Week 13 Update

Total weight gain:

0 lbs

Body changes:

A little less pressure on my pelvis. Belly growing, thick hair, skin is better, and bigger breasts.

Sleep: 

Not great. Still experiencing lower back pain...

Best moment this week: 

Starting swim classes with Maia and receiving great reviews on my chapter 5 from my chair. Also, celebrating 8 years with my hubby.

Gender: 

For some reason I was leaning more towards boy this week...

Food Cravings / Aversions:

My endive salad. Sour and salty things.

What I miss:

Sushi, taking a bath and having a glass of wine/champagne.

Symptoms:

Emotional at times. Tired. Two occasions where I had a little cramping/pulling in lower stomach area.

Movement: 

Nope.

What I am looking forward to:

Spending the day with my love on Saturday.

Milestones: 

Finding the right job.

Thought of the week: 

I'm so excited it's that time of year again...US.OPEN Tennis :) 

Vacation in Switzerland and 12 Week Ultra Sound

On Sunday we returned to Miami after a week long stay in Switzerland. We spent 2 days in Zurich and then headed to the mountains, Davos, to see family and celebrate Nelly's 90th Birthday. The flight there was super easy as it was a night flight. Maia slept almost the entire flight after about two hours, which was so nice because I got to sleep and watch movies. On the way back, not so much. Maia slept exactly a little over an hour and for the rest of the flight she was climbing on us like a little monkey. She was a good girl but after a 10.5 hour flight and two hour drive to the airport, I was done. The last two hours of the flight seemed never ending. It was torture. Though all went well and I have to say Maia did amazing. Being back in Switzerland after over two years was sooo nice! I immediately devoured all my favorite foods I had missed so much and pretty much ate my way through Switzerland the entire week haha. We even had cheese fondue in the middle of the summer but it was necessary. So good. For the first time in years we had spectacular weather. It was gorgeous. Not too hot, but just perfect. Apparently, we missed the heat wave which I was happy about because I get enough heat in Miami this time of year. We were so busy in Zurich meeting all my girl friends, going to dinner, lunches and play time with our babies...we couldn't believe when it was time to go to Davos. Another few days in Zurich would have been nice. At least I saw all my girls who I have missed so much. Oh, how I wish I could see them more. In Davos we went to lunches with the family and did some shopping and resting. We went for a hike on the mountain Schatzalp and had lunch afterwards. My grandmother and Nelly are getting older but they are still in good shape. It was so nice for Maia to finally meet them. I got some cute pictures of them together. Taking posed pictures with Maia is a challenge these days...she cannot sit still. The stroller is almost useless at this point, she always wants to walk. At times it can be frustrating especially when we go walk the dog. I have to chase Maia, watch lucky...our 20 minute park walks now easily take over an hour. When she sees stairs, she needs to walk up them at least 20 times. She sweats and gets rosy cheeks but she doesn't care. She loves it. I hope by the time the new baby arrives, Maia will at least be able to walk in the direction I am going and not left, right, backwards so I have to chase her down. It should be interesting. 

On Monday the day after our return from Switzerland I went to the doctor's office to do the first part of my sequential screening. I went to the same place I did with Maia, so a different office to where my doctor is located at. They do the sequential screening and it will also be the place where we find out the sex, Sep. 30. That is my appointment for the last part of the sequential screening and where they share the sex. I will be 18 weeks pregnant then. I'm soo excited! The first part of the sequential screening consisted of the ultra should where they look at the nose and the fluid behind the neck. Everything looked great. Then they took some blood and if I don't hear back I am in the clear until the next blood work in about four weeks. My little baby was sleeping so peacefully and laying in a perfect position for the ultra sound technician to do her work. She was very happy about that. Then he or she woke up and started dancing around which was so funny to watch. He or she was stretching its legs and putting its arms to its face. Pregnancy is just amazing. It really is fascinating to think there is a little person growing inside of me right now. I was so thrilled when I left the doctor's office, also because I am now 12 weeks and can openly tell people now that I am pregnant. I already told most people around me but I do not plan to announce it on facebook for a while. I've become much more private on facebook, posting few posts and pictures of myself and Maia. 

Today I submitted my last chapter to my chair! It almost felt strange submitting it because there is nothing left to do, at least for the moment. I am so close though, I am a few months away from graduating and being done with school...forever! I can't wait. I will even slowly start looking for job opportunities. I am also teaching the equine family therapy class again this semester with my chair and I feel much better about it this semester because I feel like I have some breathing room now that my dissertation is written and I only have edits left. I may actually go to the actual classes and not only teach the class during barn days. Now all I need is my hours to get licensed and I am golden and can finally slowly start building my private practice. 

My garden has been suffering this summer, at least parts of it. The summer heat just makes everything look like shit it seems in Florida. Or I'm simply an amateur gardener lol. I'm also too tired and pregnant to spend my days in the garden in this extreme heat. I may have to replace some of the plants with more florida native non-flowering easy shrubs that require little maintenance. I also need to pull a ton of weeds, do trimming, replace some of my dead tomatoes and herbs and just simply clean up. It requires constant work in the yard if you want to keep in nice, which I obviously do but sometimes I feel like I can't keep up, especially now that I am pregnant. Tomorrow, I dedicated as my garden day. A break or something like that, now that my chapter is submitted. 

On Saturday Brad and I are going to dinner to Macaluso, one of our favorite restaurants to celebrate our 8 year relationship anniversary! I can't believe it's been that long already. I'm so blessed to be with such a wonderful man, an adorable daughter, and a child growing in my belly :) 

Here are some photos of the ultra sound this week....

Week 12 Update

Total weight gain:

Apparently 0lbs according to yesterday's doc visit. I'm still at 124lbs which I find very hard to believe. I feel heavier and after one week in Switzerland where I ate so much cheese, pasta, dairy, and chocolate it's hard to believe I didn't gain 10 lbs already. It seems similar to my pregnancy with Maia, where I didn't gain much until later in the pregnancy and the weight gain comes with a big bang LOL

Body changes:

Bigger breasts, breaking out badly this week, with slight melasma on my face, which I've had since the start of this pregnancy but forgot to mention. Hard nails which is great. My legs are not as muscular anymore because I'm not working out as much anymore.

Sleep: 

Not great. My lower back pain is still there, but it's a little better. I still use pillows and move around a lot at night, which wakes me up and interrupts my sleep.

Best moment this week: 

Going to Doctor's and seeing the little nugget on ultra sound and of coursing hearing the heart beat again! At first he or she was sleeping peacefully and then suddenly woke up, dancing around a lot. It looked like the baby has Brad's legs...long and leggy haha.

Gender: 

I said girl but then suddenly I felt boy and now I'm thinking girl again only because my skin is terrible right now. I can't decide with this one...

Food Cravings / Aversions: 

I do not have an aversion towards fish but I am certainly not craving it. I eat mostly pasta, veggie and meat lately. I cut down on the dairy as well (ok, except chocolate but no more yoghurt at the moment...that craving passed). I've been craving sour things...like yesterday I made my yummy endive, hearts of palm, granny smith apple, banana, with parmesan cheese in a lemon (mostly), olive oil, dijon mustard, and a touch of sugar dressing. Yumm! I could have eaten that again today. I don't remember craving acidity and sour things as much with Maia but I'm not sure. In the mornings I eat bread (challah bread) with swiss honey that we brought over. To die for. Eggs I don't really crave anymore. I started drinking coffee again 1/2 cup in the mornings. Orange juice is what I desperately crave in the morning and that has been since day 1 of my pregnancy...same with Maia.

What I miss:

SUSHI. SUSHI. SUSHI.

Symptoms:

Feeling a little tired this week but that could be the jet lag as well. I can barely stay up past 9pm but then I'm wide awake at 6am. Lower back pain, still.

Movement: 

No.

What I am looking forward to:

Dinner with my love this weekend...celebrating our 8 years of togetherness :)

Milestones: 

getting the nursery ready....moving out all the stuff in that room will be a challenge...because where do we put it? Our garage is running out of space lol...we may just need a bigger house ;)

Thought of the week: 

So happy I submitted my chapter 5 today. Yippie!

Week 11 Update

Total weight gain:

Not sure...

Body changes:

Bigger breasts, harder nails, and thicker hair. Breaking out a little.

Sleep: 

Better. My back is not hurting as much.

Best moment this week: 

Being in Switzerland!

Gender: 

I'm not sure anymore...

Food Cravings / Aversions: 

Cheese, pasta, bread, chocolate...all the yummy things you find in Switzerland :)

What I miss:

Taking a bath.

Symptoms:

Prego brain. Emotional at times.

Movement: 

Nah.

What I am looking forward to:

Next week's ultra sound :)

Milestones: 

Final Defense.

Thought of the week: 

I sure did miss the Swiss mountains! 

Week 10 Update

Total weight gain:

Not sure...haven't stood on a scale since my last doc appt. ....

Body changes:

Belly expanding. Skin still not great, but better. Hard nails and good hair.

Sleep: 

Not good at all. My lower back has been bothering me so bad at night! So frustrating, I keep tossing and turning. I can only sleep with a pillow between my legs and if I am on my back, the pillow needs to me placed under my knees. It's not convenient because I tend to move around in bed, making the pillows annoying to move around. When I get back from vacation, I am going to go to acupuncture. I heard that helps for what I have. I am a believer in acupuncture, it certainly helped put me into labor with Maia.

I read that the type of lower back pain I am experiencing only at night, is often caused by....second pregnancy....runners...and bad posture...ding ding ding....

Best moment this week: 

Laughing and giggling with my sweet heart, Maia. She is so funny and cute, I can't get enough of her.

AND

Having an adult lunch date with my loving hubby. He looked so sexy when we met on Lincoln Road. We went to the new taco joint Hua'Hua's and it was sooo good! It was really nice to have some alone time that morning, do some shopping and then meet Brad for lunch.

Gender: 

I'm going with girl...and I think I'm sticking with it LOL

Food Cravings / Aversions: 

Anything salty and sweet.

What I miss:

Taking a bath. I was so jealous of Brad when I smelled the L'Occitane Lavender bath oil I had just picked up for us the other day, lingering in the bath water...aaahhhh I just wanted to jump in!

Symptoms:

Have I mentioned lower back pain at night? ;)

Nothing else really, I've been feeling really good, sometimes I have to remind myself that I am actually pregnant ;)

Movement: 

Too early.

What I am looking forward to:

Vacation.

Milestones: 

Can't think of anything...

Thought of the week: 

I made garlic, lemon parmesan Kale salad for the first time today and it was freaking delicious and healthy! I also received the Pioneer Woman's second cook book that I had ordered. Love that woman. She is funny and witty. I looked through her entire cook book, fascinated by the recipes and all the pictures of her ranch and country living. A girl can dream, right?