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5 Ways To Save Big on Maternity Wear

Me, at 38 weeks pregnant!

Man, oh man, the past three and a half weeks have been so crazy busy adjusting to a new schedule with a newborn in the house, but I am feeling so amazingly blessed to have had such a great pregnancy and birthing experience.

Welcome, Baby Andrew!

Wow.  What a whirlwind of a few weeks it's been!  My sweet baby Andrew finally made his appearance 3 weeks ago on Sunday April 7, 2013.  He weighed a whopping 9 pounds even and was 21.5 inches long.  My biggest baby by far!

It's been an interesting 3 weeks adjusting to our new little family member and a whole new routine.  I still have to pinch myself some days because I can't believe I'm the mom of FOUR sons!  It's crazy to think I've got these little men that my hubs and I are raising and how completely in love with them we are.  If you would have told me 10 years ago that I'd be the mom of 4 little boys in just a few years time frame, I would have definitely ran the other way!  But, truthfully, I feel amazingly blessed to be a part of their lives.  I can't even imagine my life any other way.  Yes, even on the days that they are literally jumping off couches and using our home as their own private gym.  And while I love the brotherhood that my older three have built together, I am not in ANY hurry for our newest addition, Andrew, to grow up.  But alas, the growing up is happening anyway.

Here he is now at 3 weeks old:

Since bringing him home there's been no shortage of love shown around these parts.

These boys have been amazingly helpful, especially my oldest, Nathan who is 9 {almost 10}.  I'm excited that we get to start our summer together very soon which will allow all of the boys lots more time to bond as brothers.  

I struggle with the thought that Andrew is likely our last baby and I just wish so much that I could stop time for just a bit.  I am so appreciative of my role as mother, especially this time around.  I was recently talking to a friend while waiting at school pickup about how much more laid back I am with Andrew.  She is the mother of 4 girls and she admitted she knew exactly what I meant.  She attributed the calmness to wisdom, plain and simple.  I couldn't agree more.  I sometimes don't even recognize myself when I see how un-stressed I am at certain things that would have nearly sent me over the edge if this was my first baby.  I didn't even pack my hospital bag until a couple of days past Andrew's due date, for crying out loud!  Crazy!

I hope to document Andrew's babyhood as much as possible.  I am just so grateful for having had a healthy pregnancy and labor / delivery and can't wait to share more about Andrew with you in future posts!

{Freebie Alert}: New Pampers Gifts to Grow Codes

With the impending birth of our newborn, I've been stocking up on lots of lovely {and oh-so-cute} Pampers diapers.  I joined their Pampers Gifts to Grow program eons ago and love all the fun products you can trade your points in for.  Today I've got two brand new Pampers Gifts to Grow Codes that you can input into your account today and get an extra 15 FREE points!

 

2.21.13: Snow Day fun

Today the kids had their first snow day in over two years.  Now, for living in Kansas, that is HUGE!  I was actually sorta looking forward to it only because it was a day of not having to pack lunches or wake up early.  But, you know me -- I detest snow.  And, I especially detest it at 8 months pregnant!

The kids were quite surprised I even came outside at all.  And, so was I.  I mean, my puffer jacket doesn't even close and my snow pants didn't quite fit the same.  But, I did it for the sake of family memories.  And, I'm glad I did.

I shared a few pics from the day via my Instagram feed, but since I was testing out my new Panasonic Lumix waterproof camera, which I received for Christmas, I decided to stay out and document our snow day fun for just a little longer.

 

{Pregnancy Update}: 28 Weeks

Well, I'm in the home stretch.  Yep, 28 weeks has flown by, or so it seems.  I have not been very good about documenting the bump or the pregnancy as much as I would have liked to, but chalk it up to staying busy with my 3 other little boys and all of their activities, I guess.  I finally got my oldest, 9 year-old Nathan, to snap a few pics of me on his new iPod just the other day.  We had a fun photo shoot in the living room. 

Overall this has been a fairly normal pregnancy as my previous 3 have been, so I am hoping that it continues.  Here's what else is going on with my cravings, symptoms, doc visits, and more:

Huggies handles everyday messes and stresses! #HuggiesLatino

Jacob is soon to be 3 years old and showing no signs of being ready for potty-training yet.  And, surprisingly, I am ok with that. I have been way too preoccupied with this pregnancy to really devote the time and patience to get him ready.  Plus, he's my baby right now.  I'm not in any huge rush to get him out of diapers right now.

He plays for hours upon hours just like this...sitting or squatting on the floor playing with his monster trucks or trains.  If he's not playing with some sort of automobile, he's busy running plays with his football and tackling everything {and everyone} in sight.  He's SUCH A BOY's BOY!!!  And, I quite love it.

What I also love about Huggies^® is that their new Snug & Dry Diapers hold up with even the most active toddlers - like mine!  I never worry about leaks or diapers that gape at the waist when my son's in Huggies Snug & Dry.  They feature a wider absorbent pad, improved leg guards and the SnugFit waistband to give a secure fit that keeps wetness confined and makes messes easier to clean up.  This is my kinda diaper!

One of the other products we love {and keep one of in just about every room} are the Huggies^® Natural Care^® Wipes.  These are great because I personally do not ever use baby wipes with fragrance. I love the thickness and size of the Huggies^® Natural Care^® Wipes, as they are perfect whether I am wiping my kiddo's bottom or their sticky hands after an afternoon treat! 

They're effective and a must-have for any busy growing family.  One other thing I love to do is keep a tub of Huggies^® Natural Care^® Wipes in my kids' bathroom for easy wipe downs of messes in and around the sink.  Usually one wipe is plenty to give a good once over of their double sink area and it's a chore that the kids love to help take part in completing.

And you can share your thoughts about Huggies^®.  Just visit their Facebook page at www.facebook.com/HuggiesLatino and share how you put them to the test.

{Disclosure:  This is part of a compensated campaign with Latina Mom Bloggers and Huggies.  However, all opinions expressed are my own. No one is the boss of me!}

{Pregnancy Update}: Week 10

Oh my GOODNESS what a friggin' loooooonnng 10 weeks this has certainly been.  I finally caved last week and got a prescription for my whopping 12 pills of generic Zofran because, let's face it, I can't stay curled up on the couch all day long.  I've got 3 kids and a wonderful husband who need me and whom I need!  Before I got on the meds it took me literally 3 days to clean my master bathroom.  Yep, that's right, I had to do it in sections. Ugh.  No more.  Enough is enough and I just had to get the script in hopes it would work like a miracle as it has before when I was pregnant over 3 years ago with my youngest son, Jacob.

I was big, FAT WRONG!

Let me state that it does seem to take the edge off a bit when I do take it, but the reliability of it working to restore me to my "normal" self is all but nonexistent.  And the fact that I only have 12 of the pills (it's all insurance allows per monthly refill) makes me feel like this little drug fiend that is trying desperately to stretch out the supply and not use it until I absolutely feel I have to.  I can only take it every 8 hours too which is also a bummer because when it does help, its affects don't last for nearly that long.  Here's hoping to feeling better soon.  In the meantime, here's the ever-developing bump. 

10 weeks pregnant with baby #4. Why is it that the 4th time around my body is jumping the gun on getting fat a LOT faster than before?!

 So, I'm fine with the fact that my body has no problem in snapping back into pregnancy shape.  It's just something I am getting used to.  I guess it's kind of expected with the 4th time around.  Here's what else I'm experiencing these days:

{From EverydayFamily.com}: Your baby continues to grow steadily, gaining around half-an-inch in the last week! Now, about the size of a prune, your baby has reached an important developmental milestone. Week 10 is the beginning of the fetal period, in which your baby's organs rapidly mature.

{Me}:  This is so astounding to me!  Now I know why I'm so dang tired all the time!  Growing a baby is a full-time job.  It is astounding to me that our bodies are innately capable of all of this.

{EF}: This week, his kidneys, liver, heart, and intestines are forming tissue. Toenails and hair begin to grow and add detail to your baby's body. Your baby's limbs are now able to flex. His wrists can bend and his hands can meet over his heart. His legs may be long enough for his feet to meet in front of his body. He will even start swallowing and kicking this week, but don't expect to feel anything yet, those movements are still too little.

{Me}: Let's just hope he has mama's toenails and not daddy's! Contrary to what this says, I actually believe I have felt some fluttering going on.  After your 4th rodeo, you know what to expect and how it feels.

{EF}: By week 10, your uterus is the size of a grapefruit. To put that into perspective, just a little over two months ago (before you were pregnant), it was the size of a small pear. You may notice your midsection thickening a little by this week. And though it may not be time for maternity clothes, don't be concerned if your normal wardrobe is beginning to feel a little snug!
 
{Me}: Well, I think it goes without saying {judging from that pic above} that it's wishful thinking that it's not time for maternity clothes for me.  I think my grapefruit sized uterus has got the mind of a cantaloupe right now!

I'm also happy to report that I've had several cravings lately, one of which I shared on Instagram.  Check it out:

 

Yep, baby won this craving: Chili Cheese Fritos, bean dip, dill pickles, a Dr. Pepper, and not pictured is a bag of gummy bears!

 

No, really I AM truly happy with all my boys and don't NEED a daughter to be fulfilled.

Sheesh.  Ok, so this pregnancy has been a doozie thus far and I'm barely even 8 weeks into it!  I've been tweeting about how annoyed I am about my debilitating morning all-day sickness and how so many people have responded to my pregnancy with

"Oooohh, you might finally get your girl?!!"

Can I just say how God-awful annoying that is to a mom of boys?  I mean, look at this picture....do I look like I don't already have everything I want?

Even some of my closest friends, who I know LOVE me as much as I do them, have said things about how I just HAVE to be having a girl and how wonderful it's going to be.  And then, I die.  Not because I wouldn't be absolutely in love with a girl if I had one, but no more so than if I could brag about having FOUR sons in my life!!!!  I know how much fun it could be to have girls...with my sister recently giving birth the most angelic baby girl on earth, I couldn't be more happy or proud as an Aunt.  I love that little tootsie more than life itself and I am unbelievably happy for my sister and brother-in-law.  But none of that takes away from me loving my boys and having room for one more!

I was at a friend's baby shower this past weekend and she's got 3 boys (like me) and is having a girl this time around with number 4.  We both had such a great convo about how when you have 3 boys and are pregnant with #4, people just give you that empathetic {almost} reaction when it comes to talking about the sex of the baby.  As if "finally getting your girl" implies that you've been missing out on something during your whole journey as a mother.  And that somehow if it's a girl {and not simply a healthy baby} that you'll finally get to die a happy person.  That your life will somehow now be complete.  It was refreshing to talk to her about how she dealt with it and how I am now starting to deal with those comments.  Because, truth be told, I have never been one to fall in line with the white picket fence notion.  I would be BEYOND elated if I found out we were going to be adding another little ferocious boy to our family! 

Ok, not that I like cleaning up 5 toilets after them all but there are tradeoffs with either gender.  And by the same token, if I had ALL girls, I would hate to be made to feel as if my experience as a mother were less than ideal because I had no sons to speak of.  It is all just too much sometimes. 

Given that I am classified "advanced maternal age" this time around, my biggest prayer is not that I look up at the ultrasound screen and see the highly coveted "hamburger buns", but rather my baby be healthy and all good, regardless of the sex.  Plus, if you ask my two older sons {and hubs}, they aren't at ALL keen on having a little girl around this house.  Apparently all they can envision is the sight of Barbies lying around all over the floor. Seriously. That's what my two older boys came up with.

So while I try and muster up my energy each day of this pregnancy to stay an active mom of boys who are in fall baseball, flag football, soccer, tackle football, piano, let's not forget school - I hope that the insinuations that hubs and I are finally going for "our girl" will soon die down.  Because I am so incredibly in love with my boys.  So much so that it makes my mind smile when I think about the possibility of adding one more of them to this life.  Boy or girl - it makes no difference to me.  I've already got the best of it all.

Big announcement!

 

Check out the fun the kids had when we shared the big news with them:

 

Looking forward to sharing much more with ya'll on this pregnancy journey! So glad to finally share the news with you! :)

Four week countdown to baby.

My baby boy #3 is officially due in four weeks.  I am only praying he holds out that long!  I've still got so much to do and prepare.  Why is it so much easier to procrastinate these things the third time around?  I am so anxious to meet him but hope he stays cooking till at least October 1st.  I mentally need all of September! 

Today I finally was able to get this little number ordered and it will hopefully be here in ten or so days.

I already own a fantastic bassinet that stays by my bedside but wanted this one to stay put in the lower level of the house, most likely in the living room.

A while back I was able to snag the Dwell bedding off ebay for way less than one should be able to find it for.  But, I was patient and bid when the time was right!  Isn't it adorable and oh-so-Texas?

Today I also picked up the chocolate brown version of these fun cargo window panels from PBK.  Not sure how they'll look yet but I've got 90 days to make up my mind.  Let's hope it doesn't take that long.

And, I picked this up for baby's room as well.  Not sure why I like it but it's quite colorful and I love that it doesn't scream baby everywhere.  We'll see if it ends up making the final cut when the room is all put together.

 

And, I can't forget about this cute little lamp that I'll be picking up soon.  I'm not crazy about the lampshade, but luckily it's sold separately so I'll probably just find another on my own, or not use one at all and instead just use the light as a nightlight.

So, thoughts and plans are coming together in these final weeks.  I'll likely be working my husband to the bone to get it all done in time.  Meanwhile, I will enjoy these last few weeks of being pregnant - which I LOVE!  ♥