Belly Pic at 34 Weeks

I am 38 1/2 weeks pregnant as of today, but here is a belly shot from 34 weeks! Of course I have grown even since then! We are getting so excited to welcome our little girl here this week! And I am getting so excited to not be pregnant any more! Don't get me wrong, overall I really love it and feel so immensely blessed, but pregnancy number four really hurts! My body is worn out, it aches almost everywhere, I have struggled with breathing almost the entire pregnancy, and the muscle cramps, charlie horses, and false labor contractions are pretty painful. I am ready to be able to hold my kids on my lap again, cook dinner or work at a sink/counter without having to hunch over or stand sideways, and give real hugs to my husband! I will miss feeling a baby move inside me, miss how kind people are to me when I am pregnant and all of the nice things they say when I don't feel like I'm looking that great, and just miss the overall excitement of pregnancy. It is almost sad to know she will be here soon, and before I know it, she will be grown up just like my other kids! The newborn stage just doesn't last long enough. I feel like it takes FOREVER for them to get here, then once they're here, they just grow up too fast. I am a little nervous for having 4 kids; life is already crazy, hectic, busy, and I find myself longing for that time I had when I welcomed my first baby. I laugh at how busy I thought I was then! I really just want to hold this baby forever and not have another care in the world, but I know that is not reality. At least we will get to enjoy the holidays and Christmas break not too long after she is born. I told Russ he gets the three older kids, and I just get to hold the baby to my heart's content while he is home for the break. Maybe I'll give others turns to hold her, too, but we will just have to see ;)

17 Weeks Pregnant (16 weeks ago...)

Tomorrow I will be 33 weeks pregnant, but this post/belly pic was from when I was 17 weeks pregnant. The doctor told us at 13 weeks that we were going to have a GIRL!!! But that was just too good to be true! He was certain, but I just couldn't believe it. I was convinced/had a feeling it would be another boy, and up to that point, I had been 100% correct on my feelings of what gender each of my children would be. I just knew Bennett was a boy (well, everyone did). I "knew" from the second I found out I was pregnant with Mylie that she was a girl...in fact I told Russell one day before even testing, "I am pregnant, and it is a girl." With Coy, once again we all knew he'd be a boy. For those who know the story, he was labeled the "next little boy." So when my "feelings" were telling me my fourth would be a boy, I convinced myself it was, even though deep in my heart I REALLY REALLY wanted another girl, as did Bennett and Mylie. They always said the baby would be a girl. But I just knew it was too good to be true. I mean, who really gets that? Boy, girl, boy, then a girl? So as said before, 13 weeks, she was looking like a girl. What!!?? I couldn't TRULY get excited until this day. 17 weeks pregnant. July 5th. We went in, and guess what? She was STILL a GIRL!! YEA!! Bennett still thinks it is great that I was wrong and he was right. He just knew it was a girl. So we are anxiously awaiting her arrival, and I think this is the last time I technically took a "belly" pic of me. Shame on me!

Of course Mylie and Coy had to get in on the action and get their picture taken, too :) Oh, and looking back, man I've grown a lot since then!

popsicles, burpies, and...huge

Here's a look at my day today.

Gotta love popsicles in the summer.

And remember the etsy burpies? Here are my own version. Finally, the last thing I wanted to get done for the baby! BRING HIM ON!!!...

...Because I am super duper HUGE! I don't care what anyone says. This is the biggest, most stretched, most miserable/uncomfortable I have ever been with a pregnancy (and the baby is measuring much bigger than my other two were at this point). I went out to eat the other night, and my server asked if I was having twins. Honestly, I take that as a "compliment." Thank you for acknowledging how huge I am.

***

I did have to photoshop myself a little before I showed myself to the world. Gotta love a little skin softening. Heaven knows I need it! If only I could photoshop myself in real life!! I still don't think these pictures do my hugeness justice. Am I embarrassed about showing my bare belly? Not really. All complaints aside, I do think pregnancy is an amazing and beautiful thing.

If you are still reading, here is the GOOD NEWS: the date has been set. I went in to the doc yesterday, and was quite progressed; however, as with my other two, I know that pretty much means nothing for me. It has always taken an induction to start the real labor. Let's just say my days are numbered now to the single digits!



And Russ honey, if you read this, I am excited to be able to hug you again soon, too :)

{diaper bag}

I've finally decided on my diaper bag after a long, long, search and much deliberating! Hopefully it is made and sent in time for my little baby to arrive. I know it is kind of girly, but I figure I am the one holding the bag. I found it on the etsy shop Hot Mama Handbags.

It was a little pricey, but no where near as bad as a Petunia Picklebottom (which did tempt me a little bit!) But I prefer a soft bag anyway.

I had to get the matching clutch so that I could zip away my valuables.

Check her shop out. Her bags are so darling...Love all the fabrics! I really have a thing for yellow lately.

{belly}

Here it is. My pregnant belly at about 7 months along. These were taken about 10 days ago and I am sure I have grown since! I am on the countdown now...only about 6 1/2 weeks to go!






I love that Mylie had to jump in the picture as well and pose.


She is so excited for baby brother and I am sure is going to be more help than I need!

I am 28!...and some belly pics

Today was my birthday. Woohoo. The best part was that my sis planned a little pizza and movie get together for this afternoon so I didn't spend the entire day cleaning bathrooms and doing laundry (it is still a Tuesday after all.) Now I am oficially not the only girl in this country that has not seen "New Moon." I won't say too much about my opinions of it, because I don't want to offend any die hards :) Mylie just kept saying the whole time "he's naked...he's naked." I guess she even noticed that they were trying to show off plenty of six packs.

Cake and ice cream was good tonight, too. Russ made German chocolate cake, my favorite, and Bennett just couldn't get over the fact that it wasn't anything but a boring rectangle. He kept asking me what kind of cake I wanted like I was supposed to have it made into something fun. Now I wonder where he got that idea?

Now on to the belly pics...Can't promise I'll ever get around to doing this again. This is just to prove to all of you out there that always say I don't ever get big when I'm pregnant that you don't know what your talking about! We took these on Saturday when I was 18 weeks (4 months) pregnant and exactly 5 months away from my Aug. 20 due date. I know people that look about this big (small) when they are about to deliver. And I still have 5 months to grow! This is definitely the fastest I've grown. It's like my body totally knows what to do! Don't get me wrong, I'm not complaining. I actually really like it. Nothing like not having to try to suck in after you eat two pieces of cake for your birthday!