Week 37, The Countdown Begins!

Physical Symptoms: Acid Reflux is in full force. It has for sure been my worst pregnancy symptom. Natalie seems to be dropping some getting in position for labor. I have had some pain but nothing to be concerned about, just some stretching. Every once in a while I will get Braxton Hicks but nothing regular. In general, I am starting to get pretty uncomfortable. It is just hard to move around and I get tired very easily. When Natalie moves they are very large movements that Chris can see happening from across the room. You can tell there is a full term baby in there just waiting to make her arrival.

Food Weirdness: None

Size of little (girl) bug: Forget the fruits and veggies... she looks like a baby, one that is large enough to be outside of the womb.

Workout: Walking and fit breaks!

Preparation: We installed the car seat and bases. I still need to pack the hospital bag but plan on doing that by the weekend. Wednesday was my last day of work (start of week 38). I am looking forward to resting and doing any last minute things before Natalie's arrival, if she lets me. My replacement for work is doing really great and I have total confidence she will be perfect for my position while I am gone.

Discovery: People get way more excited about babies more than anything else including weddings. It has been amazing the support and excitement we have received for Natalie. Don't get me wrong, people were really excited about our wedding but the support we have received for a new baby continues to amaze me, especially at work. Perhaps it is because people can see the physical changes of my body growing so they feel part of the experience.

Last Friday, my co-workers threw my pregnant co-worker and I a double shower. Again we were blessed with many gifts and encouragement. Everyone at work is very excited about Natalie's arrival. I am again completely humbled by the support that surrounds us.

Funny Moment: My belly runs into everything. I forget how much it sticks out so my belly is constantly brushing closing doors, pages in books, walls, etc. Chris even has to let me out of the car before he pulls into the garage because it is impossible for me to get out of the car without having to squeeze through the door.

Feelings: Starting maternity leave was another marker that Natalie will be here before we know it. It is pretty emotional thinking by this time next month we will have a new baby in our arms. We are trying to make the most of our little family of 3 (when we have J) and making the most of our time together as a couple. I can't believe the time is almost here. Natalie can make her presence in this world any minute now. The countdown begins!

A few pics for the work baby shower:

Pregnancy, Week 35 & 36- Little baby clothes

Physical Symptoms: A few weeks ago I was having bad headaches. This was proven to just be allergies that were conjured up from those pesky Santa Ana winds because the headaches have stopped.  Acid reflux is still in full force but it is true eating an apple right after a meal keeps it at bay. If you take anything away from the blog, let it be that one tidbit. Life changer.

Last Saturday, I was experiencing a lot of stomach cramping and it kind of freaked me out. Mostly because during the time of the stomach cramping we were visiting our families cabin near Big Bear which is pretty much as far as you can get away from my hospital. Turns out it was just gas/lack of sleep/irregular eating time/my organs being smooshed in my body... pains. After a nice long nap I was feeling back to my ole self.

As of yesterday, I am 37 weeks pregnant. I visited the doctor (now on weekly visits) and had a ultrasound to approximate Natalie's weight.  According to the measurements she is around 6.5 pds which is normal. At 37 weeks I am now considered full term meaning that if she came tomorrow she would be fully developed. Wow! I have a real live functioning babe in my belly complete with all the things! Natalie's head has already dropped pretty low. It hasn't really bothered me except when she moves I feel some pelvic sensation. It's not really pain, more like a pressing down feeling.

If I lay on my side too long I experience some hip/leg pain which is very uncomfortable but overall I have been sleeping a bit better the last few days. I attribute it to the nice cool weather outside keeping the apartment at a comfortable temp.

Overall, I feel good and am thankful for my healthy body.

Food Weirdness: I have craved pizza often lately. Which is funny because that is what my mom craved when she was pregnant with me.

Size of little (girl) bug: Papaya

Workout: Walking and fit breaks! I must add though that this week I have realized it has been hard for me emotionally not being as active as I used to. Being active is my mental release and though walking and fit breaks are nice I am used to something more challenging and for longer periods.  It has been hard for me to take it easy and I look forward to getting back into greater activity soon. I have even thought about signing up for a 5k in the summer to have at least a small goal of activity to reach.

Preparation: Chris and I have done a lot of preparing the apartment for Natalie's arrival. Her clothes are washed and put away. Her co-sleeper is set up along with her changing table.  I have also packed her diaper bag with all the essentials. We found creative ways of storage for our small apartment and overall I feel good about how everything fits in our small space. I need to pack my hospital bag which is the largest unfinished task looming at the moment.

Also, I have been working with my HR filing papers for my maternity leave and preparing to add Natalie to our insurance.

Lastly, the person who will be filling in at my job while I am away has started.  I have been training her and she will do a great job. I tell you though, I forgot how tiring it is to train someone. You have to be "on" all the time and I feel like I am constantly talking or explaining things.

Discovery: The bigger you get, the nicer people are. Strangers will open doors, allow you to pass them in the grocery line, let you have their seat, give you a little bit more food/dessert than other restaurant patrons, etc. etc.  I can't tell you the amount of times I have thought about putting a sign on my car that reads "I am 9 months pregnant" just so people would be nicer on the road. I wonder if it would work! Ha!

Funny Moment: The other day I had the privilege to meet one of my good friend Janell's new baby who was born last Friday. I was able to hold him for about an hour while he slept.During the time he was leaning up against my belly Natalie was moving around like crazy. Its like she knew I had a baby in my arms. It was really cool. Also, it was really funny holding a newborn and thinking that there was a baby that same size and fully developed in my belly. It's just very surreal.

Feelings: I have been more emotional lately. Things seemed to get very real once my friend had her baby because in my community of pregger gals I see regularly, I may be next. There is a lot of anticipation of what life will looks like after Natalie's arrival. How will I change? How will my marriage change? Friendships? Work life? Family life? It's a lot to think about and we are basically just waiting for her to come so we can get used to our new normal.

Chris and I are having great communication about it all though and I am so thankful to have an amazing partner to go through all these changes with.

PS: Congrats to Chris & Janell on their little guy! Cant wait to have playdates soon!

36 Weeks!

Family Pic on Easter!

My pregnant work friend who is due just days after me. It has been so much fun going through this stage of life with her.

Natalie's domain

Clever idea I found on Pinterest to hold more baby clothes!

Pregnancy, Week 34 - Stuck in a room with hundreds of pregnant women!

Physical Symptoms: Check the past two week's blogs and add on some headaches. Now this one I am not sure is pregnancy related or because the Santa Ana winds are whipping everything around and causing my allergies to go crazy but I have had a few headaches.  I talked to my doctor and she said if a headache lasts for longer than a day and medicine doesn't help to call the office because it could signal blood pressure issues.  For now, unless that scenario happens, I am thinking its allergies.

As of Wednesday (technically 35 weeks along) I have gained 32.8 pounds. I should only be gaining 1-2 pds a week now. I'll be happy if I end up at or below 40 pds by the end.

Around week 34/35 be prepared to take a Group B strep test. I passed but had no idea this test was coming. So if you are wondering what it is, google it. Just know its a routine test in late pregnancy.

Food Weirdness: All good in the food department and my acid reflux is happening less and less.

Size of little (girl) bug: Honeydew Melon

Workout: Walking and fit breaks. I actually did a walking tour of the UCLA Mildred E. Mathias Botantical Garden one day during work.  Seven acres of UCLA's campus is dedicated to this garden for medical/scientific research. It was really cool to learn about all these different plants.  I totally geeked out on Chris about it when I got home that night.

Preparation: We organized a lot this past weekend. We hung black out curtains in our room and then wished we would have done that a year ago! Wow! We feel like we are in a hotel room. Also, I washed Natalie's clothes and organized them in drawers by size and type. We organized her changing table, started putting together her diaper bag and set up her swing (thanks Mike and Roshan) and co-sleeper. The house finally looks like a baby is coming to live there.

Discovery: Natalie kicks hard! The other night Chris was feeling my belly and she gave out a wallop that surprised him and I both and honestly even hurt a little bit. She is a strong little one!

Funny Moment: There were a few funny moments this past week:

• Dancing at Mike & Taryn's wedding had to be funny looking. I danced until my feet couldn't handle it any longer but I had to bust some moves!
• My friend Brandee and I went to a event called Big City Moms Biggest Baby Shower LA (more on that in a minute) on Tuesday. They had photographers there and one guy could not stop taking pictures of my baby bump. There were TONS of pregnant women there but he just thought my belly was the cream of the crop, even telling me he thought it was perfectly round. So here I am trying to talk to vendor and this guy is all up on my belly taking close ups. Awkward. Did I mention this was after I spilled chocolate ice cream down by dress that left a big brown stain? Yeah, that happened. 

Feelings: My feelings are going to be about the event Brandee and I went to because it was so great to be around so many pregnant ladies, learn about the newest baby gear and let's be honest, get free stuff.

The Big City Moms Biggest Baby Shower LA was an event held at the Skirball Center that was a fun and informative offering vendors, seminars, games, treats and PRIZES. Brandee told me about it and it was so much fun going together. We arrived and immediately grabbed our mocktails and were on a mission to collect our 25 signatures from vendors so we could be eligible for the raffle. We discovered a lot of new (to us) brands of car seats, strollers, organic food, baby lotions, baby services, etc. Many of the brands were European which basically meant "expensive" to me but it was great to learn about them and they are ahead of their game when it comes to functionality and style. 

We also took part in some seminars. There were a few celebrities that spoke including Ali Landry and Jaime Pressley. All were informative and covered topics like fitness and wellness, the ups and downs of being a mom, navigating the first year, etc. At the end of the seminar you were eligible to receive a larger raffle prize if your ticket was pulled out of a bag. Well... I WON! I couldn't believe it! I won the Sage Spoonfuls Let's Get Started Pack which is a homemade baby food system. The recipes that came with the package seems simple enough. We will see how this mama will handle making her own baby food but I am willing to give it a try (when its time) even if it's not for every meal.

Whew, long post today! Its been busy!

PS: Chris and I also celebrated our ONE YEAR ANNIVERSARY this past week. We took J and had yummy Italian food and the best lemon cake ever. It was a great way to celebrate.


Learning about the original rose at the Botantical Gardens where I completely had a geek moment.

Mike & Taryn Got Married!!!! 

We celebrated One Year of Marriage! Best year of my life!! This is us at M & T's wedding.

Jaime Pressley speaking about the ups and downs on motherhood.

Brandee and I at the event! Love her!

Pregnancy, Week 33 - Showered with Blessings

Physical Symptoms: I'll spare you the long laundry list I gave you last week. But rest assure they are still happening. The only things I will add this week is losing my breath and being hotter than the surface of the sun.

• Losing my breath: One night I really wanted to lay on my back on the couch. So I did for a while and then when I got up I was breathing so hard trying to catch my breath. I was breathing as hard as when I used to run 10 miles. Ha! Once I laid on my side I started breathing normally again but I now realize why doctors warn you about laying on your back while pregnant.
• Being hotter than the surface of the sun: Dramatic, I know. But I'm hot all the time. It doesn't help that SoCal decided to climb to almost 90 degrees in March. But even at work I have my desk fan on all the time.

Food Weirdness: The acid reflux is getting somewhat better. Eating smaller meals help. 

Size of little (girl) bug: Cauliflower Blossom (can I have that curried please?)

Workout: So thankful for fit breaks at work. I have even increased tone in my arms! And still walking.

Preparation: We are super prepared since I had my shower over the weekend.  Goodness, we were blessed with so many useful items for Natalie. It will take a while to organize but we are incredibly humbled by our friends and families love and generosity for our growing household.

Discovery: Janell gave us the NoseFrida Nasal Aspirator which is apparently all the rage! It is made in Sweden and unlike regular aspirators with the big bulb at the end that provides suction, mama or daddy uses their own breath to suck through a tube that provides relief for baby nasal congestion. Hard to imagine? Here is the link to the NoseFrida. Apparently babies like it much more than a regular aspirator. 

Funny Moment: Seeing all the baby pictures of Chris and I that our parents provided for the baby shower. It's amazing to see us as tiny babies and kids. My favorite picture is Chris dressed up like a cowboy on a pony (see below).  Both sets of parents provided pictures of us potty training too (also below). Ha ha!

Feelings: Feeling very blessed by friends and family at my baby shower. Everything was amazing. The decorations were so cute, the food was delicious, the stories/pictures our parents provided were very meaningful and the people there (many who drove a long way) made the day just perfect. I couldn't ask for more!

PS: Another east coast friend had her baby this week! So excited for my lovely friend Mel and her husband Mark!


Such amazing food!

Meaningful and cute decor!!

One of my finer moments.... potty training.

I love this lil cowboy because he grew up to be my husband!

Great Friends!

Family!

More Awesome Friends!

The hostesses with the mostesses ;)

Mama and Natalie!

Pregnancy, Week 32 - Counting Sheep

Physical Symptoms: Well folks the late stages of pregnancy symptoms have started to set in. Though overall I feel well here is the ever increasing list:

• Leg Cramps: The ones you get in the middle of the night where you feel like someone is ripping the muscle off your bone. This usually involves a lot of flailing around and waking up Chris. Not that he can really do anything but more so someone can commiserate with me. 
• Acid Reflux: Pretty much anything with give me acid reflux these days. My doctor said it is okay for me to take an antacid so I will probably start doing that.
• Lightning in the ummm...baby area: I want to be truthful in this blog but not gross you out. Let's just say sometimes it feels like lightning is striking my lower half. Doctor says it's totally normal.
• Rib Pain: Someone likes to stick her foot in my ribs.
• Baby Hiccups: This is the one symptom I like. Natalie gets the hiccups all the time. It's pretty cute.
• Sleeping: I am sleeping terribly. I am starting to build my fortress of pillows around me. I will fall asleep fine but then wake up about 2 hours later so uncomfortable. It takes so much effort to roll over because my entourage of pillows have to come with me. Also, imagine holding a bowling ball in front of you and then rolling over with it without the help of your core. It takes a lot of effort.

Food Weirdness: Food and I have a love hate relationship right now. I love to eat but hate the acid reflux it gives me after.

Size of little (girl) bug: Florida Pomelo?!?!? This food size comparison is getting weird. 

Workout: Walking and fit breaks!

Preparation: We had a busy weekend so I really didn't do too much preparing. Just keeping up with some light reading, continuing to scour Pinterest for helpful hints and talking to new mama's to know what to be expecting in the near future.

Discovery: My doctor said that baby hiccups are a sign that she is happy in the womb. Not sure how they could scientifically know that but i'll take it!

Funny Moment: Chris and I had the privilege of attending the Gordon's wedding this weekend and we had a great time. While conversing with our friends there I pretty much found everything funny. Like things that were mildly funny I would lose it in laughter. I am thankful that on days my body is feeling good I have typically been very joyful during pregnancy. Also, thankful for good times with friends!

Feelings: This week, the youth group that I have been volunteering at for many years gave my friend Janell and I a baby shower. All the kids stated a wish for the babies and it was such a blessing to hear their hopes and dreams for our little ones. We also had a lot of fun. We played silly games and they gave us sweet baby gifts. The kid's moms played a huge part in planning the party and Janell and I were both very blessed and honored. Love my kiddos!

Stephen and Stephanie Gordon! Such a lovely couple!

My Love and I

Had a lot of laughs with these folks!

Youth Group Girls: Who can dress the baby the fastest!

Youth Group Boys: Who can dress the baby the fastest!

Youth Group Moms! They are the best!

Janell and I. So blessed to be sharing this pregnancy experience with her. Cant wait for the arrival of her baby boy at the end of this month!

Pregnancy, Week 31- My hips dont lie

Physical Symptoms: This week, for the first time, I have said, "I'm over being pregnant." Most days I am feeling good. Some days are harder. One day this week my belly was feeling overly tight, my back was hurting and I just could not get comfortable sitting, standing nor lying down. I think Natalie may of been positioned against my back because the next day I was back to normal.  Today I am having some hip discomfort. My narrow hips are probably starting to stretch out in preparation for labor. I have been waking up more during the night trying to get comfortable. Basically, the last stretch of pregnancy is starting to happen. The more uncomfortable, body beating, preparation for labor part. I just keep reminding myself 1) this is only going to get worse, lol, 2) this is only temporary. So am I glass half full or half empty? Ha!

Tiredness. How dare Netflix release House of Cards during my third trimester when I can't keep my eyes open at night. Chris has had to turn off the show multiple time because he catches me sleeping. So for two people who can usually average 3-4 shows a night, we are down to around 1 and 1/2. Ha!

Food Weirdness: My friend gave me a tip that eating an apple can help with heartburn.  Over the weekend I could not deny a pepperoni pizza even thought those little guys give me major heartburn. I ate an apple right after and had zero heartburn! Interesting, huh?

Size of little (girl) bug: Romaine Lettuce? Umm Okay.

Workout: More walking, fit breaks and yoga. I enjoy yoga because it also trains my breathing. Hopefully it will help me remember to breathe during labor.

Preparation: I went into MAJOR nesting mode over the weekend. Deep cleaned the kitchen and bathrooms. (Chris cleaned the shower which I refuse to do! Thanks babe!) Hung pictures on the walls & put some things in the garage. I am very happy I had the energy to get all of that done. Soon we will be making space (aka. a wall in our room) for Natalie's things. I am looking forward to that.

I also got in touch with the pediatricians office that will be seeing Natalie after she is born. One more thing off the list!

Discovery: Natalie has reached the length she will be at birth. Now she is just packing on the pounds.

Funny Moment: Watching me get up off the ground is pretty funny. There is a method. Roll, breathe, get on all fours, breathe, hope there is something you can grab on to nearby, breathe, pull yourself up, grunt, breath, come to a standing position, breathe, tell yourself you will never sit on the floor again while pregnant. breathe.

Feelings: Our household is getting excited for the baby to arrive.  We know not everything is perfectly in place yet but I can tell there is an excitement and anticipation building. Thankful for Chris, he has been very attentive and even more sweet to me than usual. I love when he refers to Natalie as "our daughter". I haven't used that term often, I still say "baby" or "Natalie" but I am going to start. It's hard to explain but the term daughter seems much more unique and personal and I like that. Our daughter is uniquely a product of us. Pretty dang cool.

Week 32 pic:

Pregnancy, Week 30 - The he-he-hoos & the ah-ah-hee's of Pregnancy

Physical Symptoms: Sometimes I feel like I swallowed a watermelon.  Every once in a while my stomach gets completely hard and it is somewhat uncomfortable. I have been told this is Braxton Hicks.  I call it the introduction to the last weeks of pregnancy. It has arrived. Only a handful of weeks left!

Natalie is still pounding away inside of me. Sometimes I can physically see her roll around which causes a wave like pattern across my belly.  Sometimes she gets the hiccups. And sometimes she just likes to punch me like a punching bag. Its pretty cool and I love when Chris gets to see and feel her moving.

I am starting to get really exhausted by the end of the day. It takes a lot more effort to do anything. I start off in the morning really motivated to get things done and by the time I get home I just want to rest.

But my body in general, except for the occasional ache and pain that comes with a rapidly changing body, is holding up really well. I am really lucky.

Food Weirdness: Goodbye pepperoni's. You give me too much acid reflux right now.

Size of little (girl) bug: Summer Cantaloupe

Workout: Walking and fit breaks! Thankful my work provides those opportunities during the day. Looking forward to the upcoming time change so I can start walking at night.

Preparation: Chris and I completed our Birth Education Class at a local community hospital (hence the breathing references in the title).  We really enjoyed it. The instructor (who is also a nurse) was a great communicator and also kept it real. She didn't try to sugar coat anything but told us the hard truths with jest.  I appreciated that.

I really felt the class was not only educational but a great thing for Chris and I to take together.  It sparked some great discussions and allowed up to get on the same page with the birth plans. I also feel like our love and excitement for Natalie grew just by learning more about the process and watching some of the birth videos. I never expected it to be a bonding time for us but it was!

I also took a breastfeeding class and was very happy to be informed about the process and techniques. Hoping that will be an easy transition for us.

I recommend taking the classes.Very thankful we did.

Discovery: Did you know a babies stomach is only the size and capacity of a large marble at birth? So little!

Funny Moment: Last week I was in charge of coordinating a large meeting at work. During the presentation the power went out which caused the computer with the powerpoint to shut down. My boss asked if she should get another one of our co-workers to check it out and without thinking I'm like, "no, ill do it!" So here I am crawling on the floor in front of 120 people trying to boot up the power strip. When I came up from the floor the Vice Chancellor of Housing was chuckling. I then realized why my boss asked if she should get someone else to fix the issue. Having a 7+ month pregnant woman crawling on the floor in front of 120 people probably isn't the best thing. Whooops, embarrassing.

Feelings: A couple of friends had their babies over  the weekend and for some reason that made reality hit. Natalie is coming soon. I write this blog covering the prior week so I am actually already 31 weeks. So in reality I only have 9 more weeks to go! Everyday I wake up with intense nesting feelings, make all these plans to prepare the house but then come home too exhausted to execute. Hopefully weekends will be our time to really get prepared for Natalie's arrival! She will be here before we know it.

Week 31 pic