30 weeks

How far along? 30 weeks

Total weight gain: gettin pretty close to 20 lbs. 

Maternity clothes? I still hate clothes. Tank tops, skirts or maternity jeans cut off to shorts are all I have been wearing. 
Stretch marks? no.
Sleep: My mom and dad watched Annabelle overnight this past weekend for my 6 year anniversary.  Craig and I stayed in our own bed, in our own house with nothing to wake us up except for the sun.  I realized since she was born, this is the first time I was able to do this.  I have spent the night away from Annabelle twice in the last 2 years, but both times had to get up early for something.  THIS felt like a real vacation.  STAYcation.  Craig and I had an awesome weekend staying out way past my bedtime with friends, and taking it easy.  It was pretty awesome.  And I only slept a little over an hour than I normally do, but it was still awesome.  We did miss Annabelle and had to go spend a little time with her before leaving her overnight a second time.  She did great.  She loves my parents, and feels super comfortable at their house.  She's a pretty easy going kid anyways so I wasn't worried at all. 
Best moment this week:  I guess I could have put some of that long answer into this category.  Yes, this past weekend celebrating our 6 year anniversary was the best moment this week.  I want to do it all over again.   

 This was taken when we were out and about for our anniversary. 

Miss Anything? I'd like to answer this saying, NOT being pregnant.  But, that's not true if I think about it.  Pregnancy is pretty cool and pretty exciting.  But, it is making me FEEL exhausted and SO CRANKY!  So, this week what I miss MOST is: Margaritas, an icy cold mug of Beer, and a glass of red wine with dinner. 

Movement:  Just this week, I realized that I feel much more of a bond with this little boy because of all the movement.  It's so awesome to feel him move around, and try to guess which body parts he is trying to jab through my stomach.  It does hurt sometimes, and I wonder how there is any more room for him to wiggle around or grow. 
Food cravings: No.  The "cravings" that I might have, I am not allowed to give into any more.  (I will explain more).  I do get hungry, but full pretty fast, which makes me feel so gross.  And it's no matter what I eat.  From salads to Taco Bell tacos.  Nothing makes me feel super satisfied.  Except cereal.  I could eat cereal every meal if it was ok.   

Anything making you queasy or sick: I guess like I said, yes, almost every meal.  I can NOT over eat.

Gender:  Sweet baby boy.
Labor Signs: no.  Some Braxton Hicks, but I'm thankful no real signs. 
Symptoms: Ready to hear me complain?  I am a major complainer these days.  I've gotten really good at it.  Sore back, heavy front.  HATE bending over.  Sometimes I even hate sitting, or laying down, or just being.  I'm just overall feeling really big and heavy.
Belly Button in or out?  still in.  I have a deep belly button though.  Have I mentioned that?  I will be surprised if I ever see it flat.

Wedding rings on or off?  on. :)
Happy or Moody most of the time: I don't know how to answer that today.  I broke down in tears when I was making lunch for Annabelle today, just because Craig asked me if I needed anything.  I guess he could tell something was wrong.  Ooh, little did he know.  He's so sweet.  When he asked what was wrong, the only answer I could give was, "Everything".  Cause that's what I felt.  So, I guess emotional.  

 Looking forward to: Next week starts summer for my pregnant sister, Lisa.  SO, now we get to hang out and complain together a LOT more.  ;)  

SOOOOOO, we went for an ultrasound this week to check up on this little boy.  He is great!  He is healthy and looking wonderful.  (If you don't know about the ultrasounds WE do, I'll tell you.  When I was pregnant with Annabelle, they saw markers for DS, and we had to then, for the rest of pregnancy, see a special doctor to do our ultrasounds.  He walked us through everything the whole time, and it was super helpful.  Because of last time, our doctor decided it would be best for us to see him every time we needed an ultrasound done.  I was super happy about this because I really like him, AND because we can find out anything he sees, the moment he sees it.  Such a relief)  Anyways, this doctor asked me how my glucose test came back because he could see that the baby was measuring big.  Which, i guess is one of the symptoms of the gestational diabetes.  My glucose test came back fine, pretty close to the top, but still fine.  He then went on to tell me about how my diet should be right now, and I should be watching my sodium and sugar intake.  To which Craig's response was, "It's all the sno-cones."  Ha, he's right.  I've made bad choices with my diet and got a little kick in the butt about it.  I have known pretty much since the beginning that this baby was bigger than Annabelle was.  I can tell.  I feel heavy and huge.  Baby boy is only measuring about a week to two weeks ahead of time, and I was assured it's nothing to "worry" about.  But, to maybe be prepared to deliver a larger baby than the last.  Which I was prepared for anyways.  Annabelle was, and still is, a peanut.  SO, now I will lay off the sno-cones, and ice cream bars, and candies. I need to make better choices, I know that.  I am super thankful for a healthy looking boy.  




 Annabelle playing on her little animal laptop.  What a cutie.

 

 She makes my life so happy. 

Pregnancy-28 weeks

 I can't write this blog post without first being really honest.  I'm not particularly "enjoying" pregnancy today.  I feel sort of guilty saying that, but it feels kinda good to be honest about it.  I am praying that I take the last trimester (YES!  Last trimester!!!)  a day at a time.  I desire to enjoy the last couple months with JUST Annabelle.  I also desire to enjoy pregnancy and the amazing blessing and miracle that it is.  I wish I could answer all of these questions with happy faces, and say that everything is butterflies and sprinkles, but emotionally AND physically that is not my reality today. 

How far along? 28 weeks

Total weight gain: about 16 lbs.

Maternity clothes? Yes.  But, I hate most clothes right now.   I have a love/hate thing going with just being at home so I can walk around in underwear or super unflattering clothes.
Stretch marks? no. :)
Sleep: I'm so tired.  So tired all the time.  Sleep is ok.  I do wake up at least twice a night lately.  grrrrr.
Best moment this week: Mother's Day was super fun.  :)  Oh, so was the day before.  My sister treated my mom and I to pedicures (which is good because it is very tough to paint my own toenails.) And, we had a nice breakfast that morning, just the girls.  It was a really great weekend. 

Miss Anything? An un-pregnant body = being comfortable, sleeping on my stomach, not having heartburn, ibruprophen, drink treats, i miss energy, running, bending over.....i could go on for a while.

Movement:  yes.  I do LOVE feeling movement.  I think it's one of the greatest parts of pregnancy.
Food cravings:  no, no cravings.  and i get full so fast.  I picture my stomach being smooshed so much, that not much will fit. 

Anything making you queasy or sick: I woke up yesterday feeling very first trimester-ish.  Scents bothered me again, I had a terrible headache, and any kind of food made me feel gross.  AND, it was the day that I had to drink that nasty orange drink for the glucose test.  I was happy to crawl in bed last night. 

Gender:  Sweet baby boy.
Labor Signs: no.  Some Braxton Hicks, but I'm thankful no real signs.  Baby needs to bake a while. 
Symptoms: .What did I not mention in the "Miss Anything?" section?  Uncomfortable.  Sore lower back.  Nothing fits over my hiney.  I hate bending over.  I'm cranky and needy. (good thing I have an incredible husband who dotes on my and has sympathy for my complaints.  He's amazing, and I am spoiled.  I wish he could be around me 24 hours a day. )
Belly Button in or out? in.  almost flat.

Wedding rings on or off?  on. :)
Happy or Moody most of the time:  uhhh, i don't know.  right now i am having a pity party, but I promise I'm not always walking around with a frown or a scowl. 

 Looking forward to: going to bed tonight.  :)  

Some pics from Mother's Day...

How could I not smile?  I am so blessed. 

Look at this cute little ham.  I have so much fun with this girl.  Who couldn't?  ( I promise I fixed her hair.)

We tried to take a picture of ourselves while I was working on getting a belly pic for you/me.  Not sure why my camera decides to take SUPER CRUMMY pictures just when I want a good one.  But, here are a couple of 27 week belly pics...
 

I enjoy following some blogs of mommas that have children with DS kiddos.  I read this post by someone yesterday, and just LOVED it!  It isn't at all anything super sentimental or that makes me cry, which usually is the case.  Just some insight that I SO SO SO SO relate to.   I read it to Craig, and he really enjoyed it too.   Sometimes, I compare Annabelle with other DS kids around her age.  Not to extremes or anything, but I may see someone a little older than her, and 'hope' or expect her to do what they are doing when she gets to be that age.  Craig really encouraged me yesterday,  that I should stop doing that.  He's right. As much as I brag about Annabelle and her progress, and as PROUD as I am of her, I do hope so hard to see her reach certain heights.  I want to do my best to help her get to where she needs to/can be, but to get there because of Annabelle, and not because of someone else.  She's stinkin amazing. 

HAVE A GREAT WEEKEND!  ;)

May is off to a good start.

Yes it is!  :)  We have had a super fun last couple days, and here are some pics to prove it....

Annabelle 'helped' me bake cookies the other day!  She was cute watching me mix, and she even poured some flour and sugar in the bowl. I put flour on our cheeks to make it look like we were really gettin in to it!  ;)

We also went to a fun splash pad the other day.  It was super fun!  I loved watching Annabelle run around and play in the water. 

OH, and you may be wondering if Annabelle has a little shiner.  Yes, she does.  She fell on Saturday morning and gave herself a nice black eye.  :(  It looks SO much better now than it did.  She's a sport. 

 Bath time with daddy!!! 

"MAY CHALLENGE"

(Picture taken yesterday. We rode on a little train. My mouth is blue from cotton candy, and Annabelle has a cranky face, because that is what she was. But, we had a great time.) If you read this blog, you know that sometimes I refer to Kelle Hampton's blog posts. I read her blog often. It encourages and inspires me, and her little girls are adorable! She wrote a post about doing a May challenge of reading two books to her kiddos every evening in May. She said, "There's something very motivating about these challenges which work a bit like dominoes, prompting other good ideas and establishing new focused intentions for our family." A while back, I found a list of prayers and scriptures titled, "Covering Your Husband in Prayer for 31 Days". I printed it out, and it was lost in papers and forgotten. I came across this list shortly before reading Kelle's post. So, I committed to praying through this list every day in May. 31 Days, perfect. You may be thinking, "You need a challenge to pray for your husband?!?!" Ha, well, yes. In a way. I do pray for Craig daily, but there are certain things FOR or ABOUT Craig that do not come to mind every day to pray for. This list has brought things to my mind that I may not have thought of before. AND, there are scriptures with the prayers, which is even more awesome. I am excited to see how the Lord may work through this. And it is a challenge that is forcing me to spend time with Jesus every day. Cause prayer IS hanging out with Jesus talking to Him. :) SO, if there is someone in your life you feel the need to deeply pray for, HERE is the list. It's super good for more than just husbands.

Pregnancy Update: -26 weeks! -Been craving Raspberry flavor like crazy. Raspberry sno-cones, Jam, Tea, whatever!! I even got a coke with raspberry in it at Sonic the other day. Yumm. But, I don't think much of what I "crave" has anything to do with pregnancy anymore. It's a craving like any other time of life. -Super, obnoxiously tired most days. One day last week I was so tired that I wanted to cry. That sounds a little dramatic. But, its true. -Feeling big, and heavy. -Excited for another ultrasound at the end of this month. :) Craig and I were pretty sure what the name of this boy would be, but I've never been SET on it. So, any cool boy name suggestions are welcome. I can not think of ANY!! I just want the middle name to be EVANS, so whatever goes with that. HAVE A GREAT WEEKEND!!! :)

Changing the Image of Down Syndrome.

I came across THIS awesome article the other day. Please read it if you have the chance. I often forget that Annabelle has Down Syndrome or that I have a daughter with special needs. I forget because she is so typical. It's true, like this woman says, the world often has the wrong image of DS. Love reading about the people who are working so hard to change that image, and who are advocates for my daughter! THANK YOU!!!!!!

Therapy and Some Updates.

If you're up for it, this will be a long post. I'm leaving the dry laundry in the drier, and the dirty dishes in the kitchen to do one good, long update.

The busyness of the last few weeks caught up with us this week. Being home after a long trip is always nice, but it might make you realize just how tired you are. The first couple days of this week were, well, gross. I know that I can speak for both Annabelle and me, that we were just "not feelin it". Sunday morning started with a sick little girl who needed a little extra attention. Mommy and Daddy were still very sleepy, so, we broke our (very loose) rule and pulled her in bed with us. Lullabies on Pandora never fail to calm her down, so I pulled out the iphone in hopes of getting a little more rest. Annabelle was so sweetly listening to her music, allowing us to close our eyes a little longer. If you don't know this, Annabelle has a throwing problem. I say problem because that is what it is becoming. She loves to throw. Her food, her cups, her toys, books, and our iphones. But, I didn't expect a toss of the loved Pandora playing. I was laying in the perfect path of the phone when Annabelle decided to give it a little toss. That girl has an arm. It hit me right below the eye. My first thought was that she broke my nose. As strange as it was, I burst into tears. I remember being a kid, crying when you got hurt. As an adult, it's usually a couple curse words and anger. This time, I cried. It really did hurt that bad, and it was an immediate reaction. WELP, long story short, that was the end of our restful Sunday morning. I spent almost an hour with ice on my face, and we continued on with our day. (I did end up with a small bruise, which i thought for sure would turn into a mega black eye.) This was supposed to be a good day. It was ANNABELLE'S BIRTHDAY!!! :) We did a whole lotta nothin until we went to a small party at my parent's. Annabelle seemed like she was getting crankier and crankier as the day went on, but she was a GREAT sport to put on a smile and some giggles at her party. The night was another story.

Sunday night was super duper restless for her, which made it just that for US, too. All 3 of us were pretty tired Monday morning, and poor Annabelle had a very mellow, sick day. With fever off and on, and almost no appetite, my heart broke for her. I felt sick just because of how tired I was, but I wanted to be patient with her, knowing her behavior was only because she felt awful. Monday night-WAY better sleep for all of us. And the week has picked up.

This morning I KNEW that both of us girls needed a little therapy. So, we went where we always go for this. Our jogging (now walking) trail in the park. I know I have BLOGGED before about how therapeutic my jogs were. Getting us outside sets a new tone to our day, and it's always wonderful. Working out has not been a goal of mine lately, mostly because of how tired I am most of the time. I continued to jog up until about 16 or 17 weeks, then I just couldn't do it anymore. In fact, I have not exercised at all in almost 2 months. Besides a random walk with Craig when he is home. I have been CRAVING a good run. I miss it. I LOVE the memories I have pushing Annabelle along the trail, soaking up some sun and nature. She LOVES it, too. We have put many miles on my jogging shoes and the wheels of the jogger. Even though I don't run now, I knew we had to get out there today, and maybe every day until it's just too damn hot. We both loved it, again. I made it to my 2 mile marker before turning around to make the walk a total of 4 miles. I was pretty proud that I did the whole thing. I just loved being out there, that I never wanted to turn around. I wish there were a way that I could throw the smells of the honeysuckles, the sound of the river and birds, and the feeling of how cool the breeze was right through the computer screen, so that you could feel it too. It was exactly what we needed after the last couple weeks, but the last couple days for sure! It boosted our spirits. Therapy, I tell you. I don't need to talk to anyone, I just need to go
outside. ;)





I finally got around to uploading some pics from our trip, so I'll post a few.
This picture cracks me up. The more Annabelle's personality comes out, the more I see she is so much like her daddy. :)

EASTER! She looked beautiful.

Special time with Nana and Grandpa.


HUNTING for EGGS! :)

Annabelle's silly (almost forced for the pic) smile with Uncle Hans.



Annabelle 2 year appointment update:
She is 20.5lbs, and about 30in. Girlfriend is a peanut. Her doctor seemed a little concerned, about 5 months ago, about her growth. She wanted us to get her blood drawn for growth hormones. There was a possibility we would need to give her something to help her grow. We did as we were told, went in to get some blood for that and for a thyroid test. The shaky old man, who should not be working on little kiddos, only managed to get enough for a thyroid test. We were told to go back for the rest, but we never did. I avoided it because of how bad the experience was, and because I really truly didn't think we would put her on growth meds this young. After this appointment this week, her doctor told us not to worry about it. She is still growing, just slowly. Her growth has not plateaued completely, so that is good. She is seriously a munchkin, but the cutest munchkin ever. She is thriving, and learning and super determined to figure this life out. I couldn't be more proud of her. I love this little girl!

Pregnancy Update.

How far along? 24 weeks
Total weight gain: about 10-12 lbs.
Maternity clothes? Yes. I think it's time to fold up the regular jeans and stick them where I can't see them. They don't even want to go up my butt, much less button. THANK GOODNESS I live in Texas, because the weather is PERFECT for the skirts and dresses.
Stretch marks? No. Still using Coconut Oil.
Sleep: Like I mentioned earlier, one night this week was real bad, but it did not have to do with pregnancy. I sleep well most nights.
Best moment this week: So far, this morning's invigorating walk. AND, celebrating my sweet girl's 2nd birthday.
Miss Anything? Running, BEER, a smaller bra, my wonderful husband (back to work).
Movement: Yes. Love this active little boy. The long hours in the car were super fun because I was still long enough to feel some really great kicks and hiccups.
Food cravings: No.
Anything making you queasy or sick: Not really anymore.
Gender: BOY!
Labor Signs: no
Symptoms: Tired. Sore, heavy feeling.
Belly Button in or out? in, kind of getting flat.
Wedding rings on or off? on
Happy or Moody most of the time: happy.
Looking forward to: Spending more time outside this week.

Ok, so I know this picture of me is hideous, but Annabelle looks adorable, so I had to suck it up and share it. You might see a little bit of the faint black eye I have. This was this morning before our walk.

24 week belly pic. Also this morning before our walk.


I'll leave you with a sweet video of Easter Egg hunting. (By the way, Annabelle has the GREATEST daddy. Us girls are SO blessed with Craig. He is amazing, and the PERFECT dad for her, and the PERFECT husband for me. I feel so lucky all the time. We love him.)