31 weeks

2 days until 32 weeks

30 days until 36 weeks

Currently: 31 5/7 weeks



I feel like doing a dance! Everything is stable...baby looks great and I don't have to go back for two weeks!! I haven't done that since about 15 or 16 weeks!! It feels like a sigh of relief to have a plan further than just a week. I go back in two weeks for just a regular OB appt and then two weeks after that for another growth ultrasound and then the cerclage will come out at 36-37 weeks! A plan...something I'm ecstatic to have!!

Little bean is weighing in at 3 lbs 14 oz and they said they can already see a LOT of hair! The tech said they typically can see some peach fuzz at this point, but you could see TONS of it! At the rate we're going, this babe might beat both kids in weight! Jackson was 4 lb 14 oz at 34 weeks and Kenzi was 5 lb 5 oz at 38 weeks. Little Bean wasn't being super cooperative for many pictures, as having his/her arm up by the face seemed more important! Kenzi was like that a lot and did it a lot after she was born too! 
The last few weeks have been kind of rough. I'm getting stir crazy at home...trying to make some hats or something, but not really having any reason to make them for besides just something to do feels unproductive, so that isn't keeping me extremely motivated right now. Knitting is okay, but so much more time consuming than crochet that I get bored easily and I'm trying to figure out the circular needles but that isn't easy....so the days and weeks have seemed longer, which hasn't been great for my emotions, to say the least! I've needed to take some time to refocus and came across this quote that seems so very appropriate right now.

I am having to sacrifice a lot right now...helping my family with things, like dishes and cleaning, sacrificing my job right now, that I adore and miss every day, sacrificing my sanity at times, sacrificing being able to meet our new niece or nephew who will arrive soon, sacrificing being able to travel, sacrificing seeing my kids at swimming lessons and seeing how much they learn, but then I think of all that I'm giving right now. I'm giving Little Bean the best possible outcome by doing this. I'm giving him/her another day to grow inside rather than in the confinements of the NICU. I'm giving our family another life...another sibling, another son or daughter to love and teach and adore. I'm giving through God's plan and bringing another life into this world...a life that He has planned well before my existence, to fulfill a purpose for Him. So when you look at the sacrifices that need to happen in order for this to happen...it doesn't seem like sacrifice at all. It is a blessing...and it is something that God has trusted me to do and I need to trust that He knows that in the end, this will all be fine. And I'll look back, as I did with Kenzi, and realize that it wasn't that long and in the grand scheme of things, the giving is way more important than the sacrifices.

 

This week, I'm going to request prayers for something different...for our sweet Kenzi. She has been struggling lately and I'm speculating that she is overly tired, but this change of routine and life in general has taken a toll on her behavior. Please pray for good sleep for her. Essentially since the last time change, her sleep has been off...and not just a little, a LOT! Before that, she had been sleeping through the night and now she's up frequently! We've gotten past the phase of her waking up and just screaming in the middle of the night...and we've gotten past her coming in our room nightly and wanting to crawl in bed with us, but this is exhausting! She has been going to bed okay, with the help of melatonin, but will often wake up at least once a night and waking up extremely early! She has always been a very light sleeper and I'm not sure if Jon getting up early for work is the difference, but we're talking like 5:45-6:15 every day. I thought that this time change would help her, but it has not. She is struggling at daycare to be nice and not yell at her friends, or take toys...it's getting frustrating for everyone involved. We are blessed that Stacey is understanding with everything going on, but I feel guilty taking her every day, knowing it won't be a good day. We've tried bribing her with candy, punishing her by missing things she wants to do, but regardless of good or bad, nothing is working. So please say some extra prayers for our sweet girl...that she gets good sleep, caught up on sleep she's lost and go back to being the sweet girl we all know and love!

 

We are so thankful that Jackson is taking this all in stride and is handling this well. He has tried his hardest with Kenzi in the mornings, to help her get ready and downstairs, getting her breakfast and trying to talk her back into a better mood. He has been doing great coming home in the afternoons and helping around the house. He is excited for the nice weather and glad to be outside! Soccer starts in a few weeks so he is excited.

 

Thanks again for checking in and all of the prayers! We're on the downhill slope, but are still in need of prayers for stability! Until next time...