Baby #3 Announcement

We found out we were expecting our third child the second week of October.  We had been trying to conceive for a few months, so it was news we were ready and waiting for!  A couple weeks later and I was full-on MISERABLE.  I had a very rough 1st trimester.  24-hour terrible nausea (I thankfully only threw up usually 2-3 times a day, though, but felt on the brink of throwing up many times a day).  The super exhaustion was very real, and I suffered from really horrible back and body pain.  Generally by evening I was a complete and total mess, limping around hunched over, sometimes in tears from the pain and misery.  It didn't help that the house was always an absolute WRECK (David did try to help pitch in more.  :), that only made me feel more depressed.  I was very much in 'survival' mode.  It was definitely a challenging time for our family.  Eli was terrified of me throwing up, and would take off running to his room whenever I'd get sick.  Clara would stay where she was but place her hands over her ears.  :)  Both kids tried to be sweet and understanding.

I stopped throwing up by 15 weeks, in time for a Christmas week reunion with my family.  A few weeks after that and I was feeling MUCH better.  No more nausea!  No more crazy pain!  No more severe exhaustion!  Whew.  Thank you, 2nd trimester.  I don't know how I would have survived that awfulness if it had kept up during David's busy season.

Clara was the first person we told, as she's quiet and can keep a secret.  :)  Eli found out at 7 weeks when I started throwing up.  Both kids are very excited and very loving to the baby.

When I announced it to my family, I received an announcement in return.  My sister, Beth, was also expecting her 3rd baby on the exact same day!  How crazy is that?!  Two sisters with the due date of June 20th.  :)

The four of us went to my gender-reveal ultrasound together at the end of January.  4-0 we were all right--We're having a BOY!  I so love having a girl, and wish it was possible to give Clara a sister, but I really really wanted Eli to have a brother.  I felt like he really needed that.  It was a fun ultrasound.  Baby boy was NOT shy and we knew the gender as soon as she began!  He was very active while we watched him, sucking on his hand, and moving from his his back to his tummy and so forth.  Eli's response to boy or girl was, "Boy, so he can help me guard my room from Clara."

Of course the night after we found out the gender I started obsessing over names.  David vetoed all my initial favorites which definitely makes choosing a name a lot trickier!

A couple weeks ago Eli randomly named the baby "Bob."  Now he's always coming over and rubbing my belly and asking, "How's Baby Bob doing?"  He loves to lay down and cuddle on my tummy and feel the baby move.   He talks about how Bob's warm and cozy, how Bob loves whatever food I'm eating, and even asked me how Bob gets out of my tummy.  :)

Clara loves to lift up my shirt and talk to Bob.  She leans in right to my belly button when she talks, as she seems to think that's where he is.  She loves saying that she's the "big sister," and her latest thing is asking, "When will baby come out?" For a while she walked around with her shirt up talking about the baby in HER tummy.  :)   I think "Bob" will be lucky to have a great older brother and sister.

At 23 weeks I'm measuring 3 weeks ahead.  He's very active and I can see him move across my belly, even though he's only the size of a papaya.  I'm always craving sweets (which is apparently causing my weight to increase faster than I realized, boo!), and I have heartburn on occasion.  I feel VERY large (I have really 'popped' since this photo was taken) and hate bending down. We are thankful for this little boy and that he's growing strong and healthy.

22 weeks pregnant