light at the end of the tunnel

We scheduled my induction today! 

  

I am one happy girl :)

The countdown is on. 23 days.

At my appointment today, my midwife told me I am dilated to a 3 and 50 % effaced which is crazy to me considering with Ava I was like -3 at a week past my due date. Not really but, my body was pretty much refusing to dilate.

Again, I am one happy girl.

This baby can come anytime as far as I am concerned. Next week would be real nice.

We have everything ready to go and waiting for baby to get here.

Bought the last two things on my list: a swing and a breast pump.

We cannot wait to meet you baby!!!

our new home

I haven't really shared many photos of our home we bought in February now that we are all settled. 

It's still a work in progress. I haven't hung many pictures on the walls yet.

mine and Vaughn's bedroom:

the living room:

view from the entry way:

Ava's room:

I will do a second post of the third bedroom, kitchen, baths, and upstairs family room.

35 weeks

- I think we've finally narrowed it down to 2 names but we're keeping it a secret. We've noticed that people are much too opinionated when it come to names and we don't want to hear it. Middle name still undecided.. We need to see baby first before we make a final decision.

- I'm ready to be done with ------> Restless legs, heartburn, extreme rib pain, back aches, huge belly, not being able to bend over, ect.

I've washed all the clothes, bibs, blankets and they are ready to be used.

Bought a few more of those awesome muslin blankets, a hands free pumping bra (excited about this one!) and still on the hunt for a swing and a breast pump.

Still trying to decide if I wanna attempt a natural birth with hypnobirthing or if I should just get the epidural.

Guess I better decide quick!

Vaughn and I will celebrate our wedding anniversary early this year on the 12th, a week before baby comes.

I am so anxious and excited to have this baby!

34 weeks

We've been spending lots of time at the pool in this heat!

The other night I got it in my head that the baby would come out at 10 lbs and I couldn't sleep for fear that it might come true. It really kept me up all night!

So the next day I found out that baby measures 5 lbs 6 oz at my appointment. I asked my midwife what she estimates the baby weighing at birth and she said 7.5 lbs. Okay, much better than 10 lbs! She knows her stuff so I'll trust her on that :)

So tired lately! I actually had to succumb and take a a nap with Ava yesterday. And I never nap. I always use her nap time to catch up on editing or things around the house.

Sleeping is pretty much a joke now. Trying to turn from side to side is no fun. When I get out of bed, I have to hobble around like an old lady due to pain and soreness from laying down all night. Thank goodness the old lady stuff only lasts a few minutes.

ugh.. darn ribs.

We get to schedule the induction next week. So excited! That will make this seem all the more real once that happens.

We love this sweet baby so much already.

 I cannot wait to hold her and kiss her chubby cheeks.

35 days to go!

spwinkles

Oh our sweet little Ava, you make us laugh!

She LOVED this doughnut if you can't tell, especially the sprinkles :)

Yesterday while at the park, Ava made friends with a couple of 7 year old girls. I overheard these girls talking about cool things they have and Ava chimes in, "I have a lemon in my car seat!". We had gone out to lunch beforehand and she had a lemon wedge from her water that she brought with us into the car.

I couldn't help but laugh at how cute and funny that comment was.

Her personality is over the top adorable and I love how friendly she is to everyone she meets.

We love you Ava!

33 weeks

baby is now head down after being breech for so long. yay!

 I am exhausted by 4:00 pm everyday. Seriously so tired. almost feels like the 1st trimester all over again. 

I could go to bed at that time and be totally happy about it. And that's coming from a night owl.

my ribs are still hurting super bad.

last week at my 32 week appt baby measured 4 lbs 3 oz

Trying to sleep at night is now a lot of work. Turning from side to side is a huge effort.

I think we are pretty much prepared for this baby to come. We have the car seat, co-sleeper, nursing pillow, new Bumbleride stroller (love!), tons of white onesies, been stocking up on diapers each month. 

The two things left to get are a swing and a pump for breast feeding.

I am having a birth photographer come document the labor and delivery. She is wonderful and I am SO excited about this experience :) Check out her lovely work.

About 6 more weeks to go, so anxious and excited!!

31 weeks

Can this baby please come already? 58 days away.. and I'm so done with being pregnant.

 I reeeeally look forward to feeling normal and wearing normal clothes again.

I feel so large and have no idea how it's possible that I'm gonna get even bigger in the next few weeks, yikes!

Last week I caught some throw up bug and got very dehydrated. I started cramping and contracting and had to be admitted to the hospital. 

No bueno. 

5 hours and two IV's later we crashed out on our bed at 1:30 am.

So happy to be over that sickness. Thank you to my mom and Vaughn's parents for helping us out with Ava.

I'm super uncomfortable most of the time now and my ribs are still so painful I have to take pain reliever.

Baby measures at 3 lbs 12 oz.

My 28 appointment she was head down but my midwife confirmed last week that she is now breech again.

Had a 3D ultrasound and we saw baby yawn, cutest thing!

Starting next week, I will see my midwife once per week.

Certainly hoping time will fly by so we can finally meet this precious little one!

mother's day

love being her momma.

She is a brilliant little girl, truly.

The stuff she can remember and say and do..

The other day she looked at my phone (it's kinda old school) and said "momma, your phone is complicated".

She keeps us laughing every single day. 

What a joy she is in our lives!

The photo above left is our poppy that just bloomed and we had to document it. 

We are all pretty excited about it :)

 Above right is playtime outside with daddy.

Did I mention she loves to be "nakey"? 

It's a daily thing around our house come early evening, she just wants to run around in her diaper.

Mother's day this year was definitely not very relaxing. It was exhausting.

 We spent the wee hours of Sunday morning, midnight-6 am waking up every half hour to comfort Ava while she vomited over and over. It was heartbreaking to feel so helpless as there was nothing we could do. 

She just doesn't understand what's going on still and it scares her half to death. 

We made her a special bed on the bathroom floor and Vaughn slept by her all night while I took a one hour shift around 4:00 am. It was all my pregnant body would allow.

It continued on and off until Monday afternoon and now, Tuesday she's back to her bubbly, cheery self.

Thank goodness.

I'm so grateful to be Ava's mommy, she is such a treasure!

29 week thoughts

 Just 10 more weeks til I get to hold this precious baby. 

Let the countdown begin!

- rib pain, and other random pains every once in awhile

 - restless legs at night (ugh, so uncomfortable!)
- sleeping is getting more and more difficult
- weight gain: nineteen lbs

- other than that I really can't complain. I'm just so grateful to even be pregnant.

baby is now the size of a Squash

Weeks 29-32 (Month 7)
Average size: 15-17 in, 2.9-3.8 lb

This pregnancy has gone by fast yet slow. 

Fast because Ava keeps me busy. 

Slow because I'm so excited.

We found out I pregnant when I was literally 2 days along. So needless to say, it has kind of dragged on..

I have debated on whether or not I would share this next bit but decided to write it down. 

I have been wanting another baby since Ava turned one but I knew it wasn't quite time yet. So we waited for months until it felt right to begin trying. So when that time came, I wanted this baby as soon as possible.

Heavenly Father obviously had different plans for us this time around.

With Ava it was too easy, we decided we wanted a baby and the very next month I was pregnant. 

I thought for sure it would be the same way this time.

Month after month went by and it was always a negative. I got so used to seeing those awful pregnancy tests with one line, almost shouting back at me that I was indeed NOT pregnant. It was so heartbreaking and disappointing. I went through so many pregnancy tests, it was ridiculous. Always trying to stay hopeful thinking this could be the positive we've been waiting for only to be let down yet again. I even got those ovulation tests and tried that as well.

I began to think something was wrong with me. I thought that maybe I was "ruined" after the procedure the doctor did to me immediately after Ava was born. 

Then we began to think something was wrong with Vaughn or maybe both of us. 

It seemed as though everyone around me was pregnant or announcing a pregnancy, even people in our family which was super hard for me.

Every time I saw a  pregnant women, it was like a slap in the face. Like someone was dangling what I wanted most out in front of me and then ripping it away, saying "no, you can't have this". 

A little dramatic, I know. But it honestly felt like that. Frustrations and disappointment got the better of me and one day I kind of broke down and had a tearful conversation with a good friend who had been through similar but more difficult trials than I. She really helped.

I finally went in to see a doctor about possible infertility even though it hadn't been a year like they make you wait with fertility issues. It was so confusing and depressing to not know why it wasn't happening. 

I can't even imagine what some couples go through who are not able to have their own children and the sorrow that they feel. I've tasted a small bit of that and it's so very painful.

I'm just so grateful to be pregnant right now and that it's even possible. 

Well, winter eventually rolled around and that first week of November is when it finally happened! 

Oh the relief and joy I felt.

 I gotta give some credit to those ovulation tests. They really helped.

 That was a trial that was really hard for me because I wanted this baby so badly.

Looking back I am grateful for how everything has turned out though, it was for a reason.

Sometimes things are sweeter when you have to wait a long time to receive them.

This baby is so wanted and needed.

 I cannot wait to hold her in my arms!

 

28 week appointment

 Had the glucose test and got an awesome 4D ultrasound done.

Baby's face looks so cute, actually a lot like Ava did when we had her 4D ultrasound. 

Baby is measuring in at 2 lbs 11 oz (bigger than I thought!)  head measures at 29.5 weeks.

My midwife said we can schedule the induction date at my 36 week appointment, so just 8 more weeks. That means I will for sure be having this baby at 39 weeks. So grateful that I will never again have to go to 41 weeks!

 Ava is so excited to meet this baby, she talks about it all the time. Too sweet :)

Mid-July seems so close now that it's officially May!