27 Weeks

Hey baby boy!  We are about 27.5 weeks along right now.  We went to the doctor a few days ago and got to see you again!  I had no idea that we would get to see you in 3D at this ultrasound, but we did!  Check out your cuteness!!!!

Total sweetness, right?!  You are already such a big boy!  Measured 3 pounds 3 ounces...eeek!  That puts you a good three weeks ahead...more like 30 weeks along!  Since we are having a c-section for sure, the doc could care less what your weight is.  But, I would bet right now you will be 9.5 - 10 pounds at birth.  We will see!  I have always been a fan of big babies - makes me feel like I won't break you when you are born.  And, if you happen to be born early, you'd already be at least three pounds!

And I couldn't resist, but to compare you and your little sis side-by-side since we had a 3D ultrasound at 27 weeks with her too. I'd say you both are just killing it with those cheeks!!!!  CANNOT wait to see what you look like in my arms!

Speaking of comparisons, I keep thinking about how different  this pregnancy is than with Avery.  Nothing major really, just several things that have happened with you that never happened with her or was different with her. I thought I would list out the differences, just so I can keep these somewhere to look back on and not forget them along the way.

1.  Mask - I have darker spots on my cheeks from pregnancy with you
2.  Boobs - sorry to be so blunt, but my boobs have gotten so much bigger with you than with Avery!
3.  Belly - I am carrying you a lot lower than with Avery.  She was all up in my chest and you sit much lower.  Not sure if that is second pregnancy or just a difference.
4.  Spider veins - not too happy about this one!  With you, especially on my upper left thigh, I have tons of spider veins that are not cute at all!  They look like bruises actually!  Never had any of these with your sister.
5.  Bigger - my belly is just bigger this time around with you!
6.  Pregnancy symptoms - with Avery, I was exhausted first trimester.  I can remember only twice that I felt a wee bit queasy with her.  With you, I was definitely queasy a lot of mornings and even at night.  Never through up though.  This also carried over a bit until second trimester where I would get queasy after eating.  And plenty of exhaustion with you too!  Also, had headaches for a couple weeks with you too!  And heartburn with you in the 1st and 2nd trimester.

I'm sure there is more, but I'll stop there for now.  Love you baby boy!  Keep cooking and growing!  But not too big, okay?!

25 Weeks - Trip to Colorado

Hi baby boy!  I am officially at 25 weeks and so happy that we are at a point of viability.  I will feel so much more comfortable at 28 weeks...30 weeks, etc. but for right now, I'm happy to be at a point where if I would go into labor, you'd be small, but able to possibly live out here in the real world!  I think you are about 13-14 inches and the size of a ear of corn....and I'd guess around 1.5-2 pounds.

You are a real kicker in there!  I really love it.  I started feeling you so much earlier compared to Avery, so it starts to make me wonder how much harder and harder you will be kicking towards the end (because she got really active at the end).  You bounce on my bladder a lot more than she ever did.  I feel like you are sitting a lot lower than she did too.  Pretty much everyone around me has felt you kick except for Avery.  She has no patience.  =)

My feet are starting to do the swelling thing (like they did with your sister), but overall, I feel like they are a little better than with her.  Especially with a car trip to Colorado over and done, it's really been decent.  My compression stockings were a life saver for the car trips.  Definitely help a ton.

Another thing happening is my rising blood sugars.  This happened with Avery too, I have to keep reminding myself, but man, I feel like I just can't get my blood sugars down for anything.  They aren't even over 200...they just hang out around 150-180, no matter what I do!  For this Mama, it's just tough.  I try and do everything I can to keep you safe and this area is just only halfway under my control.  The good news that I have to remember is that my rising blood sugars mean the need for more and more insulin to do the same job as prior to pregnancy...which ultimately means my placenta is functioning well and healthy.  It just stinks to imagine what I am doing to you in there.  Right now, I really think I'm just packing on the pounds for you, but there's always that worry.  I'm betting right now you'll be a 10-pounder.  I guess since I am having a c-section, it doesn't really matter.  It's just my own personal struggle.  I don't really even share it with others...just something that is always on my mind.  Your Daddy reminded me tonight that if I doing my best (which I am), then God has got to be blessing this pregnancy and He'll take care of the rest.  I think you have a smart Daddy.

On to the fun stuff!  We just got back from our trip to Colorado to see all your Nana, Uncles, Aunts and Cousins.  We were there for about a week and a half and stayed mainly with your Aunt Soila and Uncle Meme.  Saw your Nana a bunch, as well as your Uncle Kenny and Aunt Rhonda.  For the last couple nights, we headed more towards Denver to stay with your Uncle Joe and Aunt Nora.  Avery had a blast and was a great little girl the whole time.  I was pleasantly surprised!  She even learned to love sharing a bed with your sister Megan (which she has never done before).  My blood sugars started hanging in the mid-high 100's while we were there and were much tougher to drop.  This happened when I was pregnant with Avery too and we went to Colorado....so I've always suspected the altitude affected them.  And now I wonder even more.  They've still been higher than I want for the last 24 hours since we have been home, so we'll see tomorrow if they come back into a normal range or not.

Here's some pictures from the trip...love you baby boy!  We talk about you all the time and your Daddy and I were just talking today about how much we wish you were already here with us!  We can't wait!

At Nana's House before we left for Denver

Your big sister eating frozen yogurt with a Frozen crown on

At Estes Park - Meggie, Avery and Nana

Your Sissy and Aunt Soila in Estes Park

Your Cousins, Andrew and BJ with Avery on the trolley in Estes

You sister is obsessed with trains - Nana and her are watching one go by at Aunt Soila's house

Nana and Avery

Avery found a back scratcher and was making your sister very happy!

Avery at Tiny Town - fun little place near Denver that we went to with your Aunt Nora

Tiny Town

Your sisters having fun at Tiny Town

More Tiny Town - there you are!

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Avery and Uncle Joe

Avery and Bella

Kyndall wasn't able to come with us because of school, but while we were gone, she had a photo shoot and this picture is pretty awesome! 

Taking pictures of the Rocky Mountains on the trip home

I think they were faking it! 

Trip Home - Utah - Gorgeous! 

Trip Home - Arizona - not too shabby either!

21 Weeks - Father's Day!

Hey Little Guy!  It is our 21 week mark and thought I would jot a couple details down for you.  Plus, it's Father's Day today, so it was a fun day for your Daddy with all his girls (and boy) around loving on him.  Here's what's new with you and my body this week:

• Starting to swell...that's just swell.  =) This is about the time it happened with your Big Sis Avery, so I'm ready for it.  Not the worst thing that could ever happen, but not fun either.  If I work out in the morning, drink lots of water and use my magnesium lotion, it really does help...but not every day is like that, so then my ankles and feet get a little puffy.
• My blood sugars are starting to run a little high (like mid-high 100's) and for no reason.  If I ate a high carb meal, I would expect it....but today and a little of yesterday have been baffling to me...so I'm wondering if we are starting the rise and will have to adjust my basal rates up 5-10%.  Again, this is just about the time it happened with Avery, so really no surprise.  Just not looking forward to it!  
• On the fun side, you have been quite the wiggly worm inside my belly!  I really started feeling you around 18 weeks, which is about three weeks earlier than Avery, so I have loved that!  And there are some days where you are chill and and feel you some...and days like yesterday and today where you are punching and kicking away!  I have an anterior placenta with you (just like your sis), so wasn't expecting to feel you so early, but completely loving it that I am!  Right now, you are kicking away in there!

I am leaving you with a little picture from today!  These are four of the five goobers you are getting yourself involved with in just a few months!  =)

Anatomy Scan - 19.5 Weeks

Hi baby BOY!  We just got back from your anatomy scan today.  BEST NEWS EVER - you are measuring out perfectly!  The doc is so happy and so are we!  He said if there is one test that matters, it's this one...and we came out with flying colors! Such a relief for your Mommy and Daddy!  All your Sisters went with us today.  Avery Jo did awesome the whole time...we had to wait for a while at first and then she did great during the scan too.  She was asking all kinds of questions as she watched you on the screen.  It was cute!

You are measuring a week or so ahead, which is fine with me and the doctor.  Since we are having a scheduled c-section and you measured perfect today...he said he could care less how big you are!  The biggest hurdles have already happened and are over.  Makes a Mama's heart happy to hear that!  I was hoping to schedule your c-section date about a week and a half earlier than you due date (Oct 27)...BUT, with government getting involved in healthcare more and more, they won't let hospitals go a second before a week before the due date.  Which means, unless you come earlier on your own, your birthday will be Oct. 20!

Here's your profile shot from today...you are so cute! Love you so much!

Here we are again! Better late than never!

I am going to blog a bit again, because I have a new little bundle in my belly!  Typical second child syndrome here...I didn't start your blog until I am almost 19 weeks along (tomorrow).  But, I promise we are just as in love with you as the other three!  I probably won't be quite as on top of blogging, but want to capture some stuff for you too, little boy!  We are so excited to have a little guy with all these girls in the house!  Especially your Daddy...he has been outnumbered forever!

A few things about you and this pregnancy:

• I knew immediately I was pregnant with you.  I don't see how this is logically possible and never believe it when others say that...but I did with you.  A little crampy, emotional...just a little different.
• You were very much wanted, but kind of a surprise at the same time.  I had a couple miscarriages last year, so we had kind of settled on the fact that Avery would be the last one in the family (if that is what God wanted)...but lo and behold, here you are little guy!
• We found out we were pregnant with you and got out of debt on the same day - February 10, 2014!
• Your hcg and progesterone numbers in those beginning weeks were THROUGH THE ROOF!  So much so that we were wondering if there were two or three babies in there!  Nope, just one.  =)
• We are at a different OB than with Avery (insurance issues with Avery's docs).  At first, I was pretty annoyed and upset about this, but just like in all things that God does, this has been a blessing!  We love Dr. F!  He has a wife that has had miscarriages and has been so tenderhearted about this pregnancy.  Extremely reassuring and encouraging me to come in for a scan any time I feel worry coming on.  He'd rather me get scanned than worry.  Truly a great move that I would have never made on my own if the insurance issue hadn't happened.  Gotta love God!  And we get to deliver at Arrowhead Hospital, which is only a few minutes away!
• I will be scheduled for a c-section with you.  After what happened with Avery's birth (long induction, labor, pushing....just to end in a c-section), Dr. F is all about just scheduling.  Especially since we seem to create big babies!
• Saw your heart beat for the first time around 6 weeks.  It was 127 bpm.  Came in at 8 weeks and it was 179 bpm!  
• I was much more nauseous with you than with Avery.  Never threw up though!  Also had a couple weeks of bad heart burn, headaches and then a few weeks of being extremely tired at the end of the first trimester.  Now, I really feel back to normal except for this big belly on the front of me!
• I looked pregnant a lot earlier with you than with Avery.  Probably by 12 weeks people were wondering if I was pregnant (but would never ask).  By 15-16 weeks, there was no doubting it though!
• At the end of the 1st trimester, we got an NT Scan (didn't with Avery).  You looked super cute in there...measurements were great (neck measurements were like 1.9 I think?!).  My bloodwork attached to this scan came back normal and good too.  Oh, and the tech in there GUESSED that you looked boy-ish.
• Had a tummy bug with you around 15 weeks.  Mommy was sick in bed for a couple days and your rockstar Daddy took over the house and Avery!
• Had a doctor's appointment a few days after getting sick and wasn't supposed to get a scan, but asked if we could because of the sickness (and to see if we could see if you were a girl or boy!).  Guess what?!  You are a boy!  We literally couldn't believe it.  So surreal!  First boy in our family and first boy on Pa and Mimi's side of grandkids too!  You are going to be spoiled!
• We have your anatomy scan in about four days.  Mommy is always a little nervous for these scans, but very excited to see you again too!
• We already know your name - Josiah Hinck Marin.  Hinck is Mommy's maiden name...and your Pa is the last Hinck of his family.  We are super excited to keep the Hinck name alive through you.  =)
• As much as I am hooked on Josiah...your littlest sister has tried to encourage the name Joshua.  She loves that name from the Joshua Bibile Story of the walls of Jericho.  All your other Sisters and your Daddy love that name too....but Mommy has had her heart on Josiah forever (was going to be Avery's middle name if she was a boy!)...so I think it's sticking to Josiah.  For now.  =)
• Oh, and one more fun thing!  Mommy's best friend Shelly is also pregnant at the same time!  Yay!  She is about eight weeks behind you, so we don't know boy or girl yet...but it's been a blast going through pregnancy with someone close!
• I have felt you move already!  Avery took a while (21-ish weeks).  You also have an anterior placenta, like I had with her...so I wasn't expecting to feel you for a bit longer.  But, around 17.5 weeks I thought I MAYBE had felt you...but now that we are almost 19 weeks, I am pretty certain it's you in there!  You like to dance on my bladder a lot more than your sister did!

Here are your sonograms from 12.5 weeks and 15.5 weeks.  Can't wait to show you more of your anatomy scan next week!

12.5 weeks

12.5 weeks - This is the one where the tech thought you looked like a boy already!

15.5 weeks - Little foot!

15.5 weeks - 3D shot

15.5 weeks - profile shot

15.5 weeks - no mistaking! Potty shot - all boy!

15.5 weeks - again, all boy!  The round circle is your bladder full of liquid!

That's it for now!  We are so excited to have you with us!  Can't believe we are already about halfway through!

14, 15 and 16 Months!

Can you say your Mama is a slacker?  Geesh...I truly don't know what is wrong with me these past few months.  I just have not updated like I should've.  Plain and simple.  But...I am here today to try and record what I missed these past few months.  Here we go, Avery Jo!

14th month

• Starting to put words together - like "Hi Dad"
• Words you can say - Mama, Dad, Sissy, Up, Hop, What's this, What's that, This, I la la love you, All done, Uh Oh, Amen, Oh Boy, Hi, Bye
• Loves your blankie
• Starting to be more lovey-dovey
• You are psycho about playing outside!
• Your "Hi's" are crazy!  You say them constantly to anything - alive or not!
• I think you are starting to dream - you have started waking up in the night again, but put yourself back to sleep.
• More teeth!  Molars popped through around 13 3/4 months!
• Your hair is becoming curly in the back - love it!
• We started sitting on a little potty, just one or two times a day to get your comfortable with it - and you have successes at times!
• We love going to the library during the day - you love to play with all the fun toys there and I love getting books for you when you are on the potty!
• You are standing all on your own - in fact you can stand up from the ground not holding on to anything.
• You are a very, VERY vocal little girl - you have a scream that will make anyone's hair stand up!  And it's not always a bad scream, sometimes you are happy!
• You are a climber - you have easily figured out how to climb up the stairs a couple months ago, but not you are on to attempting to boost your leg up to climb just about anything.

15th -16th month

• You love lids and caps - you love to attempt to screw them on and off - and get really frustrated when you can figure it out!
• You have started walking 8-10 steps at a time, and could walk farther, but you sit your buns down once you get going too far!
• You are doing much better at playing by yourself - I attribute this to your independent play time (which we moved to your room this month so you have more room to play).
• You can point out people whenever we ask who they are - like, "Where is Kyndall...Megan?" and you point to your Sisters!
• Mimi and Pa were here and they got you a bike seat for the back of their bikes - you went riding for the first time and loved it!
• You have learned how to pray - so whenever we sit down to dinner, you just sit there and look at us with your hands together until we look at you and are reminded to pray!  We also pray before bedtime too.
• Your Aunt Soila and Cousin Andrew came to visit at the beginning of March.  You warmed up to them pretty quickly and soon got used to your Cousin sleeping on the couch in the morning when we came downstairs to eat breakfast.  The first day he wasn't there anymore, you put  your hands up like you were wondering where he went.  
• You have started finishing phrases.  We say, "ready, set..." and you say, "GO!".  Or, I will say, "One...." and you say, "TWO!".  
• Right around 15 months, you started REALLY walking everywhere and choosing to walk over crawl.  It took just a week or so of falling down here and there to be really good at it and now you are a champ!
• You are still taking two 1.5 hour naps a day.
• I can't even begin to count how many words you say now!  You attempt to say anything and everything that we say.  Right now, my favorite word is cracker.  The way you say it is so stinkin' cute!
• And your all time favorite word?  HI.  In fact, sometimes you probably say it 50-75 times a day!  We go to the grocery store and you make sure and hit everyone in that store with a "hi".  At least one...sometimes you go on for a few even if they already answered you back!  We joke that you are going to be a Walmart greeter when you get older!

Sweet baby girl, I can't tell you how much fun you have been the last few months.  You are a treat.  Every so often (if I am being honest) you get a little needy/screamy/whiney and there are a few rough days...but most of the days are smooth sailing with you and you are just my little sidekick.  We do everything together!  And you make everything that much more fun - especially since you say hi to everyone five times!  You are not afraid of strangers and love to be the life of the party.  You definitely already know how to show off...and that just boggles my mind.  How does this little girl that is just a one-year-old know how to put on a show and get laughs?  Well, I don't know how, but you do.  You love little kids too.  When we go to the library, you just walk over to the kids and start playing with them...whether they want you to or not!  

Your Sisters and Daddy love you so very much.  I can't even express to you what we would do without you.  You are the glue that unites us all together.  Your smile and laugh can make any of us forget that we had a bad day in a millisecond.  You are simply the best.  We love you!

13 Months - Social Butterfly

Here we are at 13 months already!  You are your own little person...tons of personality and are feisty for sure!  You love people!  In fact, you aren't scared of anyone....you smile at strangers and get so many "ooh's" and "aaah's".  I can't take you shopping with me without you reeling in at least a few people with your big smile and "Hi!".

You still sleep very good - morning and afternoon nap and around 12 hours at night.  You love all kinds of food...you are not picky at all.  You love your veggies almost as much as a cookie, believe it or not!  We switched you over to whole milk in a sippy cup with relative ease.  You didn't have much to do with milk for the first 3 weeks and then one day, you just started chugging away.  You love water too.  Here are some more highlights from this month with you:

Like I said above, you say "hi" and "bye" to everyone!  Especially when we leave the house and other people are there.  And you are very, very loud when you are talking too!

You can whistle.  You blow in and out with your mouth in an "O".  And when you suck in, you make a whistle noise.  So cute.

We just discovered that you love to blow bubbles!

You love to go outside.  In fact, we can't even say "outside" anymore because you go crazy when we say it!  We are starting to have to spell stuff out instead.

Speaking of spelling everything, you understand EVERYTHING we say...it's like all of a sudden, you get everything I say to you.  Stuff like, "put your cup on the tray", "stand up", "where's your toy?"...you understand it all!

You are not walking yet...but it is coming very soon.  You are cruising around things and have even stood up for several seconds on your own.  We just bought you a little walker toy and can walk when you hold that...so the real thing is coming soon!

You are a bit impatient.  I know it's the age, so I'm not worried about it.  You just want what you want and if Mommy or someone else doesn't get it or take you over to it....or if you can't hold on to it like you want....or whatever it is....Miss Impatient comes out big time!  You are still a screamer when it comes to the impatience thing!  It's really your only negative though!  We are working on the word "wait."  =)

You are also Curious Avery.  Whew!  Everything is "What's this?" "What's that?  "Who's this?"  And you point to whatever it is that you are curious about.  And then, Miss Impatient comes out if you don't get your way.

Pa, Mimi, Aunt Nikki, Uncle Ryan, Kiara and Vera all visiting over Christmas and New Year's.  You loved having them here!  Your Mimi takes awesome care of you and you love her for it.  Pa is your buddy that you love to play with.  You have a little pointing thing with him that you like to do.  So cute.  Aunt Nikki can't get enough of your cheeks...and she taught you how to blow bubbles!  Uncle Ryan really loves you too...he can make you smile for sure.  And Kiara - she loves you to pieces!  She loved to chase you around and "get you"...and you would crawl away and laugh so hard.  Vera is your favorite though...but she didn't really want much to do with you unfortunately...she's just at that age where she wants to be the baby and doesn't like it that you are.  =)  You would light up when she came around!  And smack your lips because you wanted kisses from her!  Soon...she will give you love right back, I promise!

We all got sick this past month too...and we are slowly getting over it (I hope).  Megan had a cold, then Mommy did...then you...then Kyndall.  But it has stuck around in the form of thick snot still in our noses...so I'm hoping this all goes away soon!

You really are a huge mimic at this point.  We have to REALLY make if we are saying something out loud that it may get repeated and we are okay with that.  =)

You love to be funny.  In fact, if I ask you if you are funny, you give a little laugh.  Or if you realize that something you did got you a lot of laughs, you will keep doing it over and over.

I know there is so much more, but that is all I can think of right now.  It's like you really took off this month with developing into a cute little person.  You grew with your development so much!  Here are some of my favorite pictures from this month!