So, I’m not super-great about updating you guys on any kind of regular basis on how this pregnancy is going.

I know bloggers who do it weekly (a bit much for me) or monthly. And I always enjoy seeing what’s going on in such a special capsule of time in their lives. But from me, I’m afraid pregnancy updates are not so much going to be on a weekly or monthly basis but instead a randomly one.

So, here I am at 24 weeks with baby #6 deciding randomly that it’s time to give you guys the skinny (errr…questionable choice of words) on what’s going on with this here pregnancy.

P.S. I am wearing a maternity shirt  that I found on clearance at Ross for $5 and loved without actually realizing it was a maternity shirt until I got it to the checkout line. AND I’m wearing my fave maternity shorts. All you maternity-wear lovers should be proud. I plan to do any update pics in these clothes because I’ve never done that “one outfit to the end” thing before, and I’m interested to see just how bursting-at-the-seams these poor threads are by week 42 (yes, I’m telling myself I’ll go over by 2 full weeks so that if I do, eh! It’s what I expected. And if I don’t, BONUS!)

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{Hello in there! Hope you’re nice and comfy. I’m wondering if you’ll have Simon’s dimples or Ezra’s crazy-thick curly eyelashes. Or both. Watch out!}

Oooookay, so the most commonly asked questions I get are:

1. When did you find out? Eeeeeearly. When you’re as fertile and have had as much practice at this being pregnant thing as I have, you kind of just know. If you know what I mean.

2. When did you let the cat out of the bag? We didn’t tell a soul for 11 weeks. Although I enjoy the celebration and anticipation, there is at least a small part of me that would be completely happy to not tell anyone until the baby is out and I can just pass him around for inspection. That’s just my weird personality talking, but that preference has increased exponentially with each pregnancy. Honestly, the less time I have to spend nodding my head and smiling at comments like, “At it again, huh?” and “You DO know what causes this, right?” the better. Although, honestly, as I’ve mentioned before, I think people are so used to our version of crazy by this point that they’re kind of tired of making the comments. So, pretty much all we got was a lot of, “Congratulations!” and smiles. I’ll take it!

3. So, how has this pregnancy treated you, especially after having twins? You may hate me for this, but this may very well be my easiest pregnancy yet, especially after having twins. The twins were definitely the hardest on my body so far, but I have easy pregnancies in general, with limited nausea or other symptoms. And this one has been unusually symptom-free overall, at least in the first half. I even managed to avoid a good portion of the soul-crushing fatigue that sucks the life out of you in the first trimester.

4. Any major differences from your other pregnancies? Actually, yes. After just saying how great this one has been, I do have to admit that, in the past 3 weeks or so, I’ve been noticing that I feel a lot more “pregnant” than at this stage with other pregnancies. I just get so TIRED, physically (not to mention mentally and emotionally). There are days when I feel like if I don’t get a nap, I may literally physically shut down in about 30 minutes (Sorry, kids! Mama’s closed for business for the next 23 minutes), and that’s totally not normal for my 2nd trimester. I think it’s a sign that I’m getting older. And that I have five small children who need my attention constantly a lot.

Also, my Braxton Hicks contractions kicked in at 19 weeks, which has been a bit cray-cray. Saaaaaay whaaaat? I’m contracting with half of it to go?? So, yeah. I’ll be happy if those decide to back on up a bit.

ALSO, I have pretty bad varicose veins in one leg only. They are, by far, the biggest thorn in my side (the right one, to be exact) so far (which, I realize, doesn’t even begin to compare to some of the hard things y’all have to go through) and are the worst they’ve ever been (I had them with the twins and Della, but not like this). They are ugly and humbling, but more than that, they really hurt. My midwife, Diane, recommended Collinsonia Root to treat them, and I did get some, but haven’t taken it yet (oops).

5. Any guesses about the personality of this kid? Not really. I mean he’s a pretty active little dude. I started feeling him move at week 17, which is the same week that I feel all my babies move, and it’s always funny how it goes from my lying there at night imagining that maaaaaaybe that little flutter was a wee babe’s kick to: OH! there it was, to: OH! helloooooo, baby! Pretty much from week 17 on, I feel them move like crazy, and this guy is no exception, except that he miiiiight be on the slightly more active-than-usual side. Hard to pin that down, though. One funny thing is that he has a definite preference for my left side. As he grows, it’s kind of forcing him to branch out a little, but if he had his druthers, it would appear that he would hang out in my left hemisphere exclusively.

6. Do you have a name yet? Yup, we sure do!

: )

7. Are you still exercising/teaching classes? Boy howdy, yes! (Sorry, I don’t know where that came from). I still teach all my regular classes and generally clock about 5 1/2-7 hours a week at the gym. That’s less than I’ve done in the past, but it’s enough to keep me sane these days without driving me crazy…if that makes any sense. I can do pretty much everything that I could pre-pregnancy, but toe-pushups and planks are getting a bit too scary for these separating abs of mine, so I don’t see too many more of those in my near future.

8. Are the kids excited? YES! The boys are thrilled to have an addition to the Blue Team, and Della is constantly asking me what her “baby brudder” thinks about this or that (usually whether he liked whatever it is I just ate). The twins are still blissfully ignorant, but they’ll get there (or get a rather rude awakening in about 3 1/2 months).

9. Any particular cravings? My number one consistent pregnancy craving in each one is Coke Icees. I love them. (I know, I know…terrible). I go through shifts, though. Sometimes, I’ll have two weeks in a row where I have two each week. And then, I’ll go another 3-4 weeks without any. Other than that, it’s pretty random. I might wake up one day and feel like I MUST have an apple fritter or a Chick-fil-a sandwich or…whatever. But, because of where we live (read: the boonies), most of those cravings go unindulged, which is a good thing. I will say, though, that a recent positive kick has been kale smoothies. I really felt the need to detox from all the junk we ate on our little vacation a few weeks ago, so I’ve been chugging these bad boys practically every day, and they are sooooooo good and help a lot with my energy levels.

10. Aaaaaw, you’ve got nice even numbers now. You’re “done,” right? (Does this even count as a question?) Nope. Not unless God says we are.

And that wraps up, “How this pregnancy is going,” the 24 week edition. I’ll try to do another round before another 24 weeks has gone by (seeing as how I won’t be pregnant anymore by the point…Oh, Lord, please).

Any of you guys had any luck treating varicose veins during pregnancy? I’d be happy to consider any and all ideas.

Any funny things that stand out as unique to a particular pregnancy? This whole lefty thing is cracking me up. I’m starting to wonder if I’m going to show lopsided pretty soon.

Are you pregnant right now? If so, please share your due date and gender (if you’re telling). I’d love to know who all is in this together with me right now.

Any questions you have about this pregnancy (or anything else for that matter) that I didn’t address? I’m all ears!

0 Comments

  1. 32 weeks pregnant with #3, due sometime in Nov. I tend to go past 40w so I tell myself 42 weeks also! We are team green again so surprise surprise! I had HG for the first 20 weeks but now I am mostly ok but extremely tired and heavy! I wish I had a cute small belly you do when I was 24w, right now I am measuring like 3-4 weeks ahead! This time around we only told immediate family early on but did not make it public (like on FB) for the rest of “our world” until when I was 28w!

  2. Well, I don’t measure or anything fancy like that, so I hope you weren’t expecting anything exact. 🙂

    Basically, I just throw a big handful of raw kale + a banana, whatever frozen fruit I have, some chia seeds, some 100% juice, and maybe some plain Greek yogurt in my Ninja, and then give it a whirl.

    I don’t think I’ve made it the same way twice, and it’s been super-yum every time (except the time that I added peanut butter…bad idea).

    Hope that helps!

  3. FORTIETH grandchild??? Wow. That’s impressive as all get-out. And thank you, thank you, THANK you for all your info on the BH contractions and the K2 supplements. I’m off to research! 🙂 (Congrats on your new little bun, by the way; I am honored to be any source of encouragement…your comment definitely was to me!)

  4. I had that horrible varicose vein pain in my left leg immediately upon conception with my third and last. The only thing that helped was wrapping my entire leg with an ace bandage. I swear that is the reason I have no protruding veins as a result. Yes, I looked ridiculous for 9 months, but without it the pain was unbearable. Good luck and God bless!

  5. I am 27 weeks along with a girl, due Dec 1st. (But so hoping she comes early, as it’s been a rough pregnancy!) Can’t wait to meet her and to see our son become a big brother. Children are such an incredible gift.

  6. Hey there. Mom of 10 here! Not pregnant now, my babies 11 months old and with my practice growing (I’m a midwife)I think we are going to end on a nice solid, even number. I’m commenting to let you know what many of my moms are using for vericose veins and are having wonderful results. I can’t take credit for it, one of my moms put it together, then passed it to me. It’s an essential oil mixture:
    2-4 drops of each:
    Grapefruit
    Cypress
    Juniper
    Cedar wood
    Clary sage
    Lemongrass
    Lemon
    Peppermint
    And she uses EVOO, but any carrier oil would work, such as coconut oil.

    1. Oh my goodness, Audrey! Thank you so much! I don’t currently have access to any of these, but I will definitely look into it!

  7. I am due with our first, a baby girl, on Dec. 7. However, compared to you, I look like I am bursting at the seams! Due to various life events, I am going to be an “older” first time Mommy at 38. But I feel soooooooooo blessed, and I am already madly in love with our girl.

  8. Oh, and I also have to say that I’m with you on the part about not telling the news until the baby is here. I only just started telling people this time, and would have waited longer if I could have. I think I feel that way more and more with each baby, and it might be to avoid all the “again??” comments. This time I had to spill the beans when my sister-in-law announced that she’s having the 40th grandchild (!) and I had to say, “Not so fast, I’m due before you.” 😀 It was actually a pretty fun announcement.

  9. I am 11 weeks pregnant with #5. Can I just say that I love your attitude? I really struggled when I found out about this baby. I am just so overwhelmed with a 4yo and a 2 1/2yo and a 1yo and homeschooling my 9yo and no grandparents nearby or help at all, really. I’m trying to have joy, but it’s hard this time around, even though I am pretty much living my dream life. This is a bad time of year for the soul-sucking first trimester fatigue, with all the garden harvest happening right now… Anyway, I love reading your cheerful FB and blog posts. It’s just so refreshing and heartening to me And I applaud your “not done until God says” attitude, because that’s how we are, too, and it’s mighty uncommon. I don’t feel like my family is that big, and yet, I sure get a lot of comments from people…

    And since you did ask for advice, I will offer some on the subject of varicose veins. I have read a lot about vitamin K2 and it’s ubiquitous deficiency in our diets. Varicose veins are a symptom of K2 deficiency. K2 is what makes sure that calcium goes into our bones and teeth, and deficiency causes the calcium to be put into arteries and organs. Varicosities are where the veins have calcified a little and lost their elasticity. I would recommend around 200 mcgs per day of vitamin K2 (get the stuff that’s called MK-7). It’s pretty cheap, and will not cause any problems or side effects. A bonus will be fewer dental cavities if you have problems with that. You can read the book “Vitamin K2 and the Calcium Paradox” if you want to learn more (ya know… in your “spare time”…)

    Also, try some ionic magnesium (Trace Minerals Research brand on pureformulas.com is super cheap) to back off the braxton hicks (and help you sleep reeeeeally great and feel really chill). Don’t take the recommended 4 droppers, start with one and go up from there. Also will prevent those horrid 3rd trimester leg cramps. This kind of magnesium is fully absorbable and will not give you the unpleasant side effects of other mag supplements. (However, it tastes terrible, so put it in a little water and chug it and have a chaser handy.)

    Sorry to be so verbose… 😀 I just had a lot of words… Thanks for all your fun posts.

    1. FORTIETH grandchild??? Wow. That’s impressive as all get-out. And thank you, thank you, THANK you for all your info on the BH contractions and the K2 supplements. I’m off to research! 🙂 (Congrats on your new little bun, by the way; I am honored to be any source of encouragement…your comment definitely was to me!)

    1. Well, I don’t measure or anything fancy like that, so I hope you weren’t expecting anything exact. 🙂

      Basically, I just throw a big handful of raw kale + a banana, whatever frozen fruit I have, some chia seeds, some 100% juice, and maybe some plain Greek yogurt in my Ninja, and then give it a whirl.

      I don’t think I’ve made it the same way twice, and it’s been super-yum every time (except the time that I added peanut butter…bad idea).

      Hope that helps!

  10. Ahh Coke slushies were my #1 craving with my last pregnancy I usually had 1-2 a week!! My little guy hung out on the left side too until he got too big he just wrapped himself all the way around ha! He was very busy and kicked a lot. But so far he is a pretty calm laid back baby! Love the update! You look great 🙂

  11. I’m 15 weeks with twins! We have two girls already and are looking forward to doubling our family. Any advice on twins is MUCH appreciated 🙂 This time around I’ve had very painful varicose veins too, and I don’t know what to do about it other than be in pain and cry 🙁

    1. Yaaaaay for twins! So exciting! Oh, and read through the comments for some really helpful sounding tips on varicose veins. I’m definitely going to be trying several!

  12. We have four kids and we get asked all the time; “don’t you have a tv?” My reply? “If you prefer tv over THAT, you’re doing it wrong!” Shuts them up every time!

  13. Oh my! I have serious varicose veins only on the back of my right thigh. This is my third pregnancy (all boys!) but my first time with these things. And I hate them! Mostly because they are ugly. Oh yeah, and they hurt. I saw in the comments that yours went away the first two times you had them?? I’m not holding out much hope for that because my doctor even said these were really bad 🙂

    By the way, you are adorable and I love your blog!

    And I understand about the cravings. We live in the boonies too and it has saved us some money because I can’t justify the trip to satisfy late night cravings! It’s probably saved me a few pounds too 🙂

    And i would love to just not tell people I’m pregnant. I think there’s just something really special when only God, me, and my hubby know.

    Ok, I think I’m done now! Ha!

  14. I just had my fifth (a girl) 11 weeks ago! I can so understand just wanting to tell people about a new pregnancy AFTER the baby arrives lol! I’ve actually had the same thought just so I wouldn’t have to endure the typical comments!…..We too are only “done” when The Lord says we are done having children. I love your blog and your family is beautiful!….by the way I loved your post on your trip to lake livingston, I live in the area!

  15. I have bad veins this go round as well-ouchie!! ugly!! Baby #6 hasn’t been the easiest on me-but I know this will be worth it 🙂 A friend shared this advice from her naturopath: she eats a minimum of 1 cup frozen or have-been frozen berries every day. Something about the freezing releasing a compound or something that helps. It really helped her with #8 after having lots of trouble with babies #6 and 7. Worth a try I figure, and frozen berries are yummy-mix them in your smoothies 🙂

    1. also-baby is scheduled to be born in about 3 weeks. We have kept the gender a surprise, but we have all boys, so the only real surprise would be a girl 😀 And I hear you about the comments from people…..sheesh. We take the same approach-‘nope, not until God tells us we’re done’. That message might be via an obstetrician, mind you, but I don’t plan on sharing with random strangers in the grocery store, ya know?!

  16. I have 4 kids and have terrible varicose veins. What helped me was Juice Plus Vineyard Blend. Not sure if you have ever heard about Juice Plus but its awesome! I didn’t have to wear those horribly, ugly,hot granny support hose!

  17. I’m almost 30 weeks pregnant with baby #1! Due November 8thish. 😀 I have no pregnancy advice, because you know, it’s my first. 😉 But I love babies and I also only post very random pregnancy updates, because blogging consistency isn’t my best attribute. 😛 So random pregnancy info instead: I’m very-much-looking forward to having a planned homebirth, I’m all about adding dates to smoothies these days (cuz it’s supposed to help with labor) and I can live for about a month on a good pregnancy-related compliment (like the dental hygienist telling me that my bump is “all baby!” this morning). 😀

  18. Just found out 2 hrs ago I’m having a boy! Due jan 24. I’m always wrong when I guess the gender. I was actually hoping for a girl this time (baby #3) because my mom passed away almost 4 weeks ago and I really wanted to name the baby after her. But I love baby boys too — and I super love your blog. I wrote you about 2 years ago thanking you for your awesome words — I was suffering from some pretty hard PPD after baby #2 and you sent me the sweetest email. And I still read every post. Thanks for your awesome example if love and great faith! Keep it coming!

  19. I’m 21 weeks (just about) with baby #4! This is my first pregnancy in my 30s and I definitely notice a difference – it’s just taking more of a toll on my body.

  20. Well, I found out today that I’m 6 1/2 weeks pregnant with baby number 2! Not sure if we will have any more after this. My sister & her hubs are having a very hard time conceiving, so I am offering to be a surrogate for her after I have this baby. Praying God blesses her & her husband with a baby in the meantime 🙂

  21. I’m a mother of 7 and with my last 2 I struggled with painful varicose veins. I know they are not pretty and can be hard to get on. But the thing I found the most relief with was compression pantyhose, the dr had to write a prescription for them. They make maternity style compression hose, put them on first thing in the morning and it makes a huge difference. Without them the veins were very painful especially when standing. I had a love hate relationship with them but towards the end of my 7th I didn’t care what they looked like because they were so painful without the support hose. Good luck! And yes getting older makes a big difference, I had my first at 20 years old and my last at 39, my last was a hard pregnancy and even more difficult delivery. God bless you and your pregnancy!

  22. I’m nearly 23 weeks with my second so you’re just ahead of me! We’re having another little boy, or as I’ve been telling people “the cheaper option”! Haha 🙂 I’m a bit lopsided too, but my little man is sitting way down low, to the point I’m already having to do the wide knees to bend, so glam… And he spends most of the day punching me in the bladder, oh the joys 😉

  23. I have 8 kids and though I haven’t had a problem with veins I know what you mean about the are you done questions- arg! My sister on the other hand is expecting her ninth and she has had lots of problems with veins, even has had surgery. For the discomfort of the veins this is what she says helps so much: vitamin e 80 units per day when she’s not pregnant, when she is pregnant she takes a supplement from a company called Juice Plus- the product is called Vineyard Blend. I hope you will look into these, because for her it makes the veins so much easier to deal with! I cannot promise you they help on the pride at all though- the veins don’t disappear unfortunately, but at least they don’t hurt so much. My sister discovered this a few pregnancies ago and she can’t imagine not having it anymore! I think Juice Plus is a type of company that you order from a dealer, not really sure…hope this helps!!

    1. Thanks for the info! I’ll check it out, and I’m definitely hoping my veins go away those time like they did the other times, but I’m not counting on it.

  24. Congratulations!! I’m 32 and still trying to get pregnant for the first time. It’s frustrating, but I know God has a baby for me somewhere, somehow. =) Congratulations again!! You are such a cute little mama!

    1. I understand how you feel. I am 28 trying to conceive our first. It is like an emotional roller coaster every month. I pray we both conceive soon.

      1. My husband and I tried for almost 3 years. We had some heartbreak and loss along the way but have a healthy very happy little boy now. He’s 4 months old and so laid back and smiley. I think he knows how much he was prayed for and loved before he was even here.
        I know the hurt and and pain you feel and pray for anyone that experiences the ache of wanting a baby. It’s a pain like no other.
        I can tell you that when you get your baby (however that dream comes true) the journey suddenly makes sense and the gratitude in your heart is joy like no other. It has brought me even closer to God and I’m thankful for that too.
        I wish you the best and will keep you in my prayers.

        You look great Abbie, congratulations!

  25. Hi Abbie, I too am knocked up! I’m 34 weeks along. Due first week of October 😉 This will be #4 baby for our brood. We are are having a girl. So that will even us up, 2 boys and 2 girls in that order 😉 I also find out waaaaaay too early in m pregnancies. I have really smooth pregnancies compared to most people. However, this pregnancy has been the most annoying for me. I’ve had heartburn since 11 weeks and. I always work out the during my entire pregnancies. The only bummer is I haven’t had many cravings or much of an appetite with this one. So that hasn’t been as much fun. I’m a pretty big foodie. Even my husband has noticed my lack of flare in the kitchen this go round. He was concerned that I wasn’t enjoying cooking anymore! LOL I reassured him that my LOVE for food would return once our new princess arrived. 😉 ( Sorry for the randomness of my thoughts in this comment)

  26. I am 34 weeks with a boy! I love your answer to the name question…I may have to use that one. 😉

  27. I am expecting baby #5 in February! It’s been humbling for me to see how God has blessed us with another one, especially since I feel like I’m just keeping my head above the water most of the time! Will find out the gender next month at 22 weeks. And I’m preparing myself for the stares and “this is it, right?” type of questions! This will be my 2nd baby born in Japan!

  28. I’m due December 22. I’ve been following your blog for a few months, and was thrilled when you announced you’re expecting. So it’s been fun reading your pregnancy posts, because I’m right there with you.

    Oh! And I’m pretty sure we are built similar, so if I weren’t 23 weeks pregnant, I would be snatching up the clothes you have been selling!

  29. I used Young Living essential oils throughout my pregnancy with Joshua- there’s an oil for for everything, even varicose veins! Talk to me at church or call me any time. 🙂

  30. I have a seven week old girl and I totally get not making an announcement until the baby is here! In fact, my husband’s relatives were asking when I was due at the baby shower! And this kid totally hung out on the right. Take it from me, lopsided happens!

  31. My mom wore compression hose during the day when she was at home to help with her varicose veins. Not the best things, I know, but she said they really helped with the last pregnancy, which was when they got so bad. Hope that helps! 🙂

    1. I’m at week 14, and we find out the gender next month! I have been feeling flutters for about a week, which is such a gift from God, as my last two pregnancies ended at 6 weeks and I have been struggling with lots of anxiety. My almost-3-year-old is so excited!

      1. I’m 19 weeks pregnant with our second. Not finding out the gender, but we are super excited and thankful for a new little one!

I love hearing from you guys!