Obsessed...

You can say I am a true first time mom or that I am obsessed with taking pictures of my baby...but the reality is that they DO grow so fast. So, that it feels that at the blink of an eye, boom their features have changed tremendously. So for that reason I am an always-camera-on-hands-mommy. You can see for yourself how much Rocco has changed. (these images are by the weeks/months but in reality his features changed every day)
                                                              1st month...
                                                               1 day old...

5 days old...

                                                              At 4 weeks...

At 5 weeks...

At 6 weeks...

At 7 weeks...

...and 1st time holding the bottle on his own (7 weeks)

2nd month...

8 weeks...

10 weeks...

3rd month...

14 weeks...

15 weeks...and this night I discovered his first tooth!!

My precious lil' munchkin!!

Baby Scerbo's updates...week 15

How old? 15 weeks, 3 days

Total weight gain/loss: Rocco; gained about 7 pounds from his birth weight. Well at least that's how much more he weighed last week (15 pounds) (weighed him at home). His 4 month well visit is at the beginning of January so let's see what the pediatrician says. He's a hungry monkey, can drink every 2-3 hrs, 7 to 8 ounces. I read the normal at his age would be every 4 hrs.
Me, just 3 more pounds to down and I will be back to normal.

Clothes? I love that I finally fit into my skinny jeans! yay for me! Rocco no longer fits into 3 month clothes or his size 1 diapers, he's a chubby baby. He fits pretty good in his 3-6 moths or 6 months sized things and size 2 diapers.
Sleep? He'll sleep through the night. He'll get up for 5 am feedings though.
Milestones: Lots of blah blah blah...no longer sounds like cooing but mire like ahgoo aghoo and blah blah it's so fun! TONS of Smiles and sometimes a loud ahhhh to get my attention. He holds himself very steady, no need of support. He's already had his frist time at the Borgata's restaurants and casino. And the most exciting of all....His first tooth is peeking thru!!!!

Weekly wisdom: Hold YOUR Baby As Much As You Want. When your baby was born were you warned that picking them up too much would spoil them? If you don't hold them now, when will you? Hold your child whenever he/she needs you - or whenever you want to. I read an article stating research had been made that the more your hold/kiss/cuddle yuor children, the happier the grow up and the less negative they tend to look at life...So let's all make babies happy!!

Tooth Fairy...

So the tooth fairy came to visit...and no, she did not leave Rocco any $ under the pillow. BUT, I just discovered she left him his first tooth...it's peeking thru!!! I am so nervous and excited! His first tooth at 15 weeks, wow. I say Rocco is the ol' man of babies...lol And, i must say no more of that nibbling on my fingers...it does kinda hurt now lol

and the sleepless nights...

are hopefully over...
Last night and the night before, little Rocco slept through the night! That's 2 nights in a row!!! woo hoo
Lets see how long this lasts.

Baby Scerbo's updates....week 7

How old? 7 weeks, 1 day

Total weight gain/loss: Rocco; gained 3 pounds from his birth weight. I'm thinking his car seat straps might have to be adjusted soon. Me, 25 pounds down from max pregnancy weight! woohoo!

Clothes? I love that I can get into most of my pre-pregnancy clothes!! Rocco no longer fits into his newborn clothes or diapers, he's a chubster LOL. He fits pretty good in his 3 months sized things and size 1 diapers.

Sleep? He'll sleep for 5 hours at a stretch, from 11 or 12am to 4 or 5 am. Argh! Since I am self employed (home office), it's not too bad, but it's a bit annoying that my day starts that early.

Milestones: Smiles, lots of cooing and today for the first time he turned over not once but TWICE!! He also holds his head pretty much unsupported now. He's already been out for his first few dinners and shopping sprees.

Weekly wisdom: When baby cries, respond with patience and understanding... he is just a baby.

Baby Scerbo is here!!!

Hey all, I know Ive been MIA and there is a great excuse for it, baby Scerbo has arrived and filled our hearts and days with joy! He was due to arrive today but our little angel seemed to be more than ready to come and meet the world and his mommy and daddy and everyone else.

Please meet Anthony Rocco Scerbo....born on 8/31/10 at 8:37am

8lbs 4.8oz 19 inches

We are so IN LOVE!! And feel so blessed with such bundle of joy and happy, healthy baby!

Our heartfelt thanks to our dear friend and wonderful photographer Josh Lynn for the first days session at the hospital for our little Rocco. http://www.joshlynnphotography.com/

Oh My!

Want to know what i'm thinking?

"I can't eat, I can't sleep, but I can do a great imitation of a beach whale.

Seriously, are we almost done with this?"

ROTFLMAO!!

Children are very observant...

Happy Feet!

My feet have been a big discomfort lately. They are achy, swollen and feel dry. While at Babies R Us and searching a solution for the aches and swelling, ...other than lifting my feet up for long periods of time (now, if you know me well, you'll know that's something almost impossible for me to do, I am always on the go!) I found Happy Feet by Earth Mama Organics. 

Doubting my purchase all the way home, (probably because it was a sale item at $3.98), I went and soaked my feet in warm water, added the herbs and ...ahhhh what a relief!

I am making my tired, swollen footsies happy with this soothing organic herbal foot soak.

Earth Mama's blend of organic lavender, organic yarrow, organic peppermint, organic thyme, organic rosemary, organic rose, organic pure essential oils and salts are pampering and perking up my ever-expanding ankles. It's very refreshing and my feet although still swollen did not get worse like I've been  experiencing some nights.

Funny Friday...

38 Weeks!!

• How far along? 38 Weeks!

• Total weight gain/loss: 29 lbs total gain so far...I wonder how much more could I gain in the next 17 days?

• Stretch marks: Nada!

• Sleep: Uncomfortable!! Tossing and turning all night, snoring, running out of breath, extremely dry mouth, lips and waking up to pee by the hour...some of the fun things that have taken over my nights =)

• Best moment this week: reaching full term...a milestone

• Movement: Tons of stretching in mommy's belly, baby is kind of wondering why there isn't much room anymore to kick and do his somersaults...lol

• Food cravings: freshly squeezed orange juice, watermelon, spanish food and cheese danish.

• Gender: A little man!

• Labor signs: Just the normal stuff... lots of pressure due to baby dropping, charlie horse, cramps, cankles etc...all prepping me for the real labor

• Belly button in or out? Outie!

• What I miss: sleep...

• What I am looking forward to: The arrival of my little Prince

• Weekly Wisdom: Walking the mall all day will cause a few contractions - and really sore legs/swollen ankles...mean cankles.lol.


*What I'm I thinking? "Please don't let my water break at an inopportune time like in the middle of a client meeting or during my pedicure or at a fancy restaurant ..." lol


• Milestones: 38 Week Mark!! 2 weeks, 17 days, 384 hours until delivery!

• What is the baby up to? Baby is really plumped up, I am sure he's over 7 pounds now. His organs have matured and are all ready for life outside the womb.

During the next two weeks baby will gain weight, as fat is stored to help maintain body temperature and glucose levels. Baby might still have vernix (creamy coating that protects the skin), but it is mostly confined to skin creases and folds and the back and neck. Baby has a firm grasp reflex now. If a light is shown on my belly, he will now turn towards it. This is called the "orienting response."

Nursery fun!

We are still arranging/constructing baby furniture/toys etc...almost done!

We are both so new at this and feel like it's taking us a little more time than it should but we are determined to have it all ready for when baby arrives...(2 more weeks, yikes!) So, we are working round the clock when we're both home and so far 95% of the nursery is done.  

Our next project was to put together the bassinet that will be in our bedroom. Well, my hubby doesn't have a handy hair on him...lol and he'll admit to that and use it as an excuse to take his sweet time to put it together, especially when this bassinet had literally a million pieces to put together. Thank goodness that pops came over and helped give hubby the little push and figure it all out.

Hubby reading the instructions...

A few pieces together...

Starting to look like a frame for a bassinet...

.

Bassinet is all set up...

and placed in its frame...success!

Daddy putting the bassinet away

Oh, and here's our little helper...Leo

It's Official...I got cankles!

LOL

Doctor's Appointment Week 37

I had doctor's appointment this morning.  I 'll will be going every week from here on out!

Here are the stats...

Weight: A total of 28 pounds.

Cervix: Starting to thin, not dialating yet.

Baby's Position: Doctor said he's dropped lower, facing back and seems all ready.

I've been experiencing some cramping, lot of pressure and back pain. Trying to rest a bit and take it easy-- but for most part, I'm feeling pretty good these days!

Next appointment at 38 weeks...8/30

Mommy to be Quiz at 37 Weeks!

• How far along? 37 Weeks!

• Total weight gain/loss: 28 lbs total gain so far...24 days left to gain some more...

• Maternity clothes: although nothing feels comfortable anymore those 2 pairs of maternity jeans have been a blessing...

• Stretch marks: Nada!

• Sleep: Uncomfortable!!

• Best moment this week: finding out baby's weight! He's 7 pounds!!

• Movement: Tons of stretching in mommy's belly, baby is kind of wondering why there isn't much room anymore to kick and do his somersaults...lol

• Food cravings: Japanese

• Gender: A little man!

• Labor signs: Just the normal stuff... lots of pressure due to baby dropping, charlie horse, cramps etc...all prepping me for the real labor

• Belly button in or out? Outie!

• What I miss: sleep...

• What I am looking forward to: The arrival of my little Prince

• Weekly Wisdom: Not feeling too wise these days...even thinking makes me tired lol

• Milestones: 37 Week Mark!! 3 weeks, 24 days, 576 hours until delivery!

• What is the baby up to? It's week 37, my baby is considered fully cooked (full term), meaning baby is likely to thrive after birth. Baby will spend these last weeks in preparation for the outside world… meaning careful refinement of the blink, suck, inhale and exhale.
Meconium, which I'll probably find in the first diaper, is accumulating in his intestines. Baby's measurement can be anywhere from 18.9 to 20.9 inches long. The normal weight during this period (37 to 40 weeks) is 6.2 to 9.2 pounds. My baby's weight is a whopping 7 pounds!!

Appointment...

Yesterday I had my last appointment with the Maternal Fetal Dr. at HUMC to measure baby and determine his position. It is so exciting getting to see baby and listening to his heart beat. According to the tech Baby Scerbs is a big baby, weighing at 7 pounds (no wonder it's getting hard for me to walk around with the load) and she said he has very chunky cheeks, lol! He has dropped, he's very low (which I knew already, I can feel it and it's not pretty comfortable) and he's in full position ready to come out and play soon. 

Baby still has another 3 weeks to go...so that means he can still gain about a pound a week...unless he decides to come sooner and since he is considered full term already, I say..."Baby Scerbs you're welcome any time now, Mommy, Daddy and Leo can't wait to meet you and bring you into your new home... We love you"!

Dear Baby...

I don't have any stretch marks...yet...I don't even know if it is even possible at this point for my belly to stretch anymore...but it is not something I will worry about. Considered myself lucky? yes, I did at some point in time, but I now have a different view on stretch marks after reading this...even if I had them...I'd be a lucky lady!

Dear Baby...
A mark for every breath you took, every blink, every sleepy yawn. One for every time you sucked your thumb, waved hello, closed your eyes and slept in the most perfect darkness. One for every time you had the hiccups. One for every dream you dreamed within me.

It isn't very pretty anymore. Some may even think it's ugly. That's OK. It was your home. It’s where I first grew to love you, where I lay my hand as I dreamed about who you were and who you would be. It held you until my arms could, and for that, I will always find something beautiful in it.

-unknown

Photo Shoot

Anthony and I had such a great time yesterday during our maternity photo shoot. Even Leo enjoyed some of the spotlight...after all he will be the big "furry" brother...lol
We tried to be creative and fun and hopefully we accomplished that. I can't wait to see the photos soon. Stay tuned...I will share when I get my proofs!

Mommy to be Quiz at 36 weeks!

• How far along? 36 Weeks!

• Total weight gain/loss: 28 lbs total gain so far...another 4 weeks to gain a little more =).

• Maternity clothes: finally with only  4 weeks to go, I caved in and bought maternity jeans...they were on sale so no guilt...I'll probably wear them once a week for the next 4 weeks LOL

• Stretch marks: I keep looking for them every day and surprisingly not even one!

• Sleep: Uncomfortable!!

• Best moment this week: working a bit more on the nursery!

• Movement: Tons of stretching in mommy's belly, baby is kind of wondering why there isn't much room anymore to kick and do his somersaults...lol

• Food cravings: Chocolate chip cookies and milk

• Gender: A little man!

• Labor signs: Just the normal stuff...prepping me for the real labor

• Belly button in or out? Outie!

• What I miss: sleep...

• What I am looking forward to: The arrival of my little Prince

• Weekly Wisdom: Buy clothes you like the first time around. I held out and didn't buy a few things (maternity jeans) and now I need them...so I had to go out and buy somethings - had I the first time around they would have gotten more use.

• Milestones: 36 Week Mark!! 4 weeks, 31 days, 744 hours until delivery!

• What is the baby up to? Baby's length should be right about 18.5 inches and he's still packing on the pounds weighing at about 6.15 pounds. He's shedding most of the downy covering of hair that covered his body as well as the vernix caseosa (the waxy substance that covered and protected his skin during this nine-month amniotic bath). Baby swallows both of these substances, along with other secretions, resulting in a blackish mixture, called meconium, which will form the contents of his first bowel movement.

At the end of this week, my baby will be considered full-term. (Full-term is 37 to 42 weeks; babies born before 37 weeks are pre-term and those born after 42 are post-term.) Right now he is in a head-down position. Let's hope baby stays in cooking full term!

Nursery sneak peek...

Today...finally after a couple of weeks of asking --more like beggin/torturing hubby about getting a few holes and rod up for some drapes in baby's room...rod and drapes are finally up...yay one more check.

I still may add a valance, not sure yet though...It's a work in progress but surely will be completed by the time Baby arrives.

It feels like Christmas...

Christmas in August at the Scerbo household! Just arrived (literally 5 minutes ago) 4moms Mamaroo bouncer for baby Scerbs...

I love this high-tech thing! It has five unique motions (Car Ride, Kangaroo, Tree Swing, Rock-A-Bye and Ocean Wave), five speed settings, and five built-in nature sounds,toy mobile has three plush toy balls decorated in the style of classical artists like Van Gogh, Monet and Seurat--perfect distraction for baby. I can even plug in an mp3. Anthony and I fell in love with the innovative design. Can't wait for baby to enjoy it!

Mommy to be Quiz at 35 Weeks!

• How far along? 35 Weeks!

• Total weight gain/loss: 26 lbs total gain so far...tomorrow I'll know if I gained any more.

• Maternity clothes: this entire week I spent it in maternity shorts...so comfy

• Stretch marks: I keep looking for them every day and surprisingly not even one!

• Sleep: same as last week...Sleep is overrated! Every night I wake up 10 plus times to pee, can't get comfortable, belly is in the way--body pillow no longer serves its purpose , right hand carpal tunnel-- numb and in pain, left hand starting to experience the same and indigestion...and this past week I started experiencing some pelvic pressure...baby dropped is my guess.


• Best moment this week: when the infant car seat arrived...I was like 'holy sh*t we're going to be parents in just a few weeks!' There's going to be a little person going with us everywhere...
Another great moment this week was preparing my hospital bag...all these things make it feel so much more real!
• Movement: Tons of stretching in mommy's belly, baby is kind of wondering why there isn't much room anymore to kick and do his somersaults...lol

• Food cravings: COLD Watermelon

• Gender: Baby Boy!!

• Labor signs: Just the normal stuff...prepping me for the real labor

• Belly button in or out? Outie!

• What I miss: sleep...

• What I am looking forward to: The arrival of  my little Prince

• Weekly Wisdom: you can blame pretty much anything on your pregnancy hormones...haha
• Milestones: 35 Week Mark!! 5 weeks, 38 days, 912 hours until delivery!
• What is the baby up to? So, let's see...baby is anywhere from 17.2 to 18.7 inches long now and weighs anywhere from 5 1/2 to 5.8 pounds (baby doesn't have much room to maneuver now). Because it's so snug in my womb, he isn't able to do his famous somersaults anymore, but the number of times he kicks have remain about the same. His kidneys are fully developed now, and his liver can process some waste products. Most of his basic physical development is now complete — he'll spend the next few weeks putting on weight...along with mommy.
He may have dropped into my pelvis getting ready for labor...I sure hope so because I do feel a lot of pressure down there.

Infant car seat is in!

So today baby's car seat arrived. Totally in love with this car seat since it is part of the whole Peg Perego 2010 Java ensemble we have selected for baby Scerbo.  So excited to set it up in the car and get it inspected.

Peg Perego Primo Viaggio SIP 30/30 Java

We are still undecided if we should purchase a second one (we have 2 cars) or just go through the whole process of switching from one car to the other as needed...decisions, decisions. We may stick to this one for now. Once baby outgrows the infant car seat we'll purchase the toddler one for each car, since we'll get more use out of it.

Mommy to be Quiz at 34 Weeks!

• How far along? 34 Weeks!

• Total weight gain/loss: 26 lbs total gain so far...next week I'll know if I gained any more.

• Maternity clothes: Bought a cute black dress, that I am sure I'll still be able to wear after baby

• Stretch marks: I keep looking for them every day and surprisingly not even one!

• Sleep: Sleep is overrated! Every night I wake up 10 plus times to pee, can't get comfortable, belly is in the way--body pillow no longer serves its purpose , right hand carpal tunnel-- numb and in pain, left hand starting to experience the same and indigestion...

• Best moment this week: nursery is coming along beautifully! We got the rocker/recliner this past weekend and I can't wait to use it with baby, it is very comfy.

• Movement: Tons!

• Food cravings: Watermelon

• Gender: Baby Boy!!

• Labor signs: None

• Belly button in or out? Outie!

• What I miss: Energy

• What I am looking forward to: The arrival of baby Scerbo

• Weekly Wisdom: Focus on keeping that baby growing, not if your thighs are growing. Not that I want to look/feel like a beach whale but I'm not going to spend my pregnancy obsessing over weight. If I gain I gain.

• Milestones: 34 Week Mark!! 6 weeks, 45 days, 1080 hours until delivery!

• What is the baby up to? Baby now weighs about 4 3/4 pounds and is almost 18 inches long. His fat layers — which will help regulate his body temperature once he's born — are filling him out, making him rounder. His skin is also smoother than ever. His central nervous system is maturing and his lungs are continuing to mature as well. I've been a bit nervous about preterm labor, but happy to know that babies born between 34 and 37 weeks who have no other health problems generally do fine. They may need a short stay in the neonatal nursery and may have a few short-term health issues, but in the long run, they usually do as well as full-term babies. Let's just hope baby Scerbs keeps cooking for at least another 3-4 weeks.

Rock-A-Bye-Baby

Glider is in!! It looks great by the window overlooking the grounds...peaceful, relaxing.

Mommy to be Quiz at 33 Weeks!

How far along? 33 Weeks!

• Total weight gain/loss: 26 lbs total gain

• Maternity clothes: haven't bought any in the past few weeks!

• Stretch marks: Surprisingly not even one! How lucky am I?

• Sleep: I've been waking up constantly to empty bladder every night now. Also the lots of pain on my right hand...due to the carpal tunnel syndrome keeps me awake through the night.

• Best moment this week: Still opening and arranging things for baby's room.

• Movement: Tons...all the time now....baby's a lil' rough too...Histtle movements just make me fall in love with him more each day. He still sleeps curled up in a little ball at the bottom of my pelvis, but when he stretches out, I can feel him above my belly button.

• Food cravings: this week Yuca and Avocados

• Gender: Baby Boy!!

• Labor signs: None but got this only contraction, felt so weird, some pain but it lasted just a few seconds.

• Belly button in or out? Outie and for some reason really dark...as dark as my linea negra.

• What I miss: Energy

• What I am looking forward to: getting everything all set in baby's nursery...lots to do, lots to do!

• Weekly Wisdom: Seek positive sources in your life. Avoid drama queens, avoid those "should" people, avoid those who (advertently or not) point out your new bodily insecurities. Seek out people who tell you how beautiful you are looking, who praise your health efforts during pregnancy, and who make you feel good about your pregnancy/marriage/life. Life is all about the positive, seek it out!

• Milestones: 33 Week Mark!! 7 weeks, 51 days till delivery!

• What is the baby up to? By now baby weighs about 4 1/2 pounds and is about 17 inches long, taking up a lot of space...this week baby will sleep a lot and have less room in mommy's belly. The amount of amniotic fluid has reached its max. Baby is rapidly losing the wrinkled, alien look and his skeleton is hardening. The bones in his skull aren't fused together, which allows them to move and slightly overlap, thus making it easier for him to fit through the birth canal. (The pressure on the head during birth is so intense that many babies are born with a conehead-like appearance.) These bones don't entirely fuse until early adulthood, so they can grow as his brain and other tissue expands during infancy and childhood.

Strolling in style...

Seems like strollers are like cars...Every year a new model, new safety features etc...
After tons of research, much thinking and difficulty deciding, we went with the 2010 Skate System from Peg Perego Italy and I am beyond excited... It is so light (about 8 pounds) and easy to use and so stylish! My baby will be strolling/skating in style. Designed for performance, the Skate System comes with a bassinet, stroller seat and chassis. I will be able to swap one seat out for the other, depending on the needs of that particular day.Thanks to my mom and dad for gifting my baby with this wonderful stroller.

We picked the Java color...

Travel System...

Dear Baby Scerbo...

Hope you're all cozy and comfy in there...
I've been going through all of the gifts you received during the shower and decided myself to make a list of the top five gifts I want to give you.
And, of course, all wrapped up in a big bow of love, health, and happiness...here it is...

1) A sense of humor
2) A sense of adventure
3) Unbridled optimism
4) A balanced sense of self
5) Boundless opportunity
 
Love,
Your Mommy!

Mommy to be Quiz 32 Weeks!!

How far along? 32 Weeks!

• Total weight gain/loss: 23 lbs total gain

• Maternity clothes: none for the past few weeks!

• Stretch marks: Surprisingly not even one! How lucky am I?

• Sleep: wake up in the middle of the night a few times with lots of pain on my right hand...due to the carpal tunnel syndrome.

• Best moment this week: My beautiful and fun Shower and all the gifts baby received!!

• Movement: Constant!

• Food cravings: lots of green apples

• Gender: Baby Boy!!

• Labor signs: None

• Belly button in or out? Outie!

• What I miss: Energy

• What I am looking forward to: getting everything all set in baby's nursery...lots to do, lots to do!

• Weekly Wisdom: expect some little bumps on the road...

• Milestones: 32 Week Mark!! 8 weeks, 59 days, 1416 hours till delivery!

• What is the baby up to? By now baby weighs 3.75 pounds and is about 16.7 inches long, taking up a lot of space in my uterus. I should start gaining about a pound a week and roughly half of that goes right to my baby. In fact, he'll gain a third to half of his birth weight during the next 7 weeks as he fattens up for survival outside the womb. He now has toenails, fingernails, and real hair (or at least respectable peach fuzz) lol. His skin is becoming soft and smooth as he plumps up in preparation for birth.

Showers of Happiness for Baby Scerbo!!

I had my baby shower on Sunday and all I can say is AhhhhmaZING! I had tons of fun and enjoyed every minute of it with family and friends. I couldn't have asked for more. I am so thankful to everyone that attended and those who were involved in crafting up the perfect celebration for my lil' bundle of joy! Special thanks to my mother in law for hosting my shower.

Baby got so many gifts, he's so loved already. I can't wait to meet my baby and to see him play, utilize and wear everything he received.

Here are some pictures that a few friends took (can't wait to see the professional ones)! It was a fabulous Dr. Seuss 'Cat in the Hat' theme!

Mommy and Daddy to be cutting the cake!

The Cat in The Hat greets our guests...

The escort card table...bookmarks!

The Cookies and Milk Buffet...I so had to have this!

Centerpieces...all table were different and unique!

Advice cards...everyone filled them out with their own baby advice.

Cake by TLC's Cake Boss Buddy Valastro (Carlos Bakery)

Reading random advice cards...some were funny.

Such a memorable day, I will create a scrapbook for baby and show him how loved he is even before everyone had met him.

Today's appointment...what a relief

Today I had an appointment with the maternal fetal Dr. I had been pretty nervous the past couple of days since the results from the last bloodwork were apparently showing signs of high sugar--'slightly high'. Dr. R (obgyn) said there was a possibility of having to stick with a diet or some medication until delivery and that truly scared me. I was a bit depressed to say the least. Thankfully Dr. P (maternal fetal) cleared me and said everything was totally fine, sugar was normal and that I had nothing to worry about. He said "here's something to worry about...start saving for your baby's college funds and to start buying inexpensive handbags because baby will eventually barf allover my LV" LOL
He also said not to overdue the sweets...which I am not doing anyway and to go home and just enjoy the rest of my pregnancy. yay! What a relief!!!

Mommy to be Quiz at 31 Weeks!

• How far along? 31 Weeks!

• Total weight gain/loss: 20 lbs total gain

• Maternity clothes: Will see what happens in the next few weeks and buy as I need, if needed.

• Stretch marks: Surprisingly not even one!

• Sleep: wake up in the middle of the night a few times and still the numbness on my hand.

• Best moment this week: finding my shower dress and it's not maternity!

• Movement: Constant!

• Food cravings: lots of green apples

• Gender: Baby Boy!!

• Labor signs: None

• Belly button in or out? Outie!

• What I miss: Energy

• What I am looking forward to: my shower!
• Weekly Wisdom: expect some little bumps on the road...

• Milestones: 31 Week Mark!! 9 weeks, 67 days to go!

• What is the baby up to? This week baby measures over 16 inches long. He weighs about 3.3 pounds and is heading into a growth spurt. He can turn his head from side to side, and his arms, legs, and body are beginning to plump out as needed fat accumulates underneath his skin. He's definitely moving a lot, too, so I have a bit of trouble sleeping because baby's kicks and somersaults keep me up. I take comfort in this though, because all this moving is a sign that my baby is active and healthy.

Today's appointment =(

ahhh a few bad news...
One, the numbing on my hand is due to carpal tunnel syndrome. Dr. R said it is pretty common during 3rd trimester. So, baby must be leaning against some nerve on my right side =( I guess as long as he's comfortable...let it be. He said it will go away after birth. I am now wearing a splint on my wrist for most of the day and during sleep.
Two, eventhough I've been taking prenatals since before knowing I was pregnant, I am now borderline anemic...He has prescribed Ferro-Sequels as an iron supplement. I guess baby is taking everything from me...everything! I guess as long as he's healthy...let it be.
And three...my sugar came back slightly high =( I have to see my maternal fetal doctor on Monday to see if I have to do a special diet or go on medication...shucks!

Other than that baby is in position...seems like he's ready, I say stay cooking in there baby until mommy's ready...9 more weeks.

Mommy to-be quiz at 30 Weeks

• How far along? 30 Weeks!

• Total weight gain/loss: 20 lbs total gain

• Maternity clothes: Will see what happens in the next few weeks and buy as I need.

• Stretch marks: None but a very long linea negra..

• Sleep: sleep well like every other night and waking up with numbness on right hand oy

• Best moment this week: getting pinched with a needle again, not!

• Movement: Constant now and getting strongerrrrr, baby stretches out hard!

• Food cravings: apples

• Gender: Baby Boy!!

• Labor signs: None...Thank the lord...not even close...10 more weeks to go for that! I've been experiencing Braxton Hicks contractions though...I know it is nothing to worry about but they are very uncomfortable.

• Belly button in or out? Popped!

• What I miss: my energy, thanks to 3rd trimester!

• What I am looking forward to: Getting all the essentials we need for baby since furniture and bedding are all set!

• Weekly Wisdom: Pregnancy is a very joyful time but it can also be filled with worry and concern =( take one day at a time...

• Milestones: 30 Week Mark!! 10 weeks, 73 days to go...

• What is the baby up to? Baby's about 15.7 inches long now, and he weighs almost 3 pounds (like a head of cabbage). A pint and a half of amniotic fluid surrounds him, but that volume will decrease as he gets bigger and takes up more room in my uterus. His eyesight continues to develop, though it's not very keen; even after he's born, he'll keep his eyes closed for a good part of the day. When he does open them, he'll respond to changes in light but will have 20/400 vision — which means he can only make out objects a few inches from his face. (Normal adult vision is 20/20.)

Mommy to-be Quiz at 29 Weeks!!

• How far along? 29 Weeks!

• Total weight gain/loss: 20 lbs total gain

• Maternity clothes: Will see what happens in the next few weeks and buy as I need.

• Stretch marks: None but a very long linea negra...

• Sleep: Good but back hurting a lot now.

• Best moment this week: My last monthly OB visit went great, baby is getting so big! Now I start going to OB every 2 weeks, yikes! Oh and today furniture arrived!! yay =)

• Movement: Constant now and getting strongerrrrr!

• Food cravings: none this week

• Gender: Baby Boy!!

• Labor signs: None...Thank the lord...not even close...11 more weeks to go for that! I've been experiencing Braxton Hicks contractions though...I know it is nothing to worry about (they are pretty far apart) but they are very ucomfortable.

• Belly button in or out? Popped!

• What I miss: my energy, thanks to 3rd trimester!

• What I am looking forward to: Getting all the essentials we need for baby, furniture is here so I am sure I'll be nesting the rest of the week!

• Weekly Wisdom: Take naps or 3rd trimester will kick yiur butt!

• Milestones: 29 Week Mark!! 11 weeks, 80 days, 1920 hours to go!!

• What is the baby up to? Baby now weighs about 2 1/2 pounds and is a tad over 15 inches long from head to heel. His muscles and lungs are continuing to mature, and his head is growing bigger to make room for his developing brain. Baby’s energy is surging, thanks to the formation of white fat deposits beneath the skin. ( kicks and jabs to my ribs is what he has going on) Baby is also settling into sleep and waking cycles. Also this month, all five senses are finally functional, and the brain and nervous system are going through major developments.
To meet his increasing nutritional demands, I need plenty of protein, vitamins C, folic acid, and iron. And because his bones are soaking up lots of calcium, I am drinking lots of milk, enriched orange juice and eating cheese, yogurt (all sources of calcium). This trimester, about 250 milligrams of calcium are deposited in my baby's hardening skeleton each day. My baby is the size and weight of a squash...
 

Today's appointment

Today is my last monthly appointment, now I will start seeing Dr. R every 2 weeks...due date is getting closer!!
Baby is in position (head down) and heart beat was 130bpm. Got to see my little munchkin moving around and it's just so amazing to see how active he is in his little space.

I was given a slip to go have more bloodwork done =(  just when I thought I was past that, I guess not!

Mommy to-be Quiz at 28 Weeks!

• How far along? 28 Weeks! 3rd trimester =)

• Total weight gain/loss: 12 total, will know next weekany more if I gained !

• Maternity clothes: I have a feeling 3rd trimester is going to take its toll and I will be getting bigger, so I've decided to not shop for any more of the regular clothes. Will see what happens in the next few weeks and buy as I need.

• Stretch marks: None but a very long linea negra...

• Sleep: Good but back hurting a bit.

• Best moment this week: The constant feel of baby's foot or elbow, its almost as if he's trying to get out of there trhough my belly skin, a bit uncomfortable but such an awesome feeling =). Also, got the call from Bambi that furniture is in and will be delivered next week! yay is becoming so real.

• Movement: Constant now and getting strongerrrrr!

• Food cravings: Steak Kabobs so hubby grilled =)!

• Gender: Baby Boy!!

• Labor signs: None...Thank the lord...not even close...12 more weeks to go for that! I've been experiencing Braxton Hicks contractions though...I know it is nothing to worry about (they are pretty far apart) but they are very ucomfortable. Today I happened to experience a very bad lower abdominal pain, lasted for like 5 minutes =(

• Belly button in or out? Popped!

• What I miss: my energy, thanks to 3rd trimester!
• What I am looking forward to: Getting the room ready for when furniture comes, then more nesting and baby shower soon! yay

• Weekly Wisdom: Don't overdue yourself during the day, you're not superwoman...and if you try to be you'll regret it before going to bed.

• Milestones: 28 Week Mark!! 12 weeks, 87 days, 2088 hours to go!!

• What is the baby up to? By this week, my baby weighs two and a quarter pounds (like a Chinese cabbage) and measures 14.8 inches from the top of his head to his heels. He can blink his eyes, which now sport lashes. With his eyesight developing, he may be able to see the light that filters in through my womb. He's also developing billions of neurons in his brain and adding more body fat in preparation for life in the outside world.

Nesting

What a busy day, between the loads of work I have for some upcoming events, I'm happily in the midst of reorganizing and cleaning the baby's room. I am having a ball doing so. The cleaning lady visited already, so all the wood floors and windows are cleaned. I spent 3 hours this morning removing what used to be my work station in baby's room. Next up if I'm still inspired I may just order some nice decor.
I never thought nesting was so much fun!

Next week nursery furniture will be here, can't wait!

Sharing my Baby Bump!

Hubby and I returned from a relaxing vacation/babymoon Tuesday night. We figured we'd go away from the real world for a few days before the hard but so worth and rewarding work begins early September. Also my OB/GYN nor the airlines will not clear me for air travel after June 20th, so it was perfect timing.

I never ever thought I'd be the mommy to-be, rocking a bathing suit, but if it fits and looks good...oh well, and like hubby said I am a sexy mommy to be, lol. Here are a few shots of me and my belly bump.

                                                      Not bad...

Courtesy of my hubby =)

Can't see my feet!!