Flanagan Clan

…still sick. I’ve been sick for almost two weeks now, and the boys and Andrew have it too. I was really hoping this would be better by the weekend so we could go to church, but right now it doesn’t look very promising. The house is a total wreck- as soon as I’m better I am resolved that the first thing I will be doing is a complete Spring cleaning.

Also, maybe equally as scary, we have less than 100 days before we can expect the arrival of Baby Boy #4. I have not even started on a baby cross stitch and I want to make him a dozen crocheted burp cloths and try my hand at making some newborn fitted cloth diapers with matching teeshirts using some cute prints I’ve been collecting for a while. I am also having a friend make him a pair of wool pants and matching hat in a mint green and brown colorway, and I have some yarn coming from Three Irish Girls so I can make him a few things as well. I found a cute blue and brown stars nursery set that I’d like to purchase, and I’m hoping to use money that I’m collecting from selling custom dresses and embroidered diapers to pay for it. I am just so sick of duckies after using it for three boys! I have registered at Babies ‘R Us for a few things, if anyone is interested, but it’s mainly just a list for me to remind me what I need/want before baby arrives. Our new church wants to throw me a baby shower. At first I didn’t think it was necessary since I technically don’t need anything for this baby, but the idea of a freezer meal shower was brought up so I think we’re going to do that instead. That way I won’t be tempted to do three days of freezer cooking while I’m suppose to be on bedrest, like I did when I was pregnant with Ethan!

Well, that is about all that’s going on here. I’m just hoping that we get over this sickness soooooon!!!!!

I feel like I’m never going to get better from this cold I came down with last Sunday. The watery eyes and the runny nose are gone, but for the past several days I’ve had the worst persistent cough. I have lost a lot of sleep over this cough, and it’s bad enough that it triggers my gag reflex quite often, esp in the morning, which isn’t good since I don’t exactly have a very strong stomach these days. What is worse, the boys all have the cough too, and it seems like there are times when we’re all doing nothing but coughing. I bought cough drops today, but they don’t seem to help at all. I really need this cough to go away- every time I cough I get a sharp pain in my lower abdomen. Pregnancy and persistent coughing don’t mix very well.

Baby Boy #4

We are very exciting to be adding another boy to our family. I have to admit that during this pregnancy, the more I thought about it, the more nervous I got at the thought of having a baby girl. I am thankful to God for all my sons, and I know that this little one will receive as much love in this household as his older brothers have received. Plus, he gets a brand new car seat and, if I have my way, we’ll be redoing the nursery too! I’m getting a little sick of the ducks- we need something a little more boyish in that room!

During my ultrasound all I could think about was how similar he looked to this little guy:

I’m hoping that they’ll be good friends as they grow up!

I recently learned something new… There’s a term out there when two kids are born less than a year apart- it’s called “Irish twins”. Now I was recently informed that the term was originally a racial slur against Irish-Catholic families, who tended to have a lot of kids close together because they didn’t believe in birth control, so I apologize to any that might be offended by reading this. However, along the same lines as Irish twins, the term “Irish triplets” refers to when a family has three kids that are born less than 3 years apart, and it’s looking like we are going to have a set of those. Why not celebrate the last of our Irish triplets by giving him a good Irish name? ;o)

…. but we’re having our FOURTH boy.

Thanks to our super ultrasound tech, who did my ultrasounds with Sammy and Ethan, I think we have come to a solid conclusion on a name, but I”ll just have to verify with Andrew first. He had to leave for work once the ultrasound was over.

I will try to post pictures of the baby’s profile when I have a moment. He looks just like Ethan, so this little guy is going to be HANDSOME! Baby looked totally healthy, and actually it’s funny because the u/s tech let me figure out the gender before she verified what it was. It was pretty unmistakable. With Ethan I actually had some doubts that I might be popping out a girl, but it’s pretty definite this time. Patrick came with us, and he started pouting when he realized it wasn’t a baby sister- he pulled out his lower lip and gave his most upset, angry look, but I think he’ll get over it when his baby brother actually comes.

Well, I will post more later, but I am going to pick up Patrick from preschool and then we’re off to Babies ‘R Us to buy Baby Boy a new outfit (or three!).

Here are all the entries I got, I don’t think I’m missing anyone. If you would like to enter, you have until 10:00 AM PST tomorrow morning!!!

GIRL:

Amy: June 26, 5 lb, 14 oz.
Dad Flanagan: June 28, 5 lb, 6 oz
Kristie O.: June 28, 5 lb, 15 oz
Hope: June 28, 6 lb, 3 oz
Ali: June 29, 6 lb, 7 oz.
Diane: June 30, 5 lb, 10 oz
Kyle: June 30, 6 lb, 0 oz
Mom: June 30, 6 lb, 2 oz
Rachel:  July 2, 6 lb, 2 oz
Mom Flanagan: July 2, 6 lb, 6 oz
James: July 4, 5 lb, 3 oz
Bri: July 4, 5 lb, 13 oz
Aunt Karen: July 4, 6 lb, 8 oz
Alicia: July 9, 5 lb, 4 oz.
Christia P: July 12, 6 lb, 1 oz.
Aunt Linda L.: 5 lb, 1 oz

BOY:

Diana Lee: June 22, 6 lb, 0 oz
Leanne: June 27, 5 lb, 13 oz
Lori: July 1, 5 lb, 15 oz
Michelle M: July 3, 5 lb, 2 oz.