31 Weeks

Whoa! This summer has flown by! Between having family visit Madrid, travelling on our home and a trip back home to the states, the time has gotten away from me. Can’t believe it’s been 5 weeks since the last update! Better late than never, though, I suppose.

How far along? 31 weeks

Due date? October 15, 2013

Weight gain? I’m right on track to gain within the healthy recommended range for my starting weight. However, the number is getting to big to type. Just kidding. But really, I sometimes fall into a trap of comparing myself to other pregos who do similar updates, which is just silly because every body, every baby and every pregnancy is different. I feel good and healthy, and I want to gain whatever my body needs to develop a strong, healthy baby.

Exercise? Lots of walks, though the heat really gets to me, so the earlier the better. (And they’re way better when I was home and had my mom has a walking partner, but I’m still getting out there in Madrid too.) Still keeping with my Body by Trimester videos 2-3 times per week.

Maternity clothes? A mix of maternity and non-maternity tops, dresses and leggings. I’ve upgraded to maternity shorts full-time, though. By the time September/October rolls around, I may resort to a sports bra and leggings full time. I apologize in advance for anyone who has to be seen in public with me.

Stretch marks? Not yet (unless Shelby was right and I’m missing something ), but my linea nigra is unmistakable. 

Sleep? Still lots of bathroom breaks, turning from side to side, and waking up with a stiff back, but I’m still waking up rested so not too much to complain about.

Best moment this week? Taking a road trip through the North/North West of Spain with Luke. It’s the one area of the country that we hadn’t really seen yet, so we rented a car and just started driving. We didn’t really have any plans or itineraries; we just drove, making plenty of detours and stops along the way, and found a hotel room wherever we ended up for the night. It was nice and relaxing, and the cooler temperatures were amazing! It was rough coming back to the hot concrete streets of Madrid!

Miss anything? Being able to bend over, get up and down, and just move easily and comfortably.

Movement? For sure. This little baby gets my whole tummy moving! There have been a few times that I’ve gotten worried when I feel like I haven’t felt enough movement that day, but it always turns out fine. I think sometimes s/he may just get in a position where I can’t feel things as much or maybe just needs to rest. We all need a lazy day every once in a while, but it sure is hard not to worry.

Food cravings? Cold fruit and water. I don’t know if it’s really a craving, but with these hot temps, I can’t drink enough cold water. And I have a feeling my gelato craving will return when we visit Rome with Luke’s family next week.

Anything make you queasy or sick? Nope. I’ve been so fortunate in this regard the entire pregnancy. 

Other symptoms? Tiny bits of swelling if I’m on my feet in the heat for too long, Braxton Hicks contractions, and just general uncomfortableness most days by the time the evening rolls around.

Have you started to show yet? Yes! It’s hilarious to look back at pictures from weeks ago when I thought my tummy was huge and so obviously pregnant! Ha! If I only knew what was coming! (And I’ll probably say that again in a few weeks.)

Gender prediction? Luke thinks girl these days. He definitely influences me, but I still can’t make up my mind. Either way, we won’t be disappointed! What an exercise in patience this whole process is!

Happy or moody? Happy, happy. 

Looking forward to? Cooler temperatures, making our final baby related purchases (I need to stock up on diapers!), and getting the room (and the rest of the house) in order for baby’s arrival. I’m ready for September!

Happy Birthday, Luke!

Luke headed to work this morning, in no less than his best “birthday suit!” I wish birthdays translated to a free day off of work, but we’ve had lots of vacation recently (with lots to come) so we can’t complain too much. And he gets to share this (hopefully) yummy, homemade Italian cream cake with all his worker friends. Because of that, I’m actually a bit jealous I couldn’t go with him! (Be sure to save me a crumb or two if there’s any left!)

Happy, happy 29th birthday to my handsome hubby, baby daddy and bestest friend! You’re so good at everything you do, especially being my husband, and I know you’re going to be a great dad too! Enjoy the last one before baby! Can’t wait to celebrate with you tonight!

26 Weeks

How far along? 26 weeks

Due date? October 15, 2013

Weight gain? about 17 lbs. 

Exercise? With my family in town and all our traveling over the past few weeks, we did lots of walking. Plus, we climbed the stairs to the top of the Duomo in Florence, Italy. With that view at the top, it has to be better than any stairmaster.

Maternity clothes? A mix of maternity and non-maternity tops, dresses and leggings. I’ve upgraded to maternity shorts full-time, though.

Stretch marks? Nope, but like my sis warned me, sometimes they don’t even show up until after baby is here. :/

Sleep? At the beginning of week 25, I had a couple nights of insomnia that I was fearful would stick around. Luckily, though, it seemed to be temporary, and I’m back to good sleeping.

Best moment this week? Deciding on bedding for the crib! I’m hoping it’s ready in time for my MIL to bring when they visit mid-August, so that I don’t have to wait until October to see it. Also, Mom & Dad brought our stroller over from the states, and we got it all (easily) set up and ready to go! Now we just have to figure out how to get it up and down our stairs. :/

Funniest moment this week? We got an email that told us that, by this point in the pregnancy, you should be able to hear the baby’s heart beat just by laying your head to my tummy. Luke was trying that out early one morning and got a few good kicks to the head. He thinks baby doesn’t like him/was getting smooshed. I think baby was excited he was so close!

Miss anything? With this heat and all our traveling/walking, a bubbly glass of champagne has sounded really good.  We bought a bottle of prosecco in Italy to enjoy after our little baby arrives!

Movement? Oh, yeah. I was just feeling kicks when I would lay or sit down and be pretty still. Just in the last day or so, though, it’s really started picking up. There’s movement all day, every day no matter what I’m doing! Also, some of the kicks have gotten big enough to see from the outside!

Food cravings? Peanut butter toast and a glass of milk for breakfast every morning, and cold smoothies. So good!

Anything make you queasy or sick? The octopus we ate the other night. I usually really like it; this time, though, it made me want to gag. (It also made my mom want to gag, but she was a trooper and at least tried it!) 

Other symptoms? Maybe a little more tired than usual, especially after a big day of lots of walking.

Have you started to show yet? Yes! Mom & Dad even thought that could tell my tummy had grown just in the first few days that they were here. Here we grow!

Gender prediction? We’re both thinking boy. However, Luke has been trying to say she/her while I say he/him in order not to really confuse our little one one way or another.

Happy or moody? Super happy! Having family in town and getting to travel all around with them was absolutely amazing; it would have only been better if we’d had the rest of our crazy clan along! Yesterday, though, I was super weepy. I think it was partly because everybody had just left and partly just hormones.

Looking forward to? The rest of our busy summer! I just made last minute plans to make one last trip home before baby for the last 2 weeks of July (unless the Doctor tells me no way at my next appointment on Thursday.) Also, looking forward to the next sonogram on Thursday where we’ll see our little cutie and hopefully find out that the placenta previa is no longer an issue.

Our Babymoon in Lanzarote

Although we're hoping to fit in another quick trip at the very first of August, in early June we planned a trip to Lanzarote, one of a group of Spanish islands called The Canaries, and deemed it our Babymoon. Whether or not we get to travel again just the two of us before baby, this was definitely our last trip without a big baby belly.

Lanzarote, though owned by Spain, is just 125 km off the coast of Africa, and is a volcanic island. Luke visited this island back in 2005ish for a frisbee tournament, and after hearing all of his stories, I've always wanted to go.

We stayed at the Melia Salinas in Costa Teguise and were pretty impressed with the hotel. We opted out of the all inclusive option but enjoyed the fresh, huge breakfast buffet every morning. Our room was also large (huge by European standards) and included a nice balcony with sea views.

Our first day in Lanzarote, we took full advantage of our beautiful hotel. We played a set of post breakfast tennis games and then lounged at the pool all afternoon, breaking just long enough for lunch. It was super windy, but luckily, still warm enough to enjoy the time by the pool. (I'll spare you the pics of the pregnant girl in a bikini. :)) After a well deserved nap, we met up with Luke's old friend from Lanzarote, Diego, and his girlfriend for dinner.

We spent our second day exploring the island. First, we visited one of the island's wineries for a quick tour of their museum and vineyard. Because of the windy, dry climate in Lanzarote, the grape vines are planted in deep pits and then surrounded by stones in order to protect them from the wind and to harvest rainfall. The bright green vines planted in the black volcanic ash definitely makes for a unique looking vineyard.

After the vineyard, we visited Timanfaya National Park, which was all about the volcanoes of the island and my favorite part of our day. We took a tour bus through the park to view several different volcanoes. As we looked out the windows during the drive, it seemed like you were on a different planet! (In fact, Luke tells me that several movies that are set on different planets have been filmed in Lanzarote for this very reason.) It is such a unique landscape. After the tour, the guides perform several different "spectacles" in order to show how hot it is within the earth on this part of the island. First, they toss hay down into a hole, and it catches fire. Next, they pour a bucket full of water down another hole, and it shoots out like a geyser. Finally, they have a large, natural grill where they cook all kinds of chicken to serve in the park's restaurant. All were pretty cool!

After our time in the national park, we had lunch and checked out the green lake in El Golfo before making quick stops at Los Hervideros, Mirador del Rio and Jameos del Agua. I think Luke's favorite of the day was the Jameos del Agua. (Is that right, Luke?) Don't quote me on this, but I think the Jameos are basically lava tunnels and caves that were formed when the volcanoes erupted thousands of years ago. The ponds within the Jameos are filled with tiny blind, albino crabs. The crabs are blind and albino because before the eruption, they were never exposed to sunlight. This is the only place in the world where these crabs exist. Cesar Manrique, an architect and artist from Lanzarote who has left a prominent mark all over the island, artistically developed a restaurant, bar, swimming pool, dance floor, etc around the Jameos for the visitors' viewing pleasure. :)

Near the end of our day, Luke started not feeling well, and by the time we made it back to the hotel, his tummy was really upset. We're not sure if maybe he'd just met his max of seafood for the week or what, but he ended up getting sick that night. We took it easy in the hotel room, and let him sleep it off and rest up for the next day.

On our third day, we took a short ferry across to Fuerteventura, another of the Canary Islands, where we rented two beach chairs and soaked up some more sun on a beach called Corralejo. Luke's tummy was better, but he was still feeling a little tired and not 100%, which actually worked out pretty well for a lazy beach day. He usually gets kind of antsy, but this day, he curled up and slept under our little umbrella until he felt good enough to come out of the shade to read for a bit and enjoy the "views".

With our last few hours in Lanzarote, we enjoyed another hotel breakfast, where I once again succumbed to the temptation of the chocolate napolitanas (don't worry, I had something of nutritional value first), and then got in a final few hours at the pool before heading to the airport.

It was a fabulous baby moon! And though are days of traveling before baby are numbered, we're both so excited to meet this little baby and look forward to family vacations of the future!