Baby Boy #4

I'm about 2 weeks out from delivering this little guy so I better write something down before my brain and memories turn to complete mush.

Baby #4 is a rainbow baby just like Carter and Rhett were and this pregnancy followed my most difficult (physically and emotionally) loss of the three. Overall, it took a little over 1.5 years to conceive this time around with the help of about 5 months of fertility treatments. This 1st trimester was my most challenging by far. I think it was the combination of being on progesterone, having all the boys home for summer, things being difficult at work, the Fresno heat and Rhett being in a very difficult phase. Normally I have a decent amount of morning sickness from weeks 6-8 but this time it lasted throughout week 13 and the exhaustion was off the charts. My saving graces were Richard and Ms. Rachel during this time.

 

 

Fast forward to our 13 week scan and of course everyone I'm close to is dying to know gender. Richard was confident it was another boy...and because of the sacred way in which he came to that conclusion...I believed him and felt the same way. Sure enough, as soon as the wand hit my stomach our little guy made himself very known just like all of his older brothers. Literally no one believes me, but there was zero disappointment in that room. Richard and I felt very at peace and very excited to complete our family this way. I've always had this specific dream of a car full of 4 loud, dirty boys piling in after practice and I'm pumped to see that come to fruition someday soon. The only thing I'm sad about is not being able to use any of my cute girl names. Guys, someone please use the names Hallie, Kate, Annie or Summer...love them!!

The rest of the 2nd trimester I felt quite a bit better physically speaking but it went by super quickly. Along with usual family Holiday busyness and my additional church and work responsibilities, I was taking my real estate classes online in preparation of getting my license. I'm not planning on a career change per se, but it's always been my dream to be licensed and I figure it's not a bad idea to have an extra skill set in my back pocket. Because of new CA Dre regulations, the classes I was taking needed to be finished by the end of 2023 or I'd have to start over so most of the evenings of my 2nd trimester were spent doing my classes until I would inevitably fall asleep on the couch. Happy to say I did finish before the deadline!

By the time the 3rd trimester hit, I was showing much quicker this time around which was new territory for me. I'm sure part of it has to do with being a 4th pregnancy but I'm sure most of it was my fault in not finding the energy levels to work out as much as I should have (besides constantly lifting my 40lb Rhett). But luckily besides some pretty bad back pain, things have continued to be business as usual. I am so grateful to have been given the chance the carry life, but I am also so excited to be completing this chapter of our lives :)