Can you believe it's already more than halfway through January?! I SWEAR it was just Christmas! Here's what's been going on the past few weeks:
Doctor's Appointments
Since I am 35 weeks (8 months!), my doctor's appointments will be every other week now. My most recent one was a few days ago, and the doctor said everything is looking fine - he even said that the baby is now head-down! Baby Herrera is getting ready! Here's an ultrasound photo of the baby from an appointment a few weeks back.
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| The baby got so big that his whole body can't fit on the screen anymore. Can you spot his face, arm, and hand? |
Our only concern is that I developed intense itching on my belly, and the doctor wanted to rule out cholestasis, which is a condition in which there's an issue with bile flow (the mommy's, not the baby's). There's no harm to the mommy, but it could potentially harm the baby, even causing a stillbirth. So my doctor ordered another blood test, and if I do end up having this condition, I will be seeing my doctor twice a week to have the baby monitored and will have to be induced at 37 weeks. Hopefully, this is not the case, and my belly is just irritated from being stretched.
Baby Classes
Ralph and I enrolled in a few classes, and so far, we've attended two. The first one (not really a class) was the Maternity Walking Tour, and it's exactly what it sounds like. We toured the hospital and the maternity ward and were given instructions of what to do the moment I begin to have labor symptoms. We are so fortunate that we have Kaiser...the hospital in Irvine is such a beautiful building, and I have no doubt that we'll be receiving the best of care there.
The other class we took was called Baby Care Basics - we learned how to change a diaper, comfort a crying baby (the 5 S's - swaddling, holding the baby on its side, shushing, swinging, and sucking), how to reduce the risk of SIDS, etc. Our last class (breastfeeding) is in a couple of weeks, but I'm not sure if I'll be able to keep that one...I might pop by then! Haha!
Baby Shower: Part 1
Yesterday, my parents and brother hosted our first baby shower (second one will be in Riverside with Ralph's side of the family...our families are just too big!), and Ralph and I could not be more thankful for all that they have done. My dad told me he started setting up the night before, and my mom was just a cooking/decorating/organizing machine. Thanks, Mom, Dad, and Matthew! A huge thank you to my mom's friends/neighbors for contributing tables, chair, and decorations; and also to my buddy Trang for being in charge of the games. And, of course, to everyone who came and spoiled the baby! Here are a few pictures:
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| With my parents and brother. |
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| With Ralph's mom, sister, and niece. |
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| Thank you, Trang, for being in charge of games! |
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| My amazing coworkers...thank you so much for coming and for always looking out for me at work. Fatso Peanut is so blessed to already have so many aunties. |
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| I love this photo! |
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| So many gifts!!! Fatso Peanut's room will be stocked in no time...and we still have another baby shower to go to! |
And as for work, I AM still working! My company is currently undergoing an EMR conversion, and this could not come at a better time. I am no longer able to work as a floor nurse, so I've been able to help out with data entry/transfer, and I'll be working as operator all next week. And it's a good thing I'm off the floor...it's hard to work with a watermelon for a belly. :)
I'm not sure when I'll be going on maternity leave - I guess it all depends on my blood test results. I would like to work till 38 weeks, but who knows... I think Fatso Peanut wants to make an early appearance. We'll see!
And lastly, the weekly update:
Total weight gain/loss: +21 lbs
Sleep: A lot of women say they hit insomnia late in their pregnancies...but believe me, I'm SLEEPY, and I would LOVE to sleep! But, as usual, I'm not getting enough.
Best moment this week: Baby Shower!
Movement: Baby Herrera has run out of room, and I'm totally paying the price. Many times a day, he will push SO far out that it hurts to breathe. Sometimes, he'll even kick so hard that I'd get surprised.
Symptoms: My tummy itches SO much! Vitamin E oil, cocoa butter, lotion, and hydrocortisone cream have done absolutely nothing to relieve my irritated skin. It's like a horrible sunburn that won't go away.
Symptoms I DON'T have: My sciatica is gone! I think this is mostly due to me not working on the floor anymore.
Food cravings: Meat, cheese...the usual. :)
Food aversions: Chicken and guacamole.
Gender: Boy!
Labor Signs: Not yet. :)
Belly Button in or out?: It's not really poking out...it's more flat than anything.
What I miss: I guess just doing things normally...without a huge belly in the way or getting tired quickly...lol!
What I am looking forward to: Going on maternity leave!
Weekly Wisdom: If this is your first baby, take classes! Every little bit of information helps!
Milestones: Our first baby shower. :)
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