40 Weeks - A Trip to the Hospital

Unless I go into labor and miraculously deliver a baby in less than 3 hours, Baby Herrera will be born after his due date, which was today, February 23rd. This isn't TOO surprising because I saw Dr. Boehmer on Thursday, and he said that I was still about 1 to 2 cm dilated and 60% effaced. He believed that I wasn't going to deliver for another week or so and that he would make plans to induce me 10 days after my due date if the baby still hasn't arrived. Let's hope the baby doesn't stall THAT much. I'm losing my mind over here.

But today, we actually had a little bit of excitement.

By the way, if you are easily grossed out and/or don't really want to know what happened with my body, then don't read any further...OR you can just skip straight to the weekly questionnaire. You've been warned!

So, first off: I lost my mucus plug Saturday morning. It. Was. Gross. And if you don't know what that it is, it's exactly what it sounds like - it's a phlegmy plug that protects the opening of the cervix. It dislodges and gets discharged in the early stages of labor.

ANYWAY, we began the day super early at 5:00am. Ralph got ready for work while I packed up to stay at the babysitter's my parents' house. (Everyone agreed that it was best that I wasn't left alone during these last few days/weeks of my pregnancy.) The next couple of hours were normal enough at my parents' household - dad went to work, brother went to school, mom began cleaning up the place, Wendy and Fitz were chasing each other around, and I...well, I went back to sleep.

A couple of hours later, I woke up to the awesome smells of my mom's cooking - one of the many things I miss about being home. :) As soon as I stood up, I felt like I leaked something, so I immediately went to the bathroom to check things out. I was horrified to see bright red blood after I wiped myself. I stayed calm and remembered that my doctor said that spotting IS normal, so I decided to just wait and see if it got worse. Well, it didn't really go away - it felt like I was having a normal period.

After about an hour, I decided to call the nurse hotline, and after answering a few basic questions, the nurse told me to go to the hospital and get checked. So my mom and I were off to Kaiser.

I honestly didn't think I was in labor, but the bleeding did concern me because it was more than just "spotting". Upon arrival, the nurses checked me in and got me ready for an exam. They even hooked me up to a fetal monitor.

Waiting for the doctor!

A midwife came in and started to do the pelvic exam, which hurt way more than ANY other pelvic exam I've had. She discovered a cervical polyp but wanted verification so she called in the doctor, who did confirm that I did have a few polyps - the doctor determined that they were benign and the likely cause of the bleeding. They also confirmed that my water had not yet broken AND that I was 3 to 4 cm dilated. Sweet! Some progress! After they ruled that everything else was okay, they sent me home.

So after all that, my mom and I went back home (but not before we made a quick stop at Target...typical). And now, I'm just sitting at home (my home) with Ralph, watching the Ducks game. I have another regular doctor's appointment on Thursday, so we'll see what the plan will be since all this happened.

How far along?: 40 weeks
Total weight gain/loss: +26 lbs
Sleep: Ugh.
Best moment this week: Probably when my mom took me out for lunch last Friday - we had dim sum and boba. :)
Movement: Still movin'.
Symptoms: Refer to "Labor Signs".
Symptoms I DON'T have: Itchy skin, heartburn, and sciatica.
Food cravings: Oddly enough, sweet stuff! I've wanted cupcakes, waffles, ice cream, and cookies the last few days. Very weird, since I didn't really crave sweet stuff this entire pregnancy.

Food aversions: Nothing!
Gender: Boy!
Labor Signs: Dilation and effacement; low back pain, pubic pain, BHC, "nesting" - same stuff as last week.
Belly Button in or out?: Flat as a pancake.
What I miss: Sleeping comfortably and not waking up every hour to adjust myself.
What I am looking forward to: BABY. OUT.
Weekly Wisdom: Be even more patient...
Milestones: Mucus plug has been dislodged!

Hopefully the next time I post, I'll be posting baby pictures.

39 Weeks...STILL PREGNANT

Oh my goodness...with the way everything has been going, I thought I'd have the baby by now, but nope! Baby boy is STILL residing in my belly, and there have been absolutely no other signs of labor. I saw my doctor last Thursday, and he said I'm still 60% effaced and only 1 cm dilated. So much for having this baby before his due date. *Sigh* It's alright. The baby will come out when he's ready, and, unfortunately, he's not quite ready as Mama is.

How far along?: 39 weeks
Total weight gain/loss: +25 lbs (AHHHH!!!)
Sleep: A LOT more tossing and turning, that's for sure. The BHC wake me up at night, not to mention all the dreams I'm having of going into labor.
Best moment this week: Probably getting our home ready for this baby. It's been a long and tiring process, but the nursery is done, and our entire apartment is CLEAN! It just gives me peace of mind, knowing that I can go into labor at any moment and not worry about bringing baby home to a clean environment.
Movement: He's still tumbling around in there.
Symptoms: Refer to "Labor Signs".
Symptoms I DON'T have: Itchy skin, heartburn, and sciatica.
Food cravings: Nothing in particular...same ol' stuff.

Food aversions: Nothing!
Gender: Boy!
Labor Signs: Dilation and effacement; low back pain, pubic pain, BHC, "nesting".
Belly Button in or out?: Flat. I'm already 39 weeks - pretty sure it's not going to pop out.
What I miss: Sleeping comfortably!
What I am looking forward to: This baby coming OUT.
Weekly Wisdom: BE PATIENT.
Milestones: Mama is officially on maternity leave! I'm pretty proud of myself for working till 39 weeks. I would have kept going, but everyone is telling me that I need to prepare and rest for labor.

And here are some more pictures of the nursery. It's preeeettttttyy much done - just gotta move the Death Star from the desk to a side table to the left of the dresser. I may put up more Star Wars decor, but, for now, it's good to go. (Still missing are a fan and a humidifier.)

38 Weeks - Baby Shower #2, Nursery, and Other Updates

Baby Herrera Update

I went to see my OB-GYN this past Wednesday for my 37-week check-up. I was looking forward to this appointment since I saw him 6 days before...because I wanted to know if I was dilated/effaced! (Dilation is the gradual opening of the cervix, and effacement is the thinning of the cervix.) To my surprise, I was 60% effaced, which means...I'm in the very early stages of labor. HURRAY! Unfortunately, I am not yet dilated, but my doctor thinks that I may actually deliver before my due date. Fine by me!

Finding out whether I was dilated/effaced or not also helped me to decide when I'd take off for maternity leave. If I was dilated, I'd just finish off the week; if I wasn't dilated, then I'd work until I was 39 weeks - so...yes, I'm working one more week. Am I crazy? Yeah, probably, but I don't want to take off too early because you only get 6 weeks of paid maternity leave. And I'd rather have more time off after the baby is born than before.

Baby Shower #2

Yesterday, Ralph's mom, sister, and grandmother threw us another baby shower! This one was held at Papa Joe's Pizza in Riverside, and in attendance were Ralph's side of the family. We had so much fun, and the decorations were AWESOME! A huge thank you to Ralph's mom, sister, and grandma for setting up and hosting the shower. And, of course, a big thank you to all of those who came and gave the baby more burp cloths, wash cloths, and diapers than we could ever hope for! Here are a few pictures from yesterday:

I mean...c'mon. COOLEST CAKE EVER! I was given the difficult task of cutting this amazing cake...I really didn't want to! Thank you, Liz Perez! Check out her Instagram: @kustomgoodies.

AND we had stormtrooper cupcakes!

With Ralph's Grandma Mary...

...and his cousins Valerie and Angela!

Thank you, Becky/Nana, Jen, and our gift opener Desirae! And Grandma Angelina (not pictured...bummer)!

Fatso Peanut received so many gifts that my poor husband had to make several trips to and from our car to bring all the gifts inside the apartment. Once everything was in our living room, I was absolutely pumped to get things organized. Some people call this is "the nesting instinct",  but I'm just one of those people who can only stand clutter to a certain degree. I mean, honestly, you'd want to clean this up too, pregnant or not!

Let the organizing begin!

I stayed up until 3:00am organizing everything and even started washing some of the clothes, blankets, cloths (burp/wash), bibs, etc...and boy, did I knock out when I went to bed.

Nursery Preview

Fast forward to this morning...

I woke up surprisingly early, but lying in bed isn't so comfortable these days...so I got up and got to work. While clothes/blankets/cloths/bibs were being washed, I decided to give Ralph a break and assemble the last piece of furniture that needed assembling - a desk. Oh. My. Goodness. I don't know what the heck I was thinking, but I just wanted to get it done, especially since Ralph was back to working his regular schedule.

It was simple enough, but I had to take several breaks. And I PROMISE you...the whole thing was not that heavy, and I did not overexert myself. :)

And then afterwards, I washed, folded, and organized all this stuff and more!

I should have taken a picture of the second room before we started setting it up as the baby's nursery, but the second room was basically Ralph's "office" and storage room. Right now, it looks like this:

If I could only put up curtains...

Ralph and I thought it'd be best to pick Marvel or Star Wars as the theme for the nursery because Ralph already has a bunch of Marvel/Star Wars stuff...so it would be a lot easier to decorate the room. But I love neutral colors, so I thought Star Wars would be the better option (when I think of Marvel, I think of vibrant colors). 

The nursery is still a work-in-progress, but I hope to get everything done by this week - 

Things to Do: 

1. Purchase shelf organizers, rug, lamps, mirror, and books

2. Possibly set up wall shelves for books (yeah, I know we already have a bookshelf, but it's full of Ralph's Lego Star Wars sets lol!)

3. Hang pictures

4. Organize the baby's toiletries

And if I don't get everything done...then I definitely will when I go on maternity leave!

Weekly Update

How far along?: 38 weeks
Total weight gain/loss: +23 lbs
Sleep: If it's not the contractions keeping me up at night, it's definitely the lower back pain...kinda feels like my lower back/tailbone needs to be cracked/popped, buuuut it won't.
Best moment this week: Baby Shower #2, for sure!
Movement: Always! And it seems like he's always in the same position - head down towards the pelvis, feet/legs on my left side, and his butt on my right side.
Symptoms: I think, at this point, we'll just refer to the "Labor Signs" portion.
Symptoms I DON'T have: Sciatica, nausea, heartburn, itchy skin
Food cravings: Cold and crunchy stuff - salad, cereal and milk, chips with pico de gallo, etc.

Food aversions: I actually ate guacamole the other day...so...nothing? I'll eat anything now.
Gender: Boy!
Labor Signs: Lower back pain, pubic pain, contractions, "nesting" (I guess), and uh...other gross bodily stuff...
Belly Button in or out?: Flat-ish.
What I miss: Now, more than ever, caffeine.
What I am looking forward to: MATERNITY LEAVE.
Weekly Wisdom: Buy a mini crib. The full-sized one seems rather big and takes up a lot of room.
Milestones: All baby furniture has been assembled!

37 Weeks - Full Term!!!

How far along?: 37 weeks
Total weight gain/loss: +24 lbs
Sleep: A lot better, since my skin isn't as irritated.
Best moment this week: Getting all the furniture for the baby's room...can't wait till I go on maternity leave, so I can decorate the room and do all the final touches!
Movement: Nonstop. :)
Symptoms: Pubic and lower back pain.
Symptoms I DON'T have: Itchy skin, heartburn, and sciatica.
Food cravings: Salad, cereal, and milk (this one's pretty weird because I'm not usually a milk drinker).

Food aversions: Guacamole/avocado.
Gender: Boy!
Labor Signs: My stomach has definitely dropped, but I need to ask my doctor about Braxton Hicks contractions...I've read about them, and they're described as "tightening" of the uterine muscles, but how do I know that it's not just the baby stretching? There are a lot of times in the day (like right now) that my stomach feels as hard a rock, and it takes my breath away...but I just assume that's just the baby pushing his butt out. Hahahaha!
Belly Button in or out?: Still flat as a pancake.
What I miss: Moving at a regular pace. I am getting slower and slower...
What I am looking forward to: Maternity leave!
Weekly Wisdom: Make sure you're getting enough fiber...that's all I'm gonna say about that.
Milestones: We're full term!

Hallelujah! We have reached 37 weeks, and we're officially FULL TERM (according to TheBump.com anyway). I cannot express enough how ready I am to have this baby. I've even had a couple of dreams that I've already given birth - Ralph has said he's had this dream too. I guess we BOTH are ready!

And speaking of Ralph, I must gush for a second - my husband is truly all kinds of wonderful. Being pregnant is hard, but taking care of and living with a pregnant woman isn't easy either. Ralph takes Wendy to the park, cleans up our home, does the laundry, takes out the garbage, and, of course, goes to work (he even worked SEVEN days in a row this week - some were overnight shifts!). And then there's me...he deals with my tossing and turning 100 times a night, massages my back when it hurts, and puts up with my crazy mood swings. And even after working every single day this past week, he began assembling the furniture for the baby's room on his first day off! (The crib, the dresser, and the bookshelf were all delivered over the weekend.) So, Ralph, if you're reading this, I love you, and you're amazing. :) 

And also...I'd like to thank my parents and brother for "babysitting" me and Wendy while Ralph worked those overnight shifts. It was nice to spend time with my family and Fitz and sleep in my old room...I felt like a teenager again.

Next up - PUPPP update! I saw my doctor last week for my 36-week check-up, and he finally prescribed something for my skin - triamcinolone acetonide cream. And thank the Lord, it WORKS! The only downside is that it won't help decrease the appearance of my stretch marks, but, right now, I REALLY don't care. I can work on my stretch marks once the baby is born...I'll soak my tummy in a mixture of oils and cocoa butter 24/7 if I have to, but for now, I am itch-free!

I have another appointment on Wednesday, and the doctor said he'll check if I'm dilated...let's keep our fingers crossed that I am. Until then!

36 Weeks / PUPPP

I don't have a chalkboard drawing for this week's update because...let's be honest...I'm getting tired. Hahaha! It probably has a lot to do with my itchy belly. As mentioned in my previous post, I've developed this HORRIBLE rash on my stomach, and the itching has been so intense that I've been unable to sleep well at night (not that I've been sleeping well anyway). And no, I do not have cholestasis - thank God! What I DO have is called pruritic urticarial papules and plaques of pregnancy (PUPPP) - that's just a bunch of fancy medical terms that translate to: super duper itchy tummy skin for future mommies. 

I guess you can consider this my 36-week belly bump photo. You can see the stretch marks, but they don't look so irritated in this picture...but they are DEFINITELY irritated right now!!!

Some women have come up to me and said, "Oh, that's just your skin stretching. It's normal." Ha. Ha. Ha. NO. My stomach looks and feels as if I have hives all over it, more specifically, on my stretch marks - they are red, raised, and have teeny bumps. It's absolutely awful, and there is nothing to relieve the itching. And people have this misconception that my skin is "just dry" and that I "simply need to apply moisturizer", but that's not the case. During this entire pregnancy, I have been applying cocoa butter balm and vitamin E oil to my stomach several times a day (to prevent stretch marks), and this condition appeared out of nowhere within the past couple of weeks...so this is definitely not due to dry skin.

So...nothing has worked to relieve the ITCHING (Aveeno Eczema Therapy Cream, oatmeal bath, cocoa butter, lotion, vaseline, any type of oil, hydrocortisone cream, Benadryl, Atarax, etc.)...if there is anyone out there that has some magical topical ointment/cream to get rid of the itching, PLEASE LET ME KNOW! And yes, I've tried ice packs...but that only provides temporary relief...and I can't sleep with an icepack attached to my stomach all night.

*Sigh* But it will be all worth it. In less than 4 weeks (oh PLEASE, dear God, let this baby arrive on or before his due date), this baby will be here, and all of this discomfort will all be worth it. Here's the weekly survey:

How far along?: 36 weeks
Total weight gain/loss: +21 lbs
Sleep: What. Is. Sleep?
Best moment this week: Finding a stroller/car seat combo at my door step today - special delivery from my Auntie Gaye. Thank you! We love it!
Movement: Always! He gets hiccups a lot too.
Symptoms: Itchy tummy and an achy back...my back hasn't been a problem ever since I stopped working on the floor, but for the past couple of days, I've noticed this dull pain in my lower back. Also, pubic pain...guess my body is getting ready to push this baby out.
Symptoms I DON'T have: Nausea, sciatica, weird cravings (I just noticed that I haven't had a single weird craving this pregnancy).
Food cravings: This week, I've been eating a lot of salad (specifically Southwest-style salads), Chobani yogurt (Double Chocolate Chunk), cereal, chocolate milk, and *gasp* CHICKEN SANDWICHES!

Food aversions: Guacamole.
Gender: Boy!
Labor Signs: So I was reading up on what labor signs to look out for, and I'm pretty much experiencing all of the pre-labor ones. Scary!
Belly Button in or out?: It's really just flat, and I don't think it's going to poke out.
What I miss: Sleep. Just sleep.
What I am looking forward to: MATERNITY LEAVE...whenever THAT is.
Weekly Wisdom: If you have Kaiser, call member services because you may be eligible for a free breast pump once the baby is due!
Milestones: Hit the 8-month mark - 1 more month to go!

January Updates!

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.

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:

With my parents and brother.

With Ralph's mom, sister, and niece.

Thank you, Trang, for being in charge of games!

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.

I love this photo!

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:

How far along?: 35 weeks
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. :)

32 Weeks

How far along?: 32 weeks
Total weight gain/loss: +20 lbs
Sleep: I absolutely have no hope of finding a comfortable position anymore. If I lie on one side too long, I feel like I'm developing a pressure sore (and if I lie on my left side, my sciatica gets worse)...my hips and all parts of my back ache; and the other night, I woke up from a BURP...and not the dry kind either. Sorry. TMI.
Best moment this week: Meeting Baby 'Lijah and picking Nina's (aka Mommy Extraordinaire) brain for baby info! Thank you for taking me (and Fatso Peanut!) out for lunch!
Movement: Is there such a thing as TOO much movement? I don't even bother doing my fetal kick counts anymore because he moves 10 times at an average of 30 seconds.
Symptoms: Sciatica, back pain, shortness of breath, swollen feet, and NOW starting to have acid reflux (YUCK!).
Symptoms I DON'T have: Nausea, headaches, and cramps.
Food cravings: Honey Nut Cheerios; in fact, I want a bowl right now...but I won't...

Food aversions: Chicken, guacamole, and eggs.
Gender: Boy!
Labor Signs: Not yet. :)
Belly Button in or out?: Poking out a little bit. Wouldn't consider it OUT out.
What I miss: Working out, and I think it's because I'm feeling EXTRA sluggish these days, AND because I've been eating so much food. But now that I'm on modified work duties, hopefully I won't be too tired to take a long walk after work.
What I am looking forward to: Getting the baby's room ready!
Weekly Wisdom: Don't eat right before you go to bed (unless you like the taste of stomach acid in your mouth in the middle of the night).
Milestones: Baby H. is getting ready for "the descent" and is most likely in the head-down position. Yikes.

31 Weeks

How far along?: 31 weeks
Total weight gain/loss: +19 lbs
Sleep: Bad. Just...bad.
Best moment this week: Spending time with all our families, and eating, eating, and EATING. (I actually JUST finished eating a tamale...made by Ralph's Grandma Mary!)
Movement: Almost non-stop!
Symptoms: Sciatica, back pain, shortness of breath, and swollen feet. Ugh.
Symptoms I DON'T have: Nausea, headaches, and cramps.
Food cravings: Same kind of stuff. Anything with meat and cheese.

Food aversions: Chicken and guacamole.
Gender: Boy!
Labor Signs: Not yet. :)
Belly Button in or out?: Poking out a little bit.
What I miss: It sounds silly, but I do miss being able to move around normally. I'm slow in everything I do, even more so with the sciatica. I sometimes even have to wait a moment after standing up before I start walking, or else the pain will shoot down my leg, causing me to stagger.
What I am looking forward to: Relaxing for the next three days!
Weekly Wisdom: If you're pregnant around the holidays, finish your Christmas shopping WEEKS before Christmas to prevent packed parking lots and malls/stores - you can also do all your shopping online!
Milestones: Baby Boy received his first Christmas presents!

30 Weeks

How far along?: 30 weeks
Total weight gain/loss: +19 lbs
Sleep: TERRIBLE. I wake up, AT LEAST, 5 times per night because I'm always uncomfortable.
Best moment this week: Getting a prenatal massage. No contest.
Movement: He moves all the time - mostly when I get up in the morning and after dinner.
Symptoms: Getting tired easily (probably because of the lack of sleep), being emotional (I also blame this on lack of sleep...when I'm tired, I'm CRANKY), swollen feet after work, and back pain. I MAY even have sciatica because I'm getting these sharp pains in my lower back/bum area towards the left side.
Symptoms I DON'T have: Nausea and headaches.
Food cravings: *See chalkboard picture!*

Food aversions: Chicken and guacamole.
Gender: Boy!
Labor Signs: Not yet. :)
Belly Button in or out?: Starting to poke out a little bit!
What I miss: Sushi, sleeping on my back/stomach, caffeinated coffee...
What I am looking forward to: My next day off, which would be Wednesday. Hahaha.
Weekly Wisdom: Get massages as much as you can afford it!
Milestones: This pregnancy is 75% COMPLETE!

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!

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.