halloween weekend

well, i think we have been partying and eating candy for the last 3 days... first we had mason's school party. then i picked up carter from school and we headed to craig's office for the kids to go trick or treating and have a little party. saturday we celebrated my nephew tyler's 1st birthday, and the kids dressed up to show off their costumes. and then of course today was halloween! after mason's soccer game we headed up to my parents house. we got take out from one of our favorite restaurants, watched the patriot's game, and then my mom and i took the kids out trick or treating. it was a perfect night... and a great weekend!!! here's the photo recap...

Friday (Mason's school)






Friday (Craig's office)






Saturday




Sunday






now, what to do with all this candy???? last year the elementary school collected it to send to the troops, so i am hoping they do the same thing this year. i really need to get it out of the house... and it's me i don't trust. the kids really are not that into candy. although hadley did wake up and get herself a lollipop for breakfast...

35 weeks

i'm 35 weeks and i feel like the countdown is really on. which means i really need to start getting prepared for the newest little member of the jacobs family.

last night i made craig finally bring up the car seat we bought to make sure everything looked good, and i think we will install in my truck this weekend. yup, this is all starting to feel more real. all the newborn clothes are washed, my mom has purchased a ton of diapers so we are all stocked up. i just need to get out the bottles and sterilize them, and we are on our way.

(this is me modeling the new car seat...)


i had my first nst last friday and it went well... the baby was sleeping at the beginning, so i drank some water, had a lollipop and then some juice to get the baby moving and grooving. i am up about 25 lbs so far, so hopefully i don't pack on another 20 lbs. in the next couple of weeks. (damn halloween candy) i am feeling pretty good for the most part. my back has been much better since i started back at the chiropractor.

hadley has just been so cute lately!!! i just love the age she is at so much!!! she sings justin bieber's song "baby" all the time, and loves to talk about my sitter's 4 month old "baby wyatt". i really hope she loves being a big sister as much i think she will.

(just enjoying a cupcake)




craig and the boys did some pumpkin carving over the weekend... they came out great!!! craig loves to do it every year, and i just stay out of it. in fact while they were doing that i met my friend kelly for lunch and pedicures.

Reflections of Motherhood

34 weeks...

today i am 34 weeks... and the belly is getting bigger!!! much bigger, which means this little baby that is growing inside me is getting much bigger. when the baby moves and kicks it is not cute anymore... it hurts! not that i don't still love it, because i do, but i can really feel how much stronger the baby is getting in there.

today i had my follow up u/s with MFM. the baby is growing great, and is quite cute if i do say so myself. the heart rate was 150, and the estimated weight is 5lbs 11 oz. here are a couple of pictures of the baby's face... look at those chubby cheeks!


the results of my 24 hour urine collection were normal, and this week i start seeing my doctor for weekly appointments and NST's. i go back for another u/s at 37 weeks... i can't believe that this pregnancy is almost over.

i have mixed feelings about actually giving birth. once that day comes, that's it... no more pregnancies ever again. and that makes me a little sad. then there is the small fact that i will have another baby to take care of... and i love love love newborns, but i will have to juggle a newborn in with my 3 other kids, and i just pray that i can handle it.

this week i also started the project of changing mason's old room, into hadley's new big girl room. it's going to take some time to get it done, but we are in no rush. she loves the idea of a big girl room, but thinks jumping on the bed is fun fun! i am not taking her out of the crib anytime soon, but maybe early next year? anyways, it is a work in progress right now.

i need to finish going through the newborn clothes, and open up the new car seat we bought to see how it will fit. we also need to bring the bassinet up to our bedroom. time is ticking...

oh, and here is a funny story from yesterday. as we were driving to mason's soccer game he says "how is the baby going to come out?" i simply say the doctor will take it out... i try to keep it short and simple. then from the way back we hear carter say "oh, i thought jesus was going to?" so funny! i wonder what they were learning about at CCD?

here are some of my favorite pictures from the weekend...

Pregnancy and Infant Loss Remembrance Day - October 15th

in honor of pregnancy and infant loss remembrance day, i am taking a moment to remember the baby that was in my belly for 10 short weeks... for whatever the reason, that baby was not strong enough to grow, survive and join our family.

i know that i am so blessed to have three amazing children and be pregnant with my fourth. there are so many women who want to become mothers more than anything in the world, and have dealt with way more heart ache than me. today not only am i taking time to think of the baby that i lost, but i am also saying a prayer for all the mothers that will never hold their babies.

please take a moment and say a prayer for those who have suffered a miscarriage, an ectopic pregnancy, a still birth, or the loss of an infant.

thankful for thursdays

thursday is my only day to do nothing... with soccer and ccd, our weekends have been busy with little down time. today i am staying put, staying in my pj's and relaxing. my back has been acting up for the last couple of days and finally yesterday it was unbearable. as soon as craig got home we ate dinner and i just laid down while he got the kids ready for bed.

i called the chiropractor yesterday to see if i could get an appointment, and the earliest they can fit me in is tomorrow night. so for now tylenol will have to do.

today not only am i hanging around trying to take it easy on my back, i am also doing my 24 hour urine collection. wow, doesn't that sound like fun??? i'm sure it will all come back fine, it is just annoying that i have to do it at all.

man, all these pregnancy issues are just creeping right up on me now... next week i have an u/s, nst, and doctor's appointment. i am starting to feel like a professional patient again.

today i will be resting, maybe baking some cookies, ordering take-out for dinner, and settling in for a date with grey's and private practice. mason is over his friends house for a little play date, and hadley is enjoying playing with her toys, and watching sesame street in her pj's. today's biggest adventure will be getting carter off the bus!

here are some pictures from this week...

my big 33 week belly



funny kids... just playing around




hadley's all dressed and ready to go... such a girly girl!


i noticed that the leaves are starting to change colors... i love this time of year!



and finally, the yummy cookies that mason and i made today.... so yummy!!!


today was a good day... as i count down the weeks until this baby comes, i really need to enjoy the gift of thursdays.

22 months

my baby is 22 months old... she is really growing up! in no time she will be a big sister and will be 2 years old! i just love the age she is at.

32 weeks

i'm 32 weeks along and things are really going fast now... i had my appointment today, and it went ok. my b/p was elevated at my appointment, although it has been running lower at home. we are not changing my medication (yet), my doctor just wants me to continue to watch it.

the recommendation from mfm where i had my u/s last week was another u/s at 34 weeks, and then weekly non-stress tests. she also wanted me to have blood work done, and do a 24 urine collection. you can imagine how fun that is going to be??? the hardest part for me is to find 24 hours where i just stay home or close to home so i can make sure to be here for every time i have to pee.

i didn't actually pay attention to what my weight was today, so i'll have to check that out next time. my belly was measuring 33 weeks, and the heart rate was in the 160's.

we talked a little about inductions, but i decided to not put anything on the books yet. i really was hoping for monday nov. 22nd, but my doctor isn't on that day and i really want her to deliver this baby. i have a great relationship with her, and she has delivered my other three kids. she is on thanksgiving day, which is a big no b/c it is my mil's b-day. she is also on the day after thanksgiving, so if i am still pregnant then, i will probably ask for an induction that day. in reality, i am assuming that we will be induced b/c of blood pressure issues at 38 weeks just like i was with all my other kids.

i know so many people are against inductions, but i have had such great experiences with them. not only have my deliveries gone really well, but i get very stressed over the thought of going into labor and trying to find last minute child care for the kids. i feel so much better with the idea that my mom is here, the kids can continue with their schedules, and i can be at the hospital not worrying about anything other than when i am getting my epidural. ha!

moving right along... this weekend i will be sorting through all the newborn clothes and washing a stash of boy, a stash of girl and all the gender neutral ones i own. time to start getting ready for this baby, because ready or not he/she will be joining our family soon.

wicked good weekend

last weekend was so good... it was wicked good!

i had asked my mom if she could stay with us for a weekend before we had the baby so craig and i could have a date night, and we could spend some time together before the baby comes. my mom has been so busy with my dad since march when he first started his treatment, and even though he is not done yet, she felt comfortable staying with me for 3 days.

on friday we just hung out, and i picked up some take out chinese food. the weather was yucky, so it wasn't really a night we wanted to go out and do stuff.

saturday started with carter's soccer game, and then a trip to bj's. after we were home and settled i was able to run a couple of errands alone, which was nice. saturday night craig and i went out with our friends jeff and kelly. first we went to maggiano's for dinner and then headed over to see Wicked. it was such a nice night out.

sunday morning my mom and i went to the outlets as soon as they opened. they are crazy on the weekend, especially when the weather is nice. my dad had given us each some money to do a little shopping. i bought a pair of maternity jeans, and a coach wristlet. my mom got a great deal on a coach bag, so she was thrilled! then we headed home to eat a quick lunch and watch some of mason's soccer game.

i love when my mom comes down for a couple of days. she is such a big help, and she really enjoys seeing the kids and really catching up with what they are up to. my parents only live an hour away, so i do try to see them often, but it is so much better when she is here. the next time she will be here is when i am in the hospital have baby #4...

now i am going to try to slow down and rest more on the weekends, and start getting things ready for the baby. the fall weather is finally here, and it is getting darker earlier. all i want to do is snuggle in my pj's and eat comfort food. not a bad way to spend the next 6-7 weeks.