Coghills Go International: {Day 2-5: Montpellier}

In my last post, we left off where Phil, Mars, and I were boarding the train to Montpellier! Phil's actual conference, (aka the reason we were on the trip), was being held there. He would have had to travel by train from Paris to get there anyways. This way, he had some company :)

May 24, 2016

{Of our 4 train rides, this was the only one where we were first class. It was nice because we had seats that faced each other without having to share seats with anyone else. We had such a hard time staying awake though! Phil and I took turns sleeping, but it was difficult. We were ready to get to our hotel and relax!}

{There was a supermarket near the tram stop by our hotel. I thought it would be a good idea to get breakfast items because most restaurants didn't open until after we needed to be where we wanted to go. We got yelled at by the security guard because we tried to enter the store with our suitcases, so I sat outside the store, (it was inside of a mall type place), and waited with all our stuff.}

{As we began walking to the hotel, (it looked close on the map), we discovered it was an awfully long way to walk with all our stuff in the dark. Halfway to the hotel, I told Phil I couldn't walk anymore. He called the hotel who graciously called a taxi for us. It really wasn't much further, but from the point we had stopped, there was no more sidewalk to use. (It was all gravel!)}

{Even though that was a rough start to the trip, it did get better!}

May 25, 2016

{Our original plan was to wake up early and go to the beach. This would have required some creativity in terms of using public transportation, but we were up to the challenge. Well, we slept through Phil's alarm... and my alarm. So obviously, sleep was way more important! Knowing we'd get to the beach in Spain, we decided to just let that go, and have a leisurely morning :)}

{We did get bummed out because the fridge in our room where we put all our breakfast items was not turned on. This meant we lost all the breakfast food we bought the night before :( It was already close to 10 am, so we figured we'd just go to the restaurant I picked for after beach brunch. Phil got a ham and cheese crepe, and I had a nutella crepe. Both were very delicious!}

{We made our way to Phil's conference, and I started exploring the city! This was a fountain in the park just south of Phil's conference building. It was nicely shaded and had lots of benches to sit. Plus, it looked huge on the map, but was very walkable for a pregnant lady :)}

{This is Place de la Comedie. It's considered the town square. Montpellier was established in 985 BCE, and there's a spot here that is outlined in red marble, (an egg shape), and that was the original square in the center of town. It was breathtaking!}

{Another view}

{This is the Three Graces fountain. The statue was originally in the Musee Fabre, but moved in the 1980's when the opera house was renovated}

{The opera house}

{When trying to find things to do, I saw that there was a cat cafe in town! Basically, you get to enjoy the perks of a cafe, but with cats to cuddle with :) I thought it would be fun, and I found it pretty easily!}

{Also, the only other patron in the cafe was visiting a friend, and she is originally from Choctaw, OK! What a small world!}

{Sleepy cats :)}

{Most of them were sleeping, and I only became popular when my dessert and coffee came. One of the rules is not feeding the cats, so I became just as unpopular in the same amount of time ;) I did get to cuddle with the hairless cat the most. That was a little on the weird side, but nothing really icky. I just doubt I'll ever own a hairless cat in my lifetime}

{My cuddle buddy, Hayley}

{I just happen to come across this old observatory while finding the tram station}

{Back at the Place de la Comedie, there was a carrousel that I knew Jillian would love to see}

{Mars and I, if we ran out of things to do, would just ride the trams around town. It was fun, and pretty easy to do! I got so familiar with the system that I could tell you what tram line the car was just by looking at it, and know the direction we were going without use of a map by day 2}

{There were several ways to get passes, but we just got day passes every morning. It was cheaper in the long run, and worked perfectly!}

{There was an area of town where various neighborhoods would build up a part of that square. One neighborhood was called Richter, which happens to be the last name of some people at church! I had to take a picture and show them :)}

{Mars at the park}

{The south side of the park. There were always people sitting and talking/eating any time I came by. There was also a playground on the other side of the walkway. (I didn't take a picture because I didn't want to be the weird/creepy person taking pictures of other people's children at a playground. No need to get arrested in France thankyouverymuch) All in all, it was a nice place to people watch}

{Anyone who knows me or has read this blog for awhile knows I really dislike birds. Like, a lot! So the fact that these pigeons are incredibly friendly made it a very uncomfortable situation for me. I just wanted to eat my sandwich in peace! I didn't scream or cry though, so I took a picture to prove just how close I allowed them to get. Ugh, birds!}

{The view of the east side of Montpellier from the entrance to Phil's conference}

{And yes, that is an elevator because there were a million steps to the top from the tram stop at the bottom}

{We decided it would be entertaining to go to an American themed restaurant. I refused to eat at McDonald's at any point in the trip, so this would be the most "American" thing we'd do. It was a 50's themed diner, and I thought it was funny that all the burgers had American Flag toothpicks in them! It was delicious, but did not taste like diner food in the States. That's ok, I still cleaned my plate :)

{We picked this fun dessert to get. Plus, I knew my mom would appreciate it ;)}

{It was different, but a yummy treat!}

May 26, 2016

{We had a short morning together, but had an area of town Phil wanted to see with me. So off we went!}

{There is lots of street art in Montpellier, and I was excited to finally find some! (Everything I found about the street art never mentioned where it would be. I guess finding it is half the fun? Unless you're on a schedule like me, then you just want to know! LOL)}

{This used to be a chapel with a hospital next to it. Now it's a chapel that houses a choir. I'd love to rehearse in a place like that!}

{Street art on the way to...}

{St Peter's Cathedral}

{We have lots of pictures from the inside, but figured that would get redundant because we went to several churches on our trip. (I'm a sucker for old churches and stain glass windows)}

{It was beautiful on the inside, and we got to hear the organ play a bit! This is the only cathedral in Montpellier, and it was neat to just think about all the history this place has seen! Plus, it's attached to...}

{The Faculty of Medicine! This is the oldest medical school in Europe, and it is still going strong!}

{They had a few different tours, none in English that we could go to, but we thought just being there was enough. Plus, it is a functioning university so we didn't want to disturb anyone}

{We both ended up using this bathroom pod, (for lack of a better term). It looks weird, but it was actually pretty nice! First of all, it was free. Second, you go in, do your thing, then when you leave, the pod is self cleaning. It even sprays down the floor! I was pretty impressed :) Plus, this is kind of the only way to use the bathroom in public. Otherwise, you have to go to a restaurant or other building}

{Phil had one presentation to go to before a quick lunch break, so I got a Nutella crepe, (surprise, surprise), and hung out in the park to people watch. It was near a school, so I got to watch teenagers interact in between classes. That may seem boring to most, but I certainly had fun :) Also, I got to see some kids playing on the playground. It made me think of my sweet babies, and showed me that kids in France throw tantrums when it's time to leave the park too HAHAHAHA}

{A nice lunch with my honey. It was fairly easy to find a sandwich I could eat, but I felt like I ate lots of the same thing. I'm not complaining though, because the bread alone was worth eating sandwiches a lot!}

{We actually did eat lots of street food so we didn't have to worry much about reservations or spending a large amount on food. I think it worked out in the end, and we were always satisfied with what we ate. I can't even think of a meal where we were disappointed in what we ate}

{I found a LUSH in Montpellier! Too bad it was closed, or I would have gotten a bath bomb to enjoy :)}

{We stopped at a store for souvenirs and saw these. Phil thought his brother would get a kick out of them}

{I decided to take a bus tour to kind of fill in any gaps of my exploration, simply because I was afraid of wearing my poor pregnant body out. It was nice because I was able to see the highlights, and discover what I could skip :) I wasn't able to get many pictures because it was a quick tour, but I have lots of mental pictures :)}

{Plus, it had an audio tour, (in English too!), so I got to hear all kinds of cool facts!}

{This actually houses businesses, but it's a beautiful reflective building in the Antigone district along the river. I thought the Antigone district was older, but it's actually a newer part of town}

{The Arc de Triomphe! There was lots of construction surrounding it, so I snapped a picture to show Phil later. We decided we didn't need to see it in person together like we originally thought}

{The Musee Fabre}

{These sculptures are actually next to Phil's conference, but I didn't really notice them until later. Love the colors :)}

{After my bus tour, I headed to the tram station, and went to the Antigone district for a quick exploration. This is just a street lamp, but I love the design}

{This fountain is in the Place de Zeus, though I didn't catch its entire significance in the design}

{The Antigone district is really cool to see at an aerial view due to the planning on the architect's part. It's hard to take a street level picture to do it justice, so Google it sometime :)}

{More bike street art}

{The Polygone - which turned out to just be a mall}

{I paid to use the bathroom, (though it was very clean!), and I ended up making a bee line to...}

{a counter with treats. I wanted a chocolate eclair, but they only had strawberry. Then it turned out to be on sale as a Buy One Get One Free! So I ate mine rather quickly, and saved the other for Phil. It was really good!}

{Pac Man street art}

{This is just a building in the city center, but I liked the way the building was shaped! It looks like it's leaning}

{The park below the conference was preparing for a festival to celebrate Italian authors. I believe it started the last day we were in town, so I figured we'd miss it. It looked really interesting though! They even had a tent just for comic book authors}

{Walking through the park}

{This was just a sculpture in the park I kept passing. I decided I was meant to take it's picture, so I did :)}

{Phil and I made reservations at a pizza place near the conference for dinner. This was delicious!! I was a little surprised when I saw the size of the pizza, but the crust is thin. Phil and I ate those pizzas all by ourselves, and we didn't feel stuffed at the end! It was incredibly good :)}

{This is the Préfecture de l'Hérault - essentially the government building in town. It was just really pretty, so I took a photo :)}

{Mars and I shared an ice cream cone of Speculoos ice cream before we headed by to the hotel for the night}

May 27, 2016

{We had breakfast at our hotel and just took our time to reorganize our room a bit. We knew we had time and didn't want to rush. After making our way to the conference area, we grabbed a quick sandwich for an early lunch. I had a tomato, mozzarella, and pesto sandwich, and it was good! Phil got an American sandwich which had steak, cheese, and french fries in the sandwich. Different, but good as well}

{We had enough time to see the Botanical Gardens! It was created by the Faculty of Medicine college as a way for students to learn how plants could be used for medicinal purposes. It is one of the oldest botanical gardens still in existence}

{Admission was free (!!!), but parts of it were not available to see due to renovations. Overall, it was still worth it to see}

{We went through this little tunnel, and I just loved how old it was}

{Phil climbing the cobble steps on the other end of the tunnel}

{This is the oldest part of the gardens (which was established in 1593)! I was so glad we were able to see it up close! I believe it was a gated wall protecting a well}

{Another view}

{Bridge we were not allowed to go under or across. Yay for construction/renovations...}

{The old entrance. I don't believe these doors even opened, but they were beautiful to look at!}

{Mars taking time to smell the roses flowers}

{A beautiful little fountain in an area we were allowed to explore!}

{I love being with him <3}

{We grabbed another Nutella crepe before I knew I wouldn't get another in town. (That's actually not true, but I didn't know that at the time. Plus, BB-3 wanted it ;P) Mars was a sport and helped me eat it}

{I passed by this flower shop several times during our trip, and I just loved the colors! I mostly wanted a picture to show my mom :)}

{After taking a 45 minute nap, I decided to relax on our patio. This is the view from the patio into our room}

{And our view from the patio into the back area. The weather was perfect for reading, and it was quite nice to just relax}

{I got to read a good chunk of my book! Mars helped me :)}

{Instead of trying to figure out how to get Phil to the hotel, or me away from the hotel, for a dinner reservation, we decided to try French fast food! There was a burger place near the conference that Phil ordered from before heading back to the room. The fries weren't too terribly cold by the time he got back. It was a little different, but still really good! I also noticed that the Pepsi didn't seem as sugary, which I liked. I was quite impressed}

{We grew tired of watching BBC World as the only English-speaking station we could watch, so we channel surfed. We found an older NCIS, and watched for awhile. It was funny to hear "Gibbs" among all this French dialogue! We Skyped with the kiddos, and began packing for our next adventure}

{We truly enjoyed Montpellier. In fact, at the end of the trip, our time here was our most favorite! It's a beautiful, university town. It's just big enough that it offers so much to see and do, but small enough to feel like you're in a familiar place. Lots of good food, lots of polite and nice people. If only we could get a taxi in English, it would have been perfect! (Getting taxis without speaking French fluently is the hardest thing we had to do!)}

{Up next... Spain!}

Coghills Go International: {Day 1-2: Flight + Paris}

This is the first of several recaps from our trip abroad! These will be a mix of regular camera pictures, and those I took on my phone of Mars. I have a book on Shutterfly all made up, but I'm waiting for the right sale so that it won't be so costly to print ;)

{Just in case I didn't explain this before, we took Mars with us on our trip with Jillian's permission. You see, Mars is a birthstone beanie baby bear for the month of March. Original Mars was given to her at the hospital when David got really sick in 2014. (That Mars was lost, so we replaced him) When I asked her at the hospital what the bear's name was, she said "Colored Bear" o_O  (I quickly shut that one down!) I told her he had a birthday cake with the word "March" on there, and that he was a colorful bear. Well, shortly thereafter, March morphed into Mars, and that has been his name ever since (thank goodness!). Mars is actually the French word for the month of March, so I thought it would be something fun to take him to France with us. Plus, then Jillian could see all the cool places we saw/stuff we did that would be more interesting because of her bear. She loved getting an email every other day with pictures/videos of Mars to see what adventures he had. Now that we're home, I decided to make a full book of the trip using only Mars photos for Jillian to enjoy :)}

Without further ado, let us begin!

May 23, 2016

{Eating lunch at Chili's at O'Hare in Chicago}

{Waiting at our gate to go to Toronto}

{When in Canada, get Tim Horton's! We got a maple flavored iced cappuccino to share}

{We don't have any nearby, so I wanted to try it :)}

{Ready to board!}

May 24, 2016

{Our continental breakfast was a slice of banana bread, and any cold beverage we wanted. Mars and I agreed we were hungry, but had to wait until we landed}

{First stop in Paris, (well, after dropping off our luggage at a storage locker at the train station), the Eiffel Tower! We had tickets to ride up to the second floor and made it just in time. We took pictures, looked around, then got a quick bite to eat while enjoying the view :) After looking out, we walked to a nearby park for a better look}

{We passed under the tower on the way to another spot in town}

{We stopped at a tea house I wanted to see. It was a little fancier than I thought, but we got some really nice tea from a very nice, and polite gentleman}

{It was fun to just walk around the streets with no particular time to be anywhere. I truly enjoy just soaking in the atmosphere of a new-to-me city.}

{Mars in front of the Army Museum. I believe this is where Napoleon's tomb is! We didn't have time, or extra money, to go and see it in person this time. Maybe next time :)}

{Then we took the Metro to the Arc! Very crowded, but very cool to see in person. It would have been neat to go up to the top, but we had one more mission before we left Paris}

{For our anniversary, we decided to purchase macarons from the two stores who claim to have the best in Paris, Pierre Herme and Laduree. It was a close call, but we determined that Pierre Herme had the softest, and yummiest, macarons!}

{Soon, we boarded the train to get to the conference in Montpellier. To be continued...}

Tomorrow

{Trigger warning for those who have had a pregnancy loss/miscarriage}
This has been heavily on my heart and mind lately, so please bear with me as I express myself. I've been seeing lots of supportive things for women who have miscarried and/or have PCOS, so I really felt compelled to write this down. If nothing else, this is a reminder to me that it's ok to still grieve no matter how many years have passed.

June 19th is a hard day for me.

I don't mention this every year, but it's something that comes up every single year.

It's sad that it happens to be on Father's Day this year because I knew I'd have to mentally prepare for several days beforehand. I want to focus on the positive. I want to celebrate my husband. It's just hard to do knowing we could have been celebrating him as a father much earlier.

I have Timehop on my phone, which is usually super fun/great. However, starting on the 15th, it began to remind me of 2009.

Now 2009 was the year where I had an early miscarriage. So early, in fact, that I hadn't even called my doctor yet. For the first time in my reproductive life, my period was late. Not just by a day or two, but close to 4. Then it was 5. Then 6. By day 7, I was determined to figure out why my period was still not here. But before I even bought a pregnancy test, it happened. I remember going to the restroom and wiping with lots of fresh red blood. I was disappointed with the answer I got for my mental question, but I knew there was nothing I could do. Shortly thereafter, I had the most painful start of a period I've ever had, {up until that point at least}. It got to the point where I had to sit in the shower with the shower running to get any kind of relief from the pain. It was really awful. Even with the other health issues I've had, {including chemical pregnancies and cysts draining}, I've never experienced that kind of sensation before. That's when I knew; I knew that I had miscarried. I didn't tell many people, and I don't even remember if I told my mom about it before it happened. This was June 19, 2009.

It is a date forever etched in my mind.

A few months later, I was 7 days late again, so I immediately called my doctor. I knew I couldn't mentally/emotionally handle another miscarriage. My cycles had been completely out of whack after what happened in June. Well, this time, it turned out to just be a late period. Even after it finally started, my period was not as painful as it was on June 19th. That's when the ball got rolling with various doctor appointments, and I was eventually diagnosed with polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) on November 10, 2009.

However, the specialist that diagnosed me wanted to know more. Being curious myself, {because trust me, there was NOT a lot of great info on PCOS in 2009}, I went along with it. By February of 2010, we had seen this doctor for a few cycles where I had done bloodwork, ultrasounds, temperature charts, etc. I was to the point where he wanted to do a certain test, {I believe it was this one}, and the results would tell him if I could ever have children on my own or not, {according to him}. Being almost 24 years old, I knew I was not ready to hear the answer either way. I wanted to stop immediately. So we never made another appointment with the doctor, and paid off what costs we had accumulated until that point. Even without that test, we were told that, based off my other lab work and such, that conceiving a child would be very difficult. In fact, I think the doctor even implied I would need at least IUI to conceive and carry a baby at all without the results of the test. So, Phil and I decided that I would stop taking birth control because of my PCOS, {whacky hormones}, and just be careful until after we were both done with school. We had no sense of hope that we would conceive without major medical intervention.

A few months later, I was cleaning the apartment. It was a beautiful Saturday, but Phil was working at the pharmacy. I decided to be a good housewife, and surprise him with a nice, clean apartment when he returned for dinner. Being the Aries that I am, I got distracted from my work a few times. One of those times, I needed to use the bathroom. As I walked up the stairs to our bathroom, I was suddenly remembering that I had 1 pregnancy test left in the box from all those cycles months earlier. Thinking it was close to its expiration date, {it wasn't}, I decided to use it, even though I knew it would be negative, {it wasn't}. I still have no earthly clue what possessed me to do this, but I am grateful simply because if the ectopic was not discovered, I could have had a medical emergency on my hands. I remember looking at the test thinking that I would confirm the negative result and toss it in the trash in one swift motion. I nearly had a heart attack when I saw a second line on the test. I texted some friends of mine, who rushed me to Walgreens for a digital test. It said the exact same thing! This was June 19, 2010.

Of course, as the story goes, after several blood tests, it was confirmed that I did not have a viable pregnancy that turned out to be ectopic. I had to have 2 rounds of methotrexate to chemically dissolve the pregnancy. I still can't hear the word "viable" without hearing the nurse calling my pregnancy "non-viable" over the phone. It haunts me.

I kind of hate that both of these events are tied together. The fact that they share the date June 19th, makes this day that much harder for me. February is a crappy month for me too since that would have been my due dates, {February 12, 2010, and February 19, 2011 respectively}, but June 19th is harder for me than February ever is.

The memories of the physical pain are still there.

The memories of the mental pain are still there.

The memories of the emotional pain are still there.

PCOS sucks. Infertility sucks. Losing babies no matter how far along you are sucks. Losing children no matter how old they are sucks.

Sometimes this world sucks.

It is broken. It is hurtful. It haunts you. It makes you want to stay in your bed all day and cry.

Honestly, that is all perfectly normal. Cry all day. Scream. Throw things. Burn something, (in a controlled environment). Flip the bird with both hands. Write a poem. Write an angry letter. Write a blog post. Whatever it takes, let yourself feel it. If you have to do it every year like I do, that's ok too!

Even if I have 20 more children, {Lord have mercy, that is NOT the plan FYI}, I will always have a hard time on June 19th. Whether I'm on a mission trip, in the middle of VBS, on vacation, or one of my kids gets married that day, I will always feel it.

To be completely honest, I usually start realizing it's coming around June 10th. It's like a cloud that it coming right at me. I know it's coming, and I know I can't stop it. I don't let it keep me from doing my job as a wife, mother, friend, sister, church goer, etc. Just know, if you ever see me on June 19th, I will be facing a tough battle.

Whatever date is hard for you, whatever memories haunt you, know that you're not alone.

As much as I'll celebrate Phil tomorrow, I will be so happy to see the sunrise come June 20th.

BB-3 Week 33 Update

EDIT 6/18/16 @4:20pm:: So, this post was scheduled to post late in the evening so I could add the photo after dinner. Well, BB-3 and my body had other plans!

It started with BB-3's morning kick count. Not only did it happen over an hour later than I normally do it, the movements felt lighter/weaker than normal. Plus, I had to really poke and prod to get the 10 in an hour. So that made me nervous to start the day.
Then, for the last few days, I've had "glitter" vision. Basically, either all over my field of vision or in my peripheral vision, I would see what looked like long pieces of glitter for about 15-45 seconds. It would happen more often in the late afternoon/early evening, and would happen whether I was standing or sitting down. I knew that wasn't necessarily a good sign.
I get out of breath sometimes, but it happened to me yesterday when I was laying on my side.
Finally, I had a small headache the day before, (Thursday), but figured it was due to my teeth being cleaned at the dentist.
I called my doctor and spoke with a nurse around 2pm yesterday. She said that the main concern with what I was describing would be high blood pressure and/or preeclampsia. However, my BP readings at my appointments have all been really good. She told me I could always come get assessed if it would give me peace of mind. Also, she recommended that I get my BP checked at a pharmacy to see what it said if I was worried. Phil and I talked it over and agreed we'd run to a pharmacy after dinner to see what it said. When we got to Walgreens, we ran the machine twice with the result of 145/88. It was high enough that I decided to call the hospital and tell them what was going on. The lovely nurse I talked to said that she would feel better if I came in to be observed, but not to rush because it wasn't an emergency or anything.

Honestly, even with the uneasy feeling I've had this whole pregnancy, I had a sense of peace about this. I really did not think I would get any negative news. Despite wanting Phil with me, we didn't want to keep the kids up late in a tiny room. {Besides, that would definitely not help my BP!} So he stayed home with him, and I promised to let him know what they said. We talked about the scenario of me being admitted, but we both felt it was not really in the cards. Luckily, we were correct!

After being checked-in, I was all hooked up to the monitors. BB-3 apparently HATES having anything on my belly and proceeded to kick at the monitors the whole time! LOL BB-3 looked wonderful the whole time, and my BP was already down to 134/88 by the first check, and all the way to my normal, 119/68, by the time I gave them a urine sample and was finishing up the hour of observation. No protein in the urine, and it was a good color which told them I was hydrated. All in all, it was hopefully a one time deal, most likely due to the heat we've had here. The only instructions I got were to follow up with my doctor at my next appointment, (which is on Thursday), and hopefully she can give me some tips of how to keep this from happening again. The did give me some Tylenol and an Ambien to rest at home. And boy, does Ambien work on me! I barely made it home and in bed before I was out! I didn't wake up until 3am to pee, then back to sleep until 7:15. It took until almost 8:30 for me to not be groggy!

All in all, it was definitely a new experience for me to be observed, but I'm so very thankful that all is well. I have a slightly more sense of peace for the pregnancy now, but I am a little nervous of either this happening again, or BB-3 coming much earlier than we expected. {Those feelings may be more of the fact that our to-do list is still so long!} We did install the car seat today, so we just need bottles to be "prepared" for BB-3 should they make a quick entrance sooner rather than later :) So that's how I spent Friday night, and why my pictures are late today :)::END EDIT

Busy week in terms of having something to do/somewhere to go everyday. That's ok, we had a pretty decent week. I do find it funny that I'm at the point in pregnancy where, no matter how careful I am, I spill whatever I'm eating and/or drinking on my shirt. What can you do? Also, I have had a little swelling in my feet lately. I'm not sure if it's just the heat or because I was standing for a bit. Either way, it's weird that I can tell just by flexing my calves if I have swelling before I even look.

Today's date: June 17, 2016

How far along: 33 Weeks

Total weight gain: 30 pounds

Size and growth of baby: BB-3 is the size of a pineapple. or three chocolate croissants! They are around 4 pounds, and over 17 inches long. Eyes are staying open when they are awake, and BB-3 is starting to learn how to coordinate breathing with sucking and swallowing. {I still have issues with that! HAHA} BB-3's bones are continuing to harden, and their brain is still developing rapidly.{via and via}

Baby is a: baby!

Maternity clothing: All maternity, except for a pair of yoga pants/a few large shirts I only wear at home, and my cardigans.

Sleep: I am really tired even if I get a decent amount of sleep. The last couple of days, I have been waking up twice at night to pee, but I've also been drinking close to a gallon of water as well. Only once did I not manage to go back to sleep, but I felt rested despite it being 4:30 in the morning.

Movement: BB-3 squirms and rolls just fine :) Sometimes the movement can make me sick to my stomach, or even hurt. Nothing too bad just yet. Also, this morning BB-3 was very tired, so I didn't get to do my kick count at the time I always do it. I was really thinking about if I needed to call the hospital and be monitored when they finally moved. Ugh, give mama a heart attack why don't ya?

Cravings/Aversions: I craved fruit, cheesecake, strawberry shakes, and cinnamon Life cereal. Aversions are still raw meat, pork, rice, peanut butter, curry, coconut milk, and mushrooms.

Morning Sickness: I had one moment where I thought I was going to get nauseous, but luckily it passed :)

Symptoms: Big baby bump, bump feeling heavy, out of breath, baby kicks (that sometimes hurt), emotional, round ligament pain, itchy belly, some light swelling if I'm on my feet too long, gassy, a little heartburn, pelvic pain, feet no longer in sight, nasal sensitivity, sensitive gums and feeling really tired at the end of the day.

Labor Signs: Braxton Hicks every single day. Nothing terrible, but it's getting more uncomfortable to sit through!

Belly button in or out: In

How this pregnancy is different than the first two: I had to switch to lactose-free milk for my pregnancy with David, no medicine, more weight gain, more anxiety, crazy mix of cravings and aversions from both previous pregnancies, I feel more behind on our to-do list, more nasal issues, more dental issues, more exhaustion, and more painful pelvic sensations.

The best moment of this past week: Good dentist appointments for Jillian and myself, getting some stuff done, (though not as much as I'd like), and celebrating air conditioning/cold foods because it's been hot!

What I miss: Nothing :)

I'm looking forward to: Getting a few more things done on the to-do list, having slightly cooler temps next week, and my next doctor's appointment!

{Jillian's Week 33 Update}
{David's Week 33 Update}

Bump Comparison:

{Left: Jillian 2011 Middle: David 2013 Right: BB-3 2016}

BB-3 Bump Comparison:

BB-3 Week 32 Update

This week was one of the last full weeks until BB-3's arrival! We still have things like dentist appointments and the like but, I have no major obligations, and I don't plan on leaving city limits again until BB-3 is here. It's crazy to think about just how soon everything is now! I got to schedule all my remaining doctor appointments until my due date this week. It's exciting, and nerve-wrecking at the same time! Also, I found out this week that some ladies at church are going to throw a double baby shower for myself and another woman at church! I figured with this being our third baby that we'd be on our own for anything we need to get. It's a sweet surprise, and I'm very thankful for it!

Now I just need to figure out how to survive the inevitable summer heat...

Today's date: June 10, 2016

How far along: 32 Weeks

Total weight gain: 27.5 pound (because every half pound matters ;P)

Size and growth of baby: BB-3 is the size of a jicama, a plastic scooter board (anyone remember those?!), or pan d'epi! They are around 3-3/4 pounds, close to 17 inches long, and plumping up for birth. They may have flipped to birthing position, (I doubt it!), which is heads down! BB-3 is starting to get crowded, which explains why mama is feeling out of breath, and having more heartburn than normal. {via and via}

Baby is a: baby!

Maternity clothing: All maternity, except for XXL shirts at bedtime. 

Sleep: I slept really well despite the time change back as well as VBS this week. I was ready for bed about 9pm every night. Because of the amount of water I've been drinking, I had several nights where I needed to pee around 3am. Only once did I have trouble going back to sleep immediately. Even that one night didn't take a long time, (30ish minutes). Also, I'm at the point now where I have to slide/roll off of anything I'm sitting/laying on. I have no more ab muscle control, so I get stuck on the couch a lot! LOL

Movement: BB-3 gets their kick count in 10 minutes or less. Every so often it's closer to 20, but even those days are rare. Lots of rolling, and squirming to get comfy. Also, they are either up by my lungs or down low in my pelvis. No middle ground for this baby anymore!

Cravings/Aversions: I craved fruit, popcorn, and cheesecake. Aversions are still raw meat, pork, rice, peanut butter, and mushrooms. I had some GI issues since being back, so I had a really low appetite the first part of this week. However, I'm finally feeling better, so I'm sure I'll have more cravings next week ;)

Morning Sickness: A little nausea and GI distress after traveling home. After hydrating like crazy, (at minimum 3/4 of a gallon of water a day), I'm finally feeling better! I think OJ and bacon combined is still not a good idea based on what happened to me Sunday. (That was something I learned in the early 1st trimester. I guess some things don't change!) Also, I thought I was having some cyst issues a few days ago, but I think it ended up just being gas. I know women can still make ovarian cysts, and they can rupture/drain during pregnancy. I was eating lots of carbs abroad, but I think I'm in the clear for now.

Symptoms: Big baby bump, bump feeling heavy, out of breath, baby kicks (that sometimes hurt), emotional, round ligament pain, pimples, some light swelling if I'm on my feet too long, gassy, really tired feet, lower back pain, heartburn, pelvic pain, feet no longer in sight, nasal sensitivity, and feeling really tired at the end of the day.

Labor Signs: A little bit of cramping, but that has gone away. Very light BH today.

Belly button in or out: In

How this pregnancy is different than the first two: I had to switch to lactose-free milk for my pregnancy with David, (I'm doing mostly almond milk, but I can eat regular ice cream and such with BB-3), no medicine, more weight gain, more anxiety, more out-of-breath feelings, crazy mix of cravings and aversions from both previous pregnancies, I feel more behind on our to-do list, (panic mode will initiate soon...), more nasal issues, more dental issues, more exhaustion, and more painful pelvic sensations.

The best moment of this past week: VBS at church, a good appointment where the heartbeat was a strong 148 bpm, and getting readjusted to life back at home.

What I miss: Nothing :)

I'm looking forward to: Having a little more energy next week, family movie night tonight, catching up with my bro and SIL soon, my next appointments, and my mom coming for 4th of July!

{Jillian's Week 32 Update}
{David's Week 32 Update}

Bump Comparison:

{Left: Jillian 2011 Middle: David 2013 Right: BB-3 2016}

BB-3 Bump Comparison:

BB-3 Week 31 Update

{Lookin' and feelin' a little rough this week!}

We're back! We're exhausted, but we're back! It was a wonderful trip, and I'm so glad I was able, and willing, to go :) So much to tell you about, so I'll save all that for another post. Aside from some aches and pains due to traveling home, (lots of random aches and pains), my body and BB-3 did great! No scares, no hospital trips, and lots of good movement so I didn't worry about BB-3 too much :)

Today's date: June 3, 2016

How far along: 31 Weeks

Total weight gain: Since I've been gone for awhile, (and ate well abroad), I'm going to guess around 28 pounds. I'll have an official weight next week :)

Size and growth of baby: BB-3 is the size of a pineapple, 4 navel oranges, a foam finger, or croquembouche! They are around 3-1/3 pounds, close to 16 inches long, and heading for a growth spurt. They can turn their head from side to side, and is still plumping up for D-Day! BB-3's irises react to light, and all five senses are in working order. {via and via}

Baby is a: baby!

Maternity clothing: All maternity, except for XXL shirts at bedtime. 

Sleep: I slept pretty decently, and even got to nap a bit on our trip! I'll be interested to see how sleep is now that we're home again. I may have been a little too excited to see my Snoogle again ;)

Movement: BB-3 did great with kick counts while we were abroad. Got 10 kicks in an hour easily, so I'm glad of that. It made it easy to not worry about them too much. However, lately, the movements are so large, it is borderline painful. It hurts my belly, BB-3 sometimes hits nerves in my abdomen or pelvic areas, and I feel queasy when they really roll around. I'm thankful for the movements, but wish I felt better so I could enjoy them :(

Cravings/Aversions: I craved movie popcorn, fudgesicles, brownies, Nutella crêpes, and fruit. Aversions are still raw meat, pork, rice, peanut butter, and mushrooms, but a salad I ate once we were back in the States made my stomach hurt, so no more of those.

Morning Sickness: A few moments involving smells, but nothing out of the ordinary for this pregnancy. I've been a little queasy the last 48 hours, but that could just be from traveling back home.

Symptoms: Big baby bump, bump feeling heavy, out of breath, baby kicks (that sometimes hurt), sore boobs, round ligament pain, pimples, swollen feet, gassy, really tired feet, lower back pain, heartburn, pelvic pain (so painful lately!), feet no longer in sight, nasal sensitivity, and feeling really tired at the end of the day.

Labor Signs: A few Braxton Hicks from walking, but that's all.

Belly button in or out: In

How this pregnancy is different than the first two: Less morning sickness, no medicine, more weight gain, more anxiety, more out-of-breath feelings, crazy mix of cravings and aversions from both previous pregnancies, more nasal issues, more dental issues, more exhaustion, and more painful pelvic sensations.

The best moment of this past week: Having a great trip, and coming home to our babies!

What I miss: Montpellier, the weather in southern France, grabbing a Nutella crêpe whenever, and time alone with Phil where I can finish a sentence! LOL

I'm looking forward to: VBS week at church, my doctor's appointment, sharing our trip/passing out gifts to people, and getting back into the swing of our new summer schedule :)

{Jillian's Week 31 Update}
{David's Week 31 Update}

Bump Comparison:

{Left: Jillian 2011 Middle: David 2013 Right: BB-3 2016}

BB-3 Bump Comparison: