6 Months

In a few days, I will be 6 months pregnant! I can remember being 6 months pregnant with Hunter thinking that "I had been pregnant "forever"!!!" Oh my, how things change when you are chasing 2 kids. Time moves SO much faster. Our days are filled with the daily grind of cooking, cleaning after meals, house chores, play dates with friends, lots of outside playing, and most of all- tons of brother play time! Hunter and Trent are attached at the hip, every waking moment! They entertain each other, laugh with each other, and make our days filled with wonderful memories! Soon there will be 3 voices, 3 giggles, 3 personalities....and I can NOT wait!

 I am on overload right now because I am helping dad move. Lots of sorting since he is majorly down sizing. He is going from my childhood 4 bedroom house to a one bedroom apartment (about 1000 sq feet) in an active independent senior living community. It is next to Memorial City Mall, so still very close to our house. If he wants to- he can take part in their meals, activities, field trips, book clubs, Bible studies, etc. He is ready for this change, and it is the right timing. Things are going smooth, but it is still a TON of work....sorting, clearing every space/cabinet/closet, estate sale, then the actual real estate transaction itself is time consuming. He moves in a couple weeks and will be settled in his "new life" soon. He is looking forward to it, and I am very happy for him. It all just feels right, which is a blessing!

Dad is not in very good health. He is hardly able to walk around due to the effects of a tragic car accident when he was younger, and it continues to take a toll on him. He is going blind from an eye degeneration disease. He is effected from the TONS of daily medicine he is on from his previous kidney transplant (which also gave him diabetes!) To say the least, I have had to take on quiet a bit of this moving transition for him!  I look forward to having this behind us. This has been quiet the challenge- being 6 months pregnant with a 3 yr old and 18 mo old! I have been very physically active these days!!

The pregnancy continues very smooth. I will say that something about this pregnancy feels more "final" than my other two. I would have NEVER thought that being pregnant with Hunter or Trent was my last- I KNEW I was going to have more. But, something about this one makes me think "this may be my last time to be pregnant!" I am already feeling more complete with this baby's presence. I have always said that we are open to having 4 kids, if we feel that our family "chemistry" calls for 4. I've heard moms say, "when you have your last baby, you just know that your family is complete." Funny, that I am already kind of feeling that "full circle/complete feeling." We will see if I continue to feel this way!

This baby seems to be gentle. I hardly feel the movements. I told my doctor that, and she assured me that the baby is doing great! I get ultrasounds often to make sure the baby is growing, so every time I see the baby- my world stands still! We all know that I do not grow very much- there is really no explanation for it other than "every pregnancy is different." She does know that my uterus doesn't expand very much, so that is why she checks the growth of the baby at every appointment. She doesn't care if I grow- she only cares if the baby is on track. Again, it is so reassuring to hear that the baby is growing and healthy!

Boy or girl...dunno? But I do know that I already love this baby so much, and it already has a special place in my heart. This baby is allowing me to experience something unique...the feeling of not being fully prepared. My biggest strength (and weakness) is having to be prepared, organized, and ready for what life has in store. Not knowing the gender is definitely a challenge for my personality. However, not knowing the gender is also proving to me that I am okay with not being "perfectly prepared" for everything...which is a pleasant surprise for me! To each his own, but I am (surprisingly) over joyed with not knowing if this baby will officially make me "the boy mom" or the mom that gets to experience both worlds. Knowing that my destiny is only something God (and the doctor) knows is like a gift just waiting to be opened. This gift is handpicked just for our family. I am enjoying this journey and look forward to what life has in store!