Blah...36 weeks!

O.K. How come I feel like this cat?! Oh...I know...I'm 36 weeks pregnant!

It's comical that I can barely walk, barely clean or get around for that matter. I cleaned the upstairs bathroom today. Took me like an hour. WITH  Tyler's help.

I roll out of bed sort of like this turtle does. Mornings are THE WORST!

Blah to my 36 (37 on the brink) week mark! I'm excited to be so close to my due date BUT man I'm as slow as a stinking turtle these days.

Kale reminds me that I felt and looked the same way with Morgan. I seriously don't remember feeling this way. He tells me "just wait babe...here in a week the house will be thoroughly organized, spotless and you will have packed and repacked your hospital bags at least 12 times!"

3 weeks on the countdown!

I CAN'T WAIT :)

~ The Shank Family

My Canteloupe {34 weeks}

34 Weeks with Baby Shank

Baby Update:

Baby Shank is well. He is running out of room to kick and squirm. I get the rib jabs and knees out the side of my belly now a days. Not sure what is more painful...jabs in the ribs or actual baby kicks. I'm goin with jabs in the ribs!

His heartbeat is 164 bpm. Strong and healthy. He is measuring on the spot. So, not smaller and not bigger than he is supposed to be. I haven't gotten up the courage to ask what my doctor is estimated his weight to be around...Both my boys were born on time and were 6 pounds. My little Morgan was a whopping 7.2! So, this obviously leaves me wondering what little baby shank will be when he is born!!

Yesterday was my last appointment before I go each week. Not too long from now and we will be meeting our little man :)

Weight Gain:

OH YEA. Thought I had it going on until I went to my last 2 appointments...I've gained 32 pounds so far. I had the feeling I would surpass my 30 pound goal. Baby #4...hey its o.k.! I'm seriously not going to flip out.I'm just hoping (just like with the other 3) the weight comes off period. Not worried about that "flinging back right away" anymore. Geeze. I'm 32 !

Maternity Clothes:

Actually - most of my clothes aren't maternity anymore. I'm starting to prepare my clothing line for post-partum/recover from surgery by purchasing yoga type pants extra stretchy in a large and shirts that are stretchy in a medium. The large is for my c-section and the medium tops are for the upper body inflation lol!! Ya know....the milk filled tatas! Anyways, I figured I wouldn't invest anymore than I needed to and with baby being so close, I wanted to go ahead and start on my post-partum wardrobe. 

My Favorite Moment:

Oh boy...coming up with baby boy names. We've gone back and forth on 4 names. One particular name is sticking with us. We are still deciding but I honestly know the final mommy approval will be last minute.

I really Miss:

Sleep. I only get a few hours of sleep at night. Our little man thinks its play time as soon as I lay down and get comfortable. I actually can't get comfortable. I use pillows, a wedge...nothing is helping me get comfortable. It takes me (most nights) around an hour to fall asleep. Then, I'm back up around midnight/1am, up again around 2-3 and up again around 5. Really? No wonder I'm so exhausted all the time!

Cravings:

No real cravings. There are days I eat just so I know I'm eating something good for baby. Other than these times, I inhale water on a constant basis. I'm always SO thirsty.

This baby business is making me feel old. My body hurts! I've just hit that point where I am telling Kale on a daily basis, "I can't wait to have this baby" I am definitely ready. No nerves. No fears. Just ready to have my body back without a baby inside. 

On the flip side: this is actual quite the opposite some days. This will be my last pregnancy. My last moments of feeling a baby kicking and moving. The miracle of life. 

I'm pulled both ways. I don't want to have him some days: I just want to sit and stare at him moving around. Then some days I'm almost in tears with exhaustion. Oh my little one...how I LOVE being pregnant...but its about over and my body is saying get out lol

Daddy Update:

Kale is as ready as I am to meet our little guy. This pregnancy definitely went quickly for us but now that we are close to our date...it seems to be slowing down and more on a day to day feel.

He has been preparing at work for his leave. With Morgan, he just took paid vacation. With this one, he actually gets paternity leave. So that's exciting. We are coming up with our master plan for my surgery, recovery, baby + mom coming home, the relatives we have coming in and situating and planning for the 3 kiddos that we will have at home. WHAT a chore right?!

We are SO grateful family is coming on to meet our little one and help out with holding the fort down while we are gone for 3 days. We are so blessed.

My Cabbage {30 weeks}

30 Weeks with Baby Shank

Baby Update:

Baby is doing well. Heartbeat staying steady at around 154 bpm. He is extremely active. He kicks and kicks and kicks. I remember Morgan being active, but I think this little brother of hers is even more active than she was. My last doctors appointment, my OB said baby is measuring spot on. ?? Does this mean he is big? OMG. I failed to ask her what this meant exactly. I took it as baby is healthy...and not small. I guess we will see :) 

Weight Gain:

+ 26 lbs. I'm not surprised that I am gaining more weight with this last pregnancy. Even though I'm still under my 30 pounds, my body aches and hurts more than any other pregnancy. I'm constantly waddling and hurting with pain in my legs and back. I know it's the weight and pressure on my legs and returning veins. I've had to rest a TON while cleaning and doing laundry. The worst part? I get almost to the top of the stairs and have to stop! It's nuts! I am taking a wild guess here but I don't think I will stay within my 30 pound mark with this baby. 

Maternity Clothes:

Yes. Everything is maternity except when I wear comfy lounge clothes around the house. I have surpassed the size small with all 3 of my other pregnancies a little earlier than expected. I started wearing size medium pants about a month ago. Everything else is size small still. I am carrying really low and needed the extra room with my waste. I noticed when I wore anything that was even remotely snug, I would have this feeling of pressure around my waste line even though the clothing wasn't too small. So I just decided to go medium and loose to prevent that feeling.

My favorite Moment:

Baby Shopping. Kale and I did some serious baby shopping this past weekend. With just weeks on the countdown...now was the perfect time to get started with all of our baby purchases. I got to watch daddy put together all kinds of baby gear this weekend. It was very comical :)

I really miss:

Sleep. I. Can't. Sleep. I get just a few hours of sleep each night. With 3 other children and stay at home mommy duties, I can't wait to get a good nights rest after baby is here :)

Cravings:

Nothing particular. Just food in general. COLD foods are my favorite again just like with Morgan. I have had a "thing" with ordering frozen virgin drinks like frozen pina coladas. YUMO!

Sleep:

Baby is backwards. He is up all night long. I fall asleep with his feet in my ribs and wake up with more jabs here and there. I finally exhaust myself and pass out. I've also been having severe leg cramps when I do wake up. My legs hurt so much everyday. I feel like I've put on 50 pounds.

On a note for memories sake: I am having some small fears about life with 4 kiddos. Is this me being pregnant? Not sure. Life with 3 is tough. Some days, extremely tough. I keep imagining life with 4 and see the bliss of having 4 beautiful children. But the other side of my brain kicks in and I see a chaotic household of 4!! A little terrifying but a little funny at the same time. Needless to say, it will take some getting used to I'm sure :)

I am also allowing myself to entertain the fears about surgery again. Not sure what it is about a c-section but the fear is slowly creeping in. Ugh. Dislike surgery.

Daddy Update:

We have put everything together for baby. Kale is a trooper in this department. When he gets started, there is no stopping him. He put together a swing, rocker and play yard for baby. The only thing we don't have that he will need to get is our car seat/stroller combo which they didn't have in stock. There's always something last minute ;)

Kale is working quickly in the house to finish up the projects I listed in a previous post. We are excited for so many different projects falling together smoothly in preparation for baby shank.


He continues his love with my belly. Always touching, hugging and kissing it. He is always feeling baby kicks and smiling and laughing with me when baby shank goes ninja. Its seriously adorable.


He's tired. We are constantly trading places on mommy duties and kiddo duties. Thankfully, this past week...he was so lucky and got switched to first shift (day shift) at work. This has been a blessing beyond. He leaves the house around 5:15 and returns a little after 4pm. Morgan stays with me daily. Tyler gets home around 3:45 and the days Colten has football practice after school (which is about everyday of the week) he gets home around 6:30. So, I LOVE having Kale arriving when he does to help me out with the kiddos, supper and bedtime routines.

We are looking forward to these next few weeks as we finish up small projects and buy last minute baby items we may have forgotten. We also can't wait to see Family for baby Shank's arrival. We are just so blessed to have the family, support and help with the 3 kiddos at home. We are in the homestretch and getting so excited!

~ The Shank Family

Before Baby Arrives {parents only day}

We are at 9 weeks left and counting down before little baby shank makes his way into the new world!!! Yes, I'm only 30 weeks pregnant but baby shank will arrive a week early by c-section.

I have to show off the bump!

30 weeks with baby shank 

I had originally planned a full on 2 day baby moon (I believe that's what most call it) with just Kale and I. We were to spend 2 days in Indianapolis, wine and dine minus the wine at some of the local spots I found, and shop for our little ones at the outlets mall. But, things always come up especially when you have a family of 5.

So we opted for a local one day parents get-a-way instead. 

I always want to shop...but don't always get the opportunity. So, I did some shopping. Meanwhile, Kale is wanting to try out some new places in town we've never been. I always LOVE to go to new places!! New environment, New food and you never know what you will get!

First stop: Zuki.

This is my favorite sushi restaurant in town and I was sort of craving some good sushi. While it is definitely not a new place to us, I begged him to take me for dinner before we went galavanting through town to the new places he had chosen for us. Their downtown location just opened so we wanted to see what they did with the old bank...they did fantastic :) Loved it!

Of course the only photo I snapped, kale was giving me "that look" of "please don't take a photo of me"

And the back story from this photo... This would be a small mound of wasabi. All of us parents know the movie Cars 2 right...

So, Kale likes to humor me. Any which way he can. I'm finishing up my food and I look up at Kale to see that he has wasabi on the end of his chop sticks. He cocks his head to the side, makes a silly face and then loudly enough for others to hear he says: IN HIS MATER VOICE

"DO NOT eat the FREE pistachio ICE CREAM.... IT HAS TURNED...."

I immediately bust out laughing so hard I almost peed myself!!! Seriously Kale. 

LOVE his humor. 

We walked the strip downtown a bit and then decided on our next stop. Ri Ra's Irish Pub. We've never been and have booked the upstairs for our wedding reception. We figured now would be a good time to go, check out this local hot spot and try some of the food.

Kale sample tasted a few different whiskey's and by this time we were hungry again. So, we ordered some of their famous potato cakes.

The potato cakes came out and of COURSE being PREGNANT..I took one look...absent minded that this WAS NOT a dessert...and said:

"Oh my gosh...is that chocolate????!!!!" I swiped some with my finger and stuck it in my mouth. NOPE!! Was I surprised when it tasted TERRIBLE. TERRIBLE only because I was expecting chocolate!

It was balsamic reduction sauce. seriously preggo? seriously? Kale was rolling! At least we made each other pee our pants in the same night :)

WOW. I am definitely suffering from this pregnancy. It has taken over my brain.

Our last stop was Deerheads sidewalk bar and cafe. I love this place and Kale had never been so this was a treat for us both.

We got lucky and it was a night when they contracted a band to play. These gals were the "Honey Vines". They were pretty excellent. I sang along and had a wonderful time. We spotted a drunk chic and had a few good laughs..sang along to some of the songs and finally made our way home.

What a fun date day. I definitely enjoyed it and was really surprised with our new local spot finds. 

The countdown is on.

I'm so glad we were able to enjoy a date day, eat great food, have fun times and great laughs. We both already know when this little one arrives...life...will... be... hectic to say the least :)

~ The Shank Family

A Few of My Favorite Things {baby #4}

Nearly 4 kids later...and there are STILL items out on the market today that I've never had the pleasure of purchasing and using. There are also small things included in this list that I want to try! So, I decided to create a list of my favorite things...for baby #4!

After pinning items | ideas and researching new items for baby #4 - helping make life easier and/or less expensive...here is my list for baby. I am really excited to get my hands on some of these items!

1. Infantino Squeeze Station

This item is really neat. These little fruit/food squeeze bags range from 98 cents to around $3 in most stores. The organic ones can be even more. I loved buying these for Morgan as we travel, go out, go shopping or just have a day out of the house. 

Not only can I create healthier versions (without all the junk) but this squeeze maker will save me a ton of $!

2. A Super Unique Birth Photo/Announcement

Not to be a total copycat...but...this is so super cute :) Being that this is our last baby...I think I may try something unique for baby shank this time. I want to say "I doubt I will get to this while in recovery" but ya never know! It's on my list.

3. Baby Bottle Gripper

It would be totally necessary to say that this item is a waste of money but I thought it was super cool and could help with motor skills earlier :) Plus...its green and cute. I think I will have just one!

4. Cloth Diapers

O.K. So I really thought about purchasing these with Morgan but after so much time went buy without the initial purchase, it would have been a waste to do so later. So, we skipped trying these with #3. Now that we are having our last kiddo, it probably still isn't worth the investment. But, I really want to try these out. I may buy just a few. I know over time, they can save lots of $. I really want to buy just a few and try these out with baby #4.

5. Boon Bottle Drying Rack

This has already been purchased but I wanted to include it within this list. Kale couldn't stand the collapsable racks I bought with Morgan. Not only were they not large enough to hold baby's stuff + my nursing stuff (so I bought 2) but they just weren't that great in Kale's mind. He wanted a cool looking rack with storage for anything and everything of size. He was tired of having to "place" items according to size on the previous racks. 

This was actually our first baby buy. Kale loves it even though he hasn't had the opportunity to use it yet.

#6 Baby Video Monitor

Again, with this being our last kiddo...this may not be worth the investment. I did, however, find one that was truly not crazy expensive that I loved. 

Kale and I live in (technically) a 3 story house. Between the laundry room (basement), first floor and second floor of house with baby being on the second floor, this bad boy will definitely keep us from having to run from basement all the way to second floor to check on baby shank. We get to simply carry the monitor with us wherever we go in the house. This will be a lifesaver!

#7 A Bapron

I pinned this 3 years ago and was planning on making a few for Morgan but never got around to it. I love the idea that this large apron/bib covers baby from neck to knees! Talk about a laundry lifesaver! I want to create a few for baby #4. I will have to get crafty...but hey...I love to sew.

#8 Smaller bedside Sleeper

We purchased a bedside sleeper for Morgan before she was born. Having to deliver through c-section, this makes life extremely easy while I recover. Baby gets to be right beside me for the 3 weeks I am in bed. Morgan's co-sleeper was huge. It was also expensive! In our experience, it was large, expensive and bulky. Too bulky. We also spent a ton of $ to only use it for a few short months. I found this alternative on Babies R Us website this past month and love it. It's sleek, serves my purpose while in recovery and is at a fraction of the cost!

#9 Washable Nursing Pads

Seriously? Were these around when I had Morgan? If so, I never would have purchased them. My idea with Morgan was convenience vs price. How awesome are these!! This will definitely save this mamma some mula and they are probably much more comfortable than the disposable ones (not as scratchy). I've also already purchased a few boxes but wish to have a small arsenal before baby #4 arrives.

#10 This. Onesie.

I'm pretty sure I could create this myself. I might even take the leap and try. I'm not sure if this can be purchased from Etsy...but either way..baby #4 will have one!!

being a photog...I have. to. have. this!

#11 A Boba Wrap

With a nearly 3 year old in tow everywhere I go (hey that rhymed!) I must be resourceful here. I think this would really help me when it comes to shopping with Morgan and baby. I can't wait to buy one of these. I've never owned or used a wrap before so this might get interesting.

That's about it. These are some of my favorite things! Now...to execute my plan on 

owning | using | creating!

~ The Shank Family

The Little Things

All of my purchases up until now have been diapers, wipes and little necessary items for our little one. I have held off for quite some time so that I didn't over shop like I did for Morgan. I finally waited long enough. It was time...for my first nonnecessity purchase! This is a special little moment for me...

Last Pregnancy...

Last Baby...

Last - first onesie purchase....

I am documenting this special little moment...

I originally thought YAY shopping spree for Baby Shank. To my surprise, I was looking around Baby Gap...the most adorable clothes...with red signs that read:

Take an additional 40% off sale and clearance. Seriously? My day was made!

Out of my entire shopping day these were my favorite little purchases.

I didn't spend more than $10 on these 3 items. I was in heaven.

I can't wait to put these on our little man.

Sometimes...in life..it's all about the little things.

~ The Shank Family

My Cantaloupe {24 weeks}

24 Weeks with Baby Shank

Had the hubs take the bump pic this time...I'm thinking I should show off all of the "pictures" he took that were too lopsided to use! But...I love his effort!! This one was the keeper and I wanted to document our moment of laughter over some cute but unusable photos :)

Baby Update:

Baby is doing good! Heart rate at last baby appointment was 154 bpm. Not sure if it's changed at all since we found out about baby. We did our sequential testing and everything was normal. We also did our gestational diabetes testing. That was also normal! Yay!

Weight Gain:

+ 15 lbs! I've got 16 weeks to go and 15 pounds to gain. I'm SURE I can gain 15..it's staying 30 pounds or under with this pregnancy that is going to be tough :)

Maternity Clothes:

Yes. Tops and bottoms unless I'm at home relaxing. In that case I can wear just about anything lose and comfy!

My favorite Moment:

 I LOVE the kicking, hiccups and hubby placing his hand on my bump waiting for little man to kick! We've had some pretty intense kicking from this little guy. Intense enough where Kale is even suprised!

I really miss:

Being able to bend down. I seriously can't bend down to pick things up. I am carrying this little guy so low, it hurts to bend down to the ground.

I will admit it...Kale helped me put on tennis shoes..ONCE...I must say it was far better than me trying myself :)

Cravings:

Not really too many cravings lately. JUST food in general. I eat like a horse. Especially right when I wake up in the morning and late at night. I've been waking up lately to eat! Yep. I wake up nauseous with hunger. 

Sleep:

I could definitely be sleeping better these days. Not being able to fall asleep until around midnight and then having hunger wake me up at 4 am....I think baby is plotting against me while I get my few hours in each night.

Daddy Update:

Daddy Shank is constantly feeling baby kicks from baby. Sometimes he feels them, sometimes he doesn't. I think this may partially be from me having a little more fat around my midsection with this pregnancy than I did with Morgan. When he does feel them, it's because baby has kicked me so hard that he literally raises Kale's arm/hand. 

Time is flying by. We both have agreed that this pregnancy has felt like it has just flown so quickly. We only have 3 more full months of pregnancy left before baby shank arrives. We will have to move quickly on some of our "Before Baby Arrives List" so we don't run out of time!

I will leave this to another post.

We also need to plan a babymoon or at least a staycation of some kind! O.K. dinner and a movie? Something! I guess with all we have going on presently, dinner and an hour of freedom would suit me just fine :)

We are excited and going through the motions joyfully. It's been a great pregnancy (besides the upset of being allergic to prenatals and being very sick for 3 months).

The last trimester is almost here!! Whoop Whoop!!!

~ The Shank Family

We are having a ....

We are so blessed to announce....

Baby Shank is a BOY!!!!

Colten had the pleasure of snapping this photo of us. 

And Mr. Tyler snapped this photo for us.

The day we found out we were having a boy was truly exciting. I knew all along it was a boy. I could tell by the way I carried baby, my emotional mood, my weight and other things. I know there is never a 100% certainty...but I secretly knew.

We were in the ultrasound room and without a warning this little guy decided to show us his male parts. I sort of had the feeling and wasn't shocked at all...so I just looked over at Kale and his eyes LIT UP. He was stoked! It was amazing to see his expression.

We had planned a photographer to take these photos but within just a few minutes of leaving the doctors office...I had already messaged everyone I knew to tell them the good news!! I literally couldn't keep my mouth shut.

So we had to call and cancel our photographer! It was worth sharing this moment alone with just Kale and the kids. I am glad things worked out this way :)

~ The Shank Family

Family Gender Reveal Vote

As a Family...We have taken our votes this time around including all the kids!

Here are the votes:

Daddy: Girl

Mommy: Boy

Morgan: Sissy

Colten: Boy

Tyler: Girl

We find out in just a week!!!

We can't wait to share the good news!!

~ The Shank Family

My Banana {20 weeks}

20 Weeks with Baby Shank

I wanted a true 20 week pic so I snapped this bad boy while I was out of town in Texas using a mirror! Reminded me of all the bump photos I took with Morgan :) I've popped a ton since 16 weeks (or at least I felt like it at the time)

Baby Update:

Baby is doing well. I started feeling kicks right before my 16 week post. Before the kicks, I actually never felt fluttering with this one as I did with the other 3. I thought that was weird and I kept waiting but little baby Shank never gave me that. He would just roll around inside my womb. Baby #4 decided to go straight into kicking mode. It was an awesome feeling!! Kale could feel the kicks right at around 17 weeks with this baby. Baby Shank's kicks are visible on the outside! It may just be me...but I don't remember anyone being able to see the kick before 20 weeks with the others.

Weight Gain: +12 lbs

I have had NO problem gaining weight this past month. I am eating like a monster! I am constantly hungry but can only eat small meals at a time.

Maternity Clothes: 

Yes. All tops and all bottoms except when I am super comfy (like the photo above) I can still wear my yoga pants. They are stretchy and so comfy!

My favorite Moment:

Daddy getting to feel his baby kicking me :) It was really exciting to see Kale get a huge smile on his face and kiss my belly. I love these moments that we share.

I really miss:

I miss being able to move quickly. I have been feeling very heavy on my feet and get tired really easily these days. I don't remember getting exhaustion in the second trimester like this before. When I say exhausted, I mean seriously exhausted. I move like a snail these days!

Cravings:

No cravings. I am big on fruit these days. I am loving the coldness it provides.

Pineapple

Apples

Cantaloupe

Grapes

These are my favorites right now.

Sleep:

I have no problems falling asleep at all! I run around after 3 kids all day and with it being summer, this is no easy task. I entertain and cook from 7am through around 10 each day. With each day that passes, my body tires more and more. 

Daddy Update:

Daddy Shank is good. He is really excited about finding out the gender of baby shank.

He has just been working really hard and resting up when he is off. We have been taking time out of each day and talking about Baby, Kids, New house which is hopefully in the near future...and all sorts of little plans. I love his motivation.

We are both super excited about this last pregnancy. We are soaking up the blessing daily. The kids are actually both excited too!

~ The Shank Family

My Avocado {16 weeks}

16 weeks with Baby Shank

Thanks so my kiddo (tyler) for taking my belly pic! 

Baby Update:

We had another appointment this morning. Baby is measuring just right and a great heart beat of 156 bpm!!

Lots of movement but very few little kicks. The movement I am feeling is like a tennis ball rolling around inside all over the place. At first I thought it may be a contraction coming on so I would go lay down and just sit still. Sure enough...it's little Shank moving around in there. Every once in a while I will fill little kicks. Its humorous because I really have to be still to feel them. Usually, he decides to kick while I'm laying down. I have even been awoken in the morning with baby moving around.

Mommy Update:

Weight Gain: +7 lbs

I have had some trouble getting weight on this past month. I lost 5 pounds and then continued to lose weight. I never went below 130 lbs or anything but for the life of me...I couldn't gain. Around 2 weeks ago I started putting on weight like crazy. I was actually excited given that I am pregnant! I've been eating natural foods only with the occasional snack attack here and there.

Maternity Clothes: Um HELLO! Do you see that bump already! Yes. Maternity clothes for my bottoms and regular shirts as tops. I still love wearing my yoga pants when I'm at home though.

My favorite moment: feeling baby kicks at 4am. Not anything strong but it still woke me up. I was so excited...I woke kale. Yep. He didn't mind at all. Even though I can even barely feel them, he was still excited.

I really miss: not really anything. My glowing skin is back. I've invested in some self-tanner. I love this stage of pregnancy!

Cravings: Not really anything that stands out. Sweet tooth is gone. Loving food. Have had a snack attack for a salad. Not sure what it is called but here are the ingredients:

Spinach Leaves

Roasted Walnuts

Goat Cheese Crumbles

Thinly Sliced Golden Delicious Apples

Extra Virgin Olive Oil Honey Dressing

OMG. SO GOOD!

I've also not taken prenatal for a little over a month due to the nausea thats caused by them. I've switched brands, taken prescription from doctor...nothing keeps me from vomiting. So I've had to start eating NOTHING but fruits, vegetables (green veggies mostly like Spinach Leaves) and lots of red meat. Things that are super rich in Iron and Calcium. My doctor says its fine as long as I stick to the foods I need. I currently take a folic acid supplement.

Sleep: My body has an insane timer going on right now. Awake every morning around 5 am. Stinks really especially on the weekends when I want to sleep in with everyone else.

Daddy Update:

Daddy Shank is doing good. We have decided...to find out gender. It's been an ongoing debate. Since I have to have a c-section..he wins this battle! We are both thrilled to go fill out our baby registry :)

He is a good help around the house. Keeping things light for this mama to be. We all know I'm fully capable but don't tell Kale!!

He is a sucker for keeping me off my feet. I love that about him.

We are looking forward to finding out gender and having a little photo shoot for baby shank! 

~ The Shank Family

My Lime - 12 weeks

12 weeks with Baby Shank

Thanks to my hubs for capturing my belly pic!

Baby Update:

Baby Shank is doing good. Growing like crazy. I am already feeling the tightness and small bump going on. 

I did recently have to report contractions here and there which I found to be odd. Scary. But my dr. assured me it was normal.

I had another appointment on the 24th of April and got to hear baby's heart beat. Baby's heartbeat still strong at 163 bpm. It's probably the most incredible experience in the world to wait weeks and weeks and then finally get to hear baby via doppler. It's an assurance that everything is o.k. and it's just a tad miraculous :)

Mommy Update:

Weight Gain: -5 lbs

You can see just from the photo that I've deflated just a bit :) The bloating and loss of weight has made my tummy go back to almost normal. 

The first two months of this pregnancy; I was so sick that all I could do was eat constantly to keep something in my stomach. I gained a good 8 lbs total {after posting my last update...I recorded a total of 8 lbs} In just 3 short weeks I lost 5 lbs. I think this is partly due to being able to actually eat right and healthy instead of all the bread and crackers on a constant basis. I've also been well enough to be moving around most of the day cleaning and doing chores around the house.

Maternity Clothes: I'm not yet wearing maternity clothes but on my off days at home lounging around...I do wear all of my leggings. I have been maternity shopping to stock up on sale items at Motherhood. My regular clothes are getting really uncomfortable...Maternity wear is just around the corner. I think if my belly pops anytime soon...I will have to wear my maternity bottoms!

My favorite moment: Hearing baby's heartbeat again at my last appointment.

I really miss: My daughter being able to bounce all over me. She is a little snuggler and occasionally likes to wrestle. I've had to put a stop to her roughness recently. I explain to her that I have a baby in my tummy. She lifts up my shirt and pats my belly. It's adorable. 

Cravings: Nothing unusual. I have my sweet tooth back. I went and got a package of twizzlers to hold me off for a while. I try to refrain from eating the sweets {because I secretly know I could possibly gain a lot more with this pregnancy} so I do try to eat healthy as much as possible.

Sleep: Sleep is great until around 5am. Every single morning around 5 I have to get up and go pee. It's crazy how much pressure I feel in my lower abdomen when I awake. Also having a growing bump with a full bladder doesn't help.

For memories sake I wanted to record Morgan's reaction to EVERY TIME I tell her that "I" have a baby in my tummy. She lifts up her shirt and tells me that "SHE" has a baby in HER tummy :)



Daddy Update:

Daddy is good. He is doing a lot around the house still. He lets me sleep in when he can and continues to do the dishes and laundry. I am slowly getting energy back so I've been taking over other duties around the house but am so thankful he is such a huge help.

We recently had a debate over finding out gender before baby is born. I really really wanted to wait until baby arrived but he insists that things will be better planned for baby's arrival if we find out gender as usual. He won the battle and is right. This is my last pregnancy and I was hoping to wait but they say that the element of surprise is exactly the same when finding out early vs finding out day baby is born.. So, kindly, I let this battle go!

Daddy Shank wants a baby boy. Mommy shank doesn't have a gender wish this time..as long as baby is healthy!




We are excited to learn that our gender reveal date is June 24th. I will be 20-21 weeks at that time so getting an accurate gender will be wonderful. I am looking forward to seeing our baby again AND planning a gender reveal photo shoot with the hubs!


~ The Shank Family

My Kidney Bean - 8 weeks

8 Weeks with Baby Shank

Here is one of our sonogram pics from March 28th! Our precious little one...so small and tiny.

This photo was taken at 7 weeks and 6 days

Baby Update:

Heart rate was fast and strong at 165 bpm. Everything checked out normal during our sonogram.  I took a bunch of baby tests and that was it. We were so excited to meet our baby!!

Mommy Update:

Starting Weight: 130lbs

I hit the gym nearly 5 days a week in preparation for this pregnancy! I weighed around 148 after the Holidays and seriously needed to lose a ton of weight before we got pregnant. My pre-pregnancy weight with Morgan was 128. I feel great losing the weight and almost made it!! But 130 is better than nothing!

Weight Gain: 3 lbs 

Maternity Clothes: Not yet, thankfully, but I know it will be much sooner than with any of my other pregnancies. Jeans and capris are getting tight! The "bump" you see obviously is not baby yet. It's bloating and 3 lbs of weight gain :)

My favorite moment: Meeting our baby and spending the whole day with Kale.

I really miss: running and working out. Almost the entire pregnancy so far has been nausea and fatigue. I have been unable to do a lot around the house let alone work out.

I also miss: Being tan!! I think I mentioned this with Morgan as well. I stopped tanning the about a week after having the inkling I was pregnant. We confirmed at home and now I am as pale as a ghost. But I'm o.k. with that :) I am looking forward to warmer weather so I can get somewhat of a tan!!

Cravings: Not anything out of the norm. The only weird thing I have craved was around 3 weeks of pregnancy before we confirmed with home test and dr. test. I had decided one day (right in front of Kale) that I needed to eat sour cream right out of the container. Yep. WEIRD! I opened the fridge, started humming a little, grabbed a spoon and stuck a huge glop of sour cream in my mouth! IT WAS SO GOOD. I totally knew that I was pregnant. The look on Kale's face was priceless!

Sleep is good. When I hit the sack...its over. There is no waking me up. period!

Fatigue and Nausea are at the extreme. For two entire weeks (8th and 9th week of pregnancy) I did nothing. Absolutely nothing. I was totally incapacitated with sickness. I felt like a truck hit me and I needed to get out my sickness but couldn't. It was absolutely terrible. I can't even explain how terrible I felt. I had to literally eat all day long to keep something in my stomach. It was terrible. My diet consisted of toast, crackers, water and soup.

Daddy Update:

He's excited :)

again!!!

Kale is happy and excited. He is acknowledging faster when I'm tired and don't feel good with this pregnancy. With Morgan, I had to tell him how I felt (after he hinted around a little unsure. I think after going through our pregnancy with Morgan, he has learned the signs. This makes me happy because I don't have to talk. I can just look at him and he already knows.

He's been extremely helpful. Over this past two weeks he has worked his 12 hour days, cleaned the kitchen, washed all the laundry and sort of kind of cleaned the house. Man standard. lol.

He is preparing for baby already. He has made a few purchases and has encouraged me to make purchases each week for baby shank. It's a lot of fun. We did this with Morgan and even though in the end it all costs the same, it helped us to not have to come up with a ton of baby money after we had her.

Plus...I really like to shop so this pacifies me until baby does arrive :)

I promised myself that we would only buy necessities until after we have a baby shower!! IF we have a baby shower!!

Kale's favorite buy this month...probably for the whole pregnancy...was this BOON thing. He wanted one of these after we had made our purchases for Morgan. He despised the little bottle holder I purchased for her stuff. He decided 2 years ago that the next time we had a baby...it was going to be this BOON thingy all the way!!

Kale's Baby Buy

We are looking forward to another appointment on the 24th of April. More importantly, we are just happy that baby is healthy, great heart beat and that we are so blessed with another pregnancy.


Oh...and for the record...we are VERY confident that this will be our last pregnancy! I have known for a very long time that I wanted to have 4 children and am blessed beyond measure that the Lord has blessed me with 4 kiddos!!! I couldn't be more excited to fill up 4 bedrooms with beautiful children! I know life will get tough...but we are overjoyed!


~ The Shank Family