STOKKE XPLORY!!!

I am a very happy mommy!

Looky what Norman bought for Sienna and me today!!!!!

The COMPLETE Stokke Xplory!







We are so chic!

Seriously I am loving this new pram.

A proper update to follow soon...

The Things We Learn Along The Way

Baby and Daddy are asleep and I am wide awake so I find myself with some ME TIME!

Our Nugget is doing well even though her GERD is such a royal pain. We feel so bad for her. Honestly there is not much we can do but try and keep her as comfortable as possible and hope she outgrows it soon. She cries a lot because of it and it makes things very complicated - as if having a baby isn't already complicated enough as it is. Almost every feeding is an ordeal and taking her out is usually risky business - though she usually does well out because she tends to sleep the entire time, thus she eats less. At the end of the day, our lives are forever changed and despite the difficulties, I wouldn't have it any other way.

That being said, here are some things I would like to share with you about GERD babies (and I suppose all babies in general), things they don't teach you in your prenatal classes. Trust me, you will thank me later:

1. When preparing formula, warm the water first, THEN add the powder - and for the love of God, anticipate your baby's need to feed. I never realized how loud a 2 month old could shriek

2. Drop Mylicon directly into your baby's bottle to eliminate all foam and bubbles

3. DO NOT burp your GERD baby in between ounces - unless you are wearing a poncho while you feed your little one. Speaking of which, invest in at least 20 really great quality bibs and burp cloths

4. Possibly even more important than keeping your baby upright for 30 minutes after she eats is not moving her much at all after she has started to feed. This means a commitment on your part to not trade her off to your partner, grandma and so on

5. Whoever is feeding the baby rules the universe (Can you get me: the remote, water, make it cooler, turn on the light, turn off the fan...?)

6. Be prepared to do a full load of baby laundry every 4 days

7. Be prepared to explain to people why you put the bib on your baby AFTER she finishes eating

8. Always change your baby before her feedings - even non-GERD babies always spit up during and after being changed, this I find at least minimizes the amount expelled

9. Before you change your baby have her new diaper ready to go - NEVER LEAVE HER PRIVATES EXPOSED!! Otherwise you will have pee/poop all over your hands, face, changing table, changing pad, your pretty changing pad cover, etc.

10. Save your money, as well as time and aggravation - do not buy button-up footsie sleepers. What a nightmare! Middle of the night feedings are difficult to say the least. I can hardly button the 3 buttons of a regular onesie after a 4AM diaper change, let alone the 6-8 buttons of a footsie sleeper. Zipper sleepers are the way to go

11. Carry a few extra onesies and an extra shirt for yourself in your diaper bag

12. As for the diaper bag itself - buy it for function, not looks. Believe me on this one! You want to be able to access your things in a pinch

13. Start your babe on a bedtime routine ASAP. Ours is a warm bath at 9PM followed by a warm bottle while being rocked to sleep by lullabies. Works like a charm

14. Wearable blankets rock

15. So do swaddle blankets

AND LAST BUT NOT LEAST

16. Accept help! This is the hardest part for me - I know how hard it can be to handle my Nugget because of her GERD. But the truth is, grandma and grandpa are extremely capable to handle her if we need a break

Now take a look at how lucky I am :)

2 Months Old Today!

Where has the time gone?

I honestly do not even know where to begin. I have a million thoughts I just want to spill out but they are so jumbled up in my brain that I...just don't know where to begin!

If I had to describe the last 2 months in a few words I'd have to say: UNBELIEVABLY WONDERFUL YET UNBELIEVABLY DIFFICULT.
I had no idea what having Nugget would be like. I knew it would be hard (or so everyone said), I just had no freaking idea.

My daughter is so amazing; now I know all mommys think their children are the cutest in the world - but truly, mine is. She is so adorable. She is beyond cute. She is a gerber baby.

Behold:







I will try to hilight the last few months in a nice and concise post, but it's gonna be hard. I need to be better at posting regularly.

Nugget was a breast fed baby - initially. She wanted to nurse 24x7, even as a teeny weeny newborn. She needed booby constantly. And I mean constantly. Norman couldn't hold her. I could barely even pull her off long enough for a trip to the potty, much less a shower. She wasn't sleeping either. So neither were we...we couldn't leave the house, I couldn't eat, I couldn't do anything. She as on my breast constantly. No breaks. I would pull her off and she'd scream her head off. I can't even begin to explain it. She wouldn't take a pacifier either. This went on for a full 5 weeks. I was so concerned that she wasn't getting enough to eat. But she was because she was gaining weight, albeit very slowly. And I honestly do not have a clue how she was gaining weight because she was spiting up EVERYTHING she ate. Nightmarish. She was like the girl from The Exorcist. Anyhow, It got to the point where I had to start supplementing with formula because I just simply could not keep up. I cried the day I gave her her first bottle. I truly never imagined I would ever feed my baby formula. But her doctor told me to not be a hero and I was so thankful she was so supportive. She is the best doctor ever.

The spit up and colic (did I not mention she had colic? She had her first colic episode on our last night at the hospital) got so bad that we took her to the ER when she was a mere 9 days old. Her daddy and I cried like babies that entire night. The brutality. They gave her a catheter, drew blood from her tiny veins and kept a port in - just in case they needed more blood later, took X-rays, an ultrasound...only to tell us she has severe infant GERD. They gave us Zantac and sent us on our way.

The long and short of it is that the breastfeeding was getting us nowhere. She was tossing everything - projectile vomiting, and I was desperate to find food that my baby could tolerate since my boobies weren't cutting it. The doctor recommended a hypoallergenic formula and so we tried it when she was 5 weeks old. It smelled gross but seemed to do the trick...for a while. She then started getting sick again and the colic was a nightmare. I switched to fancy shmancy bottles and the doctor took her off the Zantac (since it seemed to make her worse) and put her on Prevacid. She hated the Prevacid. She hated the formula. She hated my boobie milk. She hated EVERYTHING. She was sooooo cranky. She never smiled, she was always mean mugging Norman and me. I was so sad, I would DREAD feeding time. I would dread it every second of the day. I would feed her, she would throw it all up, cry, scream, fuss, arch her back, scream, cry, scream, etc, etc, right up until the next feeding. She would never sleep because she was always hungry. Oh my God I can hardly write this. It's making my blood curl just remembering those God awful days.

Once I officially decided to stop breastfeeding her (the guilt was awful - especially since everywhere I searched online would practically degrade women for not breastfeeding. Norman spent a good 2 weeks trying to get me to stop thinking about the panel of faceless judges I swore were taking notes on how bad of a mother I was), we decided to get her off the expensive hypoallergenic stuff and find something that actually worked. We tried EVERYTHING. At the end of the day the only thing she could tolerate was the cheapest formula on the market with no added DHA or ARA. Go figure.

Her GERD got so much better after that. The doctor prescribed Carafate but we have decided to not give her any medicine at all. Oh, and our sleepless nights of taking turns holding her upright (yes we did that for weeks) ended the day we bought the amazing Amby Baby. I swear by this thing. Google it and take a look. It is amazing. That and the Snuggle Nest we bought to put her to sleep on her belly in bed with us. GERD babies love tummy time and love to be on their bellies. Poor thing. But she is slowly making progress. She has her good and bad days - she still gets reflux but it is considerably less. She is getting silent reflux more now, which is worse apparently because the acids come up and then she will instinctively swallow it back down. She was 11.15 lbs at her 2 month appointment, which brings her up to the 50th percentile, yeah! She is actually sleeping through the night now, she goes to bed at around 11PM and is up just before 6AM for her feeding. Then she wants to party all day long :) Which is of course fine by me since it means she sleeps better at night. Though it is hard since I am trying to work from home and all.

She is happy now. She smiles and loves to be in her crib (even though she doesn't sleep in it) looking at her pretty new mobile. She loves to be out, especially the mall. She's already a fashionista! And she is so sweet. My cousin Allie thinks she is an old soul. And Norman? He is head over heels ga-ga over her. He is so overprotective, it's the sweetest thing ever. His love for her makes me love him more than ever - which I didn't think was possible since I have always loved him so much.

But I have never in my entire life known a love like this. It is so overwhelming. It is so all consuming. Sienna is the best thing that has ever happened to me. She has already taught me so much about myself. She has made me a stronger person, a better person. She is perfection. I look forward to every day with her.

She completes me.

Labor Story

Life has been a whirlwind! Nugget is doing great, Norm and I are exhausted because she honestly doesn't sleep. But we could not be happier. More about all of that later...I want to document the labor process before I forget. I am already losing my memory of it.

Here goes...

I hadn't been feeling very peachy for the few days leading up to my 39 week OB visit. It actually went beyond the bad contractions. I wasn't sleeping at all because of the belly pain and vaginal and rectal pressure and Norman was staying up with me all night since the beginning of July. He decided to begin his leave on July 2. My 39 week OB visit was on Thursday, July 3. Norman drove me over to the doctor early that morning and I was seeing fireflies - you know, those odd little lights you sometimes get in your line of sight when you are nauseated. Once we got there, I was weighed and peed in the cup as usual. When my BP was taken it was high, 150/90. My doctor checked my reflexes and they were a bit more jumpy than normal. My doctor told me that I had spilled protein in my urine, and that, combined with the elevated BP, hyper reflexes and fireflies, indicated preeclampsia. He called the hospital and notified them I would be heading over for induction and that if all progressed normally that he would come to the hospital and rupture my membranes at lunch time.

Oh.My.God.

I couldn't even believe it. Honestly.

I got my papers from the nurse and Norman and I were off. When we pulled into the hospital parking lot I started cry. I was so overwhelmed with emotion. I couldn't believe I would be meeting our daughter in a very short while.

We checked into the hospital and we were taken straight to a L&D room. As soon as I was connected to the monitors, Norman went home to pick up our bags and infant car seat. After my intake, I was hooked up to the IV and was given Penicillin for Group B Strep (I was told I was negative but turns out I was actually positive). I was then checked for dilation and was only 1CM and my cervix was posterior. The induction began at 11AM: Cytotec tablets were inserted and I was on bed rest for 2 hours while we waited for the medicine to start dilating me.

Norman got back at around 1PM and brought my mom with him. I was laying on my left side and Nugget's heartrate dropped to 80. Those L&D beds are so uncomfortable as it is, now I had to be on my right side only. I was so uncomfortable and panicked at this point, staring at the baby's heartrate monitor the rest of the night. My dad came a short while later. By this time, my contractions were about 5 minutes apart. My doctor came to check on me shortly thereafter and I was still only 1CM dilated. He couldn't break my water since I wasn't making progress. We all thought that since my cervix was very ripe my induction would progress rapidly. This was not the case. My doctor said he would come back at the end of the workday to check on me.

Things didn't start getting very painful until about 4PM. I was contracting strong and I was so uncomfortable. The nurse shift changed and my new nurse, Joanie, who was so awesome during the whole ordeal, told me that as soon as I needed pain medicine she would call the doctor. I love her so much I have to remember to send her flowers or something.

I was able to hold out on the pain meds until my doctor came back to see me at about 8PM. I was checked and again and was only TWO CM DILATED. Bad in terms of progress. If it wasn't for Joanie, my doctor would have performed a C-section at that time. She asked him to give me some more time to progress and he agreed. I got Nubain. It made me giggly and giddy and it helped a little bit. I still felt the contractions and I was in pain, moaning through the contractions. At some point I managed to doze off and when I woke up it was about 11PM. I was in so much pain at this point. I mean really bad contractions. What was going on? Turns out that while I was sleeping, Joanie started me on a Pitocin drip. Holy shit I was shocked at how intense the Pitocin made my contractions. Turns out the Pitocin causes much more intense contractions than natural contractions. At some point I started getting the shakes and they didn't stop until the day after I delivered. My dad left to get some sleep.

I got my epidural at about 2AM and managed to stop shaking long enough for the needle to go in my back. Joanie inserted a catheter shortly thereafter. I was given an oxygen mask and almost passed out because it was recycling my CO2 but we'll forgive Joanie for that lol. I couldn't sleep at all. I was afraid I would die. Literally. I felt so drowsy and my pressure was so low alarms were sounding. My doctor called and asked Joanie to check me for dilation. I wasn't even 3CM yet. I had been laboring for 15 hours at this point.

My doctor decided to perform the C-section right away. I couldn't believe I was haing a C-Section. It wasn't supposed to happen this way. I was prepped and Norman was given scrubs. My doctor was at the hospital in less than 45 minutes. My dad came back to be there for the birth. I was wheeled into the operating room and was shaking so much I thought I would roll off the table.

The surgery began and I heard them say "Dad's in the bathroom" and I remember thinking Norman is in the bathroom? I couldn't comprehend. Norman finally came in and sat by my head. He had a mask over his mouth and he was trying to talk to me and I couldn't hear. I was so pumped with morphine and drugs I actually passed out. I woke up when I heard the baby cry. I heard My doctor say Nugget's Apgar was a 9. I was struggling to keep my eyes open. Norman came to me to show me the baby's feet prints. Then they finally brought me my Nugget and she was crying and so beautiful and when they put her near my head I told her I loved her and kissed her and she stopped crying briefly. My heart just melted and my adrenaline kicked in and I was DESPERATE to get off the table to hold my baby. Everyone in the OR said she was the cutest baby ever. It seemed to take forever for them to be finished with me. The tugging and pulling was an odd sensation. Norman had gone with the baby to the nursery. I was finally wheeled to triage and Norman came to me to say the baby was perfect and adorable and ready to eat. He went off to take my parents to the nursery and I waited for them to bring the baby to me. They finally did and it was so surreal. Sienna is AMAZING. So beautiful and perfect and lovely and delicate and tiny. She latched on to my breast right away and ate like a pro. They took her back to the nursery and I told Norman to follow her so I stayed in triage alone drifting in and out of sleep. Norman came back to tell me my parents were going home for a shower and breakfast and would be back later.

After what seemed like forever, I was wheeled to my recovery room which is where we stayed for the next 3 days. Joanie situated me and they finally brought Nugget to us. She had her first bowel movement shortly thereafter and Norman was a champ and a natural. My C-Section was unplanned and I was so emotional because honestly I wanted to get up and help change her diaper and carry her but I couldn't. It was hard to adjust to the idea that Norman had to not only take care of me but also the baby. I felt helpless. But the baby was born at 3:33AM on the 4th and I was up and walking by 6PM that same evening. My recovery, albeit painful, was thankfully very smooth and wonderful thanks to Norman, my parents and the AMAZING nurses at the hospital.

I celebrated my birthday at the hospital on Saturday.

Nugget is the most perfect gift I have ever received.

Welcome Sienna Sofia!

Our Nugget arrived on July 4 at 3:33AM.

She weighed 6lbs 9oz, 18 in.



We are so in love.

38w5d

9 days to go until I am officially due. I can’t even believe it. I just want to burst out crying I am so overwhelmed with emotion.

Last night was beyond awful. I was having the worst contractions, lower back pain, upper thigh pain, cervical pain, anal pain, every pain you can imagine. I didn’t time them but when I would get up out of bed they would actually ease up so I knew it was false labor. That or the baby dropping even lower, I’m just not sure. All I know is that I felt like I could have died. Sitting on the toilet gave me some relief, but if I actually tried to pee or have a bowel movement I felt like I would pass out. The baby was active the entire time, pressing down on my cervix for good measure. And I was just trying to sleep through it. I was so exhausted and worn out by the time things had settled down that I couldn’t even get out of bed for a Tylenol. I imagine I am dilating. I better be. I also imagine this is what labor pains will feel like. If it happens again tonight I may start timing the contractions just to get a feel for how far apart they are. I may even wake Norman up. I could have used some serious counter pressure on my back last night. The pain was atrocious. I just feel bad because he still has to go to work every day and besides, I need him rested for when real labor begins.

I am going to take it easy today because last night while in the shower before bed I worked myself into a frenzied state and started cleaning the tub on all fours. When Norman saw me he started cracking up and so did I – it must have been quite the sight. I wanted to take the shower doors down but he refused to help me because it was so late already. I was in there for an entire hour just scrubbing away. Talk about wacky. I just had that sudden burst of energy I’ve read so much about. I could have gone on all night. I wanted to clean the floors too but Norman wanted to go to bed and needed the bathroom so I quit.

I see my doctor Thursday. As you can imagine I am already dreading tonight. Everything always happens to me at night! I called Norman this morning and told him about last night a little while ago. I told him if it happened again I want to go to L&D. He said they’d likely just send me home and he’s probably right. Ugh!

So we continue waiting…

38w4d

Yes, I'm pregnant.

I'm due in 10 days.

It's a girl.

Her name is Sienna.

No, not Diana, SI-EN-NA.

Yes, that is a pretty name.

Yes, it's our first.

YES, WE'RE VERY HAPPY.

Why can't strangers just congratulate me and be on their merry ways? I am so over telling strangers how happy I am or how anxious and excited I am. I mean honestly, strangers. Leave me alone!

I can't sleep. I've been up for a while now with insomnia. It's a combination of discomfort and hunger and discomfort and anxiety and discomfort and hot flashes. I ate a granola bar and am trying to digest it before attempting to get into bed again. Thankfully I am working from home (have been since the L&D incident last Monday - have I mentioned that yet?) so at least I can nap briefly during the day or sleep in a bit if I need to.

My contractions last night were bad to the point where I actually started getting nervous, like O-M-G I could have this baby at any time and what if it's now? I started fearing labor and getting all irrational. This after having prided myself so much on the fact that I have been able to maintain my cool throughout the entire process. Obviously, no baby yet :) But I am calm again and will remain calm during the next scare.

I suppose that's it for now. I am still hungry. Maybe I'll eat some more.

I LOVE YOU, NUGGET!

38w3d

Still pregnant...

I am so uncomfortable now. I am not sleeping well at all. The cervical pain is intense and my contractions are bad. Just not bad enough. And not regular enough to be labor. I want her to come when she's ready, of course. But I guess now that I am almost at the end of the road, I am desperately wanting to meet her. I think I will be in a complete state of shock once labor actually begins - be it my water breaking or regular contractions. I am beginning to think that if it were up to her she'd stay inside until she was 18 years old...and who can blame her?? She's comfy! I am also convinced that nothing will naturally induce labor unless she is ready to come out. Not walking, or sex or squats or spicy food lol

My mom says she'll be here before or on my birthday. My dad says she'll come after. Norman doesn't really have an opinion.

I think she'll come when she is coaxed out.

EIther way though, Norman and I will be parents in no more than 11 days! We're almost into single digits!

38w1d

Happy 5 Year Anniversary to Norm and me!

My OB appointment today was unfortunately very uneventful. I got an internal exam and was given the news that there have been no change since Monday's L&D exam.

However, the baby did drop, my Doctor said she was definitely lower. I should have asked the baby's station but I forgot.

He said "She's getting ready for take off" lol

I also passed my Group B Strep swab, yaaayyyy. One less thing to worry about.

I could have sworn I would have been more dilated at this point, especially after the terrible night I had last night. The menstrual camp-like pain I was having along with the contractions woke me up at 3AM and kept me up for over an hour. But no luck.

Soooooo, I made my next appointment for Thursday, July 3 (since Friday is a holiday).

I am frustrated and want her to come already!

Fingers crossed that my Nugget arrives before my July 3rd appointment!

38w0d

THIRTY EIGHT WEEKS TODAY!!

I am officially considered FULL TERM!

Here are 2 belly pictures, one from 36w5d:



And one from yesterday, 37w6d (yesterday):



As you can see, I am exhausted. I am really feeling the weight of my belly.

I don't think I have mentioned that after last Monday's L&D incident, I decided to start working from home...I really don't want to go into labor at the office.

Not much to report on otherwise.

I am definitely having an increase of discharge as well as continued contractions, pelvic pressure and especially intense menstrual cramp pains. I have been walking and trying to see if hopefully Nugget cooperates and comes out within the week.

I have my OB appointment tomorrow morning and am desperately hoping for another internal exam in order to track my progress. I am guessing we’ll schedule an induction date, too.

My birthday is coming up on July 5. I wonder if she’ll be here before or after that day?!!

37w5d

I don’t even know where to begin this post! Life has been very interesting these days.

I suppose I’ll start with last Friday’s OB appointment – everything was well. I had my first internal exam and got the great news that my cervix is 100% effaced. So ripe in fact that my Doctor asked if I had my hospital bag packed. He said we’d set an induction date if I haven’t gone into labor by next Friday (OMGGGG).

I had been having contractions already but they have gotten bad since Friday. I spent all weekend with the worst pains. I knew they were irregular but that doesn’t mean labor isn’t rapidly approaching. Yesterday I felt bad enough that I called my Doctor and he sent me L&D for a checkup. I went and had a NST done – Nugget is active and well, and my contractions are real but irregular. I had another internal exam (good GOD it was the most painful internal exam I have ever had), but the good news is that I had dilated 1cm since Friday! So the contractions are working! The L&D nurse said my cervix is VERY ripe and thin and short. She says it’s rare for first time moms but that I am lucky because I will likely be in labor within a week assuming I continue dilating and labor should be quick once it begins due to how ripe my cervix is. Yesterday the baby still hadn’t dropped into my pelvis but she said it’ll happen very soon. Obviously none of this is scientific fact; we all know how it goes. Labor is a crap shoot! But it was good to hear nonetheless.

The nurse said to start having sex. I am honestly not in the mood for sex. I know for a fact poor Norman isn’t either. But she said that besides the sperm bringing on natural contractions and speeding up dilation, that sex stretches the perineum and can avoid unnecessary tearing/cutting. So we’ll give it a go today lol

Last night was a heinous night for me. I KNOW Nugget dropped last night. I was in excruciating pain. My pelvis and lower back were on fire, not to mention the RLP I have been having. It's worse than ever. Anyhow, I knew what was happening but couldn’t believe that just about 12 hours earlier the L&D nurse had predicted this. I could feel the difference right away. My belly is a lot lower and I can no longer use it as a shelf (I used to jokingly set my water bottle on it for shits and giggles). I don’t know just how low she is but I am guessing my Doctor will tell me on Friday.

So this is where we stand!

We are ready for Nugget to arrive. We installed the car seat and I am packed and ready to go.

So now we wait…

36w6d

I was just surprised with a Baby Shower here at work!!! I was in total shock. There was food, friends, cake and a great time was had by all! Honestly, I have the best boss and co-workers a girl could ask for.

My grandmother is out of the hospital and back in the ALF. She is doing SO MUCH BETTER. I can’t believe it. Honestly. I went to the hospital on Sunday and was sad to see she wasn’t doing very well, still disoriented and not able to sleep. Today I had a 15 minute conversation with her over the phone! She was asking me about the baby, about Ace, about work, about everything. I wanted to cry. I am so thankful. I can’t wait to go see her.

Our life-long friends from Spain arrived last Saturday and they have been staying with us. I didn’t realize how much I had missed them! Elena is 28 years old so we have everything in common (except for her not being pregnant and all). I am so glad she is here. Her parents are here too and it is wonderful to see them all! Norman and I were supposed to go to Spain this summer because Elena is getting married on August 2, but obviously with our precious Nugget arriving that didn’t exactly pan out. But we are beginning to plan a trip to Spain for Christmas 2009 with my parents and my brother and his family. Sienna and Ace will be about a year and a half by then. Amazing.

As you can imagine I have been doing non-stop shopping with them and lots of eating out and sightseeing and WALKING. I have been so active this week. It’s great. Hopefully it’s moving things along down there. I’ll know more on Friday; I have my 37 week appointment.

I have been having a ton of contractions lately. They have been getting stronger and stronger, bordering painful. Nothing too painful and nothing regular, but definite contractions. I think they are bordering on false labor. I wonder if my water will beak soon? Will I loose my plug? How will I go into labor? All I do know is that I am ready. All we have left to do is install the car seat and we are golden.

And as far as what people say about babies’ movements slowing down towards the end of pregnancy – well not my Nugget. She is non-stop kicking, punching, elbowing, the works. You name it she does it and she doesn’t care at all that she is out of room. Which make for painful situations! I love it though I have to admit. I wouldn’t want it any other way.

36w1d

Just a quick update to say my grandmother is in the hospital but doing SO much better. One pill she was taking caused her blood levels to be wacky and apparently now she is doing better. She is now speaking coherently and you can understand everything she is saying. I haven't gone to the hospital - my mom is forbidding me. She says my abuela should be back at the ALF by Monday and I will go visit her then.

Thank you all for your thoughts and well wishes. I love you!

Here is a picture Norm and I just took now...I got back from getting my hair cut yaaayyyy. Though it sucks how fat I look, boooo. Those 30-some odd pounds I have gained are UNFORGIVING



A proper update to follow soon

36w0d

I am really down to the wire at this point and am more giddy and anxious than anything else. You know the feeling…it’s similar to counting down the weeks before a long awaited vacation or big event. I feel so overwhelmed and impatient. I want Nugget to be here now now now, happy and healthy.

Emotionally I am a wreck. My grandmother is very ill and I am crying almost every day. My mom had to place her in an Assisted Living Facility 2 weeks ago because she was in serious need of help with day to day activities. The deterioration she has experienced in these past 2 weeks has been mind blowing. She has Alzheimer’s so severe that it’s a wonder it has only recently been diagnosed. Any fool with access to the internet could tell me that she’s had mild Alzheimer’s for years now. I find it so ridiculous that her doctor never officially diagnosed her, despite my mother continually questioning whether she could have the disease or not.

Last Saturday, Norman and I went to visit her while my parents were out of town with my brother and his new baby and I freaked out when I saw her. I started to cry uncontrollably and got pains in my belly. I had never seen her look so terrible before. I said I though she was dying. I called my mom from the ALF house and told her. She said she knew how bad it was. I had no idea. She got bad so quickly. I visit her on Saturdays and the week before she was so much better. She is now to the point of being unrecognizable.

I had nightmares all last Saturday night and have been so distraught. I was supposed to visit her yesterday so that my mom could have the day off but they called her and told her she was so bad they were considering taking her to the hospital. My mom left work and visited her and thinks she is dying. She needs hospice. This is so awful. I just want to crawl into a hole and wither away. My mother is beside herself.

The thought of death and mortality overwhelms me. I want my grandmother to meet Sienna so desperately. I know she likely won’t even recognize her as her great granddaughter but I don’t care. I need her to hold on. She was always telling me how all she was doing was praying to God that he would give her life to meet her great grandchildren. Now she can’t walk or feed herself, much less form coherent words. Worst of all, I find myself staying away because I am too weak and afraid and get so affected when I see her this way and I feel so guilty about it.

So that’s what’s going on. I am still working every day and exhaustion settles in quickly. Last night I took a long nap when I got home from work. I bet I could have slept straight through the night if I let myself.

I am buying the last few things I need for my hospital bag this afternoon. Other than that I am pretty much set I think. My mind is mushy now.

35w5d

I had a scary hypoglycemic incident this afternoon before lunch. At first I thought it was a drop in blood pressure but after I called my OB and spoke to the nurse she confirmed it was hypoglycemia.

I started to feel really clammy; I felt a cold sweat. I immediately got dizzy and felt my heart rate speed up. My hands were shaking and I realized that I didn’t have the strength in my legs to stand up. I thought I would pass out and started to worry but not too much since I could feel Nugget squirming and kicking and punching. As long as I know she’s OK nothing can be that bad.

Anyhow, I reached for the candy dish I have on my desk here at work and shoved 3 jolly ranchers in my mouth all at once. I started to feel a tiny bit better. I finished the water in my water bottle and realized I could now likely stand up and walk. So that’s what I did. I got more water, ate a bunch more candy, used the bathroom and headed out to meet Norman for lunch (he picked me up). I started to feel so much better after all that candy and water. I ate a salad for lunch and some chips and guacamole. YUM. But I was a bottomless pit. When I got back from lunch – now feeling 100% better – I went to the vending machine and bought a Snickers Bar and Reeses Pieces (fruit would have done the trick but I didn’t have any on me). I swallowed them both practically without chewing. I am still not full if you can believe it. I mean, I’m not hungry, but I’m not full either. Goes to show you how starved I was.

So this is when I called my mom to tell her what had happened. She suggested (read: panicked and urgently pleaded) for me to call the doctor. So I did. And my wonderful nurse Lisa asked what I had eaten…a bowl of cereal at 7AM. OK, and what else…ummmm nothing. OK. REBECA YOU HAVE TO EAT. I was like I know I know I know – and the truth of the matter is that I normally do, I graze all day long. But today I got caught up at work and I just forgot.

As soon as I get home I am going to pack a large bag of fruit, belly bars and snacks to keep at my desk.

No more scares!

35w4d

Introducing Ace Carter, my beautiful nephew!

Mom, Dad and Ace


Ace


Dad and Ace


My Brother, the Proud Daddy and Ace

35w1d

I am having trouble uploading Baby Shower pictures so I will upload belly pics instead.

They go back to 16w2d up to today.

16w2d


21w0d


25w0d


30w0d


35w1d



I went to my OB appointment today and all is well. Nugget's heart rate was 146 and she is measuring 1 week ahead based on fundal height. NO WEIGHT GAIN wooooohoooo!

Another development is that due to my pre-existing medical condition and the baby's size, I will be induced at 39 weeks. I will have the exact date two weeks from now. I will also have my internal exam 2 weeks from now.

This means 4 weeks left before Sienna Sofia enters the world.

We are so excited!

35w0d

Wow. Well here I am at 35 weeks; our beautiful baby girl will be here in 5 weeks! I feel immensely pregnant and incredibly blessed.

And my nephew, Ace Carter, arrived this morning at 8:44AM, weighing 7.5 lbs, measuring 20.5 inches!! Both mom and baby are great and my brother is beyond thrilled!!! I cannot wait to meet him. I really wish I could have been there. I am anxiously awaiting photos and more news!

Last night I had the worst allergies. I had a rough time sleeping and now this morning I am having a hard time breathing. Nugget is likely compressing my lungs and the fact that I can’t breathe through my nose really doesn’t help! I feel completely breathless.

I have my OB appointment tomorrow and I believe I will be visiting him weekly going forward. I’m not sure when my internal exam will be – likely at 36 or 37 weeks. I will ask tomorrow.

We went to visit with the Pediatrician and I absolutely loved her. She addressed all of my concerns about vaccines and cord blood registry very thoroughly. She was so kind and genuine and patient. I think she’s perfect. I felt relieved. One item successfully checked off the to-do list!

I have all my baby shower photos on my computer at home and will be posting them this evening, so stay tuned!

34w4d

I am so exhausted. I am dragging some serious ass these days. I know the majority of the exhaustion has to do with the fact that I am constantly doing something strenuous, but these last 5 weeks are going to be hard on me, I can just tell.

Norman and I were talking about the things we need to get done this month. They include meeting with the Pediatrician (the last one we went to visit was waaaayyy to far away from home and work), installing the base of the infant car seat and taking it to be inspected, packing my hospital bag, finishing up organizing the nursery closet, washing Nugget’s bedding and other things (this is a never ending job since I have and continue to receive an overabundance of things!!), sterilizing all bottles, nipples, binkies, attending our breastfeeding class on June 25 (assuming I have not given birth yet), reorganizing the bathroom and kitchen to make space for all of Nugget’s things, etc…

Plus we are still organizing the spare bedroom. We are having family over from Spain on June 14 – they’ll be with us for a week. This means we have to wait to assemble the Pack n Play and bouncer chair until after they leave.

I am having all kinds of symptoms. My BH contractions are turning vile; I actually “Owww” and “Ouch” out loud. Sometimes I even gasp or get a little breathless. I get really bad nausea, mostly in the evenings. I also get bad belly pain and menstrual cramp-like pain in my abdomen and lower back, but it goes away too quickly for me to be concerned about it. As I type I am having some mild cramping associated with BH contractions and it is not fun. I got a mild leg cramp that had me jumping out of bed early Saturday morning but thankfully I was able to ease it away quickly and relatively painlessly. If I get diarrhea for whatever reason, I worry it’s my body preparing for labor, even though I know it’s technically still too early for her to make her entrance.

Oh! And I am so excited to announce that my nephew, Ace Carter, will be born on Thursday, June 5th. My SIL is scheduled and my parents are driving up Wednesday to be there for the birth. I am so excited to be an Aunt! And I can’t wait to meet him and for Ace Carter to meet Sienna Sofia!

In other news, I finally wrote out all the Thank You cards for the wonderful baby shower gifts I received. I am going to be putting them in the mail today. Photos coming soon I PROMISE!

34w0d

OK Seriously, where has the time gone???

Our bambina will be here in 6 weeks!

I went to my OB appointment last week and had gained 4 pounds in 2 weeks (YIKES). My doctor wasn’t thrilled. He wants me to be more careful, his only concern being my pre-existing heart condition. I am working on it. Otherwise, the baby is doing really well. I found out that if I reach my due date and have not delivered yet the doctor will induce me ASAP, so I definitely will not be having Nugget anytime in late July which is a relief. Playing the waiting game is bad enough as it is! I will be having my first internal exam on either my 36th or 37th week, at which point I will have more details to share.

…In the meantime I sit and wait for her - but not idly! I have been working like crazy trying to get everything in order. Nesting is in full force and I am exhausted so it proves difficult, but I can’t stop myself. We spent all afternoon yesterday painting the spare bedroom and today we will finish up by cleaning the floor and painting the new closet doors and trim. As soon as that’s done I can finally start organizing the nursery and the spare bedroom the way I want it. We bought a new desk since I’ll be working from home for 4 months. Norman is planning on putting it together for me this weekend.

I know I still need to post baby shower pictures and as soon as I complete the nursery I will post those pictures as well.

As far as how I am feeling…it depends. I am physically worn out. My back, neck and shoulders are killing me. I feel really tired almost all day long. My heartburn and acid reflux is under control – thank God for Protonix. I have begun getting 3rd trimester nausea which really sucks so bad. It’s as bad as the nausea I had in the beginning. Norman helps me through it by rubbing my back while I lean over our bed and let gravity pull Nugget forward and off my esophagus or whatever it is that is being compressed to cause the nausea. Sometimes that helps, but sometimes it doesn’t. Sometimes the nausea won’t go away. The support hose I have been wearing has really helped me avoid leg cramps and I am so eternally thankful for that! I am getting up around 5 times a night to pee and it’s driving me crazy. I feel like I need a crane to lift my ass out of bed in the middle of the night.

The bottom line is these are small inconveniences in the large scheme of things. I would do anything for our baby. I love her so much; I can’t wait to meet her!!!! She is so rambunctious in my belly I can only imagine what she’d be like once she is born…probably as hyper as her mama. Even Norman is amazed by her acrobatics. She has no space left in there but she sure is constantly squirming about trying to make herself cozy :)

32w5d

Last Saturday was my baby shower. I don’t even know where to begin! It was amazing; everything was so beautiful. I am so very thankful to my mom and cousins Karla and Alexandra for the wonderful party they threw for me. The hall was beyond perfect, pink and brown galore. My cake, flowers, everything, everything, everything just absolutely perfect! I don’t have the words to describe it. There were 60 people there, every single one of them someone who loves me and cares for me. I feel so warmed and humbled. I am still reeling from the entire experience. My daughter is going to be the most loved little girl in the world.

I will have to let the photos speak for themselves. I will be posting them soon.

I have been doing well. I took it very easy on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday of last week and started to feel so much better. I worked from home and stayed in bed for the majority of the time with my lap top.

On Sunday after the baby shower I thought I would die from the back and foot ache I had from all the running around I did on Saturday. I was able to rest in between washing the tons of baby clothes, blankets, washcloths, towels and bedding I got. What? You thought I could just let all those things sit around unwashed? No way!

I managed to make it in to work Monday and will hopefully be able to work up until the end. It makes me proud to know that I am working and successfully balancing pregnancy with work and life. Granted, I do get tired…it just makes me a stronger person. It prepares me for the life I am eagerly looking forward to! I honestly cannot believe that life is a mere 7 weeks away.

7 WEEKS!!!!!!!

31w6d

Last night marked hospital visit number 2 for me - I guess that's not so bad considering I'm 32 weeks along.

I was having a really rough day to begin with yesterday. Then when I was leaving work, I started feeling sharp pains in my belly. I couldn't walk to my car. I had to literally shuffle hunched over. When I got home I immediately laid down and drank water. I didn't get any better. FInally at 8PM I started to get more and more concerned so I called my doctor who told me to go straight to L&D. I was given a bed the minute I arrived and was hooked up to the contraction and fetal heart monitor. The baby was fine, active and has a healthy heat rate. I was having some contractions, though. My blood was drawn and I got an ultrasound. My blood work came back normal and the ultrasound showed a healthy, active, adorable baby girl. I even got a picture and everything. My placenta and amniotic fluid were perfect and everything looked great. YAY!

So to make a long story short, I was told to take it easy off my feet for a few days. I am already feeling so much better.

I am home from work today. Tonight we have our infant CPR class which we will definitely be attending, even if I need to go in a wheelchair!

Tomorrow I have my cardiologist appointment.

Updates soon.

31w5d

Today is just one of those days.

I feel like shit.

I have acid reflux AND heartburn because my GI tract is squashed.

I am full beyond belief because my stomach is squashed.

I am having a hard time breathing because my lungs are squashed.

I am always thirsty, which means I am always drinking water, which means I am in the bathroom 2-3 times an hour because my bladder is squashed.

Oh, and I am so exhausted I fell asleep during my lunch break.

I love you, Nugget. I know you can’t help it. At least one of us is comfy – and I’d always much rather that someone be you instead of me…so I continue on! Only 8 weeks to go until we finally meet.

8 WEEKS!!!!!!!!!

31w4d

Last Thursday was my OB appointment. Everything was great; my doctor was very pleased with me and the baby’s progress. Her heart rate was between 142 and 145. I remember back when it was in the 160s! Of course the bigger she gets, the more she slows down…less room for flipping and acrobatics :) (Though I do believe one of these days her foot is going to burst right through my belly. Nugget is STRONG). She was measuring about 2-3 weeks ahead. This is fine – as the doctor noted, she’s always been big. I see him again on May 23. Once I hit 36 weeks, I’ll start seeing him weekly. He didn’t see the need for an ultrasound just yet. I might get one in about a month, I might not. There’s a good chance that the next time we’ll see her is in the flesh.

We went to our 8-hour Childbirth Preparation class on Saturday. It was great. A little scary, but great. I’ll put it to you this way: no matter how hard I tried to stay focused on NO PAIN, I had nightmares about a bloody and painful childbirth all Saturday night. Some of the most important things I learned are to try and labor from home for as long as possible before rushing to the hospital. This makes perfect sense to me. The rule of thumb she gave is to wait for 4 contractions lasting 1 minute in duration for 1 entire hour. (4-1-1) For us it would be between 5 and 6 contractions since we live farther away from the hospital. We learned how to time contractions and to basically forget everything I just said if my water breaks. If my water breaks I need to head straight to the hospital right away. Apparently this only happens in 10% of pregnancies. It is way more typical for women to begin labor with contractions versus a ruptured bag of water. Another thing I learned is to make sure to wait until I am 4-5 centimeters dilated before requesting an epidural.

Something is to be said for the support your partner can give you. Norman was beyond awesome. He made me feel like he understood everything and would be in total control of the situation. I also feel empowered to find my center and channel the pain. I have no idea what it is going to feel like for me, but at least I am equipped with the knowledge that this pain will have a definite beginning, middle and end. In other words, there is an end in sight – and this gives me a tremendous amount of relief. Still a little scary, nonetheless.

I have my final Cardiology appointment before I give birth this Thursday. I have been feeling great so I don’t expect there to be any out of the ordinary results found during my Echo or EKG.

In other news, we have a lot of work still left to do as far as the second bedroom we are renovating is concerned. The contractor is coming today to finish up with the closet, floorboards and wall. Soon after, we will be able to paint and hopefully finish up before mid-week. My grandmother, who usually lives with my uncle, will be staying with us for 3 weeks or so while they are on vacation in Canada. She’ll be staying in said bedroom so we need to finish it ASAP – she’s coming on Wednesday.

And my BABY SHOWER is on SATURDAY!!!! I am so excited for it. I feel like a little kid. I can’t wait to see everyone and just relax and have a nice time with friends and family. I am also super excited to see how everything turns out. So many surprises for me! My cousins and mom have gone beyond all out for this party. It is turning out to be quite the extravaganza!!!!

31w0d

When I got home from work yesterday I cleaned up a little and waited for the contractor to arrive. When I realized he wouldn’t be showing up, I decided to just relax and watch some TV. I started getting sleepy so I tried napping. Right before drifting off, I started getting the worst pains in my belly and upper thighs. They weren’t contractions – at least I don’t think they were. It was more of a really bad stomach ache mixed in with intense heartburn and sciatica. I felt panicky but decided to try and sleep through it. I woke up not too long after and began feeling nervous because I hadn’t felt the baby move since the pain started. Then I worked myself up into a slightly more intense panic. I called Norman into the room and started to cry. He comforted me and reassured me.

I know I overreacted but if I am honest with myself I can notice that I am in a state these days. Everything makes me nervous. Being pregnant is the hardest thing I have ever done in my entire life. I have this life inside me and she needs me to take care of her and I feel overwhelmed by the responsibility of keeping her safe. Sometimes all I want to do is just hide in bed under the covers for the remaining 9 weeks. My hormones are raging. I am an emotional wreck. I am crying a lot and know it’s natural so I am trudging through. Don’t get me wrong though – I am happy and tear-free waaaaaaaaaaaay more than I am crying and emotional. I just notice that I have somehow reverted back to my first trimester emotional state which is frustrating.

Anyhow, as I am sure you already deduced, my sweet Nugget started kicking up a storm shortly thereafter and all is well.

Oh, and my acid reflux is going to be the end of me.

30w6d

The TV is up and the closet system is installed. The nursery is complete! Now I need to wash all the clothes and blankets and sterilize all pacifiers, nipples and teething toys.

On to the next room. The room that used to be our bedroom has been completely emptied out. The contractor is coming in today and installing floorboards, door and closet casings and the closet system. Then we’ll paint, install new blinds and change all electrical outlets and outlet covers. We are converting that room into a den/office where we’ll have our computers, baby swing, bouncy chair, playpen, etc. My idea was to have one room for sleeping and another room for play time.

Nesting set in long ago but I had no idea what it was. It started by me throwing out all our old sheets, pillows and comforter and quilt and buying new ones. Today I will buy towels and throw out all our old ones as well. I have this overwhelming need for everything to be clean and new. I want to wash and scrub and clean everything in sight but am usually too tired to do it. Norman is nesting too though he won’t admit it. He’s going through a phase where everything HAS to be ready and clean for the baby. I tried to explain to him that is what it means to nest, but he is in denial.

Along with new towels, I’ll be buying a dress for my Baby Shower. It’s right around the corner! I need to find something fast. I don’t know why I waited so long.

I have been feeling well overall. Still a lot of lower back pain and acid reflux, but nothing unbearable. I am having tons of BH contractions. I don’t know how much is normal but I know I’m getting them a lot – not back to back, but often throughout the day. Plus the baby is moving so much. I think she’s getting squashed in there!

Here’s a belly pic from today. I was sitting in the car when Norm took this picture so it’s an odd angle but you get the idea.



I can't believe how huge my boobs have gotten!!!!!!

30w4d

Happy Cinco de Mayo! Norman and I had Mexican for lunch. Not that we ever need an occasion to do so.

I have good news; the nursery is officially complete – except for the installation of the closet system which we already purchased and the wall mounting of the flat screen TV. It looks beyond beautiful. I love being in there. I LOVE IT. Norman did an amazing job. I helped a lot and it made me exhausted but he did the majority of the work. As soon as the closet is completed I will start washing all of Nugget’s clothes and blankets. Now on to the second room we are renovating. It never ends!

Our Baby Care class was good. We had a great instructor and even though we both knew the majority of what we were taught, it was informative nonetheless. We learned about basic baby care – we even practiced swaddling and diapering a baby. Next Saturday we’re attending the Labor class. It’s an all day class, 9AM-5PM. This is the class I am most looking forward to because I am scared of labor. I think that if I have a better understanding of what’s happening to me, I will be less afraid. Norman will not be a happy camper next weekend since he isn’t fond of watching births and I am sure that we will be shown videos and such.

My contractions can get really bad. I thought I was going in to labor on Saturday night. I laid on my left side and drank lots of water and they eased up. I don’t know if it’s because Nugget is moving around so much and she’s jamming herself into wacky positions or what, but her movements come fast, hard and strong enough to take my breath away. It’s been happening that way for as long as I can remember, actually. I am also soooooo tired. I know I mentioned that already :) It’s just amazing how worn out I feel. I am pooped all the time.

9 weeks left until I deliver (unless I go early), and 8 weeks left until my maternity leave, HA. I’ll be off until November 3 and then the Nugster will start school at a private, fancy-schmancy day care. I am happy about this. I am definitely NOT the stay-at-home-mom type (though I have a lot of respect for women who are) and am really relieved that we found such a great school so close to our offices. We can go visit the babe at lunch and I can breastfeed during the day.

My next OB appointment is this Friday. I am guessing he will want to send me in for an ultrasound. I hope so!

29w6d

I slammed into the third trimester fast and furiously.

I am so exhausted. I’m talking beyond tired. I am so so so so so completely wiped out.

My tail bone is so bad it’s borderline unbearable. I bought an Invalid Ring a.k.a. Donut Pillow because I thought it would give me some relief but it has done absolutely nothing for me thus far.

My acid reflux is at an all time bad as well. I can’t choke down Tums anymore. I almost threw up the other day after trying to eat a few.

On the plus side, I am sleeping relatively well. I am only getting up 2-3 time a night to go to the bathroom which isn’t bad at all. Sometimes I am unable to get back to bed, but my pillows have been my lifesavers. I use the full body pillow, the wedge, a pillow between my legs and a few under my head.

This morning was the first morning I had a leg cramp since the terrible one I had on March 30th. Exactly one month, actually. God bless support hose. I am convinced that is what has alleviated my pain. This morning’s leg cramp was mild enough to go away with a quick jolt out of bed and stretch.

I am officially using nursing bras since they are soft cupped and have no underwire. My breasts are large to begin with and now with the added weight of the milk coming in they are ginormous. Plus last night I realized that the underwire of the bras I was wearing was causing a weird welt looking abrasion on the underside of my right boobie. I think I may have been blocking a milk duct or something. Who knows.

We are getting to that time where Norman had to put in his paperwork to request leave. It’s becoming so real. I am beginning to get a little nervous. I think once we get the nursery completed and take all our baby preparedness classes I should be better. I wonder when I should pack my hospital bag.

Speaking of baby classes, our first one is this Saturday at 9AM-12PM. It’s called Baby Care:
The Baby Care class provides you with the most current information about caring for a newborn. Teaches how “normal” babies look and act, and when to call the pediatrician with concerns. Class includes hands-on practice bathing, dressing and diapering a baby

I am hoping to have the nursery completed by this weekend, at least the majority of it. I promise to post all the stages of progress pics I took. The change has been amazing so far. We still need the closet completed (shelves and bars installed), blinds put up and electrical outlets switched to the new ones. Norman and I also need to finish painting all the moldings, trims, walls and inside the closet. We decided to put our bed in the nursery and use the room we are currently using as our bedroom as a den type room for the computers and baby swings and playpen. We need to make the most of what little space we have and this seems like the best way.

My Baby Shower is rapidly approaching. I can’t wait! I am really excited about it. I know that it is going to be so special. My mom and cousins are working hard to make it unforgettable and I am so thankful for that. I am going to find the time this weekend to buy a dress since if I don’t find one I’ll only have one weekend left before the shower. Maybe I’ll be able to squeeze my feet into some cute shoes, who knows?

29w3d

It feels like so much has happened since I last posted!

I went to my 7 month appointment with my OB last Thursday and everything was fine. I didn't gain any weight - HOORAY! He thinks I am measuring ahead by 3-4 weeks based on my fundal height. He thought this was the case last time as well. I am now going to begin seeing him every two weeks (I can't believe I am at that stage already). At my next appointment he'll determine if I need an ultrasound to determine just how large the baby is - or if I have a little more amniotic fluid than normal. We shall see.

Speaking of ultrasounds, we had a 4D ultrasound done this past Saturday, here are a few of my favorite shots:

Nugget's Profile



Nugget's Face



Nugget's Foot



Nugget's Face and Hand



Nugget's Face and Hand again



Nugget's Face and Foot



The experience was amazing! I would highly recommend it to anyone who may be considering it and not too sure wether to sped the money or not. My parents come along with us and they loved it as well. I got 60 photos on a CD and a DVD with tons of footage. I am very pleased. Nugget was being a tad uncooperative seeing as how she wanted to show us the back of her head instead of her pretty face. I ended up having to drink a ton of water and eat a chocolate chip cookie to get her to turn around which she eventually did. Funny, I don't think I ever HAD to eat a cookie ever in my life lol

More updates soon.

28w4d

I DO NOT HAVE GESTATIONAL DIABETES!!!!!!!!!!!

I just spoke to my doctor’s office and the nurse confirmed it!!! I am beyond thrilled. I am ecstatic. I am speechless. I am so relieved I feel like crying. I feel like I somehow dodged a bullet. I will work so hard at maintaining low blood sugar numbers anyways – although my stupid One Touch is miserably unreliable!

My nugget is hiccupping as I type. It is such an obvious feeling now – I now realize how many times she has hiccupped in the past and I didn’t put two and two together. It feels like a rhythmic tick…tick…tick…tick… so precious. I am feeling it way low, right on my pubic bone. I was already almost positive she had turned head down already because her kicks are so strong above my belly button, but now I am entirely convinced. I think there is still a chance for her to flip back around but at least for now I don’t think she’s breech.

Ahhhh!! No gestational diabetes!!!!!! Such good news!!! I can’t focus. I feel like I need to go out on the street and scream it as loud as I can to anyone who will listen!!!!!!

28w1d

Today's test was awful. My dad was with me so at least it went by quickly, he was great company.

I was fasting; I arrived at 8:30AM and they took the first draw. I was then given the 100g of glucose and omg it was disgusting to choke down. Twice as much as before, YUCK.

Every hour for the next 3 hours I walked in to the back and the same very nice lady drew my blood. I had my blood drawn 4 times total and have nasty bruises to prove it:



RIght after each draw, I would take my own readings using my nifty One Touch device. According to my readings, I passed the first "fasting" draw, failed the second and third, and passed the fourth and final one with a very low number (yay). So what does this mean? I have no idea. It's my understanding that if you fail 2 of the 4 draws, you technically do have gestational diabetes. I don't see the doctor until next week Thursday and I won't know what the exact results are until then. I can only assume that the One Touch results are rough estimates of the lab's exact readings. My only concern is that according to my One Touch, my blood level after my second draw was slightly above 200...that's HIGH.

I'll have to wait and see.

28w0d

28 weeks today!

Officially in my 3rd trimester today!

I am going to pick up the prescription for the 3 hour glucose tolerance screen this afternoon. I have an appointment for the screening tomorrow morning at 8:30AM so I need to begin fasting by at least 8:30PM tonight. I honestly don’t know how I’ll do. I have modified my eating and am hoping it’s enough, but the truth of the matter is that if I have gestational diabetes there is nothing I can do because drinking 100mg of glucose will send my sugars sky high. All that matters is that I have already begun making the necessary changes to my diet to ensure that my blood levels are always below 120 two hours after a meal.

I am feeling well, save for a huge pain in my ass – and I mean that literally. I can’t sit anywhere without getting the worst pain in my ass. I think it’s sciatica; it’s painful. I am wondering if one of those hemorrhoid donut pillows will help. I think it’s worth the money to find out.

Our contactor came yesterday and began installing the dry wall in the nursery. He’s coming back today to finish up and hopefully complete the plastering so that we can start priming and painting the room. We are going to be painting in these 2 colors:





The contractor will separate the colors by a molding. I can’t wait to see the finished product. It’s going to be beautiful!

I have my next OB appointment next week Thursday, after which I will need to start seeing him every 2 weeks. I can’t believe I’m at the every 2 weeks stage. Soon it’ll be every week…and before we know it our precious baby girl will be in our arms.

27w5d

I felt Nugget hiccupping late last night! At first I thought she was poking me with her hands – I can definitely tell when she is kicking me versus punching me…her kicks are so much stronger than her punches. But then I realized that there was a rhythm to the movement; a little thump every 3-4 seconds or so.

I am getting a lot of cramping in my lower back and belly and can definitely feel when she’s laying lower than normal. I get a heavy sensation and feel like I have to walk hunched over to relieve the pressure. RLP is at its worst at night, especially if I try to switch positions too quickly (which is close to impossible these days). I literally feel as though I need a crane to get me out of bed sometimes I am feeling soooo heavy in my abdomen.

My leg cramps thankfully haven’t been an issue since I started wearing support hose. My feet and legs get a little swollen sometimes but nothing terrible.

Norman and I are going to meet with Nugget’s soon to be pediatrician this afternoon. She is so highly recommended and I have a feeling that I am going to love her. I am excited to speak with her and look forward to discussing my concerns, etc.

I found out that the contractor will be coming on Wednesday to finish installing the dry wall, moldings and closet doors and shelves. Norman and I will be buying the (non-toxic) paint very soon. I am excited to finally have a space for all of the baby’s things.

No news regarding the new house – we have a lawyer working for us and as soon as I have a resolution I will let you know. It’s sad because we were supposed to be closing April 30. Such is life.

27w4d

Life is good I must say.

I have the occasional sleepless night, lower back pain and acid reflux but honestly I am doing really well. We are so excited!

Our precious Nugget is so active. Her kicks are so hard that Norman can finally actually SEE her kicking through all my clothes. It’s awesome.

Have I mentioned that my dad bought his granddaughter baby’s first bling?? Diamond studs set in platinum. She is the most loved, spoiled little girl in the world. Her clothes are already overflowing out of her dresser. I think I need a new armoire or something!

In nursery news, I will post before pictures and some progress pictures. We hope to have it done by this weekend but this of course depends on the contractor and when he will be able to actually complete the project.

In gestational diabetes news, I am dying to know for sure one way or the other. In the meantime I have been testing after every meal and I have been doing great. Always well below even what an avarage reading would be. I am trying to take it easy, but I am still being very cautious with regards to what I eat and will continue to do so until the very end.

In baby shower news, I can’t even begin to tell you how absolutely fabulous my cousins Karla and Alexandra have been. They have taken this party and spent so much time, effort and love in planning out every detail. It makes me feel so special I just want to cry. Truly. I am just so thankful for everything they have done for me. It’s going to be quite the bash thanks to them! I love you both so much, THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!

This was just a quick update, I'll be sure to post soon.

26w6d

My Braxton Hicks contractions have officially begun.

It’s my first time pregnant but I immediately knew I was having a contraction. There is no denying the feeling. It starts off as mild cramping in my lower back and abdomen, then my belly gets as hard as a rock. I’ve never had rock-hard abs before so this in and of itself is a foreign sensation lol

I first noticed the contractions the other night after sex (hi mom) and thought it was just a result of the sex itself. But then last night I got it again and was able to confirm that what I felt the other night was definitely a contraction. Apparently sex can bring on Braxton Hicks. So can a really active baby, and she is so active all the time. Other triggers are if someone touches your belly, a full bladder and dehydration.

Anywhoo, they are more uncomfortable than painful and I only got one big one last night and it eased away after less than a minute. The rule of thumb is go to the hospital if you are having more than 4 Braxton Hicks in an hour.

Food wise I am now excessively paranoid over everything I put in my mouth. This morning I ate my Heritage Flakes, skim milk and a banana. Snack is a low moisture cheese stick. Lunch will be a turkey sandwich. I am on a mission to eat healthy. I haven’t been eating badly, but I have indulged in the occasional cookie and ice cream cone that before I got pregnant I wouldn’t have dreamed of eating. That’s it for that. Funny thing is that I am craving sugar. All I want is sweets and I have never in my life been a sweets person. But I am stronger than the cravings!

26w5d

I am super bummed but for some reason I knew this would happen.

My glucose screen came back slightly high (146 – it should have been 140 or lower). Now I have to go for the 3 hour screen. I made an appointment for it for next Friday. My dad said he’d join me so at least I will be in good company. I made my appointment for 8:30AM and I have to be fasting. They draw my blood as soon as I get there, then they give me the nasty junk to drink and I have to have my blood drawn again once every 3 hours thereafter.

Here is what the 3 hour screen results should look like:

Interval - Abnormal reading
Fasting - 95 mg/dl or higher
One hour - 180 mg/dl or higher
Two hours - 155 mg/dl or higher
Three hours - 140 mg/dl or higher

Of course I am paranoid now and so I immediately went and bought a One Touch monitor and so far my readings have been perfect. I took my first reading about 3 hours after breakfast and got 80. I took my second reading about 1 hour after lunch and got 100. I had just eaten a banana and everything. These numbers are great. I don’t get it. Oh well.

The doctor did tell me that the one hour test provides a lot of false positives, especially when I am so close to the cutoff.

Fingers crossed that the results of my 3 hour screen are normal.

26w4d

Time continues to fly by.

Nugget is so active. I’m talking non-stop kicking and punching. The minute I lay down she starts big time and I love it. It’s funny because sometimes it gets so intense that my stomach actually turns and I feel as though I’m on a roller coaster – I actually begin to feel nauseous. It’s hard to explain…it’s not a discomfort per se, just an odd sensation.

I am mailing out baby shower invitations tomorrow. I have been getting calls from people asking me when the shower is due to possible conflicts; I figure why wait any longer?

We picked out the colors for the nursery last Friday. We are going to be cleaning out our bedroom and re-painting it this weekend as well. So much to do still. I am going bonkers.

Just about 13 weeks left until D(elivery)-day and I just cannot believe it. THIRTEEN WEEKS!

We are meeting with a highly recommended pediatrician on April 15. I am also really looking forward to our 3D/4D ultrasound on April 26. Then May is a busy month with all of our Childbirth Preparedness classes and my BABY SHOWER on May 17! My nephew is due in early June and on June 14 our friends from Spain are coming to visit. July will be here in the blink of an eye.

In the meantime, I need to plan that mini-vacation I want to take soon and buy a maternity swimsuit.

26w1d

Norman is officially able to feel Nugget move any time I can, yaaayyyy! Her flutters are now definite kicks all the time. So exciting!

We also got our wooden letters for the nursery yesterday. They are white with a pink ribbon w/brown trim:



Her name is Sienna Sofia