Thoughts about previous... and future... pregnancies :)

Lately most days I do not want to be pregnant ever again. Today is a little different though. I was looking through a friends pregnancy pictures and felt a twinge of feeling... aww I want to be pregnant again!! Maybe I'll take pics every week like she did. haha, probably not, but maybe every 2 wks would be good. I usually take them once a month.

When I found out I was pregnant with Katie I was ecstatic! It was all I ever wanted and dreamed about for years. I couldn't wait to have morning sickness.. lol.. and then it hit and lasted til I was 18 wks!! I was miserable!! By 20 wks I had only gained 5lbs, of course then I thought that was awful - not enough weight.. now I'd be thrilled. I started trying to gain weight. I ate anything and everything and lots and lots of it. Especially pizza!! We didn't find out what we were having at the first u/s but at 27wks. Dr. McKinney let me have a sneak peek... I wanted a girl so bad, I was sure it was a boy. Of course as you know, she's a girl, haha!! In the end I gained about 45lbs and had pretty bad pre-eclampsia. She was 7lbs 1 oz and 18 1/2 inches long.
Here is a picture of me and Steven the day I had Katie. 

pregnant with Katie

When Katie was 10 months old I found out I was pregnant again. I was so excited!! A week later I lost that baby. :( It was very sad for me.

A year later I found out I was pregnant again! At the time we were living in TX and getting ready to move to Germany. Steven had joined the military and life was just beginning for us!! My morning sickness was bad... all I could eat was sunflower seeds. The move to GE was hard, between jet lag and morning sickness and caring for Katie I really couldn't do much!!! Then I found out I would not get an u/s and would have to wait to find out what I was having!! That was so hard, but in the end I am so happy we had to wait! This time around we wanted a boy, only because we figured we already had a girl so naturally a boy should be next! I was pretty sure about it. IF it was a girl though, we liked the name Danielle after a movie we watched called Ever After with Drew Barrymore. When the big day arrived I was so excited.. I went into labor on my own, with Katie I had to be induced. When she was born all I could think is... what did I have????? When I looked and she was a girl I felt so much joy!!! Two girls in a row... what a gift! They are best friends now. She was also 7lbs 1oz and was 18 3/4 in long. Here's a pic of me pregnant with her.

pregnant with Danielle

A few months before we left Germany I found out I was pregnant again!!! We were actually traveling all over Europe when I first suspected it. (no wonder i was so moody! haha) As soon as we were done traveling I couldn't wait to get a pregnancy test and sure enough... positive!! I didn't tell Steven right away because he was tdy to Spain and I didn't want to do it over the phone. when I was about 4 months we moved back to the states to CA. Another big move while pregnant!! The heat in CA was hard to handle.. I passed out in the commissary! That was awful and embarrassing. Steven had to drag me to the freezer section. I thought for sure she was a boy because the pregnancy was totally different than the first two. Nope, another girl!!!! :) I went overdue with her and the Dr stripped my membranes on two different ocassions! Finally at almost 41wks I went into labor!! My BIG healthy Johanna was born weight 8lbs 9oz and was 20 1/4 inches!! Here is a pic of me a couple days before having her!

pregnant with Johanna

After Johanna I ended up having another miscarriage. This one was extremely hard on me because I actually saw the sac in an u/s and knew it was a baby I'd never get to hold or love, at least not in this life. It is comforting to know that I will have 2 more little ones in heaven waiting for me.

Shortly after, like 6 wks later, I got pregnant with Alaina!!! I am sure it is no shock that during this pregnancy we moved again! From CA, to CO (where I stayed for 3 months while Steven went to school in Mississippi) to NE. While staying in CO I found out this baby was GIRL #4! It was crazy because, again, I wanted a boy, but a day before the u/s I suddenly had peace about it being a girl... I thought, maybe Johanna could have a best friend like Katie and danielle.
When we moved to NE I was like 35wks pregnant with her and had to find a good OB dr. Someone I met recommended Dr. Stearnes and I am so happy she did because he's great!!! At 38wks he suspected she wasn't growing so he wanted to induce me. She was born healthy at 6lbs 7oz and 18 inches long. She was so little!!! I painted a pumpkin on my tummy 2 days before I had her, my stomach was very small which was part of the concern! Thankfully she was a good size, even if she was smaller than the other babies!

pregnant with Alaina

After we had been in NE for a little over a year I found out I was pregnant with #5. We were so excited!!! My morning sickness was kind of bad... a little worse than Johanna and Alaina but not as bad as Katie and Danielle. When the day of the big u/s arrived I was nervous and excited. I didn't believe it when they said we were having a boy!!! No way!!! I remember getting McDonalds afterwards and we just could not stop smiling! The girls were so excited too! When Katie found out, she was still at school... she turned around and yelled to her friend, "It's a boy!!"
We decided on Matthew for his name because it means gift of God... and we had been praying for a son for so long!
Becca was able to be here for the birth and Katie and Danielle were also in the delivery room. Matthew weighed 8lbs even and shoot, I can't remember how long he was! haha, that's horrible! The delivery was uneventful and easy and we were all so happy to have him!! Here's a pic of me pregnant with Matthew.

pregnant with Matthew

A year or so later we thought it would be nice to try and give Matthew a brother. Elise was the result of that!! I really just wanted more kids, but it would be nice to even out the numbers a little bit!! The pregnancy was uneventful, but the morning sickness was bad. About as bad as it was with Katie and Danielle. I threw up pumpkin seeds one time... that was painful!! All of us were together for the big u/s... it was really cool to have all of us there. Everyone guessed whether she was a boy or girl... Johanna said she knew it was a boy but when the u/s tech said, GIRL.. Johanna said, "I knew it!" LOL. When I was 39wks Dr Stearnes decided to induce me because my blood pressure was borderline high. I was already dilated to 4cm so I am sure it wouldn't have been long anyway! Katie and Danielle were in the delivery room again. When it was time to push I had a hard time getting her out, unlike Alaina and Matthew being only one push. Turns out she was sunny side up, or prosterior. THAT hurt. ow. Even with the epidural it felt like my body was splitting in half. She came out beautiful and healthy weighing 7lbs 7oz and can you believe it, I can't remember her length either! wow!
Here are a couple pics of me pregnant with her... I like this first one (with out a face) because I look so skinny except for the belly! My tummy got pretty big, you'd think she would have weighed more. :)

pregnant with Elise

pregnant with Elise

This sums up my 8 pregnancies... some were much shorter than others, but all were very precious to me. Yep... I want to do it allllll over again!