Pregnancy Week 23

Baby Bump

How far along? 23 Weeks, 6 Days


Size of the baby: A grapefruit!

Maternity clothes? Ohhhh yeah.
Stretch marks? No! 
Sleep: No time to sleep this week!  Family is coming to town at the end of the week so the to-do didn't allow for much more than 6 hours of sleep/night.
Symptoms:  Feeling full after eating small portions & winded after going upstairs! The best news though? Back and sacral pain are almost gone! 
Best moment this week: Running 2 miles! This is an amazing thing!
Miss Anything? Sleeping on my back & stomach
Food cravings: Carrots with ranch
Anything making you queasy or sick: The smell of raw meat.
Any aversions? Goldfish crackers.  Used to love those little fishes.
Have you started to show yet: There's no going back now!  Yes indeed :)
Baby Names? Now we're not sure... haha.  We thought we had it all figured out now we're back to the drawing board.
Belly Button in or out? Still holding on to my partial innie... it looks pretty silly.
Wedding rings on or off? Off (only because they're at the jeweler getting all shiny and polished for our renewal of vows/wedding!)
Happy or Moody most of the time: Happy but definitely struggling with managing with stress management  (I don't recommend having a wedding, moving, and starting a job while pregnant.)
Movement: Like you wouldn't believe!
Looking forward to:  December when I can finally relax and not plan a wedding! 
New mom tips I received this week (which I love getting!): Lucky number 7.  When you become a mom (maybe after the first 3 months), make sure you spend 7 hours/week doing something for you.  And that doesn't include going to the grocery store OR working out.  Find time to reconnect with who you are so you can be a better mother & wife.  Love this advice.
Favorite part of being pregnant so far: It's all pretty awesome... but I can't get enough of feeling his little kicks!!
Any Braxton Hicks contractions? None yet!
Any weird dreams? I had one that Diego was chasing a moose.  Eek, I need to stop dreaming about moose!  
Still Running? I ran 2 miles this week! YIPPEE!! It felt okay so I'm going to build up slowly and hopefully get up to 3-5 miles if my body allows.  I did the elliptical as usual this week and incorporated free weights that didn't strain my back.  

Letter to Baby

Hi little one,

The days seem to be flying by lately.  I can't believe it's almost time for your Dad and my renewal of vows/wedding celebration. We've been busy getting the house ready for relatives who are going to stay with us, which includes lots of late nights and little sleep!  I'm sorry I haven't had time to rest and relax, but I'm sure all of my movement is like a rocking chair lulling you to sleep.  

This week the bones in your inner ear began to harden, which means you can hear clearly and start to differentiate high and low pitch noises.  I'm sure you're familiar with the vacuum by now; I feel like I've been cleaning nonstop!  And you'll definitely know your big brother's bark by your birthday- he likes to warn us about the moose outside! With those little ears developing, you're also able to tell which way is up and down. I think you really like doing somersaults because your little kicks move all over my belly. Watching you kick is probably my favorite thing to do these days; I like to think you're sending me a message about life on the inside. You really like to kick after I eat candy, so I'm guessing that's a message saying you're going to be just like me and share my love of Juju Fruits and Swedish Fish. You're one smart boy.

I've been looking at pictures of your Dad as a baby, and I can't wait to see if you look like him. I really hope so because he's pretty darn handsome. I was a cute, bald baby for about a year. Then one day a bunch of curls popped out on my head and they started multiplying!  I was also a big baby... I weighed over 9 pounds at birth.  Please don't try to be like your mom in that regard... around 6 or 7 pounds would be fabulous! :) But as long as you are healthy, we will be relieved!  We love you more each day!

Until next week,

Mom and Dad

Pregnancy Week 22

Baby Bump

First Snow!  And yes, I was freezing for this picture!

How far along? 22 Weeks, 6 Days


Size of the baby: A papaya!

Maternity clothes? Yes, a little of both pre-baby and preggo clothes.
Stretch marks? No! 
Sleep: About 50% good sleep this week. Mostly because my mind won't stop working! Leg cramps continue but I think I determined they happen when I'm dehydrated.
Symptoms: Sacral pain improved! A little pain in my hips, leg cramps at night, and feeling full quickly... all were easy to deal with though! Feeling good this week! 
Best moment this week: Being mostly pain free
Miss Anything? Running. Also my emotional stability (haha!)
Food cravings: Chex cereal without milk, gummy candy (that one was short lived- once I had it I was fine!)
Anything making you queasy or sick: Iceberg lettuce 
Any aversions? Hot chocolate! Normally I have hot cocoa at least 4 times per week... Now I can't even stomach the thought. Also salsa. So strange! It was literally one of my favorite foods before pregnancy! 
Have you started to show yet: Yes. All 15 patients yesterday asked when my baby is due. 
Baby Names? Yep! 
Belly Button in or out? Partial innie... Partial outie! 
Wedding rings on or off? On
Happy or Moody most of the time: Moody but improved this week
Movement: Oh yeah! You can see my stomach move from the outside! He likes to wake me up in the morning and practice boxing at night when I'm falling asleep. 
Looking forward to:  Our renewal of vows in 2 weeks! 
New mom tips I received this week (which I love getting!): This is a labor one... but walk as much as you can while in labor.  It will help relieve the pain and also allow gravity to do it's thing!  
Favorite part of being pregnant so far: Loving all of it!
Any Braxton Hicks contractions? Not that I know of! 
Any weird dreams? Definitely had some strange ones this week.  A lot of them involved moose which is likely due to the fact we have two moose living in our yard!  
Still Running? No, but things are definitely looking up. I'm almost 100% pain free so hopefully I can start running in a few days! We'll see how my body does!  I actually did the elliptical 7 days this week... I don't know how that happened! Feeling strong! :)  

Letter to Baby

Mi amor,

What is it like inside my stomach? I imagine it's like being in a giant pool (although quickly shrinking because of how fast you're growing!) where you can breathe underwater forever. Maybe like scuba diving minus all the fish and beautiful coral... :) I've determined you like to do your morning and evening exercises every day- you're just like your mom. Jumping jacks, karate kicks, and boxing. You are quite the little athlete! It is my favorite part of my day to feel you moving inside me, even if the punches and jabs are getting more forceful! 

You are now the size of a papaya! 

I keep telling you this, but you are just growing like crazy! It's unreal how my stomach grows overnight! I'm glad to see you're getting bigger. Each day is one day closer to meeting you! This week you developed taste buds on your tongue. These tiny little buds will help you enjoy all the yummy foods in this world (like a few of my favorites: gummy candy, spicy foods, and cereal. Yes, I know, I have strange taste buds).  You're starting to look like a tiny version of what you'll be on your birthday, but you still have a lot of growing to do! It's hard to believe your weight will be 6-7 times what it is now when you're born. That's a lot of growing!


It's starting to hit me how quickly you will be here. March is just around the corner!  November is flying by with family coming on the 22nd, Thanksgiving on the 28th, and our Renewal of Vows on the 30th! Then it's December and the countdown to Christmas begins! If you didn't know, I am in love with Christmas. You will be too. I promise. It's a time of year that reminds us of the purest love there is with Jesus being born. Of course, there's also the Christmas music (that I'm secretly going to start listening to in a week or so...), the delicious Christmas goodies, the parties with friends, decorating the Christmas tree, and giving gifts to those you love the most! Get excited- you will love it! 

Love you so much, little one.

Mom and Dad

Once Upon a Time...

Once upon a time....

I was really good at posting regularly!  Jake and I are renewing our vows in just 17 days (pretty much a wedding), so that means we are BUSY BUSY BUSY!

It doesn't mean I'm not thankful though :)

Here's the grateful recap for the past few days!

Day 8:

Today I am thankful for... Fridays.

Lately when Friday comes around, I have never been so grateful to get off work and get home.  Mainly because I want to change into my sweatpants and not change out of them for two days straight.

There is something so magical about having time to relax and be at home in your sweats.  Although I guess that would be true if we were actually lazy on the weekends, but lately I have been so busy running around doing wedding stuff I barely have time to sit down... but regardless, it's a weekend and I love it.  :)

Day 9:

Today I am thankful for... People who are amazing and help out when you need them.

Those of you in this world who will drop everything to be there for someone are heaven-sent.  I feel so blessed to have wonderful friends who are here for me when my to-do list is overflowing!

On a side note, I wish my to-do list looked like this:

Let's all promise to do this list... m'kay?

Day 10:

Today I am thankful for... FAMILY soup nights!

Jake's side of the family has a tradition to have a soup pot luck every few months.  I don't know about you, but I believe whole heartedly that soup is good for the soul.  It is so soothing, especially when it is a snow storm outside!  Jake and I hosted the first of many family soup nights at our house on Sunday and it was a great success!  19 family members and they all fit very comfortably in the house!  Between the homemade soups (chicken tortilla, chicken noodle, and split pea), the delicious bread, and the chocolate cake with orange sherbet... I was in heaven.  Add 5 little kiddos to the mix and it was the perfect night.  I love Jake's relatives.

This is a horrible picture, but I'm forgetful and didn't get out my phone until the night was almost over.  There was a dance party happening.

This was another one of our visitors on Sunday.

Why hello Mr. Moose!

Day 11:

Today I am thankful for... SNOW.

The beautiful white snow finally fell from the sky.  It took long enough!  We got about 6 inches of snow which turned Alaska into a winter wonderland.  I can't say I was grateful for the horrendous road conditions in the morning, but luckily I have a great SUV that handles the roads like a champ!  I'm hoping the snowy weather continues so I don't feel so guilty for baking wintery treats.  Bring on the cookies, cracker candy, homemade eggnog (although I won't be able to have any this year!), and pumpkin flavored everything!

Day 12:

Today I am thankful for... Physical Therapy.

It is working WONDERS.  I'm feeling fabulous and hoping I'll be able to run by this weekend!  No more than a couple miles but I'll take anything I can get.  I. MISS. RUNNING.

 Dear Shoes, 

I miss you too. 

Love, Brittany

Day 13:

Today I am thankful for...

This face.

Okay, I know I've already been thankful for Diego once this month.  But really?  Have you ever seen anything so adorable?

I am also thankful for my thoughtful husband that I fall more in love with every day.  I cannot wait to renew my vows with him in just a couple weeks!

On our wedding day two years ago!

Days 6 & 7: My Coworkers

Today I am thankful for:

My incredibly awesome and thoughtful coworkers.

I've been pretty lucky in my pregnancy so far to not have any bizarre or severe cravings.  That is... until today.  It wasn't a bizarre food, but I have never had such a powerful NEED to have gummy candy.  Not chocolate, not caramel, not hard candies, not even skittles.  Specifically, I wanted Jujubes.

After an unsuccessful trip to the hospital vending machines, cafeteria, coffee shop, and gift shop during my lunch hour, I was officially bummed out and the craving had increased exponentially.  I tried pickles to relieve the symptoms (sometimes this is a cure-all for me) but it did nothing.

I suffered for the next two hours, dreaming of candy... then I came to my desk in between patients to find this.

My coworkers are the greatest and sure  know how to spoil me. (They also keep the fridge stocked with delicious kosher pickles.)

I'm one lucky lady. 

Pregnancy Week 21

Baby Bump

How far along? 21 Weeks, 6 Days


Size of the baby: A juicy pomegranate!

Maternity clothes? Yep! I'm thinking of buying another pair of maternity work pants though...  that loose waistband feels so good when you're on your feet all day!

Stretch marks? No! 

Sleep: Slept like a little baby! But I did start having these AWFUL leg cramps in the night that wake me at least 6 times.  Fun.

Symptoms: Ongoing sacral pain, lack of appetite (I thought I got rid of that symptom a few weeks ago but it's back! Grrrr...), & exhaaauussstted.

Best moment this week: Seeing baby move from the outside!  I can now see his little kicks through my stomach! What an incredible feeling.

Miss Anything? Just running. It makes me very sad.

Food cravings: S'mores ice cream & salad! (At least they balance each other out!)

Anything making you queasy or sick: I definitely almost threw up while handling raw moose meat this weekend...

Have you started to show yet: Strangers have officially started touching my belly, so I would say so!  Why do they do that? 

Baby Names?  Yes :)  But for now we will call him our little Bambino.

Belly Button in or out? Holding on to my innie for a bit longer. It looks like things are a-changing!

Wedding rings on or off? On

Happy or Moody most of the time: Still on the moody side. Sorry world....

Movement: Definitely an active little guy! Especially at night after dinner and when I'm trying to sleep :) 

Looking forward to:  Family coming to visit in a few weeks!

New mom tips I received this week (which I love getting!): Don't worry if you can't run throughout the entire pregnancy, you'll pick right up where you were after the baby is born. (I hope they were right!) Still hoping I'll be able to run in a couple weeks!

Favorite part of being pregnant so far: Finding out the gender... Love my little boy!

Still Running? I don't want to talk about it.  :(  Still no running, but I'm definitely on the mend.  I made great strides this week in PT and I'm feeling much better!  Hopefully next week I can get out on  a little trial run!  This week I worked out 6 days on the elliptical and also added in stretches, my trusty foam roller, and ab work.  

Letter to Baby

Dear Pequeño,

Did you know that I speak Spanish? You've probably heard me speaking it with my patients lately and wondered what the heck I'm saying. I'm planning on speaking to you in both Spanish and English so you can hopefully know both as you grow up! Studying Spanish was one do the best decisions I made; I studied it in middle school and high school,and in college I went on an exchange to Spain. I will definitely encourage you to travel the world and learn about other cultures because it is the most rewarding experience you can have. 

You now weigh about a pound! Can you believe that just 21 weeks ago you were just two tiny cells? What a miracle! This week you started swallowing some of the fluid you're floating in: the amniotic fluid. It has lots of sugar in it, so you're actually getting a little bit of nutrition from it (and it's good practice for your intestines when you start drinking milk!) Between that and the nutrients from my blood. you should be growing like a little bean! Your eyelids are now developed and you can almost sense light vs dark- although I'm sure it's pretty dark in there most of the time! 

It's November now which usually means winter is in full swing in Alaska. But for some reason, this year it has been warm and snowless! Pretty rare! I've been enjoying it though because I know we'll get the white stuff eventually and it will stay for 6 months! I hope you inherit your Dad's love of snow and his thick skin. I, on the other hand, could spend every day at the beach with the warm sun on my face. The winters can be hard living up here, but luckily we'll teach you all of the fun things to do in Alaska like sledding, building a snowman, snowshoeing, skiing, snowmachining, and running in the snow! (And then I'll take you in vacation to warm places so you can experience the best of both worlds!) My biggest hope for you is that you are given every opportunity you could ever want to help you find your calling and purpose in the world- my parents did this for me and I hope we can do the same for you, little bambino! 

Love you muchisimo!

Mamacita and Papa!

Day 5 of being grateful: That place I go to sweat

Today I am grateful for:

The Gym

Not being able to run has been quite a challenge for me mentally. Not only is it my passion and an innate part of who I am, but pregnancy is a time when your body is not your own- a tiny little baby owns your every function! It is the most beautiful and miraculous thing I have ever been through and I am beyond loving it!  Feeling the kicks (that are now like hard jabs!) and seeing my stomach move is so surreal! 

However, I will be completely honest with you.  It is still hard to see the scale creep higher and higher! Actually that's a lie because I don't ever look at the scale. I step on the scale backwards at the doctors because I don't want my pregnancy to be about that number. I want it to be about how I feel and about making sure baby is healthy. He's growing on track and that's what is important! If I'm hungry, I eat. If I crave ice cream, I eat it - in moderation.  And if I crave pickles, I usually eat 5. :) Someone asked me the other day how many pounds I've gained. I laughed. That's not what growing a life is about and I hope no pregnant woman out there believes it is! There is so much pressure to keep the weight gain low but what is most important is to provide a good foundation for little bambino!  (That doesn't mean I don't have to remind myself that the body is resilient and bounces right back after being pregnant!) :)

So that is why today I am grateful for the gym. The elliptical, bike, pool, and weights help me feel strong and also help me know I'm keeping baby healthy!

Day 4: Bravery

Today I am grateful for:

My new job.... and courage.

My job is amazing.  Every day you get to help someone; change their life for the better.  I walk into the room with open ears, an inquisitive mind, and a caring heart.  I love seeing my patients get better from a sickness, see the effects of lifestyle changes in their weight and overall health, and feel improvement after taking a medication I know will improve their wellbeing.  It pretty much rocks.  

Unfortunately, today I had to do something that nobody ever wants to do.  I received a call from a Radiologist this morning that a patient has a large mass in their lung that was extending into the mediastinum with enlarged lymph nodes (which essentially means it has spread).  The patient's only symptom was coughing up blood once.

It literally broke my heart to have to sit with a patient and share this news.  How do you tell someone that their life is going to change drastically?  How do you take someone's world and turn it upside down?  

With compassion and honesty.  You look in their eyes with tears in your own and share what you know. You pause and allow them to cry and gather their thoughts.  You ask what they want to know and share what you can to help them understand.  You explain that you don't know everything and they need more studies, but that they will need to see an oncologist.  You say things like cancer and survival rates.  You make sure they understand.  You listen.  You tell them they are supposed to feel scared, angry, sad, regretful, and shocked.  You hold their hand and tell them the next step.  Then you repeat all of the above again until they are ready to take that next step.

It was one of the the hardest things I've ever done.  I am so grateful to have had the strength and courage to  guide someone through the worst news they will ever receive.

If you smoke, please quit.  Most states have local nonprofit organizations (like this one) that provide free support groups, gum &/or patches, and learning materials.

And because I'm an educator at heart...

Be grateful for a healthy body and mind.  Many would trade in a second to be in your shoes!

Day 3: Sundays with My Hubby

Today I am grateful for...

Relaxing Sundays with my hubby. 

Jake has worked the past few Sundays so we haven't had a chance to spend a lot of time together... And now that I actually have a job, I remember just how precious our weekends together are!

So what did our day consist of?

An EXTRA hour of sleep (wahoo!  I love fall daylight savings!), Gym, breakfast, Church, errands, my first 3D movie (I'm not a big movie person but you have to see Gravity... It was amazing), dinner, pumpkin chocolate chip bread, and watching 24 on Netflix. 

Yes, we're pretty awesome in our 3D glasses

Jake and I don't have cable or even basic TV, just Netflix. Mainly because we'd rather spend time doing other things than sit in front of the TV. The winters in Alaska can get long and depressing because of the limited daylight and cold weather (Did you know Alaska has one of the highest rates of Depression in the country?). So to avoid that we try to have friends over, cook together, do house projects, and go out. 

With that being said... Jake and I are officially hooked on 24. Ha! We watched one season a few years ago and vowed never to watch it again because we were hooked and literally had all-night 24 marathons. Well... A few weeks ago, we decided to watch just one episode. Two seasons later.,. We're hooked. Luckily it's taking us a while to get through a season (Because I can't seem to stay awake much later than 9:30!) but we're definitely watching more tv than I like!  So here's my recommendation to you: if you are bored out of your mind and want to spend the next 24 hours of your life on a couch, then watch 24. I should convince jake to get two treadmills/ellipticals to watch it on, then maybe I wouldn't feel so guilty! 

It was a perfect day and now it's back to reality! I hope everyone had a good weekend :)

Day 2: A place to call home

Today I am grateful for...

The roof over my head.

I am so thankful to merely have a home to keep me warm in the Alaskan winters and to plant my roots and grow. In addition to that, I'm even more grateful that it is the beautiful new home that we bought in September!

Back View!

We have been hard at work to make it a comfortable and homey place, which is turning out to take a while! The house has 4 bedrooms and we moved from a house that we only used one. That equals no bedroom furniture! I have amazing parents who have helped us furnish the house with beds they no longer use, so we now have beds in three of the four bedrooms!  The only one that is not ready yet is baby's room... But we have plenty of time for that! And I know baby won't actually sleep in his crib until he's a little older, so we can take our time! 

If you have a place to call home, consider yourself blessed!   

Pregnancy Week 20

Week 20 is also known as the week my belly decided to triple in size.

Baby Bump

How far along? 20 Weeks, 6 Days


Size of the baby: A banana!

For those who cannot relate to fruit:

(Normally I have a funny picture here, but this week's was inappropriate for me... just think of a female's chest...)

Maternity clothes? Yes, but I'm still wearing the pre-preggo jeans with the Bella Band

Stretch marks? No!
Sleep: Great sleep this week... although I was exhausted!
Symptoms: Sacral pain and super fatigued this week!
Best moment this week: Getting adorable baby gifts in the mail from family and friends.  This baby is already so loved!
Miss Anything? Running :( :( :( :( :(
Food cravings: Bubble gum and pumpkin bread!  Weird, I know!
Anything making you queasy or sick: The smell of fish is still not my friend.
Have you started to show yet: Yes!  This week baby really seemed to pop out!
Baby Names?  Yes!  I think we've picked one!  But it's a surprise :)
Belly Button in or out? Innie... but I think I might actually be developing a bit of an outie!  There's a tiny part at the top of my belly button that is sticking out!  Eek!
Wedding rings on or off? On
Happy or Moody most of the time: Ehhh this week my pregnancy hormones decided to rear their ugly face.  Sorry Jake.  I love you dearly.
Movement: Yes!  Baby is either going to be a soccer player or a gymnast :)  Or HOPEFULLY a runner!
Looking forward to:  Hopefully my back pain getting better!
New mom tips I received this week (which I love getting!): Don't really listen to people's birth stories... usually you only hear the bad ones!  Fear is the only thing (with a normal birth!) that makes childbirth difficult.  Someone actually told me it's like a marathon.  Just keep your eye on the finish line and truly be in each moment.  This was a great thing to hear!
Ideas on birth plan? As natural as I can while being realistic.  I'd prefer no epidural, but it all depends on how long I end up being in labor and if everything goes as planned! 
Favorite part of being pregnant so far: Finding out the gender... Love my little boy! 
Still Running? Saddest part of pregnancy so far... I had to stop running. I hurt my sacrum somehow (I'm 99% sure it was from lifting something heavy before I left on my Cali trip... I know bad girl) and the pain is pretty unbearable when I walk, let alone run. So for now, the elliptical, bike, and pool get my undivided attention. I worked out 6 days this week for 60-90 mins. I'm going to PT and getting active release therapy (a type of therapy) so hopefully I'll be better soon and able to hit the streets in a couple weeks! 

Letter to Baby

Dear Little Bambino,

That is my new favorite nickname for you, by the way. Our little Italian-Irish-Polish baby! :) Congratulations... we made it half way! Only ~20 weeks until we meet face-to-face! (And if it's around 19 I'd be happy with that too!) I'm sure it's cozy in there, so you may not want to leave... but I promise your dad and my arms are a lot more cozy.

You are officially a growing machine. This past week my energy felt like it had been zapped, so I'm going to blame it on your growth spurt!  Good work, little one!  This week your digestive system made great strides! You are now swallowing like a champ and producing a thick substance called meconium. I'm sure that's something you're extremely interested in, but it's a sure sign you're on your way to living in the outside world! 

It was hard to leave Califotnia and head back to reality in cold Alaska, but it feels so good to be back at home with your Dad and Diego. We have been hard at work in the house with decorating/painting to make the house comfortable and homey! You're Dad is the greatest and painted your bedroom! It's no longer stark white, instead it's a soft and comforting grey. I'm sure you'll like it. Your relatives are coming to visit at the end of November and we finally got beds for them to sleep on. We're really looking forward to having them here... expect lots of conversations and pats through my belly.

I hope you're doing well in there... I know you like it when I eat anything sweet because you decide to do jumping jacks in my tummy. Already a little athlete :) We love you so much! 

Mom and Daddio!

Day 1: The cutest little puppy ever.

I did a month of thankfulness in November of last year, so I decided to carry on the tradition and do it again this year! It is a great experience that really allows you to appreciate life during such a busy time of year!

Today, marking the first day of being grateful... I'd happy to have my sweet little Diego. 

Who, yesterday, was Diego the Shark Dog. 

Okay, so he may not have been happy about it.

I know I'm biased but he is the greatest puppy in the world.  Even when he gets mad at me for taking a gazillion pictures of him.

This is his, "seriously-another-picture-are-you-kidding-me-right-now" face. And also his "I seriously need a haircut" face.

I don't know if you are an animal lover, but either way you need to get a dog. It will make your world go round. 

(P.S. Super late pregnancy week 20 update to come soon!)