Christmas Day

This morning, there was a present for me from Daddy. Since I'm still in Mommy's belly, Mommy opened it for me. Daddy gave me my first baseball and baseball glove! I can't wait to play ball with Daddy. Every day, Daddy talks to me and he tells me about playing baseball and football and all the other sports - I can't wait!

32 Weeks - 12/21/07 – 8 Months

I have been feeling good these days. Monday the 17th was my last day at work. I wanted to work that day to make sure I have a good set of notes on the status of my projects. It’s been difficult knowing that I need to drop all of my work to other people. But first things first; I need to concentrate on the health of my baby and do whatever is required of me to achieve that purpose. We visited Dr. Fan today and again, everything seems to be OK. I had gained 2 more lbs. That makes it a total of 19… amazing what eating healthier can do!!! I’m very happy about that. The baby’s heart was beating at 140bps and blood pressure was normal. I keep praying that the Little Guy keeps growing and waits for his grand debut a little longer…

12/16/07 – A Baby Shower for Baby Nalda

The weather forecast for the weekend was not looking good. Weathermen all over the news were calling for the worst weather, rain and ice mix, snow and ferocious winds. I was hesitant and I suggested re-scheduling the Baby Shower that was programmed to start Sunday at 2:00 PM – right in the middle of this nasty weather. But Grandma Georgina, who took the lead organizing this event wanted to move forward. Were we lucky or what!?!? The storms missed us completely and the day turned out to be perfect!!! Grandma Georgina went the extra mile on this… she did a fabulous job organizing and getting all the details in place for a beautiful party. I will always remember how special it was. The cake came from the same lady that made our wedding cake, Guava and Piňa Colada. It brought sweet memories from how this whole thing started… that was a lovely detail. The decorations were adorable. Great Grandma Aelita helped making some of these and we used them to decorate the main table. I could go on and on about every single detail, everything was perfect!!! We spent the afternoon with family and dear friends that came to celebrate with us and share the joy of this exciting journey we are about to embark.
Here are some pictures from the shower.

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31 Weeks – 12/14/07 – Bed Rest Until Baby Arrives…

The Terbutaline prescribed by Dr. Fan has helped some controlling the contractions. I have not noticed more than 4 or 5 an hour, which is good. Today our appointment with Dr. Hamersley went OK. The baby is getting bigger! He weighs 3lbs and 7oz. Dr. Hamersley wants me to keep this baby in the oven a little longer though. So she also wants me on bed rest, laying down on my side. So much for wanting to work until the last minute! She also prescribed another medication to take. It’s called Indocin – an anti-inflammatory drug that reduces pain and inflammation. The problem with the high amniotic fluid level now has a name: polyhydramnios and a measurement of 24.9cm. Uncle Freddy from Bolivia had already mentioned this condition a couple of weeks ago. He piqued my curiosity, so I did some research on it. According to what I read, the cause of this is not exactly known, particularly in mild cases like mine. A normal measure for the 3rd trimester is between 5 and 25cm. I will not go into the possible causes because -to be honest, they are kind of scary!!! But there is always a bright side to all this, all the internal organs and major bones measured normal AND get this… we confirmed one more time that the Little One is a BOY!!! Today we had another special guest come with us to our appointment, Grandpa Manolo.

30 Weeks - 12/7/07 - Braxton Hicks, Very Uncomfortable!!!

We had our first snow of the season on Wednesday, about 5 inches. It was beautiful outside, but as always it caused a lot of headaches out there on the roads. I was safe and warm at home. Good thing we had an appointment today because I was not feeling well.
I started feeling a lot of pressure in my belly since Wednesday night. I am assuming these are the Braxton Hicks contractions, more noticeable than normal. On Thursday, I sort of lost the count of these contractions. I might have had more than 5 or 6 an hour. Today I started feeling a dull pain on the left side of the belly. Dr. Fan checked to see if I was dilating, but the cervix was closed. He gave me medication to control the contractions. It’s called Terbutaline, 5mg 4 times a day and put me on bed rest. He also recommends I stop working. Since I’m working from home, I may try a few days and see how I do. On the bright side, the baby’s heart beat was pumping at 150 bpm, and I gained 3 ½ lbs. The GTT test came back normal. No gestational diabetes to worry about!!!

28 Weeks - 11/21/07 - 12 Weeks to go!!!

We were back at Dr. Fan's again. It’s been a couple of weeks since our last appointment. It was a very cold and windy day!
Surprisingly, I only gained ½ lb. Although Dr. Fan said to me the last time that I should try to gain 1lb per week. I haven’t really noticed a change in my appetite. We must be eating REALLY HEALTHY!!! The baby’s heart beat was at 154 bpm. The blood pressure was normal as well as the size of the belly. Dr. Fan gave me the order for the GTT test that Dr. Hamersley wanted me to take. He explained what it is and there is nothing to be nervous about… yeah, I’m trying to ease my nervousness. When it comes to needles, I’m the biggest chicken there is!!!
After the appointment we treated ourselves to a nice dinner at one of Noli’s favorite restaurants - Carrabba’s.

27 Weeks - 11/16/07 - Grandma came with us!

It is always exciting to visit Dr. Hamersley for an appointment, we get to see how the baby is doing and we get to check all those little body parts and how they are still growing. Grandma came with us this time. She really enjoyed the whole experience…
The Little One is getting to the point where he’s REALLY starting to grow. It was surprising to see the growth chart Dr. Hamersley showed us… we are at the bottom of this curve that very quickly goes up. As expected, everything looks good. The heartbeat was back up to 152 bpm, the number we are used to seeing. There is still a little bit of concern about the amount of amniotic fluid, which is in the high side. I have been watching my diet and cut down considerably on fruits, juices, and other carbs. Dr. said that this could be an indication of gestational diabetes. Not something that I wanted to hear, but she wants me to do a 3-hour Glucose Tolerance Test. We don’t know much about it, but it sounds a little intimidating, doesn’t it? Anyway besides this little thing, everything else is going great… energy is back, and I’m feeling pretty good these days.
Check out the pictures we took - Mom and Baby are looking good!!!

26 Weeks - 11/9/07 - Counting Kicks

We had another appointment with Dr. Fan. As usual, the doctor weighed Mommy and she gained 4 more lbs, we are right on target... 12lbs total since we started the journey. WOW!!! Mommy is really happy about that. She has been doing her best to eat healthy and pass on the goodies that are not so good for us. Good thing she hasn't had the crazy cravings for chocolate, cakes, ice cream, etc!!!
The Baby's heart beat measured at 139bpm. I was a little worried since it's been up in the 150's all this time! But Dr. Fan assured us that this is within the normal range.
A new thing for us was the Fetal Kick Count/Movement log sheet. We were instructed to log the Baby movements a couple of times a day... There was a note on this sheet that said something like "Call the doctor if you find your baby is taking more than 2 hours to make 10 movements". I knew then that this could be a source of long sleepless nights… and Baby is not here YET!!!

23 Weeks - 10/19/07 - Mini Me...

Today we visited Dr. Hamersley. Mommy was very worried about her weight. I bet she never thought that she would ever feel this way, but having gained only 8 lbs. since the beginning of the pregnancy seemed to be too little. But the UT gave us great news, she started by measuring the circumference of the head, that checked normal. Then she went to measure major bones, the legs, the arms, major organs - all checked normal. What a relief!!!

The UT confirmed -one more time- that the Little One is a Baby Boy. Is Mommy still doubting this FACT??? Then she zoomed in on that adorable face... you gotta love technology, this Baby looks just like Daddy!!! and we have the picture to prove it. Another interesting shot was of the feet. Mommy has been so worried about them. She even asked Daddy several times to make sure he pays attention to the feet. We finally got to admire those perfect little feet.

Dr. Hamersley gave Mommy and Baby a good report. The placenta is no longer a problem and Baby is healthy and growing strong.

22 Weeks - 10/12/07 - 5 and 1/2 Months

Another appointment with Dr. Fan that went smoothly. Mommy has gained 8 lbs overall, the belly had a good size, blood pressure was normal and most important of all, the Little Guy's heart is beating at a normal rate: 152 bpm.

Mommy had a little bit of a tough week with back pains. Apparently, the placenta is a little stubborn and hasn't move much away from the cervix. Needless to say, this is causing some lower back pain. Daddy has been very good at helping and he rubs Mommy's back in the evenings when we watch TV.

Tonight we went out to celebrate Daddy's birthday. Grandpa Manolo and Grandma Georgina wanted to celebrate at the Tower Oaks Lodge since it's Maine Lobster Month. Lobster is one of Daddy's favorite dishes. It was delicious!!!

The Little Guy is swimming and kicking more these days. Mommy and Daddy are always very excited to feel him.

Mommy is almost finished with her project. Look at the baby blanket she crocheted!!! I think she's very talented!

20 Weeks - 9/25/07 - Bubbles

Today was such an incredible day... It's the day when I started feeling the baby move inside me. It's such an incredible feeling, I'm not sure I can explain it. The best way to describe this feeling is as if you had a bubble inside you.

I was getting a little worried since Doctor Fan had asked us if I felt the baby moving. He didn't seem too concerned when I said "not yet". I think Noli was aware of my concerns and he gave the Little One a deadline. He said "by next Tuesday, you will feel the baby move". I think the Little One was listening!

19 Weeks - 9/20/07 - Upside Down

Our appointment with Dr. Hamersley went smoothly with the Little Guy looking good and with Mommy healthy. When we woke up this morning, we asked the baby to pose and give us some nice action shots during the sonogram. Unfortunately, the Little Guy did not cooperate as he just sat there upside down. Is this a sign of things to come? Let's hope not!

Mommy asked the technician to verify (again) that the Little Guy had boy parts. As expected, the technician confirmed that he was still a boy. When Dr. Hamersley came in the room, we had a few questions for her after we asked her to verify that he was a boy (AGAIN!!!). Mommy is obviously not buying their story!

Dr. Hamersley then showed us the 4D images of the baby and she stated that she knew exactly who he was going to look like. Apparently, the doctor is predicting that the baby will look like Daddy. We shall found out in a few short months!

18 Weeks - 9/14/07 - All Is Well...

Yesterday, we had an appointment with Dr. Fan and confirmed that all is well with Mommy and Baby. The Little Guy's heartbeat was measured at 152 bpm. Jackie has gained a total of 6 pounds since our first visit and it looks like it's ALL in her belly!

Mommy has started a new project to help her relax and unwind after work. Jackie is crocheting a baby blanket with small light blue and white squares. We hope to wrap the baby in this blanket when he makes his first trip home from the hospital.

Grandma brought over a few gifts this week for her Grandson. She gave us some of Daddy's baby clothes and a baby blanket that she had kept for over 30 years! Mommy and Daddy were very surprised and excited to see these beautiful pieces.

Pictures at 18 weeks...

18 Semanas – 9/14/07 – Todo Esta Bien…

Ayer tuvimos una cita con el Dr. Fan y nos confirmo de que todo esta bien con Mami y Baby. Los latidos de Corazon del Pequeňito median 152 latidos por minute. Jackie a aumentado 6 libras desde nuestra primera visita y lleva las 6 libras en su barriga!

Mami empezo un proyecto para ayudarla a relajarse despues del trabajo. Jackie esta tejiendo una mantilla que tendra cuadraditos celestes y blancos. Pensamos envolver al bebe en esta mantilla en su viaje del hospital a la casa.

Abuelita trajo unos regalitos el otro dia. Nos trajo unos conjuntitos y una mantilla que eran de Noli cuando el era bebe. Ella habia guardado estos por mas de 30 aňos! Mami y Papi se sorprendieron bastante de ver esta ropita tan linda.

Fotos a las 18 semanas…

16 Weeks - 8/31/07 - I'm a Boy!!!

After a very rough night with back pains and stomach cramps, we went to see Dr. Hamersley for our 16 week check-up. The ultrasound technician (UT) told us that we should be able to determine the gender if the baby cooperates. As soon as the image of the baby was on the screen, it took only seconds until she pointed out the "boy parts"! Mommy and Daddy had huge smiles on their faces when they heard the news!!! Jackie wanted to be 100% positive that it was a boy so she asked the UT if she was sure about the boy parts. The UT said that she would bet her paycheck that there was a little boy growing in her belly!!! After the big news, the UT ensured that our little boy had all the neccesary baby parts and that they were the correct size! The most impressive images were of the 4 heart chambers and of the blood flow.

Here are the pictures of Mommy and the baby...

16 Semanas – 8/31/07 – Soy un Varon!!!

Despues de una noche muy dura con dolores de espalda y estomago, fuimos a ver a la Dra. Hamersley para el chequeo de las 16 semanas. La tecnica haciendo el sonograma nos alerto de que ya podiamos ver el sexo del bebe, si es que este cooperaba. Tan pronto como la imagen estaba en la pantalla, solo tomo unos segundos para que ella nos mostrara las partes del bebe varon! Mami y Papi no pudieron contener las sonrisas cuando escucharon esto!!! Jackie queria estar 100% segura de que este era un niňo, y le volvio a preguntar a la tecnica. Ella nos respondio “les apuesto mi cheque de esta semana de que el bebe en tu barriga es un niňo.” Despues de la gran noticia ella se aseguro de que el bebe tenia todas las partes necesarias y que estas tengan el tamaňo normal. Las imagines mas impresionantes fueron las del corazón con sus 4 cavidades y el flujo de la sangre es este.

Fotos de Mami y el Bebe…

14 Weeks - 8/17/07 - Starting the 2nd Trimester

On Friday, 8/14, we visited Dr.Fan for a normal check-up. The Little One felt like singing - so the doctor placed a microphone on Jackie's belly and we heard his heartbeat immediately. His heartbeat was measured at 155 bpm.

Jackie had been feeling worrisome belly pains Thursday night and into Friday - but all seems ok. The pains subsided after dinner w/ Mike & Ann at Red Rock Canyon at Rio. Mommy and the Little One started with Chips w/ Queso & Chorizo Dip - then feasted on the ever popular Rock Salad. Of course Daddy cannot dine at this restaurant without satisfying his sweet tooth by devouring the Something Chocolate - so the Little One also had his first taste of this amazing dessert!

14 Semanas – 8/17/07 – Empezando el Segundo Trimestre
El Viernes 8/14 visitamos al Dr. Fan para nuestro chequeo normal. El Pequeňito pareceria que queria cantar – el doctor puso el microfono en la barriga de Jackie, immediatamente escuchamos los latidos del corazón. Estos median a 155 latidos por minuto.
Jackie ha estado sintiendo dolores en el estomago desde el Jueves en la noche – pero parece que todo anda bien. Los dolores desaparecieron despues de la cena que tuvimos con Mike y Ann en el restaurante Red Rock Canyon. Mami y el Pequeňito empazaron con un aperitivo de tortillas con una salsa de queso derretido con chorizo – despues siguieron con la famosa Ensalada Rock. Por supuesto que Papi tuvo que pedir el famoso postre que se llama Something Chocolate para satisfacer su gusto dulce – el Pequeňito tuvo su primera cucharita de este delicioso postre!

12 Weeks - 8/2/07 - The NT Test Looks Good!

We made it through our 1st trimester! Today, we visited Dr. Hamersley's office for our 1st trimester screening. We were both very nervous because we knew that there was a possibility of hearing not-so-good news. After our meeting with the genetic counselor and the doctor, we were relieved to hear that Jackie and the baby seem to be healthy and working well as a team.

The ultrasound showed that the Little Guy is growing rapidly and can't sit still for the camera. The doctor pointed out his 2 arms, 2 legs, his stomach, his spine, his nose, etc...he seems to have all the right parts! The doctor even noticed something between his legs!!! Unfortunately, we could not get confirmation because we're still a few weeks away from really knowing the gender of the Little Guy.

Here are his stats...

Heart Rate = 164 bpm
CRL (Crown to Rump Length) = 5.83 cm
NT (Nuchal Translucency thickness) = 1.53 mm

Here are a few pictures of the team...

12 Semanas – 8/2/07 – Los Resultados Del Test NT Se Ven Bien!

Pasamos nuestro primer trimester! Hoy visitamos la Dra. Hamersley para nuestro test del primer trimester. Estabamos super nerviosos porque estabamos concientes de la posibilidad de no tener buenas noticias. Despues de la cita con la Consejera Genetica y la Dra. estabamos mas aliviados de saber que Jackie y el bebe estan saludables y que por el momento todo esta bien.

El sonograma mostro que el Pequeňito esta creciendo rapidamente y que no podia quedarse quieto para la camara. La Dra. nos mostro dos brazitos, 2 piernitas, el estomago, la columna, su nariz, etc… parece que tiene todas las partes correctas! Incluso la Dra. noto algo entre las piernitas… pero no se pudo comprobar nada ya que todavia nos quedan unas semanas para saber el sexo del bebe.
Algunas medidas de importancia…

Latidos del corazón = 164 latidos por minuto
Medida de largo = 5.83 cm
Espacio del Nuchal Translucency = 1.53 mm

Mas fotos…

10 Weeks - 7/20/07- The Little One is OK!

Today makes 10 weeks!!! We visited the OBGYN, Dr. Fan, at 1:00 in Rockville to check-up on the baby and to do some blood work. Instead of an ultrasound, the doctor decided to listen to the heartbeat to make sure that the little one was doing ok. The doc placed the probe of the fetal heart monitor on Jackie's belly. After a few very tense moments (it felt like forever), Jackie and I both started worrying because the doctor couldn't find what he was looking for. Thankfully, he eventually said, "Do you hear the heartbeat???" - finally, we could breathe again!

Well, here we are at 10 weeks and we're a little more excited and a tiny bit less nervous.

Our next appointmnt is w/ Dr. Hammersley on Thursday, August 2nd.

Jackie FINALLY let me take a picture of her. Personally, I think she looks very beautiful...

10 Semanas – 7/20/07 – El Pequeňito Esta Bien!

Con hoy dia son 10 semanas!!! Visitamos al Dr. Fan a la 1:00 en su oficina de Rockville para un chequeo y analisis de sangre. En vez del sonograma, el Dr. decidio escuchar el corazón para asegurarse de que el Pequeňito este bien. El Dr. puso el aparato en el estomago de Jackie. Despues de unos momentos muy tensos que parecieron una eternidad, Jackie y yo estabamos muy preocupados porque el Dr. no podia encontrar los latidos. Despues de un rato, nos pregunto “escuchan los latidos?” – que alivio!

Bueno, ya son 10 semanas y estamos un poco mas alegres y menos nerviosos.

Nuestra proxima cita es con la Dra. Hamersley el Jueves, Agosto 2.

Jackie finalmente dejo que le saque unas fotos. Personalmente, pienso que se ve muy Linda…

7 weeks - 7/3/07 - The Heartbeat

Jackie and I went to visit Dr. Sheri Hamersley for the first time since we found out about the pregnancy two weeks ago. We were both a little nervous going in - considering the issues in the past. We were both pleasantly surprised to see the the gray area in the sac on the monitor. During the first pregnancy, the sac was empty and the second time, all three (yes, THREE!!!) sacs were empty. The part of the office visit that really left an impression on us was when we heard and saw the heartbeat of the baby! We were ecstatic to hear it and to also find out that everything was normal. We know it's early - but we will continue to pray that the embryo will progress and that we end up with a healthy baby. This is a big step for us since we've never reached this point before in the previous two pregnancies! We're both very excited, very happy, and - at the same time - very nervous.

Click on images to make them larger...

7 Semanas – 7/3/07 – Los Latidos

Jackie y yo fuimos a ver a la Dra. Hamersley ya que nos enteramos de que Jackie esta embarazada. Estabamos muy nerviosos a un principio, considerando los problemas que tuvimos anteriormente. Nos alegramos mucho de ver el area gris dentro de la bolsa cuando hicieron el sonograma. La primera vez, la bolsa estaba vacia, y la segunda vez, las tres bolsas (si, tres bolsas) estaban vacias. La parte que nos dejo mas impresionados en esta visita es que por fin pudimos escuchar los latidos del corazón del bebe. Nos allegro tanto escucharlo y saber de que todo parece estar normal. Sabemos de que es todavia un poco temprano – pero continuaremos orando para que el embrion progrese y termine dandonos un bebe saludable. Este es un paso muy importante para ambos, ya que anteriormente no habiamos llegado a este punto. Estamos super felices, pero al mismo tiempo super nerviosos.

Has un click en las imagines para verlas mas amplias.