19 weeks and counting...

Dear Baby,
Today marks our 19 weeks in this wonderful journey called Pregnancy :) That means we're half ways there...I think. That of course depends on when You want to and/or when You're ready to come out of Mommy's belly and join us in the real world :) Your Daddy is so excited for that day to come when he gets to meet you for the first time, hold you, play with you, and just BE A DADDY to You. He talks to you more often now...do you hear that silly voice of his? hehehe :) For me, I just want you to enjoy your time growing in my belly for now. We haven't felt any movements or kicks yet so I'm excited for when you decide to kick Mommy...that sounds so bad. hahaha :) Just let be a gentle kick k?
Here's what BabyCenter has to say about You today:
How your baby's growing:

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 heirloom tomato. 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.

hehehe...hello my Tomato :) or in
Tagalog, you are now a Kamatis :0)

Mommy WuvsYou

Another gift for YOU

Dear Baby,

Someone very dear and near to Mommy bought you a gift yesterday. Your Grandma Myrna (Mommy's Mom) aka Mama bought You your very own car seat from Costco yesterday...yippee! We saw it while we were looking for vitamins and I kinda just played with it for a little bit. While we were in line, she told Your Grandpa Efren aka Papa to go and grab it because she wanted to buy it for YOU :0) I can already tell that you're going to be one spoiled baby boy...especially with Mama and Papa around :o)
Here's a pic of what your grandparents bought for YOU:

Safety 1st® Alpha Omega™ Elite Convertible Car Seat

Hammer Fabric
Fits up to 100 lbs.

Do you like it LiL One?

Mommy WuvsYou

Hi there Kiddo!

Dear Anak,

You and Mommy had an appointment in Radiology yesterday afternoon and Daddy and Mama came along with us. They did some x-rays of your little body to make sure 'everything' is OK. Daddy and I will meet with our OB Friday morning and she'll tell us all about the x-rays that they took of You. But here's the exciting part of our appointment...we found out Your gender! Yay! Yippee!

Hello Son :)

Daddy's Mommy wanted to have a Grandaughter

but I am so sure she's going to love you pieces

once she holds you!

You sure proved everyone wrong! A lot

of people told me they thought You'd be a

Baby Girl...hehe :)

Mommy WuvsYou

Happy 18 Weeks LiL Peanut

Dear Anak,

You are now 18 WEEKS OLD today! Yippee :) You are just getting bigger by the minute...which means Mommy's belly is also getting bigger by the minute. Hehehe :) And now that my belly is noticeable (it doesn't look like I just gained weight anymore), a lot of people now want to touch my belly. They also want to talk to you while they're patting or touching my belly. Don't worry though, I'm not just letting anyone or strangers touch my belly and talk to you. These are people that love you and adore you already. These are people that are close to Mommy.
Anyways, here's what BabyCenter has to say about YOU today:
How your baby's growing:


Head to rump, your baby is about 5 1/2 inches long (about the length of a bell pepper) and he weighs almost 7 ounces. He's busy flexing his arms and legs — movements that you'll start noticing more and more in the weeks ahead. His blood vessels are visible through his thin skin, and his ears are now in their final position, although they're still standing out from his head a bit. A protective covering of myelin is beginning to form around his nerves, a process that will continue for a year after he's born. If you're having a girl, her uterus and fallopian tubes are formed and in place. If you're having a boy, his genitals are noticeable now, but he may hide them from you during an ultrasound.

Hi there Baby Bell Pepper...hehehe :)

Here's what the site has to say about Mommy today:
Hungry? An increase in appetite is pretty common about now. Make it count by choosing meals and snacks that are rich in nutrients instead of empty calories (chips, French fries, candy, and other sweets). Bigger, more comfortable clothes are a must now as your appetite and waistline grow.

Your cardiovascular system is undergoing dramatic changes, and during this trimester your blood pressure will probably be lower than usual. Don't spring up too fast from a lying or sitting position or you might feel a little dizzy.
From now on, when you do lie down, it's best to lie on your side — or at least partly tilted to one side. (When you lie flat on your back, your uterus can compress a major vein, leading to decreased blood return to your heart.) Try placing a pillow behind you or under your hip or upper leg for comfort.
If you haven't already had a second-trimester ultrasound, you'll probably have one soon. This painless procedure helps your practitioner check how your baby's growing, screen for certain birth defects, check the placenta and umbilical cord, determine whether the due date you're working with is accurate, and see how many babies you're carrying. During the exam, you might see your baby moving around or sucking his thumb. Bring your partner along, and be sure to ask for a printout for your baby's first photo album!

Mommy WuvsYou

A gift for YOU

Dear Baby,
Guess what? You just got another gift today :) Mommy's BossLadyFriend Michele got you a little something all the way from Wisconsin. Here it is:

Don't be in a party mood at 3am please...hehe :)

Mommy WuvsYou

Happy 17 Weeks LiL Peanut

Dear Anak,

You are now another week old...yippee! It seems like the days are going by a little faster these days. Maybe it's because we are now in our 2nd trimester. I am so super excited as the days go by because it just means we're getting closer to meeting You!
Here's what BabyCenter has to say about You today:
How your baby's growing:

Your baby's skeleton is changing from soft cartilage to bone, and the umbilical cord — her lifeline to the placenta — is growing stronger and thicker. Your baby weighs 5 ounces now (about as much as a turnip), and she's around 5 inches long from head to bottom. She can move her joints, and her sweat glands are starting to develop.

Mommy WuvsYou

“A Marriage Prayer” by Bud Henry Bowen

     Bless our marriage, oh God, as we begin our journey down the road of life together. We don’t know what lies ahead for the road turns and bends. But help us to make the best of whatever comes our way.

     Help us to hug each other often…laugh a lot, talk more, and argue less. Help us to continue to enjoy each other as we did when we first met. Help us to realize that nothing or no one is perfect and to look for the good in all things and all people including ourselves. Help us to respect each other’s likes and dislikes, opinions and beliefs, hopes and dreams and most of all our fears, even though we may not always understand them.

     Help us to learn from each other and to help each other to grow mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. Help us to realize that there is design and purpose in our lives as in the world and no matter what happens to us we will hold on to each other and know that things have a way of working out for the good. Help us to create for our children a peaceful, stable home of love as a foundation on which they can build their lives.

     But most of all, dear God, help us to keep lit the torch of love that we now share in our hearts so that by our loving example we may pass on the light of love to our children and to their children and to their children’s children forever.

Amen.


*I totally LOVE this prayer. I'm going to print it out and read it to your Daddy later. Hopefully he and I can start reading to each other and/or read it together from time to time. Sometimes we get to so busy with everyday life that we forget the 'little' things that makes us smile and sometimes we tend to take each other for granted or forget to say the simplest words such as please and thank you. Other than our nightly and daily prayers, this would just help us remind each other of the love that he and I have for one another. And now, even though you're not born Daddy and I love you oh so much already. I'm sure just the thought of you also reminds us of our love for each other.*
Mommy WuvsYou

***I got this from t'Tina's blog (I'll post about this cool girl later) c&c engagements***

Happy 16 Weeks!

Dear Baby,

You and Mommy are now in our 16th week of this wonderful journey called pregnancy, yay! :)
Here's what BabyCenter has to say about You today:
How your baby's growing:

Get ready for a growth spurt. In the next few weeks, your baby will double his weight and add inches to his length. Right now, he's about the size of an avocado: 4 1/2 inches long (head to rump) and 3 1/2 ounces. His legs are much more developed, his head is more erect than it has been, and his eyes have moved closer to the front of his head. His ears are close to their final position, too. The patterning of his scalp has begun, though his locks aren't recognizable yet. He's even started growing toenails. And there's a lot happening inside as well. For example, his heart is now pumping about 25 quarts of blood each day, and this amount will continue to increase as your baby continues to develop.

--wowzers! you're getting big :)

Mommy WuvsYou

Today is Mommy's Birthday Eve

Dear Anak,

Mommy is all SMILES today :) Why you ask? Let me tell you...hehehe :) This is what greeted me when I walked into the office this morning:

--cute right? this is from Mommy's awesome
boss and friend Michele :) she always makes
my bdays extra special :)

--the bday card and a pack of trendy bendyz...hehe :)

--this is one of her gifts, it's a hot iron holder...so cute!
she gave me a set of 3 cute little baggies last year
that Mommy uses as a make up bag and coin purse.

--that's ME :) the material is the same
so now it all matches, yay

--this is from another co-worker of mines, let's call him
my 'brotha-from-anotha-motha' hahaha :)
he wrapped up some candies in a tissue paper.
it's the thought that counts right? :)

--another bday card that everyone in the office signed
for me :) thanks everyone! your sweet words just
made my special day even more special :)

Michele also gave me my FIRST maternity shirt. It's a cute red shirt that I'll take a picture of when I wear it for the first time :) Maybe I'll even wear it tomorrow for my bday...we'll see :) It's so great to have awesome co-workers. Makes your days at work pleasant and actually makes you WANT to go to work :)
Speaking of co-workers, it is now 3:30pm and we just enjoyed a RED VELVET bundt cake...YUM-O!!! And my 'brotha-from-anotha-motha' bought me my fave chinese food, ribs with black beans and with white rice for lunch :) YUM! But Mommy didn't eat it for lunch because Thai and Josue are going to take me to lunch. Mommy will definitely have a yummy dinner tonight. Thai and Josue took me to Denny's and I had the Lemon Pepper Chicken...again! Remember that's what we ate when we to lunch with CruiseMateBuddy Tina? I really do like that dish and this time I got it with corn and green beans :) Thanks again everyone for making my birthday eve extra special.


Mommy WuvsYou

Mommy's Birthday

Dear Anak,

Guess who's celebrating a birthday in a few days?

Your Mommy, that's who! Yup, Mommy will celebrate her birthday this Saturday! Mommy's birthday is August 7th and this year Mommy will turn the BIG 3-0...yikes! hehehe :)

--I think this cake is so cool :)

--this cracks me up! LoL :-)

Mommy WuvsYou

Happy 15 weeks LiL Peanut

Dear Baby,

You and Mommy are now at 15 weeks today :) I'm trying really hard to not focus on dates so much because I want to enjoy this pregnancy as much as I can. A lot of people (including your Daddy) are so anxious to meet you already and would want you to join us right now if it was up to them. But for me, I just want to take it day by day and enjoy having you in my tummy for as long as I can. I also know that time will go by fast when we get closer to your due date. Other Mommies are telling me that I'll eventually get to a point where I just want you out of my tummy already so I'll just wait patiently until that day comes.
Here's what babycenter has to say about you today:
How your baby's growing:

Your growing baby now measures about 4 inches long, crown to rump, and weighs in at about 2 1/2 ounces (about the size of an apple). She's busy moving amniotic fluid through her nose and upper respiratory tract, which helps the primitive air sacs in her lungs begin to develop. Her legs are growing longer than her arms now, and she can move all of her joints and limbs. Although her eyelids are still fused shut, she can sense light. If you shine a flashlight at your tummy, for instance, she's likely to move away from the beam. There's not much for your baby to taste at this point, but she is forming taste buds. Finally, if you have an ultrasound this week, you may be able to find out whether your baby's a boy or a girl! (Don't be too disappointed if it remains a mystery, though. Nailing down your baby's sex depends on the clarity of the picture and on your baby's position. He or she may be modestly curled up or turned in such a way as to "hide the goods.")

--wow, you're getting big LiL Peanut :)

so exciting!

This Week's Activity:

Talk to your baby. It's a great way to start the bonding process. If having an actual conversation seems odd to you, narrate your activities; read a book, magazine, or newspaper; or share your secret wishes for your child. This is great practice for after your baby's born. Talking to babies is one of the best ways to help them develop language skills.

Mommy is definitely going to start talking to you more often. Daddy and I say goodnight and tell you we love you before we go to sleep. Do you hear us say that or are you asleep already by then? I'll try to start reading books to you too. I hope you'll like it.

**I wonder if other Mommies talk or read books to their baby when they're still in their belly...**
 




Mommy WuvsYou