Our Bower Basketball Team….full roster coming this September!

AHHHH!  I am so excited to announce that we are expecting number 5!  Oh Lord…it takes my breath away just by thinking about it.  Not in a suffocating way….in a feeling-the-full-weight-of-my-blessings kinda way.  Some of you may understand that.  Some of you may not.  It’s that feeling that you get when you fall in love and the other person says it for the first time back.  It makes your heart skip a beat and your brain just stop functioning and go into overdrive simultaneously.  I seriously am overwhelmed with emotion as I type this….it’s thrilling, terrifying and humbling….that feeling that we get to have another human join our family….it’s the best high ever.

As for this photoshoot….I have to dedicate it to my dear old dad.  He was a basketball coach for over 20 years and basketball was a big part of growing up for me.  Whenever I tell him I am gonna have a baby, he always does the same thing….giant smile, nodding head, says “you guys are nuts” and then he turns to walk away.  Then he always looks back and whispers, “just three more and you have a team”….”just two more and you have a team”…..”just one more…”  So this time around we felt like it was only appropriate to announce with his favorite sport.  We finally have a team dad 🙂

I wanted to answer some of your questions….because I know they are coming…

How far along are you?  When did you find out? 

I am 14 weeks today!  I found out pretty much immediately.  We had talked long and hard about having another kid and in October we decided to get off birth control and try for number five.  I know.  Saying five kids out loud even sounds crazy.  The looks I get when I tell people I’m having another are nothing short of shock and sometimes dare say disgust.  But this is us.  We wanted a big family.  I always said I wanted between 4 and 6 kids….whether through biological means or adoption.  I never dreamt that my kids would be all boys and that they would be so close together but I can’t imagine it any other way.  I joke that people expect you to have 2 kids.  The people in our area forgive you if you have 3….bless their souls.  But FOUR?  They look at you like you are just nuts.  And they steer clear of those crazy people.  FIVE?  I can’t imagine the dirty looks 🙂  It’s gonna be awesome.  But seriously…that’s what I’m signing up for….these kids are my biggest and best win-the-lottery moments.  I would give up it all to have a big family.

SO we did wait to tell you guys.  We just told the remainder of our family this past week.  And we waited on purpose to tell them (for sensitive personal reasons) and to tell you…although I was busting at the seams to share it with the world right away.  But now that the cat is out of the bag and I am out of the ‘danger zone’, we felt like the timing was right.  We feel like you guys are our extended family in a weird internet sort of way….and now you guys get to be aunts and uncles to those crazy Bowers all over again 🙂

Will you find out what you are having?  Any guesses?

Yes, for sure we will find out.  We will do the panorama blood test again…we did it with our last two kids…and so we should know 100% what the littlest Bower will be soon.  I am 98% on the boy train.  Jeremy thinks it will be a girl.  In my gut I have this feeling that it will be a boy and anyone that tells me otherwise, I just laugh at them and say Nope…we live in the meat-packing district 🙂  I actually already have a boy name!  Isn’t that exciting?!  I mean…what with the name drama over Max….this feels so good to have that sorted away already.  Oh and we have told the boys and Will thinks its a boy (he usually copies whatever I guess) and Weston thinks its a princess (he usually copies whatever Jeremy guesses).  Either way…it’s gonna be the most loved baby because it has four baby-obsessed brothers to cuddle it, protect it and love on it!

So number five….have you figured out what causes this yet?

Actually this is the most said question that people ask in real life.  I know it’s a joke….I get it…and yes, I know what causes pregnancy.  I think 🙂  That being said – here are a few TMI details that you may not know to ask.  Yes, we planned this and yes, we found out right away because I took a test every month ever since having Max.  I was not gonna be surprised again!  So I decided that after Max was born, no matter how many layers of birth control we were utilizing, that knowing early was what I really wanted.  I would just buy a whole slew of pregnancy tests at the Dollar Tree and every month on the first day, I would take a test.  Even if I was on my cycle.  I didn’t care.  I wanted to be sure.  And that is how we found out really soon.

I have not bought anything for the baby yet….except for a swaddle blanket.  It’s this one.  And I’m excited that I get to wrap our newest baby in such a sweet keepsake.  Also – we are gonna need some of your help – we are pretty close to the expiration date on all our infant carseats.  Y’all have any ones that you love?  We need a narrow version because we are gonna have to figure out how to fit all these boosters and carseats in our vehicle 🙂  And we also need a new high chair because four little Bowers have pretty much laid our other one to rest.  And maybe a bassinet.  And possibly a bathtub.  Baby gear has changed a lot since we started on the baby train….and any recommendations would be awesome!

Also – we are treating this like it might be our last baby.  We honestly don’t know if it will….I mean….that’s something that we always decide AFTER having the baby….if we want more….and so to be perfectly honest….we don’t know.  We always knew before that it wouldn’t be our last…..so this time, we want to be more intentional about documenting our whole family growing into itself.  Does that make sense?  So expect more personal family photos and for me to be extra weepy about Max not being my baby anymore 🙂

Any symptoms?  Any cravings?

Yes!  This time around I feel oh-so-pregnant.  I am already showing big time….like I LOOK pregnant.  But honestly – I look pregnant when I’m not pregnant (Taco-baby!) so it doesn’t take a whole lot 🙂  And I retained water right away especially in my face and legs.  That reminds me a lot of my pregnancy with William.  And then I finally have started phasing out of the so-tired-I-make-zombies-look-alive part of pregnancy.  That happens with me every single time.  I am just dead weight come 3 pm.  And this time I have an intense stomach ache each evening from 5pm-10pm….not morning sickness per se….I don’t vomit or anything like that….but my stomach hurts and I want to eat ALL THE POTATOES.  But I can’t.  Because it hurts.  But I try.  Because it hurts.  So I’ve definitely gained some weight 🙂  Also – hash browns are dangerous.  And also I’ve been getting migraines.  Which I have chronic headaches and chronic migraines….but this time I had an episode of vertigo which was thrilling and so scary.  Thankfully I was laying down.

My doctor said that I could experience a lot of symptoms because of my age (I’m officially Advanced Maternal Age which is basically just saying you got old eggs) and because my body hasn’t had a whole lot of time to recover from all these babies growing, birthing and nursing.  Basically – I haven’t gotten back in shape since having kids.  So that can contribute to a slew of issues.  But I’ve been trying to do some pelvic girdle exercises and I have my old faithful pregnancy support belt ready to go 🙂

As far as cravings….potatoes when I was feeling sick….mashed potatoes were my favorite….hashbrowns…even baked potatoes.  All of them are delish.  Also – fruit roll ups.  They are my jam.  Build me a bouquet of fruit roll ups and call me happy.  And sausage burritos from McDonalds.  I know…they are disgusting fake food that should not be enjoyed.  BUT THEY TASTE SO GOOD.  Also soft pretzels….just like I did with William.  Also – I cut my coffee habit….very exciting because I just wanted an IV of caffeine during the tired-phase.  And I love having one half of an ice-cold Coke in a can.  OH the joy that can bring me.  Seriously…is anyone else hungry right now!?

Lastly – I wanted to say thank you to you guys.  I know it’s been a crazy ride watching our family grow and change and I can’t tell you how much it means to me to have your support and encouragement and daily visits.  You guys are always a super awesome support system and have the best advice and most sound words of wisdom and best jokes that keep me smiling.  So thank you….and hopefully now that I’m in the clear from being oh-so-tired, I can bang out some of these posts that I’ve been promising 🙂