Update

I went to see Dr. Washkowiak this morning and I told her that I wasn't feeling great and that my blood pressure seems to be up. She confirmed that my blood pressure is significantly higher than it has been and I also had some protein in my urine. She wants me to monitor my blood pressure at home throughout the day and to call if it is 140/90 for two or more readings. Since I am almost full term, she said she will possibly induce me depending on how things go because with high blood pressure you are just waiting for something bad to happen. There was a little bit of protein in my urine, but that can be typical at this point in pregnancy. I got blood work done and everything was okay. Dr. W said I should expect that she might keep me at my appointment next week or the following and go ahead and induce me. I am getting so close to meeting you! I am very excited and nervous too.

My Little OB

Look at how huge my belly is now at 36 weeks! Brooke likes playing doctor and checking on my belly and baby Dylan. Your siblings are both getting really excited for your arrival. Brooke likes to shake my belly and say, "Wake up baby Dylan!" Yesterday Brooke asked when you are going to "crack out" : ) She is thinking that you are like a baby bird and my belly is like an egg.

Swaddle Practice

Brooke has so many baby dolls, and she is loving the new gear she has received for Hanukkah and Christmas. She has also seen me washing and organizing all the baby gear and getting ready for your arrival. She wanted to wrap her babies up in baby blankets like yours, which gave me the perfect opportunity to practice swaddling. She loves holding the babies when they are all swaddled up. I even pulled out a couple hospital blankets that I brought home after I had Brooke and she thought that was pretty cool. She is going to love holding you!

36 Weeks

Wow...this is the most pregnant I have ever been! I am certainly feeling ready to have you. I have been having a lot of contractions, and I feel like you have dropped. I go to see Dr. Washkowiak this morning and I am so curious to see if I am dilated at all. I had a lot of contractions on Christmas, and I was thinking that you might be sharing your birthday with Jesus! I'm glad we made it through Christmas without you arriving. My blood pressure is also going up a bit and I am getting really bloated. Maybe this is just what the last month of pregnancy is going to be like for me, but I feel like you will be here pretty soon. We have a birth day pool going with my family, which we did with Brooke too. We all take a guess at the day you are going to be born. Today is Auntie E's guess and I picked December 29th, which is in two days. Daddy picked January 1st. It would be pretty crazy if you were born on New Year's Day because you would share your birthday with cousin Jackson and it was also Grandpa's birthday.

We took down all of our Christmas decorations and our tree yesterday. We have never done that so quickly! We got out your car seat out last night and the swing and bouncy chair are in the family room. Today we are going to put up the pack n play and co-sleeper, and I am going to pack my bag for the hospital. As Brooke says, "We are putting up the baby decorations".  We are trying to watch Brooke very carefully around the baby swing because she loves to push it, and yesterday she even climbed into it. We are worried about her trying to be a big helper, but doing things that are not very helpful when you arrive.

I should also mention that Brooke got the baby doll she has been wanting from Pottery Barn Kids from Santa for Christmas. We asked her what she was naming her doll and she said, "Dylan". Brooke's baby Dylan is a girl so now we will have a girl and a boy baby Dylan in our house!

35 Weeks

I had my first regular cervical check today, and I am not dilated yet, but I am about 50% effaced. It doesn't mean much since people can be effaced and dilated for a long time, but it feels exciting to me that you are getting ready to come. You are head down, and still need to drop which might not happen until I go into labor. One day this week I was running around taking care of errands while your siblings were at school and I had a lot of contractions and some in my back too. I was convinced that it was the early stage of labor, but after laying down the contractions went away. It was a good thing though because it made me realize you could come at any minute. Since then I have finished washing all your clothes and blankets, filled out hospital paperwork and wrote a list of what I need to bring to the hospital. It is such a crazy, busy time of year with Christmas. Thankfully, the end of pregnancy puts me in hyper organizing mode. I have been cooking, packing, shopping, crafting, wrapping, and doing lots of fun holiday activities with Brooke and Carson. I didn't want them to miss out on anything just because I was very pregnant. Good thing I have a lot of energy at the end of pregnancy! The day after Christmas we are going to take down all our decorations and move into baby season. We will set up your gear, including your car seat. I want to be sure that Brooke gets used to seeing your stuff and knows that they are not toys or for her baby dolls. Brooke is very into her baby dolls, and I am a bit worried that she is going to think you are her own personal doll!

34 Weeks

Hello my little honeydew! At 34 weeks, you should be about 5 pounds and 18 inches. It is pretty crazy to feel you move inside me now because you are so big.

You have a name!

Hallelujah! I can finally say that you are no longer the nameless "baby brother". Although we do still like to call you baby brother too : ) Your name is going to be.....da da da da.......Dylan McNeil Szekeres! I can't believe how long it took us to name you. It is funny to think that in August we thought your name was decided, and you were going to be Cooper Laszlo Szekeres. We love that name, but it is pretty popular, and we were also worried that "pooper" or "poop" would become your nicknames. Since Daddy changed his mind last time, I made him make sure he was positive on your name this time before we shared it with anyone. Dylan is a name that we both love (as does almost everyone we share it with) and McNeil has very special family meaning in more ways than one.

McNeil is the name of the State Park in Utah that Daddy shared a very special trip with Grandpa and Uncle Jeff. It is Daddy's fondest memory of Grandpa from his adult life. Daddy went on many special outdoor adventures and trips with his Dad over his life and this was his last special trip he shared with him. Growing up, Grandpa always took care of everything and led their trips, but this last trip was a big turning point because their roles had switched. Daddy found out about this great experience to go to Alaska in the summer to watch brown bears congregate and feed on salmon in a remote location. McNeil River is Alaska's most famous bear viewing area. Daddy entered a lottery for a couple years and was really excited when their number was called. He and Uncle Jeff arranged the trip, and this time they were the ones guided Grandpa. Most memorable were the times they helped guide him across the river to view the bears. It was a very memorable bonding trip at McNeil River, and Daddy will always treasure those memories with Grandpa.

McNeil is a very special name to me too. My amazing Papa, Douglas McNeill Laidlaw, just passed away last month, and he was such a positive influence in my life. Papa was the most amazing person I have ever met. He was such a gentleman and cared so deeply about everyone in his family. He had this way of making us feel so special. McNeill is a family name that has been passed down for many generations. I will be so proud to have you share a name with Papa, and I hope that you will share some of his amazing character traits.

The spelling of the McNeil is different, but Grams found out recently that Papa's middle name on his birth certificate is spelled with one L, so we are choosing that spelling to honor two very important men in your family.  Unfortunately, you will not have a chance to meet them, but they will certainly be looking after you from heaven.

It is so nice to have a name for you. We can't wait to meet you Dylan!

33 Weeks

Hello my little honeydew! It is crazy to think that this is how pregnant I was when I had your big brother, Carson. I am so excited to meet you, but I definitely need you to cook longer. I just read that you will likely grow a whole inch in this week alone, and that your "brain is developing like crazy" right now. I better be sure to take my vitamins and eat healthy this week!

32 Weeks

I had my last ultrasound today. It was really cool to see your little face, and to see how big you are now. You are in the 26th percentile for size and you weigh about 4 pounds, 2 ounces right now. Your torso is small, but you have long legs. There is not much surprise there since the Denniston side of the family is known for long legs! The sonographer got a great shot of your little face. You are very cute! It made it all feel so real and I got a little emotional. I am so excited to meet you and snuggle you in my arms!

Your siblings have been sick this week. We have had a rough cold and flu season so far. I'm hoping we are getting it all our of systems before you arrive! It is hard to be cooped up at home not feeling well, but I love the extra snuggle time :)

Big Brother Training

Getting some baby practice with cousin Wyatt. He is such a little doll! Carson wanted to hold him and was very good with him.

31 Weeks

Hello my little squash! You are 3.5 pounds now, and my belly is getting really big.  Today, for the first time, my shirt wouldn't even cover all of my belly : )

My heartburn is getting really bad, and the last couple nights I have been up for hours in the middle of the night because it is so bad that it makes me throw up. I'm looking forward to when you drop and the heartburn gets better.

Family Babymoon

Before Carson and Brooke were born, Daddy and I went on a trip just the two of us. They call this a babymoon so that the future mom and dad can enjoy some quality time together and celebrate before their new baby arrives. This time we did a "family babymoon" so that our little family of four could do something fun together before we become a family of five and are homebound for a bit. What better place to go than Disneyland! We love it there, and Carson has been so excited to do the Star Wars stuff with Daddy.

30 Weeks

Wow...I can't believe I am 30 weeks pregnant now! It seems so much closer when you reach 30 weeks. If you come when your big brother did, you would be here in just three weeks! I have to say that I am happy, but also surprised, that I have not made a trip to Labor & Delivery yet. My belly is certainly huge and people tell me that I am all belly, but I think they are just trying to be nice : ) I have already put on 25 pounds! You are moving around a ton, and I love that feeling. I think we might set your crib up in Carson's room soon so he has some time to adjust to it. I have started hanging up your clothes and putting clothes, blankets and things in the closet. I cannot believe your wardrobe before you are even born! I just can't resist buying you cute clothes, and you got some cute stuff at the shower too. You are already a spoiled little guy : )

My Baby Shower

My friends threw me a really fun shower! I am so lucky to have an amazing group of friends, and I love that they wanted to celebrate my third baby. I definitely think that every child should be celebrated, and they did such a great job with everything. The theme was whales and the colors were lime green and turquoise. Everything looked so cute! The hostess were Danielle, Sara, Kristen, Kelsey & Shereen. I met all these girls through Stroller Strides when Carson was a baby, and they have been such a great group of girls and mamas. Their friendships mean so much to me! They are all very excited to meet you : )

29 Weeks

This has been a hard week for me. Papa passed away. He was so special to me, and I will miss him so much. I really wish that you were going to meet him. A few months ago when Papa's oncologist asked him if he wanted to keep fighting his cancer with chemotherapy, he said that he was a fighter and that there was exciting new life to look forward to in our family (your cousin Wyatt was about to be born and you). He loved his family so much. I am going to tell you all about Papa when you are older. He was such a great role model for us all. You have two very special angels looking over you from heaven - Grandpa and now Papa too.

Meet Dean Rizk

29 Weeks

Last night Carson said to me, "Mama, your tummy is getting really fat!" He is right...my belly is getting very big.

28 Weeks

Hello my little eggplant! I feel like today we have hit a good milestone. Your vital organs have matured enough that if you were to born now you would likely survive. I had another ultrasound today and you are looking great. You are measuring a little over 28 weeks, but the sonographer said that is mainly because you have very long legs. All of my babies have been leggy. My cervix still looks great and I have not had any preterm labor yet. I am certainly exhausted though. The heartburn and braxton hicks have become worse and nights are tough. It is amazing all that your body goes through when you are pregnant. Daddy and I still haven't decided on your name! At this point, I'm thinking it might be fun just to wait until you are born.

27 Weeks

You are about 2 pounds and 14.5 inches long now.

26 Weeks

This belly is growing and growing! I had my first bit of cramping this week, which has me a little nervous. I was 26 weeks when I went on partial bed rest with Brooke. My first extra ultrasound went well and my FFN test came back negative, which was great news! In the meantime, I am trying to get organized and ready for potentially going on bed rest. My biggest challenge right now is trying to slow down a bit. I love being busy with a full calendar, but I think my body is telling me that now I need to take it easier.

Last night I went to a really fun dinner with the birthday club - me, Kelsey, Sara & Danielle. We have been celebrating each other's birthdays for the last 3 years and this year we celebrated the June birthdays a bit late because life was very busy in June. It is fun to spread it out. Anyway, Sara brought adorable Emme with us and it just made me so excited to have you. Emme is the sweetest most adorable little baby and she was so content just snuggled in Sara's arms while we had our girls night. I can't wait to have you snuggled in my arms!

24 Weeks

Hello my little papaya! My belly is definitely getting big. I feel you moving all the time, and I think lately I have been feeling you flip around which is a weird sensation. We still don't have a name for you! It is so funny since Carson and Brooke were named shortly after we found out their gender. Daddy and I are just having a really hard time agreeing and deciding. As of now it is between Dylan and Cooper. The other names still on the list are Caden (still pushing this one), Garrett, Hunter, Conner, and maybe Preston. I take my first fetal fibronectin test this week, which I am a little nervous about. It is a swap test to check my cervix. If it is positive, it means your body is preparing to go into labor within the next two weeks. I feeling optimistic that it will be negative, and I am hoping & praying that all my FFN tests come back negative since a positive will land me in the hospital for supervised bed rest. I'm sure everything will be fine, but it is making me realize that you could be here soon and it is also raising my fears about preterm labor. For now I feel pretty good. I have been running around like a crazy person, as always, but I think I need to start to slow down soon. By the end of the day my tummy is hard as a rock and I am exhausted. It will also be nice when the weather cools off. It is already October and I know the time is going to fly by now that the holidays are about to start. We are so excited to meet you, but we also want to make sure you cook long enough. We already love you so much!

Mover & Shaker

You are an active little dude. Last night Daddy got to feel you move for the first time! He was really excited. I have been trying to get him to feel you, but every time he moves his hand you decide to kick. It finally worked. It helps that you are getting bigger and stronger. Then tonight Carson got to feel you kick. He thought it was pretty cool too. I was laying in Carson's bed and reading a book about construction vehicles and you were moving around like crazy. I told Carson that his baby brother already loves trucks!

23 Weeks

It's a big milestone today. You are huge - about one pound and one foot long! You are really kicking and moving around a lot now. I love feeling it!

Brooke and her Babies

Brooke is all about babies these days! I hope she feels the same way about the real baby (you) arriving in about four months. She just loves all things baby related and every time she sees any of the clothes or things I have bought you she says, "Ooooh, so cute!"

I came downstairs after getting dressed the other day and this is what I found. Brooke had set up her own little nursery. I think she is going to be a big helper!

I hope that your big sister Brooke is as sweet and nurturing with you as she is with her baby dolls.

Meet Cousin Wyatt

Smells

Oh my goodness...my nose must be super sensitive! I am having a hard time this week with smells. I took Carson & Brooke to the zoo on Monday and it was so stinky to me. I'm sure the zoo always smells like that, but for this super sensitive pregnant nose all I could smell was animal poop! At the moment there is a bad smell in our bedroom and I can't figure out what it is or the source of it. Pregnancy does some crazy things to you!

21 Weeks

Hello my little banana! We are doing some serious nesting around here. We want to be sure that we are organized, clean and maximize the use of our space before you get here. This week we got our carpets cleaned and made an appointment to get our garage floor epoxyed so we can use it like a playroom. When Daddy and I moved into our house we thought it was huge, and we would never outgrow it. Now, almost 3 kids later, our 2056 square feet are filled to the max. We are also getting our family room and dining area re-done next week to add some color and freshen things up. We want everything to look great for your arrival : ) ! (Really....I know that there will be little time to get things like this done after you are born and there are 3 kiddos running around the house!)

We are planning to move sometime within the next couple years, but in the meantime you and Carson are going to share a room. I think it is going to be a good experience, although I am a bit nervous about the adjustment for Carson. We are hoping to make the changes to his room before you come so he has some time to get used to it. You are going to have an ocean/beach themed room. Carson's bedding is surfboards with shark sheets and sharks and sea creatures on the wall. Your bedding is going to coordinate, but with a more baby theme. You are going to have whales. I think the whale bedding is adorable! It is mostly periwinkle blue, navy blue and a little red and green.

20 Weeks

Today was a fun day! I am now 20 weeks pregnant, which feels like a big milestone, and we got to have our anatomy scan today. First of all, we are so happy that you are a healthy little guy! During this ultrasound they look at every little part of your body, including the individual chambers of your heart. Daddy, as you will soon learn, is a bit of a worrier, especially when it comes to health. He was very nervous during the ultrasound and kept making sure that you were looking healthy and had all your fingers and toes. The sonographer told us that you were very healthy, and instead we should worry about what a wiggle worm you are! She said you are an active little one. There wasn't much surprise there since your siblings were the same way, especially Carson. We got some cool pictures that I will try to scan, including one of your little foot. Also, it was great to confirm that you are a boy! That would have been quite a shock!

Making Friends Already

I remember when I was younger my mom would say, "They were friends before they were born" and I always thought that sounded funny. Now it makes perfect sense. Brooke "knew" most of her good friends right now before she was born, meaning that the moms were friends when they were pregnant. Well today you met a new friend while in utero. Dax Reardon was born yesterday and I loved visiting with him and his Mama & Daddy in the hospital. He has such a sweet little face and looks a lot like his brothers. I am going to want you to spend lots of time with him because I know he will be a kind, polite, and smart boy just like his two big brothers, Zachary & Christian.

I must mention that you also already have a girlfriend. Little Miss Emme Donnelley is just about the cutest little thing in the world. I love any snuggle time I get with her. She is just as beautiful as her big sister, Clare, and her mama and she is a good little baby. She can teach you a thing or two as well. I just hope she is okay with going out with younger boys!

19 Weeks

Hello my little Papaya! You are definitely moving around now, and it is so cool to feel. I am at such an exciting and fun part of pregnancy now. Daddy and I are still trying to figure out your name. Right now these are the names in the mix: Cooper, Conner, Garret, and now Brayden. We went to the anatomy ultrasound today and got to see all your body parts. You were moving around a lot and the sonographer told us we should be worried about your strong will and stubbornness. It looks like you will fit right in with this family! It was also confirmed that you are definitely a boy. We got lots of pictures, including a really cool one of your ear. It is so nice to know that you are a happy, healthy growing boy in there!

18 Weeks

Hello my little sweet potato! The fruit/vegetable this week is a little more fitting since Grams sometimes called up sweet potato growing up and I do the same with Carson & Brooke. I am feeling great these days! Of course I get tired and at times my back hurts, but other than that I have nothing to complain about. This is my favorite part of pregnancy! I love that I have a big pregnant belly now and it is clear to strangers that I am expecting and not just chubby around the middle. I am starting to exercise again too, which makes me feel better. Your brother and sister started preschool this week so it is giving me some peace & quiet and time to get errands done. I am excited to have to get organized and prepared for your arrival. I know with 3 kids there will be little time to get things accomplished. Then once you arrive it will be so nice to have Tuesday and Thursday just the two of us. I can't wait for that special time we will have together. I already love you so much!

17 Weeks

Hello my little onion! I am still feeling good, and I'm enjoying a pretty relaxing weekend. Daddy and Carson are in Utah so it is just me and Brooke this week. We had a fun and busy beginning to our week traveling to Orange County, LA, Santa Barbara, and an overnight trip to Disneyland. The last few days we have been at home and Brooke has been sleeping in and I have been napping and reading during her long naps. The days are certainly less exhausting with just one child. I can only imagine how crazy busy life will be after you arrive and there are three kiddos in this family. As much as I love the relaxing, I really love the craziness and fun of a big family and I can't wait to be a family of 5!

16 Weeks

Hi my little avocado! I am 16 weeks now, and I am finally feeling pretty good. The nausea is much less now and I am starting to get some more energy. Hooray!! Daddy and I have been talking a lot about your name. Our top picks are Garrett, Wyatt, Conner, and Cooper. It looks like your name is going to be Cooper! I think it is such a cute name and I love the way Carson, Brooke, and Cooper all have similar letter sounds in them (c/k and r). I think they all sound great with the last name Szekeres. Other big news...I started feeling you "flutter" in my tummy the day before I turned 16 weeks. It was such a cool feeling! I can't wait to start feeling you move around more and to kick.

15 Weeks

I am finally starting to feel better and haven't thrown up in over a week. Hallelujah! I am so excited that you are a baby boy. It is going to be so much fun to have another little guy. I just can't wait to snuggle you! Daddy and I are having a hard time figuring out your name. We want your middle name to be Laszlo just like Grandpa. He died in November, and we miss him dearly. Laszlo is the Hungarian form of the name Leslie, which is Daddy's middle name. So at least we have part of your name figured out! This week the names that are topping the list are Garrett, Conner, and Cooper. I am really pushing for Caden, but I don't think it is going to happen. It will be nice to have your name figured out because for now we are calling you "Baby Brother".

It's a BOY!

We found out today that you are a baby BOY! I must admit that I was surprised. It is going to be so much fun to have another sweet, cuddly boy in my arms in six months or less. There is something so special about the bond between little boys and their mamas. Carson is very excited to have a baby brother, and Brooke is getting excited too. She really had her heart set on a baby sister, but I know she is going to be thrilled and will fall in love with you the minute she meets you. She is going to be the best big sister!

When I was putting Carson to bed tonight, I asked him, "Are you so excited that you are going to have a baby brother?" He responded by saying, "I have been asking God for a boy baby and he gave us one. Then I went on the baby websites and I picked out our baby boy for us." Your big brother is a funny boy!

Now we need to figure out what your name is going to be : )

Anticipation

So tomorrow is the BIG day!!! We will find out if you are a girl or a boy. My stomach is in knots, and I am so excited to hear the news. We will be very happy either way, but we just can't wait to know so we can give you a name and start planning. The appointment was supposed to be on Monday, but I changed it to a day earlier. Grams & Pop and Grandma will be joining us too. I can't wait to post the good news tomorrow!

14 Weeks

Hello my little lemon! Carson, Brooke, and I just looked at pictures online of what you look like now. You are about 3.5 inches long and the size of a lemon. The kids cracked up when they learned that you can pee now! I am still feeling nauseous and I have a sinus infection again. I just can't wait for the second trimester to fully kick in so I have some energy back and I start feeling good. I am definitely showing now, and can only wear maternity clothes. It is really fun for strangers to say things to me because they can tell that I am pregnant. I have not been able to resist and I have been buying you clothes already. I know....I am a crazy mama! I just can't resist. Baby clothes are so adorable, and it helps me feel good and it gets me really excited when I am feeling sick all the time. I am buying much more baby girl clothing than baby boy clothing because I am still convinced that you are a girl : )

Carson and Brooke took these pictures : )