Regan-12th birthday eve

Tonight our Regan goes to bed an 11 year old; and wakes up tomorrow age 12. 

How in the world are we already 12 years into this whole parenting thing?! It's hard to believe that 12 years ago tomorrow, we went from a couple, to a family. 

There's been a lot of talk around my office about babies and pregnancies, seeing as though I currently have two pregnant coworkers. There's been discussion about first time parents, and going from a family of 3 to 4. I have to giggle when I recall how big I was with each of my babies. Let's be real (and Ryan will lovingly tell you the same), I was humongous all over while pregnant with the first two.
Wowzas! 

That sweet Regan kept us on our toes from the beginning when she decided to arrive 4 weeks early. I will never forget my water breaking and my the shock of "oh my goodness already!?". Thankfully she was healthy and ready, and besides the whole dropper feeding, she was a rockstar baby. I could have held her forever and ever, and most days I did. I was a baby-hog to my own child :) 

And now looking back, I can hardly believe she will wake up in the morning and turn 12. I teared up on my drive home the other day as I thought to myself "we're half-way through her school career" (minus college). Half-way! Where did all of those years go? It honestly feels like I blinked and she grew up. I hope I've savored each moment enough; held her close, soaked in each stage, taken enough pictures. 

This sweet babe. She continues to pave the way for her siblings who follow behind. She never ceases to amaze us and she's growing up into a beautiful girl. These teenage years are likely to cause my hair to turn grey and Ryan's to fall out. But we're so excited to watch her grow up, right before our eyes.  

Happy Birthday Eve Regan! 

Lincoln-birthday eve

Tonight I put to bed our 2 year old for the very last time. For tomorrow he will wake as a THREE year old!

So tonight, let's take it back a few years.... to the last time I went to bed pregnant. I loved being pregnant. Every single time, every single minute of all 9 (10 really!) months! I'm one of those people who had pretty easy pregnancies and never seemed to mind the nausea, lack of sleep, waddle in my walk, or any other "perk". I knew it was a blessing and I never took it for granted. I'd do it all over again another 10 times!
Thankfully, as my coworkers so lovingly tell me, I "tend to deflate well"!

This was taken roughly 18 hours before Lincoln was born (also my easiest birth).

  

And the day these two got to meet their little brother for the very first time. Having our sweet little boy enter our family was the most precious time of our lives. He has been a ball of joy and we have loved him from the very start.

Oh how I miss those big squishy cheeks (and arms and legs and button nose), which have now slimmed down with his always-on-the-move demeanor and non stop chatter. He was, by far, the easiest baby I have ever known. From birth-12 months, he slept, he nursed and he played. He let me hold him all day long when I could, and boy did we snuggle that first year.

And then he started walking....and he hasn't stopped moving since! He's hard to keep up with and I'm convinced a mom invented hoods for my own sake (yes, I have been known to grab his hood just in the knick of time).

Tomorrow when he wakes, we will celebrate our 3 year old and love him up just like the day we met him.

Happy Birthday Eve Lincoln!
We love you :)

Birthday eve

Tonight, we reminisce over the last year (or two) with our sweet Lincoln. I can't help but do a little reflecting on the days that led up to his birth. Our little baby was cozy (and big) and had zero intentions of coming out on his own. No matter what we did, he wasn't about to budge and was only getting bigger. 

My mom snapped this picture the evening before he was born. When I felt that I could hardly move any longer and had resorted to resting my water cup on my big round belly. Where it would stay provided he didn't kick!

We are all very thankful that we decided to schedule his birth, because once my water broke (already in the hospital), he came out within 45 minutes. My sweet nurse (who happened to have once worked with me on my unit at the hospital) kept begging me to wait for the doctor! He came out purple, but we were assured over and over that it was only bruising because of his quick delivery. The unedited version of this picture looks twice as bad as this one below, he was really really purple!  

But oh so sweet! 

And now, just two short years later, he is a: 

wild

rambunctious

energetic

sweet

snugly

adorable

funny

loving

toddler! 

I'm lucky enough to have him all to myself on his 2nd birthday tomorrow (I made up my own law long ago that we shouldn't have to work on our kids' birthdays)! The presents are ready and I'm ready to love him up all day :) 

Happy birthday eve Lincoln! 

One year ago

Just about one year ago, we were painting my belly to look like a pumpkin, in the spirit of Halloween. Preparing the girls for the arrival of their new sibling.

Boy, how he has changed each of our lives. I am so thankful to have each of our kids. And I'm soaking up every "first", and every transition that Lincoln goes through, knowing he won't stay little too long...the girls have taught us that. 

Shockingly, it also means I'm savouring even the middle of the night cries for a pacifier or the 4am "pick me up I miss you" pleas....and yes, we oblige. Because we know, that this too, shall pass.  

Update-baby

Here we are, 39 weeks pregnant. Yes, still pregnant. Funny thing is I really do love being pregnant. Most people call me crazy for saying that, or look at me like I've lost my mind. Maybe I have :) But I really do love this most amazing and unique experience. Sure I'm uncomfortable at this stage of the game, there's sciatica pain that makes me stumble when I stand up, crazy belly button pain explained away by muscles being pulled in all directions, heart burn that doesn't burn but rather feels like a giant gobstopper stuck in my throat and feet that are mildly swollen each evening. I haven't seen my toes in weeks, maybe months, but my lovely husband painted them orange recently....perfect for the season. It's comedy hour watching me try to get off the couch or roll out of bed in the morning. It's slim pickins' when it comes to clothing, not much fits around this belly anymore, and there's no way I'm spending any money at this stage. So I may be wearing the same pair of pants until baby is born!

And yet, I still love having this gigantic belly staring at me in the mirror each day. Right now, though, we are all very excited to meet this new one, and super hoping s/he will make his/her debut this weekend. Because at the end of the day, we are ready. 

Pumpkin

The girls painted this "pumpkin" today.....

that is one special pumpkin :) 

And we grow, and grow, and grow

Ryan commented, as he took the 36 week picture, that it might be the last one we take before slapping on the "born" picture (which by the way I had to tell him goes on BABY, not on my belly). While we'd like baby to stay inside for a few weeks yet, we all know it's not necessarily our doing. Regan was born at 36 weeks, and Sidney at 39. So sometime in the next 3 weeks, we anticipate baby's debut and we could not be more excited! 

I'm starting to dilate, though this is really just par for the course at this stage of the game. Loads of contractions and I've been timing them regularly just in case. 

I'm feeling awfully pregnant now. My belly is much further out front as compared to the girls when I was round in every aspect of the word. My big belly makes everything challenging, from walking, to sitting, to laying. 

Yet each day I am so in love with being pregnant and feeling all the jabs and rolls and kicks, which makes all those uncomfortable feelings all worth it.

Ryan still thinks this one is a boy; and he has many reasons for saying so.
The girls mostly say it's a boy too, though I'm guessing they each want a girl. 

So either way, we are all going to be very happy! 

And here I am, at 'roughly' 36 weeks with all 3. 

Regan, then Sidney and now baby

Baby on the brain

We've got baby on the brain over here. Sometimes I'm one of those 'crazy-worry about everything' pregnant ladies and other moments I'm the 'go with the flow-everything will work out fine' types. But regardless, we are constantly talking about baby's arrival. 

The girls have lots of questions, and are hearing more and more about our conversations with others such as labor and delivery and everything in between. Regan has actually started to use the words "go in labor" when referencing the former term "when baby comes out". She is also getting to be a pretty good "kick counter" for me and we've used it to add a little math into our days. I'll tell her what number I'm at, say 3, for example, and she has to tell me how many more to get to 10. And we just keep going from there until we reach 10. 

Sidney is still our sweet lover and would just climb into my belly if she could right now. Gosh, she cannot wait to meet this baby. She talks to baby and the cutest thing is to watch her wrap her arms upwards around my belly in a giant hug. She does this whenever possible. Love it. 

Ryan and I took our hospital tour, seeing as though we'll be in the new center to deliver, he needed to know where to go. Holy Moses talk about gorgeous. I've seen it already as I happen to work at the same place, but he's quite impressed. 

Bags are getting packed, phone lists are created and diapers are purchased. We are so excited to meet this babe. Although, ideally would like to stay pregnant another 3-4 weeks, because frankly, I simply LOVE being pregnant!

32 weeks.

For the 3rd time :) 

Today, I visited the doctor for a 32 week appointment. Me and my side-kick Sidney. She is becoming a pro at these appointments: handing me the pee cup, sticker and lid, opening the trap door, waiting on the doctor, and asking all sorts of questions to me, the nurse and the doctor. I think she might be learning a bit too much about pregnancy!

Things are looking good for baby, who continues to measure ahead of schedule, by roughly 2 weeks in size. Now just to be fair, Sidney was also considered "two weeks ahead of schedule" towards the end of my pregnancy, and she came out just 4 days before my due date at 7 lbs 14 oz. So apparently I just tend to have a large belly! 

This baby has a heart rate lower than the other two ever did, generally in the 120's-130's but occasionally hitting 140. It remains very active, tossing and turning all day and night. Ryan comments that baby better figure out stretches of sleeping before it comes out!! Watching and feeling the stretches are my absolute favorite part of pregnancy. I love it. Hiccups are fun too, and happen a lot. 

The girls are getting more and more excited. Sidney gives me two hugs whenever she needs a snuggle, one for me and one for baby. Her arms stretch up around my belly as she tells baby she loves it. Melts my heart. Regan found a gigantic LaLaLoopsie today (picture an over sized bobble head) and walked around saying she was practicing holding baby and keeping its head safe. She cannot wait to help.  

And for comparison sake, I'm posting belly pictures for the lucky readers. ha! 

REGAN

SIDNEY

BABY

Ryan still thinks this one is a boy, and considering he was accurate on his guesses the last two times, I should probably give him some credit. As for me, well, I have had 4 dreams it is a boy, and two dreams that it was born October 17th. But yet I still think it's going to be a girl. 

Time will tell.....

Gearing up

We are about 31 weeks into this pregnancy and starting to feel like it's time to get ready! We had another ultrasound last Wednesday and baby is preparing itself for arrival. S/he is now in the correct position and giving me some kicks in the ribs :) Based on measurements taken at the ultrasound, baby is about 2 weeks ahead of schedule in terms of size...... Let's not get too crazy! I just looked at the doctor and she smiled and commented to the girls (who were in attendance) that we should probably buy baby a Halloween outfit to join us trick or treating. They are pretty excited for that! 

I'm enjoying feeling regular baby hiccups, lots of movement, and an overall sense that I'm waddling down the hospital hallways. This heat has been difficult, and I find myself sleeping on ice packs despite our A/C running. I managed to pull a stomach muscle in the recent weeks and boy, that's painful when pregnant! We weren't sure what was happening but happy to learn it wasn't labor, just a muscle. I discovered that if I refrain from bending over to pick up the constant toy on the floor or around the pool, I can avoid pain. The girls are learning to pick up their own toys :) 

I took the time this week to pick out "going home" outfits....what will it be?

Pink or Blue?!

Summer wind down

Today the girls finished up their summer programming. It's been an interesting summer. One without enough heat, but one that has kept us busy and on the move. 

 Regan was slow to warm up to her summer routine, and she gave us a bit of a run for our money. While she figured out her place amongst a slew of children, she came home exhausted and crabby on most days. She preferred a whine over a nice voice, and a bossy/sassy attitude towards her wee sister. We initiated a "chore jar" to help mitigate those behaviors, and although it's working quite well, both girls are actually ENJOYING when they get to grab a chore. Win-Win I guess! 

She has started helping cooking in the kitchen, and boy do I love her company. She is such a great helper!

She tells us that she is not excited to start school, but in the next breath, she is bouncing off the walls with excitement as she learns which friends are in her class. 

I continue to grow a belly :) This picture is not the greatest, the stripes make it hard to see, and the angle (Ryan is a bit tall) is deceiving. 

Ryan is convinced baby is a boy. 

Although I have had 4 very vivid baby boy dreams, I still think it's a girl (after all, it's all I know!). 

The girls change their opinions by the hour. 

I haven't had any cravings or unusual pregnancy related issues; it's been pretty similar to my previous. 

And for that I'm thankful!

Ryan spends his weekends golfing, generally in the rain. If he has a tee-time, it is bound to rain. 

Happens a lot. And I have to chuckle :) 

He's frequented concerts and sporting events too this summer. 

And he claims to be working a lot, although 2pm mandatory happy hours are also part of his days. 

And last but not least, this peanut has also finished her summer programming. She played all sorts of summer-outdoor games, was blessed with in-house field trips weekly, bounce houses and water days. Sidney got to nap each and every day at school, so she would come home in a much happier mood compared to her big sis. 

She's over-the-top thrilled to be starting in her new classroom when she returns to school in September. We know it will be a huge adjustment for her (no more naps at school), but we are looking forward to this final year of preschool. 

Here's to the last 2 weeks of summer! 

Valleyfair

Our girls love rides. It's no lie that they could go round and round and up and down all day long, neither of them wanting to stop for a meal or to go to the bathroom. So each year, we try to make a day out of Valleyfair. Some day, I'm sure they'll need season passes like the older kids in our neighborhood, but for now, they are happy with once or twice a year. 

And so are we! 

Ryan is just a big kid when it comes to rides. He loves them as much as the girls. Who am I kidding, so do I! But Valleyfair is much more strict than Disneyland and I wasn't allowed on much of anything. So Ryan took them on rides that spun, and he/Regan went on rides that went way up high! Her favorite is still the Corkscrew, and Sidney might tell you this Scrambler is her favorite (listening to her giggles and seeing the laughter plastered on her face is priceless!). 

One of only two rides I was allowed on today, the Ferris Wheel. So I jumped at the opportunity to take a spin into the sky with these two little girls. We watched as the sun was setting after a very long day of fun. 

Our spunky Sidney was striking some poses for me :) 

Thanks grandma Sheri for a fun filled day!

24 weeks

Here we are at 24 weeks (and one day). Baby is growing and at about 1.5 lbs, is sitting breech currently. We got another peek inside today and s/he is looking good. The cord was across the face, casting a shadow on the cheek in the picture below. 

As for me, I can't complain. This pregnancy is both similar and different from the previous two. Strangely, I get some horrific side aches from simply walking. I can do an elliptical for 30 minutes, but can't walk one block. At this point, we are chalking them up to muscle pains and nothing more. Baby is constantly moving and that is very reassuring. Feeling the breech movements is something unique to this pregnancy, as neither of the girls were ever in that position by this stage. So I get a lot of kicks to my bladder....yea, that's fun :) S/He is very active in the afternoons and evenings, this is very much a pattern. I'm up most nights with a wild one and I can't help but smile at 3am :) 

So far so good. The girls are thrilled and excited and both enjoyed seeing baby today during the ultrasound, commenting "ohhhh, it's so cute!". Sure is! 

Life lately

in general, we've kept busy. 

Between play dates, birthdays, swimming, gymnastics and all sorts of family fun, it has been a very busy summer.
We're wrapping up the month of June and it is definitely our favorite time of the year. All 4 of us simply L-O-V-E the heat. The more the merrier. We just don't seem to get enough of it in our 3 short months of summer, so when we do, we live it up. 

Updates:
Regan has settled into her summer program routine and is starting to enjoy herself a little more each day. She was overwhelmed at first, but has adjusted well. She's making new friends, keeping some of the old, and learning her new role in her 3 day/week summer schedule. She continues to attend weekly swimming and gymnastics classes and is doing great in both of them. She's working on the butterfly stroke (AMAZING!) as well as handstand-bridge-kick overs. Fun stuff! She is keeping up with some reading this summer (not as much as she should be, I'll admit) and continues to pick out chapter books on our regular library outings. She'd much prefer to watch a movie or the beloved Disney channel and I swear we could drive to Russia and she would be content watching TV the whole way (in her defense, the poor girl gets car sick if she tries reading in the car). 

Sidney is still little Miss Popular in her ongoing preschool program. She has remained with the same core group of children for a very long time. Some of them since infancy. This really is her second family. They love her and she loves them right back. She's told us she is trying to decide which of two boys to marry. Yes, we have our hands full. Depending on the day, she is married to either one of them. This girl cracks us up! She too is participating in swimming lessons and gymnastics classes on a weekly basis. She has mastered swimming across the deep end of our pool without any floatation device; quite impressive to watch her tiny 34 lb body paddle 16 feet without stopping. In order to keep up with the bigger kids, she still puts on a life jacket or grabs a noodle but she's really making some amazing gains. Though she adores her Disney channel like her big sister, she tires quickly and we joke that on a 2 hour drive, we can't make it 10 blocks without her saying she's bored. Makes for some long trips. 

As for us parents, well, we're taking life as it comes these days. I commented to Ryan that with all we have going on in our house right now, we are both handling the summer in a positive manner. Not much rattles us anymore, and while we still have very full weekends (and week nights), we've learned to take things one moment at a time. And it's proving quite helpful for both of us. 

Ryan's loving his new job (something he hasn't ever really been able to say) and is still a goofball in the pool, doing all sorts of "tricks" as he likes to call them. As for me, I'm enjoying my sleepless nights feeling baby kick (the first pregnancy to keep me awake with kicks), multiple trips to the bathroom day and night, and wishing my (other) full time job as social coordinator for this family would pay in dollars :) 

Here's to another two months of fun in the sun! 

Baby Belly #3

Baby is growing and it's showing on the outside. I'm beyond the questionable stage and into the full blown "you are pregnant!" stage. 

I don't have any real complaints while pregnant, never really have. Spent the first 9 weeks feeling like I had just gotten off a roller-coaster every moment of the day, but that has since subsided. I'm loving this warm weather because it means cute skirts and dresses on a daily basis and that means a very comfortable waist. 

Baby does a lot of flips and kicks throughout the day, but more importantly, throughout the night. This is a new experience for me, having never really been woken by a pregnancy (other than bathroom trips). Now I lay awake, smiling at the beauty inside of my belly keeping me awake. Let's just hope it figures out night/day in the next 4 months! 

No major cravings to describe. I really wanted a donut a couple of weeks ago but resisted the urge. Shocking! 

My workout routine has slowed down. I still head to the gym 4 days/week, but instead of busting out a 2-4 mile high paced run and some strength training, per the doctor's orders, I'm lazily going through an easy Elliptical or bike workout. 

Lap swimming in our pool hasn't been something I've been able to participate in. I tried a couple of times but each time I get out of the pool with some belly cramps so until I get the all-clear, I'm holding off on any more laps. 

Here's a progression over the the last 8 weeks: 12, 18 and 20 week pictures. 

Something's growing around here.

This weekend we took a family picture a top Herman the German in New Ulm. 

A picture of our growing family :) 

It hasn't been easy to hide a pregnancy for the last 20 weeks, and I haven't exactly been successful other than removing most pictures of myself from the blog. 

But the time has finally come, to introduce the blog world to this beautiful baby who will be joining our family around Halloween. We are thrilled and so in love with this new bundle of joy that is doing flips in my belly while I type. 

We learned about this addition back in February. Yes, February! It's been a tough secret to keep :) Sometime around 3 months pregnant, we announced it to the girls. Their reaction is something to write about in another post. In a nut-shell, Sidney jumped up and down screaming "I told you! I told you that you were pregnant!" (somehow she just knew, and had been telling me for several weeks that there was a baby in my tummy). Thankfully the announcement was all caught on camera :) Shortly thereafter, the girls brought my parents both a pink and a blue balloon, and after 5 short seconds, tears fell from my mom's proud eyes. Gotta love it! 

Today we had our regular half-way mark ultrasound. Regan got to join us, while Sidney opted (on her own choice) to stay behind at daycare. Regan paid close attention to all the angles, watching the yawns, and really enjoyed seeing our baby all wrapped up in a ball.
Here you can see the leg, which is actually up against baby's forehead. Curled up in one little ball. 

All of us are in agreement that this 3D shot was our most favorite. Such a gem and we are already so much in love! 

So while this skinny boy gets skinnier (side by side shots of his new/old driver's license)....

This mama is getting bigger!! 

And if you are wondering, no, we didn't find out the gender.
Yes, that was done on purpose. Just following suit from pregnancies of the two girls we already love so much!