Baby #4 Update!!

Holy. Cow.

This pregnancy has really been flying by. Which is a nice thing, but at the same time I'm trying to soak up every minute because this is my last one.

I've had a few raised eyebrows about being done having kids. I know it's a big decision. I know it's hard to make. But I truly feel like I'm done. I never really saw myself with more than 4 kids, and after having 3 boys in a row, and now having a sweet baby girl, I'm totally ok with being done. I think if this baby would have been a boy I MAYBE would have considered having another. But since it's a girl, I'm good being done here.

Not to mention my health when it comes to having babies.

Each time it gets a little worse. This time around has been good so far. I'm hoping I don't get cholestasis again, but I will be surprised if I can escape it. The chances are usually pretty high that you'll get it again. It's not a fun thing. And with Jag, I seriously debated ever having another baby because of it. The worry and the stress is just so much to handle. Throw a few kids you need to take care of on top of that and by the end of each day you're just amazed you made it through. I should know sometimes soon if I have it again or not. It usually shows itself in the third trimester, I'm 27 weeks now. Last time I was 32 weeks when we caught it. I itch every once and a while and just feel so burned out which was one of the signs last time that I just never paid attention to. Like of course I'm tired, i'm pregnant and I have other kids to take care of. So anyways, we'll see what happens.

This pregnancy I was super sick the first 16 weeks......but when I say super sick I just mean nauseous all day. I never throw up, but just feel like it all day long.

I've felt pretty good since then. I have always been pretty tired no matter how much sleep I get. I was taking unisom almost every night and it just made me a zombie throughout the day. So I stopped taking it but every once in a while, like if I have a few nights of crappy sleep, I'll take half of one which is a lifesaver.

I've been surprised I haven't had heart burn really at all this pregnancy. Or braxton hicks, which I usually get pretty often.

Sleeping has been terrible and being able to keep up with the boys has been tough! They are so busy! Especially Jag. That kid is a tornado. He is everywhere. He's into everything. He has this scream that seriously makes my head hurt by the end of the day. He's figured out how to pinch, which the older boys hate. And he crawls on everything! He's definitely my most busy child.
Then we have soccer 3 nights out of the week and just chasing  Jag around for an hour to an hour and a half while the boys play, is not really my idea of fun.

They are just so busy. And getting so big. So fast. Which is bitter sweet.

With baby girl and Jag being about 20/21 months apart life is just going to get more busy. and more hectic. and just plain crazy. But before I know it, they'll be headed off to school and I'll be done with this phase of my life. Having babies, having toddlers, and having them need me for every little thing.

Bittersweet.

I love my babies and I know I'm always going to want a baby in my house. There's just nothing like it.
But I'm ready for that next stage. I'm ready for them all the eat by themselves and talk and walk and be potty trained. But even more, I'm ready for the sports and family bike rides and movies together. Where kids can enjoy those litte things in life with us. Like camping! I don't want to take my kids camping when they're this young. I'm way too much of a controlling mom hahaha! They need to be older, so I'm excited for that phase of life. Like 3/4 years down the road.

So I'm just trying to enjoy this last pregnancy. And enjoy my babies being babies. And trying to enjoy the craziness that is our life. Because before I know it, it'll all pass and they'll be in school and I won't know what to do with myself!

Potty Training!

Say hello to a mom who only has to change one babies diapers now!! Yayyyy!!! I can't tell you how overdue that was! Sheesh!

When Damon was like 2 and a half I attempted to potty train him. He seemed like he was ready. He showed all the signs so I thought, let's do this! Yeah, he wasn't ready. He would go just enough to get a treat and keep me happy then would go and empty his bladder somewhere else. So I waited for a few more months. Tried again, same thing. Then we moved to Texas and my pediatrician told me not to worry about it until we had settled in. We have been here a month so I decided to try and again and this time it went great! He's had a few accidents here and there, but the last 2 days there have been no accidents and I don't need to remind him to go! I'm so glad it's finally stuck! And another cool thing is that he doesn't pee at night, so there's really no potty training at nighttime needed! The last three nights he's gone all night with no pee in his pullup. He usually always had pee in his diaper so I figured I'd potty train for daytime, and work out night time later. But it's like the better he does in the day, the less he goes at night. And I even do the big no no and give him a sippy cup of water at bedtime. It's just something I've always done and since he was in a pull up I just didn't care. It's so dang hot here and the last thing I want is for him to be dehydrated. That was my first thought when he stopped peeing at night, but he drinks a lot of water during the day. We can go out and get groceries or whatever and he holds it until he can get to the bathroom. He was scared to death to go in a public bathroom the first time I tried to potty train. But this last time I made him go in the regular toilet, and I think it's less intimidating when we go in a public bathroom now. So it's no problem to him, although he hates the loud flush! haha

I'm so glad he's finally potty trained! I finally feel like I don't have to worry about him being 8 and in diapers;)  Rafe watches Damon's every move, so maybe I'll potty train him sooner. Like in a year haha. I'm not ready to do this all over again. I can't wait for the day when there's no more diapers! That'll be weird!

Comforting Pink Line

Let's get a little up close and personal shall we? Here's a little fun fact about me.....
I love this....

It's comforting. Stress relieving. It makes me sleep better too.
About every month right before shark week, I convince myself I'm pregnant! Seriously almost every month. Then Dan freaks out a little, and we convince ourselves that it will be ok! And we can handle 3! Right???
Then I break down and go buy a test.
Take the test.
Freak out for the longest 3 minutes of my life.
Then do a little happy dance and squeeze my kids and laugh at how ridiculous I am. Then I get just a little sad. Maybe another one wouldn't be so bad? Then Damon pokes Rafe in the eye with my mascara and I snap back to reality and think, yeah I'm good.
I'm not on BC because it makes me feel all weird and emotional. So we use.....alternative methods. And it hasn't failed us yet! But it's never 100% and that makes me nervous. We don't have insurance right now and our kids were both around the 25k range. Plus I'm just not ready to add another one. Damon isn't even potty trained yet...that's a whole post in itself, stubborn kid! My signs of being pregnant are usually pretty similar to when I start my period. Sore boobs, I'm tired, hungry, and cranky. Sounds like a blast right? So that's why I always freak out, because the signs are so similar!
There are definitely days when I think I could be done having kids. But then I think how fun it would be to have a girl! And I think I want one of those. SO down the road in probably a year or two we will think about it. But right now.....our kids are a little crazy and are a two man wrecking crew. They tag team me all day long. And I can't wait for bedtime to come so I can take off the mommy hat, then I see them sleeping and just want to wake them up and squish and kiss those chubby cheeks and realize how lucky I am to be their mommy and how much they have changed my life! Who needs to pee with the door closed anyways?