Corina in bathtub

Here she is having fun in the tub

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=phDF_FeLRi4

Your first 6 months!!

My dear Corina
Soon you will be 6 months old. I can not believe how fast time has passed since you were born. It seems like yesterday; yet so many things have happened.
Both of your grandparents came to visit you. The Mantilla's stay for almost a month and The McDanal's for a week. We had a great time and you got a lot of attention during those weeks. I also learned a lot about taking care of you. It seems like if all that time that I was at home after having you just went by on a blink of an eye.
These first 6 months of your life have been wonderful. Dad and I can not stop looking at you, you are so beautiful, and everyday you "wow" us with some thing new you have just learned. You are still sleeping next to us on your co-sleeper and to be honest I don't want you to outgrow it, although there is just a few inches left between the tip of your toes and the edge of it. I don't know what I am going to do when I have to transfer you to your own room, I really don't even want to think about it; I might have to move to your room with you. I am going to miss listening to your breath and having you right to next to me all the time; it has been one of the most wonderful experiences. On the weekends when I can sleep in I look forward to sleeping in with you next to me; it is just so amazing. I think we can keep doing that even after you move to your room; it can be like a weekend tradition.
You have grown so much, it is almost unreal to think how tiny you were a few months ago; you did not even fit on your coming home outfit and now you are outgrowing even the 6 month old outfits pretty fast. You have hit every developmental milestone and it has been wonderful for us to see it happen; you have made us already very proud. A week short of your 5th month birthday you rolled over for the first time from back to tummy. You had roll from tummy to back a few times before that but I think those where more of accidental rolls. This time however it was real, you rolled over and started to push up with your arms; and since then you roll all the time. We love to see you doing it; and we bought you a new mat so that you can have more space to keep rolling and moving. In the last 2 weeks you have learned to sit on your own; you can now hold a sitting up unsupported sit for a long period of time and you are discovering the world through this. We can now play more together, we sit with you and play with your rattles, books, pots, etc. I love every second of it and you seem to enjoy it a lot as well. You have also discovered the wonders of splashing the water during your bath and it is just so fun and cute to see you sitting on your bath tub splashing as much water as you and I can handle. In spite of ending soaked I love it. I think you love water play too. Every little think you learn makes us so happy and proud.

CORINA IS HERE!!

I thought I will have a couple more of pre-natal posts the last time I wrote; however I was wrong. My little one decided to make her grand appearance 2 weeks ahead of time and caught us all by surprise.
Corina was born on Monday June 9th,2008 at 4:13pm!
I woke up that morning feeling fine except for the feeling of some strange cramps which I thought it was just part of the process of getting to full term and I didn't give them much attention. I went to my swim class as usual, I was sure that swimming will take care of the cramps as it always does; however the cramps kept coming every 100 to 200 meters so I started wondering if maybe I was actually having contractions but decided not to think about it. I had enjoy being pregnant a lot and I could totally be pregnant for a couple more weeks until my parents come to town. I swam for 2500m as usual, a lot slower than usual but it felt good. I came home and started to get more suspicious so I called Dave to was out of town to tell him to take an earlier flight home just as a precaution. I had a Dr.'s appointment scheduled for 10:45 and I was pretty much sure he was going to tell me that I was just having fake labor pains. Most first time moms make it to their due date and even go beyond it so I had nothing to worry.
As a precaution and since the cramps have not stopped coming I decided to stay home until the Dr's appointment to avoid driving to much and then go to work.
Dr. saw me and told me that I was 2cm dilated and that I was not going to make it to my due date; I asked him about a time frame and he said 2 to 3 days max with a pretty confident tone of voice. I asked him about the contractions and since they had slow down since I got to the Dr. he told me to call him if they get very strong and very frequent (5 minutes or less apart). I decided to call off work that day since my goal was to lay down and slow down the contractions to have at least another 3 days to get my mom and Dave home. By the time I got home I was having contractions every 3 to 5 minutes and they were in fact getting stronger. I still thought that by laying down I was going to be able to slow down the apparent labor process I was going in to. I called my cousin Clara to come help me out so that I can keep my self as motionless as possible. Motion or no motion the contractions will not slow down and at about 2 pm a very strong one broke my water. At that point I realized that there was no way back I was in labor. I called Dave who had just landed and told him to meet me at the hospital; and I called to Dr. to let him know. He told me to go to the hospital and meet him there. I was so happy that that morning while I was thinking that I was just having fake labor pains I had decided to pack up my bag for the hospital; otherwise there would have been no time at all.
On the drive to the hospital I literally felt the baby was going to come out, Clara was driving as fast as she could and on every bump of the road I could feel my little one pressing to get out. After almost running over a pedestrian on the way there and being pushed by my cousin at almost 15mph (I am exaggerating) through the hospital hallways we finally made it to labor and delivery. After getting ready on the gown they checked me up and I was 10cm dilated and ready to push. The Dr. came in, Dave walked in and I started pushing. After 20 minutes that seemed like 2 hours and 2 marathons back to back Corina was born!!! It was the happiest moment of my life when I finally saw her and heard her loud scream!! I will do it all over again!!
I am very thankful for the labor experience I had, it was great since I didn't realize I was in labor until I was almost 10cm dilated and I am sure that helped a lot but knowing that each pain, contraction, cramp had such a great purpose to be helped a lot. I was never stressed or freaked out about it; I just had this calm feeling that it is how it is supposed to be and at the end everything was going to be great. I think that the prenatal yoga class I took along with my hypno-birthing class helped a lot in taking away any fear related to child birth and to maintain a very calm state of being while I was going through all the craziness. It even seems unreal to me now but I just knew everything was going to be OK. I didn't have time to use any of my planned relaxation that I have prepared so much for my labor, everything happened so fast!! but I think I was singing the tunes in my mind with every push and every contraction.
Now I am a mom and I am loving every second of it. I feel like when I was a child after Christmas that you want to play over and over with a new toy; with the difference that my new toy is this precious human being that I can't stop looking at, and to whom I won't be able to stop looking at for the rest of my life.
I am posting a picture of Corina for you guys to meet her.

Almost Full Term 37W

So this week on Wednesday I will be 37 weeks and considered full term. That means that my little girl is big and strong enough to come out whenever she wants. However I am pretty sure she has already picked her birthday and she will be one of the 10% of babies who are actually born on their due date (June 25th). I feel it is just meant to be.
I have been feeling pretty good. Besides sometimes forgetting that I can not bend down to tie my shoes and that getting up from laying down on my back is a bit challenging I am not uncomfortable. I am still swimming 3 times a week and although I am slower that before being pregnant my times have not come up that much. I can still keep up with the class!!. I hope to swim until my last week; it makes me feel really good and think Corina loves it too.
Two weeks ago we had a Dr's. appointment, he said everything looked good. I asked about my belly measuring smaller and he said not to worry about it, that is not an accurate measure plus the 32nd week ultrasound showed that my girl was developing just perfectly and was perfect in size and weight for the age. We have another appointment this week and I think that after this one we are supposed to go in every week.
We also got her room practically done. We moved the furniture, took all the office stuff out, cleaned as much as we could from the closet, built the crib and dresser/changing table and washed her clothes. We have received so many gifts from friends that Corina is set with clothes and diapers for the first 4 or 5 months of live. The crib looks really good and the room surprisingly looks very nice and cozy as well. I say surprisingly because neither Dave or I are very good decorators but I guess that sometimes just by keeping things simple it all works out for the best.
This week I got the car seat but they sent a model that had been recalled last year so I have to send it back and get a new one; at least we have a back up which was a handy me down from my brother that we could use in case we don't get a seat on time. That one is washed and ready to go. I also got the co-sleeper bassinet and I love it. It was so easy to assemble, it takes barely any room and it securely attaches to the bed so we will be able to sleep with our little girl avoiding at the same time all the risks that co-sleeping can bring. It is the best of both worlds. It also works as a changing table and as a free standing bassinet you can take to the balcony for a sun bath or to the living room; it folds up in a little package and it only weights 24 pounds.
Work has been better; still pretty busy but I am handling work stress a lot better, just not worrying too much about it and doing my best. I do have a great job and I just need to get used to the up and downs of it.
Well thanks for visiting. I will try to have weekly updates from now on!!

35W Drs' appointment, Baby Shower, lots of work

Last week we had our 33th week Drs' appointment. Everything is on track in spite of my belly measuring a bit smaller than what it should. The Dr. said that the belly should measure from the top of your uterus to your pubic bone as much cm as the # of weeks you are pregnant. Well my belly measured 30 instead of 33; the Dr. didn't seem concerned though since the 32nd week ultrasound showed that our little girl was measuring exactly as she should for 32 weeks and my fluid levels were outstanding (as he put it). I guess I just have a smaller frame and my belly can not expand much more; that is maybe why I feel Corina moving all the time; she might be running out of space in my belly, but she needs to stay put for another 4 to 5 weeks. I have another Dr.s appointment this week (now I am seeing the Dr every other week until week 37th when I will start seeing them every week). Hopefully my belly have grown a bit more; although I just can't imagine it has any more skin, muscle or space to grow.
This past weekend my friends and cousin threw me a baby shower. It was a very nice brunch at my cousin's place and also my aunt who was visiting was able to attend. We all had a good time and everyone brought some very useful and pretty things for Corina. We have been so lucky with the stuff we have gotten; I can say we are pretty much covered with the essentials. Thanks so much to everyone who came to the shower, it was great seeing everyone and thanks so much for the gifts as well.
Today we had a brunch in our house for 2 couples friends of ours who we met at the Hypnobirthing class. We had a great time; it is a lot of fun to get together with people that are going through the same experiences we are going through; plus we are all due at around the same time so it will be fun in the future since our kids could definetely be buddies. They are also very much into natural birthing; one of them is even having a home birth which I think I might have been open to if I would have a bigger place to put the birthing tube. I wish hospitals here will offer the choice of birthing in water, it just seems to be so much easier than a regular birth. They are also questioning the American vaccine schedule and considering, like us, to selectively vaccinate as well as delaying the shots.
I have had lots of work on the past two weeks; I don't mind it because I do enjoy what I do but it has gotten a bit out of hand and I have gotten a bit stressed with that and getting closer to my due date. I have tried to manage that stress as much as possible so that it doesn't affect me, the pregnancy or the baby; the last thing I want is to go into labor before it is time because of that. I have discover that swimming helps me a lot to relax, and just letting it go and leaving work at the office. Although last Saturday I did have to work all day, but it wasn't too bad.

That is it for today's updates. I will update everyone on this week's Dr.s appointment and any other interesting things I might go through during this last month and a half. (A month from today my baby could be here), well she needs to wait until at least June 21st when my parents arrive.

33 W, Pediatrician, Baby Shower, Ultrasound.........

So we are getting closer, and it seems that time has decided to fly. I am really excited about the arrival of our little one but at sometimes I do want to put a stop in time; just for a few weeks and figure out all the things I need to figure out before Corina decides to make her appearance.
We met the guy we are considering for to be her pediatrician. We liked him and we liked the fact that he is a sole practitioner and not part of a big group where they treat you more like a big factory assembly line. In addition we liked that he has the philosophy of doing whatever is necessary to avoid unnecessary antibiotics or visits to the hospital. He was open to delaying vaccines and to not administer some vaccines as long as we have a plan in place and tell him in advance; and of course as long as we sign all the corresponding release forms needed. So far we are considering a couple vaccines (DTaP and IPV) which stand for Diphtheria, Tetanus, Pertussis (DTaP) and Polio (IPV). We do want to delay their administration though until Corina is at least 9 months or 1 year old. Of course I want to share this information with the Dr. before so that he knows we have a plan and we are not wasting his time on the actual appointment trying to make him make a recommendation. I have to say though, I am still a bit scared. I have read a lot of info about vaccines (pros and cons) and it is definetely a difficult area to make a decision on, you want the best for your child and neither side seems to offer an answer; and the anti-vaccine group seems to offer more sound research on the dangers of vaccines than the pro-vaccine group on the benefits of them. In addition the other diseases they administer vaccines for such as Measles, Mumps, Rubella, Chicken pox, hepatitis A and B, Flu, Rota virus are not life threatening diseases and can be easily treated.
I am also debating about the Vitamin K shot that newborns receive at birth as a standard practice in the US. This shot is administered to babies because many babies are born with a deficiency in Vitamin K mainly due to their underdeveloped digestive system; Vitamin K deficiency occurs because there is an absence of bacteria in the gut flora which helps in the production of it in newborns. Since Vitamin K is needed in blood clotting, this deficiency can lead to HDN (Hemorrhagic Disease of the newborn) especially after a difficult delivery, the use of forceps, circumcision, or the use of certain types of anti-convulsive drugs or some pain killers sometimes used on epidural. The risk for this disease is about 1 y 10,000 and although it is a dangerous condition it can be controlled by administering Vitamin K when it happens. If everything goes as planned my kid will not fall under any of the risk conditions and shouldn't be in need of this shot; apparently they can also test to see if the baby's blood is clotting property; however, here in the US it is just a standard for all babies. It appears pretty harmless but I have come across a lot of information linking this shot to an increased risk of Leukemia and other childhood cancers, and an increased risk of developing bacterial meningitis among other less serious side effects. In addition, synthetic vitamin K is not well absorbed by the body so it makes you wonder if it really make sense to inject it to newborns as a precaution when
1.- they might not even need it,
2.- It is not doing much and
3.- It can be toxic and has dangerous side effects.
On the other hand, there are also studies saying that infant cases of HDN and mortality due to it has decreased since administration of Vitamin K became routine; and that exclusively breastfed babies are at a slight higher risk because breast milk does not com fortified with this vitamin as formula does. I plan to exclusively breastfeed so there is another dilemma to solve. I will like to know if in my country this is also a standard procedure, if it is not it will make me feel better to opt out of it unless there are difficulties delivering the baby that will put her at the high risk category. Other wise I have found more evidence of the dangers rather than the benefits of it.
Those are my big time dilemmas now.

Then I am still deciding on a crib and dresser/changing table. I have found some that I like but need to make a decision on and soon. Some of them are available only online and I don't know if I am 100% into buying that type of stuff without ever seeing it or feeling it..

Last weekend we went to Birmingham for a Baby Shower that Dave's family put together for us. Everything was very beautiful and we got some very nice gifts including our most desired Jogging Stroller and a brand new bed for ourselves. I tested the stroller today with my 4 yr old nice and we both loved it. We are very thankful for all the work the family put into the shower and the generosity of everyone; many of who I have just met. Thanks so much!!

This week we had our 32W Ultrasound to take measures of the baby and track her growth. She is growing as a champ, every measurement is on track and everything looks very healthy. She is already turned and in a good position; the ultrasound technician doesn't think that she will turn back up b/c there is not enough space for her to do so. She already weights 4pounds 6 ounces and should be gaining 1/2 a pound a week. So if she keeps that rate of growth and wants to stay in there until the 40th week she should be an 8pound baby!! Big baby for my Ecuadorian standards!! Our technician was really nice and got us some 3D pictures of the baby, she didn't want to show us her mouth, she was enjoying very much her tasty hand but we were able to get her to move it. I am posting a picture of my growing belly and the beautiful life growing inside of it.

If anyone who visits has any advice on my Vaccine/Vitamin K dilemma please post a comment or send me an email!!

Thanks for visiting.

Baby Bottles

Hi,
Below is some really good information on baby bottles and the materials they are made off. Having your child use conventional polycarbonate bottles will not cause immediate harm in them but you do not know what the exposure to all those toxins will cause in the future. I think we live in a world where we are exposed to toxins every day but we should definitely do what it takes to keep this exposure low.
I am going for a BPA free bottles and glass bottles!!

Hope it is helpful

PA - Also known as Bisphenol-A
is an estrogen-like chemical in plastic could be harming the development of children's brains and reproductive organs. It is found in #7 POLYCARBONATE plastics that are bottles, microwave ovenware, eating utencils and the plastic coatings used inside metal cans. BPA interferes with hormones by simulating the action of estrogen.

"An ingredient of polycarbonate plastic, BPA is one of the most widely used synthetic chemicals in industry today. It can seep from hard plastic beverage containers such as baby bottles, as well as from liners in cans containing food and infant formula." - LA Times article. Read more below.

Phthalates
"plasticizers" that soften PVC plastic (#3) into it's flexible form.
Most cling wraps are made of PVC and traces of phthalates and another chemical called adipates can leak out of PVC when in contact with food, especially heated, fatty food. Phthalates are suspected of interefering with hormones and the reproductive development of baby boys.

So what is a mom to do with this information?
First thing - ditch all your polycarbonate bottles! These are the #7 PC or PLA (polycarbonate/polylactide) bottles, also avoid #3 PVC (polyvinyl chloride), #6 Polystyrene (better known as styrofoam).

When using plastics look for these safer plastics: #2 HDPE (High Density Polyethylene), #4 LDPE (Low Density Polyethylene), and #5 PP (Polypropylene).

Avoid using the #7 plycarbonate bottles that are the very clear plastic bottles like Avent, Dr. Brown's, Gerber, and Evenflo.

So, what bottles are safe to use?
BPA-Free Baby bottles like Born-Free and Think Baby (Medela bottles have always been BPA-free!) are #5 Polypropolyne. They tend to have a cloudy or yellowish tint to them. Also a great sippy cup option is stainless steel - like the Safe Sippy from Kid Basix

31W – The work has started

Well, I guess we have been kind of procrastinating for past few months in regards on getting the house ready for our little girl. We started last weekend and we still have a lot of work to do specially on her room. At least we got the living room figured out. We got a new bookcase, which made us realize that we have been accumulating quite a collection of all kinds of books. Cooking books, exercise books, religion, self help, business, leadership and quite a collection of pregnancy related books, form part of our new found library. We are planning on going through them and maybe donating some of them to the local library here in the key. We also got a new TV stand and we are so happy about it since the old one was just out of place on our living room; now our house is starting to get rid of its hodge-podge look and turn more into a grown up looking house. It has been a lot of work though; yesterday it was a 9 to 6 day; with a 1 hour break I got for a prenatal massage which was awesome. Today we had friends over for breakfast / brunch and we started working at around 2pm and just got done a few minutes ago (it is 11pm).

The problem is that as of now all the old furniture that we need to get rid of is at Corina’s room; so we need to get rid of it in order to start cleaning up that room and making room for her furniture. I am also realizing that I might have to hire a professional cleaning service, at least to clean the carpet and the window screens that get filled with dust. I tried to clean those screens with a hand vacuum, a lint brush and tape, and after 30 minutes of hard work they looked as dirty as before.

Regarding my pregnancy everything is going great, well I am loosing a bit of flexibility of movement; I mean that I can’t be bending down much because I can feel my little girl getting uncomfortable and throwing some kicks to make me move or stretch, but besides that I feel great. The appointment I had with Dr. Serious a few weeks ago was good; although he did have a smart ass comment about me picking a pediatrician whose office is 20 minutes away from home. But oh well, I took his advice and told him I will think about it; I didn’t feel comfortable telling him that the reason that I wasn’t choosing the pediatricians next o my house was because I want to selectively vaccinate and delay the shots for at least 6 to 9 months. I know that the Drs close to my house are very traditional and pro-vaccines; and Dr. Serious seems that way too.

This coming weekend we are going to Birmingham for a Baby Shower Dave’s family is putting together for us. We are super excited about the trip and about seeing all the family. It will be a short trip (leaving Friday and driving back Sunday), but it will be worth it. After that we are going to have to spend almost every weekend until Corina’s birthday getting her room all set up. I don’t want my little girl to feel rejected because we do not yet have her room ready; although, as our breastfeeding teacher said it, a newborn just needs love, milk and a place to sleep; and they can literally sleep in a drawer; but we’ll get everything ready for our little one before she gets here; so that she feels welcome into our home.

We took a breastfeeding class this week and it was amazing; we learned so much about the benefits of breastfeeding for as long as possible (12 months is the recommendation of the American Association of Pediatrics). We also learned how to properly hold the baby while breastfeeding, it seems easy but it was quite a challenge.

We found out about some products that are sold as essentials for babies and are actually completely useless such as sterilizers, wiper warmers and diaper genies among others. It was very encouraging to hear that every woman should be able to nurse and should produce enough milk for her child if that is what she wants to do; it is not easy and takes work but it is how it is supposed to be. I get a bit annoyed sometimes at work when I said I plan to breastfeed for 1 year and they tell me “What if you have no milk”, "It has no effect after 6 months", "my friend didn't breastfed and her kid is super healthy", etc. I am thinking if all the other mammals in this world do not have that problem why would I? Aren’t we the highest level creatures in this universe? plus all the long term benefits for mother and child that breastfeeding has? wouldn't that be enough reasons to do it as long as possible?...

I will update you all in a week or 2, as we are getting closer to the date and busier getting ready for the baby it is becoming harder to keep this updated but my goal is to have at lease 2 updates per month.

Thanks for visiting.

29W , Quito, leg cramps, my orchid

I am now 29W!!. It seems unreal that I am already in the 3th and last trimester of my pregnancy. At the beginning it seemed that it was going to slow and that 9 months were going to seem forever; now on the other hand, I feel it was yesterday when I first took the pregnancy test. I am getting very excited about having my little girl in my arms; a bit nervous about being a mother and a bit nostalgic about my pregnancy coming to an end. I have truly enjoyed these past 7 months especially my 2nd trimester. I didn't follow the Dr.'s advice on getting the nursery and everything ready before the 3th trimester; everything is still on the works; we need to buy the furniture, set up the computer on the living room and set up the nursery/guest room; and of course get rid of a lot of stuff. I want to get most of it done before the end of the month when we are planning a trip to Birmingham to visit Dave's family.
Regarding my pregnancy I am still feeling great. Yes I get tired at night and on Saturday mornings I can take up to a 1hr nap after my yoga class; but I do have the same energy I had before getting pregnant. I feel great at my swim class and at my morning walks. The only strange thing that has happened to me is that for the first time in my life I felt a cramp on my leg. I honestly never expected it. I have run marathons, triathlons and century rides and never ever had cramps; but the other night a cramp on my calf woke me up. My left calf felt like a rock and it hurt really bad; I was able to get it loose after 30 seconds or so and it felt better. I started doing more calf stretches and some exercises that I learned in my prenatal yoga class and I haven't had other cramps since then so hopefully I won't have another one in the next 2.5 months; but apparently leg cramps are very normal and common during pregnancy; and I have had such a great pregnancy that I shouldn't complain.
Last weekend I went to Quito for my cousin's wedding. I had a great time although the trip was only 2 days. The wedding was so beautiful and I was so happy to see how happy my little cousin was. It was also good to see my grandma who was not doing too well a few months ago and is much better now. My little niece, nephew and little cousin (I have 50 first cousins) walked in the wedding and they looked so precious. My niece felt she was truly living a princess story and wanted to follow the bride (Main Princess) everywhere.
I was afraid of getting altitude sickness since Quito is over 9,000 ft above sea level; however, I did great and did not even felt tired throughout the weekend. I think that exercising throughout the pregnancy and having been raised at high altitude really helped.
This week I want to make an appointment with the pediatrician. My yoga teacher says he is very holistic in the way he treats his patients and very open to selective and alternative vaccination schedules; so I am nervous and excited to see what he has to say and what he will recommend. I have also heard really good things about him from a good friend of mine who takes her kid there, so I am hoping that this will be the right Dr. for my little one.
I have my 29th week appointment this week as well; and I will have to see the very serious Dr. this time. I do not know if he has already seen my birth plan and talked to my other Dr. about my natural birth philosophy; we'll see how it goes. The first time I saw this serious Dr. I almost change practices.

My orchid
I got an orchid a year ago. Usually I would have thrown away the plant once the flowers fell off; however, this time the lady who sold me the orchid told me that orchids are very strong plants and that eventually they will bloom again. Surprisingly the flowers didn't fall for 6 months which is unreal for orchids and I was super excited. Once they felt I kept the plant; it looked kind of weird in my living room but I just watered it once a week or so. I am very happy to announce that this week my orchid bloomed again. Don't ask me why but I am very excited about it. I heard once that if you are able to keep a plant alive for a year or so and then a pet you are ready to have kids. I have been successful with the plant so far and I will skip the pet part since I am not a fan of indoor pets and my building doesn't allow them; but I do feel ready for my little baby.

I will keep updating everyone on my progress on a weekly or biweekly basis. So keep visiting us!

Almost 27W

I will be 27 weeks this week and almost finishing my 2nd trimester. It seems crazy that I am almost in the home stretch. I am very excited about my little girl coming into the world. I think that by week 38 or 40 I will be ready to let go of my pregnant state of being. I know some women have it difficult during pregnancy but so far I have had such a great experience, I have enjoyed every second of it and although I know it will get uncomfortable during the next few weeks I am sure that through keeping active I will pull it through; more so I will be ready for delivery. I am honestly loving being pregnant.
We are done with the Hypnobirthing class and now we, especially I, just need to practice getting into a deep relaxation. It might sound weird but while swimming seems to be the best time for me to just focus on the present moment and let go of all the other stuff in my mind and relax; plus it has helped me keep my swimming at a slight decent level.
My neighbor took the same childbirth class when she had her babies and she went to the same group of Drs. I go. I was pleased to learn that even the Dr. whom I have always felt not very fond of was very supportive of an all natural birthing style and even showed his warm side during her delivery; it makes me feel a lot better about what to expect for my girl's birth day. Although this time I didn't have the courage to go to a midwife I do feel that my Drs. and hospital are more open than other practitioners to completely natural birth, and will respect parent's wishes in terms of no intervention and no newborn procedures w/out parent's consent.
This weekend one of the couples from our childbirth class invited us over for a crawfish boil. I have never been to one and it was a lot of fun. It was also fun to share time with couples that share in the same beliefs about birthing than us; one of them is even having the baby at home with a midwife and I am sure they'll have an amazing experience. The majority of people I tell about what I expect from my labor experience think I just don't know what I am talking about; but they said the same when I mentioned doing an Ironman, and I see labor just as another ironman. It will take a lot of training and a lot of endurance and it won't be easy but it will all be worth it, and in the end an amazing experience.
This coming weekend I am going to Quito, Ecuador for my cousin's wedding. I will be there only for a couple of days. I am a bit worried about how my body will react to the altitude, Quito is at 9,000FT. I usually never experience any problems since my body is genetically prepared to adapt to high altitudes; but I don't know how it will respond with the pregnancy. My Dr. said everything should be fine and just to take it easy and keep myself very hydrated while I am there. I am looking forward to the wedding and to show my belly bump to my family!!
I am very happy that I am still fitting in most of my pre-pregnancy clothes, of course with the assistance of a tummy sash!!, and I have 1 pair of jeans that still fits even without the sash. I don't know what is up with maternity clothes, they look very cute on the models but once you get them, especially the tops have this tent like build that makes you look huge. I have found out that for tops a size bigger than your regular size fits a lot better!!

25W

Update!!! I think Corinna is training for a triathlon, but this week she really started moving and kicking a lot. I love it. Also I showed my Dr. my birth plan and he was very cool with it!!!
Here is my belly picture at 25W and 4 days

So I have only 3 and half months to go. I am getting very excited but I am also enjoying a lot this time of my pregnancy. I haven't felt any discomfort and it is just so much fun to feel my little girl kicking and moving inside of me; today she has had lots of energy!!! I feel I have company all the time and I also feel a very special connection with her.
We got a lot of clothes this week from my sister in law, for which I am very thankful. Corinna even got her first bikini!!! I can't wait to try it on.
Since I have been swimming throughout my pregnancy and it feels really good I am looking forward to teach her how to swim as early as possible. I believe that the earliest you introduce them to the water the most likely they are to not develop fear of it and to develop swimming skills; it makes sense considering they are swimming when they are inside of you.
Last week at our Hypnobirthing class we watch a video about women in Russia who either have their babies at home on a birthing tub or go the the Black Sea and have their babies there. It was truly amazing to see how the babies just come out and swim up to their parents. I have read that until 6 months old babies by instinct will hold their breath under water, so technically they partially know how to swim when they are born. The Black Sea births sound crazy but they were truly amazing, so peaceful and such a celebration of life. It makes you wonder why in the western world birthing has become such an intervention needing procedure when in the rest of the work women are birthing healthy babies in the sea with apparently 0 complications.
I am finishing the birth plan and I will show it to my Dr. this Wednesday that I have an appointment with him. I really hope that he supports me on my decision to have a drug free natural birth, and that he makes the staff at the hospital respect that. I have heard that most of the time hospital staff will push you to do what is more beneficial for them and will not necessarily respect your wishes. Of course I am open to intervention in case of an emergency, but if everything is progressing as normal and both the baby and myself are in good condition I want to wait as long as it is needed for my baby to come out naturally. I am a big believer in the ability of the human body to birth, it was designed for that.
I run into a very interesting poll today about mandatory vaccinations, and I was very happy to see that all the replies to the post are against it and advocate for being the parents the ones responsible for making decisions in regards to what vaccines, if any, to administer to their children. If you want to participate or are interested in checking this survey click here.
I will post a belly picture tonight when I get home. My belly has definitely grown during the past few weeks; and it has moved up as well; but fortunately it is still very comfortable to do everything, except a bit to bend down but it is not a big deal and I just try not to do it or do it in a different way.
Thanks for visiting!!!

24W and Moving

So I am almost 6 months, and that sounds like getting in the late phase of my pregnancy; one more month and I will be starting my 3Th and last trimester.
This week the baby has definitely become more active. I can now feel her move throughout the day and I can feel actual movements rather than just kicks. Thursday while we were watching a movie about the Birth Industry in the US I believe she was having some sort of aerobic training class because for about 1hour she didn't stopped moving. It was an awesome feeling; and I love to feel her moves inside of me.
We are halfway through our hypnobirthing class and every day more convinced about wanting an all natural/ drug free birthing experience. Of course we are open to intervention in case of an emergency but we have learned that unless you are very vocal about your wishes the hospital staff and Dr. will pretty much do what is convenient for them rather than for you, even if that means an unnecessary C-section; and of course that is the last thing we want. Through Hypnobirthing we have learned so much about how natural and non stressful child birthing should be and that is what we would like to experience. The movie we saw on Thursday, The Business of being born is a documentary that explores what child birthing has become in the US and raises the question: Should most births be viewed as a natural live process, or should every delivery be treated as a potentially catastrophic medical emergency?. It is an eye opening movie that I strongly recommend to everyone.
My bump keeps growing but it is still comfortable. I got a Belly Band for my speed walking because I think that even though the belly does not feel uncomfortable yet; it does puts pressure on my round ligaments; the belly band is designed to take that pressure off the lower part of my abdomen, so I'll test it this week that I am planning to walk a 5K on Saturday.
Next week we need to start working on the baby's room. I am not too much into building the mega Pottery Barn like nursery, but we need to re-arrange the furniture in our living room in order to fit the computer desk and free up some space at the Baby's room for the crib, changing table, dresser and maybe glider. I would like to have most of this done before the 30W when I have heard I will start feeling uncomfortable.
My lovely niece stayed with us one night this weekend and we had a blast. We made pizza Saturday night, played memory, played cranium (her way of playing it of course), read a bunch of children stories that I found to be actually a bit scary, went to the farmers market and went to the beach. I love having her over, she is such a sweet girl and a lot of fun to be around, she talks a lot and it is just fascinating to listen and realize to what the mind of a 4 year old can do. I can't wait for my little girl to be here. If my little niece does what she does to me (I will literally die for her) I can't even imagine what my own child will do.

Thanks for stopping by this week. Do not forget to post comments, advice, etc.

23W - Hypno-Birthing Class

So I am reaching the 23th week and as you can see now I am obviously pregnant. Today for the first time a lady at the farmer's market asked me how far long I was so I am definitely showing; and I am enjoying it a lot. I am very proud to answer I am 5 and half months!!
This week we also started the childbirth classes; we decided to go with the Hypnobirthing class and both of us were very impressed with the first session; we saw a couple videos of births happening with this method and it seemed so peaceful and relaxed, so different from what you usually see on TV or hear from other people about childbirth. Everything looked extremely normal, well birthing is extremely normal, all living creatures do it so I guess we have been conditioned to see it more as a medical procedure than just as a normal type of event. I am very excited about the class, we have 3 more to go and I am sure it is going to be of great help for us when our little girl decides to come out to the real world; I pray that I can go ahead with my plan of having a very natural and enjoyable birthing experience. We learned how perfect the human body is and how birthing muscles work in complete harmony when the body is relaxed; therefore we should strive to stay away from stress and fear to allow the body to do its job.
This week I also worked on my Baby Registry. As of now I am doing 2 registries, one at Babies R Us and one at Amazon; it is a work in progress but I am almost done. It is amazing how much the internet helps in this process. I am not the type of person who can go spend hours at the store putting together a registry; but online I can see all the products and I can even get reviews about them which gives me a better idea of how useful and/or how good each product is. There are a lot of products that apparently are completely not needed, such as the Diaper pile and the wipers warmer; but I wouldn't know that if it weren't for some friend's advice and internet reviews.
I have felt the baby move a lot more this weekend and that gets me very excited. Saturday at Yoga one of the ladies said that her baby moves all day, like a soccer player; I really want my little girl to be like that, it is so reassuring to feel her kick, in spite of some of the discomforts it brings. I can't wait until the most active weeks (26 - 30).

22W, Ultrasound and The Keys!!

I am 25.4cm and I weight 1 Pound!! Quick pic!! take advantage






I am 22 weeks, passed the halfway point; i have been pregnant slightly more time than the time I have left. I am getting pretty excited every day especially because I am starting to feel stronger kicks and punches and I love it!!
Friday we had a perinatal ultrasound to finish the measurements of the baby's anatomy. They did this at 17W when they told us it was a girl but apparently they couldn't get a good picture of the heart; Friday on the other hand, the baby performed like a model, showing us everything the Dr. needed to see; they even said it was like textbook!! Everything looks perfect, the heart, heartbeat, measurements, size, weight, etc. On Friday the heart was beating at 135 BPM; a baby's heart rate inside the womb varies between 120 and 160 bpms so 135 is just perfect, the baby measures approximately 10 inches (25.4cm) and according to those measurements weights about 1 pound, which puts our little peanut in the 76th percentile of babies at that gestational age. Last but not least SHE IS STILL A GIRL!!!!; again it was very clear and the US technicians where 100% sure about it. So we are now getting even more excited, especially since some pink baby outfits have already been purchased. It was very exciting also to see her opening her mouth and drinking some delicious amniotic fluid; but after 20 minutes of putting up a show for the Dr. she decided to be shy and put her hand on her face so we couldn't really get a very clear profile picture!! maybe the next time!!!
I am still doing my research on vaccines and I think I pretty much have made a decision as to which vaccines I will consider for my little girl (so far only 2 or 3). The next step is to find more information on the benefits and risks involved in getting those shots. Additionally, I already have the names of 2 Holistic pediatricians in Miami who are friendly to non or a selective - delayed vaccination schedule.
This weekend we went to visit some friends in Key West. It was a beautiful weekend and we had a great time hanging out on that beautiful beach town. I might have been the only pregnant lady in town but I felt really proud of showing my bump and I think the baby liked it as well. Yesterday while having a pineapple juice at Happy Hour she started kicking like crazy; I was so excited about it. She has active and in- active times during the day; which are still not very defined but I love it when she is active, it is just the most reassuring feeling.
This week we might start the Child Birth classes. We were going to take the ones offered by the Hospital but since I am taking Prenatal Yoga which focuses on preparing your body for the most natural birth possible we are going to do it with my Yoga instructor who happens to be a Doula (Labor Coach). She offers a Hypno-Birthing Childbirth course which focuses on techniques that will allow me to labor at home as long as possible so that unnecessary medical intervention will not be used. Of course you learn about all the signs and symptoms that will tell you if it is safe for you and the baby to stay home until almost active labor begins. You learn pain management techniques through breathing, music, relaxation, massage, etc. I am pretty excited about the course and I think it will be very helpful not just for this pregnancy but for the ones to come as well.

My belly keeps growing, thankfully to the front and not to the sides. I can still fit in most of my pants with the help of the tummy sash and some of low cut ones still fit as before. This week I am posting a picture of Corinna instead, she is the star of this blog. She decided to keep her hand on top of her face and the shadow covers her face a bit.

21 W , Vaccine Research and some Baby Clothes

So I am officially 5 months pregnant and halfway through this journey. It has seemed forever, but it also seems that time is flying by. I know that sooner than later I am going to be with my little girl in my arms. I can't wait.
I am really enjoying being pregnant, maybe because I haven't felt yet any of the uncomfortable symptoms. I don't feel heavy yet, I don't feel fat, I can wear my same clothes, I can exercise and I am enjoying the beauty benefits of pregnancy: smoother skin and my hair has just become much more manageable and fuller. I have to admit though that it is a bit intimidating to get on the scale every week and always see a higher # than the previous week.
I went to the Dr. on Friday, I really liked this Dr. that I haven't met yet (I go to a group of 4 Drs. and they rotate you every appointment), so out of 4 I really like 3 and I am not too fond of 1. I should be lucky enough to get one of the 3 ones I like on call the day I give birth. The Dr. said everything looks good; he heard the baby's heartbeat which he said was a "beautiful heartbeat" and he told me I should start feeling movement soon; he also heard some movement although I couldn't feel anything then. I have already felt a lot movement but I should start feeling more apparent and stronger moves, so I can't wait to feel a little boxer inside me.
I think that one of the things I am enjoying the most about being pregnant is that everyday you have something to look for; whether that is a new stronger kick or punch, more kicks or punches, a bit more of a belly, etc.
This past weekend I started my research on vaccines. To start with I got a book that was recommended on one of the pregnancy blogs I read. The Vaccine Book is written by Dr. Robert W. Sears and offers very complete information about each vaccine, their ingredients, the disease they protect against, their side effects and the Dr.'s POV on it. Although he recommends all of the vaccines he does give you enough information to make an informed decision about it; and he completely respects those parents who choose not to, or to selectively vaccinate. I am halfway through the book and from this initial research there are only 3 vaccines I might consider to give my baby. The HIB and PC vaccines because one of the diseases the viruses can cause if getting into the bloodstream is Meningitis and I am really scared about it. The DT (Diphtheria and Tetanus) because Diphteria although not as common is still endemic in Ecuador, where I am from , and my kid will be traveling there once or twice a year. Other vaccines such as the Hep B vaccine (sexually transmitted disease), Polio, MMR, Rotavirus, Flu and Chickenpox I am most likely going to opt out of. From the info I have gathered those diseases are not easily transmitted (like Hep B) have been inexistent in the western hemisphere for the past 10 years (Polio), are not life threatening and lifetime immunity is possible through actually getting the disease while the vaccine offers only temporary protection (Measles, Mumps, Rubella and Chicken Pox). Additionally, these vaccines have some rare but very scary side effects such as Guillain-Barre Syndrome, Encephalitis, Subacute sclerosis pan encephalitis, SIDs, Autism . Regarding the Flu and Rota virus vaccines, there are so many strains of these viruses that especially the Flu vaccine doesn't seem to offer much protection. There is 1 vaccine I am really lost about and it is the P (Pertussis) shot; it is part of the DTaP vaccine (Diphtheria, Tetanus and Pertussis)but it seems to be the controversial part. I have read that it has been linked to SIDs (Sudden Infant death syndrome), and that vaccinated kids can still get the disease; so I really need to do a lot of research on this one to make an informed decision about it and the other vaccines. First and foremost I want to do what is best for my baby's health and somehow my gut is telling me all the shots are not, but some might be. It is just hard to believe that injecting a variety of toxins and ingredients that have been deemed unsafe for humans (adults) (aluminum, formaldehyde, animal tissues, live viruses, etc) are safe and beneficial on a 2 month old baby. If I choose to selective vaccinate I am definitely delaying the shots until 4 or 6 months and getting no more than 1 or 2 shots at a time to minimize the amount of harmful ingredients being punt into my little girl's body. I understand this is a very controversial and sensitive topic but I will appreciate any comments, suggestions, opinions and advice. I am new to this and I am open to listen to everyone's opinion. Now I need to find a Vaccine - friendly pediatrician who will respect my choices and who will be willing to selectively vaccinate and/or delay the shots.
I did some shopping for the baby today; Old Navy has a 40% discount on all kids and baby clothes so I took advantage of that to get some essentials for first 6 to 12 months.
In regards to my belly I think it has grown a lot during the past week, and Dave thinks so too; so I am posting this week's picture to make you guys judge it!!
Thanks for stopping by!

20 Weeks!! Finally Exercising

So I am in my 20th week. This was the 1st week since week 13th that I was able to exercise constantly.
Because of my low lying placenta I wasn't allowed to exercise for 5 weeks; then when the placenta moved up and I was given the green light to go back to exercise I catch a cold that kept me out of it for another week.
This week I started with a brisk walk on Monday, Tuesday I did the elliptical and Yoga, Wednesday I went back to my swim class only to find out the pool heater wasn't working but thanks God it didn't make me relapse into my cold. Thursday I rested, Friday did the elliptical again and Saturday Yoga and a walk. Any advice on other pregnant friendly sports/exercises?
Tomorrow I will start my swim class again. I finally got rid of my cough through 4 days of getting myself into a steam tent with eucalyptus oil; it worked wonders.
I also feel my belly has gotten bigger during the past week, especially the last few days; I think that now people can tell I am pregnant rather than just chunkier than before, and I am loving it!!!
Pregnancy clothes are still big on me and my clothes don't fit any more but a dear friend of mine gave the greatest idea of using a tube top on top of my regular pants to hold them up while wearing them open. Then I found out they sell a wonderful device called a tummy sash that does the work, it looks just like a tube top slighter tighter to hold the pants up. I got two of them and I am loving them since I am being able to wear my regular clothes. Hopefully I can keep doing this for most of the pregnancy. I am just not to excited about pregnancy clothes, they are not too flattering and extremely expensive; so any advice on flattering maternity wear or tricks to keep wearing your regular clothes is greatly appreciated.
Regarding my dear baby she has increased her level of activity. I still can't feel real kicks and punches as I want to and as often as I want but she is definitely starting a pattern. She usually becomes active after breakfast while driving to work and during the morning at work; then she calms down in the afternoon and gets back to moving at night when I finally relax. I still feel like a fish tank being poked by blind fish but it is more apparent and less like gas than before. I think I really want to feel a linebacker inside of me; I really want to almost see my belly poking out because of the strength of her kicks and punches. I guess that will come later. When did most of you (women) started feeling real and constant kicks and punches?
That is the update for the week. I have a Dr.s appointment this Friday and an ultrasound the following Friday; I can't wait for the US and to see my dear Peanut again!!!
Please post any comments/ advice/ greetings!!!

19 Weeks and a Cold!!!

I am almost at the mid point. In about 12 more days I will have reached the exact middle of my pregnancy. Now it seems like it has gone fast, but at the same time I keep feeling that I have been pregnant for ever; but I have enjoyed it especially this past weeks that I feel and look more pregnant.
I think I can feel the baby move. It is very confusing because what I feel is something like bubbles or butterflies on my stomach but not really kicks or punches yet. I believe that comes later when the baby runs out of space. In my case I bet she might still have plenty of space.
This week also came with a not to welcome of a visitor, a cold! http://pregnancy.families.com/blog/treating-colds-during-pregnancy
I have never done good with colds and usually feel pretty bad when I get them and of course this time was no difference. I was pretty bummed since this week I started my exercise program and swimming class again; but I had to cut it short because of the cold. I got a pretty bad sore throat and stuffy nose but thanks God I didn't get any fever; so besides the common discomforts of a cold I was pretty much fine. I still have some stuffy nose and a cough but I feel completely fine so I hope I will get rid of these symptoms soon.
Of course I didn't want to take any medicine, not even Tylenol, so I treated my cold with Ginger tea with lemon and honey, lots of orange juice and some additional nutritional supplements recommended by my mother in law. (Coriolus and Olive leaf). I am going to start doing some steam treatments just to get rid of the cough faster.
I thought that my high dose of immune boosting prenatal vitamins was going to keep me clear of any colds; but I guess that with the weather changes here in the winter (one day is 80 the next 50), and the normal suppressed immunity of pregnancy my body just had to give up and let the virus in. The good news is that supposedly this helps the baby develop antibodies to this type of viruses; so if it makes my baby stronger I will deal with it.

I also started my prenatal yoga classes this week and I really enjoyed them. I found a place with other pregnant women that have my same wishes and concerns regarding natural birthing, no medication, laboring at home, alternative positions, danger of vaccines, etc. I think the classes are going to be of great help to prepare me for a successful natural delivery; plus I found out that one of my Drs. (the main one) is pretty open about natural birthing options. I also started my birth plan, I have a first draft that I need to review it both with Dave, my yoga instructor who happens to be a Doula and my Dr. I found out that for example it is a standard procedure to put antibiotic eye drops and/or ointment to newborns; and honestly I find that to be pretty scary; I wouldn't like my baby to be exposed to antibiotics so early in life.

So I keep growing and counting, and looking forward to feel Corina kicking and punching stronger every day.

18 WEEKS!!!

I am so excited I am 18 W 4 days now. I think I was miss-calculating and was actually almost a week behind so it was pretty exciting to find out I am a few days closer to the day when I will meet my little Peanut. Although most of the ultrasounds showed a baby slightly bigger than her gestational age, I thought it was a product of my healthy diet and multiple prenatal vitamins. As some of you know I am what many will say kind of "Granola" and a big fan of natural - non invasive medicine; so although due to medical costs and insurance stuff I will be having my baby on a hospital (attempting a complete natural birth though) and I am seeing a traditional OB/GYN; I was allowed to follow my naturopath's guidelines for pregnancy supplements. These supplements contain mainly the same nutrients found on all prenatal vitamins but they all come from natural sources which are easier and better absorbed by the body than synthetic vitamins, and definitely of much better quality; the only drawback is that they don't have one single pill with all these wonderful ingredients, so I have to take on average 15 to 25 pills a day. Still little Peanut shows perfect measures for her age and I do credit my diet, exercise and multiple supplements for that!!

Some things I stopped, kept and started doing
Well as soon as I realized I could be pregnant, and even from before, I stopped drinking alcohol. I have never been a big drinker (except for college time), especially during the past 6 years that I have been doing triathlons; but I did enjoy an occasional beer or glass of wine; however, when you make the decision of creating a new life it didn't took much effort to put a complete stop to alcohol. It was very scare to read about non conclusive studies about the safety of alcohol during pregnancy; they say that no alcohol amount has been proven safe for pregnant women and that FAS (fetal alcohol syndrome - http://www.nofas.org/family/facts.aspx) can occur even with an occasional drink; therefore pregnant women should completely avoid alcohol.
I also quit caffeine. I have never been much of a coffee drinker; for me coffee has always been like a treat; something good for dessert with a lot of sugar and cream; so for obvious reasons I kept away from it; except for an occasional drink.

I did enjoy tea, especially green tea and southern sweet tea. Giving up green tea was not too tough; but southern sweet tea, especially during Thanksgiving was a challenge, since it is the only time of the year when I drink it; so with my mother in law's blessing (who happens to be a wonderful Dr), I did have a couple glasses of delicious southern sweet tea. They say caffeine is safe to drink on moderate amounts; however it does cross the placenta and gets to the baby and babies do not have the ability that adults have to metabolize it and some studies link it to an increased risk of miscarriage. http://www.cnn.com/2008/HEALTH/conditions/01/21/hfh.caffeine.miscarriage

I didn't quit exercising during the first 12 weeks. My Dr. was very happy to hear I was a triathlete and he said I could keep exercising. He did recommend to take it easier; so I quit biking because of the risk of falling down and I reduced my running mileage to 3 to 5 miles, 2 to 3 times a week. I was getting slightly more tired and my heart rate was pretty high so I definitely had to slow down. I did keep my swimming as before the pregnancy; since that is one of the sports that is highly beneficial and I can keep pretty much doing the same as before; except of course for diving in the pool. At week 13 they found my placenta was slightly low lying so I had to stop exercising for 5 weeks; but thankfully after 5 weeks of taking it slow my uterus grew enough to pull up the placenta and I am back in the clear. Today was my first day back in the pool and it felt great in spite of being a bit slower than 5 weeks ago. For the next 4 months I am not striving for speed but just to keep my fitness level; I am sure that will help me a lot on my natural delivery birth plan. I am going to take it easy on my runs, maybe trying the elliptical trainer to reduce the impact and easing out into 2 and 3 mile runs. I am also going to start a prenatal yoga class; so I am excited about my new exercise routine, just enjoying every activity and getting ready for the biggest race of my athletic and personal life.
That is the update for the week. I will keep updating this blog on Peanut's progress. I have my parents in town visiting now so I am truly enjoying their company and hanging out with the family.

It is a Girl!! and everything looks perfect

It is a Girl!! at least for now and the U/S technician seems to be pretty sure about it. Apparently the baby cooperated and showed us exactly what she was; although I can't yet figure it out myself on the U/S pictures. We are going to name her Corina (or Corinna, still deciding on the spelling) after my baby sister who became an angel when she was 10 months old. She was a blessing to our family and although she physically stayed with us for a short period time she lighted our life with her golden smile; and that had lasted for a life time.
We are both really excited for our little Corina and for knowing that all the anatomical measurements are perfect as Mr. Ultrasound said. He even recommended to keep doing what ever I was doing because everything looked good. It is such a relieving feeling to get the assurance that everything is perfect as it should be. We need to go back in 4 weeks for a 3rd ultrasound because the baby didn't want to show much of her heart and they couldn't get those anatomical measurements; but we expect everything to be perfect as well. We have heard her heart and every time it sounds beautiful; a strong beat with a regular fashion.
It is hard to understand that when we were born there were no ultrasound technology available and the Dr. relied only on some type of instrument they used to hear the baby's heart beat; I think I would have gone crazy. In spite of knowing that the human body is perfect and does perfect things, pregnancy can be a bit stressful and it is sometimes hard to just let it go and put everything in God's hands. He does perfect things so I have nothing to worry; but as a perfect human I do want answers to everything about my baby and I have learned that I just need to let it go.
We also the good news that my placenta is now in normal position, it is not low any more and I can start exercising and doing some other normal things again. I am starting to show and to gain some weight so I do need my exercise routine; although I did enjoy a month of relaxing and taking nice walks. I am also thinking on joining a prenatal yoga class; they are focused on strengthening the body for labor and are big advocates a medication free labor which I am a big fan of, so I am excited of learning everything about it to be able to guide my Dr. when the time comes. Some might think I don't know what I am talking about but I do want a completely natural birth with no anesthesia; I am hoping to inherit my mom's ability to delivery babies in no time!!

I am including a video taken at almost 12 weeks on Dec 6th. As you can see quite an acrobat. She is already training for the next race!!

17 W 3 Days

This blog was supposed to be started a few weeks ago. First I thought of it as a good way to keep friends and family updated on the development of Peanut (how we have decided to call our baby until he/she is born or until we know if it is a boy or a girl - which if Peanut cooperates we should find out tomorrow). Then I decided to play it safe and wait until the so desired 12th week when risks for major problems drop dramatically; and then between the holidays, traveling to visit my family in Ecuador and getting back to work I couldn't make time until today to start Peanut's blog; almost halfway through his or her time inside my womb.
So far I have had a pretty good pregnancy. The first 3 months were slightly uncomfortable dealing with a sort of dry nausea through out the morning, but I was able to keep my lifestyle exercising and working normally in spite of the morning sickness. I tried everything I could get a hold of to get rid of the yucky feeling but honestly nothing really worked; you take crackers and a few crackers later you can't stomach another cracker for the rest of your life; and so happens with every recipe for success. I was very lucky however to get rid of the nausea by the end of the 12th week; but week 13th came up with some other issues.
At the beginning of the 13th week when you think your are off the hook and you can tell the world about your pregnancy; (which I did at week 7), I had some light spotting that freaked me out. Thanks God after 7 hours at the ER the Dr. told us that everything was OK with the baby and that this sort of unexplained spotting tends to happen on a lot of women; I was however diagnosed with a slightly low placenta but it doesn't seem to be a worry to the Dr. since most of the time it gravitates up when the uterus grows.
The next few weeks I have been taking it easy and I was recommended by the Dr. to stop exercising until my placenta moves up which I hope happens soon.
Tomorrow I start my 17th week and I am finally staring to show a bit; I haven't gained any weight yet but the Dr. doesn't seem too worried about it because Peanut is at the right size, weight and measurements. Tomorrow we also have the 17th week detailed ultrasound where they are going to take a lot of measurements on Peanut to make sure everything is OK; tomorrow we should also find out his/hers gender if he/she wants to show us. I will keep all updated on the progress and the gender identity of our little one; we are pretty excited and can't wait to start feeling little Peanut kicking and moving around.