In light of my recent news, it has made me nostalgic about my two past pregnancies.  I have been busy trying to recall little tidbits about those times.  And I'm finding that difficult in some respects since those pregnancies were 12 and 8 years ago, respectively.  Yet I was able to find a few snapshots.

Here I am, barefoot and pregnant in late July of 1996.  Annaleigh was born in early September.  I was 23.

Big D and I were up late working on the nursery.  The theme was Noah's Ark, and I was busy painting a little doll bed that I'd had since I was four.  My Dad made it.  (It was a decoration.  We didn't put Annaleigh in it.)  We didn't know what we were having, so I picked a theme and colors that could go either way.  We were still in this house when we had Harrison, so we just moved Annaleigh across the hall and kept this room the same for him.

Just for the record, I normally do have ankles...just not for the tail end of this pregnancy.  I was in the early stages of pre-eclampsia and was swollen like a rotten watermelon.  I just didn't know it yet and kept blaming it on the sweltering Charleston summer.

Here we are as a happy family in the hospital, the day after she was born.

She was actually born a week early due to my blood pressure with the pre-eclampsia.  I had to be induced, but everything went smoothly.  She only weighed 6 lbs. 12 oz., so she popped right out...literally.

I couldn't find any pictures of me pregnant with Harrison, but I'll just tell you that I was huge.  I actually gained more weight with Annaleigh (although a good bit was water), but I gained it all over.  With Harrison I was all out front.  It looked like I'd swallowed a basketball.

Our family after his birth...

Annaleigh, at three, looks shell-shocked, doesn't she?  I was 27, and Big D was 30.  Harrison weighed in at 9lbs. 2 oz., and I don't recommend delivering children that weigh almost 3 lbs. more than the previous one.  As a matter of fact, he got stuck.  After pushing for four hours, they finally decided to do a C-section.  Come to find out, he not only weighed as much as a two-month old baby, but his head circumference was 14", and his chest circumference was 14.25".  There would have been none of this, "OK, now the head's out.  The rest is easy.  Just push."  It was just unfortunate that I had to push for so long.  Later that day, as a nurse brought in some ice and the stuff for me to take a sitz bath, she said, "Poor thing.  It's really like you delivered both ways."  I didn't hit her, but I dreamt about it.

Interestingly, the blanket that is on Harrison, became his special blanket that he's always called "Blue,"  or before he turned 5, "Byoo," as he couldn't say his L's.  You might even still catch it now and then in pictures that I post because he still, even at almost 8 years old,  carries it around some.  Although it is now decidedly gray and frayed all around the edges.

Ahhh....memories.  Looking at these though has made it seem even more surreal that we are embarking on this all over again.

So, how about you?  Got any good memories to share with us this weekend?  Sign in below and tell us all about them!

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Posted by 4sweetums

Love the pics! I was so much bigger with my second than my first. The second was almost 3 pounds heavier too. You are doing better than me. I had a 13 year gap between pregnancies. Hey, that means I would be 44 if I got pregnant at the 13 year mark again. Yikes!
Blessings,
Dawn

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Posted by proverbsmomof3

It's funny you posted this, because you had inspired me to do a similar piece this morning before I even swung by here. I don''t have a hospital shot of my oldest after he was born because something happened to the film when it was developed and all those pictures are double exposed. But I kept the negatives. Maybe someday someone will be able to seperate the images and I will have that treasured picture. Thanks so much for sharing yours and I hope that you are feeling well.
Blessings.

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Posted by JenIG

that is SOOOOOOO lovely. what a pretty pregnant person you are. I don't know why some people get to look charming thru pregs and others look like slovenly, blubberly, greased up monster potatoes (i.e. me).

CONGRATULATIONS!!!!

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Posted by lahbluebonnet

Great memories! My second was easier to push out because he was a preemie. He got a blue, white and yellow crochet blanket made bya family friend that's in a lot of our pictures too. I had another dream about you the other night, but I couldn't remember the details when I woke up. Hmmmm
Blessings,
Laurie

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Posted by Arby

My questions are...have you told the kids? How do they feel about the news?

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Posted by Debbles107

Oh the memories those pictures bring back!

With Annaleigh, I remember standing outside the delivery room with Mom, Amy and Susan, all of us crying and laughing when we heard her first cries. Then the nurses telling us we had to go to the waiting room or they would ask us to leave!

With Harrison, I remember all the anxious feelings and the tense moments after Damon came to tell about the C-section. Then, living that same scenario 8 months later as I delivered my 9 lb. baby!

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Posted by teachingmisssmartypants

Love the pics today! You definitely win a prize for being a cute pregnant lady. Me... not so much! I avoid the camera as much as possible these days.

I do think toile for a nursery would be lovely.

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Posted by byourlove1

I didn't see your previous post, oh my goodness! Congrats! I'm so excited for you. A new baby, what a blessing!

angela

Love your post on your previous births too, love seeing pregnancy pics!

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Posted by naturalpaths

Ds1 was 9lbs. I was induced at 7am and after hours spent pushing and vomiting on everyone (I got dh, a nurse, and an EMT in training) the doctor finally decided to do a c-section at about 11pm that night. Hubby said the doctor stopped him in the hallway afterward and told him there's no way I could have ever had ds1 naturally (yet he is the one that delayed the c/s so long). I asked hubby if he slapped the doctor for me. LOL

This is such exciting news for your family!

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Posted by OhPumpkinshellz

How fun getting to live vicariously through you! I guffawed when you mentioned Annaleigh looking shell-shocked!

Ash was 6.7 and Adam was 8.5 with a monstorously large head. I will spare you the collateral damage info.

Glad you posted flashback!

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Posted by Audiam

Congratulations! Okay, now you have to start TaeKwonDo with your kids, like I did when I got pregnant! Really. . . Well, I started TKD, but I didn't know I was pregnant yet, or rather, I wasn't certain I was.

Anyway, I am so happy for your family. Telling the other kiddos ought to be exciting--if they say any funnies, share them with us! I got some good lines when they found out about our last one.

And, yes, you are a cute pregnant mommy. I didn't even think your ankles looked big at all (imagine what that says about me--!?!?).

Thanks for the heads up.
Janelle

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Posted by CrossView

So sweet! =D

I'm really hoping you'll give photo updates as you go!
I'm so excited for you... And I wish I lived close enough to come and play with all the kids while you rest, after the new one gets here! =D

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Posted by jenn4him

Those are great pictures!
Jenn

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Posted by Mycrazylife

Oh you did look cute pregnant! I on the other hand looked like a cross between the Pillsbury Dough Boy and a 13 passenger van. Not pretty.

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