Last night as a family of 5!

My sister, Shar, flew here from CA for baby's birth. 

My mom was going to come also, but due to a back injury, she wasn't able to. :( We were so sad Grandma couldn't be here but SO glad Shar was able to come. I don't know what we would have done without her. She arrived late late Tues night and spent the night at Shawn's house. Then she came down to our place on Wed. and we had a fun day together before baby got here on Thursday.

She was a life-saver and her and Jeff split their time between the boys and the hospital. 

It was awesome to know our boys were so well taken care of while we were busy with baby #4!

Here is our last night as a family of 5, can't wait to see what the next little guy adds to the bunch:

We LOVE you, Shar. THANK YOU for coming!!!!!

35 Weeks

I haven't been so great with documenting  this pregnancy. But I have taken one photo of each trimester...so here is the 3rd Trimester! We're in the home stretch, wahoo!!!

I can't believe this little guy will be here in 5 weeks. CraZy I tell you!

I am feeling okay.  This trimester has been a bit harder, I am not trying to complain, just documenting what it really was like. I am tired. ALL of the time. And I have some weird leg pains and stomach pains. But all of that is 'normal' especially with your 4th pregnancy I guess!  I have been having braxton hicks contractions since about week 20, so by now I'm pretty tired of them. Literally. They exhaust me!  But then again, it could just be chasing around 3 very active boys!

Other than the constant fatigue and aches and pains, it truly has been a great pregnancy. I am so blessed to have a strong and healthy body that really does well while I'm expecting. I love feeling this little guy move and kick, it is a great reminder of the life that is growing inside of me.  I know that all of this will be worth having him in my arms and I can't wait!  

We have been pretty busy lately, so the last few weeks have flown by. I haven't done too much to prepare for his arrival yet. I still have to unpack the baby clothes/items, wash everything, clean the entire house, get the infant carseat out of storage and cleaned, vacuum the car, pack hospital bags, make some freezer meals,  type out a schedule for whoever watches the boys, throw Tave his 4th birthday party, get a pedicure, get my hair done, and finally choose his name (we're pretty close, but just can't decide for sure)! 

And oh yeah, all that other daily stuff that has to happen in a home.

Whew, I guess I better get going!

I did finish a couple things for baby boy.

First, I finally picked a layout and fabrics for his quilt (that my mom is making)

I am so in love with this color scheme, it's what we'll be doing for his nursery:

And I crocheted him this lovely baby blanket. I fell in love with the pattern and had to try it out. It was so fun crocheting it each night and knowing I would be snuggling my sweet little man in it:

If anyone wants to give it a go, I definitely learned a few things along the way and tweaked the pattern a teeny bit. So I can post the info if you want! It's so soft!!!

So baby boy, we are thrilled for you to get here, but have a few more things to get done, so hold off on coming too early, k.  Love, mommy.

4th.

Jeff and I were talking the other day about our marriage and all of the things we've done in the past 6.5 years. 

 Jeff has been in school 4.5 of the 6.5 years.

We've lived in three different homes and bought our first home.

I've been pregnant four times.

We've had three (soon to be four) sweet boys.

It has been Busy. Wonderful. Difficult. Rewarding. Sweet. Full.

We both agreed that Parenthood has been, by far, the best thing that happened in our lives. We are loving learning, growing, and becoming a family together. 

We are so amazed by this experience. Every day offers new challenges, new discoveries, new joys, new loves, and new hope.

Motherhood has become a defining part of my life. While I still have other hobbies, interests, loves, and desires, being a Mother comes first. It has to. Babies can't feed themselves, change their diapers, or rock themselves to sleep. Little boys can't teach themselves to read, kiss their own scrapes, and learn how to share with their siblings. Young men don't just accidentally turn into productive people and amazing husbands and fathers. They are taught, and guided, nurtured and loved.  By mothers and fathers.

I have so far to go before I am the mother I truly think my children deserve. But I am trying my best and realizing that my boys love me. Imperfections and all. Motherhood- being their mother - is not just the best job. It is my job. And I love it.

When I saw a recent maternity photo shoot, I knew that I wanted one.

I wanted to capture all the hopes and dreams that are tied up in those 9 months.

Those 9 months have made up a huge part of our marriage. 4 times over.

Those 9 months have shaped who we are and have changed us from a couple into a family. 

From a husband and wife into a father and mother.

How lucky we are to be  part of such a miracle. Each and every time.

That is what I was hoping to capture.

Thank you to Heather for capturing this moment so perfectly.

23/40

Hey Baby,
You've grown quite a bit these last few weeks!
You are moving a lot and have definite 'awake' and 'asleep' moments.
Since you are most likely our last little bitty one, I'm trying to treasure every second of how this feels...having you inside of me. Every kick is a little reminder that you are here and you are already a part of our family.
We are working on picking a name for you.  We have it narrowed down to two, but just can't decide until we see your cute little face.  You want to know what they are?  Here you go:  Callen or Canon.  What do you think? I really wish you could tell us since we're kind of stuck. :) Oh well, we'll know soon enough, won't we?
I am feeling pretty good. You started out pretty rough on your mama, but now we're in the good stage.  Just growing and moving. I'm a little tired, but I've been trying to drink lots and lots of water for you and have decided you and I need to cut back on the sugar. We don't want you being a little sugar addict right from the beginning...so we're loading up on the leafy greens and trying to get in all our food groups.  We just want you healthy. :)
Your brothers are so excited to meet you and see what you look like.  They have definitely been noticing how you're poking out your mommy's tummy now and making your appearance. They really want to feel you kick, so if you could give some great big ones when I let you know the bros are around, we would appreciate it!!  :)
We love you, little man. And Daddy & I  can't wait to see how you fit into our family of boys!!
Love,
Your mama

13/40

Well, since the first trimester is officially done I thought I should post a little bit about this pregnancy so far.

We are super excited to be welcoming a fourth little kiddo into our home.

Honestly, it is just as exciting this time around as it was the first.

Since each new little bundle has come into our lives, we've seen their personalities grow, their relationships become so sweet and beautiful, and our family dynamics are changed and enhanced.

It is an amazing thing- having a family.

So we cannot wait to see what this little one will bring.

Alright- my info:

Don't feel great. I've been SO sick this time around. I don't know if it's having three other kiddos to chase, or the fact that my body is a few years older and has gone through this a few times now, or maybe all of that, but this has been a tough one. 

I've been sick most of the day, mainly in the mornings and then from 2ish until I go to bed. 

but you know what - it's worth it. Every bit of nausea and fatigue. I'll take it for this sweet little reward I get at the end.

I've gained 3 lbs. :P

And I started showing a few weeks ago. 

Jeff told me just last night that I am officially looking pregnant now and not just chubby. Whew, that's good. Thanks babe. ;)

I crave mint.(which I talked about before)

And chocolate. And pretty much all fattening food. It's a miracle I've only gained 3 lbs. 

But that's it. 

We can't wait to find out if we'll be getting a boy or girl. (In Dec)

I'm planning on a boy and seriously fine with that. Lots of people ask, and while we would love to have a girl join our family, we will also love having 4 crazy, rambunctious, and busy boys. So win/win either way.

We're just happy to have a baby. :)

Craving

This pregnancy has been a tricky one. I have been so sick pretty much all day long. 

Food and I are in a love/hate relationship.

I'll crave something, eat it, and never want to touch it again all in the same day.  

Except MINT. All things minty have been oh so delicious and I just can't get enough of them.

Peppermint patties, junior mints, life saver mints, thin mints,  regular mints, and my all time fav- mint chocolate chip ice cream.  (Ps...anyone know where I can find Andes mints?? I want some so badly and CANNOT find them anywhere!)

And then I found this:

I was a little worried that it would be nasty and ruin my love of mint.  

But it's not. 

It's wonderful and heavenly and instead of being like 200 grams of fat in a bowl, it's 0.

I might not gain any more weight in the first trimester after all! 

 Hallelujah!

(aaand, in case you're wondering, regular mint gum does NOT sound good. It has to have the choc/mint combo I guess.. weird)

Baby love

West and Tave talk about the baby in my tummy constantly.
They are love to 'talk' to him and are so excited for him to come out so they can hold him.
He gets kisses, daily hugs, and lots of love pats.
Can't wait to see our three boys together!

Cool names

Today West & I had a little conversation as I was making lunch:

W- Hey mom, I like the name Spy.
Me- Spy? Like Spy for a name?
W- Yeah, I like cool names like Spy & Ryder.
Me- Those are cool names.
W- Yeah, we should name our baby Spy.
Me- Hmm..that's....really neat. You're good at thinking of names.
I also like Ryder. Let's name him Ryder.
W- No. I want his name to be Spy.
Me- What happened to Ryder, that is a very cool name.
W- Spy is cooler. Our baby's name is Spy.
Me- silence..............those are both really great names. Let's see when he gets here.
W- Yeah, cause Spy is really super cool.

SO folks, what do you think- Spy Drysdale. It has a nice ring to it, no? ;)

37 weeks!

Well here I am at 37 weeks!

This was taken last week, but it's the last official pregnancy shot I'm taking, so here you go:

I'm feeling pretty good, just very very squished. B3 moves a TON! So I get all sorts of kicks and nudges and dancing going on in there. It can be quite painful at times, but I love having the connection with our little guy, so I'll take it!

I'm not sleeping very well anymore, hence the very tired state I'm in in this photo. Overall, though, things are great. I'm cleaning, crafting, and organizing like mad and hope to have everything checked off my list before he makes his appearance. (anyone want to babysit so I can get it all done?? seriously.)

We have it narrowed down to three names. Pretty much the ones we've liked forever and then a new one added to the list. We'll see if he ends up with any of them. We're getting a new niece on Friday, so that should keep us busy until we get to hold our own sweet boy.

Cannot wait.

We love you little guy!

29 & 30 Weeks

It's about time I post some belly shots, since the last time was around 21 weeks!!

I am in my last trimester now and feeling great. B3 is quite the mover and does all sorts of crazy tricks in there. (I'm a little bit worried about the amount of sugar I've consumed lately, seriously, this is one hyper kid already!)

I'm getting a little squished and the third trimester fatigue has hit, but overall I can't complain. I am so blessed to have healthy pregnancies and am still able to be active with my boys. That's really all I could ask for!

29 weeks

30 weeks

As the time gets closer, I am getting more anxious to meet our little guy. He already has his own place in our home and in our hearts. Weston asks questions about him all the time (the dreaded "how does the baby come out" question was a pretty funny one...right now West thinks he'll come from my belly button, hmmm...maybe we'll leave it at that for awhile!) and we are getting excited to see how 3 little boys will spice up our lives! Oh the fun we will have!!

In the name department, we are officially accepting any and ALL suggestions. Griffin and Ryder are still in the running, but we really just can't decide. So please, comment away.

And just for the sake of journaling, I'll give you a list of what we have been discussing, but Jeff has already veto-ed some. (which is probably a good thing, my prego mind isn't always thinking right) Feel free to comment on the names, I won't get offended- we are pretty good about naming our kids what we want no matter who likes it. ;)

Our name list this time around:

Griffin, Ryder, Canon, Ender, River, Rainer, Ronan, Rowan, Ridge, Maddox, Madsen, Teague, Cruise, Jett, Gage, Hunter, & Tallan.
We've added a few to the last list (with Tave) and taken some off.  If it was up to me this little guy would just be Ryder right now since I've loved it since I was, oh, 14 or so. We'll see if I can get Jeff to agree, maybe three times a charm. ;)  We're still open for ideas!!

B3 = eggplant

I had to put up a widget on the side bar because I keep forgetting how far along I am.
Who does that? Apparently me.
I like this one, it compares the baby to food. hahahaha. Like I don't think about food enough already!

21 Weeks

Here's my tummy at 21.5 weeks.

I'm feeling great and things are going really well. Yay for the second trimester!!!

B3 moves all around but since I have an anterior placenta (placenta in the front) it's been a little bit harder to feel him. He is the most active at night and last night I finally felt him kick my hands. How cool! I crave lots of very unhealthy foods but make sure to get some salads and fruits in there as well so this kid isn't entirely made up of sugar!

The boys (mostly Weston) love talking about B3 and we have lots of funny conversations about when he'll get here, who he'll look like, and what he'll be able to do. Oh man, I just know I am going to LOOOOVE having 3 boys.

In other baby news:

We are still working on a name. We thought we had it decided...but of course that would be too easy. I have loved the name Ryder since, well, since high school. (girls and our name lists, I'm funny, I know) and Jeff is finally coming around to it, yay! We also love the name Griffin...but that's not popular AT ALL with the teen crowd apparently. (all 1000 of Jeff's students were NOT fans) Ultimately, of course, we'll pick a name WE like, but we also want it to be a name B3 won't hate. So...the name saga continues. I'll put up a poll sometime soon just for fun. So get ready to cast your votes. :)

(for some reason our camera is taking fuzzy pictures....can't figure out why, but you still get the idea)

and ps. Jeff does not have 1000 students, but I am pregnant so I am allowed to exagerate to make my story sound better. haha

17 weeks

In the hopes of getting caught up with the blog, I'm going to post some present day stuff.

Like this:

17 weeks!

I am feeling much better than before and am getting a bit of energy back.

Still tired a lot.

But very grateful for my hubby, and my two sweet boys.

They don't care what the house looks like or what I look like for that matter! (I happen to look significantly bigger at this stage than any of my other two pregnancies...oh well, at least the weight is the same)

We're packing in lots of fun and special times before baby makes 5.

Oh I just love my guys.

3 weeks until we find out what gender this little one is. I'm thinking boy...Weston's rooting for a girl. We pretty much have names picked, so he just tells me all the time that he wants our baby to be a girl named Nya.

We'll see.

12 Weeks

Well, here I am: Alive, sort of.

I have not felt so great over the past 6 weeks and have been WAAAAY more tired than I have ever been in my life. Seriously. I can fall asleep ANY time. ANY place. Jeff has been such an incredible and amazing husband to give me breaks when I need them. (which pretty much means all the time!)

And as you can see...my bump is there and it's only going to get bigger!

(Weston likes to remind me of this every day.... "Mommy, you have a baby in your tummy and it's going to get big and big and bigger." sure love this kid!!)

But you know what?

A new life, a new baby, a new little person to hug and cuddle and love

makes it ALL worth it.

And I can't wait.

ps Christmas pics ARE coming...there a TONS to sort through so I kind of skipped over them to get up to date!