She is such a happy baby!!!
Trying out a precious headband from Richard's coworker!
Protesting a swaddled nap! :)
Friday, September 27, 2013
Saturday, September 21, 2013
Pictures of our days
Daddy rocking the whole 4 kid thing at bed time.
Princess Olivia and Princess Kaisley enjoyed Dis.ney on Ice for a girls only day!
Mommy and the girls enjoying the show.
Our oldest and our youngest enjoying a moment together.
Wednesday, September 18, 2013
Tuesday, September 10, 2013
Our beautiful baby girl has arrived
Born 9/9/13
9lbs 2oz
21 3/4in
Her arrival was perfect and amazing. Her birth story is to come.
Sunday, September 8, 2013
Baby #4 Pregnancy Journal
Baby "Cuatro's" Pregnancy Journal
Sept 8th - 41 weeks, 2 days - NST
Sept 8th - 41 weeks, 2 days - NST
Another day of testing. Baby girl and mommy are doing great!
Sept 5th - 40 weeks, 6 days - BPP and NST
First up was the BPP (biophysical profile), which is done by ultrasound. Checks things like fluid level (which was a 10, which is great!), the baby breathing on her own ( which she was) and types of movement(which is where she struggled)! And I struggled with this too. She got 30 minutes. Well, thanks to the tech being 45 minutes late, the caffeine I had on the way there was gone (she was awake prior) and she was sound asleep! She had to move a certain number of times in those 30 minutes to pass. The only times she moved were when I annoyed her enough pushing on her bum, back and jiggling her! And because she was sleeping, just like a newborn, often there's not much you can do to wake them. She passed just barely, but not without the tech talking about maybe sending me to the perinatologist. I would have been a ball of mess at that point! But she did her movements and everything else looked good.
I'd also like to add, having a 41 week pregnant woman laying FLAT on her back is NOT COOL! I asked for pillows, and more pillows and even told her at one point I needed to sit up, then lay on my sides, because I wasn't just uncomfortable, I was in pain! Besides, pregnant women are not supposed to lay flat on their back, hello!!! I was beyond irritated at this test and I'm not looking forward to repeating it if I'm still pregnant in a few days!!! :(
I'm not at all worried about her movement. I know her at this point, she has her quiet times and her active times and as I type this, oh my, she's partying!!
But to add to that, immediately after the BPP, I went to the NST with the midwife assistant. Within seconds of hooking me up to the monitors, she woke up to party! I can't remember if they need 3 or 4 accelerations with movements, but we had that in the first 8 minutes! And you get an hour! Anyway, you have to do a minimum of 20 minutes to get a baseline. And we lost track of time talking and baby girl had like 15...because she was awake and showing off now! See, how are you supposed to test a sleeping baby on movement?! So, she passed with flying colors! She's doing great! Mama may not be, I'm ready. I'm trying really hard to be patient, but that's really really tough at this point!
Sept 3rd - 40 weeks, 4 days - appointment and NST
Today I had my first NST (non stress test, to monitor her heart rate and make sure she reacts with accelerations with movement). She passed with flying colors!
We also had a good old regular appointment. I honestly can't believe she's not here yet. I'm doing well physically. While I'm of course uncomfortable, like any pregnant woman, I'm doing "ok". Emotionally, I'm starting to break a little day by day. Up until a couple days ago, I was very positive and patient. But as of today, patience is running thin. I really hope she comes sooner rather than later!
August 29th - 39 weeks, 6 days - appointment
August 29th - 39 weeks, 6 days - appointment
I'm now in uncharted territory, as this is the longest I've been pregnant! Honestly, I'm a little surprised. But thankfully not really stressed. I've never gone past my due date, but it's looking like a good possibility. Maybe she doesn't like the idea of being the youngest in her grade level.
Today, Mary said she does that to people...going past their EDD! Because she's not concerned and doesn't press the issue, thankfully because I can't imagine stressing over this with my 4th baby!
Mom, Kaisley and Sutton all came to the visit. Again very low key and lots of chatting, which is always nice. Wondering when this little girl will make her appearance. I know the whole family is eager to see her sweet little face! The kids have been so patient and so sweet. They really aren't bugging me as to when she will come, so that's helpful for me to not be too stressed about "when"! And they all give lots of hugs and kisses to her and my belly!
Maybe she wants to be a perfectionist and come on her EDD? Regardless, we are ready sweet girl! Come on out!
August 22nd - 38 weeks, 6 days - appointment
Mom came in town on Tuesday, so she joined me at the appointment today. It was a very nice appointment. Low key. Chatting and so on. No internal checks and I'm surprisingly ok with that. Not stressed.
I've been thinking ever since I heard my due date that she would be born this Saturday. Richard said Sunday. We shall see. Although Mary has one client that's almost 42 weeks and another at 40...so, hopefully that's not a problem!
August 15th - 37 weeks, 6 days - appointment
Regular and great appointment! It was so nice because I was able to go kid free (I have a babysitter for a few Thursdays in a row), so I spent almost an hour WITH my midwife. Mostly just chatting! It was so pleasant!
I'm realizing that I only have a fees days, maybe weeks of being pregnant... Ever! Since this baby girl is most likely our last, this is it! Must cherish!!!
August 6th - 36 weeks, 4 days - appointment
Today was a regular, now weekly, appointment. Mommy and baby are doing well! Always good to hear. Funny the last 2 appointments, she's been awake and BUSY, which is obvious with her heart rate in the 150's. While many appointments before, she was asleep, with a heart rate in the 120's!
Last night I started feeling pretty crummy. I now realize I have a yucky summer cold. Combined with being pregnant, yuck! My second one for this pregnancy. :/ The last one was 4 weeks long, so I really pray this one is much shorter! But I realized for Brookston, I had a cold the day I was induced. I remember coughing and my c-section hurt so bad afterwards! I don't recall being sick with Kaisley. But with Sutton I had a cold for a couple weeks and I just KNEW he wouldn't come until I was healthy. And I was right! So I hope I recover quickly!!
July 31st - 35 weeks, 5 days - home visit
Wow! I can't believe today was my home visit. It means that it's getting really close to meeting our little girl!
For the most part it was a regular visit. Vitals, measurement, listening to baby. We did have some blood work, along with the GBS test. But otherwise it was giving my midwife a tour of the house. Which also brought up a few questions I had (like extra towels or other supplies), along with really making some connections with having baby girl born and where I might be! It's so exciting!
Kaisley and Sutton were home for the visit and Kaisley seemed really excited to be involved! We still need another little conversation or two so we can prepare the kids a little of what's to come! Even though we don't plan for them to be there for the whole thing, there are still some potential questions a 4 year old (and 6 year old) may have!
July 18th - 33 weeks, 6 days - appointment
Today was just a week between appointments (even though it's not time for weekly appointments yet) because Mary was going out of town next week for a vacation. Plus, we wanted my home visit to be at 36 weeks (well, it will be 35 weeks, 6 days), not 36 weeks, plus 6 days. Who knows when baby girl will come, but we've had big sister just over 37 weeks, so, just in case. Now we are on a better schedule!
July 11th - 32 weeks, 6 days - appointment
All is well. Mommy is doing great. Baby is doing great. Mary even complimented how my body is handling pregnancy and gaining weight, that I'm just really healthy and so on. Gotta love hearing that! It certainly pepped up my day, or rather my week! I'm of course tired, as I'm pregnant in the middle of the summer with 3 young children who like to stay busy. But I'm hanging in there. And starting to become a little more motivated. (I think the baby countdown clock that I have in the kitchen is helpful for that part!)
June 27th - 30 weeks, 6 days - appointment & name
Today was so nice. I seriously spent about 45 minutes with my midwife. And because I brought the kids, she included them on so much! For example, each kid was able to listen in on a heartbeat (mine or Ms. Mary's) using her stethoscope, they "helped" measure my belly, listen to baby sister's heartbeat. And they saw lots of PG pictures! Such an easy and nice appointment, especially for bringing 3 young kids!
Also, baby girl seems to have a name. Although Richard states that it's not official until a birth certificate is signed. But we are calling her by name and even the kids use her name. So, I'd say it's pretty official. Although middle name seems a little harder this time. We are still not even close to set on a middle name!
June 17th - 29 weeks, 3 days - baby shower
Richard's work had a baby shower for him! How cute and sweet is that?
June 13th - 28 weeks, 6 days - appointment
Great appointment. One of those I left feeling really good, happy and more confident! Baby girl ( who might be named, but Richard is not 100% ready to commit to it yet) was measuring well, good heart rate. I looked good, did the gestational diabetes test today, which was just a blood draw (A1C), so I was pretty excited about that!
I've been having some pelvic pain for 3-4 weeks now, so it was good to talk about that with her, including some ideas to help both now and come labor, since I've had issues with malpositioning with all the others! So that was also nice to discuss!!
The kids are so cute with their excitement. While Sutton doesn't seem to know boy vs girl, he does know that baby sister is in mommy's belly! And he will always tell me that! Kaisley seems really excited about another girl in the family. Any time she can she mentions how many girls and how many boys are in the car/house, and baby sister is always included in that count. Brookston seems prepared to take on his role of big brother for the 3rd time. He's pretty chill about it, been there, done that. Being 6, he's had some interesting questions about how the baby eats or grows and so on!
May 14th - 24 weeks, 4 days - appointment
Just a regular appointment. Baby girl looked good. Mommy is doing well! Just the update we want! :)
April 18th - 20 weeks, 6 days - It's a GIRL!!
Today was our "big ultrasound" and we are pleased to report, it's a healthy baby girl!!! She was very active, but behaved enough to get all measurements, see that everything looked good and that she is indeed a girl!! She was weighing in at 15 ounces and measuring about two days ahead right now.
The kids knew that we were finding out the gender today, so I went off to get a big bunch of pink balloons from the store and when they walked in the house after school, they saw the pink balloons right in the entryway!! (We had a prep discussion on pink means girl, blue means boy!) The kids seem excited, although I'm not sure if the excitement is a baby sister or a bundle of helium balloons! ;)
March 19th -16 weeks, 4 days - appointment
Not much to report. All is well! :) Feeling regular movement all of a sudden! Active baby, eek! ;)
Side note, the kids have been hugging and kissing my belly a lot lately! How incredibly sweet! Love love love that!
March 17th -16 weeks, 2 days - movement!!
I don't think I have slowed down enough before this point to notice movement. But today, it wasn't just flutters, I felt real, fairly strong movements! Wow! Hi baby!!
Feb 26th - 13 weeks, 4 days - appointment
I'm so much happier already! I had a very nice, relaxed appointment. My questions were answered. And I was treated with respect. Sigh of relief!
Feb 15th - 12 weeks
I changed providers after feeling like my previous doctor was not a fit for me. South Florida maternity care is rough stuff. It's a bit stressful, but I'm glad I'm only 12 weeks and realizing she was not a fit for me now!
January 26th - 9 weeks, 1 days - found heartbeat at home!
January 20th - tell the kids while we are in the hotel at Dis.ney, so we can tell some family when we see them in a couple hours. We knew this move would be risky (telling a 3.5 and 5.5 year old that there's a baby in mommy's belly). Since once the kids know, all is fair! (They did tell a friend about a week or two later and she kept our secret for another week or two until we decided to start telling people!)
January 16th - 7weeks, 5 days - ultrasound!
Baby was measuring 7 weeks, 6 days and 8 weeks, in the two different measurements. Sounds perfect!
Dec 25th - Telling Nana and Papa
After the kids were in bed we told Nana and Papa we forgot a Christmas present. It was a Christmas ornament. It was a star with the 3 kids' names and their finger print, along with an empty spot with "baby #4"! They knew a long secret keeping was ahead of them since we told so early!
Dec 20th - Positive pregnancy test!!
Mommy was cooking dinner when Daddy got home from work. She asked if Daddy could help with stirring the potatoes that were in the oven. And when Daddy went to open the oven, there was a "bun in oven". He was a little confused, but caught on after a few seconds!
Richard's work had a baby shower for him! How cute and sweet is that?
June 13th - 28 weeks, 6 days - appointment
Great appointment. One of those I left feeling really good, happy and more confident! Baby girl ( who might be named, but Richard is not 100% ready to commit to it yet) was measuring well, good heart rate. I looked good, did the gestational diabetes test today, which was just a blood draw (A1C), so I was pretty excited about that!
I've been having some pelvic pain for 3-4 weeks now, so it was good to talk about that with her, including some ideas to help both now and come labor, since I've had issues with malpositioning with all the others! So that was also nice to discuss!!
The kids are so cute with their excitement. While Sutton doesn't seem to know boy vs girl, he does know that baby sister is in mommy's belly! And he will always tell me that! Kaisley seems really excited about another girl in the family. Any time she can she mentions how many girls and how many boys are in the car/house, and baby sister is always included in that count. Brookston seems prepared to take on his role of big brother for the 3rd time. He's pretty chill about it, been there, done that. Being 6, he's had some interesting questions about how the baby eats or grows and so on!
May 14th - 24 weeks, 4 days - appointment
Just a regular appointment. Baby girl looked good. Mommy is doing well! Just the update we want! :)
April 18th - 20 weeks, 6 days - It's a GIRL!!
Today was our "big ultrasound" and we are pleased to report, it's a healthy baby girl!!! She was very active, but behaved enough to get all measurements, see that everything looked good and that she is indeed a girl!! She was weighing in at 15 ounces and measuring about two days ahead right now.
The kids knew that we were finding out the gender today, so I went off to get a big bunch of pink balloons from the store and when they walked in the house after school, they saw the pink balloons right in the entryway!! (We had a prep discussion on pink means girl, blue means boy!) The kids seem excited, although I'm not sure if the excitement is a baby sister or a bundle of helium balloons! ;)
March 19th -16 weeks, 4 days - appointment
Not much to report. All is well! :) Feeling regular movement all of a sudden! Active baby, eek! ;)
Side note, the kids have been hugging and kissing my belly a lot lately! How incredibly sweet! Love love love that!
March 17th -16 weeks, 2 days - movement!!
I don't think I have slowed down enough before this point to notice movement. But today, it wasn't just flutters, I felt real, fairly strong movements! Wow! Hi baby!!
Feb 26th - 13 weeks, 4 days - appointment
I'm so much happier already! I had a very nice, relaxed appointment. My questions were answered. And I was treated with respect. Sigh of relief!
Feb 15th - 12 weeks
I changed providers after feeling like my previous doctor was not a fit for me. South Florida maternity care is rough stuff. It's a bit stressful, but I'm glad I'm only 12 weeks and realizing she was not a fit for me now!
January 26th - 9 weeks, 1 days - found heartbeat at home!
January 20th - tell the kids while we are in the hotel at Dis.ney, so we can tell some family when we see them in a couple hours. We knew this move would be risky (telling a 3.5 and 5.5 year old that there's a baby in mommy's belly). Since once the kids know, all is fair! (They did tell a friend about a week or two later and she kept our secret for another week or two until we decided to start telling people!)
January 16th - 7weeks, 5 days - ultrasound!
Baby was measuring 7 weeks, 6 days and 8 weeks, in the two different measurements. Sounds perfect!
Dec 25th - Telling Nana and Papa
After the kids were in bed we told Nana and Papa we forgot a Christmas present. It was a Christmas ornament. It was a star with the 3 kids' names and their finger print, along with an empty spot with "baby #4"! They knew a long secret keeping was ahead of them since we told so early!
Dec 20th - Positive pregnancy test!!
Mommy was cooking dinner when Daddy got home from work. She asked if Daddy could help with stirring the potatoes that were in the oven. And when Daddy went to open the oven, there was a "bun in oven". He was a little confused, but caught on after a few seconds!
Tuesday, September 3, 2013
Pre-k!
Kaisley had her first day of pre-k today! She was beyond excited! And even though two of her best friends from last year are not in her class (one moved and the other is now at a private school with big brother), she saw lots of her friends there and she's beyond excited about her teacher. She's the one who teaches the dance class at school, so she already knows her. And LOVES her. And just hearing her talk about her classroom, she sounds amazing! Looking forward to a great year!
