Birthing Excitement

Although my previous post was mostly about how I am NOT ready to have this baby quite yet, I must follow it up with a post about why I am very excited about the actual birth of my little man.

Although I am delivering at a military hospital and have received all of my medical care through the military providers, I had the option of going with the midwives rather than the OBs. Both my previous births have been with private practice OBs and my births, although both vaginal deliveries, were in private hospitals with those OBs.

I truly didn't have any real complaints about my previous births at either hospital or with either physician. I did not ask many questions. I just did what was "routine" for the hospital and providers.

With this pregnancy, I was intrigued by delivering with a midwife because it was different from what I had done in the past. I was induced at 39 weeks with both C and D for different reasons. Neither delivery was complicated or problematic, but I would describe both as "very medical." I knew I didn't want to be induced with this one. I WANT my body and this baby to decide when the time is right.

In my previous births, I walked in and was immediately hooked up to an IV. I stayed in the bed virtually the entire time. I received an epidural when the contractions became decently uncomfortable (I received it earlier with my second birth than with my first because with my first, I waited slightly TOO long to request it and quickly became very miserable). When I eventually reached 10cm dilation, my legs were put in stirrups, blue sterile drapes were placed over my legs and belly, and I pushed until the baby crowned and was born.

As a side note, I did receive episiotomies with both births. Neither developed any complications and neither caused me any more pain and discomfort than I think any normal vaginal birth would have caused.

I never looked back on my births and thought, "I wish things would have gone differently." I was extremely pleased with both my physicians and with the outcomes of both births - healthy 7lb babies!

BUT, there are things that I would like to experience differently this time. The biggest issue for me was how "medical" the whole thing felt. I know that women have birthed babies since the beginning of mankind. I am not comfortable delivering away from a medical setting because of the possibility of an emergency (though rare, it still frightens me), but I realize that birth isn't an event that needs extreme "medical" intervention. To me, a well trained nurse for me and a nurse for my baby is about all that is necessary unless a complication arises. In that case, of course I would welcome a respiratory therapist, and OB, and a neonatologist. And anyone else who may become necessary!

Okay, back to yesterday's appointment...

The midwife I saw answered all my birth related questions. She explained to me that there was no medical need for IV fluids during delivery, so although the nurses at the hospital would want to hook me up, she said I can request a hep-lock instead of a IV. She explained that this would basically provide them "access" to my vein incase they needed it, but that I would not need to receive any fluids through it unless it became medically necessary to have some medication via IV. (I am praying for a negative Strep B screening result so I don't have to have antibiotics during labor)

I asked about the blue sterile drapes that were laid all over me for both previous births. She shook her head and said that the midwives don't even break down the bed (for those of you who have never given birth, this means that they don't remove the bottom portion of the bed when you begin pushing). She said they don't use stirrups and she said many times, she doesn't even put on a gown.

She also told me that they will not cut an episiotomy unless there is true emergency and they thought it would help get the baby out faster.

I must say that I am SO excited about this birth. I do not intend to go drug free. I do plan on getting an epidural at some point. I understand that this requires a flush of a bag of IV fluids before it is given. I understand they will want to monitor my blood pressure when the epidural is in place. I am okay with all of this.

Mostly, I am excited that the midwife will be there to encourage me and to give me the courage to be my own advocate. She even told me to write up a birth plan.

I have so few true birth desires that I thought it wasn't even worth bothering with, but she said that I should write up whatever it is that I'd like - no matter how small or seemingly "short" my list of desires is. She said they want to know what I want and what I hope for.

I love the midwives already! Yay!

Of course I know that things may not go as I have planned or even as the midwife and I discussed, but I know that I will leave with my baby at the end of my stay. I know that they will support me no matter what happens. I will be in good hands.

And after all my hard work, my husband will again get to "cut the cord." I may let it pulse for a few extra minutes while the baby is placed on my chest (one of my few desires that I've never experienced) and rubbed dry with a towel. But this glorious, praise worthy moment will happen.

Praise God for birth and healthy babies!

This is D meeting us for the first time :-)

The most beautiful 7lbs 4oz that I've ever seen!

The Home Stretch

I am now 35 1/2 weeks pregnant.

My midwife told me yesterday that if labor started from this point forward, they wouldn't do anything to try and stop it.

To, me, that means the final countdown is on!

I am now trying to enjoy my last few pregnant weeks. Some days are easier to enjoy than others. It is really all in my mind though.

When I stop to realize that these last weeks are probably the last weeks I will EVER be pregnant, I get a little sad. And in less of a hurry to "get it over with."

I am trying to enjoy each movement from within my belly. Those movements that make me laugh as I can feel the individual feet (or small parts) poking out on the my right side. And the ones that make me wince in pain as I feel his head slam down against my cervix. Ouch! And of course, the reoccurring hiccups in my lower left abdomen that seem to happen each time I try and fall asleep.

I have to laugh at myself whenever I get up from laying down these days because each time, the change from laying down to standing up makes me feel the instant need to pee. Combine that with the stiffness in my legs and hips and I must be quite a site as I stand up and immediately limp to the bathroom. (2-3 times a night!)

But I am relishing the times that I can lay down and rest.

Lately, I take a nap every day when D takes a nap. My sweet C plays quietly in the living room or playroom as I snooze on the couch. I don't know how I'd make it through the day without these naps. I know they are numbered though. I wonder how I am going to make it through the days when the baby arrives and I can no longer grab a nap each afternoon.

I am also trying to enjoy the moments with my "big" kids. Today I took them to Moe's for lunch...just because I could. It is their very favorite place to eat. B and I don't really care for it, but they love it. In a month or less, I will not be able to spoil my "big" kids and take them to their favorite place for lunch by myself.

In fact, I'm not sure how long it will take before I even feel I can leave the house with all 3 children by myself. I am hoping I'll adapt sooner than I think I will. I am also hoping baby N will be an easy going little guy that goes with the flow and enjoys being lulled to sleep in the baby carrier I plan on wearing him in. (That I finally was able to order this morning!)

Part of me is beginning to freak out a bit because of all the things that are still up in the air. I don't really know exactly who will watch C and D when I go into labor. I have some wonderful gals lined up, but as to who is available at that exact moment, I don't know yet. I need to finish packing the bag for the baby and I need to start packing a bag for myself. I need to install the car-seat. The bigger I get, the more daunting crawling in the van to rearrange all our seats is going to be. I better do that now before I get any less "nimble." And of course, I don't have any idea when the baby will make his debut. I am praying it is sometime AFTER April 7th. B is out of town until then.

I am throwing C a birthday party on April 9th and then her real birthday is on the 17th. I'd love it if the baby didn't come on either one of those days either. I know the Lord has each moment of this birth planned out, so I am not really worried about any of this.

Just anxious to figure out how it is all going to go.

And then I am very much looking forward to spending about 48 hours in the hospital when I have the baby. I am going to savor the nurses that are there to help me. Savor the quietness when the baby sleeps and I can rest.

I know these 48 hours or so will be the last "restful" hours I may get for a while. Unless this baby holds out and doesn't come until my actual due date when we have family coming in town to help us, coming home is going to be anything but relaxing and peaceful.

It will just be me and B. And I will have just had a baby. And we still have our other two kiddos to take care of. And this new little newborn.

This is why the hospital is appealing to me :-)

Anyway, join me as I countdown the last weeks. I am enjoying them. The baby is no longer up in my ribs making me terribly uncomfortable. I am used to peeing each time I cough and sneeze. I am used to rubbing oil on my belly twice a day. I am used to wearing sweatpants every day. And although I can't wait to meet my youngest son, I am not really ready to be done being pregnant.

I am still enjoying life as I know it.

Which I know will never again be the same.

Book Recommendation

I've never made a book recommendation on my blog before, but I am finding the one I am currently reading to be SO good, that I feel I owe it to you to recommend it...

I am in the middle of reading The Vaccine Book by Dr. Robert Sears. It is a non-biased book that was written to educate parents about the vaccines the AAP recommends for our children. In the past, I have vaccinated my children 100% based on the recommendation of my pediatricians. I would sign the forms, they'd inject my kids, I'd wait my 10 minutes to see if they had a reaction and then I was out the door with my child and a handout about the vaccine we just received and its possible side effects. I never read those sheets. Most often, they'd lay in my car, or in the bottom part of the stroller until I eventually just threw them away.

Neither of my children ever had an adverse reaction to a vaccine. I have no reason to NOT want to vaccinate.

I am simply reading this book because I want to learn more about the diseases these vaccines aim to prevent as well as the vaccines themselves.

I cannot tell you how informative this book has been! It goes through 12 of the vaccines we commonly give our children and tells you about the disease including the severity of it and the rarity of it, and then goes through how the vaccine is made and how effective it is. It gives you reasons why parents choose to give the vaccine and why some parents choose not to give the vaccine.

I am all for moms making informed decisions when it comes to their children. This was one area where I had never bothered to do the research. All I can say is that I am SO glad I'm reading this book now :-)

Baby No.3 will still be vaccinated. But he will be vaccinated differently than my other two children because of what I am learning. If you've got a baby at home or if you're going to be having a baby in your home, please think about reading this book.

Its full of great information and it is very well written!

So, that is my $0.02 :-)

Rear-Facing *Update*

Four days ago, I switched D's car-seat back to be rear-facing in my van as a bit of an "experiment" to see how an older toddler fits rear-facing as the AAP now recommends. I know many of you probably thought this was a weird thing to do since he is almost 2 1/2 and is developing into quite a big boy these days.

But to me, my child's safety will always come first.

So, I am not concerned with how strange you may think it is or how weird you think it looks :-)

These past few days with D being rear-facing have actually gone very well - considerably better than I expected.

In fact, I have decided to extend my "experiment" and keep him rear-facing until he becomes incredibly unhappy with it or until he no longer fits - again, he is 6 months OLDER than the new AAP rear-facing guidelines apply to. I have actually considered getting him a different car-seat so he can be even more comfortable than he currently is (this is just in consideration mode at the moment though, haha). However, in case you were wondering what some of the seats are that people use to keep these bigger kids rear-facing though, here is one. And here is another one.

What I have discovered:

I have figured out that D fits better in his "new seat" if I remove his shoes when I strap him in. His sneakers don't really pose a problem, but his rain boots added quite a bit of bulk. He just looked more comfy sitting cross-legged with his little sock feet.

I have also figured out that he is extremely happy rear-facing when his sister is in the car. This is likely because they can see each other very well. They chat, play, and pass toys back and forth. I couldn't be happier about this.

I learned that it is still possible for him to have a bit of a snack while rear-facing even though I can't actually see his face. We stopped at McDonalds once and I was still able to pass 2-3 fries back to him at a time (as I normally would forward facing). We just passed the fries over our heads. Its worked just fine.

He and I also figured out together the best way for me to lift him (even at 35 weeks pregnant) so he doesn't hit his head on the side of the van when getting in or out of his seat.

Hmmm, what else...

I noticed that he doesn't drop his toys as often thus keeping him MORE entertained when riding in the car. This is obviously because his toys/books are more or less boxed in by his torso and the back of the captain's chair in the van.

Oh, and both my kids can still climb in the van on the side where his seat is. They are both small enough to just duck and walk in under his rear-facing convertible car-seat. This was a concern of mine, so I am glad to learn that this isn't actually a problem as I figured it may be.

Overall, he has stayed very happy, I have asked him several times if he is comfortable. He has told me "yes." I have asked him if he likes his legs flopped out over the edges of his seat. He has told me "yes." And I can't help but to notice how excited he is when he climbs into his seat. He eagerly jumps in. He has even learned to say a new phrase this week - "back-wards," haha!

I have not installed the new baby's infant seat in the van yet, but I have reconfigured in my head where all three of my car-seats will go. D is going to stay where he is behind me - rear-facing. The new baby will go in the infant seat behind the passenger seat. C will go to the third row and be forward-facing directly behind the baby. From this spot, she can see both her brothers' faces and help me keep them occupied and tell me what they are up to :-) She is excited about her new placement and job. Oh, and for now, she will stay in her car-seat with the harness. This is simply because she can buckle and unbuckle herself in it. I know I can't say that about an adult lap belt over a booster seat.

So, in conclusion, my experiment was a huge success. If my 2 1/2 year-old, 37" tall boy can ride comfortably and safely rear facing in his convertible car-seat, then so can most of your toddlers as well.

I am sure most of you think your kids would hate it. You probably think that they would not be comfortable all "squished" up. But, you see, what I have learned is that kids are not little adults. They are children. Their bodies are different. For the same reason they don't wake up with a stiff neck after falling asleep in the car with their head flopped over onto their chests, they are not uncomfortable sitting with their legs crossed or flopped over the sides of their seat. They also think its "cool" to ride backwards. Remember when you were little and there was a seat turned around backwards on a bus or a train? Did you run for that seat first because it was cool and different? I know I did. I think that is why even my big girl asked me if I could flip her around "backwards" too...at 45lbs, she's too big for this of course. Haha!

So, if you have a 13 month-old, or an 18 month-old, or even a 23 month-old or older, please consider putting them back in a rear-facing convertible car seat. The AAP didn't change their guidelines to age 2 as the minimum for no reason. The recommendation wasn't changed from 12 months/20lbs to be a pain for moms and dads. It wasn't made to sell more car seats. It was made because toddlers died and suffered severe head, neck, and spinal injuries in car accidents where they would have been far less injured had they been rear-facing.

Here is a very short video I found that shows exactly how a toddler's body will react and take on an impact in a collision while facing both forward and then facing the rear of the vehicle.

Out of curiosity - and because I love to know that I have like-minded mama friends out there - please leave a comment if you have your toddler rear-facing, or if you plan to flip them back around as I did. Remember the AAP is now recommending that toddlers rear-face until they are at least two years old.

Thats not a number I came up with.

This is the same AAP that we trust with our immunization schedule.

The same AAP that tells us putting babies "back to sleep" is best.

If you trust their wisdom for that...won't you trust it for this?

10 Things You May Not Know About Me

1. I hate roaches. I hate killing them. Its the "crunch" that gets me. BUT, if I see a roach in my house, I will not stop until I have killed it. I will move furniture, call over a friend to help (at 11pm...), and make sure that it is DEAD before I go to bed that night. Wasps come in a close second to roaches on my "hated bug list."

2. My daughter is my best friend. Truly. I don't just say that to make her feel good about herself or to make her feel more loved. She truly is, without a shadow of a doubt, my best friend. She holds me when I need it. She says the exact right thing at the exact right moment. She gets excited when I'm excited. She anticipates how I will react to certain situations. She helps me out around the house and with her brother (as much as can be expected, haha). She lays with me and puts her little hand on my belly and feels her brother move like nobody else does. She giggles when he kicks her. She is just as excited as I am about him being born soon. Sure, we fight. But we always make up at the end of the day (or hour). She is my very best friend. I hope that never changes.

3. In high school I was the drum major in the band. For those of you not awesome enough to know what that means, I was the one who stands on the podium and "conducts" the band from the front of the football field. I did this for 2 years and I loved it. I never considered myself a nerd. I still don't.

4. Even though I attended every single high school football game and many college football games, I know next to nothing about football. I kept thinking I would eventually pick it up, but nope, it never happened. First Down, Fourth Down, Running Back, Sacked....all these words are still Greek to me!

5. I wish I was a princess. Not a real princess like in Europe, but more like a Fairy tale Princess. Basically, I wish that all my husband had to do ALL day was woo me and win my heart - every day. I hate that work, stress, money, school, and traveling get in the way of our fairytale love story. I wish he would sing to me like the "Princes" sing to their loves in the movies. I think I'd like to be Rapunzel in Tangled - when they are out on the boat watching the floating lights. That looked AMAZING to me!

6. I cry at the drop of a hat. The other day a country music song made me cry. I couldn't even relate to it. It was about a man that wanted to leave his love after trying to do so time and time again. It had nothing to do with my life, but I still cried (It was called "Tomorrow" by Chris Young in case you're interested). I cry when babies are born on A Baby Story. I cry at a specific Pampers commercial that comes on occasionally. I cry when I think of my friends who have deployed husbands. I cry when I think of the life that was lost in the car accident I saw yesterday. I cry sometimes when I just look at my children. I cry when my husband brings me flowers. I cry when I am overwhelmed. I cry when I miss my mom. Truthfully, I am crying now...

7. I struggle with my body image. I know many women struggle with this issue, but I do to. My self esteem is all wrapped up in how I feel about physical body. I felt unhappy with myself for a long time until I lost weight last year. I haven't been as happy as I was last year since I was in high school or college. Gaining weight with this pregnancy has been hard on me. I love my belly. I love feeling the baby, but I cringe when I see how the rest of me looks. I can't wait to work out again and shed this weight. I need to feel confident about the way I look again.

8. I can't believe I am about to write this...two of my favorite things to do are to sneeze and poop. Its not that I think they are "fun," its just that usually you feel kind of miserable up until its finally "time." Just such a relief to get it out - the sneeze and the poop :-) Sorry, that may be TMI! haha!

9. I call my mom about 4 times a day. The first time is usually between 7 and 7:15am. She is always up. And even if for some reason she weren't up, she'd still answer her phone. Thats just the kind of mom she is. I hope I will be that kind of mom when my kids are grown too.

10. Speaking of grown up kids, I hope my little D never grows up. I baby him way more than I should. This goes against about everything I stand for, but I can't help it. He IS my baby. I never thought I'd fall into the "mommy's boy" syndrome, but I totally have. I rock him, carry him, sing to him, snuggle with him, let him suck his thumb, and run to him every time he falls down. In return, he runs to me, clings to me, calls out to me, and drives me nuts. Its a relationship I could never have anticipated, but I really wouldn't have it any other way.

You can call me crazy...but you can't call me unsafe!

Today is a big day for child safety. The American Academy of Pediatrics has updated their car seat safety recommendations.

Among the changes in AAP guidelines:

• Children should ride rear-facing to age 2, or until they reach the maximum height and weight for their seat. (The old policy from 2002 cited age 12 months and 20 pounds as a minimum for when to turn a seat around.)
• Children should use a booster seat until they have reached 4 feet 9 inches tall and are between 8 and 12 years old.
• Children should ride in the rear of a vehicle until they are 13 years old.

You had to know I'd be blogging about this :-) I am THRILLED to see that now our pediatricians will be making official recommendations such as these. The AAP has encouraged parents to keep their children rear facing for as long as possible for quite some time but because they had not removed that dumb 20lb/12 month minimum, many parents still "flipped" their kids around at 12 months or younger just because they could.

These changes have gotten huge buzz online today. Many moms, like myself, as so glad that the AAP made this the official recommendation. But there are many parents and grandparents that think it is absurd.

On some of the forums I read today, there were many comments about how it was ridiculous and that they wouldn't be following it at any cost. They state that "a parent knows best" or that "moms know what is safest for their children." My genuine hope is that as this recommendation becomes less "new" and car seat manufacturers begin to slap different labels and directions on their seats and the pediatricians begin handing out different paperwork on car seats that those parents will be educated to how incredibly wrong they are.

And yes, I believe they are wrong. I try to be very open minded about parenting in most aspects. If it "works for your family" to co-sleep, then go for it, if it "works for your family" to breast feed until your baby is 2 1/2, then go for it! If formula from day one works better for you, then go for it.

But, until you can change the laws of physics, flipping a baby/toddler around forward facing will never "work better" for any child. It WOULD work much better for me (if I was in a car accident) if my children would float gracefully in the air and not hit a thing, but you know what? I can't make that happen. I can only make sure they are properly restrained so that their heads and necks are as protected as possible. I believe all babies deserve this protection. You can't fight the physics of whiplash and internal decapitation. Your big 16 month old does NOT have the neck strength/development to withstand a front end collision unharmed. This is physics. Not opinion.

ANYWAY, off my soap box...

I decided that since the new guidelines were to have toddlers rear facing until age 2 or until the limits of their seat that maybe I should try turning D rear facing again to see how it works for an older toddler. I know that children in Europe rear face until they are 4 or 5 years old, so I figured this experiment would not be THAT strange (plus lots of moms on my online parenting forums rear face until age 3 or 4 here in the states!)

D is 2 1/2 years old. He weighs 28lbs. He is 37" tall...which is very tall for a 2 year old!

His car seat is a Britax Boulevard. It will hold him rear facing until he reaches 35lbs. I knew he would still fit.

The question is, how would he REACT to being flipped around backwards after about 10 months of being forward facing. I was assuming he'd hate it. I thought he'd cry or scream.

Well, much to my surprise, he did neither. He went out to the car with me when I reinstalled his seat. I made it sound fun with the words that I chose and the tone that I used. (The same tone I use when I talk about how tasty green beans are and how good milk is for our bodies!).

He was SO excited to see the seat flipped around backwards. I think he was thinking he was getting to ride backwards....kind of like a "ride." He was eager to jump in it as soon as I got it all installed and tightened. I was very surprised how excited he was!

We then went inside and he ran to tell C about his "new seat" and how it was "flip!" When we all went out to the car to run an errand, C took one look at the change and asked me if I could flip her seat around too. She thought it looked awesome too...strange, I know!

Where did he put his legs?

-Basically, he flopped them out to the sides over the edges of the seat.

-After I took off his rain boots (I didn't want my car dirty...), he curled his legs up and sat with his legs crossed.

But he couldn't SEE!!!

-Yes he could. He could see out the back windows, the side windows, and he could see his sister's face. In fact, they talked and laughed more today in the car than they have in months. Most likely because they could see each other's faces.

He must have been so bored staring at the back of the seat.

-No, he either played with his sister or he read a book. He was perfectly fine. I promise.

-He did get mad once. It was because he wanted his sock off and he couldn't seem to get it pulled off. It had nothing to do with being a 2 1/2 year-old riding rear-facing.

I am not sure how long I will keep him rear facing. He is 6 months older than the 2 year minimum, but he is still under the rear facing weight limit on his car seat. I will go with this for a few weeks as we continue to "feel" it out.

To be fair, I will give you the downsides of this extended-rear-facing thing.

-It was more difficult for me to get him in the seat. I had to make sure he didn't hit his head on the side of the van as I lifted him in and out.

-It was a little more difficult for me to get him buckled in.

-I did feel bad when I couldn't help him get his sock off while we sat at a stop light and he was getting mad.

So....basically, those are all parental inconveniences. I think I can "inconvenience" myself for a few extra months to make sure my son is 5 times safer. The 5 times safer thing is a fact. I didn't pull that out of thin air.

This afternoon as I was driving to pick up my daughter from a play date, I thought very hard about this decision. Was I being too "extreme" by turing my 2 1/2 year old rear facing for a little while? Is the AAP making unrealistic recommendations on parents? Why are so many parents SO against keeping their child as safe as possible? I don't get it.

Just then, I got slowed up by a bit of traffic. It was then that I saw why. I passed a HORRIFIC car accident. There were at least 3 cars involved. One vehicle was completely destroyed - smashed in from the front and from the back. I couldn't even tell you if it was sports car, a 4 door sedan, or a hatchback something. All I can say was that it was blue.

The cops hadn't arrived yet. There was no EMS there yet. Just smoke coming from the vehicles and people who had seen the accident pulling over onto both shoulders. There was one man talking to whomever was in the destroyed car. I hope that person was still alive. It was THAT bad.

As I drove away, tears formed in my eyes. THAT is why D is rear facing at the moment. THAT is why C is still not in an adult seatbelt. Because THAT could be me and my family. I don't care how "extreme" you think it is. Or how "weird" it makes me. My children will not be a statistic. My children will not be a YouTube tribute video because of what "could have" or "would have" changed the outcome of an accident. I will do EVERYTHING I can in my power to provide a safe place for them.

I can't prevent them from getting sick. I can't prevent terminal cancer or a brain tumor. But I CAN provide a safe haven in my vehicle.

Thank you, AAP for taking a formal stance on this issue. I know many lives will be saved!

*EDIT*

Here is a GREAT video made by a pediatrician all about the new AAP guidelines. It is the best and most informative video I've seen so far :-)

And I just saw online that the accident I passed had 4 cars involved, 7 injuries, and one fatality. It is so incredibly sad and scary.

I see accidents all over the place where I live. Last week we had a fatality on the same stretch of road and over the weekend there was an accident that caused a horrible car fire - all on the same road within a couple miles. Oddly, I saw the car fire accident as well. I guess when the roads you travel on frequently are so dangerous, its a good idea to be extra safe.

A Tale of Two (Three) Pregnancies

I have been pregnant 3 times and each time has proved to be a very unique experience. Sure there are some similarities.

-I am one of those women who doesn't throw up during pregnancy.

-I don't gain 50lbs.

-Sleeping at the end of the third trimester is incredibly difficult.

-My boobs do not get incredibly huge like some women's do.

-Up until now, my babies happily flip head down and prepare for a rather easy uncomplicated delivery.

-I have never peed on myself like many women do during pregnancy. I am very thankful for this :-) Apparently, I have "decent" bladder control (at least, when I'm not sneezing...).

This pregnancy in particular has been a bit different than the other two. Way back in my first trimester, I developed varicose veins in my right leg. Those puffy veins then got spider veins as friends. The inside of my calf now looks like a purple and red bruise from top to bottom. Its super unattractive and one of the reasons I am thankful to have been pregnant during the winter so I can wear pants and nobody has to experience my ugly leg.

I have also had heart palpitations for much of this third pregnancy. They started in the first trimester, subsided in the second, and have returned (and increased) in the third trimester. I have had them checked out by a cardiologist and he assured me that they were harmless. So, for now, I am okay with them occurring.

I started this pregnancy at a much lower body weight then I had started either one of my previous pregnancies. I was healthier and I looked better. Mentally, I have had a harder time with the weight gain aspect of pregnancy. Seeing the scale go up, and up, and up each time I step on makes me feel uncomfortable. I can see that my belly is getting bigger and bigger, but I still hate watching those numbers go up. Plus, while we're on the subject of numbers, I have already gained 29lbs and I am only 34 weeks along. With both previous pregnancies, I gained 29lbs total. So, yeah, I think I am going to go over the 30lb mark with baby N. Bummer!

I have NOT developed stretch-marks with this pregnancy. If you read my blog regularly, you will know how exciting this is. In the past, I had used Palmer's Coco Butter as a stretch-mark preventative. It never worked at all and I was left with a purple roadmap on my entire big itchy belly. With this one, I am using Bio-Oil, a completely different product, and I have had amazing stretch-mark free results. And NO itchiness. Its been wonderful :-)

Lastly, with this pregnancy I have developed more aches and pains than I can remember having in the past. For the past few weeks, by the end of the day, I have been feeling a dull but constant pain in my pelvic region. I can only figure its from the loosening of my ligaments and muscles to prepare for delivery combined with the extra 29lbs on my frame. Unfortunately, that pain has recently decided to begin in the morning and last all day. Only a warm bath after the kids go to bed seems to provide any relief. I am thankful for the bath remedy, but I hate that I can't feel the relief until 8pm each day, haha.

And just for kicks, I found this picture of me pregnant with D about 2 1/2 years ago. I think I was around 31 weeks...

And I was 36 weeks in this one.

And then here I am in this 3rd pregnancy in the same dress at 34 weeks. I can't believe how much I've changed! That, and how big my belly is, haha.