Day 18

I have a history of NOT having to be pregnant for a full 40 weeks or beyond. It is kind of awesome, but it is also anxiety-producing. All the babies have been good weights and there's this fear I have that if I exceed the precedented delivery dates baby will be huge and I'll need surgery etc, etc. Not that surgery is an inferior way to have a baby, I'm just scared of it and don't feel like mothering five children while I recover from surgery.
Landon (#3) came the earliest at 20 days early. I'm pretty sure the midwife had something to do with that by swirling things around in there. I was contracting in the office and was at a five on my 37 week check up date. She was on call that night and gave me a push. It worked and thank heavens because he was 7 lbs 15 oz (that's just an ounce shy of 8 pounds). I don't even want to imagine how big he'd have been if he'd cooked for three more weeks. Plus, he broke his collarbone on the way out so that was a little scary.
The remaining three babes (#1, 2, and 4) all came on Day 18. Ethan would have been here by now, he was born just before 4 AM. Grayson came about 5:30 AM and Miriam was 2:47 PM. All on Day 18. Well, you guessed it. Day 18 is today! My anxiety is climbing the longer baby boy stays in there.
I had an appointment earlier this week and was four CM dilated and effacement was about 50%.  My mom, being awesome, decided to spend the week with me. It has been great having her here. I can't remember the last time I had her all to myself for such a long period of time. (Probably when Ethan was born 7.5 years ago.) We've talked and laughed and she's helped me do normal things that have become difficult with my girth. She has even given me foot rubs! Something my wonderful husband just doesn't do. My appointment was on Monday and NOTHING yet.
If nothing happens today I'll officially have been pregnant longer than ever before. I know I should enjoy it seeing as this is it for us, but the discomfort and anxiety is really making that difficult. I realize this is not a REAL problem, it is only a problem because I'm a crazy pregnant lady.

37 Weeks

I have been so spoiled.  All three of my boys came at 37 weeks.  If baby girl fails to arrive today, I will officially be pregnant longer than I ever have been.  At my visit this week, I was already 80% effaced and 3 cm dilated.  That just means things are happening, which is good.  The more I do prior to active, hard labor the better for me.  The anticipation is killing me and as each day passes I get more and more worried baby will be so big I'll need a c-section.  Even in arriving 3 weeks prior to due date, all boys weighed in at healthy weights.  Landon was nearly 8 lbs!  Here's the latest photo of belly!

Sugar and Spice

A few of my dear friends talked me into having a baby shower.  I am not a huge fan of showers, even if they're mine, but they were very convincing.  I am so glad they were successful.  I had a blast and I felt so special.  It was simply wonderful.  See for yourself.

 No party, especially for me, isn't complete without delicious food to eat.

 Shea made these yummy treats.  They were so cute. Glad we got a photo before we ate them all up.

 I invited about 25 people and pretty much everyone came.  I felt so loved.  Each individual introduced herself and then shared something they like about me.  Talk about a self-esteem boost.  I truly wish I'd recorded their comments.  My heart grew ten sizes I think.  Truth is, I could say the same wonderful things about each of the women there.  I have been so blessed by each of them.

 Just a silly photo of me.

 Elisabeth and me.  Elisabeth has become a dear friend.  She is one my convincing friends.

 Stacey, Me, and Mom.  

So excited to have another girl in our family. Currently we're very outnumbered.

Mom, Me, and Sabra.  Gigi and Grandma can't wait to spoil her.

Trista, another very convincing friend, put together a super fun game for the shower.  See how well you do on the quiz she created. Answers are at the bottom.

1. Which of the following did Andrea do while in labor with Ethan?

A. Ate ice cream cake on a towel covered dining chair with her husband's family.
B. Listened to tribal music while biting on a birch stick for 6 and a half hours.
C. Yelled out "The ring of fire!" Causing the neighboring patient to demand an epidural.
D. All of the above

2. When Andrea asked Ethan, "What kind of baby do you want?" Ethan said:

A. A baby what?...kitten?
B. We don't need another baby mom.
C. How about a girl baby? We don't have one of those.
D. All of the above.

3. About which child does Andrea say, "he's always in a hurry...even at birth?"

A. Ethan

B. Grayson
C. Landon
D. All of the above

4. With whose delivery did Andrea say, "I'm not getting that epidural, am I?"'

A. Ethan
B. Grayson
C. Landon
D. All of the above

5. What birthing education courses has Andrea participated in over the years?

A. Hypno birthing classes, two different times
B. Winnie Palmer Labor and Delivery class where Andrea allowed Landon's delivery to be video taped for educational purposes.
C. Some no name pregnancy and birthing DVDs that she didn't finish
D. All of the above

6. Landon was...

A. Suppose to be a girl based on the 20 week ultrasound.
B. most definitely a surprise baby.
C. So eager to be born that he broke Andrea's water during a talk in church.
D. All of the above

7. During labor, Jared said "what are you doing?" When he found Andrea...

A. Making homemade macaroni and cheese for a freezer meal.
B. vacuuming the inside of their car.
C. Shaving her legs
D. All of the above.

8. Andrea has been known to pack for her hospital stay

A. Months in advance
B. never. Jared does it for her.
C. During labor
D. All of the above

9. Andrea says

A. Landon was born with a broken collarbone.
B. She was in shock until 2 weeks before Landon's birth.
C. She shed the most tears during Landon's pregnancy.
D. All of the above.

10. Andrea delivers

A. On her due date
B. 3 weeks early
C. 13 days past her due date
D. All of the above

11. Most women want to punch Andrea in the face while she is in labor because...

A. She can be found saying things like, "So what you are saying isthat I am having a contraction right now? I can't even feel anything!"
B. She also has been known to say, "I'm really already dilated to 5 cm? But I can't feel the contractions!"
C. Her legs are shaved.
D. All of the above.

Answers: A, C, B, B, C, B, C, C, D,B, D

 

I Get a BABY at the end...

Nevertheless, I am about to complain about pregnancy.  You've been fairly warned. 

I am so tired.  I feel like a zombie.  I walk into rooms and can't remember why.  I get heartburn from drinking water. I am in constant pain and feel like an old, arthritic woman every time I get up.  I hobble and I waddle.  Today, I was told, "Sister Krause, you're huge!"  Direct quote.  Seriously, I know I"m huge, I'm the one carrying all the extra weight.  The rub there is that I've only gained about 25 pounds so far, which for me is not a whole lot.  My sweet boys make me feel cute, at least.  Jared only has compliments and today Grayson told me how pretty I looked on our way to church. All four of them love to touch my belly and feel the baby kick.  Grayson and Landon also love to smooch my belly, which always turns into them blowing raspberries on my belly.  It's super cute. 
It's not all bad, but it has been extremely difficult this time around.  At 8 months pregnant, I am still throwing up.  What is that?!  Despite all my complaints, the truth is I need to knock it off because I GET A BABY AT THE END!  That is the greatest blessing and that is not lost on me.  Ultimately, I am grateful for all my mindlessness, discomfort, and pain.  I just hope the next 6.5 weeks don't feel like a lifetime.
Yesterday, my mom and two of my aunts, Aunt Margo and Aunt Teresa, came over to help me recover our dining room chairs.  Having them here was balm for my soul.  There's something about a hug from your mom.  If I could get a couple more in the next several weeks, I think I can make it. 

Pumpkins and Pregnancy

Ethan's little school is awesome!  They hosted a small dinner for families in (well, near) the pumpkin patch.  We brought our picnic blanket and enjoyed some delicious, American junk food--hot dogs, chips, cupcakes, and soda.  We also visited with new friends from school and had a fun time picking out our pumpkins.  Each of the boys chose their own small pumpkin and Jared purchased a rather large one.  He plans to enter his into a carving contest at the church on Saturday.  Stay tuned for photos later this week. Above the boys enjoy dinner and below they show off their pumpkins and cupcake-smeared faces.

In addition to enjoying the slightly cooler weather and impending holidays, I am managing to enjoy pregnancy.  Don't get me wrong, my body aches and I mean it aches.  In the morning, I feel like an old, arthritic woman trying to get out of bed.  I am just so grateful to be having another baby and that we are going to have a little girl.  I also am 99.9% certain that this is the last time I will be pregnant.  I am cherishing each kick and trying not to complain about heartburn, aches, pains, and forgetfulness.  We watched a little video Uncle Joe made of Ethan's first few months on Saturday.  I was crying by the end because he's going to be 5 in less than a week and I don't know how time managed to go so quickly.  I know that with our baby girl it may go even faster and I am definitely sad that this is the last time I'll feel those flutters in my belly and hold a small, cuddly baby in my arms. 
The boys are very excited to become big brothers to a little girl.  They kiss my tummy and talk about her almost every day.  All of them have stated their willingness to help her and to help mommy.  I found Grayson "practicing" this morning with a baby doll he brought home from Gigi's house. In the picture he is poking her in the eye, but before I got out the camera, he was holding her close to him wrapped up in that little blanket.  I was too slow and un-stealthy to get that shot.

27 of 30 Things

Favorite Body Part

I am not sure I can pinpoint my favorite body part.  I know what Jared's favorite body part on me is.  I'm sure you can guess.  I will just say that I like that I am short, or in to put it nicely "petite."  I never had to worry about dating anyone shorter than me.  People probably hate me because Jared is 6'1".  So, a really short girl took a tall man off the market. 
Right now, I love my pregnant belly.  Here's a photo of me at 18 weeks.

Whole Foods and Cookie Dough

For months my friend, Elisabeth has been talking to me about a whole foods diet.  Now, my sister, Stacey, has also started talking about it with me.  It sounds wonderful and I totally want to get on board.  However, all I want to do right now is eat cookie dough.  So...

30 Weeks

I am now less than 10 weeks away from my due date (December 7) and we are getting closer to a name. For fear that someone will change my mind, I am keeping it a secret just a little bit longer. We are still working on the middle name anyway so the big reveal will come when we've settled on that. I saw my doctor this week and all is looking great. I feel pretty good except I am extremely tired, which comes with the territory. My doctor mentioned that since Ethan came so early (nearly 3 weeks), she wouldn't be surprised if this little guy came early too. I would love to avoid being 10 months pregnant, but don't want to get my hopes up either. We'll just have to wait and see. One thing about babies is they come when they're ready and not necessarily when mom is. Here's a pic of me at 30 weeks. I definitely have started running into people with this thing! Don't stop short in front of me or you'll be bumped a few feet: )

Some pics to catch up

24 Weeks and Growing!
Ethan at the beach!

Hanging out with the Dawson's.

Sarah's surprise baby shower.

My delicious birthday cake. Homemade with love by my mother-in-law.

We're having a boy!

Jared and I had the ultrasound yesterday and we're having a boy! I was a little torn because having had a boy, it would be fun to have a girl; however, I know that Ethan will love having a little brother. I was so happy that I cried. It was amazing how much more I could see in the ultrasound this time around. Maybe that's from experience or maybe technology is better just two years later. It was an awesome day! Now all we need is a name. I am totally open to suggestions. Here are some photos from the ultrasound. The top one is his little foot and the bottom is his profile.

Shower me with Gifts

Words cannot express the joy and love I felt as my dear sister, Stacey, put together a baby shower for me. It was so fun getting the regular updates about who had RSVPed and what the plans for the event were. Then, the event came and I was became overwhelmed with love. I am truly blessed to belong to such a choice family. Surrounded by 24 beautiful women I have come to admire, truly felt love. Thank you for making my baby shower such a wonderful experience. More importantly, thank you for making my life such a wonderful experience. I love, love, love sharing this life with all of you. Thank you for being a part of it all!
Pictures from the big event will follow as soon as I get them from my photographers : )

Latest Belly Shot

Whoa, Nelly! It just keeps getting bigger and bigger. Here I am at 28 weeks! (Nearly two weeks ago now.) I started my two week visits and that is exciting because it means baby is close to arriving. I am very much looking forward to it. He's sitting so high, it has become difficult to breathe! No swelling yet, which is good.

Nursery Suprise

Really all we did to the nursery was move Tony out and paint. Aunt Stacey had a surprise for us and it made me cry! Since finding out we were pregnant, she and Uncle Joe have been working on a very special gift for us. Everytime they ran errands, they would pick up a children's book for their nephew. (Other members of the family also helped out by making suggestions for the new library.) All, I have to say is it is spectacular and I hope this gift will be a way to teach our son to love good books and learning. Aunt Stacey stated that she was hoping this would be "her thing" with her nephew. She is an avid and well-rounded reader and plans to share this with her nephew. With baby showers coming, hopefully the rest of the room will fill up and I'll post more pictures then. : )

Belly Shots!

Here's when we first found out we were expecting. Don't worry, all hands were washed after taking this picture: )

Here I am at 4 months! Starting to get that bump!

At 5 months, I'm growing everyday!

What a difference a month can make! 6 months and counting!

Here I am at the start of my 7th month! This picture was taken just last week! Time is really starting to fly by now!