Are you having a boy?

Today I had a check-up with my NP since my OB was on vacation and she asked me something that got me a little nervous.

She's been a NP for about 30 years in her practice and after listening to the baby's heartbeat, she asked me, "Oh, are you having a boy?" Of course I told her no, but she suggested that during the next visit I ask Dr. Gabbay to make sure. She said she's been wrong before but just wanted me to double check. To add to this....I kinda gained a little more than I should have for a 4 week period and she definitely noticed. I was told to avoid takeout, sodium, and all those foods that I know are bad for me. Back to salads and chicken breast!!!

After the visit, Francis went to get an estimate on the door/sideview mirror of his car while I spent some time with my parents and my aunt visiting from Virginia. Thankfully my Tita Belen made me feel a little better by telling me that I look good pregnant (definitely a comment I took happily after the NP telling me I gained too much weight).

Round is a shape, right?

I keep telling myself that I need to stay active and stay in shape throughout this pregnancy but it's a little hard when I find myself looking at the pen I just dropped on the floor contemplating whether I really need it. These days it's hard to just bend over and get something and sometimes even sleep at night.

The swelling is starting to get worse as the days go by...my toes look like sausages!!!! It's not too bad but I feel like one of my patients and the whole "elevate your legs" thing hasn't been helping. I sleep with my legs up, I sit at a desk all day with my legs propped up on the computer tower. Still, no relief to the swelling :( My feet barely fit into my flats. If you're a nurse you'll understand, if not, sorry: I keep pressing on my shin bone hoping not to see pitting edema but it never fails. I know it's normal during pregnancy but I get a little nervous, especially since my dad has cardiac problems.

On top of it all, I'm starting to develop acid reflux. For the past 2 days I've been trying desperately to hold my food in during the day. For some reason dinner is the only meal that doesn't upset me too much. Maybe it's because I'm more relaxed at home. Oh last trimester how you bother me so.

84 more days...

Daddy desperately trying to hear Alana's heartbeat

More time please

These days, I hardly find room to breathe (literally thanks to Alana's butt in my belly). Every year that passes, I think to myself, we'll I can't get much busier than this, and every year I'm proven wrong. From LVN to RN school, to a job, to planning a wedding and now having a child, I just wish there were more hours in the day. Every day it's work, meetings, home health visits, dinners, something to plan, all while trying to maintain my relationships with my family and friends. I'm a little worried about how things will be once Alana is here!

At work, I literally have my planner propped up on a stand all day, knowing that I'm going to have to jot something down on it. When I see a week empty, I know that it won't stay that way for long. There's always something to do. On top of it all, I'm still trying to find time to squeeze in a few extra visits with Accredited to save up money for my maternity leave. (I'm told by just about everyone that I won't see those checks till I'm about ready to go back to work) I thought that these visits would be easy, but being farther along in my pregnancy is proving to be a little difficult. I can't lift patient's legs to take care of wounds, I can't sit comfortably anywhere in their home because I know I'm going to have trouble getting up, I can't help my patient's ambulate because I can't lift anything heavy and if they fall, I won't be physically capable of catching them. It's so limiting and I hate this feeling of having to ask for help.

However, I think about what I will be getting in return for these minor inconveniences and I still sometimes can't imagine the feeling of actually holding her in my arms but I know that none of these problems will matter once she's here. The only thing I'm really nervous/scared about is the labor/delivery. I told my mom that we will either make really good or really bad patients. Both being nurses, and her an L&D nurse, those nurses at Providence Holy Cross will have their work cut out for them. My only request of my mom is that she make sure that I don't see the epidural needle.

85 more days...

Family time at Disneyland

This weekend, Posse planned a cruise to Ensenada, and because of my pregnancy, Francis and I decided not to attend. We found out later that we would have been unable to attend the cruise anyway because you have to be 25 weeks or less to board the ship. Being 28 weeks, I'm a little past the cutoff line. 
So to appease our boredom and feeling of being left out, we decided to plan a mini vacation to Disneyland :) For the next 4 days we will be staying at my sister's condo in Diamond Bar and it's all family time from there.

Friday: Arrive in Diamond Bar
Saturday: Disneyland, Francis' Mom's Birthday (watch Bridesmaids/eat at Joe's Crab Shack)
Sunday: Disneyland
Monday: Shabu-Shabu with Ate and Matt, Disneyland

As happy as I am to be going to the Happiest Place on Earth, I'm still a bit sad to be missing out on all the fun in Ensenada. I think the worst part about missing these kind of trips are hearing all the inside jokes when they get back. Don't get me wrong, I love hearing the stories, I just get sad that I wasn't there.

But on the flip side, it is nice having the extra time to spend with my family :)

Hello 3rd Trimester...

...goodbye to the comfortable 2nd trimester.

On Monday I was dead tired but I thought it was because of the hike we had over the weekend. Turns out that all the symptoms that so wonderfully disappear after the 1st trimester come back with a vengeance during the 3rd. I'm dead tired all day, running to the bathroom every 30 minutes, and Alana seems to be kicking, punching, or rolling on something nonstop. I am not looking forward to all the discomforts of the last trimester during the summer :(

However, I am getting really excited that in 3 short months I'm going to finally meet my daughter. Everytime I think about it I get a little teary eyed and can't wait for that moment when Francis and I finally meet her. It's all I seem to think about.

91 days left...

Exercise!??!?!

Since, I've gotten pregnant I've had to take a step back from running and doing any strenuous activity and I definitely felt how out of shape I am today. We went on a hike and my heart was pounding. At some points I felt cramping in my lower abdomen, but it wasn't too bad so I figured I could just keep going. After yesterday's ropes course, I was determined to participate in this social. I haven't really felt left out of anything until yesterday and I wasn't about to put myself in that situation since I had the choice.

 At this point I was already cramping, but luckily it stopped as soon as we 

started climbing. Weird how the easy downhill made me cramp but the climb didn't!

 The beginning of our trail

 

 AJ

Bobby

 

 Lily

 My preggy picture of the week

So basically, the goal of this hike was to protect an egg. Each team had to use all natural resources except for a long strand of yarn provided to protect an egg from breaking when thrown off a 15 foot cliff into a pond of water. Below are each teams finished products.

 Turdles

 Rippin' and the Tearin'

Little Green Giants

The Planners: Blue Banditos

At the end of the hike I could hear my heart pounding in my right ear but I was just tired, not in pain from the baby or anything like that. I tried to motivate myself when I saw another pregnant lady farther along in her pregnancy than I am and thought, " If she can do it, so can I!!" But now that I think of it, I never saw her on that trail...

Even though I will probably not step foot into another hike before I have Alana, I'm happy to say that I was able to do it :) 

Special thanks to Bobby for taking care of me and helping me through the trail!!!

Music

A few days ago I mentioned to Francis that I wanted to start playing music for her. I noticed that whenever there is loud good music playing, she kicks constantly. Not like those distressed kicks when something loud falls, but a series of constant little punches or kicks throughout the song. I considered buying one of those belly buds but with 3 months left and $100 for those things... I figured my iPhone resting on my belly would be just fine.

Yesterday a few of us went to hang out at a bar yesterday but before we did, they pre-partied at the good old "24 Our Bar" in Sonny's room. Of course, I was unable to join in on the festivities but no worries. I still know how to have a good time without the alcohol. For some reason we decided to start playing old school R&B songs and Alana seemed to be having a blast moving to the beat on my bladder. It was non-stop to the point where I started to feel a bit sick, but enjoyed myself regardless.

 

To me, music is such a huge part of my life and because of this I really hope that it becomes a part of hers as well. I think a part of me sometimes wishes that I pushed myself to learn more when it came to music but it was my own fault for not wanting to learn despite my parents push for me to learn piano. I remember singing and dancing for my family during parties and absolutely loving it, but soon after, I sadly learned self-consciousness and stopped performing. I hope that Alana doesn't follow in my footsteps. I hope she learns how to be confident and be proud of who she is regardless of what others think.