Baby Crosby is HERE!

Phew. So it's been a whirlwind of a week! Last week I wrote about all my feelings after my doctor's appointment and I honestly felt like this baby was never coming on his own. I really was convinced that I would have to be induced at 42 weeks of gestation! So last Monday was no fun. I was determined to shake it off and have a better day on Tuesday and that happened. But I still felt SO uncomfortable all day and after talking to Tony I decided to contact my doctor and ask our options for induction. He left for the day and the nurse assured me he'd give me a call Wednesday. I told myself if he didn't call by 2pm on Wednesday then I would call back again. Wednesday morning Molly woke up super poopy and had the WORST diaper rash! She had been super snotty with a cough the past several days and that seemed to be getting worse, too. After cleaning her up and having a relaxing morning and early afternoon being goofy at home we headed to the store to stock up on groceries and so I could make some more food for our freezer for when Crosby did make it here. Afterwards we stopped to see Tony at work... he told me he was having Tops BBQ for lunch and wished he had ordered the burger. Ever since he mentioned wanting a burger I pretty much had to have one and McDonald's oddly sounded the best! So on the way home I got a #2 and we headed home to have some lunch. I still hadn't heard from my doctor's office but by that point I figured we could give waiting a go... I wouldn't be pregnant forever. Blah blah blah.

I ate my food pretty much on the way home and I fixed food for the girls once we got home.  While they were sitting in their chairs eating and watching one of their shows or movies I got super uncomfortable and tired so I nodded off on the couch for a little while - as much as you can with two kids in front of you. I thought the uncomfortableness COULD be the beginning of labor, or it could be nothing. Once the girls were all done with their lunch I started having some contractions. Again, these could be false or real or could fizzle out so I tried not to get my hopes up. These are the contractions you can still walk and talk through but they were definitely more than just a little crampy at this point and seemed to be coming regularly so I started timing them around 4pm and they were lasting 50-60 seconds and were coming in about every 6 minutes. This kept up for 30 minutes but the contractions were coming in sometimes every 5 minutes and sometimes more like every 2-3 minutes and had certainly picked up in intensity! I don't remember the exact timeline but Tony left work early and I think got home around 4:45pm. I threw a few final things in my hospital bag and he grabbed a couple things for himself. I got the kids in the van and sat in the back with them and had a big contraction while waiting for him that really freaked me out! He hustled us to the hospital, thank goodness.

Tony dropped me off and I signed in while he brought the girls in from the parking lot. After a little time in the waiting room I headed back to triage where I found out I was 5cm dilated around 5:50pm, so they started to get all the paperwork and everything else going. I was having contractions the whole time but really stopped counting them and tried my best to calm my body and breathe through them. One of the nurses asked me to rate my pain because she was surprised with how composed I was! Score!! Unfortunately I was in triage for longer than expected because they had a hell of a time getting an IV in thanks to my small, rolling veins. The first nurse tried two different spots with the second place getting blood ALL over my arm, the floor, and even the wall! Thank goodness my mind and energy was focused on my contractions because otherwise I would have had anxiety through the roof about this. The nurse apologized profusely and I kept telling her she had a really tough job and there's no way in hell I could do what she does and to please stop apologizing! She called another nurse in who tried a different spot that once again, didn't work. I said a prayer to myself and asked God to help us out here... I asked my Dad to help out somehow if he could... he was a regular blood donor and seemed to be at ease with these situations. Lo and behold, the 4th time was a charm and they got an IV to stay and we headed back to a room!

They wheeled me out in the hallway and the first face I see is Tony's and I instantly felt so much better. The nurse who was wheeling me back to a room said Tony reminded her of her nephew and I said, "You must have a good looking nephew!" :) Seriously, just so happy to have him by my side again. At this point the girls were in the waiting room with my mother-in-law and were waiting to come back and say goodbye... this was about 7pm, I'd say. At this point the contractions were certainly coming in nice and painfully! I felt so reluctant to say goodbye to my girls but at the same time I felt a lot of relief with them going home so we could focus AND get that epidural! The girls handled it all like champs and made it so easy on me to say goodbye to them. They're so used to hanging with Grandmommy at this point that it's not a big ordeal which was another huge blessing.

Saying goodbye to my babies!

Tony walked them out and that's when I remember my contractions becoming extra painful. My nurses were getting ready for the anesthesiologist who would be coming by very soon. But Tony still wasn't back! And I didn't want to do this part without him because of the scary and horrible wet tap experience last time. I got my biggest contraction yet and that's when I knew I would be signing up for this epidural as soon as humanly possible with or without my husband!!!! Thankfully he beat the gas man to the room and I'm glad he did because it was peaceful having him there with me.

Have I mentioned the labor and delivery nurses yet? I believe their names were Margot and Michelle. And they were angels. So helpful, so calm, so informative and friendly and wonderful and attentive. So they introduced us to the anesthesiologist, David, who was also 100% an angel. He talked to us for a little while and one of the major things we talked about was the spinal fluid leak from my epidural last time. He asked lots of questions and offered a ton of insight. He was so warm and reassuring. Not to mention he was building up my confidence so much with his kind words! So it was finally epidural time and it went SO well and about 10-15 minutes later I was feeling much, much less already. This is when the story went from a battleground to a trip to the spa! Labor seemed to slow down a bit after getting the epidural but absolutely worth it.

Crosby's heart rate would dip down considerably during my contractions - this was happening back in triage as well. So I was on my side as much as possible. Around the time of my epidural I was around 6-7cm and when they checked me a while later (maybe a few hours?) I was still at 7cm so they brought back this gigantic ball that I put in between my legs while I was on my side - 30 minutes on one side and then 30 minutes on the next side. (Did I freaking mention my angel nurses?? They did everything for me and cared so much!) I'm a little fuzzy on what time it was but I know I was 8cm around 11:30pm and after that point we realized Crosby wouldn't have an October 5th birthday! Up until this point Tony was pretty sleepy but stayed up with me to talk and keep my mind preoccupied which I appreciated so much. We watched like four or five episodes of Modern Family together which lightened my mood so much! I told him to get some rest and that I'd let HGTV and Law & Order: SVU keep me company for a while. He had no problem falling asleep and nodded off right away!

I don't remember what time it was that my nurses checked me again but I remember she said she felt "no cervix" at that point which meant I was at 10cm and she said my bag of waters was bulging! All good things! They called my doctor who said he would be there in about 15 minutes... I think this was around 1-1:15am! Everybody was in and out of the room at this point getting things ready to go for when the good doctor got there. I still wasn't feeling much of anything - thank you epidural & David for administering it!!! Tony came over with my phone and took "one last" photo before we met Crosby and I remember Dr. Podraza walked in just as we smiled for the camera - the timestamp on that is 1:39am!

As soon as I saw Dr. Podraza I just felt so extremely grateful. He did such an incredible job delivering Molly and it was so comforting to see him here again... not to mention he was here in the middle of the night! Bless him and all the nurses and doctors who do the same thing for their patients! So I thanked him and he jumped right into all the hustle and bustle. He let me know that my bag of waters still - somehow - hadn't broken (just like my previous two deliveries) and I believe he went ahead and broke it. There was meconium so he let us know it could be an issue or maybe it wouldn't be... that if Crosby came out shouting and crying then it would be a great sign. If things were okay when Crosby came out then I would get skin-to-skin time with him immediately. He also let us know Crosby was posterior/sunny-side up just as my previous two babies had been and then proceeded to flip/spin him around right there in the birth canal. And then it was pretty much go time!!! I asked my nurse if they turned down my epidural for pushing because I still wasn't feeling very much and internally worried how pushing would go. Dr. Podraza jumped in and said they normally would turn it down and would have if he anticipated that I would push for very long but that he felt like this would go quickly so there was no need. My nurses and doctor did an awesome job talking me through pushing when I wasn't sure if I was doing it right or not (couldn't feel much!) and after about 2-3 rounds of pushing Crosby was out! And nearly immediately he was crying so loud and strong!!!! I remember looking at Tony and saying how great it was to hear him cry right away. They called out the time that he was born - 1:53am!

Next thing you know they're putting this soft, squishy baby on my chest. I noticed the dimple in his chin right away - just like Presley, my dad, my little sister, and my nephew! Doctor Podraza waited several minutes until the cord was done pulsating before clamping and cutting it which I was so grateful for because of the benefits of doing so. Tony cut the cord and that was that!

Had to get a photo of Doctor Podraza before he took off to start the rest of his day

We had some more skin-to-skin time and then eventually put the medicine on his eyes and weighed him and then it was time to get him to breastfeed! It took a little trial and error there but then he got a good first latch and started eating! Yay!! We waited about two hours and then it was time to move from our room in labor and delivery to a new room in the mother/baby part of the hospital. This is about the time that they took Crosby to the nursery to be measured - we didn't have his height yet - and they would give him his first bath and all that good stuff. We waited until he was back from that to announce on Facebook & social media that Crosby had joined us earlier in the morning!

Crosby Thomas - 7 pounds 15 ounces and 20.5 inches long!

It has taken me FOREVER to write this much... I'm thinking a lot of that has to do with my mind going in all directions these days and my lack of sleep! I plan on writing a little more another time about the girls meeting him for the first time, having my placenta encapsulated, and more of that great stuff. Thank you for EVERY kind wish, prayer offered, and encouragement from each of you along the way. He's finally here and I am so grateful that labor, delivery, recovery and breastfeeding have been going so well. Now it's onto surviving the newborn sleep deprivation and making the most of the small amount of time Tony's got off from work!

Baby 3.0: 40 Weeks & Waiting.

40 weeks pregnant with Crosby

I'm feeling: Pretty down. I waited 50 minutes at the doctor's office today. It is so disheartening to wait and wait and wait. I know it happens. I know to expect it. But every damn week? It makes me feel unimportant. And a little honest communication along the way goes a LONG way, if you ask me. I go up to the window after waiting so long to see if I should reschedule and of course, they get me back to ultrasound right away after that. So... I'm thinking they forgot about me? I'm not sure what happened. Not to mention after my ultrasound my doctor barely saw me. He didn't check my cervix or measure my belly or anything this week. Thankfully, my fluid levels are good-ish. They're a little on the borderline low side so that means drinking more water for me. I don't think I've really had many contractions so far so I suppose maybe that's why he didn't check my cervix. I know there is not much to be done about waiting for Crosby to come BUT it would make me feel much more comforted if I felt like my doctor was doing everything he could to be there for me. Support. Encouragement. Empathy. Reassurance. I didn't feel much of that today. So... that's why I'm feeling a little bit down.

Baby's size: We are officially at the watermelon stage. I've been feeling some major round ligament pain lately and as my doctor so empathetically put it... "your belly isn't exactly small at this point" - so he's getting big.

High of the week: My little sister was in town this weekend and it was nice having her here. We got pedicures and that was so relaxing. After that we went to see some friends from high school and I can't even begin to say how great that was! I laughed... so much!! And got to catch up with some really great people. We made some fun trips out to the zoo this past week. I've loved having my brother-in-law in town and getting all together.

Had to take a family siblings photo while we had the kids' aunt and uncle in town!

Tony with his brother & dad

Low of the week: Feeling not great after my doctor's appointment today.

What I'm excited about: I'm so bummed right now and just frustrated with the waiting... it's hard for me to summon some positive feelings right now. There's only so many times I can share my excitement to meet this little guy and have my spirits crushed a little bit each day he stays put. I'm very grateful he is healthy and safe. But I'll be grateful when he's here and I can stop the second guessing, worrying, and anxiety revolving around his well-being and labor and delivery. 40 week is already a long time to wait. So yes, I have so much to be thankful for. I have so much to look forward to. I have so much to feel excited about. I know he will be here eventually. I know I can't and won't be pregnant forever. I know how I should feel or how I could feel but right now I'm just feeling a bit worn down.

Once I'm feeling a bit more upbeat I'll write again, but that's it for now. Hope everyone's week has started off on a good foot and if it hasn't - it can only get better from here, guys. 

Baby 3.0: 39 Weeks ...& 3 days

*Caution* Just in case you don't want to hear about cervixes dilating or any other details of that nature, go ahead and just stop reading to be on the safe side. You've been warned.  But if you've ever read a pregnancy book in your life or learned the biology of pregnancy, I'm sure you won't hear anything you haven't heard before.

39 weeks pregnant with Crosby!

So, let me start out by saying I've never been this pregnant before! I had Presley at 39 weeks & 1 day and seeing as I had her at 6am and was in labor for a few days prior to her birth - I didn't experience much pregnancy past the end of week 38. With Molly I was set to be induced 11 days early and ended up having mild, regular contractions all day prior to induction. I got to the hospital and they administered the cervidil and by that point my body was already rocking & rolling & I had Molly about 10 hours later! I remember towards the end of my pregnancy with Molly I was feeling pretty miserable and I'm sure the gestational diabetes had something to do with it. 

This time around I am still feeling pretty wonderful (all things considered) and I'm shocked to have really NO signs of labor! Last week at the weekly appointment my doctor checked my cervix and I was about 2cm dilated, 50% effaced, and baby seemed to be head down in good position. That was excellent news and even though I know better... I definitely got my hopes up! Even though I was still pregnant at 38w4d at this point, I thought FOR SURE there was no way I'd make it to my next doctor's appointment still pregnant... which is.... tomorrow. Bummer. Another funny thing? Tony guessed our previous two children's birthdays on.the.nose both times so this is the first time that hasn't happened! (His guess was September 25th which has so clearly come and gone.) Now we wait to find out if Cros will be a September or October baby!

I've been drinking raspberry leaf tea like CRAZY for the last week (thanks Aida!) and hoping with each passing day that I'll wake up to contractions... but lo and behold there has been a whole lot of nothing going on.

Baby's size: According to my favorite pregnancy app, baby is the size of a small pumpkin this week... which is so perfect because we've just started decorating our house with a few Fall/Halloween decorations here and there! He's also likely to be anywhere from 19-21 inches tall and  7-8 pounds.

39 week's pregnant at 24 years of age carrying Presley vs. 39 weeks pregnant at 28 years of age carrying Crosby

Cravings: Cheeseburgers!!! There were two nights in a row this week that I ate a big, juicy burger for dinner and it was so fantastic. Carrots & ranch have been my jam lately. Oh and speaking of jam... PB&J sandwiches have been a craving this last week! Tony and I had Pyro's for the first time last week and ever since then I have been craving their BBQ pizza... still craving it...

High of the week: I loved having one on one time with Tony after my appointment last week. We had a day date and got lunch together at Pyro's. It's so, so wonderful to just have that time with him... especially amidst all the changes and the huge life change soon to come. He is still my best friend and spending time with just him will always be something I love, enjoy, crave, and will never get tired of!  And thank goodness for Grandmommy for watching my sweet babies while I visit the doctor on my own and have grown-up time for lunch, too! Tony and I love and adore our kids but it is so nice to take a breather just the two of us every now and again.

Presley took this photo of us on her own and I just LOVE it.

There were several really happy moments this week: the girls & I took a trip to the Memphis Zoo that  ended up being so much fun thanks to a really active & friendly hippo, we had a great time at Everett's 2nd birthday party, and Tony's brother Sean is in town visiting for a while and it was so good seeing him again and knowing he's not far!!!

It was 94 degrees outside while we were at the zoo but thankfully there were fans with mist coming out of them right here to cool us down!

Definitely one of the best zoo animal interactions, ever.

Happy birthday, Everett!

This is Marsha & I - she's about 15 weeks pregnant and is married to one of Tony's good friends, Tyler. Seems like not that long ago Kristen & I took a photo like this when she was pregnant with Everett and I was pregnant with Molly!!!

The gang is all here! That's Selena, Tony & Presley, Sean, Me, Molly, & Mike - all the Duggans!

Low of the week: Making eggplant parmesan from scratch - using tons of good groceries, time, and effort for this one meal... having it smell and look amazing but then the eggplant just not tasting great to you! BUMMER!!!! I know it seems silly but thankfully that was the lowest for the week! {Side note: I followed the Scalinis Restaurant recipe perfectly... it is known for putting very pregnant women into labor within 48 hours of eating it. I had it for dinner Monday night around 8pm or so... so we're over 24 hours into the countdown and no sign of Crosby yet!}

What I'm excited about: I'm really, really looking forward to my doctor's appointment tomorrow afternoon. Like... I just can't wait. I'm absolutely going to talk about the possibilities of induction and what exactly the game plan will be if I don't go into labor anytime soon. My doctor is a natural kinda guy and pretty darn laid back so it will be antsy me wanting to go ahead and get things going more than him, I'm sure. Either way it will just be nice to have the conversation, to see if my doctor sets an expiration date for me, and to see if my body is any more progressed than last week!

That's it, everybody! Hopefully the next pregnancy update will include a picture of Crosby!!!!! (Everyone cross your fingers!)

Baby 3.0: 38 Weeks & Counting...

So here we are, 38 weeks pregnant. All along I've thought I would have had Crosby by now! I thought since baby #1 came one week early and that baby #2 came two weeks early that baby #3 would be three weeks early and keep with the pattern. But now we're inside the two week mark to my due date and it has me wondering... what if this kid actually waits until my due date - or beyond?!

38+ weeks along in my third pregnancy... 12 days to go until my due date! But who's counting?

I am feeling: Surprisingly I feel pretty great still! I really think a lot of that is due to the fact that with two little ones to keep up with all day/everyday I just haven't had much of a choice otherwise! It's kept me busy and moving and focused on other things. Sleep is not perfect BUT it's still great. I pee all.the.time these days. My appetite isn't huge these days or rather it comes and goes. What else?

Baby's size: He's the size of a spaghetti squash! Although I can't know for sure yet, he is likely to be somewhere around 7 pounds by now & over 19.5 inches long. You can tell he's running out of room, still, because when he moves around you can see every bit of it.

{L to R} 38 weeks pregnant with Presley (Feb 2012), Molly (June 2014), and Crosby (September 2016)

Cravings: Things that have been sounding especially delicious: a DQ Reese's blizzard with extra Reese's, Lebanese/Mediterranean/Greek food, and so many Italian dishes sound delicious, too. We've been doing really well when it comes to eating at home lately but I did cave and headed to Cedar's Restaurant for my favorite dish after my appointment last week. I told the guys working there hopefully they wouldn't see me for a while - because that would mean I'd had my baby - but looks like I might need to make another stop there after my appointment Wednesday!

High of the week: Watching the Cowboys play again this week!!! And they played awesome which culminated in them beating the Redskins. Afterwards we headed to Blake & Kaitlyn's wedding which was so beautiful! Unfortunately the girls and I couldn't stay long because Molly decided that jumping and sitting in puddles seemed like a great idea so she was filthy! We headed home early for bath time!  One thing I absolutely LOVE about weddings is that they're so beautiful and the love is often tangible. It reminds me exactly why I fell in love with Tony and left me feeling incredibly grateful to be married to my best friend and the man who is my partner in this life.

We also had a meeting at Presley's preschool earlier in the week to hear more about their vision for the four-year-old's this year and it was just perfect! After the meeting I felt so confident in our choice to send Presley to school and felt even better about our choice in school. I know she's exactly where she needs to be! Several times in the meeting I got teary-eyed because I was so moved by the sentiments shared by those in charge there. So thankful for Hope Preschool!

Low of the week: I will take it as a huge win that I can't think of a low for this week!!! I'll go out on a limb and say that it was probably the fact that Crosby still isn't here yet! I know there is no rush - but I'm ready and I kinda wish he was, too!

What I'm excited about: Seeing Crosby's face. I can't imagine what he looks like I can't wait to see him and hold him! Even if it doesn't happen some time in the immediate future, my due date is only 12 days away! Can you tell this is a mantra I'm hanging onto these days?! I'm also excited about finishing up my hospital bag. I know... I know... should've been totally done already but procrastinators gotta procrastinate! It's 90% put together as of now but it'll be so nice to pack it completely and zip it up and be done with it. I'm also excited that Presley's new booster seat comes in this week! Once it comes in I think we'll go ahead and install it in the way back of the van, move Molly over to Presley's old seat, and go ahead and install Crosby's seat!!!! I can't wait! It'll make everything all the more real.

That's it for this week! I'm waiting on pins & needles for my next appointment and hoping that maybe this is the week we'll get to meet our baby boy!!!

Five Books I've Read {thursday thoughts} + 37w4d update!

I love books! I love discovering new books to read and falling in love with the characters and the story, the setting... all of it. But what I end up doing most of the time is rereading my favorite books over and over again. I just get hooked. I've read the Twilight, 50 Shades, & Hunger Games series countless times and have yet to get sick of any of them. I've read the Harry Potter series once throughout and read a couple of the books more than once... I'm currently stuck on HP #4. For some reason I start the series and end up stopping on Goblet of Fire before finishing the series again. So hopefully I can muster up the nighttime energy to finish the series soon so that I can find a new book to read and fall in love with.

Here is a list of a few books I have recommended to people recently! Like I said, I haven't done a whole lot of reading new books lately but these are five books I have absolutely loved.

ONE. Me Before You by Jojo Moyes

I definitely have no ever cried so hard while reading a book... maybe not since reading Nicholas Sparks' The Guardian (if you love good books and love dogs... read that book). Also, take into account I was reading this while 20 weeks pregnant so maybe that has something to do with the extra strong emotions. I do think a lot of it had to do with the characters in this book being so incredibly relatable, reliable, and so so real. It made everything feel as if it were happening to me or extremely close to me. There's a second book in this series and I started to read it but I had a hard time getting into the book - so I hope to try again soon.

TWO. You Matter More than You Think: What a Woman Needs to Know about the Difference She Makes by Leslie Parrott

It's been a while since I've read this one but the two things I love most about this book was how simple & uplifting of a read this was it was each time I sat down with this book. At the end of every chapter there were a few questions to reflect upon that brought me out of my comfort zone to answer. I considered this a great thing - you want to be outside that comfort zone as much as possible when it comes to self reflection. This is a book you can (and should) revisit every so often as we are always changing. I'm adding this to the list of books I'd like to read again in the near future and I'm sure it'll be something I document here on my blog when the time comes!

THREE. The Good Girl by Mary Kubica

I was so super pleasantly surprised by this book. I don't want to say much about this book except that I think it's one hell of a good book. I didn't feel very invested in the characters at first and felt the book in general felt sooo slow in the first few chapters. Everything changed about halfway through the book for me and I was hooked. There were some really suspenseful parts to this book and typically that's not the type of book I read but I am so glad I did. And I highly recommend it and don't want to give anything away!

FOUR. Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia

I felt like everything in this book was so incredibly unique. There are lots of comparisons from this book series to the Twilight series but I never really felt that way. (The thing they had in common for me was that I was completely in love with both series!) The characters & all the various relationships (familial, romantic, friendships, etc.) in the book is really what got me interested and kept my attention! I also read Beautiful Darkness, Dream Dark, Beautiful Chaos, & Beautiful Redemption... but I read them all so fast that it's all kind-of a blur at this point. I will say that I enjoyed all the books so so much. I'll definitely be rereading these some day! If you like to use your imagination while reading then I recommend checking these out if you haven't already.

FIVE. Our Q&A a Day: 3-Year Journal for Two People by Potter Style

Okay, so this might be a less traditional answer for the prompt since it technically isn't a book you read... but I have enjoyed it so much (when we remember to keep up with it) that I'd love to share it here. I remember my Gramma Myers encouraging me to write and to journal from a very young age and ever since then I've kept one. Most of my life it was the traditional "Dear Diary..." every day but occasionally my journaling included daily writing with prompts. I benefited so much from all types of writing but it feels so great writing with a purpose greater than what you did that day. What makes this journal so special & fun is that you get to complete it side-by-side with someone else. Here are a few examples from the book:

Today was rewarding because _______.
What color are your socks today?
What's the foundation of your relationship?
If you were to make a playlist for your partner, what would the title be?
Jot down three things you can't live without.

It's fun and easy - you've got about three lines to speak your mind for the question that day. Afterwards we'd compare answers and talk about it. It's something little to get you talking to each other at the end of your day. I love it & definitely recommend it. Tony & I have fallen off the wagon so hopefully this will be our calling to get back into it! And a huge thank you to Hannah for introducing me to the journal!!!!

So that's it for this week's prompt. I'm halfway through the Thursday Thoughts list I put together and I'm sure I was supposed to be done with it by now! Considering we have no clue when Crosby will make his way into the world I should probably start writing these now & schedule them out for the next few Thursdays ahead of time.

Speaking of Crosby's debut, I visited my doctor today. At this point the visits are on a weekly visit but they've been quite uneventful. Except for today's visit, that is. My doctor came in and we chatted and he measured my belly and checked for the heartbeat. He told me I was still measuring small and I still don't see HOW that is possible. He told me he was pretty sure that Crosby was still not head down and if that were the case then he would like to try turning/spinning him. It would be possible to get Crosby into position before labor started and wouldn't be much of a possibility to do so after labor starts. Since I am 100% not wanting major surgery after two successful vaginal deliveries, I was all for having my doctor attempt to move the baby around. This would require a trip to labor & delivery. It seemed like baby was still side lying in there and while that would mean a smaller/easier spin for baby and me, it would also mean it would be easier for Cros to just pop back into side lying after the procedure. If this were to happen then my doctor would flip him again and then break my bag of waters so that baby would have less mobility in there/less chance to go right back out of head down position. Oh, and this could happen as soon as today! Which means super potentially that there was a slim chance that in about 24 hours - give or take - we'd have a baby in our arms.

At this point, this sounded like music to my ears!!! Obviously it would be great to not go through the pain of having Crosby manually spun around while in my uterus... but to get this show on the road and maybe even meet Crosby by the end of the day? Hell. Yes. So I headed to ultrasound to see what was going on in there... and guess what? Crosby is technically head down but just kinda in a funky position! So no need to spin him around (YAY!) but also no need to induce which means no baby today. I felt relieved but I also felt a bit bummed. All this potential excitement just fizzled right out. At least for today. The rest of the evening I felt sick and weird and potentially was having contractions/Braxton Hicks. It was no fun! I got in the bathtub here at home and thankfully started to feel better. I suppose all the talk about induction got my body thinking it was time to start warming up for game day! I have no idea when he'll be here or even if I've dilated at all yet... but I do know my due date is just a tad over two weeks away. Even if I'm pregnant for another two weeks, that's still only fourteen days left. That's no time at all. So I suppose it's time to tie up all our loose ends and make the most of it!

Thanks for reading everybody... if you could keep us in your thoughts & prayers over the next few weeks through this huge life change, I would love and appreciate that gift. Please let me know if I could return the favor and in what ways I can be keeping you in my thoughts & prayers in that time period as well. XXOO

Recap on the Thursday Thoughts prompts: Ten, Nine, Eight, Seven, Six

Baby 3.0: 37 Weeks & Nesting

37 weeks pregnant & 3 weeks to go until my due date!

I'm feeling: I've been feeling pretty great lately - all things considered, that is. I don't have a whole ton of energy these days but the modified schedule we have works great. I can tell my nesting has kicked into overdrive... I've been stocking the shelves of our pantry with multiples of everything we use the most, making meals for the freezer, and we currently have plenty of leftovers in the fridge. I made some bread tonight and just have felt the need to cook a whole bunch! Today it was potato soup and Swedish meatballs and egg noodles! I've been tiding up little corners of our house one by one and it just feels really great. 

Part of me feels super ready to just get the ball rolling - to go into labor and to have Crosby. But then of course there is a more rational part of me that realizes I don't have all my ducks in a row yet so maybe right this second wouldn't be the best time to begin labor. Saturday was the day that I hit the official 37 week mark and I celebrated by making labor inducing cookies and eating eggplant parmesan - which is also supposed to kickstart labor. But here we are, Sunday night, and nothing is different. I'm not sad about that either. He'll come when he's ready!

Cookie time!

Next up - eggplant parmesan!

Got home and realized I had flour all over my shirt from the cookie making!

Cravings: Last night it was eggplant parmesan (thank you, Olive Garden!) and today it was Swedish meatballs. Once I get it in my mind that I want a specific dish then we are definitely finding a way to make it happen. I'm very grateful for Tony's sweet encouragement along the way. Also, Taco Bell is still a thing that happens every so often around here. We'll see if this hangs around after Crosby comes.

Baby's size: This week Crosby is the size of a honeydew melon... about 6 pounds & 19 inches. He's considered "near term" at this point! Woo-hoo!!

{L to R} 37 weeks pregnant with Presley, Molly, & Crosby

High of the week: This is totally gonna sound bad - but I am a little bit happy that I got to keep Presley home all week! She's been real sick from this cold she can't seem to kick - Tuesday morning she woke up with ZERO voice and then on Thursday her cough/congestion was still way too awful to send her. I do wish she had been well enough to go to school and hate that she's been missing out on things there but I did enjoy the extra time with her. 

I'm also SO HAPPY that the NFL games are BACK!!!!! The Cowboys looked awesome today and were SO close to a win. I just love watching all the games again! And how awesome was Larry Fitzgerald and the Arizona Cardinals tonight?! 

Low of the week: This week was a rocky one. I made scrambled eggs for the girls one day and made a bowl for myself plus a little bit of salsa... I sat down to eat them and immediately knocked them on the floor. The following day Molly spilled my coffee all over the living room while I was in the bathroom. 

Salsa eggs... on the floor...

Both girls have been sick (common cold) for a week now and it has REALLY put a damper on their moods and on Molly's behavior especially. SO, this week has been a hard one. Tony's first day back to work after the 3 day weekend was Tuesday and I'd have to say that was the worst day of the week. I've lost my temper WAY too much - more than normal - and it's 90% of the time directed towards Molly. We're both such hot heads! And dealing with a two-year-old hot head is not easy. I'm trying all different ways of dealing with it to see what works. It could also be teething and being on the cusp of a huge life change that is making it so hard for us right now!

What I'm looking forward to: My doctor's appointment on Wednesday!!! I love going every week now. My doctor had a crazy day last week which included him being gone to perform emergency surgery on another patient - so I'm looking forward to a more normal visit this week. And hopefully he'll check my cervix to see if things have progressed at all! I'm ready for Presley to get back in the swing of things for school this week, too! Looking forward to Tony's weekend off and some more family time... winding down our time as a family of FOUR!