28 Weeks / It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas!

Christmas is my favorite holiday; so as soon as Thanksgiving is over, I always decorate my home right away...and this year was no different! We used the same ornaments/theme as last year for the tree. I might change it up next year...we'll see!

My mother-in-law gave me this cute pregnant snow lady ornament.

Middle stocking is for Wendy...there'll be an additional one next year!

Even Wendy is ready for the holidays...she got herself a new Christmas dress.

I can't wait to have a house...I'd go full-out on Christmas decorations; but for now, little decorations here and there will have to do.

And now, after a 4-week hiatus, my pregnancy chalkboard update and survey!

How far along?: 28 weeks
Total weight gain/loss: +17 lbs
Sleep: It's been okay. I asked Ralph if I have begun to snore, and he said no. Hahahaha.
Best moment this week: Thanksgiving with Ralph's families! Sad I wasn't able to see my family though. :(
Movement: I am now starting to feel the different types of movements - the kicking, rolling, moving to one side, and so on. I begin the fetal kick counts tomorrow.
Symptoms: Achy feet, achy back, achy EVERYTHING.
Symptoms I DON'T have: Nausea.
Food cravings: They have been all over the place, and I have recently been craving sweets. I even went out one night at like 9:30 just to get some hot chocolate. Weird.

Food aversions: Chicken (again) and guacamole (again).
Gender: Boy!
Labor Signs: Not yet. :)
Belly Button in or out?: In-ish. Almost flat.
What I miss: Sleeping on my stomach!
What I am looking forward to: My day off on Wednesday because I get to spend time with my mommy! And we're going to all the Asian stores/restaurants that just opened up in Irvine. CAN'T WAIT.
Weekly Wisdom: Prepare for a major sugar crash after doing the glucose tolerance test...I don't think I've ever been so "blegh" at work.
Milestones: Finishing up the 2nd semester and beginning the 3rd...home stretch!

November Updates!

*Whew*...it's been quite some time since I've blogged, but November has been a busy month for me and Ralph.

Moving

In the middle of November, we decided to move out of our cozy little one-bedroom apartment to a two-bedroom apartment (for obvious reasons). Fortunately for us, there was an apartment available within our complex, so we didn't have to worry about breaking our lease, and we didn't have to drive very far; the downside was that we had to move in 10 days. Moving is never easy, but being 6 months pregnant was truly a struggle. I couldn't carry anything heavy, and I got tired easily...so my poor husband had to deal with the majority of the packing. But with the help of our families and my buddy Farhan, moving day was a breeze. And after just a few days, we unpacked everything! I can't wait to start prepping the baby's room. This "nesting instinct" is no joke.

Baby Herrera Update

Because of the move, I didn't have much time to do my weekly chalkboard update and survey...but I did have my 26-week appointment. The doctor said the baby is healthy and looking really comfortable in my womb - here he is:

Don't get too comfortable, kid!

I also had my blood drawn (yes, again) to test for any abnormalities - thankfully, I'm only moderately anemic, which is pretty common in pregnancy. I just have to take an iron supplement twice a day.

Maternity Photo Session

Despite our busy work schedules, doctor's appointments, and moving, Ralph and I managed to squeeze in a maternity photo shoot with our favorite photographer - Christina Cho. (She took our engagement and wedding photos too!) We had our photos taken in Laguna Beach, and we couldn't have asked for a better day. Here are a few of our favorites:

It was so much fun, and I can't wait to get some of these photos as canvas prints for the baby's room. Thanks again, Christina! You're simply the best!

November was pretty crazy, but I don't think things will slow down from here. It's going to be Christmas, then New Year's, then Valentine's Day...and before I know it, the baby will be here. Can't wait!

24 Weeks / Halloween

Halloween came and went without much event. I was never really a big fan of Halloween (because I'm such a chicken when it comes to anything scary), but being pregnant during this holiday presented itself with some cute costume ideas; so I decided to dress up this year.

Unfortunately for me, I had to work...and not only did I have to work, I had a mandatory meeting to attend at 7:00am, so I had to wake up EXTRA early to get ready. This year, I was a skeleton with sugar skull make-up. I'm not gonna lie, I enjoyed the outfit and received plenty of compliments from my coworkers and patients...but I don't think I'll ever wear face paint for a 10-hour shift EVER again! My face felt sooo oily and disgusting; by the time I got home, I washed my face and re-applied my make-up after half an hour of letting my skin breathe. And then I applied Ralph's make-up too. Here was the outcome!

Wendy REALLY wanted to be Elsa. ;)

I purchased the maternity skeleton shirt from CutsieTootsieApparel, which is an Etsy shop that sells adorable maternity shirts (here's the matching shirt for future dads). I purchased Wendy's dog costume at Target (they didn't have a skeleton one...it would've been perfect!).

We barely got any trick-or-treaters this year! I think we had, at most, 7 kids stop by...oh, well. Next Halloween will be better because I'll have a little baby to dress up! (Haha, now I like Halloween!) 

Alright, on to this week's pregnancy update!

How far along?: 24 weeks
Total weight gain/loss: +14 lbs
Sleep: The maternity pillow I bought last week is amazing, but my poor husband is losing more and more space on the bed. Hahaha! Sorry, honey...
Best moment this week: My relatives from Vegas visited this weekend, so it was great to catch up and, as always, EAT!
Movement: I'm starting to see a pattern - baby boy is more active at night...my friend told me it means the baby will be born at night time. We'll see!
Symptoms: Achy feet. I find myself wanting to sit down more at work. :/
Symptoms I DON'T have: Nausea.
Food cravings: Sinigang - it is a Filipino soup that is kind of sour...and it's weird because I don't normally like this type of soup. I'm more of a tinola or nilagang type of person. I don't even know who I am anymore!

Food aversions: For the most part, sweets. There's a huge bowl of leftover Halloween candy, and I don't even look at it more than twice a day. If it was a bowl of CHIPS or something, then it'd be gone.
Gender: Boy!
Labor Signs: Not yet. :)
Belly Button in or out?: In.
What I miss: Fried eggs. I know eggs have been under my list of "Food Aversions" for a majority of this pregnancy, but nothing beats a plate of rice, kielbasa, and a fried egg. :(
What I am looking forward to: Weather change! It's been cold this whole weekend, and I'm excited to bust out my California winter clothing!
Weekly Wisdom: Don't buy shoes online if your feet have changed! I'm now a size 7/7 and 1/2!
Milestones: Baby Herrera is now, at least, 1 whole pound.