Week 39

8 days until the due date!!

I think Sofia officially 'dropped' this week.  I feel like there is a lot more room to breathe today and my belly does seem to hang lower.  She moves a lot and gets some sort of hiccups at times, specially in the morning.

This week the waxy vernix and the fine hair lanugo will go away though some may remain after birth.  She will also concentrate on getting antibodies from the placenta.

I went to the doctor yesterday and everything is progressing as it should.  Her heartbeat was 131 and my blood pressure 93/64.  So we'll keep waiting :)

This week has been a mix between feeling great some days and hurting others.  Today started off pretty good but it's quickly declining.  I do have a lot to do at work which keeps my mind occupied and my legs moving all day.  Walking helps quite a bit.

On Monday it was our 2 year anniversary.  We celebrated at home.  Thomas got me my favorite flowers and cooked the crab ravioli that I love.

Today Lilian and Gabriel will be visiting from Mexico, can't wait to see them! :)  Mary Ann will also be here on Saturday and will stay with us until Sofia is born.  So we'll have a full house which we love.

Week 38

The due date is 17 days away.  I really wonder when she will come, early? late?  Everyone seems to be thinking early, but the doctor thinks late.  Either way I'm ok with it, though earlier than later would be nicer so I can finally see her :)

So far the back ache has gone away and the BH contractions have stopped.  I haven't got any since probably about last Thursday.  My feet are not even swollen anymore.  Maybe this is the calm before the storm?

Thomas and I are reading "The baby whisperer" and I must say I like this book.  It reinforces a lot of the things I think so it tells me my instincts have been sort of right.  It says to treat the baby like a person from day one.  I always liked to talk to Sofia as such, and that's why I've referred to her by her name always.  It also talks about how a baby will not have any bad habits for at least the first few months.  So when the baby cries they have to be tended to and given the confidence that the parents will be there to bring a bottle, warmth, a clean diaper, etc.  So we shouldn't let the baby cry for long.  To me, if the baby goes into a full blown cry, that's too long.  We'll keep reading, we're only to chapter two, but I'm really liking it.  We still have a few books to read and I'd really like to get through them before she's here.

This past weekend we made a quick run to Babies R Us and got all we need.  We are set now.  That was my nesting instinct kicking into overdrive :)  We also went to the beach on Monday and took our dog Reese.  She kept trying to rescue us and drag us to shore, it was funny to watch.  She got so worked up when Thomas went in deep.  We got some video, I'm sure Thomas will post it sometime.  We had a very good, relaxing time.

So now we just sit and wait.  She has been kicking a lot, I bet if I could see inside me, my ribs are bruised, at least that's what they feel like.  I can tell her movements are getting slower, she's probably running out of room. She will be here soon... :)

Week 37

We are moving right along, 23 days to go.  For those of you who have not seen Sofia's latest ultrasound here it is.  She weighed in at 5 lb 14 oz.  Her head measured 31 cm in circumference and her pulse was 142.

This past weekend we got a few more things that we needed for her and got the nursery further along.  The crib has a mattress and it's dressed up and the drawers are stocked with diapers.  It is looking great now.

I have been getting a lot of Braxton Hicks contractions.  They happen about every 3 minutes and last about 10 seconds, so I know they are not the real thing.  They do hurt though!  My back has been hurting a lot too the past two days and I have been getting a lot of cramps.  My feet have not been as swollen though.  This last three weeks will be interesting :)

I read an interesting fact, the uterus is now 1,000 times it's original size!  That's amazing.

Week 36 - She is done!

Sofia is officially "complete" by the end of this week.  All systems are in place and ready to go.  From now on it will just be adding a few pounds before the big day view.  I have started to get Braxton Hicks contractions and I'm keeping a record just to make sure they are not the real thing.  They kind of hurt!  but they also don't last too long.

I will really miss feeling her move around in my belly, it is one of the neatest things I've ever felt.  Though now it's more of a rolling around.  But I'm also ready to see her!!  33 days to go... though I ready only about 5% of babies make it by their due date.

We were busy this weekend.  We were having a nice calm breakfast at Starbucks while watching the rain when he got a phone call to go to the office.  We had a lot of rain (up to 6 inches in two hours) and the roof in Thomas' office leaked and flooded the whole building.  We spent Saturday morning trying to salvage letters and documentation.

Then on to the house because I got the nesting instinct big time!  We (more like Thomas) decided to live with the paint job and we went ahead and steam-cleaned the carpet and moved all the furniture into the room.  It is a bit crammed in there but it works.   Got all the clothing, diapers, and toys organized.  I still have a little more to do so I'm sure we'll be busy this weekend as well.

Sunday we took it easy.  Had breakfast, then to church, the movies, and a brief trip to the mall.  I am packed for the hospital, though I need a couple more things.  I tried to get all I need without over-packing.  I used a couple of checklists on line but if there was the one thing you definitely used that is not that obvious do share :)

Picture of the wall

Week 35

We are in the homestretch!  The due date is getting closer and closer.  40 days to go...

Last Friday I went to the doctor and she felt around my tummy to check her position.  Sofia is now upside down and ready to go.  I can feel her kicks in my ribs.  She also measured my tummy and said Sofia will probably be on the smaller side, but she ordered an ultrasound for the next visit to make sure.  We'll get measurements then and come up with a good weight estimate.  It will be on the 21st.  From then on we will be going to weekly visits.

My feet are still very swollen but my blood pressure looks great (97/64) so no worries for preeclamsia or anything of the sort.  So not much I can do until she's born.  Other than what I had to do a few days ago: buy size 10 shoes!!!  I really hope that's the end of the growth spurt and that they go back down to at least an 8...I can only hope.  At least Thomas has been great about giving me foot massages when they get really bad and I cannot complain about that :)

This weekend we chose some paint for her room.  Let's just say it didn't turn out the way we thought it would!  Or as Thomas put it: pepto biswall.  We'll have to experiment with some ideas and see what we can come up with.  But for now, it's pepto on top, and a darker pink at the bottom.  It looks like you just walked into Disney's sleeping beauty's quarters.

Week 33

We are well into the third trimester and it's almost go time.  7 weeks and 4 days to go!

I am getting a little nervous about labor.  I know I can do it, so have all the moms in the world... but I know it will hurt.  I also know I will survive it, but the though is still not such a pleasant one, though absolutely a worth it one.  I will definitely go with the epidural, and hope that everything goes well and I have time to have it.  My delivery date is a Saturday, and the day before is my Friday off, so hopefully I won't have any 'accidents" at work since I plan to work right up to the time to go to the hospital.

This week Sofia is working on gaining weight, about 1/2 pound a week.  The pupils of her eyes can now adjust to bright or dim light.   Her lungs continue to develop. The amniotic fluid has now reached the maximum level so as she grows, she's running out of space to move.  I can tell as her kicks are getting stronger and right into my lungs :)  Her immune system is also getting a boost with antibodies flowing from me to her.

I read somewhere that moms pregnant with girls are slightly more forgetful than moms pregnant with boys.  So I'm glad to hear this is the worst of it because this week I forgot my keys and wallet in Austin and my computer at home yesterday :)

The weekend in Dallas was very productive.  Mary Ann and I went shopping for a crib and a dresser and we got them.  Also on Sunday Ruth, Darlene, Andrew and I went shopping for a pack n play and some other gear for Sofia.  We are (almost) ready to go!

And the much awaited Maria is finally here.  She was born on the 14th and is doing very well.  Punky and Miguel are well and walking around like zombies these days :)

I got a special treat this week too as Ruth, Andrew, and Audrey are visiting us in Victoria this week.  I love to have them over and we're having lots of fun.

Week 31 - Wow

I can't believe I'm in week 31 already!  Time has flown by and she'll be here in 9 weeks.

We are patiently awaiting the arrival of Maria, Punky's daughter who should be here anytime this week.

This week Sofia's body and brain continue to make the connections that enable her systems to work as a whole. Her lungs are now more developed but are not completely mature.  Trillions of brain connections are developing and she is already using all five senses.  


I can definitely tell when she's awake and when she's not.  She has a pretty defined pattern by now.  She wakes up at about 9am to 10 am and then again in the afternoon from around 2pm to 3 pm.  At night she's also awake but I don't keep track of the time :)


I went to a breast feeding class last week, it was very helpful and full of great tips.  She recommended wiping the baby's mouth after every feeding to minimize ear infections and get them used to a cleaning routine after eating... I will need to remember that, makes sense.


This week we are going to take it easy.  Last weekend was pretty hectic with the neighbourhood clean up event we had with Keep Victoria Beautiful.  So we'll stay home this weekend and catch up on housekeeping and get Queso and Reese their shots.  Next one, we'll be in Dallas crib shopping.  I heard deliveries of cribs are up to 12 to 16 weeks so hopefully we can just pick one up and bring it back.  I also need to pick up some nursery bedding so we can paint the room and finish up that nursery :)

Week 30 - Sciatica

We are into the third trimester now and my belly is starting to get really heavy!  My feet are getting more tired and quicker and just yesterday I think I began to feel pressure on my sciatica nerve.  I will check with the doctor on my appointment on Wednesday but I'm pretty sure from what I read.  It's a sharp pain on my right side from my hips to my toes.  Hurts a lot when I walk.  Oh well, it's not that long until she's here :)

Ruth, Audrey, mom, grandma, and 3 of my aunts visited us this weekend and we had a great time.  I showed them Victoria (short tour) and then we went to Goliad which has a neat presidio from the Texas -Mexico independence time.  We had dinner at home and unfortunately they had to leave early to catch a plane in Houston.  I got to hold Audrey for some time until I think she got an allergy to Queso :(  So I had to give her back and keep Queso away until the blemishes went away.  She is such a good baby though, she barely cries and just likes to look around most of the time. She's very alert.

Sofia in the mean time is practicing breathing.  I can feel her getting hiccups at times, it feels like butterflies.  She weighs about 3 pounds or 1.3 kg and is around a foot long or roughly 30 cm.  She will be gaining 1/2 pound a week.  Her brain is continuing to expand and develop.  She can also now regulate her own temperature so she's beginning to loose some of the lanugo (that fine hair) that covered her for warmth.  She can open and close her eyelids.  Though most of the time they will be closed, when her eyes are open she can track light inside the womb.

She's a very active baby, when she kicks sometimes I can see my shirt move.  Thomas can feel her a lot more now when he puts his hand on my belly.  I love feeling her :)

Oh yes, and Thomas got a new truck.  We are happy and ready for Sofia to ride in it!

Week 27

We are going to our prenatal classes still and they are full of great information.  Last week, the nurse showed us all the epidural needles and catheters and went over the procedure.  It's nice to know what all will be going with me during labor.  This week (tonight) we'll go on a hospital tour to see all the monitoring and security systems, etc.  Should be interesting.

So what is Sofia up to this week?  She is almost 2 pounds (908 grams) and about 14.5 inches or 37 cm.  Her lungs, liver and immune system keep maturing.  This week the brain keeps developing quickly and the eyelids which have been closed start to open so the retinas can begin to form.

The second trimester is almost over and mom's body will make a few changes for the last stretch like starting to get braxton-hicks, the false contractions.  Here is a pic of what the baby looks like today inside:

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    This weekend Thomas and I will go get some professional pregnancy pictures, so sit tight they are coming :)  I got a hair cut too so double shock for those of you who have not seen me lately.
    Next weekend we are off to Houston and we'll get to see a lot of the family.  I'm excited to see my parents, Manuel, Ruth and fam, aunts, uncles, cousins, and grandmother... lots of people!  We'll have a great time :)

Week 26

Sofia is doing wonderful.  The last ultrasound showed all her vital signs to be in good shape.  She was very active during the whole appointment.  Here are some pictures of her tiny but well developed feet.  

I can feel her moving a whole lot more.  She's pretty active in the morning, all the way until about 10am and then I think she goes to sleep. 

3 more months and she will be here :)

Week 25 - Moving right along

I have started to really feel Sofia move around these past couple of weeks.  She's very active in the morning, around 9 or 10 am.  We also went to our first prenatal class.  I really like the nurse teaching the course and she has a lot of information.  There are 5 classes altogether, one every week.  She talked about common discomforts in pregnancy and how to ease them and we talked about some of what will happen during labor.

This week Sofia is gaining weight, up to 1.5 lb (681 grams) and can measure up to 13.5 inches or 34.3 cm.  She's also discovering and using her hands, which are fully developed (fingerprints too), a lot more to learn about her environment. She can even make a fist!

She will also be concentrating on gaining some baby fat to fill out her wrinkly skin.  Under this skin, capillaries are forming and filling with blood.  Air sacks also lined with capillaries are developing in her lungs.  Her lungs are also developing surfactant which will help the lungs expand at birth.  On this week, the structure of the spine also begins to form.  Her nostrils have been plugged up until now will start to open as well as getting the vocal chords ready.

This weekend we are heading to Austin to visit with Ruth, Andrew, Audrey and my mom.  Audrey is doing great and has grown a couple of inches already.  Can't wait to see them :)

Week 24 - Baby Audrey is here

We were in Austin this weekend to meet our niece Audrey.  Ruth had a great delivery which was very short and Audrey was born right away.  She is absolutely beautiful and I could not but love her instantly.  She is a very sweet girl and an awesome baby!  She is sleeping very well through the night, only gets up two times or so to eat.  I barely heard her cry the whole time we were there.  Andrew has been a very good big brother and likes to carry her and tell her "no llores" - don't cry - when she fuzzes.  He is a very helpful little boy who loves to help in the kitchen, specially cracking eggs :)  Andrew and us went to the zoo on Saturday to give mom and dad some down time and we had a lot of fun.  Here is a picture of her.




Sofia will have great cousins to play with when she's here.

She has been a busy baby the mean time.  I can feel her move now and she's awake most of the day or moving at least.  I can't believe she will be here in 4 months, I'm getting super excited!!!

This week she will be concentrating on completing the face features, all the way to the eyelashes.  But for right now, all the hair is white as the pigmentation has not set in.  Her inner ear has developed enough to give her a sense of balance and whether she's right side up or up side down in her amniotic sac.  She will be gaining about 6oz or 170 grams per week.

Changes to mom include a shift in hormone production.  For the first 20 weeks, the body makes more progesterone.  At 21 to 22 weeks the body makes equal amounts of progesterone and estrogen, but from week 24 on it will be mostly estrogen.  One of the odd symptoms I just read about is red and itchy hands.  I just thought I was doing the dishes too much but it is actually a symptom of pregnancy... ha!

This weekend we will stay home and tackle a mantel piece that we bought for the living room.  We will also start cleaning out the office to make way for the nursery.  I need to order the crib here soon, I read they may take a while to be delivered.

Week 22 - Pregnancy gingivitis

I finally went to the dentist yesterday and I was very happy to.  My teeth have been giving me a lot of trouble lately.  He said I had pregnancy gingivitis and he sees it all the time.  The changing hormones are affecting my mouth as well!  It's interesting all that goes on, the dentist said I was building plaque, which means my mouth is more basic now, where as before it was very acidic.  Yes, I stuck a litmus paper in my mouth some time ago so I know! ha ha ha.

It is difficult to tell whether what I'm feeling right now is the baby or just any other movement of my body.  I think it's her, but I have my doubts.  We'll see in time :)

This week Sofia will start to discover more of her senses and be aware of the world around her.  She may weigh up to a pound (454 grams) by the end of this week.  NOTE - The blog says the baby is the size of a papaya, but in Mexico, papayas are a bout 2 or 3 times bigger than here, so my Mexican family and friends, don't think she's that big :)  The baby's sense of touch and taste progress this week and the taste buds begin to form.  The baby's brain and nerve endings mature enough to process the sensation of touch.  The reproductive system keeps developing as well.  The surface of the brain which has been smooth until now, will develop folds.  These hills and valleys in the brain will continue to develop until week 34 to eventually house all the brain cells.  And by now, the baby recognizes my voice and probably Thomas' as well.  I like to sing to her, I hope she doesn't take my voice the standard of good music ha ha ha :)

Around this time, my feet should start growing as well.  Most moms go up half a size in shoe size.  That is due to the hormone called relaxin, which relaxes ligaments, including the ones in the feet.  For now, my shoes fit, but we'll see :)

Sofia has been very laid back during pregnancy.  She's been cooperative in all the ultrasounds and has given mom no discomfort.   I wonder if that is indicative of how her personality is going to be... we shall see.  Speaking of which, we will have another ultrasound in our next visit on March 5th, so we will have another peak inside at her.

We are still waiting for baby Audrey, she should be born any time now or next week.  Ruth is doing well though her sciatic nerve still hurts.  I can't wait to meet her!



http://similac.com/pregnancy/22-weeks-pregnant-baby-growth-development

And the baby is a...

GIRL!!!!

I really didn't know what to think there lately, I did not have a feel either way but we are so very happy!  We would have been happy either way though.

Sofia Ruth Yantis is on her way then. :)  She weighs 12 ounces (340 grams).  Her head was 18 cm (7 inches) in perimeter and her waist 15 cm (5.9 inches).  We looked at her cerebellum, liver, kidneys, heart, and stomach and they all look great.  Her spinal cord is looking great too thanks to all the folic acid.  Her heart beat was 153 today so it's slowing down a little which is normal.

Now Audrey has a playmate close to her age and Andrew... he has some double trouble coming his way :)  But I'm sure he's going to be an excellent older brother and cousin.  Zoie will have a cousin almost (or will see) exactly one year younger so they will be great buds as well.

 Here are some pictures from the ultrasound, check out her cute little leg!!

Week 21 - Day care horrors in Victoria TX

These past few weeks I have been visiting the different day cares in this town.  I have been very disappointed in the quality of care offered.  The first few daycares I visited almost make me cry.  I first visited one and the lobby was merely a hall.  Anyone could walk in to where the babies are.  Not good.  A few of the rooms were empty and this place was so dark.  The teachers were not friendly and hardly talked.  Needless to say I ran out of that one.  Another one of them even smelled of cigarettes.  Most of them were run down, paint peeling off the walls, and one of them was even out of a mobile home!!  However, I did luck out in the end :)  One of the daycares is a very clean and well taken care of property with a high level of training and education for the teachers.  Whew!! Last week i also found another one I liked.  It's in a baptist church but I liked that the ratio of infants to teachers was less and every 4 infants have a room to themselves.  So my choice won't be very hard.  It's between those two.  Now Thomas will go visit them and I'll have his input so we can decide.

So now for the fun stuff, the baby.  Tomorrow we have our ultrasound and will let everyone know what we are having as soon as we know :)

This week, the baby is about 7 inches long (~18cm) and weighs 11 ounces (312 grams).  About the size of a banana.  The digestive system is being put to work as the baby swallows amniotic fluid and absorbs some sugar from it.  Since the amniotic fluid changes with my diet, the baby can get a little taste of what I eat through it.  I have been craving a lot of hot stuff, so I'm sure she has a taste for it by now.  Also, the bone marrow is now taking over the job of making blood cells.  The baby's arms and legs are in proportion now and the movements are becoming more coordinated.   But I still can't feel them.

Mom's body is getting ready as well, and early milk, called colostrum can be produced even this early in the pregnancy.  My teeth have been giving me some trouble lately, seems like they are very sensitive and the gums are irritated most of the time.  Thank God I have an appointment next week with my dentist :)

Week 20 - Half way there

Half way!  These past few months have gone by fast!  I know June will be here before we know it.

This weekend we changed the carpet in the living room for hardwoods, more baby-spills resistant :)  It was a one day job because we got a lot of help from Enrique, Felecia, and Jeremy.  Here is a picture of the finished product.  We are so happy with them!



I think I may have felt the baby the other day, it was a very slight but distinctive nudge... but from now on I can start expecting more movement :)

This week the baby is getting used to all his body parts.  The baby weights about half a pound now and is around 6 inches long.  The baby's skin is developing further under the vernix.  The baby is also swallowing more and practicing with the digestive system.  The baby's teeth are developing layers of dentin and enamel and the baby is also beginning to produce its own insulin.

Mom is feeling ok, though I've had a few nose bleeds.  These are normal, as I'm producing a whole lot more blood and the nasal tissues are thin and may not resist the blood overflow.

Two more weeks and we'll have the next ultrasound and we will know if we are having Sofia or John.  We'll keep you posted.

Week 19 - No more coconuts for me

The beginning of week 19 was not so friendly to me this time.  I ate a coconut on Saturday evening and it did not agree with me at all!  I woke up all night with a cramped stomach and into Sunday morning with a sharp pain, a breath that could stun an ox (as tactfully put by Thomas) even after brushing my teeth several times.  At about noon I felt a little hungry so that seemed to fix the problem.  I'm scratching coconuts off the list! 

This coming weeks the baby will be focusing on brain development.  Sofia John will be developing millions of neurons.  The baby can now suck the thumb and move the head.  The baby's hearing is also more developed and by now, it can hear sounds outside the womb.  The baby's skin is covered with a white protective coat called Vernix, and underneath with a fine hair called lanugo.  During this week, the kidneys will also function and the placenta will work removing the waste.

http://similac.com/pregnancy/19-weeks-pregnant?wt=ln

Week 18

Week 18 is here and the baby is doing great!  I really have zero complaints about being pregnant, I thought it was going to be a lot worse.  For me, it's barely noticeable as far as discomforts go, only a cramp here and there.  And I'm really grateful for that.  And it also is great to have a husband that spoils you with every request ;)

I went to the doctor last Friday and my blood test came back.  Everything looks great, no problems there.  They took another blood sample and my next ultrasound is on February 5.  In this one, we will find out the sex of the baby.  I've been going back and forth now with my preference.  Of course all I care about is having a healthy baby, but if I could choose I was pretty set on a girl.  Now I think I may want a boy.  But I do go back and forth a lot :)  I'm getting very curious now.  I set a poll earlier and so far most everyone is with me on the baby being a girl (79%).  We shall see in a few weeks.

So what is the baby up to?  This week the baby's priority is growing.  And I can tell!  I've been getting a lot of cramps.  The doctor says it's just my uterus expanding rapidly.  The baby's skeleton is hardening, the leg bones and inner ear are the first ones to harden.  The baby can now hear too. It should be anytime now that I feel the baby. So far I haven't, I can just imagine how amazing that feels.

Thomas and I stayed in Victoria this weekend after a lot of traveling for the holidays and freezing weather.  We need to get started with the baby room sometime soon.  It is also time to pre-register in the hospital, so we'll go take a look at the facilities maybe this week.  And I also need to start looking at day cares.  Lots of fun!