Adios first trimester!

I can hardly believe week 13 is upon us with baby #5. I am thankful & looking forward to feeling a bit less nauseated & a little more energetic! Overall these dreaded symptoms have been no where as disruptive as they were with the twins....another thing to be grateful for. Sorry to jump right into the icky part of pregnancy but it must be documented ; )

The daily running to a place appropriate to vomit has provided some hilariousness with the boys. They can be screaming bloody murder for oatmeal first thing in the morning & as soon as I assume position they are completely silent for a moment then turn into precious little records on repeat saying "Mommy sick, Mommy throw up, I sorry Mommy, Mommy sick, Mommy throw up, I sorry Mommy." The best part is that it is not in unison so I hear a constant talking while someone (Owen) is often hitting the back of my legs with a sword. Charlotte is usually pointing out the fact to Eloise that I am not feeling well because of the little baby girl (she's convinced) while asking me loudly how to spell words to write a card to me that says "I am sorry you are throwing up Mommy. Love- Charlotte." She has probably killed a whole tree with the amount of notes she has written in the last six weeks. Overall, it is tolerable with the help of a little medication & plenty of crackers.

Tiredness is just a common feeling in life right now so a little extra requires going to sleep early & napping about once a week. It is funny though because with more little ones around that need my undivided care & attention, it is nearly impossible to feel sorry for myself & be as lazy as possible. I consider this a gift.

We enjoyed a peek of this sweet baby #5 last Friday afternoon....

We were overjoyed to see plenty of wiggles, a three vessel cord (following Owen having only two), a four chamber heart & size right on target for my weeks' gestation. We met with a perinatologist & discussed a plan of care for me & the babe regarding my seizure disorder.  All looks well on that front following a single increase of medication dosage about 4 weeks ago. Since Owen had restricted growth they want to verify baby is growing well every 4 weeks starting week 18.  More than likely it was due to unequal placental sharing but he said they never want to make assumptions. So, back at 18 weeks we will go!

I love seeing ultrasounds whether my babies or others. Those wiggles & hands up to the face get me every time. I could just break down in tears. my eyes locked on the screen like I can't get enough while being reminded of the incredible act of God to form & sustain new life in the womb.

I stared at the picture thinking in song....as usual. The words from JJ Heller's "I get to be the one" came to mind. The bridge says "How can something so small, hold my heart so tightly. I don't even know you, but I love you completely." After seeing four babies time & time again via ultrasound followed by welcoming them into our arms & growing to love them just the way they are, we could not be more delighted to be experiencing this again.

We aren't the only ones excited about this growing baby. Owen & Anson quickly identify where the baby bump is while Charlotte & Eloise talk about "her" all day long every day. They will be SO surprised if we find out we are in fact having a baby boy! Charlotte requested to keep a magazine called "How your baby grows" which we received from our first doctor visit. It has "in the womb" monthly photos that are actual & not cartoon. I have found her at night lying on her belly looking at the pictures after Eloise has fallen asleep....so sweet. She is completely intrigued just like her nurse mommy : )

I haven't had any pictures of me taken alone which is quite different from previous pregnancies for obvious reasons.  I do find it fun that the most recent picture on my camera is from a special visit with friends over the weekend. Laura, Natalie, Lisa, Kristen & I have known each other for over 21 years. Kristen & Natalie drove up from Round Rock to spend the day & night with the rest of us to celebrate the upcoming arrival of Lisa's baby. What a FUN reason to celebrate. The last time we were all together was March 2014 when Lisa & Euan said "I do!" Not long after that, they found out their family would be growing. We could not be more excited for our sweet friend & loved showering her with gifts. We laughed for pretty much 24 hours straight as we lounged around the house, walked around the neighborhood & went out to dinner kid free. Between the five of us there are 12 kids counting those in the womb. Our incredible husbands were so kind to take on the full time care of our little ones to allow us to have time away. Again, it was wonderful!

Lisa & I have been friends since we turned 8 years old, grew up next door to each other & then left Kingwood for college. We have spent 14 years in different cities (and states) & are now 10 minutes down the road from each other! Even more exciting than that, we both have baby bumps....some more noticeable than others ; )  Lisa is due in 3 weeks with a baby boy that we can't wait to meet.

Speaking of my baby bump, it definitely sticks out. I can't determine if it can be attributed to one specific thing but this is my guess of contributing factors:

• 5th baby in 6 years
• my body clearly remembers how to over stretch after carrying twins...like starting at 7 weeks
• I haven't been pooch free for a long time nor have I tried to get rid of it
• we said "Paleo Schmaleo" at the sight of two lines on a pregnancy test after eating VERY well. We loved how we felt but I think I might shave starved if we persevered.
• I have consumed more sugar & carbohydrates than could be good for any person, included but not limited to- grilled cheese from sonic (at least 10), McDonalds french fries & M&M McFlurrys, Tootsie Roll pops galore (5 in a row) while watching an hour show one evening & massive bowls of oatmeal sweetened with brown sugar & a stick of butter ; ) 

For the fist time ever I lost 4 pounds between week 8 & 12 appointments. Usually our conversations are more like "you probably shouldn't gain 6 pounds in two weeks but you did start out on the slim side." Anyway, we think it's because I exert so much energy chasing 4 kids around all day long. I really do love eating while pregnant & breastfeeding but hope that I can curb my appetite to desire more healthy things as the weeks continue. 

Even with the common discomforts of early pregnancy that were intensified by a stomach bug somewhere around week 8, I am loving it. Next up, feeling those flutters & finding out what our tiebreaker baby will be!