Week 24 - 25

Time keeps flying by!  These past few weeks have been very busy.  We traveled to Connecticut to visit with Ma and Pa, and the rest of the Rivera's for Thanksgiving and we all got sick!  Megan and Jessica both had colds that got worse with travel, and both mommy and Jessica struggled with fevers for a day or two.  I chuckled when I read my last post, bragging about being able to avoid being sick while the rest of the family was.  I guess I had it coming.  No worries......everyone is *mostly* back to normal.  I don't think Baby liked all the coughing mommy was doing, but my guess is she was doing much better than me!

And let me tell you one of the "joys" of pregnancy.  Yup....stop reading if you don't want TMI.....but being pregnant loosenes everything up in your pelvic region...you know...so that you can squeeze out that bowling ball....I mean baby.  Some side effects to this (one of the MANY) is that coughing hard makes you pee a little.  Yup....it sure does.  So, you can imagine the FUN I have been having for the past two weeks with my terrible cough.  :)

And with the end of Thanksgiving (and hopefully sicknesses), starts the busy season of Christmas!  Shopping, shopping, and more shopping....along with decorating the house, and getting our Christmas tree up.  Lots of running around to do, and the Baby has been VERY active.  I think she is just as excited about the Christmas season as mommy.

Next week is another visit to the doctor for mommy and baby, then it's travel time again.  Below are a few pics.....Jessica is loving on her soon to be little sister!  Enjoy!

Hugs and kisses to all!
xoxoxo

Weeks 22-23

I'm so sorry Baby Rivera #3!  I'll try harder to update this blog more.  It's hard to find time to sit down and "think" after running around after your two sisters all day.  You all make me so tired that all I want to do after Megan and Jessica are asleep is sleep myself!  (Don't believe me.....ask daddy!)

It's been a great two weeks though.  You are finally strong enough so that daddy can feel you through my belly!!!!!  He did so for the first time on November 14th - which was the day after my birthday! 

Our doctor's appointment this week also was great.  You are growing as you should, and all is well.  Mommy has not gotten sick, although yesterday and today I did have one of those killer headaches that I mentioned in earlier posts.  They are really no fun!  And, I'm back to liking popcorn!  YEAH! 

And, as you grow as you should.....so does mommy!  I'm getting bigger and bigger and it seems that I can tell DAILY! (see pic!)  I read somewhere this week that in the next four weeks, you will double in size (let's HOPE I don't do the same!)  I don't think that my back will be able to take it!

We are still not making too much progress on the baby name front, but there are a few possibilities that your daddy and I do seem to like.  Currently, on the top of my list are Abby and Brooke.  And, of course I love Nora, but I'm pretty sure that's out.  :(

This week is Thanksgiving, so we are traveling to your Ma and Pa's (Daddy's mommy and daddy) for Turkey Day. It's a long drive, but we love to spend holiday's with family.

Love you little baby!
xoxoxo

Week 21

Can someone tell me what happened to October?!  It flew by!  I have also entered the second half of my pregnancy.  Wow....only 19 more weeks to go!!!  I can't believe how fast time is flying by.

Things are good too!  Always happy to report good news!  I'm feeling better, haven't been sick, and have even avoided the colds that my kiddos and hubby have been passing around.  (And yes....I have probably just jinxed myself!)

Baby Girl 3.0 is active and moving around all over!  I have even felt her on the outside, although David has yet to feel her.  She's the most aggressive at night or in the wee hours of the morning.  And, while they say the second trimester is the best....I'm already experiencing third trimester discomforts...like trying to get comfortable while sleeping, and lower back pain, but so far it's not that bad.

Running after Megan and Jessica while being pregnant has me exhausted, but I expect to be exhausted until this new baby turns 18.  It's all worth it when I get the kisses and hugs from my sweet babies. 

That's it for now.  No crazy cravings or wild happenings to report, so we'll see you next week....hopefully with some belly shots (yes, I know.....I really need to get on that.)

XOXOXO

Week 19 and 20

Time is flying now!  I'm sure with the holidays that the next two months will just zoom by.  Little girl is moving lots these days....especially in the mornings and evening.  The baby probably moves around all day, but since I'm always on the go, I think I'm only feeling things when I am sitting and relaxing - or trying to sleep!

Here are a few pics - a first look at Baby Girl 3.0 and a shot of mommy's belly.  :) 

XOXO

Week 17 and 18

It's been a busy two weeks!  First things first......as you can see by the change of title and change in blog colors......Baby Rivera #3 is another GIRL!  It's official......no 'perfect timing', 'special position', caffeine, or whatever can overshadow God.  If He wants you to have girls.....girls will be what you have!  (He must know that I would have NO idea what to do with a boy!  ha ha).  I'm tickled PINK to be having another girl - just like my mommy!  Growing up with two sisters was wonderful - lots of wonderful fun memories, and I hope that my girls will have the same.

In other big news.....Baby Girl is finally getting strong enough to give me some movements!  I just love feeling the baby move around.  It's one of my favorite parts of being pregnant - and a welcome break after the only sign of being pregnant was the fact that I was sick.  Although, I am also getting bigger - which reminds me to get my butt in gear and get some belly shots!  Where does the time go?

The past two weeks we were also traveling.  We visited our families in CT and in NY.  The drive is getting longer and longer.  I think that each kid adds on an hour or two, so with three, our 9 and 10 hour trips will be more like 12 and 15!  Thank goodness for the portable DVD players.....I really don't know how our parents did it!!!  Can you imagine a 10 hour ride with no TV?  :)

That's about it!  I'll get our ultrasound picture scanned in the next few days and put that up as well.  Baby Girl #3 is a cutie already! 

XOXO

Week 16

Another week goes by!  Not too much to report.  I have not been sick this week, but I'm not getting my hopes up.  It was simply a good week.  I was even headache free.  YEAH! 

I remembered another thing from my first trimester....and actually into my second.  Coffee.  I couldn't drink coffee.  Now, I know that you are told to stay away from caffeine during pregnancy, but a drink or two they say is okay.  I usually limit myself to one a day - if that - and it's usually my AM coffee.  Sadly, I had to give it up because just the smell of it turned my stomach.  That has passed (thankfully!!) and I'm back to my one-a-day joe.  Oh how I've missed you.

17 more days until we find out if we're having a boy or girl.....but who's counting?  :)

XOXOXO

Week 15

Well, as it always seems to be, I spoke too soon.  That's right.....still getting sick.  Three times this week!  YUCK!  I really thought that it was behind me, but it looks like the body is still adjusting to the new hormones.  Or, I jinxed myself because in my post I said I was feeling better.  I looked back on both Megan and Jessica's blog and I said the same things...."starting to feel better", "no morning sickness...", then the next week.....sick again.  So, this week I'll just say that yup, I've been sick...and yup...I expect to again.

I forgot to mention a few things in my first post that I wanted to go ahead and write down.  Thought it would be interesting tidbits to look back on and chuckle.  First was that I couldn't stand the smell of frozen chicken nuggets.  I remember David making them for the girls one night (might have even been a date night for us!), and I had to go upstairs because I couldn't stand it.  I also don't seem to like popcorn.  It was one of my favorite snacks.  I used to pop a bag and eat the whole thing while I watched some TV.  Not anymore.  I popped a bag once and threw it away.  It makes me sad....I really loved my popcorn!  I also had to have David take me out for hibachi one night because I was dying for fried rice.  It was SO good!  I actually hope that I don't "crave" things, because it was kind of a weird feeling.  I just HAD to have it.  I might have preferred some foods throughout my other pregnancies, but not graved them like I did the fried rice and hibachi.  If I think of other things, I'll post them, but these are the big ones that I remember.  :)

I had a doctor's appointment on Monday and all went well.  The baby has a heartbeat of 154bpm - which is pretty much around where my other two kiddos were.  I told the doctor about my headaches, and he gave me a medication to try.  I have had to take it twice this week.  The first time I'm pretty sure most of the medication came up with my breakfast, but after a long nap it seemed to pass.  The second time later in the week was more successful and the headached didn't last for long.  Our next appointment is the level two ultrasound where we are looking forward to finding out the sex of the baby so we can start arguing...I mean discussing.....names.  :)  I liked having Jessica named before she arrived.  I really think it helped me with the bonding process.

That's about it for this week.  Love everyone!

My First Trimester

Well, here we are again!  David and I are very excited to announce the coming of Baby Rivera 3.0, due to arrive March 16, 2012.  I'm a little late getting this blog started, but I've been busy caring for Megan, who is now 2 and 1/2 and Baby Jessica....not quite a baby I guess, at 14 months.  Wow!  Time flies!

And here's how the story goes......

David and I knew that we wanted to have another baby, so after a little discussion, we decided to start trying again around June.  David's baby brother was getting married in Puerto Rico and so we figured that was a great time to start trying!  We were fortunate enough (and a little suprised) to find out a few weeks after our trip that we were expecting.  YEAH!  The first few weeks flew by due to lots of family visits.  Joanne and her family (all six of them!!) were here for a week, then came Gega and Mimi, and then Titi Mari, Ma, Uncle Joey, Uncle Robert and Titi Maite - all here for little Baby Jessica's first birthday and Baptism.  What an awesome start to summer!
The next few weeks, shortly after family left (and once or twice while they were here), I had the dreaded morning sickness....which in case some of you don't know....does NOT only happen in the morning.  They say it's different with every baby, and I can attest.  With Megan I had some morning sickness, but looking back, it wasn't too bad.  With Jessica, I lost weight my first trimester and lost many, many, many meals.  With this baby....I'm not sure where to even begin.  I was miserable.  I sometimes have to wonder, however, if it was any worse than the others, or was it the fact that I needed to care for two other babies WHILE I was also dealing with being sick.  Guess you'll never know.  Regardless, I felt horrible for days at a time...all day...morning til night.  I would occasionally lose a meal - never fun - and wanted to sleep all the time (impossible with Megan and Jessica, but fortunate enough to get naps when/if they both napped).
Around week 12 I started feeling a little better, but still had the occasional spell.  And then came the headaches.  Wonderful.  I really feel for folks who have constant migranes.  I had a headache last week for three days and wanted to lock myself in a dark, quite room and not come out until it was over.  Alas, it passed, and for the past few days, I have been headache and morning sickness free (crossing fingers, knocking on wood).
So here we are, fourteen weeks pregnant (today) and looking forward to sharing my experience with family and friends once again! I really enjoy looking back at Megan and Jessica's blogs (I have printed one of them) and hope that they will enjoy reading them someday too.
Oh.....and I'll be posting belly shots too!  Need to get on that...but here is a pic from last week (13 weeks pregnant).  Still kinda looks like I just ate too much lunch, but it will round out soon enough.  :)

Love everyone!