Pregnancy: 38 Weeks -- Last Post Before Baby!

I'M OFFICIALLY 38 WEEKS! 

ONE WEEK FROM TODAY WE GET TO MEET OUR PRECIOUS NEW BABY GIRL!

Obviously I'm just a littttttle excited. The past 38 weeks have been the slowest of my life... This meme totally sums it up:

I have 4 more days of work (after today)... I plan on working all the way up to the day before the c-section. Do you know how hard it is to get out of bed every morning? With Jordan I stopped working around 35-36 weeks. Everyday now I have to give myself a pep talk: "You can do this. You CAN do this. Every day you go to work is another day you get to spend at home with your baby girl. Get UP!!" 

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Today's Date: 12/7/17

How many weeks: 38

How big is the baby?: Probably around 7 pounds and about 19.5 inches long (the length of a leek) 

Weight gain: 36 pounds (LTKFC... laugh to keep from crying)

Food cravings: None

Food aversions: None

Diet: They say that around this time in pregnancy, you can't eat as much because there's just no room in there for food. Lies. I can still eat ALL DAY LONG just fine, thank you very much. I'm still doing pretty good except for at night. Here's a snapshot of Monday's food diary:

Breakfast: 341 calories
Lunch: 364 calories
Afternoon snack: 680 calories
Dinner: 1,050 calories. THANKS KFC.
Evening snack: 288 calories

That was my worst day in a long time... I'm usually better than this but the point is, every day COULD be this bad if I gave into the way I really want to eat! When the sun goes down the evil within awakens and suddenly I'm STARVING and I'll NEVER BE FULL AGAIN. And then I have heartburn all night long. Oh dear heavens I can't wait to hit the gym again...

Exercise: On the rare occasion that I do sleep, I dream about running and going to the gym... does that count?

Aches and pains: The aches and pains have almost become so ingrained in my identity that I can't really identify them anymore, they're just a part of who I am now. Namaste. 

Favorite moment this week: Paperwork has been SIGNED! We are officially scheduled to check into the hospital next Thursday at 6 a.m. and the c-section will occur sometime mid-morning. I hope earlllllly morning because I'm not allowed to eat or drink anything after midnight. Is it sad that I'm so concerned about not eating (or drinking COFFEE) for a few hours?

Looking forward to: DELIVERY! I am so excited to meet our baby girl and see her little face! We've been talking about what color her hair and eyes will be, how long she'll be, who she'll look like... We are all SO READY to hold her and kiss her and have our little family complete.

Pregnancy: 37 Weeks

Time is still draaaaagggggging, y'all. I keep thinking that at some point I'll look back and think time sure has flown...

I am so so so so ready to get this baby out. The c-section is still scheduled for December 14th... TWO WEEKS AWAY! I'm still working which is extremely difficult, but I really really need to save all my sick/annual leave for when she gets here. The plan is to work all the way up until the day she's born. FOR REAL.

We finally picked a name! Blakely JoAnn Darbison, my sweet little spunky gal. I can't wait to meet you! Bags are packed, we're ready!

In other news, today marks ONE YEAR since I had my shoulder surgery! It still hurts, I still do not have full range of motion, and I can barely lift anything above my head. So... that's that. Something I'll just have to live with!

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Today's Date: 11/30/17

How many weeks: 37

Trimester: Feels like the 15th... but the baby app assures me the next couple weeks are still technically the 3rd trimester.

How big is the baby?: In real life or in my brain? Because it feels like she's about 15 pounds but in reality closer to 6.5 pounds and around 19 inches long. 

Weight gain: 33 pounds. I expect to put on another 4-6 over the next two weeks, though. At this point I don't care, I'm just ready to have her OUT! LOL

Food cravings: Pie. And brownies. And everything bad.

Food aversions: None. 

Diet: LOL. I mean... I still try. I gave up cake/cookies/candy this past month and I only had 3 cheat days, but I still ate a lot of other really bad stuff (burgers, bread, tons of peanut butter, bacon, etc.) which most likely canceled out all my efforts. Oh well. 

Exercise: LOL. Everything hurts. The closest thing I've gotten to "exercise" in the past few weeks is taking the stairs at work.

Aches and pains: Same as always, pelvic bone, butt, back, feet, knees, stuffy nose, heartburn, exhaustion, etc...

Here's a new pain: a burning sensation in my mid/upper abdomen. I "researched" it (aka typed some stuff into Google) and found that this is fairly common... something about everything is stretching and tearing in there, and the pain will persist until delivery. Well that's just wonderful. I wonder if I'll ever have any core strength ever again. I already had ab separation before this pregnancy, I am afraid to imagine how bad my poor little stomach muscles are going to be after this one!

Favorite moment this week: At my appointment this week my doctor informed me that he thinks Blakely has flipped and is no longer breech. What!? It really doesn't matter either way BUT it's kinda neat knowing that she's turned the right way. Jordan was upset about it because, "She's not lot like me anymore!" LOL

Looking forward to: Next week I sign the consent forms for the c-section! I'm just so ready to get this party started!

Pregnancy: 35 Weeks

Today I am 35 weeks along... In 4 short (HA) weeks I'll have a BABY. I guess I've known this all along... I've seen her on the ultrasound screen, felt her ballet skills inside of me, endured the endless nights of heartburn and peeing 400 times a day... but still, it's hard to wrap my head around there being a BABY at the end of all this! What a MIRACLE!

I occasionally have minor bouts of anxiety ("WHAT WERE WE THINKING!?") but for the most part, I think I've been fairly calm and collected. I'm sure when she's here and I'm holding her and looking into her beautiful little eyes, I'll panic. But I feel much more prepared this time.

I look back at when I had Jordan and seriously... I don't know how the poor child survived. I had NO idea what I was doing! And I felt utterly depressed about how "broken" I was as a mother. Everyone said, "Oh, you'll just know what to do, your maternal instincts will kick in the minute he's here." Well, mine never did. Throw being a stepparent into the mix, I was royally failing at parenting! I think maybe when Jordan turned 4 or 5, and Ali was around 9, I started to feel like I was getting the whole "mom" thing down... but I still have days when I look at their beautiful faces and think, "I'm screwing them up so much."

The bad thing is: I'm probably right.

The good thing is: Surely I'm not the only mom to ever feel this way!

So, Moms of the world, take heart: you're not alone! Your own mother and grandmother may have seemed to always have it together, but I'm going to bet she had her own insecurities and doubts and fears. We're all just here doing the best we can with what we have, so GOOD JOB, MOMS!

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Today's Date: 11/16/17

How many weeks: 35 (28 days to go!)

Trimester: 3rd

How big is the baby?: Baby girl weighs about 5.25 pounds (size of a honeydew melon) and approximately 18.5 inches long! Whoa baby! 

Weight gain: Funny story... my doctor LAUGHED at me at my most recent appointment because I'd gained SEVEN pounds in two weeks. How. Is. That. Even. POSSIBLE!? So anyway... yeah... 30 lbs (This is according to my scale. The doctor's scale is the devil so I've learned to ignore it).

Food cravings: Well, after the 7-pounds-in-two-weeks fiasco, I decided to cut out cake, candy, sweets... and basically that's the hardest thing in the world to do and I all I really want is cake, candy, and sweets. So instead I eat a lot of other really bad things, probably canceling out my effort.

Food aversions: None. Zero. Zilch. 

Diet: I wish I could convey my *sigh* into this post. Some days my eating habits are stellar. I should get a blue ribbon. On other days... well... burgers and fries and pizzas rule me. And yet I still feel shocked when I step on the scale... I have noticed, however, with my recent cutback on sugar that I don't swell quite as bad... score! *I'd like my blue ribbon, now*

Exercise: What exercise? I have replaced lifting, running, and crossfit with laundry, cleaning, and eating. Sometimes I don't even go to lunch because the idea of walking ALL THE WAY to my car seems like way too much work.

Aches and pains: ALL THE ACHES AND PAINS. The doctor asks me each visit, "Are you having any pain?" and I always respond, "Yes, every single day." And then we have a good laugh and then I have a good cry...

My tailbone and pelvic bone and lower back and ribs all hurt. Sitting, standing, walking... to top it all off, my stupid SHOULDER still hurts. I am approaching the one-full-year-since-surgery date and it STILL HURTS. I can't lay on my right side and it wakes me up multiple times at night throbbing. Very frustrating. 

Clothes: I'm lucky to have anything that still fits. Sometimes I just stand in my closet and stare at all the cute things I can't wear. Confession: I've kept two entire Stitch Fix boxes in the past 6 months and most of those things still have the tags on them... someday, I WILL wear them. For now, they're just taking up closet space.

Right now I basically wear the same 2 pair of pants over and over again, and t-shirts. I'm lucky to have a really understanding boss because I'm pretty sure my XL t-shirts paired with maternity jeans and Converses are not, technically, "business attire." I've also given up on regular bras. Sports bras are life.

Favorite moment this week: Okay so this was last week but... 34 week appointment! Getting to hear her heartbeat is always so special.

We've also now had 3 perfectly wonderful baby showers! I have such amazing friends, family, and co-workers! And now the nesting begins... which is way more stressful than comforting because my two girls have to share a room, and Miss Ali CANNOT keep her room clean. So every time I go in there to organize the baby's things... I trip over shoes or clothes or random knickknacks!

Lastly, I've started wrapping Christmas presents! I am getting a big jump-start on Christmas this year. I doubt I'm going to feel like shopping and wrapping gifts in the next few weeks, so I'm trying to get it all done NOW! I also started hanging up the outside Christmas lights. Half of them don't work. *ANGRY FACE*

Looking forward to: Thanksgiving! This is one of my FAVORITE times of year because we get the whole family together. With my side of the family, that literally only happens MAYBE once a year. I love cooking (and eating) and then of course decorating for Christmas. I really want the next 4 weeks to go by fast because I'm miserable BUT I also want it to go by slow so I can really enjoy family time and having a few days off work... what a conundrum!

Pregnancy: 32 Weeks

It's my birthday! Today I am 30 YEARS OLD. THIRTY! It seems like most people have a mental breakdown when they turn 30... but I'm actually really really proud of this milestone! Someone told me the other day, "When you miss a birthday, it's a bad year." TRUE STORY! I hope I don't start missing birthdays for a long, long time!!!

Today is also the 32 weeks pregnant mark--woohoo! 7 weeks to go! We've scheduled my c-section for December 14th. We had another ultrasound this week--baby girl is right at 4 lbs and (like her big brother) is BREECH. Goodness gracious my babies have minds of their own!

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Today's Date: 10/26/2017

How many weeks: 32 weeks

Trimester: 3rd

How big is the baby?: About the size of a large jicama (whatever that is...), between 16 and 17 inches long and weighs 4 pounds!

Weight gain: 26 pounds. Oh well!

Food cravings: Salt. I have to salt everything I eat or it tastes suuuuuuper bland.

Food aversions: None. Seriously. But my daughter made us all join in or a nutrition challenge this month and I haven't had ANY ICE CREAM. I get a cheat day for my birthday, though, but now I don't even want any!! 

Diet: Varies day to day. In the mornings I'm not hungry, in the evenings I'm starving to death. We're also out of groceries right now and I HATE grocery shopping, so we're livin' on whatever is in the fridge. I make a lot of pancakes and we order/make pizza, which I don't particularly like that much so... that's good. Grilled cheeses are also a favorite around our house, but we're also running out of bread now, too. 

Exercise: UUUGHHHHH. Pregnancy is KILLING my workouts! I have so much pain... The doctor said I could walk but to stop doing anything the causes pain, which includes walking, so basically all I can do at this point is 1) stairs (yeah, that's weird) 2) pushups 3) air squats. I also throw in some partial burpees and double unders but neither of those things are very comfortable.

My sister and I did a 5k this past weekend. I signed up for it months ago thinking I'd still be running/jogging at this point. HA. So that was a terrible idea. It was so miserable. Within the first half mile I wanted to quit. At mile 1 I cried a little. I was so slow that by the time we got to the first water station they were out of water.. and we were literally in front of only 2 other people. I think by the end of it we may have even been dead last. I've never done a "race" that caused that much pain. And all I was doing was WALKING... IN SLOW MOTION.

MILE ONE, Y'ALL

MILE TWO. PAIN. So much PAIN. 

 Aches and pains: Lower back, hips, tailbone, pelvic bone, feet, ankles... heartburn continues to worsen (for my husband too, lol). 

Maternity clothes: A friend of mine gave me some of her maternity gym clothes, they make a world of difference. Luckily I have a boss who loves me and doesn't seem to mind that I wear the same pair of pants to work everyday. I prefer dresses but it's getting a lot cooler outside and they're not very warm!

Favorite moment this week: Ultrasound! She has grown SO much! she is such a wiggle worm and loves to suck on her hand (not just the thumb, she was going to town on both hands).

Looking forward to: Thanksgiving break! It's one of my favorite times of the year, cooking and spending time with family. Last year on Thanksgiving I was doing a nutrition challenge and couldn't eat ANY of the good food. It. Was. Torture. This year on Thanksgiving I'll be 36 weeks pregnant and ain't NOBODY keeping me from eating all the pie!!

Pregnancy: 28 Weeks (aka 18 years)

Hello third trimester! Goodbye being able to see my feet, tie my own shoes, breathe while walking up the stairs, and other pre-pregnancy things I took for granted!

Last week I drank the sugar goop that proves that pregnant women can, in fact, ingest 50 grams of sugar in 2 minutes or less. Result? I passed my glucose test! I was also told my iron levels were really impressive. Not bragging or anything... but I'm pretty awesome.

Time is still dragging. Slow. Like molasses. On a winter day. Not an Oklahoma winter day, but a winter day somewhere else that actually experiences winter. And the molasses is frozen solid. And everyone told it that it wouldn't be so slow, and it believed everyone because it hasn't be pregnant in almost 7 years so had forgotten everything. Yes, the molasses is thinking ALL THAT.

Okay, stop whining! As much as I complain about pregnancy, there really are things that I LOVE about it.

1) Knowing there will be a baby at the end!

2) Feeling her move and kick. Sometimes it's annoying... like when my bladder has 0.5 ounces of fluid in it and she thinks it's taking up too much space, so she kicks me until I go to the bathroom! But most of the time feeling her move is incredible and amazing and beautiful.

3) Talking about it! I love sharing my experiences (obviously) with others (I'm self-centered like that).

4) My skin. It isn't super glowy or anything, but seriously, pregnancy hormones are so much nicer to my face than my normal hormones. I have less acne during pregnancy than usual. Once the baby is here I'll go back to having the complexion of a 13 year old.

5) Blaming bad eating habits on the baby. My friends all know that really it's not the baby's fault, but the stranger at Braums has no idea, so I just order my ice cream and say, "You know, for the baby," and they nod like it's totally normal and understandable. HA, amateurs!

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Today's Date: 9/29/17

How many weeks: 28 weeks (and 1 day...)

Trimester: 3rd

How big is the baby?: About the size of a large eggplant, around 2.25 lbs and between 14.5 and 15 inches long. WHOA!

Gender: Girl!
Name: Still no idea!

Weight gain: 23 pounds. Y'all.

Food cravings: Nothing specific, just all the sugar.

Food aversions: None. Good grief. Donuts do give me heartburn... but I still want them. 

Diet: Same. Evenings are still the hardest part of the day...

Breakfast: Coffee (with coconut oil, milk, honey, and vanilla extract).

Mid-morning snack: Granola bar or (sometimes and...) banana

Lunch: chicken, rice, sweet potato, and veggies (bell peppers, onion, broccoli). I top it off with cheese. Or whatever is leftover from dinner the night before.. because I haven't been grocery shopping in a while...

Afternoon snack: Protein bar and an apple.

Dinner: Protein source, like chicken, tuna, steak, eggs... and carbs. All the carbs.

Evening snack: Decaf coffee or green tea... Sometimes cereal. Graham crackers. Fruit smiles. Whatever I have in the pantry.

Exercise: I haven't been to my gym in three weeks... not because I can't or don't want to, but other things just keep coming up. I'm still working out solo at home... it STINKS. But I can't NOT workout, so I just work with what I have and do what I can. I miss throwing around a barbell...

Aches and pains: Lower back, butt, and pelvic pain. My doctor said that I can still workout but to cut out anything that causes pressure or pain, so far that means running (I can still jog a teeny bit in spurts) and lunges, of all things. No more situps, but I can still plank and do some core stuff.

Heartburn continues to get worse! My feet are swelling more and more, fun.

Maternity clothes: Yes, lots. And my husbands t-shirts. Not very flattering, but comfy. I even bough some maternity underwear... that's a real thing. You're welcome for sharing.

Favorite moment this week: Hitting the 3rd trimester! 12 weeks or less to go!

Looking forward to: I think since we're halfway through our fall semester and I'm in the last trimester, pregnancy will go by faster (fingers crossed). I have several baby showers coming up, too. I think once we start getting "stuff" for baby girl, things will get real. So far we've done nothing to prepare... we have the onesie I bought for my husband when I told him the news, and the crib my sister gave me that still hasn't been put together. Gah where are we going to put all this baby's stuff!? Looking forward to getting organized!

Pregnancy: 26 Weeks

Life is getting crazier, schedules busier, etc. My daughter is TWELVE today! That blows my mind! Pretty sure yesterday she was 3... not sure how this time warp thing happened!

Christmas 2009, Age 4

NOW. 

I'm just a couple weeks shy of the 3rd trimester! Even though things have been busier, time is not going by ANY FASTER. Goodness, pregnancy feels like it lasts a lifetime. I remember after I had my shoulder surgery last November and complaining that 6 weeks felt like an eternity... HA.

I've been having the CRAZIEST dreams. I've always had weird dreams, but pregnancy has really upped my dream game. A couple weeks ago I dreamed that we had a neighbor who raised demon cats and one of them was attacking me so, obviously, I had to kill it. I won't give you the details, but seriously, it was pretty graphic. The next day, Ali text her daddy saying she wanted a kitten for her birthday. LOL Sorry, but no!

A few days ago I dreamed that there were miniature skeletons growing (yes, GROWING, like plants) underneath our picnic table. Once they were fully grown they would attack me (I had tiny bite marks all over my arms). I had to dismember them to make them stop... I blame this morbid dream on the fact that I bought a small plastic skeleton for Jordan a few days ago because his favorite Halloween book is "The Bones of Fred McFee." I was concerned that he would have nightmares about skeletons... He didn't. Lucky him.

I've had dreams about the baby, too. Not normal dreams, but at least not as far fetched and insane as demon cats or miniature ninja skeletons. In one dream, I had the baby and then we went home... and forgot her at the hospital. I had to go back the next day and beg them to let me have my baby... "I'm not a bad mom, I promise, I just forgot to take her home!" And then, when they did let me take her home, we didn't have a car seat so she had to ride in my lap.

In another dream, we had scheduled a c-section for 10:59 in the morning (I wonder if that time is significant?), and I refused to go to the hospital because we hadn't picked out a name yet and no one could convince me that we could name her AFTER she was born. "No, we can't, it's illegal to have a baby without a name."

One of my most comical dreams involved our church. It was flooded with water, but our preacher continued preaching (in his wet suit) while the bus minister played the drums and one of our teens jammed on the electric guitar. Meanwhile... we, the church members, were taking turns diving for the antique Civil War cannon that lay at the bottom of our flooded sanctuary. I think there was a bit about an underwater piano concert, too, but I can't remember the whole thing...

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Today's Date: 9/14/17

How many weeks: 26 weeks

Trimester: 2nd

How big is the baby?: About the length of a scallion (14 inches long and about 1 2/3 pounds)

Gender: Girl!

Weight gain: 21 pounds. I really thought about not including this anymore, but surely there are other pregnant women out there who eat decent AND exercise AND STILL gain a ton of pregnancy weight.. so even though it's embarrassing and I hate admitting it... I'm going to keep including it. For now! lol

Food cravings: Green tea (but I recently re-read the book "Me Before You" AND I'm also re-reading Harry Potter book 7... and they're both British so.. I think the hot tea has more to do with that than pregnancy...)

Food aversions: None. 

Diet: Same. Evenings are still the hardest part of the day, but drinking decaf coffee (or a lovely mug o' tea) helps. 

Breakfast: Coffee (with coconut oil, milk, honey, and vanilla extract).

Mid-morning snack: Granola bar or (sometimes and...) banana

Lunch: chicken, rice, sweet potato, and veggies (bell peppers, onion, broccoli). I top it off with cheese.

Afternoon snack: Protein bar and an apple.

Dinner: Protein source, like chicken, tuna, steak, eggs... and carbs.

Evening snack: Decaf coffee or green tea... Sometimes I cave and have cereal. My downfall.

Exercise: Hanging in there! Because life is just getting all kinds of crazy, I've had to skip the gym and just workout at home quite a bit lately. I realllllly wish I owned a kettle bell and a med-ball. I'm so tired of using my 25# dumbell for everything! It would also be nice to own a row machine... and a barbell... a girl can dream...

Basically my workouts are the same movements over and over again, just different quantities or length of time. Air squats, burpees, pushups, tricep dips, lunges, single arm snatches, occasionally double unders but I can't do very many before my bladder complains.

Aches and pains: My tailbone is ridiculous, I swear. Sitting hurts, standing up hurts, walking hurts, etc. Still having pelvic pain but this has gotten better since I quit running. BUT THAT MAKES ME SAD. 

Also my normal other stuff, like hips and knees. Heartburn has gotten considerably worse!

Maternity clothes: I need more but I hate spending money on stuff I'll only wear for a short time! I have one pair of maternity jeans that I wear at LEAST once a week, sometimes 2 or 3 times. Basically I live in dresses. I'd LOVE to splurge on some maternity workout clothes... but I'm pretty cheap so I doubt I will! I've just been wearing big tshirts and XL shorts... but even those aren't comfortable!

Favorite moment this week: We had a great time on the farm with my dad a couple weekends ago. One of my sisters came down one day, too, and I loved getting to spend time with her and her family.

Looking forward to: Ali's birthday weekend! (It will probably end up being a lot of work, she's having a sleepover with her friends). Festivities include a scavenger hunt and then movie under the stars. Popcorn, candy, soda, cupcakes, chips, pizza, s'mores... they may never go to bed! But it sure will be fun!

For fun, here's TWO pictures for you today: One of me 6 months pregnant with Jordan, and today. I think you'll also enjoy seeing what my husband looked like back in the day!!!!! LOL

Pregnancy: 24 Weeks

24 weeks down, about 15 weeks to go! That still feels like a LONG TIME to wait! But, with fall just around the corner, I think (pray!) that the next few months fly by! I LOVE THIS TIME OF YEAR. I love cooler mornings and falling leaves... I love Halloween decorations and trick-or-treating... I love Thanksgiving dinners and getting together with family... I love the Christmas season and decorating the tree... AHHHH How could anyone not love September through December!? Best time of the YEAR! Plus I'll have several breaks OFF WORK. I have 8 seminars to put on this semester and 1 four-day conference to attend... I am going to be (already am) SWAMPED over the next few months! With all this stuff going on, I'm sure time will go by much quicker and before we know it, baby girl will be here!

One last thing: NO, WE HAVE NOT PICKED A NAME! And don't expect one anytime soon; it's so much pressure! 

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Today's Date: 9/1/17 (y'all, for real, I typed out 8/32/17 at first...)

How many weeks: 24 weeks (+1 day...)

Trimester: 2nd

How big is the baby?: About the length of an ear of corn... approximately a foot long and weighing in at over a pound!

Gender: Girl!

Weight gain: 18 lbs. That's all I'm saying.

Food cravings: One day last week... I wanted salad. That was weird. Now I'm back to normal, so no cravings.

Food aversions: In the evenings now I want to EAT and I am SO hungry, but nothing sounds good. It's weird. Nothing makes me sick or turn my head, it's just that sometimes nothing sounds very appetizing. It's a foreign thing for me to experience...

Diet: I have done a lot better the past couple of weeks. My daytime meals are basically the same, but in the evenings I've stopped eating the entire pantry. Most nights, between 8-10 when I would normally consume 600 extra calories in cereal or ice cream (you think I'm kidding?), I've started drinking decaf coffee instead. It usually keeps me from overeating right before bed and ruining the whole day. 

Breakfast: Coffee (with coconut oil, milk, honey, and vanilla extract).

Mid-morning snack: Granola bar or banana

Lunch: chicken, rice, sweet potato, and cooked veggies (bell peppers, onion, broccoli). I top it off with cheese.

Afternoon snack: Protein bar and an apple.

Dinner: Protein source, like chicken, tuna, steak, eggs... Carbs, usually white bread. Not the greatest but it's better than ice cream, right?

Evening snack: Decaf coffee, prepared just like my morning coffee. If I'm still hungry afterwards I might have a package of fruit smiles (but I throw the purple ones in the trash! Yuck!) or crackers, mayyyyybe peanut butter ;)

Exercise: Hanging in there! Going to the gym 3-4 times a week, modifying when necessary. This week I did Fran at RX! It was slower than my fastest time, but faster than my slowest ever time, so I'm calling it a win! Trying to focus more on strength these past couple of weeks because of some odd pains I've been having when I do a lot of cardio... see below...

Aches and pains: Pelvic pain. Yes, for real. Also butt/lower back pain. These both get worse when I do anything jarring, like running or jumping (even if I go slow... sometimes even walking hurts!). This has been realllly difficult to cope with because I love workouts that incorporate a lot of running, but last weekend I almost had to stop during the workout because of the pain in my pelvic bone. Google (a reliable source, I've heard) says it isn't uncommon. Well for me it is! I didn't have this issue with Jordan! I was also a lazy sloth with him, too, so maybe that has something to do with it. I'll ask my doc at the next appointment. 

Also my normal other stuff, like hips and knees. Heartburn has gotten worse, but not terrible.

Maternity clothes: I ordered more! I can still wear my stretchy skinny jeans, but they're getting too tight in the LEGS AND BUTT.

Favorite moment this week: Feeling her squirm and kick, I'd forgotten how magical it feels to carry around another human being inside of me 24/7. You just can't ever forget about being pregnant. I'll be in the middle of a meeting at work, or working out at the gym, or eating lunch... and there she is, kicking and making her presence known!

Looking forward to: Going to the farm this weekend! I haven't visited my parents in a while (work work work), so we're packing up to go down and spend a couple of days. Few things beat drinking a cup of coffee while sitting on their front porch with my mom. It is so peaceful.

I definitely have a noticeable BUMP now!
My butt is doing a heck of job trying to keep up... 

Pregnancy: 22 Weeks

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Am I an elephant? Because they endure pregnancy for 3 years and that's how I'm feeling right about now. People who say their pregnancy went by so fast... bunch o' liars! Ask my son, he'll vouch for me. "IT'S TAKING FOREVER, MOM, WHEN IS THE BABY GONNA BE HERE!?!?" And we are just barely over halfway. How am I ever going to make it without going crazy!?!?

This baby's movements have really picked up the past week. Yesterday she moved and squirmed alllllll day. I've decided that either she only sleeps at night, or she is a crazy sleeper like my other two kids and just kicks and wiggles in her sleep. OR... she never sleeps at all. Thinking back on Jordan's early days (years...) that's probably most likely. 

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Today's Date: 8/22/17

How many weeks: 22 weeks 6 days

Trimester: 2nd

How big is the baby?: About the size of a spaghetti squash (at our ultrasound last week she measured about 11 inches, approximately 1 pound.)

Weight gain: 18 lbs. Y'all. I'm gaining so fast that at this rate I'm going to put on MORE than I did with Jordan... WHICH WAS OVER 55 POUNDS. I did so good the first 18 weeks. And now I'm packing on up to 2 pounds EACH WEEK. My body loves being pregnant and packing on the fluff. OH WELL I'LL GET OVER IT. Right!? This baby seems to be taking up space in my thighs, butt, face, back, and boobs... really, kid!? But I'm going to keep tracking it and taking all the dumb bump photos so that someday I can look back and appreciate what my body has done. As for right now, I'm just super annoyed and self-conscious... LOLTKFC (laughing out loud to keep from crying)

Food cravings: Nothing specific... just ALL THE FOODS.

Food aversions: None. Like literally. Feed me anything, I'll be fine.

Gender: Girl!

Diet: I watch what I eat. I watch it while it's on the fork/spoon all the way to my mouth. HA. But no, really, I'm still tracking all my food on MyFitnessPal. They say 2nd trimester your body needs about 350 extra calories a day... not sure I believe this considering how my body is reacting to all these "necessary" extra calories. But I'm also grateful for the excuse to eat more, because I'm hungry. All the time.

Breakfast: usually coffee (with coconut oil, milk, honey, and vanilla extract).

Mid-morning: I'll have a snack, like a banana, apple, protein bar (I was eating peanut butter all the time but I ran out and refuse to bring another jar to work with me... I can't be trusted)

Lunch: chicken, rice, and grilled veggies (whatever I have on hand - usually always bell peppers, carrots, onion, tomato). And I usually add pepperjack cheese! Mmmmm.

Afternoon snack: Protein bar, fruit, or veggies with some ranch.

Dinner: Everything that exists in my pantry. I usually cook and we have family meal in the evenings, but it's definitely my "heaviest" meal of the day. Meat, potatoes, vegetables, BREAD. And I tend to eat wayyyy too much.

Evening snack: Even worse than dinner. Ice cream, cereal, popcorn, fruit snacks... sometimes just one of these, sometimes all of the above. HA!

Exercise: The "want to" part of it is getting harder, because it's physically getting so much harder and ugh... I get so HOT and I SWEAT soooooooo much. If you know me, you know that on a normal day, pre-pregnancy, I would sweat more than the average male. Add the extra weight/blood supply/whatever else goes on... and I'm drenched before the workout starts. It's embarrassing. BUT... I'm still doing it. I just do it reallllly slow and my breathing feels like it's louder than the music and I leave a puddle of sweat wherever I go.. but I still do it.

Aches and pains: Back, hips, legs, feet, knees... But mostly hips. And my shoulder.. LOL I don't think I can blame that one on pregnancy, though...

Maternity clothes: YES. I can still fit into a lot of my dresses and SOME of my [super stretchy] jeans... but I realllllly need new clothes. Even my "big" comfy shorts are getting tight. JOY.

Favorite moment this week: ULTRASOUND! (technically this was last week but I'm behind, here). This little baby is a SQUIRMER, just like her brother was. The nurse had a hard time getting all the anatomy measurements because she wouldn't stop moving around.

As you know, it's a GIRL! I had a feeling it was (not because of my stellar maternal instincts, those are broken). This pregnancy has been so different from last time, so I suspected it. But still... hearing "It's a girl!" was a shock. A girl?? Ali is almost 12 and I came around when she was 3, past the "baby" phase of her life. What on earth does one do with a baby girl? Is pink mandatory? Do I have to make her wear bows? LOL All I know is dirt and cars and sports and He-Man and Power Rangers... even growing up, I was a tomboy... what an adventure this will be!

Looking forward to: Baby Showers! Really... just anything to distract myself from how long this is taking. 16-17 MORE WEEKS.

My belly isn't that impressive. The REST of my body, however... #datbutt # demlegs #muffintop #booooobs

Sweet little side profile... Sweet little nose...

Long little toes!

My favorite picture... that foot is way up by her face! 

I am in love with this little girl already. <3

Pregnancy: Husband's Side of the Story

WE FIND OUT THE GENDER TODAY! And then WE'RE GOING TO KEEP IT A SECRET UNTIL THE GENDER REVEAL ON SATURDAY! Isn't that so cruel of us!? Ohhhh I know it is but I don't care! I am SO excited to find out! But I also wanted to post something before then and I got this brilliant idea from my husband...

See.. my husband posted this on Facebook:

"Every month my wife gives updates and changes on her progress with the baby. To join the fun, I have had cravings for lemonade and steak fingers. I have also gained 5 pounds. You're welcome, Destiny Darbison."

I LAUGHED SO HARD. And it gave me a great idea to ask him questions about his side of pregnancy.

Today's Date: 8/16/17

What's your favorite thing about this pregnancy? The kids' excitement.

What is your least favorite thing? Your mood, mostly your weight talk. (True--I complain about weight gain everyday. Being okay with getting "bigger" is my main struggle.)

Are you having any sympathy pains? Umm... sympathy weight. I've put on a good fiver. 

Sympathy cravings? Steak fingers, lemonade... and crackers. 

How is this pregnancy different from the last? Umm... well it's been a lot easier on you, been better because you can still workout. You haven't been sick as much. Seems like I'm trying to soak it up more this time because I know it's going to be the last. 

What do you like most about my changing body? Hehe... can I say that!? (LOL--I left out his initial response.) I'll just say your growing belly... (he added more, but I was too embarrassed to post it, too!) 

Do you think the baby is a boy or a girl? I think it's a boy. 

What are you looking forward to most over the next couple of weeks? Gender reveal! And seeing the ultra sound, can't wait to see it moving around. 

What do you think the baby will be like? I don't know. With this baby not moving around as much [as Jordan did] I wanna say its gonna be a chill baby. But I don't wanna jinx it... (HAHA me neither, hon!). 

 What is one thing you think I need to hear most during this pregnancy? How good you look. (I'm really hard on myself... especially when I get home from the gym in the evenings. Working out is so hard and my body feels so heavy, and it's all squishy lol When I look in the mirror I see one thing and when he looks at me he sees something totally different. I love him for constantly telling me I'm beautiful and reminding me that my body is performing a miracle.)

Any other comments? Just that this has been my favorite pregnancy. 

Why? We are settled in our jobs, we have more options now. We could buy or build a bigger house if we really wanted to. Were weren't sure we could even get by with Jordan. (So true! We were both employed at low paying jobs when I was pregnant with Jordan, without any inkling as to how we would afford a baby. It's definitely so much easier when you're not as worried about the financial side of another kid!) 

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Weren't his answers so sweet!? This pregnancy has definitely been my favorite too (don't tell Jordan! ha) because my symptoms have been almost non-existent. I have occasional heartburn, headaches, slight nausea, but compared to my first pregnancy, they're not even worth mentioning! 

Also, I wasn't active at all last time. I went for walks occasionally but that was it. This time, since I worked out before pregnancy, I am still able to maintain that routine. Because of this, I haven't gained as much weight this time around. Don't get me wrong, I am still on schedule to gain MORE than the recommended amount, LOL! But that's just my body I guess... I watch what I eat, I go to the gym, but obviously my body gets REALLY excited about growing another human. So even though it's hard, and even though I struggle, I just have to remind myself that it is O.K. 

Going to the gym helps me cope with my changing body, knowing that I'm taking care of my health which is GOOD for baby! And it's fun to joke about during class... "If the pregnant lady can do it, so can you!" I'm sure everyone hates me! 

Okay, I'm off for now. I'll post again in a few days with pictures of the GENDER REVEAL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Pregnancy: 20 Weeks

Halfway there! Actually, technically, we are over halfway since I'll have to have a scheduled c-section again. They will schedule that about a week before my due date. Tentatively that means the baby could be born December 14th, my dad's birthday. Happy Birthday, Dad!

So the past two weeks have been harder. I feel heavier (probably because I am) and my body is resisting this whole "stay fit" idea. Workouts are getting harder. My back aches, my hips are tight, my bladder won't cooperate, and my lungs acts like they've never been conditioned a day in their life. My body seems to be growing in ALL DIRECTIONS.

The baby must be growing, too! My bump seems to have appeared overnight. Seriously I look down now and I'm like WHOA, hey there belly! I'm feeling subtle movements now, but nothing super obvious or strong. It's odd, too, because with Jordan I remember feeling him earlier than this and he was super wiggly! I wonder if this baby is just a lot more laid back than he was? Maybe I'll get an "easy" baby, this time!? HA!

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Today's Date: 8/3/17

How many weeks: 20

Trimester: 2nd

How big is the baby?: About the size of a banana (from head to wee little toes) and 10.5 ounces

Weight gain: 12 lbs.

Food cravings: Nothing specific... just ALL THE FOODS. 

Food aversions: None. Like literally. Feed me anything, I'll be fine.

Gender: Unknown

Prediction: Girl. Or maybe boy. *sigh* I really have no idea! 

Diet: Still doing so-so on this, depending on the day. Some days I don't want to eat at all, others I can't stop LOL. I love healthy food, I just also love burgers, pizza, and nachos. So. Anyway. 

Breakfast: usually coffee (with coconut oil, milk, honey, and vanilla extract). 

Mid-morning: I'll have a snack, like a banana, apple, protein bar, or peanut butter straight out of the jar. 

Lunch: chicken, rice, and grilled veggies (whatever I have on hand - usually always bell peppers, carrots, onion, tomato). And I usually add pepperjack cheese! Mmmmm.

Afternoon snack: I try to have a protein bar with some cantaloupe or other fruit. But sometimes it's more peanut butter... yup, straight outta the jar. Again.

Dinner: Everything that exists in my pantry. I usually cook and we have family meal in the evenings, but it's definitely my "heaviest" meal of the day. Meat, potatoes, vegetables, BREAD. And I tend to eat wayyyy too much. 

Evening snack: Even worse than dinner. Ice cream, cereal, popcorn, fruit snacks... sometimes just one of these, sometimes all of the above. HA! 

Exercise: Getting much more difficult (because of my breathing and the fact that I've packed on a few pounds...). But really, even though it's harder, I'm still able to do it. I may be the last one finished, but I feel good enough to finish. So far I haven't had any spells where I feel lightheaded or anything abnormal. Just TIRED! 

Aches and pains: Back, hips, legs, feet, knees... But still mostly hips. 

Maternity clothes: I bought some new clothes last week, none maternity, but bigger sizes. I bought a skirt that I didn't even like, but it was $5 and was a little big, so I knew it would fit for a while. Ugh, I hate clothes shopping... unless I'm shopping for workout clothes, then I love it!  

Favorite moment this week: Feeling the little squirmer move. He/she doesn't wiggle a lot, so when he/she does, I'm like oooooooh there you are! And then I sit really still so I'll be ready when it happens again... and... NOTHING. Brat. lol 

Looking forward to: Next baby appointment, gender time! Also, unrelated to pregnancy, I CAN'T WAIT FOR FALL TO GET HERE. I'm so over summer! 

Pregnancy: Week 18

At our last appointment the midwife-in-training told us that if we opted to do the blood test at our 18-week appointment, it would screen for any possible birth defects, so we agreed that was a good idea. She also said that these blood results would tell us the gender of the baby! We've been sooooo excited for the past month thinking we'd find out soon! Turns out... that's not true. The initial blood test does screen for birth defects based on my blood results, but it does NOT show the baby's DNA, therefore these results will not show the gender. Bummer! 

I'm really okay with waiting another month. I've felt pressured to find out the gender ASAP (my daughter is DYING to know! haha), but not knowing doesn't bother me right now. Yes, I want to know eventually. NO I'M NOT WAITING TILL HE/SHE IS HERE TO FIND OUT. But knowing the gender just isn't the most important thing on my list right now. I simply want a healthy baby! Right now I'm anxious about these screening results... no phone call = good. SO, for the next week or two I'll probably jump and worry every time the phone rings. I'm sure after that's over I'll start wondering about the gender again, but by then we'll only have a couple more weeks of waiting. Patience is a virtue, right!!?

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Today's Date: 7/21/17

How many weeks: 18

Trimester: 2nd

How big is the baby?: About the size of a bell pepper (5.5 inches from head to rump)

Weight gain: 10 lbs (ummm... why did I think it was a good idea to include this information!?) 

Food cravings: Sometimes I want lemonade but that's about it. 

Food aversions: None

Gender: Unknown

Prediction: Girl. Or maybe boy. *sigh* I really have no idea! 

Diet: Eating healthy isn't a problem, but refraining from also eating allll the junk food is a BIG problem. I'm fine during the day... and then the sun goes down. It's over from there. I wish I could say this is a pregnancy thing, but I've been this way forever. So yes, I've gained 4 lbs over that past two weeks. Oops. 

Exercise: Still going! 

The midwife said I can still keep doing everything I'd been doing pre-pregnancy. Woot! I asked about my heart rate (sometimes cardio = 185+ max HR) but she said not to worry about it. As long as I feel okay, it's fine. I avoid lifting anything super heavy, but really that's more for my shoulder! 

Aches and pains: Hip pain... I feel like an old lady every time I stand up. I think I need a hip replacement. Also some lower back pain when I wake up (just stiffness). And my feet are still swelling, this will only get worse... 

Maternity clothes: Yup. I broke out some of the maternity clothes my sister-in-law gave me and WHY DON'T WOMEN WEAR THIS STUFF YEAR ROUND. Good grief, they're so comfortable! I can still wear most of my jeans... they button but it's tight and uncomfortable so I started using a rubber band to keep them "buttoned." I wear dresses most of the time anyway...

Favorite moment this week: Baby appointment! I loooooove hearing his/her little heartbeat! 145 bpm

Also, date night with my husband! The kids are in Houston visiting my sister so hubby and I have the house to ourselves, which means we stay up late watching Netflix every night. Such party animals! 

Looking forward to: My next appointment at 22 weeks, we should find out the gender! They say that mothers just "know" what it's going to be, but obviously I don't have any maternal instincts because I literally have no idea...

Pregnancy: Week 16

16 weeks! I still feel like time is dragging! This week I ran the Fireball 5K--I really should start running more, I do love it, but I also really hate it! Other than the Spartan Sprint a couple weeks ago, I haven't ran more than two miles since the half marathon... ha! And my pace was still decent. It seems like no matter how much/how little I train, my pace barely budges.

Here's a fun little workout I did yesterday with two of my sisters and one [peer-pressured] brother-in-law (takes about 15-20 minutes but it sure packs a punch! Try it!):

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Okay, on to the fun stuff! 

Today's Date: 7/6/17

How many weeks: 16

Trimester: 2nd

How big is the baby?: About the size of an avocado (4.5 inches from head to rump)

Weight gain: 6 lbs (up two pounds in the past two weeks, eeeeeeek)

Food cravings: None

Gender: Unknown (but we find out in about 2 weeks hopefully!)

Prediction: Girl

Diet: Not great but not terrible, still keeping track of calories so I don't eat the pantry. I eat too many sweets, but I have increased my protein intake, so that's good, right? I still can't eat breakfast at normal breakfast time, but by 10 I have to eat or else I'm going to yell at the next person who speaks to me. FOOD. NOW!

Exercise: Still no issues there! Working out 3-5 days a week, still having to constantly remind myself that I'm pregnant and it's okay to scale or slow down. Breathing continues to get more difficult, and now there's the constant need to pee! haha But other than that I feel fine...

Aches and pains: Some back pain, I just can't get comfortable at night and I wake up feeling like I slept on the floor! I can literally feel my stomach stretching and that's weird. My feet are already starting to swell and ache, too. Seriously though, I haven't had morning sickness other than a couple times a few weeks ago. WEIRD. This pregnancy is so different from my first! Thank you Jesus!

Maternity clothes: none yet but I'm getting close. My athletic shorts are all getting really tight, so I may just have to buy some bigger clothes for a while. My belly isn't the problem.. it's my entire mid-section! I don't know why this baby needs for me to have muffin tops and a chubby back but I guess I don't have a choice in the matter!

Favorite moment this week: Successfully running the 5k in just over 30 minutes (30:19). It feels good to still be able to run and workout. Also spending time with family--I was off work for 3 whole days and it was so amazing! These are the last days I plan on taking off for the rest of the year--gotta save up my sick/annual leave for when the baby arrives.

Looking forward to: Finding out the gender! Hopefully my next post will include a gender reveal!

Pregnancy: Week 14

Why hello there, 2nd trimester!

14 weeks, WOW! I wish I could say time is flying but that's such a lie!

So it has now been about a month since we announced it. Here's what's been going on these past few weeks:

• People already want to touch my belly. I don't mind, I'm not going to tell you not to, but just know that this early on in my pregnancy, the baby is still really small and you're probably just rubbing around and feeling on my last meal (likely a cheese sandwich).

• Exercise is already getting harder, but I'm still going and I feel really comfortable with it. I'm starting to substitute some stuff just because I'm clumsy, like doing step-ups instead of box jumps. That's pretty much the only modification so far! Breathing is getting harder, my heart rate elevates faster... and I have to talk myself down ALL THE TIME about not being too competitive and trying to beat everyone. I have to convince myself that it's okay to finish last and that I'm not doing this right now to compete, I'm doing it to have a healthy body and healthy baby!

• A couple weeks ago my husband and I ran the Spartan Sprint and it was SO FUN (to me... not so much to him!). 

• I cannot count the number of times that I've already been told that I shouldn't exercise during my pregnancy. It's mostly elderly people who are just concerned, and that's understandable. I just smile and say that I'll take it easy and listen to what my doctor says, which is all true.

• I've experience very mild morning sickness the past couple of weeks, but nothing too bad. Some mornings I wake up SO hungry and some days I can't eat until after 11:00 because I'm nauseous, but that's pretty rare.

• My appetite is subsiding, which I guess is kind of nice since during the first 10 weeks I could literally eat 4,000 calories a day and still feel hungry! During the afternoons is when I get most of my calories, but it's hard to eat then because I'm at work and super busy.

• We had another appointment this week... baby's heartbeat sounds so strong and beautiful! At our next appointment they will do some blood which means we'll find out the gender! WOOHOO! Almost everyone I know thinks/wants it to be a girl... we shall see!!!

• I've started getting headaches these past couple of days. I'm really lucky that I had my first really bad one on the day of our doctor's appointment because I asked about what to take for them and they gave me a prescription. So far it hasn't seemed to help lol but at least I have something to take for them!

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Today's Date: 6/22/17

How many weeks: 14

Trimester: 2nd

How big is the baby?: About the size of a lemon

Weight gain: 4 lbs (no change over the past couple of weeks, probably because my appetite has gone back to being semi-normal)

Food cravings: Nothing specific... I still want all the sweets but that's not the baby's fault! ha

Gender: Unknown

Prediction: Girl! HR is 148 and the Chinese calendar says it's a girl too... everyone knows those things are an exact science!

Diet: Not great, I snack too much and don't eat near enough protein. My diet is about the same now as it was before.

Exercise: Still going to the gym about 4 days a week, and it feels great! I have a 5k coming up in a couple of weeks. I usually do the 10k in this race because it's my favorite race of the whole year... but I'm crazy and always kill myself trying to do it in under an hour so I'm just going to skip the crazy this year ☺

Aches and pains: Heartburn, some lower back pain when I sit for a long time. HEADACHES.

Maternity clothes: None (YET) but my sister-in-law did just give me a whole bag full of stuff so when it's time to break them out, I won't have to buy nearly as much!

Favorite moment this week: Hearing the baby's heartbeat <3 I haven't felt pregnant at all since my symptoms have been so mild, and hearing the baby's heart go thump thump thump is just the most surreal thing ever.

Looking forward to: Finding out the gender!