcakes on Monday and they had huge pieces of shell and cartilage in them, so I'm thinking that may have killed seafood in general for me, for a while anyway.

Belly Button?  It's getting pretty flat and sticks out a little at the top.

Best Moment of the Week?  I spent a lot of time at home with Vivienne over the last week. She had strep so I took 4 days off to be with her. It sucked seeing her so, so sick - her temp got up to 104 at one point - but we had lots of snuggles and it was great bonding time.

What I miss:   Being able to sit at my desk comfortably without having to change position every 5 minutes.

What I'm looking forward to:  Getting the nursery ready, Vivienne's 2nd birthday in a few weeks (We're having a NEON pool party!), and my bff's wedding in August (which is also basically a long weekend babymoon in a B&B on the bay).

Milestones?  I don't think there's anything major going on this week. Asher's coming home outfit came in last night. It's ADORABLE and so tiny and I can't wait to see him in it!