35 Weeks

How Far Along: 35 weeks Size of baby: Large Cantaloupe (19-22in, 5.5lbs)
Maternity Clothes: Bottoms yes, still wearing my flowy tops and tunics.  I've also been brave and wearing my booties.  I'm just so excited I can still wear regular shoes that I'm wearing them.
Gender:  Girl! Movement: All the time.  I feel like she's a lot more active than Barrett was.
Sleep: I'm actually sleeping good.  The last few nights I've woken up around 4:30 and struggled to fall back asleep.   What I miss:  Energy.     Cravings: None this week.
Symptoms: Just really big.  Lots of ligament pain.  My hands and feet have started swelling some. Best Moment this week:  We had a great doctors appointment this morning.  We've almost got the nursery ready.  We're making packing lists for everyone and it's getting real.  I'm so excited and anxious.  I'm ready for this girl to come.  4 weeks or less!

AveryAnn's Shower

Last weekend, some sweet friends hosted a small shower for AveryAnn and me and it was so perfect.  I debated having another shower but I'm so glad I did.  I was so much fun and I loved getting to visit and celebrate our sweet baby with everyone.

(I don't know why it's so blurry.)

I love these girls.  I've been so blessed with great friends all throughout my life and I've so enjoyed this season of life with them.  We have 13 kids (5 and under) and two more on the way in this group. 

I can't wait to meet baby Dawson too.  I have loved being pregnant with Anna.  We've enjoyed celebrating and commiserating together over the last 9 months.  She's due any day and I can't wait.

My Mom and sister.    I hate I didn't get a picture with everyone.  We had lots more family there and it meant the world to me.  We got so many sweet outfits and a ton of diapers to get us started.  My friends went in together and got us a great carrier that I can't wait to use.  I'm so ready for this baby to be here and use all these sweet gifts!  It's getting so real.  5 weeks or less.

34 Weeks

I've reached the wall.  I'm ready for this baby to come.
 

How Far Along: 34 weeks

Size of baby:  Pineapple (19-22in, 4.9lbs)

Gender: Girl!  Lots of pink in our house and its so sweet.

Movement:  She's moving as much as she can.  I think she's running out of room.

 

Sleep: I'm sleeping as much as the people in my house will let me. 
  

What I miss: Energy and being able to do whatever I want to do.  I get so tired and start hurting if I stand too long so I can't even grocery shop for too long.  Poor Barrett is watching a lot of Mickey Mouse these days.

Cravings: Fresh Fruit. Which is weird for me.  The other day I wanted something sweet but I wanted it to be fruit.
  

Symptoms: Big and achy.  My feet are starting to swell a little, nothing like with Barrett but a little.  I get so worn out so quickly, it makes it hard to get anything done.  Only a few more weeks. I can do it.

Best Moment this week:   We got a lot done and I finally feel like we could have a baby and not freak out.  I got all the clothes washed, organized and put away.  I've got everything ready to be packed for her bag.  I've started making a list for my bag.  We got the light fixture hung in her room.  I've still got several things to do but it's feeling a lot more manageable now.  We have a date scheduled for the csection.  5 weeks or less, we can't wait!

My belly looks so different this time.  I share a comparison picture with Barrett in a couple of weeks but I can't get over how different it looks.

Love all these sweet pink clothes that got washed and put away this weekend.  I can't wait to dress her everyday!

Christmas

So Christmas was forever ago but I just uploaded some pictures so lets talk about it.  Not to mention my tree is still up and Barrett asks to watch "Mickey Mouse Christmas" at least once a day so we're still celebrating.

 

Christmas Eve we went to my grandmother's house for lunch and it was so hot outside I thought I was going to die.  Being pregnant when the weather is cooperating with your wardrobe is frustrating.  I had nothing to wear because all my maternity are warm clothes for winter.  Since it's winter.  I was not ready for nearly 80 degree weather.

My grandmother with 4 of her 7 grandkids

And with 5 of her 8 (9 now, almost 10) great grandkids plus my two brothers.   We enjoyed lunch and visiting with my grandmother and my Aunt before we rushed home to get ready for church. Where is was also a thousand degrees.  I thought I might pass out.  I didn't but Barrett fell asleep in Patrick's lap and they both were pouring sweat.  After church we usually go over to mom and dad's house but this year we went to look at lights and then headed home so we could get ready for Santa.

Family selfie after church.  Last Christmas just the 3 of us!

We put some cookies out for Santa.

Then put our two year old to bed for the last time.

Poor kid doesn't realize it's his birthday too.

Santa came!  We kept things small and simple this year.  Barrett loved everything so much and he was so sweet playing with everything.

I've already showed this but our picture in front of the tree.

I don't think this is from Christmas but I thought it was cute of Barrett and Porter.

 

We had a nice morning at my parents even though it was 80 degrees outside and their air conditioning wasn't working.  Porter got a SEGA with games already loaded so we hooked it up and played Sonic.  Ok, I played Sonic and every one watched until they'd had enough.

 

Mom and dad with their 5 grandkids at the time. 

 

We left my parents, went home and recharged for the next stop.  The weather got bad and we ended heading to the Horton's house in flash floods.  It rained so much.  We enjoyed being with them so much.

Barrett got Woody and Buzz for his birthday from us and they go everywhere with us.  I love this picture of him sleeping on the way home Christmas night.  We had such a wonderful Christmas season.  We were busy and I didn't get to enjoy it the way I wanted.  I didn't get all my Christmas cards out, we didn't do our advent activity calendar like I'd hoped but we still had a lot of fun and really tried to focus on the reason for the season.  I'm sad it's over but we're so looking forward this next season and welcoming our new baby and looking forward to all the memories to be made in 2016.  We have a lot of fun things planned this year and I can't wait to have another little one to share in all the memories.

 

33 Weeks

(This picture is terrible, I'm going to have to get Patrick to take a better one when we get home) How Far Along: 33 weeks

Size of baby: Honeydew (19in, 4.5lbs)

Maternity Clothes: Bottoms yes, tops are still regular tunics and flowy tops.
  

Gender: Hopefully still a girl!

Movement: All the time.  She's wild.

Sleep:  Not too bad.  If I wake up before Patrick leaves I usually can't go back to sleep which stinks and I usually take a quick nap in the afternoon because I'm just exhausted.

 

What I miss: Energy mainly.  I feel beat by 1:00 or 2:00 every afternoon and there's still a lot of day left.  Luckily Barrett is pretty easy and he'll sit and watch Mickey Mouse while I rest in the afternoon.

 

Cravings: Fruit and orange juice.

 

Symptoms:  Just feeling huge and some pressure if I stand or sit too long.

 

Best Moment this week: My niece was born Friday afternoon.  She's so cute and I can't wait for AveryAnn and her to grow up together.  My friends hosted a small shower for us Saturday morning.  It was so sweet and I got some of the cutest pink things and a ton of diapers to get us started.  My friends also went in together and got us a really nice carrier that I know will come in handy. We're slowly getting the nursery put together.  I had a doctors appointment this morning and everything looks good.  My iron is still low so if it doesn't rise significantly by my next appointment she's going to give me an injection.  Hopefully it doesn't come to that.  I have one more two week appointment then I start going every week.  I think we'll get to schedule our csection at my next appointment.  It's getting real and I'm so excited!

 

3rd Birthday Playdate

Barrett's birthday playdate was so successful last year we decided to do the same thing this year.  I teamed up with Jessica since Barrett and Jackson's birthdays are only 3 days apart and they have all of the same friends.  This year was extra special because Santa came!

We had it at my parents house because they have more room and I love the cabin/lodge feel especially this time of year.  We tried not to go crazy with food or decorations and I think it turned out perfect!

We had brunch.  I originally wanted doughnuts but when I got to the place the morning of the party they didn't have any so I got doughnut holes instead and they actually worked better for the kiddos.  Well I say they worked better...the kiddos could sneak them off the table more easily.

Love this one of the boys.  Jackson's face is like "hey guys, why are yall standing there?  There's toys in this room!" 

My sweet babies and me.

Barrett was not a huge fan of Santa.  Luckily Santa is a pro and knew how to get the kids to warm up to him. 

This might be my favorite picture from the whole day.  If you can talk cars you're alright in Barrett's book.

Both of the birthday boys.

These are the best outtakes of trying to get 8 boys 3 and under to pose for a picture with Santa.

Barrett was having none of it.

I love it.

This is one of the best ones.  I don't even know why Barrett was so mad but he was and therefore we got zero good group pictures.

I love this one of the birthday boys playing trucks with Santa.

He has started doing this face for pictures and I don't know where it came from.  It cracks me up.

Of course Ally had to get in the picture too.

Can you tell these boys were ready for cupcakes?

 

Sneaking a bite while we were singing.

 

Love this picture of my sweet friends.  We've had so much fun together with these girls and their boys.

 

It was such a fun morning celebrating our boys.  Thanks to everyone for coming and my Parents for letting us trash their house.

 

 

 

32 Weeks

How Far Along: 32 weeks

Maternity Clothes: Bottoms are all maternity.  Tops are mostly tunics.  My flowys tops that aren't tunics are getting too short but I'm pretending I don't notice.

 

Gender: Girl!  AveryAnn McCarty

Movement: Yes, she's wild and I feel like she's huge.

Sleep: I love sleep!  I wish there were more hours in the day for napping and getting things done.

What I miss: Getting in and out of bed with ease. Well really doing anything with ease.

Cravings: None really.

Symptoms: Just feeling large and the third trimester nesting and need to get everything done now.  I've been putting it off for 32 weeks now and I'm feeling the crunch.

Best Moment this week:  We got the nursery painted and put the crib together.  It's pink and I love it!  We're slowly getting things put together.  I've got a few things I need to hang on the wall and I need to organize the clothes and stuff but I'm feeling better having a place for her stuff.  (Now to find a place for everything we took out of her room that we don't want to get rid of but don't really have a place for.)   Also this week we're on baby waiting on my sweet niece to get here.  She's due the 11th (and will probably come during the game) but every time I get a text from Hope I think it's going to be from the hospital.

32 Weeks with Barrett and AveryAnn.  I still don't feel as big.  I should.  I weigh more at this point than I did with Barrett at this point but I've only gained 25lbs total. I was just heavier to begin with. 

My Favorite Christmas Tradition

One of my favorite traditions that Patrick and I started our first Christmas was a picture of us in front of our tree Christmas morning.  Sleepy faces, pjs and all.  At the time I has no idea how much I would grow to love these pictures.  I think they'll only get better and better as the years pass.

Our first Christmas married in our house.  You can notice our tree was mostly Barbie ornaments.  Poor Patrick. (Although I can't really say that has changed much.)  We had Ally that year, I can't believe she's not in the picture.

We looks so young.

This is the year it snowed.  One of my favorite Christmases before Barrett.

I love this picture.  Those two kids had no idea what the next year would hold for them.  The end of 2011 was exciting and hard all at the same time.  We hoped to start thinking about starting a family but never dreamed that would be the last Christmas just the two of us.  In some ways I feel like we look more mature here like we're finally ready to be adults.

The year I made the nurse stop in front of the tree on the way out of the OR to take a picture in front of the tree.  Still cracks me up.

Our first Christmas morning at home as a family of 3 (4 counting Ally).  I love Patrick's smile in this one and I think Ally's expression sums up how she feels about the new addition.

Celebrating our 2 year old and loving that handprint ornament hanging behind us.  I remember hoping we'd be a family of 4 by the next Christmas. 

This year.  Not quite a family of 4 yet but it won't be too much longer.  I realized Patrick and I are wearing the same thing as last year.  Barrett looks so old it hurts me.  When I look at this picture I think about all the heartache we've endured this year and think about how we never lost faith.  I felt the joy of knowing that while this year wasn't my favorite it definitely made us appreciate life and where we are now. 

The North Pole Express

I may never get my pictures off my real camera so I'm going to go ahead and write about our trip to the North Pole way back at the beginning of December.  We were so excited to go to ride the train to the North Pole and see Santa.  We had low expectations.  I'd heard mixed reviews but I wanted to try it.  We went with Jeremy, Jessica and Jackson.  The boys were so excited.  We got there early and the boys played with the train table in the gift shop.  Barrett cried when we had to leave there to line up for the train ride.

He was excited once we got on the train and started our trip to the North Pole.

This was when he saw the North Pole and Santa.  It was the sweetest thing and made the whole night.  Jessica snapped this picture with her phone and I love it.  I love the look on his face and the fact that his bear is right there with him.

I was nervous how he would do with Santa.  In the past he hasn't been the biggest fan of the jolly guy but this time he seemed so excited.  Santa got on the train and Barrett actually talked to him.  I think it helped that he didn't have to sit with him.  Santa just stood behind his seat.

These boys are so sweet and the best of friends. 

We have a better family picture on the real camera.  Maybe one day I'll show you.  But this one is hilarious. We had a fun night but Patrick and I ultimately decided it wasn't something we would do every year.  We just didn't feel like it was worth the money.  It was fun and I'm glad we did it just not on our every year list.    Finally got the pictures loaded.  I love them so much!

Barrett did pretty good talking to Santa.  He wasn't a huge fan any other time we saw him but I think the fact he didn't have to sit with him helped.