a little bit of brady | 26 weeks + christmas sugar cookies
sitting here with the laptop resting on my (giant) 26 week belly.. sugar cookie in hand and brushing sprinkles from the keyboard while I remember the time (and mess) I spent with my girls this weekend.
making memories while making a mess. this is the last holiday season spent with just girls in the house. so much is about to change and while I get emotional worrying about all this change, I literally cannot wait to meet this sweet boy growing in my belly. when imagining how I wanted to celebrate this big ol’ bump and the tail end of my second trimester I decided to include the girls and totally embrace the holiday season for all its worth!
whats more Christmas-y than baking cookies??
I snagged this sugar cookie recipe off Jessica’s blog and it was the most simple + basic and delicious cookie recipe I have ever made! the cookies bake up super soft and perfectly sturdy to hold pounds of icing and sprinkles.
after letting the dough hang out in the fridge for a couple hours it was time to cut + bake + ice some Christmas goodies!
my belly. there it is.
and its legit.
some days I wake up and I’m “okay” with how big I’ve gotten over the last several weeks.. and then there are those times at the end of the day that I catch a glimpse of myself in the hanging mirror in our room and I’m like, HOLY MOLY what am I going to look like at the end of all this growing a baby business. 
buttercream icing
1 stick softened, salted butter
2-3 cups powdered sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla
pinch of salt
1/4 cup of half and half or milk
Combine all ingredients in a bowl & blend with a hand mixer.
photography by b faith photography
26 week belly + baby update
now that we’ve covered all the sugar cookie bases, lets talk baby and belly!
Brady’s “B” initial hat came in the mail and I about died thinking I’ll have my fourth baby wearing this beanie home from the hospital. all the feels, you guys!!
I went for my 26 week check up this week which included a sonogram to take a peek at Brady’s kidney’s again. last month we discovered some mild pockets of fluid, and while this is really common in boys (apparently from what my OB tells me) its something that will need to be monitored and watched closely. the sonogram this week showed that there is still some fluid on his kidneys, around the right more than the left, but it isn’t too much worry about at this point. other than that, he’s healthy and growing strong! Brady has gained an entire pound since last month- weighing in at 2 pounds + 5 ounces with a healthy heartbeat at 140 bpm!
his little profile + button nose is just THE sweetest and definitely reminds me most of Baker and Parker.
As for this mama, my OB is more concerned at this point about the amount of amniotic fluid I’ve got.. which is why I look and measure more like I’m 33 weeks (boom) rather than just the 26 weeks I actually am. and also why complete strangers are prompted to share their swirling thoughts about my bump on a daily basis. apparently polyhydramnios occurs in about 1% of pregnancies and here I am diagnosed again for my second pregnancy in a row. I had a mild case with Baker, measuring on the high end of “normal” from about 28 weeks through to delivery. around 34-35 weeks my body kind of figured itself out on its own and levels balanced and we delivered a healthy baby girl at term.
there isn’t anything to prevent it, and this time around its happened sooner and with much more fluid than the case I had in my pregnancy with Baker. my OB mentioned that this could actually be the sole reason for the fluid on Brady’s kidneys. I go back to the perinatologist next week and then I’ll be making trips to my OB’s office every other week to monitor until my weekly visits start. I took my glucose test, too! here’s hoping that gestational diabetes isn’t the reason for my increased fluid levels:)
so many parts of my mama heart wants to worry about this.. fret + cry about the thought of something “being wrong” with me or my baby boy. a google search, which was a big fat mistake on my part, did me no good but freak me out even more when I saw complications like still birth and preterm labor listed under the risks of this diagnosis. I have so much confidence in my doctor and know that she has everyone’s best interest at heart and will watch this and make sure nothing will happen to the best of her 26 years of experience.
praying for peace in the plans laid in front of us and thankful for the wisdom of the medical professionals managing my care.. and Brady’s care, too! this boy wriggles all day long, so I know that if he stops for a prolonged period of time that I’ll be making a trip to check on him asap.
so thankful for my life right now. the growing baby inside of my, albeit huge, belly and the girls that are running around at my feet.
my cup is full this holiday season.
so much magic and joy and love to be shared!
four more sleeps!
December 21, 2016
As always, this is all so beautiful! I went through the same thing my last two pregnancies, and I'm like you, if there's a reason to worry, I worry! We delivered Gen a couple of weeks early because my doctor wanted to make sure and get her head completely down before the cord to prevent many of the "google complications" – happily, all ended well! So, I know your worries (to the best extent I can), and I'll be praying for smooth sailing from here on out. Merry Christmas, friend!
My first son had the extra kidney fluid. We did follow-up ultrasounds at 32 weeks, after birth, and 6 months. The 6 months was the worst obv (because, screaming baby) but in the end it was all good!
I can understand how scary these things are!! I had cholestasis with my last pregnancy and the risks were also still birth and preterm labor… I ended being scheduled to have her at 37 weeks to reduce any risks. She was born perfectly healthy and mama was too. Hope everything works out perfect for you all!! Lots of prayers for you and little baby boy!
These pictures are beautiful! Love all of y'all! ?
Don't worry momma. He has it all under control and it will all be just fine. You're in good hands and we can't wait to meet sweet BRADY!!
This is absolutely adorable! Your belly is so cute momma! 🙂 Prayers for you and your little boy! <3
Praying for you and your baby!! I am sure everything will be fine but I know that feeling. I am 26 weeks also with a baby BOY :)WE are so excited but had a little scare 2 weeks ago too…
My first little guy had hydronephrosis, too. Still does, technically! It was actually a bit funny, at our 20 week ultrasound post doc visit, she asked if we found out the gender, and said okay good, because even if you hadn't this condition would probably give it away because it is almost always the boys who have it 😉 We have done the follow up ulstrasounds, just had one at the 2 year mark. While he still 'has it', the fluid levels continue to decrease, and he has never had a single side effect. If it wasn't for modern medicine, we truly would never have any clue there was a little extra fluid hanging out. We were also told it almost ALWAYS resolves itself, and our doctor told us he has never seen a case start to get better and then reverse 🙂 While it is a stressful extra thing to deal with, it is also something that really does make me appreciate how closely doctors are able to monitor such internal things before the baby is even here!
I will say an extra prayer for you and your fluid levels, I hope they level out and the rest of your pregnancy is smooth sailing! Merry Christmas to you and your sweet family!
You look beautiful!!! Thinking of you, I know everything will work out! Happy holidays!