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| We are having a baby!!! April 27, 2012 |
Getting to a place where we both wanted a 3rd baby was a long journey. I have always wanted a large family, but Jason was very content being a dad of 2 girls. We have both been "discussing" a 3rd baby for over 1.5 years, and could never reach the same decision. In February, we finally both got to a place where we just had to give this decision to the Lord! We were done "discussing" it, and had to let God either change one of our hearts or give one of us a peace with a different decision.
After committing to pray about this big decision for a few months and not discussing it, we got to the same place in April during a drive home from Springfield. We were going to try for a 3rd baby!!!
I have to admit that some of my leverage for having a 3rd baby was the fact that I read the book "How to Choose the Sex of your Baby." This book talks about what you need to do, and when you need to have intercourse in order to "maximize" your chances to have the gender you desire. In NO WAY does the book guarantee a certain sex, it just increases your chances. So, we did everything that the book detailed and "supposedly" increased our chances to have a little boy by 80% (according to the book).
I laugh about "increasing our chances" now because I do realize that it is ultimately up to God. It doesn't matter if He has a 0% chance of giving us a girl, He could make it happen!!! I had to embrace this chance of having a girl even more last week at my 16 week appointment when the heartbeat was 155 BPM, and the doctor told me to be prepared for a 3rd little girl!!!! We'll know either way on August 14th when we do our 20 week ultrasound!!! Regardless, we are excited about expanding our family and know that we will be blessed with this baby!!!
To be honest, the worst part of this pregnancy has been the EXTREME nausea!!! It started in the 7th week and is STILL here and I'm in my 17th week. I was very sick with both girls, but it usually got better in the 14th week. I've been taking two Zofran pills everyday since the 9th week, but I did reduce down to one pill a day in week 15, so I will say that it has gotten a little better. The highlight of this week (week 17) has been that I started feeling the baby kick!!! I didn't feel the girls kick until week 20, so that was a fun surprise! Feeling the baby kick is probably one of my favorite things about being pregnant (that and getting out of the nausea stage)!!
Here have been my stats so far at the doctor:
May 15, 2012 - 7 weeks
149 Heartbeat
130 lbs
June 11, 2012 - 11 weeks
175 Heartbeat
133 lbs
July 13, 2012 - 15 weeks
155 Heartbeat
135 lbs
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| 17 Weeks - DEFINITELY showing!!! |
We had our 20 week appointment to find out the gender of the baby! I was seriously so excited and anxious to finally know. If I'm completely honest, I was really starting to feel like we were going to have a baby boy. Because I had felt sick all the way up to week 19 and since we tried to "maximize" our chances, I just really had a feeling that we were going to be surprised with a boy. However, Jason wasn't convinced and he said that he knew that the ultrasound was going to confirm that we were having a girl.....and it did!!!!
I made the ultrasound tech show me the girl parts in two different views because I couldn't see the 3 lines and I just didn't believe her. But then it was confirmed that we were having our third baby girl!!!
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| A baby girl! |
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| Her profile |
Our next set of questions had to do with the health of the baby. I have been really worried about having a health issue with baby #3 because of my age and because we've just been so blessed with healthy children, that I really thought that something may be wrong. Every part of her was analyzed and she is a beautiful, healthy baby girl and we are truly blessed!!!
We also were told that she was measuring to be due on DECEMBER 25th!!! Goodness, God is really trying to teach me that I am NOT IN CONTROL!!! I'll still try to keep her in there as long as I can, but if she decides to come at Christmas, she'll be sharing a birthday with baby Jesus!!!
Here were my stats from the 20 week appointment:
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| 20 Weeks |
August 14, 2012 - 20 weeks
142 Heartbeat
142 lbs
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| 24 Weeks |
September 18, 2012 - 25 weeks
Measuring at 25 weeks
149 lbs
October 17, 2012 - 29 weeks
Measuring at 29 weeks
157 lbs
152 Heartbeat
November 6, 2012 - 32 weeks
Measuring at 32 weeks
163 lbs
155 Heartbeat
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| 32.5 Weeks |
November 12, 2012 - 33 weeks
Measuring at 32 weeks but ultrasound showed that I am measuring 2 weeks ahead and tracking to a due date of 12/18. Baby was measured on the ultrasound to be weighing 5.6 lbs.
159 lbs
170 Heartbeat
My doctor wrote that I was "tracking ahead" in my chart on my 32 week appointment so that I could get an extra ultrasound and let the girls come see the baby. However, she did not actually think that I was tracking ahead but the ultrasound at my 33 week appointment showed otherwise!
Before the appointment, Taylor kept asking if we were going to go get some flowers for the baby. I think she was a little confused if we were actually going to be having the baby. However, once we explained it and she saw the ultrasound, she acted like she knew what was going on.
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| waiting in the lobby for my appointment to start |
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| checking out the baby on the screen |
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| sitting with Mommy |
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| "I see her!" |
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| Very excited about seeing the baby |
I'm not sure if Addison really understood what was going on during the ultrasound but Taylor knew what was going on. She loved watching the baby on the screen and would get excited when the tech would show us a part of the baby and she would "see" it!
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| after the ultrasound picture |
Taylor wanted to lay all the ultrasound pictures out on the table to take a picture of them.
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| picture captured by Taylor |
It was really neat for the girls to be able to see the baby with me! This appointment was an interesting one because they said that I was tracking ahead 2 weeks but they were NOT going to be changing my due date. My doctor told me that she wouldn't induce me before 39 weeks (which just happens to be Christmas Day)!!! Who knows, maybe I'll go into labor on my own with this 3rd baby?!!? Although I am not happy that it will be around the holidays, we are just going to leave it up to God on when HE decides for this baby girl to arrive!
It was very challenging for Jason and I to pick out a name for baby girl #3. We had already spent SO much time on naming Taylor and Addison and really just didn't think that we had any good girl names left in us! On our drive to Texas in late September, we really tried to narrow down the names to the top 6-8. This required us to go through the Baby Names App and seriously give a "yes or no" to every name listed.
Once we narrowed it down, I was ready to make a decision! So, I wrote the names out on our fridge and bathroom so that we could constantly be looking at the names and see which one we were drawn to.
We finally decided on the name - Camryn Reese Epps! We had loved the name Camryn when we were picking out Addison's name, and we ended up just coming back to it! Some of the other names we considered were Haley, Kendall, Avery, Reagan and Kinley.
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| Taylor hung up the ultrasound picture on her craft wall when she got home (totally her idea) |
It was very challenging for Jason and I to pick out a name for baby girl #3. We had already spent SO much time on naming Taylor and Addison and really just didn't think that we had any good girl names left in us! On our drive to Texas in late September, we really tried to narrow down the names to the top 6-8. This required us to go through the Baby Names App and seriously give a "yes or no" to every name listed.
Once we narrowed it down, I was ready to make a decision! So, I wrote the names out on our fridge and bathroom so that we could constantly be looking at the names and see which one we were drawn to.
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| name options on the fridge |
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| Name options in the bathroom |
We finally decided on the name - Camryn Reese Epps! We had loved the name Camryn when we were picking out Addison's name, and we ended up just coming back to it! Some of the other names we considered were Haley, Kendall, Avery, Reagan and Kinley.
November 28, 2012 - 35 weeks
Measuring at 36 weeks
164 lbs
1 cm dilated and 40% effaced
Was low on iron, so got placed on a supplement
December 4, 2012 - 36 weeks
167 lbs
2 cm dilated and 60% effaced
Taylor loves to feel the baby kick! Every time I tell her to feel my belly, she jumps with excitement!! She'll wait with her hand patiently on my belly until she feels a movement or kick, and then get so happy!!! Addison on the other hand doesn't totally get it. I tell her to come feel baby Camryn kick and I put her hand on my belly. She then places my hand on her hand, and then another hand, and yells "go soccer" and raises her hand. I'm not quite sure if she's ever felt the baby kick. haha!
Jason and I got away for the weekend at the end of my 36th week. We didn't take a "big babymoon" like we've done in the past, but even to spend the weekend at the Embassy Suites was a treat to us! We had the Kraft Christmas Party on Friday night, slept in on Saturday then got massages and enjoyed the big breakfast buffet at the hotel. We then went to see the movie Lincoln and then headed to the Mercy Charity ball that night where Easton Corbin performed. Our stay at the Embassy was free all weekend, we enjoyed great dinners, and enjoyed just being together. We were thankful for my mom and Rod that came up for the weekend so that we could get away one last time before the baby arrives!
December 8, 2012 - Pregnancy "plug" falls out. Could this baby be coming soon??? And, it happened again on December 31st!
Jason and I got away for the weekend at the end of my 36th week. We didn't take a "big babymoon" like we've done in the past, but even to spend the weekend at the Embassy Suites was a treat to us! We had the Kraft Christmas Party on Friday night, slept in on Saturday then got massages and enjoyed the big breakfast buffet at the hotel. We then went to see the movie Lincoln and then headed to the Mercy Charity ball that night where Easton Corbin performed. Our stay at the Embassy was free all weekend, we enjoyed great dinners, and enjoyed just being together. We were thankful for my mom and Rod that came up for the weekend so that we could get away one last time before the baby arrives!
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| 36 weeks at the Mercy Charity Ball |
December 8, 2012 - Pregnancy "plug" falls out. Could this baby be coming soon??? And, it happened again on December 31st!
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| Bible Study "sprinkle" of diapers and wipes!!! 12/2/12 |
December 12, 2012 - 37 weeks
167 lbs
2.5 cm dilated and 60% effaced
Had just hurt my foot the day before and used a wheelchair at the doctor's office since I couldn't put any pressure on my foot
Had just hurt my foot the day before and used a wheelchair at the doctor's office since I couldn't put any pressure on my foot
December 19, 2012 - 38 weeks
170 lbs
2.5 cm dilated and 60% effaced
Was still on crutches at this appointment but could start to put a little pressure on my foot
Doctor was concerned about the swelling and told me to get another x-ray to make sure that it wasn't fractured
Next appointment not until I'm 39.5 weeks along because of the holiday and my doctor being on vacation.
Was still on crutches at this appointment but could start to put a little pressure on my foot
Doctor was concerned about the swelling and told me to get another x-ray to make sure that it wasn't fractured
Next appointment not until I'm 39.5 weeks along because of the holiday and my doctor being on vacation.
December 28, 2012 - 39.5 weeks
172 lbs
3 cm dilated and 75% effaced
Scheduled to induce on Friday, January 4th at 4:30am if I haven't had her on my own before then.
Scheduled to induce on Friday, January 4th at 4:30am if I haven't had her on my own before then.
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| 40 Weeks - Dec 31, 2012!!! |
