28 weeks, Hello 3rd trimester!

I'm in the home stretch!

 

I'm feeling every moment of this pregnancy, I have started getting back all my early pregnancy symptoms for about the last week now. I have felt tired, nauseous, and having daily migraines that just don't want to go away. As of right now I have not gotten a call back from the doctor saying I failed my 1 hour glucose test so that is good. I have never passed a 1 hour before so I'm kind of surprised but happy that it doesn't look like I'll have to take the 3 hour. I've been trying  to take it easy since my doctor's appointment but with 2 little ones running around there is only so much I can do.

 

Only 12 weeks to go

 

 
 

 

Total weight gain: actually lost 2 of the 5lbs I had gained so far

 

Stretch marks: Nothing new 

 

Sleep: Some days are better then others, I've been waking up from pain in my wrist a lot more lately

 

Food cravings: PUMPKIN! pumpkin pie, pumpkin creamer, pumpkin cookies, pumpkin muffins, just about anything that is pumpkin flavored.

 

Food aversions: Fish, eggs and Chicken

 

Labor signs: I'm having a lot of cramping and back pain and my doctor does not think it's just braxton hicks contractions but thankfully it isn't dilating me as of now. I have strict instruction to go to L&D if it last longer then 2 hours.

 

Mood swings: These are getting much better, it's getting a little easier to control them then it has been.

 



Click here to view Lacey and Roland's baby registry

 



Doctor's appointment

I had 28 week doctor's appointment on Monday, for the most part everything with Zeddrick and I are going well. I had my 1 hour glucose tolerance test yesterday and so far I have not received any news back on whether I passed or failed. I also had to have my Rhogam shot done because I have a negative blood type I always have to have this done at this point of the pregnancy. Zeddrick's heart rate is in the 140 range and I'm measuring right on track. I talked to my doctor about all the cramping and back pain I have been having and she is pretty sure that I am having contractions. I am not dilating from them as of right now but she wants me to take it easy and go in to L&D if I have them for more then 2 hours with at least 12 contractions in that time. So I'm trying to rest as much as possible with 2 kids running around and Roland is doing his best at helping out with more around the house. My next doctor's appointment will be November 13 when I'm almost 32 weeks. 

27 weeks

Last week of my 2nd trimester!

 This has been quite a week, I have been having painful back pain and really bad cramping.  Nothing really seems to make it go away or help relieve it any. I'm also having a very hard time sleeping, it's hard to get comfortable and once I am I still can't manage to fall asleep. I pray that neither one of these things last long. Zeddrick is a very active baby for the most part and I really enjoy feeling him move around. Amelia will pat my belly and say, "baby brother," it's very cute. She tries very hard to say his name as well and it sounds very cute when she tries. My next doctor's appointment is this coming Monday, I think that is when I'll do my glucose test.


13 weeks to go



Total weight gain: 5lbs

Stretch marks: Nothing new

Sleep: Not going very well, but I'll take what I can get.

Food cravings: Pumpkin

Food aversions: Chicken

Labor signs: As far as I know none

Mood swings: Still having them, but they aren't quite as bad.



26 weeks

This last week I have felt exhausted much more and becoming winded very easily. This little guy is  getting bigger and has to be pushing more into my lungs. I'm also not sleeping well at all, I will feel tired and ready for bed before it's even time for the girls bedtime routine and then by the time I can lay down I can't fall asleep. There has been several nights I have even taken Tylenol PM to help me sleep and that isn't even doing anything for me. I told the doctor that seen me in L&D triage I didn't need anything because I thought I had Ambien here at the house already and it turns out I left it in Ohio. I will definitely be asking my doctor for something at my next visit if this doesn't get better before then.

 

We have had some people ask us if we are having a baby shower for Zeddrick or if we are registered somewhere. We will not be having a baby shower for him since we are in Cali and all our family and friends are in OH or somewhere else in the world. Although we do have a baby registry at Amazon.com, (click here for baby registry) we decided to do it here because we can add things from any website to it. We have tried to only put things on here that we are in need of and we have tried to find the cheapest place that carries it. Of course we are not asking or saying that anyone has to get anything for the baby but if you feel you would like to that would be great. I have gone through what we have clothing wise as of right now for him and it seems like we have enough sleepers and onsies for newborn, 0-3 months and 3-6 months. We don't have very many outfits in these sizes and we don't have much at all past the 6 month point. I have been told that here we should expect to have to dress him in warm things until he is about 6 months and after that just do things we can layer if we need to. If anyone does get him anything and needs to mail it to us our mailing address is 915 Ash Rd, Oceanside, CA 92058.

 

 

14 weeks to go

(only 11-12 weeks if I get my way and he comes early)

Don't mind how blah I look
I just showered and have no makeup on.

Front view I just look huge, but in the words
of my husband I'm beautiful.

Total weight gain: 3lbs

 

Stretch marks: nothing new yet, thank goodness

 

Sleep: Not really that great at the moment even after I'm able to fall asleep I'm waking up constantly. I'm going to ask my doctor for something to help with it at my next visit.

 

Food cravings: Anything and everything that is made with pumpkin, pinterest is my enemy at the moment because it seems like all people post are pumpkin recipes.

 

Food aversions: Pretty much the same as always

 

Labor signs: Nothing really just a lot of cramping.

 

Mood swings: I'm getting a bit better at keeping them in check but they seem to be the same and seem to be just as bad.

 

 

 



25 weeks video blog

 

 

 

 

Total weight gain: 0lbs

 

Stretch marks: Nothing new that I have noticed

 

Sleep: Having a hard time getting comfortable and waking up a lot to go to the bathroom. I think it may be time to get me a few more pillows to help get me comfy.

 

Food cravings: Not really craving anything but my appetite has increased quite a bit.

 

Food aversions: Fish and Eggs

 

Labor signs: None

 

Mood swings: Of course I am still having these, :/

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Zeddrick Amasa Maxson

will be here in 15 weeks!

24 weeks

Not to much to report, I have been feeling pretty good for the most part. I have days that I feel good and other days I simply feel like crap. Lately my back is hurting on a daily basis and the migraines are making a come back, hopefully neither of these stick around to long. Wednesday I started to feel contraction like pain in my back and abdomen, this is not uncommon for me to have this pain but it usually goes away after an hour or so. These, however, stuck around for over 4 hours and were just uncomfortable, but after talking to Roland he wanted me to go and get checked out just in case. Of course everything was fine with me and with baby, they did the routine urine check, checked baby's heart rate and monitored me for 30 mins or so. Our little guy did not like the doppler they use to check the heart rate at all he kept kicking it really hard when she was trying to get his heart rate, make me laugh. The doctor said everything looked fine and being this isn't my first pregnancy that I'm going to have a lot more cramping and pain but since I am also breastfeeding still that is going to intensify it that much more. She also assured me that since I have no history of preterm labor and everything is looking fine and normal this pregnancy that I can continue to nurse Charlotte as long as I would like. Because nursing her is not enough in it's own to cause my body to go into labor before it is ready. I have to say this makes me feel so much better about nursing her still and I am now in no real hurry to wean her as long as she is weaned about a month before the baby comes.

 

 

16 weeks to go

24 weeks and 3 days

Tried to get a nice picture with the girls
 and I end up with this or...

blank stares, I guess it was worth a try.

 

 

Total weight gain: 0lbs

 

Stretch marks: Nothing new

 

Sleep: Having a hard time getting comfortable and falling asleep, also I'm waking up a lot more at night to pee and because of discomfort in my back.

 

Food Cravings: No real cravings but my appetite has suddenly increased

 

Food Aversions: Eggs and some other things depending on the smell

 

Labor signs: Thought I was having contractions but it was just increase cramping because this isn't my first pregnancy and I'm breastfeeding.

 

Mood Swings: Pretty much the same, I feel pretty out of control of my emotions a lot.

 

 

 

Ok people be sure to tune in next week for a special video blog with me and my hubby, we will be revealing our little guy's name!

Pasta at its finest

I love to cook for my family and I love to find new and amazing things that we all enjoy. I have this amazing cookbook that I would recommend to anyone and everyone, The America's Test Kitchen Family Cookbook. Not only is it filled with awesome recipes it has all kinds of tips in it and tells you why you are doing some of the things your doing. It help a person who doesn't know everything there is to know about cooking know just a bit more to make their cooking amazing as well.

 

 

 

So this last week I made Meat Ragu, I wasn't sure if we would like but it didn't call for many ingredients and it seemed pretty easy to make so I was all for trying it. Well to our surprised we loved it all of us even the girls, it was light tasting and very rounded in flavor. Not only was it amazing the first time we ate it but it reheated and tasted just as good if not better! This is a good plus because I love to have meals that make enough for leftovers night or for Roland to take to work and eat for lunch.

 

Well it's time to put up the recipe, and please don't the length of time it takes to make it scare you. It really doesn't take much and it's such a great tasting meal not to take the time to make.

 

 

Long-Cooked Meat Ragu

• 1 1/2 pounds beef short ribs, trimmed
• salt and pepper
• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 onion, minced
• 1/2 cup dry red wine
• 1 (28 ounce) can diced tomatoes

1. Pat the ribs dry, then season with salt and pepper. Heat the oil in a 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat until just smoking. Brown the ribs, about 10 minutes, then transfer to a plate. Pour off all but 1 Tbsp of the fat in the skillet.

2. Add the onion to the skillet and cook over medium heat until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in wine and simmer, scraping up any browned bits, until the wine has reduced to a glaze, about 2 minutes.

3. Return the browned ribs and any accumulated juices to the skillet. Stir in the tomatoes with their juices and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer gently, turning the ribs several times, until the meat is very tender and falling off the bones, 1 1/2 to 2 hours.

4. Using a slotted spoon, remove the ribs from the sauce and let cool. Shred the meat, discarding the fat and bones. Return the shredded meat to the sauce and continue to simmer over medium heat, uncovered, until the meat is heated through and the sauce is slightly thickened, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

I tossed this sauce with 1lb of penne pasta but rigatoni or ziti can be used as well. If the sauce is to thick use some of the pasta cooking water to loosen the consistency.

Sauce can be made ahead and refrigerated for up to 4 days or frozen for up to 2 months. Also pork spareribs or country-style ribs can be substituted for the beef short ribs. (I used the beef short ribs, so yummy.)

 

I really hope that anyone who makes this thinks it is just as yummy as my family and I did!

 

 Enjoy!

23 weeks

This week has not been much fun, I have had this awful cold since last Friday that is still going strong. I don't ever get colds really, except when I'm pregnant, so I'm not very good at feeling crappy on a daily basis. Our little guy is growing strong he likes to let me know he is there all the time, he is constantly moving around and kicking pretty hard. I'm not sure if that's a sign he's going to hurt me when he's bigger, I always hear other women say how their baby is kicking them in the ribs or kicking so hard it hurts or makes them jump. Well neither one of the girls did these kinds of thing to me but I have a feeling this little guy is going to be that kind of baby. His movements are already so strong that I can only imagine they will get worse with time. Roland is very happy our little guy has such strong movements because he can feel him moving. Last night for the first time Roland was actually still awake when our little guy started moving a bunch so I told him to see if he could feel him and sure enough he could. Roland wasn't able to feel Charlotte move at all because he was deployed and he didn't feel Amelia until around 28 weeks or so.

 

I know I've seen our little guy on ultrasounds and I know I'm really pregnant but up until about a week or so ago it hasn't really set in that we're having another baby. I'm still in shock that we are having another one so close to the other 2. This was certainly not what I had planned when we decided to start having kids that is for sure. I would have much rather waited until our kids were at least 18 months old before trying for another baby and believe me we did try to do this each time. However God had another plan for us and even though life will be crazy for a while I know it will all be worth it.

 

 

17 weeks to go

 

 



23 weeks

 



23 weeks

 

 

Total weight gain: -9lbs

 

Stretch marks: Nothing new

 

Sleep: Sleeping pretty well once I get comfortable

 

Food Cravings: Nothing really, not much of an appetite lately

 

Food aversions: Eggs and fish

 

Labor signs: none

 

Mood swings: Still getting the best of me, working on trying to control them

 

22 Weeks

This last week has been a bit of a roller coaster, all these hormones I have running through my body are making me an emotional mess. I'm either really happy, super angry or just in some kind of strange funk. It doesn't help that my husband always seems to be working and I don't really feel like I'm have much support most of the time. My migraines have been getting worse again but I'm not quite as tired as I had been. My two little ladies are keeping me busy most of the time. Charlotte is not a fan of being whined, she is much more clingy lately and even more attached to her paci. Amelia is officially out of a crib and in a "toddler" bed, she is doing much better about it then I thought she would. We took the side off her crib and put on a side rail so she won't fall out of bed, although she knows she can get out of bed she doesn't. At night she pretty much goes right to sleep but at nap time she jumps and plays in bed for a while, yesterday I went in and told her she needed to lay down and go to sleep. After that she laid down and went to sleep without any issues, much easier then I thought it would be that's for sure. At the beginning of the year we will be getting her a twin bed so we can use the crib for the our little guy.

18 weeks to go

Your baby has stretched to the size of a spaghetti squash,
 nearly 11 inches, and weighs almost a pound. 

Total weight gain: -10 lbs

 

Stretch marks: Nothing new

 

Sleep: Once I'm sleeping it's good

 

Food cravings: Not really any at the moment

 

Food Aversions: Eggs and Fish

 

Labor signs: Nothing other then Braxton Hicks

 

Mood swings: Of course, just getting worse

21 weeks

Our little guy is very active, he is constantly moving around I feel him all the time sometimes I wonder when he sleeps. This last week I have felt pretty good over all just more tired then normal, but Roland has been gone for few days so I'm sure that contributes. Tomorrow I have an appointment to make sure everything is going well with our little guy and me. I'm sure everything is fine, I always have really easy pregnancies for the most part. I have noticed I'm getting contractions a lot more often but that is probably because I'm still nursing Charlotte. This coming month I'm going to work on whining her so I don't cause myself to go into preterm labor or anything, that's the only real concern my OB has about me breastfeeding still.

 

 

 

19 weeks to go

 

Your baby, currently the length of a carrot, weighs about 3/4 of a pound.

Length: 10 1/2 inches, head to heel.

Total weight gain: -15 lbs

 

Stretch marks: Nothing new, thank goodness

 

Sleep: Once I finally fall asleep I sleep well

 

Food cravings: Grilled cheese and super cold water

 

Food aversions: Fish and eggs

 

Labor signs: Just Braxton Hicks contractions

 

Mood swings: Sadly my emotions are getting the best of me most of the time.