{34 Weeks}

I decided it was time to do the bare belly shot! Stretch marks and all - but due to poor lighting and me being lazy they didn't show up nearly as bad as I thought they would. I have just a little over a month left before MJ gets here and it's kinda scary that there isn't much time but at the same time it feels like it's taking FOREVER!

I got the crib all set up in the room Ruth and MJ will eventually share together, (for the first month or so she will sleep in our room in the pack'n'play). Ruth was super excited because she got to help me put it all together. I am glad we got an easy functional crib that's not too hard to put together.

I see my OB next week and I am looking forward to it because I just love his scale! It's not digital but "old school" and it shows me lighter then the one I have at home (which is digital and I think off a bit).

Anywho, below are my bare all images to show that I really am showing and getting HUGE. I swear I feel like a gianormous whale most of the time just lumbering around the house. I am having an extremely hard time picking anything up off the floor right now and my appetite has increased but so have the braxton hicks contractions. I am just happy that I am below my pre-pregnancy weight, which means that when MJ is born I will weigh alot lighter, right?




(you see the stretch marks the most in this image - they are all over my belly, I swear it's like a roadmap from each child I have carried)

{Ceasar & His Cigar}

Well it's not really a cigar but it looks like one and he just loved it and it was so hard to get a picture of him with it. I did enlist Ruth & William's help though. I had to use my on-camera flash & hated the look of that so I just went to a super high ISO which I didn't like either but what's a girl to do? Make it vintage is what a girl does. Hope you enjoy!
He just wouldn't look at me for very long - the raw hide stick was too yummy

Toby wanted to see his stick too but Ceasar only growled and backed away

Ruth was a big help in holding him still but he wiggled away soon after 
I don't want to pose for you, I want to eat my cigar!

Did you not hear me? leave me alone

Thanks William for holding him still so I could get this shot

{Weight Loss Weigh in: Week 30}

I totally forgot about this on Friday. I weighed myself when I woke up this morning and I haven't gained any weight from the last time. Gotta love that. Nothing really happened this past week except the 3d4 ultra sound I had on Wednesday. My eating habits have been good and we have been unpacking slowly & I do mean slowly since neither one of us has much energy and are still recouping from our mad dash to get the rental all cleaned up. I swear these boxes are going to fall on me soon if I don't get them unpacked, but really it will get done eventually.

Anywho, below is my progress or lack there of:

Current Weight: 291 pounds

Weight loss/gain: -0 pounds

Total Weight loss: 14 pounds 

Weight still to lose: 51 pounds to go

{MJ's Debut via 3d4 U/S}

MJ is growing very well and they estimate her to be close to 6 lbs already (I don't think she's that big yet but like I said they estimated the weight). She is breech and curled up into a nice little ball. As you can tell from the ultrasound images her toes are touching the top of her head and in a few they are touching her nose.

This is the first time I have ever had a 3D4 ultrasound done and what is awesome is that because the boys are in school now, William was able to come and see it with me! You should have seen his face light up as he was showing Ruth the different features of MJ. MJ even has Ruth's nose - it was soo cool!!

I go back in 2 weeks and they will check to see if she has moved into the right position, if she hasn't then they will schedule a c-section more then likely...of course she is going to be my trouble maker for sure. I am not afraid of getting a c-section as I will have to be cut one way or another because I plan on getting a tubal ligation after MJ is born - if a c-section is needed then as soon as MJ comes out then I get the tubal that same day, if I have her vaginally I will have to wait until the next day for it.

Anywho, I am on cloud nine and just enjoying seeing my little MJ and seeing a bit of what she will look like once she is born. One of the things the ultrasound tech and William both noticed was all the hair MJ has - no wonder I am having hearburn! In one of the images you can see how curled up she is...I hope you enjoy!!

{33 weeks}

(image found here)

....and completely insane. I swear I have lost my mind from the pain I have had during the past month. Mind you I am used to back pain (have had to deal with it for years and years and with each pregnancy it gets worse & I was expecting it) but the hip pain, sciatic pain and constant braxton hicks along with not being comfortable enough to get a good nights sleep is really taking it's toll and making me a bit wacky, (just ask the dog who is annoying the crap out of me by staring at me for long periods of time).

(image found online)

Due to not getting any sleep from the pain & MJ's constant kicking at night and having to run to the bathroom every 30 minuets I am not my usually chipper self due to lack of much needed sleep. I mean I knew this pregnancy was going to be hard on me since my pregnancy with Ruth was too but this is putting my pain tolerance to the limit. I am so glad I am not going to go thru this again. I just don't think my body can take much more or my nerves for that matter.

(found online)

Have I mentioned I am waddling like a duck from the pain in my hips and that I can't stand, sit or lay down for long periods of time without serious hip and back pain...*sigh* I know it's all worth it but darn it!! This pain isn't making me the best mom or wife I know I can and have been in the past...

At least the boys are going to school now. They had their first day on Monday and are loving it so far & I was able to get some peace and much needed quiet so that I could try and calm my nerves (which didn't last long but did help a bit). Now if I could just get Ceasar (the dog) to stop staring at me I think all will be right with the world again...

{Too Much}

So I have given up on my quest to be a good homeschool mom. I wish I could have done better but I think between the move and not having the patience I had before being pregnant and all hormonal has bit me in the butt and I have conceded to the fact that I just can't do it all.

The boys are actually happy to be going to public school & I am hopeful that this new school will be a good one for them (I hope - really anything is better then the school they went to in Caldwell) and next year I hope to get them into a local charter school.

The boys start on Monday and I am having mixed feelings about it. Glad they are going to get the teaching they need but sad that I couldn't give it to them. I know I took on too much but darn it! I am supposed to be super mommy and do it all!! At least that's what my modern 50's woman handbook says!

(image found online)

{Weight Loss Weigh in: Week 29}

This week has been so crazy I forgot to post this on Friday... I am down this week but I am sure it will fluxuate up and down until MJ gets here. Below is my progress for the week...

Current Weight: 291 pounds

Weight loss/gain: -1.5 pounds

Total Weight loss: 14 pounds 

Weight still to lose: 51 pounds to go

{Never Forget}

Remembering all those who were lost that day & remembering how our country has been forever changed by 9.11.2001

{Weight Loss Weigh in: Week 28}

This week has been insane - we have been slowly moving into our new house and I think the stress of it all is driving me crazy (just ask William).  I haven't been a very good homeschool mom either - the kids have only done a few lessons but I will get them all caught up soon but this week has been too crazy.

I went to my doc appointment this week and I liked their scale alot better - it only said I weight 289 - doc i happy with my progress though and I expressed my concerns with not being able to make it all the way into their hospital since I moved a little farther away but he reassured me that the only way I wouldn't be able to is if I broke my water at home and didn't know I was in labor (which I am pretty sure I will know).

Cable man is here hooking up the internet and cable for us. It will be nice to have fast internet again instead of the slow stuff we have been getting via WIFI.

Anywho, here's to praying that next week will be more smoother and I won't be as crazed. Whoever said moving while pregnant was easy never had raging hormones and insane thoughts on how things should and shouldn't be done.

Below is my progress or lack their of:

Current Weight: 292.5 pounds

Weight loss/gain: +1.5 pounds

Total Weight loss: 12.5 pounds 

Weight still to lose: 52.5 pounds to go

{House Hunt ends}

Our house hunt is official over and now WE ARE HOME OWNERS!!!! It took a long hard journey (like 30 or so days) from start to finish but it was bumpy and tons of stressful moments but we are now proud owners of our very own house!!

(picture taken from listing - not taken by me)

We purchased this cute house built in 1920. It has 4 bedrooms and a nice office. It also boasts 2 bathrooms and a large fenced in back yard fully equiped with a patio, area for garden and fully grown grapes. This cute little house sits on a little over a quarter of an acre and is perfect for our little family!

I promise to have some pictures up soon of the inside & outside pictures taken by me but for now this will have to do as I am busy finishing up packing and getting ready for the big move to happen next weekend.

Have I mentioned how excited I am that our house hunt is over and we now have a place to be settled for a long time!! Well I am excited!!! WE ARE HOME OWNERS!!!

{Weight Loss Weigh in: Week 27}

It's been a long week. We did closing on the house we wanted buy on Monday but due to the seller not finishing things it took too many days for us to actually get the keys (those days were stressful), but I didn't let it bring me down too much (well don't ask my realtor as she may say I was a bit manic) and ate healthier meals and tried not to binge out on junk food (which was my desire most of the week - but I resisted). 

So I was surprised to know that I had actually lost weight this week. How awesome is that! MJ has been moving like crazy and I swear she is bruising up every part of my insides before she comes out! I am almost 31 weeks, the time sure has flied by.

The kids start homeschool next week and they are looking forward to it! I promise to have some pics up of the house soon - but mind you it is crazy here so it may be a week or so before it actually happens. Below is my progress:

Current Weight: 291 pounds

Weight loss/gain: -2 pounds

Total Weight loss: 14 pounds 

Weight still to lose: 54 pounds to go