32 Weeks

 

 

 

 

 

 

© selenizm.com Photo by Selen Ermanav, and Photoshop by Abraham Joseph Pal.

 

 

I'm 32 weeks and the nursery is almost complete! I'm still looking for a rocker/glider to add to Natasha's room and some white shelves. Other than that I will just have to wait until my shower. Zac and I love how her room turned out and I find myself going in there multiple times during the day to admire her tiny clothes and her beautiful furniture. It's also a very peaceful room with the light green paint. I might just start doing my breathing exercises in there.

Speaking of breathing exercises, Zac and I had our first Child birthing class last Wednesday night at Hoag Hospital. We found it to be more like a lecture than anything else. I found some of the information useful, but I think I could have found the same tips in one of my books at home or on the internet. At this point, I think my yoga practice will be more beneficial than what I'm learning in this class. But we will see what tomorrow night's class brings.

Both Natasha and I are doing well and at this point it's just a matter of her gaining weight and developing her lungs and brain. She is still moving around a lot, finding that comfy spot. Two nights in a row I experienced her having hiccups. It was a pretty neat feeling. They were definitely stronger on the inside because Zac could barely feel them from the outside.

That's all for now. I hope you enjoy the pictures!

31 Weeks and a Maternity Photo Shoot!

 Maternity Photo Shoot with Jackie in LA

Photography by Selen Ermanav, Photoshop art by Abraham Joseph Pal

Today marks 31 weeks of pregnancy. Baby Natasha is still moving around and has not yet found a comfy spot to settle into. She likes waking me up in the middle of the night, which I don't mind since I get up every couple of hours to empty my bladder (again) or switch positions and it's a good sign of a healthy and active baby. According to BabyCenter.com, this week Baby Natasha can move her head from side to side and her arms and legs are starting to plump out as needed fat accumulates underneath her skin. We now have doctor's appointments every 2 weeks. At my last appointment, my doctor said I looked great, so I must be doing well with my weight gain this time around (thank goodness the holidays are over). I did have a mini freak-out because they scheduled the rest of our appointments up to my DUE DATE!! It's crazy how fast time is flying by and the fact that Baby Natasha will be here in 9 weeks or less (this is on the assumption that I will no go past my due date). And my best friend, Jackie will be having a baby this month! Holy molly!

 

Speaking of Jackie, she and I took maternity photos together this past weekend in a park up in LA. Our friend, Selen from High School was the photographer and I'm very excited to see the the rest of the pictures. The above picture is just a sneak peek at the photos. It was a beautiful day out and Selen came up with some very creative shots using fresh flowers and pink umbrellas. This will be something that Jackie and I will share for the rest of our lives and be able to show our daughters (when they are a little older, of course).

 

I have been enjoying my days off. Haha... it's only been two days (technically one, since I always had Mondays off). But I am getting more stuff done around the house and hopefully we be able to work on the nursery more. Tomorrow will be a big day. I will be sitting down with my dad and he will start showing me what he wants me to do for his business. I've been warned (well it was more laughed at) by my brother, who went through training with our dad last year. So, wish me luck! Also, Zac and I will be starting our Childbirth Classes at Hoag Hospital. I'm excited and nervous all at the same time... I just don't know what to expect (much like child birth, I'm sure). Hopefully this will prepare me enough and labor and childbirth will be easy peasy, right!

 

I will post more photos as they come in. Have a great week!

29 down...11 to go!

 Natasha is the size of a squash!

Belly shot at Jackie's Baby Shower

I hope to use the title of this post again, but in regards to my weight loss once Baby Natasha is born. However this post pertains to me being in my 29th week of pregnancy and only 11 weeks to go! I'm starting to feel bigger, not uncomfortable, but noticeably bigger. And according to TheBump.com, things are getting a little squished inside my belly as Baby Natasha is the size of a squash this week. So I am prepared for some kicks and jabs to my ribs as she settles into a comfy spot. Her brain can detect rhythmic breathing and control body temperature, so she is less likely to need breathing assistance should she be born early. She's growing eyelashes, adding fat, and developing her brain. Because of brain wave activity, researchers have speculated that babies can even dream at this time!

As for me, I'm still feeling pretty good. Besides getting bigger, I have noticed that I am more tired these days. And with the rain, I haven't been able to go on my walks. But with my last day of work approaching soon, I will be able to walk during the day instead of at night after work and I will be able to add more prenatal yoga classes to my schedule!

 

This past weekend was my BFF, Jackie's Baby shower. We modeled our pregnant bellies in the second picture above. It was a big success and we all had a great time and I think Baby Kyra will love all the gifts she received. I'm now looking forward to my shower in March. The invites have not even gone out yet and we have already received our first gift off of our registry! Our good friends, Ben and Ingrid bought us the Baby Bjorn Carrier.  They were down here for Jackie's shower and stayed with Zac and I all weekend. It's funny because I went to my registry a couple of days before Jackie's shower to make some changes and I noticed that one item was purchased. I had a guess as to who bought it (I was wrong by the way) and was curious if it was going to be mailed or given to me in person. It was a great surprise! As for the doll in the carrier, it is a practice baby for Chauncey. We are trying to teach him that not all of our attention will be directed towards him when Natasha arrives. I read an article in my Fit Pregnancy magazine about techniques we should use help prepare Chauncey for Natasha's arrival and homecoming. The first 2 days that I wore the Bjorn with the doll in it, he tried to jump up on me to smell the carrier and doll. But tonight he did not jump and I then let him sniff the carrier and doll when I sat next to him. It will be a work in progress!

Goodbye 2nd Trimester...Welcome 3rd!

Time is flying by. I'm officially in the 3rd trimester and less than 3 months Baby Natasha will be here! I am 28 weeks pregnant and still feeling pretty good. We had our doctor's appointment today and the good news is that I passed my diabetes test! However, I gained a little too much weight since my last appointment. I blame it on the holidays and Baby Natasha could have had a growth spurt! We have another appointment in two weeks, so hopefully I can keep my weight gain under control. Other than that, I'm measuring right on track and Baby Natasha's heartbeat is strong.

According to TheBump.com, Baby Natasha's lungs are mature enough, that if born right now, she would have a pretty good chance of surviving (with medical intervention). But we want her to stay put and bake a while longer and put on some fat so her wrinkly skin will smooth out. Baby Natasha is kicking and boxing me everyday and I love it! She is really active after I eat and when I'm completely relaxed in bed at night. After lunch today, I saw the right side of my belly move. It was a big movement. I had Zac watch to see if she would do it again, but sure enough she was done. I'm still trying to figure out how she is positioned in the womb because all of her movements have been below my belly button. She must be in a pretty comfortable spot and doesn't feel the need to move yet.

This weekend is my friend Jackie's baby shower. I'm looking forward to seeing her and celebrating the upcoming arrival of Baby Kyra (Baby Natasha's BFF). My last day of work will be January 29th! I'll be sad to go, but I'm looking forward to staying at home with Baby Natasha. Then I will have my shower in March and after that, I will have my work cut out for me to get her nursery complete. Many things to look forward too! Stay tuned for more...

Double Digits...99 days left!

 

 

I hope you all had a very Merry Christmas and got to spend it with your loved ones. We had a busy 3 days and are sure glad that it is over. As you can see by my ticker at the very bottom of this blog, I have hit the double digit mark. I have 99 days (give or take) left until we meet Baby Natasha! And only 2 more weeks until I say goodbye to the 2nd trimester and welcome the 3rd trimester. Time is flying by!

Natasha is still the size of an eggplant, but putting on more weight. She is moving around more and more and I have definitely felt some strong jabs/kicks. Her eyes are forming this week and she will soon be practicing how to blink. The network of nerves in Natasha's ears is better developed and more sensitive than before. She should now be able to hear Zac's voice, so we will have him start reading to her too!

I am happy to report that the wrist guards have helped me with my Carpel Tunnel Syndrome. Zac says I look like a fighter wearing them to bed, but they are getting the job done. The bolster is also helping my hips, but I have been noticing some sciatica pain in my lower back when I sit/stand/walk for too long. I guess this is all part of growing a human being in my uterus!

We wish you all a Happy & Healthy New Year!

My Little Bademjan

My little Bademjan

Natasha is the size of an eggplant this week (25 weeks). For those of you that don't know Farsi, Bademjan means eggplant and it happens to be one of my favorite Persian dishes. This week Natasha is learning to distinguish right side up from upside down. This explains all the movement I have been feeling lately. Last Sunday, Zac got to feel Natasha for the first time. We were lying in bed watching TV and I told him to just rest his hand on my belly for awhile. Sure enough, she kicked his hand twice! Zac couldn't believe how strong she was. It was so cute and such a special moment.

My baby bump has definitely grown. I still have a lot of energy and keeping up with my exercise routine, but my hips are starting to hurt a bit at night from lying on my side and I have been having some trouble with my wrists and hands (carpel tunnel syndrome). My prenatal instructor told me that instead of sleeping with a body pillow (which compresses), I should sleep with a firmer bolster. I can also sleep on my back as long as it doesn't make me nauseous. In regards to my carpel tunnel syndrome, I should start wearing wrist guards to bed. So we will see if these tips work.

I had my 24 week check-up with my doctor last week and Zac and I both got our H1N1 vaccine (well I made Zac get one, since I had to get one). I took it like a champ, but Zac took it more like a chump (ZING!). My blood pressure and weight gain so far is fine and Natasha's heartbeat was great and wonderful to hear on the doppler. In 2 weeks I have to take the 1-hour glucose test to test for Gestational Diabetes. I'm not looking forward to drinking the sugary drink, since I don't drink soda anymore, but hopefully I will pass and not have to take the 3-hour test.

The nursery is almost complete... well the paint part of it. The crib was delivered yesterday, but the dresser won't arrive for another 4 to 6 weeks. At least we can assemble the crib and figure out what else we will need in the room. I started our baby registries (Babies R Us and Target). It's not complete, but it's a good start. The holidays have been keeping me occupied, so afterwards I will have more time to figure out everything we will need for Baby Natasha! Thank you for following our blog and I wish everyone a Happy Holiday Season!

23 Weeks and a Sneak Peak at the Nursery!

 Natasha is the size of a papaya

I am 23 weeks pregnant and I'm sure some of you are wondering what happened to week 22? Well, blame it on pregnancy brain, or the fact that work was super busy last week and I was too tired at night to update the blog. I'm pregnant, gimme a break. At week 22 baby Natasha is the size of a papaya and this week she will stay the same size but put on some more weight. Since Saturday night I have been feeling some strong movement from her. Especially when I am reading to her at night while lying in bed. On my way home from work today she was moving to the music I was listening to in the car. It's very exciting and I can't wait until the kicks and jabs can be felt from the outside so Zac can share these special moments too! This week baby Natasha's face is fully formed minus the baby fat. Loud noises that become familiar now - such as Chauncey's bark or the constant sports on TV - probably won't faze her when she hears them outside of the womb. I think she is already learning to tune out the sports commentators, just like her mommy! As for me, I'm still doing well except for some lower back pain that only occurs right before bed. It must be this cold weather. I haven't noticed swollen feet or ankles yet and hopefully I won't be sporting cankles during this pregnancy. The pictures (besides the papaya and bump progress) I posted are a sneak peak at Natasha's nursery. Our friend, Braulio started priming the walls on Monday and finished the green paint today. He will come back on Thursday and next week to finish the surprises we have in store for the nursery, so you will have to stay tuned!