Week 37

It's as if I can hear the them from Jeopardy playing in my head all day, every day. We have made it to 37 weeks and been able to manage my blood pressure thanks to countless friends and family who have jumped in to help feed us, clean our house, and entertain our kids. I've been given the green light to move about a little more in hopes to get things rolling, as long as I continue to monitor my blood pressure.

I find myself waking each day and wondering if this could be it and yet fearing that it will be. It is a bizarre paradox I was not expecting to encounter this time around.

I head to the doctor's office this afternoon to see if we're making any progress and my doctor has promised to do everything in his power to "get things moving", an idea that in and of itself raises my blood pressure more than slightly.

Will keep everyone posted...

Check Up

I was finally able to get Sofia to the doctor for her 12 month check up. It was decided, after a trying visit to the last pediatrician, that it was time to find a new doctor. Something about the rude office staff and the fact that the medical assistant insisted that it was necessary for me to take my 10 month old to an off-site lab to have her blood drawn to check for lead and hemoglobin levels, despite the fact that the doctor gave me no such instruction, was evidence enough that change was necessary. Luckily, my OB's wife is a pediatrician in the area and, as soon as I saw she was on our provider list, I made an appointment. What a difference it made!

Sofia was a trooper in spite of the fact that she is getting two more teeth and has been miserable the last two days. No tears during her exam. She just looked at the doctor inquisitively as she listened to her heart and checked her eyes. Unfortunately, our poor baby girl had to get yet another round of immunizations (much harder on mom than her, I think). She is as healthy as can be and is now sleeping soundly through the afternoon

In true Orona fashion, our 12 month old has yet to hit the 20lb mark. Her brother finally arrived around month 15. Sofia is much closer weighing in at a 19lbs. 9 1/2 oz. putting her in the 25th percentile for weight. At 30 inches long she is growing slightly taller than average, which came as a surprise. What was not at all surprising, was the fact that her head measured in the 90th percentile at a whopping 47 cm. She's gonna be one smart cookie!

Our baby girl continues to grow and change each day and is really beginning to share her sweet and fun personality with us. Before we know it, our baby will be a big sister!

And we're going to have to do this check-up/shot thing all over again......I think I can, I think I can, I think I can...

35 Weeks

We're getting closer and I find myself looking forward to Fridays more than ever knowing they bring the start of a new week in our countdown. Our little munchkin is now approximately 18 inches long, which explains why I feel as if my uterus is housing an octopus, and weighs about 5 1/4 lbs- around the same amount as a honeydew melon according to babycenter.com (who comes up with this stuff?).

We have survived the first week alone while Fernando travels and can now cross that off our "list of things that need to happen before baby arrives". We sure missed him, but we are thankful for our friends and family that came to our aid this week providing meals, helping with baths, doing laundry, and playing with the kiddos. We couldn't have done it without you!

This weekend we will embark on our final baby preparation journey (surprise, Babe!). My goal is to get the crib set up, purchase a new dresser for the baby's clothes, and pack my suitcase for the hospital. Then I can clear my head of all the "stuff" that's crowding it. If I can manage to behave myself today, I might even be able to take a short trip to Babies R Us to pick up a few necessary items, although Mom might insist that she push me around in a wheelchair- an idea I was strongly opposed to until recently. It's amazing how desperate one can get to spend time in the outside world after two weeks of watching really bad daytime television.

Each day, we get a little bit closer and the light at the end of the tunnel burns a little brighter! "Thirty-five weeks" has a really nice ring to it! :)

Show And Tell

Today is Daniel's last day of show and tell at school and, as a result, he had his choice of anything he'd like to bring. Here is the conversation that occured this morning while getting ready to head out the door.

"Buddy, it's show and tell day. Do you know what you want to bring? You can bring anything you want."

"I want to bring my shoe"

"Honey, you're going to be wearing your shoes."

"I want to bring my breakfast"

"No, dear, you need to finish your breakfast."

"I want to bring a chair."

...I give up...

Happy Birthday Baby Girl!

One year ago today, I was in a hospital bed in Little Rock, Arkansas, holding our brand-new baby girl. I can't believe how fast the last year has gone and how much she has grown. Here is a look back at the last twelve months...


























Our sweet baby girl,
What a precious gift you are to us. You have brought such joy to our lives in more ways than we thought possible. It's difficult to believe we've had you for a whole year and yet we hardly remember what life was like without you in it. We love your smiles, your giggles, and the way that you make us all laugh with your charming little ways. We know the Lord has big plans for your life and we are so blessed that he has entrusted you to us to love and care for you as you grow. We love our special girl! Happy birthday, baby doll!
-Mommy and Daddy

33 Weeks....and Counting!

Baby and I are officially at 33 weeks today, which sounds a lot better than 32, but not nearly as good as 34 or 35. At any rate, we are all counting down the days and weeks until our munchkin arrives. We are all anxious to meet our little man and I am certainly anxious to no longer be pregnant.

This has, by far, been the most difficult pregnancy of the three. I think it's safe to assume that is primarily because it came so quickly after the second. All things considered, it's been a fairly easy pregnancy- no complications and very little sickness. What's taking it's toll is the seemingly perpetual fatigue and discomfort. It certainly is hard to accomplish anything of consequence during the day, not to mention trying to keep up with two kids. All of that, along with the intense need and complete inability to "nest", causes much frustration.

But, we're getting down to the wire and looking forward to the day we can head to the hospital. In the meantime, here's where we stand according to babycenter.com:

"This week our baby weighs a little over 4 pounds (heft a pineapple) and has passed the 17-inch mark. He's rapidly losing that wrinkled, alien look and his skeleton is hardening. The bones in his skull aren't fused together, which allows them to move and slightly overlap, thus making it easier for him to fit through the birth canal. (The pressure on the head during birth is so intense that many babies are born with a conehead-like appearance.) These bones don't entirely fuse until early adulthood, so they can grow as his brain and other tissue expands during infancy and childhood.

Blah, Blah, Blog

So sad that it's been three weeks since I've felt that anything was significant enough in life to share. What can I say? It is what it is. The Oronas are plugging along, taking one day at a time...working, trying to keep up with two VERY active kids, and counting down the days 'til the next one arrives.

Baby and I are 31 1/2 weeks along and looking forward to getting closer and closer to 40! Although I could swear that my body looks as if I'm 41 weeks along, my doctor assures me that I am right on target, measuring 31 inches. Let's just say 31 inches looked a lot smaller the second time around than it does the third. If' I'm being perfectly honest, it FEELS a lot different too. Each subsequent pregnancy seems to exacerbate the discomfort. Everything aches more and tires much more quickly. Eight and a half weeks to go- I think I can...I think I can...

Other than that, we are gearing up for our baby girl's first birthday, finishing preparations for baby Orona#3, and bracing ourselves for 100+ temperatures. Somewhere in there...I'd really like to get some sleep...