As my hubby would say, we are in the final stretch now! The countdown has begun….just a few weeks to go! We are in nesting mode as we prepare for the arrival of our baby girl! Since many of you have asked me how I’m feeling & to post baby bump pictures, here are a few.

Here’s my eight month update:

• Baby’s Health: Our baby continues to grow and be healthy, it’s a blessing! Our last doctor’s appointment was an ultrasound, my favorite type of appointment because we get to see our baby! She is doing fine and already head down, preparing herself for birth. It is amazing how mother nature works that way. We have a wonderful doctor at Sharp, Dr. Robert Barmeyer. He gives us detailed information during each appointment and answers all of our questions. This time he explained the baby’s growth based on the measurements taken at the ultrasound, he also showed us her various body parts. It was exciting to see our baby! I have another doctor’s appointment later this week. From now until the end of the pregnancy, I will have appointments every week to check on the baby and my health, as well as any signs of labor.
• Baby Size & My Weight Gain: I told my husband this may be the first time in my adult life in which I am happy to get average results. The doctor says, “baby is average weight, belly (uterus) measurement size is average for weeks I am in, my weight gain has been average…we are not too big, not too small, just right….average.” This is music to my ears! I have been trying to continue to eat healthy and exercise a few times per week so I can maintain my weight. I want everything to continue on track, average track that is. I’ve gained 25 pounds thus far and hopefully I can remain at this weight the rest of the pregnancy or only gain the two or three more pounds our baby will grow. My belly continues to grow, accordingly to baby’s growth, but my weight seems to be remaining the same, which is great for me! Maintaining a healthy pregnancy weight will be better for the baby, delivery, and for my body now and after labor. According to the charts which compare baby’s size to fruit, our baby is about the size of a large cantaloupe and as long as a romaine lettuce. My belly sure looks like I swallowed a large cantaloupe, with lots of amniotic fluid around it that is.
• How I’m Feeling: I continue to have a good pregnancy without complications! It’s a blessing. The only thing that has bothered me throughout most of the pregnancy is a varicose vein on my right calf. As long as I elevate my leg or get enough rest, it is under control. I am wearing mostly flats or wedges these days, which is helpful for the vein. I got a few days of sciatica nerve pain on my left leg. I had never had nerve pain in the past. It was quite painful for a few days, but I did some therapeutic exercises, got some rest, and used warm compresses, and it seems to have gone away. The doctor told me it is very common in pregnancy due to the pressure the belly (baby) weight puts on the nerves. Several friends and family members told me they also had it when they were pregnant.
• Baby Movement: At eight months, this baby is very active! I feel her kicking and moving in the morning, throughout the day, and at night. She let’s me know when she is uncomfortable and wants me to get up and move, which seems to be mostly when I am working at the desk for too long. She also seems to move to get into place when I am finally laying down to try to go to sleep. It has been fun to be able to share these moments with my hubby. He can actually feel her moving now! We can also see her movements, usually when she moves her feet or arms. My mom has also felt her moving.
• Cravings: I haven’t had many cravings. I have tried to continue on a healthy diet, and enjoy a few treats here and there. Lately, I had been craving potato chips with chile and lime. I found some kettle style chips which are supposed to be healthier than the average chip, so I didn’t feel as guilty. I had a raspado (shaved ice) and nachos on a recent visit to see my family in Mexico. It wasn’t really a craving, just something I enjoyed now, while I am pregnant, which I don’t eat regularly. I also enjoyed some homemade arroz con leche (rice pudding) which my grandmother made for me. She made an entire serving dish just for me and I ate lots of it during the weekend while I visited! It was delicious! I told my hubby that before the end of the pregnancy, I want to go eat pancakes. These past few months, I have tried to resist temptation when we go out for brunch and either order a salad or oatmeal. Well, before the end of the pregnancy, I will either make waffles or pancakes at home, or order them next time we go our for brunch!
• Exercise: I enjoy exercising and it makes me feel good, but it is getting more challenging every week to continue exercising on a regular basis. My exercise routine lately consists mostly of walking for an hour, two to three times per week with my friend Lorena. She motivates me to exercise. I have also gone on a few walks around the neighborhood on my own or exercised along to workout videos at home. I always feel better after I exercise! I hope to continue walking until my due date.
• Pregnancy Discomforts: These remain the same as last month, the typical third trimester discomforts, just a bit more intense because our baby is larger now. Basically, pressure at the bottom of the uterus from the baby’s growth and position, and I run out of breath pretty easily!
• Sleep: I continue to sleep on my left side, which is the recommended side for pregnancy. For a few weeks I slept on the right side to help ease the sciatica pain, it helped. I don’t sleep straight through the night any longer simply because of the pregnancy discomforts, but do manage to get rest at night. The small Boppy wedge pillow I place under my belly and a small square pillow between my knees, continue to help me sleep more comfortably!
• Favorite Part of the Day: Feeling our baby move in the mornings when I am about to wake up.
• Hubby: He is in nesting mode, like I am. He is a take change kind of guy. We went to Babies-R-Us one night, at his suggestion, and purchased all the larger furniture items for baby. I had already researched and selected the items, but one day, out of the blue he called me and said we should go buy the crib and other furniture for the nursery, so we did. In one stop, we purchased the crib, co-sleeper for our room, a multi-use play pen with a changing table and removable bassinet which we will use downstairs, and a night stand and dresser for the nursery. He assembled them all during the weekend I went to visit my family. He also deep cleaned the carpet in the nursery with our carpet cleaner vacuum/steamer (it wasn’t dirty or stained, but it was good to deep clean it before our baby arrives). Yesterday, he purchased a bookcase for the nursery and assembled it that same night. We arranged the nursery furniture last night and today I started to arrange the baby’s items. He has also brought back some adorable items for the baby from his business trips abroad. He bought her a dirndl, a traditional German dress, and some collectible and typical German toys.
• Kitties: Our kitties don’t seem to be aware that I am pregnant. They did notice the room which used to be my office is now the nursery and off-limits for them right now. I read about ways to introduce a baby to cats and we plan to follow some of the suggestions. One suggestion was to play videos of a baby crying. We played a video and the cats seemed concerned, they were looking for the sound. Their concern only lasted a few minutes, then they went back to laying around unbothered by the sound.
• Family Favorite Moments: There have been many. Recently it was visiting my mom, grandmother, and aunts. I got to spend a weekend with them and catch up. I wanted to visit my grandmother before I had the baby because I am not sure when the next time I will be able visit her for a weekend will be. I also wanted her to see me pregnant…and now, I look very pregnant! I started showing a baby bump later in my pregnancy and don’t see her often, so it was fun for her to see my growing belly. Our baby will be her twelfth great-grandchild and my mom’s tenth grandchild.

I’ll post more pictures and an update next month, as well as pictures of the nursery progress.

Do you have any tips for the ninth month or labor?

Hugs,

Paola

PS – My Pregnancy Update & baby Bump Pictures at 7 Months. What a difference a few weeks make in the third trimester & size of the belly!

Pictures taken in Coronado during my eighth month of pregnancy. Look at that belly!

During our trip to Las Vegas in late January.

Special thanks to my friend Rossy for taking these pictures of me in Coronado and Las Vegas.

I also took a selfie at the gym this month. Surprisingly, some of my exercise clothes still fits, stretchy material is my friend right now!