Thurs-PHFR~ News !!!!!

{pretty}

photo source

{happy}

We've got BIG News!

(the top is a side view of the head/body, and the bottom you can see the little feet tucked together)

baby beck #4 due aug.1st! Yippee!

What a tremendous blessing. And I'm definitely still getting used to the idea! This little family of five wants to be a family of six.

Madeleine will be one year and three months old at the due date.   Yep yep- 15 months old. I hope they will be good friends. (Just for the record, Frances and Madeleine are 19 months apart! :)

I feel like we're getting into more elite parenting status-- more than 3 children. :)

Kinda crazy right?! I think it already looks like me.  ;)


~continue reading for the {funny/real} (read:) long-winded version~

 While I have been struggling with nausea, exhaustion, and questions of "why all the difficult moments?" I'm comforted by the fact that there is new life that is going to come out of all of this.  Not everything has been perfect, nor has it gone according to plan. Others have let us down. It hurts, a lot. But this baby is a gift from him. A perfect gift and part of his perfect timing.  I can't say I have the same feeling as I did with the finding out of our other pregnancies. This wasn't just the "whoaaa...." shock I felt when I took the test for Madeleine. This was more like, "Wait, what?!"

We have always wanted a lot of kids. The surprise is simply the timing. It is not possible for anything to surprise me any more, which is probably a good thing.  I never thought I would be pregnant with my fourth just shy of Molly's fifth birthday, and I never thought I would have this baby when Madeleine is barely one year old.

If it is a girl, we have some names we're really excited about. Lillie, maybe? If it's a boy, we are completely in the dark when it comes to names. I think it will take some time. I like the names Patrick and Peter.  I say that, but Stephen and I always change our minds a bunch and take forever making the decision on the name. At least we've never had to wait until after the baby is born- at least not yet.

I recently met a girl who had three boys, then she gave birth to a little girl. She told me the chances of that happening are 5%! So, if you are hoping it's a boy, pray for good odds (lucky odds!). A 5 out of 100 chance!

I'm only a month away from finding out the gender, so stay tuned!  March 14- it's on the calendar- and we'll find out.

My other bit of news: I'm starting a new weekly tradition. I'll be posting Pregnancy Update Monday from now until the birth of our fourth baby.  I'm hoping to have a different theme to talk about related to Pregnancy, Birth, Babies, Maternity, Nursery, etc. each week.

Keep reading for the slightly ridiculously long narrative of my pregnancy... {warning- this might be the longest post ever}

I'm 16 weeks pregnant. So I have a couple weeks to catch you up on. Like I said, long-winded...

4 weeks
I didn't know I was pregnant, but I couldn't figure out why I was so tired.  Looking back, the exhaustion of pregnancy probably had a lot to do with my emotional state at that time (obviously). I'm so thankful to know that a baby is coming out of this. It truly was a period of emotional exhaustion for me.

Finding out was hard, and happy/scary. I'm still taking pre-natal vitamins, as I just weaned our youngest who is nine months old. I went to the store to buy- wait for it- babyfood. For several reasons I was compelled to get a test.  I took it before returning home. On the way home I contemplated the concept of another baby, and it was hard to wrap my brain around it. I was laughing and crying on the inside.

It's strange to have them back to back like this.  I'm truly just recovering from adjustments to three.  I mentioned in my last post that nothing can surprise me anymore.  And I have to keep in mind that nothing can separate us from the love of God. Not even this surprise that feels like hardship, that has, at times caused me deep agony and sorrow for feeling out of control, and overwhelmed at the thought of four kiddos in tow.

6 weeks
Adjusting to the idea of this, things are getting easier. We're making plans to buy a minivan this summer.  I have some ideas for a fresh nursery set-up, which includes Craigslist and painting (and hopefully not buying many large expensive furniture-y type items). Time is flying by, and there is so much that I need to do.  I remember hearing other Moms talk about not being able to do a "real nursery" until baby # 3 or 4, so I'm excited to improve on what we've got.  I didn't have anything exciting to report, or at least nothing worth mentioning (except- I love milkshakes).

8 weeks- Christmas
I was at an all-time low at Christmas. Looking back, I can see how the first trimester was the cause. I was exhausted. I wish that Christmas hadn't been dampened by my mood, but knowing a new baby is coming is certainly comforting in hindsight.

12 Weeks, 2 days- Sat. January 19th.
I'm definitely showing, but I've been hiding it until a down coat most of the time. We were feeling discouraged because at the start of this pregnancy. This was the case with my last pregnancy- I was underweight at the beginning, and Madeleine was still able to weigh in at 7lbs 14 oz. I don't want to focus too much on weight, but I know in pregnancy it is important to get those extra calories...just for my own sake and for feeling energetic and not anemic! Pizza and icecream here we come!

12 week~ Ultrasound

My doctor visit to see the ultrasound was a week ago.  I saw three young female doctors, two in training.  They were all present for the ultrasound~ oohing, ahhing, and taking turns finding the baby.  It was so much fun getting to see him/her with all of that support.  He or she didn't make a big production for us. And I have to say, compared with my other ultrasounds, this baby seemed lazy!  I have a very strong recollection of Molly just going at it- kicking, turning, somersaulting, you name it. This baby seemed to be just sitting there until the end of the ultrasound, when it finally started bobbing around, sucking its thumb (one doctor thought so at least), drawing up its little legs, and just otherwise being cute.

13 weeks- Jan. 24th.

I had a fainting spell this week, and I've been experiencing more nausea.  I've fainted three times in my life. This time was pretty bad.  I woke up at 6am to feed Madeleine. Instead of eating something first (the smart thing for a pregnant mama to do), I fed her a bottle. By the time I came back to the kitchen, I felt so sick to my stomach, all I could handle was pouring myself a small cup of apple juice, downing it, and stumbling into the office where I fell on the floor. I think I saved myself from losing consciousness, but I certainly couldn't stay standing up, and the "lights were going out"~ if you have ever fainted you know what I mean. I had to rest for a minute before I fully regained vision and balance.

Doctor Visit Update- I also had my 13 week check-up. I've only gained at least 7 pounds so far, which isn't great but it's better than nothing.  Blood tests came back normal. Everything looked fine, but I have to go back in 2 weeks.  The main thing on my mind right now is finding out gender. We still have some time before we go for another ultrasound!

14 weeks
I'm feeling much happier this week.  I can tell I'm transitioning to the second trimester, and I feel like I'm doing so with flying colors. Thank God for second trimester! I don't think I would know what it's like to feel so good if I hadn't felt so bad. First trimester really makes you thankful for the second.

I have been so hungry this last week or so. I broke a record- I ate out three times in one day. Note to self: never do that again! I was out and about and got hungry- twice- and then came home exhausted and ordered a pizza. :) Oh the things you can blame on being pregnant. ;) I have been having cravings for things like honey nut cream cheese with salsa and chips.


I'm scheming a lot of changes I want to make to the nursery decor, whether boy or girl. I like the white cribs pictured...

~This is our Nursery Before~
What do you think about the color of the walls? It's beige-tan.

~This guy needs to be re-painted regardless. ~

I want to paint the furniture so the dresser and crib match. I'm thinking it could all be either white or gray? I don't know.  I also want to get a crib bumper this time, even though I know that they can be considered unsafe. They are so common. One alternative would be a crib skirt. It would add a fun layer of fabric to the crib. I'm looking for something high quality, because I know I'll regret the cheapo Walmart variety with a vengeance. I think I want something heirloom. The walls need something (not sure what- do you have any ideas?), and I will re-paint the lamp and small dresser as well. I want to wait until we find out what we're having before I make decisions.

The other question- do we get another crib? Frances didn't transition out of her crib until 18 months or so. We shall see with Madeleine. We'll be using the bassinet, then we'll have to decide.

Here is a view of the opposite side of the room- closet and a boring corner with a space heater.

15 weeks

I am feeling so.much.better.Thank you God for the second trimester. My house is clean. We are not wasting as many groceries, or eating out as frequently, because I have the energy to meal plan now. If only I had the energy to do some sewing. I can't blame it on pregnancy, so I think I'll blame it on having so many little ones. That's my goal-- get over my first trimester exhaustion, and start some sewing.  If this is worth $75 dollars, sewing it is worth several hours of work.

Doctor Visit Update: Went for my 15 week check-up. All was fine results come in soon. Denied the test for Downs. I'm gonna love that baby no matter, and I've never done the test in the past. Scheduled ultrasound for 3/14. So God-willing we'll know gender in a month.

Right now I'm liking the gray theme a lot. Our house can go modern more easily than traditional at this point. So we'll see. Either way, simple is more our style.

Notice some of these rooms -pictured in the nursery collages, above- have curtains, some have the simple white blinds. Some have bookshelves and toys, others do not. Some have complicated patterns or prints, some hardly anything like that at all. Some of the cribs have bumpers. Only one room has a lamp pictured- the one that doubles as a guest bedroom. I find all of these little details kind of fun, AND it takes the pressure off.

My brother Evan's response when I told him: "I noticed you had a small basketball but I wasn't sure" ha!

I think the key for me is... not too simple, has to be fun, and not cluttered or overdone. A few little details can make a room. Whether it's a matching throw and a pillow, or a pretty painting, or a curtain or blanket made or hung with care... these are the things that express love and take a room from boring to beautiful.

uncluttered [ʌnˈklʌtəd]

adj

not having too many objects, details, etc.

But anyway.... I'm getting a lot of great ideas.
So... we'll leave it at that. Sorry for the long distance running today. Until next time!

----------------end of catch up---------------------------