Giving a Charlotte mommy some love today as she expands her family once again!!  Say hi to Ivanna Campbell, a South Charlotte mom to three little ones (ages 4, 2 ½ and 16 months) and is due with her 4th child this Fall. She is the Founder of a national advocacy site for moms, www.empoweredmommies.com. The site focuses on empowering moms by offering accurate, unbiased and up-to-date information about preconception, pregnancy, labor/delivery, newborn and child care, parenting, self-empowerment, career management and other various topics of interest like breastfeeding, immunizations, maintaining a healthy lifestyle, nutrition, and activism with organizations supporting healthy moms and kids.  In addition to working on her site, she is a featured blogger on the Charlotte Observer’s Moms Site and the Mommy Network on the local community site, Ballantyne Scoop.com where she shares her experiences as a mom. Feel free to visit Empowered Mommies Fan Page on Facebook.

Fourth Time’s A Charm?!

I’m due with my fourth and last child this Fall. I’d like to always add that it’s my “last” in case anyone is thinking I’m trying to be a member in the latest reality television show or setting some sort of crazy record considering that my eldest just turned four three days ago. But my hubby and I have always wanted four kids. I came from a family with six and my husband was one of two, so we thought that four was a nice compromise right in the middle. And when we found out we were expecting, we were more than ecstatic. My first thought was that given I had been there before three times, this pregnancy would be a piece of cake…been there done that type of deal. Boy, was I wrong!

These past eight months have been full of surprises including a scary late night visit to the ER, modified bed rest, and a whole new understanding that no matter how many children you’ve had or how much you think you know, each pregnancy and experience is uniquely different and you always have to be ready for the unexpected and empowered to accept things as they come. Perhaps this was my baby’s way of letting me end my pregnancy years with a dramatic bang! Not sure…

So given some of the challenges this pregnancy has posed thus far, gender was the last thing on my mind as I prepared for the big ultrasound a few months ago. I was just happy to get confirmation that the baby was healthy and growing normally.

My hubby was there along with my three little ones. All excited at the image about to appear before them on the screen, my eldest had a drink and snack with her as if prepping for an afternoon matinee at the movie theater, my middle son fidgeted with everything in the room and my youngest little girl (a mere 16 months) looked concerned at the evidence before her. Now there was no denying the fact that soon she would be dethroned from her youngest-status reign.

The lights dimmed and that warm, gooey jelly was spread on my bulging belly with the familiar tickling sensation I have become so accustomed to feeling.

“There it is….it’s definitely a little boy”, the doctor announced and everything looks good. He then proceeded to do the rest of the in-depth ultrasound checking the little organs and heartbeat. My cravings as with my other son had been a hint, but I hadn’t paid too much attention to it given the bed rest issue preoccupying my thoughts. Now all those nitrates, cold cuts and salty snacks made sense, yet again! I know it’s an old wives tale, but for me it has certainly been the case. Boys = cold cuts, hot dogs, anything salty. Girls = sweet breads, muffins, cake and ice-cream. No joke!

He recommended that I continue taking it easy and not overly exert myself. I nodded in agreement. This pregnancy has certainly taught me to embrace rest, meditation and overall relaxation, something that my usual hyper-self had not been accustomed to. With my previous pregnancies I had been always on the go. Continuing to work on my Empowered Mommies website, attending weekly play dates, cleaning, running errands, etc. I had redefined the notion of nesting for many of my friends who looked puzzled and made fun of me as I climbed steps and stairs to repaint my entire foyer during my last few weeks of pregnancy.

As we saw the ultrasound image before us, my husband I looked at each other with big smiles. 2 and 2. Another indication that four was the magic number for us and that pushing it beyond that would be unwise. I grew excited at the possibilities of referring to my kids in two groups “My boys” and “My girls” and took a deep breath rejoicing in the moment.