26 weeks

She must be preparing for her soccer career early--cause she is moving and kicking non-stop!! And guess when she likes moving the most-At NIGHT!! But it is definitely a feeling of relief to know that she is okay in there :) As for me....my official weight gain is 9 pounds! and I'm starting to have trouble sleeping. I have developed pregnancy carpel tunnel, which more than anything just drives me crazy! It is caused from fluid retention that as you ly down (at night) spreads to other areas of your body (hand and arm) and blocks nerve cells...so my hand goes to sleep and my arm hurts, all night long. Its better if I sleep sitting up so I have tried doing that a couple times. But at least the heat in Atlanta has subsided a little!! Pregnancy plus heat is not a good combination!

'Your baby now weighs a little under 2 pounds and measures about 14 inches, from head to heel. The nerve pathways in her ears are developing, which means her response to sounds is growing more consistent. Her lungs are developing now, too, as she continues to take small breaths of amniotic fluid — good practice for when she's born and takes that first breath of air.'

23 weeks

Now I am feeling our little girl move all the time. It is a feeling that is unexplainable, and probably the best feeling anyone can ever experience. Sometimes it even feels as if she is doing jumping jacks in there!! This is where one can truly say, 'There is a God.' This is a miracle. For each individual cell to know their exact function and to produce a baby that survives inside the mothers womb....it amazes me. And now to feel her moving in my ever protruding belly makes the miracle come even more alive. For someone who has never been pregnant, it a feeling that cannot truly be explained, but anyone woman who has had the wonderful opportunity to carry a child inside her--it is really what a great life is all about.

Only a few more moths to go :)
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"Scientific research shows that you're not the only one who benefits from pregnancy exercise. Apparently, babies of moms who exercise throughout pregnancy score higher, on average, on general intelligence tests by age five." Hope this means all this running around I do will be more beneficial than we thought!!!

Surrender

What I know now about parenting is to "surrender." I've learned how childbirth brings with it self discovery, self healing, and adaptation to the new selves we become every single day of our lives. No one ever told me that, as an adult, I would keep on changing. I would have to move and flow with changes in myself, as well as all around me, for the rest of my life. No one ever explained that this process never ends, that it is infinite. Learning to surrender means learning to go with change; and change requires surrender. From the first days of pregnancy when the baby inside you begins to puff out your belly and breasts, makes you nauseated and tired, makes you have emotional heights and depths, radically affects your relationship with everyone around you, you are asked by this tiny life to adapt to these changes. If you resist you will suffer. You must give in. You do let go. You shed your old self. Perhaps pregnancy, more than any other period in a woman's life, enables her to understand the complexity of this requirement in life-to change and to adapt. Pregnancy enables us to open a multitude of doorways-into ourselves, into our ancestral past, and into our future. Sometimes walking through these doors can shift old patterns on this planet. The gift of childbirth challenges us to take nothing for granted and to flow around any rocky obstacle.

Jalapenos

Jalapenos have taken over my life these days..Buying them every time I am at the store, getting them grilled from taco veloz, chiles in vinagres from Taco Market that are eaten with juevos con chorizo, boiling them in an attempt to make really good green sauce and always making sure there is a little orange or red tint somewhere on the chile so that it has enough spice to it. This is only one of the things that goes along with having an multicultural relationship and its one of the many things our daughter will grow up with. SOmetimes you fail to realize how different 2 places and their people are until they have formed a family. One of the biggest I have realized is Family--mainly the importance of it. Here in America we have lost that. We have lost the closeness parents have with their children and the time that is spent on nothing but family. We tell ourselves that it is better for us to work insane hours and drive a BMW, than to pick up our children from school. But....In Mexico....it is the exact opposite. Family is the emphasis of every day life, it is what EVERYTHING is based on. So while our daughter will spend much of her time here in the states, I hope that Pedro and I will still be able to instill in her all the values and fundamentals of family and all that goes along with it.
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7 pounds!!! I have officially gotten into the positive zone for weight gain and have put on 7 pounds. The gain is a mixture of increased blood volume, breast tissue, amniotic fluid, baby weight, as well as maternal weight (I'd like to think the maternal weight gain is the least!!). She is growing and making mommy bigger by the day!! Pedro is getting very excited about having a little girl--sometimes he'll grab one of her outfits and hold it to see how she'll fit in his arms!! Earlier this week we went on a tour of the hospital and birthing center...wow!! From the moment the baby is born she will be in our room non-stop, no leaving for the nursery!!! Every thing the doctor does will be done in our room right in front of us. We will then be moved to a family suite where baby Isabella, Pedro, and myself will have beds and will stay for the night. The best part--we get room service!! Well thats the second best part after finally having our little one here.. The hospital and the whole staff seem incredible so that makes everything a little less stressful for us.
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Last but not least...Pedro and I are taking our first trip out of Atlanta with the baby!! Next month, for Pedros bday, we will be flying out to Chicago. Jose, and what an incredible person he is, got us plane tickets for Pedros bday and has a condo right in downtown Chicago we will be staying at. We are super excited as this will be the last time we get to go anywhere before our girl is here!! And seeing as neither one of us have ever been there it is sure to be a great time!!

20 week Ultrasound

Just wanted to let everyone know that we went for our 20 week ultrasound today, and everything is beautiful. There were no known abnormalities and she is already moving around like a little soccer player in there! Its a huge relief to see the doctor and have them tell you everything is OK. There are countless minutes spent worrying that everything will be okay, most of the worrying in vein of course. The doctor did say she already has a big belly!! Are you telling me my baby is fat?!! Her words were, 'Babies grow out before they grow up.' You could actually see the 4 chambers of her heart, her brain, all her fingers and toes, and her little girl parts!! It really is a miracle. So it looks like she will be born just fine and healthy come December :)

Oh parenting class......the look on Pedros face would've made anyone laugh!! We got to see videos of amniocentesis test as well as talking about losing your 'mucus plug.' This is not exactly the kind of info guys like to hear!! As the day gets closer, the reality of labor is becoming increasingly clear. So how soon can I get that epidural?? :)

Week 20

In 2 days we will be starting week 20, which is the halfway point for pregnancy!! One question I received a few days ago was, "Are you ready to have this baby?" Well......I don't think there is a definite readiness you can achieve. You may have the 'right' bank account, the perfect marriage, everything you think that could prepare you for a child, but none of that means you are 'ready.'

I have had the opportunity to travel and see many places in the world that some people only dream about. I have done MANY crazy and adventurous things and seen some amazing sites. I have also been blessed with an amazing man who supports me 100% (well I don't think he'd be happy if I went skydiving again!!), and a wonderful family with a best friend who I can count on no matter what. And now I am going to give birth to a beautiful baby girl. So am I ready? Probably not, and truthfully I probably won't ever be, but I have had an amazing life and am surrounded by people who love and adore me, so whatever help I need--I know they will be there.

Week 19

Starting off 19 weeks..."She has started to swallow amniotic fluid, and her kidneys continue to make urine. Hair on the scalp is sprouting. Sensory development reaches its peak this week. The nerve cells serving each of the senses -- taste, smell, hearing, seeing, and touch -- are now developing in their specialised areas of the brain. Nerve cell production slows down as existing nerve cells grow larger and make more complex connections. If you're carrying a baby girl, she already has roughly six million eggs in her ovaries. By the time she's born, she'll have about one million."

Week 18

I am now 18 weeks and 2 days pregnant--almost halfway there!! In medical terms, I am in my fifth month. The first few months went fast, very fast, and there were days I didnt think I was even pregnant!! I had no tummy and I never really got bad morning sickness. As of my last doctors visit I weighed only 120 lbs., no different from my moment of conception, but that has all changed now. Not only do I have the appetite of a truck driver, I'm almost as big as a truck!!! Luckily its staying mostly in my belly!!! ( I can no longer see my feet now!!)


Pedro has been amazing, massaging my legs when they hurt and cooking for me non-stop!! Yesterday, after he made a trip to the international market, we had caracol and enchirmoladas. Caracol is boiled snails that are cut up with tomatoes, jalapeños, and a certain hot sauce, then served with crackers. Enchirmoladas are corn tortillas drenched in a homemade tomato and jalapeño sauce, folded, then topped with Mexican crema, cotija cheese, and onions.....yuummm!!! The rest of the evening was spent watching Sex and the City and me laughing at Pedro trying to juggle limes!!

I have no idea how my pregnancy has been so easy thus far, I am really grateful. I get struck with hits of high hormones every now and then and fatigue is running my body rampant, but overall it has been amazing. Now if I could just find some cute clothes to fit my big belly!!!

Baby Martinez

Hello to everyone and we hope you enjoy following us on this journey as we bring our first little girl into the world!! Baby Martinez is due on December 10th and will be delivered at Cobb Wellstar hospital in Austell, GA. This is an exciting new stage in our lives as we try to raise an exceptional young lady while merging our two cultures to teach her everything we possibly can so she will grow up knowing her Mexican heritage. (as well as her gringo background :)