6 Months Pregnant with #4

This month has been one of the most fun while in quarantine. Having Christmas to look forward to and all the fun baking, shopping, wrapping, Christmas lights, etc. We made a list of fun things to do during Christmas and it's been fun to do something off of it if we get bored. I've been feeling pretty good up until this week. All of the standing while cooking, and sitting on the floor wrapping presents has killed my back. Hopefully that will go away in the next few days. 

Thanksgiving was wonderful, but I also gained 4 pounds in one day. So the weight is packing on now. It tends to be exponential, so I'm thinking I'll definitely end up gaining more than when pregnant with Olivia. Currently up 15 pounds. I'm hoping that all the hip and back pain with Sloan (and inability to walk the last month) was due to the weight gain. Even though I tried everything with Sloan to eat hardly anything and it didn't work, I'm hoping if the weight gain is a little less, I'll feel better at the end. My OB says the hip pain is unrelated and usually worse with each pregnancy and is prescribing me a walker. So I think that'll be super cool and not embarrassing at all. Haha! At least I am not in the office - that is helping a ton!

My chiropractor said he would keep me out of a walker. He isn't big on promises when he can't deliver, and was very confident in this one. So we will see how big of a miracle worker he is. 

5 Months Pregnant with #4

We had a wonderful Halloween. The girls got to get out and trick or treat at any of the houses that had candy for pickup (vs knocking on a door). I'm starting to feel much better, so it was great to get out and do something that seemed normal. I'm up a few pounds, similar to where I was with Olivia, but I usually don't gain much until the third trimester anyway - so hard to know where this weight gain will land haha. We just found out the gender, but want to make a video first. 

Since I'm posting this late, I'll add the video in another post, but share: it's a girl! Everyone has asked if we are trying for a boy and honestly, we could not care. A boy would be fun - but with a girl it's so even. They can share rooms. We can do only princess stuff at Disney world. We can reuse the nursery (going on 8 years!) and reuse all the clothes. We know girls and we love our girls and honestly can't even imagine what we would do with a boy. I'm thrilled! Emma and Sloan are thrilled! Olivia wanted twins: one boy and one girl (same when I was pregnant with Sloan) so she's a little disappointed there's still not two in there. Haha. 

4 Months Pregnant with #4

I still love reading all of the weekly and monthly updates with Olivia, Emma and Sloan. I don't think I have it in me to post weekly - but I think I can do monthly. The first trimester was very similar and very different than the other three. I was just as sick - all day and every day. However, I rarely threw up. Knowing I probably wouldn't actually throw up made it a lot easier to get through the day. I also could eat any foods. Nothing sounded awful. Unlike the other three, where I couldn't eat anything. It's funny - I didn't eat anything the first trimester with Sloan, but gained 15 pounds. This time, I could eat anything and gained nothing the first trimester. 'Calories in vs calories out' is not accurate for my pregnancies - haha. 

I will say being in quarantine has made it very easy to hide the lack of drinking, feeling sick, and wanting to go to bed super early (although I haven't been as tired this time around, likely because with no commute, I sleep an extra 1.5 hours). 

If I feel awful, I don't have to be in a meeting planning my escape to throw up. Instead I can bring my laptop in bed, turn off the camera, and not wear real pants. It's been amazing. With the others, I would go to bed around 7 in the first trimester, and now I'm staying up until 9, haha. 

But I still feel sick all day every day. The exact same feeling as with the other 3. So I can't decide if I think it's a boy or a girl. 

The girls are so thrilled and Olivia wanted to know exactly when we found out and why we didn't tell her immediately. We waited awhile this pregnancy to tell everyone and it was actually very nice. We planned to tell them earlier, but then Emma broke her arm. And then it was Olivia's birthday and I didn't want it to be tied to her birthday like it was a present. And then Emma had surgery. It's been a crazy month! 

Olivia is also begging for twins. Again. Hopefully she will have twins when she's a mom. 

Emma is thrilled and so so sweet. She has the biggest heart and can't wait to have another baby sister to cuddle with. 

Sloan has no idea what's up. If we say "are you going to be a big sister" she looks up, smiles and says "no!" Welp. Rude awakening soon.  

Olivia's 7th Birthday Party

This was a tough party to plan. Olivia loves her friends and playing with them and could not imagine a party at home without them. She had been struggling not seeing them in awhile. So we got creative.

We had an outdoor party at a playground. In hindsight, the playground was a little crowded for my liking, but thankfully no one got sick.

Every girl got their own bag. It had a towel with each of their names on it. This allowed us to space them out so they weren't all on top of each other. The bag had a water and a juice, individual snacks, a makeup kit with make up remover wipes and a mirror, and a nail polish kit with remover wipes as well. We let them do their own make up and nails, play on the playground, and then everyone had individual cupcakes to keep germs to a minimum. They had so much fun seeing each other. 

Just a small group of mostly the kids in her class. But perfect for Olivia!

Emma also tried to hide her cast (she's super worried about what people would think) so papa helped paint her toenails. The best!!

Olivia is 7!

Seven. She said it was too big and she wanted to stay six forever. I feel that, my big girl. She's the most caring big sister. So responsible. Helps me unload the dishwasher every morning and does her laundry without a complaint. She is hysterical with this mature sarcastic sense of humor. She's also got puns and likes to point out the humor in taking things literally. We were working on school work, "can you bring everything from downstairs, up to your desk?" "How am I going to get the couch upstairs and onto my desk?" 🙄 The biggest compliment you can give her is to tell her she's funny. She has always been up for any adventure: from playing 'pummel each other with bean bags' with the neighborhood boys to her make up and nail polish party tomorrow - this girl likes everything. She's athletic and the first one to jump on a hoverboard, ask to drive a go-kart, and attempt a backflip off the diving board.  She isn't scared of anything. She loves surprises and likes to hide around the house to scare us. Loves art. Much to my dismay, loves slime. Very shy with new people but loves her friends and family more than anything. I could not be more proud of the big girl she has become. I love spending time with her, and she's one of the coolest kids I know.  Happy 7th birthday my big girl! We tried to keep you 6 forever.

4th of July

We drove back from the beach on the 4th of July. 

I always wrap "presents" (dollar store toys, snacks) for long car rides. They get one every hour (and I had to color code to know which was which). It helps them count down to the next hour instead of when we are there. 

When we got back we had a few neighbors over for some "NC compliant" fireworks. Dan has gotten in trouble for having SC fireworks in NC - who knew there were different regulations. NC fireworks can't leave the ground. 

The girls had a blast though!

Kiawah 2020

Dan's parents rented a really nice place across from the beach in Kiawah. It was so nice having extra hands. All the girls loved the ocean. Olivia and Emma loved riding the waves and needed some help getting further out and on the boogie board. Sloan just loved getting knocked over and kept going back for more. But she definitely needed help not drowning haha - even with her puddle jumper. Definitely no rest this beach vacation.

The place they rented was on a small creek - so there were tons of baby alligators right outside in the back. You can see them from the screened in porch. 

We mostly ate in, did take out once, and then one time went to the Sanctuary pool and ordered food. It was the first time any of us had eaten out in months.

Side note: I took the girls out to eat in Feb and they were awful. I made an empty threat that they were not going out to eat the entire month of March. Jokes on me, because it was March, April, May and June so far. 

Sloan's 2nd birthday party!

Sweet Sloan turned two a few months into the pandemic. Luckily, she has no idea what a birthday party is and didn't need one with a bunch of friends. We were heading to the beach on her birthday, so we had a little party with cake and my parents before we left.

We brought out the water slide, had a sprinkle cake and a balloon arch. My parents got her a bubble machine which was a big hit. They had so much fun!

Then, once we we're at the beach, we had another cake for her actual birthday. Sweet girl felt very celebrated!

Sloan is 2!

Happy second birthday to the brightest spot in our family. You are happy ALL the time. I don't think you've ever had a temper tantrum. You are up for any adventure and want to do everything your big sisters do. You ride a scooter like a pro. Your big sisters adore you and let you get away with anything, "Sloany cheeks was just so cute!" They help you, dress you like their real life baby doll, teach you things (good and bad 😉) and always want to play with you. You are so squishy, I could eat you up. You've never met a stranger and smile and wave to everyone. You get so excited and squeal over everything, even if you don't know what it is. You light up any room and have such a contagious joy for life! We couldn't love you any more Sloany baloney. I hope you have a wonderful day.

Five on Friday

1. We all got rollerblades (& skates & Sloan got a bubble mower) - new quarantine toys for the win.

2. I finally stained and put together the new table and chairs. We needed another chair for Sloan. The set was so cheap and after 4 years the table wasn't in the best shape, so I bought a whole new set. 

3. We did the chalk stained glass thing going around Pinterest. 

4. We had a real tea party and the girls loved it.

5. It was germ themed day, so for creative snack the girls made germ balls. Protein balls, but with eyes.