Full term and Full of Love

Whew! I can breathe now. I am officially on leave from work and Baby has dropped so I can breathe both physically (Baby isn't pushing my lungs up anymore) and figuratively (No more stressing about work!). I chose to take off about 4 weeks off before my due date, which sounds a little bit early, but I am so glad I did because I feel like I need to prepare for Baby both physically and mentally. I've been nesting like a crazy pregnant woman, cleaning every nook and cranny in this place AND I've been taking my classes and reading up on everything Baby related. It feels really great.

It's all been feeling more "REAL" since I've had all my baby showers. Receiving all the love and support, as well as everything that is cute in this world for Baby has shook me into reality. "Joanna, you're about to have a baby soon!!"  Say WHAAAT?

Baby Shower #1- Baby and I were showered by my Bunco Babes. We played (and I won!), we ate, they drank... oh boy did they DRANK!...and we opened amazing presents. I love my Bunco Babes so much!

Baby Shower #2- The Grandmothers-to-be threw this one and it was lovely. All of our families and a few of our friends were there to eat and celebrate Baby V. It was so much fun and I ended the night feeling so blessed to have so much support around us.

Baby Shower #3- My amazing co-workers really outdid themselves throwing an amazing shower in the library for me and Tonya (another teacher who is due a few days before me). They decorated everything so cute and planned out a yummy menu to feed my growing belly. I feel so loved by all of them!



Check out my swollen ankles. HUGE!

Mini-Shower #4- Can't really show pictures of the next one but it was by far the sweetest. My students all pitched in a dollar and bought Baby a bag full of goodies. They also wrote notes for the Baby and we had a smoothie party on my last day of work. To make my day even better, my students from last year all came to visit me at the end of the day. My heart was so full that day. 

I have one more shower this Friday which Hubby's co-workers will be throwing. I can't even believe all the love we have surrounding us. I'm just dumbfounded that Baby isn't born yet but he/she is already spoiled rotten. 

How far along? 37 weeks. Full term now, which means if Baby were to be born now, everything would be A-OK!

Maternity clothes? Since I am at home all day now I'm rocking PJs and workout clothes. So comfy!

Stretch marks? Still have a few only on my left hip.

Sleep: Oh how I miss sleeping on my back!! I am sleeping pretty well through the night, but I wake up with terrible kinks all over. I should've invested in that Snoogle.

Best moment this week: Celebrating our 2 year wedding anniversary and just enjoying my time off from work.

Miss Anything? Sleeping on my back, moving around, reaching my feet, rolling over, yadda yadda yadda.

Movement: Baby is making those weird alien type movements since it's so tight in there now. I feel bad saying this but sometimes it's so painful that I cry for Baby to calm down.

Food cravings: Burger King Chicken Sandwiches with extra mayo and a chocolate chip cookie to chase it.

Weight Gain: I decided to bring this back once more....It's shameful but it has to be said....48 lbs. Yes, I've gained almost 50 pounds!!! HOLY SHIT. Excuse my french but...wow.

Anything making you queasy or sick: I feel sick after lunch each day, yet it doesn't stop me from eating.

Gender predictions: I still feel like it's a girl.

Labor Signs: So many braxton hicks! My hubby is starting to get nervous.

Symptoms: Yes. Having soooo many symptoms!! Over it.

Belly Button in or out? Out

Wedding rings on or off? I miss my rings!

Happy or Moody most of the time: I am happier now with work being out of the way.

Looking forward to: Holding and kissing Baby.

10 Months of Pregnancy?

So how come nobody told me that you can technically be  pregnant for 10 whole months? I think someone mentioned it to me but I thought they were cracking a joke.

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How come nobody told me NOT to be pregnant in the summer? I think there should be a law prohibiting women  from being in their third trimester during a heat wave. The swelling, the hot flashes, the uncomfortable belly band sticking to your outtie of the bellybutton....I am shocked I haven't killed someone by now.

How come nobody told me to stay away from the LA County fair? Between the ridiculously large and in charge corn dog I stuffed into my mouth and the kettle corn I shoveled into my pie hole, I would be flabbergasted if my poor baby didn't come out weighting enough to get us into the Guinness Book of World Records.

How come my fear of labor and delivery is taking over my life? Between the episiotomy talk and the risk of baby swallowing his or her own poop on the way out, I'm thinking that Baby will have to live inside Mama's womb for the rest of his life. I have a million other fears but for some reason those popped out first.

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I am in the stage of my pregnancy where I feel pretty miserable. I am the frazzled, waddling, swollen, angry pregnant woman who is crying in pain day after day. The only thing that cheers me up besides ice cream, is the thought of holding my sweet Baby in my arms and laughing at these days of uncomfortableness. I realize that I'm truly blessed and have a miracle inside of me. As I type this, all the feelings of fear, anger, and pain melt away. I can do this.

Look how much I've grown!!

How far along? 34 weeks which is about 8 1/2 months. Whoa.  

Maternity clothes? If I could, I would live in my yoga pants. I haven't mustard up the courage to wear them to work though.

Stretch marks? I am up to 3 whole squiggly lines on my ever growing hips. I feel like a woman.

Sleep: I'm knocking out hard at first then waking up several times during the night. This is making for hard mornings. Gotta get used to it right?

Best moment this week: Taking my maternity pictures with the AMAZING Eddie and one of my favorite people in the whole wide world Nancy! Can't wait to post their amazing work.

Miss Anything? Being able to move.

Movement: All day every day, Baby is on the move!

Food cravings: If it's bad for me... I'm craving it.

Anything making you queasy or sick: Eating all the bad food...yet it doesn't stop me. Shame.

Gender predictions: I'm getting more predictions that it's a girl. Hubby had another dream it was a girl, too.

Labor Signs: Braxton Hicks are starting to roll in.

Symptoms: Swelling and itchy feet, fatigue, and mood swings.

Belly Button in or out? Out

Wedding rings on or off? Off

Happy or Moody most of the time: Moody and stressed from work If you can't already tell, I was crying before I took this picture. Probably at something really stupid, too like..... I can't see my toes anymore.

Looking forward to: Our baby showers! So excited to spend time with friends and family and to Ooo and Ahhh and cute things for Baby.

30 Weeks and How I Broke the News to Family

Don't worry, we didn't wait until 30 weeks to tell our parentals. It just took me 30 weeks to tell this story. I'm so timely, aren't I?

When hubster and I found out we were expecting, many emotions swirled in my worried little head. For awhile there, all I could think about was the chance of miscarrying. I just thought this was too good to be true. I'm a worry wart in that way. This worrisome thought made me question how long I really wanted to wait to tell the people that were close to me. On one hand, I didn't want to tell my family the news just in case something were to go wrong, but on the other, I would need their support and I would WANT their support if something did. So, we decided to go ahead and tell them. I wanted all the love I could get at that moment.

The Set-up: Sergio and I decided we would tell our families over a fancy dinner at one of our favorite places, Panda Inn. (Their Honey Walnut Shrimp is Orgasmic.) It isn't uncommon for our families to meet together for dinner a few times a year, so they didn't really suspect much. We had to tell my brother on another night because he was working. Boo, responsibilities.

The Props: For our mothers, we placed two pacifiers in ring boxes. Who would ever think that anything but jewelry would be in those purdy velvety boxes? They sure didn't. For the dads and siblings, we found cute bibs to gift to them. For Sebby, we bought him a toy that he would later be able to play with his first cousin. We presented each gift in a fancy $1 Target gift bag.

The big happy moment: Before the wonton soup was served, we thanked our families for coming and began to thank our parents for all the love and support they gave us through the years. We told our families that to show our appreciation, we bought them gifts. To throw them for a loop, we told them that they couldn't say that the presents were too expensive and we said these gifts couldn't be returned.

Our moms opened their ring boxes first and to my surprise, my mom started jumping up and down and screamed like a little girl. (I didn't expect her to scream) My MIL cried sweet tears of joy.

Our dads and siblings all beamed with happiness and showered us with hugs.

And Sebby didn't know what to make of the scary fact that a baby was in my belly. We tried explaining it to him in all sorts of ways, then he got distracted with the toy.

Then the Honey Walnut Shrimp was served and I got distracted.... it was a perfect night.

About a month or two later, we told some of Sergio's family via prayer before a dinner one night. Hubby volunteered to say grace and slipped in a special shout out to the Man above for blessing us with a baby. Everyone was squealing with happiness. We couldn't be more blessed.

30 Weeks....Wowza

How far along? 30 weeks. 6-10 more weeks left! Maybe I should pack the hospital bag soon.

Total weight gain: 35+ pounds. I am shameful.

Maternity clothes? My work attire consists of the same 2 pair of work pants, leggings, and jeans with any top that is willing to fit my growing belly. I finally invested in some good work shoes, too.

Stretch marks? I Heart my Burt's Bees Belly Butter

Sleep: Backaches and heartburn is keeping me up all night.

Best moment this week: Getting my new shoes in the mail. I can wear something other than flip flops now. This is big news for my kankles!

Miss Anything? Sleeping on my back, having energy, my ankles, and NOT being swollen.

Movement: Some days Baby is active.

Food cravings: Sees Chocolates and pancakes. Not together, but that's a great idea!

Anything making you queasy or sick: Nothing at the moment
Gender predictions: Even though everyone says boy, I feel like it's a girl.

Labor Signs: Not yet

Symptoms: Major swelling in my legs still, constipation from my Iron supplements (whoo hoo.), moodiness, and major fatigue.

Belly Button in or out? Out

Wedding rings on or off? Off

Happy or Moody most of the time: Moody and stressed from work

Looking forward to: This weekend. Hubby and I are going to stay with my parents and my mom said she'll pamper me so I can relax and de-stress. How awesome is she? She already took my order for what I want to eat!

Meatless Monday: Mac and Cheeeeeese

Say WHAaaaAT?

You heard it here first...I've jumped on the bandwagon. Damn that bandwagon, so attractive and alluring. I am on the meatless bandwagon, but only for one day a week. So, I guess you can say I'm a part-time rider of this wagon. I'd love to stay and shmooze with the Vegans all week, but let's be realistic here... my self-control is nowhere close to theirs. I think you have to like veggies to be a vegan, right? Yeah, not happenin' here. I'm the girl who believes that the veggie crisper in the fridge is where vegetables go to die.

But, I'm working on changing that a bit. One day a week.

My first real meatless dinner was a recipe I found in one of my favorite cookbooks Deceptively Delicious. I was craving something comforting that week so this really hit the spot! And BONUS POINTS, hubby absolutely loved it. I was shocked! He is more of a meat eater than I am and he didn't even miss the meat one bit.

Macaroni and Cheese
(Adapted from Deceptively Delicious)

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups whole-wheat elbow macaroni
1 cup skim milk
1/2 cup chickpeas-pureed
1/2 cup of butternut squash-pureed
1 1/2-2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese
4 slices of Colby Jack Cheese- Thinly sliced
1/2 cup of Italian breadcrumbs
1/2 tsp salt
1/8 tsp garlic powder
1/8 tsp paprika
1/8 tsp pepper

1. Boil macaroni according to the package.
2. Combine the milk, bean puree, and squash puree in a blender and blend until smooth.

3. Coat a large saucepan with cooking spray and set it over medium heat.

4. Add milk and pureed mixture and stir for about 2 minutes. Add shredded cheese and cook until creamy and melted.

6. Stir in the macaroni. Pour the delicious mixture into a baking dish of your choice.

8. Bake at 375 for about 20 minutes or until the cheese is melted to your desired melted levels.

ENJOY!

Teacher Talk Tuesday: Back to Cool and Not So Cool School

It's that time of year again, the first day of school. Ahhh, the smell of new backpacks, freshly sharpened pencils, and fresh new kicks. It's exciting for both students and teachers.

Sure I am sad as hell that summer has come and gone, but it is nice to have a routine again. I've been a lazy lump of fat all summer and now it's time to get movin' and groovin'. Unfortunately, this does not agree with the swelling in my legs.

I tried to wear shoes but apparently my fat trunks don't fit anymore. So I am still rockin' my flip flops. Can you tell by the dirty tops that I've been wearing them too much? And are you judging me for being disgusting and showing you such a picture? Apologies.

Another enemy of mine is the heat. God help me. 104 degrees of butt ass heat all week. Hormones plus heat equals the death of me. Remind me to not to be pregnant during the hottest months of the year. Thank God for making these little tiny fans. I am so in love with this thing because it keeps me so comfy! And might I say yellow keeps a fellow happy at work!

Then there are these ants. Lots and lots of ants. My classroom is literally built on an ant mountain, freakin' The Andes of the ant colony I'm sure. All the classrooms in my building are infested. This is not pleasant. I especially love when they are crawling on my face while I'm trying to teach a lesson on the importance of being a responsible student. Luckily, I don't feel that bad for killing all of them and even wishing heartache to their little ant families at home.

As for my students, they are what we call Sweet and Lows. I teach the remedial math and reading class for the language learners so it was expected, but this year will definitely be a challenge. Nevertheless, they are darlings and nothing I can't handle. I showed em' who's boss.

And if all else fails, I'll just rub my belly and turn my pregnancy hormones up a notch or two and let them feel the wrath of a pregnant woman. I keed... I would never do that...play up my pain for sympathy....yes, but be a crazy biotch...no.

It's going to be a good year. I can feel it!

Yipee! Trimester Three!

Can my cheeks BE any bigger? Let's hope not.

How far along? 27 weeks. Some sites say I'm in my third trimester. WHOA!

Total weight gain: Not gonna tell!

Maternity clothes? Found some great work capris at Gap Maternity for $14. I will be wearing them everyday. Think my students will notice?

Stretch marks? Still rubbing on my Belly Butter and it's working like a charm.

Sleep: Sleep is good. Taking longer and deeper naps which is bad considering I go back to work next week. I will miss you, Naps!

Best moment this week: Getting my haircut. The heat is not my friend so getting the hair away from my neck is a dream!

Miss Anything? Sleeping on my back, sushi, and fitting into my old pants.

Movement: Baby is kicking, flipping, and hiccuping a lot still. 

Food cravings: Veggies! This is great. Hopefully I wont back on too much more weight.

Anything making you queasy or sick: Nothing at the moment
Gender predictions: This week I've been getting a lot of people saying it's a boy.

Labor Signs: I think I had some Braxton Hicks this week. Not sure.

Symptoms: Major swelling in my legs. Had to go to the hospital. No fun.

Belly Button in or out? Half flat and half out. It's a Floutie!

Wedding rings on or off? Rockin' my 1.5 carat of fakeness. I miss my real rings.

Happy or Moody most of the time: Happy with a chance of moody. Depends on the day. 

Looking forward to: I'm not sure at the moment but I'm NOT looking forward to going back to work with this heat wave.

 

I've been swollen. Can you tell? No like REALLY swollen. This heat has caused my legs and ankles to swell up real good. This week it got pretty scary because only one leg decided to swell, which is dangerous sometimes. Apparently, this could mean I might have blood clots which is common in pregnancy. Did not know that.

 

Last Friday, I had enough. It was painful to walk and my friends and family were starting to notice, so I decided to call the Doctor. They told me to go into Labor and Delivery right away! I didn't think it was that serious until they admitted me, strapped my belly up to the monitors, and ordered a series of blood tests and ultrasounds.

I was there for almost 5 hours. The good thing was that I was strapped to a fetal monitor and got to hear my baby's heartbeat  the whole time. It was music to my ears. I could listen to that forever.

 

The bad thing was I was there for 4 hours WAITING on results, WAITING for them to do ultrasounds on my legs, and WAITING for my phone to get reception so I could call my hubby. He was so freaked out that he rushed to me from work because he hadn't heard from me since I was admitted. I was also very hungry. If I knew I was going to be waiting that long I would've packed a burger in my purse.

 



Thank God everything turned out to be ok. The ultrasounds and blood tests came out fine. The doctor said it might be a combination of the heat and the way the baby is sitting. I also have Scoliosis which could have something to do with it. The pressure of all the weight is no good for my sensitive back.

 

I've made a few changes since then that seem to help the swelling situation.

1. Wearing compression socks- They are supposed to help with the circulation  in your legs and help prevent fatigue.

 2. Belly Support- This is going to be a lifesaver since I'll be on my feet all day. It very much relieves the pressure on my back and legs.



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3. More Water, Less Salt- I've really been watching my sodium intake. No more fries or chips for this preggo. I've been guzzling water like a fish, too and it's been working wonders for my new kankles. I hate my new kankles.


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 Hope none of you are experiencing this, but if you do, hope this helps.

Liebster Blog Award

So, I won a little award. Deidre Ann from Nowhere to Be & Forever to Get There so kindly gave one to lil' ol' me. Thanks Deidre!

This award is given to blogs with less than 200 followers (yup, that's me) and in my opinion is a way to get to know bloggers a little bit more. I like these "tell me about yourself" type posts. I learn something new each time, both about myself and about others. It's fun!

The rules are:

1. Each person must post 11 things about themselves.

2. Answer the questions that the tagger set for you.
3. Create 11 questions for the people you’ve tagged to answer.

4. Choose 11 people and link them in your post.

5. Go to their page and tell them.

6. No tag backs!

I'm going to try and write things that are random as hell. I'll regret this around fact 5 when I can't think of anymore...

Without further ado...

#1- When I was born my mom almost named me Liesl, as in "My name is Liesl, I'm 16 years old and I don't need a governess!" I love that movie.

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#2- People like to nickname me. Growing up I was called "Sunshine" because I was smiling all the time. In High School, I was "MoJo Potatoes" and in college, I was "JoMo" which combined the letters from my first and last name.


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#3- More often than not, I have a Christmas song stuck in my head. Jingle Bells is my personal fav.

#4- My baby will be Sergio's grandmother's 38th great grandchild.

#5- When I was in first grade, I hit my head on the edge of a glass table. Stitches RULE!

#6- I can't swim. I am deathly afraid to try and I feel like an idiot every time someone questions me about it.

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#7- When I took my pregnancy test at the doctor's office, the nurse thought I was a pregnant teenager and treated me like shit. She even asked me where my mother was. When she finally pulled up my file and saw that I was 29, she instantly wanted to be nice and talk up a storm. Doesn't work that way, freak.

#8- Even though I do not wear a lot of makeup, I am OBSESSED with Makeup tutorials on YouTube.



#9- Even though I am not into Astrology, I am a quintessential Cancer. Crabby, stubborn, hides in my shell, holds a grudge.....geez, I need to work on myself.

#10- I never thought I'd say this, but I miss being able to run. I was a baby runner before I got knocked up and I can't wait to get my body back so I can start up again.

#11- I have a crazy person habit of giving feelings to inanimate objects. If I know I haven't used...say... a certain bowl for a long time, I'll think that it's sad so I'll use it. Yes, crazy person habit.

Whew...that was hard!

Ok now for Deidre's questions...

1. Why did you name your blog what you named it?

Refer to #2 above. It's a cute play on words. At least I think it is.

2. If you could trade lives with any celebrity for a day who would it be and why?

Kate Middleton. She's so pretty and poised and she looks like she lives a cushy life.

3. What is your go to website when you are bored?

YouTube

4. If you could have picked your name when you were born would you keep it what it is or would it be different?

I like my name.

5. Why did you start blogging?

It was a hard time in my life...Here is my post about it.

6. What was the first job you ever had?

Hello Kitty store in my mall

7. Who and where was your first kiss?

My first boyfriend, outside my parents' house (Sorry, Mom and Dad)

8. If you could make one wish for the future generation what would it be?

I would wish for them to have a good education.

9. If you were an Olympic athlete what event would you want to partake in?

Gymnastics!

10. One thing you would never ever do, not even for a million dollars?

Cheat on my husband.

11. Your dream job.

Restaurant owner

 

The Ladies I nominate

Christine @ Bookishly Boisterous

Allison @ A Little Blueberry

Ellie @ Fit for the Soul

Tessa @ My Little Nugget Life

Jenna @ The Three Little Birdies

Jamie @ Thirty and Thriving

Jessica @ You and I

Kate @ Awaiting Baby O'Brien

Angie @ Keith&Angie

Erikka @ Lil Babe Henretta

Alice @ Little Llama

 

My questions for you!

1. What was the first blog you read?

2. If you could live in any country, which would it be and why?

3. What is one food you HATE?

4. If you could be friends with one celebrity, who would it be and why?

5. What was your favorite childhood snack?

6. Who was your favorite teacher and why?

7. What is your favorite ice cream flavor?

8. If you could change one thing about yourself what would it be?

9. What movie could you watch over and over?

10. How many times in your life have you helped a complete stranger?

11. How many times in your life has a complete stranger helped you?

Have fun ladies!