Pictures from the last 5 weeks

Words can not express how grateful I am that God has given us another child. After struggling with infertility for so long, and longing to be pregnant...here I am about to deliver our 2nd child. Thank you Jesus for hearing our prayers and blessing us with not only 1 child but 2 children!

 

 

 

35 weeks....5 to go

 

37 weeks...3 to go

 

38 weeks...2 to go

 

Last week of school, last week of pregnancy! My L is backwards :)

 

39 weeks 1 day...0 days to go...heading to the hospital!

 

 

 

 

38 weeks....6 days to go!

It's funny how some people  look at me and say, "you're having a girl", and then others look at me and say "oh, you're having a boy". People think that by how I'm carrying the baby, they know they gender...hahaha it makes me smile, because it's 50/50. We will soon, very soon, find out! 

What am I scared/nervous about:

One thing, how Annalise is going to handle not being the only child. When I serve in the 1's at church with A, I can't even change another baby's diaper or hold another kid without her screaming at my legs. I mean, obviously I do it, but it's not easy! I know that eventually she will get used to having a brother or sister but I know the first few weeks to a month could be really rough in our house. We're already going through a super "clingy" phase with mommy so I having a feeling that this will be tough. We shall see... :) 

Nesting?

Oh yeah! I don't think you'll find any dust around any of the baseboards in our house. Unfortunately, Wade's hair is always going to be around but it's something I'm used to. Little stinker sheds so bad! Today we had the carpet cleaned and my sweet friend Ashley took some pictures of the three of us,  so I'm feeling  little more ready to have this baby! Things that I would still like to see accomplished by the end of the week:

-pantry cleaned and organized

-still need to buy a new mattress for our guest bedroom (Abuelo and Abuela are coming for a couple of weeks)

-finish what I can in the nursery (some things will just have to wait until I know gender)

-pack a hospital bag

-wash the infant car seat

-spend sweet time with Mario and Annalise

-get through my LAST week of school :) 

Appointments

I have been going weekly now for a couple of weeks and everything is looking good. I'm dilated to a 1 and about 30% effaced. If I don't make any progress by tomorrow's appointment, then I will more than likely have to go in Friday night instead of Saturday morning. I will know more tomorrow!  

We are so excited about meeting our son/daughter this week! We are also so thankful that God is once again entrusting us with another child. What a blessing! 

ANNALISE

How far along? 38 weeks

Total weight gain/loss: 25 pounds 

Maternity clothes? Yes
Stretch marks? No...yah I made it without stretch marks!!!!! 
Sleep: Prettty uncomfortable...can't wait to sleep on my stomach! Best moment this week:  Finding out that Annalise will be here JUNE 11...MONDAY!

Have you told family and friends: Yes

Miss Anything? being able to just bend over, sleeping on stomach, regular clothes, working out

Movement: ALL the time! She is Ready!

Symptoms: HUNGRY!! 

Food cravings: No
Anything making you queasy or sick: Nope

Have you started to show yet: Yes
Gender prediction: ANNALISE

Labor Signs: No, not dialated but 50% effaced
Belly Button in or out? OUT
Wedding rings on or off? On...no swelling :)
Happy or Moody most of the time: HAPPY

Looking forward to: meeting this little rascal on Monday!

BRIELLE/CADEL
How far along? 38 weeks

Total weight gain/loss: 16 pounds 

Maternity clothes? Yes
Stretch marks? I can't tell, I'm definitely bigger this go around and so maybe?
Sleep: Some nights I sleep like a baby and then other nights I suffer from insomnia Best moment this week:  Spending Saturday with M and A in Cedar Hill. 

Have you told family and friends: Yes

Miss Anything? being able to just bend over, sleeping on stomach, regular clothes, working out

Movement: Crazy hard movements, I don't remember Annalise being this strong. Hiccups all the time. This baby loves HOT showers, the belly doesn't stop moving when I'm in water. 

Symptoms: heart burn has come back a little, gas pains have increased, I'm ready! 

Food cravings: No, can't eat very much at this point 
Anything making you queasy or sick: Had to go back on zofran this week bc of nausea 

Have you started to show yet: Yes

Gender prediction: I still think boy and NOW...get ready....Mario thinks boy. Cadel Evans is winning the giro de Italia (a bike race) and so he thinks it's a sign.....hahahahahahhaa

Labor Signs: Have had some this past week 
Belly Button in or out? OUT
Wedding rings on or off? On...no swelling :)
Happy or Moody most of the time: HAPPY 

Looking forward to: Holding this sweet baby on Saturday, Annalise becoming a big sister, family coming in, last week of school!!

I'll post pics of my growing belly tomorrow....night night ;) 

The Shift- Daddy Post

Before I started putting in my base miles, we knew we were pregnant and so it was the plan all along for me to race until about the beginning of May and then shut it down.  On paper it worked.  The plan made perfect sense and would be easy to implement.  On several occasions that was not the case at all.  I can say with absolute certainty however that I was able to train more than I ever have this past winter in preparation for my half season.  If you are wondering how that was possible, look no further than Christen.  The amount of sacrifice that Christen has shown the last 8 months to allow me to race at the highest level I ever have is mind blowing.  I cannot thank her enough for allowing me to experience some great things this season, including participating in my first Pro/1 NRC (National Race Calendar) event which lined me up with real pros who ride their bikes for a living.  And so now that the racing is over, a shift needs to be made.  Not that I was not helpful or always absent (I was out of town and training a lot however), but it's really time to hunker down and get ready for baby #2.  I am glad I got to race and train, but there is a level of stress that comes with all of that I am also to be rid of for now.  The weather is awesome out and I want to play with Annalise and go on walks with Christen so we can spend some quality time together as a family of three... because our days are numbered!  I have some special things planned for Christen this coming weekend and cannot wait to hang out with her!  Driving home from my last race in Mississippi this past weekend all I could think about was my family.  God has blessed me tremendously and I am becoming ever more excited for the surprise that could be on it's way any day now.

6 Weeks to go!

Things that I haven't posted that I don't want to forget!!!
-at 28 weeks (spring break), Mario and I both got to feel our baby hiccup for the first time!
-already forgot the 2nd thing! :)

I didn't post anything from my last doctors appointment but I went from measuring 29 weeks at 28 weeks to still measuring 29 weeks at 31 weeks which was the trend we started seeing with Annalise which is why I was induced early.

Thankfully though, after another sonogram today, I'm now measuring 33 weeks 4 days! The baby is already 5 pounds and is expected to weight between 6.5-7.5 pounds if I reach full term. My placenta is no longer even low lying but has moved all the way up! So all around, great news today. As I was looking at sweet baby today on the screen, I got to see TONS of hair that was sticking straight up. This is weird but when they did an internal sonogram immediately following, you could see the hair through my cervix...crazy! So what I know about the baby so far is...lots of hair and a huge mouth! When the baby yawned today, the sono tech and I were like, "whoa, that's a big mouth!". I'm ready to find out if this rascal is a BOY or GIRL!!!

NURSERY::My mom came in town this weekend and so I was finally able to start working on the nursery. I still have lots to do though!  I still have not finished refinishing the dresser. I did buy the paint and cleared the room to start working. Hopefully I'll start painting after Annalise goes to bed each night.

ANNALISE:: Annalise loves babies and when we ask her where the baby is, she lifts my shirt up and rubs my belly. The sweetest thing ever! But, it doesn't stop there, then she lifts her shirt up and rubs her belly and THEN runs to Mario and rubs his belly. I love it! However, she does NOT like it when I'm holding a baby or another child for ANY reason. It has been very difficult in church on the Sunday's that I serve in her class. I know this is going to be a big transition for her and for us! I'm getting really nervous thinking about it and so your prayers are greatly appreciated! :)

Okay, off to bed! I'll post about Annalise and her new "big girl room" next time! My baby is growing up!











ANNALISE:
How far along?   33 weeks

Total weight gain/loss: 23 pounds 
Maternity clothes? Pants
Stretch marks? No 
Sleep: Really good this week!

Best moment this week:  My best friend from Austin came into town this last














weekend for the baby shower and we had a great time shopping and hanging out...and of course the baby shower!

Have you told family and friends: Yes

Miss Anything? Being able to bend over, breathing without the world hearing me, being spontaneous and running around rough playing with the dogs, being able to do the dishes without my stomach constantly hitting the counter, laying on my stomach...bring on pool weather so I can lay on my tummy in the water:)

Movement: ALL the time! Getting stronger and stronger!

Food cravings: No
Anything making you queasy or sick: Nope

Have you started to show yet:  Yes, everyone tells me how small I am though..still measuring behind so maybe that's why? 

Gender prediction: ANNALISE

Labor Signs: No...although last night I had my first round of cramping since early pregnancy. 
Belly Button in or out? Out when standing...in when sitting. You can see it though my clothes now. 
Wedding rings on or off? On 
Happy or Moody most of the time: Both...I can tell at school and I'm sure my kiddos can too that my patience is pretty much gone! I'm trying!

Looking forward to: SUMMER... this week: showers, kids performance, getting my dogs back, getting my thank you notes out, spending the weekend with my mom who's coming up and my family, my time with Mario and being diligent in our prayer life. 

BRIELLE/CADEL:
How far along?   34 weeks

Total weight gain/loss: 16 pounds 
Maternity clothes? Yes
Stretch marks? No 
Sleep: Okay as long as I don't drink caffeine close to bed time

Best moment this week:  On Friday night, my homegroup girls threw me a sweet baby shower! I also got to see baby's sweet face today!

Have you told family and friends: Yes

Miss Anything? I'm so thankful for this pregnancy and this sweet baby that will be here soon, but I'm so over being uncomfortable. I also miss my non-maternity clothes, working out, being able to bend over, and the list goes on...

Movement: ALL the time! This baby seems a lot stronger than I remember with Annalise. Hiccups, ALL the time.

 

Symptoms: Rib pain, and NO heart burn. Thankfully heartburn only lasted a week, weird!

Food cravings: No
Anything making you queasy or sick: Nope

Have you started to show yet:  Yes.

Gender prediction: I still think Boy, Mario still thinks Girl. If you ask any kid, they say girl. Most adults say boy.

Labor Signs: Braxton Hicks for sure! Cramping quite a bit.
Belly Button in or out? OUT, my students are like "Mrs. A, we can see your belly button through your shirt". yes, yes you can.
Wedding rings on or off? On 
Happy or Moody most of the time: Both...I can tell at school and I'm sure my kiddos can too that my patience is pretty much gone! I'm trying!

Looking forward to: Getting to work on the nursery....and SUMMER!!! 5 weeks baby!


 

28 Weeks...12 to go

What was so exciting about 28 weeks....SPRING BREAK! This was so good and so needed! My mom came up for the week which was the best surprise. I got to catch up on some much needed spring cleaning. I wanted to do this the weekend before the week actually started so I didn't have to worry about cleaning during the week. My week was full of appointments, spending time with the nugget, my mom, and Mario (when he wasn't training), and refinishing a dresser for the nursery. Here are a few highlights from the week:

Monday:
-Annalise had her 18 month wellness (only 2 months late) appointment and shots. She weighs 22 pounds and is 32 inches. All of her percentiles are under 31%...she's a small little gal :)
-Wade also had his annual exam this day which went fine. Mario said that everyone commented what a great looking dog he was. He's pretty cute I'd have to say!

Tuesday:
-I got to meet up with some of my home group girls for a picnic at the park.
-I had a dentist appointment. Thankfully bc I'm pregnant, I didn't have to have x-rays...meaning no Cavities!

Wednesday:
-I had my glucose test first thing in the morning meaning that was the first thing that entered my mouth...sugar. I know people complain about having to drink the "drink" but once again I thought it was awesome! To me it taste just like fruit punch. As I sat in the waiting room waiting for the sono tech, I watched my stomach move from side to side. The baby was definitely affected by this drink! During the sonogram I got to watch the baby open and shut it's mouth and even try opening it's eyes...must have been a sleep baby (not sure how)! The sonogram also revealed that my placenta was moving up. It is still considered low lying, but my doctor is okay letting me have a vaginal delivery! Yah!

-Wednesday afternoon I had my eyes checked for the first time ever (I think). I mean, I've had nurses make me stand on a line before and read the chart but I don't recall ever going to a doctor and having to look through different lenses and read different cards through a machine. I've always been told by the wall charts that I've had 20-20 vision. Now it is 20-25, I'm near sighted. I thought I was rocking the exam when he had me close up and I was flying through the cards. When I had to read the cards at a far distance, I didn't do as well :). The result...see below!

-I also started working on the dresser today! Here is a picture of the dresser before I started. Annalise helped out a lot too...she's a great sander and perfect water painter!

**I'll post a picture when I'm finished, it's been a work in progress!

Glasses! Really only need them for driving or watching TV.

Thursday:
-Lots of family time!

Friday:
-My mom left :(.
-Annalise and I headed to Plano to eat lunch with some of my best friends and played at Gymboree for an hour. I think we're going to have a little gymnast. She loved it!

-Mario and I went to see our good friends little baby at the hospital and went to one of Mario's best friends gender reveal party...they're having a GIRL!!! I love little girls!!!

Meet Reed Matthew....I think I look pretty good holding a boy!

Needless to say, spring break was very busy but so refreshing. Not only do we now have 9 weeks of school left, but 12 weeks til this sweet gal or handsome boy makes his/her appearance! Mario now is thinking Girl and I'm still thinking Boy. Unfortunately every time we make predictions of our friends babies, he's always wrong! I'm right 90% of the time ;). We shall find out very soon. So thankful that we don't have to decide, but that we have a perfect Creator that picks for us! Thank you Jesus!

Belly Pics:

ANNALISE at 30 Weeks:

How far along?   30 weeks

Total weight gain/loss: 19 pounds (last doctors appointment)
Maternity clothes? Pants
Stretch marks? No 
Sleep: Good until I squish my ribs and of course the 4x a night broom trip

Best moment this week:  Finishing the walls and seeing family

Have you told family and friends: Yes

Miss Anything? being able to just bend over

Movement: ALL the time!

Symptoms: Ribs hurt

Food cravings: No
Anything making you queasy or sick: Nope

Have you started to show yet:  Yes

Gender prediction: ANNALISE

Labor Signs: No 
Belly Button in or out? 1/2 of the way out  
Wedding rings on or off? On 
Happy or Moody most of the time: Both

Looking forward to: SUMMER and my baby showers!

THIS BABY:

How far along?   28 weeks

Total weight gain/loss: 8 pounds
Maternity clothes? Pants
Stretch marks? No 
Sleep: Up 3-4 times a night using the bathroom but other than this....great!

Best moment this week:  Sonogram, my mom coming, time with Mario and Annalise.

Have you told family and friends: Yes

Miss Anything? being able to sleep on my stomach and being able to bend over...oh and having normal dreams.

Movement: ALL the time!

Symptoms: Same as last pregnancy...my rib pain is back and it's really bad. The pain starts every day around 2 p.m. and doesn't go away...constantly having to push this baby's booty down!

Food cravings: No
Anything making you queasy or sick: Nope

Have you started to show yet:  Yes

Gender prediction: Me: boy   Mario: girl

Labor Signs: No 
Belly Button in or out? Out, I had a student say "Mrs. A, you have an outie?" hahaha
Wedding rings on or off? On 
Happy or Moody most of the time: Both

Looking forward to: Finishing this dresser, starting on the nursery, enjoying these last 3 months with just Annalise.

Daddy's Post

Wow, this will be the first time I post during the pregnancy of our second child!  Christen brought it to my attention last night, and since I am home with a sick #1 child Annalise today, I figured I had the time to make this happen.  Time has really flown by with our second pregnancy and both pregnancies have been vastly different.  With our first go around, I had the time to cherish every developmental milestone going on with Annalise and really get to think about what it was that was actually going on inside of Christen.  This time around, it's all about hanging out with Annalise and Christen and training hard for what will be half a season since my summer will be a busy one!  Instead of focusing on what our little nugget inside of Christen is doing, I've taken the time to really cherish the last moments Christen and I have with Annalise alone.  Pretty soon the game will change drastically, and lately I have tried to be intentional about not losing out on any cool and awesome moments that Annalise, Christen and I can share that won't be around in 2.5 months!  It has been an amazing time just getting to see Annalise growing and learning so much.  She really is beginning to pick up on everything that mommy and daddy do, which I love because she can begin to see some of our habits that are rooted in our faith in Jesus Christ and we can begin talking to her about those things.  At the same time there is an exciting anticipation that I have when thinking about the gender of baby #2.  Every time we  run into someone and they ask what we're having, I say that we don't know and won't find out with huge excitement.  It's really weird that I am loving now knowing so much because I am a type-A personality all the way.  Christen definitely isn't and she is the one struggling with not knowing more than I, so funny how that works out.  Only time will tell, and it seems like the clock is ticking faster with every passing minute!

25 Weeks

Time is starting to fly! Now that I'm not sick anymore (thank you 20 weeks), I'm losing track of how far along I am. A lot has gone on in these last 5 weeks. Here's an overview...

Week 20: Started feeling good....food is now delicious!

Week 23: Took a mini road trip down to watch Mario race...long story short, Annalise got strep throat which resulted in a very high fever which sent up back home. We didn't know it was strep until day 7 because the labs in the office came back negative. This was the longest week...literally! I don't think I've ever seen her cry so much. Poor baby! After one round of amoxicillin, we had our Annalise back.

Week 24: I came down with the Flu, double ear infection, and sinus infection. wow, no words needed. Had my cervix measured at the doctor to make sure it was long enough. Because I dilated from a 1 to 10 in 10 seconds, the doctor wanted to make sure my cervix was nice and long enough. It was. Unfortunately my placenta has not moved away from my cervix through...please keep praying that this takes place! They will do a sonogram every time to check it.

Week 25: We're healthy again and enjoying this beautiful weather. We have been walking Wade daily and playing outside. Mario is in the full swing of training for his short season before the baby gets here.

                                                   21 Weeks

                                                   23 Weeks

                                                    25 Weeks...15 to go!

                                                    25 Weeks



How far along?   25 weeks

Total weight gain/loss: 6 pounds
Maternity clothes? Jeans and most of my shirts. T-shirts are getting a little tight.
Stretch marks? No
Sleep: Not so great, I've been super uncomfortable
Best moment this week:  Last week I got to see this sweet baby's face :)

Have you told family and friends: Yes

Miss Anything? Not having to deal with heartburn. It's in full swing now and NOT fun!
Movement: All this time.
Food cravings: Just milk now.

Anything making you queasy or sick: NOPE!!!!!!!

Have you started to show yet:  Yes

Gender prediction: We still think Boy.

Labor Signs: No
Belly Button in or out? Out
Wedding rings on or off? On
Happy or Moody most of the time: Both
Looking forward to: Spring Break! I want to take Annalise to the zoo and I need to get going on this nursery!

See below for Annalise...

How far along?   25 weeks

Total weight gain/loss: 14 pounds
Maternity clothes? Pants
Stretch marks? No 
Sleep: Toss and turn a lot but I'm still sleeping really well!
Best moment this week:  Seeing Annalise

Have you told family and friends: Yes

Miss Anything? being able to just bend over...this is a new challenge!
Movement: We have a night owl on our hands:) 

Symptoms: Round ligament pain, Acid reflex, charlie horses that kill my calve muscles.  
Food cravings: No
Anything making you queasy or sick: Nope

Have you started to show yet:  Yes

Gender prediction: I asked the tech this week if she was still a girl....YUP

Labor Signs: No 
Belly Button in or out? In but about to pop out...it's sensitive!  
Wedding rings on or off? On 
Happy or Moody most of the time: Both

Looking forward to: registering with 2 good friends in Waxahachie and working on the nursery with my husband and best friend this week!

19 Week Bump and Baby Names

If we have a little boy, his name will be:
Cadel Arroyave

If we have a little girl, her name will be:
Brielle Arroyave

19 weeks....21 weeks to go!

I am writing tonight feeling so blessed. Our Anatomy sonogram today showed no signs of anything being wrong with this little "nugget". Everything looked great with baby! However, I have a low lying placenta again! Last time it was partial but this time it is complete meaning fully covered. Here is an article explaining more in detail:

Placenta previa (pluh-SEN-tuh PREH-vee-uh) occurs when a baby's placenta partially or totally covers the mother's cervix — the doorway between the uterus and the vagina. Placenta previa can cause severe bleeding before or during delivery.
The placenta provides oxygen and nutrients to your growing baby and removes waste products from your baby's blood. It attaches to the wall of your uterus, and your baby's umbilical cord arises from it. In most pregnancies, the placenta attaches at the top or side of the uterus. In placenta previa, the placenta attaches to the lower area of the uterus.
If you have placenta previa, you'll probably be restricted to bed rest for a portion of your pregnancy and you'll likely require a caesarean section (C-section) to safely deliver your baby.



This being said, I will have another sonogram at 28 weeks to see if the placenta moves up. I know that tons of women have C-sections and I'll be fine if I end up needing one but please join Mario and I as we pray for my placenta to move up!

When it came time to find out the gender, the TV went off and  same as last time, I had to cough and turn, and cough some more (baby would NOT cooperate)! It took a good while for her to get some pics! I would not mind finding out but Mario really wants it to be a surprise so I totally respect that! If I do decide to find out, I won't tell anyone when I find out, sorry now if I lie to you. I want this for Mario and so Don't Ask Me! I already have tons of nursery ideas and so I'm excited to get started on it!

On January 1st, Mario got to feel the baby move for the first time! What a great way to start 2014. I've been feeling he/she since 14 weeks but he finally got to feel it move!



Here are my stats with Annalise and then of this Nugget!
ANNALISE:

How far along?   19 weeks

Total weight gain/loss: 6 lbs (107 to 113...doc seemed happy)
Maternity clothes? Pants
Stretch marks? No
Sleep: not so great this week, I think she is waking me up with all her kicking
Best moment this week:  Seeing our baby and finding out it's a girl

Have you told family and friends: Yes

Miss Anything? nope
Movement: Yes...ALL the time...you can even see my stomach move
Food cravings: Pickles (daily) and Milk

Anything making you queasy or sick: My back pain (not sick but it HURTS)

Have you started to show yet:  yes, people our now commenting

Gender prediction: ITS A GIRL!!!!!!!!!No longer calling her IT

Labor Signs: No
Belly Button in or out? In (I have noticed that it's kind of flat now)
Wedding rings on or off? On
Happy or Moody most of the time: Both
Looking forward to: talking about names and working on the nursery

THIS BABY:

How far along?   19 weeks

Total weight gain/loss: 1 pound from last appointment which puts me at negative 2 total.
Maternity clothes? Jeans, I'm carrying really low meaning it's very hard to wear regular jeans.
Stretch marks? No
Sleep: Great when I'm not having sinus issues. Every time I dream about whether it's a boy or girl, I wake up right before! :(
Best moment this week:  The sonogram today, heart rate was 145 and I loved seeing it's cute face!

Have you told family and friends: Yes

Miss Anything? feeling 100%, I'm having better days but I'm ready to feel GREAT!
Movement: YES!
Food cravings: MILK and PICKLES (same craving as with Annalise)

Anything making you queasy or sick: Food (typically dinner)

Have you started to show yet:  Yes, a little round bump. I'm carrying this baby different from Annalise.

Gender prediction: Mario and I still think Boy! After the sonogram today, I feel that even the baby's face looked more Masculine then Annalise's did...yes, call me Crazy but it does!

Labor Signs: No
Belly Button in or out? In/Out...kind of both
Wedding rings on or off? On
Happy or Moody most of the time: I'm definitely more Moody this go around unfortunately. Trying to control it :).
Looking forward to: Working on the nursery and my time with Annalise. Today is the first day that I got a little emotional thinking about having two children. Don't get me wrong, I'm so EXCITED about number 2, but I'm definitely going to cherish the sweet time that I have with just Mario, myself, and Annalise.

Boy or Girl?

Boy or Girl?

Mario and I have decided that we are not going to find out! We want to be surprised this time. It's funny the reactions you get from people when you tell them you're not finding out. Some say, "that's awesome, it'll be fun". Others..."ohh, ok that's cool". Hahaha.

We go to the doctor on Monday for our Anatomy sonogram which was my favorite with Annalise! I'm pumped to get to see this little rascal!

I love the fact that whether it's a boy or girl, God created this little being and He is giving us exactly what He wants us to have. Thank you Jesus for blessing us with another baby. My prayer more than anything is that this little boy/girl will grow up knowing Jesus as his/her Lord and Savior. That "it" will have a sweet relationship with our Father.