Far Overdue Baby Girl Update....

Update:  I just realized I never officially announced it on here!!!  But yes we are having a baby GIRL!!!  Its how we roll. :)

Oh boy.  

Poor baby girl.

  She isn't even here yet and I have already seriously slacked on giving updates about her.  In case you forgot, I'm pregnant. :)

 We got the exciting news right before Halloween. :)


I know this is our 4th baby and our 4th girl but in case you don't know this about me I LOVE all things baby.  It made me a little sad to find out we were having a girl just because it didn't give me that excuse to get new baby stuff.  I'm a nerd though and still made myself a wishlist at Toys R Us (of baby things) just in case anyone was interested in a few things we could use or some things I'd just love to have. ;)  Hint, hint hubby, momma.... 

So, we are expecting our fourth baby girl. :)

This whole thing is very bittersweet for me.

Since this will be our last (at least planned) pregnancy my goal has been to enjoy literally every last minute and just soak it up.  I'm trying so hard to not wish away a moment of it.

This is my 5th pregnancy in 7 years, which sounds crazy when actually said written out loud.  Ever since I can remember I could NOT wait to become pregnant and have my own babies.   And these last 7 years have been such a blessing (hard too) for me.  I feel like baby girl #4 will definitely complete our family but saying I'm done having children makes me very sad.  I'm just trying to wrap my head around being excited for the newest baby girl about to enter our family while also being ok with not having anymore.  I know the Lord will be faithful and give me peace about it, so I'm leaning on that.

I'm not sure if I've shared anything really about this pregnancy so just wanted to write down some things I'd like to remember.

We've always gotten pregnant immediately when trying, however this time around took 3 months.  It doesn't sound like a lot when so many struggle for years but when you've never had to, it definitely teaches patience and great appreciation when it finally happens!  I always said I would never do a summer baby again (Brooklyn was due end of August) but the Lord had other plans.  However, end of June I think I can handle.  Typically doesn't get real hot around here until July lately anyway. :)

So can't remember when exactly it started but for the first time I had morning sickness.  With Brooklyn I got a little queasy if I got too hungry but other than that it was no big deal.  Well with this little one until I was 16 weeks I felt sick pretty much the whole day, blech.  I never threw up or anything, just felt nauseous all-day-long.  I also had indigestion and other fantastic pregnancy symptoms they warn you about that I just never experienced with the others.  Hence why I thought for sure we were having a boy.

Also at 16 weeks I felt her kick for the first time!!  It was crazy because I thought it was way too soon so maybe it was just something weird.  So I had the hubs feel and sure enough he felt it too!!  And I don't think she has stopped moving since then.  I found out at our ultrasound at 21 wks that she is breech, which I never had with her sisters (and isn't big deal since I have a scheduled c-section) so her kicks are completely new to me.  I am so used to getting kicked in the ribs and not being able to catch my breath at times.  However, her kicks are low and send me straight to the bathroom the minute I stand up.  Not sure which is better. :)  I'll take any kind of kick though.  Sometimes they can be a little jarring but I cherish each movement!!

So like I said we had our big ultrasound at 21 wks (February 18th).  I was both terrified and excited for this day.  My hubby absolutely ADORES our girls and soaks up the fact that they are daddy's girls but what daddy doesn't want a little boy?  Although from the very beginning he said we're having a girl, so he was quite prepared.  I remember one night all 3 girls were in the tub and he said how fun it would be to have a 4th little girl in the tub with them.  From that moment on I felt much better about which way things would go.  I had no doubt he would love whatever we had to death but still had worry of his disappointment.  I however would be happy which ever way it went, but I do LOVE my girls, so I was excited to hear another one was on the way! 

Just the hubs and I walked in alone at first while she did an internal ultrasound.  She took about 10 minutes or so and both of us were watching very intently trying to see if we saw anything.  Finally she asked if we wanted to invite everyone else in for the rest of the ultrasound.  I asked her if she already knew what we were having and she said yes, so right away we assumed girl since we had not seen anything obvious.  But honestly, even after they tell me its a girl I have no idea what I'm looking at.  However, since she was breech it was apparently very obvious, ha!  The whole room was shocked.  Except the hubs, he knew girl all along.  We all wore the color of the sex we thought we were having.  I couldn't decide so I wore both. :)  Bella and Brooke thought girl.  Brynn couldn't decide either so she wore both and the grandparents all thought boy. :)

Bella sweetly rubbed my feet while we had the ultrasound. :)

We left everyone hanging that day until we could have a little reveal party that night.  We placed four pink balloons in a box and opened it up to reveal what we are having and then celebrated with cake.  We were so thankful for the dear friends that came to celebrate with us!

So later that week I may have done a little shopping for our baby girl.

Agh, I just love shopping for little girls!!

Her first new outfits. ;) 

I've been sleeping pretty good besides the occasional trip to the bathroom.  Just last night I told the hubs it was almost time to break out my giant pregnancy pillow.  My tummy is just now reaching a point of being a little bit of a pain to bend over, change positions in bed, etc.  Again trying not to complain though, I am embracing this precious little tummy and hoping the next 13 weeks don't rush by!
(I'm sure my tone will vary a bit the larger is grows though ;) )

And now some pics....

At 16 wks, finally showing a bit...

A little someone wanted in on the tummy pic. :)

I literally went from the above pic to the below pic in one weekend, literally.  Totally popped!

18 wks

One of the funnest things for me is being preggers with my bestie!!  I have been pregnant with her for everyone of her pregnancies.  Our first babies are 7 months apart and second babies are 3.5 months (she took a break when I had Brooke though ;) ) and our last babies will be no more than 3 months apart.  And last Wednesday (the 20th) she had her baby girl, Reese!  She's gorgeous!!  And boy did it make me want to hold my baby girl.

On my bday, 23.5 weeks!

And as the bump appears today, 26 weeks!! :)

Can still see my toes! :)

I'll have to look back at this post and remember to enjoy every minute when I'm starting to feel really huge!!

We've even gotten a few gifts already.

My awesome and talented SIL Bonnie made these adorable burp cloths and sent them to us.

And my friend Anne saw this dress and couldn't resist, love it!

Oh and we've been pretty much on the same page with her name this time, unlike Brooklyn.  We knew we definitely had to stick with a B.  

I really love the names Britta, Braylen, Brielle

but after Brynn and Brooklyn I just felt we had to stay away from BR.  And because I'm baby crazy I had already given this a lot of thought right after having Brooklyn and I had found the name Blakely.  I just fell right in love with it.  However then, AFTER I had already fallen in love with it, there had to be a crazy girl on the Bachelor (which already had ruined the name Vienna for us) named Blakely and it almost ruined it for me.  But hopefully she'll be long forgotten because I still love the name. :)

So we're 99% sure we love Blakely (reserving the right to change our minds ;) )

but we're still on the fence about middle name.

I love 

Blakely Morgan 

(Morgan is my brother's, dad's, and grandfather's middle name so I love the significance behind it)

However the hubby mentioned 

Blakey Victoria 

the other day, which I think sounds SO beautiful and can be close to his name, Vincent.   It has just always made me sad we didn't go with a family name for Brooklyn's middle name and I don't want to feel that way again.

So like I said still on the fence about middle name. :)