the third one

So here we are. That is, here I am with my soon-to-be-evacuated-in-less-than-six-weeks freeloader kumquat. I figure it's time to devote one post to this squirmer, and what better time to do it than at the point where you simultaneously want him out out out as much as you want him to stay in longer because tooooo sooon noooot ready. That point of pregnancy is apparently at 34 weeks. Because here we are.

So! Here are some pregnancy stats!

Overall: Excellent. Really, nothing to truly complain about. I'm enjoying this pregnancy a good bit, just in comparison to Finley's go around. Last time was much more symptom-y and this time, with the exception of the food aversions and slight fatigue early on, I have felt great and normal most days. Even the dreaded glucose test went as well as can be expected, in so many ways, and was definitely the "best" one to date. I have a lot to be grateful for.

Time: Baby boy #3, week 34.4. This marks 1,919 consecutive days of either growing a person inside of me or nursing a person outside of me or simultaneously both. Seeing as Jason and I have been married for 3,971 days, that is nearly half of our married life. Poor Jason.

Weight: At our week 31 appointment, I was up 16 pounds. This is pretty much on par with my weight gain with Finley, though I am starting 2 pounds heavier than I did with Finley, so... Basically I feel like a whale and since I carry most [all?] of the weight in my stomach, I feel like I look like a whale. Or like this orangutan.

When I compared myself to this orangutan, all Jason had to say is, "You don't know that orangutan is even pregnant." 😐

Height: Still the same. Still waiting on my growth spurt.

Length: Of what?

Problematic pregnancy side effects: Sometimes I need a good shove to sit up in bed. If I try to sit straight up from lying down without turning onto my side or getting a hand from Jason, I now experience the phenomenon Jason refers to as "turtling." Basically, picture a turtle who has fallen on his back and is struggling to right himself. I now wake up at least once a night to go to the bathroom. My stomach enters the room a good 0.4 seconds before the rest of me. Reading books with the boys in my lap is downright uncomfortable.

Movement: This baby is a mover and shaker. Or more like somersault-er and roil-er. At our last appointment he was not head down so I've really been giving him pep talks to get a move on it, to quit partying in there and get [head] down to business. I don't know if he's listening. I think he has his music on too loud.

Foods: I'm all about the fruit right now, particularly oranges. Lucas and Finley also happen to be all about the fruit as well, particularly oranges. Boundaries have been drawn. Discontentment has been expressed on both sides. We manage to still love each other.

Things I'm looking forward to: Not poking my stomach with counter corners. Lying down on my stomach. Bending over to pick something up instead of squatting. Seventeen less bathroom trips each day. Having the boys use me as a jungle gym without grunting and groaning about the all the knees and elbows digging into me. Eating a meal without wondering if I'm going to regret it. And, most of all, HAVING A SQUISHY BABY TO CUDDLE.

Baby preparation: We bought a new onesie for him, does this count? He will have a clothing item all of his own that does not have Lucas or Finley liquids embedded in the threads. I think that's prime living for the third child! We have literally done nothing else in tangible getting-ready tasks. The problem is, I'm not entirely sure what all we actually need to do. It feels wrong but maybe that's just the natural progression of things as you have each new kid. I guess we will find out once he pops his head out what we've overlooked. Whoops.

So, there you have it. Things really have been flying along. We are counting down the days until Jason's summer break [because who doesn't like Dado home ALL THE TIME FOR THREE MONTHS 🎉], but then we realize once again that his Summer Break Relaxation Break countdown is the same exact countdown as the Three Kiddo Craziness countdown. His last work-related task is on April 30th and the kumquat is due May 3rd. That's a tight squeeze right there. I can't believe we have less than 6 weeks left...

the man who makes all this possible

if you give a boy a camera...

Today, something incredible happened and I absolutely have to document it with a post.

       

Lucas has an old point and shoot camera that he fills with crooked, washed out, super close up pictures of feet and random parts of the ceiling and piles of toys on the floor. There are pictures of backs of heads, garbage cans, and unrecognizable shapes that may or may not be parts of people. There are pictures of pictures, pictures of corners of pictures, and pictures of half of me taking pictures. I have a folder on my computer called Lucas's Artography that is filled with literally thousands of Lucas's artistic/accidental/purposefully wonky captures. It's a treasure trove of What Is This?/Should I Even Take Up Space On My Computer With This One. I love it so much.

Tonight Lucas rediscovered his camera, after months of neglect on my part to recharge its battery. Whoops. So, I'm in the kitchen and I hear Lucas say, "Finley, go over to the blue chair." It was said in his classic Oldest Brother tone of voice - the very bossy, kinda demanding tone of voice that Finn doesn't always respond well to. But as I look over and am about to tell Lucas to perhaps ask Finley in a nicer way, in order to increase his chances of Finley listening to him, I see Finley walking over to the blue chair, turning around, and... posing as Lucas clicks off a picture of him. 

What.

As soon as the picture is taken, Finley walks back over to Lucas, who shows him the picture on the camera. The two of them show their approval of their shot, and then Lucas issues his next command. "Finley, go over to the big chair." Finley goes to the specified place, turns around, poses for the picture, and comes back to Lucas to assess their shot. 

What.

They do this over and over and over. Go to the green chair. The ball. The slide. The table. The black chair. The piano. The rails. It was absolutely amazing. They were so focused and serious and adorable and working as a well-oiled photography team. It was hilarious. And so sweet. And I am so gushy about it because watching them play like this made me feel all the feels. All of them. 

I love being their mom. I love watching them grow and learn and love. I cannot describe how fulfilling it is to be their mom. Sometimes I start to get lost in the raising of them and I forget to simply cherish them. And then nights like tonight happen and I'm oh so clearly reminded of how amazingly blessed I am to get to be around these munchkins every single day. They are so special and unique, and they're mine. Life is so good.

I feel this post would be incomplete without some of the actual pictures that Lucas took of model Finley. So without further ado...

so natural

just passing by

leg popped

who, me?

just a boy and his bear and his toys

your classic don't-make-eye-contact shot

even a professional can't always nail the focus and timing

you can hire this model for two "bapple" slices

How amazing are those, right? They make a great team.

And lastly, a video. Of some of the going-ons. It is my favorite video of all time. You should go watch it. It's a must see.