Week 18

I'm done with week 18 of this pregnancy and time is still passing by very slowly, although I gotta say it's a lot faster than when I was pregnant with Olivia.
This week was decent since I've been feeling "ok". I have been having a lot of heartburn, which is very uncomfortable at times and I'm also super exhausted. I'm having a very hard time waking up in the mornings and my energy level is very low. My appetite is still under control and I haven't gained any weight. I'm wearing maternity clothes and starting to feel comfortable with myself.
This week, we got confirmation about the baby's gender and she is indeed a girl... I couldn't be happier... Olivia will be such a great big sister!

Ultrasound news!!!

I had my "big" ultrasound today and I'm happy to report that it was AMAZING! I could not have asked for a better ultrasound or better news!After an hour wait at my doctor's office I was finally called in to see my little baby. I was happy because Iggy was able to make it and it was the first time he got to see the baby during this pregnancy.The tech took all the measurements and told me everything looked perfect. The baby is measuring right on target and is about 8oz, which the average weight for 19 weeks. She also told me that her heart looked "beautiful" and she's growing steady and healthy.It was confirmed that the baby is indeed a girl so we're sticking to our original plan to name her Gabriela Isabel!We're so blessed and so happy to be able to share such good news! Thank you GOD!!!We got a lot of cool pictures of baby Gabriela, here are some of them...

BIG ultrasound tomorrow!

Tomorrow at 5:50pm it's the BIG ultrasound. This is the ultrasound commonly known as the "Fetal Anatomy" or "Anatomical" ultrasound, where they measure all of the baby's anatomy to ensure that the growth is on track and everything is fine.
Also, it's the ultrasound where they generally reveal the sex of the baby, which I happen to already know. But what if I'm in for a big surprise; what if they tell me I'm having a boy instead? Ha! Anything is possible so I've prepared myself for any surprise that is thrown at me.
Iggy will be coming with me and I'm so excited about that because it's the first time he'll see the baby since he hasn't been able to make it to the other appointments.
I'm anxious, scared, happy, etc... I guess it's normal to feel this way. I just want them to tell me that everything looks perfect! Will post more tomorrow! I can't wait!

I'm loving my doppler!

So, as I mentioned it before, my doppler finally arrived this week and I think I'm in love with this thing.. what a great buy...

I've been listening to my baby's heartbeat every day and I just love knowing that she's inside me and that I'm supporting such a little life...

The doppler is super easy to use, it is the perfect size and it is so much fun... The average heart rate has been between 120-140 bpm, which indicates that she's healthy and having a lot of fun in there!

I'm just loving this doppler.. good thing I bought it! :) It is so addicting!!!

Week 17

I'm officially ending the 4th month of pregnancy since month #5 starts at week 18! I have to say this week was very rough on me. I was sick with a head cold and had crazy nose bleeds for about two days. I don't think those symptoms were pregnancy related but the fact that I couldn't take any medications definitely made the matters worse.

My belly finally popped... for real! and this time I mean it... I'm starting to look huge in some pictures. Some days the belly is smaller than other days, but it's definitely there...

But not all was bad during this past week, there were actually a few good things. First of all, I was finally able to get some cute maternity clothes; some given to me by friends and other was purchased at Motherhood Maternity. Also, I received my doppler in the mail and oh my God! what a great feeling it is to hear my baby's heartbeat...it is the most amazing sound ever... I couldn't ask for more...

Week 16

Here I stand at the end of week 16 and I think this is going so unbelievably slow!!! It seems like time just froze and it's not passing! I'm starting to dread this pregnancy and this is supposed to be the easy trimester! yeah right!

I feel so fatigued and whenever I see my bed I'm lucky if I can stay awake for 5 minutes; I've never felt so sleepy in my life....

None of my clothes fit anymore and I still haven't gone out to buy maternity stuff. Some friends gave me some of theirs but I still feel ugly no matter what I wear...

The worst thing this week have been the evil pimples that I got on my forehead; I never thought my skin could be so greasy and ugly!

I went in for my "Integrated Screen" this past Tuesday and will know the results of that and the NT scan within a week or so.

My next ultrasound is on Feb. 25th and the next prenatal visit is on March 2nd! At least I have something to look forward to in the near future! ha!

My endless search for "pretty" maternity clothes...

Finding maternity clothes that I like is the hardest part of pregnancy (for me anyways), so here I am, in my endless search for "pretty" maternity clothes...
Not only is getting bigger and bigger by the minute a horrible sensation, but being able to dress that fuller body is even a worse thing...
When I was pregnant with Olivia I got by with a few pants and a couple of nice shirts and by the time she got here I was already so sick of wearing the same clothes for 9 months, so I didn't bother to keep any of the outfits...
This time around, I have bought a couple of pants and no shirts and I'm starting to feel like I need to go shopping... oh God! what a challenge!
I went to Target today and tried on two of the most horrible pants I've ever seen, I looked so bad that it was depressing...
I need to know that someone else feels this way about being pregnant and wearing this ugly outfits that are made for pregnant women....
I will go out again later today to continue with my search... this is a real mission!

Prenatal Vitamins

I've never been one to take vitamins but most doctors recommend some sort of prenatal vitamin during pregnancy... This recommendation came as a surprise to me since none of the vitamins offered for pregnant women are agreeing with my stomach....
At first I was taken the DuetDhA prenatal vitamins, which cost me about $60 per month (as a copay)... I thought it was outrageous to pay that much for vitamins that would make me puke every time I took them...
Then I started taking some over-the-counter vitamins that I found at the Vitamin Shoppe; those were even worse because I had to take them twice a day and they had an after taste, which was nasty...
...so I gave up on taking vitamins and figured I would just eat healthy and take care of myself....
A few months into the pregnancy I decided to give vitamins another shot and bought the CVS brand of prenatal vitamins... and I have to say, they have worked wonders!!! I feel accomplished to have found vitamins that actually helped my energy and who would have thought that the better ones would be the cheapest ones! Yay for trying a different brand!

Week 15

Last day of week 15 of this pregnancy... gosh! time is starting to slow down and for the first time I'm feeling like I'm "stuck" and things are just not progressing!
My belly isn't big at all and I'm starting to wonder when I will actually start showing a baby bump instead of looking fat! Some people argue that I have lost weight, and the scale seems to agree since I have not gained a single pound ever since I became pregnant... oh well, maybe that's why I don't have a bump!
I'm feeling good, a little tired but that's expected. I really like to sleep and wish I could do it every hour of the day...
Olivia is starting to understand the concept of a baby in my belly... I ask her "where's the baby" and she touches my stomach... how cute is that!!??
I had a prenatal appointment this past Monday and it was horrible!!! I was seen by a doctor that just joined my OB practice and I did not like her at all! She made me nervous and did not inspire me to talk.
I ordered a fetal doppler yesterday because I'm dying to be able to hear the baby's heartbeat every day... It should arrive in two weeks or so... I can't wait!!!