36 weeks!

Yup, still growing. You can see my top is no longer doing a good job at covering my belly:


Eileen, you were right. He's dropping! (See how the belly looks lower?)

(This is weeks 30, 33 and 36)

It's been an exciting week, actually. We did pretty much all of Lovebug's laundry last week. We only have a couple of outfits that need washing (including cute things we bought yesterday), and our diapers (but we're waiting to get our second batch before washing those). So, the nursery is pretty much ready!

Also last week, we went to the chiropractor. We both needed a neck cracking, and it was sooo good! We get a massage prior to the adjustment and I, for obvious reasons, was laying on my back for it. Well, Lovebug was giving quite a show! Everyone could see him move, and everyone got a crack out of it. One guy said "he's breakdancing!". So true, he's a little dancer...

And yesterday we had our regular OBGYN appointment. We're finally in the home stretch and we get to see him weekly (yay!). Yesterday was the first day we got to find out if any progress is being made. So far, no progress. My dilation is less than a centimeter, and he wrote it down as "fingertip". We'll see if there's any progress next Tuesday; by then, Lovebug will be considered a full term baby, so he could really make his appearance anytime after that and be ok.

But let me tell you about the cool part! The doctor had Josh feel around my belly for a couple of things. The least exciting, the top of my uterus. It's actually pretty easy to feel and we've been feeling for it for weeks, but still. And the best, he showed Josh where the head was, and Josh felt it! So we know he's head down (which is good!), though he's not in a hurry to get out yet. That's ok, we still have 3.5 weeks (which we need, cause we still think it's crazy we get to bring a baby home in 3.5 weeks!!)

I've been waking up a lot at night, and I've been getting hot flashes (so fun...), and sometimes I wake up and feel wide awake, so it takes me a while to go back to sleep. I could get up and watch TV or something, but I rather wait it out in bed, and eventually I fall asleep again. But I get a few nights like that, followed by a few very good nights, so the good nights should be back any day now. Also, my feet have been very swollen, so by doctor's orders I am to spend more time laying down with my feet up. Fine by me!

Merry Christmas!!

We hope you all had a great Christmas!! We had a low key night, had dinner, gave the puppies their gifts and went to bed early. Not really surprising, considering Josh worked 7 days in a row before Christmas, and I can't drink (how else would I stay awake?)

On Christmas Day, we decided to take advantage of the park being closed to get some family pictures taken with the help of our camera timer. It was a bit challenging to get the pups to cooperate:



But we still managed to get one or two good pics -- this is probably the best with all of us:

(Though Neela was still a little unfocused on the task at hand...)

Finally, we decided to get pics of us without the pups. We managed to get a couple good ones:


Wow, what a belly!

We hope you had a laugh looking at these pictures, we sure had a few while taking them! And best wishes from The Boles Clan!

Wanna guess??

A friend of mine did this, and I thought it was a great idea!

For those of you that enjoy a little competition, are into gambling, or just want to have some fun, here's the perfect Lovebug-related game for you!

Enter your guess as to when will Lovebug be born, and what he will weight/measure!

Follow this LINK to enter your guess!

35 and 35

35 weeks, 35 days to go. Wow, it's crazy to think we've made it this far.

That's me, 3 weeks pregnant (still unaware of it)


And this is 32 weeks after that.


Not too bad for 8 months pregnant! What can I say, being tall with a large torso helps!

Oh, how I miss those jeans...

34 weeks!

I'm late posting this again, I'm sorry! It's been a crazy week.

Anyways, here's the pic of the week:

Yup, still growing. Three more pounds in the past two weeks. Fun times...

We have been getting lots of generous gifts (thank you, everyone!), and we've been buying the things that we're still missing, to the point where we're almost ready for Lovebug. One more trip to Babies R Us and we'll be ready to welcome him!

We had our OBGYN appointment yesterday, and things are looking good. We have out next one in 10 days, and after that we'll be going every week until Lovebug is born. It's crazy to think we're so close now. I kind of want more time to get ready, but I also kind of want these days to go by fast, just so the uncomfortable stage ends as well. But I can wait until Lovebug is ready, it'll be just a few weeks now. Plus, I want to take this time to be lazy, cause I won't be able to do that for a LONG while...

A preview of the Nursery

We're still not done with the nursery, but it looks very much so like one! My sister-in-law, Sharon, gave us the bedding set and corresponding decorations as a combined Christmas gift (for the three of us), and we love it! (Thank you, Sharon!!!) We got it last Thursday, and Josh couldn't wait to see it all set up. We finally put the crib together with the mattress and bedding Friday night, and yesterday we added the wall decorations.

Here are a few preview pics:
The changing table. We still need to get the changing pad, but you get the idea. We love the little hamper and wall decals!


The crib and dresser. Pardon the bad light, we took the pics last night and the lighting wasn't the best.


Detail of the bedding. It's so cute! (Azania by Cocalo) The beautiful giraffe Grandma Debbie got for Lovebug is in the crib too.


And last but not least: our girls behaving. They're not allowed in the nursery, and though they don't particularly like it, they're pretty good about it (though they tend to do the "just the paws" trick often).


We have the pack n play in there as well for now, but we'll move it into our bedroom in a couple of weeks so the pups can get used to it. And we also have a glider and a TV in there. No, the TV won't be there forever. That room used to be our guest bedroom, so we have an extra TV there with DirecTV, and it'll my entertainment while nursing on the glider. We'll probably move it out once Lovebug moves into the nursery permanently (he'll be spending the nights in our bedroom for a few months at first).

We're going to get anything else we still need next week, and next weekend will be all about laundry. I'm so glad we decided to do things this way, so we can relax the last month. The way my discomfort levels are rising, I believe this is the best way to do it!

Speaking of Diapers

We've made a crucial decision: we're using cloth diapers. Oh!

I can see the shock on your face, you're thinking of pins and ugly looking plastic covers, and probably all that washing. Eww! Well, allow me to introduce you to the modern cloth diapers.

No pins, snappis:


Cute waterproof fabric covers:



Fitted:

And very similar looking to disposables, but cuter!


And to make it all better, not only cheaper in the long run, but more environmentally friendly than disposables will ever be. Also reusable, so we'll be able to use them again when we decide to have another child, and they only represent 2 more loads of laundry per week, really.

I can give you more details on this if you're interested. We're very excited to do this. We already purchased our first stash of diapers, which should be enough for about 6 months or so. And Lovebug's butt will look way cuter!

33 weeks

Only 7 weeks left. And I'm starting to sense that they'll be loooong! I'm *just* starting to reach the uncomfortable stage. Don't get me wrong, this is still good and fun, I'm enjoying my pregnancy and watching Lovebug kick around in my belly. But it's definitely not getting any easier...

For starters, the swelling. Hands, especially in the morning after sleeping on my side all night, and feet, especially at night after all day sitting/standing. And I'm waddling. My hips are sore all the time, and every time I stand up the extra pressure makes them extra sore, so I walk like a freaking duck already, at least the first few steps until I conquer the pain. The most uncomfortable thing though, is Lovebug's discovery of my ribs. My ribs and sides, to be honest. He seems to think he still has room to stretch around, when he really doesn't. He particularly enjoys stretching if I've been sitting for a while, and while I'm trying to go to sleep. Oh, yeah, nothing like a nice nudge on the side of my ribcage to keep mommy awake!

Also, my belly button is days away from popping out, I know it. All it needs is a good, centered kick, and it'll be gone. Darn...

Seven more weeks... let the fun part begin!

I'm having a baby...

(Not right now, don't worry!)

These past couple of days it has hit me. I'm having a baby. I mean, physically pushing a baby out of my body. I'm pushing a 7-8 lb baby through a 10 cm conduct, out of my body... Holy ****.

I feel kind of like I did before my master's thesis defense. I know it's coming, I know I have to do it no matter what, it's going to happen, and I know I'll see the other side and I'll be glad it's done and over, but I'm getting nervous about it and I kinda wish I had more time. Time for what? No idea. It seems to be one of those things you can't never truly be ready for, in my case at least.

(I should add this is worse, because with my thesis, nobody knew that study better than I did)

It's a mixed bag of emotions. I do feel that I can do it. It'll be a tough couple of days, but in the grand scheme of things, it'll be a piece of cake. I know how things are supposed to happen, I know what I'm supposed to do, and I even think I *might* be good at it. But I still have no clue, and it still means I have to push a 7-8 lb baby out of my body, and that is not a pretty picture...

Hospital tour and Doctor's appt

Last Wednesday we went to the hospital to get pre-admitted and see the rooms. It is great! The rooms are very spacious, there's a tub and a birthing ball in every room, monitoring equipment, TV, even a reclinable chair for Josh. Every room has its own thermostat, which I think is awesome. And a couple of hours after Lovebug is born, they will move us to another room, almost as big but with an area for the doctors to check Lovebug without taking him away. Basically, Lovebug does not have to leave our side at all during our stay, which I again think it's awesome. We're happy with our hospital choice.

Yerterday morning we had our regular OBGYN appointment. Things are looking good, I gained 3 more pounds (not surprising if you look at the weekly pic), blood pressure is normal and Lovebug's heartbeat is strong and loud. We have another appointment in 2 more weeks, and in 4 weeks we start going every week until Lovebug decides he's ready to meet the world.

And now I have 2 husband-less nights ahead of me. Josh went to Vegas for Mark's bachelor party. Which means I have a date with a pizza and a pumpkin pie, on the couch... Good times...

32 weeks!

Apparently Thanksgiving is the time to grow... Did I really eat that much food, or is it just baby growth?

I mean, really, that looks like a big difference for one week! Eeeek!

I can't lie, I can tell I'm growing. How, you ask? My belly button. My belly button is struggling. It's still holding on, there's still plenty of skin in there to stretch, but I can tell that little by little, the edges start to turn into more of an outtie shape. I love my innie, I don't like outties! Oh well, que será, será...

Preparing for the big day

December is finally here, and with it come some big preparations for Lovebug. In the next week we have 4 classes to attend, newborn care, parenting 101, breastfeeding (for me) and camp for dads (for Josh).

Tomorrow is the first one, newborn care. We assume it's about diapers, care of belly button, the right temperature and sleeping positions, and so on, and though *we think* we know most of it, we think it'll be useful nonetheless. Also tomorrow, we have the hospital tour, to get pre-admitted and check out the facilities. It should be really interesting. We've seen a few pictures of the delivery rooms, but we can't wait to see it in person. Personally, I can't wait to get in that tub! Every room has a tub, I just hope I get to use it (they won't let you get in the tub once your bag of waters is broken, to minimize risk of infection).

This is tomorrow afternoon, so I'll update on this Thursday, after our OBGYN appt. We'll see how much weight I gained this time around... as I plan on baking a pumpkin pie today...

Happy Thanksgiving!

Since family is so far away and Josh had to work, we decided to have an all-out Thanksgiving Dinner at home. This was my first time cooking for Thanksgiving, so I was grateful that Josh was the only guest! After a whole day of cooking, this is what we had:

(From left to right: mashed potatoes, dinner rolls, cookies n cream fudge, apple pie, roasted sweet potatoes, green beans, stuffing, and a big turkey in the middle!)

Yes, that's all for two. Needless to say, we have leftovers. Which is good, since I have no desire to cook for a few days!

I must say, Josh did an amazing job carving that bird!

This was also his first time, and he handled it like a pro!

The only bad thing about cooking all day was that my hips were very sore last night. Today, my hands, feet and hips are sore, but I still managed to go hunting for some sales, and we got some neat and useful stuff. It was all worth it, but boy, I need to lay down and be lazy for a while!

Let me just say what I'm thankful for. I'm thankful for my wonderful husband, for a growing, healthy baby, for our family and friends, and for our puppies. I'm thankful for everyone's health, and for everyone's love. And thank you, for keeping track of my crazy thoughts!

I hope you had a very happy Thanksgiving!

31 weeks!

Sorry, I know I'm late! This was meant to be posted last Wednesday, as always, but it was a long weekend (Josh has Tues and Wed off) and we took the picture, but didn't log in to post it.

Anyways, here's the pic of the week:

I don't think I look bigger this week, but I do feel Lovebug getting bigger. The movements he makes are different, cause he doesn't have the same space, and also he is far more visible now than he was a few weeks back (you saw the video!).

Another thing that happened this week: Last night Josh finally convinced me to put my rings away. My hands have been a bit swollen, and though I can still get my rings on and off, it gets harder every day. There's no point risking them or my finger. Most of you know I love my rings, I never take them off, I feel quite naked without them. I think I'll crochet myself a ring, just so I feel something there.

And here's my how time flies: that's weeks 10, 20 and 30:

Yup, there's a baby growing in there!

SciFi movie

Remember a while back I told you that Lovebug moves my belly in weird ways, as in a SciFi movie?

Well, we got it on video for you! It's quite freaky, really. Yes, that is a baby, not an alien. No, it's none of my doing, it's all him. And yes, he does it all the time. So, this video is not for those faint of heart. Be warned.

Good news and bad news

We had our OBGYN's appointment today. We're going every 2 weeks now, as the time to meet Lovebug is getting closer!

Good news: everything looks good. We're still measuring a week ahead and the heartbeat is strong and loud. I got the H1N1 vaccine last weekend, and Lovebug will be born protected. We get to preregister at the hospital soon, so I don't have to answer a million questions while having contractions on the big day.

Another bit of news (not sure how I feel about them!) is I gained 6 pounds... in 3 weeks! Yikes! I'm 25 pounds over my initial weight already... All those pies that I've been happily baking (an eating... mostly by myself!) are coming back to haunt me... To the point where I may have to bake myself another pie! Let's hope Lovebug slows down a bit on the weight gain, or I'll be huge in no time!! Well, ok, let's be fair: let's hope *I* slow down on the weight gain. I'm sure Lovebug is getting all he needs regardless.

And now, some bad news. San Diego for Christmas is a no-go. We asked the doctor and he said: "If you were thinking about going to Phoenix, cause your family is making a big dinner and you REALLY want to go, I'd say alright, but San Diego... no." Basically, between the risk of blood cloths on such a long trip, the fact that Lovebug is measuring a bit ahead, and the closeness to our due date, it's not worth the risk.

I'm bummed about it, I really wanted to go if at all possible. But at the same time, I'm a little relieved. It is a long trip, and I know Josh would've been worried and stressed regardless of how I felt.

On the bright side, we're having our first Christmas at home. We'll probably get a tree and cook some dinner, and spend our first Christmas with the belly, in the comfort of our couch. That doesn't sound half bad to me...

30 weeks!

This is the 30-70 point: 30 weeks, 70 days to go. Eeek!! We're only 10 weeks away!!

Josh is getting a little anxious, and wants Lovebug to be here NOW! He wants to meet him and play with him already. I'm ok with the wait. I better be, it'll only get worse from now on! I'm only going to get bigger and more uncomfortable. I figured I better pace myself, and enjoy the last few weeks of "solitude" and freedom, hehe.

Yesterday, we got a big surprise. And when I say big, I mean it! We knew we had a package coming in the mail, but I thought it would be something, I don't know, half the size of what we got. Nope, it was big, and addressed to Lovebug.

This is what Grandpa Chuck and Grandma Debbie sent in the mail:

So many cute little outfits!! But wait, the best is yet to come:



How perfect are those??

Thank you, Grandma and Grandpa!! Lovebug sends excited kicks from the womb! We love you!

Eric

Eric is my nephew and godson. He's the second child of my brother Carlos and his wife Ana. In April 2008, Carlos was living in Calgary, and the whole family went there to welcome Eric into the world.



Well, Carlos didn't really get days off (just a couple for the stay in the hospital), so they called in reinforcements. They asked me to come and help them out for a few days, since dealing with a newborn and a 4 year old (Daryna) after a c-section would be a little tricky for Ana. I was glad I could take the time off to help them out.

Of all my nephews (3) and nieces (2), Eric is the only one I met as a newborn. I moved to La Paz to pursue a Master's Degree just a few months before the arrival of the oldest pair, so Diego was already 4 months old when I met him, and Daryna was 6 weeks old. And so of course I was all about being there and helping out with Eric.

He was born April 21st, 2008, and I was there the morning of the 22nd. He was such a cute little boy! This is our first picture together:

I know, you really can't see how cute he is there. You will in this one:

AAAAAAAAWWWWWWWWWW!!!!

Anyways, I had a great time. Though I really enjoyed playing with Daryna so she didn't feel left out, and making sure Ana got food and something to drink and was comfortable, I must confess my favorite part was spending time with Eric. I would completely hog him, and I would give him as many bottles as I could, change diapers, help him get rid of hiccups, put him to sleep, watch him sleep, etc., to the point where daddy got a bit upset at me...

But I didn't care, I only had a few days to enjoy baby Eric, and I was set on taking advantage of it. He was a great baby, very laid back. Not afraid to get comfortable...

I could make him relax so much that he would just lay like that on my legs. You can bet I'll try this with Lovebug!!

As you all know, Josh and I were already crazy in love, and days away from the trip to meet my parents, when he asked them for permission to ask me to marry him (aaaaawwww!!). I was waiting to hear from SFU about my application to their PhD program, and I was still very set on pursuing my career in research. Needless to say, the situation (I had finally met the future father of my children!) and Eric did a lot to make my resolution falter. The day I left, when it was time to say goodbye to Eric, I was crying like a baby. And then Ana and Carlos asked me to be her godmother... well, that didn't help! But I left happy that I got to enjoy such precious days with such a little angel.

A few weeks after that, we heard from SFU. They accepted me into the program, and they had funding for me and whatever project I decided to take. I already had a beautiful ring on my finger, and after talking a lot with Josh (and him saying whatever I wanted to do was good for him, so long as I was certain of my decision), I accepted to enter the program.

We were in Tucson, waiting for our car to get an oil change or something of that nature, doing laundry in Josh's old apartment building. I called my future professor to accept and we talked for about half hour about projects and such. We then went to pick up the car, and as we were waiting to pay and get the keys, a family walked in. It was a mom with 2 kids, a 3-4 year old girl, and a baby. I tried to look away, but it was too late. I realized what a mistake I had made. And then the girl runs to the guy behind the counter, and hugs him. He walks around to say hello to his wife and baby.

Josh took one look at me, and he knew. After weeks of careful consideration, and finally making the decision to do a PhD, one second, one look at that family, and it all fell to pieces. I took another week to make sure I wouldn't change my mind again, and then called my future professor again, this time to decline. I had experienced the time-consuming life of grad school already, and a PhD meant at least 5 years of it. I couldn't see a way to start a family and dedicate time to them while doing a PhD, and I couldn't wait 5+ years.

I knew my priorities had changed the minute Josh and I decided to be together, but I was stubborn and I didn't want to give up my career. I spent so much time meeting the right people, going to conferences, proving I was good, and I didn't want to waste it, I worked hard for the opportunities I got. But sometimes you have to let go of the plans you had, to fulfill other dreams. I finally accepted that what I wanted out of life what different, and I gave myself permission to let go. And I couldn't be happier about it. One day I'll focus on my career again, but right now there are bigger things that require my attention.

And so Josh and I started working towards our new goal. Obviously, when it came time to decide on our wedding party, Eric had to be a part of it! Some of you may remember him, he was our ring bearer.

And can I just say his sister, Daryna, was the cutest flower girl ever??


I saw Eric recently, last September, when I went to visit my family. I hadn't seen him since the wedding, I didn't think he would recognize me at all. I was told that he's such a mamma's boy, that he doesn't go with other women easily. Ana said he probably remembers me from those first days, cause he was very comfortable with me from the start, and he was ok with me holding him and kissing him, right away. I hope so. He's very much responsible of my decision. Maybe I would've made the same decision without those days with Eric, but I wouldn't be so darn sure about it, and I wouldn't be so excited we're having a boy!


He's still the cutest boy! But not for long...

29 weeks!

We got to work today and put the changing table together. Two out of three, the next and last piece of furniture we're putting together is the crib. We'll probably wait a couple more weeks for that one, though, cause when we do it, it'll go into our bedroom.

We really want to have the furniture set up by Christmas, and any other big items by new year. The last thing we want is to be surprised by an early arrival and freak out about not having things ready for Lovebug!

One week away from 30... that's kinda scary!

Lastly, to all the veterans out there who read our blog: Happy Veterans Day!!! from Josh, Lore, and Lovebug.

Pumpkin pie

This has nothing to do with Lovebug, except maybe that this is part of my baking spree. I should have taken a pic of the apple pie too... I will with the next one (I'm fairly sure they will be a next one). I will say I made whole wheat crust, you know, to make it "healthier".

Now, how good does that look??

Fresh out of the oven!

Our childbirth class

We had our first childbirth class last Saturday: Labor Basics. It was a really good class, for several reasons.

Our instructor for the day is a L&D RN that works in the hospital where we'll deliver, and she's fantastic. I really liked her, something in her demeanor reminds me of a good friend, in a very positive way. I didn't learn much about the procedures, since I've read about most of them, but she had all the props so we could see things live and touch them, and that's always good.

I thought we would be practicing breathing and what not, but it wasn't like that at all. Instead, she gave us the basic breathing techniques, and said "just do what you feel is right, your bodies will know when to breathe faster and shallow, or slower and deeper, just take a deep cleansing breath before and after each contraction". That to me was far more helpful, it gave me confidence. Maybe once we're there I'll need some guidance, but I trust I'll be able to cope with the pain and my body will help me know what to do.

The best part of the class, though, was that we got a very good idea of the policies of the hospital. This hospital is our perfect match. The L&D rooms have bathtubs and birthing balls, they encourage you to drink and eat while in labor. They are willing to do intermittent monitoring so you can move around (so long as you don't have an epidural) and they do "light" epidurals, only once you're 4-5 cm dilated. You can labor in any position you want, and they encourage you to move around and do whatever feels good. They allow aromatherapy and music, it's your room and you do what you want to make your environment comfortable. We have absolute confidence that we won't be pushed or rushed into procedures, and that alone is a great thing. They promote skin to skin contact and breastfeeding, and will leave our baby with us up to an hour before weighting and measuring if we wish so (which we do). Little Lovebug gets to stay with us in the room all the time if we want.

I was getting my list of questions ready about all these things for the tour of the hospital and for our OBGYN. I'm so glad we got the answers now, and even more so that the answers are the right ones for us.

I feel a lot more calm about things. Though it's still nerve wracking, my labor dreams are not scary anymore. I feel more confident. I still must confess that I can't quite picture that moment when he's born and they put him in my chest and arms. I can picture labor, and I can picture being back home with Lovebug, but I can't picture that precise moment when he's born and we meet him. I don't think I'll be able to picture it until the moment is here. I guess that's because that'll be it: the life changing, life altering moment. The moment when I truly become a mom. Crazy stuff...

28 weeks!

Only 12 weeks to go! It may seem like a long time, but it's really not! We put together one of Lovebug's dressers yesterday, and we have his clothes and blankets in there now. We also have our first childbirth class this weekend, we're getting ready for the times to come! It's a good thing, but I can't deny it's a bit nerve wracking as well... Time is flying by!

Here's a comparison of last week and this week:

Definitely a little bigger, I think. Lovebug is having a party in there! He moves around so much, and makes my belly contort in some many ways... it's freaky. I mean, Sci-Fi freaky. But very entertaining to watch too... if you like Sci-Fi movies!

He's growing for sure... he better be, I'm eating like there's no tomorrow! One of the latest things I crave is sweets, particularly baked goods. Some of you may be aware of this, with my Facebook updates on baking apple and pumpkin pies (so good!!) and muffins. I have more apples for a pie, I bought more pumpkin to cook and freeze for future pies, and I'm thinking chocolate cake... I'm so glad my glucose test came back normal!!

I should probably go eat some carrots now, just to balance my diet a little...

Happy Anniversary!!

Today is our first wedding anniversary. People say the first year is the hardest. If that's true, we're in for a good lifetime together!! Even though there have been challenges, we're very close and very happy to be together every day.

Thank you to all of you that have sent messages or cards to congratulate us. We really appreciate that you thought of us in this happy day!

So, Happy Anniversary to us!! Here's to 49+ more anniversaries!!



(And baby, I love you!!)

Babies R Us Coupons

Sooooooo... we got these coupons in the mail from BRU, and though some may think this is tacky, we see it more like we're trying to save some money, whether ours or yours.

We purchased a couple of things too, but we're not likely to use these coupons right now, so we'll pass them on to you, in case you can use them.

These offers are valid from Oct. 30th to Nov. 25th. The codes are for online purchase.

10% off all bouncers, travel swings and doorway jumpers ---- Promotional code: #931612
10% off all walkers, entertainers and activity jumpers --- Promotional code: #931610
10% off all Boppy pillows --- Promotional code: #931604
15% off all monitors --- Promotional code: #931598
15% off all Dr. Brown's infant feeding items and bottle accesories --- Promotional code: #931602

They have a few sales going on right now as well.

End of Babies R Us commercial....

Now, let me tell you about last night! Josh and I were laying in bed, getting ready to sleep, and Lovebug was a bit active. Well, we both started to feel around my belly to figure out where he was. I thought he was head down, because I felt he had hiccups earlier and it felt very low. We couldn't really find him (he was kind of on my back) everything felt sort of soft, except for this one thing at the very top of my belly: his footsie!! He was sort of pushing instead of kicking. We felt his foot! Very cool!

I think he flipped again last night, cause I feel his head under my belly button again. He's such a tease!

27 weeks! And doctor's appt

I think I look exactly the same as last week. It's totally possible, since the last pic was at 26.5 weeks, not really at 26. You can decide:


And how big is Lovebug?, you ask. Well, let's find out!

Lovebug now weighs slightly under 2 pounds. His total length is close to 14.4 inches! That's bigger than Legal paper!

He's now a perfectly formed albeit very tiny human being. Lovebug's systems continue to mature during pregnancy week 27 and he even starts accumulating some weight in the upcoming weeks.

Up until between the 27th and 28th weeks of pregnancy his eyelids are fused together. After this week or next they will open. The retina or the light sensitive portion of the eye typically starts maturing at about 27 weeks of pregnancy. The layers that form in the retina will allow his eyes to receive light and transmit the information it is receiving to the brain to form images. This basic process is referred to as 'sight'. Imagine that, at 27 weeks pregnant Lovebug is a tiny, seeing human being!

We had our monthly OBGYN's appointment yesterday. We heard Lovebug's heartbeat (strong as ever!) and the doctor measured my belly. We're still measuring about a week ahead, so growth is constant and perfect. My bloodwork came back fine, so we're good an healthy! We have our next appt in 3 weeks, and then we'll start going every 2 weeks. That means we're getting close... oh my!!

3 months!

We're are exactly 3 months away from our due date. Of course Lovebug could come earlier or later, but for all intents and purposes, we're 3 months away from having our little boy here with us, outside the belly, and safely at home.

I must confess, I have mixed feelings about this. This means I've been pregnant for 6 months. Six months... it's a long time!! It also means that we still have 3 months to go (obviously). Three months, after six months... such a long time!!

So on one side, I can't wait! On the other, I know it's going to be such a huge change, that I wonder if we have enough time to have everything ready for Lovebug! I would definitely prefer having all ready (or as ready as can be), so we can really just enjoy Lovebug, and get to know him and his rhythm in those 6 weeks the three of us will be home. I'm sure this will be like wedding planning in a way: I'll wonder if we have enough time, we'll tackle things one at a time, and we'll find we have everything ready on time, no problems. But I guess since it's a waiting game at this point, I just want to get started with organizing and putting furniture together, etc. I guess this is what they call my "nesting period"...

Also, I'm so excited that Josh gets to spend about 6 weeks with us! It's exactly what I would ask for, because I think it's really important for the three of us to bond as a family and get used to the new dynamic. And I know Josh will enjoy those first few weeks figuring things out just as much as I will. There are several things I'm looking forward to, and one of the big ones is watching Josh with Lovebug. I know he's going to be such an awesome father, and I can't wait to see my husband and my son bond in the intimacy of our home: early in the morning as Josh sings and dances with Lovebug, or just before bedtime, and Josh tells him a little story while he falls asleep between us. I know this is selfish of me, but I want those moments all for myself.

Three more months. Three short months to witness that miracle. Definitely worth the wait.

26 weeks!! (and 3 days)

Josh took the camera with him on a work related trip, so we didn't get the weekly picture on time :( So it's more like a 26.5 weeks pic, but it'll do!

Here it is:

I have to tell you, I look at pictures of myself 20 weeks ago, and I can't believe I was so thin! It's such a strange reality...

This morning Lovebug had the hiccups, and we were able to feel it for the first time ever! It's this very rhythmic thud, while there's movement all around. I guess he's not a fan of the hiccups! Josh tried to help by giving me a Buddha belly and belly kisses, but it didn't work. It stopped on its own after a while.

Lovebug's really growing into his space now, I can tell where he is because I can feel where my belly is soft, and where there are body parts, hehe. It's very entertaining, to be honest. He likes to hang out on the right side of my belly, and under my belly button. I think that's where his head is a lot, but I could be wrong.

I have a list of things to blog about written down in a post it, I need to try to be better about it! Tune in tomorrow, I might have something new!

Lovebug's Registry

(Post 2 of the day)

We know a few people are wondering about our baby registry. We started a registry a couple of months ago, and it pretty much started as our shopping list. We constantly play with it and either buy stuff, or add stuff. We also had several brands of the same items, waiting for us to make a decision on what would work best for us. It's now at a point where we made a few decisions so there are no repeated articles, and so it's ready for its "public debut".

Our registry is with Babies R Us, and as you know it's a wish list. It doesn't mean you HAVE to get us something from there, we just wanted to make it available for those that wish to check it out.

Lovebug's Registry

I'll post a link on the sidebar for easy access!

My feet after Hawai'i

That's right, you get to see them! I know you're dying to, and I can't deny you, I'm soft like that. ;)

I will say they are back to normal now, even better than they were before the trip! I started the trip with a bit of swelling from the trip to Vegas, and my feet pretty much stayed swollen for the whole trip to Hawai'i. The flight back was a killer, though, and my feet got as big as they've ever been!

Yes, you finally get to see them! Here they are:



No bones or tendons in sight. It's not just plain uncomfortable, it's also a bit painful! I hope my feet never get like this again for the rest of the pregnancy! ::crossing fingers::

Hawai'i

Some of you have already seen the pictures on Facebook, but if you haven't and wish to see them, click HERE .

We had a great time! We landed right on time on Tuesday, but we had to wait around for our luggage. Apparently, they weren't too fast moving it from one plane to the other in Honolulu, so our luggage arrived on the next flight.

After we got our bags, we went to pick up our rental car. We got in a Hertz shuttle, as Josh said that's where we needed to go. We got there only to find a very slow moving line. We even missed the sunset waiting for our turn. After 40 LONG minutes standing in line, it was finally our turn. The guy checked the system for our reservation, and couldn't find us for some reason. Josh promptly got the print out of our reservation from his backpack and handed it over. Three seconds before this guy saw it, I saw it, and I had to shake my head... The guy turns to Josh and says, very politely: "I'm so sorry to have kept you waiting, sir, but this is Hertz, and your reservation (pointing at the big letters on top of the print out) is with Budget". Awesome. Forty minutes, missed the sunset, waiting at the wrong place. Needless to say Josh didn't enjoy the walk to Budget (You understand why I had to give you so much detail on this, right?)

But hey, we got our car! Here it is:


We then made our way to Sharon's rental condo, and proceeded to go out with her to dinner. We went to Bubba Gump, which is a very cool Forrest Gump (the movie) inspired restaurant. Good food, too. We ended up going there again the day of the race.

The next day we headed towards Hilo, where we stayed for 2 nights. This Island is basically like 4 places in one: Kona (West side) with its beaches and resorts, the North side with its green plains, Hilo (East) with its rainforest vegetation and awesome banyan trees, and the South with its mix of green and black, from the lush vegetation and seas of lava flows.

Josh got us a great book, Hawaii The Big Island Revealed. If you ever go anywhere in Hawai'i, get one of these guides, they're awesome and you'll find some places you wouldn't know are there any other way. We enjoyed the Hilo side, and we got to drive, hike and snorkel in some wonderful places. Definitely fantastic guide, for a fantastic Island!

Also thanks to this book, we went to the best restaurant in Hilo, and had an amazing meal, that's definitely one of the best meals we've ever had. The place is called Hilo Bay Café, it's in a shopping center, between Walmart and Office Max and doesn't look like much from the parking area, but Oh my, the food is excellent! If you're ever in Hilo, you HAVE to go there, and at the very least have their Heirloom tomato carpaccio with chevre cheese, arugula, truffle oil, and alaea salt. You think that sounds good? It's even better!

(This is in Volcanoes NP, with the current vent in Kilauea. Awesome!)

Friday afternoon we made it back to Kona, ready to follow the race. The big day we all woke up at 3:30 am. We were still on Pacific time, so it wasn't a big deal. Josh and I watched the beginning of the swim while having breakfast at Lava Java's, next to the shore. If you ask me, that's the way to do it. You get to see all those people swimming away, while you sit in the shade. Nice!

After breakfast we walked to the transition station to wait for Sharon to go by in the bike.

(Not the best pic, but the only one we have of the bike). We had hours to spare before seeing her again, so we went snorkeling (with sea turtles! Josh has a great story about that!), had lunch, took a nap (or I tried, anyways), and then walked to the front of the condos to see her run by. She decided to walk for us, and she looked really good and happy, definitely in good spirits!

We saw her again on her way back, but she still had a long road to cover, running in the dark between lava flows. Long story short, she is now a Kona Ironman! It took her a little over 16 hours to reach the finish line, but she did awesome and got that medal! And who are we kidding, none of us would do what she did, willingly! On purpose! Here she is, feet away from the finish line:

We're very proud of you, Sharon! We think you're crazy for doing this, but love you just the same! And it was very exciting to be there cheering you on. Thanks for the chance to do it!

That's all I've got! Enjoy the pics!