Righteous Resolutions for 2014

Happy New Year 2014!

We started off 2013 with our righteous resolutions posted on this blog. I wanted to let you all know how we did on our resolutions and what our new ones are for 2014!

Our resolutions for 2013 were:

1. Read from the Book of Mormon every single day - We made it about 9 months doing this.
2. Read the entire Book of Mormon as a family - We almost made it through!
3. Have FHE each Monday, no excuses - We did our FHE on Sunday nights, every single Sunday this past year! One goal we accomplished!
4. Family prayer each morning and night, on our knees - Aside from a few crazy days and nights, this is another goal we accomplished!
5. Be full tithe payers for the entire year, 100% - Not quite... which is hard for us to admit. But we have talked about it and have been diligent the past few months about it.
6. Do our Home Teaching/Visiting Teaching, 100% - Nope... 
7. Go to the temple two times - Nope... 
8. Make a budget each month - Almost every month this year! Things got a little crazy/hectic near the end of the year.
9. Pay off some debt - Another goal we accomplished!
10. Save money for emergencies and Christmas - Another goal we accomplished!
11. Build up our food storage - Not as well as we had hoped, but we did add to our food storage.
12. Continue eating healthy and working out - Another goal we accomplished!
13. Finish the upstairs remodel, especially the girls' room - All rooms but my craft room/office! We moved everyone upstairs a few days after Christmas! Best. Christmas. Present. EVER!
14. Keep up on housework, especially the kitchen - We slid a few times, but kept up on it!
15. Go to bed early, early to rise - Not really for Charles, but for Carie and the girls. 
16. Put God first in all aspects of our life - No. We did let the cares of the world before God in some aspects of our lives. We realized it, too, and changed.

We did very well with keeping most of our practical goals! But again, we did fall short. We didn't beat ourselves up about it, though. We got proactive and changed our ways immediately. We have all grown SO much this past year. We have learned that disappointments and let-downs are going to happen. We aren't always going to be a shining example of a Latter-day Saint family. But we have SO much love within our family. And that is one thing that we are a shining example of. We are working on the other things, but we have made sure to let our girls know that they are loved and cared for every single day. We are setting a lot of the same goals for 2014 because we want to do better. Some goals have changed and some are new! We look forward to the challenges and triumphs that will be associated with each goal and resolution! So here are our new resolutions and goals:

Austin Family Goals 2014

1. Read from the Book of Mormon every single day. No exceptions.
2. Finish the Book of Mormon as a family. 
3. Family prayer every morning and night, on our knees.
4. Be full tithe payers. No exceptions. No excuses.
5. Do our Home/Visiting Teaching every single month.
6. Go to the temple once a month.
7. Make a budget each month for bills and food.
8. Pay off some more debt.
9. Save money for emergencies and Christmas.
10. Build up our food storage.
11. Healthy eating, healthy choices, and exercising.
12. Finish the craft room/office remodel before the baby comes.
13. Make a chore chart to help keep up on housework and laundry.
14. Early to bed, early to rise.
15. Purchase a new, used van before the baby comes.
16. Put God first in all aspects of our life.
17. Prepare for Baby #4: purchase newborn size cloth diapers, new diaper wet/dry bags, and cloth wipes.
18. Have a safe, healthy labor and delivery.
19. Less time on the computer/Netflix while our girls are awake.
20. Have a date night at least once every two months, budgeted.

2014 is already shaping up to be a very exciting year for our family! With the pending arrival of our fourth baby in early July, we are excited to have a new upstairs to welcome him/her home to! I know that he/she won't realize it, but there are five other people in the house that will! I am so proud of Charles and all the hard work that he has put into making finishing the upstairs on his own time and our budget. It hasn't been easy on us. But things are looking up now that we have a nice, new area to sleep and play in! Hard work does pay off!

Our home still has a long ways to go! The downstairs bedrooms need to be remodeled as well, but we're not sure that this is the right year to start that project with the new baby and so many things changing this year. We are thinking about starting it in 2015. But again, it's still up in the air!

We hope to stick to our goals and resolutions! We post them here to remain accountable!

We wish you all the very best this year!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Kid Interviews 2014

Here are our annual kid interviews for 2014! I ask each of my girls the questions on the survey and type out their responses!

Caitlin Nadine, October 2013, Age: 4

1. Who is your mommy? *points at me
2. What does she do? Cleans the house all day
3. Who is your daddy? Charles
4. What does he do? Go to work
5. What is your favorite color? Purple
6. What do you want to do when you grow up? a Painter
7. What is your favorite breakfast? Pancakes with gravy
8. What is your favorite lunch? Goldfish, apples, and grapes
9. What is your favorite dinner? Smashed potatoes with gravy
10. What is your favorite snack? Ice Cream
11. What food do you not like? Pine cones
12. What is your favorite animal? Giraffe! He has a long neck!
13.Where do you want to live when you grow up? Stay here!
14. What do mom and dad do when you go to bed? Read princess stories, say prayer, and go to bed.
15. What does daddy say? I love you!
16. What does mommy say? I love you!
17. What is your favorite song? I like the Tinkerbell CD
18. What is your favorite movie? The Little Mermaid
19. What is your favorite ice cream? Vanilla
20. Where is your favorite place to eat? Dairy Queen
21. Who is your favorite person? Grandma and PawPaw
22. Who is your best friend? My sisters and my whole family
23. What is your favorite book? Princess Stories
24. Who are your brothers/sisters? Rosie, Viv, and baby
25. Where did they come from? Iowa
26. What is your favorite thing to do? Play with my sisters
27. What is your favorite toy? Princess stable with the horses that gallop!

Rosalie Cadence, October 2013, Age: 3

1. Who is your mommy? Carie
2. What does she do? She paints.
3. Who is your daddy? Charles
4. What does he do? Work
5. What is your favorite color? Yellow
6. What do you want to do when you grow up? Firefighter
7. What is your favorite breakfast? Pancakes
8. What is your favorite lunch? Chicken Nuggets
9. What is your favorite dinner? Pancakes
10. What is your favorite snack? Apples
11. What food do you not like? Cereal
12. What is your favorite animal? Rhino
13.Where do you want to live when you grow up? Iowa
14. What do mom and dad do when you go to bed? Say "goodnight, I love you"!
15. What does daddy say? I love you!
16. What does mommy say? I love you!
17. What is your favorite song? Roar (by Katy Perry)
18. What is your favorite movie? Frozen
19. What is your favorite ice cream? Strawberry
20. Where is your favorite place to eat? Inside
21. Who is your favorite person? Caity and Vivi
22. Who is your best friend? Caity Belle
23. What is your favorite book? Hungry, Hungry Caterpillar
24. Who are your brothers/sisters? Caity Belle and Viv
25. Where did they come from? Iowa
26. What is your favorite thing to do? Paint
27. What is your favorite toy? Play foods

Vivian Rane, October 2013, Age: 2

1. Who is your mom? *points at me
2. What does she do? FOOD!
3. Who is your daddy? *points upstairs
4. What does he do? Sleepin'
5. What is your favorite color? Red
6. What do you want to do when you grow up? *giggles
7. What is your favorite breakfast? Eggs
8. What is your favorite lunch? Apples
9. What is your favorite dinner? Tatoes
10. What is your favorite snack? Gummies
11. What food do you not like? Yuckies
12. What is your favorite animal? TIGER!
13. Where do you want to live when you grow up? *walks away
14. What do mom and dad do when you go to bed? Ni-night.
15. What does daddy say? La-you. (Love you)
16. What does mommy say? La-you. (Love you)
17. What is your favorite song? ROAR (by Katy Perry)
18. What is your favorite movie? Mermaid
19. What is your favorite ice cream? ICE CREAM!
20. Where is your favorite place to eat? *points into kitchen
21. Who is your favorite person? Mommy
22. Who is your best friend? Sisters
23. What is your favorite book? Caterpillar (Hungry, Hungry Caterpillar)
24. Who are your brothers/sisters? Caklin, Rosie
25. Where did they come from? *points to my belly
26. What is your favorite thing to do? PLAY!
27. What is your favorite toy? *brings me her Ariel doll

Baby #4, Week 13

How far along: 13 weeks

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

Gender Prediction: Boy!

Total Weight Gain: 8 pounds (I thought it'd be more with the holidays!)

Starting to show yet?: Yes! Finally!

Maternity clothes: Yes! Finally! I am SO much more comfortable!

Stretch marks: Just a lot of old ones.

Belly button in or out: In

Sleep: It depends. We moved our bedroom upstairs and it's taking a few nights for me to get use to. I've also been getting hot flashes at night. I woke up this morning covered in sweat.

Movement: Not yet.

Best moment this week: Christmas and seeing all of my in-laws that traveled from Florida and Texas!

Worst moment this week: All of the sickness being passed around by the family. It's been bad.

Miss anything: Working out, NOT being sick, and smaller boobs.

Wedding rings on or off?: On

Cravings: Pasta in any form.
Aversions: Raw chicken.
Appetite: Normal

Queasy or sick: Queasy off and on. My morning sickness only comes once in a while now. THANK GOODNESS!!!!
Workouts: Non-existent with all of the family in town and all of the sickness going around. I have to be home to tend my sick girls. Plus Charles was sick, so I had to tend to him, too. No real free time for me to leave my house this past week.

Emotionally: Doing MUCH better since my prenatal appointment last week. I feel like I better understand my emotions and where they are coming from. I am finally celebrating my pregnancy, wearing maternity clothes, and NOT sucking in my belly anymore! (I did that for fear that someone would tell me I look "fat" or "larger" than someone should look at only 12/13 weeks pregnant.) I don't cry as much or as often as I did the first few weeks. I feel like I am getting a better hold on my emotions!
Physically: Still a little bloating, but I feel so much better than the early weeks! I am itching to move my body. I haven't hardly worked out in the past six weeks and I can tell. Maybe I'm just being a bit vain, but I can tell that I've gained weight. And I wonder what other people would say/think about my weight gain. Yes, it probably seems silly because I am pregnant, but I don't want to use that as a crutch to not workout and eat what I want. It's the morning sickness, flu, and everything else that has hit my family that has kept me from working out. But I can feel the weight. In my face, arms, butt, thighs, etc. I feel it all the time. Since my lowest weight right before the marathon, I've gained almost 20 pounds. I weighed myself the day I found out I was pregnant (the morning of, I took the test later that evening), and that's what I've been going by for my total weight gain. Mind you, I stopped running almost completely after the marathon, and that is where I feel that I went wrong. Again, I feel vain talking about it. I know plenty of women who would give anything to be at my current weight. But I honestly never thought the transition from losing weight, to maintaining my weight, to being pregnant would be so hard on me physically and mentally. I want to NOT care what people think, but some people are so mean and critical. I am trying to focus on the fact that physically, I feel great. I am loving my body for holding this little life. I still feel strong. Even through the weight gain. I feel great. It's all in my head... which it's easier to say that I can shut off those thoughts, when really, I am having trouble shutting off those unkind thoughts towards myself. 

Looking forward to: Working out! Running! Week 14! Finding out the baby's gender (no date set for an ultrasound yet.)!

Baby #4, WEEK 12

How far along: 12 WEEKS!!!!

Baby is the size of: a lime

Gender Prediction: Boy!

Weight gain: 7 pounds total, I can tell/feel it

Starting to show yet?: I do believe so! (Finally!)

Maternity clothes: Not yet!

Stretch marks: Just a lot of old ones!

Belly button in or out: In

Sleep: I have been going through a comfortable phase in my bed! I am LOVING it! And I have found that I can only sleep in one position: laying on my left side.  

Movement: Not yet, but I know that he/she is moving around!

Best moment this week: Hearing baby's heartbeat at my 12 week appointment today! 150 bpm!

Worst moment this week: The anxiety leading up to my appointment. 

Miss anything: Working out! I have been SO busy this week with helping the girls' school, shopping, cleaning, and more. 'Tis the season!

Wedding rings on or off?: On

Cravings: Pancakes with strawberry-rhubarb jelly, Fried Eggs, Apples, Yogurt, PASTA!
Aversions: Chocolate, Peanut Butter (totally strange to me since I LOVE both of those things!)
Appetite: Normal! 

Queasy or sick: It depends on the day! If I don't get a large breakfast, I feel queasy by lunch.

Emotionally: I'm finding it hard to control my emotions at times. And I feel like I'm going to have an anxiety attack at least twice a day. I feel so overwhelmed all the time. Most days, all I want to do is sit on the couch, veg, and watch Neflix. But at the same time, I am so overwhelmed with the generosity of others during this time of year. My family has been blessed in SO many ways and my girls will have Christmas presents to open Christmas morning. There are a lot of things that have been going on/have happened in the past few weeks that I haven't been broadcasting on my Facebook. Those things took our complete Christmas budget. It was hard for Charles and I. We. Cried. A. Lot. But now our tears of sadness have changed into tears of joy. We are grateful. We are/have been blessed.
Physically: I feel like I finally look pregnant! I think this week my body changed a bit in the way I'm carrying the baby. Not sure why, but feel like I've "popped" more. Perhaps because this is my fourth child? I can finally feel my energy coming back! I am still exhausted most days, but I get a burst of energy at random times during the day! I make the most of them and clean! Or have dance parties with my girls! Or even alone! But afterwards, all I want to do is nap! Haha! I still have pimples on my face that are driving me insane. They just don't go away. BLAH! And they are always SUPER noticeable. I hate feeling like I'm going through puberty all over again! 

Looking forward to: The 20 week mark! Finding out what Baby Austin is! (Though I'm not sure when that ultrasound will be just yet!) Seems like everyone is voting for a little boy! I keep dreaming that it's a boy! I'm also looking forward to the gender-reveal party for my family!

Side note!
I talked to my doctor today about my stress/anxiety about this baby. And, as it turns out, given my history, everything that I am feeling is completely normal. I keep waiting for the floor to fall out from under me. I feel like if I accept this pregnancy, it will go away. If I finally wear maternity clothes, I will lose the baby. I felt like these were irrational fears. But talking to my doctor today put me at ease! These are totally normal things to feel! Sure, I have history with depression and pregnancy loss, and at times, it's hard to tell if I'm feeling depressed or if it's just normal human emotions. I haven't really celebrated this baby yet.

I have been too afraid to. I felt like if I were to celebrate him/her, he/she would go away... So after talking to my doctor and Charles, and a lot of prayer, I've decided to let my emotions go and CELEBRATE this little life growing inside of me! I already feel liberated and it's only been a few hours since my appointment!

I am so excited for this baby! I pray that God will continue to bless my body to be strong enough to carry this baby full term and deliver him/her safely! That this baby will be healthy and strong. Every single moment of this pregnancy will be celebrated! Yes, I will probably still complain every now and then... but that won't take away from the fact that I am a sacred vessel for a precious new life!

I am owning it. I am owning my pregnancy and rejoicing in it! I am happy! I am pregnant!

Merry Christmas!

Baby #4, Week 11

How far along: 11 weeks

Baby is the size of: a fig!

Gender Prediction: Boy!

Weight gain: I forgot to weigh myself this morning... 

Starting to show yet?: I'm starting to feel like this is more than just bloating, but I know the baby is still small. This is my fourth pregnancy! I think my body is relaxing a bit to prepare to carry a big baby!

Maternity clothes: Not yet, although I wore a maternity shirt the other day and I was SO much more comfortable!

Stretch marks: Just a lot of old ones!

Belly button in or out: In

Sleep: Great! Although I'll have nights where I wake up for a few hours and just think, pray, and plan.

Movement: Not yet!

Best moment this week: All three girls giving my belly kisses at night! FINALLY getting my morning all-day sickness under control!

Worst moment this week: The moments when I didn't have any sickness. I kept thinking, "Am I okay? Am I still pregnant? Is the baby okay?!" Over and over again.

Miss anything: Being able to move without hip pain.

Wedding rings on or off?: On

Cravings: Fruit Punch Jolly Ranchers, lemon yogurt
Aversions: Buffalo Chicken flavored anything, chocolate (shocking to me...)
Appetite: Much better than last week! Keeping food down is a wonderful thing! Although I'm starting to get MAJOR heartburn after I eat.

Queasy or sick: There were a few days this week when I had no morning sickness at all. I honestly thought something was wrong with me or the baby... but I got it back later on that night or by the next morning. I'm feeling better, though. I'm not as nauseous as I was before, thank goodness! I think that having the flu made me better able to handle my all-day-sickness!
Workouts: Mostly just walking and Zumba. I'm super tired, but I have energy once I get going. My hips are making it hard to run, but I'm looking forward to visiting the chiropractor next month to help out with my hips! I had to go numerous times with my other pregnancies.

Emotionally: I am still a wreck. I cry about EVERYTHING. During happy movies, sad movies, re-watching last season's Glee episodes(Finn), watching my girls do something sweet.... EVERYTHING. I think about holding my baby, breastfeeding him/her... I get overwhelmed with emotion. I am SO excited to meet this baby! Although I would prefer to meet him/her closer to the 40 week mark!
Physically: Lots of hip pain. I feel like I did with Caitlin's pregnancy. I feel like my body is having to go through all the growing pains again. It's been over 2 years since I was pregnant! I think my body went back to normal, and now we're going back through all the pains again. It hasn't been fun. I'm hoping it will be better once I go to the chiropractor. I am itching to run! I also feel like parts of my body are getting bigger. My legs, arms, love handles, face, etc. I know it's part of pregnancy, but it still sucks to see. After a major weight loss, putting some of it back on to carry a baby has been harder on me than I thought. But I rejoice that my body is carrying this baby. I can worry about my body after the baby. I'm just making sure to eat healthy and drink lots of water. 

Looking forward to: The second trimester (next week! EEK!) Feeling the baby move! Finding out the gender!

Baby #4, Week 10

How far along: 10 weeks

Baby is the size of: A kumquat! 

Gender Prediction: Boy!

Weight gain: 2 pounds, 3 pounds total

Starting to show yet?: Just bloated still! 

Maternity clothes: Not yet!

Stretch marks: Just a lot of old ones.

Belly button in or out: In

Sleep: It depends. I've been so sick this past week. I had the stomach flu that was going around. It made it hard for me to sleep. I felt so nauseous even when I was laying down.

Movement: Not yet!

Best moment this week: Zofran! Charles and I agreed on a baby name for BOTH genders! They will be a secret until Baby #4 is born! So don't ask!

Worst moment this week: The countless times I had to run to the bathroom to throw up...

Miss anything: Working out.

Wedding rings on or off?: On

Cravings: None this week.
Appetite: None. I finally got a small appetite Friday, but it comes and goes.

Queasy or sick: Both. Having all-day-sickness and the flu was NOT fun. I found that lemon yogurt helped my morning sickness and Zofran helped with the nausea from the flu.
Workouts: I attempted to go to Zumba and had to leave half way through. My stomach and intestines were killing me. (TMI: part of the flu was having diarrhea... it was awful) I barely made it home without throwing up. I hope this week will be better for me! I wasn't able to workout all last week. 

Emotionally: Not working out was/is taking a toll on me. I use it to work out stress and feel better... and when I can barely walk through my house without throwing up, I knew working out wasn't going to happen. It was hard on me emotionally. I miss my friends. I found myself feeling sorry for myself a lot this week, too. I threw a pity-party almost daily. I just didn't want to throw up again. I always cry. Every. Single. Time. And that was messing with my emotions and feelings. I just wanted to sleep and wake up when my flu was gone. I was basically an emotional wreck... which is normal because of my history with anxiety and depression. I am focusing on all that God has blessed me with. Counting my blessings has helped!
Physically: I'm exhausted. I feel dehydrated all the time. Even though I've been getting plenty of rest and liquids. Being sick hasn't been nice on my body. No one else in my house is sick... I don't know if I just got slammed with it all because I'm pregnant? Also, I am sure that my boobs have gone up another cup size... I wish they'd stop growing now!

Looking forward to: The Second Trimester. Working out again. Running again.

Baby #4, Week 9

How far along: 9 weeks

Baby is the size of: A grape!

Gender Prediction: Boy

Weight gain: 0 lbs this week, 1 lb total so far

Starting to show yet?: Still just bloated! Really bloated... I basically get no relief... So I always look like I'm showing when I'm not. I'm in that awkward, "Is she gaining weight or is she pregnant?" stage. I look larger this week than I did at the start of last week, but again, I'm just miserably bloated.

Maternity clothes: Not yet!

Stretch marks: Just a lot of old ones!

Belly button in or out: In

Sleep: Great! Even better when I workout!

Movement: Not yet! 

Best moment this week: Vivian pointing to my belly and saying, "Shhhh! Baby is sleeping!" She's such a great big sister already! She even hugs and kisses my belly/the baby! Playing air-hockey against Charles was pretty fantastic, too! That was a riot! He beat me, but barely! 

Worst moment this week: The car ride home from Iowa City. I was car sick the ENTIRE three hour ride. I puked when we got home, and didn't stop until about 10:00 that night. It. Was. AWFUL.

Miss anything: Smaller boobs... 

Wedding rings on or off?: On

Cravings: Clementines
Aversions: Hamburger/Ground Beef
Appetite: Started off with a great appetite, but since Saturday's repeat throw-up, I have had trouble eating. Everything scares me. My stomach feels awful after I eat.

Queasy or sick: Both this week. I am SO glad that I didn't throw up in the car! I hate being sick. I always cry when I throw up, so Saturday was not a pretty afternoon/night for me.
Workouts: I substitute taught Zumba on Monday(Nov. 25)! I was so exhausted before class, but once I got started, my energy came back to me and I had plenty for class! I got home and crashed on the couch! I didn't exercise the rest of the week! Yikes! I was so, so busy with packing, traveling, and the holiday! That will change this week! I'm ready to get my body moving again!

Emotionally: I have felt so overwhelmed this week. But in a good way. Overwhelmed with love and thankfulness. I got to spend time with both of my families (my side and Charles' side) and even with some amazing friends! I got to bake pies (one of my most favorite things to do!), make a cheesecake, help my Mom in her kitchen, spend time with my brother and his family, and more... my heart was/is so full of love! God is so good! Saturday and Sunday I was a bit more down. That was because of the throwing-up thing and generally feeling like crap. I just couldn't shake it off. Even today, my stomach isn't quite right.
Physically: I'm not as tired as I have been. Maybe it's the power naps I've been taking in the afternoons? My hips and lower back have been KILLING me. Moving around is fine, but if I stand wrong, oh boy... it's not the greatest feeling ever. 

Looking forward to: The second trimester! No more throwing up!

Baby #4, Week 8

Still just bloated... yay...

How far along: 8 weeks

Baby is the size of: A kidney bean!

Gender Prediction: Boy

Weight gain: 1 pound

Starting to show yet?: Still bloated... so not quite sure!

Maternity clothes: Not yet!

Stretch marks: Just a lot of old ones!

Belly button in or out: In

Sleep: Great! Even better when I workout!

Movement: Not yet!

Best moment this week: Seeing all the positive feedback on Facebook for Baby #4! I honestly thought people wouldn't be so supportive... I get a lot of, "You know how that happens? Right?"... and maybe those people are trying to be funny, but it hurts my feelings. Charles and I want a large family. God willing, this will not be our last child. Trust me. WE KNOW HOW TO MAKE BABIES. We've had plenty of practice!

Worst moment this week: The anxiety I had about losing this baby. I've had no negative symptoms, I just get so scared that something is going to go wrong. This week, my hormones were all out of whack and I had a major break down about the possibility of losing this baby. Charles and I said a prayer together and we were comforted!

Miss anything: I'm still missing smaller boobs...

Wedding rings on or off?: On

Cravings: Oranges
Appetite: Hearty. I have to be careful though! I'm eating more, but moving less. I know it's alright to gain weight while pregnant, I just need to start keeping track of my food. I only need 300 extra calories a day. Not three extra servings of each meal! Drinking a lot of water has helped me cut back on my serving sizes!

Queasy or sick: Queasy. It gets better when I don't miss a meal or snack. If I miss one of those things, my body goes into queasy mode. Also, riding in the car is NOT GOOD. I can drive, but being a passenger is a totally different experience for me. I get car sick SO fast.
Workouts: I didn't work out during the beginning of the week. I just didn't feel good. Walking across the house made me feel sick. By Thursday, I was feeling more like myself and decided to try Power Hour and Aqua Zumba! I made it through both classes just fine! 

Emotionally: I am worried and stressed more than I'd like to admit. I constantly worry that I'm going to lose the baby. I won't say that it's an irrational fear, I've lost four babies in my time. So every time I feel gassy or bloated, I instantly think that I'm cramping and going to lose the baby. I try to remain positive, but my fears get the best of me. And I cry. I am trying to adjust my thinking and stay positive, but I am scared. I pray 100+ times a day that this baby is safe, healthy, and growing.
Physically: I am still beyond exhausted! I cannot pull myself out of bed in the mornings. Even getting up to pee in the middle of the night is a chore! I feel like I'm crawling out of a hole! All I want to do is lounge around and sleep. My pimple/acne problem is clearing up slowly. I've made sure to get all of my water each day and it's helping! It's hard to drink so much when I have to pee every five minutes!

Looking forward to: Entering the second trimester! Worrying/Stressing less.

Running for TWO!

We have been keeping a HUGE secret!

Vivian is going to be a BIG SISTER in July of 2014!

Charles and I found out, literally, minutes before taking our girls trick-or-treating for Halloween!

Rewind to the Sunday before Halloween: I was super bloated and crampy because I was to start my period the next day. But I didn't... I have gone a few days late before and have negative pregnancy tests. So I didn't think too much of it this time. Tuesday, no start. Wednesday, not start. Halloween was that Thursday.

Before we got ready to go, I took a shower. When I got out of the shower, I stood on the bath mat talking to Charles. He looked at me weird and said, "Weren't you suppose to have started your period?" I was confused and surprised by his question. (TMI warning!) When I'm on my period, I usually have to rush to put a pad on after my showers, and when I was just standing there talking to him, he was a little confused by it. He knew I was suppose to start on Monday. I told him that I have been this late before and not been pregnant. He gave me a sideways look and told me that he was going to get a pregnancy test from Walmart.

As I was looking up costume ideas (I still didn't know what I wanted to go as!), I realized that my boobs felt fuller than normal. I laughed a little about it, but then I started getting a little scared. What if I am pregnant? What would that mean for my weight loss and next year's running season? I decided to put off those questions until I knew the results of the pregnancy test. I also decided to go as Queen Amidala from Star Wars. I had a Queen Vampire costume, so I just needed to paint my face.

Charles walked back through the door and handed me the test. I finished getting my face painted and getting the girls ready to leave for trick-or-treating. Our friends Rumy and Amanda had showed up to help us trick-or-treat with our girls. While they were outside taking pictures, I went inside to take the test. Within, literally, five seconds, this is what I saw:

I was in shock! I sat down for a minute to process it... then called Charles inside to look at the test. We both looked at each other, again, in shock, and I said, "Here we go!"

Caitlin as a Ballerina
Rosalie as Princess Belle
Vivian as a Care Bear

Star Wars Love
Me as Queen Amidala and Charles as Darth Vader

We were in shock! The entire time while trick-or-treating. Afterwards. The next day. The next week... I only told two friends during the first week, and that was to have their input on some races I had already signed up to run next year in the Spring. We weren't sure if we were going to announce it to our families until I had the first ultrasound. But we decided to go ahead and announce it. We told our family on Friday, November 8th. We put a "Big Sister" shirt on Vivian and said, "You have to see Vivian's new shirt!". We got SO many excited claps and hugs! Some people got it right away, others it took a minute before they realized what that meant! Then we told our close friends the same way! Each was met with big hugs and cheering!

Now that we've announced it to the Facebook world, I want to start documenting my week-by-week with the online surveys some of my friends have been posting for their own pregnancies! Here we go!

Pretty sure I'm just bloated!

Our first ultrasound at 7 weeks, 1 day

How far along: 7 weeks, 3 days

Baby is the size of: A blueberry!

Gender Prediction: I'm thinking BOY! This pregnancy is completely different from my others... I know that it doesn't necessarily mean that I'm carrying a boy, it's just how I feel! Some of it might be wishful thinking! Honestly, I'll be happy with whatever God blesses us with! Charles and Caitlin are also thinking it's a boy! Rosalie thinks it's a girl! Vivian thinks it's a duck!

Weight gain: Nothing yet! Although I feel bigger... more puffy.

Starting to show yet?: Yes! I think... Which seems crazy to me... but this is my fourth child! My uterus knows what it's doing! Or it might just be bloating... probably just bloating.

Maternity clothes: Not yet! Although my clothes are getting tighter in the bust and belly section! I've had to up a bra size! (The joys of pregnancy!)

Stretch marks: Just a lot of old ones!

Belly button in or out: In

Sleep: Fantastic! Minus getting up to pee every now and then!

Movement: Nothing yet!

Best moment this week: Seeing our baby and his/her heart on the ultrasound!

Worst moment this week: Waiting for the ultrasound... I have a history of having bad moments during the first ultrasound... 

Miss anything: Smaller boobs... Running longer than a mile without having to stop to pee...

Wedding rings on or off?: On

Cravings: Pickle Wraps, Apple Cinnamon Cheerios, Avocados, Salad with Hidden Valley Ranch, Oranges
Appetite: I feel like I'm eating everything! I am constantly hungry! AT ALL TIMES. It doesn't go away. I drink about 80 ounces of water a day and I still feel like I'm starving. I am eating five small meals with two to three healthy snacks a day. 

Queasy or sick: Queasy all the time. It doesn't really go away. Some moments are worse than others. When I workout, I'm fine! But within 10 minutes of finishing, I have to lay down because I'm so nauseous.
Workouts: I haven't really been running since I found out about the pregnancy. I'm so, so queasy and all of the jostling of my stomach doesn't help. I've had some good runs and some bad runs. It doesn't help that I'm SO tired all the time. I try waking up early to run or workout and end up falling back asleep. Oops! I'm going to start running with a time goal instead of a mile goal. So instead of saying, "I'm going to run three miles today!", I'm going to say, "I'm going to run for 30 minutes!" That way I don't get down if I can't finish my miles. I tried running three miles a few weekends ago and my body was just not up for it. I made it... but I was regretting it afterwards. I still go to Zumba, Aqua Zumba, and Power Hour. I've just toned it down a bit so that I don't harm myself or the baby.

Emotionally: I am so, so happy! This was what I wanted after finishing the marathon! I have had some serious mood swings. Happy one minute, down the next... It's hard for me because I love being pregnant. I wasn't expecting to be a little down, but with my history of postpartum depression, my Doctor said that this is normal and that I have nothing to worry about! I was also feeling down because I had set some major running goals for next year. It's okay! They will be my goals for 2015 instead!
Physically: I hate that I have had terrible pimples/acne since finding out. They are everywhere on my face. Especially along my chin/jaw line and my forehead. Hopefully it will get better soon! It makes me terribly self-conscious of my face. I am also extremely bloated all the time. No relief. I've cut back on foods that can give me gas/bloating, and nothing is working. Guess I'll just have to look like I'm showing when I'm not...

Looking forward to: Entering the second trimester! Less nausea and bloating!

While Charles and I are overjoyed to share this journey with you, please know that we know that nothing is guaranteed. We have lost babies before and we know that that is a possibility with this pregnancy. But we believe that each pregnancy is worth celebrating... even the ones that end too soon. We've lost babies before, and we vowed to never announce our future pregnancies until we knew for sure that everything was fine. But we've changed our minds. We want to share our news. We want our family and friends in the loop. We want our girls to know that there is a baby brother or sister inside of Mommy's tummy and that it's okay to tell their teachers and friends! We don't want to live in fear of loss, but rather live in gratitude for every minute I have been blessed with carrying this pregnancy.

We ask for your prayers and kind thoughts. We know that babies are miracles! We are nervous for the future, but we are also hopeful! I haven't had any bad signs or symptoms yet. And this is the first pregnancy I will have with a healthy, fit body. I am excited for the future and I am glad you are along for the journey!

Our Family Photos 2013

We started a tradition two years ago taking photos in the fall. I was very pregnant with Miss Vivian when Karmen offered to take some maternity/family photos for us! Here are some comparison photos!

Karmen was very excited to get some more practice shooting pictures and I think that she did a fantastic job! It took us about an hour to get these shots in! Vivian sat still for the first photo, then wanted to play! We had trouble getting a solo shot of her, but Karmen did the best she could! I was/am very  happy with the outcomes! Here are our family photos for 2013: