Baby Massengill #3

It's a BOY!  The Lord has blessed us with another baby boy due in August 2016.  Caleb and I had hoped for a third baby one day, and the Lord granted us this desire sooner than we imagined it could happen.  We are incredibly excited and feel incredibly blessed to be expecting him.  This pregnancy has been such a gift, but the first trimester was a bit of a challenge.  I had many days when I just felt exhausted and borderline worthless as a mom as I just laid on the couch watching Wilson and Wallace play.  Luckily, my energy came back by 13ish weeks, and I was able to do more fun things with them!

We found out around that same time that Baby #3 is a BOY.  We had a healthy 20 week anatomy scan, and I passed my glucose test.  I do have a slightly elevated amniotic fluid level again this time, but we trust that it will all be ok.  My belly is BIG, and I am constantly being asked (by some incredibly thoughtful people- NOT!)  if I'm sure there's just one baby and if I'm sure I'm not due in May.  And yes, yes, I'm sure.

I love feeling baby boy # 3 move around in my belly.  He's more active than the other 2.

Caleb and I truly are thrilled about it being another boy.  Wilson and Wallace love each other so much (most of the time), and we can only imagine the bond that these 3 brothers (all less than 4 years apart) will have.  Quite frankly, I've been offended by the comments about it not being a girl.  So many people have apologized to me or immediately asked me if we will try again for a girl.  Don't get me wrong.  If the Lord blessed us with a baby girl, we would be thankful for that too, BUT I love that the gender of our sweet, perfect children is one decision we do not have to make.  I love that the Lord is entrusting us with 3 sons.  

I can hardly believe that in just a few short weeks, we'll have 3 sons!  Praying for a smooth 3rd trimester, delivery, and healthy baby.  Thank you, Lord!!

37 Weeks with Wallace

I can hardly believe I am FULL TERM with Baby Wallace this week!  This pregnancy has gone be so quickly, and I cannot WAIT to hold you, sweet boy!!!

Wallace is going to be a BIG boy.  We are doing a growth ultrasound this week, but my guess is he's already 8 pounds.  We've been able to see rolls on ultrasound pictures.  And hair!  I'm so, so excited to see him in person!

Clothing is getting interesting about now.  My size small maternity shirts don't really do a good job of covering my belly anymore.  And I refuse to go buy new stuff for 2 weeks.  So I've been doing lots of maternity camis/tees with cardigans for work and Caleb's tee shirts for sleep.  Now that it's getting cool I can wear leggings and sweater dresses.  I look kinda ridiculous though now with my enormous belly.  I'm getting all the comments, constantly. 

"You look like you're about to POP!"  "When are you DUE?"  "Are you feeling OK"  "Your back has to hurt!."  I even had a drug rep tell me yesterday that he couldn't even look at me because my belly was so big.  Rude.  I will not be prescribing your birth control, buddy.

I love feeling little Wallace have the hiccups, roll around, and give me sweet kicks.  I'm very thankful he's still so active.

Sleep is getting interesting, too.  I'm up to tee tee a couple times a night.  If I don't take Zantac before bed, I'm up with severe pain from reflux.  Oh, and then there's Wilson.  Over the past week or so, he has been waking up every night around 1 am to come get in "mommy's bed."  And we let him.  His little world is gonna be rocked soon so I'm just enjoying the extra cuddles with my firstborn.  We sleep surprisingly well after he gets in our bed now, as long as he goes in the middle.

I have a few contractions here and there but nothing regular yet.  

I'm still crazy hungry.  And I've gained more weight with this pregnancy than I did with Wilson.  Part of that is the excess amniotic fluid plus I think Wallace is a little big bigger.  But my appetite is not backing down.  I eat a bowl of cereal almost every night before bed, Special K.  And I have dessert an average of twice a day.  Thank you, Halloween candy.

I hate to say it, but I THINK we have most everything ready.  I'm sure we will have forgotten a few things, but we will figure it out.  Caleb and I are just so ready for Wallace to be in our arms.  We love you so much already, baby boy!  We are of course nervous about the delivery, whether it's a VBAC or repeat section, but we trust that God will get you here safely kiddo.

Praise God for a healthy pregnancy this far and praying for a safe, healthy delivery for us both!

34 Weeks with Wallace!

I can't believe I'll be 34 weeks pregnant this week with Baby Wallace!  This pregnancy is flying by, and we are so excited to meet our baby boy in just a few short weeks.

The latest update with this pregnancy is that I now have to do twice weekly testing for polyhydramnios.  We noticed on one of my ultrasounds that my fluid level is a little high which can indicate all sorts of things.  Luckily, Wallace seems to be drinking, peeing, and growing just fine.  Praise the Lord he's healthy!  So there's no explanation for my (slight) excess of amniotic fluid.  Now I just do NSTs on Mondays (which is easy because I'm already at the office) and BPPs on Thursdays (which means I bring my little buddy Wilson along with me).

Wallace seems to be in a different position every week on ultrasound, probably because he's hanging out in a swimming pool with lots of room for flips.  We can already see that he has some hair which explains my daily need for Tums and Zantac.

I'm still feeling pretty well.  Sleep is getting more difficult.  I wake several times a night to potty, with a charlie horse, or just feeling Wallace move.  I count every movement as a gift, and I love feeling him.  I am having a few contractions here and there but nothing strong and steady thank goodness.  I pray that we make it to at least 37 weeks, and 39 would be perfect : )  I do need to slow down some now that the contractions are starting, but that's easier said than done between work and Wilson.

We are planning for a repeat c-section this time, especially since Wallace's position varies so much.  My prayer now is just for him to stay in my belly and be healthy until at least 37 weeks.  We know that God will take care of both of us whenever delivery time comes.

This picture is from a couple of weeks ago at Sky Top Orchard so it's not the most accurate of my giant belly.  It's the best I have for now though.  I weigh the same thing right now that I weighed when I had Wilson (at 37 weeks) so my belly definitely seems big to me!

Wallace, we are so excited to meet you!  Just stay put for a few more weeks while you continue to grow and develop!  And while we get some stuff ready!  We love you, little buddy!

30 weeks Baby #2 - His Name!!!

I just realized I never posted Baby #2's name on the blog, but he officially has one.  His name is:

Wallace Metz Massengill

Naming a second boy was harder than I expected.  I am a huge fan of family names, and I knew I wanted to use them.  Our family tree is not exactly filled with adorable family names though so I had to really think about it.  Caleb actually is the one who convinced me to use the name we chose.  He loves the name Wallace, and it has totally grown on me.  Hearing Wilson say it makes it even cuter.  

Wallace is my grandfather's middle name, James Wallace Blackwood, my mom's dad.  He was a great husband, father, and follower of Jesus, very involved in his church.  He passed away when I was young, but I have several sweet memories of him playing with us as kids.  Wilson has his first name as his middle name, and I love that his little brother will share in carrying their great grandfather's name.

Metz is my dad's mom's maiden name.  It's also my brother Jordan's middle name.  I never knew my dad's parents, but they must have been doing something right to survive raising him, HA!  We contemplated using Metz as the first name, but I am very pleased with what we have chosen.

I am right at 30 weeks, and this pregnancy is flying by.  We will have a baby in 9 weeks or less, 7 if he's like his big brother.  We have gotten lots of things ready, changing the nursery up slightly for little Wallace.  I'll take some pictures soon.

I'm feeling pretty good.  I still have some reflux and back pain, and I'm absolutely exhausted by bedtime.  I wake up around 4 or 5 am to tee tee, but I sleep pretty well otherwise.  I definitely toss and turn a lot, and turning over from side side is getting harder by the minute with this big belly.

Wallace is now head down.  He had been breech since 20 weeks, but I felt a big flip one night this past weekend so we checked yesterday.  And he's head down now.  Woo hoo!  I LOVE feeling his kicks, punches, and rolls.  He's a great mover, praise the Lord!  He has a party every night around 10:30. 

I have craved food in general, ha, but more sweets this time than with Wilson.  I HAD to have Zaxby's on Saturday, and I love a good cheeseburger.  My hemoglobin was a little on the low side of normal so I'm eating all the red meat I want.  Also, I passed my 1 hour glucose test - another big praise.

I'm just praising God to have made it this far with baby Wallace.  Feeling him move around in my belly is such an amazing gift that I do not take for granted.

I'm pretty sure this is the first time I've taken a selfie in a bathroom mirror, but I'm forgetting to document this rapidly growing belly of mine.  So quick shot at work will have to do.  I'm a little in shock of how big my stomach is this time.  He's worth every ounce ; )  Grow, Wallace, grow!  We love you so much already, and I cannot wait to meet you!  Praying the rest of the pregnancy and delivery go well!

25 Weeks with Baby #2

I'm almost 26 weeks now with Baby #2, and the pregnancy is going really well.  I'm so thankful for that!  This baby boy is growing and measured in the 90th percentile on a growth ultrasound a couple of weeks ago.  I love how easy it is to wear lots of non-maternity dresses, but I am for sure wearing all maternity shirts and pants.

I'm feeling pretty good.  The only complaints I have are the occasional reflux (Zantac and Tums are amazing) and some back pain after a busy day.  I had one night where I felt a little tightening in my tummy, but I had been pretty active.  The pain I had when walking has gone (praise the Lord) so Wilson and I are doing as many stroller walks in the evenings as possible.

I am feeling lots of movement, and it's one of my favorite parts of pregnancy.  I am to the point now that I can even see him moving around in there on my belly, and it's such an amazing sight and feeling.  I feel him a lot at night, and it's such a sweet feeling to fall asleep and wake up to.  Sleep is good for me.  I wake up to potty around 5 or 6 am but doing great otherwise.  I fall asleep the second my head hits the pillow at night.

I crave sweets much more this time, but I really just like food in general.  Cantaloupe and watermelon are essentials at our house at all times.  And I love yogurt!  There have been a few times when I have craved a hamburger, and Caleb happily indulges me.  I definitely feel worse after eating anything fried or greasy so I try to limit that as much as possible.  Sometimes I just need some Zaxby's though.  

I though it was only appropriate to have my 25/26 week bump pic with my other pregnant friends.  Alyssa is 23 weeks and Lacey is 16 weeks (I think).  It's so much fun to be pregnant with friends!  I love these girls, and I can't wait for our babies to be best friends!

Wilsons 2 year/Maternity Photo Shoot

My friend Melissa has taken Wilson's pictures since his first newborn session, and we are pretty upset about her moving away soon.  We are glad to be able to get in one more session, his TWO YEAR one, a couple of weeks ago.  It will serve as Baby #2's maternity session, too ; )  Melissa is incredibly talented, and I am blessed to call her a friend!  Thanks for capturing these moments with our little family.

We took the pictures at Milliken in Spartanburg and had such a fun time!

Way to capture the moment, Melissa!  This photo was taken as Wilson nearly fell in the water.

I'm so thankful for my little family.  Can't believe there will be 4 of us soon!

Caleb is the best daddy ever, and I love how well these pictures capture the fun these 2 have together. They absolutely adore one another.

Trouble.

He will always give him Mommy kisses, right?  ; )

This picture is proof of what an awesome daddy Caleb is!

Wilson was rewarded with a fun dip after the photo shoot, courtesy of his great photographer.

What a fun time!