January 18, 1999 ~ Sometimes I wonder about people...I have sat down with a number of people (friends and family) telling them day to day stories about my two girls and how they are just totally driving me nuts...and you know what these people say to me? "Oh you just wait til #3 comes out!"...well, no kidding? is my life going to be more hectic? I wonder? I know my life is going to be a zoo. People talk as if this is a death sentence to have a third child...and the way they say it is as if to wish the worst upon me! Like they are looking forward to me taking that jump off the nearest bridge! Maybe they want to film it and send it to Hard Copy! LOL!

January 19, 1999 ~ One thing that I intend to do at the birth of this child is donate the umbilical cord blood to a blood bank. This is something that I wish I knew with my other two children. The fact is, you can save a life with cord blood. I encourage all who are pregnant to ask their OB/GYN about donating their umbilical cord blood.
American Cord Blood Program
Cord Blood Donation

February 23, 1999 ~ I have passed 18 weeks, so soon we will be finding out what sex the baby is. I would really like to keep this one a surprise, but I need to know if it is a boy or girl because I have two girls already. If it is a boy, I really have some preparing to do. Both my girls are sick right now, so I'm not getting nearly enough sleep as I'd like to. It's funny, because when I was pregnant with Olivia, I could sleep whenever I wanted to. Nap time was very convenient. When I was pregnant with Morgan, it was a matter of convincing Olivia that she needed to take a nap with me. Now, being pregnant with two kids at home, napping is impossible...lol!
This is a really great website. So well done and worth the load time!
First 9 Months - A multimedia journey through the first nine months of an unborn child's life.

March 31, 1999 ~ It's a boy! I hadn't realized how much I wanted a boy, until I saw the image on the ultrasound. I am so overwhelmed with joy. It's so exciting to have two girls and the opportunity to enjoy a son, too. We have decided to name him Connor Daniel. The first thing Olivia said was, "I'd have freaked if it was another girl!"

April 23, 1999 ~ We recently got a dog. Oh, I cannot express my joy of having this mutt! You have to picture the way overweight, unbalanced pregnant woman trying to walk this puppy (3mos old and already 28lbs) with 2 and 5 year old girls going in different directions. Now if I lived in the woods, this wouldn't be a problem. But I live in the city (yes, we have to scoop!) and it's most dreadful trying to keep everyone in line. The 5 year old listens pretty well, but the 2 year old listens not at all! As far as the dumb lab, well, he has to point and smell every little thing. It must be quite amusing to watch this scenerio every afternoon. : ) This past month I have had my AFP test and everything was normal with that. I also had my glucose test, which I haven't gotten the results for yet. I will know more at my next appointment. The girls are coming around to the idea of having a brother. Olivia (5yo) loves to talk to and kiss my belly. She felt him kick the other day. What a wonderful look on her face. The awe of it! Morgan is much less interested. She prefers to bounce on me like I'm a beach ball. Boy, is her world going to be rocked. I completely weaned Morgan of breastfeeding on March 8th. I did not want to be a tandem nurser. Plus, it was just taking too much out of me. I needed some of myself back.

May 28, 1999 ~ Well, we no longer have the dog. I have mixed feelings about it, but he was just too much for me to handle with the two kids and being as big as a house. Things are going well. All my tests have been fine. Yesterday, something changed about my body. My entire center of gravity is off, so I have to arch my back. It's quite a strain. My feet are constantly swollen. The nurse says it's probably the recent humidity. I can't wait to see our little boy, but I am in no hurry to have him here. There is still so much to do. I haven't even begun anything! I am now 32 weeks. Seems like it's going to be forever, but I don't mind so much at this point. I'm tired and cranky a lot and getting up in the night to pee constantly is driving me nuts. But that's all what pregnancy is about. The end result is well worth all the pain.

June 2, 1999 ~ Today I had a doctor's appointment. I am currently 33 weeks pregnant. I am measuring 35 cm, but the doctor didn't appear worried at all. He said that the baby is probably going to be about the same size as my other two children were. I have put on thirty pounds so far. Not bad, when considering I put fifty on for each of the girls. The doctor confirmed my suspicions that the baby was head down. His heartbeat was in the 150's. He was being very active. I could also tell he had the hiccups, but it was really neat to hear them on the monitor. My blood pressure was very good, which is a relief, because of all the swelling in my feet and ankles. It's good to know that the swelling is not an issue. It's just uncomfortable.

Morgan actually showed some interest in my belly the other day. She was rubbing it very gently. I think she is beginning to have some idea that our lives are going to change. This past Memorial Day weekend, Morgan had her first sleepover. Both of the girls slept over at their grandparent's house. This was a trial run for the real thing, come July. Neither one of them had any problems. I didn't think that Olivia would since she has done this many times, but I was concerned for Morgan. She still wakes in the night now and then. Well, there was nothing to worry about. In fact, they didn't even miss us. : )

My husband and father in law put the air conditioners in our apartment this weekend. The heat and humidity has been something awful, so this has been such a blessing! I still can't wait to go swimming, though. Oh, to feel weightless! : )

June 23, 1999 ~ Today I had my first appointment with my new doctor's office. I decided to switch, so that I could give birth right here in the city I live, rather than give birth in another state. My mother in law took the girls, so that my husband and I could concentrate on the appointment, rather than run after children. Anyway, I am measuring 40cm already and I'm only at 36 weeks. Everyone seems to think that this is going to be a big baby. Lord, I hope not! I am terrified of having another episiotomy. I didn't need one with my second child and I felt so much better after giving birth. Maybe it won't be so bad this time. I'm really becoming anxious to meet our little boy. His heartbeat sounds very good. So far, my cervix is still posterior, so the nurse could not even reach it to tell if I was dilated or effaced at all. I have begun going to the doctor weekly. We're heading for the home stretch. : )

Some of my feelings and complaints...
~ I'm having a hard time sleeping because I'm up every two or three hours to go to the bathroom.
~ From the weight gain, I'm finding it very difficult to function at all. My advise to anyone overweight...Lose it before getting pregnant again. It's very difficult to be large and pregnant. There is so much stress on your legs and back. Much more than normal.
~ My feet won't stop swelling! Mainly, it's my left foot. What is up with that? LOL
~ Walking for any period of time just wipes me out. The baby feels so low! Of course, the heat doesn't help. We've had quite a heat wave and drought here lately. I try to stay indoors as much as possible.
~ My kids are driving me crazy! I have no patience with them, and I feel really bad about that.

June 29, 1999 ~ Well, tomorrow I will be 37 weeks. It's getting close. My husband and I are getting really anxious. Sometimes, I think he's more anxious than I am! But then it may be because I'm being so b*tchy. Here are a couple of sites we have checked out together. We found the sites to be very informative. I suggest you consult your doctor or midwife before trying any of these methods.
Nurturing Online - Natural Alternatives to Induction
Non-Pharmaceutical Induction

July 8, 1999 ~ Well, today was my 38 week appointment. I got to meet another one of the doctor's in this practice. Let me tell you, this guy was about as personable as a dead fish. I felt like I was on an assembly line. He didn't offer me any info on any of my stats and he was going so fast that I didn't ask. Far be it for me to waste his precious time. Well, I was checked for dilation. Mr. Personality's exact words were "maybe a centimeter. Baby's head not dropped totally in place. Still time to cook." Oh, thank you very much for making me feel soooo good. I suffer from major anxiety, so just going to this appointment and meeting someone new is a big deal for me. Add on the fact that I have to have a pelvic done....and done by a MAN, no less...(haven't had a man up there besides my husband since I was pregnant with Olivia!)....well, I was just so upset after the appointment. I don't mind that I'm not progressed. I really want to have the baby on the 17th. My great grandmother will be 89 on that day and we still have 5 living generations...would love for my son to appear on her birthday...LOL...well, I'm moving from the subject. I just feel so yucky...and aggravated that I didn't have the balls to tell the jerk to slow down and pay attention to me. Well, luckily enough they were so booked up so my next appointment is not with him! By the way.....is it just me, or do you have to be some kind of artist to pee in those cups now! Man, why don't they just give me a big ole bowl...it's so hard to strategically place that little dixie cup and not pee all over yourself to begin with...say nothing about having a huge belly in your way. Oh and then the joy of walking your little sample down the hall to the nurses station, like it's some sort of divine cocktail. LOL...ok, so I have ranted enough now... : ) Thanks for listening to me!

July 19, 1999 ~ Today I had a doctor's appointment. She did a sweeping of my membranes. It was a surprise to me. But I don't mind. It didn't hurt as bad as I thought it would. There was just a lot of pressure. I was 3 cm dilated and still thick... who knows what will happen. We'll see if he's ready or not.

July 20, 1999 ~ Tonight I had contractions that were 10 minutes apart for over 3 hours. I was having a lot of pink mucous discharge. I expected this from the sweeping of my membranes. So, I called the doctor and he said to come on in to labor and delivery. We got there at about 9pm. I was hooked up to the monitor and checked for dilation. The contractions were mild and erratic at that point. I was still only 3 cm, thick and my cervix was still posterior. At about 11 pm the doctor sent me home. I was told this was not false labor, but very early labor. Needless to say, I was a little depressed.

July 21, 1999 ~ Today is my due date. I'm not sure how I feel. I'd like to just sit back and relax and enjoy this time. It's really hard, though. Always wondering...will this be it? Is this contraction real labor? After last night, I don't know what to think. I thought for sure it was "it". Who knows. I'm still quite depressed. I really think this little guy is going to come on the 23rd, though. Seems like all my babies are 2 days late, so why should this one be any different? Jim is constantly calling from work asking me if there have been any changes. I keep telling him that he'll be the first one to know! LOL!

Connor Daniel
July 23, 1999
6:20 pm
9lb 5oz
21 inches long
14 inch head!
Apgars 8/9

As with the other two, no matter what occured, it is always worth it.

August 5, 1999 ~ Yesterday, Connor had his two week check up. He will be two weeks on the 6th. Our little boy has already gained one pound and one ounce, so he is up to 10lbs 6oz. His head is now 15 inches. He hasn't grown in length at all. Everything is well and he is thriving. We aren't having any troubles so far. Our doctor said to us, "It's not often you meet a newborn with a double chin!" LOL... He's a very happy, pleasant baby.

August 10, 1999 ~ Today Connor lost his umbilical cord. Although it's a relief and we can finally give him a bath, it's sad that his physical connection to me is gone. I know, I'm post partum, but still. He's not newborn anymore. They grow so darn fast!

August 18, 1999 ~ Today we had Connor's 4 week appointment. He was 11 pounds 11 ounces and 21 3/4 inches long. He is doing very well. His head measured 15 1/2 inches. There wasn't anything else of note.

September 22, 1999 ~ Today we had Connor's 2 month appointment. He weighed 14 pounds 12 ounces and was 23 1/2 inches long. He had had three shots. DTaP, IPV, and Hib. I felt so bad for him, but he only cried for a few minutes and I was able to calm him down just fine. He is growing very well. His head measured 16 1/4 inches today.

October 23, 1999 ~ Today Connor is three months old! He is holding his head up really well. He rolls to his side, but doesn't get much farther than that. He nurses on demand. Pretty much every two hours or so. He has become very adept at dodging the nasal aspirator. I can't seem to suction out his nose that well lately. It seems like we are always congested! He started to suck his thumb yesterday. It's his left thumb. That is what Morgan did, so I'm wondering if he might be left handed too. I guess we will see in time. He's a very good boy and always pleasant. At this point in time, I have lost all of my pregnancy weight. This is the first time I have ever been able to do this. I still have a lot of weight to lose, but I shouldn't have too much trouble with the way this little piggy eats...lol : )

October 25, 1999 ~ Connor began sleeping through the night! Now I was so excited, but this only happened for a week. I blame it on Daylight Savings Time. Isn't it about time we did away with that? What's it for anyway?

October 31, 1999 ~ Connor was a dalmation for Halloween. I thought I would get creative and make a cute little costume for him. Pretty much everyone thought he was a cow. Oh well...I tried...lol. My father in law said, "Oh, he's the Gateway cow!". Well, not quite but it was cute... : ) It was so warm here for Halloween, which is very unusual, so we took Connor door to door with the girls. I just strapped him in the Snugli and he fell asleep. It's tough to be a baby, isn't it?

November 2, 1999 ~ Connor rolled from back to front. He hates being on his belly! He's very strong though and holds his head up very well. He laughs often, but I have a hard time telling the difference between happy noises and upset ones. This child has me baffled sometimes.

November 13, 1999 ~ As I sit here typing, Connor is demonstrating his talent for shrieking. I think this is a happy noise. Time will tell, though...lol

November 16, 1999 ~ Connor won't sleep through the night anymore. I don't know what is up. He was doing it for about 2 weeks and then daylight savings screwed it all up. It's not so bad, cos all I do is bring him to bed and he latches on. My main problem is that he makes so much damn noise!

November 24, 1999 ~ Last Sunday when we went for picture day, we were there for a very long time. We had an appointment for 12:15 (they said it was 12:30, and we argued it with them...i knew i was right...I would find out later that I was wrong, but we wont' tell anyone will we??)... Anyway, we were there until like 3 in the afternoon...grrrr... We were next and it was going to be about another 15 minutes or so... Well the young man (i'd say about 21) said to me, "you still have a few minutes if you would like to give him a bottle to keep him happy." Well, with the straightest face possible, I said to the photographer..."That's not possible, for he gets it straight from the tap. " The look on this poor guys face was priceless... He said..."We'll get you in there as soon as we can!" While we were there, I did do my first public nursing with Connor...I was in the corner of the eyeglass department...so I hid a little...LOL It's a little awkward!

December 8, 1999 ~ Connor is loving his sling. A friend of mine got us a sling as a gift (thank you Sylvia!). She ordered us an Over The Shoulder Baby Holder from Slingbaby.com. It's wonderful and he loves it. I can't believe how many people comment on the sling and how much attention we all get. We definitely get noticed. It's so comfy for him. He is a very happy boy when he is in it. He's drooling like there is no tomorrow. I wonder if teeth will show soon. Connor is still on breastmilk alone and we don't anticipate trying cereal until 6 months. He is certainly not lacking anything and sleeps most nights til 4-5am. Lately he's up more often because of the stuffy nose. He loves his exersaucer and is getting really good at grasping toys. He still only rolls one way and it's always from his back to his left to his belly. He seems like he always needs to be held lately too. Right now he is content in his saucer, but I'm not sure how long that will last...

January 6, 2000 ~ Connor loves to be naked! He just goes crazy when all the clothes come off. He starts kicking and giggling. It must be so exciting for him not to be restricted in any way!

January 29, 2000 ~ This morning we were on our way out the door to do laundry and my father in law was playing with Connor...well, Grampie always has his fingers in my kids' mouths because he wants to buy the shoes...LOL Well, no wonder my little fussy man has been hanging off me all night long these past couple of nights! He has a tooth! I was so surprised...I wasn't expecting any until around 11 mos cos that's when Morgan got hers...so neat! I guess now that he has a tooth, I really should start solids...LOL : )

February 9, 2000 ~ We started rice cereal this week with applesauce. The cereal he does fine with, but the applesauce does not agree with him at all. We tried pears as well and they make him puke all day too. We are going to try orange veggies next to see how well he does.

February 12, 2000 ~ Open-mouthed kisses on my cheek. It's got to be the sweetest thing in the world. And I know they are kisses because he's not sucking my face... : )

February 13, 2000 ~ Connor loves carrots, sweet potatoes, peaches, and bananas. They seem to agree with him, so we are doing about a jar a day. Half in the morning and half in the evening. Each time mixed with rice cereal and water. He continues to get his main source of food from breastmilk and has no intention of weaning.

February 15, 2000 ~ Connor rolled from belly to back! Now all he does is roll to wherever he wants to be!

February 16, 2000 ~ We have a second tooth! Came right in next to the first one, so now he has both bottom teeth! His favorite toy now is a cloth diaper. He loves to play peek-a-boo with a cloth! And gets really really mad when he drops it...lol

I added this poem here as a little reminder to myself~