Well, I have to document one last pregnancy picture for my “journal’s sake”. I think I’m actually bigger than the picture makes me look (tempting as it was, I didn’t use “insta-thin” editing)
There are 13 days until my due date. This part is so very challenging for me. I’m too big to do much of anything, I want to keep the house fairly in order for whomever stays with our children (though my children trip over themselves to try to keep me from that), and frankly, I’m pretty miserable. (But part of the misery, my doctor just discovered, is severe anemia, so I’m taking iron which should make me feel much better soon.) It’s like waiting for company you know is coming but don’t know the time.
And yet, it’s a precious time. My children are giddy. We spend a lot of time just sitting on the couch or outside reading these days. Lots of snuggles, conversations and eager anticipations about what he will look like. Our children have a pretty varied mix of characteristics, so it’s always interesting to see. They love to watch him move around and for children who have so many siblings already, from the oldest to the youngest, they don’t know what “too many siblings” means.
I’ll save the name as a surprise, but we’re excited about it. As for birthing plans (hee hee), well, all the planning I can do won’t guarantee anything. Many of you remember watching my first natural birth with the last baby. (I still remember it vividly.) And I still admire you natural birth mamas. If there’s anything I’m sure of, I do plan on staying home a lot longer this time, as my last five babies have proven that I just have long labors. So pray this isn’t the baby that changes that tradition. I would prefer NOT to deliver in the car on the way to the hospital (1 hour away). Though I feel sure my husband is up to the task.
Pregnancy is not easy, though I’ve had it much better than some. But I think of pregnancy as mission work, only with much less suffering and the sweetest cuddles and kisses at the end. This waddling and heaviness is a small price to pay for the treasure of another child and I’m so grateful to my Heavenly Father who carries me.
AND…
Happy birthday to my oldest daughter today! Bria is 17 which means I’m old.
62 comments
Beautiful girl, beautiful witness! Take your vitamins and lie down. Amen.
You look amazing, praying for a safe delivery 🙂
Hey! My due date is 24 days away and I’m physically miserable too! I am also taking iron for “a little bit” of anemia. I’m also having a little boy! I’m praying for safe delivery and health for both of us 😀
I decided this week to do a home birth with our next baby…which means natural (uh oh), and immediately I thought of my dear computer friend Kelly and your last birth experience. I wondered just today if you were going to go natural or with the joy of meds (hee hee). I will look forward to hearing about your next experience no matter what that entails. I’ll be praying for you in the next few days. Hang in there, you have such a delight coming soon! Congratulations!
This is so exciting!!!! Enjoy the next few days and may your discomfort be minimal while you wait.
I’m due any day, gearing up for my second homebirth and 4th child, and I am totally where you are, haha. The waddling, the “limbo” life-on-pause feeling, the anticipation, and trying to enjoy it all anyway. 🙂
Your daughter is beautiful and I love her name! Thanks for sharing such pretty pictures with us. 🙂
~V
So excited for you and your family!!!! I
Also, your daughter’s beauty can be seen in her eyes. Such a kind, loving soul lives within.
Whatever you do with your birth, I am sure you are listening to God. Praying for clarity and discernment for you and hubby.
You’re about a week ahead of me (I’m due the 24th with #3). I’ve just hit the “nesting” phase, but #1 and 2 (and a broken washing machine) aren’t making it easy to keep things neat! I alternate between getting lots done and nearly falling asleep at the dining room table in the middle of a project!
Here’s to safe births for all of us and to healthy babies (and mommies) afterward! And to being able to lean over without my stomach contents burning my esophagus!
“And to being able to lean over without my stomach contents burning my esophagus!”
Oh,yes… I don’t miss that part!
You’re still beautiful 🙂 And still pregos, which means you’re young.
You look beautiful! You should try and plan it for 14 more days so you can have a Saint Patrick’s Day baby! I have one myself… her name is Fiona (I get teased a bit about it, but I don’t mind!) 🙂 It’s too bad you didn’t find out about the anemia sooner, but I’m glad you can fix that a bit now. I watched your Ellia birth video and it was really neat! I have 3 children and have only done epidurals, but have entertained natural birth every time. I really, really wanted to try this time. Your story scared me a bit, I have to admit. I do have fairly quick labors, though… I think, mine all had medical intervention. I think I will get a doula if I do decide to, though.
Anyway good luck with the rest of your pregnancy and your delivery! I can’t wait to hear the story and the name!
Can’t wait to “meet” your new little one! Praying your next few weeks are peaceful and that you feel well and that the birth goes well! 😀 Thank you so much for being a living testimony and encouragement.
Oh.my.word!! You are so beautiful. You wear pregnancy well 😉 Must be the heart 😉 I am battling envy and jealousy. we really long for another, twin girls, really. I am going to be 45 and our ninth is going to be 4 this year 🙁 BUT, I do have a couple of 4 year breaks in the bunch, so there is hope, right?
I will be praying for you and excitedly awaiting the announcement. You are rare jewel, Kelly. Sending you love and hugs and prayers.
Happy birthday to your beautiful Bria, God is so good!
BTW, don’t know if you saw, but our eldest who has been a prodigal for over 10 years came home to His Father and was baptized with his wife! So wonderful. God is so faithful! http://shelookethwell.blogspot.com/2011/02/he-has-come-home.html
Relentlessly Pursuing,
Michelle
Michelle,
He came home!!!! Rejoicing with you and thanking God for His faithfulness.
You look beautiful! 🙂
I struggled with anemia with all my pregnancies and the pills never helped… just caused bathroom problems:-) Finally, with my 6th, I found cream of wheat sweetened with molasses! It did the trick the whole pregnancy and I felt so much better… like a beached whale with energy anyway. Enjoy these last weeks… what a fun time!
Sweet pictures! I agree with everyone. You look beautiful. Happy Birthday to Miss Bria.
Y’all are so sweet…you know how a very pregnant woman needs a little boost at the end 😉
Praying for all you mommies carrying babies.
Congratulations! You look amazing.
You look beautiful and radiant in your picture. Happy Birthday your daughter as well. She is just as beautiful as mom.
I have long labors with my babies. This past time it backfired on me though. We anticipated such a long labor that we missed all the signs of a true labor pattern. I was just going along waiting for it pick up. It did pick up but my transition contraction were 6-8 minutes apart!! When my water broken, we knew she was coming and fast. My midwife had to call a fellow midwife in town to come help (if she was close enough.) Thankfully, her friend walked in right as she was crowning and was able to catch the baby in the tub. My midwife walked in two minutes later. My dh was ready to catch but I could tell did not want to. I will pray for you in coming labor. I’ll pray for a fairly average labor. One that doesn’t go too fast, is obvious progress, but that it will progress enough for you not to become tired, exhausted, and just plain ready to get the baby out. God Bless.
Kelly, I don’t think you will ever be old! Too much love that surrounds you and pregnancy hormones to keep the wrinkles away!
I’m praying for a save birth too, and happy birthday to your beautiful daughter!
Have a blessed weekend!
Those pregnancy hormones are good, aren’t they? Since my 3rd or 4th baby (can’t remember), when I’m NOT pregnant, I no longer have the PMS–emotional or physical–ailments that I used to. Completely gone. And I was thinking yesterday that just the ability to bear children is, indeed a “young thing” and it will be quite an adjustment once that ability is over–just coming to terms with “age”.
What a beautiful pic! And you do not look big! I am only 22 weeks along and I am so ready to be where you are! I had a natural child birth with my last and it was amazing. I took a Bradley Birthing Class which helped tremendously. I plan on a drug free birth again. Stay home as long as you can and you might not even have the choice of an epidural once you get to the hospital!
You look absolutely beautiful! Looking forward to hearing about the arrival of your newest gift from the Lord.
Happy Birthday to your beautiful daughter too!
Did Bria take that picture of you??? She is such a gifted photographer! Can she come to SC to take a flattering picture of me when I’m about to give birth? 🙂 🙂
Praying for you – hang in there! As my husband says, the baby has to come out eventually!
Is there a friend or family member that lives closer to the hospital? Traveling in a car during labor is no picnic. I went to my mom’s to labor because she is closer to the hospital. I rode in the back of her SUV (lined with heavy blankets), on my hands and knees.
First baby was a csection for breech, second pregnancy was twins “a” was breech, I had a second csection. My fourth baby (third pregnancy) I had a vbac (all natural). That labor was 17 hours long. My newest baby came in only 6 hours and only the last 3 were contractions I had to work through. I got to the hospital at 6 cm and dialated to 10 in one hour, pushed for 30 minutes. (actually the dr wasn’t there when I was ready to push, the nurses were telling me not to push, I thought I wasn’t fully dialated yet. My Doula whispered I was ready push if I wanted to. Thank the lord she was there. Not pushing was the toughest part of the whole night. )
Anyway, all of this to encourage you to think about getting closer to the hospital if you are going to stay away from the hospital as long as you can.
That’s not a bad idea…I actually have a doula-friend who lives right by my hospital. Hmmmmmm…..
Me too!
I have got four more weeks till baby#8.
You do look beautiful. It’s during this last month that I so much appreciate when someone says I look beautiful. Because it is easy to feel the opposite.
Oh Kelly, you look just perfectly beautiful! 🙂 I’m right there behind you (and with you on the severe anemia). My three births have all been natural (no epidural or pain meds) but in the hospital, and FAST labors (which I’m sure makes going all natural much easier)! My first was 6hrs, my second was just under 1 1/2hrs, and my last was 3hrs. So, I will pray that your laboring pattern will not change if you will do the same for me! 😉 I keep thinking with each labor that it will be the “big, bad, long one”, so I’m praying that doesn’t prove to be the case with number four in a few weeks. We’ve been told throughout this whole pregnancy that this baby is really big, so I’m a little nervous at the thought of that. Guess we’ll see!
Love and prayers for you and your family during this sweet, but exhausting time. Can’t wait to see the pictures and read the about your son’s birth!
Oh, Kelly, you do look radiant and wonderful…pregnant women are so beautiful!
I still tear up when I think too long about the pain of my natural birth experience (over a year ago), although I plan to continue having them naturally in the future. Mine wasn’t as long-winded as yours but it was excruciating. The curse of Genesis 3 really comes alive, but thank the Lord that His grace is enough and His blessings shine through the pain!
I am praying you have a safe & healthy delivery. God bless all you expectant mamas!
You look wonderful. I hope that you will not be too miserable the remaining days of your pregnancy. Snuggle time on the couch sounds like the perfect way to spend these days! Also hoping you’ll have a healthy delivery. I just gotta ask…. is the baby gonna be named Jax???
Your daughter is beautiful; Happy Birthday to Bria!
I just found out I was pregnant with #4 last night! I’m so excited and just wanted to share!
Congratulations!!!
Congratulations!!!
Wow! We must have the same due date. Mine is March 16th and this is our 5th little one. Congrats to you. I wonder who will go first?? I will definitely be keeping watch on you.
Kelly, You look beautiful! My oldest just turned 18. Where does the time go?
You look great, Kelly. I think I look nearly as big at only 22 weeks. I would definitely amen the idea of staying home a little longer. We’ll still pray that you have a shorter labor, but I would be totally shocked if it shortened from over 12 hours to 1 hour, so you’re probably safe. Praying for safe delivery of a healthy baby.
Beautiful pictures–of all of you lovely gals! And, congratulations! And, I can’t believe (since our last two were due at the same time) you are due and I’m not even PREGNANT yet! 😛
Love in Christ,
Bethany
PS If I look as good a) at 38 or b) with baby #9 (God willing, huh?!) I will be happy, happy lady…and my husband will be one happy man. <3
Y’all know how to make this 38 year old feel young 😉
Well, you make the 38yo thing LOOK young! Seriously. You are just beautiful.
Wow, what a gorgeous picture! Your pregnant figure is so pretty. I can tell that your belly probably sticks out farther in real life, since the photo is taken at a slight angle. I always hate it when people tell me my giant (cute) baby belly “isn’t that big”. (So what, you think I’m just fat? LOL.) I was HUUUGE with twins, and still had people tell me I was carrying small. ??? Anyway, best wishes for a wonderful, joyful birth experience for you, and a handsome sweet new little fellow. And happy birthday to your beautiful daughter.
LOL! Yes, it’s weird the angle of this photo, I really am bigger and more “awkward” looking than it shows. My daughter may have a knack with trick photography???
Kelly
You look beautiful…
Best wishes to you and a healthy delivery and baby.
God bless,
d
Sweet Kelly,
You are stunning! As is your precious Bria! What a blessed woman you are. I was up with a sick child Wednesday night and I was praying for you and I thought, ‘I need to bug her for a belly shot!’ Lo and behold, I didn’t even have to bug you. 😉 I’ve been on a blog ‘sabbatical’ and haven’t been commenting, but please know that my prayers have grown more frequent and fervent as you approach the arrival of your little man. I went and saw your natural birth video of Ellia…what a touching tribute to such a beautiful event! Made me cry! It was a special treat to hear your Southern accent and put a voice to your words. Sweet, sweet lady, relish these precious days of ‘giddy anticipation’ with your lambs and soak in those tender momma moments. This sister is praying for the aches and pains to diminish in light of the wonder of it all! Wish I lived close enough to bring you all chicken pot pie, cause I sure would.
You bless me!
Hugs from Texas,
Amy
What sweet expressions of love, Amy. Thank you so much for praying! That is a real comfort to me. (I battle a bit of fleshly fear at the end.)
Don’t we all?! (battle that fear at the end of pregnancy) I’m not even pregnant and thinking about possible labor in the future causes a bit of fear to grip me. I have had one hospital birth complete with interventions galore and epidural, and 3 home water births. Much easier to recover from the home water births, but there was certainly more at play than just where I birthed. Anyway, I tend towards hyperventilation when I’m coping with pain, and THAT, for some reason, frightens me worse than the pain. But I know how to pray for you with that fear sister. And I pray the Lord gives you a few verses to anchor on when waves of fear come. And all this, praise Jesus, He uses to fit us for Heaven…as we are blessed to be part of building His kingdom!!
Getting so excited for you! 🙂
My best position for labor was sitting, with the hospital bed put up right in my back, and then burying my head between my knees. And just panting.
I never had an epidural but I had a new vein one time and do not recommend it at all because it makes you drowsy.
Well, my labors were quick, but if yours are long, I guess that is what epidural is for.
Sitting up can be miraculous…with one of mine, the nurse checked and said “it’ll be a while” and then I asked to be sat up (I had an epi.) The minute I sat up I felt her descend and said, “Um, I’m about to have this baby”. She chuckled and assured me I wasn’t because she had just checked me. But she checked again and panicked–“Don’t cough! Don’t laugh! I’m going to get the doctor!” 😉 He barely made it to catch the baby.
I had my third (of ten) baby in the car on the way to hospital. The doctor on duty didn’t believe it until he came outside to see for himself. When he saw my son, he suggested that we name him “Cordoba” in honor of the car in which he was delivered (actually, he pretty much delivered himself–we never slowed down and never pulled over). When my doctor arrived at the hospital shortly thereafter, he said, “Well, as least I got to deliver the placenta.”
Ah, birth stories…everyone’s got ’em!
You look great, as you did the last pregnancy.
Oh my goodness…I would like to think I wouldn’t freak out in that situation but the thoughts of it make me very uneasy. Did you have to suction the baby’s mouth? I’m assuming you didn’t clamp the cord? What is that like in terms of the baby breathing?
You are so close Kelly! And I agree with- what EVERYONE else here, you look wonderful! I’m due in about 3 weeks with our third child and with a history of quick labors (well really I have nightly contractions for DAYS, and it stinks! Then when it’s “real” it happens fast) I wouldn’t be surprised if this one is not born at our planned place of birth- a hospital about 30 minutes away.
BUT, I did want to say, please don’t worry about clamping the cord if your baby does happen to be born outside of the hospital- it is actually GOOD for the baby if the cord is not clamped right away. We have done this with both of our children so far and will continue to do so, we leave the cord alone at least until it is done pulsing. My doctor said it is actually becoming normal now (at least in his practice) to do that at every birth as more information is coming out about how beneficial it is for the baby to delay cord clamping…and how it *can be* harmful to clamp the cord right away. So anyway, please don’t spend time worrying over that 🙂
Can’t wait to hear the good news sometime soon!
Amy
The Lord was (and is) so good (and patient) to/with me. I am not the type of person that gets a bag ready in advance…I live more in the moment (unless, of course, I’m worrying about the future, and then that’s a different story), so I hadn’t gotten anything together. (More on that in the next paragraph.)
I hung around @ home after labor started, w/out realizing that it WAS labor…not that it didn’t hurt, I think that I was probably in denial. WHAT? I’m having a baby?! However, I soon realized that I better get to the hospital. I knew that if we made it to the hospital in time, I would deliver right away–or he would be born in the car. When he popped out, he just slid onto the seat, and I picked him up, and covered him w/my nightgown (it was a good time to be unprepared–w/out a packed bag–because I grabbed a nightgown on my way out the door). I could tell that he was OK because he had color in his cheeks. I put him on my shoulder, and the umbilical cord stayed attached until we arrived at the hospital (about 15 minutes after his birth). These were the days before cell phones (my kids really don’t have a clue what a pay phone is), so it was quite an adventure. When we called friends from the hospital, they didn’t believe us, but little “Cordoba,” AKA, Elijah, is now an adult w/a little guy of his own, and a pregnant wife due next month w/a new g’daughter. He survived the rough landing…praise the Lord.
I stayed overnight @ the hospital, went home and played the piano at church the next night. Obviously, I have relatively “easy” labor and deliveries…of course, it’s not called “labor” for nothin’!
Wow–What a story!!! Well, that alleviates some fear you made it sound so easy 😉
The more children you have the more likely you are
to be anemic. My midwife always asked me to take a(herbal) liquid iron supplement but I can’t recall the name. But it was better absorbing & didn’t constipate. It is a little late in the pregnancy to find that out so make sure you keep up the iron even after you deliver.
Don’t worry, birth is natural, as long as baby is breathing and warm(keep her close to you) everything will be fine:) God made your body to do this wonderful thing!
Blessings to you,
Mom to 5
Those last days are the longest, I think. I’m praying for you too. How exciting that you are so near to meeting your precious new son!
Praying for you, Kelly. I lived about as far south from the hospital as you do north but I waited and waited and waited to go when I was in labor with my youngest. Finally, at my hubby’s insistence, we went in and I was only at a 5. I tossed around the idea of natural birth for about 4 minutes and then a good contraction came and I opted for an epidural…hee-hee! I bet no one could pick my kids out of a line up as having been born with the aid of an epidural, so if you’re going back to medication, I sure hope you’re feeling no *stuff* over it.
Be blessed, dear one! Can’t wait to see your announcement! We are rejoicing with you already. 🙂
Thank you, Gayle! I love the part about not “feeling any stuff” over meds 😉
Beautifully Radiant! Praying for you!
Don’t worry Kelly! As an old midwife, I know that most babies born in a car on the way to the hospital are just fine!
Hugs,
Bekah
Oh, that’s good to know! Though still that’s not my preferred method of delivery 😉 so I’ll be calculating closely!
Praying for you as you near delivery. I have about 6 weeks left and I start to panic sometimes when I start to think about what I am about to go through! 🙂 But, I am planning to do it natural again–Lord willing. Last time, with baby #6, was my first time, too. If I let myself think about it too much, though, the fear takes over and I don’t know if I will be able to do it! I know that God will give me the strength and grace I need when the time comes and I should not be anxious about anything. Looking forward to hearing your announcement!
In Christ, Laura