21 weeks

 I'm almost 21 weeks along now and while I know I'm going to continue to grow, by my third pregnancy I'm coming to realize what I like to wear in order to feel comfortable and confident while having a ginormous belly.  Obviously leggings or jeans with some give and an elastic waistband are at the top of the list for bottoms but I'm loving looong tunics or really short dresses for the top.  Or a long undershirt with a cardigan, but either way, the top has to be long. :)  Here's a picture of what I wore last week when I was almost 20 weeks along.

I look absolutely thrilled in these pictures.;)  And I'm never known for wearing tall shoes but sometimes in pregnancy you just want to feel feminine and on this day, the heels did it for me.

As far as pregnancy goes, I feel like I'm in that honeymoon phase.  I feel and definitely look pregnant but the nausea is gone 95% of the time, my hormones are more level, and I've been able to start working out again.  After 4 months of not feeling up to a lot of exercise I decided jumping into running(also, it's still freezing outside and I'm a wimp) was not the best option so I've been starting my exercise with jump roping and ending with weights on my arms or a lot of squats for my legs and various leg lifts.  I don't feel like I've gained a TON of weight but the scale says otherwise.  So far I've gained 20 pounds and I'm trying not to let that freak me out considering I'm only halfway done and 10 of those pounds were gained in a week after I was working out(dang Superbowl, left overs from Superbowl, Valentines, etc.). But, I know it will all be worth it when I hold that new baby in my arms.  I already spend way too many hours in the baby room sorting through her clothes and picturing how adorable she'll be in them, and daydreaming about her first smile and laugh that I'll spend hours trying to get again.  And don't start me on the newborn smell and those new baby cuddles.  Babies can be exhausting but I know it's such a blessing to be called mom.

A new endeavor

I've been hesitant to put this out there but I'm still very much in the learning phase but I started a home and family blog.  Check it out if you want but keep in mind that I still have a ton to learn about photography, there's more I want to do with the blog look and the name might even change next year after this domain name has expired.  Ha!  But really, check it out.  I just wrote a very honest post about what life was like through losing my dad and what it has looked like after.  Here is the link to the blog:  livehappybynatalieblackburn.com  or this is just a link to the post.  http://www.livehappybynatalieblackburn.com/2017/02/13/living-room-progress-and-lifes-lessons/

Other random things

Last post for the day!  Aside from sickness, Halloween and Christmas(I didn't even try to document Thanksgiving), we have had other things going on like preschool, kindergarten, Aiden starting Primary(what!) and lots of projects around the house.  Oh yeah, and can't forget the shoveling.  We've had so. much. snow.  Karolyn started yoga classes above our garage and we're still holding preschool in the mornings here so we have had to be very on top of the shoveling.  Not to mention we have a crazy long driveway.  Pictures do not do it justice but when you're out shoveling, it definitely feels like an extra long driveway.  I say that but Jon has done 99% of the shoveling with the boys out there trying to help.  Anyway, I took a picture on a day we had gotten a lot of snow but this picture doesn't really show the depth.  It's looks fairly flat but it was a few feet deep...everywhere.

And we've had a lot of preschool fun

And the stud out with his power tool.  I believe in this picture he was building a bookcase.

And our first completed room in our house.  Jon's office!

And we can't forget the cats that have joined our family this past fall

They're quite comfortable here.

Christmas 2016

To start off the Christmas season, we went to my sister's work party(all family were invited) where everyone watched Pet's Life and then Santa came down the isle to talk to all the kids.  Oh, I wish I could have captured the boy's faces.  They were both soo excited and Aiden kept yelling, "Santa!  Santa!" trying to get his attention.  This santa was amazing and the boys were both happy to go up to him.

Aside from decorating and Christmas shopping, I decided to try a new tradition of making cinnamon rolls with the boys.  They loved making them and playing in flour but neither one acting too thrilled to actually eat them.  I'm not complaining, but both boys ate oranges and eggs on Christmas morning and didn't touch the cinnamon roll.  Aren't kids supposed to love any sugar!?  Slowly I'll break them down to understanding the amazingness of cinnamon rolls.

We also decorated some gingerbread trains.

And of course took pictures on Christmas Eve with the boys in their new pajamas and slippers.  They were so excited, I couldn't get either one of them to hold still at the same time to get a clear picture.  Maybe someday...:)

Part of our Christmas morning mess bright and early while it's still dark outside.  In the past we've had to wake up the boys but definitely not this year.  They started asking to go out to the Christmas tree around 4:00AM and since there was no way I was getting up that early, I let them sleep in our bed.  However, by the time 5:30 came, they were out of patience and we weren't comfortable in the bed anyway so our Christmas festivities began.  Longest day of the year but definitely also one of the best.

Halloween 2016

While I'm on a roll with posting things(I still have Christmas and one other post to get around to before I'm caught up) I'm going to write about Halloween.  We decided to do a family theme this year, which I've never done, and it turned out to be a lot of fun.  Even if Jon and I were scrambling at the end to find things that work.  Star Wars had just come out and the boys were really into all of the costumes revolving around that.  Jon and Patrick were on the dark side as Darth Vader and a Storm Trooper, and Aiden and I were on the good side as Yoda and a Rebel Force Fighter.

The day started off with a preschool party

And ended with trick or treating with the cousins before heading out to Grandma's house for dinner and more trick or treating.

The boy's excitement has definitely moved Halloween up on my list of favorite holidays.  A little kid's excitement is contagious!

pregnancy week 6-20

I can't believe it's been so long since my last update post(besides the baby girl news).  I'm going to 100% blame it on morning sickness.  I'm not going to lie, nausea hit this time and all I could think was that I was done feeling this way.  After about a week or two of feeling like I couldn't function, let alone take care of my family, I had a break down knowing that if this pregnancy was like the others, I would have 5 more months of feeling so sick.  I've always struggled with extreme nausea but on top of that, I was mentally weak.  Any amount of mental strength I had started to regain from the last few years was gone and I felt helpless for myself and my family.  However, the Lord must have known that I needed a break because around week 9 I went to the doctor and he gave me medicine(this was the first time I've been to an OBGYN and this was the first doctor that gave me medicine without making me wait until 20 weeks and realizing the nausea wasn't going away on it's own).  Miraculously, I had been able to start eating a few things the day before and while the medicine didn't make the nausea go away, it was completely tolerable.  Since then, the nausea has gotten better and better and now I only feel little effects of it.  I feel extremely blessed.  I was literally crying to Jon about how much I regretted getting pregnant and knowing I couldn't handle it again when things started to turn around.  The Lord really does know us and how much we can handle at different times.
 So yeah, I have one picture to document during the worst of everything and only because Aiden really wanted a selfie while I was laying in bed.

     This picture was taken around 6 weeks pregnant right before everything hit

And then this was the last picture I've taken around 16 weeks.

It's been a rollercoaster so far but I'm so happy to be to the part where I am feeling more like myself and bursting with excitement for our newest addition.  I know that this baby is such a blessing, just as our others have been and now we're to the most exciting part of shopping for clothes and decorating the baby room!

We're adding a new addition and it's a......

GIRL!!!!!!

Let me say that I know having a baby is such a miracle and I can't imagine the heartache that comes from struggling with infertility or losing a child.  Women are rockstars whether it's enduring not being able to get pregnant, suffering from severe nausea and hormones during pregnancy or just the fatigue and pain that can come during and after childbirth.  This journey of motherhood is never easy and while it's rewarding, it's also so exhausting mentally and physically.

And as much as we would have deeply loved any baby, we were really hoping for a girl the third time around.  I'm not sure if there are any more kids in our future but seeing that little girl on the screen made me feel relieved and like our family was whole.  I know people can kind of get offended when people ask if they're trying for a certain gender, because every baby is a miracle, but I've been very open that we hoped this was a girl.  Mostly because I've felt like, since my first pregnancy, that a little girl was meant to come to our family.  Last year in preschool my son drew a picture of our family and in the background he drew a floating baby girl and said that was his sister that still had to come.  So yesterday, watching that little girl wiggle around inside of me, everything just felt right and settled...if that makes sense.

So, little baby, we are ready for you!  I've already hit the nesting phase HARD and looking at everything pink is making my heart extremely happy.  I know our two older boys will be the best big brothers/teachers/protectors/helpers that there ever were.  They are so excited and watching them around other little babies makes my heart happy.  I just really love them.  Oh yeah, and my husband is already wrapped around this unborn babe's finger.  I already know that will be such a sweet relationship and I can't wait to witness it.