Baby #3- 21 Weeks

This pregnancy is flying by faster than I could have imagined! I'm more than halfway and yet still a little in shock that we're having another baby. I'm still feeling really well and luckily haven't experienced some of the minor irritations that I experienced with my other two pregnancies (nighttime stuffy nose, heartburn, etc). I am feeling a little bigger this go round than I did at this point with my other two. But I wonder if part of that has to do with the fact that this is my third pregnancy and my ab muscles are already really stretched.

I have started feeling a little discomfort when I stand for too long. But I think some of that is because it is getting hotter outside and I get tired more easily. This will be the first pregnancy I've experienced in the summer so I'm preparing myself for just how uncomfortable I'm going to get.

We found out last month that we are having a little boy and are so excited! I would have loved another girl but I am thrilled to be getting a little rough and tumble boy. Kevin was absolutely over the moon! I think he called everyone he knew within 30 minutes of finding out. Blakely was way less excited. She really wanted a baby sister but I think is finally warming up to the idea of a baby brother.

We did have a little scare at our ultrasound this past week but luckily everything seems to be fine. The technician was taking a super long time on our 20 week ultrasound and both Kevin and I started to get a little worried. She couldn't get any good shots of his head because of the way he was positioned and she was being really cryptic about what she saw. Then, she said those dreaded words that every expecting parent hates to hear. "Please wait right here while I get the doctor." Immediately, shear panic and dread set in and I began imagining everything possible that could be wrong. Because we couldn't really see his head, I started thinking brain problems or something majorly wrong with his head development. She also wouldn't show us the baby in 3-D when we asked. I started thinking it was because something was horribly wrong and she knew we couldn't handle whatever image we saw.

After about 10 minutes, the doctor came in and informed us that it had nothing to do with his head at all. There was a spot that showed up on his heart that can sometimes be an early indicator of Down Syndrome. I immediately felt relief that it wasn't anything fatal. After reviewing his ultrasound pictures, the doctor determined that she didn't think it was anything at all and told us that further testing wouldn't need to be done. So I asked again if we could see him in 3-D and she said that it actually wasn't possible because of the way he is positioned. He is snuggling right up against my uterus (and is turned completely backwards) and the machine can't pick up his facial features when he's in that position. He was in the exact same position at our 16 week 3-D ultrasound as well. She tried to get us a shot but we really couldn't see anything. So even though we've now had two 3-D ultrasounds, we still haven't seen any good shots of his face. I'm just imagining that he's super comfy where he is positioned and may be my little snuggle bug.

Gender: Boy
Name: Trent (middle still undecided)
How far along: 21 weeks
Weight Gain: 17 pounds 
Maternity Clothes: Definitely! I was still getting away with this one pair of non-maternity pants that I have but I had to retire them this past week. So it's now all maternity all the time.
Sleep: Really well. The insomnia seems to have passed so I'm enjoying getting back to my regular sleeping habits. 
Workouts: I try to walk with the girls a few times a week around the neighborhood. However, my pace is starting to slow just a bit
Best Moment This Month: Finding out it's a boy!
Worst Moment This Month: Having the ultrasound technician at 20 weeks say, "Wait right here while I get the doctor." 
Cravings: Sweets (mainly cookies)
Food Aversions: None right now
My Favorite Things: My maternity pajama pants and over sized t-shirts

Rowan-10 Months Old

Rowan was 10 months old on March 27th! She has definitely been all over the place this month and I imagine will soon be taking her first steps. She likes walking along the coach while holding on and has let go a few times to stand on her own. She will also walk as long as someone is holding both of her hands. I'm hoping she'll be walking by her first birthday!

She crawls all over the place. We have to keep all of our interior doors closed because her favorite thing to do is venture into the bedrooms and get into stuff she shouldn't. We also bought her a cage play pen this month which has been a lifesaver. I was putting her in her pack-n-play when I needed to get stuff done. But she felt so confined and fussed the entire time. But I had to give that to my mother-in-law recently for Rowan to nap in while I was at work. So we bought a play pen which gives her so much more room to play and crawl around.

She has also started to slim down some as a result of all the crawling. She currently weighs 26 pounds but has stayed in her 18 month clothes for a lot longer than I expected. I'm not sure how tall she is but she fills out her 18-24 month clothing in length as well as weight. In fact, the other day she wore a dress to church that Blakely wore when she was 23 months old. It was very short on her and almost indecent. :) She is definitely going to be my tall child. 

She loves eating table food, which has helped a lot with our grocery shopping. For breakfast, she usually has pancakes or a waffle. She's also had mashed potatoes, macaroni and cheese, cheese pizza, and strawberries just to name a few.

She's still not saying "Mama" but loves to say "Uh-oh," "Dunc" (which is my MIL's dog), and "Papa." I'm hoping that "Mama" will be right around the corner. She's such a little sweetie and is still super happy (most of the time). 

15 Weeks-Baby #3

Well my first trimester just flew by, and I hit 15 weeks yesterday. This pregnancy is going by so much faster than my other two. But I also have a 10 month old to keep up with, so I'm guessing that has something to do with it.

I am having a really easy pregnancy (other than some insomnia at night) and am really looking forward to next week when we find if we're going to add another girl to our clan or have a sweet little boy. Blakely is really hoping for a girl, Kevin of course wants a son, and I don't think Rowan cares either way. As for me, I will be perfectly happy with either (although a son would be a lot of fun).

Here is a little 15 week update along with some pictures.

How far along: 15 weeks
Weight Gain: 6 pounds (I blame the pizza and Mexican)
Maternity Clothes: Some. I'm still able to fit into some of my regular pants if I button them low but am definitely having to wear maternity jeans.
Sleep: Going to sleep is no problem. Staying asleep is another story. I'm already having a lot of insomnia in the middle of the night. I'm not uncomfortable at all, but I just can't seem to stay asleep.
Workouts: I'm still able to do my regular workouts but am really tired in the mornings and at night due to the insomnia. Therefore, I usually pick sleeping over working out. I need to do better about making time for my workouts because they always make me feel so much better.
Best Moment This Month: Having an unexpected ultrasound
Worst Moment This Month: The extra ultrasound being due to finding no heartbeat at 12 weeks. That was the longest 30 minutes of my life!
Cravings: Ice cream (Dairy Queen Blizzards) and lots of fruit
Food Aversions: Still my Shakeology and sometimes coffee
My Favorite Things: My yoga pants from Target. 

Cheesy Pumpkin Spaghetti Squash Casserole

Who loves pumpkin? I do, I do!!

I absolutely LOVE pumpkin and am always excited when I find a recipe where I can use it. I came across a version of this recipe yesterday on www.skinnytaste.com and knew I had to try it. The original recipe uses whole wheat pasta, but I'm always looking for ways to make recipes healthier so I decided to use spaghetti squash instead. I also tweaked a few other things to make it my own.

Also, if you're not the biggest pumpkin fan, you could always substitute other things for it. Next time, I may try cream of chicken or cream of mushroom soup because I'm sure that would be just as yummy!!

First you want to put your spaghetti squash in the microwave for about 10 minutes to soften it. Otherwise it will be too hard to cut. Next, cut it open and scoop out the seeds and yucky stuff. Then, bake it at 350 degrees for about 45 minutes or until it is cooked enough to easily separate with a fork. You then want to use a fork to shred it like pasta and place all the spaghetti squash in a bowl.

Now you're ready to start cooking!

Ingredients

1 whole spaghetti squash

6 slices turkey bacon (cooked and crumbled)

15 oz canned pumpkin puree

1 cup reduced sodium chicken broth

salt and fresh pepper to taste

1/2 tsp fresh rosemary, chopped

2 cups shredded cheese (I used a pizza blend that included Romano, mozzarella, Parmesan, and provolone) 

pinch of garlic powder

Directions

1. Cook the spaghetti squash and separate with a fork. Place in a separate bowl.

2. In a large saucepan over medium heat, combine the canned pumpkin, chicken broth, rosemary, and turkey bacon. Stir until it is well combined and heated. 

3. Add in the spaghetti squash and stir until it is coated well with the pumpkin mixture. 

4. Add 1 cup of the cheese and continue stirring until it is melted.

5. Place the mixture in a large bakeware dish (mine was 2 quarts). Cover with the remaining cup of cheese.

6. Bake at 375 degrees for 25-30 minutes.

7. Enjoy it with a little garlic powder if you like!!

Calories for 1 cup: 180

I used a lot of cheese since I was saving on calories by using the spaghetti squash. However, if you cut out some of the cheese, you can make it even healthier!