Holidays and Bump 22, 23 & 24

How can it be that we are done with Christmas and taking down the pretty lights and decorations is on the list of "to-dos" already?!?!  This year's Christmas morning was one for the memory books, the boys were so good and just enjoyed the season so much.  Watching the excitement was magical.  Santa (or "Christmas" as Lochlan calls him) brought Killian roller  blades and Lochlan a walking robot.  Both boys were over the moon with their presents.  The hit of the day were little pokemon transformer balls that Kyle picked up as a gift between the boys for one another.  Crazy what they gravitate toward.  We were all extremely spoiled by loved ones and couldn't be more thankful for all the love and well wishes.  The only thing that would have been the cherry on the top of the morning would have been a full strength bloody Mary but there is always next year, HA!

Speaking of this bump I'm carrying around with me and is growing I swear overnight and feels bigger than it should be at this point but I guess that's what happens by number 3.  My last appointment was on Monday (posted the heartbeat and a quick update previous blog), the next is in January and then we jump to every 2 weeks.  We are rounding the corner on the third trimester...no wonder I'm feeling large!  HA!  Basically missing the first trimester has really sped this one up, trying really really hard to enjoy all the little things that previously I didn't enjoy but knowing this is my last I'm giving it a shot.  For example, BOTH boys got to feel baby kick last night, it was so awesome to watch them both feel the little thump and register that it was a baby. 

Overall I've been feeling good, getting sleep and trying my hardest not to get sick during this ugly time of year for colds/flu.  I took the day before and after x-mas off and all three days (including christmas) the boys slept in until 8-930, so this mama got some really good couch, coffee and book time before the madness started.  I don't know what we did to deserve the sleepers but I'll take it, I feel extremely lucky and double triple fingers crossed this new one learns from big brothers. 

Poor sweet Birdie Mae has been had a sore paw for the last couple weeks and we have been unsuccessful getting her to leave it alone, so to the vet she went with Kyle yesterday.  She had to get a small abscess lanced, vet thought something got into her paw and was trying to make its' way out and got infected.  She came home SUPER groggy and out of it.  She has been wearing the "cone of shame" and doing a stellar job of leaving her bandage alone so far but it was a a LLLLOOOONNNGGG night for this pregnant lady!  I finally gave up at just about 4am and went downstairs, started the coffee and read my book.  I had a great job on the morning, had my hair done and dressed well before the munchkins woke up.  Needless to say I am beat today and am so glad it is Friday and I get to sleep in and catch up tomorrow.  I find that when I wear myself out too much is when I get sick and then I can't fight off the cough thus can't sleep and the cycle continues. So sleep this weekend!

I'll leave everyone with a thank you for a wonderful year, you all help to make our lives fun, enjoyable and are instrumental in helping make all the memories my children will look back on fondly later in life.  We love our family and friends fiercely and only regret that there are not more hours/days/weeks/months in a year and that we aren't ridiculously rich and have to work, otherwise we would be visiting you all in person all the time.  Here's to a fabulous 2019 and cheers to a promising 2020.  PS - can anyone else not believe that it has been 20 years, repeat 20 years, since Y2K?!?!?!  How is that even possible...we all survived and here we go into another decade.  Love to all and Happy New Year! 

XOXO

Cuddling with "his" baby

Birdie post surgery, poor girl

found some good lights in our neighborhood

boys loving the light up vests and x-mas lights

Mr. Potato Head was a big hit!

Opening his fishing pole from PA!

Stocking candy is the best candy ever

Lochlan is still not a fan of Santa

Me and my boys :-)

that's a rutabaga is anyone was unclear, HA!

Alls Well

Had our 24 week appointment today and baby is measuring great and heartbeat is right where it should be.  I took a little recording of the sound to remember this forever and ever.  Can't wait to meet this little one.  Next appointment we do the glucose testing to make sure I don't have diabetes, I picked lime flavor this time.  Not my favorite appointment but means we are nearing the end.  Looking forward to the holiday season with the two big boys and Kyle, snuggled in our sweet little Portland house.  Family comes next year and that should be an adventure :-)

Happy holidays to all!!!  Enjoy the sweet sound of our little one!

XOXO
Shalyce

Heartbeat of #3

I just can't!

Lochlan is getting so big, we look at him every morning lately and are just amazed at how grown up he has become.  Going through some clean-out effort I randomly stumbled upon this video, makes me appreciate 1.) all the pictures and video I'm able to capture for reminders of moments like this and 2.) how quickly these babies grow up!  Miss my little copper top but am loving watching him grow up and into a cool little person. 

Weeks 17, 18, 19, 20 & 21

It has been a minute since I've updated the blog and I know there are those who aren't on social media that get their updates from here, so here goes nothing.

So much has happened since the last blog update and now, we've spilled the beans to our employers, our anatomy ultrasound showed all things baby look health, I wore my first pair of maternity jeans....see a ton has happened ;-)

I haven't fully given up on zippers just yet, but my pants sure fit/sit differently now.  I got a giant bag of maternity clothes delivered by my parents from my sister over Thanksgiving so I should be set for a stylish (as best you can) fall/winter wardrobe before this baby arrives.

The second trimester is truly the honeymoon phase, my energy level has returned to mostly normal.  I don't find myself sleeping sitting up on the couch in the evenings anymore...ok, so not as much as I was.  Besides expanding in the mid section I am feeling great and not a whole lot different in the grand scheme.

Baby is starting to actually push and kick these days, no more little twitches or flutters.  Very reassuring since I won't go back to the Dr. for regular checkup until just before Christmas.

Kyle and I are working on names and having some fun with the kiddos on that front.  It is so cute what a 4.5 and 2 year old come up with for names.  Just love these peanuts so much.

Lochlan is sure becoming a little boy and transitioning out of baby-hood.  He has quite the independent personality and it just thrills me to watch him become his own person and not just a little shadow of his big brother.  Lochlan is working hard on his big boy balance bike and just loves getting outside whenever he can.  He participated in a kids-cross bike event a couple weekends ago and was just so proud of himself.

Killian is really digging the idea of being a big brother again, he has fully embraced my belly and hugs and kisses baby whenever he can.  I am adjusting to this new belly affection as Kyle has never been one to "snuggle" the babies before they arrive.  In addition, Killian is in full on Christmas mode, he loves everything to do with it and asks multiple times a day if tomorrow's x-mas!  He is asking Santa for light up rollerblades this year.  We have breakfast with Santa at the zoo in a couple weeks, we shall see what the boys think of that.

Otherwise life is pretty awesome right now.  We just got back from a snowy trip to Bend for Thanksgiving, joined by my parents or Ooma and Pa as the kiddos call them.  We had a blast and just enjoyed the fresh beautiful snow and good company.  Birdie came with us and she was a great dog, turns out our Texas dog LOVES snow!  Who'd have thunk, HA.  After the holiday seasons pass we will be moving the boys into a shared room together and decorating it as underwater theme.  I can't wait to have them together, as hard as it may be at bed time, I think the memories and bond they share will just grow exponentially this way.  The upstairs nursery that Lochlan is in now will be slightly redecorated once the boys are in their ocean room, I'm going with a circus theme this time.  Feels like a happy, cheerful baby room.

Alright, here are some bump pictures and a few Killian and Lochlan pictures.  Love to all!

First Snowman :-)

Lounging before the snow

Lounging in the snow

shortened version of the "I like pie" 5k...BRRRR

ready for their road trip to Bend, Lochlan is in love with Frozen or "Let it Go" as he calls it, he sings himself to sleep on repeat of let it go

little bro reading to big bro

Lochlan's first bike race

Killian Found a pothole

Doesn't slow him down!!!

About Time...

So if you haven't heard, here it is...we are having another baby! Due April 14th, yep that's 5 days after Killian's 5th birthday....oopsie, thankfully he seems to be more excited than disappointed.  Plus, based on my past procedures I will likely go in for the c-section a week or so prior, so if all goes as planned (which we know with wee babies that is not really up to me, HA!) he/she will join our family officially on April 6th-ish.

I'm a little late to the bump picture game, the last two I started at 10 weeks but when I didn't even discover for sure I was pregnant until 12 weeks, that bump documentation is a little tough.  So, we started this time at 14 weeks.  So far, the boys have been great with wanting to be in the pictures with me, Miss Birdie Mae even joined in this morning.  Tuesdays are the designated bump days, it lines up with the weekly milestones and Mondays are my work from home days, so all the pictures would be sweat pants and hoodies and who wants to document that?!?!

And before you ask, this was not a Oopsie baby, we were planning this it just happened a little faster than expected and my body decided to throw me off with a false period.  3 was always in our plan and we couldn't be happier.

My next appointment is on Nov. 18th, we will do the anatomy ultrasound to make sure baby is growing normally and confirm all is healthy.  Due to my advanced age, again ;-), I have had genetic testing done already and confirmed that there is a very low risk of any problems...YAY!!!  Which also means, they tested the baby DNA for the Y chromosome (aka boy).  In the past we haven't found out baby gender until delivery but this time being our last and having two little munchkins at home to prep, we decided to try something different and do know the baby's gender.  We've done a gender reveal to the boys but are holding off doing a larger reveal until I'm ready to share. 

I know I know, all you planners out there can't understand my thinking but I need time to process everything before I get everyone's well intention-ed comments on the gender and what that will/won't mean to our family dynamic.  My mama heart gets super sensitive to peoples' comments when I'm pregnant and I know from past experiences it would crush me a little every time someone were to say "yay, you finally get pink and sparkles" or "whoa that's going to be a lot of boys" etc. etc. I know that no one will mean these as offensive or hurtful but it just doesn't make a difference to me one way or the other girl or boy, I'm going to love this baby and their uniqueness means to our family.  Don't get me wrong, if we have a girl I will have to come to terms with changing my signature line from Shalyce & "The Boys" to something else catching and cute, I'll have to wrap my brain around having to share my clothes with another person in the house some day, bracing myself for hormones and tears, to having a daddy's girl instead of all mama's boys, so many things to adjust to.  And if we have another boy, mourning the loss of having a daughter to teach makeup tips to, braiding hair, ballet classes (yes, I know boys can do them too), first crushes, boy talk, wrapping my brain around 3 daughter-in-laws some day and how I can be the mother in law they want to be around.  So many things to think about with this one, and I would like to process all of that privately before having to put on the happy face and "defend" the positive of the outcome when the gender is revealed. 

So, in due time, baby's gender will be revealed and however it turns out I hope everyone is happy and excited for us (based on social media thus far, the happiness and support is TOTALLY evident).  I will say, if this baby is a boy, I'm going to need HELP coming up with a good name, we've already used up two good ones and have set the bar high.  Girl name we've got all wrapped up and ready to go from the last go around (everyone still seems to be all in on that one). 

ANY WHO, here are bump pictures from the last several weeks...more to come as time ticks by

One extra :-)

Finished Product

Here are the photos Dave ;-)