Enoch Maternity Session- 35 weeks

Third Trimester

This trimester idea wasn't really a great idea. I can't remember much of the first half of the trimester, as the last half is fresh on my mind. Oh well! 

This final trimester, Enoch and mommy have been doing really well. Every doctor appointment, we leave with a gold star. My blood pressure has been great. I've been measuring almost always on target. At my 37 week appointment I was measuring 36 cm. The doctor asked if I had been measuring small, and we decided that he was just coming out the sides instead of over the top, because at my 38 week appointment, I measured 40 cm. Pretty sure you can't grow 4 cm in one week. But maybe I'm an awesome exception! The weight gain has been of some anxiety for me. I've gained more with this little man than I have with any of the others. I'm pretty sure my starting weight was around 137 lbs. At my 38 week appointment, I weighed in at 185 lbs. The weight gain so far is 48 lbs. I think the others were around 40-42 lbs. Its really not a big deal. Only having to walk around with the extra weight is a killer! haha.

I've felt really good up till these final weeks. Just recently I've felt exhausted, nauseous, achy, heartburn, THIRSTY, etc. At around 37 1/2 weeks, Enoch dropped because I could finally breathe again. A sensation I have truly  missed. He's been head down since 36 weeks. (Thank you buddy!) He's not able to kick around as much because he's getting so big, but he does get the hiccups a lot. I didn't do any kick counts with this pregnancy, but his little nudges tell me he is doing alright.

The one thing that stands out more than any other pregnancy is my nesting instincts! I've had it bad! Around 33 weeks we moved from our rental on Beverly Place, to our new house on Eastview Way. We've been a flurry of unpacking. Because of the move I had to wait to set up any kind of nursery. I was a total spazz case. His crib and dresser were finally set up this past week, and I was able to put his clothes in the dresser. But I couldn't stop there. I'm organizing all the closets and toys. Having every article of baby gear washed. Stocking the cupboards with food, diapers, and toilet paper. Hiring someone to come clean the air ducts. Seriously?!? I'm a nut! Every day I come up with something new that I shouldn't be doing. It helps keep my mind off having a baby, but I wish I would just quit it and rest. Crazy Beck/Wilcox blood. That's what I'm blaming it on. haha!

At 35 weeks, I took maternity pictures with my good friend Kacy Hughes. I will add those in a separate post. Here are the cell phone pictures of this trimester. There is a wee gap due to my cell phone screen being shattered, and having to replace it by mail. Oops!

28 weeks, 1 day


29 weeks


Sweet Bottle of Death-- Passed my glucose test! But kind of anemic. Bummer.


30 weeks, 4 days


30 weeks, 6 days


34 weeks, 2 days. Happy Easter!


38 weeks-- Hanging out with trouble. He's so cute!

Also, the young women in the ward threw me a surprise baby shower. I had a tiny idea they were up to something, but I didn't know it was going to be an entire mutual activity! It was so much fun! They had the cutest mustache theme, and the yummiest food! Here are a few pictures. Don't mind that I look like a dork. These photos aren't for a modeling company.

One of my Beehives modeling the decor!

 The yummiest food! Red velvet cake balls, and off too the right... that blue bowl is full of crack. Just sayin... I will have to get the recipe. 

Also, my friend Lynnae and I threw a baby shower for our friend Marsie who is having a little girl 2 weeks after me! Here is a little snapshot for the memory book! It was such a fun shower and we had a great turn out! Ben thinks its crazy for a pregnant lady to host a baby shower, but I think he's crazy. So there! haha.

Maybe I'll be adding another post. I'm 38 weeks and 2 days, and didn't want to forget to update the third trimester post before my little man gets here. At the last doctor appointment I was 2 cm dilated, and 50% effaced. That's typical me for the last two weeks of pregnancy, so I'm sure I'll go full term. But life is full of surprises?! (and wishful thinking... hehe... )

Second Trimester

As I'm writing this, I've really just moved into the third trimester, so you would think that the details of the second trimester would be fresh in my mind, but they aren't really. 

For this trimester, I didn't get relief from my acid reflex until after 16 weeks. I was really hoping it was just a first trimester thing, but it wasn't. 

Foods I was craving: Freshly juiced citrus, like lemons or grapefruit. Mmm... My body really was not tolerating sugar very well. I craved a lot of cereal and that gave me my sugar high. I've had a lot of cereal lately. I really like to eat Lucky Charms, and Berry Kix. Eating my favorite candies, like sour punch, really made me super super sick. It helped me eat better, but not well enough to crave vegetables! I was still in love with hamburgers and french fries. All things salty and delicious!

This trimester brought on some sleep discomfort. It was time to bring out the maternity pillow. That pillow has dual functions I've learned, as it prevented Eve from kicking me when she would sneak into our bed in the middle of the night. Ben curses that pillow for pushing her closer to daddy! haha. 

My belly has felt a whole lot tighter, and its really felt, for lack of a better word, heavy. Everything was getting too tight! So tight, I felt like I couldn't breath. So I just had to put on some comfy clothes. I still haven't pulled out my old maternity clothes. I bought a few new pairs of maternity jeans, but a lot of my regular shirts could still fit. I just don't get excited to wear the clothes I had from my previous pregnancies. I don't know what the hang up is there, but I dread pulling those bad boys out. 

This trimester really went fast for me. I was enjoying the extra energy, and I was putting a lot of time into my calling in Young Women's. It was great having something to keep me going when all I really wanted to do was just sit down! 

This is the trimester that we found out we were having a boy! Total shock, but a great surprise! Welcome baby Enoch!

I've also been prepping ideas for a future nursery in our room. I've found some really great pictures and bedding. We will have to get another crib, since John isn't ready to vacate his. This will be our 4th crib purchase folks. Fourth! I'm really kicking myself for selling the others before we moved. Luckily IKEA won't break the bank. I haven't purchased anything yet, since we are waiting till we move into our new house! We will close the beginning of March, and will move mid-March. Then its full speed nesting. I feel really crazy moving right now, but I know we will be so glad we moved before we have this little guy. We have plans to stick around this next house, as opposed to our traditional nomadic nature. 

Something that has been the real highlight, is getting to feel my little man kicking. It took a while to feel him kick and that could likely be because my placenta is attached at the front of my abdomen. He would have had to kick pretty hard for me to feel it past all that tissue. I don't think I could feel regular kicks till 19 or 20 weeks. Now he is an active kicker. He is awake the most at night, so I enjoy the quiet time with just him!

16 weeks, 2 days

Getting ready for 8 am church. Ben and I gave talks this Sunday.

17 weeks, 5 days

19 weeks

19 weeks, 3 days

21 weeks, 4 days

23 weeks, 2 days

25 weeks, 3 days

Did you notice my sweet little shadow? John loves to open drawers and play in the bathroom!

First Trimester

I've been unfair to baby #4. I don't have weekly, bi weekly, or monthly posts so far. I'd like to catch up on everything, but I don't have time anymore. Boo-hoo! Right?

Enter my new plan: Trimester Posts!

For the first trimester, as I mentioned in an earlier post, around week 9/10, I started to get really sick. I had killer heartburn! But it wasn't normal heartburn. I was experiencing acid reflex. Not reflux. I made the mistake of not eating smaller meals, and when I ate a big meal, my body kicked into full digestive swing, and produced a lot of stomach acid. Problem was, it was making too much! So I would eat, and about an hour later, my stomach would be in horrible pain. If I snacked a little, it would help use up some of the excess acid, but it was still too much. Pepcid AC didn't even phase the fiery furnace in my stomach. I remember having heartburn with Eve, and thought that maybe this was just a girl thing, but not to be! This baby was a boy. So all cards are thrown out of the deck each time you get pregnant. Each time is different!

Besides the heartburn, I had a lot of fatigue. At about 3:00 pm, I could fall asleep standing. I had to take a few naps during this trimester. Luckily Jacob already knows the program, so if I could get Eve and John asleep, Jacob would play quietly by himself, within my earshot. He's a champ!

Foods I was craving: I was definitely wanting to eat hamburgers and french fries. I craved a lot of things I ate growing up, like meatloaf and potatoes. The other killer craving was for bread. I had been eating a gluten free diet when I got pregnant, but the cravings were so strong I caved! I just wanted a piece of toast! Was that so bad? Toast and donuts. Yeah... maybe donuts aren't such a good thing. But I craved them anyway!

Pictures of Me! Hooray!

7 weeks, 2 days

9 weeks, 5 days

Glinda for the witch party! 

11 weeks, 1 day

Gender Reveal Plans Ruined!

With this pregnancy, I really wanted to do a gender reveal surprise! Since I knew the ultrasound was going to be around Christmas time, I really wanted to have a friend wrap up a box full of pink or blue balloons, and wrap it up to open on Christmas. When I called to schedule an ultrasound, I was 20 weeks exactly on December 25th. They wouldn't let me do it any earlier than 20 weeks, so the appointment was scheduled on December 30th. I was devastated! I heavily considered doing an elective ultrasound, just so I could have a fun gender reveal on Christmas, but I realized that was not really practical. I could wait.

On December 30th, we had quite the shock of our (my) lives. If you visited this blog page for the pregnancy announcement #4, you may have noticed the theme of the background...

"Look closely, because the closer you think you are, the less you'll actually see."

Heard that line in a movie before? haha. Well if you noticed the background of this blog, and read my very first post, you would have been totally convinced that we were expecting a girl. Except for one thing. We weren't. 

Seriously?

Yep. 

I was so certain we were having a girl, that I was in complete shock to find out that this baby has a "third knee," as the ultrasound tech referred to the male genitals.

Did I think she was wrong? Yes. I did. 

Did I look at gender ultrasounds online to compare in case there was a mistake? Yes I did. 

Did it take a few weeks to get used to the idea? Yes it did.

You know why? Because I felt like we were having a girl. I was impressed what her name should be. Now here I was with a boy, and I didn't know he was coming at all. Like getting hit by a bus!

But let me be very clear about one thing. I was very shocked AND excited! I love having little boys because they love their mommy and take good care of her. Its such a special bond! I just wish that I had felt and been impressed that it was him that was coming. I really wanted to know what name we were supposed to give him. Ben and I wrestled with a few names that we liked. One of his favorites was the name Enoch. I thought, "Heck no." But ever since he mentioned that name, it stuck in the back of my mind, and kind of became the name I thought of when I thought of my little boy. Not till recently (February) did we make the name official. If I have my way, then his name will be Enoch Benjamin.

Now, I don't think I'm completely off my rocker. I think that Julianna will be joining our family. I think she will be our last and final. So lets hope she is next!

Want to see my cute little man? He passed his ultrasound test with flying colors! Such a relief to hear that my baby boy is complete, whole, and healthy!

Giving a big yawn!

Playing peek-a-boo

Great Profile Shot

Showing off the third knee!

Two darling feet!

There She Goes Again...

Exciting News! We're having a baby! What an appropriate announcement for a pregnancy blog, right? We're pregnant! Again... haha!

Well, Perkins #4 is eager to join the family! I knew once I moved to Arizona, that I was going to get pregnant. One of those omens... Which is why I gave my pregnancy pillow, Steve, a death stare. As if to say, "You better be going in the closet." But who listens to me any way? So far no one. Lol!

First Test

 Another test. I think I took four.

 I found out the big news on September 13th. I really REALLY wanted to tell Ben in a cute way. I typically just blab my guts, and never get creative. This was my fourth chance to get it right. I bought him some fun daddy books, and they were on their way in the mail. They were going to come the day I told him. What ruined my secret? Health Insurance. I was really pushing for it, and Ben said that we just might have to wait. And I laughed. I shouldn't have laughed. He pried my secret from my lips, and I'll just have to spend forever forgiving him. I was so nervous to tell him. I was excited about the pregnancy, and it was fun keeping it a secret (for a few weeks days.) According to Amazon, I told him on September 18th. To my perfect surprise, Ben was elated! I was so happy that he was excited too. And for a few weeks everything was perfect.

Around week 9/10, I started to feel sick. Really yucky. For all you TMI people, I don't throw up. But I feel like dirt, and lose all pleasure in eating food. I wanted my comfort foods. I was craving hamburgers and french fries. Somehow those french fries sooth my raging stomach. (And probably add unwanted inches. Too bad.)

On October 22, I had my first ultrasound. My OB office does not do these routinely. They only offer the genetic screening, and the gender ultrasound. I had to be kind of pushy to get one. I told them that I had a miscarriage this year, and it moved things along. (In case you didn't know, I really did in April.) I was so worried about something being wrong with the baby. So when I saw this little bundle, kicking and wiggling like crazy, with a beautiful flickering heart, I was excited, but nervous about how I was going to take care of another one!

Measuring 9 w 6 d, but they left it as 10 w 5 d

According to my LMP, my due date was May 15, and the ultrasound measured 6 days behind. I guess that is not enough to change the due date, so it will stay May 15. 

On November 10th, I had a visit with the nurse. That included the lengthy questions, and insane amount of blood tests. It was short and sweet. 

My first real OB appointment was November 11. I am seeing Dr. Maria DiLeo, and I really like her. She was funny, and genuine, and really empathetic too. I think she will be a wonderful doctor to have. She was really thorough, and made sure to answer all my questions. I complained about some severe stomach pain, which she believed was similar to acid reflux, but instead of the reflux, I was having acid reflex. After I eat a meal, about an hour later I have a really bad stomach pain, which I can usually get to subside if I snack a little bit more. She explained that when I eat, the acid is used up, and my body keeps making more. That's why it calms for a little bit after I eat, but flares up about an hour later. She recommended Pepcid AC. Does this sound familiar? Hmm... happened when I had Eve. Next, I got to hear the heartbeat. It was strong and loud! 166 bpm. Oh, wait... usually a faster heartbeat means a girl? Hmmm... wait a second... 

Yep.... Pretty sure I'm having a girl. I felt like I was from the beginning, and now I'm not changing my mind! And that makes me more excited! We let the kids guess if I was having a boy or girl, and they guessed girl. Eve keeps calling her, Tiana baby, because she keeps forgetting the name Julianna. If we are having a girl, that is the name I felt really good about, and I love it. Now Ben can finally have his Jewels. 

So here we go again right? I guess we are trying not to lose momentum. After this little cupcake, I'm ready to take a baby making break. I'm sure I'd love to call it the end. But then someone gives us a gentle nudge that it's their turn, and we start all over again. I couldn't be luckier. My current baby looks like this now:

I guess he's not a baby anymore! And yes, that is chocolate, and yes, I had two perfect handprints on the white bed sheets in my room. He found mommy's stash! 

Wish us luck! (or just me... )

John's Ultrasound Pictures

I never scanned John's ultrasound pictures, but I took pictures with a camera. I wanted to post these because I always go back and compare the ultrasound pictures every time I have another baby.

First Ultrasound:

This was the first ultrasound, around 8 w. 5 d. 

Second Ultrasound:

18 w. 5 days for the gender ultrasound. I'll never forget the shock and relief at having a boy. We found out on Valentine's Day, and over lunch we decided his name would be John Tanner. 

Left arm

Cute feet!

Profile shot! I decided to leave the gender shot out. We all know what that looks like!

Third Ultrasound:

Just two more! I had an ultrasound around 28 weeks, because until this point I had a low lying placenta. Luckily this ultrasound confirmed I would be okay to deliver vaginally, and I got to see his sweet face one more time!

I can't believe how much you can see! Look at that face!