29 Weeks and Growing

It's hard to believe that I am now 29 weeks pregnant.  29 weeks!!!  Where did the past 7 1/2 months go?  I have had so many good intentions to document my pregnancy and somehow 29 weeks have flown by without a blog entry.  So, here's my attempt at summing up this time.

For the first 11 weeks or so, I felt tired and had that same horrible metallic taste in my mouth that I had with all the boys.  I imagine that this was the taste of hormones.  Ick!  The good news is, I made it through that phase and by 12 weeks, I was feeling really well.

Since then, I have been growing and growing at a steady clip.  I'm hungrier than usual, but I'm certainly not as hungry as I was with Cooper.  This little girl is going to eat more like me.  I can tell already.  She loves honey!  Oh, and she really doesn't like Chipotle or Qdoba mexican food.  Now, she'll tolerate more authentic mexican food, but not the Americanized types.  Isn't that hilarious?  What a strange phenomenon that a mother knows prior to her baby's birth what s/he likes and doesn't like to eat.

I have been taking thyroid meds since the beginning of this pregnancy.  Dr. Levy has consistently increased my dosage, as he has a target thyroid function number in mind and I am not yet there.  I don't really have any symptoms of an under-functioning thyroid, so I'm grateful for that.  Hopefully, our sweet baby will be fine despite my thyroid issue.

I tried for as long as I could to squeeze into non-maternity clothes, but by week 25, I had no other choice than to convert to maternity pants.  I only have 4 pair, so I have to be pretty creative with outfits for school.

Along those lines, I have been teaching French at ThunderRidge High School throughout my pregnancy.  It has been a real blessing!  My students are adorable and they have been so sweet about my ever expanding waist line.  And they seem pretty excited about the arrival of our baby girl to boot!  I can't see myself having time to teach next year, so I'm going to enjoy these last 8 weeks of teaching before my maternity leave begins.

I am actively working on setting up a baby girl nursery!  PINK!!!!!!!  I can't believe I get to buy PINK!!!!!!  I never thought we'd have a girl to buy pink for, but here we are.  We're so excited to embark on this new phase of our life journey with a baby girl in the mix.  So fun!

We have been thinking of names for our baby girl and there are a few in the mix.  There is one front runner, though, that has been sticking with us since we found out we are having a girl.  Cora Louise.  Cora is from "corazon," the Spanish word for "heart."  Louise is a tribute to my Grandma Herr who will be 94 years old this summer.  This is, by far, Keith's favorite name.  I'm trying to keep an open mind, though, as I can never really decide until I see our baby's precious little face at birth.  The other name that has been sticking with me is Karly Ann.  Karly is a tribute to my late brother Karl, who died at birth on Valentine's Day 1974.  Ann is a tribute to my mom, Annette.  So, I suppose we'll see at birth which name strikes a chord with us.  Either way, we can't go wrong.

Hopefully, I'll be able to blog more before our little girl's birth, but if I don't, be on the look out for some sweet pictures of our newborn in early April.  =)

Some Fall 2013 Memoriess

Carter was a GI Joe Ninja for Halloween.  This is him sitting at his desk in Mrs. Kaze's first grade class. 

Cade was a Power Ranger for Halloween.  This is him at Mrs. Gambill's second grade Halloween Party.

This is my belly and how I announced to everyone that we're having a girl.

I changed my profile picture on Facebook to this picture and that's how we announced to our Facebook friends that we are having a baby girl.  Cooper is in this one too, dressed up as a football player.  He was so excited when he found this costume.  He wanted to dress up to be just like his big brothers.  So sweet!

Last week, Cooper and Carter had fun in the bath together.  It has been awhile since the big boys have taken a bath.  They now usually take showers all by themselves.  We just can't believe how time flies and how fast our boys are growing up.  

Carter often scores 100% on his Kumon books.  Here he is holding up one of his 100% books and the $10 Kumon bucks that he earned for it.  Proud boy!

Cade also often scores 100% on his Kumon books.  Here he is posting his 100% book on the board at the Kumon center.  Another proud boy!

Last Tuesday, the Platte River PTO organized a community skating event at Skate City.  Cooper was interested in getting out onto the floor, so we strapped on the skates and off he went.  He didn't hesitate and didn't even hold Daddy's hand the whole time.  What a brave little boy we have!

Brave Cooper!  Skating all by himself.  

In first grade, Carter is learning about ancient Egypt.  This is his mummy.  He has decided that when he goes to heaven, he wants to take Lola, a football, his green blankie, a book, his Kumon work and his iPad.  Haha!!!  This just cracks me up.  

Exciting News

On August 25, 2013, we learned that we were being blessed with a fourth baby Kaminski!  We felt, and still do feel, overwhelmed by the grace of God and we are so very grateful for the opportunity to raise another child in His name.

Our baby is growing well, as per our two visits to the doctor.  We were lucky enough to get to see our baby's sweet body in an ultrasound at 8 weeks that made Keith and I marvel yet again at the beauty of life.  S/he was completely formed...arms with hands and fingers, legs with feet and toes.  Our baby was very small, but fully human.  What an amazing and beautiful sight!

At 12 weeks, I took a blood test called Maternity 21.  This test is able to isolate the baby's DNA from a sample of my blood, therefore indicating genetics and gender.  I received the call today from Dr. Levy, assuring me that we have a genetically healthy baby........GIRL!!!!!!  What?!?!?!  A girl?????  Now, that was a shock.  I asked the doctor if he was sure and he said, "I'm sitting here holding the results in my hands and there is no indication of a Y chromosome.  So, there is no doubt that you have a GIRL!!!"  Consider our minds officially blown!!!!!

We await, with much excitement and anticipation, the birth of our baby girl on Friday, April 11, 2014 (if things go as planned).  XOXO

First Day of School 2013

So, here we go again.  Another summer has flown by and our babies are back to school.  This picture was taken on the morning of our first day of school.  Cade is entering 2nd Grade and Carter is entering 1st Grade.  Cooper just wishes that he could be as big as his brothers.  He's ready to go with his little book.

Snuggle Time

Every night, I am blessed to snuggle this little bundle of sweetness while relaxing on the rocking chair in his room.  It's such a special nightly ritual.  We read books (Cooper's favorite is Hop on Pop by Dr. Seuss).  We sing.  We play with his stuffed dragon (Coop calls him "dah-gun").  We listen to his music box.  And I kiss and hug him.  He smiles and melts into me.  I really love these moments!  They make me love God even more, as without Him, these moments wouldn't be possible.

Lessons On Money

We have always known that Cade is an old soul.  He is a thinker and a planner.  He is mathematical and meticulous.  The amazing thing is that he's also very emotionally intelligent.  He is keenly aware of the feelings of those around him and he senses what is right and wrong.

Often, when we are in the car alone, he talks to me about things way beyond his years.  This past week, he blew me away....again...with the depth of his understanding.  The conversation went something like this.

Cade:  Mom, I'm going to give all of the money in my wallet to help Awana (Wednesday night church group) groups around the world.

He pauses while taking out his wallet and counting the money inside.

Cade:  I have $3.27.
Me:  That's a great idea, Cade.  You know, though, you don't have to give all of your money.  You could save some of it for yourself, if you'd like.
Cade:  I know,  Mom.  I like to give some of my money because it's nice to share.  There are a lot of people who don't have enough money.  I do have to save some of my money, though.  I have a lot to buy.
Me:  Oh yeah?
Cade:  Yeah.  I am going to need to buy a house when I grow up.  And I'm going to need to buy a car too.  Oh yeah, and I'll have to pay for college.  So, Mom, I really have to save my money because that's all going to be very expensive.
Me:  Wow!  You're right.  Great thinking!  You really do need to save your money.

Our little planner, dressed as the witch for his Hansel and Gretel play at school.

Score!

After a delicious dinner, Cooper apparently decided that he wanted dessert.  He opened the pantry and took out the candy bag.  He hit the jackpot!  This is how he felt about his victory.

Cooper has never eaten candy before tonight.  How could we say no after he worked so hard to find his treasure?  This is how he felt about his first lollipop.

Is it possible to love this kid any more than we do?  I don't think so.  He's the BEST!!!