Entering the 3rd Trimester!...Oh Boy!

Oh Boy is right...It's a BOY!! Isaiah Grant to be exact! We didn't watch the ultrasound and had the tech write down the gender and we revealed it later with our kids and cameras. It was fun to do it this way but now I feel like I missed out since I didn't watch the ultrasound. I also know that they have been wrong recently so I have a hint of doubt. (or maybe it's my overwhelming desire to have a girl!) I have a new ultrasound scheduled in a local town and I look forward to watching this time and seeing "the proof" with my own eyes!

I gotta admit I'm REALLY curious how I will get my Isabella! She's grown in my heart for 6 years so maybe she will continue to grow there and we will adopt? I can't just let it go. I ache for her. God's will be done!

For now my focus is on the baby in my belly. God has a destiny for this little man and I am honored to be his Mommy! I look forward to the adventures and challenges that await us with having 4 boys. 2 of them under 2. I found, what I hope to be, the perfect double stroller for us that is small enough to fit in my UK car's trunk. (that was challenge #1 already!)

The past 6 weeks has been interesting. A LOT has been going on. Jarod deployed to Afghanistan so it's been a bit tougher to run the house on my own. I have tons of support and several friends have stepped up to help with the kids at times. Someone also brought us a meal and another mowed my lawn. My kids are also doing great with their chores and helping around the house. Aiden and Micah also started school recently! It's been nice to be on a new schedule where we are all up and ready earlier and I can get stuff done before they get home so I can give them quality time.

A few weeks ago I was weighed at an appt and I've gained 29 pounds! Wow...I've never gained that much so fast! Luckily my midwife doesn't care since I'm healthy and not overweight to begin with. My body is starting to feel the effects of the weight so I need to be careful. Or maybe it's just me getting older! I've noticed I get more uncomfortable more quickly with each pregnancy. Thankfully it doesn't slow me down and I can still be active.

I am so exhausted at the end of the day that I have no trouble sleeping! The last time Jarod deployed I was drinking 2 glasses of wine before bed OR taking a sleeping pill. This time I've learned to cope without any of that...obviously it wouldn't be safe being pregnant. I appreciate this learning experience as I focus more on my faith and trusting God, than "numbing" or ignoring my feelings. I have certainly learned the meaning of "Let Go...Let God." Sure I get worrisome thoughts sometimes and I pray and let it go. I am mostly at peace. God is so good!

I look forward to this 3rd and final trimester! And by "final" I don't know if that means ever. I know, I know....I said WE ARE DONE! But...I just don't know now. I don't want to limit God's blessings. He's got Isabella out there somewhere! I also don't want to drive a bus and star in a reality show about our huge family! lol We'll just take it one baby at a time. :-)

-Linda

20 weeks and half way there!

I have really enjoyed  the past few weeks as more maternity clothes fit and I feel my baby kick several times each day! (nobody else has felt Himmer kick though...any day!) My allergies have been a pain and I have a cough that won't quit...but otherwise I am in very good health. I feel the changes in my body as my hips are spreading to make room for baby. I welcome the familiar little aches since I know my body is doing exactly what it should. My hair seems thicker and my face has dry patches. My belly is getting a little itchy as it expands. I am experiencing the Triple Bigger B's....Bigger Belly, Boobs and Butt! I enjoy each little change and how unique it is to pregnancy. I am reading the book "Supernatural Childbirth" often as it brings me comfort and helps to build my faith. We have our medical scan scheduled for next week so I hope my next blog post will announce if we have a little ISAiah or ISAbella!

4 Months and Kickin!

It's been a great 4th month! I rarely get nauseous and I don't have to eat every 2 hours anymore. I've only gained 2 lbs this month which I'm happy with. My belly has certainly popped out faster than my last pregnancy. Probably because my abdominal muscles weren't "back in shape" from being pregnant 14 months prior. I'm already wearing maternity clothes. I started feeling flutters or "bubbles" around 15 weeks. In week 16 I was feeling little "thumps". Now I feel stronger thumps several times a day. It's such a good feeling and I hope Jarod can feel the baby kick before he deploys. I bought a big u-shaped maternity pillow. Loving it! I figured it's my 4th and last pregnancy so I'm going to do/buy the things I've always wanted to while pregnant. That will include a fun "gender reveal" and professional maternity photos. We had our first appointment with our homebirth midwife. I've never had the same doctor twice so it is very neat and comforting to have a midwife I know and trust already. I also had an appointment with the midwife on Base. She is friends with my homebirth midwife and has agreed to let me get my labwork and scans done on the Base and she will give the info to my midwife. So at 17 weeks we went on Base for an extra scan. (only because Jarod is deploying and we aren't sure he'll be here for my 21 week scan) We tried to see the gender of the baby but one angle showed the cord between the legs and the other angle showed crossed legs at the ankles. I've never had a shy baby! We will have to wait another 4 weeks to try again. That's my last scan unless I go somewhere to pay for one. (but I'm not a big fan of having multiple unnecessary scans) I'm sensitive to allergies right now. That includes lots of sinus headaches. That's no fun when you can't take motrin! I'm seeing a chiropractor and I just starting eating raw/pure honey from a local beekeeper. I am feeling much better and hope it continues this way so I can avoid allergy medication. All together I feel quite well and I'm enjoying this 2nd trimester!

The wonderful/weird 1st trimester!

I had a good 1st trimester. Pretty typical symptoms including, but not limited to...sensitivity to smells (especially sweet ones...made me nauseous); cravings for various foods such as tomatoes, green chiles and hot sauce; feeling VERY hungry every 2 hours; getting waves of energy and than waves of extreme tiredness; feeling hot a lot...and so on. I did not throw up at all! Zofran saved me on our airplane ride across the ocean. I ate a lot and since I didn't throw up I gained a whopping 10 pounds! I only have a few clothing items that fit my new curvy figure. We had our first baby appt on the base, at 12 weeks along. It was a joy to see our sweet baby on the ultrasound. What a dancer! Wouldn't keep still! Heartbeat was 167. Baby and I are VERY healthy! I got a referral to continue care with a homebirth midwife. She's our favorite and delivered our last baby. Today I am 14 weeks along and I had my first appointment with my midwife. We heard the heartbeat again and everything looks/sounds great. I have some more energy and I don't feel starving every 2 hours. I can go 3 hours now! lol I am also starting to feel "bubbles" which could be gas or little baby flutters. Either way...it's fun! God has already answered some of our prayers. We needed a good car that could fit a 4th baby. Some of our friends were moving back to America and they were selling their 7 seater. It's everything I was looking for and I knew I could trust that nothing was secretly wrong with it. Plus Jarod got a bonus the week before they moved so we could write them a check! God is good! I am excited about my 2nd trimester and am enjoying everyday no matter what. It's my last pregnancy and I will cherish every memory of my body changing and feeling this baby grow inside of me.

Are you serious? You're joking? Really? I TOLD YOU!

Yep, that was Jarod's response when I told him we were expecting baby #4 on March 21, 2012. He said "I told you" because he did tell me. He seems to have more intuition than me when it comes to my pregnancies. Although we were trying to be careful and not get pregnant we had one lazy night...and that's all it took! The next day Jarod started saying he thought I was pregnant. I was in denial for the next 3 weeks. I did notice a few changes though. I was getting tired a lot and I was getting impatient and angry. I'm normally a patient person and you will rarely hear me say a swear word. But the week before we found out I was a mean person. I also had a migraine which hadn't happened in months. I thought I was having severe PMS even though I remembered all of this happening before I knew I was pregnant last time with Jordan. The big day came when I knew my period was due and since there was a slight chance of being pregnant I took a test...make that 3 tests! No doubt about it...Jarod was right! The next hour was a blur. I got the kids fed and ready to start the day while I buzzed inside. I finally went to my room and cried. I had so many mixed emotions! "I'm so excited to have another baby!", "How am I going to handle 2 under 2?", "I didn't want to have a baby while Jarod is deployed...and he will be.", "We need a bigger car and a double stroller now.", "This is such a surprise blessing...thank you God!", "I feel peaceful and content that this baby will complete our family." What a roller coaster! I struggled for the next week with overwhelming worries and "what ifs". I finally gave it all to God and started focusing on my Faith and the beauty of this final pregnancy. I felt much better physically and emotionally after that. The entire family is thrilled to welcome this new addition!

Reliving the Big Day!! January 22, 2011

Well now that we are pregnant again...SURPRISE...I thought I should probably finish up this blog before I start a new one. Jordan Daniel Savage was born on his due date January 22, 2011. The night before I had hours of contractions that I considered "Braxton Hicks". I would time them because they were consistant and getting closer but they never got very intense. Jarod took the boys out for fun in the evening and I stayed home with my wonderful step-mom Darlene and watched one of my favorite movies "The Christmas Card". After a good night of rest I woke up at 6:50am Saturday morning with heavy cramps and the need to "clean out" in the toilet. I thought I ate something bad. I got immediate relief after using the toilet but then it happened again about 5 minutes later. I didn't think it was labor but it was intense and I didn't want to be alone so I woke up Jarod. At 7:15 Jarod insisted we call the midwife because these cramps were coming consistantly. She spoke to us on the phone and agreed that it sounded like labor and to start filling up the birthing pool. This was my 3rd baby and I had never had cramping like this before. My belly didn't get tight...just cramps. The midwife, Joanna, arrived at 8:15am. We got the boys fed and sent upstairs. I was munching on peanut butter toast. I started using my TENS machine and heat on my back. I used the exercise ball to sit on or lean over. Jarod was right there helping in any way he could. Darlene helped with the kids, took pictures and video and helped massage me. At approx 8:30am I felt the need to use the toilet again. Joanna wanted to check me to make sure it wasn't the urge to push. I was 3-4cm. That was frustrating! I had been in labor for more than 2 hours (Micah was born in 1hr. 26 min)and I was only 3-4cm!? At 9:20am I was having a hard time coping and felt like I should be in the water. I got in the birthing pool and had extreme relief! It felt SO good to be in that warm water and allow my body to relax and float. Jarod did a great job maintaining the water temperature for me! I was realling getting in to the "zone" now. Lots of moans and groans and humming. The contractions were about 2 min apart. Joanna continued to check my blood pressure and Jordan's heartrate often throughout labor. I kept expecting transition to come. The contractions were intense enough for it but I continued to get 1-2 min breaks in between. All the sudden during the peak of a contraction I started to push. Where did that come from? An hour ago I was only 3-4cm and I haven't had transition yet. How can I be pushing? Well, I was! I was leaning over the side of the pool when I started pushing. I only pushed during contractions. I could feel his head coming. After his head came out I rested before the next contraction and Joanna moved me to the other side of the pool so my back was against the wall and I could help bring him out of the water with the next contraction and last big push. (This phase lasted about 10 min) Jordan Daniel emerged from the water and into my arms at 10am! We were on cloud 9! He was a healthy 8 lb 3 oz boy. 20.5in long. We stayed in the pool for another 10 min until Jarod cut the cord. I delivered the placenta on the couch. (with plenty of piddle pads and towels!) I tore a little but did not need stitches. The boys came downstairs to meet their new baby brother and Jarod started cooking breakfast for everyone. After breakfast Jordan and I took a little bath upstairs. Darlene got Jordan dressed while I finished in the shower. After we were all cleaned up we were tucked in to bed for the rest of the day. Jordan slept for 4 hours. I read and wrote in my journal since I wasn't sleepy. Joanna returned that evening to check on us. We were thrilled by our beautiful experience! It was so peaceful and natural...the way I hoped and prayed it would be. Total labor including pushing was 3hrs 10 min. It didn't take long for us to say "We could almost do that again! It was so easy!" Jordan is such a peaceful and joyful baby! He is always making us laugh and smile by his sweet nature. He really is a blessing to this family!

35 weeks and entering the final month!

Wow the past 4 months have flown by!! From traveling across the nation to visit family, getting everything packed up and moving to a new country...We've been a bit busy! We expect to receive all of our household stuff (furniture, dishes, toys, beds etc...) next week. That's right...just a few days before Christmas and only 1 month before the baby is due! My nesting instinct is going crazy since I haven't been able to organize and get settled. I'm anxious to get our stuff, unpack our boxes and set up the nursery!

We just got internet last week so I figured I'd better update the blog because we are about to get severely busy getting settled, celebrating Christmas and getting ready for the baby. So, I may not get the chance to update again until after he is born. That's right..."He", for those who didn't know we are having another boy! We were a bit surprised but we are excited because we know God has a plan for our family and we are thrilled to welcome Jordan Daniel in to our lives!

Now we are "flirting" with the idea of trying for 1 more baby after this since we are not having a girl this time. I was excited to be done after this one but sometimes plans change. It will depend on how smooth labor/delivery goes! I would expect to have another boy, of course. I told Jarod he can have his basketball team then. Daddy and his 4 boys on Team Savage! (4 boys! Holy Moly...)

Through all of this craziness I feel so blessed to have a healthy baby and a healthy pregnancy. I am a little anemic so I take a supplement but that's it. I have no health risks and can function quite normally. Yes, I am getting uncomfortable from the lovely 3rd trimester side effects of sciatic nerve pain, leg aches, back aches, hemorrhoids, swollen feet etc... I have to assume the "sumo wrestler" position every time I need to bend over and it's a challenge to keep my undies dry when I laugh, cough or sneeze. I get a few contractions each day, sometimes more if I've had a busy day. I am certainly not "small" anymore. I have outgrown many of my maternity clothes and am only comfortable in the stretchy large sizes. I embrace all of these symptoms because they tell me that my baby is growing healthy and strong and we are getting close to meeting!

We are becoming more comfortable with our surroundings. It has been a big adjustment moving to England! So much is different! We found a lovely house in a sweet, quiet village that is very close to our Base. (hopefully our furniture will all fit inside!)

We are PLANNING a home birth! (unlike our last home birth that was unplanned) I found a wonderful certified midwife that is covered by our insurance! I have talked to other military spouses who have had home births with her. She is amazing! We all enjoy her British wit and charm!

Jarod is very busy with work and I don't know many people yet so I was concerned about doctor appointments and such since there is nobody to watch Micah (our 4 year old). With our midwife I don't have to worry about that! She comes to the house and interacts with Micah while taking my blood pressure and listening to the baby's heartbeat. If she needs a urine or blood sample she does it all here at my house. It's SO nice and relaxed!

I am so excited to have a relaxed childbirth experience this time, rather then a panic and rushed (OMG call 911) childbirth like last time. All we will have to do is call the midwife and work on relaxing. Hopefully we will have enough time to set up the pool. I'd love to try a water birth. I think I am most excited about recovering in my own bed!

I am also STOKED to have my step-mom (Darlene) out here! She is due to arrive nearly 2 weeks before Jordan is due. She will be with us for about 5 weeks. I was a little scared about going in to labor alone and not being able to get a hold of Jarod. With Darlene here I have peace knowing I won't be alone. She'll also be a huge help with the house and kids, helping us get settled in and helping me recover after Jordan arrives. God is so good!

I hope to update again after the holidays and as we enter the final stretch but my next post may be the details of Jordan's Birth-Day!

Until next time...
-Linda