The Hogie Bun: 2012

26 weeks

The Hogie Bun at 26 weeks

Total Weight Gain: Since August 21st I've gained a total of 23 pounds. Since my last visit two weeks ago, I gained a total of 4 pounds. I think walking with Tako (mom's dog) has helped me with all of holiday treats I've been tempted to eat.

Baby's Update: His heartbeat is about 147 bmp. Measurement of the hogie bun is at 26cm, so it's right on with how far along I am. At first i didn't think my hogie bun had grown but apparently it has by 2cm.

Movement: Yes, he moves quite a bit. At times I don't feel him as much, but when he wants to move, he makes sure I notice!

Discomfort: My main discomfort is the lack of quality sleep that I have been experiencing these last two weeks. My hips feel very sore when I go to bed. I've tried pretty much every position available including pillows etc... I've been sleeping in a sitting position which has helped relief some of my hips discomfort but then my lower lumbar/spine or something along that area starts to bother me. It's a lose lose situation and part of the package, so I'm told.

My next experiment is to stretch before going to bed. Sounds easy, but then once it's time for it, I either make an excuse or I forget to do it! Hopefully, I start making it a habit.

My other discomforts include heel and knee "pain" more like uncomfortableness every now and then. If I go for a walk or I am on my feet for like 45 min. things just start to feel heavy and quite uncomfortable. I haven't experienced any swollen hands, feet, etc... so I am thinking it's just the amount of weight on them. We'll see how things progress.

Bellybutton: still not popping out, but I think within the next couple of weeks it might begin to pop!

Looking Forward to: Relaxing and enjoying my time off from work!

24 weeks

The Hogie Bun at 24 weeks

Total Weight Gain: Probably 20+ since my last visit to the doctor. Our next appointment will be on the 27th which will give me a more accurate gain amount. Hopefully, nothing astronomical, but who knows!

Baby's Update: About the size of an ear of corn, probably weighing 1 lb ++. Length: ~ almost a foot

Movement: Yes, at times it's pretty strong and there are other times, where it's just more subtle

Discomfort: I haven't had the most pleasant last two days. It looks like I am starting to get a cold. Yesterday, I think was one of my most uncomfortable days thus far. I felt like a complete whale and just couldn't move easily, my body ached all over, my hips felt really sore, and the baby was also pressing on my sciatic nerve again, not to mention the lack of air going through my nostrils and the watery eyes which just made it even more uncomfortable.

Bellybutton: a bit flatter

Skin changes: nothing major but some here and there

Looking Forward to: Considering I am not feeling my best, I am looking forward to the next couple days off of work and then coming back for a very short week until next year. I'm also looking forward on working on some decorations for the baby shower and some overdue relaxation time.

23 weeks

The Hogie Bun at 23 weeks

Total Weight Gain: A whopping total of 20 pounds! The Hogie Bun measured at 22 centimeters as of Monday.

I am not sure if I mentioned this in a previous post, but the past few weeks I have been extremely thirsty which can be a sign of gestational diabetes. Considering that I have diabetes on my paternal side of the family, they recommended I take this test early in order to make adjustments ahead of time if need be.

My blood glucose levels came back normal, so that was a relief. They will however have me retake it at 28 weeks which is when most people get tested just to make sure.

Baby's Update: About the size of a large mango, probably weighing 1 lb ++. Heart beat as of Monday afternoon 142 bpm.

Movement: The movements continue. There are times when I don't feel the baby move often during the day which sometimes concerns me and keeps me thinking, but then there are those times, when he is just having a dancing party in there and is wondering why we are not joining him!
I asked the doctor if this was normal, and her response was that until the 27~28 week is when she will ask to start keeping track of the baby's movements, etc... but for now, it's OK if I am not constantly feeling the baby move all the time. Good to know!

Discomfort: Not enough to complain about it, but lately my coccyx has experienced some discomfort but apparently it's all part of the package.

Bellybutton: same as last week

Looking Forward to: Registering in the near future and working on some craft decorations for the baby shower during my time off this holiday season. Right now we are focusing on researching and figuring out which products are the ones that we feel are best for our baby.

22 weeks

The Hogie Bun at 22 weeks

Total Weight Gain: 13 lbs & 12 oz. + ?? I have a doctor's appointment this coming Monday so I will keep you posted on the total gain! Hopefully, just the right amount. I am still eating some ice cream and cheese here and there, but not as often as I was before. I've also started to increase my walks with Danielson!

For those of you not living in Wisconsin, the weather has finally started to feel like December weather. For this time of the year, we have been spoiled with some wonderful relatively warm/comfortable weather. However, this week has certainly felt like Christmas is just around the corner. The temperature dropped from 60 degrees over the weekend to about 15-25 degrees this week. So you can imagine what the wind chill is like?!!? (~~just lovely~~).
Walking in this weather is like getting natural free botox!

I must admit that it is hard to get out there and get the walks in after work, but my hubby does a good job at pushing me out the door :). Overall, we really enjoy our walks even if they are cold ones. It's our time to reflect on our day and talk about "future dreams/plans" without interruptions. VERY ENJOYABLE!

Baby's Update: 11 inches (length of a spaghetti squash) and 1 lb 1oz +

Movement: Lots of it! I think we might have a little swimmer brewing. The baby's strongest movements are felt during the AM around 8:30 or so, and towards the evening. This past week, Dan was able to feel the baby make some strong movements. Strong enough that you could sort of see them.

Discomfort: So far so good! The baby sometimes likes to press on my sciatic nerve which gives me some discomfort, but then I ask him to move and since I am a great pretender in thinking that he is listening, he moves and I am all better!

Bellybutton: almost flat, but not quite there yet.

Looking Forward to: Now that we know we are expecting a BOY, we are looking forward to start working on the baby's room little by little. We are currently renting a Condo and the walls are painted with a green shade color and a darker brown/dark olive green accent color on one of the walls. Therefore, we are not going to spend money and repaint it as this is not our forever home. Eventually we will decorate it how we really like it, but for now that's our plan.

Another thing we are looking forward is naming our baby boy! We have some options, but have yet to make a decision. We'll keep you posted!

21 weeks

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

So thankful for our little bundle of joy!

Total Weight Gain: Last doctor's visit 13 lbs & 12 oz. I don't think I've gained any additional weight this week. In fact, since I heard the total number, I started to slow down on the bad foods and started to focus more on eating more of the healthy foods. That doesn't necessarily mean I laid off on all "yummy stuff" I've just limited it's frequency and portions.

The Hogie Bun at 21 weeks

Baby's Update: At 20 weeks and 4 days, the baby's heartbeat was 156 bpm, weighing 1 lb. and 1 oz.
As mentioned in the previous update, baby is doing great and pretty active inside the Hogie Bun!

On another note, while we were having our 20 week ultrasound and after they told us it was going to be a baby boy. The baby was constantly moving his little arms and legs. At one point the baby did a "hi" hand movement, which of course, we were very excited and assumed he was waving at us. As first time parents, I think we were both experiencing a lot of "aww moments" and smiling from ear to ear with whatever we saw him doing.

However, there was a time during the ultrasound when the baby was really working his little arms and moving them in a forward motion (up and down) and Dan said "look at him, his practicing his quarterback moves", well sure enough a little bit after that comment, the baby ended up making a hand motion that resembled a #1 with his little fingers. See picture below. It was the cutest thing!

Footprint & Our Irish Burrito letting us know he is #1

What features will our Irish Burrito have?

Mommy & Daddy's Baby Pictures

Discomfort: I haven't had much discomfort these days. Every now and then the baby will press on my sciatic nerve, but then eventually move, giving me some relief. Other than that pretty comfortable.

We are looking to do some Black Friday shopping, so we'll see how comfortable I feel during and after shopping. Wish me luck!

Skin Changes: normal

Bellybutton: not much change since last time

Looking Forward to: Finding some great deals and saving some money!

Predictor Tests: It's official, all those wives tales are fun to test but not accurate and obviously 50/50. Most of my tests came up as our baby being a girl, and only a couple of them being a boy. Sure enough, the way you carry high/low or the fact that your face might look "fuller" does not matter either. BUT IT'S ALWAYS FUN TO KEEP GUESSING! at least up until a certain point!

We're Thankful For...

We're thankful for the basics:

food, clothing and comfortable shelter;

the rest is a bountiful bonus.

We're thankful for work, play, and the treasured people

who make these experiences richer and more meaningful.

We're most thankful for family and friends,

especially the dear friends who are and have always been there for us!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Snap Shot

We went to our 20 week ultrasound and we are very happy to let you know that our Irish Burrito is growing proportionally and everything appears to be developing properly. It was a very neat experience to see our baby so active, considering there are times when I don't get to feel all the movements the baby is doing.

As a first time mom, one tends to over analyze everything that one is reading, as well as what everyone is telling you, that it can sometimes make you wonder if everything is going the way it should be. The ultrasound was very reassuring and it certainly has given us some peace of mind. Overall, we are very very happy!

Our Irish Burrito in the Hogie Bun at 20 weeks

Irish Burrito close up

Stay tuned for Thanksgiving Reveal Day!

20 weeks

HALFWAY THERE!

The Hogie Bun at 20 weeks

Total Weight Gain: 13 lbs & 12 oz. Once I heard that number I thought, OH BOY! I better lay off the cheese and ice cream a bit, otherwise I will still be rolling out of the hospital after the baby is born!

I will say that I used to take more frequent walks when it was warmer, but now that it's colder it has gotten more difficult to get out. Dan is pretty good at encouraging me to get out there and we go on long walks together, which I actually enjoy a lot. Yesterday, we went for a 2.75 mi walk and took some hills, great way to get my heart rate up! Thanks Danielson!

Baby's Update: Heartbeat this past week was 157 bpm, weighs about 10 1/2 oz.

Movement: Yes, mostly feels like a small push, although lately, it has sort of felt like a tickle/flutter, one of the times it actually made me laugh a bit... sounds ridiculous but I felt the need to chuckle.

Discomfort: My lower back hasn't been as much of an issue these days. However, after talking to the Dr. and explaining I have had some discomfort on my right upper leg when i walked or did certain movements, it sounds like the baby might be pressing on my sciatic nerve, which run down the spine and into the pelvis and upper leg area.

Apparently this is very common during the second and third trimesters, when the baby is larger and in a lower position in the abdomen. I asked the Dr. how I should treat it and when she thought it would go away. Her response was well unless the baby moves, you can have that until you are in labor! OH GREAT! Then she recommended to either ice it or use a heating pad to ease up the pain. Soooo.... there you have it! I feel I am a little wobbly from time to time just because of this lovely nerve being pinched!

Here is another kicker! Yesterday I experienced a lovely cramp on my left calf in the middle of the night. Granted I have had many experiences from cramping muscles at night in previous years, but trying to "jump" out of bed when you are surrounded by pillows/blankets and a belly in between is much more difficult than you think. Overall, I managed to put some pressure on the leg and stretch it out. I was making some noise but Dan was sound asleep like it was all quiet... I think we all know who is the one that's going to be getting up in the middle of the night....

Skin Changes: pretty normal

Bellybutton: almost flat, but there is still some indentation :)

Looking Forward to: Finding out the gender of our little Irish Burrito. Is it a BOY or GIRL??? ~ ONE MORE WEEK ~

19 weeks

The Hogie Bun at 19 weeks

Baby's growth: weighs about 8 1/2 oz.

Size of a large heirloom tomato

Total weight gain: Not 100% sure. I don't feel like I've gained much more than last week, so I still think that perhaps a total of 10 lbs.

Movement: I have felt some movement this past week. Mostly below my bellybutton and to the sides of the bellybutton. I think it might be the baby, just because there are times in which I can tell that I am digesting and those mostly feel more towards the rest of my stomach and are not necessarily concentrated in one area. Then again, I am not a 100% I am correct, but I like to think that it's the baby moving.

Discomfort: my lower back and hips have been a bit of an issue. I feel they are stretching, therefore, anyway I sit, lay or sometimes stand has caused some discomfort. Massaging the areas do not help, but eventually the discomfort goes away. I also think that my balance is sort of getting a little wacky at times. So there are times when I feel like I lean more towards one of my sides than the other when standing just so that I don't fall over...

Skin changes: I got ONE pimple on my face! It's gone and now it's just drying out! Other than that, we are nice and clear.

Bellybutton: the flattening and stretching continues, not so different looking than last week.

Gender Prediction: Well, those of you who know me, must know that the anticipation of not knowing what we are brewing is really getting to me. As I've mentioned on previous posts, we have tried most of the wives tales. They are fun to try and at the same time they keep you guessing. Last week, we took a quiz with all of the questions and it said that we were expecting a boy. Well, this week, I found a new test that's safer than the Drano test. This test involved two items, "yellow natural liquid" and a teaspoon of baking soda.

The test mentioned to pour a teaspoon of baking soda into the cup with the liquid and if it fizzles like a soda or beer = boy and if it doesn't do anything = girl. So, needless to say we tried it in the afternoon and the results where = girl (no fizzle). Then again, I tried it in the early morning thinking perhaps there wasn't enough concentration :). The results again = no fizzle = girl. So, what do YOU think we are having a BOY or a GIRL??!! ??

Side note: All three of us are doing great thus far! Dad-to-be has been extremely supportive and sensitive, and understanding of all of my roller coaster emotions (I feel like crying quite often for no reason), and best of all super helpful around the house (like always) but let's face it's no surprise there = he is SUPER HUBBY soon to be SUPER DAD. Thank you for always keeping us in your prayers, that means a lot to us!

18 weeks

The Hogie Bun at 18 weeks

Baby's growth: about the length of a bell pepper, weighs about 7 oz.

Total weight gain: Not 100% sure. I feel like I've gained at least 10 lbs because I am starting to feel "fuller"

Movement: It is still a little hard to distinguish the baby's movements from digestion, but about a day ago, I thought I might have felt the baby move. Very tiny flutter nothing major, but I suppose as the baby grows, I will be able to for sure know if it's the baby.

Discomfort: my lower back has been hurting me a bit, and so has my upper back. I blame the growing belly and the growing upper front extremities, if you know what I mean.

Skin Changes: none

Bellybutton: looks flatter and stretched out

Cute/FYI Note: We always do the sign of cross to each other in Spanish before we leave the house as we say "Que Dios Te Bendiga" (Translation: "May God Bless You"). My Grandpa & Grandma would always say that to us when we left their house or said Good Bye, so I taught that to Dan and so now it's just something we do. So now that we have a little Irish Burrito in the Hogie Bun, he also does the cross to the Hogie Bun, and finishes at the belly button. Well today, he had a hard time finding it because it is flatter than before. It was cute!

Gender Prediction: the mixture of feelings continues. I did however, tried yet another silly gender predictor web thingy. This one asked you questions such as, whether you were carrying high/low, if you partner was also gaining weight with you, if you were having to use your razor more than usual, if you were getting acne, etc... Based on my responses, it predicted that we were having a BOY! So back to 50/50 my friends! November 19th, if baby cooperates the suspense of the brewing Irish Burrito will be revealed!

17 weeks

Irish Burrito at 17 weeks

Baby's growth: size of an onion

Total weight gain: Not 100% sure probably a total of 5 -to 8 lbs

Movement: none I think. It's hard to determine if my stomach is digesting or if it's actually the baby

Food Cravings: none. The Halloween candy looks very appealing, so I eat it, but if I didn't see, I will probably not crave it. I still crave more salty/sour foods than anything else.

Discomfort: stretching

Skin Changes: none

Bellybutton: looks a little bit more stretched out

Gender Prediction: it's a mixture of feelings, I still think it's a boy, our friends are 50/50, and Dan has yet to let me know what he thinks the baby will be, all he says is he wants it to be healthy :) we all do of course!

New this week:

Our hunt for a versatile furniture piece continues...
We have decided to know the gender of the baby come November 19th, if the baby cooperates
Starting to research cribs and car seats. If any of you have suggestions, those are always welcome

Baby Love

Our little Irish Burrito is already very loved, not only by us, but by all of our family and friends who remind us to start telling the baby that everyone already loves him/her and that they keep him/her in their prayers so everything continues to go well, and that they can't wait to meet him/her. We are truly so blessed to have such a supportive family/friends even when they are scattered all across the world.

Below are some cute little items that our family and friends have already bought/made for our little bundle of joy.

Let the planning begin...

A quick 411 on our status! This past weekend Dan and I headed out looking for a furniture piece that we could turn into a functional multipurpose/changing table. Dan as some of you know, loves to be a handy man and took some wood classes back in high school. Not to brag about Dan (actually why not).... but he also finished my mom's basement which has gotten a lot of compliments.

All mom's and dad's ideally would like for everything to be PERFECT for when their new baby arrives. From the nursery decor to the outfit that they are going to be bringing the baby home from the hospital. I am sure all you parents would say, "babies don't need much when they are that little", and yes, we understand that and that's where "we", well specifically "me" needs to constantly come back to REALITY and process what is a WANT vs a NEED.

As a soon to be new mom with a planning mode brain, I would love to get everything I like, but let's face it, we don't have the space nor the money to spend on things that are not something we need. So, during this mental process that I am constantly going thru, I started to think of ideas of how we can best get those WANTS without forking out too much money while still satisfying those NEEDS.

Us being new to this parent club, started to put our THINKING CAPS ON and began to focus on the items that we would purchase vs items that we can refinish and turn into functional nursery furniture pieces. So, our first project is to find as mentioned above, a functional piece of furniture that we could use for several things, including a changing table. I realize that I can change the baby on the bed/floor etc.. but I still need a place to store baby items so why not make it a multipurpose piece. Below are some images of what I am envisioning this piece of furniture to resemble once completed.

Project#1 - Finding a piece of furniture that we could refinish and resembles something similar to the pieces above.

We made a few stops at different places to see what our options were, but we haven't found anything worth refinishing (YET). We'll continue our hunt in the coming weeks. If you know of a place that we should look into, please don't hesitate to let us know! Suggestions are ALWAYS welcomed!

16 weeks

Thank you very much for all of the feedback and advice that I have received about this blog, I really appreciate it. I know some of you have asked me to write something every day. Let's face it, that is going to be tough to do. Not because it's hard, but it's just time consuming, and we all know that we would love a few extra hours a day just to get everything we have on our TO DO list taken care of, but there are only 24hrs. Therefore, I will try to update the blog 2 times a week to start with and see if I start getting in the "groove" of making it a habit (no promises).

The Hogie Bun at 16 weeks

Baby's growth: about the size of an avocado - measures 4 1/2 inches long & weights about 3 1/2 oz.

Total weight gain: 5. 7 lbs

Movement: none

Food Cravings: nothing specific. If you know me, I LOVE CHEESE, so quesadillas with pepper jack cheese is something I can eat for breakfast, lunch and dinner. For those in the USA, I know quesadillas are served more elaborate with chicken, steak etc... but in Mexico, a quesadilla is a simple corn or flour tortilla (I recommend corn) with cheese and that's it!

Discomfort: some round ligament stretching here and there

Skin Changes: none

Bellybutton: I think it looks a little wider and sort of stretched out to the sides, but again, this could just be me over analyzing my bellybutton and trying to see if anything has changed lately

Gender Prediction: I still lean more towards a boy than a girl, in part because I am having a hard time picturing a girl.

BUT let's face it every pregnant woman has a big curiosity as to what gender the baby will be. YES, I AM ONE OF THEM! So, I have tried the following gender predictors thus far:

Chinese Calendar with both, the day of delivery and conception date, and they both come out as our baby being a girl.

Wedding Ring : This is an odd one, because I feel like it switches all the time from girl to boy. I've done this one tons of times!!! FYI. However, my mom tried it this past weekend and when she did it, it was going in full motion, wide circles = girl, but when Dan did it, it was going full motion, side to side = boy. When I do it on myself I feel like it switches from one to the other, starting with boy then to girl and vice versa. Needless to say, it's fun to keep guessing but we all know it's just a wives tale.

Drano : pending

New this week:

This past weekend I ended up getting a full blown cold. We are talking full congestion, watery eyes, sneezing, coughing, sore throat, etc... I felt like it came out of nowhere, Friday I was feeling great with lots of energy, around 7:30PM I started to feel stuffy and had an itchy throat, by dinner I was just feeling blah and congested and after that the weekend was pretty much taken over by this cold. I would say it's a bit uncomfortable to not be able to take any medicine or supplement drops for my sore throat, but I managed.

I took a trip down memory lane and thought of the things that my mom used to give/make me when I was sick (home remedy stuff).

Homemade chicken broth soup with fresh cooked chicken & cubed potatoes, lime and fresh cilantro to top it off! ONE OF THE BEST!
In addition to, a homemade limonada (lemonade made with limes: limeade) which I then heated up and drank it little by little which assisted with some of the congestion and sore throat!

Overall, I've been feeling much better! Work has been pretty understanding, but then again, my work hasn't been affected by my pregnancy. My main coworkers have been pretty supportive and ask me how I am feeling, which makes me feel appreciated. My other coworkers which I see in the lunch room everyday, but don't necessarily talk to as much (mostly because I don't work with them directly) are probably just thinking I am getting fat!

In fact, yesterday I saw two coworkers which I normally see and talk to at least once a day while they get their coffee. As I was talking in the break room about pregnancy with another of my coworkers, one of them turned around and said "Wait, you are pregnant?!!??". This makes me wonder how many of my other coworkers probably do think that I am just getting FAT! Mind you that these two girls are super "earthy" if you know what I mean, so now that they both know, I feel like I am being judged on what I eat and drink every time they see me in the break room.

Happy Thirsty Thursday Everyone!

There is one thing I miss.... a nice cold beer while watching football!

15 weeks

The Hogie Bun at 15 weeks

Baby's growth: about the size of an apple - measures 4 inches long & weights about 2 2/12 oz.

Total weight gain: 5. 7 lbs

Movement: none

Food Cravings: salty & sour foods

Discomfort: some heartburn & headaches, as well as some ligament stretching

Skin Changes: some acne just here and there, nothing major

Bellybutton: no change

Gender Prediction: boy, for some reason I am having a hard time picturing a girl, but you never know what we are brewing!

New this week:

Baby's heartbeat: from 167 (10 weeks) to 147 (14 weeks)

Overall, I've really started to notice a bump throughout the day. At first it was mostly just at night, but now it looks like it's there to stay. My regular jeans are snug on the hips and pretty uncomfortable to wear. I've tried the belly band and although it works while I'm standing I didn't find it very comfortable while sitting down (it kept rolling up). Perhaps I need to wait a little longer until my bump gets bigger. I've also tried the rubber-band, and it worked for a while but then it kept falling.

I did however, found a gem at Kohl's. I decided to peek at their maternity options and found skinny maternity jeans in the clearance rack. They were originally marked at $69.99, marked down to $19.99 but when I went to check out, they were a total of $6.00. Best maternity buy so far! Super comfortable and look great with boots!

Our New Adventure

The Hogie Bun at 7 weeks

An early ultrasound was taken in order to determine

if we were having twins due to my high HCG levels.

Delivering the News

Dan (New Dad)

A quick background note, I had a hunch that I might be pregnant when things were not acting and arriving in the time they were supposed to. It was then that I decided to consult Dr. Google and research my symptoms. After a long night of sleep I decided to test out what I thought could be a possibility. Sure enough, the test was strongly positive!

Dan had a very important meeting that morning and I decided not to tell him until later that afternoon, so that he can be focused during his meeting. By this time, I was in shock to say the least. Throughout the whole day I kept forgetting and then remembering what had happened that morning. As the day went on, I met with the doctor and got confirmation and verification that everything was moving along and that I was 4 weeks pregnant.

That afternoon, while Dan was playing softball, I went on a shopping "hunt" to find the best way to deliver the BIG NEWS to Dan. I came up with a combination of golf references and some other baby items. The video below is how I ended up delivering the news.

The golf references say: Tee Up, Hole in One, & Nice Shot!

Mom C.

This will be my mom's first grandchild. In telling my mom, we decided to involve Tako, my mom's Goldendoodle. I am an only child and I view Tako as my little doggy baby, therefore, we bought and put this cute bandana from Etsy that said "I'm Going to be a Big Brother e.t.a. 4.4.13" on Tako and had him deliver the BIG NEWS.

Mom & Dad H.

Although, Mom and Dad H. already have three beautiful grand-daughters, Mom H. insisted that we were lagging behind and wondered when Dan and I will get moving! Since our wedding 3 years ago, Mom H. has been wanting pictures of our wedding. For one reason or another, I kept forgetting and then lost the CD etc... We delivered the news by printing some images of our wedding and added a picture of our ultrasound in between them to deliver the news.