Ready for four.

Four. I don't even know how we got here.

 

As I await the arrival of our third little friend, I think about the kids' births often. Brooke's was definitely...a challenge. I remember the day she was born vividly. The husband admitted today that he doesn't remember a thing from the day; I remember even the silly, little things. Like how none of the newborn hats they had in the room fit her head so they had to go in search of one. And how we literally cut my bra straps so I could nurse her because my epidural line was still taped to my shoulder. And how there was a nurse in our room as the NYE countdown began & another nurse radioed for her to leave us alone for a few minutes (she didn't; the husband & I didn't have our New Year's kiss until about 12:03.) Four years seems like a really long time, but it might as well have happened yesterday.

 

We are all incredibly excited for this little lady to be a 4-year-old (3 was tough, you guys.) But no one is as excited as the birthday girl herself. To her, 4 is practically a grown-up. She can ride in a booster seat now - quite possibly the most exciting thing ever. And she feels smarter and older already. And, quite frankly, she is. She continues to baffle us with what she knows and can do. I just know she's going to blossom this year!

 

Happy birthday to our adorable, compassionate, theatrical, smart little cookie!



Brooke's Birthday Interview: Year 4
1. What is your favorite animal? A cat, but I don't really like to be by cats because I'm scared of cats. (She's terrified of all non-human living things. Gets it from her mama.)
2. What is your favorite food? I like chicken & rice. And pizza sandwiches.
3. What is your favorite show? Sofia the First and Doc McStuffins.
4. What is your favorite color? Pink, purple, and silver.
5. Who is your best friend? The Thompsons.
6. What is your favorite thing to eat for breakfast? Cereal! I like to eat Cheerios because they're very nutritious. I love breakfast time and lunch, but I don't like dinner. Only if it's chicken & rice do I like dinner.
7. What is your favorite restaurant? Ooooh, can I pick more than one? Chipotle, Skyline, & LaRosa's.
8. What is your favorite book? Sophia Grace & Rosie. (Tea Time with Sophia Grace & Rosie)
9. What is your favorite song? The Sofia the First (theme) song.
10. What is your favorite toy? My iPad because I get to do games on it. I like that I get to stay up while Joe sleeps. (It's actually a LeapPad, the much more toddler-friendly tablet that she got for Christmas. And, to keep screen time at bay, we've limited its use to when her brother is napping.)
11. What is your favorite snack? Trail mix because there's always different things in it. M&M's, chocolate chips, anything! (M&M's & choc chips are a VERY rare treat; it's usually things like Goldfish, pretzels, animal crackers, etc.)
12. What do you like to sleep with at night? My bunnies.
13. What kind of birthday party are you going to/did you have? An Ariel birthday.

Viability!

Baby Reeder at 24w0d

How far along?: 24 weeks, 0 days
Total weight gain/loss: My scale says I'm up +21 lbs total at this point. It's coming on fast &, for the most part, seems unexplainable (I don't feel I'm eating enough to justify such rapid gains.) It's a little unsettling, so I'm going to talk to my OB about it at my appt on Thurs. I'm nervous that something else may be at play. I'm not at all worried about myself or having to lose it all after; I'm only concerned about the health of my already-large little one.
Maternity clothes?: I got some gift cards for Christmas that will be reserved for a few bigger maternity shirts for the final months. I'm 100% going to need them...
Sleep: I really can't get enough. My very kind husband has been a saint while he's been home over break, getting up with the kids most mornings so I can score an extra hour of sleep. Even after a solid 8 hours (well, as solid as it can be with a few bathroom breaks), I'm still dragging. I was napping on the couch today by 11:15 a.m.
Movement: The husband had his hand on my belly on Christmas night. The baby kicked him so hard that he gasped. The baby usually shies away from Daddy's hand, so this was quite a surprise!
Labor Signs: A few random contractions here and there.
Food cravings: None. I have my glucose tolerance test tomorrow to be sure I don't have gestational diabetes. If it comes back positive, I'll be held to a very strict diet for the remainder of my pregnancy. And, also, I'll sob.
Gender: This giant baby has me thinking boy now.
New w/pregnancy #3: ...
What I miss: A few weeks ago, when baby hadn't started hiccupping yet.
What I am looking forward to: My baby girl is turning 4 on Tuesday. She is soooo excited about it and I'm excited for her. We had a very successful Ariel birthday party for her tonight, and she was just giddy! I know her actual birthday will be just as exciting :) (On that same note, I had already been admitted to the hospital for her induction at this time 4 years ago. I was about 5 hours in, completely unaware that I'd have another 41 hours to go!)
Best moment this week: Christmas Day, as exhausting as it was for me, was completely magical!
Milestones: Today marks Viability Day for this little babe! Of course I don't expect to see that sweet face for another 17 weeks, but it's very reassuring to know that he or she has a fighting chance if something were to happen.

23 weeks.

How far along?: 23 weeks, 0 days
Total weight gain/loss: Honestly no idea.
Maternity clothes?: Obviously.
Sleep: I'm in this very lovely (& undoubtedly brief) period where sleep isn't a problem. Of course, with Christmas only a few days away, there have been plenty of other things keeping me up. Pretty sure I haven't been in bed before midnight more than once this week.
Movement: All day and night.
Labor Signs: Braxton Hicks contractions started this week. I've noticed them a few mornings in a row. Here we go...
Food cravings: Lots of cereal.
Gender: I'm so excited for so many reasons for both.
New w/pregnancy #3: Nightly acid reflux. It's the absolute worst. Starts about 2 hours after dinner. I had the husband Googling ways to make it go away the other night because it was killing me.
What I miss: Being able to bend over/reach stuff/move comfortably. Wrapping 40+ presents this week has been rough. I really don't know how I did it 4 years ago when I was 9 months pregnant.
What I am looking forward to: Our last Christmas as a family of 4. The kids are soooo excited &, quite frankly, so am I. I'm going to savor every moment of it, knowing that next year I'll be dividing my attention 3 ways.
Best moment this week: My poor little buddy has been having trouble regulating his digestive system lately. He was up in the middle of the night telling me his belly hurt. I sat in his room & rocked him back to sleep, something that never happens anymore. While he was laying there, squirming around due to both the pain in his belly & the lack of space on my lap, Baby Reeder started kicking him. It was like he or she was telling Big Brother that this wasn't his lap anymore. I sat there in the dark with my current baby snoring on my lap & my future baby trying to kick him off thinking, "This lap's about to get even more crowded. And I really can't wait."
Milestones: Baby hiccups started this week! This kiddo seems to get them 395 times a day. It's just so weird and uncomfortable.

Twenty-two.

How far along?: 22 weeks, 0 days
Total weight gain/loss: +1.5 this week, +15 total. Y'all, it's sad how little I care.
Maternity clothes?: Only a few weeks left before I start outgrowing some of my maternity shirts. Giant babies, you guys.
Sleep: Another week of good sleep. Don't get me wrong, I still fall asleep within minutes of sitting on the couch in the afternoon. But at least I'm not a zombie.
Movement: This kid is a nut. So much dancing in there. And last night, while lying in bed, I was getting punched on one side of my belly and kicked on the other (I think Baby is transverse.)
Food cravings: Nothing in particular. But I tend to gravitate toward sweet things in the morning, salty in the afternoon, and then sweet again at night.
Gender: Still thinking pink.
New w/pregnancy #3: No back pain so far. Excuse me while I go knock on the LARGEST piece of wood ever.
What I miss: Nada.
What I am looking forward to: 2 weeks to Viability!!
Best moment this week: Both kids got to feel good baby kicks this week. I'm confident that Joe had no idea what he felt, but I think Brooke really did feel it. It won't be long before there are very distinct body parts sticking out that they'll no doubt feel (and be subsequently weirded out by just like their Daddy always is.) I've said it before, but I'm just loving seeing this pregnancy through my almost-4-year-old's eyes :)
Milestones: We hit the 5-month mark this week. Still having a hard time believing we're over the halfway point.

A taste of autumn.

Although we are deep in the swing of Christmas preparations, I couldn't let these pictures go unnoticed. We just planted 3 new trees in our yard this fall, which pretty much doubled the number of trees we have. And the 3 we had aren't very healthy and don't produce the leaves you'd expect to see on the ground in the fall. So we go through each autumn without picking up a rake in our own yard. No, I'm not complaining; it's completely awesome. But we were eager to find some leaves to rake with the kids, somewhat of a Fall Bucket List thing. Luckily, my grandma's yard collects a deep covering of leaves each year, so we stopped down there a few times this fall to help rake. The kids had a blast! Neither child was very helpful with the actual raking, but they were very good at helping put the leaves in the bag. Scratch that - Brooke was good at the helping part. Joe was good at the "spreading the leaves back around the yard" part. Thankfully, we were moving faster than him, so he didn't hurt us too much in the end. The smiles on their faces while we were there were huge; they asked to go back to help rake so many times in the following weeks.

This one's so quintessentially Autumn. I adore it.

Hi, Rocket.

If you've never had the thrill of experiencing an ultrasound before, the only way I can describe the way you feel is to liken it to Christmas morning as a child. You know how you'd wake up with so much anticipation of the joy ahead, and then you'd rush downstairs (or, in my case, sit on the steps until your older siblings finally decided to wake up) only to realize that it was so much better than you had imagined? That magic you felt? That right there. That's what it's like.

It's the most beautiful sight in the world. My sweet little thing curled up in there, resting his or her little fist on a cheek, just so content and peaceful. Last Tuesday, I had my anatomy ultrasound to check on Baby Reeder's progress. Since we haven't had any problems with this pregnancy, this was our first glimpse at our future son or daughter. I wasn't as nervous this time as I was the last time. I was filled with this overwhelming sensation that everything was going to be fine, that Rocket (one of Joe's serious name suggestions for the baby that has become a bit of a nickname) was doing just fine in there. And mama's intuition is never wrong. Baby is perfectly healthy, with the correct number of fingers and toes & all the right parts. No one, not even our doctor, knows the gender because we asked that it be kept a surprise. Baby wasn't cooperating so well (another stubborn kid, awesome) so we got very few pictures.

He or she is growing right on pace...for a Reeder. This kid is going for the record, you guys. Let me give you a few numbers real quick:

Average size for a 20-week fetus: 10.5 oz.
Brooke at 20w: 12 oz.
Joe at 20w 5d: 14 oz.
Rocket at 20w 2d: 16 oz.

A whole freaking pound! This child weighs a whole pound already. 2 full ounces bigger than his or her big brother, who, may I remind you, was 10 lbs 2 oz at birth! Excuse me while my head explodes. I'm terrified, friends. Even the ultrasound tech kinda laughed when she told us; "I saw in your chart that you have big babies..." I'm measuring a full 10 days ahead. When we brought it up with my OB, her response was, "The trouble with you is that I can't even help you & induce you a little early; your babies just don't want to come out on time!" Uh huh. I remember. Like I said, terrified.

So let me sum up for you. I'm thrilled beyond belief that we got to see baby and that he or she is perfect and healthy. I'm also not buying any newborn diapers or clothes. Maybe not even size 3 months.

How far along?: 21 weeks, 2 days
Total weight gain/loss: +1 over the past 2 weeks, +13.5 total.
Maternity clothes?: Leggings, y'all.
Sleep: Can't complain. Seems to be the one thing that's gone my way this week.
Movement: I still feel it mostly when I'm sitting or lying down, but it gets more forceful every day. I actually saw my belly jump this week.
Food cravings: Still none. I've been sick for what feels like weeks so my relationship with food isn't great right now.
Gender: Team Green for life.
New w/pregnancy #3: Record-breaking fetuses. The tech didn't say it was the largest baby she'd ever seen at 20 weeks, but I could see it in her eyes.
What I miss: Can someone please call Jersey Mikes and ask them to be extra cautious with their deli meat this week so I can have a club sandwich?
What I am looking forward to: January. Life will slow down in January, right? (I say this every year and it never does. But a girl can dream.)
Best moment this week: Seeing my babe on that fuzzy little screen :)
Milestones: The husband finally felt his 3rd child moving around! It was very disconcerting to me that it hadn't happened yet (he was completely unfazed by it) so I forced him to just sit with his hand on my belly. Didn't take long before baby and Daddy finally met :)

Halfway :)

Baby Reeder at 20w0d

Yes, I'm as terrified as you at how much bigger this will get over the next 21 weeks if I'm already this big.

How far along?: 20 weeks, 0 days
Total weight gain/loss: No idea. Didn't have a chance to check this morning, which is probably a blessing considering it was Thanksgiving week. So. Much. Food.
Maternity clothes?: Obviously. See above. Regular clothes aren't gonna fit over that.
Sleep: It's been rough again this week, thanks to a sinus infection. Finally on an antibiotic, so I'm optimistic.
Movement: Tons of little jabs. Daddy still hasn't been able to catch it though which is a bummer!
Food cravings: None. But I've been incredibly thirsty for water in the evenings, which is pretty terrible timing because of the whole peeing-at-night thing.
Gender: Nothing confirmed, but we all think girl.
New w/pregnancy #3: So many headaches that just knock me on my butt. Asking the doctor about it on Tuesday.
What I miss: Energy.
What I am looking forward to: We have our ultrasound on Tuesday!! I'm so, so, soooo excited! Can't wait to finally get a glimpse of this sweet babe :)
Best moment this week: We put up our Christmas decorations this week. When Brooke saw the stockings hanging up, she immediately said "Mom, we're gonna need a stocking for the baby!" She never forgets that this little one is on the way, and it warms my heart.
Milestones: HALFWAY, KIDS! Halfway. That's crazy-talk. I can't even believe it. Though, it doesn't feel like the real halfway point to me because you don't know you're pregnant those first 4 weeks. Plus my kids are a week late, so it'll be the real halfway point for me at about 22.5 weeks.

Thankful.

Today is a day to be thankful. Of course I'm thankful for all of the normal & - let's be honest - cliché things: my family, my friends, my health, yadda yadda yadda. (And by "yadda yadda yadda" I obviously mean "I promise I really am thankful for these things".) But something came home from preschool on Monday that reminded me that there are so many other, less philosophical or traditional things that I'm thankful for. If my 3-year-old can be genuinely thankful for pizza sandwiches, then I can spend some time appreciating the small things in my life. So here are some of the things I'm really thankful for this Thanksgiving.

I'm thankful that my 2-year-old isn't strong enough to open the refrigerator yet. Because once he is, we won't have any food left.

I'm thankful for the person that thought salt & caramel would make a good combination. Because they were right.

I'm thankful that Victoria's Secret continues to sell the same bras that I've been wearing for years so I can just get resized and grab one off the shelf without the super annoying task of finding the "right" one.

I'm thankful for really long, really hot showers. These only come on days that the husband is home & the children are supervised. If he's not here, I take a 3 minute shower in fear that my bedroom will be destroyed by 2 little adventurers. (And, on a related note, I'm thankful for winter because it means shaving my legs much less frequently = quicker showers.)

I'm thankful for free chip & salsa at Mexican restaurants.

I'm thankful that stores start putting out Christmas stuff at the beginning of October, which is the start of the season in my head. It makes my heart so very happy.

I'm thankful that my 3-year-old thinks that her snack mixes are called a "mix trail" and, even though we've corrected her, continues to call it that. It's really cute. I'm also thankful that my 2-year-old thinks a horse says "yee haw!" because that's equally cute.

I'm thankful that leggings are an acceptable form of pants now (but only with a long shirt that covers things up, for the love of god people!) They're crazy-comfortable & my pregnant belly loves them.

I'm thankful that my husband isn't a video-gamer. I really, really am. Related: Our entire family is thankful for Candy Crush. We might be a tiny bit addicted. (Yes, the children, too. Brooke is really good for a 3-year-old.)

I'm thankful that my kids still believe that Daddy is the only one that can replace batteries in toys.

I'm thankful that I didn't have to clean up the little guy's throw up on Tuesday morning. Well-timed grocery trip on my part.

I really am thankful for my husband & children & family & friends & all that other stuff. This year even more than ever. But sometimes it's these little &, some might say, superficial things that get you through the day, you know? And I'm thankful for anything that gets me through the day.

19.

You didn't think these updates would be on-schedule every week, did you? Of course not, it's me we're talking about. It's been hard to get motivated to open up the computer this weekend because I'm just physically and mentally exhausted. The babes have been sick the past few days & I have a pretty terrible cold myself, so things are pretty boring and gloomy around here. The husband is off all week & instead of taking advantage of this time to do fun stuff, we've been resting and running quick, silly errands just to get everyone out of the house. Sigh. Fingers crossed that we all recover soon before we go completely stir crazy!

How far along?: 19 weeks, 2 days
Total weight gain/loss: +1.5 this week, +12.5 total.
Maternity clothes?: I finally feel like I've developed a decent-sized wardrobe to get me through the next 4.5 months! If it gets bitterly cold, I may be in trouble because while my winter coats are a little big, they're not 9-months-pregnant-with-a-Reeder-beast big.
Sleep: With sick kiddos, not enough. Only getting up to go to the bathroom about 1 time, so that helps.
Movement: Tons of kicks that are getting stronger every day. They are finally strong enough to feel from the outside, though I'm the only one that has felt it. Baby tends to shy away from Daddy's hand.
Food cravings: None, but ice cream has been a staple lately.
Gender: It's odd to think most people find out around this time and yet we have months and months to go before we'll know.
New w/pregnancy #3: I've had lots of unexplained muscle pain in my legs. I'll wake up feeling like I ran 5 miles, just really tight and sore. So bizarre.
What I miss: The kids are sick. I'm sick. I miss wine.
What I am looking forward to: Pie! I don't even care what kind, I'm only in it for the crust. Hurry up, Thursday.
Best moment this week: Feeling the baby kick from the outside! Before we know it, I'll be able to watch the elbows and knees jut out and the head rolling around (I realize after re-reading that sentence that it sounds weird and creepy, but I promise you it's cute and fun. To some people, at least. The husband always finds that weird and creepy.)
Milestones: We're under 150 days!

Ariel Snow White Reeder.

How far along?: 18 weeks, 1 day
Total weight gain/loss: +1.5 this week, +11 total. Considering I'm 2 weeks shy of the halfway point, I'm pretty jazzed about this.
Maternity clothes?: I have a love/hate relationship with maternity pants. While they are very comfortable, I'm struggling to find some I like this time.
Sleep: Pretty decent, even with the 1-2 trips to the bathroom each night. But when I don't get enough, I pay for it. Saturday night was especially rough - up late b/c I just wasn't tired, then Brooke got sick a few minutes after I got in bed and I spent the next hour or 2 washing sheets/bunnies and trying to get her to sleep. 2:30 am is just not a good bedtime for me, especially with 45 lbs of toddler tossing & turning next to me all night. Yesterday was a pretty terrible day because of it. I may or may not have been in my pj's for 36 hours straight.
Movement: A fair amount of little flutters in there. Nothing strong enough to be felt on the outside yet, but very close.
Food cravings: Not really.
Gender: All 4 of us predict girl. Brooke's favorite girl name is "First name Ariel, middle name Snow White, last name Reeder." Joe's choices this week are Leap, Lily, & Rocket.
New w/pregnancy #3: This pregnancy is going faster than either of the others. I mean, just flying. Well, actually, it's been the 2nd trimester that's been flying. The 1st trimester, which was full of nausea & extreme exhaustion, seemed to drag. But these past 5 weeks have been super fast.
What I miss: Summer. I'm just so cold all day long.
What I am looking forward to: Next week. The husband is off the entire week, so we'll have lots of bonding time with the kiddos (& I will have lots of help!) And Brooke's excitement for Thanksgiving is starting to rub off on me.
Best moment this week: Joe lifted up my shirt and gave "da baby a kiss." Which basically meant he slobbered all over my belly, but it was still precious :)
Milestones: We're just a mere 6 weeks away from viability, which is just INSANE, you guys.

17 weeks.

How far along?: 17 weeks, 0 days
Total weight gain/loss: +1 this week, +9.5 total. Halloween candy, you guys.
Maternity clothes?: Such a struggle. Pretty frustrating that the seasons don't line up for me from my previous pregnancies, leaving me virtually nothing of my own to work with. Normal shirts are officially too short, so it's all maternity from here on out.
Sleep: Better than last week, that's for sure. Not terrible these days.
Movement: Yes, yes, & more yes. And it's awesome and makes this pregnancy scary-real. I can't wait for the husband and the kids to feel it, too!
Food cravings: Nothing in particular. I've been drinking a lot of hot chocolate this week because my body has forgotten how to regulate its own temperature.
Gender: It's a girl. It just is.
New w/pregnancy #3: Talking about the baby with the kids is so delightful and something I didn't really experience with Brooke the last time. It still baffles me to think about how young she was when I was pregnant. She wasn't even 15 months old when I was 17 weeks pregnant with Joe. She didn't speak in sentences and still took morning naps. She was a baby. This time, both kids are walking, talking tiny humans that pretty much understand what's going on. They bring up the baby all the time. For example, on Halloween, we brainstormed costume ideas for the baby next year. They are excited and totally get that there's a baby growing in my belly and he/she is coming to live with us. It's so much fun for me to see this pregnancy through their little eyes.
What I miss: Excedrin Migraine.
What I am looking forward to: April 27ish. Yes, that's a week after my due date when this kid will realistically be joining us.
Best moment this week: Brooke leaned over my belly today and started talking to it. "Hi, baby. Do you want me to tell you about restaurants today? There's Skyline and LaRosa's and..." It was so random and so hilarious. She just has so much to teach this baby, she figured she better start now!
Milestones: Got my first stranger comment this week! I was asked when I was due by the nurse giving Joe his flu shot. Caught me completely off-guard so I fumbled to come up with a response.

We've got movement!

Originally written on 11/3/13 at 16w0d. This was just last week, so everything from here on out will be up-to-date!

How far along?: 16 weeks, 0 days
Total weight gain/loss: +.5 this week, +8.5 total. Curious to see what weight the doctor gets at my appt tomorrow; it was a giant leap last time, but I really don't feel like I've gained all that much these past 4 weeks.
Maternity clothes?: Pretty much full time, shirts and pants. And I can't find a 2nd pair of maternity jeans that I like so I'm basically rotating between yoga pants & a single pair of jeans every day. That is not gonna work much longer!
Sleep: Oh, it's been a complete nightmare, but I can't totally blame this babe. Instead, I blame baby #2. Joe has been plagued with pretty terrible digestive troubles all week, which then developed into Hand Foot & Mouth disease. He's currently struggling with both a bad belly and some pretty painful sores in his mouth, making his appetite pretty dismal. All of this adds up to a week's worth of really terrible nights of sleep. Add to that some pregnancy insomnia and I feel like I've been awake for a month.
Movement: YESSSS!!! I mean, I think. It's always a little tough to be certain in the beginning, but I'm pretty confident that I felt the baby on Friday night. And it was the most pleasant surprise ever! It actually took my breath away for a minute. It went on for a while, too. The thing is I haven't felt it again since. But I also haven't really sat still since then, so that may have something to do with it. So excited that this is happening again!
Food cravings: Nope, but I've enjoyed quite a bit of Halloween candy this week.
Gender: I'll be just as surprised this time if it's a boy as I was when I found out Joe was a boy.
New w/pregnancy #3: {radio silence}
What I miss: Sleeping through the night.
What I am looking forward to: Tomorrow's doctor's appt. I always appreciate being checked out, hearing the heartbeat, & getting the reassurance that both baby & I are doing well!
Best moment this week: Without question, it was feeling the baby dancing around in there!
Weekly Wisdom: Only in pregnancy is it perfectly normal to throw up the entire contents of your stomach in a Skyline bathroom & then proceed to down a chili cheese sandwich w/habanero cheese & a Pepsi like nothing happened.
Milestones: Feeling this little thing bumping into me! It's such a relief to have felt this little one

Pumpkin time.

We did the Halloween thing in true Reeder-style again this year. In other words, we celebrated it the entire month of October. Our kids got to wear their costumes for 5 different Halloween events; by Halloween night, it was getting a little old for Mom & Dad. The kids, on the other hand, were ecstatic every time! They had such a ball all month long.

They both knew exactly what they wanted to be by October 1st. Brooke had her heart set on Belle, which I wasn't so sure about. This was before I realized her Belle dress was the one and only dress-up in the playroom that wasn't completely tattered and destroyed. By some sort of miracle, the Belle dress had been spared. Being pregnant & exhausted, a pre-made & already-in-possession costume sounded good to me, so she got to be Belle! A curling iron, some blush, and a tiara from Halloween 2 years ago, and boom - princess!

I'm not sure where he got the idea, but Joe told us he wanted to be "a Superman". Not sure he had ever really seen the real Superman, I started envisioning a Super Joe costume. He just wanted to be a superhero, so I thought we could make him look like quite the crime-fighter. And then 3 minutes later I remembered I was still pregnant & exhausted, so a cheap store-bought Superman costume was acquired instead. It ended up being pretty darn cute, due in large part to the built in muscles. (If you ask him to show you his muscles, he puts one arm up like this and growls at you. Hilarious.)

 

The first event of the season was a Halloween party at their cousin Owen's house. They don't get to see him often, so they were super thrilled just to go to his house. Their minds were blown when they realized there were games and crafts and treats involved! They had a blast painting pumpkins & making pasta necklaces & playing games. The afternoon was capped off with trick-or-treating all over the yard. Such a fun day with all of their cousins that I think will become an annual tradition.

(Oh, did I forget to mention the adults dressed up for this one, too? Ever seen Snow White with a baby belly? Also, I really wish someone had told me take off those sunglasses.)

 

The HalloweenFest at the Rec was a fun, chilly night! The snacks were heavenly (s'mores and caramel apples!) and the decorations were just the cutest. There were a dozen or so games and crafts for them to do inside, which was a lovely escape from the chill. It was deceptively cold; a last-minute grab of gloves became a lifesaver. Belle was very worried that she wouldn't look as fancy with sweats under her dress and a coat on...until we explained that Belle wore a coat when she went into the snow with the Beast. (And I talked a few friends into very emphatically telling her how fancy she looked, which she just beamed about.) They had a blast and were exhausted when we got home!

Costume event #3 was yet another Halloween carnival, this time at my high school. It was always fun to work the games when I was in high school, and it's really fun for me to see it from the parent perspective. We put the costumes on a 4th time for trick-or-treating down at the Rec with all of the employees. The kids got to go through the fire & police stations looking for treats, as well as visit Grandma in her office.

A few nights before Halloween, we carved our pumpkins. The kids were super jazzed about it, yet wanted to do zero of the work. As usual, both of them were too chicken to touch the gooey insides. They barely agreed to reach in the hollowed out pumpkins with a spoon. Look, we're not the play-in-the-mud types over here - not super surprising that my kids are prissy. But they were thrilled to design the jack-o-lantern faces and watch us carve them. Joe pointed to a jack-o-lantern on a place mat and wanted that exact one, while Brooke wanted something "reeeeally spooky". Nailed it.

We finally made it to Halloween night. All of those pre-Halloween events added up to a ton of candy - so much, in fact, that we didn't buy a single bag of candy to pass out this year! (No, we're not so mean that we don't let them have any candy. But our kids can't eat 60% of the candy because of allergies and another 20% b/c it's just too hard for their little mouths to chew. That pretty much leaves them with lollipops, Smarties, and M&M's.) Which ended up working out perfectly for us because Mother Nature went ahead and ruined Halloween this year. It poured the first hour and sprinkled the 2nd; we had 2 trick-or-treaters. The husband took the kids out with an umbrella (which everyone failed to stay under, apparently) and came back in the door 15 minutes later completely drenched. Between the rain and our neighbors' dogs, they were done. So they spent a quarter of their trick-or-treat time watching a Halloween episode of one of their favorite shows. We drove them around afterwards to finish up, so all was not lost. (Notice Belle's fancy rain boots?)

 

Though the kids were at a great age to appreciate the holiday and we had a ton of fun, I'm okay with the fact that October is over. I'm tired. I've carnival-ed out. And I'm thrilled to have a 2-week decoration-free break before the Christmas craziness begins. (You guys, my brain is already CHRISTMAS! LET'S DO THIS!)

Fifteen.

(Week 14's post is lost forever in our now-dead laptop. I promise you aren't missing much, just more whining about being tired & how nothing fits me anymore.)

Originally written on 10/27/13 at 15w0d

How far along?: 15 weeks, 0 days
Total weight gain/loss: +3 this week, +8 total. This whole Sunday weigh-ins thing is killer. Dessert bar at a family wedding last night = big number today.
Maternity clothes?: Yep, it's time.
Sleep: Doesn't even matter how much sleep I get; I'm completely wiped out all day long no matter what.
Movement: Still no. I'm starting to get impatient, which is completely ridiculous. But I felt those first little thumps with Joe on this day, 15 weeks. So I was expecting it today or even earlier. I even catch myself sitting still just focusing on my abdomen to see if I feel anything. So idiotic. A watched pot never boils, a watched fetus never kicks.
Food cravings: Not really, it was a weird week.
Gender: Joe said today that he wants a baby sister named "Joe" or "Baby boy".
New w/pregnancy #3: The headaches, you guys. They suck. Every flippin' afternoon.
What I miss: My really good acne meds. My face has gone back to high school.
What I am looking forward to: Feeling this baby move. Those daily reassurances are exactly what could start turning these crappy days around for me.
Best moment this week: Eh, I don't know.
Weekly Wisdom: There really is nothing more exhausting than being pregnant. I ran a 10K over the summer & that pales in comparison to just walking up the stairs sometimes.
Milestones: 175 days to go! I have a feeling they are going to go fast.