29 Weeks

Week Twenty-Nine Status:

Weight: 164.2 lbs.
Estimated Baby Size: Butternut Squash
est. 15+ inches & 2.5+lbs.

It’s 29 weeks for Leopold Walter this week, and I feel like this pregnancy is just kind of whisking by me. It’s amazing how much faster time seems to fly by with two children in your life. There isn’t a great deal to report on, the pregnancy couldn’t be going better, everything is measuring great and looking/sounding perfect, so we have been very blessed. With Andy back at work full time with a lot of overtime, I have been working on adjusting to the new rhythm of our household. I have begun to really enjoy being a happy homemaker. It makes a huge difference no longer balancing schoolwork with parenting and housework. The house is cleaner than its ever been because I finally have my chores in a pattern that works for me. This “work,” for the first time, actually brings me a lot of joy too. There is something pleasant about knowing my dear husband will appreciate the little things I can do for him, and it grants me a true sense of purpose to make things relaxing for him when he returns home from working in the tiresome world everyday. 

With the kids, apart from enjoying things like the Norfolk Botanical Gardens, and their awesome splash pad and trails, discipline has been my summer project. I’ve been teaching the boys to pick up after their messes, share better, and just be more respectful in general. It is a noble task that will never reach the state of “accomplished” but I am okay with settling for steady growth with occasional setbacks. The women’s bible study group I’ve been attending over this summer has been all about Contentment, and it has made a significant impact on me at this pivotal point, as I transition to being a full-time stay-at-home mom.  Although, I had a rough start, as one of my close friends who received a phone call from me in distress over my poor handling of my new situation could easily attest, I can now honestly say that I have never been happier with my marriage, my children, and my lot in life than I have become over these past few weeks. 

Ha…I should now say: Enter Leopold. I know that he will try, and usually succeed in muddying up all of my established household rhythms with his arrival, so I will be readjusting big time again when he arrives. I am ultimately not in control anyways, only God is sovereign, so it will be a good period of growth for patience and faith I’m sure.  Hopefully, as is the plan, my mom will be here for the first week, because with Andy working for the presidential campaign, October couldn’t be any busier!   

My other summer project, inspired in part by my need for something brain-heavier, as well as Leopold’s and the family’s well-being, has been developing healthier meals; I have relied heavily on the Internet to do research and find recommendations for meals via Pinterest. The information I have stumbled upon has definitely seemed to make an impact on us all. Not only have I successfully gone from considered overweight for my pregnancy to right on target, but Andy has shed pounds as well. Basically, liver function and how quickly it is able to process fats has got to be the biggest change in our diets. Anything that is not natural, like all the ingredients in those low-fat fake butters or processed foods, bog down your liver with things to reject from the body, so the liver doesn’t have as much time to deal with fat. Also, an increase in good fats which actually help your body process toxins and fat (think nuts, avocados, coconut oil, etc.) I think it works…but who knows? In any case, I’m glad to be back on real butter, and can honestly say unprocessed foods, while they take longer to make meals out of, make your moods brighter, your energy levels higher, and give you an overall healthier feel. I won’t be going back, especially since it seems to be a little cheaper to eat this way as well. Okay…I’m rambling at this point, so I will call it a night. Bonsoir mes amis!

24 Weeks

Week Twenty-Four Status:

Weight: 160.2 lbs.
Estimated Baby Size: Ear of Corn
est. 12+ inches & 16+ oz.

Okay…so I didn’t post on week 20 when I found out the gender, but in my defense, it was the first week of my summer vacation, and the news wasn’t very shocking. Yep, that’s right, the Schwartz continuum (and Harper continuum as it is appearing my family is starting a new trend of lineage too) remains intact yet again! We are expecting our little man Leopold Walter this fall, and although it would have been nice to shock the world with a score for team pink, I have to admit that it is comforting to know that I won’t be faced with the temptation of buying all those little outfits that have been catching my eye every time I’ve allowed myself to fathom the possibility that Leopold was a girl. Moreover, I definitely would have bumped sewing machine to the top of my list of wants. Leopold was deemed to be in perfect health and measuring a little larger than “normal,” which is actually completely normal for my boys. Now at 24 weeks, he is quite the lively little chap, as it feels like there’s a circus of squirrels attempting amazing acrobatic feats in my belly. Just Thursday he kicked it up enough to actually wake me up in the middle of the night for the first time this pregnancy. Sebastian thinks it is hilarious…Izaak just thinks any part of mommy that is round is a “baby” so I have to keep him in check while we’re in public places so he doesn’t pat things inappropriately, declaring proudly “BABY!”

I have been so hungry all the time lately, and the cravings are always for sugary or yeasty delights that were declared a no-no for me at my 20-week check-up… I haven’t been very good about resisting the urges, and at my 24-week appointment, was actually informed I had gained five more pounds than I should have at this point…tsk tsk! I’m sure I was around the same weight gain mark with the last two boys though, so I’m not concerned. Aren’t you supposed to gain a little weight each pregnancy anyways? Why do I let myself care? Ha!

What else? Oh, of course. We celebrated the coming of Leopold by trading in our car for a minivan. What a blessing it already is! Also, after a brief period of uncertainty, when we weren’t sure whether or not we’d be moving the household to the West coast for Andy to work, he was blessed with a position working here, at least until December. Yay! I get to have Leopold at the Midwifery Center! I was looking forward to it, and really didn’t want to leave our church family. God is good!

Well, I think that about sums things up…I will do my best to be more diligent with my posts, now that I have finally found the battery charger for my camera. It was under a pile of yarn for Leopold’s mommy-made blanky.  I haven’t really touched it since I started the first couple of rows, I became distracted by an adorable Owl pillow pattern I wanted to do first instead. My sister will be receiving the first Owlet shortly. J

19 Weeks

Week Nineteen Status:

Weight: 150.6 lbs.
Estimated Baby Size: Large Heirloom Tomato
est. 6 inches - 8.5 oz.

Well, it's been another seven weeks since I last posted on here...but the good news is, I'm finally all done with school and I shouldn't have as many problems finding time to post from here on out. I thought I'd feel different being a college graduate, maybe eventually it will all settle in and I will, but since I see no reason that I'll be using my degree in the near future with Sebastian and Izaak and Wooster to tend to, I guess it doesn't feel that monumental. Nevertheless, I'm glad it's over with and I finished what I started.

I don't know if it's because I've been so busy or not, but this pregnancy has been an absolute breeze so far. Other than having a hard time breathing when I bend over, and having a little more trouble picking up the boys, it's almost like I'm not even pregnant. I could probably eat better and exercise more, but I think I've done a relatively good job, despite what my midwives might think from the one day of food recall I had to do for them. (Apparently, I ate too many carbs and not enough protein that day).

The exciting stuff that's happening now is potty training has begun again now that I'm done with school. Sebastian has taken to it quite well, but he has had a few bumps here and there. The biggest struggle is keeping him excited about it and not annoyed by how much more work it is for him to stop playing and go to the potty instead of relieving himself in a diaper. I haven't really applied any methods I know of. I was trying the naked method but realized quickly that it only trained him to react appropriately while naked and he would wet himself while dressed. Now I just leave him in undies at home, and undies and clothes if we go out. I will be cleaning up several accidents I'm sure, but I think it's the fastest way he'll learn. We have a cool M&M dispenser to reward with, stickers too! He's doing really well, and I'm relieved that it doesn't seem like it will be a terrible transition for him.

In addition, as far as exciting goes, next week is the 20-week ultrasound when we can find out whether we're having a Wooster or a Woostress. I will be bringing a DVD to record the experience, and have about 20 people who will be expecting phone calls the second we find out. Everyone is wondering if we'll break the Schwartz continuum and have a girl. My sister recently got married, so at least some of the pressure's off on the Harper side, ha-ha! You can do it Rachel! Both sets of grandparents have five grandsons, crazy!

I will be happy with either of course, but I have to admit I would love to throw a girl into the mix of our household.The names as of this moment are Leopold Walter and Coralie Millicent...the middle names are taken from my Grandparents on my mother's side: Walter and Barbara Millicent Sukut. The first names are just what we agreed on together...we must be made for each other to agree on such odd names huh? :)

Man it feels good to write with my brain turned off! I feel like I'm on cruise control. Here's hoping we earn one for team pink! Tune in next week for the big announcement!

12 Weeks

Week Twelve Status:

Weight: 142.6 lbs.
Estimated Baby Size: Lime

Seven weeks with no posts is testament to how busy I have been with trying to balance night classes, two babies, a job search for Andy, church activities and finding time to enjoy the really nice weather we've been having before it gets too hot for us pregos to enjoy.

Despite how hectic my schedule may sound, it has really been a nice first trimester so far. Apart from three days where I was feeling the nausea, I haven't had any serious morning sickness. I have had the unquenchable thirst and the zombie-like fatigue bouts, but now that they have subsided, I hardly remember them as being very bad. I am happy. Happy that I am graduating in the spring, happy that I am adding another bundle of love to our brood, and happy that the excitement of a transition lays in our near future. I have no clue where God will bring us in the coming year, where Andy will end up with his job, or if we will move. All I know is that I have lived through some bleak conditions in my 28 years of life, and God has sustained me and brought me out of them all. Our humble abode is the largest house I've ever lived in, and if we have to downgrade our square footage or neighborhood quality, trailer parks and Philadelphia ghettoes have prepared me.

At my first appointment, I fully experienced Wooster for the first time. I can't believe how excited I was after doing this for the third time, it really is just so awesome to see that little heart beat going at 176 bpm. The U/S tech said everything looked great, and the midwife told me I was approved for future appointments at the Midwifery Birthing Center where I have been hoping to deliver! Yay! No more military teaching hospitals for this mama!

Exercise and baby bump have brought my weight up to a less freakish level as well. Moreover, to help matters, I have been enjoying cooking with and especially baking with Sebastian lately. Izaak is a little too young to join in just yet, so it is our special time together. Both he and Izaak are gaining quite the vocabulary. Izaak just moved in to share his big bro's room this week, as Andy and Sebastian pulled some Bob the Builder time putting together the toddler bed our friends gave us a while back. The boys seem to be handling being roomies really well. The first night, they both slept in way past the time they normally do in the morning, unthinkable! The second night, Izaak fell out of bed and it rather ruined the whole night for him; he had to join daddy in bed. Earlier today, however (day 3) he crawled into bed and fell asleep on his own for a nap. Ha! Talk about the antithesis of Sebastian. That boy would stay up 'til 3 am absolutely exhausted and delirious if we let him.

School got a little bit crazy for a bit, as I had the most insane study guide ever for a midterm in my Russian Politics class. It was so overwhelming that four straight days of pure studying and rote memorization left me feeling helplessly underprepared. Despite my insecurities (I was sure I did terribly) I received a 199/200, practically perfect! Thanking the Lord for that one :) I still have two ten-page papers to write and two final exams to take before May 7th, graduation day. I am determined to enjoy my spring around the chaos though. I have my next appointment this coming Thursday, where I'm hoping to get another estimate on the due date. They switched it on me at my first appointment, from Oct. 4th to Sept. 29th. That would put conception right around the time our entire household was in the grips of a nasty stomach flu, sooooo...yeah. Sorry. I don't think so, haha! I am guessing the date is closer to Oct. 2nd. It will be wild if Wooster arrives on the 1st to share big brother Sebastian's birthday. I'm not sure how he will feel about that... I can hear it now. SHARE! Share share share....

Anyways, here's hoping I find the time to get on here again before Chewy arrives. Toodles! :)

Pregnant Again! Week Five

Week Five Status:

Weight: 131.8 lbs.
Estimated Baby Size: Poppy Seed 

When I posted in May 2010 that I was "following in my mother's footsteps and having my second child a mere 16 months after the first. And I used to call her crazy." I never came close to imagining I would continue to follow her path.  Yet, surprise surprise! I'm pregnant again! And, I'm most certainly mimicking her pregnancy timeline. My mother had my older brother Joshua Ryan on September 23, 1980. Sixteen months later, my older sister, Rachel Sarah came into the world on January 25, 1982.  Yours truly, arrived only nineteen months later on August 16, 1983.  In similar fashion, I had Sebastian Lawrence on October 1^st, 2009, then came Izaak Atlas on January 24, 2011, about sixteen months apart. If I am correct in my calculations, Wooster  aka Chewy (yes she/he already has a womb name) is due around October 4, 2012. That would put her/him around 20 months after Izaak. Mom, you beat me by 42 days! Ha! Probably more if Chewy decides to be late like her/his big brother Izaak.

With Andy getting out of the Marine Corps soon due to an injury to his shoulder, and the future being quite unsettled, it goes without saying that Wooster was not planned.  However, despite the initial shock, I am excited to welcome her/him into the world, secure in God's plans. Also, it gives the grandparents reason to hope again that their will be a little girl in the family.  We shall see… I'm sure, as we will, the grandparents will be happy no matter the gender.

So far, things have been a breeze, I am five weeks and a day at the moment, and I have no nausea, only intermittent fatigue and mild cramping.  That said, I have already broken out the pregnancy clothes, the pants anyways…because they're so comfortable, ha ha!  I think because of lack of exercise, my weight is a little freakishly low, despite the fact that I have more around the middle than I did pre-babies.  I definitely need to build up some muscle mass over the next couple months before I have a bowling ball weighing me down.
           

Sebastian is old enough now to understand that a baby is growing in Mommy's belly, and it's incredibly cute that he seems to be excited by that fact.  Izaak may not feel the same, he is a cuddly mommy hog, who wouldn't dream of sharing me with yet another child, but I'm sure he will grow more independent as the time approaches.
             

Thankfully, I am in my last semester of school, and only taking three classes: Russian Politics, Inter-religious relations of the Middle Ages, and my Undergraduate Thesis.  My thesis is pretty much complete, in fact I go today to get my advisor, Dr. Linda McGreevy's comments and suggestions for wrapping it up. The other two classes meet in the evening from 7-10, which is difficult with the fatigue, but much less stressful than dealing with the horror that is Hampton Roads traffic at all other times.
             

Things may get a little more complicated if Andy gets a job he applied for in Charlottesville. If he is so blessed, it will mean he will leave for Charlottesville for work, while I become a single parent, and our friend Rachel watches the kids on the nights I'm in school. Needless to say this will cause a fair amount of stress, but I am going to do my best to give it to God, and take it in stride. We should find out if he got the job very soon.
             

Well, I guess that's it for now! Welcome to the womb Wooster!

The Conservatory: Elisha and the Widow

The Conservatory: Elisha and the Widow

The Conservatory: Learning Grace Through Ice Cream and Waffles

The Conservatory: Learning Grace Through Ice Cream and Waffles

Happy Birthday Izaak!

I realize that it has been months since I was last on here, and after several complaints, I have finally acquiesced to requests for an update!  I forget that some of the people who read this blog don't have any personal contact with me.  To be honest, I don't really write it with strangers in mind, so I often forget the fact that there are women reading it who value hearing about others' experiences. Ironically, such were my initial reasons for starting this blog back in 2009, so I apologize for the gap!

I left off right before what should have been my Christmas post and my final post before Izaak's due date.  However, the holiday season, as I too often let it, took things by storm (figuratively and literally) and the business of it all left me with no time or desire to pursue this hobby. Therefore, I will recall it all to the best of my ability:

Christmas was spent between two houses, ours and my brother and sister-in-law's down in NC, and it was filled with good food, gifties for the kiddos and quality time dwelling on the meaning of the season.  It was also filled with the unexpected excitement of a blizzard!

When we left my brother's house to return home, Andy and I were surely being guarded from above, as our nearly bald tires on our truck had us on pins and needles until we could get to a Wal-Mart to get some new ones.  More than a few times we almost careened off the road or found ourselves sliding backward down a hill. New tires relieved some of the tension of driving on ice, but the eight hour drive down US-58W that usually only took about 2 and a half hours, is testament enough to the chaos spurned by the winter storm...cars were spun off the road everywhere.   My parents (who were driving back to Swannanoa at the same time on I-40) and Andy were praying all the stress didn't send me into an early labor.

Thankfully, it did not. And little did I know that Izaak was, in fact, not even close to making his appearance to the world.  Believing what the nurses at Portsmouth had told me--that I was likely going to go into labor at any time based on my dilation and effacement--my mother took time off of work and drove up a week before my due date of Jan. 13th.  Two weeks later, she sadly packed her things and drove back to work, without the expected blessing of holding her new grandson. While she was here, she got some quality time in with Sebastian, I taught her some crocheting, and  I am pretty sure we walked every mall within a 40 mile radius! (Around Hampton Roads that is A LOT of malls!)

The hospital would have been happy to induce me during her visit; in fact, they pretty much tried to force me into it, with as many fear and manipulation tactics as they could muster up.  But I wanted to let Izaak take his time if I could.  According to ultrasounds and non-stress tests, he had plenty of fluid and he and I were both doing beautifully.  So, needless to say, I was a little peeved when some nurse, who for one, had never had a baby, came in the room telling me that waiting any longer might kill mine.  Not nice!  Anyways... At 41 weeks and 3 days my husband and I weighed our options and caved to an induction, otherwise my sister would have come and gone as well, and the hospital staff really began to lay on the fear thickly...I could tell it was not only stressing me out, but every one else in the family as well.  I will always wish I could have been in an environment that was more friendly to natural methods, but I can not live with regret. Especially when all turned out well enough in the end.


Back to the story: around 4:30 pm we came in to the hospital for our induction as they instructed.  Little good that did us, since we sat around for the next four hours waiting for a room, all the while I could have been much more comfortable, and could have eaten. :) No more food once they hook you up to the IV! Finally, after once again being mauled by the nurse trying to get an IV in my arm, I got to a room, and what do you know? Yep, more sitting around.  It wasn't until 10:30 pm that they finally started the induction. I remember not being very gracious over those few hours, as time seemed wasted, and they were the ones who had told me only an hour before I came in, that I should get there at 4:30 pm...so forgive me if my recollections of impatience seep through. In hindsight, I know I was blessed to have a happy baby boy no matter what trials were required of me to arrive at that happy conclusion.

Thankfully, the nurse who was inducing me was very respectful of my initial birthplan which was very strictly natural. So she was willing to try and let the Pitocin work similar to natural labor, which meant the lowest dosage for an hour, and then up a number every hour or half hour.

It was a very long night, with my sister, my husband and I all trying to sleep through the induction and intrusion of medical personnel. I braved the smell of pizza, as I didn't want them to starve as well, and they slipped me a few taboo bites! Pitocin wasn't too bad until I reached 12 (not sure what the number means, but I remember it distinctly), because it was the point at which a terrible pain on my left side became unbearable and I finally agreed, through the advice and encouragement of my sister Rachel, to have an epidural. Unfortunately, the epidural only worked on the right side above my pelvis...so the pain stayed...although the rest of me was so numb, I was certain I wouldn't be able to push.  Unhappy, I asked them to turn down or off the epidural. I was dilated to 8cm at this point and it was around 7 am.  Finally, feeling came back. And although this meant pain...I was in pain anyways. And it wasn't something I hadn't lived through before, my first baby was born naturally after a much longer labor.

During the last few hours of labor I constantly had to be moved around, because Izaak's heart rate kept dropping due to umbilical cord compression depending on my position.  And progress seemed incredibly slow.  However, with the epidural flushing out labor progressed a might quicker, and by 10:15 I was ready to push.  Well, I was actually ready much earlier, but had to wait for the doctor to come back.

Pushing was easier than I remember the first time around...and in a few minutes, at 10:22am, on January 24th,  2011, Izaak was born! All 10 lbs and one ounce of him! Praise God! The same birthday as his Grandpa Harper! (Although this is a matter for debate for him...his mom tells him one thing, his birth certificate says another--either the 23rd or 24th...but it's been the 24th for all my life).

If I were to write another birthplan, this would very likely be my least ideal labor experience, but I am still happy that I didn't require a C-section, and we all know there are worse things that could have happened.  It turns out the cord was wrapped around little Izaak's neck, which slowed things down considerably. Also, my ovary was extremely swollen, somehow it got bruised during labor. Thus the pain in my left side throughout labor.

But in the end, we were all happy, and healthy!  Andy went home to retrieve Sebastian while Izaak got his bath and was put in the warmer, and I rested.  Two days later we were sent home, and although we were instantly put through the unpleasant experience of a stomach flu for those first 24 hours (I kid you not!) we were so happy to have our little family under our own roof.

Pictures and Videos of Izaak's Birthday!