36 weeks

36 Weeks:
gender: girl
baby's name: we have a name. and it's still a surprise.
baby's size: the book says 6 pounds & 18 inches. I measure about a week behind, but I am still expecting a big baby (I was almost 9 pounds!)
food cravings: Pizza Ranch broasted potatoes  
food aversions: nope
sleep: getting comfortable is getting tough. getting in and out of bed is even tougher. I wake up to use the bathroom several times a night, but am thankful I've always been able to fall right to sleep, so I would still say over all I'm sleeping very well.   
movement: all the time! Her knees & feet are happily lodged in my right ribs, and she kicks them around all day long.
maternity clothes: are getting tight. I'm loving the cooler days where I can wear layers!  
morning sickness: still get the mid-morning nausea…. but it's nothing another bowl of honey nut cheerios can't fix

Less than a month until she's due, and I can't say that I expect her to be here anytime soon
… but I may try to get a few things packed this weekend just in case.
We cannot wait to meet this little pumpkin!

preschooler

We have a child that attends school. yes, 4 year old preschool.  
She is only gone for 3 hours a day, so I probably should get over it now…
but I am not kidding that she has grown up so much already.
It's no surprise that she loves school, and seems to have made friends with all of the kids in her class.
although her sister looks thrilled, she was (and is) not happy when her sister leaves her everyday for school.

third trimester

Today I'm 28 weeks pregnant. That shouldn't be a surprise to me, yet I can't even believe I'm typing those words. The first weeks and months of this pregnancy were long, and the last 2 months have literally flown by. I am getting more to the point of being "done with pregnancy" and ready for this babe to be here… although I am trying not to wish these tiny baby kicks away because I know I will miss them.

28 Weeks:
gender: girl
baby's name: surprise! I think we have it narrowed down to 2 (I haven't even told 1 person. This is a. miracle.)  
baby's size: 2 1/2 pounds, and around 14 inches long  
food cravings: depends on the day. Nothing too crazy… still loving a bowl of cereal  
food aversions: about the same as before I was pregnant
sleep: it's getting harder to get comfortable, (and get out of bed!)  but as long as the girls sleep, I'm sleeping great  
movement: all the time! In the evening she is the most active
maternity clothes: I am loving light weight linen shorts, and v-neck t-shirts. It's been HOT the last few weeks. and I hate to be hot, so although I normally don't love shorts I've been wearing them all the time.
morning sickness: rarely anymore!

Last night I put a few things in her nursery.

Jude was born at 28 weeks + 1 day into the pregnancy, so tomorrow I am officially the most pregnant I've ever been. Being 28 weeks means that this baby has a great chance of survival even if she would be born now. I am so thankful to be wading in uncharted waters, and that this part of pregnancy is all new to me.  Nothing to compare it to. No more, "remember when"s, or "at this point"s. I am so thankful to be able to have a part of this pregnancy that is all new to this baby girl, and hopefully only full of the best memories. As excited as I am to meet her, she has 2 big sisters who are even more excited I think. They have affectionately named her "cuckoo loca", and I'm starting to worry that nick name may stick!

Lola is 2.

Although you love to eat, you never stop running… and you only weigh 22 pounds.
You're the messiest kid I've ever known.
You are fascinated with anything with a lid, a buckle, a zipper, or a latch. You refuse to have help when you want to tie/open/close something and although you are very clearly frustrated when you can't do it, you are incredibly determined and eventually you figure it out.
You had your first real haircut the week of your birthday, and you enjoyed the sucker very much.
You're the happiest child I've ever met. and sometimes the most dramatic.
You talk in sentences, and say new things every day.
You ask me every morning if you can "put Nike on". (you want to wear a pair of blue Nike athletic shorts)
You wear size 18months tops, 12 month bottoms, and size 4 shoes.
Your hair is soft, and curly. and you hate having it combed about as much as anything in the world.
You love to do "the hotdog dance" at the end of Mickey Mouse Clubhouse.
You tell me (and everyone you see) that you want to go to Preschool.  "I go to preschool. Like Larkin does".
You have a pink blanket, and pacifier that you won't sleep without.
You have grown into a little girl right before our eyes in the last couple of months.
You want to do everything Larkin does, and you hate to be away from her for even a few minutes.
You finally have teeth! and even have 4 of your molars now.
Your favorite things to play with are dolls, trains, and books. (You want to look at books yourself, not have them read to you)

You keep our lives very interesting Lola Renne. You pick locks, hide, and escape in silence. But you give the best hugs in the world, and have such a sweet side. Your determination is going to so fun to watch as you grow up. No one will ever tell you you can't do something you set your mind to. You are so full of personality, are so expressive, and are so full of joy. I have been told many times this summer when we are out and about, "She just loves life"… and you do.  I could never have imagined how blessed I would be to get to be your mom, and we thank God for putting you in our family. We love you so much, bug!

Four.

Four sounds old, and she is so much of a big kid these days.
I feel like my memories of her as a baby are getting clouded, and feel so far away now… being replaced with memories of her finding her independence, and using bigger words than I do. Happy Fourth Birthday Larkin LeNeta.
You were the most anticipated baby I ever knew. People have been telling me all week what they were doing, when you were born. It seemed everyone we knew held their breathe the day you were born, with hopeful anticipation. You made me a mama, and that makes your birthday full of so many emotions and memories for me. Last week we visited Jude's grave, and you asked me if I was sad before God gave you to me… and I told you I was sad because I wanted to be a mommy. Your response was, "then you must be really happy now because you have all of us!"  You are always thinking. You are inquisitive, and thoughtful. You learn quickly, and never forget anything.

You have grown so much in the last year! You are taller than some kids your age, and weigh almost 40 pounds. This year you finally have decided that you like to eat, and will eat more than 5 foods (willingly). You ask for broccoli. No one is more shocked about that than I am. You have big feet, and the most adorable gap between your front two teeth. (You think you lost a tiny tooth there, and I just go along with it)
   You have a hard time falling asleep at night.
You love Llama Llama books, and Wild Kratts on TV.
You love to bake, and tell me every single time that you "can't be patient" for it to be done baking in the oven.
You love carbs as much as I do.
You are so sweet to your sister, and love to play with her. You can make her laugh better than anyone.   
You are sensitive, and compassionate, and tender hearted. But sometimes you have a temper.
You asked for a bike helmet for your birthday, and now are begging us to take the training wheels off your bike.
You asked me this morning if you were going to start preschool tomorrow. (you are so excited to finally get to go to "school")
You have to think everything through, many times, before you buy into it. Sweetie, four years ago mommy wiped away tears as I watched you come into this world, and the doctor handed you to me. You seemed so small, and I was so afraid. That was one of the greatest days of my life. You have the biggest, brightest personality… and I never want you to lose that. You have brought light into this world from the minute you were born, and we love you so much.

Happy Birthday. 
Love, Mom 

Ultrasound update

Thank you all so much for your thoughts and prayers leading up to our appointment on Friday. I can honestly say that I felt much much less nervous than I anticipated, and I know that because of the prayers of so many people… all rooting for this healthy little babe.

I am so happy to share with all of you that we got the best report possible. They were able to check all of the "markers" for a chromosome abnormality, (which include the pinky finger, bridge of the nose, and top lip) and all of those looked normal, and great. The baby's brain was perfectly divided (Jude's brain was only partially divided), and we could even see the spot where the two hemispheres of the brain were corresponding/communicating with each other. How amazing is that? Not only is so incredible that technology would allow them to see that on a 7 ounce baby, but how amazing is our God who knits these sweet tiny babies into being… so. incredibly. perfectly. intricately.  


  We will go back, and do the same antimony scan ultrasound in a month, and after that will "graduate" from the Maternal Fetal Medicine doctor that we see now, and continue with our family doctor.

The girls have some more exciting news!
it's a…..  GIRL!

Larkin has said from the very beginning that she wanted a sister, and my gut feeling was a girl. Almost everyone else kept telling me they thought it was a boy. But the ultrasound tech said she was very very sure that this baby was a girl! 

We know our lives are going to be very busy, and probably filled with drama for a very long time :) but there really are no words to express how grateful we feel to be able to add this little girl to our family. 

Pregnancy update: 18 weeks

 
18 weeks:
gender: unknown.. for a few more days!
baby's name: unknown… but will stay a surprise
baby's size: a sweet potato, 5 1/2 inches long from head to rump
food cravings: cereal, watermelon, and anything with lots of sugar in it, fountain pop (at least I crave healthy stuff…… )
food aversions: I used to always choose salty over sweet… and now salty food is not appealing
sleep: I still sleep great (I will thank my girls for that) except for getting up to use the bathroom multiple times a night
movement: not too much. I notice little movements here and there, but nothing obvious or regular
maternity clothes: I have put away all of my regular pants except one pair of jeans that still tie. I wear a mix of maternity shirts, and my regular shirts that were long/bigger to start with.  p.s. I will wear only maternity leggings forever and ever more.
morning sickness: except it was all day. and all night.  But it is mostly gone now! 
 
I figured that being pregnant while chasing a toddler + preschooler would make the time fly by, and that has proven to be the case the last 2 months. The first months were L.O.N.G. I was felt sick pretty much every minute I was awake, and so tired I couldn't function. Slowly, but thankfully! surely energy has returned to normal (like I had any before with a 3 & 1 year old?) and I can go through most of the day without nausea.

We have an ultrasound on Friday afternoon, where they will do a growth & anatomy scan.  This was the scan where they found many things that were not right when I was pregnant with Jude, and so of course we are very anxiously awaiting this appointment. I know with my whole heart that God does not make mistakes, and that this baby is no different. We are hopeful. We have no reason to think anything is wrong, but of course I've gone through every scenario in my mind. the good, the bad, the worst. I've spent nights laying in bed fighting back tears thinking about how much Larkin's heart would be broken with bad news about this baby she already adores. I've put off physically preparing our house for the baby, just in case. I am so hopeful that after this appointment that so much of the fear and anxiety will be erased. This can be a new season for us, a season of life and hope because we know that God can restore what has been broken.

Will you pray for us? for the doctor, nurses, & ultrasound tech? for this sweet baby?

For I am about to do something new.

See, I have already begun! Do you not see it?

I will make a pathway through the wilderness.

I will create rivers in the dry wasteland.
Isaiah 43:19