Baby #5, Week 15

How far along: 15 weeks
Weeks to go: 25 weeks

Baby is the size of: an apple!

Gender Prediction: Boy... but it will probably be a girl!

Weight gain: Not sure! I forgot to weigh myself!

Starting to show yet?: Oh yes! I feel like I've popped, too!

Maternity clothes: Yes, but only tops! Yoga pants and jeggings are my best friends!

Stretch marks: Just a lot of old ones!

Belly button in or out: In, but I'm having a lot of hernia pain already.

Sleep: Adeline has started sleeping through the night and only waking up once to nurse, around 4:30 a.m. to 6:00 a.m. It. Is. GLORIOUS! OOHHHHHHH my goodness! Solid, continuous sleep is SO wonderful! I've missed it!

Movement: TONS of movement from this baby! It takes my breath away, too! And it's always when I least expect it! It fills me with happiness and love!

Best moment this week: There were so many! Feeling baby moving every day was so awesome! Adeline is all but weaned from her early morning nursing session! I'm hoping to have her completely weaned within the next few weeks! Caitlin and Rosalie both started school this week! Caity is in first grade and Rosalie is in kindergarten! There was a lot of stress going into this week, but the girls have adjusted beautifully! They were very tired after school on their first day, and even the following mornings, but I've gotten nothing but smiles and yawns!

We went to King's Pointe Water Park in Storm Lake on Saturday and had a BLAST! The only thing I would've done differently? I would've gotten us a hotel room for afterwards! 5+ hours at the water park made the almost 3 hour car drive home almost painful! We were SO tired! It would've been nice to just leave the resort and sleep in a hotel room!

Worst moment this week: The stress and anxiety of our girls starting school and not knowing what to expect with Caitlin riding the bus. Which we're still kinda unsure about, but we've decided that Rosalie will be joining her for the ride home! Which, if you know me, is HUGE! I'm so protective of my girls! I hate the thought of them being somewhere without me! This is part of the "letting-go" process and I've been struggling. I've also been praying for the Lord to bless and protect both girls from harm and from hearing/repeating anything inappropriate on the bus. 

Miss anything: Zumba! We've had orientations/open houses during my normal Zumba class and it makes me sad that I had to miss my Zumba and my Jen! But it was also a very much needed thing so that we could ask questions and prepare our girls for their first day!

Wedding rings on or off?: On during the day. Off at night.

Cravings: Cheese balls dipped in ranch(which I sadly did not eat... I just REALLY want some!)
Aversions: Anything very spicy or spicy smelling.
Appetite: Normal, thought I've realized that I'm starving for breakfast and then by lunch, I have morning sickness and I don't want to eat! I force myself, but it always feel ill in the afternoons... BOO!

Queasy or sick: Morning sickness in the afternoons.
Workouts: Just 30/30 and a few family walks on the days after the girls' open houses/orientations! It's been a gorgeous weather week! Nice and cool, lots of sunshine... perfect!

Emotionally: Pretty much a wreck with it being the first week of school! I. Cried. A. Ton. And that's even an understatement... I was a sobbing mess of emotions. I hate that I can't control my emotions! But I have to let myself cry, because if I hold it in, it's worse for me.
Physically: Feeling more normal! There are days I don't even feel pregnant and it's kinda scary! Aside from the gentle kick reminder from my little one, I don't even feel pregnant! I look it, but I don't feel it! It's crazy! It is very much like my pregnancy with Rosalie!

Looking forward to: My 16 week appointment on 9/8/2015! Scheduling my 20 week ultrasound! Vivian starting preschool on Monday! Cleaning my house!

Baby #5, Week 14

How far along: 14 weeks! Hello, second trimester! Woo hoo!
Weeks to go: 26 weeks

Baby is the size of: a lemon!

Gender Prediction: Boy ...but it will probably be a girl! I've had dreams where Baby was a girl, which I've never had before. With my girls, I had dreams that they were boys... I wonder if that means the opposite is true?! My Nana is convinced that I'm having a boy! Only 26ish weeks until we know for sure! 

Weight gain: 0 lbs this week, 4 lbs total

Starting to show yet?: Oh yes! But there are days when I'm REALLLLY showing and days where I'm barely showing!

Maternity clothes: Yes! Mostly just tops. I can still wear my normal yoga pants, but my maternity shorts and pants are still just a tad too big still. 

Stretch marks: Just a lot of old ones!

Belly button in or out: In. I'm having a lot of hernia pain.

Sleep: Depends on the day, but this past Wednesday night/Thursday morning, Adeline slept for 12 hours and I slept for 11 of them! It was glorious! She slept through the night and woke up to nurse at 5:30. I usually leave her in bed with me at this point. I closed my eyes and then felt her giving me kisses. I looked at the clock and it said 9:30! I panicked and ran downstairs to check on my older girls. They were sitting on the couch quietly watching Netflix. When Caitlin saw me, she said, "It's about time! I'm HUNGRY!"! I was thankful for the blessing of extra sleep and that my older girls were content enough to chill and watch the new season of Ever After High! 

Movement: Yes! Though I don't feel Baby move all the time, I feel movement about twice a day! Except for Saturday when I was eating at Ranchito with friends, Baby started kicking like crazy! I'm excited to start feeling it all the time!

Best moment this week: Making it to all of my workouts! I'm slightly sore, but it feels SO good to be back in my regular routine! I'm nervous about how school starting is going to affect this, but I'm sure it'll be fine! Saturday was an awesome day! I got to help a friend with a photo shoot and spent the entire day with my best friend! I only breastfed Adeline once that day, right before I left at 5:30 a.m.! She breastfed again Sunday morning at 5:00, then not again for the rest of the day! Weaning is actually HAPPENING! I'm so excited!

Worst moment this week: Stressing about school related things for Caity. I am so nervous about her being in a different school and me not being with her on her first day(she'll take the bus to make it to breakfast in time) and I'm kinda freaking out. Caity is my shy/timid girl! I'm so scared that she's going to be scared and cry and that I'm not going to be there to comfort her. It's 100 times worse for me right now since I'll cry about anything and everything. So thinking about this right now has me in tears... I've seriously thought about homeschooling... 

Miss anything: Sushi!

Wedding rings on or off?: On during the day. Off at night.

Cravings: Raisin Nut Bran, Ice Cream Pebbles, Tortilla chips and salsa
Aversions: Nothing this week!
Appetite: Regular! Finally! 

Queasy or sick: I've been having issues with my stomach/bowels. TMI... sorry... but for real. There are moments when my stomach pain is so bad that I cannot function. I'm looking into natural ways to alleviate my pain and help my digestion. I thought about eating Activia yogurt, but I haven't yet. I've also thought about probiotics.
Workouts: Zumba, 30/30, Walking, and Running! It's been fantastic! I finally feel at ease while working out! I'm still tired, and I pee three times during one workout, but I'm feeling good!

Emotionally: Overwhelmed with emotions thinking about the start of school for my oldest two. We're trying to figure stuff out and I have so many questions... but we won't know anything until open house night this coming Monday and that's only two days before schools starts! So last minute! I like having things figured out and planned at least a month in advance. Caity keeps asking me what's going to happen with drop-off and pick-up, and I can't give her an answer yet. I'm keeping positive when she asks so that she doesn't stress about it! She's only six! She doesn't need to worry about this stuff! I, on the other hand, am a freaking mess! GAH! I'm crying, again, thinking about it! Hormones...
Physically: I'm tired, but not exhausted! I'm definitely feeling my second trimester energy burst! It's a glorious thing! I wake up in the morning and I don't feel the need to roll back over and sleep more! I still hit my afternoon lag around 2:30, but I've been reading more and it's keeping me awake! My hernia isn't hurting as bad as it was, thank goodness! I've also noticed that if I sit in one position for too long, my legs and arms tend to fall asleep. So I try not to sit for too long! 

Looking forward to:  My 16 week appointment! Scheduling my 20 week ultrasound! School starting up for my girls(even though I am still super nervous about it all...)! Cleaning my house!

Baby #5, Weeks 12 and 13

I forgot to take my 12 week photo! Sad face! I'm not sure what was up with the weird discoloration today... maybe because it's overcast outside and I had the window open when I took the photo? Oh well...

How far along: 12 weeks
Weeks to go: 28 weeks

Baby is the size of: a lime!

How far along: 13 weeks

Weeks to go: 27 weeks

Baby is the size of: a pea pod, about 3 inches long!

Gender Prediction: Boy... though it will probably be a girl!

Weight gain: 4 lbs

Starting to show yet?: Oh yes!

Maternity clothes: Yes! And I've started wearing my belly support to help with my hernia pain.

Stretch marks: Just a lot of old ones!

Belly button in or out: In. I'm having a lot of hernia pain already.

Sleep: So-so... some nights are better than others. I'm think I'm past my comfortable phase in my bed and entering the uncomfortable/restless phase. Joy. I haven't been getting much sleep as it is... 

Movement: I think so! Which seems crazy to me! But I am positive that I felt this little one move for the first time today(8/16/15)! 

Best moment this week: Celebrating my eight year wedding anniversary on 8/11/15! Hearing baby's heartbeat at my 12 week appointment on 8/13/15! It was 160 bpm and it was a glorious moment! It took the doctor a few minutes to find it, so when we finally heard baby's heart, I started to cry! Such relief! 

Worst moment this week: Lack of sleep and feeling overwhelmed with things at home. We are still remodeling our home(4+ years after we started it) and I'm feeling claustrophobic and overwhelmed. I wish I had a nice home... and we're making it that way. But there's always a sense of jealousy when I see other people's homes and they are so nice and put together. I need to declutter... I am excited for school to start so that I can actually go through things and purge without my oldest three getting into whatever I'm doing! It'll be just me and Adeline home until noon during the week! I have big plans for deep cleaning and purging! 

Miss anything: Working out and running... I've been so busy with things and slightly sick for the past two weeks. I've only gone to one workout class!

Wedding rings on or off?: On during the day. Off at night.

Cravings: Tortilla chips and salsa
Aversions: Sweets. I feel like I want to eat sweets, but afterwards I feel sick to my stomach and regret it!
Appetite: Hearty, but feeling more normal in my 13th week!

Queasy or sick: I've had a cough and chest congestion for the past two weeks. I'm finally getting some relief with mucinex. I also get car sick very easily.
Workouts: One workout in the past two weeks! BLAH!

Emotionally: I'm doing good! There are moments when I feel like this pregnancy is going to last forever... the first trimester is so hard for me! But now that I'm finally in the final week of the first trimester, I am relaxing more and more! I'm still nervous that we won't have a girl name picked out by the time Baby #5 gets here! We've had 3 to 4 boy names picked out for the past six years... so if Baby is a boy, we want to meet him first before naming him! Same goes for a girl baby, but we don't even have any real options that have stuck out for us yet! We like the old-time names, but not too old-fashioned. Caitlin is more modern, but Rosalie, Vivian, and Adeline are more old-timey. I want a baby name to flow with the names of baby's big sisters if baby is a girl! But so far, I've got nothing! AHH!
Physically: Exhausted. Tired. Beyond exhausted and tired... is there a word for that?! I literally have zero energy by the afternoon. I'm finding some pick-me-up snacks to help! Almonds, organic granola bars, clif bars, quest bars, etc. I feel like I shouldn't be so big for only 13 weeks, but I know that every pregnancy is different! I just feel large... not working out is NOT helping!

Looking forward to: Feeling Baby more even MORE! My 16 week appointment! Scheduling my 20 week ultrasound! School starting up for my girls! Cleaning my house!

Baby #5, Week 11

I feel like I shouldn't be showing this much...

How far along: 11 weeks
Weeks to go: 29 weeks

Baby is the size of: A fig!

Gender Prediction: Boy... wishful thinking? It'll probably be a girl!

Weight gain: 2 lbs

Starting to show yet?: Oh yes! It honestly surprises me that I am showing so much! But I know that this isn't my first pregnancy... and I know that my body has changed a whole lot since my first pregnancy! Trying to just own it and not feel fat! But it's a bump! It's the only place that's gotten bigger on my body aside from my boobs!

Maternity clothes: Some, mostly medium sized maternity shirts. Otherwise I pretty much live in my yoga pants, jeggings, and large t-shirts! 

Stretch marks: Just a lot of old ones!

Belly button in or out: In, but I'm having a lot of hernia pain already. Especially when I cough or sneeze. Which has been bad this week since I've been sick! Boo!

Sleep: I keep waking up on my belly! Which scares me, but I know that I'm not crushing Baby! I just need to be more careful! And I know that when I'm bigger, it'll be harder to roll in general. I'm just trying to be more careful! Otherwise, sleep has been so-so. Adeline is teething and still wanting to nurse 2 to 4 times a night. It's getting more painful for me, but I'm still producing milk for her. 

Movement: Not yet! But getting excited for it to happen soon!
Labor Signs: Nope!

Best moment this week: Explaining the size of Baby to his/her big sisters! We went to the store and looked for things that were close in size! The girls kept getting excited over how big the baby is going to be when he/she comes out!

Worst moment this week: The emotional roller coaster I've been on. Really high highs, and really low lows. My temper is very short. I am aware of it, so I generally tend to just walk away from situations that I feel like I just cannot handle. Even simple things can make me very upset. I've been praying for patience and understanding. My pregnancy OCD has kicked into high gear, already.

Miss anything: Energy! I feel so incredibly tired all the time!

Wedding rings on or off?: On during the day. Off at night.

Cravings: Biscuits and gravy! Grape Nut cereal with milk or on top of yogurt!
Aversions: The smell of our trash can. I almost instantly puked when I walked past it on Thursday!
Appetite: Hearty! But my eyes are bigger than my stomach! I still need to eat every 2 to 3 hours or I get hangry! 

Queasy or sick: Depends on the day!
Workouts: Zumba, 30/30, walking, and running. I still feel very tired while working out. I can't really do the jumping songs in Zumba, which makes me sad. I can't really get into the songs either cause I won't want to finish class from being so tired! Haha! 30/30 about killed me on Thursday! I hadn't gone in a few weeks with the Policy Council meeting, family pictures, etc. going on, so I was already losing my strength! I. Am. SORE! I ran three miles Saturday(can't go more than that with this humidity) and felt incredibly tired afterwards! It took me 30 minutes to run, then I took a 2 hour nap shortly after! Exhausted? I'd say so!

Emotionally: Like I said earlier, I am all over the place. I can keep it together, but if you catch me in a vulnerable moment, I'll probably cry my eyes out in front of you! I apologize in advance! I cried Friday night while watching an episode of Chopped on Netflix! It was the iberico ham episode. The chef guy was making biscuits and gravy using the ham and I was crying because I wanted some... Legitimate tears. I looked at Charles and he laughed and said, "Just let it out, hon!"... so I did! He made me biscuits and gravy the next morning! I love that man!
Physically: Exhausted. If I stand up too quickly, I can feel my muscles and ligaments tighten around my belly and it's rather painful! I have to be careful! There's part of me that forgets that I'm pregnant when I'm trying to run after my girls! Until I stand up suddenly and remember!

Looking forward to: Charles and my eight year wedding anniversary! My next appointment/ultrasound! The second trimester! Feeling Baby move!