Big Nursery Weekend!

We purchased our furniture this weekend and after a lot of debate and compromise we decided to go with the Cacoon 4000 series convertible crib in Espresso along with the combo dresser and hutch. Nunie likes the more clean and "sleek" look , while I like more traditional heirloom pieces. So we found something that incorporated both. Here is the nursery furniture and its absolutely beautiful!




I also ordered the bedding this weekend, and umm yeah I changed my mind again. Although I liked the Restoration Hardware bedding I decided on this one so we can incorporate more colors in the room and not get bored. Its the Raspberry Truffle bedding by Bannafish.

Letter To My Daughter

Gabriella Elise,

As I sit here writing this, I can feel your little hands and feet punching and kicking away at my belly. I love that feeling. It's so strange to think how close you really are to me and I love that. You're getting so much stronger these days. Sometimes, I can see you kicking at my belly. Daddy and I love staring at my belly before we go to bed to see if we can see you move. You're about 1-2 pounds already and getting bigger every day! You must be growing a lot in there little girl because mommy's belly gets bigger every day!

I can't tell you how much I love you already. Daddy and I talk about you all the time. We daydream about the day we'll meet you. Today I went into your unfinished nursery and just stared at the beautifully painted walls daddy painted for you. I hope you enjoy your room. You couldn't be coming into a more loving family, little girl. You have great-grandparents, great-aunts and uncles, grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, and of course Mommy and Daddy who are anxiously awaiting your arrival. From the moment I found out you were coming into the world, I wondered about you. Who will you look like? Daddy? Me? A good mixture of us? Who knows, you may not look like either of us! What will you grow up to become? Maybe a teacher like mommy? Maybe you'll save lives with medicine. Maybe you'll grow up to be a mom. I hope so. I hope you get to experience this feeling one day. I think to myself constantly how amazed I am that I can love someone so much who I've never even met. Then I think about the day you'll be born and try to imagine how much more I'll love you then...but no imagination can tell. It will be infinite and unconditional. I feel like it already is, but I know most mothers tell me that nothing will compare to the love I'll have for you after you get here. I hope I'm as great of a mother to you as my mother is to me. You'll be one lucky little girl if I can live up to your Nana's standards!

Daddy has been so wonderful to us the past six months. He likes to fall asleep with his hand on my belly just in case you decide to kick. His eyes light up every time he feels you move. He loves you so much already. He is going to be such a good daddy to you. A good Daddy is one of God's most precious gifts. I'm so glad you'll get to experience that, too.

You'll be here in just 15 short weeks. In a way that seems like ages away. To think that it's all the way in September makes it seem so long. Since May is pretty much over, I've only got June, July, & August left. I can't believe time has flown so quickly...but I'm glad it has. As much as I want to see your face right this instant, I want you to stay in there and keep growing for as long as you possibly can!

We love you, Gabriella. I think about you every minute of every day.

Love,
Mommy

Work Shower/ Name Revealed!

Yesterday the kindergarten team hosted a beautiful shower for me and it went great!They decorated beautifully and had delicious food:) My co-workers were so generous and giving! We feel truly blessed. Some of the things we received included a bouncer, a boppy, two bumbos, a sling rider, three handmade blankets (including one made by my sister), receiving blankets,bibs, onesies, and some gift cards! Her closet is starting to fill up and she's not even here yet.
Here are some pics-enjoy!








Mom and I





Thank you ladies!

The beautiful blanket my sister made for baby


The back of the blanket with her name on it-Gabriella!

25 Weeks/ Nursery Progress

I'm in my 25th week of pregnancy as of yesterday, WOW! It seems like that is how I feel every week as I'm amazed at how fast this is going by. In about 15 weeks I will meet my sweet little girl! Still pretty good, with the occasional backaches but that is to be expected. I haven't had any heartburn/indigestion and maybe I shouldn't be typing this because I'm only going to jinxed myself, so I'll enjoy it for now.

We celebrated Memorial Day on Saturday with a bunch of friends and we had a blast! We took our boat out, but I unfortunately couldn't ride. When we went to the doctor last Tuesday, Nunie happened to ask her if it was still ok for me to be boating and she said "Absolutely Not"....oops. Good thing Nunie asked because I wouldn't have a clue. She said its very dangerous and not good for the placenta. I still enjoyed myself very much though!

And last but not least the nursery!! Its coming along just great-I love it. Thanks to my "handy-man" he's done such a great job! Here are some pics of the room so far.




Logan and Dora helping out in the nursery:)





We used Sherwin Williams-Kilm Beige for the bottom and cream stripes, Valspar-Rosetti Pink, and Valspar-Boston Legacy. I'm still trying to decide if I want to leave the bottom the cream color or paint it. I don't want to do the brown because the floors are a dark espresso color so that would be too much and I don't think I can handle that much pink. We also ordered the laminate wood floors yesterday at Lowe's and they were running a promotion of 20% off on all special orders-yay! We went with the Pergo-Thoroughbred Oak. Chair rail will also be installed with the wood floors.

Here's the new tile flooring that was installed in the dinning room, kitchen, living room, breakfast nook, and halls. Nice, huh?




Newly painted fireplace and rearranged artwork and accessories.

How far along? 25 weeks
Total weight gain/loss: + 18
Maternity clothes? Yes most all my clothes but still wear some pre preg shirts once in a while.
Stretch marks? None so far
Sleep: Not what it used to be but my body pillow has helped
Best moment this week: finishing the stripes in the nursery and ordering the floor
Movement:I feel her all day long-I love it.
Food cravings: Fruit mainly pineapple and watermelon, snowcones
Gender: Girl
Labor Signs: Nope
Belly Button in or out? In but more noticeable
What I miss: Having a drink on a hot summer day and riding the boat
What I am looking forward to: My work shower tomorrow
Milestones: Accomplished a lot in the nursery!

New Floors

Our floors are finished and they look beautiful! We are so pleased with the way they came out. Our house is back to normal thanks to the guys working hard and getting them done in 5 days. I was pretty surprised! They actually look even nicer than I imagined with our furniture and decor. Nunie also repainted the fireplace and rearranged some wall decor to different places, so all in all it looks like a different house. I ordered a beautiful rug from JCPenny that should arrive in about2-3 weeks and some cream sheery window treatments. I will take pictures tonight of the floors and post them sometime this weekend.

Regarding the baby's room, Nunie and Jesse got all the furniture out of there and rearranged everything to its place. Nunie and I started on drawing the stripes last night but still a lot more work to be done. After the stripes are painted, the chair rail is next and then the wood floors. Everything is slowly starting to come together.

Happy Anniversary to Us!

Just another quick little post to honor Our Anniversary! Happy 3 year anniversary to us! Three years ago we were running around getting ready for the 2pm ceremony. It was one of the happiest days of my life. Walking through that aisle was such an amazing feeling, ahh....memories. So here's a toast to us and many many more years, memories, and babies to come!! I love you, Eusebio

I had to edit this to add that my husband had three (one for each year) red roses in a vase and dinner ready for me when I got home.

Doctor's Appointment

We had our 24 week doctor's appointment yesterday and it went great as usual. Just a little striking news, this baby is going to be huge! When the doctor measured the fundal height of my belly(with the tape) I'm measuring 28 1/2 weeks, holy crap!! That means 4 1/2 weeks ahead. Looks like baby has her daddy's genes:) The doctor was not too worried, she said it could be a lot of things such as her position or my body structure, or it very well can be she is just a big baby. We're going to wait until next appointment in 4 weeks and see if this continues, if it does she will send for a growth ultrasound and we'll go from there. A lot can happen until September but if baby continues to measure big it looks like I wouldn't go full term and would be induced. I'm praying that is not the case because I really want to go to labor on my own. Its still too early to determine what will happen so I will keep you'll posted. I did hear her beautiful heartbeat at 142bpm. That's always wonderful!!

24 Weeks

24 Week picture before going out to dinner to the Melting Pot to celebrate our 3 year anniversary.



I'm 24 weeks today. Sleeping is becoming more and more dreadful as it use to be one of my favorite things to do. It's hard to get comfortable and my back is achy. Worst part about it is I know it's only going to get worse. I have a doctor's appointment on Tuesday, definitely looking forward to find out about our progress. My appetite hasn't changed too much with the pregnancy but I'm always craving fruit. I'm seriously thinking about convincing Nunie to go get me some watermelon right now.

The tile started getting laid on Saturday which means our house is a complete mess. We've taken pictures to show our little girl everything we did to prepare for her arrival. Nunie also started painting her room. He painted the main color- kilm beige by Sherwin Williams and then will continue with the stripes once the tile is completed. We put a lot of the furniture in that room to leave the workers room. I can't wait for it to be all done. I'm especially excited to have gotten rid of the carpet. Nunie also repainted the home office a dark gray color-came out very nice and rearranged furniture as we've been in a real big "nesting" mode lately. I obviously cannot do much but I am great at coming up with ideas! Anyways here are some pictures of our house under construction.






Nunie priming the nursery


Painted nursery with all the furniture

How far along? 24 weeks
Total weight gain/loss: + 16
Maternity clothes? Yes most all my clothes but still wear some pre preg shirts once in a while.
Stretch marks? None so far
Sleep: Not very fun
Best moment this week: Painting the nursery
Movement:I feel her all day long-I love it.
Food cravings: Watermelon still
Gender: Girl
Labor Signs: Nope
Belly Button in or out? In but more noticeable
What I miss: Good sleep
What I am looking forward to: Hearing her heartbeat on the doppler on Tuesday
Milestones: First stranger comment. I got two in one day. I must have looked big!

Inspired by a "Cupcake"

I'd made up my mind about the nursery bedding but I know myself way too well and for that reason had not purchased it. I wanted to leave my options open just in case I saw something better. Well last night I was browsing through the Restoration Hardware website and came across this beautiful cupcake art canvas.



I have been inspired by this piece of art and this will be the inspiraton for our little girl's room. Since they don't have a cute "cupcake" theme, I am getting the cuddle plush bumper and italian dot sheet bedding from Restoration Hardware in "sorbet".



I did however find some organic "cupcake" crib sheets online that are absolutely adorable and will go perfect with our theme.



I think this is a very unique theme and will look "decadent" once its all finished. We are painting strawberry, chocolate, and vanilla stripes on the wall. Can you say Neapolitan?

23 Weeks

So I don't have anymore of those fun veggy and fruit pictures that compares the baby's size. Now it will be done by months until birth,but I do have my 23 week bump picture that shows how much this little girl has grown. I feel her moving all the time now-it's amazing! My belly button is still in but Nunie noticed it the other day and pointed out that you can see it more now...so it won't be long before its completely sticking out.

I had a fabulous Mother's Day which I didn't expect to be celebrated at all since technically I'm not a mother yet, but my family and hubby were sweet enough to include me in with the mommies. Nunie bought me a beautiful necklace with a baby and mom figurine charm from James Avery. My mom got me a Mother's Love charm also from James Avery for my charm bracelet. Karina got me a Victoria Secret gift card-perfect because my panties are getting pretty tight these days, ha! Karen sent me a card from Iraq-it made me cry. Dil got me (well baby) two beautiful onesies and Corinne got me a sweet picture album for the baby and a beautiful figurine of a pregnant woman from Willow Tree Collection. I felt so loved on this day thanks to my wonderful family. My favorite part though was spending time with my Mom.

On another note, the tile man will be here Saturday and if all goes well all the carpet will soon be gone. Nunie is priming the baby's room as I'm typing this and soon he should start with the painting. He's so excited! He came home from school tonight and continued it. I, on the other hand am very grateful for his motivation-he needs to keep it up!


How far along? 23 weeks
Total weight gain/loss: + 15
Maternity clothes? Yes most all my clothes but still wear some pre preg shirts once in a while.
Stretch marks? No but Nunie bought me some butter oil to prevent them, ha! Hope it works.
Sleep: Still a few back pains
Best moment this week: Mother's Day
Movement:I feel her all day long-I love it.
Food cravings: Watermelon
Gender: Girl
Labor Signs: Nope
Belly Button in or out? In but more noticeable
What I miss: Beach Vacation
What I am looking forward to: Starting her nursery
Milestones: Feel her more frequently

Week 22- Papaya

Watch what you say -- baby is now able to hear outside noise from down in the womb. Studies show that baby finds gentle music and your own voice most soothing. Nipples are starting to sprout, and that little face is fully formed. And, baby's starting to settle into sleep cycles, snoozing about 12 to 14 hours a day. It shouldn't be hard to figure out when -- just pay attention to those kicks as they start and stop.
Apparently the weekly fruit updates will only be given from a month-to-month basis from now on. Anyhow I am 22 weeks so about 5 1/2 months and growing each day. I ordered a ton of maternity clothes from Old Navy and Gap online and finally got my order in yesterday. I was so excited! As you can see in my 22 week pic, I am definitely looking pregnant and I guess my shirt played it up a little more because everyone at school was oohing and awwing about my maternity clothes, how I'm showing a lot now, and how I was wearing pink yada yada yada....
It's funny how different people treat you when you're pregnant or "look" pregnant. I went Mother's Day Shopping this evening and I had a man go out of his way to open the door for me, a lady who stopped in the middle of the road just to let me go by as I was walking to my car, and this man picked up a card when I dropped it at Hallmark. Maybe it's just me thinking it, but people are usually not that nice. I hope they don't feel sorry for me, I feel great and geez I'm only going to get bigger! Oh well, I guess I better take advantage while I can.

Nunie felt the baby for the first time this past week. He had just finished "talking" to her as he frequently does and he had his hand on my stomach. This little girl started packing those punches. Baby and I have been very well fed lately as Nunie has been grilling out for the past couple of evenings. We've had rib eye steaks twice and Hawaiian sirloin hamburgers with pineapple-yum, so plenty of protein for this baby and me.
Well here's my 22 week picture. I told you my boobs are getting huge!





22.6 Weeks

How far along? 22weeks
Total weight gain/loss: + 13
Maternity clothes? Yes, finally. I'm very excited and comfortable
Stretch marks? No
Sleep: Ok, I've been getting back pains
Best moment this week: Nunie feeling Baby
Movement: A lot, she moves all through the day and right before I go to bed
Food cravings: Popcorn and dill pickes
Gender: Girl
Labor Signs: Nope
Belly Button in or out? In and very shallow
What I miss: Fitting into my 2 piece
What I am looking forward to: Ordering her crib
Milestones: Nunie felt Baby

"Let's Go To The Beach"

Umm, no I'm not really going to the beach, this is what's happening. We are having our Spring Festival on May 15th at my school. Each class was asked to come up with a theme and arrange a basket with that theme that is going to be donated. The basket will be auctioned off to raise money for our school. So, being that I'm in total need for a beach vacation my class is doing "Let's Go To The Beach". I'm buying an igloo ice chest and we are going to stuff the "basket"/ice chest with things that are essential when taking a trip to the beach. So far this is what we've come up with:

-Sunglasses
-Beach ball
-Sunblock
-Hat
-Water bottles
-Beach Towel
-Goggles
-Pail
-Shovel
-Camera
-Frisbee
-Snacks

Of course the most important item would be a bathing suit and a margarita would also be ideal, but I'm gonna go ahead and skip these:) I'm very excited and so are my students. I sent the note home yesterday and some of them came in asking "teacher when are we going to the beach" ahh....I wish! I will post pictures of the finished product and Spring Festival afterwards.

21 Weeks-Banana

Baby gulps down several ounces of amniotic fluid every day, both for hydration and nutrition and to practice swallowing and digesting. And, these days, those taste buds actually work! Studies show that after birth, babies are most interested in tastes they've already experienced through amniotic fluid. Meaning, think about what you want your future child to eat as you prepare your own lunch.

Another week gone! In pregnancy news Nunie and I went to babiesrus on Friday after satisfying my craving to Olive Garden. We didn't go register but we wanted to check out a few things and decide on them. We had narrowed it down to two travel systems and decided on the Chicco Cortina Keyfit 30-Adventure.


It has excellent reviews by Baby Bargains and its great on safety according to consumer reports. To top it off it drives so smooth and the handles are adjustable. This was another main reason why Nunie loved it after pushing it around the store, is because since he's tall it fits great. They only carry the carseat up to 22lbs at babiesrus and we want the carseat that goes up to 30lbs so we have to order it online through the manufacture. Mom offered to buy this for us!

Mom and I went to Target and registered for my upcoming baby shower at work. It was pretty fun and not overwhelming at all, (like I had heard) because I had thankfully done all my homework. So it wasn't at all like I would have thought to be like before-pick whatever looks cute and scan it. Umm no, I'm much rather interested in the safety features and reviews on the product than the cuteness. Funny I know but I guess the motherly instinct is kicking in- I want the best for my child. Overall it was very fun picking out the baby's cute outfits, headbands, and fuzzy blankets. Everything is feeling a little more real every day.





How far along? 21 weeks
Total weight gain/loss: + 12lbs
Maternity clothes? Just shirts. I'm still wearing my regular pants with my bella band.
Stretch marks? No
Sleep: Pretty good. I wake up once to go to the bathroom.
Best moment this week: Registered for baby
Movement: A little here and there especially when I'm lying down
Food cravings: Olive Garden...yum, yum, yum
Gender: Girl
Labor Signs: Nope
Belly Button in or out? In and very shallow
What I miss: A cocktail-especially a pina colada
What I am looking forward to: Starting to paint the room
Milestones: Choosing baby gear and imagining her in it

Super Cute Baby Legs

I saw these super cute "baby legs" online that I cannot wait to put on my daughter. They are just too freakin' cute. They will be perfect for when she's crawling around on the tile that is going to be installed in two weeks. They make them in all sorts of colors and patterns and are very convenient when changing their diaper because they only go up to their thighs like leggings-aren't they adorable?

20 Weeks- Cantaloupe

Baby's digestive system is busy creating meconium (a tarry black substance made of swallowed amniotic fluid, digestive secretion and dead cells), which will fill the first diaper after birth. And, speaking of the diaper situation... baby's genitals are now fully formed!

We are officially at our half way mark today! Twenty more weeks and our baby girl will be here.This also means I should start feeling more movement. I'm looking forward to feeling this little one more often. We weren't able to go register because the weather was horrible on Saturday so that is still pending, but we've chosen the baby bedding. I've loved this set since I first saw it, but kept shopping around to see if maybe I would find something else I would like better. Nothing else has caught my eye like this Glenna Jean collection.

It has various hues of pinks, tans, cremes, and browns-just lovely. They sell the set or in separate pieces which I'm considering doing because I would prefer to get the breathable bumper since its recommended.

Since I hit my 20 week mark, I will be signing up for prenatal yoga at the Motherhood Center in the heights. I've heard and read great things about practicing yoga during pregnancy. It's very beneficial since it focuses on building strength, confidence, and stamina while addressing many of the common aches and pains of pregnancy. They also have Mommy and Baby yoga that you can practice with your little one. It helps bond with baby while you get rid of the extra baby pounds. It sounds like so much fun to be able to exercise with little!


At 20 Weeks-half way!


The day we got our postive preg. test!


I have also added this that I will be updating every week.
How far along? 20 weeks
Total weight gain/loss: + 10lbs
Maternity clothes? Just shirts. I'm still wearing my regular pants with my bella band.
Stretch marks? No
Sleep: Pretty good. I wake up once to go to the bathroom.
Best moment this week: Reached my 20 week mark
Movement: A little here and there...
Food cravings: Pineapple(still!)and frosted flakes
Gender: Girl
Labor Signs: Nope
Belly Button in or out? In
What I miss: Nice fitted shirts
What I am looking forward to: Going to register and feeling baby kick more
Milestones: Reaching half-way mark

Starting Her Library

We are having our annual book fair at school and I can't ever resist to leave out of there without buying tons of books for my class. Well this year I bought a couple for my class and a few for baby. I would like to share my passion for reading with her and instill the love for books. Needless to say it's never too early to start building her library.
Here are the books I purchased.


I cannot wait to tuck her in bed with this sweet book.


A rememberence of her first nickname "bean".


I couldn't resist. I love "I'm a Little Teapot" song.

19 Weeks-Mango

Your baby's sensory development is exploding! Her brain is designating specialized areas for smell, taste, hearing, vision, and touch. Some research suggests that she may be able to hear your voice now, so don't be shy about reading aloud, talking to her, or singing a happy tune if the mood strikes you.

Your baby weighs about 8 1/2 ounces and measures 6 inches, head to bottom — about the size of a large mango. Her arms and legs are in the right proportions to each other and the rest of her body now. Her kidneys continue to make urine and the hair on her scalp is sprouting. A waxy protective coating called the vernix caseosa is forming on her skin to prevent it from pickling in the amniotic fluid.

Our little girl is the size of a mango-yum! This past week was a very "big" week for us because we were able to find out that bean is a girl. I had a big growth spurt between the last time I went to the doctor and this past appointment gaining 7lbs.-yikes! That's kind of scary but my doctor assured me I was on target and since I hadn't gain but 2lbs all the way up to 16 weeks it was necessary for baby. Total gain weight by 20 weeks should be 10lbs so all I can gain this week is 1lb.

We plan to go register this weekend because I'm having my work shower in a few weeks. I've been doing a lot of research on baby gear so the fun part is left to do-pick out colors and styles.

We have one final name in mind and we should reveal it very soon.....stay tuned!
Here's my 19 week picture