AIDS Walk 2011

My friend Jaime and I participated in the annual 5K AIDS walk this morning. Waking up at 6am was a definite challenge on a vampires schedule like ours. It was a prefect day for such a great cause. Not too hot or cold outside. We met up with another couple that I found on a pregnancy meet-up group website that are expecting their first baby in March. They were so nice and we all had a great time walking. I was definitely feeling some round ligament pain towards the end of the walk, but I think I did pretty well overall. Jaime and I treated ourselves to burritos and football when we were done. We are really excited to participate next year with the new baby on board.

19 Weeks!

How far along? 19 Weeks! Baby Rivera is 6 inches long, 8 ounces, and about the size of a large mango.

Total weight gain/loss? I am up 5 pounds in total. I definitely went through a growth spurt this week (as you will see in my picture.)

Feeling Sick? Feeling quite good. I did start to experience round ligament pain this week and some abdominal pressure, which I am attributing to the growth of the baby and the uterus.

Clothing? Getting good use out of the maternity items I purchased. I still find myself mostly living in stretchy pants and baby doll dresses. I am lucky that I wear scrubs frequently throughout the week because that has saved me from having to buy work clothes.

Stretch Marks? Nope.

Sleep? Sleep was good this week despite the fact that John was gone all weekend and I was sleeping alone. Usually I have a tough time sleeping at night when I am in this big house all alone, but it actually wasn’t too bad.

Movement? A lot of fluttering sensations going on in there. I am still waiting for that one big powerful kick and/or punch to come; maybe in a few more weeks?

Cravings? Fruit, English muffins, soup, and cupcakes (of course.) I definitely have favorite food items and not necessarily cravings. John experiences way more cravings then me. He is on a Chinese food kick right now.

Gender? My anatomy ultrasound is scheduled for October 4^th, so I will make the big announcement after that. I will post pictures too.

What I miss? I miss taking care of myself and only myself. It is all about nurturing the baby at this point. I stress about what I eat, sensations I feel, am I inhaling too much hairspray when I do my hair? It all seems silly, but it truly is all about the little peanut I am growing and her well-being. I did not realize how pregnancy can physically and emotionally drain you. It almost feels like an outer body experience at some points.

Upcoming Events? October is going to be a busy month for John and I. I am leaving for Seattle on Thursday. I am so excited to see my mom, sissy, and my best friend, Jessica, who just had her beautiful baby boy on 9/24.

Best moment of the week? My friend Jaime and I participated in the AIDS walk this weekend and we had a blast. I met a really nice couple that is expecting their first baby a month after me. Probably the most exciting news of the week was the birth of Ben Ingle. Hearing my friend talk about the joy she felt having her son made me even more thrilled to have my baby. I cannot wait to feel that sense of indescribable love that every new mom feels.

Anxiously waiting for Baby Ben Ingle to arrive.....

I am lucky enough to have had the pleasure of sharing my pregnancy with one of my best friends in the whole world, Jessica Ingle, who is currently 40 weeks pregnant. Her stubborn baby boy is now past his due date. I am sitting on edge waiting for her to go into labor so that she can share with me her birthing "experience." I spoke with her today and she is starting to feel some irregular contractions, so we are hoping something with happen very soon (I have my phone glued to me, just in case). It has been so fun to share pregnancy stories with her, and we have managed to help each other through weird pregnancy situations (even though we live in different states). I cannot wait to meet her new little man, Ben, and give him a friend to play with. I am sure the advice she will have for me on the baby's first few months of life will be invaluable. Now come out BEN!!

18 Weeks!

How far along? 18 Weeks! Baby Rivera is 5 ½ inches long, 5 ounces, and about the size of a chicken breast.

Total weight gain/loss? Gained another pound this week, so I am up 2 pounds in total. I hope it is from the baby and not the 2 cupcakes I ate last night.

Feeling Sick? Feeling great, I have no complaints. I have had a few hormonal outbursts, but luckily I have a patient family and baby daddy to get me through them.

Clothing? I am definitely enjoying my bigger clothing now. My most interesting purchase of the week was an elastic waist, polka dot skirt from Abercrombie Kids (haha). I have found that elastic waists items are now my best friend.

Stretch Marks? Nope. I love lathering myself up with cocoa butter lotion every night.

Sleep? I am sleepy well at night. Still having a hard time sleeping during the day. I have taught myself how to function on 4 hours of sleep, than I just play catch up when I have the time. I guess this is a good prep for getting on the baby’s sleep schedule.

Movement? I am still going to say I think so???? I feel little subtle pops and flutters in my belly, but nothing that stands out a lot yet.

Cravings? Clam chowder! I love it. Still enjoying salads, fruits, and cupcakes too.

Gender? My anatomy ultrasound is scheduled for October 4^th, so I will make the big announcement after that.

What I miss? I miss being able to just pack up and go when I please. It is almost impossible to plan any sort of vacation or getaway at this point.

Upcoming Events? A lot of fun stuff going on this week! Hailey’s birthday party, dentist, massage. and walking in the AIDS walk next Sunday.

Best moment of the week? Buying more things for the baby’s room. It is coming together somewhat. I love when we can check stuff on the list that needs to get done. I know with the holidays coming up, we are going to be so busy, so it is nice to know that we are taking the time now to get things done!

17 Weeks!

How far along? 17 Weeks! Baby Rivera is about the size of my hand now.

Total weight gain/loss? We made progress this week, Up 1 pound. Yay. My doctor seemed happy that I finally put on some weight. And it is finally starting to show as well.

Feeling Sick? Feeling good now….less tired and more energy.

Clothing? So I broke down and bought new clothes this week. Some are considered maternity and others are tailored to just fit my expanding belly. I found a few dresses, oversized tops, and leggings. I think these items should last me a while.

Stretch Marks? Nope.

Sleep? Sleep is still the same. Sometimes it is great and some days are not so good. I am finding I just sleep when I can, no matter what time of the day it is.

Movement? I think so????? I am still questioning if it is movement or just gas. I like to think it is movement.

Cravings? No cravings. I am enjoying salads, soup, and sandwiches. Of course sweets are still at the top of my list (in moderation of course).

Gender? Pretty much everyone knows what we are having, but I am hesitant to make an official announcement until after my anatomy screen in a few weeks.

What I miss? For the first time since being pregnant, I missed Sunday brunch mimosas with the girls. It was a beautiful day and it seemed so refreshing.

Upcoming Events? This week will be pretty uneventful, but there is a lot of stuff going on over the next month (Dentist, massage, Seattle, NY)

Best moment of the week? I was happy my OB appointment was not cancelled on Friday due to the power outage. I enjoy going to them and hearing the baby’s heartbeat. I also bought my crib! One big thing I can check off the list.

16 Weeks!

How far along? 16 Weeks! Baby Rivera is measuring 4-5 inches and weighing 3-5 ounces.

Total weight gain/loss? Well to my surprise, when I hopped on the scale this morning, I lost 2 pounds. Fortunately the baby is healthy and measuring right on schedule!.

Feeling Sick? This week was so much better! Finally getting my energy back and not feeling as sick anymore. Yippee.

Clothing? My goal was to shop this weekend for a few larger clothing options, but I didn’t get around to it, so I guess I will continue to recycle the 3 sundresses and 2 pairs of shorts that still fit me.

Stretch Marks? Nope.

Sleep? Not sure how to describe my sleeping issues? I can’t figure out if I am having trouble due to the strange dreams I have all the time, or the fact that I am just not comfortable? I think it is only going to get worse.

Movement? No, but supposedly any day now I should feel something.

Cravings? Nothing new. Still enjoying fish tacos a lot.

Gender? Well this week we got a really good shot of our peanuts private parts, but I will post on that soon!

What I miss? Sleeping well!

Upcoming Events? I have another OB appt. this Friday. It should be a pretty mellow week.

Best moment of the week? The ultrasound we did on Friday and finding out the gender! John’s parents are in town and were able to witness it and they wee thrilled. I can’t believe how much the baby is moving and growing. It is amazing to see.