It's 3am and I am awake because contractions woke me up. I am due with Baby #3 in 4 days. This pregnancy has by far been the toughest one yet. I feel like this pregnancy I am constantly saying, "I never had this with the first two pregnancies!" It has been tough to say the least. I have soooo much to be thankful for, but these past few months have been really tough with the curveballs this pregnancy has thrown. I had to take pills for nauseousness until almost 7 months along. I didn't ever take any meds with the first two. This pregnancy I became anemic. My doctor had to put me on iron supplement pills to boost my iron levels. Never had that with the first two either. Low iron is so incredibly exhausting. Some days Blake would come home and I was sleeping on the floor because I couldn't make it to the bed. Absolutely over the top exhausted. Not only exhausted, but feeling so, so weak. Weak like you have the flu, but thank goodness no other flu symptoms. Most of the pregnancy I wake up in the middle of the night or from a nap, with my heart racing. I mean really racing crazy, pounding, making me feel completely out of breathe and out of control. Not fun. Actually very scary at times. I had one hospital scare. I was so weak Blake took me to the hospital in tears. I couldn't breathe normal. I felt so weak, I needed his support to walk. After hours of tests, the hospital pumped me with two bags of IV fluid and my body started to come back to normal. Now near the end of this pregnancy I have varicose veins like you would not believe. Painful. Debilitating. Makes my legs feel numb. My feet, especially the right foot has swollen more than I ever thought possible. And oh my feet hurt. I don't remember having any of this with the first two pregnancies. On top of all of this, just the normal pregnancy pains, kicks, Braxton Hicks and extreme uncomfortableness one would expect.
None of this is to complain. More so, just to document this season in our lives. God knows how truly thankful I am for His amazing plan. I know His plan is way better than any plan we could come up with. I know way down the road, or maybe even the moment I hold this baby for the first time in a couple of days, I will know and feel all of this has been worth every second of struggle.
We don't know boy or girl yet. We have four days until our due date. Our due date is Super Bowl Sunday. Not sure friends or family want to watch the game at a hospital and I KNOW Blake would prefer to watch the game on a comfy couch, but God knows His perfect timing. Aubrey Rose was two days early. Austin came 8 days late. I am ready for this one to arrive.
As the days come closer and closer to our due date, I have become a little anxious. Where will I be when the big contractions begin? Will Blake be with me? Will I be able to get a hold of him in time? Will my water break this time? It never has before, but this pregnancy has not been like any I have experienced! I am just praying if my water does break before the hospital, that it happens in the comfort of my own home, rather than out in public. I also have worries about the kids. Will it happen in the middle of the night and then we aren't home when they wake up. Will they have school in the morning? Should we take them out of school for that day? All these questions as I sit and wait and wait for this little one to arrive.
While I am at this, I might as well update a little. We found out we were pregnant at one of our friends houses. It is a memory I bet we will never forget. I made one comment about being late and off to the store my girlfriend and I went. We left our hubbies at the house and we went to buy a couple of pregnancy tests. Came back to their house, I took one test...positive. It was quite a surreal moment. The following days I took a couple more tests to just to make sure.
One of my sweetest memories was sharing the news with my favorite sister. I told her we were pregnant with number three and she quickly said to me, "Years and years down the road, when you sit at your Thanksgiving table, you will forever be thankful for having three kids." I love my sister! It was at that point, I knew God's plan was even greater than any plan I could have created.
There are other people excited too. I think the most excited is Aubrey Rose. She is already practicing to be a little mommy. I am not sure I will have to do too much for this new baby. I am pretty sure I will have quite the little helper from this girl. Aubrey Rose gives this baby kisses multiple times a day. She talks to the baby and loves on the baby (or my belly) already. It is the sweetest thing. Actually the cutest thing is almost every time she comes close to me for a hug or to kiss the baby, this baby wakes up and starts kicking and moving. This baby already loves her!! I promise she will touch my belly for one second and this baby knows it is her and starts to move. Aubrey Rose thinks it is the funniest thing in the world. She starts talking to the baby, the baby moves more. It really is the cutest thing, but goodness it hurts me!!! This baby can kick!
Aubrey Rose is not the only child in the house who is excited. Austin is too. We have a couple of friends lately who have brand new babies as well. I am often shocked at how tender and adorable he reacts to the babies. When I tell him our baby is hurting me or kicking me, he often tells me to just go like this and get the baby out already!
So here we are, four days away from our due date, we have the bassinet ready to go in our room. All baby things have been brought out again. It kind of makes me anxious to go down this newborn road again, but I know it will be worth it.
The crib has been built. It is in Aubrey's room for now, since she sleeps every night in the bunk beds with Austin in his room. Swings are out and baby clothes are ready. We just need to know if this is a boy or a girl in order to make things a little more permanent around here. I can not wait to know!
I should probably go back to bed in case this baby decides today is the day.
Ahhh, another contraction! Ouuuuch!! How many more days?? Or hours??
I wish I knew, but we are as ready as we will ever be!
