Baby This Week: 39 Weeks

Your baby's waiting to greet the world! She continues to build a layer of fat to help control her body temperature after birth, but it's likely she already measures about 20 inches and weighs a bit over 7 pounds, a mini watermelon. (Boys tend to be slightly heavier than girls.) The outer layers of her skin are sloughing off as new skin forms underneath.

Found our Pediatrician -- FINALLY!

38 weeks, 5 days pregnant

We finally found our pediatrician!!

We had been on 7 interviews already and we weren't crazy about any of the ones we'd seen. Since we're going to give birth at a hospital in Boca and my midwife is in Boca and Jorge and I work in Boca, most of the recommendations we have were from doctors up there. There is one that we're ok with and that we'll use to go see the baby at the hospital for the first visit, but he's really far away for the regular baby checkups -- almost an hour from home! So we've been trying to find one that is closer to home that we can go to for the regular visits. But the ones that we interviewed, for some reason or another we just didn't click. We had already been on so many interviews and I just was exhausted. I had already given up. I was already resigned to continue seeing the one in Boca even though he was far. But at the last pediatrician appointment with one of the ones in Boca, the doctor realized how far away we lived and recommended one near our area. I made a note of his name but didn't even think about it - I was so done with all these interviews! But Jorge insisted we go meet him. Turned out his office was just 10 minutes away from our place in Fort Lauderdale.

Today was the appointment, at 8:45am. We got there early and saw the doctor pull in. He was very punctual and was sipping on his coffee, calmly getting his bag from the car and strolling into the office. As we watch him, Jorge says, "This is the guy. This is our pediatrician." I was incredulous. "What? How can you know that from just looking at him? What are you basing that on??" He said he could tell. He was calm, collected, on time. He liked the area and the parking lot... I just rolled my eyes. I hoped he was right, but based on all of our other interviews, my expectations were really low.

From the moment we walked into the waiting room, we liked it. The waiting room had sick/well areas that are CLEARLY marked, there's a giant fish tank in there that I'm sure kids love, and the staff was very very friendly. He was on time to meet with us, he introduced us to the nurses and the staff (no other doctor has done this!), we met in his OFFICE, not where he sees his patients (most doctors we met with saw us in the patient rooms). Everything was clean and organized. During the interview, he started off by taking out paper and pen and asking about us -- and not just how far along I was, but also what we did for a living, where we were from, how we met... very personable. Made me feel like he was really interested in us. He was direct and to the point, yet very polite. He has Saturday appointments for sick kids and can usually squeeze us in if we need to be seen the same day. He shares his practice with another pediatrician and there is always someone on call that will call us back within 15 minutes. He answered all of our questions about immunizations and scheduling and spent a good half hour with us going over everything. He even gave us a tour of the office. Jorge and I walked out the door and we didn't even have to say anything -- we just looked at each other and smiled. We found our pediatrician. Finally!! :) "You were right," I told him. "Don't know how you knew it, but you were right." He just smiled smugly and it made me laugh. And I'm sooo glad he was right! We are so happy to have found one that we have a good fit with and seems promising. Not only that, but he's only 10 minutes away from home! Perfect!

I can't tell you what a huge relief it is to cross this off of our list... this was my biggest stress these last few months. I couldn't believe we were this far along and still hadn't found a doctor we were happy with.

Baby G, we found you a doctor! Woo-hoo! :)

Belly Picture: 38.5 Weeks

38 weeks, 3 days

My, oh my! My belly is huuuuuuuge! Only a couple more weeks to go!!!





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Merry Christmas!

38 weeks, 1 day pregnant

Can't believe it's Christmas! Almost seems like it just came and went in a blur. My family celebrates on Christmas Eve with a family get together at my grandmother's house and my mom and grandmother make THE most delicious dinner. Then we open gifts at midnight! It's always a lot of fun seeing everyone and catching up. But after seeing how hard the hour long drive to Miami was last month for Thanksgiving and with me being 9 months pregnant now, we decided it was best to stay close to home. Besides, the hospital I want to give birth at is in Boca and driving an hour south (which would make it almost two hours south from the hospital) when I am just 2 weeks away from my due date just didn't seem practical. Not to mention that my feet get ridiculously swollen now and I have to put them up every couple of hours. If I don't, they start to hurt! :(

So this year Jorge and I spent it at home. It almost didn't seem like Christmas to me and as much as my family can drive me crazy sometimes, I really missed seeing them and spending time with them. Not to mention my mom's wonderful cooking!

Instead, Jorge and I stayed home and Jorge was soooo excited because they were showing his favorite football game on ESPN Classics of the 49ers vs. the Cowboys in the NFC Championship from 1982. They haven't shown the game in its entirety since original broadcast when Jorge watched it when he was 11 years old. He was like a kid waiting to watch the best game of his life, haha! The game is better known as "The Catch" where Joe Montana throws the ball to Dwight Clark and scores the winning touchdown in the last minute of the game that takes the niners to the Superbowl -- where they end up winning what will be the first of their 5 Superbowls. Jorge is so proud of that fact, despite that the niners haven't been doing so well these last few years. He's a "49er Faithful"!



I wasn't particularly looking forward to it, but we watched it together and it was so funny to watch Jorge get all worked up during the game! It was almost like he didn't know how it was going to end! Oh, he cracks me up! He was so stressed! It was so sweet to see him enjoy his favorite team in their heyday. It was not what I pictured myself doing on Christmas, but we still had a good time. :) It was a really great game, if you haven't seen it, here's a 2 minute clip:



Today, Christmas Day, we had a small get together at our place. It was just my mom, my dad, Cathy, Jorge and I this year. Blanca is a bit sick so she wasn't able to come and Cindy is in Hungary visiting family. We missed having them!

Cathy and my mom came over and they made the turkey. I made some stuffing, cauliflower "mashed potatoes", corn and biscuits. It came out great! Since my feet have been swelling so badly, I've had to cut out most sodium from my diet but I made a bit of an exception for today -- it's Christmas! It was nice to eat something tasty. :)

As you can see, everyone wanted a picture with Baby G! LOL, I felt like Buddah!

Baby This Week: 38 Weeks

Your baby has really plumped up. She weighs about 6.8 pounds and she's over 19 1/2 inches long (like a leek). She has a firm grasp, which you'll soon be able to test when you hold her hand for the first time! Her organs have matured and are ready for life outside the womb. Wondering what color your baby's eyes will be? If she's born with brown eyes, they'll likely stay brown. If she's born with steel gray or dark blue eyes, they may stay gray or blue or turn green, hazel, or brown by the time she's 9 months old.

Final Preparations for Baby G

37 weeks, 6 days pregnant

After talking with my boss, he's let me work from home for the rest of this week! What a relief! He says he'll get back to me about working from home for next week, but I think it'll be ok.

I had my weekly appointment yesterday and the midwife is still concerned about my swelling. I've gained 2 pounds since last week. I'm at 144 lbs! That's 33 lbs that I've gained since I got pregnant! And believe me -- I can feel it!! She says she sees my feet to be a bit more swollen than last week and had me do some bloodwork just in case. My blood pressure still looks good, but she just wants to make sure to cover all her bases. We'll get the result in a week or so.

We also had another pediatrician interview today. This is the 6th pediatrician we've interviewed. I haven't been thrilled with any of them really. There is one I'm leaning on who seemed alright, but he's up in Boca so it's a bit far, although that means that he'll be going to the hospital once Baby G is born to see her. All the other pediatricians that are near us aren't affiliated with the hospital we're delivering at, so they wouldn't be able to go and see her. We have 2 more pediatricians we're interviewing next week and then I think we're done for now. If we don't like them then we'll stick to the one in Boca until we find a new one after she's born.

Going through all this as we prepare for Baby G, it really makes us think a lot about our parents. Jorge and I talk about this all the time. Before being pregnant, we couldn't imagine all the things that need to be done to prepare for a baby! Now we can appreciate what our parents must have gone through and how much they must have done when they were expecting us. It makes me a little teary-eyed to think about it... the packing the bags, the picking a doctor, picking a hospital, picking a pediatrician, going to childbirth classes, reading books, eating healthy, getting exercise, going to work, going to doctor's appointments, making sure you have the best crib, the best stroller, the best of everything! anticipating the arrival of the baby, feeling anxious about going through childbirth, imagining what the baby will look like and wondering if you'll be good parents....... knowing that as much as we want to give Baby G the best of everything we know we're not perfect and we're bound to mess something up! All these things really help us appreciate our parents and understand them a bit more.

A great big hug filled with love and appreciation to my mom and dad and to Mr. and Mrs. Granja! We love you more today than ever! Thank you for all you have done for us!!!



Jorge and Blanca with Mr. & Mrs. Granja



Cathy and I with my mom and dad

Belly Picture: 37.5 Weeks

37 weeks, 3 days pregnant

This week the pelvic pain has gotten better, thankfully! But my feet continue to swell. Since I'm now past 36 weeks, I now have to start going in to see the midwife once a week until I deliver. I had my first weekly appointment on Thursday, and you'll never believe it -- I gained 5 1/2 pounds in ONE WEEK! That's just crazyness!!! The midwife says it's mostly water retention, but she was a bit concerned that it was so much. She's concerned it might be high blood pressure, although right now it looks fine. She says she wants to keep an eye on it and asked to see me earlier in the week to see how I'm progressing, so my next appointment is on Tuesday. She again recommended I put my feet up for at least 15 minutes every 2-3 hours. My boss has already started letting me work from home a couple of days this week, and it's worked out well, so I'll see if maybe he'll let me work from home permanently until I give birth. I only have about 2 1/2 weeks left and these next two weeks are short because of the holidays, so hopefully he's ok with it.

Here's this week's belly picture. She's starting to feel a bit lower... what do you think, has she dropped??



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Last Bake December Weekend

37 weeks, 3 days pregnant

Bake December continues! This weekend I made delicious Paula Deen's Pumpkin Bars -- or as Jorge like to call them: Pumpkinammon Bars, because they are cinnamony! They are sooooo good, this is one of our top fave recipes! I discovered this recipe last year my coworker Beth brought some in. Pure heaven!



Here's the recipe, with a couple of modifications to make it less fattening. But trust me, you can't tell the difference! You MUST try it!

Pumpkinammon Bars

Ingredients

Bars:
4 eggs Instead: 1 egg and 4 egg whites
1 2/3 cups granulated sugar
1 cup vegetable oil Instead: 1/3 cup of canola oil
15-ounce can pumpkin
2 cups sifted all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda

Icing:
8-ounce package cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened
2 cups sifted confectioners' sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Using an electric mixer at medium speed, combine the eggs, sugar, oil and pumpkin until light and fluffy. Stir together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, salt and baking soda. Add the dry ingredients to the pumpkin mixture and mix at low speed until thoroughly combined and the batter is smooth. Spread the batter into a greased 13 by 10-inch baking pan. Bake for 30 minutes. Let cool completely before frosting. Cut into bars.

To make the icing: Combine the cream cheese and butter in a medium bowl with an electric mixer until smooth. Add the sugar and mix at low speed until combined. Stir in the vanilla and mix again. Spread on cooled pumpkin bars.

ENJOY!!

-----

I usually bake all through December, but I think this is the last weekend I'll be baking this year. I'll be 38.5 weeks pregnant at that point, and I know we'll have lots of apple pie and ice cream left over from Christmas, so we'll be fine. Looking forward to doing it again next year -- but with a one-year old! Eeeeeeeee!!!!! :)

42 Things That Change When You Have a Baby

I just came across this article and it totally made me tear up! My hormones are just all over the place these days, so it could just be that, but I thought you guys might like it. It was on BabyCenter.com:

Oh, I can't wait to be a mom!!!!!!! :)

__________________________________________________

42 Things That Change When You Have a Baby

What changes when you have a baby? A better question may be: What doesn't change? Here, writer and mom Rebecca Woolf lists her most notable post-baby observations. Then scroll down to read our favorite comments from readers about how their babies changed their lives.

1. You finally stop to smell the roses, because your baby is in your arms.

2. Where you once believed you were fearless, you now find yourself afraid. [See a reader's perspective in #22, below.]

3. The sacrifices you thought you made to have a child no longer seem like sacrifices.

4. You respect your body ... finally.

5. You respect your parents and love them in a new way.

6. You find that your baby's pain feels much worse than your own.

7. You believe once again in the things you believed in as a child.

8. You lose touch with the people in your life whom you should have banished years ago.

9. Your heart breaks much more easily.

10. You think of someone else 234,836,178,976 times a day.

11. Every day is a surprise.

12. Bodily functions are no longer repulsive. In fact, they please you. (Hooray for poop!)

13. You look at your baby in the mirror instead of yourself.

14. You become a morning person.

15. Your love becomes limitless, a superhuman power.

And from our readers...

1. "You discover how much there is to say about one tooth." — Ashley's mom

2. "You finally realize that true joy doesn't come from material wealth." — Anonymous

3. "You now know where the sun comes from." — Charlotte

4. "You'd rather buy a plastic tricycle than those shoes that you've been dying to have." — Sophie's mom

5. "You realize that although sticky, lollipops have magical powers." — Roxanne

6. "You don't mind going to bed at 9 p.m. on Friday night." — Kellye

7. "Silence? What's that?" — Anonymous

8. "You realize that the 15 pounds you can't seem to get rid of are totally worth having." — Brenda

9. "You discover an inner strength you never thought you had." — Ronin and Brookie's mom

10. "You no longer rely on a clock — your baby now sets your schedule." — Thomas' mom

11. "You give parents with a screaming child an 'I-know-the-feeling' look instead of a 'Can't-they-shut-him-up?' one." — Jaidyn's mom

12. "Your dog — who used to be your 'baby' — becomes just a dog." — Kara

[Many readers begged to differ, saying things like, " I disagree with number 12. My dogs are my additional children," "Nothing about previous babies, whether two- or four-legged, changes when a new miracle comes along," "My dog will never be 'just a dog," and "This is sad to me. My dog is still my baby too."]

13. "You take the time for one more hug and kiss even if it means you'll be late." — Tracey

14. "You learn that taking a shower is a luxury." — Jayden's mom

15. "You realize that you can love a complete stranger." — Dezarae's mom

16. You find yourself wanting to make this world a better place. — Arizona

17. If you didn’t believe in love at first sight before, now you do! — Ciara

18. You start to appreciate Sesame Street for its intellectual contribution. — Anon.

19. You have to quit watching the news because you see every story from a mother's perspective and it breaks your heart. — Brooke&Boys

20. You just plain love life more - everything comes together and becomes better because of one tiny person and your love for them. — Anon.

21. You finally find out the real reason you have those breasts. — Anon.

22. In response to #2 [above], I'd say that where you were once afraid, you're now fearless. I was always very timid and shy and let myself get walked all over … but now where my kid's concerned, I'll speak my mind and really connect with my inner "b"! — gummismom

23. The support you get from other people surprises you, because the people giving it are not always the ones you'd expect. — japanese_macaque

24. Nothing is just yours any longer. You share EVERYTHING! — DylanLsMom

25. No matter what you've accomplished in life, you look at your child and think, "I've done a GREAT job!" — Anon.

26. You want to take better care of yourself for your child. — Treasor

27. You can have the most wonderful conversation using only vowel sounds like "ahhh" and "oooo." — littlehulk2008

Baby This Week: 37 Weeks

Congratulations! Your baby is full-term! This means that if your baby arrives now, her lungs should be fully mature and ready to adjust to life outside the womb, even though your due date is still three weeks away. She weighs 6 1/3 pounds and measures a bit over 19 inches, head to heel (like a stalk of Swiss chard). Many babies have a full head of hair at birth, with locks from 1/2 inch to 1 1/2 inches long.

Shower Complete!

The shower is complete! It looks soooo much better than before. Jorge took down the horrid shower doors we had and installed a shower curtain we got a Target. This way it's easier to bathe Baby G without having to fight with the doors. We put a foldable table in the shower with the little baby tub on it and there's even room for her baby soaps and baby shampoo. I can almost see here now! :)

Belly Picture: 36.5 Weeks

36 weeks, 3 days pregnant

These last couple weeks have been very exhausting... I'm feeling bigger than ever! I've started to waddle and wake up with horrible pains on my hips in the night. During the day I have pelvic pain, all very uncomfortable. The midwife says it's all normal though and it's because Baby G is head down and is putting pressure on my hips. Only cure is to give birth!

The worst symptom I've had though is my feet! They are sooooooo incredibly swollen! They are unrecognizeable! They look like Flinstone feet! Tree trunks! Cankles! My toes are little Vienna Sausages! Just terrible! For the most part they don't hurt except at the end of the day when they get really big, and then they are just sore and my skin feels really tight. Again, the midwife says this is all normal in the last month of pregnancy. She recommends I put my feet up higher than my heart so and at night this really helps... but at work it does me no good unless I put my feet up on my monitor!

On the belly, Baby G continues to be very very active! We feel her kick and shift all the time! It's very cute, but it also gets very painful. She gets in a terrible position in my ribs and it drives me nuts! Hurts so bad! The midwife showed us how she's laying and we realized that the big bump we keep seeing is her tushy! SO CUTE! Now if she'd only lay off my ribs!

Today was also our last Bradley Class. It was bittersweet to say goodbye to our new friends but at the same time it's exciting to know we're almost there! Just 3 1/2 weeks to go! In these 12 weeks Jorge and I have learned so much! I really feel like I can do this!!! :)

Here's this week's belly picture, as if Baby G could get any bigger!



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Christmas Spirit!

36 weeks, 2 days pregnant

We finally put up the Christmas tree! We were going to do it last weekend, but didn't since Jorge was sick. He's feeling much, much better, but still has a bit of a cough.

Initally, I wasn't into the idea of putting up the Christmas tree this year, since we'd have to take it down and we might have a newborn to take care of! But Jorge insisted we must get into the Christmas spirit! I'm so glad he did! He put up the tree and I made some more "Bake December" goodies! This weekend it was Oatmeal Chocolate Chip. Soooo good!

We listened to Christmas music and watched some of the Winter Boat Parade from the window. It was just lovely! The tree came out beautiful! Jorge did an awesome job!

Preparing for Baby

36 weeks, 2 days pregnant

Today Jorge and I went to the hospital to attend our Baby Care class. We learned so much! We learned how to change a diaper, how to bathe her, how to care for the umbilical cord, what to do when she cries and even some basics on breastfeeding. It was a really good class. Jorge and I have no experience with babies, so it's great to have some kind of run-through of what to expect.

Here's a picture of us at the end of class with our "baby" fully diapered! Jorge looks soooooo cute with my cabbage patch! LOL!





Speaking of what to expect, they showed this video in class. It's a clip from "I Love Lucy" and it cracked me up! Enjoy!

Happy Birthday Daddy!

36 weeks pregnant

Today we had a small dinner at our place for my dad's birthday. Cathy had class and is coming down with a cold (everyone is getting sick!!) so she couldn't come, so we'll have another get together so we can celebrate with her. Cindy and Justin came over and I made some beans, some tilapia in cream sauce (my mom's awesome recipe!!), with some salad and cauliflower. Jorge made some sugar free pudding for dessert and we sang happy birthday around his cup! Haha! It was delicious!! It was so nice to get together!

Happy Birthday Daddy!

Baby This Week: 36 Weeks

Your baby is gaining about an ounce a day. She now weighs almost 6 pounds (like a crenshaw melon) and is more than 18 1/2 inches long. She's shedding most of the downy hair that covered her body, as well as the vernix caseosa, the waxy substance that protected her skin during her nine-month amniotic bath. Next week, your baby will be considered full-term. Most likely she's in a head-down position, but if she isn't, your practitioner may suggest scheduling an external cephalic version, where she'll try to turn your baby by manipulating her from the outside of your belly.

The Contraversial Topic of Vaccinations

35 weeks, 6 days pregnant

Monday and Tuesday we had Pediatrician interviews. In preparation to interview them, I prepared a pediatrician interview sheet with all the questions I wanted to ask. I did a bunch of research to make sure I asked all the right questions. I have also heard a lot about vaccines and how contraversial they are, so I picked up this book that's been highly recommended, it's called "The Vaccine Book" by Dr. Robert Sears. Dr. Sears is a highly regarded pediatrician and had some really good insights about vaccines. The book is really good about being balanced and showing both sides. He lays out the pros and cons to each vaccine and lets you decide. When I bought it, I thought it would be way over my head, but Dr. Sears writes it in laymans terms and by the end of the book you really feel more educated. I know I want to vaccinate, but I am a bit concerned about the amount of vaccines that are given at one time and I'm inclined to do Dr. Sear's "Alternative Vaccination Schedule" mentioned at the end of the book, where the vaccines are more spread out to reduce the incidence of side effects. As with all medications, none of them are 100% safe and all of them have a risk of mild to severe side effects. The Alternative Schedule seems to lessen the risks by only offering a maximum of 2 vaccines at once, only doing 1 vaccine at a time that has aluminum, and only doing one "live" vaccine at at time. I know a lot of people have said "I was vaccinated and I turned out ok" but kids today are given 38 vaccines before the age of 6, whereas we were given much much less! In that time period, 3 vaccines have proven to have ingredients that were taken off the market because the vaccine turned out to be more dangerous than the disease. And at that time they were administered the experts swore that they were safe. Who knows what the experts will say 10 years from now about the vaccines we give out now?

Of course, these are are my opinions but I urge you do your own research on this topic. The Association of American Pediatrics is a good resource as well as Dr. Sear's "The Vaccine Book" and his website. We all want what's best for our kids and no decision is the wrong one -- I would just suggest you be informed so you can be educated on the topic. Ok, I'm off my soap box!! :)

The three pediatricans we've interviewed were good, but we've still got two more we're looking into. They were all open to our thoughts about doing the Alternative Vaccination Schedule. Hopefully we can make a decision by next week!

Bake December Has Begun!

35 weeks, 4 days pregnant

This weekend, we continued our holiday tradition that we call "Bake December" where every weekend in December I bake some yummy goody for Jorge. This weekend I made some Chocolate Chip Banana Bread from scratch -- it was a hit! Jorge absolutely looooved it! You must try it! It's absolutely AMAZING!



Chocolate Chip Banana Bread

Chocolate and bananas are a great combination. The sour cream in this recipe seems to set the chocolate off. We think you will enjoy this banana bread recipe.

Ingredients
1 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 tablespoon vanilla
2 large eggs
1 1/2 cups mashed bananas (about three large)
1/2 cup sour cream
3/4 cup milk or dark chocolate chips
1/2 cup walnut pieces

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Directions
1. Mix the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together in a medium bowl. Set aside.
2. Cream the butter and sugars together. Add the vanilla. Add the eggs one at a time, beating after each. Continue beating until light and creamy. Add about one third of the flour mixture. Add the bananas, then another third of the flour, then sour cream and then the remaining flour. Fold in the chocolate chips and walnuts.
3. Scrape the batter into a greased large loaf pan. Bake for 60 minutes or until done. Cool on a wire rack.

Belly Picture: 35.5 Weeks

35 weeks, 3 days pregnant

Jorge is finally starting to feel better! His congestion is starting to clear up, but he has a lingering cough. I'm so glad! I've missed him! Even though we're in the same apartment, we're hardly ever in the same room and I miss having him around. :(

Here's this weeks belly picture. The ever growing Baby G!




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Making Progress!

35 weeks pregnant, 2 days pregnant

Jorge took Thursday and Friday off this week so we could get the carpet cleaned and so we can get the crib delivered! Woo-hoo! I've been looking forward to seeing the crib in the room for the longest time! Isn't it beautiful???





Jorge has been on a roll! He's totally rocked it this week! He also working on the shower and removed the old shower doors so it would be easier to use for baby G. The shower curtains still need to be installed, but it's almost done!



And he's installed the carseat in my car. Yayyy!!! He even put in my "Baby On Board" sign!







The only downside has been that he seems to have caught the terrible cold I had last week! Poor thing! It started on Wednesday, but today it's gotten really bad. He's now sleeping in the other room and he's quarantined himself away from me, haha! We've even gone so far to call each other on the phone from one room to the other! We're just being really cautious, he's afraid of getting me sick now that we're just a few short weeks away. So in comes my mom to the rescue!! She came over today and she's been wonderful! First she made some chicken soup for Jorge (amazing by the way!!!) and then spent the rest of the day helping me do laundry and organizing Baby G's room and preparing my hospital bag while Jorge rested. I love my mom, I swear, I don't know what I'd do without her! :)

Infant CPR & Child Safety

35 weeks pregnant

This week has been really productive! Jorge and I have been really busy! On Wednesday we had our Infant CPR class at our hospital. It was very, very interesting. My dad, my sister in law Blanca, my sister Cindy and her husband Justin all attended the class with us. I was so happy they all wanted to participate! My mom and my sister Cathy will be taking the class down in Miami in a couple of weeks. Here are the basics of CPR and how to help a choking child. Hopefully we'll never need to use these, but you just never know!!! (source: www.washington.edu)

CPR for Infants (Age <1)

CLICK HERE FOR A VIDEO DEMONSTRATION



  1. Shout and Tap
Shout and gently tap the child on the shoulder. If there is no response, position the infant on his or her back





  2. Open The Airway
Open the airway using a head tilt lifting of chin. Do not tilt the head too far back






  3. Give 2 Gentle Breaths

If the baby is NOT breathing give 2 small gentle breaths. Cover the baby's mouth and nose with your mouth. Each breath should be 1 second long. You should see the baby's chest rise with each breath.



  4. Give 30 Compressions

Give 30 gentle chest compressions at the rate of 100 per minute. Use two or three fingers in the center of the chest just below the nipples. Press down approximately one-third the depth of the chest.



  5. Repeat

Repeat with 2 breath and 30 compressions. After two minutes of repeated cycles call 911 and continue giving breaths and compressions.






First Aid for a Choking Conscious Infant (<1 years old)

CLICK HERE FOR A VIDEO DEMONSTRATION



  Step 1

Determine if the infant can cry or cough. If not, proceed to next step.





  Step 2

Give 5 back blows.






  Step 3

Give 5 chest thrusts.






  Step 4

Repeat steps 2 & 3 above until effective or the infant becomes unconscious. If the infant becomes unresponsive, perform CPR- if you see an object in the throat or mouth, remove it.

Baby This Week: 35 Weeks

Your baby doesn't have much room to maneuver now that she's over 18 inches long and tips the scales at 5 1/4 pounds (pick up a honeydew). Because it's so snug in your womb, she isn't likely to be doing somersaults anymore, but the number of times she kicks should remain about the same. Her kidneys are fully developed now, and her liver can process some waste products. Most of her basic physical development is now complete — she'll spend the next few weeks putting on weight.

Belly Picture: 34.5 Weeks

34 weeks, 3 days pregnant

I'm feeling better today. Still a bit congested, but definitely better. I'm starting to feel more aches and pains though, with my back and my pelvis. It's really starting to weigh on me. It's a bit difficult to sleep especially -- I've been waking up with terrible pain in my hips (sciatica maybe?) and sometimes it goes all the way down to my ankles. It's horrible! I just keep reminding myself - just 5 1/2 weeks to go!





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Compare to 22 weeks ago at12 weeks.
Compare to 25 weeks ago at 9 weeks.

Happy Thanksgiving... Part 2

34 weeks, 1 day pregnant

Every year the day after Thanksgiving, we have our Thanksgiving Part II at our apartment. Blanca comes over and makes the traditional Granja family Thanksgiving (which is amazing Mrs. G!!!) that Jorge and Blanca used to have growing up. It is soooooo good!

Blanca came over early in the morning and she and Jorge prepared everything. I was still feeling congested and a bit run-down, but by the time our guests arrived for lunch I was feeling a bit better. The food came out spectacularly! What a feast!! We all just gobbled it up! Many thanks to Blanca and Jorge for preparing it all! :)















Jorge has been taking care of me (even more than usual!) these last few days and that's really helped. I'm so thankful to have him! I feel like I'm on the upswing of this cold and I really think it's thanks to his TLC! :)