37: Baby Names & Fort Worth

Along: 37 weeks

Size of baby:  Winter Melon (small watermelon?) - baby is considered near-term and working on putting on baby fat. Reflexes are fully functional and baby will continue to get stronger until the big debut!

Total Weight Gain/Loss: 32 pounds – more than with the boys. Oops.

Maternity Clothes: I’m down to a couple items that sound appealing and are comfortable. Everything else will remain in my closet until baby Clem appears.  

Gender: Surprise! Baby’s heartbeat was 158 yesterday. I think we may have a boy name. We sat down on Saturday to discuss- this one is brand new, so we will see if it sticks. Girl middle name has been up for debate, but I believe we settled on this as well. The boys have a name they really like, so I think we will end up going with their choice for middle name. It would be something special for her to have and mean a lot to the big brothers.

Movement: Baby is a ninja!  My ribs sometimes hurt after some of the jabs and kicks- especially when I’m laying down to sleep.

Sleep: Insomnia is here to stay- no doubt about it.   

What I miss: Cooler weather and normal body temperature. At this point, I’m always on the verge of sweating. Although this can be expected in the summer, it’s slightly more miserable pregnant. Just slightly.    

Cravings: fruit (especially blueberries and grapes), chocolate, ice cream, chips and salsa, salad, juice, smoothies  

Symptoms: I’m at a 1- 80% effaced. I have a lot of hip pain and sciatica. With the heat, constant thirst has been lingering. Braxton hicks happen a lot at night, and I feel like baby has dropped some.

Best Moment This Week:  Our family headed to Fort Worth over the weekend, so we could show our house. We did stockyards, rodeo, gun show, swimming, and zoo. We had some excellent food along with a great time! I’m so thankful for the sweet family of mine- four soon to be five. 

They may have been a little wild, so Matt worked on breathing and meditating! ha!

Fun dip- pop rocks style. Childhood candy favorite.

Little buddy and friend

36: Moving Out & Maternity Pictures

Along: 36 weeks

Size of baby:  Roman Lettuce- baby is around 19 inches and 5-6 lbs. Baby is putting on about an ounce a day. His/her kidneys and liver are in working order along with circulation/immune system.   

Total Weight Gain/Loss: 30.5 pounds

Maternity Clothes: I’m loving all maternity dresses right now.  Pants and the heat sound like a terrible combination at all times.

Gender: Surprise! Baby’s heartbeat was at 138 this week. I did a little “old wives tale post” to see what it could reveal. It came out about 50/50. I didn’t mention the Chinese calendar predictor which points to BOY, so maybe that’s the tie breaker?

We still don’t have boy name, but we are pretty settled on girl which we will keep a secret until baby shows his/her face. We joke it would be easier if it was a girl just because we have a name, but we really are so happy to have either!

Movement: Big movements along with hiccups. It can be painful, but I love the reminder of baby growing and thriving inside my womb.

Sleep: The boys both got croup this week, so sleep has been lacking just with sick kiddos, Texas heat, and difficult getting comfortable. I’m glad we are getting it out of our system now and now when baby arrives. Germs- stay away please and thank you!  

What I miss: Energy and Patience. These two things have been lacking this week, but it also may be tied to putting our house on market and Matt’s dissertation defense. This is a big week at our house.   

Cravings: all things cold- water, juice, ice cream. I would say I can always go for a bowl of fruit- grapes, cherries, pears, apples, bananas, and most of all- blueberries. I’ve also been crushing some candied pecans and yogurt covered pretzels as well.  

Symptoms: Braxton hicks, sciatica, circulation issues (hands swelling, feet numb if sit in certain positions), long/strong finger nails, sunspots, and small bladder

Best Moment This Week:  I’d say although stressful, getting our house ready for sale and just watching the Lord move through this whole process has been super sweet this week. Y’all, Matt and I have been complaining about a dead tree in our neighbor’s yard for years. We woke up one morning this week and it was gone. It’s the little things that remind me God loves details and is in charge of everything.

I should also mention pictures are my love language, so the opportunity to get us all dressed up and head to one of our favorite spots completely filled my cup. I love watching the boys grow and having this same sweet photographer do them over the past two years- it's been such a joy. I had to add a couple more below just because!  

Baby Clem #3- Old Wives Tales

I always enjoy looking back at things like this, so I decided to document the old wives tales for Clem baby #3.

#1: The Linea Nigra -if the line continues above your belly button, you’re having a boy. If it finishes below your belly button, you have a girl bun in your oven. – BOY

#2: Carrying High Or Low – Low, so BOY

#3: The Feel Of Your Skin Carrying a boy is said to give you dry skin or smooth skin if girl. Dry-BOY

#4: It’s All In The Heart - above 140 ppm means you’re having a girl, and lower than 140 bpm means it’s a boy. -  We have been all over the charts on this one- BOY/GIRL

#5: Truth Or Hair It’s all in the hair, apparently. If your hair becomes thick and glossy, and you can’t make it down the street without being stopped by a modelling scout, you’re carrying a boy. If your hair is so dull and limp that you look like you’ve been without running water for quite some time, it’s a girl. BOY

#6: No Time To Weight - According to an old wives’ tale, if you’re carrying all of your extra weight out front, it’s a boy. If those pregnancy pounds are piling on all over, you might be expecting a daughter. GIRL 

 #7: It’s All About The Taste - chocolate and desserts all hint that baby is girl. Salty or sour foods could be an indication that you’re carrying a son. GIRL

 

#8: No Easy Feet - If you are suffering from a bad case of the cold feet now that you’re pregnant, you might be expecting a boy. If your feet are as warm as ever, you might be carrying a girl.  GIRL

#9: Spot On- Acne during pregnancy hints that you’re having a girl. A perfect complexion could be a sign that you’re expecting a boy. GIRL (unfortunately)

#10: Ball About The Bump This one is quite niche. If folks keep stopping you, to comment on how closely your bump resembles a basketball, you’re having a boy. If basketball players keep trying to dribble off with your bump, you could be expecting a girl. – GIRL

#11- Morning Sickness- If you have head over toilet bowl for first 12 weeks- girl. If you escape this, boy. BOY

Alright y’all, this looks like 50/50 to me! I added some of our maternity pics to this post too. Our sweet nanny and friend over the past four years took these this week and I'm obsessed. This third baby is our miracle, and I could not be more excited to meet him/her in the next couple weeks.

http://lizzieallenphoto.com/

35: Birthday and Biking

Along: 35 weeks

Size of baby:  Honeydew Melon- nervous system and immune system are still maturing this week. Baby is putting on the fat and getting ready for the big delivery.   

Total Weight Gain/Loss: 30 pounds – a little more than I was with the boys, but I’m not going to sweat it.

Here is a good pregnancy story-

At dinner, Boys are talking about food and Matt mentions how Noah’s stomach is bigger than Deacon’s when it comes to eating and how much fits. Deacon doesn’t like to hear this because he’s all things BIG right now, so Matt then proceeds to explain in more detail about height and weight. Matt mentions that because he is taller than mommy his stomach is bigger than Mommy’s too. Noah looks at me and pats my belly- “NO DAD, look at this- Mom’s is WAY BIGGER”.

Thanks.

Maternity Clothes: We have had a mild summer here in Texas, but it’s still tough being 8 months pregnant- August baby and the heat are no joke. I’ve learned to appreciate all things loose and flowy.  I have a couple favorite dresses and tops I mostly cycle through.

Gender: Matt is 100% positive boy. I’m about 85% positive boy. Brothers think it will be a sister but are really excited for the surprise.

Movement: Baby’s limbs are on one side of my belly.  There is a lot of movement on my right side all day and night.

Sleep: With all that we have going on, insomnia is a frequent symptom for both Matt and me right now. Some is pregnancy related, and I think some now is just trying to get our minds to slow down when they are going 100 miles per hour with all that needs to happen over the next five weeks. We are thankful for God’s grace. Through this whole process, even the miracle of pregnancy- we have trusted that this is His call on our lives and seen Him move mountains to make all things fall into place.

What I miss: I miss the ability to reach my feet. I have thought multiple times, I wonder if Noah could help me paint my toes and tie my shoes for the next couple weeks. I am so not graceful getting into the position where it’s easy to reach anything below my waist.   

Cravings: Ice cold juice and water, ice cream, all things salad and chicken

Symptoms: I have still been running around 4miles two/three times a week. As of this morning, I’ve decided to put away the running shoes and stick to walking/weights. I feel fine while I run, but the pressure from the pavement and movement haunts me the rest of the day when I try to get out of a chair/couch/bed. Thankful I could do it to almost 36 weeks, but I’m totally OK to step back at this point.

Other symptoms- Braxton hicks, hands and feet swelling, pregnancy brain, fatigue, and long/strong finger nails

Best Moment This Week:  Matt turned 29 on Sunday, and let me just say- this guy is my FAVORITE. He juggles a full plate and still manages to be the best dad/husband ever. We all adore him and are so thankful for his life and the gift of joy he brings every day.

For his birthday-we had a great day- truly one for the books. Matt taught Noah how to ride his bike without training wheels. It was epic, and I’m so proud of them both. (Let’s be honest, nothing is easy in the high 90’s in the middle of the day, but they both loved it). We had bacon wrapped pork for dinner and chocolate cake for dessert. 29 will be a big year for my dude, and I can’t wait to see what the Lord has in store. 

July 4th parade- being a cool dad as always

A sword that's also a firework- win

 

Birthday Cakes. Thanks CM. (Birthday candle on steroids wasn't trusted to be on top of the chocolate mousse).