Baby #6

I've been slacking with my posts lately.  I have pictures to share and they are becoming pretty old already.  I'll have to get them up soon some time.

I thought I would share my excitement for my 6th child that should be arriving soon!  As with all my other kids, the excitement of meeting a new little one is just so joyous.

I am in the midst of the end of my third trimester and I tell ya, it seems to get tougher with each pregnancy.  I don't know, if I recall my past pregnancies, I think I am always complaining and whining towards the end that I don't think anyone really can tell the difference - but me.

I've had all different types of delivery stories and each one there is always something a little different.  With each pregnancy, there is something new I've learned or experience that I haven't before.  Thank God for Babycenter.com, a resource I use when I want answers. 

Let's see, with Anne, she was early.  She came around 35 weeks - premature, but not my much.  She was perfectly healthy when she came out.  I had the epidural with Anne and thought giving birth was a cinch!  I almost felt cheated because it was so simple.  Tommy came out early, too and I had another similar experience as I did with Anne's birth, easy.  Patrick, I got gestational diabetes and had to watch my diet and check my sugar intake.  That was difficult for me - I love sweets!  I ended up eating so many sugar free snacks that I didn't realize that the fat was still in the food I was eating.  I gained a lot of weight!  Patrick made it to term.  I went in to get induced but this time ended up having a placental abruption (50%) and had to have an emergency c-section.  Patrick was out in 10 minutes.  Everything went so fast that I didn't even realize how threatning that abruption was, for both me and Patrick, till after he was out.  Praise God.  With Eddie, I was planning on having a VBAC because I don't like the recovery at all from c-sections.  Just the thought of being sliced open doesn't make me happy at all.  With Eddie, my water broke for the first time.  The night before my water broke, I had a trickle of fluid come out as I was in bed and I thought I had broken my water, but it turned out (confirmed by doctor) that I must have just peed on myself.  Hmph!  The next night, my water broke and it was definitely the real deal.  No peeing on myself that time.  Eddie didn't cooperate and we decided to just have another c-section.  That was it - no more vaginal births for me.  Bernadette was a scheduled c-section, she made it to term and the surgery went so smoothly.

So, Baby #6 is on it's way.  I am currently 38 weeks and will be delivering this little guy on December 3rd at 9:30 am.  So, please keep us in your prayers  as I always get a little nervous right before the births.

My babies are usually really tiny - Joe & I are small people, I guess!  However, when I've gone in for my sonograms they said this baby is measuring large.  Wow, really?  Perhaps, it's my huge appetite?  I seem to become an eating machine towards the end of my pregnancy.  I swear I can eat so much if you let me.  I also passed my glucose test which meant I didn't really hold back when it came to sweets - yes, that must be the reason Baby is going to be big.  Bernadette was my biggest baby, she's also my tiniest child, too.  Bernadette was born at 7 lb.15 oz - I'm predicting an 8 lb. 6 oz baby.

With this pregnancy, I've gained 40 lbs!  I don't think that is all bad, but I feel like an elephant.  I recently saw a picture of myself and I looked like I had a basketball under my shirt.  I'm definitely more curvy with extra padding every where, but this baby really just sticks out.  A OBGYN randomly came up to me recently in a restaurant and just wanted to tell me how well I was carrying this baby.  Wow - thanks!

With most of my pregnancies, I've noticed how your hip joints get more relaxed because of that hormone relaxin (or something like that) which prepares your body for delivery.  This pregnancy, my hips are so relaxed that it hurts so much to just sit, put on socks, to lift my legs, to lay down in bed and get comfortable.  It feels like someone is stabbing me with a knife between my legs everytime!  Ouch!  I have to get Joe to manually position myself at nights.  This is a first for me, but not uncommon to pregnant women.

I wonder if I'll make it to December 3rd or not.  I keep wondering as I waddle around doing my thing.  Most probably, I will.  I am already contracting, but they are never regular.  With Bernadette, I always thought I was in labor, but wasn't.  I hate to go and call in for false labor!

Clothing is an issue right now, too.  My large maternity clothes are now too small and I'm looking ridiculous with my tummy hanging out!  Wish it was summer and not winter!  I could stylishly get away with it.  I refuse to buy more clothes this close to the end.  I am now wearing my husband's sweats.  It's also sad to think that I weigh more than my husband by a lot!

The kids are so excited about Baby #6!  I love when the kids come around and hug my belly.  When we pray at night, they always pray for Baby and it makes me so warm and fuzzy inside because their prayers mean so much more!  I love when they get excited when Baby moves around and they want to feel their brother.  Eddie, my 5 year old, is the most excited I think.  I am amazed. 

December 3rd really cannot get here soon enough.  The days just slow down when you are so close to the end, but then they speed up right after.  I really can't believe that I have 5 beautiful children already.  Each such a blessing and a joy.  God is really so good.

There are some viruses going on in our house right now.  This time of year with all the sickness going around, it's hard to keep track of them all.  The kids are all about done with the colds, but Joe just recently got strep and even though I have no symptoms right now, I'm hoping that doesn't develop between now and birth.  I've called the doctor already!

So, even though I really don't want to post any full pictures of me pregnant with Baby, I will post a top view of my belly!  Well, it seems I ran out of storage for my pics.  Oh well, will have to fix that somehow before Baby comes!

Till then, keep us in your prayers!

Thanks!