We checked the mail today after we got home from the baby shower and my surprise for Valerie had shown up. Baby B already has tons of clothes, but this one has to be one of my favorites now because I had it made myself. Valerie loved it.
We want to thank everyone who joined us for our baby shower today! Thank you to our family and friends for making it out to help us celebrate all things Baby Bonilla. We are blessed to have such great family and friends and we had an amazing time. Thank you to Valerie’s family who went above and beyond, opening their home to everyone and setting everything up for the event.
On Monday, I was unable to go with Valerie to her doctor’s appointment which featured another quick ultrasound. I was devastated that I had to miss it. However, her mother was nice enough to accompany her and get some video for me to see. The nurse says that Baby B is still a boy. Just making sure!
At today’s doctor appointment I got a very quick ultrasound to check on baby’s position. His head is down and everything is looking good! It is a huge relief to know that everything is progressing as it should. Only a little under 5 weeks to go!
Y’know, I have heard a lot of stories prior to Valerie getting pregnant. 3 AM cravings. Hormonal arguments or breakdowns. All kinda of wackiness. Ok, I know Valerie is not done yet, but at almost 35 weeks, she almost is. I must say, Valerie has been an absolute delight during this pregnancy. My mind was prepared for the worst. From a guy’s perspective, I don’t have one complaint about this pregnancy. If anything, it has probably brought us closer together.
I credit a lot of this to Valerie’s strength. She is one of the strongest, most mentally sound individuals that I know. She is just as organized and prepared for things as she ever was. Her husband on the other hand … well … we won’t talk about him here.
Valerie is going to make an excellent mother. I know this for a fact. Her kindness and love are so strong that Baby B will know he is part of a happy home. Myself? Well, I’ll just try not to be the weak link in all of this. I’m sure I will be a fine father, but compared to Valerie, I have a lot to live up to. She is just amazing.
So I will probably be a new fruit next week, but baby is now the size of a large cantaloupe. He should be about 15-19 inches long and a little over 5lbs. Wow, he’s getting big!! At the last doctor’s appointment, the nurse practitioner said my belly is growing right on track. Lets hope baby stays a reasonable size!
Tonight I went to my first breast feeding class. I really enjoyed the teacher and learned so much already. I feel it was way more useful than the newborn baby care and childbirth classes. It also left me feeling a bit more empowered and not as nervous about not getting it right away.
The next few weeks are going to be incredibly busy at home and at work. We are meeting different pediatricians to see who would be the best doctor for our baby. We have different items to purchase. We are also trying to fit in some fun time while we still can. Add to that all the other things going on in our lives and I will be one pooped pregnant lady soon enough. But I still feel like I can keep it up.
I picked up all my maternity leave paperwork from my work’s human resources. I am looking forward to (hopefully) having at least a week or two before my due date to transition into a different state of mind. I just hope baby doesn’t want to come too early!! I know it is possible, but I just want him to have plenty of time to finish cooking. I want to enjoy these last weeks of pregnancy (despite the discomfort) and be ready to welcome him to his happy home.
Over the weekend, Valerie hit 34 weeks. We are getting close. Baby’s room is coming together and the baby shower is coming up soon. Valerie is trying to stay healthy with walks after every meal. Things are going well and we can’t wait to meet our little guy. Below is a picture taken on Sunday, March 31. I toyed with the idea of posting a “We are having twins” post here on April Fools Day. LOL.
Today my coworkers threw a little baby shower for me after our staff meeting! It was so sweet, and the planner had so many cute ideas! There was a turtle theme, that was so special 🙂 I am very grateful for my work family. They have been incredibly supportive this entire time. My boss gave some kind remarks, and the staff entered a baby due date pool and decorated bibs and onesies. I had a lot of fun 🙂
According to Val’s iPhone app, our baby is now the size of a pineapple. That’s getting pretty big to me. Val said that she hopes that his hair does not come out “prickly.”
So yesterday we spent the entire day (8:30 AM to 5:30 PM) in our Prepared Childbirth class. I saw a real birth for the first time ever. It wasn’t a fake “made for TV or movie” birth, but the real deal. At first, I was nervous about watching it, but it turned out to be pretty amazing. They actually showed many. One in particular was one of the most amazing things I had ever seen. So as the baby was coming out, the mom giving birth in the hospital with a doctor and nurses all around her, reaches down and grabs the baby and pulls it out of herself and lays it on her chest. She pretty much just told everyone, “Get away. I got this” and then pulled it out like some super-woman. I nearly jumped up and yelled, “Did everyone just see that? Someone hit rewind! Where is the rewind button?!!” Except I probably would have said it with more colorful metaphors.
It was pure awesomeness.
Wow, time is moving quickly and lots of exciting things are happening. We had our first class yesterday on newborn baby care. Most of the information David and I remember reading in our books, but we did learn some new things too. The fun part was when we got to practice different ways to hold our baby. We had a floppy baby doll that felt pretty real! David has mastered the cradle hold and football hold. Next week we will learn about bathing, diapering and more!
Tomorrow is our Childbirth class (all day, yikes)! I am a little nervous but still excited to learn about all my options. I am glad we are doing it a bit early so we can practice our favorite techniques. I don’t yet know what my pain tolerance will be, so I will be taking lots of notes! Hopefully David doesn’t get too grossed out by any video they show!
Now that baby B’s furniture is in his room, we can start planning on how it will look in a few weeks with decorations and other items. I really like how cozy it already feels. I think baby and I will have lots of fun bonding in there.
Baby is doing well. He moves so much and I can tell he is bigger. I just hope he stays a reasonable size 🙂
Two pieces of Baby B’s furniture arrived today. They delivered the crib and dresser from Buy Buy Baby today. These are the bigger pieces that we will have so the room is starting to really take form. And later, the crib converts to a toddler bed and then a regular bed. So it should last. Before we went shopping, I had no idea cribs did that these days. Slowly, but surely, his room is coming together. On Tuesday, we had the whole house cleaned professionally and the carpets in the bedrooms, including his, were steam cleaned. We are looking forward to him enjoying his new room.
On Saturday, Valerie was 32 weeks along. But we forgot to take a picture over the weekend so you get one from yesterday. We had another doctor appointment yesterday. They are every two weeks now. Baby is doing well and sizing right. We are having our house deep cleaned today and then will start having baby’s furniture delivered next week or so.
Valerie says that she can feel the baby hiccuping in her. I didn’t even know babies could hiccup in there. That is very cool to me. I wonder what that feels like. I can feel kicks and big movements, but she feels every little thing so maybe I am missing out. Hiccups … amazing.
Sometimes, I think the baby knows when I am trying to feel him. Valerie will say that he is moving a lot and then when I try to feel, he will stop. Sometimes he stops if I even look at her. He is toying with me.
Valerie is at 30 weeks now. When we say it like that, it seems like the due date is closing in fast. There is still a lot to do. For example, having the baby’s room cleaned (and the house while we are at it), getting his furniture delivery dates set, decorating the room, going to our many classes, and much much more. We have so much going on right now and free time has become a luxury. Baby and mommy are still doing well and that is what is important.
Baby B had quite a fun time last night. He spent about half an hour rolling, kicking, squirming and moving all over for his daddy. David was pretty entertained with how much my stomach was moving. He asked me if it ever bothers me. Truthfully, sometimes it is distracting when I am working, but I can’t be mad at my little baby exploring his world. He is still small enough where the kicks don’t hurt, but he seems to love seeing how far he can push himself out. Watching my tummy move is my new favorite show 🙂
Wow, time is flying by now. I went over the calendar with David yesterday and there is a lot going on between now and when Baby B will be born. Between work, appointments, weekend activities, and all we still need to do to get the house ready, it will be hard to sit with my feet up!! I am sure I can find some time soon, though.
With just over 10 weeks left, I still feel pretty good (all things considered). The hardest part is managing my Gestational Diabetes. Testing 4 times a day has been difficult, but I am finally getting the hang of it. Mostly I miss all those goodies that baby (well, mom really) craves. I know that I need to stay away from all the sweets, though, to make sure baby is not being set up for difficulty as he grows. I am lucky that this was caught when it was, and he is measuring right on track.
So, on to more little tasks that need to get done 🙂
Yesterday was our second wedding anniversary. After a wonderful dinner in Beverly Hills, Valerie and I exchanged cards. Accompanying her card was a little wrapped gift. When I finally opened it, I saw that it was a little baby onesie from Old Navy that said “I Love My Daddy” on the front. It was adorable and I absolutely loved it. I remember passing through a store one time and seeing “I Love My Mommy” or “I Love My Grandma” baby shirts and thinking, “Where are all of the ‘I Love My Daddy’ shirts?”
We painted the baby’s accent wall. And by we, I mean me. But Valerie picked the color and went with me to get the samples so it was a team effort. She loved the way it turned out. It will look really nice with some furniture and pictures hanging on the wall. Well, just the pictures will be hanging on the wall, not the furniture. Now we just need to have the room cleaned and we can begin scheduling the delivery dates for the furniture.
Now that the third trimester is started, I know things are supposed to get a bit harder. However, I am glad I can still tie my own shoes, shave my legs, and sleep relatively comfortably. While I am celebrating these small victories, I have new challenges to face.
I was diagnosed with gestational diabetes, which, while I somehow deep down thought would be possible, was still a big shock. My numbers were really high after the test that my doctor immediately referred me to a specialist. So I have been learning how to test my blood sugar 4 times a day (my poor fingers) and will find out today if I may need to add insulin. So far, I have extremely cut down my carbs and eliminated sugars (except a few grams found in some foods). I really hope that by managing my diet I can avoid having to give myself shots. The good news is that this should go away after I have the baby.
Another interesting development is the appearance of my first stretch marks despite my daily moisturizing routine. I am going to have to double my efforts now!
Aside from these challenges, I am excited that time is marching forward. There is about 3 months left, and Baby B is having a great time exploring his snug home. He’s been very active, with lots of kicks, hiccups, and rolling around. I have even seen him make my whole stomach jump from side to side. It is so amazing and a little funny. We have also started working on picking the color and decor for the nursery, and started our registry.
So it is an exciting, interesting time! Lots to do, and lots to look forward to. Can’t wait to meet this little man!
On Saturday, according to her iPhone app, Valerie entered her third trimester. We also started the shopping for Baby B’s nursery. On Saturday, we purchased the crib and dresser for the baby’s room and selected a color for the accent wall that we (and by we, I mean me) will paint. On Sunday, Valerie and her sister Erica went through Buy Buy Baby and started adding things to the registry. I arrived at the tail end of the trip to watch them work the scanning device as if they were in the Wild West gun fight and barcodes were the bad guys. At one point, I said “That’s cute” to a product and all I heard as I walked away was “beep” from Valerie scanning it.
So it was a busy weekend, but I am glad that Valerie is having fun.
I was just looking at my countdown and I have 97 days until my due date!! Where did time go? There is still lots to do (or start doing) but I am sure Baby B will give me enough time to get it all done.
Next week I will start my third trimester, which is supposed to be the hardest part. I can already tell where I may find some difficulties. While I can still get around okay with only slight waddling, I can feel the sides of my back start to get sore by the late afternoon. Some of my shoes don’t really fit anymore. I have begun to experience heartburn. Well… At least I am still able to flip sides in bed!!
The exciting thing is that Baby B is growing and getting much stronger. His kicks are very noticeable and frequent. David has been able to feel him more 🙂 I will soon be ready to let others feel when he is moving too! It is a strange and magical time :).
We just got home from what was probably one of the most memorable trips we’ve had. This weekend was such a wonderful treat, and I am incredibly lucky to have a husband who treats me so well. I already told him he has to be careful or I will be very spoiled 🙂
The drive up to Pismo Beach on Friday was beautiful. Although it was a bit rainy for portions, the coast looked so pretty and there was no traffic. We stopped in Santa Barbara for a delicious lunch and to get some special chocolates from a shop we visited the last time we were there. When we got to Pismo just before 4pm, we were pleasantly surprised at how nice the hotel was. The view was gorgeous and we were surprised with a little gift bag of a onesie with the hotel name on it and a blanket. Inside were also coupons for some treats during our stay.
Our hotel room was simply amazing. The view of the coast was breathtaking and we quickly set out to explore before the sun set. We made our way down to the beach where the tide was out and got to explore some tide pools. We later went out for a lite dinner of salad and pizza before heading back to the hotel room and a nice warm bath for me.
Our second day was pure luxury and relaxation. We started with a complimentary breakfast, then took a quick trip to a butterfly grove. I loved seeing thousands of monarch butterflies flitting around. We also walked around the Pismo pier for a bit, before heading back to the hotel to prepare for our couples massage.
We each had VERY relaxing massages! I almost didn’t want to get off of the table! I will have to remember to have a few more before baby comes 🙂 we headed back to our room after that to continue the relaxation by just being lazy. We watched tv, requested our complimentary sparkling apple cider and dessert, and just laid around before getting ready for dinner. It was in this relaxed state that David felt his son move for the first time! He was laying with his head on my stomach and heard (and felt) baby kick him in the ear. Later, as baby was really moving a lot, he was able to feel with his hand. It was perfect timing for baby to show off for his daddy 🙂
If you saw David’s Facebook posts, we had an incredible dinner. We had a voucher for the restaurant in the hotel, and didn’t think to make a reservation, but luckily they were able to give us a table. They had a special “restaurant month” menu which included 3 courses for $30. I figured it would be decent, but was treated to a spectacular meal. I had a butternut squash soup to start, followed by a very fresh piece of salmon over some asparagus and tomatoes in a citrus and balsamic sauce. David had a delicious lemon shrimp risotto and seared duck breast over some greens with onions, apples, bacon and croutons. Just when it couldn’t get better, i ordered the chocolate cake with mango sorbet and the server gave me a HUGE piece! David had an equally yummy pineapple upside-down cake with coconut sorbet and a little coconut cookie. We somehow managed to tear ourselves out of the food coma and make our way back to our room, but not before raving to the maitre’d about how much we enjoyed the dinner. Since we were stuffed, we got back into the relaxing mode and ordered an in-room movie and called it a night.
This morning, although we were sad to leave, we made the most of it by having a very tasty breakfast at a little hole in the wall place and walking around the town a bit. Sadly, soon enough we needed to start heading back to reality. Now we are home, and trying to stay in a vacation state of mind.
That will be tough, though, because my countdown says I have just under 15 weeks left. So, we will soon be busying ourselves with preparations for Baby B’s arrival. Within the next few weeks we will start planning his room and making some of the bigger purchases. It is so exciting to think we are going to meet this little guy soon. Well, it is a little scary too, but I know that we will figure everything out. We have a great support with our family and friends. So, onwards with the countdown!
I was laying my head on Val’s stomach, listening to her insides (that’s normal, right?), and I felt a swift two kicks to the ear. “Woah” was my only reaction as Val laughed. That was the first time I have felt the baby. Then I kept listening and got another kick to the ear. Hahaha. Exciting.
What is a “babymoon” exactly? Well, my book describes it as your last peaceful vacation before the baby is born or before your wife gets too big and uncomfortable to go somewhere fun. And don’t tell her I said “big” or I may get it. So here we are in Pismo Beach, California. I reserved the nicest suite at The Cliffs Resort for the two of us. Today, we spent some time walking on the beach as the sun set, did some shopping — because shopping always seems to make women happy, and had a nice romantic dinner. Tomorrow we will enjoy our “And Baby Makes Three” package at the resort which includes a nice breakfast, couples spa massage, dinner, movie in your room, ice cream, sparkling apple cider, muffins, dinner, and a gift bag. This was actually a belated birthday gift for Val. She deserves it for being an amazing wife. Plus, I just love spending time with her.
Baby has reached the size of an eggplant (but one that weighs over a pound). Looking at my stomach these days, I can believe it! Baby B is also getting lots of practice in moving around and kicking. Sometimes, out of nowhere, my stomach will jump with a good swift kick. Yesterday he was really active, and it is amazing every time I feel his movements. I tell him he is doing a good job at kicking, and to keep practicing.
In other news, I caught a pretty bad cold. Lots of people are sick around me, and even though I try to avoid them I guess it is just in the air. I spent all yesterday hanging around at home with Netflix to entertain me and what seemed like gallons of orange juice and water. Hoping I see some improvement by today, since it is a long weekend and I don’t want to spend the entire time sick. Baby doesn’t seem too disturbed by my coughing or sneezes.
I have another doctors appointment tomorrow, but as far as I can tell everything is going along normally. I booked the majority of my prenatal classes for March and April. Now David and I are just talking about starting to get the baby’s room ready and making some purchases. He’ll be staying in the Yuko suite (aka our spare bedroom), and we have already seen some decor we like. We may paint one wall (by we I mean David) for extra color in the room. If I am feeling better Monday I will suggest a trip to Home Depot to look at paint choices.
Lots to do and just over 15 weeks left! How time flies!
