27 weeks!

Whoo hoo for the 3rd trimester!! I seriously feel like the minute I hit the 3rd tri, my body was like "Ok, let's amp up these pregnancy symptoms!" For reals... I'm feeling more and more pregnant with each passing day. It's ok, I'm counting my blessings! I'm not complaining by any means, just very surprised that my body didn't waste one second. Kind of funny...

Tomorrow I have another ultrasound to check on my placenta, I'm not gonna lie, I am more excited about seeing our baby girl more than anything! I guess tomorrow if my placenta hasn't moved they may schedule another ultrasound at 30 weeks to check to see if it's moved at all and then from there they'll decide if I am going to have to have an early c-section or not.... I really don't care either way, whatever is the healthiest option with less medical risks!

The nursery is coming along, we painted, all of the furniture is together and in place, shelves are hung and some decor is already in it's place! It looks kind of naked still because the things we registered for obviously we don't have yet... so the crib is without a mattress and bedding, the windows don't have any curtains and there is only a small little cushion on the changer. It's the one that came with it, but we registered for a more plush one. We also have to wait 2 weeks from the day we painted the room to apply the decal to the wall, so once that's up, I'll post pictures. It's really coming along though and it's everything I imagined it to be. I love it!

My mom booked her flight for my shower, she'll be here in exactly 29 days! I can't wait to spend some quality time with her! I am taking a half day on the day she flies in since she gets here at 12:30 and then the next day is Friday which I'm taking off. I can't wait!!

I bought my shower dress today too, I got it on sale at Target with some shoes that were on clearance! I am excited I get to wear sandals! It'll still be pretty cold for sandals, but the shower is in my house so I won't have to worry about it. Sandals are also a good excuse for a pedicure.... something fun to do with my mom too!

Here is a picture of my dress... I plan on wearing either a jean jacket or a white cardigan to go over...

And these are the sandals I got to wear with them.... a total steal at $7.50, and I can wear the heck out of them during the summertime!

Soooo excited!!!

Also, things have started to get rolling with HR at work as far as my FMLA and Maternity leave go... Depending on when I deliver I'll be back to work about mid June. It looks like I'll  be taking some time off to extend my leave too, so that may change to later in June. We already have our first summer vacation planned! We're renting a lake house in the Finger Lakes June 8th through the 13th with Daniel's entire family! I am so looking forward to it! It'll most likely be the first time any of Daniel's family meets the baby since they all live far away! Our new little nephew (who is supposed to be making his arrival Feb 4th) is going to be there also! It'll probably be the first time baby girl meets her cousin outside of the wombs anyways. We'll have to get her a cute little bathing suit! So that'll most likely be my last hoorah before going back to work.. I'm already dreading it and I haven't even left!

This week our girl is the size of a Rutabaga (wtf is that??)

Your Baby: Week 27

At 27 weeks, baby is breathing (it’s amniotic fluid, not air, but it still counts) and even showing brain activity.

• She's practicing inhaling and exhaling with her rapidly developing lungs.
• It's official: Baby's showing brain activity! And her brain will keep on getting more complex.

Ahhh, the homestretch!!

Symptoms: Back pain, hip pain, peeing every hour, heartburn, a little swelling here and there...  

Food Cravings: Chocolate chip cookies and most sweets... anything to do with chocolate and sweets.

What I'm most excited about: My baby shower!

Something I've done to prepare for baby: Nursery is about 90% done!

 

Here is my 27 week 4 day bump:

 

 

26 weeks!

One more week until I'm in the 3rd trimester! Well technically I only have 3 days left as today I am 26w 4d... How exciting!

So last weekend we left for Canada to see our honeymoon friends and their adorable 4 month old, (aka baby girl's future BFF) and about 5 miles from the border of NY and Canada, we got side swiped by a 19 year old girl that wasn't paying attention. She was changing lanes so quickly and apparently wasn't interested in sharing the road with anyone else and she clipped us on the drivers side of my car. Luckily we weren't injured at all and no body work needs to be done, it's all paint. Needless to say we were lucky... she wasn't injured either, although her car did do a 180 spin and luckily landed on the shoulder... otherwise things could have been a lot worse. It was raining that night so the roads were wet, but we're very thankful that it wasn't a downpour or worse, snow.

Her insurance company is taking care of everything and I just picked up my rental this morning and left my car with the body shop to get fixed. I currently drive an '06 Corolla and they put me in a 2012 Corolla... I was joking with my friend earlier this week that they were going to put me in a Corolla, but at least it's 6 years newer... and it has new car smell. I love new car smell! My car will be in the shop for about 5-6 days... take as long as you need! I'm enjoying this sweet little ride.

The baby is fine, I decided not to go to the hospital that night since it was such a minor accident, there was hardly any impact (less than you would feel going over a speed bump) and I felt the baby move all that night and the weekend after. No cramping, bleeding, bruising, nothing... so I was pretty confident in my decision. Well after a few days past and I got a hold of her insurance company, they were talking about wanting my statement saying that I was healthy and the baby was ok and I honestly wasn't comfortable telling them that  information when I hadn't been to the doctor yet... When they told me I hadn't been to the doctors yet, they then proceeded to tell me that if they did find something wrong with the baby at an appointment that was already scheduled before the accident, the company couldn't be held liable for the medical charges. They could only be liable if I made the appointment for the accident specifically and and I had a year to file a claim... so I got my butt in the office and of course turns out, everything is fine. So thank God for that.

Things have been progressing very well and I am totally anxious for the coming weeks. I have to take my glucose test on Saturday (yay for Saturday hours in the lab!) and then another OB check up on the 29th and then another ultrasound on the 31st to check to see if my placenta has moved. If it hasn't, I think they're going to talk c-section, which I am surprisingly ok with.

Also, here are some of the 4D ultrasound pictures that I forgot to upload last week...

Look at that face!! Too bad she was covering most of it with her hands, but  I love what I can see!

Today baby girl is kicking like crazy and is the size of a head of lettuce!

Your Baby: Week 26

At week 26, baby may be interfering with your sleep, messing with your brain (forget much?), and even be giving you a stress headache or two. It’s normal to be experiencing some mild swelling, but around this week, it’s important to watch out for swelling severe or sudden -- it could be the sign of a dangerous condition called preeclampsia.

Symptoms: Back pain, mostly at night and in the mornings.

Food Cravings: Chocolate chip cookies and most sweets... anything to do with chocolate and sweets.

What I'm most excited about: Getting her nursery finalized!

Something I've done to prepare for baby: Well my plans for having the nursery painted by now have fallen through... still waiting for my sweet sweet husband to move the two remaining bookshelves from the room so that I can get to painting. The tape is up however and I am ready to rock and roll... After the paint we will work on getting her furniture together and all of the decorating aspects of it that are now all purchased, just waiting to be used!

Here is my 26 week 4 day bump:

25 weeks!

25 weeks down 14 to go... or maybe less if they decide they need to do a c-section. I was able to schedule another ultrasound today at my check up to see if my placenta has moved at all. I'm honestly not too concerned anymore, I haven't had any placenta related health issues and baby seems to be doing just fine.. doing flips and rolling and 1-2 punches I like to call them.

I wasn't supposed to have an appointment until the 29th for a check up, but we got in a little car accident on Friday night so for insurance purposes, I went in to get checked out today. And I say only for insurance purposes because 1. It wasn't a super bad accident at all, the impact itself wasn't any worse than rolling over a speed bump and 2. because I felt completely ok, no bruising, bleeding, contractions, tightness or anything of the sort to report after the accident. We were side swiped on the freeway by a 19 year old girl that doesn't know how to look before she switches lanes apparently. The estimate cost of repairs on my car is about $1,600.. no body work either, just paint. I get a rental too which I'm kind of looking forward to. I hope I get one of the SUV's on my "Interested in" list... but fat chance of that one. I'll probably get some little Geo Metro. Lol. However, all that matters is that baby is fine, Daniel and I are fine and the crazy teenager is also fine.

In other news.... baby girl is the size of a head of cauliflower today. (According to the bump)

Your Baby: Week 25

Maybe you’re getting nervous about delivery, or maybe it’s your haywire hormones, but you might start to have trouble sleeping around week 25. This is a common complaint of many moms-to-be. Experiment with different strategies for getting some sleep.

Sleep issues... nope! Proud to report that I have none of that nonsense.

Symptoms: Back pain still, but really only when I wake up now… and minor swelling again.

Food Cravings: Chocolate chip cookies and most sweets... anything to do with chocolate and randomly I've been wanting mozzarella sticks and fruity pebbles. But not together... lol.

What I'm most excited about: Getting her nursery finalized!

Something I've done to prepare for baby: We've started to clear out the office to make room for her... we bought the paint for her room and once the office is cleared out we'll paint, set up her furniture and start decorating! So exciting!!

 

Here is my 25 week bump:

 

 

Catch Up... Weeks 22, 23 and 24...

 Happy New Years!!! I hope everyone had a very Merry Christmas!! I certainly did! The time has literally slipped through my fingers. Going on vacation really screwed me up! I was home for so long and didn’t have any time to take bump pics or update my blog… oh well! I had a super fun time… It was great being home with my family for Christmas while soaking up the warm California sun! It was not that sunny when I returned to Rochester… we got a nice snow storm the day after Christmas which resulted in me having to brush a foot of snow off of my car the morning I had to return to work.

The worst part was, I got sick. Yeah…. The last day in L.A I started to feel under the weather, I had the tickle in my throat that no cough could scratch… and my throat was on fire. I woke up New Years Eve with the full on chest cold…. Not only does it suck to be sick, but it sucks to fly when you’re sick. Man, that was an uncomfortable day. Needless to say I was anxious to get back home and nurse myself back to health. I went back to work after 12 days off, worked one full day, and then took two more days off just to get better. Seriously, the worst cold I’ve ever gotten.

I’m happy to report that I am back to feeling about 90% better and baby is kicking around like CRAZY! I got to feel her kick from the outside for the very first time on Christmas morning. What an awesome gift! I ran downstairs to find Daniel to have him feel too. He sat there with his hand on my belly for a good 20 minutes and felt nothing… of course. This little girl has a sense of humor. He eventually was able to feel it a few days ago while we were at home sitting on our couch watching Moonshiners. Haha….

We had the 4D ultrasound while we were home…. Kind of a waste of money, I’m not gonna lie. It was awesome for my mom, sister, and step dad to be able to experience an ultrasound with me..my dad had to work :(, but we didn’t see too much of what we haven’t already seen from doctor’s offices. She wasn’t in the best position and her face was covered the whole time by her hands. At one point, she actually had her legs up by her face and she was holding her ankles almost like she was purposely trying to hide… Lol… sense of humor I tell ya. I got some good pictures, but I don’t have them uploaded yet. I hope to get them uploaded by week 25 so ya’ll can see.

I did have a doctor's appointment when I got back from L.A I've only gained 8lbs since the start of my pregnancy! I'm very proud of myself, it felt good to get complimented by my doctor too. She did however, tell me that I still have complete Placenta Previa and that if it doesn't move by 30 weeks, they're going to have to do a c-section around week 36-37. (That puts us at the end of March/beginning of April, a whole month early!! Ahh!!) I am ok with the c-section. it actually will work out to be way more convenient than waiting for me to go into natural birth... for more than a couple reasons. One being that my family won't have to play the guessing game on when to fly out here for the birth... that helps too. I am just obviously worried about the health issues that come with PP.... They're going to closely monitor me to see that it moves though, so prayers that it moves at least a little!

My mom and mother in law have started planning my baby shower... I'm so excited and so grateful that they're doing this for me... It makes me feel so humbled. I am very excited to help them plan and get involved with a little with the details. They're thinking the first weekend of March, how exciting!!

I’ve started planning out baby girl’s room and have most of the major details taken care of. We just need to put the plan to action now. My in laws bought us the nursery furniture for Christmas!! What a generous gift… I am so happy to see it in person and get the room in order! Here is the furniture we picked out:

Pretty huh?? And such a good deal… I also ordered this wall decal off of Etsy yesterday to put above her crib… I can’t wait to see it all together!

While we were away, baby girl went from the size of a Pomegranate to a Papaya to a Grapefruit and is now the size of a Cantaloupe! She’s been doing some serious growing while we were on vacation!

Your Baby: Week 24

At week 24, baby’s progress isn’t just about internal stuff, it’s about her looks too. With pinker, more opaque skin, she’s looking more and more, well, like a baby. You might be experiencing some of the discomforts of the later months of pregnancy like leg cramps, backaches and swollen feet.

Check, check, and check.

Symptoms: Back pain still… and minor swelling again. I'm also having times when my upper right thigh will just randomly fall asleep. It's not frequent, but it's happened a few times while standing in line for various places... weird.

Food Cravings: I think we’re back to Clementine’s...really anything citrus.

What I'm most excited about: Getting the nursery furniture in and getting her room all in order.

Something I've done to prepare for baby: Planned out nursery, ordered furniture and some decor!

Here is my 24w4d bump:

21 weeks!

It’s almost Christmas time!! I’m so excited to spend the holidays at home. We’re flying back to California tonight and we’ll be there for 12 straight days. It’s the longest I’ve ever visited home since I moved…. I can’t wait! We have lots planned… I can’t wait to see my nephew! We’re taking him to Disneyland, going to see Christmas lights and all sorts of fun stuff! I can’t wait to see everyone and ring in the new year at home! I’m also really looking forward to the Mexican feast we have every year for Christmas Eve… Tamales, Rice, Beans, Chili con Carne and beef and potato from Ramona’s… YUMMMM.

This Saturday we also have our 4D ultrasound booked! I’m so excited to get a sneak peak at baby’s facial features! I know she’s not fully grown yet so she won’t be chubby baby like the ones I’ve seen, but it’ll be cool to see the face move and be able to get a clear view of it. I’m really excited!

Currently baby girl is the size of this yummy looking fruit:

Your Baby: Week 21

Baby gulps down several ounces of amniotic fluid every day, both for hydration and nutrition and to practice swallowing and digesting. And, these days, those taste buds actually work! Studies show that after birth, babies are most interested in tastes they've already experienced through amniotic fluid. Meaning, think about what you want your future child to eat as you prepare your own lunch.

Symptoms: Back pain still… and sweelllinggggg. It’s like the minute I hit 21 weeks my ankles were like “It’s go time.”

Food Cravings: I think we’re back to Clementine’s.

What I'm most excited about: The 4D ultrasound this weekend, hitting the 24 week viability mark…ddecorating the nursery, going home so baby girl can hear my family’s voices!

Something I've done to prepare for baby: Nothing new really this week…

21 week (work picture) haha



20 weeks!

20 weeks…. I seriously thought I would never get here. I am still in pure maternity bliss. I love being pregnant! Especially now that I can feel baby girl moving all the time now! She’s so active, I absolutely cannot wait until we’re able to feel it from the outside so that Daniel can share my joy. I’ve been sitting with my hands over my stomach while we’re watching TV to see if I can feel anything. I’ve put Daniel’s hands on my stomach too and have felt her kick, but Daniel doesn’t feel them yet. Soon enough I hope!

We had another ultrasound this week. The anatomy scan that I had done at 18 weeks wasn’t super successful when they were trying to get a good view of her heart. She just wasn’t cooperating and wasn’t in the proper position to get a look at everything they needed to look at. This time when we went back I laid off the juice and only drank water before the appointment. She was still having a dance party in there! She was still so active and when she finally did calm down, she was curled up like a little shrimp in the corner of my stomach and the tech couldn’t get anything she needed to get. The scan lasted about 45 minutes. The majority of the time she was trying to get the baby to move, but baby girl wasn’t having it. She ended up having to do it vaginally. I was so not prepared for that. My legs weren’t shaved or anything and Lord knows how long it’s been since I’ve had a pedicure. Lol… I’m sure they’re used to it though. So once they got a better view she was able to give us lots of pictures. We even got some 3D picture sneak peaks! Next Saturday is my 4D elective ultrasound… I can’t wait to see her more! I’ll be in L.A visiting my family for Christmas, so I’m happy they get to go to one ultrasound. Here are the pictures that we got at the ultrasound yesterday.

She's the size of a banana this week!

Your Baby: Week 20

Baby's digestive system is busy creating meconium (a tarry black substance made of swallowed amniotic fluid, digestive secretion and dead cells), which will fill the first diaper after birth. And, speaking of the diaper situation... baby's genitals are now fully formed!

Symptoms: Back pain still… the Snoogle helped tremendously, but I think it’s time to stop sleeping on my back. It seems to get worse if I lay on my back too long.  Running noses, itchy throat and phlegm has started to get worse… they did say that the 2^nd trimester was going to get a little more…. Damp was the word they used. They were right!

Food Cravings: Nothing really stands out… I’m still completely obsessed with Mexican food, Taco Bell more specifically.

What I'm most excited about: Decorating the nursery, going home to see my family and have a 4-D ultrasound and reaching the "viability" point... which I believe is about 27 weeks.

Something I've done to prepare for baby: Registered, starting to think up themes for my own shower. :)

Here is my 20 week belly:

19 weeks!

Ahh!!! We're almost half way there!!

Today I am currently 19w5d... Insane. Time is really flying by. Tomorrow we have an appointment with a possible pediatrician.... then on the 13th we go for another ultrasound so they can get a better look at baby girl's heart and then I fly home to California a week after that! Two weeks from today!!

While we're home I scheduled a 4-D ultrasound so that my family would be able to get to experience an ultrasound with me and we can get good pictures of baby girl's face and get a good idea of what she looks like! So crazy how technology has advance so we're able to do things like that, it's so awesome!

I'm feeling soooooo much movement lately. I can't wait until I can feel it from the outside so Daniel can feel her kicking too! Meanwhile, I'm enjoying the bond it's creating between the two of us... it's only between me and her. I love it.

We registered this weekend! Man was that draining! My favorite thing we registered for is the nursery decor. How cute is this??

The nursery is what I'm most looking forward to right now. Other than meeting baby girl obviously, but I can't wait to get her room all together! I collected Sleeping Beauty collectibles when I was younger and I've saved the more expensive pieces. I plan on putting them in her room and adding to the theme. I can't wait!

This week she is our little mango....

Your Baby: Week 19

Vernix caseosa, a greasy white substance made of lanugo, oil and dead skin cells (yum) now coats baby's skin, shielding it from the amniotic fluid. (Picture yourself after a nine-month bath, and the need for protection makes sense.) You might actually get to see the vernix at birth, especially if baby is premature.

Now I want a mango....

Symptoms: Oh the night time back aches! I ordered a Snoogle and I can't wait for it to get here! I am noticing I am getting more and more uncomfortable sleeping and just relaxing on the couch. If I'm wearing pants that are too tight I just feel so constricted and I need to reposition myself a lot more frequently now. My nose is super runny, which they said during the 2nd trimester you may experience more "dampness" everywhere.... snot is one of the aspects of it, but we won't get into the rest. 

Food Cravings: We're back to Mexican food... and fruit again.

What I'm most excited about: Decorating the nursery, going home to see my family and have a 4-D ultrasound and reaching the "viability" point... which I believe is about 27 weeks.

Something I've done to prepare for baby: Registered, starting to think up themes for my own shower. :)

 

Here is my 19w4d bump: