My Eats, My Crafts, My 2 Chihuahuas & My Olive!

Happy 3 months, Olive!

2012-01-23T13:41:00.000-06:00

Age: 3 months

Weight: 14 lbs. (percentile)

Height: 25 inches long ( percentile)

Head circumference: 16 1/4 inches

Sleeping: She is sleeping 8-9 hours at night, some nights waking once & some nights sleeping until I'm ready to get up. :)

Eating habits: Nursing and Expressed milk. She is drinking 4-5 oz. of milk from a bottle at night.

Favorite activity: Eating and being in mama's arms.

Cutest Moment of the Month: Talking

Milestones:

Begins to bear partial weight on both legs when held in a standing position (Olive has been able to do this for awhile now).

Able to hold head up when sitting but still bobs forward

When lying on stomach can raise head and shoulders between 45 and 90 degrees (sometimes)

Bears weight on forearms

Grasp reflex absent

Holds objects but does not reach for them

Clutches own hands and pulls at blankets and clothes

Follows objects 180 degrees

Locates sound by turning head and looking in the same direction

Squeals, coos, babbles, and chuckles

"Talks" when spoken to

Recognizes faces, voices, and objects

Smiles when she sees familiar people, and engages in play with them

Shows awareness to strange situations

Firsts: Rolling on side, Teething

Updates: I've recognized that Liv is a "high needs" baby. She fits every characteristic: Intense, Hyperactive, Draining, Feeds Frequently, Demanding, Awakens Frequently, Unsatisfied, Unpredictable, Super-Sensitive, Can't Put Baby Down, Not a Self-Soother, Separation Sensitive.
"High needs" baby + teething + growth spurts + gas pains = 1 tired mama. I'm left exhausted by the end of the day. Some days are better than others. Lately she has allowed me to get more things done around the house, but I have to be quick. :)
What this means for the blog? If not I'm not with baby girl I'll be keeping up with household duties, so blogging will take a backseat for awhile. (Hey she won't be this clingy forever...I hope). I'll still update her monthly pics etc. and if I get the extra time I'll be here venting about meddlers. ;)

Other than Liv wearing me out we are truly enjoying our little girl. She is such a sweet girl. She makes us smile and laugh. She is such a joy and brings so much more happiness to our lives. I just love her smile. It simply lights me up and is contagious. Every morning I look forward to seeing that gummy smile. :)

Letter to my Olive

2012-01-05T16:30:00.005-06:00

Dear Olive,

You are now just over 2 months old. My have you changed. You are talking and smiling a lot. You recognize our voices and faces now. I just love the sound of your voice and your beautiful, gummy smile.

Friends always said, "Enjoy this time, they grow up so fast". I had no idea how true this was until a few days ago. The first month and a half was really tough with growth spurts, inconsolable crying, wanting to be held constantly and little sleep. I wanted nothing more than for you to just grow up and get to the "fun" stage of walking, talking and playing. And now as I watch you grow before my eyes I kind of want to stop time and have you stay this age for a little while longer. You are so innocent. Your only needs are to be loved, held, fed and changed. I'm the only one that can console you when you are upset. You're my sweet baby girl, but you will not always be as sweet as you are at this moment. I fear that one day you will break my heart when you yell, "I hate you!". I hope that never happens. Those will be the not so "fun" years, but we'll get through it.

I now cherish every single moment you are awake (except when you don't want to go to sleep and it's 11 pm). I take a lot of pictures and videos because we'll never get this time back and I want to be able to look back and see just how precious this time was for us.

Having you here is the "fun" part. And although I get a little emotional thinking how all of this will be gone one day I know there are many more amazing days with you to come!

I love you sweet girl.

Mama

Liv talks

2012-01-03T16:25:00.002-06:00

Liv has found her voice and I absolutely love it!

She is the most talkative in the morning and at night.

Enjoy! :)

Liv talking to her mama

Liv talking to her bird friends on her mobile

First Date Day

2011-12-29T16:20:00.000-06:00

Thanks to my wonderful mama, Dan and I enjoyed our first of what I hope will be many date days.

I missed her the moment we pulled out of the driveway, but I knew she was in great hands.

Olive somehow always ends up in our conversations now...and I love that. :)

We enjoyed lunch and a movie.

We had delicious sushi and I didn't have to swallow my food, I got to savor every bite.Yum.

We went to see Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol. Great action movie. It was also nice to feel my milk let down midway through the movie. Thank goodness for manual breast pumps. :D Don't worry, I pumped in the restroom.

My mom was able to get Olive to nap in her swing for a good 45 minutes. WTH? She never naps that long for us. I'm lucky if I get 15 minutes.

The 4 hours away from Liv was a bit hard, but was just what we needed. We always have to remember to put each other first.

Thanks again Mama. <3

Now when are you available again? ;)

Olive's 1st Christmas

2011-12-28T17:37:00.000-06:00

This was our first Christmas as a family of 5. And it was wonderful! Sure it was exhausting at times and most of my day was spent nursing and changing pampies, but I wouldn't have it any other way. :)

A week before Christmas we had "Christmas" with Dan's family.

Dan made a scrumptious meal of turkey, pork, gnocchi, greens, rolls and pound cake.

She got clothes from her aunt Angie and a beautiful bracelet and keepsake from her grandparents.

This outfit shrunk a bit when I washed and dried it. Oops.

Liv's 1st visit with Santa went well. I know next year will be very different. :)

I decided to hold her this year.

Christmas Day was spent with my parents.

Dan again made a delicious meal of goose, dressing, turnips (which I now know I love) and carrot cake.

My girl is so big! Her looks are changing. Some days she looks like Dan of course, but there are some days or moments in those days where I see myself.

It's pretty amazing how much she has changed in 2 months. :)

Olive got an outfit from her Tio Adam, Tia Melissa and cousins. She also got a Christmas blanket, paci holder, gift card to Target (will be great to use on more clothes because she is growing out of everything) and hair bows from her Nana & Poh Poh.

We got her an outfit, some Dr. Seuss books, her playgym/mat and her learning tower that we bought from a consignment shop.

My dad began to feel under the weather by the end of the night so that is the reason for the no smile. Olive was exhausted at this point. :)

I keep thinking how different it will be next year. She'll be unwrapping gifts and walking. Wow.

All in all it was a great holiday and we look forward to many more Happy Christmases with our baby girl and our families.

Happy 2 months, Olive!

2011-12-23T17:00:00.000-06:00

Our beauty is still growing and just about to break my back. :D

I see other babies that are 3-6 months and she is as long as them, just unable to hold her head up.
I hope she walks earlier than most babies because my back and knees can't take too much more. lol

Age: 2 month

Weight: 12 lbs. 12 oz. (85th percentile)

Height: 23 inches long (85th percentile)

Head circumference: 15 1/2 inches

Sleeping: I am nursing closer to every 2 hours during the day.

Sleeping at night has been wonderful. ::knocking on wood:: She sleeps anywhere from 5-8 hours straight sometimes. Thank god because I need it some nights.
Eating habits: Nursing and Expressed milk. I give her about 3 oz. of milk in a bottle at night and that has helped her sleep longer. Sometimes she'll get 2 bottles a day depending on if we need to run errands and I don't feel taking the boob out. :)
Favorite activity: Eating and being in mama's arms.
Cutest Moment of the Month: Smiles, Laughter and recognizing our voices and faces.
Milestones:
Lifts head almost 45 degrees when lying on stomach
Head bobs forward when held in sitting position
Grasp reflex decreases
Follows dangling objects with eyes
Visually searches for sounds
Makes noises other than crying
Cries become distinctive (wet, hungry, etc.)
Vocalizes to familiar voices
Social smile demonstrated in response to various stimuli

Firsts: Laugh, Smiles and vaccines.

Olive's First Thanksgiving

2011-12-18T22:20:00.000-06:00

You can tell how busy Miss Liv as been keeping me seeing as I'm just now blogging about Thanksgiving.

Dan, Olive and I enjoyed a low key Thanksgiving with a wonderful meal. My parents came by later in the evening for leftovers and dessert. :)

It was very hard to help Dan with Thanksgiving lunch when Little Miss Liv wanted to be held constantly, but we managed and everything turned out great.

Can you tell I had little to no time to put on anything "nice" for Thanksgiving? Oh well. The day was perfect. :)

My little turkey

Growth Spurts

2011-12-12T14:30:00.003-06:00

Holy hell.

Liv already eats about every 1.5 hours and when she goes through these growth spurts it just about does me in.

She gets super fussy and wants to eat or just be near my boob.

She hit a growth spurt at 2 and 3 weeks and then again these past couple of days at 6-7 weeks.

I'm left exhausted by the end of the day.

There are not enough arms in this house.

She wants to be held all of the time.
And she is no lightweight. She is a whopping 12 lbs. now.

I can't put her down in her pack & play or rock & play for more than 15 mins. before she starts crying.

She does sleep 4-6 hours at night so I'm definitely grateful for those hours of rest. Maybe I need to start eating and doing chores in the middle of the night.

It's a good thing we love her so much. :)

I dream of the days when she can go 2-3 hours between feedings. Will that ever happen?

When Olive is not crying she is so wonderful.

She does really well in the car and we've gone to the grocery store a few times. She's great. She is starting to smile when she sees my face or hears my voice and I just love it.

In the other news, I'm back on the pill. Yippee! We CAN NOT have any unplanned babies any time soon. :)

Olive's Debut (The Birth Story)

2011-12-01T22:20:00.005-06:00

5 weeks later I have finally found the time to write & post our birth story. It's a long story, but I want to make sure I have all of the details here so that I can one day share them with Olive. The story, told by Dan, is much better in person.

Friday night, October 21st, I began having more discharge. It was thinner than normal. I call my midwife to make sure I'm okay. She tells me it sounds normal and if I experience any bleeding to call them back.

Saturday morning, October 22nd, at around 8 a.m. my mucus plug fell out and continued to come out throughout the day.

I began to have back cramps. They felt similar to what I experience during my menstrual cycle. I would later learn that I was in early labor and these were irregular contractions. We went to Lowe's to get a few last minute things for the house before Olive arrived. Throughout the day I had been in contact with my friend Lisa about what I was experiencing. Lisa suggested we put a mattress pad down, under our sheets, just in case anything exciting happened overnight. I honestly didn't think anything would happen. I had read one can lose their mucous plug and not go into labor for weeks so I figured my body was just preparing itself and that I still had time. Well, I was wrong. We didn't have a mattress pad so I suggested we cut up some trash bags. I did some relaxation exercises on the birth ball. Around 11:30 Dan fell asleep and I began to track my contractions with an app on my phone. I didn't get any sleep. I walked around the bedroom and the hall a few times. Around 1:07 a.m. I woke up Dan and asked him to look at the app to see if he thought I was in labor or what he thought about what the app was saying. Dan is still half asleep and then I feel a pop and ask him, "Did you hear that pop?" Yes, I asked him if he heard it. I felt a gush of water flow out of me. I then said, "I think my water just broke". It was 1:08 a.m.

I had him call our midwives while I jumped in the shower. The contractions were much more intense now. I felt them in my belly now and the back labor was not letting up. Dan left a message with the answering service and we found out the midwife on call was the one we had hoped would be there when we went into labor. That was great to hear! I immediately felt a calmness come over me. All would be fine. Our midwife calls us back and we discuss laboring at home for awhile, but she wants to make sure I can feel baby girl move. At this point I am so focused on the pain I could not say for sure that I could feel her move. The midwife asks Dan to get me something sweet to drink and have me lay on my side. After drinking something sweet I should immediately feel Olive move. Well the only semi-sweet drink we had in our fridge was kefir strawberry yogurt. We never thought to just drink sugar water. I drank it, but didn't feel anything. The midwife said she didn't want to take a chance and tells us to make our way to the hospital.

On our way to the hospital Dan tries to avoid all potholes. Impossible. Damn Houston streets! He apologizes over and over again for hitting a pothole, but I just want him to get there. Luckily, the hospital is only about 8 minutes away.

We arrive at the hospital, pull into the valet area and it is dead. The valet guy comes over very slowly. He must've been dead asleep when we drove up. He opens my door and I immediately vomit. The smell of kefir still haunts us. I get out of the car and head over to the bushes to vomit some more. The valet guy is now wide awake and rushing to the car with a wheelchair. You know that 1 hospital bag? Well, we have like 4 bags including the camera bag and Dan has trouble carrying all of the bags while trying to push me in the wheelchair as I'm still vomiting into trash cans and trash bags. We get no help to the elevator or through the doors to L&D. Great. I'm thinking this is not starting out well.

We get to L&D and they immediately put us in our room. Our L&D nurse takes my stats and hooks me up to the monitors. I continued to throw up. The nurse had poor bedside manners and was no help to us. My contractions were not letting up. Our midwife arrived and she checked me. I am 8 cm dilated and 100% effaced. Hearing that I was 8 cm dilated was wonderful to hear. I was thinking, Thank god! Okay, I can do this. Then the midwife tells us that baby girl is in the occiput posterior (OP) position or posterior position, also referred to as "sunny-side up" or "face-up". This is why I had been experiencing back labor. She says, "Okay, all we have to do is wait for this baby to turn.". Easier said than done. I'm hooked up to an IV because she was afraid I would be dehydrated due to the vomiting. We started doing "runners" where you move from one side of your body to the other side and squats to try to get Olive to turn. I spent some time in the shower and Dan sprayed my back with water. I went through 5-6 hours straight of contractions without a break. My contractions were back to back. They were killer! This was the transition stage that we read about. Dan and I attempted to do some relaxation techniques that we had learned in Bradley, but with no break it was pretty useless. He was saying things to help me relax and all I wanted was for him to SHUT UP! He did play a song from his film that I absolutely love and that helped a bit.

At some point the shift changed and a new L&D nurse arrived. She brought a nursing student with her and asked if I would mind if she assisted. At that point I didn't care one bit who was in the room and allowed the nursing student to be apart of the team. They were both wonderful. They brought new energy to our room. It was just what we needed. We attempted more "runners". They had me do more squats, lean against the bed and sit on the toilet. It was really difficult to move to different positions, but I stuck with it. I was exhausted. They also had me push a little to try and turn her. Now babies can be born "sunny-side up", however, I was swollen down there and her head was not turned enough for her to come out so it made it really difficult. I asked for my mirror so that I could see my progress, but they thought that I'd be discouraged if I saw how little I had progressed. Dan informed me of this later. But they handed me my mirror while they covered the area that was swollen so I wouldn't freak out. The midwife checked me and there didn't seem to be much change. The OBGYN ("midhusband") on-call came in and Dan overheard the midwife and midhusband talking. He knew they were talking about possible surgery because they can tell I'm exhausted and don't know if I can keep going. I didn't tell them I wanted drugs or that I couldn't do it anymore, but I guess they were just going over our options with each other just in case. Dan tells them, "Look my wife is strong. If anyone can do it, it is her. Please don't give up on her.". Wow! Thanks babe! He was a wonderful Bradley coach. I'm so grateful he fought for me to continue our plan for an unmedicated, vaginal birth.

I continued laboring, midwife checks again and said it's time. Olive had turned enough that it was time for me to push. I glanced at the clock and believe it is about 8:00 a.m. Two of the best moments before Olive arrived was seeing our midwife put her surgical gown on and having the baby nurse called to come in and set-up. That meant we were close! Unfortunately, the only position that worked and allowed Olive to come out was me on my back. Go figure. I always thought pushing would be the most painful part, but it wasn't for me. It was the back labor that was torture. Pushing felt so good! And as I pushed they told me they could see Olive's head and that she had a lot of curly hair. The first thing I thought was They are not telling me about my baby's hair as I'm pushing?! And the next thing I thought was Curly Hair?. Dan was a great help at this stage too. He told me exactly when to push to make the most out of my effort. I would push at the peak of my contraction, take a tiny break, and immediately push again. The nursing student supported one of my legs, while Dan supported the other while giving me ice chips. I have them all telling me to keep it up and that Olive is almost here.

Finally, over 24 hours of labor (even though I didn't know I was in labor) and a few hours of pushing Olive made her debut on Sunday, October 23rd at 10:46 a.m.

Olive was placed on my chest and tried to nurse. I have no idea what to do, but the L&D helped me and Olive latched on. We delayed cutting the cord, we allowed it to stop pulsing. Dan was asked if he wanted to cut the cord. He declined. We gave the honor of cutting the cord to our amazing nursing student. It was the 1st delivery she had participated in.

Our midwife tells us she needs to take care of me. Dan and I look at each other and this worry comes over us, but she just had to stitch up a vaginal laceration which I understand is a normal tear. Thankfully, I did not tear my perineum.

I delivered the placenta and found out that I had a battlefield placenta. Basically, it has a big vein running through it and if my water had broken at the sight of that vein there could have been lots of blood. Thankfully, that did not happen. Dan probably would have passed out at home had that happened. They were all amazed by it and brought in a couple of doctors to take a look at it and examine it.

Our midwife was amazed that I didn't complain or ask for medication and later looked over at Dan and said, "Steel waters run deep".

What an amazing experience! I'm so happy and proud that I was able to have the birth that I had wanted. Without my strong, supportive husband and amazing L&D team I don't think I could have done it.

APGAR 1 minute-9, 5 minute-9

Olive is the symbol for peace & victory. I find it to be a very fitting name. :)

Happy 1 month, Olive!

2011-11-20T12:00:00.003-06:00

Has it only been a month? It seems longer. :)

Our baby girl is growing up.

She is changing right before our eyes and boy is she growing. She has already begun to wear 3 month clothes. Yikes. Maybe they run small. :D

I just love her!

Age: 1 month

Weight: 10 lbs. 1 oz.

Height: 21 3/4 inches long

Head circumference: 15 inches

Sleeping: She went through her 2 & 3 week growth spurts and that was rough for mama. She still nurses about every 1.5 hours. It can be exhausting.

She slept 7+ hours one night. It was heaven! Most nights she'll sleep 3-4 hours straight and then 2 hours after she is fed and changed.
Eating habits: Nursing. I've started pumping to relieve engorgement and she has taken the bottle a couple of times.
Favorite activity: Eating!
Cutest Moment of the Month: Snuggling with mama and smiling as she dreams.
Milestones:

Can lift head momentarily

Turns head from side to side when lying on back

Hands stay clenched

Strong grasp reflex present

Looks and follows object moving in front of them in range of 45 degrees

Quiets when a voice is heard

Cries to express displeasure

Makes throaty sounds

Looks intently at parents when they talk to him/her

Firsts: Bottle!

Where did my figure go?

2011-11-17T17:00:00.001-06:00

Breast feeding is an amazing way to lose weight. :)

It has been almost 4 weeks since giving birth and I have lost all of the baby weight.

I'm most definitely happy about that.

BUT I want my figure back!!!

My legs are nice and lean now, almost too lean if I'm being honest.

But I've lost my butt. :( What the heck? No one tells you that's going to happen. The husband is also not happy about the butt being gone. :D

Did anyone else lose their ass while nursing? Will it come back?

Hopefully it'll make its return soon or at least after I finish breast feeding.

I love my curves. :)

Life is good

2011-11-11T23:11:00.002-06:00

Our days are made up of eating, pooping, peeing, sleeping, crying.

And I'm not just talking about Olive. :)

Yes, I've shed a few tears. I know it's only normal since our lives have gone through a major change. Adjusting to our new normal is going to take some time.

Dan and I have also shared lots of laughs and smiles as our little girl grows before our eyes.

It's amazing how much she has changed in just a few weeks.

I think she is also going through a growth spurt. Yesterday and part of today she nursed non-stop. That made for an exhausting day.

This week, I have been squirted with poop and I have had projectile spit up hit my lips a few times. Fun stuff. Every day is different. There is never a dull moment when you have a child.

Olive is already holding her head up.

She hates being changed (diaper and clothes).

She hates baths.

She doesn't care for the pacifier right now.

She loves nursing.

She loves mommy's arms.

Yawning upsets her.

I just love her little cry when she is hungry.

I love the smiles she shows when she is sleeping.

I love all of her facial expressions.

I love the little head movement she makes when she is about to latch on.

Today she had a successful frenectomy/frenulectomy to correct her tongue tie.

Although our sleep schedule is not ideal right now I wouldn't change a thing.

I don't look forward to bedtime because I know I'll be up several times throughout the night, but she is worth the lack of sleep.

Every day is a new day, we start fresh and when I see her beautiful face the next morning I forget about how rough the night before was.

Life is good.

Olive's 2 week checkup

2011-11-05T12:30:00.000-05:00

Olive gained 1 lb. 1 oz. since her 1 week checkup a week ago.

Nursing is obviously going well. :)

Age: 1 week 6 days

Weight: 8 lbs. 6 oz. (59th percentile)

Height: 21 inches long (81st percentile)

Head circumference: 36 cm/14.17 inches (57th percentile)

Sleeping: Some nights she has slept 3, 4, 5+ hours straight, while other nights she gets up every hour. She nurses every hour and a half or so throughout the day.Eating habits: Nursing. I will soon start pumping so that Dan can feed her sometimes.Favorite activity: Eating!Cutest Moment of the Week : When she smiles in her sleep, when she is asleep and poses like her Papa, her cute cry, and when she passes gas and it startles her awake.
Milestones: She can lift her head quite a bit already.
Firsts: First bath!

My poor baby has been dealing with gas pains and acid reflux.

We also found out she is tongue-tied like her Papa. But unlike her Papa she will be having the procedure where they snip the frenulum so that she doesn't have to go through speech therapy like he did as a child.

Our baby girl is getting so big.

Eating Machine

2011-11-03T12:00:00.003-05:00

My little Olive berry is an eating machine.

She has been eating every 1.5 hours lately. It's been exhausting, especially at night. There were a few nights were she slept 3, 4, 5 + hours. It was so nice. Thank goodness I didn't get to used to it because it ended quickly.

The plus side, besides her getting wonderful breast milk, is that by eating so regularly she is most definitely keeping my milk supply up. Another plus is that I've already lost 26 lbs. of the 34 lbs. I had gained. 8 more lbs. to go! Yea!

They weren't kidding when they said breast feeding will help you to shed the baby weight. :)

Olive's First Halloween

2011-10-31T23:00:00.007-05:00

We weren't prepared for Halloween this year. We've been so consumed with preparing for Olive that we didn't even set out our Halloween decor or plan to dress up the "kids" this year.

Here are just a few pics of our little one:

And this little outfit wasn't bought as a Halloween costume. It's just a snuggle/sleep sack, but it worked perfectly. :)

Hope everyone had a fun & safe Halloween! I can't wait to take Olive out next year. :)

Olive is here!

2011-10-27T19:00:00.000-05:00

Today I would have been blogging about being 39 weeks along, but our beautiful daughter decided to make her debut a little early! :)

Olive Julia was born Sunday, October 23rd at 10:46 a.m. weighing 7 lbs. 10 oz. She is 20 1/4 inches long.

I have my October baby. :)

Birth story to come.

38 weeks & the Bump!

2011-10-20T17:00:00.005-05:00

Ugly bump has arrived again.

Can I get any bigger?

How far along? 38 weeks!

Weight gain/loss: I've gained a few more pounds. Total weight gain 34 pounds. I don't understand how I could be gaining weight still. I must be putting on the weight now, not baby girl. Maybe it's muscle weight. haha

Maternity clothes? Yep, lots of maternity clothes.

Stretch marks? Yep, I have stretch marks on my belly. How can I not when it's getting so big? :)

Sleep? Sleep is eh. Insomnia comes and goes throughout the week. Getting in & out of bed is painful at times, especially with the swollen feet, pelvic soreness and my bladder being pushed on. Ow.

Best moment this week?
Having Dan put together the moses basket rocker, the pack & play, the rock & play and finishing the changing cabinet. We also had the car seat inspected and he installed it correctly. Yay! We also took a lesson in how to properly put baby girl in the car seat. It sure has changed since my nieces and nephew were kids.

Food cravings:

Sweets. I've been giving in too. Yeah, this could be where my extra weight gain comes from. blah.

Gender: Female!

Belly button in or out? I have an "outtie".

Movement? Movement is still there, but I think it's getting cramped in there and she only pokes a limb out here and there. I still feel lots of hiccups.

What I miss? Being able to put on my underwear without my pelvic region aching. Ow. The waddle has set in thanks to the wonderful pelvic pain. Maybe all of this pelvic pain means there is progress going on down there. :)

What I'm looking forward to:
Having my little girl here so then I don't have to carry her in my belly. :) Don't get me wrong, my pregnancy has been wonderful for the most part and I'm truly grateful that I get to experience this, but I'm getting tired. It'll all be worth it in the end. Hearing her heartbeat this afternoon is a reminder what all of these aches and pains are for her and it keeps me going!

Milestones: Our baby girl is anywhere from 6.8 - 7 1/2 pounds or maybe even bigger. Ahh! She is around 19 1/2 inches long. My fundus size is closer to 40 cm as of today. I'm huge! She has a firm grasp, which we'll soon be able to test when we hold her hand for the first time! Her organs have matured and are ready for life outside the womb. 14 days to go! Come on Olive! October would be a wonderful birthday month, not too hot and not too cold.

"All belly" doesn't mean boy!

2011-10-18T22:00:00.003-05:00

We've heard this way too many times to count. It's getting annoying actually.

Nurse: "You're having a boy, huh?"

Me/Dan: "No, it's a girl".

Nurse: "That's a girl?"..."But you're all belly."

Me: "Yep."

Waitress: "Es un nino?". (It's a boy?)

Me: "No, es un nina." (No, it's a girl.)

Waitress: "Pero usted está llevando a todos por adelantado" (But you're carrying all up front)

I want to know what idiot came up with the theory that "all belly", carrying high/low, carrying wide determines a child's sex. It's so ridiculous!

I'm not that tall, people! I have a short torso so baby bump has nowhere to go but outwards.

And I also love how when I tell them we're having a girl, a few have said, "Oh yeah, I carried my daughter like that too". Well shit, why would you assume it's a boy then?

Fortunately, pretty soon all of those comments will end.

And oh my goodness if she comes out a he I will be shocked. :D

Not "looking pregnant" from behind

2011-10-17T16:29:00.004-05:00

I was at the gelato shop the other night and I turned around to see some girl mouthing, "Oh my gawd, she's pregnant" to her friend. Then she noticed I saw her and we just smiled at each other. I had to giggle.

I have to admit, if I saw someone from behind that looked like this:

and then they turned around and looked like this:

I'd probably have the same reaction. :D

National Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Day

2011-10-15T14:10:00.004-05:00

It's pretty amazing how your life can change in a year.

Last year, I had gone through 2 miscarriages and today I'm 37 weeks & 2 days along in this pregnancy.

My thoughts are with several friends who have experienced a loss. May they one day be able to experience all of the joy and happiness that pregnancy and a child brings to one's life.

37 weeks! Full-term!

2011-10-13T14:00:00.001-05:00

How far along? 37 weeks!

Weight gain/loss: I gained a few more pounds this week. Total weight gain is 31 lbs.

Maternity clothes? Yep, lots of maternity clothes are being worn, but I just hate wearing clothes these days. haha

Stretch marks? Yes, a few above the "outtie".

Sleep? Sleep is really uncomfortable now. My hips hurt, my pelvic region hurts, my lower back aches and I'm getting up to pee more often throughout the night.

Best moment this week?
FINALLY getting the crib in and video taping Dan begin to put it together, but unfortunately had to stop because the manufacturer messed up (the holes don't line up for the screws) and now we have to wait for something to be sent to us. Grrrr. Thankfully we will have a moses basket for 3 months, but still.

Food cravings:

Lemonade!

Gender: Female!

Belly button in or out? I have an "outtie".

Movement? There is still plenty of movement going on and her limbs are still poking out at times. I love that.

What I miss? Being able to get and up and go and move more without having to rest/elevate my feet because of swelling. I hate sitting for long periods of time, especially when there is still so much to do!

What I'm looking forward to:
Having my baby girl here!

Milestones: We're full-term! My fundus size was measured at 38 cm this morning and the midwife estimated that baby girl is about 7-7 1/2 pounds. The midwife thinks based on my size at birth (8.1) and Dan's size at birth (9.12) that I could very well have an 8+ pounder. Perfect. :D I'm giving Olive 2 more weeks. I doubt she'll listen to me though. :)

Swollen Feet are Funky

2011-10-08T10:00:00.002-05:00

You'll notice my right foot is more swollen than my left foot.

I just love when you can push a part of your swollen foot/ankle in and it leaves an indention. Sexy. :P

I told someone recently that my 28 pound weight gain was all due to my growing belly and my swollen right foot. :D

36 weeks & the Bump!

2011-10-06T14:15:00.002-05:00

How far along? 36 weeks!

Weight gain/loss: I was afraid to jump on the scale this a.m. and find that I had gained 3-4 more pounds, but there was no change. Yay! Total weight gain is 28 lbs.

Maternity clothes? I hate wearing maternity jeans and prefer shorts/lounge pants.

Stretch marks? The hubster has confirmed that I indeed have a few stretch marks above my belly button. The battle wounds of pregnancy have arrived. I will try my hardest to wear them with pride. :)

Sleep? Sleep is eh. And getting in & out of bed is painful at times.

Best moment this week?
Getting the armoire/drawers put together, washing baby clothes and putting them away (those baby socks are too cute!) and having the chandelier added to our nursery. Thanks again to my parents for their purchases and helping put things together.

Food cravings:

Sweets. Chocolate! And milk.

Gender: Female!

Belly button in or out? I have an "outtie".

Movement? There is still a lot of movement from Miss Liv and can I just say that I HATE Braxton-Hicks contractions. They are so annoying and uncomfortable. And they are becoming more frequent. Ugh.

What I miss? My pre-pregnancy weight. It's getting really exhausting having to carry around all of this extra weight. I know my body won't be the way it used to be after Olive arrives, but I will definitely be happy with less weight on this frame. :)

What I'm looking forward to:
Having the nursery completed.

Milestones: Our baby girl is still packing on the pounds, gaining an ounce a day. The most important thing she is doing now is developing her lungs and respiratory system. At the end of this week, our baby will be considered full-term! I start my weekly appts. next week. I can't believe it. It's like I blinked and I was in my 9th month and from what I hear it can be a very looong last month. :) My fundus size was 37 cm and baby girl is still head down. :)

Our Baby Shower

2011-10-04T15:10:00.001-05:00

Our Baby Shower was Sunday, Sept. 25th. It was hosted by my amazing, long-time friend Kathy.

These are just a few of the pics from the wonderful day.

Thank you bags

Cake ball pops

Water bottles

My friend Greta.

Table decor

The room set-up

Our wonderful owl cupcake cake!

Decor

Kat and I have been friends since kindergarten. :)

My brother's wife and her daughters.

My cousin Mary

Decor

My dad's sisters and my cousins

Kayla (Kathy's daughter)

Dan's family (Aunt Shirley, Cousin Leah aka hairdresser, MIL, Taylor and SIL)

The Jacksons

Family friend and Auntie to Olive, Debbra

Forgot to capture a pic at the venue of me and my amazing parents so we took a quick snapshot at home. :)

Thanks to everyone who showed up that day to celebrate our little Olive!

A new normal

2011-09-30T08:00:00.000-05:00

There is no doubt our lives will be forever changed in the next few weeks.

Our little girl will be here!

Will I even remember what life was like without her?

We will be a house of 5.

For so many years (almost 16) it's been about me and Dan.

We could come and go as we please.

And for the past 8 years (the amount of years all 5 of us have lived together) it has been all about me, Dan, Sissy and Baby Dan.

I've gotten used to having a fairly quiet house.

We love the quiet, peaceful, boring life we lead.

To be honest, I'm a bit afraid of what's to come.

That's normal, right?

And if I'm being completely honest my heart does ache a little bit every time I think about how Baby Dan and Sissy will take a backseat to little Olive. I don't want that to happen and Dan doesn't think that will happen, but it's just the reality that Olive will be our #1 priority. That doesn't mean we will love our kids any less, that's simply impossible, but will they get their one-on-one time that they've grown accustomed to? Probably not. Probably not at first anyways. It's going to take some time to adjust our lives with two 4-legged kids to 3 kids.

And I know that our little girl will bring so much love, laughter and joy to our lives.

It will be anything but quiet, peaceful, and boring from now on.

And I love that!

It will be loud, busy and different every day.

It will continue to be filled with lots of laughter and love.

And that's what's important after all.

It will be our new normal.

35 weeks/35 days to go!

2011-09-29T09:00:00.002-05:00

How far along? 35 weeks!

Weight gain/loss: I somehow gained 5 lbs. in 1 week & 2 days. Ack! Definitely too much weight gain in 1 week. Total weight gain is 28 lbs. I haven't worked out all week because of hemorrhoids and swollen feet, but that shouldn't be an excuse. Time to start those outdoor walks.

Maternity clothes? My mom bought me a few more shirts. I should be good now until baby girl arrives. I don't think the temps will get much cooler for maternity sweaters before she arrives. I just need to get my nursing tanks in the next few weeks.

Stretch marks? I think I see a few around my belly button.

Sleep? Sleep is rough at times. I will wake up in the early morning and not be able to get back to sleep for an hour or so. I still haven't taken a pregnancy nap. I'm sure I'll be napping once little one arrives. :)

Best moment this week?
Our baby shower! (Pics may one day show up on here). And doing some more shopping with my mom for essentials.

Food cravings:

Sweets.

Gender: Female! I was having some doubts these last few weeks, but my midwife put my mind at ease last week at our appt.

Belly button in or out? I have an "outtie".

Movement? Lots of movement.

What I miss? Not having to deal with hemorrhoids. Ouch. And having to put my feet up to deal with swelling. I can't wait to have my feet & hands back to normal. I had no idea that swollen ankles & fingers can be so tender and sore.

What I'm looking forward to:
Definitely NOT looking forward to the GBS test next week. ;) I'm looking forward to continuing to prepare for Olive's arrival!

Milestones: Our baby girl is about done growing length-wise (reaching around 20 inches this week), but she will continue to pack on the pounds until delivery. She doesn't have much room to maneuver now that she's getting bigger. Because it's so snug in your womb, she isn't likely to be doing somersaults anymore, but the number of times she kicks should remain about the same. Most of the physical development is complete, and all that's left is for the lungs to mature and the body fat to keep piling on. Her kidneys are fully developed now, and her liver can process some waste products. Most of her basic physical development is now complete — she'll spend the next few weeks putting on weight. That means more weight for mama. Ugh.

34 weeks & the Bump!

2011-09-22T12:50:00.002-05:00

How far along? 34 weeks!

Weight gain/loss: 3 more lbs. Yikes. Total weight gain is 23 lbs. Honestly, I still don't see it. I definitely think I'm all belly.

Maternity clothes? My mom bought me a ton of maternity clothes and my baby shower dress! Thanks Mama.

Stretch marks? None. I'm still shocked by this. Must be in the genes. :D

Sleep? Sleep is eh. Getting in and out of bed is getting harder. A few days ago I was stuck on my back and
Dan had to roll me to my side to help me get out of bed. I felt like a beached whale for the 1st time during this pregnancy. At least I can laugh about it. :D

Best moment this week?
Parents bought us our glider! They are the best. I don't know what I'd do without them.

Food cravings:

No major cravings this week. But now all of a sudden I want a fresh lemonade that I love from a restaurant here. Dan on the other hand has been craving all kinds of things and he gets really cranky when we doesn't get what he wants. lol

Gender: Female!

Belly button in or out? I have an "outtie".

Movement? Lots of movement, including those little limbs that poke out on my left side. I find it both weird and fun. :) She gave the midwife a poke earlier this week too. :) And I have in fact been experiencing Braxton Hicks Contractions.

What I miss? I miss not being able to sit closer to the kitchen table. Baby is already getting in between me and my food. :D

What I'm looking forward to:
Our baby shower this Sunday!

Milestones: In a few short weeks we start our weekly midwife visits. Crazy! Where does the time go?! At our midwife appt. on Tuesday baby girl was still head down. Yea! Baby girl is 18 1/2 inches long & is 5 to 5 1/2lbs. now (that's where all the weight is ;)). Her eyes are fully open now, only closing when it's time to sleep. Awww! She can now tell the difference between sweet and sour tastes in the amniotic fluid surrounding her, possibly acting as a "flavor bridge" to breast milk, which also carries different food flavors from your diet. Her skin is also smoother than ever. Her central nervous system is maturing and her lungs are continuing to mature as well.

Sneak Peek of Nursery

2011-09-16T09:00:00.001-05:00

So we haven't started decorating just yet.

We're still waiting on the crib to arrive.

We need to order our glider. (I never thought that picking a glider would be so difficult).

Dan still needs to work on the changing table (strip & paint a cabinet).

We still need to buy a door chest/armoire.

I need to create some artwork and frame some pics.

Lots of "T0-Do's" still left for the nursery. ::sigh::

But at least we have the room painted. :) And our painter did a wonderful job!

It's like a light Tiffany blue.

It looks very different during the day, at night and if you have the window open or lights on/off. And it is really hard to capture a good picture of the color.

And of course Blogger will mess up my photo and show the true color. Blah. Oh well.

At least it looks beautiful in person. :)

Check it out.

Meet our Italian painter. I think his name was Luigi.

If Dan knows I posted this he would die. Let's keep this our little secret. :D

33 weeks!

2011-09-15T08:30:00.001-05:00

How far along? 33 weeks

Weight gain/loss: 1 more pound gained. Total weight gain is 20 pounds!

Maternity clothes? No new clothes. I need to buy some more maternity dresses, including my baby shower dress.

Stretch marks? None.

Sleep? Sleep is eh.

Best moment this week?
Shopping for gliders.

Food cravings:

Anything sweet!

Gender: Female!

Belly button in or out? I have an "outtie".

Movement? Lots of movement, lots of hiccups, and I think I've been having braxton hicks contractions.

What I miss? I miss not being swollen. One week later and I can no longer wear my wedding band. And I can tell my feet have swollen a bit because certain shoes, including my sneakers, are feeling tight. Ugh.

What I'm looking forward to:
Getting more done in preparation for Olive's arrival.

Milestones: Our baby is steadily putting on weight. My ticker above says 5 lbs. Her adrenal glands have started working (producing adrenaline, a chemical you might tap into during labor) and the baby is now receiving your antibodies to protect and develop her immune system. She's rapidly losing that wrinkled, alien look and her skeleton is hardening. The bones in her skull aren't fused together, which allows them to move and slightly overlap, thus making it easier for her to fit through the birth canal. These bones don't entirely fuse until early adulthood, so they can grow as her brain and other tissue expands during infancy and childhood.

Healthy Mama, Healthy Baby

2011-09-11T20:30:00.001-05:00

Even with my big 'ol belly, I'm still finding a way to walk on the elliptical 3-4 times a week. It's becoming kind of difficult to put my knee braces on, but I somehow get them off and on. The weight gain makes it so much more difficult to get going, but I keep pushing myself to keep it up. Now that the temps have dropped drastically, I can start taking a stroll in the neighborhood in the evenings, getting 2 walks in per day.

Exercising will help me to keep up my stamina during labor, as well as prepare baby girl for the marathon we will experience together. It's also helping to relieve some stress and anxiety. I wish it helped with the irritability I've been feeling lately! Ha!

Also, it has been shown that babies whose mommies worked out during pregnancy are better able to weather labor & delivery (they're less stressed about it), and recover from the stresses of birth more quickly. :)

31 weeks

32 weeks and the Bump!

2011-09-08T15:15:00.003-05:00

I love how different my belly looks with clothing on/off. :)

Whoa baby!

I love this shot! :)

How far along? 32 weeks

Weight gain/loss: I've gained 3 lbs. in one week. Ack. I guess my body is trying to catch up to where I "should" be AND/OR baby girl is growing, but that big of a jump is scary. Someone needs to lay off the sweets. Total weight gain 19 lbs.

Maternity clothes? I need to buy my baby shower outfit soon. Any suggestions?

Stretch marks? None.

Sleep? Sleep is okay. Getting out of bed in the middle of the night when I have a full bladder is rough.

Best moment this week? Lots of stuff in preparation for Olive! Going over our birth plan with 1 of our midwives, meeting with our pediatrician, getting the house more organized (thanks for the help, mama & dad), AND having the nursery painted (pics to come soon)!!!

Food cravings: Too many sweets!

Gender: Female!

Belly button in or out? I have an "outtie".

Movement? Lots of movement, tons of hiccups, she's now found my ribs-ouch!

What I miss? I miss not being able to wear my engagement ring. It has those sizing balls on the inside of the ring and every night it has become more difficult to take off. I'm still able to wear my wedding band though. :)

What I'm looking forward to: Eating a medium rare steak on Thanksgiving and having an over-easy egg! :D

Milestones: Baby girl is about the size of 4 navel oranges. This week our baby is weighing in at around 4-4 1/2 pounds — which means there are only a few more pounds to go! Believe it or not, it is possible for my belly to get bigger although I just don't see how. :) Our baby's lungs are continuing to mature, producing increasing amounts of surfactant, a fatty liquid that lines the inside of the lungs and helps the sacs within expand efficiently for breathing. Our baby is also practicing sucking and swallowing (which fully coordinates between 32 and 34 weeks). She now has toenails, fingernails, and real hair (or at least respectable peach fuzz). Her skin is becoming soft and smooth as she plumps up in preparation for birth. My fundus height is 32cm. And baby is still head down! :)

31 weeks!

2011-09-01T09:00:00.003-05:00

How far along? 31 weeks (We're just days away from being 2 months away from our due date.)

Weight gain/loss: 1 more lb. gained. Total weight gain 16 lbs.

Maternity clothes? No new clothes and I already hate one pair of my maternity jeans. Ugh. I need more dresses.

Stretch marks?
None. Shocking! I guess there is still time. Or maybe I'll be one of those lucky ones that doesn't get them. A girl can wish!

Sleep?
Sleep is better, but climbing in and out of bed and having to rearrange pillows sucks!

Best moment this week?

Seeing some paint go up in the nursery and loving it!

Food cravings:

Anything sweet!

Gender:
Female!

Belly button in or out?
I have an "outtie".

Movement?
Lots of movement and lots of hiccups.

What I miss?
I miss being ache-free, I miss sleep, I miss being able to bend over, I miss not being out of breath, I miss eating anything & everything I want, I miss my hips not hurting, I miss being able to wear normal clothes, I miss my body, I miss feeling like my belly is humongous, I miss being comfortable, I miss being able to jump up from the couch, I miss driving comfortably, I miss not having to pee what seems like every 5 mins., I miss not having RLS. I miss all of these things and more, BUT I wouldn't change a thing. I'm lucky to be able to go through these experiences because I'm pregnant and I'm having a healthy baby. All of it is worth it for Olive.

What I'm looking forward to:

At this moment? Labor & Delivery. I'm ready for her to be here. I want to see her beautiful face.

Milestones: Our baby is the size of 4 large apples & about 4 pounds and can turn her head from side to side, and her arms, legs, and body are beginning to plump out as needed fat accumulates underneath her skin. Also, as baby girl continues to grow and the living quarters get more cramped, she will start making more deliberate elbow and knee jabs instead of spastic kicks and movements.

30 weeks & the Bump!

2011-08-25T12:00:00.002-05:00

How far along? 30 weeks

Weight gain/loss: I've gained 2 more pounds. Total weight gain is 15 lbs.

Maternity clothes? No new maternity clothes.

Stretch marks? None.

Sleep? Sleep is still just okay.

Best moment this week? Getting Olive's owl night lamp, having her move like crazy when I'm helping Dan cook (I think she smells the food!) AND capturing some video of her movements. Silly girl always stops moving as soon as I pause the t.v and grab the video camera/iphone. :)

Food cravings: Chocolate!

Gender: Olive is a girl!

Belly button in or out? I have an "outtie".

Movement? Lots of movement and hiccups. I love every single movement! She's been sitting high though and that hurts.

What I miss? I miss being able to easily get in and out of bed. It's a workout these days.

What I'm looking forward to: Hopefully having Dan paint the nursery soon!

Milestones: I had an appt. yesterday and baby was head down. My fundus height is 31. Baby girl is 17 inches long & 3 1/2 lbs. and she responds to light. Almost all major organs are functioning. Her eyelashes and eyebrows are done. Her brain is expanding by the day, taking on new functions like temperature regulation. The brain is starting to get that wrinkly, indented look, which will help the brain tissue expand as she develops into adulthood.

29 weeks!

2011-08-18T09:00:00.002-05:00

How far along? 29 weeks

Weight gain/loss: No change. Total weight gain is 13 pounds.

Maternity clothes? I bought a cute shirt from Etsy. I'll post a pic once I get it. :)

Stretch marks? None.

Sleep? Sleep is okay.

Best moment this week? Going to a La Leche League meeting yesterday. Thanks to the Bradley classes and my wonderful coach I've become slightly less anxious about labor and delivery, but have become more anxious about breast feeding so I thought it'd be a good idea to attend a meeting. It was great! My questions were answered and I feel less worried that I'll succeed at breast feeding. I'm sure I'll attend a few more before baby comes. It's best to attend these meetings before little one arrives. :)

Also, our baby shower invites went out last week! They are adorable. My friend, Kat, did an amazing job.

Food cravings: No major cravings this week. I finally got my pan dulce. YUM!

Gender: Olive is a girl!

Belly button in or out? I have an "outtie".

Movement? Lots of movement and lots of hiccups.

What I miss? I miss not being a messy eater and dropping food on my shirt. Dan and I make jokes about how I'm more of a messy eater now because I'm carrying his spawn. It never fails, Dan always drops some food on his shirts when he eats. :D

What I'm looking forward to: Seeing and holding our baby girl!

Milestones: Our baby now weighs about 2 1/2 pounds (like a butternut squash) and is a tad over 15 inches long from head to heel. Her muscles and lungs are continuing to mature, and her head is growing bigger to make room for her developing brain-which is busy developing billions of neurons. Our baby is starting to settle into the proper birthing position — which is hopefully head down, facing your back.

Happy 3rd Trimester to us! 28 weeks & the Bump!

2011-08-11T14:30:00.003-05:00

Okay this is a better belly shot. Belly is cute again and you can see my "outtie".

Wow! My belly makes my butt look tiny. :D

How far along? 28 weeks

Weight gain/loss: I've gained 2 more pounds. Total weight gain is 13 lbs.

Maternity clothes? I FINALLY hemmed my maternity jeans and a few days ago Old Navy was having a sale online so I bought another pair of jeans, a pair of shorts and a couple of shirts.

Stretch marks? None.

Sleep? Sleep is okay.

Best moment this week? Putting the remote control on my belly and watching it jump around. :)

Food cravings: No major cravings this week. I got my Organic Valley chocolate milk and Dan keeps drinking it. Grrr. :)

Gender: Olive is a girl!

Belly button in or out? I have an "outtie".

Movement? Lots of movement. I've been feeling jabs from what feels like her elbow/knee/foot. Crazy feeling, but I love it!

What I miss? Not having my legs go all tingly on me. I think I may have restless leg syndrome. :-/

What I'm looking forward to: The future!

Milestones: Baby girl will be getting some color this week — eye color, that is. Eeek! Come on green eyes! ;-) Pigment will fill in our baby's irises, but it might take six months after she is born for the eyes to settle in to their true color. Eyelashes, eyebrows and hair are continuing to grow, and brain tissue is rapidly increasing. Our baby is plumping up as more much-needed body fat develops (one step closer to those adorable baby thigh rolls and Buddha belly), even though she still only weighs 2 1/4 pounds.

Hemming Jeans

2011-08-09T17:15:00.002-05:00

I haven't felt the crafty bug lately. Instead, I've been putting off hemming or taking in jeans. With Olive on the way, I really should take the time to make a few things before she gets here. Making cute things is more fun than working on jeans.

Now that I can't use just the bella band to keep my pre-pregnancy jeans up I finally got around to hemming my maternity jeans. I've only had them for almost 2 months. :)

I hate sewing things like jeans. It can be so frustrating. I found a great tutorial on how to sew jeans the professional way and how to use a jean-a-ma-jig. I didn't buy a jean-a-ma-jig. I just found a "Hump Jumper" at my local sewing shop.

Pretty good for my first try, no? :)

Baby Girl's name is...

2011-08-07T14:30:00.000-05:00

Olive "Liv" Julia

Told you it wasn't a traditional name. ;)

And Julia is my maternal grandmother's name.

We were originally going to make Olive her middle name and call her by her middle name, but after some thought we said "Why don't we just name her Olive?" So, her name is Olive (not Olivia, people!) and as she gets older she can decide if she wants to go by Olive, Liv or Julia. I love all 3 names.

She's our little "Olive Berry". :)

27 weeks!

2011-08-04T08:00:00.006-05:00

How far along? 27 weeks

Weight gain/loss: Lost a pound this week. Total weight gain is 11 pounds.

Maternity clothes? My mom bought me a few shirts from a Pea in the Pod. Thanks again, Mama!

Stretch marks? None.

Sleep? Sleep is the same, not great.

Best moment this week? My parents bought us our daughter's crib! It should arrive mid-September. Thanks again, Mama & Dad! I don't know what we'd do without you guys.

Food cravings: No real major cravings this week. I've wanted some chocolate milk lately.

Gender: Girl! And I just might share her name on here (but not FB) really soon. :)

Belly button in or out? I have an"outtie" now.

Movement? Lots of movement, stronger kicks and hiccups! I also saw my belly ripple like a wave the other day. Super weird feeling. :)

What I miss? Not having a sore pelvic region. Ow! And I'm so tired of going to the bathroom what seems like every 5-10 minutes. Frequent urination sucks!

What I'm looking forward to: Third trimester next week! My midwives consider the 28th week the 3rd Tri. They say it's technically 27w6d. :)

Milestones: Our little girl weighs in at almost 2 pounds and is almost 15 inches long. Eyelashes are also starting to grow at the ends of the lids, and someone will be taking a first peek around this week, as baby's eyelids flutter open for the first time. Her eyelids won't stay open for too long yet, but the blinking reflex will begin. More good news: Our baby probably recognizes our voices and she is falling in love just as fast as we are. <3

To 3D or not to 3D?

2011-08-03T14:30:00.001-05:00

Well, I guess we are not going to get a 3D ultrasound.

Dan was pretty dead set on NOT getting one from the beginning. He doesn't like the idea of having unnecessary u/s and he wants to really see his child as she is when she is born. I always assumed we'd get one, then I was okay with not getting one because I felt like I wanted some surprises at delivery and didn't want to know what she looked like just yet. I would totally obsess about her every features and whether she had my nose or not. :D I just really want to see our little girl again, but I know that's not good enough reason to have one.

I guess it's only 3 more months (give or take a few days) until I see her. I can wait, I can wait, I can wait. I just have to keep telling myself that. :)

26 weeks & the Bump!

2011-07-28T12:00:00.009-05:00

Goodbye cute bump. :(

How far along? 26 weeks

Weight gain/loss: I gained 2 more pounds. Total weight gain is 12 pounds. I feel like I've gained weight (I'm more out of breath and it takes more energy to get myself to workout), but I just don't see it. My belly is HUGE though so I think it's all in my belly and face. :)

Maternity clothes? I finally bought my Belly Bandit BDA (before.during.after (pregnancy)) pants. I hope they are as comfy as they look and as comfy as people have said.

Stretch marks? None.

Sleep? Sleep is the same, not great.

Best moment this week? I had a waitress say how good I looked for being 25 weeks along. I don't think she knew I was pregnant until I stood up. When you are having one of those blah days and you feel like you are HUGE, it's always nice to hear how good you look.

Food cravings: Last Saturday, I wanted deep dish pizza, then hamburgers, then I wanted tacos, turkish pizza and pan de dulce (Mexican sweet bread). Then, a few nights ago I wanted my mom's tacos so we went out and bought groceries to make them. Not quite as good as mom's, but they satisfied me. :)

Gender: Girl!

Belly button in or out? I almost have a full "outtie".

Movement? Lots of movement and stronger kicks. I felt something poke out of my belly the other day. Weird!

What I miss? Not having to do Bradley Class exercises (tailor sitting, squats, kegels, pelvic rocking, butterflies, relaxation practice and labor practice), but it's preparing me for giving birth to our baby girl so of course it's worth it in the end. :) And also not having to keep track of my protein count.

What I'm looking forward to: Glucose test next week! I'm looking forward to getting that out of the way. And being in my 3rd Trimester! Although, I'm not exactly sure when that is, some books/websites say 26, 27 and 28 weeks. Whatever. It's sometime within the next 2 weeks. :)

Milestones: Our baby might be developing an adorable habit this week: thumb-sucking. While the baby's hands remain clenched most of the day, she might unclench and stick out her thumb every now and then. If our baby likes the comfort from sucking, it might just be a well-established habit way before a pacifier is ever seen.

Our baby now has distinct sleeping and waking cycles, as well. At certain times of the day she's very active, somersaulting and boxing, while at other times, she sleeps. This is TRUE! and I noticed this weeks ago. In addition, all five senses are now fully developed.

Update on my other 2 kids

2011-07-25T18:30:00.001-05:00

I've been so consumed with posting about our little girl that I haven't shared any pics or updated how Sissy and Baby Dan are doing.

Simply put. They are driving us crazy.

It's like they are preparing us for having a wild house come November.

They bark way more often now. Baby Dan just barks to bark. He barks to get Sissy to move from her spot just so he can occupy it. And once he barks, she just barks and has no clue what she is barking at. When I'm upstairs working out in the a.m. and they've already been out he decides he's going to bark just to let me know he's there.

He is also having more accidents in the house. And his new thing is waking us up at all hours of the night. No joke. He'll just sit up in bed and stare at us, growl at us or make Dan get up and let him out before he'll go back to sleep. He is seriously preparing us for baby. :)

And they have become picky eaters. It's ridiculous. One day they just decided they had had it with their hard kibble and because Sissy refused to eat we introduced them to canned food (mixed in with ground kibble because if we left kibble whole they'd just eat around it and leave the the kibble behind). BIG mistake. They'd eat more, but then their stomachs were more upset. So then, we stopped giving them canned food and Dan thought maybe it'd be a good idea to grind up their kibble and mix in a little water so it's kind of like canned food. Well, they are fine with that, but then Sissy decided she doesn't want to eat out of her bowl and when she doesn't eat Dan begins to hand-feed her. Another mistake because she now always thinks she is going to be hand-fed. Ugh.

With the vet's recommendation we tried weaning Sissy down on two of her meds (she is on 4 meds), but that didn't work well so we are going to try again in a few weeks. This time we'll try weaning 1 pill at a time, instead of both at one time. It's a crazy schedule she's on right now. She gets 3 pills when she eats in the a.m., 2 pills when she eats in p.m., another pill around 9 pm and one pill she gets at 7a, 3p and 11p. 2 pills she takes with no problem and 2 pills I have to shove down her throat. Fun!

I just don't know how I'm going to keep it all straight when LO comes in November. I'm really scared. I'm already going to be getting little sleep, then I have to stay on top of Sissy's med schedule. Not looking forward to it, but someone has to do it. :-)

But we do still have our precious moments with them so I guess we'll keep 'em. ;-)

Sissy and Mama

Bubba being protective

Bubba leaning on Mama's belly.

Loving w/Mama and Baby

Bubba and Bump

25 weeks!

2011-07-21T09:00:00.005-05:00

How far along? 25 weeks

Weight gain/loss: I gained almost a pound since last week. Total weight gain is just over 9 pounds.

Maternity clothes? I bought a pair of workout pants from Baby Gap as well as a couple of shirts and 2 pairs of shorts from Target.

Stretch marks? None.

Sleep? Sleep has been rough lately. It takes me awhile to get comfortable and then when I wake up to go to the bathroom I can't easily get back to sleep.

Best moment this week? It's a tie between last Friday at the Harry Potter movie. She was constantly moving. She was either loving it/hating it. :D And Monday it was a full day of baby dancing in the womb. It just never gets old.

Food cravings: None.

Gender: Girl! This past weekend my friend told me her 1st born was supposed to be a girl. All her u/s pointed to girl and then after she gave birth the doc/nurse said, "It's a Boy!" and she said, "No, it's not!". lol we shall see! ;)

Belly button in or out? I almost have a full "outtie".

Movement? Lots of movement and stronger kicks.

What I miss? Not having a little someone kick my bladder or kicking at the most awkward moments, like in the restroom. :D

What I'm looking forward to: Baby shower in September!

Milestones: Our baby is 1.8 pounds and is now the size of an eggplant or rutabaga. She is rehearsing breathing, along with aerobics and dancing ;-). Her brain tissue & neurons are growing fast. This is a pretty big week for our baby’s nose and vocal cords. The nostrils are starting to open up now (they were plugged up before) so our baby will be taking some practice “breaths.” And since the vocal cords are officially functioning, I may feel a few hiccups here and there! Only 105 days to go! Wow!

Going Private

2011-07-17T18:18:00.002-05:00

I'll be making this blog private in the coming days. If you would like an invite please let me know!