Pregnancy #4: 40 Weeks & Summary

Ok, this is the last of these pregnancy posts! This was a fun little marker for me to do each week.

The weather turned cold in November, so week 37 is the last one shot outside. I also had to start going to the hospital each week for non-stress tests given my "advanced maternal age".

By week 38 I had cut back to walking only half a mile 5 times a week, and it took me half an hour to do! I stopped walking right after Thanksgiving because we had so much snow and the roads were even icy. I just didn't want to risk falling!

I had some anxiety during this pregnancy, something I've never struggled with before. I know some of it was over the planned c-section and I worried that by week 39 I'd be a mess! Thankfully, my stress seemed to go down as the date approached, and I was fairly calm going to the hospital and heading for surgery. I plan to do a full birth story at some point, but not here or now.

Technically this was 39 weeks 5 days, and Jocelyn was born 39 weeks 6 days. I made sure to get the Christmas tree decorated before the baby, but we really kept Christmas simple this year.

So to recap, here's a look back at weeks 18-40!

Thanks for coming along with me on this journey! Here's to NOT being pregnant anymore!

Pregnancy #4: 36 Weeks

I can't believe baby girl is 36 weeks along! Seems like time is flying, but it also seems like I've been pregnant forever!

I've been working on a few things in the baby's room. I moved the wall unit in from the bathroom to hang above the changing table. I had a shelf with knobs on it, but I think this will be more functional for diaper changing and dressing our baby girl.

I also went through baby's clothes, pulling out the newborn stuff and making a stack of things to take to the hospital. I'm starting to feel that I should go ahead and pack that bag, but my other babies have been over 41 weeks, so I think I'm ok for now.

 Our little girl is not lacking for shoes! Aren't they fun? She has at least 10 pairs!

As for me, I still feel pretty good, usually. I do get tired easily. We were very busy this weekend and with the time change, I've been going to bed pretty early! I'm still walking (my October review is here) and can still do a mile, though I'm much slower than I was a few weeks ago. Everything looked fine at my last doctor's appointment. Starting this week, I go every week, and because of my "advanced maternal age" I'll be doing a non-stress test each week as well.

I've hesitated sharing this on the blog because people are so opinionated, but a list of factors has made us opt for a scheduled c-section this time around. I've had one before and felt strongly in favor of natural births for my 2nd and 3rd babies, but here we are again! It's definitely different to have a day scheduled instead of waiting for baby to decide.

I thought it would be fun to do a series of weekly shots starting with 18 weeks when we learned this baby is a girl. She (and I) has definitely grown!

That red shirt sure stands out! I actually am wearing it in my 35 week photo, but it looked so similar to the 33 week shot that I changed it to black and white. I do love red...

Only one more update to go!

Pregnancy #4: 32 Weeks

We got to see more pictures of our 4th little sweetie a couple weeks ago! We're so thankful everything looks healthy and normal. The technician even said she looks like her brothers. Aw!

Today is actually the last day of Week 32. Time is flying! I do feel like I'm starting to slow down and I have to ration my energy.

I'm still walking, but I've cut back to 1.5 miles 5 days a week. So far that's been easy to do, but I'm glad to have a goal set and the accountability of reporting how it's going here on my blog, or I'd find every excuse to not go!

In the last month it's officially become fall, we've enjoyed a few family outings, I turned 40, and my prenatal visits are up to twice a month. Everything looks great though, so we're thankful.

Some kind ladies from our church went together and bought us a beautiful white crib and matching changing table! I just love it! The current nursery is super tiny, so we had to move the dresser we had in there out to the mudroom. It's holding hats and scarves and things and will be moved back into baby's room in our next house. For now, there's a huge built in closet with drawers and plenty of room for storage in the nursery.

There's also a baby shower scheduled, hosted by more ladies at our church! I'm so glad to be welcomed by these ladies and hope I can make some real friends. Moving to a new area is always hard in that regard!

Baby's Auntie is making a mobile like this for her! I'm so excited! The butterfly punch is detailed and so pretty with the different scrapbook papers. It's going to be so adorable above the crib!

Our boys are excited to meet their sister! Poor things have no idea how much their lives will be interrupted with a newborn around! I'm so thankful for Grandmas who will be with us for several weeks, plus Gary practically works from home. We'll just stick close to home, rest a lot, and stay cozy and warm together.

Ok, so notice how the bump has grown? Check out Week 29 compared to 32! I guess that's a good thing, right? (And isn't it silly how my face is a totally different color in each of the pictures below? I guess photo edits and filters do make a difference!)

Thanks for reading! Only a couple more of these updates to go!

Pregnancy #4: 28 Weeks

Happy 3rd Trimester to this baby bump!

I can't believe there are only 10-12 weeks left before we become a family of six! I know from experience though that the last few weeks are the hardest. And longest. And slowest. And most uncomfortable.

I'm happy to report that I'm feeling great! My thyroid issue is under control and my numbers are totally normal now. I'm so happy about that! I have more energy and seem to think more clearly. Usually I'm pretty optimistic, but some days I just want to move to Australia.

I'm still walking two miles a day, six days a week! I'm getting stronger there too. I want to keep it up through September, then I might pull back to one mile a day. We'll see how I feel and how the weather holds up. Here's my latest update on my walks.

I'm still wearing much of the same clothes as I was before. I love soft, stretchy maxi skirts and they all still fit! My loser, longer shirts are doing well too. I made a moodboard of comfortable, modest maternity clothes similar to what I wear if you're interested.

I invested in a belly band a couple weeks ago and LOVE it! I got this one and wish it could go a little tighter but I think I'll be thankful for the extra room by the end. I wear the belt on my walks, when I'm doing standing-up chores like meal prep, vacuuming, mopping, etc., and on errands that require lots of walking, like getting groceries. The belt is comfortable when sitting but it does tend to creep up in the back. I feel that it helps my belly not be so heavy.

I'm so thankful for cooler weather and some rain! Those hot hot days were making me miserable! I've been sleeping better now that it's cool and have much less swelling in my feet. I'm taking the glucose test tomorrow and my 28-week appointment. Yuck! I'll keep you posted in another few weeks, or you can see weekly updates on Instagram (I'm Gibsongirl726).

Thought I'd end with a little nursery update! I love seeing pink! We have lots of clothes, though I'm not sure they're the right size for the seasons. Everything is hand-me-downs and furniture we already had. We need a crib! That's on our list for the next few weeks. I got a sweet little canopy for the crib and my BFF/SIL is helping me make a butterfly mobile. So excited!

Thanks for reading!

Maternity Wardrobe

Maternity Wardrobe 

I'm nearing the end of the second trimester of this fourth pregnancy, and let me tell you, I'm all about comfort! I'm finding maxi skirts, once again, to be the best thing out there, so I chose several for this set of clothes. I like loose fitting shirts and the most comfortable shoes I own are the only ones I wear!

Another goal in my wardrobe choice was to be able to mix and match. The red sweater and shoes would look cute with the blue dress, and the coral shirt would go with any of the skirts or pants. The chambray shirt has at least four pants/skirts that it would look great with, and so would either of the blue shirts. (The mint outfit is supposed to be pajamas! I think they'd be cute postpartum too.)

As we transition from summer into fall, it's been fun to add layers to my outfits. Scarves, a cardigan or a jean jacket make an old outfit seem new again. As the weather cools, I'll add leggings under my skirts and the sweaters will be worn all the time. I'm really hoping to stretch my wardrobe out to make it though the last 10-12 weeks.

What are your thoughts on a maternity wardrobe? 

Pregnancy #4: 24 Weeks

Hi friends! It's been a hot, busy week here in Northern Idaho, but I thought I'd take a few minutes to update you on my pregnancy with Baby #4.

I started a photo project at 20 weeks when I felt I was finally looking pregnant and not just fat! I've been posting weekly on Instagram (gibsongirl726) if you want to follow me there.

It's nice to be mostly unpacked and settled after the crazy months of May and June. I have a regular doctor and a baby doctor and they're working together to keep me super healthy. I've been taking meds for my thyroid and eating a lower-carb diet and I feel great! My energy is up, my moods are fairly consistent and I'm optimistic about the last half of this pregnancy.

If you're following my #walk365 posts, you know that I'm walking 2 miles a day at least 6 times a week! I'm committed to doing this until 30 weeks, then I'll reassess based on how I feel and crazy things like the changing weather. I will keep walking, but I might back down on the mileage.

I still can't believe we're having a girl! A friend of a friend gave us two huge bags of girl clothes and it was so much fun unpacking them into what will be the baby's room. Since we're renting I can't change anything about the room, but I've got a simple plan that's coming together and I'm excited!

The second trimester is always good to me. I feel strong and don't hate the way I look! I'm glad the days of summer are numbered though, and am looking forward to cooler weather in a big way. Baby girl is active and I'm feeling lots of movement, though she seems to quiet down as soon as Gary tries to feel a kick!

Thanks for reading!

The Belly and the Boys

My friend Noelle gave me the gift of taking some maternity pictures of me!

Of course no one could resist snapping a few of my little guys too!

I've got several projects going (at once!), so hopefully I'll have some fun before-and-after shots coming soon! Have a great day!