Is Pain Weakness leaving the Body?

I have been feeling the "Braxton Hicks" or Contractions for the last few weeks and I truly believe they are kind of rehearsal, maybe a way of your body telling you: " Get ready my friend, the real feeling is coming soon.. They are quite painful and steady and every time that it happens to me, make me believe how human we are and how to deal with something that seems I have no control over it. " Pain is weakness leaving the body" I heard that a few times.. Is that true? Perhaps just a reminder as a woman to surrender or let your body take control, or show us how powerful our minds can be and how can we administrate the pain without any drugs.. Not sure about all, but the only thing I know is that I want to give it a try and see how body and mind can work together- I know is different for each one of us.. but it must be a unique experience and the only way to know is experiencing.. Is there another way of dealing with Pain without any drugs? Mind control? Breathing techniques? Surrondings? Sounds? What else could be done when you think you have no control... Just surrender I guess...

How to deal with a Pet when baby comes...

With baby makes four! Yes, but my big questions is:
How my beloved big hairy black hyper dog will behave when the baby arrives? I wonder: How he will understand about the baby? When the baby cries, what he will think it is? Does he knows I am pregnant? Will he be jealous of the baby? Will he protect the baby? so many other questions...
For now I can say this... I noticed in the last few months that for some reason since my belly became bigger, he became more protective of me, not allowing stranger to come very close to me, just friends and family (people that he is familiar with) but others, he barks, get in front of me and even for a walk when we go together (not recently as my walk became waddling), he would "stop" and wait for me.. kind of strange since he has so much energy but now it is almost if he knows that he can not pull me and he look at me and wait... Change of behavior.. perhaps he is more sensitive than I thougth..
What you guys think? Any thoughts or stories about dealing with pets and babies? I would love to hear...

Counting the days...

It is interesting but as the time goes by, everybody asks you: I can't believe the baby is not here yet? What is going on? I thought was supposed to be last week... Oh the baby will come at Easter for sure... Are you past Due?.... and so many other things.. I my opinion, at this point I just have to wait and be patient as I believe the baby knows when she or he is supposed to come and when it will be their birth date.. No matter if I eat pineapple or eggplant ( some people swear by those two to make the labor earlier.. for me is just a matter of watch and wait an surrender your body for the outcome. I know there are days that you just want to get over with it, but I have faith as women we are all magical and we can do it. We just have to believe and be in the moment, for now that is what I am trying to do...

Picture of 37 weeks and growing....

Breathless, Lower Pain and Backache... What a combination!

Since I got on my 32 week I started feeling all those simptons above. It is incredible to see how much our body change. Being 5.2 and all the weight also including my two best friends * Michelle and Sonia* - some of you know what I am talking about, it is really difficult to have balance, besides the walking that totally changed as well as the pain that comes with when you are not using sneakers or flip-flops. It is time for me to retire those stilettos that i have for now. I have realized that on my 36 week of pregnancy would be Mission Impossible to have those anyway, I though I was going to get all way through but there is no way as at the end of the day I pay the price.
Why all of these have to come with Breathless days, Lower Sharp pain and Backaches? Is that a way of our bodies talking to us and saying: Get ready lady, it is getting close now...
Do we all go through this? I believe it is all part of the package.
Looking at the bright site, at the end will be all worth it!
xx

Click on this link to see My " Baby Shower Pictures"!

http://share.shutterfly.com/action/welcome?sid=1Abs2blw3ZMnjg

My Surprise Baby Shower and for those that made it happen!

I just want to say Thank you to all my Fabulous Friends and Family for the amazing: Operation Baby Shower" as they called. My deeply and sincere love Thanks to the special ones below:
Regina: My sister in law. I could not ask for more than having the most sweet and imaginable sister in law in which came all way from NY to put these together.. Truly creative and I am so happy as I know she will be an wonderful antie!
RosaIcela: OMG! Of course she would be involved not just having her house for the crime but also being the host and professional photographer for the event! What can I say my beautiful friend, parties and you are one and no one puts a party the way you do!
Danielle: Sweet Dani! Also involved in the operation, created the most imaginative and awesome games to entertain all the ladies, could not imagine for a second with your sweet smile that you were part of this.. once more, you won!
Lyann: My Dear Lyann, You were the middle man in these whole operation, making me believe that you had plan, that would be at your house and that the date (what was totally not the one I thought it would be was and not even in my wildest dream would imagine that you would had worked with all the other suspects, making your most marvelous finger foods and the detail and love you put into your things make me appreciate you so much.
Betty: The real Diva! Oh Betty, Seeing you being part of this operation with Bella just brought me to tears.. I am so blessed to have you both in my life and you are truly not just an inspiration as a mom but as an artist with your organization and detail work!
Bella: What can I say about you Dear Bella! You told me your left to Arizona with your dad, made me believe and left me heart broken as we did not have a chance to really talk about things, had not idea whatsoever that you were part of the this and from now on I can expect the impossible from you now.. by the way,, you have graduate on your acting 101 class with A grade!
With you eyes for display, work ethic and being so special to me, truly could not ask for more.
I love you all! Thanks for being so wonderful!

Thank my Beloved Friends and Family! The pregnancy would not be the same without you all....

I don't know how to start this post. The only thing I know is that I have an amazing and wonderful group of friends that are thoughtful, caring, loving and that I love very much.
The Cris's Angels group which they called "OBS" for those that are not familiar like me, means:
"Operation Baby Shower" and the suspects are:
Regina, Rosaicela, Danielle, Lyann, Bella and Betty!

Below is the link that Fabulous Rosa added on Shutterfly! I still trying to figure this one out, hopefully you can see it too!

http://share.shutterfly.com/view/flashShareSlideshow.jsp?sid=1Abs2blw3ZMnjg

Baby Kicks

Here we are again... now on my 32 week and not even believing that I am in my third trimester now. Belly growing by the minute.. Still not quite ready to give up on the stilettos yet, but now is much more difficult as gravity makes challenging. Now I am curious to see how Kangaroos with all that weight in front can jump the way they jump.. I have been walking my dear dog and after 30 minutes I don't think I am walking much more like whaling.
But not matter what, the most amazing thing is when the baby kicks, sometimes soft, sometimes extremely strong, sometimes in all sides and I wonder... legs, arms, butts all in movement? It feels like that... but it is just the most amazing feeling.. not to say that if kicks too much, we say.. c'mon not so much and if the baby does not kick at all in my case I freak out! So no matter what the whole guilty thing I think starts in the first day when you discovered you are pregnant and then nothing will be the same again.
The kicks for me is a way of communicating and it does not matter if hurts, if it is unconfortable or if people will start starring at your belly and if others will notice your belly going back and forth like a dance, no matter what I still love them and I can't not see pregnancy without it.
Did you feel the same? Is that true citric fruits and juices make kicks worse?
What are your thoughts?

Career and Pregnancy

It almost February!
And the belly is growing by the minute now.
It is interesting as discussing with other friends that had to work during pregnancy, I thought that somehow would slow me down a bit! What is incredible is the opposite that since pregnant I got more energy than SDG&E. What is that all about? It is kind of trick when you have to juggle career and being an new expectant mom and had to deal with this overall bad economy and knowing that your baby will be born in the middle of a recession! I think this is might have been of motivates me to get going...
Now, I understand when my friends were pregnant and used to say that when pregnant that they would be hopeful for something. Now I totally understand why.
The funny thing is that those cute little working clothes don't fit you anymore even in a dream and that now instead of high end stilettos, we may find some contemporary sneakers attractive to work. Am I in New York? Oh, yes, the Havaianas since I am in San Diego (flip-flops from Brazil) I may need a couple of those please!
No matter where you are, do and want to be, just keep on going...
LoL

Kicks and Cramps!

Here we are!
24 weeks of love later, and let me tell you, one of the most amazing feelings I have ever had is the feeling of a kick or kicks inside of me. It is the most curious, exciting, surprising and scary at the same time. Right now, the kicks are getting stronger and more active, usually at nights when is most active, perhaps because of all the motion during the day as I have not slowed down for a bit yet. I am still working, running all over the place and Thank God, I have energy for the both of us but when the kicks come, it really make you to "Stop" for a second to realize that is not about you anymore, but about something inside of you, and every time that happens to me, I am aware how marvelous human body is and what is capable to do and handle and that you are alive.
For the Cramps,, WOW! I have been feeling them since my 13 week and it is just on my calves and it happens very often at least every other day, usually at night. They are not the best feelings I tell you know and they are very uncomfortable as I am on my deepest dreams and suddenly "Bingo" in the middle of the night.. the leg cramps are there to awake you up out of the blue for a few seconds.. just to say the least that there is nothing glamorous about Leg Cramps.
If you also went through that somehow or now what it causes, please let me know.
But still lets keep the stilettos and Everything in the name of Beauty, right?

Maternity Store.

You may be wondering when I took these pictures?
These pictures were taken when I was 21 weeks pregnant and this was before Christmas. Now I am on my 24th week and I am feeling good. The belly is surely growing and now there is not way to hide. Blouses and pants are tight and what I needed the most was new bras since the ones I have does not fit me anymore. So, I took the opportunity as one of my good friends gave me a gift certificate for Christmas for a Maternity Store and for my surprise and excitement this was my first time going to a Maternity Store.
I felt like a child coming into the store, not really knowing what I was going to find, I just knew that I need new bras. I had no clue how important a bra becomes after you become pregnant. It is a essential part of your fashion wardrobe not just to say, to be comfortable is everything I look for right now.
It was fun to browse around the store. The sales girls are very attentive and they all try to make you very special and very comfortable and of course they try to stuck you up with all kind of goodies from the store. For me, I kept my focus on the bras but at the end I left with elastic bands (something you put on your belly to make comfortable when you were your pair of jeans.
It was a nice experience, perhaps next time I will go just to have fun and not just to find a bras but also to see what exactly goes behind a Maternity store and their powerful Marketing force.

Sunday, January 11th 2009

Happy New Year to all of you!
It has been a few weeks since I wrote in this blog. It has been a hectic 2 weeks for us.
Let's start saying that we moved (literally) over New Year's Eve. Piles of Boxes and furniture piled everywhere. Not just to say that stress is just a kind of feeling when you are not sure of what is going to happen, perhaps that's why "strees" is so trendy and one way or another everybody feels it in certain point of their lives.
But it is a New Year and with that a hope of a much better and brighter year for all of us!
We have the future to look at, we have a new president and with that our highest expectations...
I am hopeful of a New Year filled with promises and more than ever now, It is time for all of us to be hopeful, to appreciate what we have, even if the times are not that enthusiastic or prosperous, we still have something to appreciate.
Let's keep that in mind and let's make a difference somehow. Let's start with our neighbors, or our old parents, or a friend that needs our help or just our ears, the crying child that needs attention and so many other little things that can make such a big difference in our daily lives. It does not matter where we live or where we are, the most important is the essence we carry inside of us.
Think about that for a moment.. I am sure you will feel better!
Magical Sparkles to all.

21 weeks of love!