37 Weeks Pregnant

37 Weeks Pregnant

9 month pregnancy update

Front view of the baby bump at 37 weeks

Baby belly comparison at 7 weeks pregnant, 27 weeks pregnant, and 37 weeks pregnant

 Side view of the baby bump at Full term! woohoo!

I got sick (again) for the umpteenth time during this pregnancy! Sheesh! And the last few times my hubby gave it to me.. what is this boy eating that he keeps getting sick! Grrr. While pregnant you cant really take any medicine or extra vitamins so i try to drink my vitamins and nutrients through juicing. I usually go to mothers market and get the 'green goddess' but i thought id try out Nekter a newer place in town. I got the "greeny", it was pretty much the same as mothers green goddess drink and for around the same cost. Yum!

Being full term has me appreciating every last moment with this little guy inside my belly. I will miss feeling him move around and how hes always with me. I will miss looking down and seeing my growing tummy (which is now the size of a WATERMELON, according to "what to expect when you are expecting").  I will miss the joy people experience feeling my big ol bump, and how my husband dotes on me and treats me extra special, like im fragile.. its adorable and makes me fall even more in love with him. I will miss the excuse that im having an 'off' day and i dont need to get out of bed early or make it to the gym or the excuse that im having a pregnancy craving and just neeeeed some sweets (;

How far along: 37 Weeks pregnant, 10 months !

(depending on how you track your pregnancy, some women go by 9 months, but most dr's and books and online sites go by every 4 weeks you are in a new month, which puts me in my 10th month)! 

Weight Gain: 22 lbs (little man is still growing strong!)

Stretch Marks: none

Belly Button: OUT

Wedding Rings On/Off:  On

Movement: VEERY active still!

Feeling: I still feel really great.. i had one bad day this week on monday when i was sun burned and not feeling so great, i was over being pregnant for the first time since the first trimester when i was sick as a dog.  It only lasted a couple hours and then i was back to my happy self again.  I still feel healthy and energetic (i get sleepy about an hour and a half after i wake up this week, two or three days i even got back into bed and took an hour nap! and sleepy around 4pm to 6pm then i get a second wind). This week was the only week i actually took naps (for those 2 days). I think its because i was getting sick, my body was extra tired fighting off this cold. I've done a lot of resting this week, still staying active but allowing myself to just relax.

Cravings: chocolate as usual. No real crazy cravings. I wanted a burger tuesday night at 9pm (we had couples bible study and hadnt eaten dinner yet) so we went to "The Habit", it was okay, not as good as some other places ive tried, im not really a burger person but maybe baby needed a little more protein that day, who knows?  The last 2 days ive had less of an appetite.. its getting harder for me to want to cook these days, but im still doing it.

Symptoms:  Im still eating spicy foods, late at night, and big meals and havent had  a problem with heart burn yet. I have a numbness on my right upper rib under my right breast still (mostly while sitting). Only new symptoms really are early or pre labor symptoms (see below)...

Pre labor signs:  

The Dr. Checked me this week again and I was 60% effaced still, 1/2 centimeter dialted (yahhhooo for progress, any progress ill take it!), and baby is at station -2. This means his head is down in my pelvis engaged. He still needs to drop a little but some women dont do this until they go into active labor.     My hips are achy at different times of the day still, and so are my upper thighs.  I have had cramps in my lower abdomen almost every day now..they feel like menstrual cramps (mostly while working out).  On Tuesday night at bible study i had MAJOR cramps, more painful than regular period cramps.. i was scared for a second that i was beginning labor, but they subsided after an hour. My best friend Kelly is a doula and she said this is my body preparing for labor (pre labor or early labor is what its called, and it can last hours ,days, or weeks).  It felt like my uterus was pulling upward and i had back pain at the same time.  I also have had this pinching, sharp, tickly feeling in my cervix area still at random moments of the day.  I have had shooting hip pain randomly as well the last couple days.   We did the B Strep test last week (as i mentioned on my 36 week blog post) and my results came back negative... however, because i was positive at my 8 week pregnancy check up in the beginning they will give me antibiotics during labor anyhow just to be sure. I dont even know why they tested me since they were going to give it to me anyways, i sort of see it as pointless, but maybe they have to for liability reasons? 

Missing: feeling comfortable sleeping!

Looking Forward to: Our next dr's visit and LABOR.. i cannot wait to meet our little boy! I cant believe ill soon be a mommy and get to watch my husband become a father. He can come any day now, its so surreal!

Sleep:  I wake up at least 2 times for bathroom trips. (2-3 most nights now). I am really uncomfortable every time i get into bed at night and every time i go to the bathroom its difficult to fall back asleep again.

Exercise: still doing it, this week I did 1 light weight training day (thursday), and 5 days of cardio. As i said last week, my motivation to work out right now is to help the baby move down and continue seeing progress each week. Every day is a chore to get to the gym, but it keeps me sane, helps my body have energy and helps with progress as i said. So im going to try to keep it up as long as i can.

Count down: im FULL TERM !!!!He can come any day now safely! im Due in 3 weeks (21 days) officially. We'll see when he wants to surprise us!

Maternity Photoshoot: Celebrating Our First Baby

Maternity Photoshoot: Celebrating Our First Baby

My sister Kelsey is an amazing Orange County Photographer (link here). She shoots weddings, engagment photos, maternit, infant shoots, family photos, senior portraits, etc. She is an incredibly gifted woman and I am so thankful that she is not only talented, but she has such a giving heart and always offers to shoot us and capture such special treasured moments in our lives.

We wanted to take maternity photos to remember our very first pregnancy and capture this journey on footage! We are so pleased with how the photos turned out. There were so many to choose from but heres a couple just to share with you:

Get the look: 

A lot of you have emailed me or commented below for the details on where I purchased these looks. I have included the exact floral dress below, a couple similar cream dresses, the exact fringe crocheted top im wearing, and a couple maxi skirts that would look cute to complete the look. I also shared some similar inexpensive shoe options and a hat for the floral number. HOpe this helps!

XO

Dillard's Tops · Full Tilt Teen Girls' Tops · Charlotte Russe Tanks

36 Weeks Pregnancy Update

36 Weeks Pregnant

9 Months

36 week baby bump

36 week baby bump

Fun in the sun, Summer is officially here! Playing with my little boys cousins (my nephews and nieces)

Corona Del Mar, loving these littles <3

This week I was brave and thought "i might as well try on my pre prego skinny jeans before i go into labor and never know if they still fit".. I hadnt wore jeans in months because its been so hot, i've mostly stuck to skirts, dresses and leggings, so i had no clue if theyd fit still.  So happy to say at 9 months pregnant they still fit and even button! Wooohoo!

How far along: 36 Weeks pregnant (and two days now), 9 Months pregnant 

Weight Gain: 21 lbs (not sure if i had a little water weight or what but went down -.4 lbs so im about 21 [20.8] They say you can lose weight right before labor, towards the end, so I guess we'll see next week if i gain or lose or stay the same)

Stretch Marks: none

Belly Button: OUT

Wedding Rings On/Off:  On

Movement: VERY VEERY active still! The nurse keeps telling me each week that he will be less active once he has less room to move around, but this little guys somehow finds a way to still be a crazy ninja in there day and night.

Feeling: Really good. I got a bad sun burn at the beach thanks to my moms "NEW ORGANIC " sunscreen that didnt do any screening or protecting whatsoever! OUCH! Thats been very uncomfortable the last day and a half.  Getting a little but more uncomfortable and realizing im limited in what i can do these days with a big ol' belly. 

Cravings: chocolate here and there. Fresh food, healthy food. nothing new really

Symptoms:  Im still eating spicy foods, late at night, and big meals and havent had too much of a problem with heart burn yet. I have a numbness on my right upper rib under my right breast still (mostly while sitting). Sleepy around 3pm, then i get a second wind later in the evening. 

Pre labor signs:  

The Dr. Checked me this week (ill have weekly check ups starting now) and I was 60% effaced, and baby is at station -2. This means his head is down in my pelvis! I wasnt dialted yet, so we will see what happens at our next dr.'s visit.   My hips are achy at different times of the day.  I have had cramps in my lower abdomen almost every day now..they feel like menstrual cramps (mostly in the morning or while working out).  I also have had this pinching, sharp, tickly feeling in my cervix area still (the nurse said this is the baby on my nerves around the cervix). I get this pinching feeling often.  We did the B Strep test and will get our results monday.

Missing: feeling in control of what my bodies going through... with all these weird painful symptoms, feeling uncomfortable, and having the worst sun burn ive ever had to date, its hard for me to just relax and wait this out. Im starting to get really anxious about when hes going to come. 

Looking Forward to: Our next dr's visit (to check progression) and labor! AHHH i cant believe ill be full term in 5 days! He can come safely any time after that. My brain is just now starting to acknowledge whats about to happen! pregnancy will be over soon and our sweet little angel will forever be ours.

Sleep: its the same. I wake up at least 2 times for bathroom trips. (2-3 most nights now). My shoulders and hips hurt so i usually end up on my back (BAD, but i cant help it).

Exercise: still doing it, as hard as it is now (with having to pee every 15-20 mins, cramps, and that leg heaviness that comes and goes), i know i will happy i did after so i push myself to do it.  This week I did 2 light weight training days, and 5 days of cardio. I am so relaxed and dont put pressure on myself to have an intense work out, i just want to keep movement a part of my routine....and now i see it as helping the baby move down further in my pelvis and helping labor progress (which has definitely helped motivate me this week, as ive been more and more tired in the afternoons).

Update: I took care of the baby insurance. We installed the base and carseat into my hubbys car (still need to get it checked to make sure it was done correctly as well as install the other base into my car). We cleaned our home together (but we'll have to keep doing this every week to maintain and make sure its ready for out little boy). We finished all of his laundry, packed our hospital bags, and my car is just about clean and ready to go (did a couple recalls i had on my car), i just need to clean out the trunk a little more.  

Count down: FULL TERM IN 5 DAYS!!!! Due in 3 weeks and 5 days (or less, i hope!)! Which means he could come safely any time between 5 days and 4 weeks from now! 

When i first found out i was pregnant i measured right where my belly button is and i was 27" ... I measured again at 30 weeks(+3 days) and i was 34 1/2 inches. I measured again at 32 weeks (+4 days) and i was 35 1/2 inches, i measured at 34 wks (+2 days) i was 35 1/2 still, at 35 weeks i was 36 inches, and at 36 weeks i was 36 1/2 inches right at the widest part of the belly button area. Its neat to watch how quickly the belly grows during the last trimester.. i wish i had measured weekly the entire pregnancy but i forgot.

Quick Healthy Recipes for Pregnant Women Or Those of us that Need Something Easy

Quick Healthy Recipes 

Dinner: MELT IN YOUR MOUTH CHICKEN- you can make this with chicken breasts or tenders.  Ingredients you'll need for the chicken: 4 boneless/skinless chicken breasts, 1 cup plain greek yogurt (I used Oikos), 1/2 cup parmesan cheese - grated, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, 1 1/2 teaspoon seasoned salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper. Preheat oven to 375.  Combine in a bowl the greek yogurt, parmesan, and all other ingredients.  Line baking sheet with foil. Coat each breast or tender thickly with the mixture (i used clean fingers and a spoon).  Bake in the oven for 45 minutes.  If they are tenders depending on how big they are, you'll have to cook them for less time, keep an eye on them and cut into one and make sure the chicken is completely cooked through.  Artichoke is easy to make in a big pot with a little water or you can steam them (they are a little time consuming but i was craving them). Delish! A must try recipe.  Make the chicken early in the morning and then just preheat the oven and cook it when you get home from work! Simple!

Dinner: Lemon Rosemary Salmon. I bought fresh salmon from Ralphs, through it on a skillet with 1 tablespoon of olive oil, a whole lemon juiced on top, a couple shakes of dried rosemary, 1/2 tablespoon of fresh minced garlic, and salt to taste. I used Tj's 3 minute microwavable frozen brown rice and added on olive oil butter spray (ralphs) and fat free parmesean with salt and pepper to taste.  A side spinach salad with fresh feta cheese, fresh peaches (because they are delicious, hubbys favorite fruit, and are in season).  You can use any dressing you'd like but I used a homemade recipe: 

Dressing recipe: 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar, 1/2 cup olive oil, 1 tablespoon of minced garlic, dried basil, 1/2 teaspoon of salt, 1/2 teaspoon pepper, 1 tablespoon dijon mustard (you can always add 1 tablespoon of honey as well if you like a sweeter taste).  Shake in a jar until all ingredients are mixed well and keep refridgerated  

Dinner: Tader Joes does it again! I bought their frozen "Linguine with Pesto and Tomatoes". It comes in a red bag in the frozen section.  All you do is heat and serve! It takes 7 minutes max on the stove with a little added olive oil.  I decided to add in some chicken (shredded off the bone from a rotisserie chicken i bought that week for easy healthy meals) and fresh sun dried tomatos. I cooked them in a separate pot on the stove top (i try not to use the microwave if possible) with Fresh pesto sauce (Trader Joes also sells this over where they keep hummus). The one i buy is called "Trader Giotto's Genova Pesto".  I also added in a little fresh minced garlic and stirred it around until everything was heated.  I then added it into the pesto linguine mix. I purchased this Tomato Olive bread from TJ's as well and heated it for a couple seconds to just keep it warm. I made a simple side salad with fresh green apples, mediterranean feta (from TJ's) with baby spinach and a homemade dressing. 

Dressing recipe: 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar, 1/2 cup olive oil, 1 tablespoon of minced garlic, dried basil, 1/2 teaspoon of salt, 1/2 teaspoon pepper, 1 tablespoon dijon mustard (you can always add 1 tablespoon of honey as well if you like a sweeter taste).  Shake in a jar until all ingredients are mixed well and keep refridgerated  

Dinner or Lunch: I made this for dinner after coming across the recipe one evening while shopping at Traders.  I purchased their roasted frozen corn, organic canned black beans, three cheese mexican blend, fresh tomatos, romaine lettuce, green bell pepper, i added spinach to make it even healtheir, and instead of their cilantro creamy dressing that they sell i used lemon juice and tapatio hot sauce for a kick.  Trader's sells THEE BEST marinated carne asada so all you do is throw it on the grill. Its ready fairely quickly.  This left us with a ton of left overs. You can eat it as a salad or a taco or mix it into a burrito later in the week.  We ate it with a side of corn/wheat mixed small tortillas from Ralphs (They're a corn and whole wheat combination.. theyre really soft and yummy!). Id usually use brown rice tortillas or whole wheat but we wanted to try these out.  Serve with a side of light sour cream or greek yogurt.

35 Weeks Pregnant

35 Weeks Pregnant

Baby bump at 35 weeks

Comparison of the baby belly at 5 weeks, 25 weeks, and 35 weeks pregnant

Front view of the prego belly

How far along: 35 Weeks pregnant, almost 9 Months Pregnant (one week away)!

Weight Gain: 21 lbs (gained +.9 lbs this week)

Stretch Marks: none

Belly Button: OUT

Wedding Rings On/Off:  On

Movement: Yes still very very active.. during the day and especially at night. Sometimes his movement hurt.

Feeling: Really good still!!! So grateful to have had such an easy pregnancy thus far.

Mood: really happy still. extremely grateful. enjoying every moment of being pregnant and appreciating our family of two for this last month.. then we'll be a family of three!

Cravings: chocolate. chocolate. chocolate. Its bizarre but the only sweets i want now is chocolate.  I also sort of craved a burger this week (i satisfied this craving by having a bite of my hubbies one night at dinner, i had chiptole prawn tacos instead).

Symptoms: Still a little acid reflux (burning in my throat) but not really that intense, and hasnt led to that dreaded heart burn a lot of mommies talk about. Im still eating spicy foods, late at night, and big meals and havent had too much of a problem yet. I have a numbness on my right upper rib under my right breast. I read this is common for a lot of moms and its just my uterus pressing up against my other organs  cramming them.  It can also be your skin streching but i dont think thats the case with me, it doesnt feel tight up there just yet, theres still room. The belly is growing by the DAY! Im getting BIGGG! Especially after meals.  Im hungry in the mornings especially now.  

Pre labor signs:  I have had cramps in my lower abdomen (on the right side only by my hip) twice this week while doing cardio (not braxton hicks, not contractions).  It sort of feels like its stretching, like a pulled muscle (but it doesnt feel like round ligament pain).  I also have had this pinching, sharp, tickly feeling in my cervix area (kind of feels like scratching almost). I've had that three days in a row this week. Its getting harder to walk, each step i take i have the urge to pee (its not going away even after i do use the restroom). So i think his head is going lower and lower.

Missing: being small, i feel huge! But im just enjoying it and trying not to think about how difficult its getting to find something i feel like wearing that also fits!, it will all be over and we'll have our little boy in our arms soon enough!

Looking Forward to: Our next dr's visit. Its on monday. Maybe we will be able to check if im effaced or dialated at all? We shall see!

Sleep: its the same. I wake up at least 2 times for bathroom trips. (2-3 most nights now). I drink a ton of water at night, this is probably part of the blame. I aim for over 8 glasses a day. I'd like to hit 12 but most of the time I reach 10.

Exercise: still going strong. . This week I did 2 light weight training days, and 6 days of moderate cardio. With the urge to pee, crampy feelings two days this week, and that numb heavy leg pain in my right leg it is definitely getting harder to push myself to complete a good work out but im sticking to it until my body tells me otherwise. I've slowed down a lot during cardio, I take as many breaks as needed, and during weights i've gone down a couple lbs the last few weeks. 

Update: Im on maternity leave, its official!!!! So this week my to do list is to: have carseat installed (make an appointment with fire department to show us the correct safe way).  Pack and collect all things for the hospital bag for myself, baby, and my husband.  Clean the house (deep clean).  Wash all of the babies clothes. Purchase his glider and dresser. Start planning meals i can cook and freeze for the first 2 weeks after hes here (most women dont feel like cooking or have the time to those first few weeks).  Get my car recalls done (doing that today).  Get my husbands car cleaned out as well as my trunk. Make sure all insurance stuff is taken care of for me and the baby. Those are my "musts" this week.

Count down: FULL TERM IN 2 WEEKS!!!! Due in 5! Which means he could come safely any time between 2-5 weeks from now!

Honeymoon in St. Lucia

Honeymooning in St. Lucia:

Caribbean Island Honeymoon-

Watch this quick cute clip I put together of all the footage i managed to take on our Honeymoon in September (2012). We stayed at the Sandals Grande St. Lucian. It was a perfect getaway to say the least! I took mostly pictures, but here is a glimpse of a teeny bit of video fun that i captured...




Honeymoon in St. Lucia from tessa armstrong on Vimeo.
We cannot wait to go back one day! We had so much fun and will never forget the memories we made there on this beautiful Caribbean island.

Until next time.. <3



(St. Lucia Grande Sandals Resort is an all inclusive couples resort.. check it out here: http://www.sandals.com/main/grande/gl-home.cfm)

34 Weeks Pregnant Update

34 Weeks Pregnancy Update:

Oh my goodness..this belly has POPPED!!! 

Pretty neat comparison: 4 weeks, 24 weeks, and 34 weeks pregnant!

Its fun to find comfy and cute clothes to dress the bump, but im definitely excited to one day soon be able to just throw something on and not have to worry about it being uncomfortable, hot, or show my belly. 

How far along: 34 weeks! 8.5 Months Pregnant!

Weight Gain: 20 lbs (he had a growth spurt this week...hence the HUGE BUMP)

Stretch Marks: none

Belly Button: OUT

Wedding Rings On/Off:  On

Movement: ALL THE TIME! He is starting to kick or elbow or knee my sides (not sure which body part of his it is but its something pointy!) and ill feel a little foot or something sticking out of my left side about a half an inch (You can even see it poking out).. pretty neat!

Feeling: Really good! im waiting for the week that I feel miserable and am dying to get this little guy out.. hasnt happened yet but people keep telling me its going to come! So far my comfortability level is about the same. Its hard to bend down, and my lungs are squished so it makes it tough to get a deep breath in (sometimes i feel light headed or like im going to pass out/nauseas from lack of oxygen)

Mood: really happy. extremely grateful. enjoying every moment

Cravings: chocolate. sweets! Ive been loving trader joe's dark chocolate covered pretzle thins, and cookie dough! Yum!

Symptoms: same... a little acid reflux (burning in my throat) but not really that intense, and hasnt led to that dreaded heart burn a lot of mommies talk about. Im still eating spicy foods, late at night, and big meals and havent had too much of a problem yet. (crossing my fingers!). Hungrier lately, maybe hes just getting nice and plump! They say the last trimester is when you really need to up your caloric intake. I  dont track or count calories so I am just eating whenever im hungry and trying (as best as  pregnant woman can) to eat healthy for the most part. I've also been getting leg cramps (charlie horses) in my calf when im sleeping, ill wake up from stretching my calf because of the pain (this is a common complaint of a lot of preggos).

Missing: muscle tone. when youre pregnant because of water weight, lose ligaments (due to hormones), and added cushion,keeping muscle tone up is a challenge. I stil have muscle, but im definitely softer than im used to.

Looking Forward to: Our next dr's visit. Its not this monday but the following. Maybe we will be able to check if im effaced or dialated at all? Im also really looking forward to going on maternity leave (just one week left of work!). Although i have a couple clients ill be doing phone sessions/skype with most likely here and there.

Sleep: its the same. I wake up at least 2 times for bathroom trips.

Exercise: still going strong. Im just taking it one day at a time. This week I did 2 light weight training days, and 6 days of moderate cardio.