our 4th of july weekend (2020)

We usually treat the Fourth of July like a pretty minor holiday around here. We would typically go to our town’s community fireworks show, and maybe make a red, white, and blue dessert. This year, I had some fun trying to make it a really fun day for the girls. I think that being in quarantine for several months has made it so that we look for any reason to make things a little extra special when it comes to family time.

We also lucked out and had absolutely perfect weather all weekend long. We enjoyed the pool on both Friday and Saturday afternoon. It was just the best temperature! I always think it’s fun that Kaya and Kaelyn practice floating in this tiny pool! Being in the sunshine with my babies truly is my happy place.
The girls got to try these bomb pops for the very first time. They were a hit! We repainted our toes… and I will never get enough of little baby feet with pink nails.Kaya and Kaelyn had some time to make chalk art in between swimming!I made this “pulled chicken” (instead of pork), and it was amazing! I love that it was completely from scratch and was so moist that it didn’t need barbecue sauce at all. I tried this corn on the cob in the oven, and that worked really well, too! The girls had never had corn on the cob before. Kaya loved it the most!I made these s’mores bars for dessert, which were also a hit, especially with the kids. I cut the sugar in the crust by half and they were really still too sweet for me.We got everyone bathed and in jammies before we headed outside to do sparklers. Because of social distancing, I counted on these being our only “fireworks” and really soaked in watching the girls have fun with them.Evie was absolutely OBSESSED with the sparklers.Watching all her firsts is still so special. We came inside, and just as we were tucking everyone into bed, we heard fireworks. The town still had its traditional show, and to our surprise, we had a pretty good view of it out our upstairs window. Kaya and Kaelyn were taking pictures and videos with their cameras. It felt like the perfect ending to a great day.

baby #5: 27 weeks

(Written July 24th)

Baby’s size: The apps say about 14.5 inches tall and around 2 pounds still. Apparently, this is about equivalent to a bunch of bananas or a cabbage!

Maternity clothes?: YES! I started wearing my support belt most of the time now, and it makes a huge difference in how my belly feels, especially by the end of the day. The belt is magical and makes everything a lot more comfortable. I did squeeze into my non-maternity tie dye shirt for a day though so that I could match the girls.

Gender: It still feels strange to say, “It’s a BOY!” sometimes! We are all so excited, though!

Symptoms: This is kind of a new one for me… heartburn! I remember that I had it just once with Eve’s pregnancy and never at any other time. I’ve had a couple of nights where it feels like I’m right on the verge of having full-on heartburn, but it just keeps building up and never getting to an extreme level. Very weird.

Sleep: Sleep has been tough lately. I sometimes can’t stop thinking long enough to fall asleep. I sleep the best when I completely wear myself out… like I have with my long Saturday runs, or preparing for birthday parties or all our Fourth of July activities. I actually like being exhausted because then I just pass right out!

Movement: I love feeling his little feet kicking up high on my right side, and his little fists down low in the middle of my belly. If push on the left side of my lower belly, I think he’s elbowing my hand because he doesn’t seem to like that too much. Haha.

Cravings: Chocolate-chip cookies and a Greek gyro. Yum. I also had scrambled eggs after my long run this week and they were possibly the best eggs I’ve ever had in my life. I feel like I’ve generally just been really into protein (and salt) during this pregnancy.

What I miss: Bending down to pick things up is getting difficult, and so is rolling over in bed at night.

Anything making you queasy or sick?: I’ve gotten some intense waves of nausea, but this week has definitely been better than last. I also just wish I would enjoy eating my salad every day instead of just getting through it!

Belly Button in or out?: It’s pretty much flat already!

Exercising?: Ran 24.7 miles (longest run was 7.51 miles); walked 1 mile. Best average pace this week was 10:04 min/mile. Every single day is so different now. I had a run I had to cut short because my pelvis just felt awful, but then I had other days where it was easy and I could go for miles and miles. Crazy.

Mood: I really felt like I was doing better with managing my anxiety, but the last few days have been rough. I think there’s just so much going on in the world right now, and so all that, on top of pregnancy-related fears, has just weighed me down. I ended up deleting certain social media apps from my phone because constantly seeing everything going on is not helping me.

In other news, nesting is happening in full-force. I took everything out of one of the girls’ playroom cabinets to reorganize it all. Michael painted some new shelves for me that we’ll be putting together soon, and I replaced all the prints in my living room picture frames. I know that none of that is too crazy, but I have a lot of other things on my list that I want to get done before we bring a baby home.

Best moment this week: We tie-dyed with the girls for the first time ever, and they loved it so much! Revealing their shirts to them after they were washed was the best. We all matched outfits that day, and it was a lot of fun.

Looking forward to: Hopefully having some fun with the girls on the weekend and enjoying some non-thunderstormy weather!

Big sisters: At this point, they’ve just been calling him “Brother Handsome!” Kaelyn is totally on board with making that his official name.

Comparison: 27 weeks with Kaya; 27 weeks with Kaelyn; 27 weeks with Nella; 27 weeks with Eve.

five favorites (07/18)

Whew! It feels like it’s been crazy busy around here, but it’s always worth taking the time to write one of these (even if it means sacrificing a nap… which is really hard for a pregnant mama)!

ONE. Michael took last week off of work and used some of his time off to start refinishing our deck. He’s been power-washing and sanding, and today we picked out the new paint color. I’m really excited! Goodbye, chipped red stain! I found his selfie in our shared photos account and it kind of makes me laugh for some reason.

TWO. We’ve spent a lot of time in the little pool so far this summer. It’s not quite the same as going to the community pool, but we’ve already had a lot more fun with it than I even expected to. It doesn’t take much to make these kids happy. I’m not sure where she got the peace sign thing from, but it’s cute! Eve always has to bring her pacifier in the pool and usually likes to stay by me. She’ll go to the opposite end and say, “I’m coming!”, and then she hurries over to me as quickly as she can. She also really loves pouring water on my baby belly!I’ve also really enjoyed this little pool. I can sit in there and the girls still have plenty of room to play. There’s just something extra-relaxing about being in water when you have a baby bump.

THREE. We’ve been trying to take more family walks lately, even if it’s the last thing we do right before the girls go to bed. We usually only go about a mile, but it’s been something I really love doing all together. Sometimes, the girls put their pajamas on before we leave so they’re ready for bed when we get back. Eve was so exhausted after her birthday party that she passed out in the stroller. That’s just the best.Nellie likes to hide in the pine trees and “scare” us as we walk by. BOO!We found some pretty flowers and had to take a picture with them! I love how Eve is not paying attention and is trying to walk away because it’s so true-to-life. This girl has things to do!

FOUR. This week, Kaya had a school assignment to create a flower out of fruit and then write a step-by-step paragraph about it. We turned it into an activity for everyone (minus Eve, who was napping and would have made an epic mess)!Nella has been really into photobombing these days.
Oh this face.And this one. I love Kaelyn’s laugh.FIVE. We borrowed library books for the first time since everything locked down for the pandemic back in March! Our library just reopened a few weeks ago, and we can order books for pickup. I picked out some new ones for the girls, and when Daddy brought them home, it was seriously like Christmas for them!
It was pretty much a book explosion, but I love how they all just dove right in and started reading. I love how much they love books.Happy Saturday!

baby #5: 26 weeks

(Written July 17th)

Baby’s size: The apps say about 14-14.5 inches tall and around 2 pounds. This is about the same size as a bowling pin!

Maternity clothes?: Um, yes. Honestly, I am feeling kind of huge these days. I remember feeling on the smaller side still when I was pregnant with Eve at this point, but my belly is looking more like it did with Nella. It’s crazy to think that I still have 14 weeks of growing left to do.

Gender: Our baby boy! We all love him so much already.

Symptoms: A little belly soreness, but I’ve been trying to keep up with the stretching and yoga, which helps so much.

Sleep: Sleep has been better this week! I’ve been taking huge naps and still sleeping pretty soundly at night. The amount of sleep I seem to need is unreal, but I’m trying to give my body what it needs. I finally had a “giving birth” dream, but it was pretty peaceful, so hopefully that’s a sign of good things to come!

Movement: He’s wild. His movements feel so much like a (giant) goldfish just splashing around in there. Or, maybe like butterfly wings. If he were a girl, his nickname would surely be Butterfly, haha.

Cravings: Chocolate-chip cookies, but here’s a new one for me… raisin bran?! Totally weird but so delicious.

What I miss: Sometimes, pregnancy feels like this huge battle with your body just to keep up with daily life. I guess I just miss it feeling a little easier.

Anything making you queasy or sick?: Nausea wrecked a couple of my days this week. It was so intense that even sitting in an upright position made it worse. Because I was so sick with Eve, part of me just accepts it, but there’s still a part of my brain that really struggles with not being able to do the things I want to do. Resting is more mentally challenging than anything else.

Belly Button in or out?: Well, I’d say it’s officially flat. I had kind of a funny moment this week where I spilled some conditioner onto my belly in the shower, and I went to make sure none got in my belly button, but there wasn’t because it had just rolled on past where my belly button used to be. Haha.

Exercising?: Ran 26 miles (longest run was 7.33 miles); walked 4 miles. Best average pace this week was 9:53 min/mile.

Mood: Nesting has definitely already kicked in. It’s crazy, because part of me feels like I still have sooo long to still be pregnant, but then my brain is telling me I need to get all these things done right now. We’ve hung up new pictures, I’ve been doing some organizing, and Michael has started refinishing the deck. There’s still so much I want to do.

Best moment this week: We celebrated Evie’s 2nd birthday! I keep looking at the pictures and videos because I just loved having such a special day just for her. Birthdays are my favorite.

Looking forward to: Michael is planning to start painting the deck this weekend, and we also promised the girls we’d do tie dye! I’m really looking forward to seeing how both of those things turn out!

Big sisters: Without fail, every time I get home from a run and take my support belt off, Eve asks, “What’s that?” It’s so funny that she’s so amazed by it every time.

Comparison: 26 weeks with Kaya; 26 weeks with Kaelyn; 26 weeks with Nella; 26 weeks with Eve.

baby #5: 25 weeks

(written July 10th)Baby’s size: At our growth ultrasound this week, he was about two pounds already, which puts him in the 76th percentile!

Maternity clothes?: Yes! My shorts came in the mail, and they feel so great. I also bought a couple of new tops, because let’s face it, after 5 pregnancies, a few of my old ones are pretty worn, and it feels nice to have something new.

Gender: My sweet baby BOY! I am already wrapped around his little finger after seeing his ultrasound pictures this week.Symptoms: Just some sore ligaments/right hip, but I’ve been stretching a lot more, and that’s definitely helping. I also keep feeling like I’m about to have heartburn but then it never really kicks in. Totally weird!

Sleep: I’ve still been super tired, which has helped with getting some really sound nighttime sleep. I’m still napping most days.Movement: He’s still his wild self, which is great. He was grabbing his toes at our ultrasound, and I even got an awesome picture of his little fist (probably winding up to punch me the way he likes to)! I also felt him poking his knobby little knee far enough out toward my belly button that I could actually touch it on the outside. It was wild, and Michael was lucky enough to feel it, too!Cravings: Chocolate-chip cookies, a chicken sandwich, and a Greek gyro. Mmm.

What I miss: Not being tired all the time,

Anything making you queasy or sick?: I’ve had stronger, more frequent waves of nausea, and an overall lower appetite, but I have still been okay. Let’s hope it stays that way, because this is really when the nausea came back in full force for me with Eve.

Belly Button in or out?: In.

Exercising?: Ran 25.7 miles (longest run was 6.7 miles). Best average pace this week was 9:41 min/mile.

Mood: I am feeling so much better after having a good report at our ultrasound. I even have felt small twinges of excitement this week for the first time this pregnancy! It’s really taken me a long time to get here, but I am grateful to be feeling more optimistic and hopeful. Just look at his little face!Best moment this week: We had the best Fourth of July at home this past weekend, with swimming in our little pool, eating great food, and enjoying doing sparklers and watching the town fireworks right from our house. It felt perfect.

Looking forward to: Celebrating Evie’s 2nd birthday this upcoming weekend!

Big sisters: Kaelyn has decided she just wants to name him, “Baby Handsome”. Haha.

Comparison: 25 weeks with Kaya; 25 weeks with Kaelyn; 25 weeks with Nella; 25 weeks with Eve.

baby #5: 24 weeks

(written July 3rd)Baby’s size: He’s about 1.3 pounds and 11.5 inches long. This is about the size of a pomegranate!

Maternity clothes?: Yes, bottoms and tops! I sized up my (non-maternity) running shorts this week, and I’ve been wearing the support belt a little more often. My old maternity shorts are not at all supportive, so I ordered two new pairs to try that will come next week. I’m hoping those will feel a lot better on my belly.

Gender: BOY! He still has no name. I’m completely at a loss.

Symptoms: I had some achey ligaments and a sore right hip. I slacked off on my yoga last week, and I think it definitely makes a huge difference (especially while running). I’m back to doing my stretches so that I can keep on being active.

Sleep: I’ve forced myself to not take a nap a few days this week (it’s more challenging than it sounds), which means I just pass out at night. It’s made for better nighttime sleep, but getting through the afternoon/evening is rough!

I’ve really felt the fatigue come back and hit me hard (which seems like something that’s not supposed to happen until the third trimester)! I also keep having those weird animal-related nightmares. This week it was using a public bathroom that had a dead goat in it. Bleh.

Movement: He gets stronger all the time, and I love it so much. He surprises me often with how powerful his kicks already are. He punches really low and always kicks on my right side.

Cravings: Chocolate-chip cookies still! I tried a new recipe this week, and it was amazing. I’ve actually had a couple of moments where I was hungry… which sounds so weird, but I have mostly just been eating meals because I know that’s what I need to do. Actually feeling hunger and a desire to eat is something I haven’t experienced much these past few months!

What I miss: I miss feeling like I could get more done in a day. I never have enough energy for everything I want to accomplish!

Anything making you queasy or sick?: I have definitely had more frequent waves of nausea this week, although it hasn’t been completely debilitating.

Belly Button in or out?: In, but I feel like it’s getting more and more shallow.

Exercising?: Ran 25.5 miles (longest run was 6.53 miles); walked 1.1 miles. Best average pace this week was 9:40 min/mile.

Running is a total wildcard these days. I never know if it’s going to feel awesome or absolutely horrible until I just get out there and do it. I had one completely amazing and easy run, and another one where I came home and started bawling when Michael asked me how it went because it just felt so challenging. It’s all the ligaments in my lower belly that get sore so quickly.

Mood: I’m taking everything one day at a time, which has really helped lower my stress level a bit. My pregnancy feels like it’s just crawling on by though, while my friends’ (those both ahead of and behind me) all seem like they’re flying so fast to me. Time is a weird thing right now.

Best moment this week: Celebrating Kaelyn’s 6th birthday!!! She had a little party with just us, but it was perfect. We love her so much!

Looking forward to: Celebrating Eve’s 2nd birthday next week!

Big sisters: They are suddenly really advocating for the one name I was considering weeks ago… and I think it’s making me realize that I don’t like the name! I think the girls just really want to be able to call him something besides “Baby”!

Comparison: 24 weeks with Kaya; 24 weeks with Kaelyn; 24 weeks with Nella; 24 weeks with Eve.

five on friday (07/03)

Happy Friday! We’ve been enjoying our long weekend by balancing some house projects with having fun. There has been a lot going on here lately, with milestones, birthdays (last week and next week), and resuming our schoolwork already. Here are some of our favorite things lately!

ONE. Kaelyn lost her very first tooth this week! We noticed it was very loose the night before her birthday, and then it came out three days later! She was reading a book and it just popped right out. We never found it, and she said maybe she swallowed it. Oops.The tooth fairy still came and brought her a dollar!TWO. Kaya met a big milestone this week, too- she learned to ride her bike without training wheels! It was really no big deal for her. Daddy took her pedals off a few weeks ago to get her used to balancing it on her own, and when he put them back on this week, she zoomed away without any trouble. She loves riding her bike even more now. THREE. Nella needs her little tricycle fixed, but she’s been having fun driving her puppies around in the toy car. She was looking so cute that I just had to take a few pictures. Look at her toes peeking out underneath! And she was wearing her Elmo shirt, of course. THREE. We took about a month off of school, and it was so much fun to see what activities the girls came up with for themselves during the break. There was A LOT of art, crafting, playing outside, and Calico Critter town-building.

I just love seeing them be so creative.
Eve’s version of watercolor painting is literally just painting with water. I gave her her own paints, but this is just how she preferred to do it. Paint until the paper falls apart! I showed Kaya and Kaelyn how they could use crayons to draw and then paint watercolors over it. They had some fun! Nella asked me to paint some fishies with her. I love when she asks to do things together. FOUR. What’s better than puppy snuggles in a hammock? Probably not much!

Our poor Scout has been having some extra vet visits and treatment for what could be early kidney disease. We did some subcutaneous fluids at home with her, and she goes back for bloodwork in a couple weeks. Hopefully, the levels that were elevated will come down. We sure love our puppy. FIVE. I painted everyone’s toes for the first time in a very long time. It was actually a first for Evie! She loved it so much. There’s just something extra sweet about chubby little toddler toes with sparkly colors on them. So many toes! I love these little things with my girls.

Happy weekend!

baby #5: 23 weeks

(written June 26th)

Baby’s size: He’s supposedly about a foot long and weighs around 1.25 pounds! It always feels like a big deal to reach over the one-pound mark. Apparently, this is the same size as a chinchilla, a bunch of grapes, or a Bûche de Noel (anyone else remember making those in French class?)!

Maternity clothes?: Well, I did it- halfway through this week, I broke out some of my maternity shirts. It almost seems like my belly grew overnight, and many of my regular tops are now tight on my belly. The girls are a little disappointed that I can’t wear some of the shirts we usually wear when we match.

Gender: My sweet baby boy. I’m so eager to meet him!

Symptoms: Whew, round ligament pain! It was pretty bad there for a couple of days, and it even affected my running… but I’m feeling better now.

Sleep: Sleep has been hard. I’ve struggled with anxiety at night, which then starts this vicious cycle of me not being able to sleep, which then leads to a nap in the afternoon, and then repeating being unable to sleep well the next night. I’ve been meditating and diffusing essential oils at bedtime, and those things seem to help a little.Movement: His movements are getting so big! I can’t believe how strong he is. Sometimes, he kicks so hard that it surprises me and I exclaim, “Oh!” I feel him almost all day long now. It’s great. He still is quietest in the mornings.

Cravings: Chocolate-chip cookies and cheese puffs. I had both of those this week!

What I miss: I miss seeing our family and friends. Being alone here is making time drag on a bit.

Anything making you queasy or sick?: I’ve actually been okay. Every once in awhile, the nausea will flare up, but it hasn’t ruined my entire day anytime this week.

Belly Button in or out?: In, wide, and weird.

Exercising?: Ran 25.4 miles (longest run was 6.5 miles). Best average pace this week was 8:41 min/mile on the treadmill.

Mood: I’ve already talked about this above under the “sleep” category, but I’ve been anxious. I’m trying my best to get through it, but sometimes I can’t help worrying about the baby being okay and getting him here safely. I’ve had days where I just want pregnancy to be over (something I’ve never wanted to rush) just so I can hold him. It feels like such a very long wait still.

Best moment this week: This was actually from last week (oops), but I finally had a dream about his little face, and I just keep holding onto that image to help give me peace. I think he’s going to look a lot like Evie, but maybe with Nella’s nose.

Looking forward to: Celebrating Kaelyn’s 6th birthday this weekend!

Big sisters: Kaya and Kaelyn just keep telling me, “I love him sooo much already!” They can’t wait to hold him, and they kiss my belly all the time.

Comparison: 23 weeks with Kaya; 23 weeks with Kaelyn; 23 weeks with Nella; 23 weeks with Eve.

five favorites (06/23)

It’s not Friday, but I’m overdue for one of these posts! We’ve been off of school for a few weeks already, and despite mostly still being quarantined, we’ve been trying to make the most of our time at home. Luckily, it really doesn’t take much to keep these girls happy!

ONE.  We’ve had a lot of outside fun and have really enjoyed the sunshine. Nella and Eve love to draw with chalk and throw a ball back and forth together. It’s been fun to see them getting closer and spending more time interacting with each other, instead of just playing side-by-side. Kaya and Kaelyn are my little monkeys. They’ve probably spent hours up in this tree.TWO. Our local pools have closed for the whole summer, so we got a little inflatable one to try. It takes forever to fill, so I’m not sure how often we’ll be using it, but it’s a fun treat every once in awhile. The girls were so excited and had the best time playing in it, even if it’s really not much more water than they’d have in the bathtub!Kaelyn really wanted to wear her floaty. I love these sisters.I was really excited that Eve got to wear her panda swimsuit… my favorite!Nellie was blowing bubbles!THREE. The girls had been begging Daddy to take them camping! Because of all the rain we’ve been having, he decided to set the tent up in the basement. We couldn’t trust Eve to sleep anywhere but her crib, so I stayed upstairs with her, and he slept in the tent with the three oldest girls. There was a lot of silliness and not a whole lot of sleeping that night, but they had a good time. Eve’s face! She didn’t know she wasn’t staying yet!FOUR. We had a taco and ice cream sundae party to celebrate the end of the school year! Everyone was so excited to eat outside at the kid table. We also recently introduced the girls to hard taco shells, so they have been really loving those. Yes, it was Taco Tuesday!We gave them Magic Shell for the first time, too! It’s the simple joys.FIVE. Kaya, Kaelyn, and Nella have been saving up their allowance for months, and finally decided that they wanted some new Beanie Babies. We ordered them online and they came in the mail just in time to open after we finished our weekly chores.Nella picked this little dog, “Huey”, and has been completely obsessed with him ever since. Apparently, Beagle (her all-time favorite stuffie) is his mommy.Kaelyn chose this Unipuppy she saw at Joann’s months ago. Daddy calls it a “Puppycorn”, haha.Of course, Kaya chose this sparkly cat, Whimsy. I love seeing them enjoy things they’ve worked so hard for.Evie doesn’t get allowance, but she requested a picture anyway.Happy Tuesday!

baby #5: 22 weeks

Baby’s size: Around 11 inches long and supposedly about 15 ounces, which is the same as an ear of corn or a guinea pig! Thinking about him being the same size as Freyja or Claire really makes him seem so tiny still.

Maternity clothes?: Still just the jeans and stretchy or flowy tops. I broke out the shorts once this week because we had summer-like weather… but it’s been cold and rainy again, so it’s back to pants and light jackets. Luckily, my jackets still zip with plenty of room to spare.

Gender: Our sweet baby BOY! It’s feeling a little less strange to say “he”, which has been an adjustment after four girls. I have one name I found about 6 weeks ago that I’m kind of leaning toward, but I’m trying to keep an open mind still. We have a lot of time left to choose!

Symptoms: I had a sore belly for a couple of days this week. I guess it’s stretching and growing, and that’s a good thing! It was pretty uncomfortable, but I’m back to normal now and feeling fine.

Sleep: I think I’ve taken fewer naps this week than I have throughout the rest of the pregnancy! My desire to get things done is sometimes outweighing my inclination to sleep. Michael has also been trying to go to bed a little earlier, which is helpful for me getting more nighttime shuteye.

Movement: This little guy is most definitely a night owl… like his daddy, I guess! He sometimes wiggles a little in the morning, but he really starts his dance parties in the late afternoon and evening.Cravings: Chocolate-chip cookies and cheesy puffs. I normally like dessert, but the salty cravings have seemed so much more intense this time. I really like to eat healthy most of the time, so craving stuff like that is a bit guilt-inducing!

What I miss: I cut dairy out of my diet (again) last week… and I kind of miss ice cream. Really though, I feel so much better without it. It’s also just been a long time on lockdown here in Virginia due to COVID-19, and while I understand why, I am really missing spending the summer at the pool and taking my girls to the library.

Anything making you queasy or sick?: I get nauseous on and off, but overall, I’ve been a lot better this week. I still don’t get too excited about eating salad, but I do it every day anyway.

Belly Button in or out?: In, but wide and weird.

Exercising?: Ran 26.2 miles (longest run was 7.53 miles); walked 2.1 miles. Best average pace this week was 9:35 min/mile. I busted out the belly support belt for my runs this week. It’s felt amazing! I needed it more than I realized.

Mood: Whew. There’s been so much going on lately, and it hasn’t been easy to not let my worries and stress take over. We did manage to get a new washing machine, but we’re still sorting out some health problems that Scout is having. I hate knowing that my fur baby is sick. It’s heartbreaking.

To be honest, I also still worry about the baby a lot. I’m trying to hold on to the fleeting bursts of excitement I feel when I think about finally holding him and having him here, instead of the fears I have about everything continuing to go well.

Best moment this week: It’s been really rainy, so we’ve had a pretty laid-back week of doing crafts and snuggling up for movies. I love that time with my girls.

Looking forward to: I get to have a growth scan in 2.5 weeks, and I’m looking forward to seeing the baby again for sure!

Big sisters: Nella has now decided that we shouldn’t name the baby “Cookie Monster”. All the girls really like the one name that I am leaning toward, but we’ll see! They ask about him all the time and get excited to see how big he is each week according to my pregnancy apps.

Comparison: 22 weeks with Kaya22 weeks with Kaelyn22 weeks with Nella; 22 weeks with Eve.