I do so well…and then I don't. And maternity pictures!

Hello! I was doing great with this blogging thing…and then I wasn't. Life is full and blogging is just always on the back burner even though I don't necessarily want it to be.

I'm about to plug away at a few more posts, but I did want to go ahead and share a few of the maternity photos that we took tonight. Yes, I said we. This family has way too many things to pay for at the moment, so I wasn't really interested in hiring a photographer…but I also knew I would regret not having at least a few photos of my huge bump, so we went to the park that is right by our house and Bryan took a few photos of just me before the mosquitoes started eating us and we headed home. Wow, that was a long sentence.

Disclaimer A: I sort of wanted Parker to be in a few of these, but I say sort of because I knew it was pretty much a 100% guarantee that he would want nothing to do with the camera. And I was right. His dad felt the same way. So again…these are of just me (and the baby bump!).

Disclaimer B: I didn't do any Pinterest "research" and am standing in the same place... and these were seriously taken within a 10 minute window (as I said, the mosquitoes were out in swarms), but truly, you just need one good one so we are plenty happy with these!

The lone Parker photo! He is really into kissing the baby. He is also really into running 100mph with his airplane while screaming at the top of his lungs (which is what he did for the remainder of this photo shoot ;).

I'm very excited to for my belly (and face, thighs, and hiney) to be back to semi-normal in a few weeks, but I also know I will miss his kicks and hiccups! And I will be more exhausted than I am right now, which is hard to fathom (truly--I do not sleep), so really…I need to try and soak this up.

Here are some bullets for ya:

How Far Along: Almost 39 WEEKS. BAH!

Baby Size: My app says 7 pounds, but he's got to be up in the 8's by now with our family history.

Total Weight Gain: Oh man…37 pounds. THIRTY-SEVEN. And it's everywhere…definitely not "all belly".

Maternity Clothes? Down to a handful of shirts and sweat pants that fit comfortably. I've worn the above shirt 4 times this week. 

Stretch Marks? Yes, although I don't think I have any new additions since my last pregnancy--but they are definitely present!

Sleep: Hahahahahaha. That's funny.

Best moment this week: Ooooh this week, I don't know. In recent weeks….getting the nursery completed, crossing things off my nesting checklist, my wonderful family visiting to help me get the house ready, just the ever-present anticipation of him actually being HERE! And of course, I love baby kicks and hiccups. 

I get up to pee about: 1-2 times a night.  

Food Cravings: Apples!!! I think I've eaten like 30 this week. Thank goodness they are in season and cheap. Shredded wheat, soup. Ice water. 

Labor Signs: Lots and lots of Braxton Hicks. And maybe even a few real contractions…I'm horrible at telling. I'm also dilated 2-3cm and 70% effaced. Of course that means nothing in reality, but it's still exciting!

Belly button in or out? Flat.

Wedding rings on or off? On

Happy or Moody most of the time: Both. I'm not kidding, this pregnancy has been much more painful than my first. It seriously hurts to stand up and start walking if I've been off my feet for a while…I don't know if it's because he's carrying low or what. I'm also exhausted because I can't sleep due to constant back pain and the horrid restless leg syndrome that has yet to go away. But other than that, I am generally happy when we are getting things ready for the big arrival!

Looking forward to: Having him OUT! Parker was born at 39 weeks exactly so I'm seriously just counting down the seconds until I go into labor. If I actually make it to his due date I may die of disappointment. ;) I cannot wait to see what he looks like. I think about it all the time!!

Have a marvelous Sunday! (10.12.14 would be an AWESOME birthday, don't you think? I've been telling the baby this but I have a feeling he doesn't agree.)

21 Weeks.

I realize that I am teetering on the edge of 22 weeks (my switch days are Wednesdays), but I am bound and determined to do this every week, gosh darn it!

How Far Along: 21 Weeks.

Baby Size: Gosh I don't even know. More than 12 ounces, maybe up to a pound! Carrot length.

Total Weight Gain: ah, 15 lbs

Maternity Clothes? Needing more. It is hot and I only have a handful of shorts that are stretchy. Summer pregnancies are a bit more interesting to dress than winter pregnancies. 

Stretch Marks? No.

Sleep: Okay, I have never experienced restless leg syndrome before but have been right before I fall asleep for the last week or two. It is awful. I had no clue it was pregnancy related, but I was reading another blog (Chris loves Julia) and she complained about it during her pregnancy and so I googled it and sure enough! Just another part of pregnancy bliss ;). This pregnancy is so different from Parker's...it's weird. Also more leg cramps. I guess I need more bananas? 

Best moment this week: Feeling a lot more outside kicks! Seeing him move and giving "him" a name! Hayes Benjamin Roberts. :) Also, Parker is actually acknowledging that there is a baby in my tummy! 

I get up to pee about: Once a night  

Food Cravings: Um I've been to McDonald's like 3 times in the last week. I do not go to McDonald's...like ever. 

Labor Signs: Nope.

Belly button in or out? In

Wedding rings on or off? On

Happy or Moody most of the time: Pretty happy. Starting to get overwhelmed with everything that needs to be done before he gets here!

Looking forward to: We had to reschedule our appointment with our doula (she had a client go into labor--good excuse), so we will be meeting this week!

20 Weeks!

How Far Along: 20 weeks. Halfway!

Baby Size: 12 ounces according to sonogram--banana!

Total Weight Gain: ah, 15 pounds. I eat too much. :) I'm holding out hope due to the fact that this also happened with Parker.

Maternity Clothes? Same as it has been.

Stretch Marks? No.

Sleep: Leg cramps! In the middle of the night! Already! What is this? Bleck.

Best moment this week: Seeing a healthy baby boy at our anatomy scan. Everything looked great which we are thankful for! Getting to see his little face and hands in 3D. :)  

I Am Most Comfortable Sleeping:  On my side-ish...I still try and roll to my stomach but that obviously doesn't work.

I get up to pee about: Once a night  

Movement: He moved on the outside! So weird and the best feeling ever. I've seen several kicks and even rolls. Bryan felt him for the first time this week too.

Food Cravings: Watermelon. Soup from La Madeleine!

Gender: BOY!!!!

Labor Signs: Nope.

Belly button in or out? In

Wedding rings on or off? On

Happy or Moody most of the time: Happy.

Looking forward to: Decorating the nursery...again. Watching my belly grow. I have an obsession with pregnant bellies. Also, Parker has really taken an interest in my belly. He will kiss it now (when he feels like it) which is cute!

18 Weeks

How Far Along: 18 weeks

Baby Size: 7 ounces, the size of a bell pepper

Total Weight Gain: I'm going to stick with 12 pounds

Maternity Clothes? Still in maternity tanks but normal jeans, shirts, dresses. 

Stretch Marks? No.

Sleep: Good. Can't really sleep on my stomach any more. Having to do the good old leg hitch on Bryan again!

Best moment this week: Sharing with everyone that we are having a BOY!! 

Miss Anything? Again with the wine....I have no clue why. 

Movement: Okay, I'm about 98% sure that I am feeling movement now. Except it's not flutters like with Parker, they are nudges. I love nudges! Especially when baby gets bigger, which is why I'm not 100% positive that that's what's happening now. But it happens a lot and makes me happy!

Food Cravings: Water, fruit, Comfort food. My MIL made meat loaf last week and I can't stop thinking about it.

Anything making you queasy or sick? I don't know...Parker has had a stomach virus all week and I thought I had caught it when I lost my breakfast yesterday morning...but then I was fine, so I'm thinking maybe it was just pregnancy hormones? Either way, two people throwing up in one house is two too many. 

Other Symptoms: Need to pee, tired, have had some round ligament pain (which makes sense since I look like a whale this week!)

Gender: BOY!!!!

Labor Signs: Nope.

Belly button in or out? In

Wedding rings on or off? On

Happy or Moody most of the time: Still pretty moody. I have gotten mad at the dumbest things this week and have had a pretty negative attitude about a lot of things. And then I cry about it, so that's fun. I think I cried almost every day this week, which is a little ridiculous!

Looking forward to: Picking out a name (I think we have zeroed in the first name, but can't decide on a middle)

Differences from last pregnancy: I'm definitely a lot bigger at 18 weeks than I was with P. So, there's that! Also, I tend to forget that I'm pregnant a lot since I have Parker to chase around. It's so weird how much less fragile I think I am this time around. Truly, all of these symptoms are just afterthoughts compared to how much I focused on them when I was pregnant with Parker. Poor second child! ;)

17 Weeks.

Here we go again!

I'm going to try to make things simpler this time around so we'll see how that goes. (Hence the iPhone photo.)

How Far Along: 17 weeks

Baby Size: 5 ounces, the weight of a turnip, the size of an onion!

Total Weight Gain: Ah! I just got weighed today  but didn't have the guts to ask. I think like 12 pounds. :-/

Maternity Clothes? Sporting my miracle worker maternity tanks under all clothing already, but definitely still wearing normal jeans and shirts on top.

Stretch Marks? No.

Sleep: Good.

Best moment this week: Today we found out what the baby is!!! We are SO pumped, but haven't told all of our family yet so I'll wait to post it everywhere else. 

Miss Anything? I've really been wanting a glass of wine lately, which is weird because I really don't like wine.

Movement: Maybe a few flutters? I can't tell 100%, but I wish!

Food Cravings: Water all. the. time. Fresh fruit. Mexican food. Steak.

Anything making you queasy or sick? Not really any more, thank goodness. Smells and the thought of sweets made me gag for a while though.

Other Symptoms: Still a little tired, already getting awful leg and foot cramps. Need to pee a lot.

Gender: It's a secret for the moment :) 

Labor Signs: Haha, no way.

Belly button in or out? In

Wedding rings on or off? On

Happy or Moody most of the time: Both? I swear I cry at everything right now. And when I'm mad, I super mad.

Looking forward to: Feeling first for sure kicks, picking out a name. Everything, really!

Differences from last pregnancy: This time around has been SO much easier, so far. Not near as sick, didn't break out, haven't had all of the weird skin stuff that I dealt with last time. Definitely feeling bigger a lot sooner this time though. And I have to pee a lot, which I never had to do with Parker (and I was well hydrated, I think)

Funny words/moments from Big Brother: Lately when I ask, "Is there a baby in Mommy's tummy?" He just looks at me dead-on and says "NO". He does love to point out all babies though and wants to pet them. Then he chucks a baby doll across the room and laughs.

We Have Some News!

For anyone who actually still reads this, we are excited to announce that we have another little one coming along this October! 

I think that the last time I posted on here I didn't even know I was pregnant, haha!

We are so excited and have been really looking forward to giving Parker a sibling and growing our family. The new baby is due October 22nd, although he or she may come a little early since Parker decided to show up a week early, but we will have to wait and see. I am 16 weeks today and look HUGE compared to what I did at this time with Parker.

Quite honestly, I have been meaning to announce this to the general public for about a month now but I had very unrealistic expectations of wrangling my two-year-old down to pose oh-so-perfectly for a picture with his new sibling's shoes but in the end neither of us had the patience to make that happen... 

I have been feeling a lot better with this pregnancy overall, just queasy and tired for a few weeks, but nothing like what I was with Parker. (Thank goodness!)

 I'm hoping to take my first bump picture tomorrow since it's finally starting to look like a real bump instead of just one too many cheeseburgers. :) My goal is to take them regularly this time!

That's about it! We had Parker's birthday party last weekend so I would like to post pictures of that sometime soon, too!