29 Weeks

Happy Monday! It's cloudy and breezy here, which is a nice change to the normal scorching Florida weather. Today I am 29 weeks and 2 days pregnant! Time just flies!

Last week was a pretty good week except for another unfortunate encounter with heartburn that kept me up nearly all night on Tuesday night.

My Husband is working from home now so it's been nice to be able to see him more often. On Monday we drove down to the the Gardens Mall for a little day date and it was nice to get out of the house. We shopped around a little and then went to Whole Foods. We don't have a Whole Foods close by our house so every time we go to West Palm we always go there. We ate lunch there and I got a vegan pizza with olives and onions. Soooo good!

The rest of the week I spent just relaxing and thinking about all the things I have to do before our little man gets here in September. I think my nesting instincts are kicking in because I have the sudden urge to make lists for absolutely everything! Now I just need to little by little accomplish all the things on those lists!

The agenda for today is to clean up the house, work on some sewing projects and clean the floor in the baby room. That way sometime this week we can lay the wood laminate flooring and by next week I can start decorating/ organizing all the baby's things! So excited for this step!

I also printed up a list of all the things you need for a newborn and checked off what we have already. We probably have less than half of the things on the list so far but the ones left are are mostly the small things like burp clothes, shampoo, etc.

I'm also going to try to start blogging more than once a week! I don't have much of an excuse now that I'm not working. ;)

Here's a short recap on last week and a belly shot:

• Weight gained: total so far is around 15 - 16 lbs 
• Cravings: grilled cheese (soy cheese), cherries, buttermilk biscuits 
• Belly button: officially an outie most of the time
• Swelling: fortunately I haven't noticed any unless I'm walking when its hot out, my hands swell a little
• Workouts: two, one pool day and one walking day 
• Currently reading: Natural Childbirth the Bradley Method Way 

Have a blessed week!

xoxo Jessenia + Baby Boy

28 weeks

Here's to catching up! I haven't been able to blog in a while because my mom was in town. I had so much fun with her while she was here and miss her so much now but I'm so excited because she and my dad will be back in September for the arrival of our little boy!

I never wrote a post for 27 weeks but it was quite uneventful anyways. The 28th week however was full of new symptoms and an amazing baby shower and time spend with my mom. :)

During the week my mom was here I unfortunately experienced three new pregnancy symptoms. All of them very uncomfortable.

The first one was pretty normal. I woke up one day with terrible shoulder pain from only being able to sleep in one position. Let me tell you, I am so looking forward to sleeping however I want again! Luckily, my mom is a physical therapist so she massaged my shoulder and by the next day it was feeling much much better!

However, the next day I experienced the next symptom. It's a common one that i've encountered before but not as intense. When my mom was here I picked up on my walking again. We were doing 2 miles a day and I wasn't winded or tired. I was glad to be exercising regularly again but on the 4th day of walking I got a bad cramp on my right side. I've always been a runner so I am used to cramps. I slowed down though because I am more cautious now that I am pregnant.
Unfortunately, it wasn't going away so I walked my way slowly back home thinking I just needed to drink some water and sit down and it would go away. Boy was I wrong! It kept getting worse and worse. I would describe it as someone repeatedly stabbing you in the side. Not fun at all. I was pretty sure it was ligament pain but I called my doctor's office just to be sure and the nurse said to rest and it would go away within a few hrs to a few days. I could barely walk for the rest of the day and by the next day I could walk but very slowly. It sucked being so immobile!
Moral of the story is during pregnancy the ligaments holding up the uterus are working overtime so anytime you feel them get slightly irritated, stop what you are doing and rest or else they will just get more and more irritated! Sorry ligaments! haha

The last symptom, also common, was heartburn. I have never had heartburn in my life until I got pregnant and I really haven't had it very bad until last Friday. I woke up with it and then had to go to the Dr and do my glucose test (aka drinking a repulsive sugary drink that by the way has red 40 in it - I'm sure that's great for the baby - and then getting 3 tubes of blood drawn) so needless to say that didn't help the heartburn at all! My mom read some home remedies and I ended up getting rid of it by that night. I think the best thing is to keep hydrated which I tend to forget to do.

Enough with my sob story of aliments. I also had my baby shower this weekend! It was a really good time! Quite a few of my friends couldn't make it but it was a small group of close friends and family and I really enjoyed it!

It was blue and yellow airplane theme and we had lots of nutritious snacks and not so nutritious yummy cake and cupcakes! I got lots of wonderful gifts and it made me so excited for my boy to be here!

One of my favorite gifts was ... are you ready ... the B.O.B running stroller from my cousin and aunt!!! I cannot tell you how exciting this was for me! I feel so so blessed! I seriously just want to stare at it all day! I am beyond excited to start my postpartum exercising and even more excited to run with my little boy and B.O.B! You can't really run with the B.O.B until the baby is about 8 months but it is compatible with the car seat that I got so we will be doing lots of walking until then!

Life is so good right now! I feel so blessed everyday for all of the great things in my life and the ones to come! Here's the belly :) Until next time!!

xoxo Jessenia + Baby Boy

26 Weeks

This is gonna be a quick one but I'm tired of missing weeks! My mom is coming here on Thursday and I am soooo excited but have a lot to do by then, so here's a quickie update!

Weight gain: 2 more lbs. 12 lbs total.

Movement: Got kicked in the rib today!

Workouts: None.. again. I need to fix this.

Exciting things: Mom!!, 3 days left of work, 1 1/2 weeks until my shower!

Days till next dr. appointment: 10

Dreams: Had a few dreams about the birth and was super excited when I woke up. It's really going to be here soon!

Days until due date: 3 months, 2 days

How I'm feeling: round ;)

Until next time! 

xoxo Jessenia + Baby Boy

25 Weeks

Well, I skipped a week again! I'm blaming it on my tired, lazy, pregnant tendencies. ;) I can't believe I'm already at 25 weeks & 3 days. I just looked at the countdown on my desktop and it says 3 months and 9 days until my due date. Crazy! My sister-in-law just had her baby boy and seeing a cute little newborn makes me so excited and nervous! I don't have much experience with newborns but I'm sure my natural instincts will kick in when my little one arrives or at least I hope they do!

I'm sure we can all agree that pregnancy is an amazing miracle and a unique and wonderful experience but this week I wanted to talk about the parts that aren't so fun. I mean let's be real, some things about it are just not so enjoyable! There's a few things that I have really been missing but it's so worth it! Here's my top two:

1. Running:

Honestly, I think I miss running the most out of anything else. I know that there are a lot of people who run through there entire pregnancy. I give them props for that! I, however, have never felt from the beginning that it was right for me. I'm not very comfortable with it and plus I'm usually too tired for intense workouts anyways.
Before I was pregnant running was one of the biggest parts of my life. I recently ran my first half marathon and when I was training it was a huge part of my day. I love the feeling of being able to push my body to new limits and to feel such an accomplishment when I beat one of my own records. I'm so excited to get back to it because I feel like it is a piece of me and right now it's missing. I've already planned my first big race for next March, a half marathon! That will give me 6 months after delivery so I think I'll have plenty of time to prepare. I just really hope my little guy likes a running stroller!

2. Being Skinny:

I'm sorry if this comes out in a strange way but I like to be as real as possible! I honestly miss being skinny so much! (I am not saying I am fat now, but just that I am "different" than before). I have been mostly the same size my whole life and enjoy working out and staying in shape. It's a part of who I am and I like putting in the work and feeling healthy because of it. I know that I am still healthy and that I need to gain weight for the baby which I have kind of enjoyed doing (I love eating!) but it's a strange feeling so see and feel your body change when you are used to it being one way.
I love my belly because I know there is a beautiful baby boy inside of it but I'm not gonna lie, looking down and seeing a huge bump instead of a flat stomach is an adjustment. My hips and butt have also grown a lot! My husband sure isn't complaining but putting on a pair of shorts that used to be loose and are now tight is also just a bit strange. All I can say is I'm glad that pregnancy is only 9 months because I want my normal body back! I know it won't be the exact same body I had before but I can at least try!

Some other things I miss are being able to drink coffee, being able to do things without getting tired, and sleeping on my stomach! All in all though, these sacrifices seem so small in comparison with the huge blessing it is to being having our first child! We are so blessed and excited for him to be here and that's what keeps me going! :)

Here's an update and bump photo:

Weight gained: Not sure how much since last time a posted but since the beginning of pregnancy about 10 lbs.

Workouts: none.

Exciting happenings: My shower is officially set for the 16th of June and my Mom will be here! Yay!

Days left of work: 8!

Movement: Lots of it. Now that he's getting bigger I've notice the movements feel a little different. It's simply amazing!

What were the things you missed or miss the most while pregnant?

xoxo Jessenia + Baby Boy

23 Weeks

Happy Monday! I took off work today and I am thoroughly enjoying my time off by relaxing and cleaning up the house. We had a great weekend consisting of a Friday night show by a friend's band, garage saling deals Saturday morning, pool Saturday afternoon, and a nice family Mother's day!

I am so excited about the deals we found on Saturday morning. We got a small crib $20, a baby swing for $17, and a bunch of new baby outfits for $12. I was especially excited about the swing because it is practically brand new and the price at the store is $100! Talk about a deal!

The small crib is going in our room next to our bed. I'll be posting before and after pictures when I am done making it over. I am going to paint it white and make a mattress pad, sheets, and breathable crib bumper for it.

I'm getting really excited that I only have 4 more weeks left of work and then I can finally focus on getting the house and everything ready for our little one. I started this weekend by sewing new throw pillows for the couch! You like?

As far as my pregnancy goes this week, I have been feeling pretty good. The only thing new is that I have been having more aches. It seems like every time I stand up for too long or sit down for too long my lower back hurts. I've also been uncomfortable sleeping some nights.

Another weird symptom that has popped up is swollen hands. I walked 6 miles last week and during one of the days I walked it was really sunny and hot out. I noticed about half way through that my hands were feeling really tingly and lo and behold they were swelling up. Once, I got home and out of the heat they went right back to normal though so that's good!

I went to the Dr. on Friday and heard the heartbeat again. So amazing every time! I asked the midwife a bunch of questions about labor and delivery and it got me really excited! Less than four months and all of it will become a reality.

Here's a quick update and belly shot:

• Total Weight Gain: Official weigh in says 7 lbs. 
• Workouts:  Three! 3 two mile walks & some pool exercises after one of them. 
• Baby Items Purchased: Clothes, swing, crib, fabric for sheets for crib 
• Number of Pants/ Shorts that Fit: One pair of stretchy shorts! Everything else requires a hair tie or being left unbuttoned. 

 

Hope everyone has a lovely week!

xoxo Jessenia + Baby Boy

22 Weeks

Today I want to talk about 2 things: pregnancy clothing and sugar intake.

I've been feeling and looking much bigger lately and I'm finding that a bunch of my clothes don't fit me

right or just don't fit at all. I was so excited about having a baby bump and now I just need to figure out how to clothe it in the best way possible. 

Tops aren't really as much of a problem for me as bottoms because with the style of clothing currently a lot of my shirts are flowy enough to fit my growing belly. However, my bottoms are pretty much all not able to button, some not able to zip. Some of my bottoms I am still able to do the hair tie trick where you loop it in the hole and around the button to add some space but I'm not sure how long I will be able to pull that one off! 

I also have a belly band but after wearing it a few times I decided I really dislike it. It makes me feel confined and makes my tummy feel squished. The last thing I want to do is squish my little boy. I'm finding that I'm most comfortable with as little pressure from clothing around my belly as possible. 

Since I refuse to buy any maternity bottoms I am resorting to dresses and long shirts with leggings. I don't have anything against maternity pants but I personally have always had a subconscious notion that I would never ever buy a pair lol. Just one of those things. So I have been investing in dresses that are my size but have room for a growing belly that way I can still wear them with I am not pregnant anymore. 

I've also been thinking about sugar intake quite a bit this week. I've always had a sweet tooth and pregnancy has definitely not made it go away. I try to stay away from anything with processed sugar and always opt for organic, fruit or fruit juices with no added sugar. However, this doesn't mean I'm not consuming sugar because raw sugar still counts! It's not like I sit around and eat sweets and drink juice all day but since I have heard of people getting pregnancy diabetes because of too much sugar I get a little concerned sometimes. 

I have really been trying to only have 1 or 2 sugary items a day but it's so hard! I usually eat fruit gummies on the way to work because they are easy on my morning stomach. Then I like to have juice or chocolate almond milk when I get home. That's already about 30 grams. Then add in any snacks such as organic poptarts or cookies or gummy worms and the number just keeps going up. Do I sound crazy right now?! lol I don't know if i'm being overly cautious or if I really am having too much.

Weekly Update:

Weight gained: none this week

Movement: tons! I can see my belly moving now. So cool!

Cravings: Pop-tarts 

Workouts: one 

Days left until summer: 23!!

Here's what I look like: 

                  12 weeks                                        22 Weeks - What a difference 10 weeks makes!

What clothing do you like best for a growing belly? Any suggestions on how much sugar is too much?

xoxo Jessenia + Baby

21 Weeks

Officially past the halfway mark! Now it's only a matter of time before our little boy makes his entrance! In the mean time mom and dad have lots to do.

Last week I talked about wanting to get more done. From my list of things to do I did one thing, which was to workout more. I worked out four times last week. Go me! I did not however read more or make a baby to do list; Unless you count thinking about the things I have to do. Now I just need to write them down.

Last week was a major growth week for me. I literally woke up on wednesday morning and felt like my belly had doubled in size. I gained about 3-4 pounds and the shape of my belly is definitely changing. I can tell my uterus is moving up because my belly looks rounded and I can feel the baby kicking much higher than before. It's so fun to me to see and feel all these changes. Maybe I'm just a pregnancy nerd. haha.

Another new development is that his kicks are getting much easier to feel from the outside and the Husband gets to feel him a lot now. Two of my girlfriends were able to feel him squirming around this weekend too. So sweet. :)

Here's an Update: 

Total Weight Gained: 5-6 pounds. Finally making some moves in the weight department!

How I'm Feeling: Great! The second trimester is definitely proving to be much better than the first.

What I'm Up To: Counting down the days till summer.

Workouts: Four.

Baby Clothes Bought: Four new outfits. Old Navy's clearance sections gets me every time.

On My Mind: Cloth diapers!

Here's a bump update:

Here's a peek at the adorable Old Navy finds:

 

I wanted to talk briefly about cloth daipers. I am obviously a newbie at this so I wanted to share what I have learned from blogs and friends and show you some pictures of the two brands I bought today.

*Keep in mind that I have not used these yet so I'm going off of what I have read or what other people have said about them.

First of all, cloth diapers have gotten so high tech! My mom used them with me and she was using the cloth, pins, and rubber pants. Now they come in all the shapes, sizes, and colors you could dream up.

From what I've gathered there are two kinds of the ones that are the most similar to a conventional daiper. There are pocket diapers and all-in-ones.

Today I bought one BumGenius all-in-one freetime one size and a FuzziBunz elite pocket diaper one size. They were both about $20 but I have heard of some great ways to get them for cheaper such as the ways listed on this site. For my next purchases I will probably try to get them cheaper.

For those of you who are new at this like me, this is what they look like:

The all-in-one has two pads that can be positioned in different ways based on where your baby wets the most which is a nice feaure. The pads don't come out of this one. It has lots of snaps for adjusting size but for the smallest size you have to fold over the front which I'm thinking might make it a little bulky.

The FuzziBunz have a little less on the snaps area but still size down fairly small. I have also heard the elastic on the leg holes is better which prevents any leaks. It came with two sizes of inserts that can be taken out and washed. I've also heard there are disposable inserts you can buy for when you are out. The inserts are taken in an out through an opening in the back.

As of now these are the two I have and once it gets closer I will buy a few more brands and decide once the baby boy gets here which ones work best for him.

The main reason I'm doing cloth diapering is of course because the idea of diapers sitting in landfills grosses me out beyond belief and because I will be staying home and can take to time to wash them. Plus they are more cost effective, especially after the second child and they are cute!

Hopefully I won't change my mind when I find out how much work they are lol but I'm up for the challenge!

Does anyone else have any cloth diapering advice/ favorite brands?

Hope everyone has a blessed week!

xoxo Jessenia + Baby Boy