Baby #3

Dear Baby #3,
You will be here in less than one week! I am so so so excited to hold you and see what you look like, and what your temperament is like. I wanted to write some things about this pregnancy while I'm still pregnant, since afterwards it gets kind of foggy. We'll treat is as a little Q&A (based on real questions I've gotten):

Was this planned? Yes. Beginning in early Spring 2018 we were thinking about adding another baby to our family, when I got called to be Primary President. It really threw me off and I felt confused on what to do. Brent left it all up to me. After praying about it and going to the temple, I felt like I needed to get healthier myself first- both physically and emotionally. I started a gluten-free diet which really helped me feel better, and I went to see a counselor for my anxiety that ebbs and flows throughout my life. Then in late Fall 2018, we prayed about it, discussed, and really thought hard about it. The time felt right.

(March 2019, about 20 weeks pregnant)

When did you find out you were pregnant? I tried to be sneaky and I bought a pregnancy test while Brent was at school. I took it the day before his birthday, and it was so hard not to say anything. On Brent's birthday (Dec 7) we had a date night and I put the positive test in a ziploc bag and wrapped it up. I thought I would surprise him, but we both basically already knew :) It was still fun to confirm it to him right on his birthday!

(Happy Birthday!)

Did you think it was a girl or boy? Based on the way I felt with morning sickness, I thought it felt like a girl, but I was just sure when I pictured our family, that we would have another boy. We were happy either way since we already had one of each! Our kids were the first people we told that we were expecting. We told them right before we got in the car to go to the ultrasound.

(March 2019- waiting in the doctor's office for the ultrasound to find out if it's a girl or boy)

Did you get sick? I did get pretty nauseous from about weeks 6-12. I did not throw up though, except for the night when I had the stomach flu on Christmas, when I was 7 weeks. That was the most miserable I have been in a really long time. This pregnancy has been way harder than Coen's. I had ZERO energy during the first trimester, my back hurt a lot earlier, and around month 5, I got pelvic girdle pain. My doctor explained that it's kind of like having arthritis in your pelvic joints. It hurt me to walk, or sit for a long period of time, or stand. Still, I know my pregnancy was easier than it is on most women. Even though I had a lot more pain this time, I still really enjoyed being pregnant, especially feeling the baby move. I felt proud and in awe of my body.

(January 2019- Coen laying by tired mom who doesn't feel good)

(March 2019- Her spine, from the 20 week ultrasound)

What did you crave? I craved fruit. Especially grapes. I ate a whole lot of grapes this pregnancy. Also, I craved ground beef. The only real aversions I had were any type of Asian food. Especially soy sauce in the beginning.

(January 2019- our first OB appointment. I was so relieved to see there was really a baby in there)

What do you think this baby will be like? I think she has to be in between Coen and Ava in terms of personality. They are so opposite from one another, there's no other way she could be more extreme than one of them! Based on her movement in me, she does feel somewhere in the middle- not nearly as hyper as Ava, perhaps slightly more active than Coen, or similar to Coen. I'm guessing she is going to be petite and take after me personality-wise.

(August 2019- just waiting!)

Are Ava and Coen excited? Ava is super excited to get a baby sister. The first time she felt the baby move in my tummy she gasped and got wide-eyed. It has been really fun to have an older child understand more. Coen is pretty excited, I think.... although he just keeps saying "I'm the baby!" and doing baby talk. 

And to conclude this post, we have some pictures by the month because I found my growing tummy completely fascinating. I have to admit, I couldn't stop staring at it in the mirror and taking pictures the whole 9 months. Look at what my body is doing! It is such a miracle, and it never gets old.
We start with Month 3 because that's when the bump begins to appear.

Month 3

Month 4

Month 5

Month 6

Month 7

Month 8

Month 9

We love you already, baby!