Pregnancy #3 - a recap

Good morning!  I know, I know...you're shocked to see me, aren't you?  Well nothing like nearing the end of pregnancy to make a girl feel like blogging I guess!

I thought since I'm (maybe? almost? kinda?) officially entering that "any day" stage, I should really bring all of you wonderful people up to speed on this 3rd pregnancy of mind.  I've been glad I took the time to write down details of my pregnancies and births on my blog, and last night I spent awhile looking through the last few weeks leading up to the births of my girls - and I didn't want to miss the opportunity to at least record a little info this time around too.  First, a little recap:

DEC 2012:  One night I nearly gagged when Dan prepped his morning coffee, and I KNEW that feeling...so I promptly took a pregnancy test the next morning.  I'll be honest, it was a bit of a shock this time around.  We wanted more children, but the timing wasn't exactly what we had in mind :)  Christmas and New Years were spent sharing our news (albeit a bit early) with family, and trying not to smell any of the delicious cooking going on.

JAN - FEB 2013:  Blah.  That pretty much sums up those months for me.  I felt gross & tired pretty much round the clock, but God gave us the grace to keep up with our growing girlies while we adjusted to the idea of adding a 3rd child to our family.  My Mom came for a long weekend and helped to stock our freezer with some meals, some dear friends pitched in, and Dan was amazing to keep things going while I struggled through.

MAR 2013:  I was able to make a nice, long trip to visit my family over the first couple weeks of March.  Mom took care of me and the girls, and I felt like I really turned that proverbial corner while I was there.  The nausea and fatigue eased up and I felt I was coming out of my "fog."  I also started to definitely show at this point, and I think the reality of a baby began to sink in a bit more with the evidence.  We also found out that month that this child I was carrying was actually a BOY!!!  More shock and disbelief - and a whole lot of excitement!

APRIL 2013:  I relished the coming of spring and finally felt more like myself again.  Grandma Ann & Grandpa AJ made a quick trip down with my Dad and brought us some beautiful furniture, Dan expanded and planted our garden, and we watched the various plants and flowers around the house come to life again.  Celebrating Easter and our risen LORD was especially meaningful and we sought to teach our girls the precious story, and I watched Caroline's eyes fill with wonder and excitement as she began to understand more and more.  Such a sweet time.

MAY 2013:  Dan and I had been anticipating our trip to Iowa for a long time, so we were finally able to head north to our beloved Orange City (were we attended college) for the Tulip Festival and some wonderful time with family and friends we don't often get to see.  The girls had a BALL!  Dan reveled in the catching up and reconnecting with dear friends, and I had a back-ache that wouldn't quit...but I was still so grateful for the time there, especially with Aunt Linda & Uncle Alan.  Then we headed down to Missouri for Torri's graduation (what?!?) & a few days with my family.  It was a wonderful vacation all around, and it also felt like another turning point as we returned home and began to feel a shift towards preparing for baby.  (oh yeah, and we got iPhones!)

JUNE 2013:  June was full of family (with all 3 of Dan's sisters home), Father's Day, Ballet camp (that should really be a separate post on it's own - it was a bit of a disaster really), a fabulous visit from Aunt Gigi (aka Paige), and my ever-expanding belly.  I began to feel "really pregnant," and my varicose veins and compression stockings became more uncomfortable, so the girls and I found lots of indoor activities to fill our time.  June sort of came and went in a hurry, and I was thankful to see the calendar turn to July - getting closer!

JULY 2013:  (Whew, almost caught up!)  My sister and her family came for a fantastic (albeit rainy) visit over the 4th of July.  (She wrote about it in detail here and here.) It was such sweet time together, and Kelsey was WONDERFUL and painted baby boy's room!  Then she was even more amazing and patient with me, and she spent nearly a whole day shopping for said room (and dealing with my indecisiveness when it comes to decorating).  After they left, my nesting really kicked into high gear!  Having the room nearly ready gave me the boost to start organizing, washing, gathering, and taking inventory of what we have and what we need for little mister.  I also tackled sewing my own black-out curtains (which I finished yesterday - yay!), and a few other little sewing projects that I have had fun with.  I think my nesting has been encouraged by frequent Braxton Hicks contractions, frequent trips to the doctor, and other such signs that the end is in sight!

So here I sit at 36 weeks pregnant.  The time has gone both quickly and slowly (somehow that's possible, trust me).  In January, July felt impossibly far away, and many of the days and weeks have been rather long and grueling.  This has not been the easiest pregnancy for me, that's for sure.  It's been punctuated by nausea, varicose veins, back-aches, nose-bleeds, contractions, and other unmentionables (we'll just leave it at that!).  But it's been "uncomplicated" in the ways that count, in my overall health and the health of the baby, for which I am incredibly thankful. 

from my beautiful baby shower this week!

Somehow in His great grace & mercy, God has chosen to bless us with another child to love and care for.  It is overwhelming, truly.  Life feels so full with our two beautiful girls, it is so hard to imagine what it will look like to add a son to our family.  I am anxious about the transition, but mostly just very eager to meet our little man face to face and hold him in my arms.  The anticipation of seeing Dan with a SON makes my heart so full, and to finally share a boy with our family of SO many girls brings a lot of excitement.

I will try and keep you posted in these next days and weeks as the arrival of our son draws near.  If you made it to the end of this post (Mom & Kels), thanks for muddling through :)