pregnancy progression. (baby #3)

week 39. almost. (baby #3)

38 weeks, 4 days.

It's a BOY.

He's here! Rushton Jeb Rollins was born at 6:40 p.m. on St. Patrick's Day! Can't wait to share more with you about the birth of baby Rush! 

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Jeb was pretty pumped to make this announcement at the hospital! 

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Rushton's welcome home! 

This is a picture of the wreath that was made for our front door!

week 38. (baby #3)

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38 week appointment.

March 13, 2014 - Dr. K. Anthony Shanbour (Mercy Hospital, OKC)

• total weight gained: 38 pounds 
• fetal heart rate: 152 bpm
• blood pressure: 120/60 

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Dr. Shanbour checked me for the first time at this visit and I was dilated to almost a 3 and 80% effaced. I really thought that checking me might make me go into labor, as this is what happened with LilliAnn, but it's three days later and still no baby. I had a significant amount of microscopic blood in my urine, and Dr. Shanbour said this is from the effacement and cervical changes of the beginning stages of labor. I've had lots of contractions off and on since this appointment, but none that have progressed. Last night my pain was severe, and at one point I was having contractions every three minutes. I woke Jeb up and told him to get dressed, but after a hot bath they settled down and got further apart instead of closer together. The past week I have had SO. MUCH. PRESSURE. I've never carried a baby in the correct head down position, so I've never experienced this type of pelvic pressure. I get up every 30 min to 1 hour at night to use the restroom! When Dr. Shanbour checked me he said, "Whoa! That head is low!" My nails and toes are done, groceries are bought, my eyebrows are waxed, my car is cleaned, the co-sleeper is up, and the car seat is in…although I still have a little more work to do on the nursery, I finally feel like this baby can make its' entrance! 

in one week...

week 37. (baby #3)

week 36. (baby #3)

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36 week appointment.

March 4, 2014 - Dr. K. Anthony Shanbour (Mercy Hospital, OKC)

• total weight gained: 38 pounds 
• fetal heart rate: 142 bpm
• blood pressure: 120/82 (It's creeping up! BP has was 100/60 for four appointments in a row, was 110/70 last visit, and is now in the 120s.)

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          I've actually felt better this past week. I am breathing and sleeping a little better, which probably means the baby has dropped some. The contraction-like pains have actually eased up a bit, and I have only been feeling some pelvic pressure and those occasional sharp vaginal pains. Dr. Shanbour didn't check me this visit, as the baby is head down and I'll be having a c-section. I can't believe that I have had two breech babies, and this one is still head down! I'm guessing that my uterus is stretched out some and this baby has had more room to get into a cozy position! My hands and feet have started swelling some, and I've been battling a horrible sinus infection! I went to the chiropractor twice and this seems to have really helped my symptoms. The baby is still very active and likes to stay on my right side. For the past week, I've had a little foot that periodically pokes out on my right side just above the level of my belly button. I'm getting up about once every hour to use the bathroom at night, and Jeb says that my snoring has gotten out of control! He's been sleeping in Reid's bed for the past week. 

          I only purchased one pair of maternity jeans and two or three maternity tops this pregnancy. I gave away most of my previous maternity clothes, and the one little box that I saved has been mysteriously MIA. It has worked out just squeezing into my regular clothes…until now. I have finally reached the point where absolutely NOTHING fits, and I look ridiculous trying to squeeze into things. I've been sleeping in Jeb's t-shirts, and wearing my favorite black yoga/work-out pants almost every day. Even my maternity jeans are getting tight and uncomfortable (however, they are a petite small!). Hopefully I can make do for just TWO MORE WEEKS!

week 35. (baby #3)

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35 week appointment (almost 36 weeks).

February 25, 2014 - Dr. K. Anthony Shanbour (Mercy Hospital, OKC)

• total weight gained: 36 pounds (eeeeek!)
• fetal heart rate: 137 bpm
• blood pressure: 110/70

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The past week I've been having a lot of low back pain, pelvic pressure, and mild contractions every couple of days. I've also been having this very strange, "electric shock/pinching" pain that shoots into my vaginal/cervix area. I remember having a few of these types of pains the week before I had LilliAnn, but they seem to be way more intense with this baby. It only happens for a split second, but at times, can almost bring me to my knees! Dr. Shanbour says this could be the baby moving on a nerve, or more likely, the baby pushing its' way into my pelvis (ouch!). I've had about four different episodes of contractions, with last night being the most intense/consistent. They were occurring very regularly - about every 6 minutes - and lasting for about a minute and a half. This went on for almost two hours, but after a hot bath, thankfully they eased up and I was able to go to sleep. 

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Dr. Shanbour stated that since I had Reid right before I was 37 weeks, and LilliAnn at 38 weeks, this baby would probably come early too. He said that he doubts I'll make it to March 20 for my scheduled c-section and predicted at this appointment that I would have the baby in 1 1/2 - 2 weeks! My blood pressure is still great, and I haven't really had any swelling. However, I did wake up early this morning with my hands and feet feeling a lot more "puffy" than normal. It's very hard to get my wedding rings on, and I can tell it's getting close - mostly due to the nesting and weird uneasy feeling that I've had for the past week. The diaper bag and my overnight bag are packed, the camera is charged, and the cord blood collection kit is ready to go! 

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Although I am technically "ready," I still don't feel prepared for this baby yet. There is still a ton of work to do to finish up the nursery (I need a rug, crib skirt, curtain rods, changing pad cover - pictures need hung), and the playroom still needs organized and shelves hung for it to be complete. There are several small "honey-do" things that I'm wanting Jeb to tackle this week, and I need to order a little swing for the baby (both of my other kids LOVED their little portable swing!).  Hopefully I can get some of these things accomplished this week before the baby makes its' appearance! 

week 34. (baby #3)

week 33. (baby #3)

getting big. (baby #3)

#35weeks

week 32. (baby #3)

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32 week appointment.

February 3, 2014 - Dr. K. Anthony Shanbour (Mercy Hospital, OKC)

• total weight gained: 30 pounds
• fetal heart rate: 148 bpm
• blood pressure: 100/60

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Everything still seems to be going great with this pregnancy. My c-section was scheduled for Thursday, March 20, but I have a feeling that this baby will make its' appearance a little earlier than that…just like its' siblings! We finally got started on the nursery last week. We painted the walls a light gray, the crib is up, and I've been thinking about color schemes. I may wait to finish the decor after the baby is born, as I have certain colors in mind for a boy and a girl. I want the room/decor to transition easily to a toddler room, and I'm not sure a boy toddler room would look great in if I went completely with white/cream/neutral with my decor, however, I could make that work if it was a girl. The baby will be in the co-sleeper in our room for a while, so I'm not in a huge hurry to finish the nursery decor/accents…especially since now I have some ideas in mind.  

I have thought this baby was a boy since I first found out I was pregnant. About a year after LilliAnn was born, I started having dreams about another little boy. I knew our hands were full, but for some reason felt like we were just meant to have another baby. I wasn't at peace with being "done" forever. Maybe it's because of the special relationship I have with LilliAnn or me wanting her to be my only girl (I don't have a sister, so I've never longed for LilliAnn to have one. I love the relationship between my mom and I, and the fact that I don't have to share her with another girl.), or maybe it's because Jeb has a brother and I know he's always wanted Reid to have a brother, or because Jeb's always wanted two boys, or because I always said growing up that I wanted "two boys and a girl," or maybe because I've had another boy name since I was pregnant with LilliAnn, while girl names seem to be sooooo hard for me right now…but for whatever reason, I think this baby is a boy. BUT if a beautiful baby girl is placed in my arms on March 20 (or before!), I will be so surprised and SO blessed!!! 

In saying that, I have already bought a couple of boy outfits. I saved more of LilliAnn's baby clothing than I did Reid's, and cute boy stuff is much harder to find than girl stuff, so when I saw these adorable boy pieces (and blanket) I just couldn't resist. If the baby is a girl, I can save the boy things and give them as baby gifts to other girls that I know are having boy babies. 

My other two babies were both breech, and because this baby is head down, I'm carrying it a lot differently! My belly right now at 32 weeks is the size that it was when I delivered Reid and LilliAnn! The baby is extremely low and is really putting a lot of pressure in my pelvic area. I get up at least 8 times a night to go to the bathroom!  LilliAnn always talks about how big and "chubby" my belly is getting. She rubs my belly and talks to the baby multiple times a day, and loves to ask questions about what the baby is doing. It's been so much fun having her involved in this pregnancy and I know she's going to make the BEST big sister! 

week 31. (baby #3)

week 30. (baby #3)

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30 week appointment.

January 20, 2014 - Dr. K. Anthony Shanbour (Mercy Hospital, OKC)

• total weight gained: 26 pounds
• fetal heart rate: 156 bpm
• blood pressure: 100/60

I can't believe that I'm already at the point where I'm going to the doctor every 2 weeks! The last few months of this pregnancy have really been flying by! I'm feeling great…the indigestion is surprisingly better…my energy level has bounced back a bit…and my weight gain has slowed down some (for now!). I am starting to feel pressure down low in my pelvic region, and am getting up about 4-6 times during the night to use the restroom! I feel like I need to go to the bathroom every time I stand up! The past couple of days I have noticed a little twinge/shooting pain down into my vaginal area. I started having this feel about 2 weeks before I went into labor with LilliAnn, but hopefully this is just the way the baby is positioned causing some pressure on a nerve. 

LilliAnn was sick with a stomach bug last week, and unfortunately I ended up with it too. It only lasted about 24 hours, and then I was back to eating like my normal, pregnant self again! I had taken my prenatal vitamin and omega-3 fish oil before the vomiting began…you can imagine the taste I had in my mouth every time that I threw up! Gross! The night that I got sick I had my first episode of Braxton-Hicks with this baby. I hadn't been drinking very much water last week and I'm sure I was a little dehydrated. I was having regular contractions every 11 minutes (6 in an hour), and the intermittent pain started in my low back and radiated into my lower pelvic region. It really scared me, so I had my mom come over and stay with me a while. After about 2 hours the pain subsided and I was able to get some rest. I didn't really have Braxton-Hicks with my other two babies, and I'm hoping that last week was one of my only episodes with this baby! 

This baby is still moving a lot…a WHOLE LOT! I absolutely LOVE LOVE LOVE feeling the little flips and kicks, and can even make out little feet and elbows at times! The baby seems to respond to my voice and will push/kick up again my hand when there is pressure on my belly. I've decided to paint the nursery a very light gray whether the baby is a boy or a girl. I have a feeling that the baby is a boy, so I have a few ideas for accent colors in the room. Mom and I are going shopping next week, and I can't wait to get a few baby items! A carseat, stroller (probably the Orbit Baby G2 travel system), Born Free bottles, pacifiers, onesies, diapers/wipes, blankets, a diaper bag, a rocker/glider, and a rug for the nursery are at the top of my list! 

week 29. (baby #3)

week 28. (baby #3)

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28 week appointment.

January 6, 2014 - Dr. K. Anthony Shanbour (Mercy Hospital, OKC)

• total weight gained: 25 pounds
• fetal heart rate: 155 bpm

I was very pleased with this appointment! I had barely gained any weight since my previous appointment (even through the holidays), my blood pressure was great, I passed my gestational diabetes screening test, and I am not anemic. I measured 29 cm (I've been measuring about a week ahead this entire pregnancy), and the baby's growth is perfect! The baby's estimated weight is around 3 pounds, and it has been moving NON-STOP! Sometimes I feel like the baby is tap dancing or doing karate in my belly. My other two babies moved quite a bit, but their movement doesn't come close to comparing to this baby! The movement is SO intense! It may be because the other two were breech the entire pregnancy and very tight in my uterus. As of now, this baby is head down so I may be feeling movements that I have never felt before. I'm sure my uterus is a little more stretched since this is my third pregnancy, giving this baby a bit more room to move around! Dr. Shanbour told me to make sure that the baby is moving ok…I told him that he didn't have to worry about that! My c-section will be scheduled for March 20, unless the baby decides to come sooner. I really don't think I will make it until March 20. Reid was born almost a month early, and LilliAnn was almost two weeks early. 

I have been feeling great, but this past week the fatigue has started to sneak up on me and the indigestion is horrible! I never had indigestion with my other two, but it is really kicking my butt this time. I feel full, bloated, and nauseated after everything I eat, but that still hasn't seemed to decrease my appetite! I've even had a couple of major throw up episodes late at night because I get terribly nauseated when I lie down to sleep. 

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I was really laid-back and relaxed at the beginning of this pregnancy, but I'm starting to get a little bit anxious since this baby could be here in two months! We've moved the playroom to the den, and made space for a nursery, but now it's just an empty room. I still have several things to hang in the playroom and need to get a new TV to hang on the wall, then I plan on starting the baby's room. It's really hard starting on the nursery when I don't know the gender of the baby. I thought I could do it, but the type-A/planner side of me is starting to freak out! I have no nursery ideas, and I really don't want to spend a ton of money on an "over-the-top" nursery since we'll be building one day soon. At least the co-sleeper has arrived, and I have an awesome new breast pump! 

We haven't started the new house yet. The house plans are finalized, but $10,000 of plans later, the house is more than 1,000 square feet bigger than we had originally planned. It is going to be hard to make any cuts in size without completely starting over, so we're trying to decide what we want to do. We're definitely going to build, just trying to decide when will be the best time for us to start, and if this monster 5,600 square foot house is going to put us too much over our budget! Thankfully, we're not in any hurry to build, and I'm trying to embrace my new motto for 2014 - simplify. 

the first time I saw your face.

3D/4D ultrasound today… cannot wait to kiss this sweet face! 

week 27. (baby #3)

week 26. (baby #3)

7 months. (baby #3)

                                .....

New Year's Eve I did a little mini photo "sesh" of my 28 week bump! I cannot believe our little bundle of joy will be here in 11 weeks or less! I'm starting to get really excited! I have LOVED being pregnant this time. It has seemed to go by so fast, so I'm trying to savor these last couple of months. 

This baby moves all the time...especially when I lie down to sleep at night. I love feeling the little rolls, thuds, and kicks. The feeling of a new life growing and moving in your body is amazing and indescribable. Jeb and both of the kids have really enjoyed getting to feel this baby move. I hope I will always remember the feeling!