29 weeks

28 weeks

29 weeks (please excuse dirty mirror, the mirrors are often dirty around here!)

Appointment today- looked good :) Every week he is doing so well gives me more hope that I might get to take a well (if not slightly yellowish) baby home with me in a couple of months. He is in a good position right now (sometimes LOA. sometimes LOT.) Liam was in an extremely similar position and he came out just fine :)

I am, however, getting to that "I am so done being pregnant" stage. Not because I am particularly uncomfortable. Not because I have everything ready (ha!) but because I am tired of all the appointments. And it is really only going to get more intense from here on out. I will be seeing the regular OB every couple of weeks until 36 weeks and then weekly. I will be seeing the specialist weekly after 33 weeks. And I am also seeing the chiropractor for my back. Which leaves me with a ri.dic.u.lous. amount of appointments with various assorted healthcare providers. It will be nice once he is born and we can slow down a bit.

I am feeling better since I started seeing the chiro. My back and ligaments have still been giving me some trouble but I am going fairly frequently at this point, so relief is often just around the bend. And it seems to be resolving itself quicker, too. Hooray for relief. I was pretty sure a few weeks ago that I wasn't going to make it to the end of my pregnancy if I continued to feel like that, so it is nice to feel (relatively) normal most of the time now. I at least feel like I can make it another 11 weeks now without my pelvis falling apart, which is good ;)

Vacation

Well, Joe has most of the vacation pictures on his camera, but I thought I would share what I had. We got to spend a lovely few days in the mountains in Breckenridge, CO. When we planned our trip I thought it would be nice to go at the end of June to catch some of the cooler weather since it has been hot here. Well, I got what I hoped for. This is what we woke up to the first morning:
Luckily, it melted pretty quickly this first day. We went into town to look around. It was quite wet. And muddy. It was still cool, so we thought it would be nice to get the kids some hot chocolate. We went to a cute little cafe. We warned the kids that it was hot and to be careful not to spill it.

Liam was the first to spill his.

Issy and Isaac were kind enough to share the rest of their hot chocolate with him. Joe and I weren't done with our coffee, but we decided to go ahead and walk some. A kind shop owner saw us and asked if we would like our picture taken:
Not a bad picture, if I say so myself. Pretty much immediately after this, I picked up my coffee while the kids were admiring the snow behind us. I was standing behind Issy, who then jumped up in excitement and spilled the rest of my coffee all over my sweater.

Which led me to remember: ideas in my head (like getting hot chocolate with four small children) are often easier in my head than in real life. Not saying I wouldn't do it again. Sometimes I really just need to adjust my expectations.

The next day we were going to drive to the top of a pass we drove last year, but it was closed so we found a different one. We stopped at the top and walked a little further on the trail. Great views. My little mountain babies:
Overall, it was a pretty great trip. After the first day, the snow melted and it was gorgeous the rest of the time. It was nice to get some much needed time in the mountains.

27 weeks

25 weeks 3 days

26 weeks

27 weeks

Had another appointment yesterday and all is well. He had a couple of higher-for-him readings (though still under the cutoff) when the ultrasound technician took the MCAs. When the doctor came in, he did a couple and got much lower readings (around what they had been in previous weeks). He said he wasn't concerned and that in an anemic baby he would expect consistently higher readings across the board without the lower readings that he was able to get. Even at this stage, movement can affect the readings and he was being a wild baby when the tech was doing it. I am continuously impressed by how level-headed my high-risk doctor seems and am so relieved to feel like I can trust his assessments.

They also took his measurements, which are still ahead a couple/few weeks. His estimated weight is already 2 lbs 12 oz. Chubby little guy I've got in there. Can't wait to plant kisses on those smooshy little cheeks he'll have.

I went and saw the chiropractor a couple of times this week and plan to go for the remainder of the pregnancy. So far, so good. I really like her, and my back is feeling much improved, although that could be at least partially due to the fact that I have been avoiding things that tend to aggravate it. Swimming laps really did seem to help also. Whatever it is, I am just very glad to have some relief.

That is me. Not exciting, but good :)

Summertime!

From a beautiful Sunday afternoon in May. Lawn watered? Check. Children happy? Check.

We have been having a good summer so far. Been working on the kid's school- more about that later. It's been nice, we still have a good rhythm to our days, but have been enjoying all the summer has to offer- fresh air, swimming, bike rides. As much as I am enjoying the sunshine, I am not looking forward to the long, humid July. I know, I am picky. I just don't really like to sweat just by walking outside.

Since I mentioned it in my last post, baby George has flipped back around. Thank goodness. I was thrilled on Sunday night when Joe and I were hanging out and I realized he was kicking my ribs. Now I just need him to stay anterior and we are all set. I am still having lower back/sciatica issues, so I have an appointment with a chiropractor on Wednesday. She is really close to my house (like, 1/4 mile), works a lot with pregnant women and comes highly recommended. Since she is so close, Joe will be able to come home briefly to watch the littles while I go over there.

I went swimming at the Y yesterday which also provided some relief from the back pain. Between that and the chiropractic, I am hoping to feel better soon.

The rest of June is busy, busy- vacation, a coming home party for my brother-in-law who has been deployed, more appointments for George. It'll be July before I know it!

Happy 2nd birthday to my little Peanut

I was going through pictures of Adelle's second year trying to get photos to write this post, drinking coffee with the sun coming up and it reminded me of her birthday. I can't believe that bundle has turned into this little girl:

Summer 2010

Fall 2010

Winter 2011

Spring 2011

So happy birthday to my precious little girl!

26 weeks

Well, this post was supposed to have pictures but our computer that I put the pictures on is not plugged in currently because when we had a storm the other night our roof started leaking. Right over the computer. So we unplugged and moved it, obviously, but haven't plugged it back it. We'll get there.

Had an appointment on Wednesday. George was being kinda tricky at first. Basically, he had turned head down (he had actually been in that position for about a week) but he was posterior and his chin was tilted up. So the top of his head (the part that they need to scan to look at the mid-cerebral artery) was really hard to get to. First she tried to jiggle him to get him to move, but no, then she tried to get it as best she could. We waited for the doctor, who tried to get it again and got a much more accurate reading because George had put his chin down.

That night, he flipped breech again. And ouch. I hope he changes his mind soon because I find feet down there extremely uncomfortable. He was moving a ton this morning, so we will see.

Everyone else is doing well. We are doing school during the summer so that we can finish up a few things from last year and get a jump start on the new school year before the baby is born. They are getting excited about him- Liam told me this last week that I only had one trimester to go. Apparently he has been listening. Adelle kisses my belly and calls him PoppyGeorge, which is adorable.

Only 3ish more months to go. That seems like an extremely long and short time all at once. I have been having various issues with my pelvis and I need to see a chiropractor to get it all worked out, but I am already seeing the doctors so much as it is that I am having a hard time figuring out time/money to see a chiro on top of it. But I also can't imagine doing another three months with my body feeling the way it does. Silly fifth baby is really giving me a run for my money :)

Love you and honor you...

9 years ago I stood in front of my family and friends and said, "I, Erin, take you, Joseph, to be my husband. I promise to be true to you in good times and in bad, in sickness and in health. I will love you and honor you all the days of my life."

I have probably kept that promise better some days than others....

I am human, though, so I keep on trying, understanding that my loving and honoring will always be flawed, but honest.

We were so young. I appreciate that more now, with the hindsight that only a few years could give.

And yet, never once in the last nine years, have I doubted that getting married young was the right decision. When you know.... you know.

And the last nine years have been fruitful....

I am grateful for the opportunity to grow up with my very best friend and raise babies with him.

Happy anniversary, my J.