{Hannah}: 38 weeks!

We are getting SO CLOSE to meeting Hannah! I could say that I am worn out, exhausted, not sleeping, and in pain, and that wouldn't really cover it. Pregnancy is no joke. I'm just trying to keep an attitude of gratitude: thankful that she's healthy, active, and that so far this pregnancy has been good for her. I'm thankful we live in a country where I can assume that she and I will be taken care of with the best medical technology available if something does go awry!

We went to another gorgeous wedding this weekend - this time it was for Austin's step-sister, Chelsea, and her new hubs, Evan. It was wonderful and beautiful, and an excuse to pull Austin's nose out of his books!

We also celebrated Austin's 29th birthday with family (you can start sending in 30th birthday celebration suggestions now, I'm already working on it!!).

He joked that he didn't want to have to share his birthday with Hannah, and now we won't have to worry about that since it's already passed!

In all, it's been a good week, but I am completely worn out. Exhausted.

This week, Hannah is the size of a ukulele... Preferably a pink one. ;)

How far along? 38 WEEKS AND THREE DAYS!!!!!!! Just four more days til we are full-term. WHOO HOOOOO!

Maternity clothes? 90%, and breaking out some flowy fall tunics that's aren't maternity

Stretch marks? Nothing new
Sleep: not getting much. You come anytime, Hannah. Nothing will change. 

Miss anything? Bending, sitting and sitting up normally!
Movement: sometimes vigorous, usually just slight movements.
Food cravings: anything I didn't cook.
Anything making you queasy or sick? Not lately.
Gender: Girl!
Labor Signs: Now dilated to 3 cm, and 50% effaced. Doctor said, "see you in a week - if you make it that long." We all know that doesn't mean I'll have a baby before next week... But I won't complain!
Belly Button in or out? In
Wedding rings on or off? On
Happy or Moody most of the time? Exhausted, so probably moody.
Looking forward to: HANNAH'S BIRTH! Anytime you want, baby girl.
Prayers this week:

For Austin: that he would be able to focus and remember the principles he is re-learning. It's a struggle for him to be away from us to study so much - I know that the pictures I send him of what Ethan and I are up to sometimes make it harder for him to continue studying. I'm proud of him for persevering, I'm prayerful that he would pass his test so we don't have to endure this mess with TWO kiddos in the spring. 

For me: I had a major anxiety attack this week when I couldn't get Hannah to move during one of the times I'm supposed to check her movement (one of the times that she usually chooses to move). Pray against that kind of anxiety an that I would TRULY cast my cares upon the Lord, both now with her in my belly and when she arrives. (Yes, she moved - after I called my parents AND my doctor). I could also use a little motivation and energy. On Friday I attempted to boycott all house work, but it didn't work. So finding some form of rest when caring for a 2 year old solo would be good, too.

For Hannah: for her health in the womb, through delivery and postpartum (and mine, too!), and that she would be a little girl who is passion all for Jesus.

For Ethan: he's getting to be more clingy, so our prayer is that he would adjust well to Hannah's arrival, and love his little sister well.

xo,

Elizabeth

{Hannah}: 37 weeks!!

We spent most of this week fighting off a cold. I hate colds. They're obnoxious, and Ethan seems to get them an awful lot. He's mostly fine, but he sure is oozing some snot, and he sounds pretty congested. I try to be cognizant about spreading it around, so this week we have avoided MDO and small group, where he would be in close contact with lots of other kiddos. It sure can make you stir-crazy!

Hannah, we have made it a long way together! I'm getting more excited to meet you as I get more and more exhausted by pregnancy. (Add cramps to the list of things keeping me awake at night.)

Right now, Hannah is considered "early term". 37 weeks used to be considered full-term, but sometime in late 2013, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists changed this to 39 weeks (Ethan was born at 39+1). Research shows that babies born at 37 weeks have more of a risk of complications, such as difficulty breathing, than those born just two weeks later. (More info: http://m.acog.org/About-ACOG/News-Room/News-Releases/2013/Ob-Gyns-Redefine-Meaning-of-Term-Pregnancy?IsMobileSet=true.) For this reason, as "done" as I feel, and as exhausted as I am, I really want Hannah to hang out for two more weeks! (And then she can come!)

Hannah is currently the size of a tackle box (that one's for you, dad!), 19.75" long and weighs around 7 lbs.

I forgot to take a picture before Austin left, so we squeezed this one in - jammies again!!

How far along? 37 WEEKS (and 2 days)!!! Just under 2 more til we are full-term. 

Maternity clothes? Mostly
Stretch marks? No new ones
Sleep: mostly awful, occasionally ok!

Miss anything? Sleep
Movement: lots, when she wants to!
Food cravings: anything easy!
Anything making you queasy or sick? Nothing too bad since they changed my heartburn regimen for the 3rd time.
Gender: Girl
Labor Signs: I'm still just dilated to 2 cm, and 50% effaced - no further progress this week.
Belly Button in or out? In, and I think it'll stay that way.
Wedding rings on or off? On, no swelling
Happy or Moody most of the time? Just tired!
Looking forward to: Austin & Sarah's birthdays, and a family wedding this weekend!Prayers this week: praying that the end of this pregnancy would be healthy and as smooth as it can be, as well as the delivery! We will meet our girl SO soon!

xo,

Elizabeth

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{Note: I do not benefit from the sales of this study in any way}

{Hannah}: 36 weeks

This weekend, we went to Dallas briefly to visit one of Austin's best friends from college, and see my childhood bestie get married! I DO NOT recommend being the driver for a 3.5 hour road trip at 36 weeks pregnant (I did it so Austin could study). However, we made it there and back safely and Hannah stayed put, which was awesome :)

I'm SO glad I convinced Austin to try the bow tie. He pulls it off so well!

This week, Hannah is the size of a Cabbage Patch Doll, is about 19.25", and weighs 6 lbs 7 oz according to her ultrasound from today!

Hannah is perfectly positioned for birth, her organs look great, her weight is great - rejoicing that everything looks good with her.

How far along? 36 WEEKS!!! 3 more til we are full-term. 

Maternity clothes? 90% of the time. The shirt I'm in above is actually not maternity but it is forgiving, to say the least.
Stretch marks? No more new ones... yet.
Sleep: Terrible. Toss, turn, hydrate, bathroom, repeat.

Miss anything? SLEEP!! And more than one cup of coffee per day. Ugh. If I can't have one, can I have the other?!
Movement: still a good amount, but I can tell space is getting tighter.
Food cravings: food I don't have to cook. I'm getting lazy.
Anything making you queasy or sick? The addition of Zantac to my Nexium seems to be helping (hooray)! But I still need Tums close by.
Gender: Girl!!
Labor Signs: I'm dilated to 2 cm, and 50% effaced!
Belly Button in or out? In, and I'm wondering if Hannah will make it pop out (Ethan couldn't)
Wedding rings on or off? On
Happy or Moody most of the time? Long car rides, when pregnant and driving, make me moody. Otherwise I'm just tired.
Looking forward to: our nephew's 3rd birthday party this weekend, Ethan seeing Unca Macka (Matt) this week sometime, and Austin's step-sister's wedding next weekend!
Prayers this week: I felt like I had really started to accept the idea that Hannah could be late (I was in total denial for a while because of the misery with the constant heartburn issues). And then this weekend wore. me. out. So praying again that I would be patient. Also praying for a healthy baby girl and a safe, easy delivery! She will be here before we know it either way.

xo,

Elizabeth

{Hannah}: 35 weeks

This week I doubled the number of belly touches for this pregnancy (3 more in one week!) and I think it was disappointing for those people since she didn't move much - she really only moves during nap time and in the evenings. It's my consistent sit-and-rest times of each day, so it's her habit. It'll be interesting to see how that transitions outside of the womb!

I also got to reflect on what an amazing dad and husband Austin is, especially on Ethan's birthday. I am seriously tearing up! I don't thank him enough and I couldn't ever thank God enough for him. This man is a rock. He works HARD, often going in to work before daybreak so he can be home with us in the evenings. Some evenings, he comes home for dinner or bath time (he does bath time almost every night!!) and then goes back to work. He's also managing to study for his PE, so if he's not working, he's studying. And yes, this all means a really stressful season of life for all of us, but Austin has always sacrificed for us - even if he loses out on a lot of sleep. He got up at 4 am on Ethan's birthday so he could work before Ethan woke up for breakfast and get to spend the morning with us. He's loving us sacrificially as Christ loved us and is providing for us and leading us as he is called to. And let's be real: I DO get caught up in the stress of having a very busy husband (happened today! Sorry Austin...), but in the grand scheme of things, I'm so thankful that he has worked so hard for us and makes sure he is here when it matters most.

Hannah is currently the size of a kid's backpack (pictured is the one Ethan uses, preschool size). Hannah is supposedly around 18 inches and 5.5 lbs!

{We will get an official weight next Monday, 10/5. Blog posts will start being posted on Mondays as I visit my doctor every Monday from here on out, so no post this Sat!}

I was "sprinkled" today by a few of my friends and it was lovely! Hannah is going to be a really well-dressed little girl.

Everyone from the sprinkle {except Lauren}!

Here's Lauren! ;)

{And, yes, I did request that we wear big hats. I had a blast making mine!}

How far along? 35 weeks! 8 months! Almost done! Hooray!!!!

Maternity clothes? Yes.
Stretch marks? The ones from my pregnancy with Ethan have finally reappeared. Hoping my cream keeps them from getting huge.
Sleep: I don't think I'll see good sleep for a long, long time. 
Miss anything? Not feeling dehydrated all the time. I usually feel like I could drink water for days straight and still be thirsty.
Movement: She flipped herself head-up this week and freaked me out a little. She was back down the next day. Hopefully she stays that way -- she's running out of room and it'll be harder to flip herself back soon.
Food cravings: ugh. No thanks
Anything making you queasy or sick? Yep, heartburn/indigestion/reflux. But my dr suggested adding Zantac at dinner (to the Nexium I'm already on) to help with evening heartburn issues. We will see if this works!!
Gender: Girl!
Labor Signs: None, but the Braxton-Hicks contractions are getting to be more frequent
Belly Button in or out? In, but REALLY flattening.
Wedding rings on or off? On
Happy or Moody most of the time? Sleepy.
Looking forward to: A WEDDING for my childhood best friend next weekend, and then our last ultrasound for Hannah!!
Prayers this week: I just want to enjoy these last few weeks and maybe not look forward to the end quite as much as I am now, so really praying that these meds work or I'm just healed completely! My doctor adjusted my medicine for my heartburn, so hopefully the new regimen works!

xo,

Elizabeth

{Ethan}: our TWO year old!

TWO YEARS ago, I was handed a little bundle after 19 hours of labor. He had a major cone-head (he still has a huge head) and and was very alert. All the nurses commented on how wide-eyed and alert he was for a newborn! He took a couple seconds to make any noise immediately after delivery, and I had to reassure myself that he was ok. I was immensely relieved when he was handed to me - and when we saw him, we thought he was perfect.

We hit some milestones really early, like rolling over both ways consistently at two months old (what? That's insane). Others came a little later than some of our friend's milestones (speech). Still the most remarkable thing about Ethan is SUCH a happy kid! If you tell me that he looks like his dad, I may give you a weird look. It's not true. But if you say that he acts like his dad, I would agree 100%. He's his father's goofy son. Austin always knows exactly what to do to make Ethan laugh harder and play with more excitement than I ever could! You could chalk it up to being a guy thing, but I think it's more - I am certain those two will have a Phil & Luke Dunphy relationship!

I think, with both my kids, I have been most nervous about their personalities. I know who I was growing up and I fear I'll have to raise a mini-me. Something tells me miss Hannah will have more of my stubborn streak (or really - Papaw's), but Ethan has always been just a sweet and playful boy. He's pretty obedient (for a two-year-old), as long as we manage his expectations and his schedule well!

Ethan, I just can't say it enough: I'm so blessed to be your mama.

Happy 2nd Birthday!

xo,

Elizabeth

{Hannah}: 34 weeks | {Ethan} 2nd Birthday Party

We had Ethan's birthday party this morning and it was a blast to have a house full of family & friends!

There were lots of tears and pouty faces today. Ethan really wanted to take his new trains EVERYWHERE. He loved all of his (many!) new toys... We may be a skipping gifts at Christmas this year as a result of the outpouring of presents today! There's no question - he is VERY well loved.

Now for miss Hannah!

I'm experiencing heartburn/reflux issues again. If waking up for the restroom or for water doesn't keep me up (sometimes for hours at a time), then reflux keeps me from going to sleep. Or both. I already have heartburn/reflux issues in pregnancy, but it is worsened by my iron supplement. I can't really stop taking that prescription, and we haven't found a prescription heartburn med that is safe for pregnancy AND helps me overcome my symptoms.

Y'all, I am tired. I know my sleep won't get better with a newborn, but I feel like having a little girl in my arms will at least feel more rewarding than this does. I cannot WAIT for the end of October to roll around. I'm not even going to think about her being late at this point.

How far along? 34 weeks! ~6 to go...
Maternity clothes? Yes.
Stretch marks? Hopefully nothing new, I'm out of my lotion and haven't gotten more yet!
Sleep: What is that?
Miss anything? Sleep.
Movement: Getting restricted! She occasionally rolls from the left to the right, and I feel smaller kicks and flutters.
Food cravings: something savory...
Anything making you queasy or sick? Everything. A glass of OJ before bed kept me up last night.
Gender: Girl!
Labor Signs: None, but the Braxton-Hicks contractions are getting to be more frequent
Belly Button in or out? In,but flattening. We may see it pop out this time!
Wedding rings on or off? On
Happy or Moody most of the time? Sleepy.
Looking forward to: Doctor appointments for Hannah & Ethan on Thursday! It's Ethan's actual birthday, but I think the most celebrating we might do is to go to dinner out somewhere.
Prayers this week: Just a little relief from these symptoms would be excellent. I am really looking forward to having some input from my doctor when I see her!

xo,
Elizabeth

{edit} I forgot! Hannah is about the size of a basketball hoop this week, and weighs around 5.5 lbs.

{Hannah}: 33 weeks + a sick brother, again

I don't have a lot of updates for Hannah, but I do have more prayer requests {see very end}! We will go for our next checkup on Ethan's birthday: his checkup is that day, his doctor is in the same building, and I want to kill two birds with one stone since it's a bit of a commute now. After that, our 36 week ultrasound is Oct 5, and then I have weekly appointments. At that point, I will probably switch to Monday updates and post after my office visits (I know you all wait with bated breath - the posts coming two days later will be such a challenge!). I'm glad I've been so diligent with this for Hannah. She may be our last biological baby, and it's been awesome to look back and compare this pregnancy with the last one - I know I'll look back over these later, too!

Ethan, on the other hand, has decided the weekend would be a fun time to be sick - again. And, again, I'm not sure if this is just a teething issue (6 at once does some damage) or if he is viral. We have no snot, sneezing, or coughing (yet), just some gross diapers, higher temps, and lethargy. Today was full of yuck and bad smells and discomfort - as soon as I picked him up from childcare at MOPS I could smell him, and it was downhill from there. Food, pedialyte, Tylenol, and rest seem to have helped!

Pre-MOPS, in his hipster-jeans cuteness. (I didn't notice the puffy eyes at the time, but they didn't go away all day.)

Post-MOPS, during our resting time & movie marathon.

Anyway - hopefully we will have a quick recovery overnight, and a great day tomorrow!

Now for the Hannah updates! Hannah is the size of a junior tennis racquet (19") and likely around 4.5 lbs.

She feels about like a tennis racquet, too, with her feet in my ribs as I try to put shoes on/take shoes off.

How far along? 33 weeks! ~7 to go!
Maternity clothes? Yes. 
Stretch marks? Hopefully nothing new, I'm out of my lotion and haven't gotten more yet!

Sleep: We have entered the phase where I wake up every night for the bathroom, and probably don't stay asleep more than 3 hours at a time. #babyprep

Miss anything? Good sleep!
Movement: Always!!
Food cravings: was craving Greek food and got some Tzatziki and pita to try to fix that, but was still disappointed because our surburban HEB doesn't carry falafel (WHAT?!).
Anything making you queasy or sick? Not currently, unless I eat too much (easy to do, running out of room).
Gender: Girl!
Labor Signs: None
Belly Button in or out? In
Wedding rings on or off? On
Happy or Moody most of the time? Tired.
Looking forward to: Rest this weekend! Even if it is forced by an unwell kiddo. 
Prayers this week: I have been praying daily to give my anxieties to the Lord. Hannah is now head down, but she still moves around a LOT (the whole body), so that stir anxiety, even though we do still have time. And, without too much detail, I had to have a procedure done last year (after Ethan's birth, before this one) that could affect if/how I dilate and deliver, which is scary. If I think about it too much, I will start to get anxious and just have to pray some more. There are so many doubts and fears with pregnancy alone that it's easy to get caught up in the anxieties and lose sight of the beauty of it. I've been using several verses to pray over myself and meditate over to calm these fears and remember Who holds both me and this baby girl! Any additional verses you think I may not have considered would be awesome.

xo,

Elizabeth

{Hannah}: 32 weeks

This week was exciting! Ethan went to MDO, I super cleaned the house while he was there, and I really feel refreshed. Weeks of pulling double-duty on the parenting front had really worn me out. I actually wanted to cook dinner! Ha!

I also struggled with my heartburn on Monday - it was so severe that I didn't sleep almost at all that night. I tried to keep my head elevated and sleep, which is just not comfortable. I tried couches, beds... Nothing helped. I figured that the iron pills were probably the culprit, as nausea and heartburn are a common side effect, and I've had small bouts with each since I started taking them, despite already being on a prescription heartburn medication. I talked with my nurse at the doctor's office and we decided to keep me on the same iron pill, as this one has the least severe GI effects (ha!!!) but to change my heartburn medication. My new one is $6/day instead of $6/bottle... Not loving that price tag, but I'm not confined to eating toast, milk and Cheerios, either. By the time Ethan came home from MDO on Wednesday, I had the new meds in my system and I was a new woman! (And sleeping at night! Yay!)

As for Miss Hannah, we get to see the doctor in 3 days! We won't have our last ultrasound for another 4 weeks/two more visits, but we know she's breech (head-up, should be head-down), so we would really appreciate you keeping us in your prayers until she turns. It's pretty easy to tell where she is because she kicks my hips constantly! I've decided to have faith that she WILL turn!

Just in case you're wondering, bottoms-first births aren't pleasant. 

This week, Hannah is the size of a scooter board, and weighs around 4 lbs (probably more, we make big babies around here!).

Don't you want to go back to elementary PE now?

How far along? 32 weeks! ~8 to go!
Maternity clothes? About 85% of the time.
Stretch marks? No new ones since Ethan!
Sleep: Pretty good, as long as my heartburn is under control. 

Miss anything? Cooler temps
Movement: Always!
Food cravings: Satisfied my months-long PSL craving today. Is it just me, or are the prices going WAY up..?
Anything making you queasy or sick? Not anymore!!
Gender: Girl!
Labor Signs: None
Belly Button in or out? In
Wedding rings on or off? On
Happy or Moody most of the time? A little more moody this week, but happy that mama got a break and got to take care of some chores this week - sans toddler.
Looking forward to: a BUSY weekend! A gender reveal, a birthday party, and a family dinner all on Saturday alone!
Prayers this week: Praying against temptation to be short-sighted and wish Hannah were here already. Homegirl needs to cook another 7+ weeks, and I can use that time to rest up! :)

xo,

Elizabeth

{Hannah}: 31 weeks + a sick brother

Well, this morning started with a scream. Ethan decided it was time to wake up at 6:30 (norm is 7-8, more 8 lately). Since it was still pretty dark, I did the usual: ignore. He started screaming and got out of bed so I went upstairs and was met with the smell of vomit. Yay! Happy Saturday! Austin came up, gave him a bath, and I went to work on the laundry/making the stench go away. 

(In case you're wondering, Febreeze did nothing. My YL Purification oil is in the diffuser and that IS helping.) We took him downstairs and snuggled for about an hour before breakfast. He's had waffles and yogurt and kept that down - I was working on the assumption that the puke was a fluke and he was probably not sick this morning. We had two stinky, messy diapers since breakfast and now are waiting it out.

The last time he got super sick was Austin's birthday - almost a year ago. We had to cancel our birthday plans and take him home after he puked on his GiGi. So of course, it's fitting that we are supposed to visit with some of my dad's family today that I haven't seen in years and, he's doing this! Sigh...

This was from this morning, after the initial puke but before the the other messes. 

And this is after the other messes. 

I can say that Hannah did not enjoy this cuddle session and kicked every organ I have, making mama pretty nauseated, too.

He's now playing with cars, so there's hope for us yet! We are (maybe foolishly) hoping this was just something he ate, and not a full-on stomach bug.

This week, Hannah is the size of a foam finger (Or Cougar Paw, Go Coogs!!).

How far along? 31 weeks! ~9 to go!
Maternity clothes? Not currently, but most of the time, yes.
Stretch marks? None yet!
Sleep: Pretty good!
Miss anything? Sleep :)
Movement: Always! 
Food cravings: None right now!
Anything making you queasy or sick? A little nausea from the iron pills, as well as Hannah's shenanigans this morning. 
Gender: Girl!
Labor Signs: None
Belly Button in or out? In
Wedding rings on or off? On
Happy or Moody most of the time? Mostly happy, tired right now!
Looking forward to: the dozen or so celebrations we have in the next 2 months that will keep us busy as we wait for Hannah! (Birthdays, weddings, gender reveal parties, bingo night, and a pumpkin patch trip!)
Prayers this week: praying for our health currently. Hoping that this is not a bug, and if it is, that Austin and I don't catch it. 

xo,

Elizabeth

{Ethan}: 23 months old!

23 months with Ethan! One more to go until this little man turns two!

We noticed recently that when Ethan colors, he aims for the objects in the picture, which impressed us. He's still a scribbler, but he gets the concept.

Things he loves right now are minions (which he calls nini or nini-ga, no idea why he adds the 'ga'), Thomas the tank engine, and Sesame Street (specifically Elmo and Cookie Monster). That's kind of been the theme for a while, but you'll see it manifested in the pictures this month :)

xo,

Elizabeth