Two months go by...

To my dear Sophia,

You are almost 3 months old! These months have flown by and we can’t slow it down. It’s already November! The year is almost over and we are heading into your first holiday season! JOY!

We really can’t put into words how you have changed our life. Throughout my pregnancy a lot of people would tell us “just wait until you get to hold your baby in your arms.” But nothing can prepare you for the love that knocks you down full force. Our hearts grow bigger and bigger every day. Some days I look at you sleeping and tears roll down my cheeks out of pure LOVE and JOY. NOTHING and NOONE can describe it, you just feel it. It kind of lets you know just how much God loves us, his children. Indescribable love.

You are growing up so fast and every day is different. This month

- You want to sit up more and always have to know what’s going on and facing the action.

- You chew and suck your hands all the time & your drooling is out of control at times. We think you are already starting to teeth.

- You talk, laugh, and smile when you wake up in the morning. Every morning we wake up with a smile on our face because of you.

- You’re a wiggle worm! You love to dance when we put you on your back, kicking your legs and waving your arms around.

- You love to watch football on the TV. It must be the colors and movement.

- Around 8:30-9:00pm, you get extra grouchy until we go to bed.

- You’re gigging and smiling more and more throughout the day. Happy baby

- You enjoy tummy time more! Yay

- You have outgrown your Newborn clothes and now wearing 0-3 month clothing.

- You took your first 5k with mommy in your Baby Bjorn! We took “strides against Breast Cancer"

- You enjoy to watch mommy & daddy do the Insanity workouts. (We think you’re going to be such an athlete!)

- You were so brave at your 2-month doctor appointment when you got your 2-month vaccinations. Mommy wasn’t such a wimp this time and didn’t cry for 2 hours. I still couldn’t watch though.

- Your hair is growing fast and is in an awkward stage where it stands straight up. My little peacock

Until ext month...

Love, mommy & daddy

Dear Sophia

You are 1 month old! Actually 1 month, 1 week, and 5 days old now. I've decided to turn this blog into something for you to read one day. Kind of like a baby book!

Right now you are eating...yep, on my boob. Thats's where you spend most of your time. You absolutely HAVE to eat every 2hrs or you go into a screaming rage and make mean faces at me and daddy.

Some memories we've created:

- Coming home from the hospital and meeting the puppies. They are VERY curious! Always wanting to sniff you and see why you make weird noises. Rome is protective of you, even growls at Bella sometimes when she tries to sniff you. You sometimes stare at them with wide eyes. I keep telling them one day you will probably torture them with lots of tail & ear pulls. They go into absolute crazy mode when people come over to visit you, so we have to put them outside sometimes. They love you.

-Mommy's mind is no where to be found. The first time I packed up your diaper bag to take you to your first doctor appointment I forgot to pack diapers. Isn't that the most important item in a diaper bag? I made a pizza the first time actually making dinner since you've been here, and daddy went to take it out of the oven and said "Alex, you didn't put cheese on the pizza?" Yep, i forgot to put cheese on the pizza..even though the shredded mozzarella cheese was right there on the counter.

- We went to Marissa & Jon's wedding and you loved to dance! We took turns bringing you on the dance floor and dancing around with you in our arms. You were looking at everyone with a big smile on your face. Daddy and you had matching outfits and we didn't even get a picture together! I am mad about this. ;)

- After several attempts, you still won't take a bottle. You don't find it funny when we try and "trick" you into thinking a bottle is mommy's boob. This has led to many phone calls from daddy when I go to the grocery store. "Babe, where are you? Sophia is hungry, won't take the bottle, and has been crying for the past 20 minutes."

- You have a love/hate relationship with your car seat. Sometimes you will sleep the whole car ride, and other times you scream at the top of your little lungs for someone to take you out.

- We have found the miracle that lets you sleep the whole night. It's called the "Miracle Blanket" and I will now get it for every friend at their baby shower. Daddy told me I was mean for strapping your arms down, but when his sleep didn't get interrupted that night he quickly changed his mind. Your arms scare you and you have no idea what to do with them.

- I love you and your daddy more than anything in this world. I am extremely blessed.

Sophia's birth story

After 3 weeks of doctor appointments and my cervix not doing anything, my doctor suggested Ischedule an induction because it looked like my body wasn’t going to go into labor on its own.

On Monday night, the hospital called to schedule the induction. When I got off the phone I was overwhelmed with emotions. I cried and cried for a good hour. I couldn’t even call Angelo to tell him without bursting in tears. I was so excited/anxious/nervous/scared/happy/etc,etc,etc! Tuesday and Wednesday were a blur as I tried to think of everything and anything I needed to bring a baby into our new home. Thursday came and I was pretty quiet the whole day. I was calm on the outside but terrified on the inside. I was so scared of the pain that I was about to go through. I wanted to skip the whole labor process and meet my baby girl! Before we made our way to the hospital we went to our last prenatal appointment (to find out my cervix was closed “tighter than Fort Knox”), Angelo got a hair cut (because he “needed to look good in pictures”), dropped the puppies off at their grandparent’s house, cleaned the house & car spotless, and finally installed the car seat. Around 5pm we gathered our hospital bags and out the door we went. The next time we would walk in our front door we will have a baby with us!

On the way to the hospital I started crying and told Angelo how scared I was. He calmed me down and assured me that any pain I was going to feel was to bring our baby girl safely into the world. The pain had a beautiful purpose. We stopped by Chickfila to get some last minute dinner and try to get my mind off of it.

6:00pm: Checked into the hospital and settled into the labor & delivery room around 6:15. Filled out paper work, started the IV, and had 2 monitors strapped around my stomach. These were for the baby’s heart rate and another to monitor my contractions.

8:00pm: Cervidil was inserted. Cervidil is a tampon like object with a drug called dinoprostone that is used to “ripen” the cervix and get it ready to be able to deliver a baby. I couldn’t get out of bed or eat/drink anything for the next two hours. This was kinda hard since you always have to pee when someone tells you that you can’t! Pain scale: 0

10:00pm: My last chance to eat until after Sophia was born. Not knowing when that would be, I ate some pineapple and melon. Pain scale: 0

11:00pm: I tried to get some sleep but couldn’t, even though I felt really tired. Angelo fell asleep on his sleeper couch next to me.

12:00am: Contractions started to hit me. They felt like really bad period cramps. I also had to pee every 5 minutes because of the IV fluids being pumped through me. Pain scale: 4

1:00am: My water broke! Weirdest feeling ever! It felt like a balloon literally popped inside of me. I was scared because I didn’t know what it was so I jumped out of bed and stood in the middle of the floor, water pouring out of me, trying to yell at Angelo to wake up. Angelo ran and told the nurse. My body was naturally going into labor without the Pictosin. I was told it is very rare to go into labor with just the Cervidil. I guess I’m one of the lucky ones! With all the peeing I was doing, the Cervidil fell out at some point anyway.

2:00am: Contractions REALLLLY starting to hurt. I think they were coming every 4-5 minutes and I could barely lay still when they hit. It’s weird because you can actually feel them coming, peaking, and then leaving. Pain scale: 7

3:00am: I could barely talk, breathe, or think through the contractions. I was begging for pain medication but wasn’t allowed to have any because Sophia’s heart rate would drop every time I had a contraction. I could feel Sophia moving down with every contraction and it felt like my uterus was being twisted in a knot and cut out of me. Yes, it was the worst pain I have every felt before in my life. Pain scale: 9 Cervix check: 1cm! When the nurse told me I was barely a cm dilated, I thought I was going to punch her. All this pain and still nothing?!

4:00-5:00am: Pain Pain and Pain. Contractions were coming every 1-3 minutes. I couldn’t get any relief with pain meds. I was attempting to rip the bed rail off the bed, trying to find any way possible to make the pain go away. The worst part was knowing the pain was coming back every friggin minute. Every now and then I’d ask angelo how HE was doing because I was convinced he would pass out at any moment with all my weird breathing and noise making.

5:00am: I was finally dilated to 3cm, able to get the epidural. THANK GOD I thought…some relief. To get the epidural I was told to be completely still while having the worst contractions yet. I think I almost broke the nurse’s hands from squeezing them so hard. Angelo had to sit down during the epidural.

5:30am: Still in major pain. The epidural wasn’t working at all. I think the

only part of me that went numb was my right thigh. I still felt every contraction. The nurses were wondering why I was still in so much pain so they checked my cervix again to find out I was already at 9.5 cm! I went from 3cm to 9.5cm in about 30 minutes! Talk about progress! Sophia was on her way and in a hurry!

6:00am: The epidural kicked in a little more and the pain was manageable. Nurse told me to start pushing. Angelo was told to grab my right leg (the one leg that was totally numb and felt like 1000lbs). I pushed for maybe 5 seconds and was told to stop. Sophia’s head was coming quickly so the Nurse ran to get the doctor. Pain scale: 4

6:17am: After 4 pushes Sophia made her way into the world! 7lbs 2oz, 19inches long. My beautiful screaming baby girl was put into my arms and Angelo cut the umbilical cord! Pain scale: ZERO.

Let the games begin...

Angelo & I with our little girl

Daddy's girl

Sophia Grace Metallo

The final countdown

Hey folks!!! Well, we finally moved into our new house so things have been NONSTOP over here. I still have a ton of unpacking and organizing to do and hopefully will get it all done before Sophia makes her appearance! It's around 6pm on a Monday night right now and I am eating some whole wheat pancakes with eggs...lol Sounded good and was super fast to make in between all the chaos of unpacking. I think I am finally finished organizing our closet, hopefully I don't find another bag of clothes hiding in the boxes in the garage.

Thursday is the BIG DAY (my due date!) I have a doctor's appointment in the morning where they will check if there's any "activity" going on "down there". I haven't showed any progress the past 2 weeks. If I still have no progress then they will induce me Thursday night, which means...SOPHIA WILL BE HERE ON FRIDAY!!!!!

Weekly Report

How far along? 39 Weeks, 4 days. 3 days until my due date!

Total weight gain/loss:? 30 lbs

Stretch marks? No change

Sleep: Sleeping in our new king-sized bed has been wonderful! So much more room for me to roll my big belly over lol

Best moment this week: SO MANY awesome moments for me this week. Sleeping in our new house, taking a late-night swim with the hubby in our new pool, having Sophia's furniture delivered and set up, officially being a homeowner!

Movement: Yep

Food cravings: Anything and everything sounds good. I could eat our entire fridge if you let me.

Gender: Girl

Labor Signs: Nope..unfortunately.

Belly Button in or out? Flat like a pancake.

What I miss: My skinny feet and hands! They get so swollen and hurt!

What I am looking forward to: Thursday's doc appt!

Weekly Wisdom: "Once in a while, right in the middle of an ordinary life, love gives us a fairytale"

Sophia's growing: Her brain is still developing rapidly, and her skin has taken on a paler shade thanks to a thicker layer of fat around the blood vessels. (Don't worry; she'll change color again soon after birth.) She's now able to flex her limbs, and her nails might extend past her fingertips.

Inducing Labor

HEY! It's FRIDAY, time for the weekend once again! This weekend is filled with furniture shopping, a graduation party, and bridal shower. FUN stuff!

Sunday we went to the zoo because it was $5 day. Usually it's $24 a person, crazy right? This creature below is an Alligator Turtle pressing itself up against the glass of his water home.

Thursday was our 38wk doctor appointment. They start doing internal exams now to see if I'm progressing towards labor. I haven't progressed much at all. Doc said I was "maybe" 50% effaced (thinned out) and 0cm dilated (completely closed). We were told if there is 0 progress by next week's appointment then we will start looking at inducing labor. This got me thinking. What are ways I can try and induce labor myself, without any medical interventions? I’m definitely not trying to get Sophia to make an appearance early…I mean I STILL have to move my life into a new house! I just love to read different ways people try to induce labor. I don’t think I believe in any of these because I feel like the baby will come when baby wants to come out. These are my findings after much internet searching.

-Sex. This was right out of the doctor’s mouth and what he believes to be the only one to actually work. Semen has Prostagladins, which play a tole in the natural initiation of labor.

-Castor Oil. Said to also have Prostagladins.

-Walking. I do enough walking as it is.

-Raspberry loose leaf tea.

-Pineapple. I think I've eaten a lot of pineapple throughout this pregnancy already, but I'll def get some on my next grocery store trip.

-Spicy food.

-Eggplant Parmigiana. Yes this recipe claims it has induced labor of about 300 pregnant women. http://www.scalinis.com/Bambino.htm

-Prune juice. Doesn't prune juice make you do to the bathroom?!

-Eating macaroni and cheese with A1 sauce. I have no idea...

-Nipple stimulation.

-Walking up and down stairs.

-Sitting on an exercise ball and bouncing (gently)

I'll let you know if I try any of these methods and we will see if there is any progress by next Thursday.

Weekly Report

How far along? 38 Weeks.. 13 days left until due date!!!!

Total weight gain/loss:? I'm stuck between 28-30 lbs. I lost 2 lbs from last week which puts me back at 28lbs. I REALLY don't know how. The past 2 weeks my appetite has been out.of.control. I eat A LOT! :) Mostly "healthy" foods but still some junk foods, ie: cookies, brownies, ice cream, potato chips.

Stretch marks? No change

Sleep: Ehhh, it's been OK. Not really any major complaints. My hips start hurting in the middle of the night from sleeping on my side. I have to switch from my right and left quite a few days throughout the night. Plus getting up about 2 times to pee. But hey...I'm still getting enough sleep.

Best moment this week: Going to our new home and seeing it completely empty and ready to move in. It made the interior designer in me go crazy with ideas. We are currently STILL waiting on the appraisal to be approved by the lender. We SHOULD close by Monday...please please please.

Movement: Yep

Food cravings: Cravings have been everywhere this week. On Monday I was craving Ramen Noodles. haha So, of course I went to the store and bought some. Did you know they were only $0.99 for a 6-pack?! CRAZAY! But, there are still 5 packs left and they no longer sound good. Anyone want some Ramen noodles? ;) Some other random cravings this week: Tuna salad with jalapenos, Greek salad, potato chips dipped in sour cream.

Gender: Girl

Labor Signs: Nope

Belly Button in or out? Flat like a pancake.

What I miss: Cuddle time with the hubby when I go to sleep. I'm too hot and I surround myself with 4 pillows trying to get comfortable.

What I am looking forward to: Next week's doc appointment!

Weekly Wisdom: Who in their right mind watches Soap Operas? When I'm home during the day they usually come on the TV at 1:00 after the Today shows. I have to change the channel immediately, because just the background noise of them is cheesy.

Sophia's growing: The last bits of vernix caseosa (the white goo keeping her skin moist) and lanugo (downy hair) are slowly shedding into my amniotic fluid. Her head is about the same circumference as her abdomen, and her head could be covered in an inch or so of hair.

Bump in the road

HEY!

This week my fitness routine hit a bump in the road. My dog, Rome, chewed up my Nike+ sensor on my shoe. Such a downer because I use it for my walks to make sure I get in so many miles/time per week. Before I had the Nike+ I used an iPhone app but it's just not the same. I LOVE the Nike+ and will have to get a new one ASAP. You can see the little booger in the background of the pic.

Even though I was sad about the sensor, I still got in my 5 walks this week. It's so freeeeaking hot outside, I have to take my walks around 9-10am before it gets too hot. But even at that time I come back drenched in sweat. I drink about a gallon of water everyday to keep hydrated. That's the key!

I wonder if people look at me funny with my big belly walking 2 dogs in this heat. :) Oh well. FYI: I do wear a shirt when I go on my walks, I just had to take it off once I got back inside because it was too hot and felt like it was strangling me. I told you I don't like to wear clothes...right?

Weekly Report

How far along? 37 Weeks..19 days left until due date!!!!

Total weight gain/loss:? I can't.stop.eating. I've officially hit 30 lbs. :o

Stretch marks? No change

Sleep: I wake up about 2 times per night to either pee or change positions. Angelo has had a harder time sleeping than I have. Maybe it's time for a new & bigger bed! :)

Best moment this week: Found out our house loan was approved. Now a couple more details (like the appraisal) need to be ironed out and we should be go-to-go! I also bought my baby monitor this week! Funny how simple baby things like that make me excited. :)

Movement: Yep, all up in my right rib.

Food cravings: On Wednesday I was craving a Milkshake...that's about it.

Gender: Girl

Labor Signs: Nope

Belly Button in or out? Flat like a pancake.

What I miss: I just want beer or glass of wine....haha pathetic I know.

What I am looking forward to: MOVING! Fingers crossed that by the next time I post I will be moving!

Weekly Wisdom: I've learned a big lesson in patience this week. “He that can have Patience, can have what he will” Once I started to have patience with the house situation and a few other things, they just started to fall into place.

Sophia's growing: I am full-term (yay!) and Sophia is gaining about 1/2 ounce a day and getting her first sticky poop (called meconium) ready. (yuck) She's also brushing up on skills for the outside world: blinking, sucking, inhaling, exhaling, and gripping (she's getting strong!). Wow, she is about the size of a freaking watermelon now!!

Simple things become complicated

Putting on underwear, pants, shorts, etc. takes some good balance! Actually putting on any clothing is a challenge. I just don’t like wearing clothes these days.

To switch the clothes from the washer to the dryer, I have to turn to the side and lean over into the washer without squishing my belly. A nice sideways lean J

While getting catch in the rain may never be “simple”, trying to run without slipping in my wet flip flops while hold my purse and umbrella was quite the task.

To pick up ANYTHING off the floor I need to take a deep breath before attempting to bend over and another deep breathe when I get back up. OR I can do a squat/lunge without having to bend over at the waist. OR I just stare at the object for a few minutes and wait for someone else to pick it up. :p

Getting out of bed after laying down all night requires a “roll” movement. Then, once I stand up, my feet feel like they’re about to burst. Weird feeling all around.

Weekly Report

How far along? 36 Weeks

Total weight gain/loss:? A total of 28 lbs! Yikes (I'm hoping to stay under the 35 lb limit) I can really tell I've gained weight in my legs these past couple of weeks. My appetite is in full swing :-/

Maternity clothes? I'm deleting this question. I have bought 2 maternity shirts, 1 maternity dress, and 1 pair of maternity jeans this whole pregnancy. I have yet to wear the 2 maternity shirts because they make me feel like I'm wearing a tent. I refuse to buy any more maternity clothes at this point with only 3 more weeks to go. Screw you maternity clothes..you suck! :)

Stretch marks? No change

Sleep: It's been good! No complaints this past week.

Best moment this week: I took a breastfeeding class on Tuesday which was really interesting and informative! I treated myself to a Chic-fila milkshake on the way home :)

Movement: Yep

Food cravings: Hmm nothing really...I think I could of eaten an entire bag of CapeCod Cheddar & Sour Cream chips the other day though.

Gender: Girl

Labor Signs: Nope

Belly Button in or out? Flat like a pancake.

What I miss: Cracking my back...

What I am looking forward to: Getting Sophia's room put together!!! It's absolutely KILLING me that I cannot do this yet because of the house situation.

Weekly Wisdom: I TRULY enjoy and cherish every moment I get to spend with just my husband these days. I know there is only a few more weeks until our lives are drastically changed and there will be 3 of us instead of just the 2 of us. Snuggling on the couch watching movies with my hubs is a favorite of mine these days <3

Sophia's growing: Her skin is getting smooth and soft, her gums are rigid, her liver and kidneys are in working order, and her circulation and immune system are basically good to go. Her lungs are the only organs that still need to fully mature, but every day she gets a little closer to breathing on her own.

Time is flying!

This week has been uneventful, as probably will the next couple weeks until Sophia makes her arrival. Without having a job to report to in the mornings, I feel like I'm on summer break from college, which has actually been really nice! Everyone needs a break sometimes, right? The weeks have been going by really fast! I kind of lose track of the week and before I know it, it's the weekend!!! The other day Angelo came home from work and asked what I had been doing all day. My response: "Well I flossed my teeth." hahaha I actually do get a lot of house work done most of the time and been working on cleaning out our office turned junk room. I really wish I could be packing everything up to move but unfortunately that has been moved back. We have a new deadline so if it doesn't happen within the next week or so then we're going to scrap the whole thing, stay in our house that we live in now, and then begin looking again at the beginning of next year. We basically told them if it doesn't happen by a certain date then we quit. There's no way I will be able to start moving a week before my due date...aint happening. Well, I REALLY hope not!

I was supposed to be going to Ohio this week for my cousin's wedding. The doctor said flying was fine until I'm 36 weeks. Well, Monday I'll be 36 weeks and flying gives me anxiety so I decided to stay in Florida. :( I really wish I could of gone because I haven't been to see my family in Ohio in years! And I really wanted to bring Angelo. But oh well...Florida is always fun right? Speaking of Florida...aren't we considered the Sunshine State? There's been maybe 3 minutes of sunshine the past few days.

Weekly Report

How far along? 35 Weeks...33 more days to go, Whoop whoop!

Total weight gain/loss:? This is an every other week question. TBD on Wednesday

Maternity clothes? Nope...lol Maybe i'll bust out the maternity shirts this weekend.

Stretch marks? No change

Sleep: This week has been back n forth. The dogs have really disturbed my sleep this week. It's been raining a lot so they haven't had much outside time. This means they are extra hyper at night.... :-/

Best moment this week: I had lunch with my daddio which is always a pleasure. Father-daughter time <3

Movement: Yep

Food cravings: I'm back to my gummy craving!!! I want gummy bears, fruit snacks, gummy worms, etc. all.the.time.

Gender: Girlfriend

Labor Signs: Nope

Belly Button in or out? Flat like a pancake.

What I miss: A nice cold beer :)

What I am looking forward to: I'm buying my breast-pump this week! haha

Weekly Wisdom: "If you see a friend without a smile; give him one of yours." Proverb.

Sophia's growing: From now on, Sophia's growth is mostly in the plumping up department -- though she won't get much longer, she'll put on a pound or more of baby fat before birth. (She's about 15 percent right now and will be about 30 percent by full-term.) Her hearing is totally developed (tip: baby responds best to higher pitches).

1st week on my new job

So this week has been interesting. I haven't gone without having a job since I was 15 years old. And now, I have no job to report to every morning at 6:30am. It's been really weird. I've gotten myself into some sort of routine. I still wake up early out of habit, usually around 7:30am, eat breakfast and watch a little bit of the Today show. Then I take the doggies on our daily walks. That's pretty much it! The rest of the days are filled with random errands, chores, meeting up with friends, etc. The worst part of this week has been signing an extension on our house agreement. Closing day was supposed to be on June 30th, which has come and gone. The extension we signed stated July29th as the absolute last day or the contract is off. They said we could get an answer as early as tomorrow, but basically it's just a big waiting game right now. NO LIKELY. It's getting frustrating just because I thought this time off of work was going to be spent packing up our house and moving.

On a happier note, this weekend is July 4th celebration! Not only is it a celebration for FREEDOM but it's my husby's birthday! We're going to spend a day at the beach (weather permitting...it's been really crappy & gloomy outside) and then have a birthday bbq with fireworks at a friend's house on Monday. Good times with friends & family. :)

Weekly Report

How far along? 34 Weeks

Total weight gain/loss:? Gained 3 lbs since my last doc appt

Maternity clothes? None this week

Stretch marks? No change

Sleep: The only time I'm comfortable is when I'm laying on my side in bed.

Best moment this week: Hearing Sophia's strong heart beat on Wednesday and getting to snuggle with my puppies all week.

Movement: Yes, esp at night time.

Food cravings: This week I've really been into Ginger Ale. And I've had about 4 pieces of cake since Wednesday. :/

Gender: A little princess

Labor Signs: Nope

Belly Button in or out? Flat like a pancake.

What I miss: I miss my conversations with my coworkers and just being able to MOVE!

What I am looking forward to: This weekend!

Weekly Wisdom: A cake should not be left in the same house as a pregnant lady.

Milestones: Today is July 1st! I can officially say "I'm due next month!"

End of a Chapter

My baby shower was a success last Saturday! We were showered with so many gifts and love. I can’t thank everyone who was involved enough. I have so many amazing friends and family in my life and am so BLESSED!

A question a lot of people asked me at the shower was, “so what have you been craving?” The more I think about it, the more I don’t really have an answer. At the beginning of this pregnancy I was craving cereal, turkey sandwiches, fruit, and airheads. But since then I haven’t had any major cravings. I barely have an appetite these days. I can maybe eat 2 normal meals a day without feeling extremely full and wanting to throw up. If I have a huge lunch, I’ll be full and miserable until I go to bed at night. A “huge lunch” would probably be what I used to call a normal lunch. For instance, for lunch yesterday I had a burrito in a bowl (without the shell) from Moe’s and about 2 handfuls of Tostitos chips with queso. Those made me feel sick-to-my-stomach-can’t-move full. No way I could have eaten dinner last night. Weird I know.

Today was my last day of work!!! I’ve been working at a medical weight loss clinic for the past 1 ½ years. The whole clinic is in the middle of a major transition right now with the staff so I believe it was a PERFECT time to move on. It was a great job and I had the best manager and coworkers in the world. We had some really good times at the office and became really good friends. I’ll definitely miss them, but we will keep in touch! I’ll pop in the office every now and then to say Hi to them and the doc. There were originally 6 of us and only 2 out of the 6 are still employees there. Sad but exciting times for everyone! Now it's time to organize and have a baby!!! The next step is to get back in school and find out what I really want to be when I grow up! haha
These are my "Officially a Housewife" flowers

Weekly Report

How far along? 33 Weeks

Total weight gain/loss:? Probably gained back the 3 lbs I lost last week.? We will find out Wednesday at the doc office.

Maternity clothes? I wore a maternity dress at my shower, but that’s about it.

Stretch marks? No change

Sleep: It’s on and off. One day I won’t be able to sleep then the next I’ll sleep great.

Best moment this week: Last day of work was today! I’m officially a “housewife” and soon to be “stay at home mom” J

Movement: Yep, not as many kicks and jabs but lots of movement. I think she likes to tuck her feet underneath my ribs..so uncomfortable!

Food cravings: This week’s cravings consisted of oranges and candy, specifically Blowpops and sour gummy worms.

Gender: A little princess

Labor Signs: Nope

Belly Button in or out? Flat like a pancake. The top part of my belly button is starting to poke out a little bit.

What I miss: My coworker gave me a bottle of Strawberry Riesling that she made herself. Yea….. I can’t wait to pop that bottle open in August! It sounds so refreshing!

What I am looking forward to: Going through all our gifts from the shower and organizing everything! I think I’ll start that on Monday.

Weekly Wisdom: What doesn’t kill you only makes you stronger.

Milestones: Ending a chapter of my life working at the weight loss clinic. Lots of experience and friendships were made.

Sophia is now the size of a honeydew!
Things are heating up inside as well: Baby may grow up to a full inch this week alone, and her brain is developing like crazy. Pretty soon, she'll be able to coordinate breathing with sucking and swallowing. Also, her bones are hardening, and she started to keep her eyes open when she's awake

Showered with Love

Today is my Baby Shower!! I am filled with love today and the support there is for my beautiful baby girl Sophia and I is huge! Today makes me even more excited to meet our little angel!

This is a picture from my maternity shoot I had last week.

Weekly Report

How far along? 32 Weeks

Total weight gain/loss:? Due to being sick, I lost about 3 lbs this week. I'll gain that back in no time :)

Maternity clothes? I'm wearing my first maternity dress today at my shower!

Stretch marks? No change

Sleep: Horrible this week! The stomach aches and then head cold I have going on didn't help.

Best moment this week: We felt Sophia's head at our Dr. appt on Wednesday. She's head down already! Maybe she'll make an appearance earlier than August 11th! :)

Movement: Yep, dance parties on the regular.

Food cravings: Pizza crust...yea, just the crust! lol

Gender: A little princess

Labor Signs: Nope

Belly Button in or out? Flat like a pancake.

What I miss: This week had it's ups and downs. I have felt more pregnant this week than I have this entire pregnancy but I've loved every minute of it. I truly haven't "missed" anything this wk.

What I am looking forward to: Baby Shower today, Father's day tomorrow

Weekly Wisdom: “Truly great friends are hard to find, difficult to leave, and impossible to forget.” I am so blessed to have a group of friends who are more like SISTERS to me. So many people change friends more than they change their underwear. I have had the same close group of friends since middle school. The history we have together is priceless and the future we are walking in together is going to be magical. We may change as individuals but nothing has changed about our friendship, except maybe our maturity level. (Sometimes it's like we're still in middle school, giggling like little girls)

Milestones: We've hit the 8 Months mark!

"Don't smile but look happy"

Hope you had a great week and are having a fabulous weekend so far! This week we had maternity pictures done at the house. I was nervous about getting them done, but now that they are over, I’m so excited to see how they turned out! We, of course, had to do some cheesy photos with some props.

The letters spelt "Shopia" for some of the pictures until Angelo noticed the misspelling. haha I don't get the whole "don't smile but look happy" look and I'm interested to see what my face looks like in some of those pictures. Angelo was a trooper and took some pictures with me and the belly. I promised him he didn't have to be that creepy guy in the background staring at my stomach. Have you seen some of the maternity pictures out there?! I'm sorry but some are just ridiculously creeeepy! Our photographer should have them to us by the beginning of next week.

On Thursdays we usually have our childbirth classes but class was cancelled this week due to some renovations being done at the office where they take place. We have 2 out of the 6 classes left. So, our last class should be June 23^rd. I believe one of the ladies in our class gave birth already. She was due June17th but hasn’t been back to class since the beginning of June.

I haven’t really “stepped up” my fitness this week like I said I was going to in the last post. I went for a jog/walk 3 times this week on Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday. I spent all evening on Wednesday vacuuming, dusting, and cleaning the house. At 9pm Wednesday night I couldn’t move. My hips and back felt like they were on fire. Not fun!

"Pregnant Fitness" Feel the burn (in your hips)

Weekly Report

How far along? 31 weeks. 61 days left until d-day

Total weight gain/loss:? No gain/loss this week.

Maternity clothes? I’m going today to buy some plan tshirts and tanks, the ones I have are officially too short now.

Stretch marks? 1 is a lonely #. I bought some new “skin oil” from Sephora which is supposed to be like GOLD so hopefully I’ll end up with just that 1 by the end of this adventure!

Sleep: I have maybe 1 or 2 nights out of the week when I can’t get comfortable and stay up until 2am watching TV.

Best moment this week: Maternity pics were pretty neat! I really can’t wait to see them.

Movement: Yep

Food cravings: This week I reeeeaaallly wanted to eat ice cream everyday but I only ate it once so far this week.

Gender: A little princess

Labor Signs: I felt a cramp the other day in my stomach; I guess these are called Braxton Hicks contractions. It only lasted a minute or so and then went away. The doctor warned me about them when I entered the 3^rd trimester. They are thought to be an aid to the body in its preparation for birth.

Belly Button in or out? Flat like a pancake.

What I miss: It may sound strange but I miss being able to do random things. For instance, this week the dogs REALLY need a bath but it kills my back and I can’t get through it anymore. Did I just say I miss being able to give my dogs a bath? Haha It’s the little things

What I am looking forward to: My work farewell dinner is on Tuesday. Bitter sweet

Weekly Wisdom: LOVE is all you need J

Milestones: Had my first Braxton-hicks contraction. LOL That officially made me feel like it’s the beginning of the end!

Sophia's development this week: Her irises now react to light, and all five senses are in working order. (She won't pick up anything from his nose until after birth, though -- smell is transferred through air, not amniotic fluid.)

Where'd my ankles go?

Hey! Hope everyone (all 2 of my readers) has been good these past couple of weeks! I can't complain, I ate cake every day last weekend. It was bad. My sister-in-law got married in Orlando and cake was served Friday, Saturday, and Sunday! Ow. That didn't do me any wonders when I had to step on the scale today at my 30 week (!!!!) check-up today. I have to hit up the doc office every 2 weeks now for a check-up, then it'll go to every single week my last 4 weeks or something like that.

Since I ate so badly over the weekend and had to stare at a number I've been seen before on the scale, I'm going to try and stay away from salty foods. My ankles were the size of my calves this weekend! No ankles, not pretty. My body is starting to retain water...blah. I just got back from the grocery store where I loaded up with blackberries and blueberries. haha I don't know why those looked so good but I already ate half the thing of blueberries. That's healthy...right? :) The doc said some exercise and lots of water will help with the swelling. I already jog/walk 4x a week so I guess I have to start taking the dogs on more walks. I'm sure they won't mind. Speaking of walks, I plugged in my cool Nike+ watch today and turns out I've ran/jog/walked about 150 miles since I found out I was pregnant. That's only an avergae of about 6 miles a week! No bueno! Although, I did stop running once I found out I was pregnant for about a month just because I felt weird and thought this tiny little baby was being bounced around inside my belly. But since that was just mental (pregnancy brain), I need to get those numbers a little higher, get these swollen legs movin'!

Weekly Report

How far along? 30 weeks! 71 days until my due date! O.M.G.

Total weight gain/loss:? +24 lbs. That's kinda incredible to me...everyone just pretend you didn't see that number.

Maternity clothes? UGH, went to buy a maternity dress for the wedding. Ended up finding a dress at Forever21. Maternity clothing is not my thing.

Stretch marks? No more than that 1

Sleep: It's been really good. It felt so good to be home in my own bed after sleeping in a hotel all weekend.

Best moment this week: Spending Memorial weekend with family

Movement: Oh yea, dance parties galore. She must be practicing for her big debut

Food cravings: At this moment, blueberries and watermelon

Gender: Girl

Labor Signs: No

Belly Button in or out? Flat like a pancake.

What I miss: Who wants to go to a wedding and not drink? Yea I definitely was missing me some cocktails this weekend.

What I am looking forward to: Maternity pictures being taken next week!

Weekly Wisdom:

Milestones: I think making it to 30 weeks is a pretty big milestone ;)

Sophia is not the size of a squash! As baby's skin smoothes out, her brain just keeps getting more wrinkled. All those grooves and indentations increase surface area, meaning more room for that oh-so-essential brain tissue. She's also adding some brawn -- her grip is now strong enough to grasp a finger.

Wordless Wednesday

One Year Ago: Magic in NBA the playoffs

Feeling Sleepy

Happy Friday! I’m extra tired today, got no sleep last night, and my mind is in a million different places. With the new house stuff and new baby stuff combined, there are a thousand different things going on in my mind. We need inspections, home insurance, baby furniture, and baby stuff. Plus on all that my last day of work is quickly approaching. Way back in January when I decided I was going to quit my job it sounded like the best thing in the world. Now that it’s only 5 weeks away, I can’t stop thinking about what the heck I’m going to do for the month and a half when I’m not working. I might just go crazy. I know once Sophia makes her debut I’ll be SUPER busy, but what about before that? Well friends, you know who to call if you wanna get some lunch or just take a stroll through the mall. J I’ll be available.

This week we had our 2^nd childbirth class. This class focused on relaxation and breathing techniques. I almost fell asleep when we were “practicing” to relax. We also practiced some kegel exercises called elevators. If you don’t know what a kegel exercise is…look it up. You can do them and nobody even knows it. Haha We had to establish our focal point for labor. This could be any object; picture, stuffed animal, figurine, etc. that has some special meaning to you. The use of a focal point will help enhance your relaxation and increase your concentration during a contraction. I choose a picture of Angelo and our 2 dogs. It makes me think happy thoughts!

Weekly Report

How far along? 28 weeks or 7 months!!! BAM 2 more months to go.

Total weight gain/loss:? I finally starred the scale in the face on Wednesday at the doctor’s office. I’ve gained a total of 20 lbs. Don’t judge me. It’s all in my boobs, butt, and stomach. BLEEEHHH

Maternity clothes? Not really. I need to find a couple cute dresses for some special occasions coming up! :-/ Shopping is no bueno these days.

Stretch marks? No more spotted

Sleep: Some nights it’s horrible, some nights it’s great. Last night was horrible.

Best moment this week: We officially ordered the nursery furniture on Sunday! We’re not having it delivered until we move.

Movement: Yes, she punched/kicked Angelo a few times this week. So cute lol

Food cravings: Chicken salad sandwiches have been on my menu for the last 3 days ;)

Gender: Girl

Labor Signs: No

Belly Button in or out? Flattening out

What I miss: Comfortable sleep

What I am looking forward to: I love weddings and have one to go to next weekend!

Weekly Wisdom: If you don’t stand for anything, you’ll fall for everything. Or something like that.

Milestones: Passed my Glucose Tolerance Test on Wednesday!! Straight A’s

"Save the Baby"

Happy Friday y’all!! This week has been SO busy for us and it’s a glimpse into what the next couple months will be like before Sophia is born. We found a house (whooo!) and now going through all those lovely processes to actually buy the house: inspections, meetings to get our finances together, meetings to find house insurance, etc. Angelo & I have done this process all on our own (we’re so grown up…what happened to us?!), and I think we came out on top! Very exciting stuff! On TOP of the house stuff, we had our 1^st childbirth class last night and as of today are officially CPR certified! We really wanted to go to the CPR class due to our little one coming into our home. Did you know a child under 1 year of age can drown in an inch of water?! Crazy, right? Everything from mop buckets to plant planters are potential hazards. And if you know Angelo, you know he’s kinda obsessed with mopping! Haha In the class, the instructor would throw a baby manikin at you and say, "SAVE THE BABY, ALEX!"

The childbirth class was extremely interesting. Our teacher is totally balls-to-the-wall “I don’t get embarrassed about anything”! I think the first thing she said after she introduced herself was, “This is your vagina now…this is your vagina squeezing an 8 pound baby out of it. The good news? It goes back to normal!” Very welcoming right?! ;) It’s a 6 week course and it includes a visit to the hospital’s Labor&Delivery unit and also the nursery where all the sweet wittle babies are! Too much fun! I think Angelo turned green during the 1^st labor video we watched. He told me that we had to sit in the back so he wouldn’t be able to see it very well. Our teacher said we’ll be watching TONS of labor videos so hopefully by the end of the 6 weeks Angelo will be used to the “miracle of life”.

Next week I go for my 28wk doctor check up and Glucose Tolerance Test. I get to drink some nasty sugary liquid and sit around for an hour. If I fail that test, I get to hang out for another 2 hours. The test is usually used to test for diabetes, insulin resistance, and sometimes reactive hypoglycemia or rarer disorders of carbohydrate metabolism. Fun fun!

Weekly Report

How far along? 27 weeks

Total weight gain/loss:? This will finally be revealed at the doctor’s office next Wednesday when I face my arch-enemy…the scale.

Maternity clothes? I’ve worn my maternity pants once. Shirts are still non-maternity.

Stretch marks? No more spotted

Sleep: I have to be surrounded by pillows to get a good nights rest and I can’t drink anything right before I go to bed, otherwise I’ll be up at 3 in the morning.

Best moment this week: Childbirth class with Angelo. Something about us being together and learning EVERYTHING there is to know about having babies makes me happy. Also getting CPR certified!

Movement: Yes, she must have some dance parties in there!

Food cravings: Nothing specific.

Gender: Girl

Labor Signs: No

Belly Button in or out? Flattening out

What I miss: This week I had 2 Greek salads and really missed feta cheese.

What I am looking forward to: Moving! But it won’t be until the end of June.

Weekly Wisdom: Don’t stress the little stuff.

Milestones: Welcome to the beginning of the 3^rd trimester!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Baby's lungs are going through some major developments these days, which (combined with the opening of previously plugged nostrils) means she's now able to practice inhaling and exhaling. The lack of air in your womb means every "breath" is filled with amniotic fluid.

Wordless Wednesday

The bedding has been found!!

Happy Mother's Day!

So it's friday once again! That means we've made it another week in this journey called pregnancy! This weekend is Mother's Day (go call tu madres and tell them how much you love them!) and I received my first EVER Mother's Day present...a shiny new white iPhone4! Pretty cool huh?! I think I can get used to this whole "gifts for moms" holiday ;) On a side note: I just want to say that I love my mommy and think she's the best mommy in the world!!! xoxoxo

It's been quite a process the past 6 months or so but it's official that we are MOVING! We spent half of this lovely Friday out house shopping and it was actually kind of fun...until they ask you if you like the house or not. My response all day was "Well, yea I like it but I want to see MORE!" haha I'm addicted to looking at all the different houses now. It's quite an experience going into someone else's house and seeing how they've decorated/taken care of it. All-in-all, hopefully we'll be in a new house by the time my little baby princess Sophia is born. I find it to be perfect timing and maybe a "sign from God" ;-) that the house from one of my favorite movies, Home Alone, just went up for sale!!! Now...if only someone could just lend me 2.4 million dollars to buy it PLUS the $$$ to move me to Chicago, Illinois! I'll be more than happy to put a big SOLD sign out in front whiling doing my best "Home alone face". Any takers?

Weekly Report

How far along? 26 weeks (6.5 months)

Total weight gain/loss:? We'll find out next doc appt. Not going near the scale until then! ha

Maternity clothes? My maternity clothes came in the mail. The shirts don't fit (too big) but the pants fit comfortably. I haven't had to chance to actually wear them yet since I'm in scrubs for work all week.

Stretch marks? No more spotted

Sleep: Ugh, can't get enough. I Spend 1/3 of the night trying to get comfortable or trying to get rid of a charley horse leg cramp.

Best moment this week: Getting a new phone :) lol

Movement: TONS! Sophia must be having some dance parties at night.

Food cravings: Not really this week.

Gender: Girl

Labor Signs: No

Belly Button in or out? Flattening out

What I miss: Bending over easily

What I am looking forward to: Finding the house Sophia will grow up in!

Weekly Wisdom: "You must love yourself before you love another. By accepting yourself and fully being what you are, your simple presence can make others happy.” I go on a pregnancy message born every now and then to get tips, advice, etc. and some of the ladies on there this week are having a problem being comfortable in their "pregnancy bodies". I weigh more now than I ever have in my life and I have to agree with them that I don't feel like I have that pregnancy "glow" and absolutely don't feel like I'm beautiful right now. But you know what? My body is CREATING another human being right now. So what if I have to weigh this much for the next 6 or more months in my life? That's what it takes to bring a healthy precious baby into this world. I've come to accept that I no longer can button my pants and I look like a giant ball and will probably look like a beached whale in another month or so. I'm not going to spend the next couple months of this pregnancy depressed about my body because I'm sorry but recreating another PERSON obviously is no walk in the park! Brace yourself people! Big mama coming thru!...Now let's see if I still feel this way tomorrow when I have to be in a bathing suit! haha

Milestones: 6 and a half months down!