Week 29: time is flying by.

Well I haven't received a phone call about my glucose results so "no news is good news". :) Marco and I signed up for some baby prep classes - Baby Safe, Breastfeeding and our 4 week long Preparation aka "Lamaze" classes. We hope to also sign up for a Daddy Boot Camp class too. My 30 week Dr Apt is this coming Wednesday and Tricia Mae will be here July 4th - I can't wait!!! As well as scheduled our maternity photoshoot with Kelsey Steindler Photography (she did our wedding and I've known her since high school.) We also started organizing Zoe's closet with some of the stuff we currently have.

 

Most baby items seen here are from my Uncle Rich and Aunt Jen. The dresser is mine from when I was a teen and the organizers and shelves are from Ikea. We also removed the closet doors and placed a curtain rod with my favorite curtains (Pier1 Imports) to open up the space a little more.

The two paintings are from my friend DeLia. I purchase them before I was pregnant and they ended up being perfect for our theme/color scheme and baby name. We hung the mirrors low for Zoe to look at herself and added the football nightlight which was one of our first purchases when we found out we were expecting!

 

Other than that we will be taking a road trip back to Cali from July 19th-27th and our baby shower is on the 20th! The biggest concern right now is my job. I'm currently contracted until August 30th with a good possibility of finding a position for me to stay on permanently (long story) but things aren't going as quickly as I had hoped. I know God is teaching me patience and constantly putting me in positions where I can learn to lean on Him but as always it's difficult to give up that control. I know whatever happens will be for the best but the unknown is scary.

 

I different angle of the belly. This is me looking down at it while sitting. She was moving a ton when I took this pic. Thank you to my mom for this comfy shirt from Downtown Disney. Marco and I love The Nightmare Before Christmas (where we got Zero's name and we also decorated our house last year for Christmas in "Nightmare" theme).

 

How far along: 29 weeks 5 days (Butternut Squash: 17in, 3.1 lbs)

Symptoms: Pretty much the same as last week. Stomach has been itching more recently and my feet aren't as swollen - been wearing flip flops a lot which seems to help.

Aversions: none

Cravings: milk and ice cream (it's been so dang hott!!)

Wedding Rings: took the final band off 2 nights ago. I was worried it might not come off if I didn't. I would like to get them re sized if possible; feels weird not wearing my rings.

Belly button: still slowly making it's way out. top half is out. It's sensitive around the naval which is typically a sign that it's pushing out.

Stretch marks: none

Sleep: Still on my right side. Any time I change position Zoe moves.

Excited for: Tricia Mae's visit and the Cali trip

Fears: Giving birth too early

Mood: calm, typically relaxed.

Missing: laying on my stomach with the dogs and as much coffee as I want.

Movement: Now anytime she moves I can see it from the outside. Marco sat with me yesterday just watching. He thinks it's the craziest thing ever. She's typically predictable too - when I wake up in the morning, lunch time, later in the afternoon and bedtime. I can easily count 10 kicks within 10 minutes or less (anything I've read says 10 kicks in 15 minutes or even 10 kicks in an hour.)

 

Exercise: trying to push myself to walk with Marco and the dogs. My lower back has been hurting a lot when I walk but I push through. It helps with circulation, swollen feet, and eventually with the birth.

 

Some random photos from the week:

 

Our kitchen. I realized I never shared this part of our house before! One of my favorite parts :)

Marco went on an early morning bike ride last Saturday so I made myself some breakfast (he usually cooks breakfast). Sauteed mushrooms and onions mixed with eggs and cheese, a side of fresh strawberries and orange juice. Easy, fresh and nutritious for baby and me.

 

Week 28: is my body supposed to do that?!

 

Week 28 day 5

 

Thursday night I saw Megan for cupcakes and milk at The Spectrum and Friday with Leanna in Laguna Beach. The laughs with those two are off the charts. I love hanging with them and miss them terribly when I'm gone. True friendship lasts regardless of distance though. I'm so grateful for them!

My swollen feet on Friday.

The remainder of my trip was mostly filled with family! Starting on Friday night I stayed at my Dad's for the weekend and caught up with him. Saturday was the memorial service for Debi. The service was beautiful and regardless of the unfortunate circumstances it was still nice to see my cousins and extended family that I don't see often. My cousins were very strong and in good spirits. I was glad they had their friends and their father to lean on. I can't imagine what they are going through and how overwhelming the whole experience was and is for them. They are in my daily prayers. Saturday night I spent a brief amount of time with Tricia Mae at her sister's wedding reception. I loved seeing her whole family together and sharing the joy of that night. Zoe enjoyed the loud music and cake! haha

Tricia Mae at her sister's wedding! So beautiful. She has pics with me in them but I'd prefer ones without me in them haha

Sunday my dad and I went up to Thousand Oaks to meet my grandparents, their friends, my sister and her boyfriend for Father's Day. It's always fun seeing the reaction of people who haven't seen me since I announced the pregnancy. They all were so excited to see the growing belly and ask how she was doing. There's always joy with pregnancy and I'm so fortunate to have such a loving and supportive family. In all the trip was great and went by too quickly. Marco and I will be back July 19th to the 27th to visit more!

This week has just been about settling back into the routine of things. On Monday evening when I got home my throat started hurting. Marco has been doctoring me up with tea and honey which seems to have done the trick! I've been more tired this week so we haven't done much. We did buy our stroller/baby carrier/car seat travel system and my mom surprised us with the matching pack n play set as well! They are set up and waiting to be filled. For now the dogs are getting used to the new items in the house and Zero will hopefully become used to the stroller in no time (he's a scaredy cat).

Our travel system.

The pack n play

 

Today I had my monthly doctor appointment and glucose test. I've gained a total of 21 lbs since I became pregnant so I'm right on track. I still need to be careful because I don't want to gain too much and with the baby growing .5lb a week from now on I could easily gain too much. The baby's heart beat was about 150bpm which is nice and strong and she moved a couple times while trying to take a reading. Marco saw my stomach move once while in the doctor's office which is a first for him. My blood pressure is in the normal range and everything is growing properly. From now on I have a doctor's appointment every 2 weeks and around 34 weeks the doctor will discuss our birth plan with us.

 

As far as the glucose test goes it was a peace of cake. Typically it's in a bottle but the nurse told us it looks like more than it really is so they poor it into a cup for the mommies. I'm given 4 minutes to drink it but I downed it in about 15 seconds. Flavor of choice: fruit punch. You then wait an hour and have them take your blood to check for gestational diabetes and anemia (iron deficiency). I'll have the results at my next appointment.

 

Belly comparison: Week 18 and week 28

 

How far along: 28 weeks 5 days (Small cabbage: 17in, 2.9 lbs)

Symptoms: hard to move, swollen feet, tired, feel like I have to pee all the time even after I go to the bathroom, and hot all the time. Woke up at 5:30am today for no reason. I couldn't sleep so I did a load of laundry, put the dishes away and made Marco coffee. Soar throat, stuffed up, and I've started lactating. I've been told it's early but might be a good sign of having a nice supply of milk for Zoe. It's a strange thing though and something I would rather ignore and wish it went away but I know it's a good thing for Zoe and that's more important than my comfort. Still so weird. Also started feeling Braxton Hicks. These are like contractions that start early on. You usually can't feel them until now but they are prepping your body for the real thing. They don't hurt at all, yet, but is just a tightening of my stomach where it's very stiff and hard for a few seconds and then it goes away. The human body is fascinating but strange.

Aversions: none

Cravings: milk and fruit punch

Wedding Rings: the one band

Belly button: I'd say about half of it is out or at least flat with my stomach. I'm getting used to it.

Stretch marks: none

Sleep: Right side feels better but I'm constantly switching throughout the night.

Excited for: Tricia Mae is coming out in 2 weeks and the baby shower. :)

Fears: labor and post labor. Too many horror stories plus I'm not a fan of the unknown. I've tried watching videos and those freak me out even more. Dr said she hopes with the next several appointments and info she will supply I will not feel so uneasy about it. Plus the ambilical chord getting wrapped around her neck. Dr explained that she doesn't breath as we do so it's actually not much of a concern right now. It's only when it's wrapped a few times and tight. In that case she wouldn't be moving as often as normal and I would need to report that.

Mood: happy but tired. Relaxed but anxious. haha

Missing: A full night's sleep laying however I want.

Movement: still constant. She wouldn't stop moving yesterday until I got home and laid on the floor with the dogs. She will have a ton of energy I just know it!

 

Exercise: just walking

Week 27: my third and final trimester!!

 

THIRD TRIMESTER!!

 

27 weeks 1 day

 

This week has been really nice so far. On Sunday we went to church and spent some time painting and relaxing. Marco painted the "Z" in Zoe's room - which I absolultely LOVE! I made this lighthouse painting from a photo I liked online. This is going up in our guest room. We are getting it ready for the arrival of my best friend Tricia Mae. She arrives on July 4th. :)

I was very proud of my shading since I haven't painted in a while and didn't have high hopes. haha

Here Marco is starting the sketch. And the end result.

Tuesday I flew to California. This trip was already booked prior to Debi's passing so I had a tons of plans booked in advance. Tuesday night I met up with Tricia McCurry and her son Colt. We picked up In N Out and drove to Huntington Beach. At on the sand and walked around a bit catching up and laughing like old times. We then went back to her house and watched Up! together. I highly recommend that movie for all ages. It's one of our favorites. Then I drove to my friends Annabelle and Clay's house. They are graciously letting me stay with them until Friday. They have been so accomodating and kind with bagels and fruit waiting for me in the morning and their adorable puppy Toby to greet me. It's been a great stay and I'm so grateful for them and their hospitality.

Colt, Tricia and me at the beach. Tricia has a little head. haha

On Wednesday I worked a full day at the Irvine office and got to catch up with all  my old co-workers. It's been so nice joking with them like old times and having some noise in the background while I work. Very different from my office in Longmont. A couple of us found my favorite gourmet food truck, Dogzilla. I got my favorite chili cheese dog with grilled onion, served on a King's Hawaiian Hot Dog Bun. So so delicious. I've definitely been craving it since I left in March. The Irvine Company was also throwing an ice cream social for the business complex in the afternoon so we partook in the festivities, including a free photobooth with some of my coworkers. We are a bunch of dorks but this gives you a taste of the personalities here. :)

Dwayne, Chris, Denise and me (pimps and gangsters representing the OC haha.)

 I'm throwing up the peace sign with a duck face in the second photo and west side in the last. It's how I roll. haha.

Dogzilla food truck...try it if you ever see one! :)

At night I met up with Tricia Mae at Slaters 50/50 and enjoyed a mac n cheese baked potato. So delicious. (Zoe is enjoying my Cali diet for sure haha). I got see her mom and dad briefly which was really nice. I used to live with them when I was 23 so it's fun to have them see my progress through life. We then checked out an ice cream store in Costa Mesa called Confetti. It's always so fun chatting it up with Tricia and being silly. We can be so honest with each other and neither judges the other. Besties and sisters for life! We rounded out the night by dropping into Garf's to say hi to Eddie. Eddie is a dear friend of Marco's and I that helped us move to Colorado. He's the brother I never had. :)

Slater's 50/50 mac n cheese baked potato!

 

Today I met up with an old co-worker and friend, Carrie at CPK for lunch. Catching up on all her travels and home remodeling was so nice. She's so excited for Marco and I and staying up to date with my blog which means so much to me. (She's most likely reading this now haha). I hope to meet her in Colorado one of these trips and maybe do a hike! :) After work I'll be heading over to visit with Tara and then ice cream later in the evening with Megan Vest. Tomorrow I meet up with Leanna in Laguna Beach for dinner and then off to my Dad's. The funeral is Saturday morning/afternoon with Tricia Mae's sisters wedding reception in the evening and Father's Day fun with my dad, sister and grandparents on Sunday. Like I said it's jam packed but it's been so nice seeing all these people in such a short amount of time. Marco can't wait to come out with me in a month. We're planning for a longer visist (about 10 days) and will be sure to catch up with as many people as possible while we're here.

...and through all this Zoe has been such a trooper. Pretty calm through the day but the moment I sit or lay down she begins moving around and letting me know she's still doing well. Everyone is so excited to see the growing belly and eventually meet her. :)

How far along: 27 weeks 5 days (Head of cauliflower: 16in, 2.5 lbs)

Symptoms: back hurts, feet swelled up a bit from the flight and all the walking around. Out of breath when I talk. Other than that feeling great!

Aversions: none

Cravings: none

Wedding Rings: the one band

Belly button: more sensitive today. It's definitely working it's way out.

Sleep: Sleeping on my sides. On my back is just too uncomfortable now. The additional weight is not doing anything good for my back.

Excited for: the baby shower and coming back to visit with Marco. Although we will miss our dogs terribly.

Fears: Still concerned about her being born premature. Although in speaking with Tricia Mae (NICU nurse), Zoe should be just fine if born early from here on out. Saying daily prayers. :)

Mood: Happy and upbeat during the day. As it gets into night I'm more tired and sluggish but still enjoying company.

Missing: wearing whatever shoes I want.

Movement: constant and her movements are becoming bigger and more easily felt.

 

Exercise: does walking Denver International count? :)
 

So excited about these stamps. Just a little hint into our baby shower theme! :)

 

Week 26: boombox of her heartbeat

I'll start this one off with some sad news...Debi passed away on Sunday, June 2nd at 9:20am. From what I hear it was peaceful. Her 17 year old daughter was by her side. Her memorial service will be held Saturday, June 15th and she will be buried near her mother. I'll be in Cali during that time so am very grateful that I will be able to pay my respects with my family. The family is holding up but still in shock from how sudden and unexpected her passing was. You're never fully prepared but in this case we were all blindsided by the news of her even going into the hospital. We continue to pray for strength and understanding as well as for her two beautiful daughters.

While we may pause for a moment, life still moves on with or without us. For Marco and I it's easy to distract ourselves knowing we have the little one on the way. She's been moving more and more. So much so that Marco can now feel distinct, swift movements from her. Every movement you hear, "Oh my gosh" and "Woah that was big" from Marco. We laugh and enjoy the calm before the storm. haha. He can now hear the fuzzy boombox of her heartbeat when he puts his ear to my belly which is amazing. Now I have something I can be jealous of him for. :)

This week I had a distinct dream about her being born early at 35 weeks. She was only 4 lbs but reached up and touched my face and hugged me. Very strange but still comforting in a way. My daily prayers now include asking that she go to full term before delivery. haha

I was in an artsy mood and made a couple things for Zoe's room:

This is from a poem I had to memorize in junior high. "The Road Not Taken by Robert Frost"

I felt it fitting for not only wanting her to be adventurous but also a mentality of making your own path and not following the crowd just because it's easier. The painting will hang in her room and goes quite well with a couple other paintings we have in there already from a friend of mine.

Before and after. This was more out of boredom. We had left over scrapbook paper and Mod Podge so I ripped them up and decoupaged the box. I will most likely use this to hide baby wipes or creams in the changing table.

How far along: 26 weeks 5 days (Cucumber: 15in, 2.2 lbs)

Symptoms: Feeling uncomfortable and awkward now. I feel huge but look in the mirror and it's still the same as yesterday. haha. Starting to wake up in the middle of the night to go to the bathroom. Haven't been getting continuous sleep; wake up still tired. Without going into details some bathroom trips are difficult. LOL. The things your body goes through with a baby sitting on your bladder and internal organs is weird. It's all apart of it though and will be worth it when she's in my arms.

 

Aversions: none

 

Cravings: none

 

Wedding Rings: still wearing the one band.

 

Belly button: top of my belly button is protruding now. The rest is right on the surface and ready to pop at any moment. I give it another 2-3 weeks.

 

Sleep: I'm having a hard time falling asleep/feeling comfortable this week. The body pillow is coming in handy now. Start on my left side and turn to my right. It isn't the most comfortable feeling rolling over like that. Laying on my back is no longer comfortable at all.

 

Excited for: The Cali trip and the baby shower. Can't believe it's in 6 weeks already. :)

Fears: She will be born premature. I haven't had any signs of an issue but with the dream I had and a recent magazine article I read it's now something that concerns me. Also, having a C-section and recovery being difficult. A friend of mine just had one because she wasn't dialating on her own and had a really hard recovery period. I just pray my body does what it needs to when it needs to and heels quickly.

 

Mood: Typically calm and content. We laugh a lot but have been more tired as well.

 

Missing: restful night sleep and painless feet

 

Movement: constant. Loving it all.

 

Exercise: haven't done too much walking this week. I've been so tired when I get home I have been falling asleep on the couch plus Marco has been working a lot of OT.

 

Readings/Research: a free baby magazine I got in the mail (I forget the name of it). Articles about "going green" and basically how unnecessary it is for babies, another about Whooping Cough (makes me more of a germ-aphobe) and another about premature babies and the effects.

We had some thunder storms this last week and while raining I saw a double rainbow. Had to capture and share. Just made me smile :)

 

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.