Week 25: the ups and downs

This week, when it comes to Zoe, things have been calm. She's moving a ton and I can now start to see my belly expanding more and more. No stretch marks yet as I've been trying to gain weight gradually so my skin isn't stretched too fast. Keeping my fingers crossed that I luck out in that department. :)

Week 25 Day 6

Over Memorial Weekend we were able to relax a bit and finally hang up some things around the house. We can't wait until we can go furniture shopping but it's still not a high priority right now. We were dog sitting my mom's dog Ellie, a blood hound, for a few days while my mom was in Cali. Talk about a full house but everyone behaved and enjoyed the visit. We went on daily walks, cooked lots of food, watched TONS of DIY Network and enjoyed the down time. Nadia and Beau came over to visit for a bit. Shared some good eats, chatted and tried our best to get Nadia used to big dogs lol. Besides hiding behind me she did well. haha. We tried out a new church called Eastern Hills and really enjoyed it. Their worship team is more modern, the pastor was funny and felt like more of a teacher than a preacher which we appreciate and they do a lot with missions, domestic and international as well as community outreach and kid/youth ministries. An added feature was their nursery center with quiet room where mother and baby can still view the message without disturbing everyone. We look forward to going again this weekend and hopefully getting involved soon.

Luna and Zero getting used to their halties. We've found these work wonders to fix the pulling and erratic behavior.

Ellie Mae loved the walks and took the occasional break with me to sit while Marco ran Zero and Luna. 

Update on my mom's sister. Debi is still in a coma and experiencing more swelling of the brain. We found out yesterday that the damage is so extensive that unfortunately they don't believe she will recover. Doctors are still doing all tests possible to see what more, if anything they can do. Her MRI came back showing the main artery in her brain is almost all the way closed which would indicate little oxygen is being received. At this time they are keeping her comfortable and allowing the family as much time needed to make an ultimate decision. Per her wishes she would not want to be left on life support. My uncle from Louisiana is in Cali right now to go over all the legal documents, finances etc. and within the next week or two final arrangements will be discussed. All we can do is pray for everyone involved, for peace for our family and her friends and that we comfort each other during this tragic time, in His name.

How far along: 25 weeks 6 days (Eggplant: 9.2in, 2 lbs)

Symptoms: feeling more tired again, more annoyed with the dogs lately. Feet hurt pretty much all the time. My memory isn't what it used to be, "prego brain" is alive and well. I forgot I didn't have lunch yesterday and was wondering why I was hungry. Started thinking "what should I make for dinner?" only to realize it was 1pm. Marco comes out at 1:30pm and asks me what I want for lunch. My response, "Ohhh yea, that's why I'm hungry". True story.

Aversions: none

 

Cravings: none

Wedding Rings: still just down to the one band. It's starting to leave an indentation. Sadly, it will most likely have to come off unless I can get them re sized.

 

Belly button: the attack of the outy is slowly making an appearance. Weird how you live with something all your life and then it drastically changes overnight. I read my belly button will go back in after birth but it will most likely be stretched a little. Small price to pay I guess...but still...it will never be the same.

 

Sleep: on my back is still most comfortable. I seem to wake up on my right side

Excited for: Going to Cali in a couple weeks and our baby shower in July.

Fears: Having two separate cases of brain aneurysms in my family (one on Dad's side another on my mom's side) has me concerned about myself and Zoe as far as it being hereditary. Dr assures me not to worry since they aren't a direct relative like a father or sister. Keep an eye out for "the worst headache of your life" type situations and will continue to monitor blood pressure. For Zoe it's just a matter of staying on top of her health with routine check-ups.

 

Mood: This week I've been a little down with what's going on with Debi and the family but not emotional, more quiet than anything. Still taking moments to feel Zoe move and thinking about when she's here makes me smile and joyful.

Missing: Bending down or sitting hunched over. Sure it's not good for my posture but I like to sit on the floor cross legged and typically you don't have perfect posture when you do that, at least I don't. Getting up from that position is difficult too.

Movement: constantly. Her movements are usually felt about 6inches to the right, center or left under my belly button. She's still low but as my uterus grows she will move up as well.

 

Exercise: almost daily walks with the dogs for 30-45 minutes.

 

Readings/Research: reading with Marco about "Helicopter Parenting" and it's affects on the child's self esteem and lack of preparation for the adult world. Also, enjoyed an article about how to have a successful marriage according to divorce attorneys. Entertaining and informative.

Belly comparison Week 15 to Week 25 <3

 

Week 24: life happens whether you want it to or not...

Well this week has been filled with ups and downs. First my mom got Walking Pneumonia. Thankfully we haven't been around her since before she got sick so we didn't catch it. See kids, you shouldn't hang out with your parents. HA! jk. We then were informed that her sister had a brain aneurysm a few days ago and is currently in a medically induced coma at Mission Hospital. For anyone who is close to me knows my uncle (from my Dad's side) actually passed away from this back in 2007. So of course it's a very stressful and emotional time to get such news. But thankfully her co-workers and doctors acted quickly and she is stable in the ICU with brain activity. At this point it's all very medical and the staff is doing everything possible to help her recover. She's made it past the first 48 hours which is the critical period so we can only stay positive and keep praying for her and her two daughters. I'm glad that their father is there to comfort them but they are taking on a lot of responsibility and pain that they've never had to go through before. They are both very strong and from what I hear are keeping their spirits up as best they can.

While it's important to keep up to date with what's going on with my aunt I also have to prioritize the things in my life, specifically Zoe's health and mine. It's easy to feel guilty for not putting more emotion into these tragic, sad or unfortunate events (i.e. Elvis passing away, my mom getting sick or her sister in the hospital) but I just can't allow myself to go there. I still need to make Zoe and my family my number one priority especially when high stress, pressures, emotions etc can affect Zoe's health, development and well-being. I've asked my mom to only provide me with updates on Debi's condition as aposed to the dramas and annoyances that come with these tragic events. Unfortunately things like this bring out the worst in most people and I just can't make time for that right now. I'm looking forward to visiting Cali in June and will visit with Debi and the girls then, in whatever capacity that might be. For now, I still have my life to focus on and doctor's appointments to attend.

Switching gears, the highlight of this week has been the doctor appointment we had yesterday. The doctor measured my belly with a measuring tape (this will now be a normal process). I'm currently at 24cm long from pelvic bone to the top of my uterus. The range they want you to be in is +/- 2cm from the week you're at. For this week I should be between 22-26 cm, so I'm right on track. We got to hear the heart beat which was about 158-160 bpm. The doctor was impressed that Zoe moved about 4 times in the 20 seconds she was standing there trying to read her heart beat. The monitor would jolt every time she moved and it just made all of us laugh. Per the doctor it's not common for the baby's movements to be felt this strongly already so she was very pleased and had nothing bad to say. I've gained 5 additional pounds since my last visit a month ago, a total of 12lbs. My doctor is happy with that as well and says I'm right on track. My next appointment is a month from now where I will be doing the dreaded Glucose test to check for gestational diabetes. I've requested fruit punch flavor, of course and will let you know how it goes!

Other than that we've been taking walks as a family and working on dog training techniques we see from Ceasar Milan, aka the Dog Whisperer. haha. They actually are helping quite a bit. Our main goal is to be able to control their energy and bad habits before Zoe comes. We've banned them from the couch, are working on the jumping up, "drop it" with Zero and their excitment for walks. We're beginning to also search for a church and doing some small community events just to make it feel more like home. We've been hanging out with our friends Nadia and her fiance, Beau, as well as Cameron and his wife, Rachael. I know Nadia and Cameron from back in Cali. It's been great seeing familiar faces and catching up. :)

We took a walk at sunset with the dogs and stumbled upon a nice park right by the house. We just love the views we get here.

 

The community hosted a picnic/movie in the park night. Marco cooked us stuffed pork with mac n cheese. We ended up running into our neighbors and owners of our home. We sat with them for about an hour. It was really relaxing and enjoyable.

 

Also, we've begun putting together her nursery. We repainted the room and stained  what will be her changing table (don't worry I was forced to wear a mask). We also hung up a couple shelves. There's still little things to be done but it won't be complete until after the baby shower. Here are some pictures of the progress:

Before and after of the wall colors and window treatments

Before and after of the armour/changing table. We stained it black.

 

One of the walls with black shelving and frame. Look how well behaved Zero and Luna are.

How far along: 24 weeks 5 days (Eggplant: 9in, 1.7lbs)

Symptoms: still hot, hungry and growing lol. My nails are growing fiercely. More dehydrated this week. Need to increase my water/liquid intake.

Aversions: none that I can think of
 

Cravings: nothing really. Marco has made me quesadillas lately so those sound good all the time now.

Wedding Rings: They have become so tight that I can BARELY get them off. I took all but one band off. If I don't try to remove it, it's fine and comfortable. We will see how long this lasts for.
 

Belly button: still in but closer to the surface than I ever thought possible. It's about to pop in the next week or so. I had to take my belly ring out because it was rubbing against my clothing more and very sensitive.
 

Sleep: Sleeping on my back the last few nights has been most comfortable.

 

Excited for: Seeing the finished nursery put together.

Fears: Still worried about the development but all seems fine.

 

Missing: laying on my stomach

 

Movement: Constantly. Feels more like she's shifting her weight now than just kicks. I can feel when she's laying on my bladder. Very weird feeling haha.
 

Exercise: Lots of walks with the dogs and playing in the backyard with them.

 

 

Just some good old fashioned cooking in our house! Had to share :)

 

Teriyaki chicken stew over rice

Lobster tails with clarified butter, sauted zucchini and mashed red potatoes (made by Marco). Yes, mines the one with the milk. :p

 

Week 23: my first "Mother-to-be" Day!

At the end of last week my mom's dog Elvis passed away. We don't know what brought it on but the weekend we moved he got sick. As a result his breathing became really shallow and he was having a hard time moving. His old age and weight problem didn't help haha. He seemed like he was getting better though and my mom saw him playing with his toys and eating again. He passed away the next day. I used to not like this dog when I was younger. He'd pee when he'd get excited and was so awkward looking. 14 years later we move to Colorado and for some reason I got attached. He reminded me of an old smelly man. He'd yap at nothing, get so annoyed with Zero and fart randomly throughout the day. But he loved to snuggle up to me and would lay under Marco's feet everyday while he worked. He'd get so excited to go on walks and would hop, yes hop, the entire way. He'd lay on my belly and just stare up at me, lovingly. My mom never understood his infatuation with me haha. Anyways, Marco and I are so grateful we got to spend the last 2 months of his life with him. He seemed to get his youth back and enjoyed all the time and attention he received. I will think of him fondly and appreciate all the time we have with our Zero and Luna. :)

 

Elvis cuddling my bump and staring up at me. We received this little hat for Zoe and just couldn't resist having him model it. He was a great sport! RIP Elvis <3

 

Needless to say I've been an emotional wreck this past week. A moment that stands out is when Marco and I were at Wendy's, of all places. We were eating our food and chatting like we always do. I brought up Elvis and started crying right in the middle of Wendy's. This happened about 3 times through the course of a half hour meal. haha. We laughed about it later wondering what the people around us thought. Most likely they thought Marco was saying something really mean to me haha. For anyone who knows me, I'm not a cryer. At all. So we definitely know it's the increased hormones that is causing my out of character fits of tears.

 

For Mother's Day I took my mom, Marco and my mom's "little sister" Taryn to the Denver Aquarium. They served a nice buffet brunch but the scenery was something else. They had a HUGE live aquarium in the dining hall. Best of all mermaids would swim around as part of a show for kids. Although the adults (especially the men haha) enjoyed that part as well.

 

The view from our booth! Our waiter taught us that fish can be trained basically using Pavlov's teaching techniques. This is how you can put different species of fish together without them eating each other.

 

The whole gang

A mermaid, plus a smiling stingray.  

This bird was as high up as he could get. When I walked over and started talking to him he came down to the closest position he could and just stared at me and was being really playful. When I was walking away the bird went back to the highest position again and watched me walk away. Marco is now even more convinced I am an 'animal whisperer".

I love sharks. So fascinating; so scary, but still I'm so intrigued by them. My mom thought these sharks were "plant eaters". Ummm...yea. Must be some crazy strong plants to need those teeth. haha

Me petting the stingrays. This is always my favorite part of any aquarium. I'll sit for as long as I can petting them and watching them. As you can see my sleeve is wet because I just had to stick my arm as far into the water as possible. I would have jumped in if they let me! We got to feed them too which was pretty awesome. And don't worry, their stinging barbs are removed.

At first I thought it was some sort of coral/plant life. Then I saw the tenticles. Yes, this is a freaking live octopus. Incredible!

 

It's funny, Marco and I were getting some lessons in parenting, or lack there of, from some of the people in attendance. What we would do differently while out in public with our child was more the lesson we learned. Situations like that always prove to us, even more, that we are a great team and are on the same page with how we wish to teach and treat our children. Every now and again we look at each other like, 'are you sure you want kids?' haha. While of course we know the answer is yes and we're so excited to bring little Zoe into the world, it's a scary thought thinking about who her peers will be and what their parents' are teaching them to become.

Our first family photo. Just a little bump but I assure you it's growing! 23 weeks 1 day here.

 

How far along: 23 weeks 5 days (Ear of corn: 8.5in, 1.5lbs)

Symptoms: I've been really hot lately, even when Marco isn't. I catch myself sticking my head out the window randomly and wearing shorts when it's raining. Poor Marco cant' put his hand on mine without me pulling away. It's not you it's me I swear haha. I'm more hungry (just had a chicken bowtie pasta meal with house salad and coke from Johnny Carino's. An hour later I'm hungry - I'm in trouble haha), my back hurts, I get small random nose bleeds (totally normal), it's getting harder to stand up or move quickly, my feet hurt faster and I have to walk around  more frequently otherwise my legs fall asleep or get stiff. I've also been getting leg cramps the past few nights. I haven't had any more issues with numb wrists, hands or arms. I read how it's common in pregnancy to get temorpary carpal tunnel syndrome (along with everything else). I'm just more aware now of how I lay on my arms or hands and try to stretch them out when I've been typing for a long period of time. Other than that I feel good and energy level is high.

Aversions: none that I can think of
 

Cravings: milk and chocolate

Wedding Rings: on
 

Belly button: still in
 

Sleep: On my right side with no covers and the window open...so HOT!! I wake up in the middle of the night just to drink water.
 

Excited for: Our 24 week check up is next Wednesday. :) Flying back to Cali to visit. My friend here had an extra ticket so we switched it into my name and we're flying back June 11-17th together. I'll be working during the week as normal at the Irvine office but anyone who wants to grab lunch or meet up after 5pm let me know! I'd love to see you all. That Sunday is Father's Day so I'm really happy I get to spend it with my dad. :)

Fears: right now I just worry about her development. Am I doing anything that could hurt her developmentally? Am I eating the right things? Getting enough nutritional foods to her?
 

Missing: eating and drinking as much caffeine as I want. You're only supposed to have 1-2 cups a day, less if possible. I'm pretty good about stearing clear of it but it's in chocolate, coffee and sodas. CHOCOLATE PEOPLE!!?!?!?!? AHHH!! We bought Coffee Heath Bar Crunch ice cream last night, but I had a coke today at lunch so I can't eat my ice cream until tomorrow. Most people don't have to think about this stuff...I do and it makes me sad. haha
 

Movement: She's moving right now lol (it's the caffeine). She moves constantly and with more power now. Yesterday my arm was resting on my belly and her movement was so big that I saw my arm move. She's just growing so quickly. :)
 

Exercise: Walked around the aquarium, took the dogs for a walk, walked to lunch today.

Week 22: the growing belly

This week has been nice and quiet. We're settling into our new home, unpacking and getting familiar with the area. The dogs seem to be settling in as well and getting back on a routine which is nice. We have lots of ideas for decorating but it's really not a priority at this point. After work I typically just want to relax on the couch and watch our favorite shows. We've also been enjoying the thunderstorms - they put the Cali ones to shame. Luckily for us we both love rain and thunder, although the lightning can be a little overwhelming and scary.

A couple days ago I put on a sweater and realized how much my stomach has grown since the last time we took a picture of it. Time flies and the bump grows quickly. I finally got around to taking some photos of the belly and the inside of the house. Enjoy!

Front view of the belly. Marco says, "It looks like Zoe is riding a bike". Strange, that one. haha

Side view (22weeks 4 days)

Our master suite. Lots of decorating needed but it's already my favorite room in the house. The light was left by the original owners and the bed is courtesy of our good friend Bev. I will eventually put up the draping on the four poster bed.

Our lovely 5 piece bathroom with walk in closet. The bath comes in handy for all the soreness I've felt lately. There's also a stand up shower not pictured here.

How far along: 22 weeks 6 days (Papaya: 8in, 1.2lbs)

Symptoms: With the exception of last night/this morning symptoms have been minimal this week. I'm having some numbness/soreness in my right arm and jaw. No matter how much I tried to stretch it out or reposition it was irritiating me where I couldn't fall asleep. I dozed in and out but the entire family must have felt it because Marco was having a hard time sleeping and the dogs were restless as well. Finally around 3am Marco and I went downstairs, made some tea and watched some TV. I finally fell asleep around 4:30am on the couch. I've also been experiencing some nausea again. The pain in my arm and jaw have gone away this morning but the nausea is still pestering. It probably doesn't help that I'm exhausted. Thank God it's Friday!! Other than that, I'm still recovering from the move and feeling a little sore. I need to start stretching more. Besides that, feeling good and hungry often. If it weren't for this growing belly I wouldn't think I was actually pregnant. :)

Aversions: nothing really this week. Mushrooms still don't sounds great but I think I would still eat them. Especially if they were sauteed nicely.
 

Cravings: milk and chocolate.

Wedding Rings: on
 

Belly button: still in
 

Sleep: On my right side.
 

Excited for: Dr appointment in a couple weeks and making it to my third trimester. Can't believe how quickly time is flying.
 

Missing: laying on my stomach. I usually lay with the dogs on the floor and it's been difficult trying to position myself properly. Not to mention the getting up part. Lots of rolling and grunting to get up these days. haha Probably pretty entertaining for anyone watching me.
 

Movement: Daily. I started using the kick counter on an app I have. She did 10 kicks in 16minutes on Thursday and it should get progressively more frequent as she gets bigger. She's actually kicking now as I type this! :)
 

Exercise: moving and up and down the stairs all throughout the day. We also take short walks to the mailbox daily. On Sunday, for Mother's Day, we're taking my mom to the Denver aquarium for brunch and then walking around the aquarium after. Should be a nice day!

Week 21: lots of moving and shaking



The big thing this week has been getting the keys to our new place and finally moving in! OMG have I been sore but I paced myself and rested when I needed. Still my muscles ache and my feet have swollen up a few times. Time to take advantage of our big tub! Pictures of the tub and more to come.

 

View from the dining room. Our beautiful model Marco is laying in the family room. Off in the far left is the living room and to the right where the white door is you'll find a half bath and office. Upstairs you can see the guest room entry and full bathroom. To the left of the guest room is our master suite (not pictured) and to the right of the bathroom at the end of the hall will be Zoe's room!

 

Here is a picture of the family room with fire place and built in storage as well as the dining room. We are in love with the vaulted ceilings and open windows.

 

We met a few of our neighbors and they seem so nice and fun. The ones to our right are huge USC fans so we have already bonded and are making plans for this upcoming football season. The ones across the way from us are from Miami (where Marco's Dad lives) and the husband is Nicaraguan so Marco and him have already bonded over their culture. We also have FBI, a cop and a music teacher on our block. Lots of diversity and protection! :) We're feeling very blessed by this move and so thankful for God's plans for us.

 

Last Sunday Marco, my mom and I took a tour of Sky Ridge Medical Center, where I will be giving birth. I feel so much more at ease about the process after hearing all the amenities and technology they have to offer myself, the baby and visitors. Although, the experience became more real for me as we stood in the labor and delivery room talking about the different options and possibilities for birth. haha. While Marco and I will be the only ones in the labor and delivery room we welcome any family and friends to be there after Zoe is born in the post-pardum room. They have great accommodations for visitors with free Wi-Fi all throughout the hospital, a Starbucks, cafeteria, waiting rooms and it's about 5 minutes away from restaurants as as well Park Meadows Mall for any in-between time that you might be waiting. :)

 

Other than that Zoe has been moving a lot and reminding me constantly that she's in there. It's an amazing feeling and the movements are getting stronger by the day it seems. We will slowly be setting up her nursery and getting prepped for her big arrival. It's hard to believe I'm already 5 1/2 months pregnant. I'll take a belly shot for next week's blog post. Sorry, haven't had time this week.

 

How far along: 21 weeks 6 days (size of a Spaghetti Squash: 8 in, 1lb)

Symptoms: Itchy belly, swollen feet, back hurts and some more ligament pulling around my abdomen.

Aversions: mushrooms
 

Cravings: milk, ice cream, nothing too crazy this week.

Wedding Rings: on
 

Belly button: In but slowly making it's way out.
 

Sleep: Finally got our king size bed back. Now that I'm able to stretch out again I've been comfortable and pretty much sleeping through the night. The right side seems to be preferred even though my body pillow is on the left.
 

Excited for: Tricia Mae visiting in July, the baby shower and seeing my stomach move from her kicks
 

Missing: not having to think about what foods I can/can't eat. Can't a girl just have deli meat without wondering if she's going to get Listeria?!
 

Movement: Daily. The placenta must have moved because I can feel her consistently. There is more of a pattern to her movements now. Usually around 8am, then around lunch time before I eat and around 10pm as I'm winding down for bed.
 

Exercise: moving and up and down the stairs all throughout the day. We also take short walks to the mailbox daily.