20 weeks - HALF WAY (and catching up on the entire pregnancy forbaby #3....oops!)

Ok - as promised, here we go.  I am going to try really hard to update weekly, for my sake and documentation, not so much yours, so if you're like not a fan of these updates on blogs, I apologize, but seriously - I've spared you this long this time around and need to have something to look back on!!!

(PS the baby pic app is amazing - I love the font and it makes this process of taking pictures - with my iPhone this time around versus my nice camera, so yes, the quality is not the best, but it's the best I can do!)

How Far Along?  20 weeks - the internal debate in my head on how many weeks I ACTUALLY am is still happening until next Friday's sonogram.  Long story short - originally, they said I was due July 21.  I swear that at our 8 week sonogram they said oh actually, the TRUE due date is July 24.  So I changed it in my phone.  But then the other day at my appointment she was like "July 21 right?" and I'm all like - ummm yes?!  You tell me people.  I really don't care but it does confuse me a ton when I "turn" the next week.  So when people ask that (which is obviously a common question), I get super flustered

Size of Baby: about the size of a celery bunch (6.5 - 7lbs)

Gender: It's a SURPRISE! 

Weight Gain: 10lbs - surprisingly.  I have had some issues with my stomach this time around from about week 10...food seems to go in and come right out, which is why I'm guessing the number on the scale had trouble moving at the beginning. Very different from the first two times around.

Nursery: Ha - I thought about it.  And acutally I went into the guest room to start sewing on Sunday during Charlie's nap but then I decided it would be more fun to take my own nap.  Which was MUCH needed! I did decide on the prints I want to go on the walls by the windows and just need to paint and cut the bookshelves for the reading nook.  Newborn pics will be at our house so that should be motivation to get my butt in gear! I did make 20 freezer meals on Fridat night, so I promise I'm not just sitting around !!!

Movement: Oh this question.  It's so funny because with my third - I guess I just (A) don't remember properly the timing and sequence of when the big things (like when you start to feel the baby regularly kick you) or (B) I just have snippet memories from my previous pregnancies and am blowing it up in my mind to think that is the whole pregnancy. It is nice to have this blog to look back on (which I have obviously done a MUCH better job at documenting in detail my previous pregnancies versus this one - so I need to get going).  But long story short - I feel like I should be feeling babe move more at this point and it should be move obvious to me what is movement and what is gas (i.e. being this is the third time around and all)...so it's rather frustrating when I still feel just the smaller movements and flutters.  Apparently that's totally normal at this point to not be feeling these huge and frequent movements, but I'm ready for that (so I say).  I love that part so much and it makes me just feel so much better knowing that you can regularly feel your sweet babe moving about and they are ok.  Nervous Nellie over here needs that!

Symptoms: Quick catch up on this whole pregnancy?  Ok, go:

Week 5/6 - I think this was when I found out.  I was feeling great and still getting up early to work out, etc.

Week 8 - that was when I felt like I got hit with a ton of bricks.  I was slightly nausous in the early stages with Charlie and Maddie but this one, I just felt like complete crap all day long, but especially in the morning.  Nothing sounded good to eat or drink.  BLAH.  Was just so happy when that was finally over and I started feeling better - especially in the mornings.  Not to mention how freaking tired I was - I literally fell asleep putting Charlie to bed every single night in his bed and woke up between 9 and 10 and rolled into our bed.  Talk about a slam to productivity.

Week 15/16 - FINALLY started to feel "normal" again.  But then again, that is when the belly showed up very prominently and hasn't stopped growing.  I for sure put off busting out maternity clothes a lot longer this time.  I think I finally made myself get my jeans out at week 15 and try them on and then thought to myself "why have you waited this long you fool!?".  I only threw up one time this pregnancy (oddly enough, same as my first two), but this one was around this time frame - all prompted by Maddie's disgusting diaper contents.  This is the same circumstance of the one time I threw up when I was pregnant with Maddie when I was changing Charlie's diaper - but with Maddie, that was more around week 8 or so (and the big indicator that I could possibly be pregnant with her....and I was), so I really did think by week 15 I was in the clear from puking this time around.  And then her diaper had other things to say about that.

Week 20 - feeling like I'm already looking very preggo (belly knows right where to go), but surprisingly, these wonderful things called veracose veins have popped up.  Oh my.  I had them a little with Maddie but for sure more towards the end...not already at 20 weeks.  It might because I did a little too much activity two weekends ago, but man, I was noticing already feeling lots of pressure and the overwhelming need to have to slow down and lay down because it hurt.  Then I went to the bathroom and saw these wonderful veins pop up down my inner quads.  Oh lovely.  After a nice google search - I confirmed what I thought they might be.  They are better in the morning, but by the end of the day walking around and standing (especially when I do a lot of that), they are popping out and hurting so bad.  GRR!!  And already with the heartburn.  I really don't remember all these parts - or I promise I wouldn't keep doing this like clockwork every two years!  Ha!

Sleep:  Theme of this entire pregnancy to date?  #givemeallthesleep #couldsleepallday Seriously - didn't think I knew what being exhausted was until you have two kids, a full time job, and like 4,670 other things you want to do (like hang out with friends, go to mom's groups, bible studies, do projects, blog, do taxes, pinterest, plan baby and wedding showers) - but all your body wants to do is just close your eyes and drift off to sleep.  Luckily, my trusty pregnancy pillow was busted out early and I'm loving it.  (another wonderful thing about multiple pregnancies closer together - you literally have all the supplies on hand, so you can bust them out as needed!)

Cravings: Had some on and off, but nothing crazy this time around.  There has been one night at 9PM that I made Jimmy go and get some McDonald's fries, but that's about it.  I've tried to keep up eating healthy, which is easier said than done - especially in the early weeks and months when I felt horrible and nothing sounded good I just made sure I was eating something.  But now I'm putting off the daily cookie at work.

What I Miss: I do miss enjoying a glass of wine with friends and having energy.  More than I did with the first two for sure.  The first trimester was hard on me...and might have been harder on Jimmy because he had to pick up LOTS of slack.  And maybe realized just how much I really do. But he has been a trooper and will take care of Charlie and Maddie and do whatever I ask.  As long as I get the energy up to ask him.  Love him!

Best Moment This Week: Ok we are going to go with the best moment of the pregnancy so far and then will pick up "this week" business.   Best moment so far?  I have loved telling our friends and family (even though telling my sister might have been the scariest moment of my life, as I had just had a dream she was yelling at me for being pregnant at her wedding - luckily that is not how the reveal actually went with her).  But I LOVE when Maddie kisses my tummy.  I swear she is the sweetest and is obsessed with babies (like maybe too much and like makes out with them when she sees them - attempts to with random one's too - like I had to restrain her from a baby at the doctor's office!), so I do think and pray that she will just love this new role.  She doesn't seem to have much angst when I'm holding other people's babies and will just kiss the babies and bring them supplies.  And I LOVE when Charlie tells me that the reason I'm pregnant is because he's the BEST big brother ever and needs another sister.  When he wants to be sweet, it's pretty cute and loving.  Can't wait to introduce these kids to their new brother or sister!!!!

Best moment this week though?  Finding the infant day care this little one will go to.  Our two older kiddos are at a center, but they don't have infant care there.  We, of course, knew that when we changed them last August, but I refused to pay as much as we did at our previous center for infant care...so figured since I was unhappy and disliked the owner a LOT at our last center that we might as well move the two older kiddos somewhere else that we were happier (and not as pricey to add to the fact the owner wasn't a sketch ball to me) if we were already going to take the infant elsewhere.  The hard part?  Actually finding an in home that we liked with the availability we need.  I relied solely on referrals from people we knew/neighbors.  But when I had exhausted those options with nothing, I was slowly but surely starting to slightly panic.  I made a spreadsheet after much googling and was ready to call daycare connection to have them give us some referrals.  I was praying so hard something would work out.  And somehow, before I had to even use the spreadsheet, this lady called me back and said - believe it or not, she does have an opening in November.  I was THRILLED.  Crazy because I knew nothing about her at all - only where she lived and that we had some neighbors who had sent their older daughter there (who was now in Charlie's class at school) and their younger daughter was still there - AND it was like the most convenient location ever.  She didn't have an opening until November, which is a few weeks after I would actually go back to work - but now that my dad is retired he said he'd happily be the stand in.  We went to visit her on Thursday (after having to reschedule with a doctor's visit running late with Maddie on Monday) and seriously, I fell in love.  She is the sweetest lady.  Has been doing this for 43 years and has 6 grown kids of her own with 7 grandkids (watches one of them with the others in school or out of town) and her husband is so sweet and it was just great.  We hadn't looked much at the in home route with our other two - mainly because the two places we went when looking with Charlie were horrible and I had just such bad feelings when visiting and meeting with the caretakers.  But this lady?  She reminded me so much of Miss Phyllis who took care of my sister and I - I was just so happy.  When I called her to tell her that we would love to bring our baby to her, she was so excited and was going on and on how much she enjoyed visiting with us and how important the relationship between us is - and I was smiling from ear to ear knowing that this babe will be so taken care of when I'm at work.  No better feeling!!

Panic Moment This Week: Panic moment in general.  I mean I kind of already did a whole post on "three things about three kids" that outlines some of the panic moments that Jimmy and I have already had about the fact we are having three kid and officially going to be outnumbered.  From a scale standpoint, the car thing and potentially having to buy a new car was frightening - as I wasn't ready to lay down that kind of money...so VERY happy it was only a huge, one-time car seat purchase versus an on-going car payment!!! 

Also lately, just the fact that Maddie is turning into a little girl and will be a big sister so soon is CRAZY!

Looking Forward To:  It all.  Having three kids to love and feeling so blessed.  The baby snuggles. The time off work to dedicate just to this baby.  Seeing Jimmy become a dad X3.  Finding out if we are adding a boy or girl.  Everything.  So thankful to be doing this again.  

Here are some other previous "bump update" pictures from previous weeks that I've missed!

Baby's first picture around 8 weeks - ready to get their second close up on Friday of this week!

This was when I was in London - and I was HUGE for like 12 weeks (or so I felt).  I sent my parents and sister this but also with the fish and chips picture close by because I had just eaten that ginormous meal!  Ha.  Baby bump or food bump?

When I discovered the baby pic app and made Jimmy FINALLY take a picture of me!

18 weeks!