23 Weeks!

23 weeks pregnant!

Baby this is the best week ever! Not only is it Christmas week, but you are becoming viable. I know that sounds negative and I'm sorry for worrying but this week has been what I've been waiting for! If something were to happen modern medicine could help save you, and that means the world to me. I love you so much and have come so attached to you I just couldn't bear to be without you.

How far along? 23 weeks

Total weight gain/loss: Up 5lbs

Baby's Fruit Size: Grapefruit

Sleep: Sleeping too much! I feel tired if I can't sleep in, oh well better get my sleep in now while I can

Best moment this week: Daddy getting to feel you kick. He was happy to finally feel you move. I think it's starting to feel even more real for us.

Miss Anything? Not right now.

Movement: Yes, not a ton but pretty regular movement, which is exciting!

Food cravings/aversions: Celery & Cucumbers have been my go to snack. I also am letting myself eat too many sweets, must be the season!

Symptoms: Kicks! Heartburn, and fatigue.

Signs of Labor: Thankfully none 

Looking forward to: Christmas, and celebrating with family!

Development:

At 23 weeks, baby's getting bigger -- she's about 10.5 to 11.8 inches long and weighs 12.7 to 20.8 ounces. Plus, she's getting cuter! Ears start to develop and her face and eyes are forming.

22 Weeks!

I'm sorry I skipped week 21, it was a busy week. But baby girl I'm so happy to be this much further along. Every week that goes by is one week closer I am to meeting you.

How far along? 22 weeks

Total weight gain/loss: Um I'm up 4lbs! How the heck did that happen?! I think you like Christmas cookies :)

Baby's Fruit Size: Spaghetti Squash

Sleep: Waking up most nights a few times either because of weird dreams or needing to use the potty but nothing too disrupting.

Best moment this week: Feeling you move, seriously I don't think I've ever smiled so large!

Miss Anything? Nyquil, I had an awful cold and could have really used the stuff.

Movement: Yes!! Some fishy type feeling and not a lot but on Dec 14th I definitely felt some kicks! I LOVE LOVE LOVE it!!

Food cravings/aversions: ChikFil-A breakfast. I'm glad I can only go once a week because they are closed on Sundays otherwise I would have gained twice what I did. I also really like cucumbers still.

Symptoms: Kicks! Heartburn, and fatigue.

Signs of Labor: Thankfully none 

Looking forward to: Finishing my Christmas shopping, and seeing you on the U/S again.

Your baby's brain is growing daily. Her senses are also starting develop. She can hear the sound of your heart along with your breathing. As she wiggles her fingers, she may touch her face or even suck her thumb. Her lungs are becoming more mature, and she even goes through the motions of breathing. She can also swallow, although she won't have her first real meal until delivery day.

20 weeks!

We're half baked!! I can't believe in 20 or so short weeks I get to meet you!

How far along? 20 weeks

Total weight gain/loss: Back to starting weight

Baby's Fruit Size: Banana

Sleep: Lots of strange dreams and waking up but no problems falling asleep.

Best moment this week: Decorating the house for Christmas. We aren't doing a ton since we have so much going on but enough to make it feel like Christmas. I'm sure next year we will go all out for your first Christmas! 

Miss Anything? Not so much.

Movement: Not yet. Dr says I have an anterior placenta so it may be a week or so still.

Food cravings/aversions: LOVE cucumbers, yum! Also liking simple carbs, but trying to stay healthy for you sweet one.

Symptoms: Doing pretty well this week. Not too many symptoms.

Mood: Good, I'm so thrilled to be half way through, I guess I never really thought we'd get this far. But baby you're real! This is really happening, and I couldn't be happier.

Looking forward to: Feeling movement! And deciding on a name. This has been so tough. We have a lot of names we really like for you Jellybean, but nothing that seems perfect enough for you yet.

By week 20, your baby-to-be is gearing up for the next phase in his development—filling out. His organs are getting into their proper places. His kidneys are now in position with their familiar bean shape. His testes (or ovaries for girls) have reached their position. His brain continues to form and grow. His teeth are beginning to appear, and he can swallow. If you haven't been able to feel him move, chances are you'll be feeling him move more and more over the coming weeks.

19 weeks!

How far along? 19 weeks

Total weight gain/loss: Loss of 2lbs

Baby's Fruit Size: Mango
Sleep: Sleeping a lot but waking up to use the restroom 

Best moment this week: Spending Thanksgiving with family, of course we're grateful for you!
Miss Anything? Not so much.

Movement: Not yet. Dr says I have an anterior placenta so it may be a week or so still.

Food cravings/aversions: Asparagus makes me gag. Which is weird since it used to be a favorite of mine.
Symptoms: REALLY bad hip/butt/back pain especially when I sit! Still some heartburn and fatigue.
Mood: Well I want to say great, but this pain has put me in a sour mood. I was sad to miss going to San Jose, but I'm still of course really proud to be growing you!  

Looking forward to: Feeling movement!

In your 19th week of pregnancy, your unborn baby's organs continue to grow. His body is covered with lanugo—soft hairs and a sticky protective coating that keeps his skin from drying out in the amniotic fluid. Your baby is moving frequently, and by now you should be able to feel those movements. Your physician can hear your baby-to-be's heartbeat with a stethoscope placed on your abdomen.

Baby is covered in vernix, a white, cheesy "cream" that protects her skin from the long bath in amniotic fluid. Preemies are covered in vernix at birth—"posties" have almost none.

Me at 19 weeks!

I know everyone knows but ...

I had to share the cute jellybean pictures. We used these to announce on Facebook even though most everyone already knows she's a girl.

Pinterest inspired heart pies

I used the cherry heart pie recipe from Pinterest, but used strawberries instead. I had some extra pie crust from Thanksgiving and decided to make a special dinner for just the two of us. In all honesty they were not great, but it was fun. Maybe the original cherries would have been better.

Just roll our some pie crust and use cookie cutters to make your desired shape. Put in a little softened cream cheese, a few diced strawberries, and 1 T of sugar or splenda. Place another piece of pie crust on top and close with a fork. Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for about 20mins. Enjoy!

Nursery Inspiration

Well it's time to start thinking about how we will decorate our second bedroom for our newest little addition. It took us a while to agree. I wanted pink and Josue wanted purple, then I wanted modern and he wanted a character. So we compromised we are going with a modern nursery in purple. (well lavender/lilac, and white. Possibly adding in grey.) We've chosen a furniture collection from Baby Appleseed. It's sturdy, well built, and well reviewed. It's a little bit pricier than the stuff you could find at Target/BRU but we figure it's worth the investment. One nice thing is it converts to a toddler and then full sized bed so hopefully we will get a lot of use out of it. I will try to update the blog as we start making this into a reality. I think we are going to start painting in January and then will work slowly from there. I'm excited and can't wait to get started!!

18 weeks!

Well baby girl we've made it 18 weeks! Daddy and I love consuming our time with making decisions about you. What will your name be? What will your nursery be like? Where will we go to church? So many decisions about you sweet little jelly bean. I love it, I love when my mind wanders to thinking all about you.

How far along? 18 weeks

Total weight gain/loss: Loss of 4lbs (back down another 2lbs this week, not sure why)

Baby's Fruit Size: Sweet Potato

Sleep: Back to sleeping a lot, seems the fatigue is back!

Best moment this week: Thanksgiving dinner with our small group. You're Daddy even came and of course everyone loved him! I had a blast and the food was yummy too!
Also yesterday your cousin Keith made an amazing game winning play against BYU. We are huge SJSU (well really Keith Smith) fans in this house. So get ready for lots of cheering next fall!

Miss Anything? Not so much.

Movement: Not yet. I guess I have too much fluff ;)

Food cravings/aversions: I still really like apples. And I'm having trouble avoiding sweets. But I did add a supplement of greens since you seem to really not like green vegetables. :(

Symptoms: Heart burn, fatigue, and lots of stomach streches and pain.  

Mood: Well other than an unrelated not good Friday I've been really happy this week. I love sharing the news that we are expecting you.  

Looking forward to: I know it's 5 weeks away but I cannot wait until 23 weeks. I think that V day will really help ease my mind. Knowing that even if your born, modern medicine can help you live from that point on.

At week 18, your baby-to-be's senses are maturing. She's able to hear sounds within her own comfortable environment, such as the sound of your heart beating, as well as external sounds, such as your voice. She may become more active for certain sounds, and you'll feel her movements. At this point in her development she's still small enough that she has plenty of room to wiggle.

17 Weeks!

How far along? 17 weeks

Total weight gain/loss: Loss of 2lbs (gained back 2 of the 4 lost)

Baby's Fruit Size: Onion

Sleep: Lots of tossing and turning, I'm anxious!!

Best moment this week: Went to Tea for Mom's birthday, so much fun!! Also telling everyone that you are precious little girl. Everyone is so excited!

Miss Anything? Not so much.

Movement: I think I'm feeling little flutter, but I can't quite make it out yet.

Food cravings/aversions: Not so much this week.

Symptoms: Heart burn, and lots of stomach streches and pain.  

Mood: I'm over all happy and excited! Still have feelings of anxiety. I really hope you like me Jelly Bean. I'm going to try really hard to be a good Mommy!

Looking forward to: Buying baby girl clothes and accessories, so much fun!!

17 Week Development
Around this time your baby's ears pop from his head and Baby-to-be can now sense sounds. After all, he has plenty to listen to in utero! He's accustomed to the strong beating of your heart, blood rushing through your veins, and your stomach grumbling. He can also discern sounds outside the uterus, like your voice and music. Although, according to the Mayo Clinic, whether he can distinguish the sound of your voice versus other sounds is not yet clear.
On average, most moms are feeling fetal movement by week 17. Kick, little one, kick!
This week your little one weighs in at around 5 ounces and stretches to just over 5 inches (crown to rump). He is about the size of a red onion.

Thankful Thursday

Happy November! It's Thankful Thursday time :)

I meant to post this last Thursday, but I forgot, whoops!

Today I am thankful of course for this pregnancy. I feel so blessed to be here. Josue and I wanted this for so long, we couldn't be happier. We continue to pray for a healthy pregnancy and happy healthy baby girl. We are so grateful to be pregnant and thank God everyday for this gift.

We are ...

I see lot's of pink, ribbons, and bows in our future. Jelly Bean is officially a little girl!

 

We couldn't be happier, of course we would be thrilled with a little boy too. But I get some satisfaction in having motherly intuition :) I love her already and can't wait to meet her sweet face. Now naming her is going to be tough. We had the name Alexander Josue (Xander) all picked out for a son, but girl names are proving much more difficult. Well this little one already has a couple nicknames in Jelly Bean and Princess and she is much loved by all so that's all that really matters. I'm sure we will have a formal name picked out by the time we get to the hospital, right??

 

 

Top runners right now are Olivia, Sophia, Emily, Allison, Alexandra, Aria, Natalie, and Alaina (Elena) hopefully we can cut that list shorter and stop adding names to it. Middle name will either be Nikel after a childhood friend who passed, or a family name yet to be decided.

 

 

16 Weeks!

I can't believe how time is flying. We've hit four months. In a short 5/6 months we get to meet our little Jelly Bean!

How far along? 16 weeks

Total weight gain/loss: Loss of 3lbs (gained back one of the 4 lost)

Baby's Fruit Size: Avocado

Sleep: Sleeping pretty well, just waking up to pee :)

Best moment this week: Finding out if our Jelly Bean is going to be a boy or girl!  

Miss Anything? A turkey sandwich.

Movement: I think I'm feeling little flutter, but I can't quite make it out yet.

Food cravings/aversions: Not so much this week.

Symptoms: I'm feeling great, really excited! A lot of heartburn, but it's not too bad.

Mood: Content :) but anxious. I'm just realizing all the things I don't know about being a parent. But I'm trying to do lots of research and I'm sure I will learn a lot along the way.

Sex Prediction: Well we know now so I won't make a prediction. But the announcement on the blog coming very soon. Just need to announce to friends and family first!  

Looking forward to: Announcing the sex to family and friends. I think a lot of people will be surprised!

By week 16, your baby-to-be's body is doing more to support itself. Her kidneys function and produce urine that then passes through the umbilical cord. Within her stomach, bile is secreted, although she relies on you for all of her nutrients. Her appearance changes as her scalp hair grows and may even have color. Her developing facial muscles make it possible for her to open and close her mouth, maybe even give you a smile or two.
This week, your little one is around 4.5 inches long (crown to rump) and weighs in around 3 ounces. Baby is about the size of an avocado.

15 Weeks!

How far along? 15 weeks

Total weight gain/loss: Loss of 3lbs (gained back one of the 4 lost)

Baby's Fruit Size: Orange

Sleep: Sleeping pretty well, just waking up to pee :)

Best moment this week: Going to Norcal to visit your TKN Aunties and cousins. Also getting to watch cousin Keith get an awesome interception and win his college football game!  

Miss Anything? We went to a Mexican place to eat last week, and a Margarita would have been nice.

Movement: Not yet, lots of pulls and stretches but no flutter yet.

Food cravings/aversions: Not really. I do seem to want sweets more than normal, but I'm trying to avoid them. I am having a hard time choosing water over juice like normal. Maybe you want sugar!? ;)  

Symptoms: I'm feeling great, really happy. A lot of heartburn, but it's not too bad.

Mood: Excited. I love getting to see and hear you on the u/s. I'm so happy that we get them so often. A great perk that I get working at a Doctor's office.

Sex Prediction: Still thinking girl. You were crossing your legs so we didn't get to find out! I know you're stubborn just like your Dad.

Looking forward to: Friday, we get another sneak peak at you. Hopefully this time you will open up those little legs of yours!


At week 15, your baby-to-be stretches her limbs and bends at her elbows. She's getting big enough that you can feel many of these movements.
This week your baby is roughly the size of a small apple or orange. Her bones are continuing to grow and lengthen. While she looks more like a baby, her skin is still thin and translucent with her veins visible.
Your baby is also beginning to grow lanugo, a very fine hair. It will keep growing until around the 26th gestational week of pregnancy.

14 Weeks!!!

Well my precious Jelly Bean we've made it an another week. I'm so happy we are moving right along. Things seem to be going smoothly.

How far along? 14 weeks

Total weight gain/loss: Loss of 4lbs

Baby's Fruit Size: Lemon

Sleep: Still pretty tired :(

Best moment this week: Enjoying a few surprise presents for baby! And an impromptu look at baby on the U/S at work. So much fun watching Jelly bean wiggle around. <3

Miss Anything? Nope!

Movement: Not yet 
 
Food cravings/aversions:I guess the apples are sticking around because I still want pie, is it Thanksgiving yet? Funny thing is at the beginning the smell of apple anything made me totally sick!
Symptoms: Lots of morning sickness, fatigue, low back pain, and heartburn. 

Mood: Right now I'm happy. I've been quite emotional and cry or get upset easily. But today I'm happy and nothing can take that away.

Sex Prediction: Still thinking girl, I hope we get to find out next week!!

Looking forward to: Finding out the sex of Jelly Bean. I'll be happy either way. I know Daddy will too
At 14 weeks your baby is a regular wiggler, but because of his small size you probably won't feel it yet. Your baby-to-be's face is becoming more distinguishable as his eyes move closer together and his ears move closer to their final positions. He's also growing soft baby hair all over his body, which is thought to help anchor developing skin, as well as forming hair on his eyebrows and scalp. He may hiccup too, even though his lungs are filled with fluid, not air.

Facebook Official

We waited until we hit 14 weeks to make the official announcement on FB. So today was the day. We took what I think is a cute picture with Bentley. We wanted to add the cats in there but it proved too much work :)
I love the way it came out and I'm so excited to be "out"

If you look close you can see the stars on Jelly Beans shoes. My poor child is going to be star crazy!

13 Weeks!

There is a new light today we've made it to the second trimester!! Jelly Bean you've now been announced to the world and everyone couldn't be happier. We are in the "safe zone" so Congratulations to us!!!

How far along? 13 weeks

Total weight gain/loss: Loss of 4lbs

Baby's Fruit Size: Peach

Sleep: I go to sleep easily, but it's hard to wake up because I still feel exhausted.

Best moment this week: Waking up and feeling excited. In all honesty being pregnant has been hard. Not in the traditional sense but just that I've spent a lot of time not connecting to my sweet Jelly Bean because I've been so scared to lose my child again. It was a lot of time wasted and even just writing this brings tears to my eyes. I of course loved my child and felt extremely blessed, I was just worried. In a weird way I enjoyed the nausea because it brought me hope every morning that this pregnancy was still progressing. But waking up today brought new joy I feel more connected to my Jelly Bean and I'm more in love every day.

Miss Anything? Not really, though a turkey sandwich does sound good. Oh and a happy hour would be nice. But not having it is oh so totally worth it!

Movement: Not yet 
 
Food cravings/aversions: Last night I really wanted apple pie, but resisted. I haven't had any true cravings or aversions that last long. Mostly I've just been trying to eat fairly healthy with a few extra carbs to help with getting sick.

Symptoms: Lots of morning sickness, fatigue, low back pain, and heartburn. 

Mood: Right now I'm happy. I've been quite emotional and cry or get upset easily. But today I'm happy and nothing can take that away.
Sex Prediction: I'm thinking girl, not really sure why but I've felt that way since the beginning. Most of my family thinks my symptoms point to boy.  ??

Looking forward to: We have an appointment on Wednesday the 23rd. I'm really hoping the Dr. can take another guess at the sex of the baby. Plus just hearing the sweet sound of my baby's heartbeat means every thing to me! It's all so very exciting!

13 Week Baby Development ~from baby zone

Week 13 marks a milestone for your baby-to-be. Developmentally speaking she's no longer an embryo, but a fetus. She's looking—and acting—more and more like a baby every day. She appears to be resting because her eyelids have formed and are fused together, but her arms and legs move and twitch (although you probably can't feel it … yet). She can suck her thumb, too.
Your baby is about the size of a egg! She's growing heavier at around .5 to .8 ounces and is getting longer at about 3 inches long (crown to rump).

Well, we finally did it!!!

That's right after 2 long years trying to conceive and after multiple early losses I am blessed to say WE'RE PREGNANT!!! and yes I'm yelling at you, because I'm so happy. We have a fun picture that we're going to use to make the announcement on facebook. But for now we've tried to tell all our family and friends before making it totally public.

We actually found out really early on 8DPO and the lines only got darker from there. Baby Esquivias or as we call it Jelly Bean is due on April 20th 2013. I appreciate all the support we've received during this difficult time.  All the hurt, loss, and anger hasn't been wiped away but it's eased the pain. This child brings new light into our lives, and we are thrilled. Happy is starting to replace the pain. Every week that passes it gets easier and every time I hear that heartbeat my heart is over joyed. I love you Jelly Bean and cannot wait to kiss your sweet face.

God is good!!!!

It's September again

And that means it's PCOS awareness month!

Polycystic ovary syndrome is a problem in which a woman’s hormones are unbalanced and their ovaries have multiple cysts on them. It can cause problems with your periods and make it difficult to get pregnant. PCOS may also cause unwanted changes in the way you look. Acne, facial hair, obesity can all occur for people with PCOS. If it is not treated, over time it can lead to serious health problems, such as diabetes, ovarian cancer, and heart disease.

PCOS is common, affecting as many as 1 out of 15 women. Often the symptoms begin in the teen years. Treatment can help control the symptoms and prevent long-term problems.

Help get the word out there and support awarness and research for the cure!

There are a few websites out there for support, make sure to check them out.

my favorite is www.soulcysters.com

www.facebook.com/pcosfight

www.projectpcos.org/

If you want to participate in a walk check out

http://pcosfoundation.org/pcos-awareness-fun-runwalk

The dreaded 2 year post

Well I was really hoping to not have to write this post, and there was a time recently when I didn't think I would have to. But alas the time has come.
Well folks it has been two years since we started trying to conceive. Two years of temping, and testing, PNVs, and blogging, and chatting, and "just relaxing" Yup, I feel like we've tried every trick in the book. Having a child doesn't come easy for everyone and we know all too well about this. We've heard it all from friends and family, and even though we appreciate the sentiment sometimes it's just hard. Through this process I've tried to stay positive and recently we decided to just let go. I have had a lot of "hard" days but through it all I've had God, my husband, and my friends at my side.
Are we trying too hard, not hard enough, not doing enough, not ready enough, not good enough? These are the questions I find that I'm asking myself along with why me!? Well I don't know the answers to these questions, and maybe I never will. I'm learning that even though it's not who I am it's okay to be angry, and even though I may be a Christian woman, it's okay to not understand His plan. Just that I need to keep the faith, and keep moving forward.
What's the next step for us you ask? Well that's where we are at now, trying to decide just that. We'd like to buy a house soon, and we've been saving for it. But if we do IVF we cannot afford a down payment. I hate that it feels like we need to choose between a better place to live and the chance of having a baby. But that is what it boils down to for us. So we are still in limbo. We will still be actively trying on our own and using some natural supplements & accupuncture. But for now expensive treatments are on hold until we can make these big decisions.

A Sentiment, that is all too easy to forget.



Things I love- TTC Edition

I like to write a post once in a while about products, clothes, food, or websites/apps that I'm really into at the moment. But I've never really mentioned what TTC things I like to use. So for those of you that are TTC check these things out.

The Website http://www.fertilityfriend.com/ is a super useful tool. It's a wealth of information and a great place to keep all your information regarding TTC. It also allows you to chart your daily temperatures and all signs & symptoms which is great!

For a Basal Thermometer for daily charting I recommend the Mabis thermometer that you can get at Walmart.

 Taking Charge of your Fertility is the first thing I bought when we decided to actively start trying to conceive. I bought this book after I reading so many postive reviews, and learning about it from the TTC community on the bump. I had just finished nursing school and had done a ton research so I thought I knew it all. Boy was I wrong, TCOYF had a great deal of information that I had no idea about so I learned a lot. I found it to be an easy, and even enjoyable read. It was well organized and made it easy to find sections that I wanted to review.

Ovulation Predictor Kits (OPKs)

I highly recommend buying internet cheapies from somewhere like ebay or amazon. Then when you think you might have a positive double check it with a digital. My favorite digital is Clear Blue Easy. It gives you a little happy face which makes it much easier to read than 2 lines. They always have coupons, which help bring down the cost.



Punta Cana

Recently J and I went to Punta Cana in the Dominican Republic and we had a fabulous time! It was beautiful, the people were kind, and the culture was amazing. The food wasn't spectacular, but was pretty darn good. It was nice to just relax and get away with the husband. I would totally recommend Punta Cana to anyone wanting to get away for a relaxing and fun vacation. It was amazing!

 The Room

The Mamajuana

The Water

 The Sand

The People

The Drinks

The food

The Husband

  = one beautiful trip!

Mexican Pizza Recipe

I'm not a huge fan of "fast food" but every once in awhile it's nice to have something easy for dinner. One thing I do like is a Mexican pizza from Taco Bell. I wanted to make a better version at home and this is what I came up with.

What you'll need

2 whole wheat flour tortillas

Olive Oil Spray

Mexican Cheese (can be low fat)

Ground Turkey

Organic taco seasonings

Organic refried beans with no fat

optional toppings

jalapenos

salsa

tomatoes

sour cream

guacamole

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Spray each side of your tortillas with olive oil

Place in oven and bake for 5-7 minutes then flip and bake for an additional 5 minutes

Brown your ground turkey and season

Warm beans

Spread a layer of beans on one tortilla

Spread your ground turkey on top

Place second tortilla on top

Sprinkle cheese on top

Bake in oven for 10 minutes or until cheese is melted

Top with desired toppings

Enjoy!

Sorry for the bad pictures, but you get the idea.