Mac Family

Random

My baby currently has the hiccups. Reilly and Addie got them all of the time, but this baby just recently has started to get them quite frequently.

This pregnancy has become a real struggle again lately. Lots of nausea, stomachaches, heartburn, and low backaches. I have felt miserable at times and even a bit down because I feel that I miss out on better times with my other two children from feeling so unwell.

It is summer, and I do not have to work too much. I was really looking forward to so many activities with my kids. While there have been lots of fun times, we have just not done everything I would have liked due to the pregnancy.

Some days I am so exhausted! Other days I have lots of energy. I just never know what it is going to be from day-to-day.

Just 51 more days, and we will finally meet this little one. The girls are so excited. They kiss my belly all of the time, and they talk about the baby all of the time, too. Reilly is so excited because we told her she will be the first to hold her new baby sister.

Everything I do causes Reilly and Addie to ask about the baby. If I drink juice, they want to know if the baby likes juice. If I tell them I want to go in the lake with them, they want to know if the baby will be too cold in the lake.

It is too cute.

One day I wrapped up a little blanket and "pretended" it was the new baby so Reilly could practice holding her. Ever since then, she has taken it upon herself to wrap up blankets and "pretend" she is holding her new baby sister.

I have told Reilly all along (when she has asked me when the baby is going to come out) that the baby was waiting for her to do two things first: (1) turn 5 years-old and (2) start kindergarten. The baby will be born 10 days after Reilly starts school.

I wonder if I will go into labor this time around. I have never been in labor with two scheduled C-Sections, but I wonder if I will go into labor this time. I do not want it to be too early. I am about 32 weeks right now. Just 5 weeks from now would be considered full term. That is barely over a month away. It feels like I have been pregnant forever.

I am really looking forward to having this baby and getting on with our lives. I want to feel *normal* and energetic again. I want to enjoy my kids everyday!

Reilly will turn 5 on Thursday. I feel a little bit sad about that, but I also feel excited for her. She cannot wait for her birthday! Plus, I am excited for her to start kindergarten.

Such a big girl!

At my last doctor's appointment (at 30.5 weeks), I had gained exactly 30 pounds. This weight gain this time has been significant! My doctor even called my weight gain "above average". He also told me that he is not concerned at all because I was not a big person to start. I only weighed 130-something to start, and I will not say what I weigh now! (Yes, it is 160-something). Man, I am hoping to keep it under 180! I know I will lose it quickly.

As much as I am trying to get so much done before the baby arrives (with my house), it has been a slow process. I do as much as I can each day.

Overall, we are enjoying our summer. We have seen some friends, been to the beach a lot and a few other fun places. Lately, it has been wonderful just to sit and read with the girls, mostly Reilly. Addie is an active little one! Reilly and I have been reading lots of books. I purchased a reading program, also, to teach her how to read (more on that later).

I guess I am relaxing more than I thought I would be this summer, which is odd for me. I love to be on-the-go, but I just cannot be running around every day. I am really trying to enjoy the last days of this pregnancy, since it is our last.

Here are a couple of recent photos of the girls. I have been spending time putting together the new blog! It is going to be awesome!

 

Check us out!

All 4.5 members of our family! Photography is by the talented Kathy Fuller of Holland, MI. I discovered her while working as the yearbook teacher at my high school (a couple of years ago). She photographed one of our seniors last year, and I just fell in love with her work! I made contact with her this past spring, and we have become online friends (through Facebook).

We finally met in person on Monday night!

Kathy is the one local person I wanted to capture this big time in our lives. She is also the only photographer in our area I would call *contemporary*, which I love! She's got a talent for this photography business!

Check us out!

God's Gift  

Neglected blog...

It might be a few more weeks before I get my other blog up and running. We have run into some technical difficulties with GoDaddy, and now we are switching to Bluehost by Monday. Switching over my photography website, too. Too many issues with GoDaddy! I plan on launching a brand new updated website by the end of August. I have been working on piecing the new site together tonight. Still want to finish my summer sessions to get some more images for the site! Can't wait!

I have about 3-4 weeks left of sessions, and then I am done, as I will be 9 months pregnant! The whole time frame takes about a month to do the session, then edit, then upload, give time for ordering, do the final editing, etc., order the products, and deliver. When I go off to have this baby, I do not want to have any work hanging over me. I want to be done!

I have been busy. Sick today. I am still having some bad days! I have had lots of high energy days lately, too, so I cannot complain!

I am trying to enjoy these last weeks of my pregnancy, since it is my last. I know it is a true miracle, and I am so thankful to have been blessed by 3 pregnancies, especially after all of my difficulties with getting pregnant, etc. I cannot wait to round out our family! We are all getting very excited for the new baby's arrival! Reilly can barely stand the wait!

I am getting maternity photos taken on Monday evening by a very talented local photographer who is contemporary and creative, which is totally my style! She is the only one I have found in this immediate area who is contemporary! Between the two of us, we should be able to come up with some awesome ideas! I am up for some daring ones, too! What the heck? We only live once, and like I have stated, it is my last child!

We will be getting some silhouettes on the beach...and that will be just the beginning. My two other girls will be in some of the photos, too. I know there is Photoshop to fix my *flaws*, so I am totally open to having my photos taken! Ha, ha!

I will post the link to the photos after she posts them. I am so glad I have found her and have become friends with her these past few months! Her work is awesome, and I will link you to her in the very near future! I love working with other photographers!

Dave and I have been pretty productive lately. This house is starting to look nice again...after lots of effort...and lots of trips to Goodwill! I will also be doing lots of decorating between now and the end of summer.

We have also been on-the-run. Still lots of fun activities to do! And we are just 1/2 way through the summer. We are trying to enjoy this time as much as we can. I have lots of photos to edit, and by the time my new blog is up and running, prepare for photo overload from this summer! It has been fun to learn more about photography, do a few sessions, and take a lot of photos of my own girls! They are both much more cooperative now, too!

I am full of ideas, and I hope I have enough time (and energy) this summer to attempt all of my ideas! It just takes so long to edit the photos!

Two months from today {September 18} we will welcome our third daughter into our family. It is hard to believe. Just 8 days after that, I have a class reunion to attend! What kind of luck is that? I would rather go big and pregnant than saggy and stretched out one week after having a baby! Oh, well. At least I have a good excuse! I am still going!

Lots to look forward to in the near future! I am also going back to work for the first 3 weeks of the school year. Must have money. I think I should wait until the baby actually gets here before I officially go on leave, especially since I have a scheduled C-Section. It will help the time go by faster, too. I will just take the day before off to prepare.

Yes, we have a name. It is a little bit different of a name, but we like it. It is not a "popular" name. I will announce the big news on Facebook as soon as I can after my surgery.

If you are interested in a photo session, please contact me ASAP, as I am very close to wrapping things up and being done! I have just a couple of spots left...

I will update soon about the new blog, etc. And...I will post a link here to my maternity photos right away, as soon as they are up!

Back to my two girls now...

8 days, no blog entry

I have been doing other things, though. Let's see. What's new? I have been on Facebook a lot, I admit, just chatting with friends and sharing photos. This week, I am determined to officially start my new blog. It may be a while before I share, though. You will have to let me know if you would like to view the bigger, better blog! Ha, ha!

I will not post the link here, so let me know if you want to continue reading and looking. I plan on updating it a lot more. I have been more focused on getting the new blog up and running. I guess I have become bored with Typepad after 3 years.

I have been preparing for Baby #3 a lot--going through 5 years of baby girl and little girl clothing. I am giving away lots of stuff to Goodwill and selling the bigger items on Craigslist. We have a double stroller and Reilly's baby bedding, which is gender neutral and in excellent condition, if you know anybody who may be interested.

If you know me, you know how much I love a clean house and despise clutter. I am getting rid of as much as I possibly can right now. A packrat I am not! I have been spending lots of time cleaning every part of this house (slowly)...or at least getting there!

Yes, I am a neat freak.

Decorating has been a little bit of a focus, too.

Meanwhile, I have been getting big and uncomfortable. I have thus far gained 24 pounds. I am finally in the third trimester (about 29 weeks along). I am most likely getting some maternity photos taken. More on that later... I really want to get some silhouettes at the beach that include both of my other girls. I want one like this displayed LARGE in my home. I need to see if I can get them taken in the next week or two. That should be fun!

Only 74 more days to go...out of 280!

Here are some photos from back in June that I never shared on here. My new blog will be mostly a personal blog, as I try as much as I can to document my children's lives. I'm looking forward to my time off work this fall!

I took Addie to the beach one night after her gymnastics class a few weeks ago. It was such a perfect evening! Lake Michigan was so warm! Addie begged to go in the water, so I said, "What the heck?" and let her jump in (in her dress!). She had a blast!

I love the golden lighting right at the very end of the sunset while at the beach. We'll have to get some more beach time in soon!

 

 

 

 

Dancing!

 

That's all for now. Again, let me know if you would like to be invited to read and view the new, updated blog. Thanks! I promise it will be much more active with lots and lots of large photos!

Thanks for reading.