Pregnancy | 39(ish) weeks

Photos taken at 30 weeks

Less than two weeks until her due date and it's about time I documented something about this pregnancy!


Due Date: February 27th

Gender: Girl
Almost from the moment I discovered I was pregnant, I knew that this baby was a girl. I'll be honest and admit that Andrew and I were kind of hoping I was wrong, but I felt very much the same as I had with Chelsea and Alexa (more sick than emotional). Of course we're thrilled to have her join our family and only hoped for a boy so that we could give Barrett a brother. Maybe next time!

Name: Not sure yet
We're deciding between Elise, Audrey, and Sara, but we never like to commit to a name until after we meet our babies.

Movement: Hiccups, stretching, sudden jabs

Weight gained: About 35 lbs.

Symptoms: Heartburn, sore tailbone

Exercise: Mom-ing and Emily's Cardio Craze
I tried out an exercise about two weeks ago that my sister, Emily, put together for all the girls in our family and got a video of my giant belly bouncing up and down as I attempted all of the dance moves, but I never should have tried that side lunge. My left inner thigh still hasn't recovered!

Sleep: Uncomfortable
Probably the biggest difference between this pregnancy and any of my others is how I sleep. The first three I could sleep on my side and had no problems. This time around, you'll find me propped up on three pillows with one pillow underneath my big belly for support!

Nursery: Pending
As far as prepping for her arrival, my hospital bag is mostly packed, and the house is mostly ready. I've had to get a little creative with where I keep everything since we'll be living in some pretty close quarters for the first few months while we finish our basement. We're making progress, but it's... slow.

Food Cravings: Basically anything I haven't had to prepare myself and SUGAR

Braxton Hicks: Been having those since before Christmas!

I'm most excited for: Holding her tiny body snug against my chest
I think what I'm most excited about is feeling her snug on my chest and seeing the older kids respond to her, particularly Barrett. I know they're all going to love her, and that Chelsea and Alexa will be so helpful. Alexa keeps telling me that she's going to be the one to get up with Baby Sister in the night when she cries (more power to ya, sister!) and Barrett said a couple of days ago that he was going to put Baby Sister in a headlock, so we'll have to see how that pans out!

I'm having trouble with: Rolling to my opposite side in bed

Birth Plan: Unmedicated
As for delivery day, I'm really hoping I can go into labor naturally this time. The last two times, I was induced and on Pitocin, but labored without any medication. I definitely prefer going without the epidural because I feel so much more accomplished and energetic afterward. I wanted to go in naturally with Alexa and Barrett, too, but my babies like to cook a little extra. I'm giving myself a week after the due date before eviction day on March 6th. Something new that I've had to consider is that I'm GBS positive, so I'm expecting to stay at the hospital the full 48 hours, but my doctor is confident that it won't pose any real problems, and I trust her. Dr. Boheen is a great doctor and delivered my last two, so I'm grateful to have her again. I'm also having my friend, Kallie come to take video of the experience for me! She's a really talented birth videographer so it's going to be awesome to have her there to work her artistic magic and kind of see my experience from an outside view.

Other than that, things are really good! I've had to decide that when people ask me how I'm doing that my response needs to be "good," because even though waiting is hard and I do get quite uncomfortable around 8 PM, things really are good! My body is healthy and perfectly capable of carrying and delivering this baby. I do think I should probably pull out my birthing books again because I feel like I've forgotten EVERYTHING! Am I the only one who feels this way with every birth?

Thanks for stopping by and checking in on me and the crew! We are so grateful for all the support we feel from family and friends like you! Hugs and kisses!

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Susan is a birth photographer/videographer serving Chandler, Arizona and surrounding cities. Considering a photographer for your birth? Contact Susan for EDD availability.