Theisen Trio: Awaiting her arrival

I've been rather busy this 3rd time around and haven't documented much with the exception of a few belly shots via IG. The busyness of having 2 active kids, a bigger house and much bigger yard have kept me going. We have really enjoyed gardening this year and I am horrified at how bad the weeds have got since I can't comfortably bend down/over since hitting that 36 week mark. We should have at least 3 watermelons though ready soon, how ironic since baby girl is now the size of a watermelon ;).

Last week I was ready to be done with work. I was tired of getting up at the ungodly hour of 3:00. This week I am content and enjoying a few days of playing catch up. Today I have been up since 4:18, irony again.

16.5 weeks

Nesting is so great and I'm not sure why we can't go through a full year or two or more of enjoying that "nesting energy" when child rearing!? My house has never been so clean and I'm almost obsessive at it being clean currently.

Here comes the scatter brain of being uber pregnant and it being 5:34 a.m...

I can hardly comprehend that literally any day now we are having a third child. The excitement of the 'any day' is palpable but the reality is that this is still unbelievable. She has been a very easy pregnancy. I have gained just about 30 lbs (probably in pure sugar) and been measuring small for most of this term. She is probably my most active in-utero child and has only in the last few days started to slow down enough that you could almost call it a schedule! The heartburn has been horrific at times to the point of me waking up and not being able to keep it down but instead puking for a hour or so. This has been on and off the whole time but the last few weeks it's been 1-2 times a week. I have been dilated to at least a 2 since my 36 week checkup. Last Friday at 39 weeks I was up to a 4 with her sitting so low (+1 station) and being 80 % effaced. I know that means nothing after walking around at a 4-5 with Lyssi who we eventually evicted. But it's nice to know I'm nearly half way there and have done virtually nothing.

22.5 weeks

Virtually nothing is as follows. The heartburn as listed above. Cannot wait to not have acid reflux even when I wake up in the morning or after drinking some water! ;) The back pain of her sitting so low that only goes away when I immerse myself every.single.night in the tub with the jets full blast. The constant bathroom breaks which seem so silly after literally tinkling a few drops. Somewhat off topic, I remember vividly the first time I peed after each child and it was like heaven. Wow, to go to the bathroom and actually make it worth the trip! TMI,? oh well. In the scheme of things, easy peasy as was with my other two except this time I feel completely, 100% satisfied that this is the end of child bearing. I never felt that after Alyssa. By the time she was around 2- I was questioning if I really wanted to do it all over again but I never felt the finality that I do now. She will be the bookend of our family.

32+ weeks

I am so excited to see what she looks like. I am so excited to see D and Riley surrounded by two little girls. I am so excited but in no hurry. This week has been all about adjusting without the tears. Kindergarten was a doozy. For me more so than anyone else. I will say that it was the single hardest day so far of parenting ever for me. The pain and sheer heartache I felt after leaving that school and sitting alone in my living room was awful. Riley looked terrified when we found his teacher and class in the cafeteria that first day. I was trying not to hyperventilate all the while D is telling me to try to not cry because if I do, Riley certainly would have. They finally took off as a class to their room and when he disappeared behind that door I could not hold it in any longer. I am crying now just remembering it. We were one of just a handful of parents there and it was odd. We didn't want to leave without saying goodbye so we waited for his class to emerge again for 9:20 breakfast and quick said our goodbyes. It was just the saddest thing I have done. Leaving him with utter strangers in a strange, huge building. Thankfully we have so many neighbor kids there and a very special neighbor who sent me a voicemail in the early afternoon letting me know that she had checked up on Riley and that he was smiling and almost dancing down the hallways in line having fun. She will never understand how much that meant to me! Wednesday got better but I couldn't believe we had to do it all over again! I only cried for a few minutes when I missed him. Thursday was a pretty good day but I still cried a few quick tears at the fact that this was really happening. Friday was relief. I had strong urges to pick him up early and just come home to snuggle but we made it and sure enough he dropped his bag in the yard most days and ran next door to play cars. He is doing awesome. He loves his class and his teacher. He has made friends but only remembers Jett and Chase by name. On Wednesday his funny quote was, "I don't know how much longer I can keep going all day, everyday," to which we tried earnestly to explain that he has weekends off and many days off during the school year but dude, this is why we weren't in a hurry to grow you up! Thursday I asked him what the favorite part of his day was and he replied, "I'll tell you what it wasn't. One of the girls puked all over everything." Ha, great, lice and puke the first week! He really is enjoying school and we work on "homework" for 5 or so minutes every night just trying to get into a routine. His homework this weekend was to remember his lunch number and it was a worry of ours but this kid surprised the heck out of me and actually has a fabulous memory! It only took a mere minute or so and then he was off playing but able to recite it with the "enter" at the end for the rest of the weekend! Proud, wow, seriously the pride was intense for a lunch number! Monday, I got up around 8:00 and the surprise and happiness on his face that I could walk him to the bus stop was so cute. I'm trying to embrace this step with joy and happiness and he's making it easier but it's too fresh to not think about how he was just a few years ago or even as my only baby before I have tears in my eyes again. It really is just bittersweet.

36 weeks and the end of bike riding and weeding for me.

Speaking of this boy, he is going to be so much fun to watch as a big brother again. It's going to be so different this time around now that he is 6 and Alyssa is 3.5. They can dress themselves and are potty trained and so much more independent than when we brought Alyssa home. He just started giggling when we told him it could be any day now. A little nervous probably, very excited and very intrigued how this all will play out bodily wise. :) Haha, the questions he comes up with!

So, baby girl #2, we are ready for you late Thursday or anytime after! We cannot wait to see your hair color and I am so ready to hold you outside of holding the bottom of my belly! I plan on this being fast but since it's my last time I just look forward to the whole experience. I also want to nail down a name for you but we are waiting til we see your tiny face.