30 Weeks and a 4D Ultrasound

30 weeks down and only a few to go...can't believe it!!! This week, the baby continues to grow, get stronger, and lay down fat to make him plump. He has started to mimick breathing and it causes him to have the hiccups. I never remember the girls having those, but we had a long bout of tiny, rhythmic movements last night that logically seem to be the hiccups. He weighs about 3 pounds and is 11 inches from the top of his head to his rump.

This morning we had our much anticipated 3D/4D ultrasound appointment. And, following suit of both girls, little Jackson decided to hide until the last 5 minutes of the ultrasound. He has turned and is head down and ready to go. We got to see and hear the heart beat. And, for most of the appointment, we watched the tech manauver the magic wand to try and get a good face shot of the baby. Unfortunately, Mr. Limber had one knee bent and in front of his face and the other leg was extended straight up, over, and behind his head. He was sleeping most of the time even though mom drank an ENTIRE mocha frappucino from Startbucks just a few short minutes before the appointment. Apparently caffeine doesn't phase this child. While he was sleeping, we could see the chest rise and fall to mimick the breathing that causes the hiccups. The tech sais that's how she knew he was sleeping...most babies "practice" their breathing while they are sleeping. And...while he continued to sleep, we got the very easily attainable money shot with the position of his legs being so crazy. Then finally, after I got up, moved around, and squeezed at my stomach for a minute, we got a better view of his face, even though he still had those legs right in the way. He has Kelsey's nose for sure. And it even looks like his cheeks are plump and ready for pinching. Enjoy the pictures!!

Sweet, Sleepy Baby Boy!!

Can you see me trying to wave to you? My hand is to the left of the picture beside my face.

Look at those crazy legs all over the place. I might as well be eating my knee!!

Daddy can finally rest assured that I am a boy. Look at the size of that...foot!!

28 Weeks

It is official...we have hit the third trimester and the doctors are happy with my progress. On Friday we had our last monthly appointment. From here on out we go every 2 weeks until 36 weeks and then we go every week. All that means this baby is coming sooner than we can believe. Once the holidays are over, we really need to get on the ball here and create some type of nursery for this precious baby boy.

As for now Andrew Lee is still the name, but we're going to go with Drew. At 28 weeks, this little booger is 2 and a quarter pounds and is about 15 inches long from the top of his head to the tips of his toes. His eyes continue to open and close and they even have beautiful, long lashes at this point. I gained a whopping 6 pounds this last month and we are going to chalk that up to a yummy Thanksgiving. If I follow a normal pattern, I should gain about 11 more pounds before this pregnancy is over and that means I will probably outweigh Bo...do you know what a depressing thought that is??? My glucose test was also on Friday and that came back normal as well.

And finally, we are looking forward to a 4D ultrasound in 2 weeks. We were fortunate to hit the early technology when I was pregnant with Ally. Then, we opted to have it done with Kelsey. So...why not have it done with little Drew? We are looking forward to seeing our baby boy growing big. It was truly amazing to see it with Kelsey and I imagine, after several years of progress, the ultrasounds are even more detailed and more amazing then they used to be. We'll be sure to post all the fun pictures on our blog when we get home.

26 Weeks and a name...really???

This is a big week for baby Jackson. For the first time since they were formed and sealed shut, his eyes will open and close. He is about 14 inches long, 9 inches from crown to rump and weighs roughly 2 pounds. His skin is becoming less translucent thanks to all the baby fat that is starting to be deposited. And finally, all the nerves in his ear are finishing their development. We have another doctor appointment on the 12th to hear the heart beat and get some measurements...fairly routine at this point. And then we go every 2 weeks. Considering both girls came about 2 weeks early, we are looking at the final stretch almost. Should this little bundle arrive 2 weeks early as well, we have about 12 weeks left. I hit the 3rd trimester next week and it is hard to believe how fast this is flying by. After the holidays, he will be here in the blink of an eye. And there is still so much to do...most importantly the nursery. All of the bedding and fun room decor is here, but we are waiting until after the holiday rush to get the room ready. It shouldn't take too long...a few hours of painting and a few more for hanging things on the wall and voila...it's ready.

Over the Thanksgiving holiday, Bo was a HUGE sport and went shopping with me at midnight on Thanksgiving to the Carter's outlet. And we got tons of new clothes for our baby boy. I have to admit, they certainly are not as cute as little girl clothes, but it was lots of fun picking out something different this time. Trucks, dinosaurs, and bugs can be cute in their own way.

And it was nice to kind of put a name with the clothes we were buying. A name...really??? After much deliberation and not finding anything we both really liked, we have finally found one we can agree on and like. With a last name like Jackson, there are lots of options already vetoed for us...Samuel, Michael, Alan, and Tito to name a few. We ran in to this same problem with Kelsey. I really liked Kendall, but Kendall Jackson is a popular brand of wine. Even so, there are times I regret not giving her the name I really liked, even though Kelsey is a perfect fit for our little sweetie. So...this time I was bound to give this kid a name we liked, regardless of the potential for irony. So...for now...we have settled on Andrew Lee...and we will call him Drew. We are well aware that Andrew Jackson was a President. However, he is not the first and will not be the last Andrew Jackson in this world following the President. And I REALLY like the name Drew. It was one of my first choices and we kind of sidelined it because of the President thing. But, after going through numerous baby books and not having anything jump out at me, it really wasn't worth the worry to find a name that we liked better. So...there it is. For now. Who knows what tomorrow brings.

Assume the Position

Well...for a solid week now I have been battling a sore back. I attributed most of the problem to lugging around some extra baby weight and taking 3 kids all over town to 4 or 5 different stores last week in a matter of 3 hours. By the time I got home from that adventure, my back was tired and a little stiff. When I got up the following morning, it had hardened and I knew I was in for a few days of stiffness. There's only so much Tylenol can do and muscle relaxation is not on the top of its list. For the first time yesterday morning I could get up and move around without a 10 minute stretch session just out of bed...which I happily welcomed. I spent most of the day doing the daily things I do, including the endless cleaning up of the playroom and various toys scattered around the house from 3 happily playing children. In doing so, I spent a lot of time on my hands and knees. And by night's end, I realized I had not felt the baby move much that day. What I did notice was that I felt every bit of 9 months pregnant at a mere 24 weeks and if my stomach could have popped last night, it would have. Everything was so tight and hard. When I finally layed down to rest..I was anxiously awaiting all the fun kicks and prods I usually have on the sides of my stomach from this little being inside of me (which we still have no name for!!). And to my surprise, they were no longer on the sides of my stomach. I was getting kicked in the ribs. And, when I woke up this morning there wasn't one twinge of any pain whatsoever. So...in my professional, pregnancy opinion, I think the baby has finally decided he needed more room and chose to turn himself south. And that I am quite thankful for...it has given me some much needed relief. Now, I realize it is still very early and the baby could choose to flip and move however much he wants to between now and whenever he arrives, but I am thankful for the time being that I have some relief of the pain I had. And maybe now he'll have a little more room to wiggle.

A Doctor's Appointment and 24 weeks

Well...this has been an eventful week. 24 weeks is a big one...VIABILITY!!! Yeah!!! That's always good news to hear. If the baby should decide to come early, the chances of survival increases greatly after this week and continue to climb steadily as the pregnancy continues. The baby has gained about 4 ounces in one week and is about 12 inches long...the length of an ear of corn. He is still very skinny and his skin is translucent, but that will all be changing over the next several weeks as he begins to put on the weight and fill in with all that baby fat. He face is fully developed and looks like it will at birth. His eyes are still tightly closed, but they will open soon.

As for the doctor visit, it was very quick and simple...just a measure and a heart rate. My belly is measuring right on track...23 cm and the heart rate has dropped significantly. He was down to 140 beats per minute this week...which is typical for a baby boy. This was the first appointment the girls got to go to. They really enjoyed hearing the heartbeat. And because Kelsey is having a baby girl when we have our baby boy, she asked if she could hear her baby's heart beat. So, the doctor willingly obliged. Kelsey layed on the table and pulled up her shirt. The doctor put some of that cold cream on her belly and put the doppler on her tummy. So cute...but not something we want to see again for a LONG TIME!!! Kelsey got to hear her baby's heartbeat (her own, really) and she was all smiles.

As for me, I am still nursing a sore back. I tweaked it last Wednesday while I was out running errands with all the kids. I'm sure it's just from being tired, carrying extra weight (which I have not gained a lot of!!) and doing some extra lifting to help get Jackie's house ready for her baby. I thought it would be gone by now as it usually only takes a day or 2 to work itself out. But, with no meds to help relax the muscles and the baby laying on my back all the time, I guess it takes a little longer. I just hope it goes away soon. I don't like waking up in the morning and not being able to move how I want, as quickly as I'd like. After an hour or so, it's still there, but it's loose enough to move, so I ignore it and go on. If nothing else...it will go away once this baby arrives...only 112 days left!!

23 Weeks

The baby is getting bigger and bigger...and so am I. I am ready for a record breaking weight gain this week at the Dr.'s office on Friday. I think the most I ever gained in 4 weeks was 8 lbs. with the girls. And, I am sure I am close with this one.

This week the baby is the size of a large mango and weighs a little more than a pound. He is about 11 inches long and he can hear all the different things going on in the outside world. He can hear the dog barking and the vacuum cleaner. He can even hear music and feel me sway with the beat. The baby is squirming all over the place and it is lots of fun to feel him move around.

It's hard to believe that after our appointment this week, we'll start setting up appointments for every 2 weeks. Can't believe we've almost reached that milestone already. This baby is coming faster than I had imagined and there is so much left to do...paint the room, bring up all the baby stuff from the basement and get it cleaned up and ready for number 3, find lots of cute clothes and blankets for our sweet boy to stay warm in, and, of course, prepare the girls for the shock of their life. Either way...it's getting closer and we get more excited with every day!!

Registering for Baby Jackson

I think yesterday was one of the first times it hit me that we are going to have a boy instead of a girl. We spent the afternoon at Babies R Us registering for our little arrival and all I could see was BLUE!!! And, it's been so long since we've had to do this, that there are so many things we forgot about. We forgot how overwhelming it can be to go to a huge store filled with baby stuff and try to figure out what you need. We forgot how long it takes to actually do it...even with a list. We learned that, even with a list, there are still tons of things on the shelves that you see and forget you need. And more times than not, I found myself going back to the same sections I'm used to shopping in...the pink sections!! After realizing I wasn't in the right section, I found my way to the boys' section and was really quite disappointed. The clothes for boys are NOWHERE near as cute as the things for girls. So...I'm going to have to find a way to keep our little one cute as a button some other way.

The fun part of registering was bringing the girls. They really enjoyed using the UPC gun to register for stuff for their new baby brother. After it was all said and done, I had some deleting to do. Anyone who had seen the registry last night might have thought we were having triplets because we registered for 3 cribs!! After the newness wore off, Bo did a fabulous job keeping them entertained while I finished up. And, really, with the limited time we had, there was very little we forgot about. It's still amazing to me all the things newborns need and all the stuff that has changed since we have last done this. At the end of it all, the girls each left with a toy for the baby and we got the Baby's First Year Calendar to hang in the room.

Is it really this difficult to find a name???

So, we have known for one whole week that we are having a boy and we cannot come up with a name to save our lives. All the names we like aren't very compatible with our last name...Andrew, Samuel, Michael, Tito. And I even spent some time at nap looking through a name book from my sister. And, I am taking it as a bad sign that I went through every letter of the alphabet and every name listed for that letter and found NOTHING that I liked. And the ones I thought I liked I can't remember, so they must not have made that big of an impression on me. Hopefully something will stand out in the next few weeks. And if you have any ideas or hear any cute boy names that don't interfere with our last name, let me know.

The Verdict is In!!

After 20 long weeks, we have finally found out that our little bundle is a healthy, happy, baby BOY!!! And, we are so excited!!!! But, first and foremost, everything was measuring right and the baby looked great.

I went in for 2 appointments today. The first was the standard 20 week appointment to check blood pressure and the heart rate. The doctor and I chatted about the typical information and she was happy to see that everything looked and sounded great. We also talked about my option to deliver at the new Northside Forsyth facility and we found out that I do have the opportunity to go there. The only down fall would be that someone from the women's group, not necessarily my practice, would deliver the baby. And while there are pros and cons to all of it, the peace of mind that we can go there should I go in to labor during rush hour is so comforting. Plus, I hear they have a state of the art new maternity facility so it might be fun to go there. Bo and I might have to take a tour there just to see how nice it really is.

Then, after lunch we had the ultrasound appointment. The tech was dry, to say the least and I'm pretty sure she rubbed Bo the wrong way. She started out by doing all of the important things...measuring the head, the leg, the spine, and so forth. After all of her important info was recorded, she turned the screen for me to see and she pointed out all the cool things you get to see on an ultrasound. We got to see a full profile of the baby. We watched him yawn and move around. And then, we got to see the umbilical cord...which we've never seen. It looked like a spiral curl on the screen and the baby was playing with it, moving it around. So fascinating!! She pointed out a few other things and let us gawk at the baby for a little while. And FINALLY she asked us if we wanted to know what we were having. And, by this point we were dying...of course we couldn't stand it any longer. So, she quickly found the "money shot" and before she could even say it was a boy, I smiled and looked at Bo to say, "Ha!! I was right!!" Bo was shocked...absolutely floored...by the realization. He was totally prepared for a third girl. And I think he still has just a slight doubt that it really is a boy. Not me...I saw the little turtle head!!!

So...after we got out of the ultrasound, we went to the car and called family and friends to celebrate our big news. Bo's parents were so excited. Finally...a Jackson boy to carry on the name. When we got home, I baked a cake and dyed the cake blue. I covered it with chocolate icing and then we invited all of our friends to come over from the neighborhood to cut the cake and see if it was pink or blue. Everyone was so excited for us and all the new things a boy means for us.

And last...for those of you who were quick to observe, I changed the blog color to blue!!! Yeah for Baby Jackson!!! Now...if we could only agree on a name!!


Front View - Head on right hand side. 2 dark spots are eyes. Baby looking right at you.


Side/Profile View of Baby - Head on right hand side still. Leg on left. Faint spirals in the background are the umbilical cord.


It's a Boy!!!!

28 hours, 57 minutes

Only 1 more day until we find out whether this little one is a boy or a girl and we can hardly wait. I continue to go back and forth on whether I really want to know or have it be a surprise when the baby arrives. And as fun as I think it might be to find out in March, the practical side of me says I need to know. If I already had 1 of each, we'd wait for sure. But, it's hard to wait that long and worry about not being ready. Either way, it is very exciting to know that our baby is growing bigger and stronger each day. And, it surely will be nice to think of names once we know what we're having. I hope I can wait without getting too antsy!!!

Hi! I'm Here!!

Baby Jackson has decided to let me know that he or she is up and movin'. For the past couple of days, I have been able to feel the baby move when I lay down for a few minutes and try to be very still. It's been so long since I've felt that little tickle that I wasn't sure I'd remember what it felt like. But...it's there just like I remember it...a little goldfish swimming in my tummy. Maybe some butterflies. Either way, it's there and it's super fun to feel. Can't wait to go for the ultrasound in a few weeks to see what this little bug is!!!

14 Week Appointment

We had our 14 week check up on Friday and all is well with Baby Jackson #3. The heartbeat was nice and strong...still hovering around 160. And, with the doppler we could hear all the static as well as the heartbeat which means he or she is moving all over the place. So, hopefully, I will begin to feel this little one moving very soon. That was always my favorite part and probably what I will miss the most when the pregnancy is over.

We will make our appointment this week to find out what this little thing is. Should happen sometime in mid-October. And, I'll be sure to post our exciting surprise as soon as we know. We haven't really come up with any serious thoughts on names just yet. Trying to wait out the verdict on the gender. My mommy hunches tell me strongly it really is a boy. I would be thoroughly surprised if it was a girl...but not at all disappointed. Only 4 short weeks to find out...

Girl or Boy?

After reading Lisa's blog and catching up on all the old wives tales, I thought it might be fun for my friends and family to do the same thing. So, here are some of my answers to those crazy old wives tales and then you can make a vote for yourself on my blog page.

OLD WIVES TALES:
1) If you carry high, it’s a girl. Low, it’s a boy. I have always carried low, which is why those fun, hip new low rise pants NEVER work for me. Nothing has changed this time...still carrying low. BOY

2) If the heartbeat is under 140 bpm, it’s a boy. If it is over 140 bpm, it’s a girl. We hit over 170 at the last appointment. GIRL

3) Tie your wedding ring to a string and dangle it over your belly. If it swings back and forth, it’s a boy. If it goes in circles, it’s a girl. You can also do this holding the string over your open palm. BOY

4) Chinese Gender Chart (http://parenting.ivillage.com/ttc/ttcsigns/0,,j736,00.html ) Some say this is correct 90% of the time. Girl

5) If you have acne during pregnancy, it’s a girl. If you don’t, it’s a boy. Sparingly, but yes, they are there. GIRL

6) If you have morning sickness, you’re having a girl. If you don’t, you’re having a boy. I had all day sickness the entire first trimester. To be fair though, I NEVER had that with either of my girls. But, we'll roll with it. GIRL

9) If your urine is neon yellow, it’s a boy. If it’s a dull yellow, it’s a girl. Could it be that I just need to drink more fluids? It's ALWAYS neon yellow. BOY

10) If you’re hair on your legs grows faster, it’s a girl. I feel like I can go weeks without shaving now. BOY

11) If the dad to be is gaining weight with you, it’s a boy. If he stays the same, it’s a girl. With as much as Bo works out and as hard as he works, there is NO WAY he will gain weight with me. GIRL

12) If you have headaches, you’re having a boy. If you don’t, it’s a girl. I kicked the caffine the first week I found out I was pregnant. Even still, I have had more headaches with this one than with Ally and Kelsey combined. BOY

13) Girls steal your beauty. If you look better than before, it’s a boy. If you don’t, it’s a girl. Considering I am a stay at home mom and rarely get dressed up to change diapers, clean house and play with kids, I'm going with the same...no better and hopefully no worse!! GIRL

14) If your feet are colder than usual, it’s a boy. If they’re the same, it’s a girl. How weird... GIRL

So...now you have until our next appointment in mid-October to place your votes. Should be lots of fun!!!

Quiet Month

This has been a very quiet and uneventful month in the world of pregnancy...which is always a good thing!!! We have a Dr. appointment on Friday and I am sure there will be plenty more to tell then. But, for now, it's slow and go.

Over the past month we have rearranged furniture and gotten Kelsey in to a new room to make way for Baby Jackson. The baby furniture just won't fit any good way in our guest room, so Kelsey got a brand new big girl room so we could put the baby where she was as a baby. Painting was fun, but the best part was putting up the brown dots all over the pink wall. I was worried about how it would turn out, but I am so glad I did it. The room is adorable and there is so much more room for her to play in there.

For now, the guest room remains a guest room, but it is over crowded with baby furniture and some things we've brought up from the basement for the baby. Once we find out what we are having, we will paint and get the room ready for baby.

Baby's Heartbeat

We had another Dr. appointment on the 15th of August. It was a fairly routine first visit with bloodwork and family history questions. But, the best part was hearing the SUPER FAST heart beat for the first time. 170 beats per minute...it's another girl!!!! Bo had the chance to meet Dr. Madzivire for the first time and really enjoyed her. She is very down-to-earth and "real", which I like.

I'm finally beginning to feel better throughout the day. The past several weeks have been very tough, but my energy is starting to come back and I am hoping to return to my normal self in the next week or so. There's so much to do now!!! We have decided to use the comfy green recliner in the baby room since we sold our glider to a church after Kelsey got her new bed. And, we have decided that Kelsey is going to get a new big girl room. There's just no logical way all of the baby furniture will fit in what used to be the guest bedroom. So, we will keep the baby in Kelsey's old room where the furniture works and make her a new room. Should be lots of fun to decorate that room. I think we'll probably get started sometime this week.

And, we bought our first baby iten over the weekend...a new bouncy seat. It is such a cute and FUNCTIONAL seat and I am so glad we have it for the baby. I'm sure the baby will be a comfy as ever in the soft cushiony seat. I wish they made those things for adults to sleep in!!!

Stress City!!

So...we've had 2 Dr's appointments and I haven't had the chance to write about any of them. Things around here have been very stressful since the news about baby number 3 has happened.

For starters, the 1st appointment went great. The Dr. was super nice and I immediately knew I'd try to see her regularly. She is very down to earth and up front about everything. Personable and understanding. So, at the appointment, they confirmed the pregnancy...like we didn't already know after 4 of our own tests!!! And, I got a boatload of paperwork and pamphlets to read up on. Information about all the tests they run and the ones that are optional. All the info about the appointments and what happens at each one. All the info about registering (AGAIN!!!) at Northside and getting set-up for delivery. When you aren't planning on a third child, you forget about all the paperwork and reading there is to do. I got some free gifts from Similac and a cute planner to help me track the pregnancy. After all the formalities were over, we did sneak in to the ultrasound room to check what was going on. The tech was gone for the day, but the Dr. wanted me to be stress free on my trip to Gatlinburg that everything was ok. She found the baby and everything looked normal. But, she did schedule me for another ultrasound with the tech to make it official and to get some accurate numbers.

And, I am so thankful she did that. Because the weekend I went away was anything but stress free. I got some much needed rest, but the spotting I had been having was getting worse and I was getting worried. I prayed every minute for God to bless this baby...it's amazing how much you want something that you never really knew you wanted in the first place until you had it. And, I swore, I'd take morning sickness and whatever else in its place. But, for the most part, I was still feeling well, just stressed. And the spotting continued. We went to ultrasound appointment the following Wednesday and I was so glad Bo got to be there for this appointment. He had missed the first one because he was at his Grandmother's funeral and with the spotting, there was no way I could miss the first appointment. So, I was fully prepared for the tech to tell us we had lost the baby. But, to my surprise, the baby was there and doing perfectly well. Thank God!!! So, we got our first set of ultrasound pictures to take home and we were on cloud nine. After a few days, the spotting went away completely...but I got the morning sickness I bargained with God for. He has such a sense of humor, that God!!! And, to this very day, I am still nauseous most of the afternoon and in to the evening. I am nearing week 9 and I am hoping it will get better soon. I so want to be able to enjoy this pregnancy as it will be the last for sure. I am looking forward to all the wonderful things that come when the sickness subsides.

In the meantime we have told most all of our friends and family. It's fun to watch the shock and surprise on their faces especially after a conversation just 4 short weeks ago about how we were done having kids. Little did we know...

We have another appointment on the 15th of August...our Anniversary!!! We are anxious to hear the heartbeat for the first time and know that everything is still going well.

One Week Later

One week later, we are still having a baby and the shock hasn't worn off yet. For me, it's about the reality of maternity clothes...things I never thought I'd wear again...late night feedings, starting all over again from scratch with a new baby, and coping with sheer exhaustion and being outnumbered by our kids!! But, there's always the up side. I am so looking forward to the hospital stay and bonding with the baby, setting up a new nursery, finding cute baby clothes I never thought I'd get to buy again. And, of course, there's the little toes and that new baby smell. So, while the idea is still haunting, it has become exciting. We have a Dr. appointment next week on the 16th. They will be able to tell us a lot more at that appointment, but we should be looking at a March baby.

And before this little note ends, I need to add a little comment - I have been feeling especially "large"...even for 4 weeks. And, with the darkness and quickness the pregnancy test line showed up on the stick, I'd be remiss to say there's no way it twins. I don't think it is, but wouldn't that be a shocker. I just remember that the tests came back negative several times with Ally and Kelsey...even a week or so after the date of my missed period. So, for this to turn so quickly, even just one day late, has me wondering and thinking. If it is twins...you heard it hear first!!! One week in to it...

The Big Surprise!!!

July 1st started out like any normal day and ended in a far more bizarre way than ever expected. After worrying for 2 days that I might be pregnant, I finally took a pregnancy test to confirm the negative result and forget about the worrying. Much to my surprise, the test was positive before it was even finished. I took 2 more tests because I was sure the first was wrong, but all 3 came out positive. So...we are pregnant!!! After many years of professing we were done, we have one last baby to plan for.

And, surprise, doesn't even begin to describe the emotions we are feeling. Shock is more appropriate....HUGE SHOCK!!!! But, excitement will enter the picture soon, I am sure.

I am hoping to use this blog as a way to journal our LAST pregnancy in hopes to remember all of the fun we are hoping it brings. But for right now, the questions and the thoughts are just swirling...it's back to thinking about names, diapers, 3 AM feedings, and being a new mom and dad all over again. We were so close to being on "cruise control" with our 2 girls, that we're going to have to regroup and start all over.

It will be several more weeks until the first of many Dr. appointments and I am sure I will be back to write more before then as thoughts, questions, and new ideas pop in my head. But for now, I had to actually put it in writing to believe it...we are pregnant for a 3rd time!!! We will finally be "The Jackson Five"!!!