First Trimester Recap with Baby Clem 2017

Y’all- I started to scroll back and see some old pictures of this sweet bump o' mine. I have realized a couple things:

1) I’ve rocked the messy hair look most of this pregnancy (fatigue or style? Y’all decide)

2) I am having a hard time believing my face was actually oval shaped at some point in the past 8 months. When I see pictures now, all I see is full moon. #hellopregnancycheeks

3) I love baby bumps. You know you are desperate for one when you’re trying to find something at five weeks and baby is size of an apple seed.

4) Bathroom selfies really aren’t that cute. This is mainly just for my own sake so I can look back 5 years down the road and take a trip down memory lane when I have a 10 year old, 8 year old, and 5 year old (maybe more?). HA! I also didn't realize at this point that I could recruit Noah for my weekly bump pictures outside. He's been super helpful and likes to do it. 

(5 weeks- hence cute caption I only did once. life got in the way)

(10 weeks- pretty sure last time I've straighten my hair)

(12 weeks)

(14 weeks)

(16 weeks- looks like I decided this was happening right after boys brushed their teeth)

The ten week bump looks the biggest to me. Weird. Maybe the dress?

Anyways, so thankful for these little pictures and the reminder of the miracle that's growing inside. 

Happy Friday! 

33: Five Friends & Family Fun

Along: 33 weeks

Size of baby:  Pineapple- baby weighs around 4 pounds and measures around 17 inches. Little love bug couple potentially grow a full inch this week. Baby is keeping eyes open while awake and starting to coordinate breathing with sucking/swallowing.  

Total Weight Gain/Loss: 26 pounds.

Maternity Clothes: Yep. I did wear a pair of normal jeans this week with maternity band. I was quite surprised they would still fit. This time around I feel like my weight gain has really been in my hips. I’ll be interested to see if that means GIRL come August!

Gender: Matt and I both guess boy. Brother bears guess girl (or say they want a sister when asked).  

Movement: There is lots of movement. It can be startling and painful, yet I LOVE IT! It’s such a sweet reminder of this healthy, thriving baby that continues to grow.  

Sleep: Hit or miss. My doctor recommended taking a Bendadryl every third or fourth night to help the sleep. It makes a big difference, and I will continue to do it to allow for some sound sleep until August. Another thing that I realized is a lot of the restlessness comes from the inability to get comfortable. I keep trying different pillow combinations to see if I can find something that works. It’s probably a lost cause, but I’m on a mission.

What I miss: Flexibility. Boys wanted to play card game on the floor. I opted for kitchen table. I am at the point where I can’t sit down comfortably and then really struggle to get up.

Cravings: Salad, PB&J (for breakfast), chocolate, apples, cherries, bananas, hamburgers

Symptoms: hip/join pain, sun spots, feet/hand swelling, insomnia, clumsiness, hot flashes, midnight bathroom runs, round ligament pain

Best Moment This Week:  We had my best friend’s three boys spend the night Friday night and it was so much fun. The boys were up until 11 (YIKES) and then rise and shine at 6 am (more YIKES), but we all loved it. There was lots of sword fights, lego battles, dance parties, hot/cold, and Matt even recruited them to pull some weeds. Matt had a “friendly” competition between the four older boys to see who could pull the most weeds and earn a special treat. It turned into quite the competition. The oldest boy went home and asked his mom if they could have weed pulling contests at their new house.  #success 

Their fifteen month old loved our dog Bruiser. It was so much fun to watch. Bruiser hasn't really done little kids for a while, so it was good for us to see glimpses of what it will be like with Baby Clem. We loved having all five boys under one roof. 

I didn't take any pictures from that night, but here was a fun family night we had to celebrate crushing some house updates. I wore a nice dress, so Noah decided he wanted to look fancy with a bow-tie. Deacon followed suit, and they looked so handsome. I'm so thankful for this sweet family of mine. 

Noah Update: 5.5

Noah is 5 ½ and forever my first baby. That doesn’t mean he looks like my baby anymore. Guys, the little toddler chub is gone and he’s got muscle. There is calf definition- no more cankles. His face has matured so much over the past six months; we get comments on it all the time.

1)  Adult- this kid is an adult stuck in a kid’s body. At lunch on Sunday, Noah told his that he finds the most peace when he’s in the office building with his Legos and nobody is around to ask him questions. Who talks about their peaceful place? I don’t even know that I could identify mine!

2)  Social Butterfly- Noah walks out of most places having made a new friend. Whether it’s the attendant at Costco or the stylist at Floyd 49, Noah will talk to anyone and has no problem carrying on a conversation. At school or summer camps, he always comes home telling us about his new friends and what they did. He really hasn’t met a stranger.

3)  Competitor- Noah hates to lose. From board games to swimming, Noah loves to win and may cheat a little if it means the outcome will be more in his favor. Deacon often tells him “it’s not a race Noah”. Noah will turn every day activities into all out competitions where medals should be awarded. He loves sports!

4)  Jesus- Noah’s faith and understanding of who God is continues to deepen. He asks very thought provoking questions that leave me “googling” or saying “I’m not sure buddy” more often than not. Last week he asked me how Noah and Moses went to heaven because Jesus hadn’t died and rose again yet. It was a great opportunity to talk about sacrifices and Jesus being the ultimate sacrifice for our bad choices, but I still was left so shocked trying to explain such a deep concept to a 5 ½ year old.

5)  Mama’s boy- I don’t know if this will ever change. He’s always been a mama’s boy and still is. Don’t get me wrong, he loves Matt and will forever seek to earn his approval. He wants to speak/walk/be Matt. Noah just LOVES his mama. It might be that our personalities are VERY similar, but it’s hard to know.  He has a tender way with me that really softens my soul. He already tries to protect and comfort me. He encourages me and can’t get enough of my snuggles. There are no complaints here.

6)  Spelling Bee- Noah loves to spell. He calls Matt “D A D”- like spells it out. Even in the grocery store yelling down an aisle, he was calling out “D A D”. HA! Quite a few heads turned trying to figure out why the word Dad was being spelled out.  He is constantly grabbing a notepad and trying to write us notes or copy down a page from a book. Montessori way encourages phonetic spelling, so a lot of times it takes him to guide us on what he wrote out. It’s a start though, and I’m proud! Deacon has been trying to mimic this, so it’s funny to see what he comes up with while trying to be like Noah.

Come August, he will bet the BIGGEST brother and is eager to step into this role. I’m so thankful for him and his heart. 

32: Home Run

Along: 32 weeks

Size of baby:  Napa Cabbage- all five of baby’s senses are developed and his/her dream-cycle sleep has begun. Baby sucks his/her thumb in the womb and swims like crazy. According to an article I read, 90% of babies born in the 32^nd week survive. Sweet comfort I don’t take for granted with the miracle growing inside of me.

Total Weight Gain/Loss: 24 pounds? I find out tomorrow

Maternity Clothes: For the most part, everything is maternity minus my workout clothes. It’s just more comfortable at this point to have loose fitting or stretchable clothing.  

Gender: I feel like all the families I know that have had two of the same gender- keep having a third of the same gender. There definitely are some exceptions, but lately- that’s been the noticeable trend amongt our friends.

We also don’t have a boy name, so I’m fairly certain it has to be boy. Things are always complicated right? Our issue is finding a name we a) like as much as the boys’ names b) goes with the boys’ names c) doesn’t sound too similar to boys’ names

Yep. Complicated.

Movement: There is so much movement. Baby had hiccups yesterday and Matt felt it going every couple seconds. It was super sweet.

Sleep: The 3am-5am insomnia stretch gets me most nights. I’ve decided to read, pray, and just let my body fall back asleep when it’s ready. I don’t get up, but I also just don’t lay there. I find I’m a much happier person the next morning if I don’t stress for two hours about being awake.     

What I miss: Ease of movement- hard for me to sit for long periods and also stand for long periods. I miss cold weather. I think this summer heat will be a challenge 8 months pregnant.  

Cravings: Salad, Mangos/Citrus fruit, Gatorade, Chocolate, Bananas

Symptoms: swollen hands and feet, feeling full fast, sun spots, tailbone and backaches, small bladder

I mentioned to my doctor all the cramping I was getting in my legs/feet in the middle of the night (Charlie horses). She recommended taking a magnesium supplement. Since I started taking that last week, I have not had any incidents at night with my legs or feet. I’m so thankful because those are SO painful.

Best Moment This Week:  Noah had what he calls a “home run” in his baseball game. The joy of watching him run those baseballs and the pride of scoring a run was priceless. We also had a garage sale this weekend. It was great to lessen our load for the big move. It also provided a lot of different questions from the boys and allowed us to teach them the value of a dollar. Matt worked really hard in the heat to get it all set up and stayed out there from 8-4pm. Thankful he serves are family so well when this pregnant mama has to take breaks. 

my favorites.

31: Summa Time

Oh hey bug bag on the tree. With all the rain, mosquitoes and flies are horrible for us. Please judge.  

Along: 31 weeks

Size of baby:  Bunch of leeks- sweet baby should gain as much as half a pound per week from here on out. Baby is getting more flexible each week in neck and joints. Baby can rhythmically breathe.

Total Weight Gain/Loss: 22-24 pounds (my guess)

Maternity Clothes: I love maternity dresses and Matt’s big t-shirts. Anything that lets me breathe and feels airy I’m most happy with! With this heat, I feel hot and sweaty most of the day and while sleeping at night. August baby is a whole new ball game for this mama. 

Gender: Matt and I both think boy. We met a couple who did gender surprise for #3. She thought boy the whole time and ended up with a girl. It’s so hard to know. I think we now tell people “we feel like it’s a boy, but we would be so pleasantly surprised and happy if girl”. We win either way!

Movement: All the time- it wakes me up in the middle of the night. The ribs are getting kicked so much right now- it’s startling and painful. Don’t get me wrong, I love it. Baby is just getting bigger and running out of room, so the movements feel more exaggerated.

Sleep: This week has been not so good. I dream I’m pregnant, so I think that as stomach grows- I’m just more uncomfortable. I have a hard time getting cozy while sleeping. This week I’ve been up for an hour or two in the middle of the night hoping to fall back asleep.    

What I miss: Energy. I also have really bad pregnancy brain, so I miss feeling as sharp as I usually do.

Cravings: chocolate. If I haven’t had any all day, I start to get irritable about it.   

Symptoms: tailbone is always sore, back aches, sun spots on my cheeks, hip socket cramps, poor circulation, insomnia, fatigue. Interestingly enough- I don’t have to get up for the bathroom multiple times a night right now. 

Best Moment This Week:  We were able to see some friends and family this weekend which was super special for me. I’m very sentimental about “lasts” since we are moving here in August. Summer is a beautiful time- to be able to enjoy friends and family was the perfect recipe for success as we continue to get ready for our next adventure.

We also had new floors and new door installed in our house. It’s all coming together for the sale and I couldn’t be more thrilled to watch our little home start to look ready for sale. 

30: Test Driving

Along: 30 weeks

Size of baby:  SUMMER cantaloupe. Confession- my least favorite fruit is cantaloupe. I do, however, love that baby will be born in summer and at thirty weeks is the size of one. Maybe there is some redemption in this melon I've never cared for?

Little bug weighs around 3.5 pounds and can recognize my voice. His/her brain continues to develop. Baby’s eyes can track light.

Total Weight Gain/Loss: 22 pounds

Maternity Clothes: Yes- my “go-to” items are maternity dresses.  

Gender: Heartbeat was at 152. This is higher than both brothers were, so doctor said there is a chance it could be a girl! Boys both say sister these days, but Matt and I are almost positive it’s a boy.

Movement: Kicks, punches, hiccups, you name it- I’ve felt it. This baby is WILD!     

Sleep: I’ve been doing better is this part. I still wake up multiple times in the night, but I can usually fall back asleep. This morning was a 5 am and wide awake type day, but that hasn’t been very typical over past two weeks. I am very thankful for this.   

What I miss: Not waddling. I feel like between my tailbone aches, my hip soreness, my Charlie horses, and all these little things that involve walking- I look like a duck moving around.

Cravings: anything cold- ice water, ice cream. I love a good salad. We have been doing a lot of eggs (maybe it’s because we have chickens), but I think that would also fit in the craving category as well. They always taste good. Random- I’ve made four batches of Rice Krispy treats this pregnancy- that’s four more than I’ve made over past probably three years. Matt even commented on how I’m kind of obsessed.  

Symptoms: back aches, sun spots on my cheeks, tailbone pain, hip socket soreness (brought out some yoga moves to hopefully help with this), LONG and STRONG fingernails, poor circulation, heightened emotions, and fatigue

Best Moment This Week:  With baby bug on the way, we have decided to purchase a car that will safely fit three car seats and a 90 pound German shepherd. We aren’t anywhere near buying it (later this fall- August), but we had a really nice time test driving them this weekend. We got a sitter and Matt and I hit the road. You know you are parents when a date is fist bumping after driving around some minivans. We made a list of pros/cons with point systems, did more research, and will continue to pray about it. There are a lot of changes coming this family’s way! As of now, we think we will go with a suburban or minivan. Win-win in my book!

The original nuggets- big brothers to be!

Waiting for the first test car- he's stoked.

29: Dates with Our Dudes

Along: 29 weeks

Size of baby:  Pineapple- baby weighs around 3 pounds and continues to put on more baby fat each week. His/her eyes are completely in place and vision will continue to improve over next 10 weeks.

Total Weight Gain/Loss: 20-23 pounds- weigh in on Friday!

Maternity Clothes: Thankful for all shirts that stretch, pants that have elastic waist, and dresses with a little extra belly room.

Gender: We think boy but would be over the moon with either! Matt is pretty sure if it’s a girl, he will never be able to say no. He even found this article talking about how fathers’ brains respond differently to daughters than sons. 

http://www.apa.org/news/press/releases/2017/05/fathers-daughters.aspx   

Movement: This baby moves and moves- so thankful for it!    

Sleep: This week has been better- not sure why but praise Jesus. I definitely have to move around a lot to get comfortable. I think baby is running out of room because we both seem to toss and turn. I’ve been able to fall back asleep when I wake up, so really- that’s a huge improvement. 

What I miss: Ability to bend over easily, being able to sit for long periods of time, having high energy levels. I am wiped come dinner time. 

Cravings: PB&J sandwiches- weird right?  

Symptoms: back pain, sore hips, swollen hands and feet by the end of the night

Best Moment This Week:  Three day weekends are always my favorite- we each took the boys on separate dates. Matt took Noah for a legit haircut and dinner at Jason’s deli. Deacon requested Chick-fil-a which I happily obliged. We met up for popsicles to finish off the night. Both boys were smiling ear to ear, loving that special one on one time. It was a sweet memory- very thankful to be a mama to two VERY special boys who provide so much fun and joy. Can’t wait to see what our little nugget brings to the table in August.