Pregnancy update {Baby #5}

Ahhhh, pregnancy is winding down and Baby #5 will be here before we know it! I'm so excited for the sweet newborn snuggles!

Recently Lily and I went shopping to pick out a new outfit for each gender. It was so hard to just pick one of each! A few days later I was at Walmart and couldn't resist the "little sister" and "lil bro" outfits, so the new baby will have a couple new outfits all their own - the rest will be hand-me-downs from big sisters or big brothers. Jacob still needs to get the tubs of newborn clothes and the infant carseat down from the attic. Haha, you can tell this is our 5th child. :)

36 weeks - with Ava on the left and Baby #5 on the right.

We made a paper chain to count down the last month of pregnancy. I'm hoping the kids aren't too disappointed if we reach the last ring and the baby isn't here yet. :)

37 weeks

I'm feeling well and energetic as long as I remember to take my iron and b vitamins and don't stay out in the heat too long. Even if I stay hydrated while outside, if I'm out for long periods, I'm zapped. A couple of weeks ago we had a nice week of cooler temperatures. It was amazing! We are all looking forward to fall!

I haven't had much of an appetite the last week or so. I'll fix something that sounds super yummy, but then it's all I can do to get down a few bites. Blah.

I'm sleeping great at night except for the occasional interruptions from pregnancy nightmares or children needing something...thankfully that's rare! I definitely feel best when I'm able to get in bed around 9:30 and be asleep by 10, but that's not always doable if I want to see Jacob when he gets home from rehearsals. 

I have done lots of freezer cooking! I love knowing that we have easy breakfasts and suppers on hand so I don't have to worry about meal planning and cooking much in the first few months. I'm also buying up extra groceries so we hopefully won't need to worry about getting out to shop for awhile. Ever since Levi got RSV and Pneumonia as a 7 week old and was in the hospital for a week, I have kept my newborns in for an extra long time. 

Jacob's schedule this school year means he needs to eat breakfast right when I'm having my quiet time each morning. So, in order to get him breakfast and still have my quiet time before the kids all get up, he eats cold cereal a couple mornings each week (he loves cereal, btw :)) and then has breakfast burritos the other mornings. I made up a bunch of burritos and stuck them in the freezer for him. They were so easy - hash browns, scrambled eggs, crumbled sausage, sautéed peppers and onions, cheese and a few shakes of hot sauce. I wrapped them individually in foil and can easily stick one in the toaster oven for him when I get home from the gym and it's ready when he needs to eat. You can also microwave them - take off foil and wrap burrito in a damp paper towel and microwave for 2-3 minutes.

38 weeks

It's been fun being pregnant with my sister and sister in law! Myra is 35 weeks, I'm 38 weeks, and Hannah is 41 weeks!

My sweet Ava. I am cherishing these last few weeks with her as my littlest one. I love the age/stage she's in right now (she'll be 2 in November). I kind of feel like I missed this stage with all my other babes because there was always a new baby in the picture when they were this age. I love that she is talking more and more each day, she loves to read books and do puzzles, she's Miss Get-Into-Everything, she loves to snuggle and she always asks for another "tiss" when I put her to sleep. 

My heart is beyond grateful each day I get to spend with my dear children. They may drive me crazy sometimes, but they are such sweet gifts from the Lord!

10 on 10

10 pictures from our day.

Truth every morning.

Levi wanted to send a picture to his favorite Uncle Joseph. :)

My sister in law came to run errands with us - the library, target, and post office. 

I'm so thankful for her help and the adult conversation!

Painting during quiet time. 

Working and resting.

Snack and new library books.

Ava (21 months now!) loves to watch her daddy mow the yard.

The view from my kitchen window while I prepared supper.

Chicken taco salad. Yes, paper plates are wonderful in certain seasons of life! :)

Sitting by the fire pit with my sweetie after the kiddos were asleep. 

Pregnancy update {Baby #5}

This pregnancy is flying by so quickly! I am currently 33 weeks along! 

26 weeks

It is so different being (big) pregnant during the summer! I get worn out so much faster than I ever remember. It's been kind of hard for me because my kids love to be outside all the time and normally we spend most of the summer outside, but this year, we are spending a lot of time inside reading. We try to get out in the morning and in the evening when it's a little cooler.

28 weeks

My energy has been good the last few weeks. I was feeling draggy last month, but once my iron and b vitamins were increased, I've been doing much better. I'm slowly filling my freezer with meals, parts of meals, and baked goods. We just got a quarter of grass-fed beef, so I don't have as much freezer space to work with as I have during other pregnancies. I am also slowly (verrrry slowly) getting things marked off my to-do before baby list. :) 

29 weeks on my 30 birthday :)

I'm still working out at the gym 3 days a week and doing exercises/stretches at home. I'm sleeping great and only wake up at night if a child wakes up or I have a pregnancy nightmare. haha

Comparison :: 30 weeks with Ava on the left, 31 weeks with Baby #5 on the right.

The baby is doing great! He/she is measuring about 3 weeks behind, but that is very normal for me and my babies. 

33 weeks.

I'm so thankful every day for the precious little life growing inside me. Even though it's my 5th baby, I can still hardly fathom the amazing creation I have the privilege to grow! I'm so excited to meet this precious little one!

10 on 10

10 pictures from the 10th of July :)

Starting the day with the Lord.

Lily loves drawing with highlighters.

Splash pad fun.

These kids still love to watch their daddy mow the yard.

Goofy faces.

Starting a new book. Loving it so far!

Playing at Grammie's after supper.

20 month old baby girl.

We love to make funny faces :)

My kitchen window sill makes me smile everytime I see it. 

Silver Club {my trip to Utah}

Two weeks ago I had the amazing privilege to take advantage of an all expenses paid trip to Utah to visit Young Living corporate offices and the Mona, Utah Lavender farm!! So awesome! I was supposed to go last year, but we had previous plans, so I deferred the trip to this year. It's neat how it worked out - my mom got to go this year, which was really fun for us to spend time together! 

It was my FIRST TIME EVERRRRR to get on an airplane!! What a fun experience! On the first flight to Atlanta, I had a talkative lady sitting next to me. She seriously talked the whole time - which was so nice to keep my mind occupied! 

It was NOT easy for me to leave my babies. I cried a lot during the trip because I missed them so much. Thankfully Jacob was off work and able to care for them (and he did GREAT btw) - I'm just not cut out to be a traveling mama. :) 

I had a window seat on the long flight from Atlanta to Salt Lake City. I loved getting to watch the landscape changing as we flew west. The mountains took my breath away - spectacular!

The resort we stayed in was amazing! 

Ready for the opening fancy dinner night.

Gorgeous sunrise from my window.

I love Young Living's unique Seed to Seal guarantee that sets them apart from all other companies. Amazing!

I took a walk in downtown SLC one day. It was SO hot - dry heat unlike the humid heat we have here in Alabama. Even though I was drinking TONS of water, I think I got a little dehydrated during that short walk. 

During the afternoon meeting I decided to rest and drink lots more water. Thankfully I was feeling better within an hour or two. It was nice to get a little reading done...and LOTS of chatting with new oily friends!

This was when our tour bus broke down on the side of a mountain, 14 miles from civilization, in 100 degree temperature! Thankfully we were rescued within an hour!

Incredible sunset.

I got up super early to participate in the lavender fields 5k! 

A field of Clary Sage.

Lavender fields.

SO beautiful and SO fragrant! 

I couldn't get enough of the scent and beauty. Such an incredible experience!

28 weeks pregnant with Baby #5!

This is part of the Young Living store at the farm. 

The horse barn.

The horses are used for plowing/harvesting, etc to keep the plants free of tractor fumes/pollutants. I love how committed Young Living is to unadulterated oils - even in small ways like this.

Gorgeous lavender and mountains.

Heading home. I was SO ready to get home and see my babies.