I can not believe that I am 29 weeks along already. Late at night, when the kids are in bed, Mitchell and I like to talk about how our life will change in just a few short weeks. We won't be able to just tell the kids to get into bed, we can't just pick up and do the everyday things that I have been so accustomed to the past six years. BUT it is ALL worth it. We can not wait for our son to arrive. We can't wait to hold him, snuggle with him, hear his cute little cry, watch him smile for the first time and watch our girls fall in love with their baby brother.
He has been so active lately and it is so fun to grab Mitchell's hand or let one of the girls feel my belly. Ashley loves to talk right at my tummy to see if he moves. He will defiantly know Ashley's voice when he comes out. :) He gets the hiccups quite a lot and that is such a weird sensation to feel. I remember when I was pregnant with Hailey she would get the hiccups every day and sure enough when she was born she had them every day for about a month or so.
With all of the fun comes the pain, but he is worth it! A couple of weeks ago I took my girls to a Mexican Restaurant and I got food poisoned because of it. Shortly after I threw up some blood so I called my Dr and he told me to go to the Labor and Delivery immediately. As I sat there with the monitors hooked up to me I started contracting and they became more and more steady. The Nurse gave me a couple of glasses of water and told me to drink them and sent me on my way. Luckily I have not had that many contractions since. I have about three or four good ones a day.
At about 26 weeks I started having really bad back pain and a strange pain under my right chest. Every night I would lay on a heating pad and that did not do anything for the pain. At my 28 week appointment I told my Dr about it and he sent me in for an ultrasound to see if I happened to have Gallstones. Luckily they did not find them, but now I am just confused as to what the pain is.
To top that all off I was getting my mail and I tripped pretty hard on the concrete step and landed on my hands. I am so glad that I did not land on my stomach. I have had pretty bad back pain since falling and I am trying to take things slower, but that is so hard with three active girls. Before school started Mitchell gave each of our girls a Father's Priesthood Blessing and he also gave me one. He told me that I need to listen to my Dr and follow what he has to say. After I told him about the fall he told me that I HAVE to slow down and stay down, Dr's orders! So, my nights have been sleepless and I toss and turn with pain, but he is worth it and I am just readying myself for when the baby comes. :)
HIS NAME
We have finally chosen a name for this sweet little Spirit that will enter our home. He will be named BOYCE CALVIN LEE COUCH but will go by the name Calvin for short. :) In Oklahoma it is very common for the men to have three names so we have taken on their tradition since a lot of Mitchell's family is from Oklahoma and we could not agree upon just one name. He will be named after a couple of amazing men!
The Boyce Lee comes from Mitchell's Grandfather Boyce Lee Couch. Grandpa Couch is one of those men that make you feel special every time he sees you. He loves to get "sugar" from our girls and loves to spoil them. Every time we go to his house in Oklahoma he cracks open his piggy bank and gives every penny to his grand kids, which last time amounted to about $25 each grandchild. He is very interested in what our girls are doing and how their grades are. The second grades come in the mail we are to mail them to him so he can send them some money for how well they do.
One of my fondest memories of Grandpa is the last time that we went to Oklahoma for vacation. All of his family was there and Grandma and Grandpa were in heaven. Every night for five or so years he would go to the local nursing home to take care of his Mother in Law. He would bring her a special milk shake and comb her hair for her and make her feel comfortable until she fell asleep and then he would sneak out to go home and sleep. In the five years that she was there he only missed going there five times. What amazing dedication. One of the nights that we were there I snuck over to the nursing home to sit with him and Grandma Maxey. He was so gentle with her and so loving. I cherish the hour or so that I was able to hear stories about how he met Grandma and how well Grandma Maxey always treated him. He is such an awesome example to me of dedication and love. I am so proud that my son will carry on his name.
(Grandpa Boyce Couch, Hailey, Lindsay, Grandma Betty Couch and Ashley at our home June 2010).
Calvin Courson is another amazing man that we are proudly naming our son after. I only saw Grandpa Courson a couple of times but each time that I saw him he made me feel loved. I remember on a trip from Utah to California stopped in at Grandma and Grandpa Courson's home in Boron, California. Grandpa let Lindsay play with his furbys. This was special because he NEVER let anyone touch his furby dolls and I believe that he had like 50 of them in all. His collection was amazing. They were all in their original packaging also. Grandpa got out about 8 of the dolls and sat them all in a circle and let them communicate with each other while Lindsay sat there enjoying every second. After Grandpa died we each received some of Grandpa's furby dolls that we cherish!
When Mitchell grew up he was lucky enough to live around the corner from Grandma and Grandpa Courson. They would go to his many football games, wrestling matches and school activities. They took a very active roll in his life and truly loved it.
When Grandpa died a couple of years ago I was so glad that Mitchell was able to fly down to be with his parents and Grandma. He was an amazing man full of love and compassion.
(Grandpa Calvin Courson and Grandma Sharon Courson)
It is very important for us to have our son bear the middle name LEE. He will be the fifth generation of Lee's in the Couch family. His genealogy chart is as follows:
Opal Lee Couch (Great Great Grandfather)
Boyce Lee Couch (Great Grandfather)
Hershel Lee Couch (Grandfather)
Mitchell Lee Couch (Father)
Boyce Calvin Lee Couch
I am so excited to finally be having a son! I can not wait for all of the boy things that we will get to do from t-ball practice to scouting to his mission and everything else that comes along with having a boy. The other day I bought his first little outfit and I am so excited that it is not pink. :)
10 more weeks until we get to hold our sweet little baby and I can NOT wait!
