Baby #4: Week 14

Week 14

 How I’m feeling:

 Slowly getting my energy back! Such a great feeling! And the weather has been amazing so that helps!

Dealing with back and hip pain that I haven’t dealt with since my first pregnancy so that’s been different, but I’m hoping I have a better handle on it this time since I can do stretches to help.

Cravings?

Same ol’ same ol’—fruit galore! And Louisiana hot sauce is my bestest friend. But not on fruit.

Belly News:

I’ve been feeling this baby since around 9/10 weeks (I always feel them very early because my uterus is slightly tilted) and this week has been even more so! Still just little flutters but definitely getting stronger. Such an amazing feeling that makes it seem so real! I also broke out the maternity clothes to start going through and a few shirts fit me, so I wore my first maternity outfit this week!

 What I’m looking forward to:

 Getting some cleaning and organizing done now that I have more energy!

All that Matters

Motherhood is such  a roller coaster to me, as I’m sure it is to every Mom. There are the moments that I just want to throw in the towel and quit (like yesterday morning) and there are the moments that I feel my heart will burst with joy (like last night). The good moments far outweigh the difficult ones by far.

 This month has been tough because Nate’s been working his normal full time job, plus extra side jobs every night and Saturdays. So I’ve solo parenting every day except Sunday, and I get weary. I also have so much respect for single parents who do it alone every single day of the year; you all are super people! Seriously, from getting them breakfast in the morning to the nighttime routine all alone is NOT easy. I think it’s been a little more tough than normal because of my very low energy levels, but we are trudging through and he’s almost finished up with the jobs—thank you Jesus! J

I’m not a laid back person by any means, but I’ve learned to let some things go and realized that I can’t do it all. One look at my laundry pile and bedroom will make you quite aware that I am nowhere near super woman, but I’m ok with that.  I’m not sure I will ever master the balancing act, but I’m sort of learning to prioritize the things in my life that are the most important—my daily walk with God, my relationship with my husband and raising, loving and training my children. If at the end of the day I crawl into an un-made bed, but I know I did the best I could with my family that day, then that is all that matters.

They are all that matter.

Valentines Weekend 2014

This was the 4th year of our church's Couple's Retreat and each year just gets better and better! This year, I decided to leave my camera home and just focus on enjoying every moment. I did pull my Iphone out a few times (of course), so that's what I'll leave you with here.

 Each year we've seen friends come and go, but God has also given us new friends that have helped challenge us spiritually and also given us the best stomach workouts from laughing so much! We had lunch outside one day, breakfast with Robby and Joanna and one evening we sat at a restaurant for 3 hours, talking and laughing--but mostly laughing. Fellowship with God's children is so sweet!

 As for our alone time, we walked (the weather was perfect), talked, ate, laughed, and listened intently in each session, drinking in the practical messages. We also won the newlywed game! Woo hoo! ;)

 Our marriage was helped this weekend, and I'm so thankful for the time away!

Baby 4, Week 13

I promise this blog won't turn into a "pregnancy only" blog, but I recently saw something on a blog that I thought was really cool--she updated weekly for the whole 40 weeks of pregnancy. I love this idea and thought I would give it a try, because it's fun to look back and see the stats week by week!

 Here goes week 13!

 How I’m feeling:

 I’ve definitely had a little more energy this week, but it’s still much lower than normal. I can make it through normal chores, homeschooling, exercise and making dinner and then—poof-- I’m done. After dinner activities are a drag. This week I took all 3 kids to the mall to shop for daddy’s birthday at dinnertime and I was doing just that: dragging myself around the mall.  Dinner and 4 stores in 2 hours and I was done.

Cravings?

 Fruit, fruit and more fruit. I’ve never really had cravings with my other pregnancies so this is new to me and I’m glad it’s a healthy at least! Top on the list are mangos, apples and berries.

 I did have a monumental moment this week that was not so healthy. I was craving cupcakes like nobody’s business and Nate went out at 11pm to get some Little Debbies, assuming that would be the closest thing he could find that late at night. Wouldn’t you know that man came home with 5 different gourmet-looking cupcakes? Salted Caramel, German Chocolate, Cookies and Cream, Turtle and Chocolate Fudge. They. Were. Amazing.

Belly News:

 I’ve noticed a change this week, for sure. Feeling like I might (?) be able to start showing off the belly and just maybe (?) people will think I’m pregnant? Either way, I’m very ready to be out of the in-between stage where regular clothes look weird but maternity doesn’t fit.

 What I’m looking forward to:

 Our couple’s retreat this weekend!

We are so pleased to announce...

I hope I still have followers left after such a long blog hiatus! The month of January was sort of a break time for me, and I haven't been feeling my normal self, because baby #4 is on the way! We are so thrilled that God has chosen to bless us with another child to raise for his honor and glory. I've heard a lot of people say that 4 is easier than 3, because everyone has someone to play with, so we'll see if that holds true for us or not. :)

 After 3 pregnancies, I've learned to listen to my body and know my limits, especially in the first trimester. Thankfully, sickness-wise, this has been my easiest so far, but it's also been tough because of the low energy. I've definitely noticed a difference in that department this time around, so I'm learning to deal with it without being too lazy which would make me even more tired.

I'm so happy that this week I've been starting to feel better, and it won't be long until I'll feel almost normal again!

 I'll be back again soon with our normal updates!