Advice...

So, I have to admit, I am stressing out a little here. March is in less than a week and I am not sure how I am going to really do this...3 kids? I am wondering if any of you have some good advice when it comes to having 3 small children, one of them being a newborn. I don't have any family close by...so, relying on family is out. I have a few really nice neighbors, but they all have their own families to take care of and it is really hard to call on anyone else but family in my mind. My mom will be coming for just a few days when i have the baby to help, but she works for the school district and can't get very much time off. Flavio will stay home as long as he can as well, but his position is such that he can't be away too long.... Now I am not trying to have a pity party, although some days I do, but I will really be on my own soon after having this baby and want to know how to handle 3 in such a way that I don't turn into a crazy, scary mommy :)

Please let me know your thoughts.

Lots of love,

Niki

Time

It is amazing how time becomes a bullet train when you are trying to get so much done! We are so excited for this little girl to come and I cannot believe how fast the time is flying! I went to the doctor yesterday (I am at my every two week appointments now) and our little Eva has already turned! Meaning, her head is down and she is getting ready to come out :) We are scheduled to be induced on March 31st! It is funny, Flavio is so nervous for me. He is always asking if I am scared about having Eva...going through the delivery and labor and such. I'm not. I feel pretty excited actually. I know there are a plethora of things that could go wrong, but I feel more excited than scared. He says he would be crying already and would want the doctor to just knock him out for the whole thing :) Honestly, I am not one who wants to feel the whole thing, so I will be getting an epidural as soon as possible, but having Hannah was amazing and I can't wait to hold this little bundle of joy in my arms!

LOL

Niki

Belly time

So, as my pregnancy has continued to progress, I am once again amazed at how a woman's body is able to grow a human being. It is amazing that our internal organs are able to get squeezed and moved and logged into areas that I know are not natural (at least they don't feel natural). Yet, our little babies are able to snuggle themselves right into our middle area and live for a full 9 months! It is truly a miracle and I feel so blessed that I have been able to experience this transformation at least one more time in this life. As uncomfortable as I am getting...there is nothing more amazing than feeling my baby girl move and grow inside of me. I love her so much already and in only 9 short weeks, I will have her in my arms! Hooray! I am now 30 weeks pregnant! And this is what 30 weeks looks like...

I do plan on doing some "real" maternity pics...It is just a little tricky when I am doing them myself. So more to come! As I grow and grow and grow....

Taking things for granted...

Now, I know this may sound like I am going to get all mushy and sentimental...because I do tend to take many of my blessing for granted. However, right now I am suffering with a head-cold. My head hurts, my nose is a permanent drain (where does all that stuff come from anyway?) and my throat is all itchy and dry. Which brings me to my title: the one thing I wish I could do right now and that I know I take for granted when I am not pregnant, is take some REAL medicine that would knock me out and dry my nose up.

But alas, I cannot. So I am stuck trying all the "natural" remedies and blowing my nose until it is raw.

However, I will admit, the reason I can't take the medicine is totally worth it. :)

lol

Niki

P.S. Does anyone want to see belly pictures? Or is that just weird?

Not sure...

...If anyone is still listening, but I thought I would write a few words. I am 29 1/2 weeks pregnant! That is almost 7 months pregnant. I will be starting my 8th month next week! The last few weeks have been filled with sleepless nights, lots of eating and a big, growing belly :)

I have also had the urge to purge. I am tackling one closet and drawer at a time...Flavio helping along the way. I hope to have gone through, thrown away and given up everything that I haven't used, seen or missed for over a year. It is such an emotional cleansing.

Hope everyone is well and that you are having a wonderful New Year.

LOL

Niki

5 months!

I am officially starting my 6th month of pregnancy! I can't believe it! This pregnancy has gone by so fast.

I am really starting to show now, which makes me excited. I think I will take a few pictures and show my progression from here on out. It takes me about 5 months before you can really see my belly (one of the good things about being tall) but for me I can't wait to show off my belly, so I wish I would show earlier. :(

Baby Eva is moving around like a little bouncy ball inside my belly. She has even let Flavio and Hannah feel her kick! I love this time of being pregnant! We are so very happy and feel so very blessed! And I am starting to get the "nesting" bug, so my house better watch out!

Lol

Niki

Has it sunk in?

Many of you know that I have two crazy, but adorable little girls who are the sunshine of my life. When we went to go see what this baby was going to be, I will admit, I was hopeful for a boy. There are a few reasons for this, first, it would be nice to have a boy due to the fact that I am an only child and happen to be a girl, we have only had girls, so on my side of the family we have never experienced a baby boy. Second, having babies is not an easy task for us...so with this little bundle of joy being a boy, being "done" would have been a lot easier to deal with...now we are not so sure we are done. Third, the only dream I have ever had of having a child, is about a boy. So it seemed logical to me that we would be having a boy sooner than later...well, as most of us know, our way does not usually match God's way. :)

So, when the ultrasound tech finally got around to telling us that we were going to have another girl, I thought for sure that I was going to be totally disappointed. But I wasn't. I was thrilled...and shocked. But thrilled. And now the idea that I will be having 3 daughters has really sunk in. I am thrilled for and envious of them. I hope that they are best friends. I hope that as they get older and have their own families they will have each other to call, to go out with and help one another. There are MANY days I wish I had that. Therefore, I am very excited that they will have not one, but two sisters to call on and share their experiences with.

I am so excited to have this little baby girl and we are doubly excited and blessed that she is healthy and strong. She is exactly where she needs to be in measurement and health. She is getting more and more active and I love feeling those little bumps and pushes. And I love how every day, Hannah wants to see my stomach and every day she tells me how huge I am :) I am grateful I get to share this experience with my girls. And although Hannah was the most vocal when it came to sharing her feelings at the ultrasound..."But I wanted a boy!" she shouted, as soon as the announcement of a another girl was made. (I think she was confused in the idea that we get to choose what we want.) But she is very excited now and prays for baby Eva every day and night.

Thank you, once again, for being a part of this journey with us. We are thrilled and excited. We are already half way and so in just a short 20 weeks, I will have my third miracle baby in my arms. And I can't wait.

Lots of love,

Niki