36 weeks 6 days

On Saturday our very precious bundle of joy will be 37 weeks (aka term!). This means legally Labor of Love can deliver him at any point in the next 5 weeks. There are lots of bets going on about what day he will be born. As much as I joke about evicting him, I do know that the longer he is on there, the better. Please keep reminding me of this when I'm suffering from horrible contractions. Lol

We have had a bit of an eventful week. Starting Monday night around 5pm until about 8:30am Tuesday morning I had very painful and sporadic contractions. When I told midwife Michelle about this at my appointment on Wednesday morning she said "oh yay!!" I know my body is doing what it needs to prepare but I don't think I would say yay.

After a great check up with her (iron and vitamin D are up and I'm GBS negative) I gave us all a bit of a fright when I fell down some stairs onto the tile floor that same evening. We were laying on the couch upstairs watching Idol when I thought I'd go down to the kitchen to take my iron and get ready for bed. I'm not sure if it was too dark or I was just exhausted, but I missed that last step. I fell really hard on my knee/foot right on the tile floor. Andre came running and we thought the impact may have broken my water. Needless to say I was scared to death that I hurt Gavin. My knee and foot are pretty banged up but I just wanted to know he was ok. The midwife said my cervix is closed, waters are in tact and his heartbeat was perfect. Thank God! I will definitely need some time to recover from that whole ordeal though. Yikes!

Anyway. Gavin's bag is packed and as long as I'm not in too much pain I'll try to get mine packed in the coming days. Then he can make his appearance whenever he is ready!

Here is our survey

How far along? 37 weeks!!

Total weight  I'm up to 148 making the grand total 23 pounds. 

Maternity clothes? Absolutely!

Stretch marks? One thing I managed to escape 

Sleep: after the fall last night I didn't sleep a wink. Otherwise same old 

Best moment this week: My birthday with Andre! We went to hibachi and it was soooo delicious!

Miss Anything?  My body. I miss having complete control of my body. 

Movement: thank God for his constant moving or I would have been a complete wreck afte that fall. Feeling him move was keeping me slightly more sane. 

Food cravings: Nope  

Anything making you queasy or sick: I keep forgetting that bananas are very acidic and they keep giving me heartburn. 

Gender: I KNEW he was a boy!!! Gavin Luis Genao!

Labor Signs: lots of contractions but nothing "real" just yet. 

Symptoms: Heartburn and contractions. Not to mention the exhaustion...

Belly Button in or out? It's definitely on its way out.

Wedding rings on or off? Off :( I haven't been able to get them on for a week or so now. Hands are definitely swollen. 

Happy or Moody most of the time:happy!!

Most looking forward to: meeting this precious angel! Any time now!

Coconut baby 35 Weeks!

We are officially less than two weeks to term! How is that even possible!?

Today we had our 35 week checkup and we are going every week from here until his birthday! She's checking up on my iron again to see if we've made any progress on that front, and we did the GBS swab today as well.  I'm really, really praying to be GBS negative, because I don't want to have to take any antibiotics during labor. We'll cross that bridge when we come to it.

We've had lots of fun things happen. We took our maternity photos with our very talented photographer a week ago, Saturday.  I was exactly 34 weeks for the shoot. She had wanted to try taking some pictures in water, and I was a little weary about what kind of gators/snakes/fish etc I would be in the water with... but it wasn't bad at all. The sneak peek picture that she posted is beautiful and I can't wait to see all the rest of the photos! (Man, I didn't realize how big my belly really was until I saw that picture too- so crazy)

The day after that, last Sunday, my mother in law, aunt in law and a family friend came to visit with us. It was a very short but sweet stay. I miss them all and are glad they finally got to see our house! They are also insanely generous and gave me birthday presents, and gave Gavin lots of goodies!

 

 

This passed weekend, Andre went to New Orleans to celebrate the bachelor party for John. I really hate having him gone, but I had a great time with my neighbors and cousins. I was also very productive and got the car seat in the car and ALL of the cloth diapers prepped and ready to go!

 

 

 

With the help of Velcro Command strips, I finally got Serena's beautiful letters hung on Gavin's wall.

That's it for now. Let's do our survey update :)

How far along? 35 weeks

Total weight  I'm holding steady at 147lbs. I thought that pepperoni and cheese I keep snacking on would have made that go up a little, but I'll take it!

Maternity clothes? Absolutely!

Stretch marks? Thank God, no!

Sleep: Ughhh sleep. Well- I get up to pee at least 3 times (sometimes 5-6), and I just don't sleep well in general.

Best moment this week: Maternity photos, getting the car seat in the car and diapers washed... All three things together means we are SUPER close to meeting this karate kid!

Miss Anything?  My body.

Movement: Our karate kid never stops! Saturday was a real crazy day for him, but he is always on the go! 

Food cravings: Nope  

Anything making you queasy or sick: No :)

Gender: I KNEW he was a boy!!! Gavin Luis Genao!

Labor Signs: I do get occasional Braxton hicks and rarely a little bit of downward pressure. I think changes are starting! Lets get ready for labor now!

Symptoms: Braxton hicks, a little bit of downward pressure, occasional heartburn etc

Belly Button in or out? It's definitely on its way out.

Wedding rings on or off? On and off, on and off... For some reason my wedding band fits better than my engagement ring these days- so if I can get it on, I just wear the wedding band alone. I can't sleep with rings on any longer though.

Happy or Moody most of the time: happy!!

Looking forward to: Maternity leave lol 19 work days left!

33 weeks 5 days

I am so officially ready and excited for this little boy! He will be born next month!!! (Assuming he doesn't stay cooped up inside until June).  

We had our 33 week check up on Monday. Our little karate kid is still measuring right on track. And a huge thanks and praise to the chiropractic team that helped move this precious munchkin from keeping his butt pressed up into my ribs. He is officially in position for birth! I was shocked when the midwife showed me where his head is. It's so low down already! I really can not say enough about these midwives and the birth center as a whole. Everyone really really cares about me and Gavin. It's been such a blessing. They recommended the chiro to release the back pain and help change Gavin's position. Both of which were more than successful. They suggested drinking coconut water daily for electrolytes and hydration. Let me tell you it's a billion times better and more natural than Gatorade and its actually really yummy. AND I told her about my heartburn. She suggested taking papaya enzyme. Again another natural fix and my goodness it works on the spot!

Our classes have been going great. We have only one birth class and our breastfeeding class left. We've learned so much already and I just keep getting more excited dreaming about my peaceful natural birth. I have so much faith in myself, my baby, God and our entire birth team. There is no safer place :)

I have officially submitted my short term disability claim for maternity leave and we are still trying to figure out what kind of work schedule I will be doing after the leave is up. I know God has a perfect plan for us. Oh! And speaking of maternity leave- I'm so excited to be taking a family trip with our little threesome to New York at the end of July! My mom is organizing a 90th birthday party for my grandma and all the Florida cousins are going up for it too. I can't wait to introduce Gavin to friends and family while we are up there. 

Here is our latest survey :

How far along? 34 weeks

Total weight  holy cow! I weigh 147lbs which is a grand total of 22lbs so far. Crazy!

Maternity clothes? Yes of course. I am almost completely out of growing room in my work uniform hahah every time I can't imagine this belly getting bigger- it sure does!

Stretch marks? Nope :) still a veiny belly but no stretch marks at all. Hopefully I'm in the clear by now. 

Sleep: the more exhausted I am the easier sleep is. I still get up to pee a lot but I sleep sooo soundly otherwise. 

Best moment this week: I finished all of Gavin's baby clothes laundry. Everything is washed, folded and put away. It makes me think we are that much closer/ ready for him

Miss Anything?  One thing that surprises me is that my lung capacity has gone way down so that I can't really sing well anymore. I love singing but I get so breathless now. I wanna sing!

Movement: the movements are definitely different now. He is still a crazy moving karate kid but he's running short in space and stretches out a lot and often kicks a foot or two out on my left side. He still favors the right side of my belly. Luckily for me his butt and head at in center and lined up perfectly. 

Food cravings: Not really  

Anything making you queasy or sick: no. But acidic fruits and fruit juices definitely give me heartburn. Serena thinks this is good news and he'll be born with hair. 

Gender: I KNEW he was a boy!!! Gavin Luis Genao!

Labor Signs: I do get occasional Braxton hicks and rarely a little bit of downward pressure. I think changes are starting! Lets get ready for labor now!

Symptoms: Back aches, pelvic pain/pressure, shortness of breath- and that BIG belly!

Belly Button in or out? It's on it's way out for sure. It is 100% flat and starting to head outward! Turkey is almost done cooking!

Wedding rings on or off? I had just a few swollen days but they seemed to have passed and the rings are still on 24-7 :)

Happy or Moody most of the time: happy!!

Looking forward to: our maternity session with our awesome photog on Saturday, my in laws coming on Sunday, graduating our classes on Thursday and meeting my little man!!

31 Weeks, Pineapple Baby!

Today Gavin and I are at 31 weeks and he is the size of a pineapple!

We've officially started our every two weeks check up appointments which last up to 36 weeks, then we start going every.single.week! That's so insane to me. At the end of my last appointment we scheduled ALL my remaining appointments: 32, 34, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40 and 41! That's really not a lot at all I and I totally freaked out when we were doing it (but in a good, excited way).

All is well with my karate kid. He only hangs out on the right side of mama's belly though. He has so much space to move around, but he is completely nooked up on my right side. Unfortunately for the both of us, his skull is pressing up against my pelvic bone on the right side. Its not very comfortable for me and I can't imagine it feels too good for his head either. I have an appointment to get an adjustment at the chiropractor on monday morning. Hopefully we will get baby Gavin into a more centered position, head down and starting to open things up!

In other news, I tell my coworkers and family all the time that Gavin doesn't ever stop moving (which I love!) but I think they really believe I am exaggerating. To help prove my point, he proceeded to completely stick his foot out of my left side. My coworker happened to see it while we were talking and gave a great big, "WHOA!!" I said "I told you!!" haha

We started our classes at Labor of Love which have been awesome so far! We took a newborn care class first. We learned SOO much in only two hours it was amazing. I would HIGHLY recommend any parents-to-be to take some classes. They have so many helpful tips that we probably wouldn't have known otherwise. Our second class was the first of our labor and delivery classes. We have a series of those and one water birth class. Each week we have a guest speaker which is really cool too. I really can't say enough about how much these classes have helped us already. Some things that we weren't completely sure of, or decisions we hadn't made yet- have been completely answered.

Before we get into the survey questions, let's see a timeline of that growing belly!!

 

How far along? 31Weeks

Total weight gain: Gavin must have had a growth spurt! I am up to 143 lbs... Total weight gain 18 lbs!!
Maternity clothes? Yes and I'm even starting to outgrow some maternity cloths... I'm thinking I'll be exclusively in sundresses for the remainder of this pregnancy. And I'm starting to get moody about getting dressed because I feel like a whale- I told Andre the other day that I just want my regular clothes back!
Stretch marks? No stretch marks, but I did start getting my Linea Negra... I thought since I made it this far I was in the clear, but it very faintly started showing up yesterday morning.
Sleep: Still getting up to pee all the time, but sleeping pretty well.
Best moment this week: Our class at LOL or when my coworker saw Gavin's foot come out of my side!
Miss Anything? I really miss not being out of breath, and I'm starting to miss just being able to wear anything I felt like wearing lol
Movement: He never stops moving! It's getting very tight in there for him and he often stretches out and kicks like crazy.
Food cravings: Not really 
Anything making you queasy or sick: Nope
Gender: I KNEW he was a boy!!! Gavin Luis Genao!
Labor Signs: Nothing that I know of yet. I am getting crampy feelings, but I'm not sure if I've had any Braxton Hicks yet. Hopefully we hold of another 5 weeks or so before we start any labor signs (especially because Andre is going out of state at the end of April, and if anything happens while he is gone I'll freak!)
Symptoms: Back aches, pelvic pain/pressure, shortness of breath- and that BIG belly!
Belly Button in or out? Over night it went from still kinda in, to completely flat... we are officially on our way now to an outtie. The bottom part is already starting to show signs of heading out!
Wedding rings on or off? For the first time ever, I have to take breaks from them. I don't think I'll be wearing them to sleep anymore. My hands and feet have started to swell a little bit. I can still wear them during the day-so far.
Happy or Moody most of the time: I have some cranky moments, but I try to stay as happy as possible!
Looking forward to: Seeing my mother in law and aunt in law in just a few more weeks! Looking forward to my maternity session with our awesome photographer... and Looking forward to meeting/holding/smelling/cuddling my little man!! I can't believe how soon we will see him... EEEEEKKK!!

27 Weeks 6 days!

Holy cow, we are in the 3rd trimester!

What a crazy whirlwind this pregnancy has been. It is just absolutely flying by. We will be holding our little man before we know it.

Here are some updates since I last posted:
1. I was blessed with not one, but 2 baby showers! One was a virtual skype shower from NY to FL and the other was a face to face shower here in our home in Florida. What an incredible blessing they both were! I got to celebrate baby Gavin with all my aunts and cousins in both states, not to mention my amazing mama, sister and new girlfriends :)

2. Serena made the most BEAUTIFUL letters to hang in Gavin's room completely by hand!

 

 

3. Mama hand made Gavin his very own baby blanket (a similar version of my much beloved "horsey blankie" from my childhood.

 

 

 

4. Andre and I finally had our patio in the backyard screened in, which  is really exciting for us because we love to sit back there and just enjoy the warm weather, the sun and Florida, and now we can do so without the bugs!

 

5. Our cousins Tom and Connie with their daughters Abigail and Emily moved in across the street. This is VERY exciting to me as well! I have never had cousins that close before :)

 

6. I spent an evening with my doula last week and it was SO fantastic getting to know her on a deeper level. I am 100% convinced that she will be the exact support I need during labor and post partum! She has already taught me so much (including opening up a whole new world of esscential oils).

 

Let's get on with our latest survey!

 

How far along? 28 Weeks

Total weight gain: As of my last weigh in I am now 138 making the grand total 12 lbs. Still a little under the "norm" but perfectly healthy anyway.
Maternity clothes? Absolutely! The other day I was cleaning the house in an old pair of sweats and tank top... well apparently the tank no longer touches the sweats and I had about 3 inches of belling haning out. Unfortunately because of the curve of the bump I couldn't see it, but Andre thought that was very sexy... hahaha not. I was practicing my redneck look...
Stretch marks? Very veiny but no stretch marks. And I've been using the Shea and Cocoa butter lotion which I love!
Sleep: Ehhh... I wake up every 2-3 hours to pee, my back hurts and when I lay on my side Gavin goes crazy like I am squishing him in there!
Best moment this week: Being with everyone I love this weekend celebrating Gavin, and watching Serena's face as she FINALLY felt a baby kick(/squirm/hiccup/punch) for the first time.
Miss Anything? Not really... although my body is starting to get uncomfortable, I get so much joy from this whole thing that I can't say I miss even that.
Movement: Our little karate kid has not slowed down even one bit! He is VERY active, especially over night since I guess I've trained him to be up while I'm up at work all night.
Food cravings: Just fruits and veggies as always
Anything making you queasy or sick: Nope
Gender: I KNEW he was a boy!!! Gavin Luis Genao!
Labor Signs: I'm starting to get to the point where every little twinge and cramp is overanalyzed. I know its still very early, and I haven't even had any Braxton Hicks (that I know of) but I keep expecting something.
Symptoms: Achy back, crazy tired, shortness of breath, big belly and everything else that goes along with the 3rd trimester!
Belly Button in or out? I'd say its still in, but it's probably more flat than in at this point. Only the very top is still in.
Wedding rings on or off? On
Happy or Moody most of the time: I'm very happy! When I get home from work and my back hurts, I'm exhausted etc I can be a little cranky, but sleep usually takes care of that.
Looking forward to: Our labor classes starting soon (along with a newborn care and water birth class) and our next batch of visitors in April (my inlaws!) ............... And if we are being honest here... I'm really looking forward to maternity leave. I know it will be crazy since I'll have a needy newborn to care for, but working over night shift at 7 months pregnant is very taxing!

 

 

1 Corinthians 13:7 ESV / 147 helpful votes

Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. 





 

 

23 Weeks 6 Days

February 1st already! My goodness the time is just flying by. Tomorrow is a day that many pregnant woman look forward to. Tomorrow is 24 weeks. People refer to this day as "viability day" which means that this baby has a very good chance of surviving on the outside, and that a team of doctors would do everything in their power to make sure the baby survives. I do not want him coming out even a minute before he is good and ready, but knowing that we are at the point, where Gavin is actually developed enough to survive on the outside is awesome. As I tell many people, I am convinved that he will not be born until June. I have a feeling he will stay cozy in mama's belly for quite awhile. AND, since we are going to a no-intervention practice of midwives, there will be no inducing to get him out. We will let him (and God) decide what his birthday is.

Although, I did have a random dream just a few days ago that I went into labor on May 13 and he was born early, early in the morning May 14. Who knows?

Things that we've accomplished since my last post:
1. Andre did a BEAUTIFUL job painting the nursery blue.
2. My amazing, generous parents and sister outfitted the nursery with all the furniture which we assembled (and rearranged about 100 times).

3. We had our 20 week ultrasound (also known as the Anatomy Scan) which was the last time we will see Gavin until he greets us on his birthday. We got to see that his brain, spine, spinal cord, lungs, stomach, kidneys, liver, fingers, toes etc are growing exactly as to be expected. He is one healthy, beautiful little boy. I was 20w6d at the ultrasound and he was measuring 21w5d. Again... he will likely be tall like his Daddy!

4. Our little karate kid kicks and moves all the time, and Andre FINALLY has seen/felt him!
5. I met and hired a beautiful woman to be our birth doula. I am so excited to have her as a part of our journey and to help pray for us, help us during labor, and help us establish breast feeding.
http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.747783923225.2207830.36400546&type=3#!/MommyMeDoulaServices

6. I also met and hired a birth photographer, who I clicked with immediately. She is so awesome and set me up with a network of other natural birth, cloth diapering, breastfeeding mamas in the Tampa area.
http://www.whatisremarkable.com/category/remarkable-photography/?doing_wp_cron=1359730941.3872249126434326171875

7. My boss and I began discussing maternity leave, and what my schedule will look like once Gavin is born. (We are praying that I get to stay home with him part time).

And here is our survey update...

How far along? 24 Weeks

Total weight gain: My total weight gain to this point is still around 9-10 pounds. Almost all of which was gained during the first trimester, very litte of which I've gained since week 12.
Maternity clothes? Exclusively. I've got quite the belly now!
Stretch marks? No stretch marks, but I have noticed that I have some tiny veins/capillaries on my belly.
Sleep: I've become quite accustomed to sleeping on my side, with a pillow between my knees, and getting up to pee 1-3 times.
Best moment this week: Likely yesterday when I met Lee Anne Roquomore of Remarkable Photography. The entire conversation was such a blessing to me.
Miss Anything? Hmm, I think I miss being able to sleep through without getting up to pee constantly. And maybe, being able to sit on the floor and get up from the floor effortlessly. This is something I had definitely taken for granted!
Movement: Constantly! Sometimes my entire belly moves. It never gets old and I am still obsessed with feeling/seeing him move.
Food cravings: Nothing crazy. I do eat Chobani yogurt pretty much very single day of my life, but I don't crave it, I just know that its a good, healthy morning snack.
Anything making you queasy or sick: Nope
Gender: I KNEW he was a boy!!! Gavin Luis Genao!
Labor Signs: None, and if I had any this early, I'd probably freak!
Symptoms: Well my breasts have proven to me that they ARE in fact capable of feeding our son... Let's leave it at that :-P
Belly Button in or out? It's still innie, but at least half of the depth that it normally is. It is very shallow.
Wedding rings on or off? On
Happy or Moody most of the time: Andre says I get a little whiny sometimes, but I'd say generally very happy!
Looking forward to: My mama, daddy and Serena coming to Florida in just 19 days to see our house, my belly, and have our little baby shower! I can not wait to have them here! FINALLY!

Holiday Time

It's been a very hectic couple of weeks!

At my dating ultrasound on 14 weeks, 6 days, we learned that Mini Schmoop is a BOY!! We all "knew" that already, but it was great to hear confirmation. We've made it official that his name is Gavin Luis Genao. He is named after his great-grandfather, Andre's grandfather. We were able to share that special moment in NY to tell him that this baby would take his name Luis if he is a boy (sooo yay!!!).

Andre's already started painting baby Gavin boy's room with a beautiful light blue/gray shade. It's coming along and looks great so far!

Christmas was very special this year. Unfortunately I did have to work both Christmas eve and day, but we made the best of it. We spent Christmas eve over at Phil and Jeanette's house which was so special. I loved seeing the little ones play together and open their gifts. And.... dinner was SOOO yummy! Christmas day we spent at home just our little family, exchanged gifts and facetime'd with the family to open gifts from NY to FL. I even got to say the dinner prayer over the technology. Pretty cool!

I'm starting to adjust to working nights, somewhat. I don't love the shift, but I am trying my hardest to adapt to it. Adjusting my sleep schedule and my eating schedule it the hardest. According to the midwife, I am not eating nearly enough and I need to start gaining some weight before Gavin starts emptying me of all my nutrients. It's really a hard mindset to get into... the idea of trying to gain weight.

Speaking of mindsets, I have ALWAYS tried to do everything I can on my own. I'm pretty strong and hate to have to ask for help. People kept telling me to take it easy during pregnancy but I just have a REALLY hard time admitting that I am not capable of doing things now that I normally can. That said: I hurt myself pretty badly at work moving a box that I shouldn't have attempted to move in the first place. I spent about 4 hours in the E.R. a couple days ago while the Dr. researched what, if any, drug I can take that will help me with the exrutiating pain, yet won't hurt Gavin in anyway. I got a muscle relaxer, some tylenol, hot packs and rest- with a "Do not lift more than 5 lbs" notice. Cool. Diagnosis is Costo chondritis. Apparently I not only pulled the muscle in my back, but damaged the cartlidge between ribs in my chest. Yes, I've learned my lesson. No it wasn't a fun lesson to learn. No I will not lift things anymore. I'm doing my best to rest it, keep hot compresses on it, and sleep when I can (muscle relaxers help with that).

Let's continue my survey. I did it last at 13 weeks, let's see what's changed.

How far along? 19 Weeks

Total weight gain: I've lost weight from my 12 week to 16 week appointment. Desperately trying to gain some weight before my Jan 8th 20 week appointment. Much harder than it seems. Ugh.
Maternity clothes? I LOVE maternity clothes. Can't we wear them all the time? I'm pretty much exclusively wearing maternity.
Stretch marks? No, although I had a very real-feeling dream that my belly was covered in them... Luckily I am still without.
Sleep: Sleep was very hard while my back/rib hurt so terribly. These muscle relaxers are insane. I slept 16 hours yesterday. Eeek. But I think I need the rest.
Best moment this week: Christmas was awesome. Skyping (facetiming) with my family in NY while we exchanged gifts 1300 miles away. Incredible.
Miss Anything? Hmmm not really. Although I might miss some champagne at new years monday night, but that's no biggie at all.Movement: This little Karate Kid is moving like crazy! I feel him constantly. He isn't quite strong enough for Andre to feel, but I'm sure that will change VERY soon.
Food cravings: While my back was spasming out of control, I went to CVS to get the icy hot and stopped dead in my tracks when I saw cheese doodles hanging in the aisle. I HAD to have them. Besides that, I had an urge for pepperoni pizza which I did eat, but nothing since then.
Anything making you queasy or sick: Nope
Gender: I KNEW he was a boy!!! Gavin Luis Genao!
Labor Signs: No, thank God... way too early for that.
Symptoms: I think it's safe to say my belly has "popped". Definitely showing now. Nothing else really.
Belly Button in or out? In...however its starting to look a little... shallow? I dunno its weird.
Wedding rings on or off? On
Happy or Moody most of the time: As long as I'm not crying from horrible pain with this Rib damage, I'm in generally a happy mood.
Looking forward to: Our last new years celebration without a little one. Going to the Aquarium for Aqua Eve with my love! I can't wait!


Here's a new belly shot. It's a little blurry since the camera was about to die. 18 weeks at Christmas!