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Family Friday: 31 Weeks

Warning: Family Friday posts are an open and honest update of our pregnancy.  There will be references to lady parts, internal organs, and bodily functions.  There will also be photos of baby bumps and ultrasounds.  If any of this bothers you, please stop reading now.

31 Weeks
Ahhhhhh!!!  Only 9 weeks left... we're in the single digits now!  

THE BABY:
 -  is now processing information, tracking light, and perceiving signals from all five senses
 -  has longer stretches of sleep
 -  is over 16 inches from head to heel
 -  should pack on 3 to 5 more pounds before her due date

Baby G getting some beach time!

WEIGHT:  +16 pounds... I think.  My weight has been up and down all week.  Today it is a pound more than last week but the way it's going, it may be down again tomorrow.

BODY:  My waist is now at +6.5 inches, my lower belly is now at +6 inches, and my hips are still at +2 inches.  My belly feels HUGE and it's scary to think that it's just going to get bigger!  Baby G seems to have found a comfy spot on the left side of my belly, making it lopsided as seen in the picture below.  I think (based on her movements and the shape of my belly) that she is head down, feet up, and facing toward the right.


THE GOOD:  1) Baby Hiccups.  Baby G has only had hiccups a few random times but it's one of the most amusing things to feel!  2) Movement.  It's amazing to see how much my belly moves now that she is bigger, stronger, and running out of space!

THE BAD:  1) Back Pain.  Chiropractic adjustments are definitely helping with this, along with sitting on a large exercise ball and doing some yoga stretches (both recommended by my chiropractor), a hot (but not too hot) bath also does wonders.  The pain is mild most days now but still putting a damper on my lifestyle.

FOOD:  No changes but I am enjoying a few extra cookies this week since my weight gain has been so slow this month :)

EXERCISE:  My family and I have been out doing something every day since it's their first time to Hawaii.  That hasn't left much time or energy for other exercise.  I am at least doing some yoga stretches daily to keep my ligaments and hips loose.

OTHER NOTES:  Today Johnnie won an award, being named the Team Hickam FGO (Field Grade Officer) of the Quarter.  Johnnie has had an amazing career in the Air Force so far and I am so proud of him every day!  I can't wait to show Baby G pictures and tell her all about the countless things her daddy has done and places he has been!  She is sure to admire him as much as I do :)


*******
"A ship under sail and a big-bellied woman are the
handsomest two things that can be seen common."
~Benjamin Franklin
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Family Friday: 30 Weeks

Warning: Family Friday posts are an open and honest update of our pregnancy.  There will be references to lady parts, internal organs, and bodily functions.  There will also be photos of baby bumps and ultrasounds.  If any of this bothers you, please stop reading now.

30 Weeks

THE BABY:
 -  weighs over 3 pounds now
 -  can now better regulate her own body temperature
 -  is beginning to shed her lanugo (the fine hair covering her body) 
 -  is now strong enough to grasp things!
 -  has skin that is smoothing out and a brain that is getting more wrinkled


WEIGHT:  +15 pounds total.  This week I actually lost a pound.  Since my belly did grow this week and Baby G is still very active, I'm not worried about it.   I'm sure I'll gain some by next week.  For many women, weight gain tends to slow down in the third trimester.  

BODY:  My waist is still at +6 inches, my lower belly has increased to +5.5 inches, and my hips are still at +2 inches.  I've been having more days of bad lower back pain thanks to my growing belly so I went to a chiropractor for some relief this week.  I found a doctor who is certified in the Webster Technique and experienced in the chiropractic care of pregnant women.  The main issue he found was that my right hip was locked up and thus throwing off everything else.  The adjustments he did helped tremendously so I'll be going back once a week until Baby G is born to help my body better handle the added strain of this third trimester.

THE GOOD:  1) Movement.  Baby G has her active days and lazy days.  She likes to be comfortable and shifts around until she finds a good position.  Every time I roll over at night, I feel her repositioning herself as well.  2) Energy.  I generally feel really good for most of the day, but I definitely slow down in the evenings.

THE BAD:  1) Headache.  I had one really bad headache this week.  2) Back pain.  A few days were really painful until I went to the chiropractor.  3) "Lightning Crotch"  Baby G has given me a few powerful and painful kicks to my lady parts from the inside!  It literally feels like she is giving my cervix with a quick jab with a sharp knife.  Enough women have experienced this to give it the unofficial name of Lightning Crotch.  It's #8 on the "Top 10 Things They Really Should Tell You Before You Get Pregnant" list on thebump.com :)

FOOD:  Week 30 and I still have never had any real "pregnancy cravings" yet!  The only thing I can say is that I crave sweeter things in general as opposed to sour/salty things and I still have an aversion to green salads.  I've never experienced an "I have to have it" moment with food.  No pickles and ice cream stories here :)

EXERCISE:  The headaches and back pain really put a damper on my exercise!  I did go walking/jogging with Dulce a few times but I keep having to miss my Power Pump class :(

OTHER NOTES:  I haven't heard anything about the Glucose test I had done last week, which means I passed!  However, another test I had done showed that I'm anemic which means my body is low in iron right now.  This is actually a common thing among pregnant women and an easy fix with an iron supplement.  In other news, we have house guests again!  My parents came and brought two of my nieces and one nephew with them.  This is their first time to Hawaii and they're staying for two weeks.  We're having a great time doing some touristy things and hanging out at some beaches!  Dulce loves the attention and amazes me daily of just how patient and tolerant she is with kids :)

*******
"If I had my life to live over, instead of wishing away nine months of pregnancy,
I'd have cherished every moment and realized that the wonderment growing inside me
was the only chance in life to assist God in a miracle."
~Erma Bombeck


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Happy Birthday, Dulce!

It's Dulce's 3rd birthday!!!  Since her last birthday, Dulce has experienced some big things for being such a little dog.  She started off her third year still living in Korea.  There, she enjoying hiking with us in nearby parks and playing in the snow.  She also won big at some contests during the 2011 Woof Stock dog festival!

At the end of January, we moved to Hawaii!  Dulce had to spend a month in quarantine and another month living in a hotel with me, but now she enjoys soaking up the sun every day in our yard and taking trips to the dog beach.

Dulce is a 17 pound bundle of love and is such a blessing to have in our lives!






I'm sure you've heard that "1 human year equals 7 dog years"... that means that this 3rd birthday is equivalent to her 21st birthday!  Although Dulce is more of a beer girl, I thought a martini would be a little classier for the occasion.  Don't worry, this Pink Lady martini was non-alcoholic :)




 *******
"A birthday is just the first day of another 365-day
journey around the sun. Enjoy the trip!"
~Author Unknown

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Family Friday: 29 Weeks

Warning: Family Friday posts are an open and honest update of our pregnancy.  There will be references to lady parts, internal organs, and bodily functions.  There will also be photos of baby bumps and ultrasounds.  If any of this bothers you, please stop reading now.

29 Weeks

THE BABY:
 -  could weigh up to three pounds now
 -  has increased nutritional needs due to rapid growth
 -  is putting on body fat and has more energy
 -  has billions of neurons developing in her brain every day

I'm a couple weeks into the third trimester now so I though it was about time for another progression collage :)  Looking at these photos, it seems that my belly grew fairly slowly until recently.  Look at the difference between week 23 and week 28!  Baby G was supposed to have doubled her weight in those weeks and it certainly looks like she did.


29 weeks

WEIGHT:  +16 pounds total.  Another one pound gain this week.  I am now officially at my "fat" weight.  I put on this much weight when I was in college way back when.  Unfortunately then it was all fat, whereas thankfully now it's a lot of baby stuff.  It feels weird seeing the scale this high again!  I know I may yet gain another 10 lbs, but at least it's for a good cause :)

BODY:  No changes in measurements this week.  My waist is still at +6 inches, my lower belly is still at +5 inches, and my hips are still at +2 inches.  My toes are now completely out of sight if I'm standing up and looking down.  My belly button is very shallow, working it's way to becoming an outie.  I still don't have any stretch marks (knock on wood!).

THE GOOD:  1) Movement.  Baby G is getting so big that when she changes positions, my whole belly changes shape and sometimes shakes my whole body!  I like to try to guess the hard body part I can feel when she pushes against the front of my belly.  2) Pregnancy Parking Spots.  Now that I look (and feel) so obviously pregnant, I love using the "Expecting Mother" spots that are available at some stores :)

THE BAD:  1) Headache. I believe that this was a direct result of my doctor's appointment, described below.  2) Heartburn.  It's a common occurrence no matter what I eat or drink.  3) Back pain.  I had about three straight days of really bad lower back and hip pain, but thankfully it went away.

FOOD:  I don't have much of an appetite but I still eat whenever my stomach growls.  Thanks to the glucose test this week, I'm turned off by sweets for a while.  I recently realized that there is one food aversion I still have... salads.  I used to love eating big leafy salads but during this whole pregnancy, a salad is the last thing I would pick to eat.

EXERCISE:  I didn't get to Power Pump this week because it coincided with my back pain and headache.  But I did go walking/jogging a few times!  Dulce and I wake up early and hit the jogging path around the new park by our house.  The track is exactly .25 miles so we alternate walking and jogging, with a belly support band to keep Baby G in place :)

OTHER NOTES:  I had a doctor's appointment this week.  Baby G is doing great but this appointment was really hard on me.  I had to have a Glucose Screening Test done and I needed another Rhogam shot because my blood is RH negative.  First I had three vials of blood drawn, then I had to chug a 10oz glucose drink (orange flavored liquid sugar), then wait an hour (during which time I got my Rhogam shot), and finally have one more vial of blood drawn.  I don't know if it was the drink, the shot, losing blood, or the combination of all three, but I felt awful when it was all done.  Within hours I had a pounding headache that continued to pound throughout the night (meaning no sleep) and all of the next day before subsiding.  I haven't heard anything as of yet about the results of the glucose test.  I hope that I passed because I do not want to go through that again!  

*******
"The most important thing she'd learned over the years was that there
was no way to be a perfect mother and a million ways to be a good one."
~Jill Churchill
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Dream BIG

I have a billion and one hobbies, or at least it seems that way.  I have many talented artistic and musical family members and relatives so I like to think that it runs in our blood.  I really hope that Baby G inherits and enjoys my crafty and musical abilities :)

Although I love creating art and crafty projects, I don't really consider myself a true "artist" because I've really never created anything completely unique... yet.  I admit that I'm a copycat when it comes to art.  I pull ideas and inspiration from other people and things.  Perhaps that's why Pinterest is one of my favorite websites :)  The unoriginal art that I create is simply for my own home or as gifts for friends.  It satisfies my crafty desires, gives me a challenge, and saves a ton of money.  I could never buy art or a crafty item to put in our house if it is something that I could have recreated myself!


My paints and painting supplies have been in storage since the end of 2010.  I am thrilled to finally have them all back and was itching to use them!  Luckily, one of my neighbors just had a baby girl which gave me the perfect excuse.  Soon I'll start working on some artwork for Baby G's nursery :)

Artist canvases can be really expensive to buy.  Making your own is much cheaper and gives you unlimited size options.  Many years ago, I used a 40% off coupon at Michael's Craft Store and bought a huge roll of primed canvas that is over four feet wide and six yards long - that is going to make a LOT of canvases!  Canvas stretcher bars are inexpensive and easy to use.  You buy four of whatever size you choose, slide them together, and secure the joints with a staple gun.  I spent less than $8 on the bars for my custom 14 x 16 canvas.

Once your frame is together, you simply need to cut and staple gun the canvas to the frame.  Look at a ready-made canvas to see how to cut and fold the corners for a professional appearance.  Stretch the canvas as tight as you can but don't worry about getting it drum tight.  There is a product called "Canvas Tite" that will help you out with that.  Simply brush Canvas Tite on the back of your finished canvas, let it dry, and the canvas will shrink to a perfect tight fit - it doesn't get any easier than that!


This vintage airplane print from SevenElevenStudios on Etsy was my inspiration for this art project:


I chose colors that match my friend's nursery and changed the airplane to a silhouette of a C-17 cargo plane which is what her husband flies.  The background is the only thing I did freehand.  The letters and the plane were printed out on paper and then traced onto the painted background using an art projector or carbon transfer paper.  Once the outlines are lightly traced, it's a matter of painting between the lines and adding detail.




When the painting was completely dry, I finished it with a coat of Krylon Kamar Varnish.  This is a non-yellowing varnish for oil, acrylic, or watercolor art.  It has a slight sheen to it but it isn't glossy, and it dries quickly for lasting protection.

Dream BIG, baby girl!


*******
"Go confidently in the direction of your dreams. Live the life you have imagined."
~Henry David Thoreau

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Family Friday: 28 Weeks

Warning: Family Friday posts are an open and honest update of our pregnancy.  There will be references to lady parts, internal organs, and bodily functions.  There will also be photos of baby bumps and ultrasounds.  If any of this bothers you, please stop reading now.

28 Weeks

THE BABY:
 -  is about 15 inches from head to heel
 -  can blink her eyes (which now have eyelashes)
 -  can see light that filters through my belly
 -  can dream and experience REM (rapid eye movement) while she sleeps
 -  has eye color (though the final color doesn't fully settle until almost 9 months after birth!)


WEIGHT:  +15 lbs total.  One pound gain this week.

BODY:  My waist is now at +6 inches, my lower belly is now at +5 inches, and my hips are now at +2 inches.  I feel like my belly is growing super fast and I'm starting to wonder just how big it's going to get!  My boobs have also been increasing again lately.  I finally had to buy some new bras in a larger size.  I've heard many women talk about how they love their "pregnancy boobs" but personally I'm not a fan of them and I'm glad that they'll eventually shrink back down.

THE GOOD:  1) Movement.  Now that Baby G is getting bigger, movements feel different.  Before, there were simply general feelings of movement and parts of my belly would move up and down.  Now, I can actually feel her body parts moving around on the inside and feel them on the outside with my hand!  2) Hair.  I really love my hair right now!  It hasn't been this long since our wedding over three years ago.  It's been growing faster than normal during this pregnancy and it's healthier too.  I hope it doesn't change too much after Baby G is born.  3) No headaches this week - yay!

THE BAD:  I think the biggest "bad thing" about being pregnant lately is eating!  If I eat too much, I get extremely uncomfortable for hours afterwards.  The problem is, the amount of food that is "too much" is anything more than a big snack.  I really need to be cautious about how much I eat at any one time, which is so hard when I'm eating something tasty :(

FOOD:  Still no specific cravings but I do favor carbs more than protein.  However, I feel a ton better when I eat more protein than carbs.  It's a balancing act.

EXERCISE:  I am still loving my Power Pump class and I always feel so good afterwards!  Riding my bike is still comfortable... as long as Baby G isn't riding too low in my pelvis.  A new park just opened near our house (practically in our backyard!) that has a jogging path around it.  Dulce and I are going to start walking/jogging on it in the mornings since we wake up early anyways and that's when I have the most energy.

OTHER NOTES:  Baby things are slowly getting done:  baby registries are complete, split between two different stores;  the nursery has a plan but won't be worked on until at least August;  and the hospital labor and delivery tour is scheduled for this month.  Only 12 weeks to go!

*******
"In the pregnancy process I have come to realize how much of the burden is
on the female partner. She's got a construction zone going on in her belly"
~Al Roker
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Scenic Sunday

* Every Sunday our blog features a random scenic photograph from our travels *


Banks Lake National Wildlife Refuge, Lakeland, GA


*******
"The person born with a talent they are meant to use
will find their greatest happiness in using it."
~Johann Wolfgang von Goethe


To see other blogs that feature a Scenic Sunday, visit www.scenicsunday.blogspot.com

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