40 Weeks

39 Weeks

38 Weeks

37 Weeks

35 Weeks

34 Weeks

33 Weeks

32 Weeks

28 weeks

27 Weeks -Third Trimester-

27 Weeks

Third Trimester

Baby #4

Thankful Thursday #97

24 weeks.

thankful.

Thankful Thursday #96

Nation's personal creation: airboat

Moses...doing what his brothers do

spending two days a week this summer here [white water]

Nation's homemade birdhouse

Nation's latest "fort" since I made him stop playing under the porch

Nation's three compost piles [wet one, mud one, real compost red one in back]

23 weeks

also spending a day a week here [indoor play place] 

75 degree summer night with my favorite bathing beauty 

what I usually wake up to

our tadpole eggs after many months are coming along quite nicely

Thankful Thursday #94

boys swimming at my sisters new apartment

Cassie turned 29
my 4 guys
Moses chilling on the couch
Nation drew 11 fruits...just because

20 weeks

Thankful for so many things in my life. It's been a rough week, and again, I don't have my 20 things listed out, but I promise I've rehearsed them in my mind over and over again to get through the tough situations that have come our way. God is good. [and so are my friends and family!]

Thankful too? Link Up Below.

20 weeks

Turning 20 weeks is so fun. It's fun enough getting to double digits, but it's even more fun when you leave the teens and get into the twenties. I'd like to think it's all "downhill from here", but three experiences tell me it's all "uphill from here". However, if we are basing this on time alone I'd like to think I have less than more time left.

Once nausea was over, I can't complain much. I've been sleeping well & carrying on with life as normal. The heat hasn't gotten to me too much...yet. The baby is kicking & moving a lot more these days [like right now]. My last appointment went really well, my blood pressure was low, but slightly higher than normal for me. I'm sure that's just some of the natural stress we've under, but I'm sure it will even out again soon. I've gained 10 pounds at this point, which is about normal for me. I usually go onto gain about a pound a week over the next 20 weeks, putting me usually between 30-35 pounds total.

I haven't been on the elliptical as much as I should. I'm going to blame that on stress, family sickness and being exhausted when I think about it. I hope to report soon I've been hoping on the elliptical more often. I made a chart this week to chart my supplements, eating, exercise, sleep, water intake, etc. It's been easy to get distracted with life and running around and forget to take care of myself. It's really helped me to see where I can improve.

We could have found out this week [or four weeks ago] what the sex of the baby is, but we're gonna be surprised again.

I'm thankful for this life inside me.

16 Weeks

I turned 16 weeks this weekend with pregnancy #4 [as well as 28 years old!]. I'm feeling good. Nausea has been gone for about a month so still I'm attempting to regain a normal life. I've been trying to hop on the elliptical everyday for 30-60 minutes, but have ended up about only 3 days a week. So I hope to increase this. I'm adding lots more water back into my life, not as much veggies as I need though.

I had my first midwife appoint at my house on Saturday. All was great. Gained 7 pounds. My urine test was all clear. My blood pressure was low & good. Found the babies heart beat & midwife heard 3 movements. I'm measuring on schedule and it looks like one baby.

On Monday I felt the baby move while sitting at the table doing homeschool. I wasn't sure if I really did or not, but sure enough it's happen several more times this week---including what I can only describe as a larger movement or kick when I squatted once to pick up toys and apparently squished the baby. Ha.

I look forward to the next few weeks enjoying all the fluttering and then kicks!

12 Weeks [Morning Sickness Tips & Liver Cleanse]

I haven't written much since we announced we were pregnant with number four. It's been a very busy 8ish weeks since I found out. That's the bad news, the good news is I think I'm officially over "morning sickness". I must confess, after baby #1 put me in the hospital from such extreme vomiting and dehydration [oh and 25 pounds weight loss]...and baby #3 required prescription drugs like baby #1 to be able to even function [and not have to hire a full time babysitter for myself & kids] ...I'm thankful for pregnancy #2 and #4 that didn't give me such a hard time.

I don't really remember my second pregnancy, but I know it was similar to this one. This one may or may not have been easier. I don't know, this time around I was chasing three boys and keeping up a a house 4X larger than ever before. So, truly it's not comparable.

This pregnancy was different in some ways. I didn't really feel the most sick in the morning, but around 1pm and 11pm. Basically when I think my body got tired, I felt ill instead of sleepy. I ate a lot to avoid the queazy feeling, gained 5 pounds, not too shabby I don't think. Considering I didn't exercise once and ate a lot of carbs. Steered clear of must real food and eventually became able to drink water. Having lots of suckers in my purse didn't hurt either.

This week I started back on the elliptical, and putting green things back on my plate. I am so thankful to Jesus that I was able to care for my family and house despite the speed and quality at which I might have done that sometimes, ha. I really believe it was the Lord's healing and grace [mercy!] on my life. I did try two fasts before this pregnancy to help cleanse my liver and two different supplements that I will recommend incase they help anyone else in the future. 

MY RECOMMENDATIONS:

I took Livatone Plus before I was pregnant for a few months [not safe during pregnancy]. 

Then when I thought I might be pregnant or when I finally found out I was pregnant I started taking Liver Glow II [which is safe during pregnancy]. Once I started feeling ill around 6 weeks I stopped, maybe I should have kept going, but it was hard enough to get anything down, much less herbal drops. Although, I will say, they don't taste bad. 

The point was to help cleanse my liver...which I believe to be very much related to why I normally feel so bad. Your body produces so many hormones while growing baby, if they liver doesn't properly help flush them out, you can literally become sick from the overdose of them. I'm no Dr., that's the Candra version of the story.

I also used Psi Bands for the first time for several weeks. They aren't magic, but I do believe they take "the edge off". I usually use those hideous sea bands that look like you're about to play tennis in the 1980's. I think I use to own mustard yellow fuzzy ones---ugh! So these were way more cute. 

Other than that, I recommend the basic recommendations--- rest a lot, don't drink caffeine, research what you should and shouldn't eat, take it easy, eat and drink what you can---and do it often. When you stop feeling so sick---then---give yourself a harder time about the water intake and perfect pregnancy diet.

Yay second trimester---here I come!

I Blog In My Mind

I blog in my mind...is it just me? I've gone from blogging almost daily to once a week. Part of me is wondering how I'm suppose to become the next great blogger with a track record like this [joke]---or---I just really miss writing about what I think/is happening to me.

To break the silence since Thursday---[annoying to some, or one] Papyrus font is making a come back on the blog.

Would you like a run down of my last month? 

Of course you don't, here goes

[insert list long list of complainants]

....included, but not limited to pregnancy nausea, family stomach virus, and several reasons to be on amoxicillin...

[realizes I have too much to be thankful, aborts this list]

I'm so thankful to be 9 weeks pregnant, although it's been nothing of the "death like symptoms" I've previously experienced in pregnancies, any all day nausea while chasing 3 little ones is challenging. I'm hopeful I'm around the corner---for several reasons---including our current family diet.

[included but not limited to]

-me cooking rarely, us eating out a lot

-child recognizable brand boxes of breakfast & snack foods that my children can open and feed themselves that I've kept them from eating their whole life

-personally having an aversion to most meat, veggies, and fruit [unless you include fruit cups in syrup] ieatcarbsonly.com

-me ordering food and then just looking at it

In my case, during the first trimester, I have to eat anything to try to get calories in. It's not always my mental preference for health, but I'm hopeful by the time my midwife starts her visits with me next month I can report I'm eating a steady diet of only spinach. 

Call me Popeye.

Or still be my friend, crunchy mommies.

Don't look in my pantry, re-fridge, or car.

Please, don't judge.

Pretend with me.

Yell at me if I'm eating like this after 12 weeks.

Did I mention I have an aversion to chocolate too?

Y'all know this is serious.

Why My Blogging Has Slowed Down...

...mainly because I sleep now.

Honestly, though. I have been trying to keep my New Year's Resolutions, one being, 8 hours of sleep. And with the new---

"Bun in the oven" [don't worry, my husband didn't get it either when I broke the news to him.]

Me: Come down here and look at the oven, something is wrong
Him: What? There's a bun in the oven.
Me: Uh Huh...........
Him: What's wrong with it? It's just a bun in the oven.
Me: Think about what you're saying
Him: [Finally got it]

So, if resolutions didn't motivate me to sleep, a poppy seed size child in my uterus has.

I've just been really focusing on trying to cook more, sleep more, and spend time with my family. Charles started a new part to his business at the turn of this year and it's going to be a busy month with 70+ hours and 6 day work weeks. Even if from home, I'm kinda single parenting it. It's just a small season, and sacrifice, not that it's easy, but I believe his desire to do this will pan out.

Some days have been easy.
Some days I've cried.
Some days I've wondered if homeschooling Nation has brought us closer or farther.
Some days I see that all the work to be done is...also in me...not just in my oldest only.
Some days my husband has gotten of work an hour early.
Some days he's gotten off work 6 hours later.
Some days the kids have almost died being boys.

It's life. I'm so thankful though for my God, my husband, my family and my church friends. All of them have brought [as corny as it sounds] sunshine into my life during this busy and transitional start to the year.

[Currently my 1 year old is chasing my 3 year old with a cheese grader around the house---should I stop blogging? Is this terribly unsafe?]

So I might write, I might not, I hope so. But at the end of the day if I've done what God told me to and I don't have time to share---it's a small sacrifice to be obedient to what He's called me to do with the precious few hours I have to fit it all in everyday.

Tonight, I feel that all is well with the world. Even if my kids are chasing each other around with kitchen supplies. It could be worse, I could be working out instead of blogging.

What transitions has your new year brought you?

1...2...3...4

How Long Should You Wait To Have Kids

The answer is...


...there is no answer. Really it varies from person to person, but here is my experience---

Behold, children are a heritage from the LORD,

The fruit of the womb is a reward.

 Like arrows in the hand of a warrior,

         So are the children of one’s youth.

 Happy is the man who has his quiver full of them;

         They shall not be ashamed, 

         But shall speak with their enemies in the gate.

Psalm 127: 3-5




How long did you wait?
Thoughts?