This past Sunday was officially my 2nd Mother's Day. When I woke up and went downstairs I found a beautiful bouquet of tulips (my favorite) from my sweet Bella...and there was a little box next to them from my hubby...he got me my new perfume - Miss Dior (I LOVE it.) I was then told to just relax while Stephen and Bella went to grab coffee and bagels. I was able to catch up on the latest Grey's episodes - probably not the best show to watch on Mother's Day, since every episode has a major downer...but, hey - I still watch it.
After breakfast, we got ready and headed over to my parents house for lunch. Derek, Kris & the kids met us there and the boys cooked for all of the girls - it was perfect. We wanted to do something at home this year, and not have to worry about the crowds at all of the restaurants, plus the girls were able to play in the backyard. I got another gift from Bella (with a little help from her aunt and uncle) - she finger painted this lovely picture for me, and also took some hand prints - in the center of the frame there was a poem (I'll have to write it down later), it made me cry...
My parents got me a picnic basket, and my mom filled it up with all of the necessities that I would need...it's very cool - I've always wanted one. I am going to pack a few things in there and we're headed to the beach for lunch one day this weekend, yay!
I'll have to come back and post a few other pictures, but this one was taken of my mom, myself, and Bella...I love this picture. Bella will love having this when she's older, I'm sure.
and here's the 25 week photo - no chalk board picture this week...instead you get to see a picture of our perfect little family (although Ethan is hiding in my belly!)...he'll be here soon! I love the look on Bella's face!
Some updates for lil' E this week - we had a doctor's appointment (just the normal routine visit). Listened to his heart - it sounds amazing :) and oh, I gained another 7 pounds! yikes! I seriously need to S L O W it down a bit with this whole weight gaining craziness! I have to go sometime next week to take my glucose test to make sure that my sugar levels are on track. I'm not a big fan of this test - first of all, you have to fast, so no food or drink (except water after 6:00pm the night before), then you have to drink this nasty flat orange soda tasting stuff that makes you want to barf....then you have to sit and wait for 1 hour to let the drink go through your system before you get your blood work done. It's a long process...
Tuesday, May 15, 2012
Monday, May 14, 2012
week 24
Again, another fast week...I wish my work days went by this quick! We went to the Clipper game on Monday night, it was a playoff game, so the entire Staples Center was full. It was me, Stephen, Derek and Kristen...we were up in the very top section, I was afraid that I was going to fall it was that high. The music was so loud, and everyone was screaming and yelling - Ethan was going nuts in my belly! It was a great game though, they ended up having to go to overtime - I was NOT excited about that, considering my bed time is 9:00pm, and we were there until 11:00...ahhh!!! But, they won.
The closer we get to delivery day - the more anxious I get. I need to start meditating or doing yoga or something to take all of my stress away. It's bad for my health, and not only that, but Ethan can sense my anxiety too. I am really happy that I am doing this weekly chalkboard update - it's fun to look back on the beginning weeks and compare them to now....
The closer we get to delivery day - the more anxious I get. I need to start meditating or doing yoga or something to take all of my stress away. It's bad for my health, and not only that, but Ethan can sense my anxiety too. I am really happy that I am doing this weekly chalkboard update - it's fun to look back on the beginning weeks and compare them to now....
week 23
This week has just flown by! We are now able to see our little guy moving around from outside of my clothes. This part amazes me - the thought of him just swimming around inside my belly is just a trip. For now, he's got a lot of space to move around, but in a few more weeks his living space is going to get tight. The only thing that I can complain about now is my constant back pain...it NEVER goes away. I can never seem to get in a comfortable position, whether I'm lying down, sitting, or standing up - it just always hurts. Another (small) complaint is the heartburn - it sucks, but I'm able to control it with my Maalox. We are almost in the 3rd trimester, I can't believe it!
Week 23 - baby is now the length of a pomegranate
Here are some cool facts about the baby at week 23:
· His little face is fully formed – minus the fat of course.
· His sense of movement is well developed by now, he can feel when I dance J
· Blood vessels in his lungs are developing to prepare for breathing, and the sounds that his increasingly keen ears pick up are preparing him for entry into the outside world. Loud noises that become familiar now – such as a dog barking, the vacuum cleaner (or his sister’s voice) – won’t faze him when he’s here.
A few updates from the mommy-to-be...
How far along? 23 weeks 5 days
Total weight gain/loss: 9 pounds.
Maternity clothes? Yep.
Stretch marks? Yes.
Sleep: could be better – I’m just super sore all the time, between my back pain and the pressure (down there.)
Best moment this week: we can now see him moving around from the outside of my belly – it’s so crazy to think that he’s living in there now, just swimming around in his “man cave”.
Miss Anything? Wine – STILL.
Movement: LOTS.
Food cravings: sweets – my take on this…he’s going to be a very sweet boy.
Anything making you queasy or sick: nope.
Have you started to show yet: ohhhh yes.
Gender prediction: boy.
Labor Signs: No
Belly Button in or out? It’s flat.
Wedding rings on or off? On
Happy or Moody most of the time: Happy!
Weekly Wisdom: call the chiropractor – I still have not done this.
Looking forward to: stepping into my 3rd trimester…only a few more weeks to go.
Friday, May 11, 2012
22 weeks.
22 is Stephen's favorite number - it has been his baseball number for years, and it might just end up being worn on the back of Ethan's jersey's (we'll see). On April 22nd (in my 22nd week), we were all laying in bed watching Sunday cartoons (aka Mickey Mouse Clubhouse) and I told Stephen that Ethan had kept me up all night because he was moving all night long. So, he put his hand on my belly and BAM! Ethan finally moved so that his daddy could feel him...that made Stephen's day. Our little E is a mover and a shaker, he's doing a few dances in my belly, kicking my bladder here and there (not cool). I'm just so thrilled that Stephen finally felt him, by far - the BEST moment of the week!
Week 22 - baby is now the length of a spaghetti squash
Here are some cool facts about the baby at week 22:
· His lips, eyelids, and eyebrows are becoming more distinct, and he's even developing tiny tooth buds beneath his gums.
· His eyes have formed, but his irises (the colored part of the eye) still lack pigment.
· If you could see inside your womb, you'd be able to spot the fine hair (lanugo) that covers his body and the deep wrinkles on his skin, which he'll sport until he adds a padding of fat to fill them in.
· Inside his belly, his pancreas — essential for the production of some important hormones — is developing steadily.
A few updates from the mommy-to-be...
How far along? 22 weeks 4 days
Total weight gain/loss: okay, here’s the big one – I went to see Dr. Chu on Monday (4/23/12) and I gained 7 pounds! (that’s since my last visit, 4 weeks ago)…that brings my grand total up to 9 pounds so far for this pregnancy. It was expected for me to gain this much at this appointment, but when you see 7 pounds all you think is – s**t.
Maternity clothes? Of course.
Stretch marks? Yes.
Sleep: tossing and turning a lot throughout the night.
Best moment this week: got to get a quick little glimpse of him on the monitor at Dr. Chu’s office, he’s getting BIG! And Stephen FINALLY got to feel him move! It was awesome.
Miss Anything? Oh just the typical, wine, wine, and wine….I don’t have a drinking problem (one would think that by reading my blog), but I do love wine. I miss having a nice glass of red wine with dinner – very badly.
Movement: LOTS.
Food cravings: CHOCOLATE – this is a very, very bad thing!
Anything making you queasy or sick: nope.
Have you started to show yet: Yes – and it looks like I’m carrying twins!
Gender prediction: it has been officially confirmed (again) by Dr. Chu that he is ALL BOY.
Labor Signs: No
Belly Button in or out? IN.
Wedding rings on or off? On
Happy or Moody most of the time: Happy!
Weekly Wisdom: call the chiropractor.
Looking forward to: Stephen going to San Antonio for a week and leaving me and Bella….NOT. so, I’m looking forward to him coming home J
We took Miss Bella Boo to the Long Beach Aquarium this past weekend...she had so much fun! We went into that area where you can feed the birds, and one flew up on my shoulder and totally freaked me out. I look like I'm going to cry in one of the pictures. Bella's probably thinking - "ya, you're real tough mommy!" ha!
Tuesday, May 1, 2012
HALFWAY.
Woo hoo! The halfway mark is already here! I can’t believe it – this has gone by too fast. With Bella I would sit counting down the days until she arrived. That’s because I didn’t have another child to keep me occupied…now, I find myself chasing Bella around the house, reading books, coloring, playing with puzzles…and boom – 20 weeks have already passed. Here’s a little message for you Time – S L O W down.
This week has been very eventful. On Wednesday, Stephen dressed up like the Easter Bunny for all of the kids at daycare (Bella was NOT having that, she kept telling him ‘bye’.) Friday, we bought my Aunt and Uncle’s Expedition from them – now we have a car big enough for our growing family…Sunday was Easter, so we colored eggs with Bella and Kenzie on Saturday…let me just say that this year was very different from last year. Last Easter- me, Stephen, Derek and Kristen were doing most of the coloring because the girls were so little. This year it was all we seemed to do is watch to make sure that they didn’t dump all of the food coloring on the patio J. It’s pretty cool to watch them try new things – by the time we were done with coloring, Bella’s hands looked like the Hulk’s (she was all green!). The Easter Egg hunt was also a blast, the girls were running around everywhere looking for eggs – I can’t wait until little E can join in the activities…I have a feeling that him and his sister are going to be verrry competitive (just like me and Derek J)
On Monday, we had our 20 week anatomy scan to make sure that everything is measuring on track for Ethan. Stephen and my mom met me at the appointment – this particular appointment is longer only because they measure every major bone in the body and look at all of his organs. It’s great to sit there and watch this on the monitor – I’m amazed with modern medicine (I should have been a doctor!). Everything looked great, and he’s a big healthy boy! We were able to be a few great shots of his face in 3D – and I can already tell that he’s going to be a heartbreaker…seeing him just makes me want to hold him that much more – only 20 weeks to go!
Week 20 - baby is now the size of a c a n t a l o u p e
Here are some cool facts about the baby at week 20:
· Increased blood flow is making the pelvic area extra-sensitive, libido is re-surging, and the weight gain has just barely begun.
· He's also around 6 1/2 inches long from head to bottom and about 10 inches from head to heel, the length of a banana. He gulps down several ounces of amniotic fluid every day, both for nutrition and to practice swallowing and digestion - and these days, those taste buds actually work!
· He's also producing meconium, a black, sticky by-product of digestion. This gooey substance will accumulate in his bowels, and you'll see it in his first soiled diaper – fun stuff!
A few updates from the mommy-to-be...
How far along? 20 weeks 6 days
Total weight gain/loss: I only weigh at Dr. Chu’s office (this is a good thing) – so, it’s still been 2 pounds, although I’m definitely feeling larger these days…this belly is getting BIG.
Maternity clothes? Yessssssssss – on the plus side, I am still able to wear all of my shoes J my feet haven’t gotten fat…yet.
Stretch marks? the same ones :/
Sleep: what’s that? Haha! Kidding, I can’t complain since I go to bed every night at 9:00pm.
Best moment this week: LOTS – we had our 20 week anatomy scan and he’s perfect! ANNNND, we got to see his little face in 3D. (amazing).
Miss Anything? wine.
Movement: LOTS.
Food cravings: MEXICAN FOOD
Anything making you queasy or sick: nope.
Have you started to show yet: Yes.
Gender prediction: this is funny, the doctor that was doing the anatomy scan said, ‘Dr. Chu told you that you were having a girl?’ and we said, uhhh no…then he told us, “well that was just my first guess, I haven’t even made it down that far, I’m still measuring the head…” once he made it down to the ‘pee pee’ he said, “ohhhh yes – it’s a boy.” Thanks doc, for clearing that up.
Labor Signs: No
Belly Button in or out? In, I think it's working its way out though...hard to tell.
Wedding rings on or off? On
Happy or Moody most of the time: Happy!
Weekly Wisdom: there’s this exercise called walking – I need to do it.
Looking forward to: still waiting for daddy to feel this little guy move – COME ON ETHAN!!!.
Isn't it amazing how we can already see his face!? He looks so handsome, just like his daddy! Trust me, I've already compared his 20 week photo with Bella's, I think they look a lot alike :)
Easter Bunny (aka Daddy), Mommy and Bella...and Ethan's there too, he's just hiding in my belly...
The day we colored Easter eggs... (before her hands turned green!)
Finding Easter eggs with Daddy...
Monday, April 30, 2012
week 19.
By far, the best thing about pregnancy is getting to feel the baby move. It’s crazy to think that we are able to carry a LIFE inside our own body. Ethan has definitely been moving a lot more – and I can feel it now because he’s getting a lot bigger! I still can’t believe that I’m almost half way there! (actually, if you think about it, since I have to have a C-Section, I am officially ½ way there now because I am going to have the surgery 1 week before my actual due date). It’s fun to compare the pregnancies, with Bella – I had a LOT more energy and I seemed to carry all over (definitely more wide)…with Ethan, I have zero energy, and my belly is growing straight out…one thing’s for sure – is that both children caused TONS of heartburn! My nana always told me that if you have lots of heartburn during pregnancy your baby was going to have a full head of hair. That was true with Miss Bella, we’ll have to wait and see about Mr. E.
Week 19 - baby is now the size of a M A N G O.
Here are some cool facts about the baby at week 19:
- Vernix caseosa, a greasy white substance made of lanugo, oil, and dead skin cells (yum) now coats baby's skin, shielding it from the amniotic fluid.
- The hair on his scalp is sprouting
- baby's brain is designating specialized areas for smell, taste, hearing, vision, and touch.
- He can hear my voice now J what a lucky guy!
A few updates from the mommy-to-be...
How far along? 19
Total weight gain/loss: 2 pounds – so far :/
Maternity clothes? Yep
Stretch marks? the same ones :/
Sleep: finding myself tossing and turning a lot while I sleep, I can’t stay in the same position for too long because I start to get sore.
Best moment this week: feeling him move a lot more frequently…I can definitely tell that he’s growing!
Miss Anything? wine.
Movement: LOTS.
Food cravings: MEXICAN FOOD
Anything making you queasy or sick: nope.
Have you started to show yet: Yes.
Gender prediction: it was confirmed, we are having a BOY.
Labor Signs: No
Belly Button in or out? In, I think it's working its way out though...hard to tell.
Wedding rings on or off? On
Happy or Moody most of the time: Happy!
Weekly Wisdom: need to start drinking more water...lot's more.
Looking forward to: 20 week anatomy scan – we’ll get some great pictures.
Thursday, April 12, 2012
week 18.
There was no chalkboard picture taken this week- let's just say that the belly is right in between week 17 and week 19 - ha! Our big news this week is that we're having a little boy! I know, I know...we weren't supposed to find out - but my husband was having severe anxiety not knowing and he finally came clean and told me that it would really mean a lot to him to find out the sex. So, while we were at our 18 week appointment with Dr. Chu - he tells me that he really wants to have a son...I just looked at him and said, well- if this is a girl, you might not get a son because we're not sure if we are going to have a baby #3 :) That being said, he REALLY wanted to know the sex of the baby. I told him that we would flip a coin - heads we would find out, and tails he couldn't ask me anymore about it until delivery day...let's just say that heads won the toss. There would have been no fooling us though, as soon as Dr. Chu placed the ultrasound machine on my belly - all we saw were his boy parts! I couldn't believe it. Here this whole time I was convinced that we were having another girl. I'm not sure why, I just thought maybe that's what I was destined to have. But, seeing him up on that monitor and knowing that I would be able to have one of each, I felt like my perfect little family just got MORE perfect...Stephen was beyond excited; he's getting a son - every dad wants to have that 'father / son' relationship, and I'm happy he gets to have that. After we left our appointment we were both still in shock and decided that we wanted to tell the rest of the family our great news. With Isabella, we had a 'gender reveal party'...with Ethan we thought about it, but we didn't have much planning time so we were just planning on telling the family at the Conradi family party the following weekend. This meant that I had to keep this secret for an entire week! We ended up telling my parents via conference call on their way to Vegas - my mom would not have been able to wait, and she would have drove back from Vegas just to get it out of me. I'm sure you know now from this entry what his name is going to be...Ethan Gerald Conradi. We both love the name Ethan - it means, strong and firm. It also sounds great with Isabella :) Gerald is Stephen's dad's name. Stephen has his grandfather's first name for a middle name, and so he wanted to give his son - his grandfather's first name for a middle name. I love that we have decided to keep names from the family. Isabella's middle name is Joy (the same as my mom and also my Nana).
Big Sister's reaction to the big news...."Bella, you're getting a little brother!".....all she said was, "yes." it's like she already knew or something...haha!
now you know why I couldn't necessarily post this entry right away- I had to keep this secret until we told the rest of the family :) He's a picture of the 'boy' shot...it's as if he was sitting on a glass table and you were looking up.
Week 18 - baby is now the size of a sweet potato.
Here are some cool facts about the baby at week 18:
- yawning, hiccuping, sucking, and swallowing!
- He's about 5.6 inches long and keeps on growing rapidly
- Twisting, rolling, punching and kicking too! (I was already feeling little movements before this, but that's because I'm more inclined to feel them with the second pregnancy)
A few updates from the mommy-to-be...
How far along? 18 weeks 0 days
Total weight gain/loss: 2 pounds! (this is pretty amazing)
Maternity clothes? yes, although I can get away with wearing regular shirts; they are just a little tighter around the belly area.
Stretch marks? the same ones :/
Sleep: I have officially brought out the pregnancy pillow - let the side sleeping begin!
Best moment this week: we found out we're having a little BOY!!
Miss Anything? wine.
Movement: yes. just waiting for daddy to be able to feel it. Because of the location of my placenta, Stephen won't be able to feel him right away (it was the same with Bella).
Food cravings: MEAT.
Anything making you queasy or sick: nope.
Have you started to show yet: Yes.
Gender prediction: it was confirmed, we are having a BOY.
Labor Signs: No
Belly Button in or out? In, I think it's working its way out though...hard to tell.
Wedding rings on or off? On
Happy or Moody most of the time: Happy!
Weekly Wisdom: need to start drinking more water...lot's more.
Looking forward to: having daddy feel Ethan move.
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