28 Weeks

The third trimester is such a wonderful part of pregnancy. It marks the end of carrying this little blessing inside of me to the time where she will be in my arms. The finish line is within sight now.

I must say that I have thoroughly enjoyed this pregnancy. I enjoyed being pregnant with Sofia, however, I did worry more during that time since I had no clue what to expect. With Charlotte I know exactly what to expect, so the “fear of the unknown” isn't so “unknown” anymore.

I have the “cleaning bug” or what some call “nesting syndrome”. When I was pregnant with Sofia I had a weird craving for the smell of Windex. Needless to say that odd craving is back! I have no clue why but I crave the smell of windex. So you can bet that all the windows and mirrors in my home are spotless! Any opportunity to use windex is a great thing!

Time seems to be jetting by us as we await the arrival of Charlotte. Of course some days go by slower than others. But all in all, this pregnancy has just flown by. Through this entire pregnancy I grown closer to my husband. He has been such an awesome encourager. On the days where I am feeling worn out and as big as a cow, he reassures me that I am the most beautiful woman in the world.

We are very confident that Sofia will be a great and loving big sister. My middle sister visited us last week and brought her 5 month old daughter. Sofia was so sweet with her. I don't think Sofia understands that her mommy is going to be bringing home another baby soon. She will point to my belly and say baby, but I believe the concept of “little sister” flies right over her head.

We plan to include Sofia in every part of taking care of Charlotte. Malachi and I don't ever want Sofia to feel second best or less special. Although our Pastor and his wife will be the ones watching Sofia while I am in labor and delivery, Malachi will spend the night at home with Sofia. I am more than fine with Charlotte and I having alone time at night in the hospital. I know that after I have Charlotte I will be anxious to get home and get into a routine with her and Sofia.

The Lord has truly blessed us. I was at our Ladies Bible study yesterday and a woman there asked me if Malachi and I would like more children. Without hesitation I said “YES!”. I know most women who just read that are wondering if I have fallen off my rocker. No I haven't. I fully embrace my role as a wife and mother. I would be honored if the Lord blessed me with more babies. Malachi and I have heart and a passion for children. All children are blessings from the Lord, so why wouldn't I want more?

At 28 weeks Charlotte should measure about 15 inches long and weigh about 2½ pounds. And boy do I feel it! Charlotte is a very active baby. Every night Malachi and I lay in bed and just watch Charlotte push and kick. It still amazes me! I am now seeing my OB doctor every 3 weeks. At our last appointment we had a chance to speak with him about our birth plan. We have the best doctor as he is all for natural child birth. He gave us the disturbing statistics of epidural use in Baton Rouge alone being at 95%. That is just way too high in my opinion. He also noted that because of the high percentage of epidural use comes the higher rate of C-sections. He is an older doctor, probably in his 60s or so, so he knows his stuff. He told us that natural childbirth is better for the baby, mother AND doctor. He will allow periodic fetal monitoring so that I can get up out of the bed and walk around. He is also ok with me just having a heplock rather than being hooked up to IV fluids. So, Malachi and I (and our doctor) are confident that we can achieve our goal of a natural birth with Charlotte. The recovery time will be better and faster. We are very excited!

Serving God and My Family,
Crystal <>< (SAHM)