First Stomach Flu

I have always wondered when we would get hit with it and it finally happened.  Cassie dodged it for 5 years!   Last Thursday morning I opened Mandys door of her room and was hit with the smell of puke.  She was sitting in her crib pointing at it.  Puke all in her crib and she slept in it all night.  Never cried...nothing.  She acted fine, no fever and played normally.  She was eating less and developed diarrhea but still acted normal.  I was thinking it was just a fluke. 

Fast Forward to Saturday night.   We had Matt's Mom and my Mom over for Tacos.   Once all the kids were in bed Matt and his Mom left for a movie and I sat on the couch to read and ate a big bowl of ice cream.   9:30 rolled around and I started to get ready for bed when I thought I heard something upstairs in Cassie's room.   I went up there and she was still sleeping but had thrown up all over her bed, stuffed animals and herself.   I got her on the floor, changed her out of her clothes, got her a puke bin and changed her bedding.   10 min into it she puked again.   I texted Matt what was happening and he came right home.   Poor Cassie threw up every 10 min for 3 hours.   It was mostly dry heaves as well which is just plain horrible.   At one point she collapsed on me and said "Help".   At 12:30 she started to heave less and by 3:00 she was done.    I sat in her bed with the puke bucket all that night helping her when she threw up, wiping her face, and putting cold washcloths on her forehead.    I slept for 1 hour that night.  

On Sunday Matt and I started to not feel good.  We both came down with it.   I threw up twice.   At one point I was making lunch for Mandy and Emily, threw up in the kitchen sink and then went right back to making lunches.  Even though I was sick I still had to take care of the kiddos.   We were going to have Matt's Mom come over to help (she had offered the night before) so we could rest but she came down with it that night as well.    I survived.  I survived  Stomach flu with 16 month old twins and 21 weeks pregnant.  Thankfully it wasn't worse that it was!!

20 weeks pregnant with baby #4

Half way there!!    I am still not feeling many kicks at all.  Nothing like what I felt with the twins.  At this time with them I was seeing my belly move and feeling them every day, multiple times a day.  This time....barely anything.   All because right now my placenta is anterior and cushioning the kicks.   I had my OB appointment yesterday and everything looks great.   I gained 5 lbs in a month.   Baby Boys heart rate was 142 bpm.      I asked her about feeling kicks and the position of the placenta and she said I should start feeling them by 24 weeks.   Plus we talked about my placenta previa again.   Because its anterior it truly is not a complete previa.   If it was complete chances are it would not move at all.  It is covering my cervix but it is on the front of my stomach so it usually moves as the uterus grows....which it did with my twin pregnancy.  That took a load off my mind!!

All 3 girls have had colds this past week.   Snotty noses but otherwise they seem happy.  Except the first night that Emily came down with it....she woke up at 1:30 am not feeling well, cried on and off till 3:00.  I then laid with her on the couch from
3:00-6:00.   That was a long night.  I never had that long of a night even when they were newborns! 

5 year old Birthday Party, Anatomy Ultrasound and Gender Reveal!!

Cassie's 5th Birthday

Saturday we had her party, a pony party which she requested.   Matt took her out for a while so I could decorate and the babies were napping.    My Dad and Mom came over early and helped blow up every single balloon I had.  They were everywhere.....Cassie loved it.  The look on her face when she walked in the door was one of awe.

Pony Party!!

Papa blowing up the balloons

Waiting for Dad and Cassie to get home

 We also revealed the gender of baby #4.  Matt and I knew but didn't tell anyone else.  Cassie was to open this gift last to find out if she was having a baby sister or baby brother.


The Gender Reveal box!

Some of the goodies

Horse Cupcakes

Birthday Girl

Our firstborn

Snacks with Grandma

Just up from a nap

 Mandy and Emily woke from their nap at 1:30, shortly when everyone got to the party.  They did surprisingly well.   I was actually able to enjoy myself!  They let others hold them and didn't cry for me constantly like they did at their 1 year old birthday party.

Papa and Emily eating

Singing Happy Birthday to her

Blow!!

She blew out all her candles in one blow!

Enjoying those chocolate cupcakes

Opening presents

Hugging Adelyn

And now the big reveal...

 

Were having a BOY!!!!!!!

My Mom and Matts Mom cried

It was a fun day!  On Sunday was her actual birthday.   We took my Dad to the airport, as he was flying to California to visit my brother and took Cassie to Red Robin for a birthday lunch.   At the end she got a sundae and the waiters and waitresses sang her Happy Birthday.

Ultrasound

Last Tuesday we had our anatomy ultrasound.    I was 18 weeks.   Everything measured right on the money for 18 weeks.  I remember with the twins they were always a week behind in measurements.   Heart rate was 149.  Everything with this baby looks good.  And like I said were having a BOY!   When the tech told us I squealed and clapped my hands.  Matt high fived me.   I am so excited to have a son.  I never thought it would be possible since we never planned on doing IVF again but God had other plans!! 

I do have placenta previa.....AGAIN.  I had this with the twins as well.   I think with the twins it was a partial previa, with his pregnancy I believe its a complete previa.  However, when the perinatologist sat down to look at it she immediately said she thought it would move and I wouldn't need a C-section.  She then went on to show me why she thought it would move.  I go back in 8 weeks to have it re-checked....keeping my fingers crossed that it moves because I DO NOT want a C-section!! 

Profile.  Baby boy has legs and feet above his head

18 weeks pregnant

18 weeks pregnant today!    Its flying by!   Our big ultrasound is on Tuesday and I am so ready for it to be here.  I just want to know that this little baby is healthy and growing well.   I think I am so anxious because my last pregnancy with the twins I had ultrasounds at every visit, I saw my babies a lot!     This pregnancy I have not seen my baby since 9 weeks.   I am just not used to that!    Because I don't think I have felt any kicks yet and haven't had an ultrasound in forever my mind is having a hard time knowing there is a baby in there.   Even though my belly is obviously pregnant and I have heard the heart beat 3 times.   SOO....I am so excited for this ultrasound.  To see my baby....instead of a blob on a screen...and know that he/she is healthy.  AND of course to find out the gender!!!!!  

Its funny, when I first found out I was pregnant I was a bit scared....ok, a LOT scared.   I cried.  Even though it was a total miracle. I had survived twins and was thankful to be done with the baby stage after them!!!   They put me thru the wringer!!!  I was doubting how I could handle a newborn and my twins who at the time were clingy and whiny. NOW....I am so ready for another baby.   The twins have improved a lot in 1 month.   They are fun, more independent and make me realize I can totally handle another baby now.  I'm no longer scared and am ready for this miracle!!

Last week we went to a friends for a play date.  It is so nice to be back in my normal routine of going out and doing things with the kids.    When Cassie was a baby every week we went to our friends house to play, so its so nice to start that up again.  

We are moving Mandy on up to a booster chair.    I made the mistake of sitting her in the kitchen chair for a snack and now she doesn't want anything to do with her highchair.   I mean come on.....she is 15 months old...she is a big girl now!!  Emily however is staying put in her highchair.

See how happy she is?    Big Girl.