Announcing Baby #4!!

In October we announced that Baby #4 is on the way! We had told some family and friends previously, but saved telling the world until I was about 16 weeks along just to make sure everything was going well, and it did! We are planning on this to be our last baby and can't wait to meet the final addition to our family!

My actual due date is April 5th, 2020, but my doctor has already agreed to pinduce at 39 weeks at the end of March, which would mean all our kids would have March birthdays. Adding another March birthday was only a small part of wanting to induce however. My babies have all been big, and have never come early. I induced with Davey and it was a great experience. I wanted to induce with Charlie, but my doctor would not, resulting in going past my due date and him barely making it out on his own because he was a chunker. I am happy that we'll have the chance to meet this baby just a few days early, and that by doing so we'll have one more addition to the March club.

So far this pregnancy has been very similar to the others. All day sickness up until week 16 or 17, but no other complications. We changed doctors for this baby because my OB with Charlie was always behind schedule, would not listen to my concerns, and was not even there for the delivery. My new doctor has been so much better on all fronts and it's been a nice change, especially since this is the last time we'll be going through this experience. 

38 & 39 Weeks

Reaching the end of each week during the third trimester is cause for celebration, so this post has photos from week 38 and 39! Almost there! We are ready for this boy to arrive, but at the same time, I want him to stay put until his due date on the 4th. Grandmari is arriving on March 5th to help with the kids, and if he can hang on for at least three more days he will have a March birthday, just like his siblings. It will also give us a bit more time to work out a name. Right now the debate is at a standstill...

I am actually feeling pretty good these days, other than being tired and needing the bathroom at least every hour. He dropped about a week ago and it's been nice to have him out of my lungs and breathe easier again. There have been no contractions yet, my heartburn has disappeared, and I can still bend over pretty well to clean up the toys and clothes scattered all around the house. Sometimes I forget he's even in there, until I get a good kick to the ribs. My next doctor appointment is in a few days and hopefully we will get a better idea of how baby is doing and how soon he might make an appearance. My last pregnancy was induced, so I'm having a hard time remembering what the days and hours leading up to labor felt like.

38 Weeks - I am enjoying my final days of privileged parking at our grocery store. Those spots are awesome and I'm going to miss parking there once baby comes and I'm lugging an infant seat and two other kids from the back of the lot every time we go shopping. 

Still able to find a bit of room on my lap 

39 Weeks - with Davey I felt huge at the end and all my clothes stopped fitting, but this time I think I might be just a bit smaller. I certainly wouldn't mind if this boy was closer to the 7 lb mark, instead of the 8-9 lbs range like the other two. 

35 Weeks

Only 5 more weeks to go!! We are ready to meet this boy, although he still doesn't have a name, which is so different from my first two who were named years before they were born. I am pulling for Charles Walter ("Charlie") and Dave is pushing for Warren Roger. We like both, so it's just a question of who can convince the other. As of right now, I have no idea what we'll end up choosing... stay tuned!

At 35 weeks baby Howe weighs 5-6 pounds, although I'm guessing he's probably a bit heftier than that. My other babies have been on the big side and my doctor did notice a growth spurt over the Christmas Break, so I'm pretty confident our little guy will be somewhere in the neighborhood of 8-9 pounds at birth. At my next appointment my doctor will also check his position, and I'm hoping she will find that he has rotated from breech to head down. 

I haven't fully worked out registration with the hospital or all the insurance details, but otherwise we are ready. The baby boy clothes are out of storage and have been washed and folded, and the bottles, binkies, burp rags and blankets are ready for action. We've set up a changing area in our closet, bought some baby wash and powder for baths, and Sophie helped me assemble the bouncer this week. We also decided to buy a new car seat since our other one had seen some mileage (aka blowouts), and I can't wait to buckle a new little baby inside for the trip home. 

I am doing mostly well at this point, but am ready to be done. The kids seem to have more energy than ever and Davey is at a stage where I have to chase him down to do pretty much anything - put on clothes, change a diaper, go to nap, eat a lunch, get in the car, etc... Sleep has also been elusive, and even though I go to bed around 11, I'm often awake until close to 1 am. Baby boy is so active at night and this pregnancy has come with a crazy case of restless leg syndrome and it takes forever for me to finally settle enough to sleep. And then of course I have to get up an hour later to use the bathroom...so much for storing up on sleep before baby comes.

The kids are certainly looking forward to the end of my doctor visits. We had another two hour appointment earlier this month when I had to reschedule due to travel plans and it was all I could do to keep them from destroying the exam room while we waited, and waited, and waited. Those afternoon appoints are brutal!! Luckily I was able to get back on a morning track for my next visit since we will be starting weekly appointments in February. I'm so glad we just have one month left!

28-ish Weeks

I haven't been that great at documenting the weeks of this pregnancy, but I think that's to be expected for a third child. Or maybe I haven't been taking photos since I rarely wear something other than sweats these days :) Things have been progressing, though, even without documentation. 

Around mid-December I entered the third trimester and am now in the home stretch. Sleeping has been difficult, but I have no major complaints other than occasional heartburn and increased difficulty shaving my legs (good thing it's winter). Baby is still doing well and seems to enjoy taking up as much space as possible. His favorite position is to lay diagonally with one end up under my right rib cage, and the other down near my pelvis. He is also very active, and I've never had to worry about kick counts because it seems like he is always moving, all day long. 

I talked to my doctor and sadly they will not induce here. I was hoping to set something up since I had such a good experience with Davey's induced delivery, but they said it won't happen unless there are concerns about the baby or mother's health. I am hoping that maybe my history of big babies (Sophie was 8 lbs, and Davey was 9 lbs) might qualify me for an induction down the road, especially since baby is already measuring on the larger side. Not having a set date will make arranging child care more difficult, so right now our finger's are crossed that everything will work itself out. 

At my 24 week check up

The new pack-n-play I got off Facebook Marketplace for baby to sleep in. Some lady heard from her friend that new puppies like play pens, which turned out to be horrible advice, so we got this basically new crib for cheap. It will go in our master closet, which we are going to use as a nursery until the boys are old enough to start sharing. 

I had my glucose tolerance test at the beginning of December and passed on the first try this time! I was so glad I didn't have to do the three hour test this time around like I did with Davey. I also got my Rhogam injection for my negative blood type, which is never pleasant, but hooray for modern medicine. 

At my 28 week appointment that took FOREVER. We were there for a little over TWO hours and I was not prepared with enough snacks or entertainment for the kids. It was a bit rough. Never again will I intentionally schedule an afternoon appointment. 

23 Weeks with a Baby Boy!!

The big news this week was finding out (for sure) that Baby Howe is a boy!! When I had my dating sonogram a few months ago the tech saw evidence of boy, but it was too early to be sure. Now it has been officially confirmed and we couldn't be more excited!

Sophie said she wanted a sister, but is still very happy to be having another brother. In the end, I don't think she really cared one way or the other and is mostly just excited about having another baby join the family.  Davey still has no idea what is coming, but I'm sure he will have plenty of adventures (and cause lots of trouble) with a little sidekick in the years to come. We have two names on our "boy list" and I like one, and Dave likes the other. We'll have to see who persuades the other, or maybe a third option will come along that we both agree on. Still lots of time to figure it out!

We tried to spell out "BOY" and it sort of worked :)

Baby boy was curled up tight during this latest scan, so it was hard to get a good view of his anatomy, especially his heart, but the tech didn't see anything concerning and I won't have to go back in for a second look at anything. We did see that he is currently breech, but he still has plenty of time to flip over before the due date, which is exactly 4 months out from today.

All curled up with his knee right in his face

The official "boy" shot

A peek at our little guy's face

At 23 weeks baby is the size of a Barbie doll, measuring just over a foot long and weighing about 1 pound. He is still very active and I get kicked all day long, which hopefully won't be too uncomfortable as he continues to grow. I have been feeling and sleeping good, and while I'm excited for his arrival, I really like how easy the 2nd trimester is and am in no rush to get this stage over with.

** Fun Fact: On the Lambert side of the family, this baby will be the 9th consecutive great grandson, bringing the total count to 2 girls (Sophie and her cousin Anne) and 10 boys!

20 Weeks

I have reached the half way mark for this pregnancy! At this point baby weighs about 10 ounces and is just over 10 inches long. Since I've been through the "Fruit & Vegetables" comparisons a couple times now, I thought it would be nice to try something different. I found an app with a "Fun & Games" theme instead that has comparisons like paper airplane (20 weeks), action figure (16 weeks), matchbox car (13 weeks), and Lego man (10 weeks). Sophie's favorite was "troll doll" at 12 weeks.

This baby has been very active and I feel movement all day long. The kicks are big enough yet to see my stomach visibly move, though we probably aren't too far off from that stage. We have a guess at gender, but have to patiently wait until the first week of November because that's the soonest I could get a sonogram appointment. Sophie has picked out the names "Diamond" for a girl and "Peanut" for a boy. Davey still has absolutely no clue that he's going to be a big brother.

My appointments are a little crazy with these two in tow, but that's mom life I supposed. 

I went to a huge baby sale this month. You would think that by the third kid we would have everything already, but there was a lot I had always borrowed from my sister since we conveniently had kids on an every other year schedule. I also got a few toys to tuck away for Christmas, and some clothes to fill the gaps in the kid's winter wardrobes. 

39 Weeks

We hit the 39 week mark on Friday. I had my final doctor's appointment last week and everything went well. My blood pressure is awesome (100/70), he is measuring right on schedule, and had a nice strong heartbeat. I must have a comfortable womb though because Sophie was late, and brother is also showing no signs of coming anytime soon. I do have an induction scheduled for Thursday, so the end is near!

Overall I have been feeling good, and plan to work Monday and Tuesday of this week before starting my leave. I am scheduled to take 6 weeks of time off, and then plan go back in May to finish out the school year. My parents are in Idaho right now visiting my sister, and will be headed down our way to help with Sophie and the new baby. Over the weekend we also rearranged Sophie's room to fit a crib and a twin bed (more on that later), I finished cleaning my house, and we have all the essentials so now all we need is the baby. Just 4 more days!

My basketball bump. I'm only 5 pounds heavier with baby boy than I was with Sophie, but am feeling huge these days. I'm glad he's coming soon because I'm running out of things that fit!

With my sweet girl who wanted to have her picture taken too. We love her so much and are excited for her to become a big sister!

34 Weeks

I've been meaning to do an update for almost a month now and am finally getting around to it. Baby boy turned 34 weeks on Friday, which means just a little over a month to go! Everything has been going smoothly since the last update (other than having to take the glucose test twice) and we are getting excited to meet this little boy. At my appointment a week ago he was measuring right on schedule - about 5 pounds, around the size of a cantaloupe. By the next visit I am supposed to decide if/when I would like to be induced. I prefer to let things happen naturally, but Sophie was late and a little on the large side so I'm leaning towards scheduling an induction around 40 weeks just so he doesn't get too big.

I feel like we are mostly ready for his arrival. Since this is our second, we already have the basic necessities (car seat, bottles, changing table, etc...) and I bought a double stroller on KSL, have a drawer full of tiny clothes, and have started stockpiling diapers. The big thing on our to do list (other than arrange for leave at work) is to rearrange Sophie's little room to fit another bed. She is still in her crib, but more than ready to transition out and we're thinking of skipping the toddler bed and going straight to a twin so guests have somewhere to sleep when they come. It's going to be cozy!

Dave told me I look huge in this picture... 

I have been feeling good lately, but am definitely slowing down. I can't complain though... I still haven't had to deal with many of the common pregnancy ailments like heartburn, contractions, or back pain - just restless nights and low energy. With Sophie I spent most of my final weeks at work and then relaxing on the couch. Now I am still working, but also building legos, playing hide-and-seek, going to the aquarium/museum/library/swimming, giving baths, and picking up the floor several times a day and it's exhausting. I guess it's all just preparing me to be a mother of two!

26 Weeks

Today is the 26 week mark for baby boy - only two weeks to go until we enter the third trimester!! He is definitely growing and I feel like my tummy has really popped in the last month. The parents and kids at school no longer hesitate to ask if I'm expecting because it's pretty obvious now. 

So far I'm still feeling pretty good. The nausea has been gone for awhile now, I sleep comfortably most nights, and can still move around really well. We talk about "brother" often with Sophie and she is excited for him to arrive. This baby is very active throughout the day (and night) and if he turns out to be anything like Dave was as a child, we'll have our hands full! 

Next up for us is the lovely 28 week glucose tolerance test and the rhogam injection (since I'm a negative blood type and Dave is positive).  Since we'll be traveling over the holidays I won't make it in until I'm about 30 weeks, but once that appointment is out of the way there will only be two months to go. Keep up the good work baby boy!

We're having a.....

Today we had our anatomy scan and found out we are having a....

BOY!

This wan't a big surprise because at my 14 week appointment my doctor told me it looked like a boy, but that it was early and things could change so we shouldn't go out and buy little blue outfits just yet. Now we know for sure!

I would have been happy to have a girl so I could use all of Sophie's clothes and blankets we have in storage, but am very excited about a boy as well! (I may even have a box of little boy stuff in the closet I have been keeping just in case!) We told Sophie she was going to get a brother and asked her what his name should be, and without even a seconds pause she responded "Dragon." We have a different name picked out for him, but haven't broken the news to her yet :)

Little Dragon's ultrasound went well, although the doctor did find a choroid plexus cyst that we'll have checked out in a couple weeks. Cysts like this can be a sign of a chromosomal disorder if other abnormalities are present, but everything else looked normal. We were told not to worry and that there are high chances it will resolve on it's own in the next few weeks. I am not too nervous and am hopeful the follow-up ultrasound will be clear and put all worries to rest.

Profile of our little man

19 Weeks

This is going to be a longer post, because the story of this baby goes back to January and that's a lot of time to cover! For all the details, read down below. For a quick update, know that all was well at my 19 week appointment last Wednesday, and we will go back in a couple weeks at the beginning of November for the anatomy scan. We think we know the gender, and will hopefully find out if we're right real soon!

After our miscarriage in January I knew that I wanted to start trying again right away. I scheduled an appointment with my doctor as soon as I thought my body had had enough time to recover to talk about our options. We got pregnant on our our own with the baby we lost, but it took years for Sophie and knowing my body and our history, I didn't feel comfortable leaving things up to chance. 

I started a round of birth control to regulate my cycle, and then Clomid to help induce ovulation. We never had success with Clomid when we were trying for Sophie, but felt it was a good place to start this time and might just give my body the extra nudge it needed. Our plan was to try 4 rounds, and then discuss moving to the next level if we didn't see results. 

The third round was the charm. We got a positive test in mid-July, on the last day of our beach vacation with the Howe family. Normally I wouldn't share the news so early, but we thought it would be fun to tell family in person so we announced to Dave's family right away, and then to my family a few days later when we were all together in Washington. 

I was so excited, but also nervous. I went through my entire pregnancy with Sophie without worry, but the miscarriage stole my "innocence is bliss" and as hard as I tried to be positive, the back of my mind was always filled with worry about what could happen. Morning sickness hit with full force around 6 weeks, my first appointment came and went, and yet I still couldn't shake the anxious feelings. 

Around 13 weeks, as the point of my miscarriage neared, I really struggled to stay positive. Memories of what happened before were ever present, and I got hit with reoccurring headaches, the only symptom I had of something being wrong last time. I'm sure most of it was my own brain making me feel this way, but it was still unsettling. I prayed over and over again for this baby to be ok, and then when I still felt troubled, I started praying for peace. I asked Heavenly Father to ease my mind, for courage to accept his plan for me and move forward with faith. I still prayed for the health of the baby, but also for strength, understanding, and comfort if things went wrong. 

And then that night I felt flutters. I dismissed it at first, but it happened again the next night, and the two nights after that and suddenly I knew everything was ok. I didn't feel Sophie move until was I was 21 or 22 weeks, so to feel the baby this early was almost unbelievable to me, but also the best feeling I'd ever had. 

I went in for an appointment a few days later and for a just a moment I faltered. This was the appointment that went so wrong last time, and my mind started racing to the worst case scenario again. We went back to the exam room and just like last time, the doctor could not find a heartbeat. He searched all over my belly and found nothing. And so like before, we moved across the hall for an ultrasound, but this time, to my relief, we saw a sweet little baby dancing wildly across the screen. Heartbeat was perfect, and the baby actually measured big so my doctor moved my due date up a week from March 26th, to March 19th, Sophie's birthday. 

Even now this baby continues to be active. I feel movement every night around 9:00 pm, a sweet reassurance at the end of the day that baby is in there and growing. I have come to have greater faith in my Heavenly Father and his plan for me, even though the timing may be different from what I want it to be. I'm not always one for inspirational quotes, but I enjoy this one that I've seen floating around Facebook lately. I know that illness, injury or other tragedy can happen at any time, but it does no good to worry. Right now life is good and we are enjoying the moment.