Baby crazy!

This past weekend has been a little crazy and a lot of fun. My mom is in town so we have a lot to do. We're always running around doing something! This weekend we got to visit my grandma Durrant (my mom's mom) and my grandma Ruby (my dad's mom), as well as Marilyn, Roger, Scotti, and Haylee. It's always fun to see family. I don't see them enough even though I live in the same state as them. Believe it or not, driving 45 minutes out of Orem is actually a difficult thing for me! We go so wrapped up in our little bubble here that we hardly leave it! I have to say the funniest part about visiting family was watching Nana (My mom's mom) see a laptop for the first time. My mom sat in on her lap to show her a picture and she said, "What is this?" My mom started describing the picture and Nana was like, "But what is this?" Turns out she had no idea what a laptop was. She looked like I would probably look if a UFO landed in front of me and an alien emerged. Joseph and I had to try really hard not to laugh. It was very cute.

This weekend we finally started collecting stuff for the baby. My mom brought me about 5 cute outfits, some bibs, and a blanket. I got my FIRST baby girl gift from Aaron and Megan! It is an adorable pink and white striped polo dress. I can't wait for her to wear it next summer. :)

We also got a crib! I work with a guy who's son has outgrown it and he had it in storage. We got a great deal on a really nice crib. It was really exciting to bring it home and get it all set up. Now I just want to get bedding so that it can look complete! I keep having to remind myself that I'm only 6 months pregnant and I still have time... it's just so much fun!

My mom and I also went shopping on Saturday and I went a little crazy with baby clothes. I probably bought about 8 or 9 onesies, 5 or 6 sleepers, a couple pairs of pants, 2 dresses, and a really cute puffy winter suit. I also got 2 more outfits from Nana as well as a sweet baby blanket. Joseph and I are going to register at Babies-R-Us sometime this week and I cannot wait! My friend Carissa is also starting to plan my baby shower for August. All this baby stuff is so fun!

Ayla's crib:

Karate Kid

Last night, for the first time ever, I was able to feel the baby kick from the OUTSIDE of my tummy. I was laying in bed, feeling her moving all over the place, so I put my hand there and WOW, she kicked me! (Maybe punched, who knows!) I had Joseph put his hand there immediately and luckily she did it again so he was able to feel it too. It was exciting! I felt it a few times after that, but every time I tried to have Joseph feel it again she'd stop moving.

Today she is being a crazy kid and moving alllll over the place. She won't stay still! I can pretty much guarantee that if someone were to put their hand on my stomach at any given time today they would feel her kicking. I think she is practicing to be a kick boxer. Or maybe a dancer! I won't say soccer player because I HATE soccer and I have no interest in being a soccer mom, so I'm hoping it's anything but soccer. :)

I changed our blog layout... I decided I wanted something a little more light and summery. I love the dark colors, but these ones just seem to fit a lot better right now.

My mom will be here in two days. I'm excited for that! It will be nice to have her around for a while. She'll be shuffling back and forth between Tooele and Provo, between my aunts house and our house. That's going to be a lot of driving! Hopefully Joseph and I will get to go to Tooele and visit my aunt and her family as well. And maybe we'll even get to Salt Lake City to visit my grandma! We'll see. Next Tuesday, the 30th, we have an ultra sound. We'll get to see the baby in the morning and then we'll go out to lunch with Joseph's grandma in Draper. After that we will head into Salt Lake City and do some shopping. Hopefully get a few cute baby girl outfits. :) I believe my aunt Marilyn and cousin Haylee with be coming along. It will be fun to have a girly day!

Hopefully this next week goes by as fast as last week did!

IT'S A GIRL!

I am happy to announce that our little baby is going to be a girl! We found out at our "emergency ultra sound", but I haven't been saying anything because I wanted to wait until my mom knew. I tried to keep it a secret so that she could be surprised when she comes to Utah and gets to see an ultra sound with us on the 30th, but I just couldn't! So I gave her the choice and she decided to know now rather than wait.

No one is surprised that I tell, everyone thought that I was going to have a girl anyway, even Joseph. I'm not really surprised either because I had a dream the week before I was pregnant that I had a baby girl with fuzzy black hair. So I think I knew all along that it would be a girl, even though I did want a boy. :) The more that we think about it and talk about it and refer to the baby as "Her" now, rather than "it", the more excited we get.

We already have a name picked out, she will be Ayla Marie Salazar. (Pronounced Eye-luh, like Kyla with an A!) Ayla, more commonly spelled Isla, is a name that Joseph and I both liked long before we ever thought about having a baby together. So when we found out I was pregnant that name kept coming to my mind. Then a few weeks ago I was watching one of our favorite TV shows that we own on DVD and I noticed that a guest character was a foreign girl named "Ayla". I had never seen that spelling before and I fell in love with it. It is a Hebrew name that means "Of the Moonlight". And the more I say it and think about it the more I feel like that is the perfect name for her. I can't think of anything else that I like better. Her middle name is Marie, after Joseph's mother Marielena, who passed away when he was in high school. Put together, the name Ayla Marie means "Beauty and grace of the moonlight". I think that it is beautiful. I know that I'll get some strange responses from people who are not familiar with the name or who don't particularly like it, but I'm sure my mom went through the same thing when she named me "TonJa" instead of "Tonya". :)

My tummy is getting bigger and bigger everyday. I look like a basketball has been cut in half and put under my shirt. The closer we get to having her, the more stressed out we get! Our biggest concern right now is daycare. I HATE the thought of my tiny infant being in a daycare with lots of other children, possibly not getting the attention that she needs. And not to mention price. I have been researching and I'll be lucky if I can find a place that is less that $175 A WEEK. That's a second rent payment! I really don't know how we'll be able to afford it. Another option would be trying to find a nanny, someone who would watch just her, but even that won't be much cheaper. It would be ideal if I could just not work and be a stay at home mom, but that isn't realistic. We wouldn't be able to live comfortably, we'd suffer so much and I think that would put too much strain on our family. Soooo I will just have to stress out about it until the time comes to suck it up and budget it in I suppose!

Joseph and I are about to take off and have lunch. Mark is treating us to lunch at G today, an amazing restaurant that serves amazing meals for cheap! Today is steak day, so we get steak, mashed potatoes, steamed zucchini, salad, and a roll. Yum!

21 Weeks

Week 21 of Pregnancy

How big is your baby? About the size of a large banana — and speaking of bananas, if you eat one this week, there's a good chance your baby will get a taste, too. That's because she swallows a bit of amniotic fluid each day (for nutrition, hydration, and to practice digesting), so she eats whatever's on your menu. In other (not so welcome) news, you may start to notice some stretch marks as your body expands and your belly and breasts just keep on growing. These pink, red, or purple streaks appear when the supporting tissue under your skin gets torn as skin stretches (and stretches and stretches) during pregnancy. Not every woman gets them, though you're a likely candidate if your mom had stretch marks during her pregnancy or if you've gained weight rapidly.


Week 21 Pregnancy Tip: Anxiety
No, that's not the beach ball you lost last summer — there's really a baby in there! Now that you're starting to look pregnant (and not just like you were spending too much time with the Ben & Jerry's) and those kicks can no longer be mistaken for gas, the reality of pregnancy is probably beginning to sink in. And with it, you may find, a few ambivalent feelings you're even ambivalent about admitting. Don't worry — and hang on. At some point in pregnancy (and usually once that pregnancy becomes a very visible reality) just about every expectant mother (and father!) begins to feel anxiety and fear as though she's on a runaway train — with enormous changes coming round the bend. And not only is it completely normal to feel anxious — it's especially healthy to acknowledge it. Talk your feelings over with your friends who've had babies, and they're sure to reassure you that they experienced the same kind of anxiety. (Me a mom? There must be some mistake!) Most important, discuss your fears with your partner, who's probably just as in need of a good heart-to-heart.

Normal, healthy baby!

At my last doctor appointment I had blood drawn for the "Triple Screen Test". (Below I have put what the Triple Screen Test looks for.) I have been a tiny bit stressed out about it ever since. I guess everyone is worried that there could be something wrong with their baby before it's born, so that's normal. This morning I checked my voicemail and I had missed a call from my doctor saying that she had the results from my test. I was scared to call in! But I called and everything came back normal. The babe is healthy and developing perfectly. What a relief! $60 well spent. :)

What does the triple screen test look for?

The triple screen is measuring high and low levels of AFP and abnormal levels of hCG and estriol. The results are combined with the mother's age, weight, ethnicity and gestation of pregnancy in order to assess probabilities of potential genetic disorders.

High levels of AFP may suggest that the developing baby has a neural tube defect such as spina bifida or anencephaly. However, the most common reason for elevated AFP levels is inaccurate dating of the pregnancy.

Low levels of AFP and abnormal levels of hCG and estriol may indicate that the developing baby has Trisomy 21( Down syndrome), Trisomy 18 (Edwards Syndrome) or another type of chromosome abnormality.

Although the primary reason for conducting the test is to screen for genetic disorders, the results of the triple screen can also be used to identify:

-A multiples pregnancy
-Pregnancies that are more or less advanced than thought

I was finally able to get a current picture of my belly, though I took it quickly on my break, so it's not the best! I am definitely getting bigger!




I am for sure able to feel the baby now, it's very, very active! I thought I was imagining it, but we had a little scare on Friday and I found out that it's not all in my head.

Friday afternoon at work I went to the bathroom and I noticed that I was bleeding. That is not normal and not good for a pregnant woman. I, of course, freaked out and immediately had Joseph take me to the emergency room. (everything I've read about bleeding during pregnancy says go straight to the ER, better to be safe than sorry.) After 3 hours in the ER, blood tests, listening to the heartbeat, and an ultrasound, the doctor determined that I had just been doing too much physical activity. (I blame the moving we did last week)

It was extremely scary, I cried a ton, but it was really exciting to get to see our baby. (Sorry Mom, we wanted to wait for you to get here! We'll get to see it again when you are here though, so that's a bonus.)

The baby was moving allll over the place. Even doing complete somersaults. It was waving it's arms all over and it's little mouth was moving non-stop. It looked like it was having an intense conversation, but the ultra sound tech said it is just drinking the amniotic fluid.

The baby is developing perfectly, it's bones look good and normal, it weighs 10 ounces like it should, but she said it's measuring a little small, which is nothing to worry about.

It was such a relief to find out that nothing was wrong and that all I needed was to rest a bit. (Although the ER trip took our last $75 and we were broke for the weekend.)

I am half way through my pregnancy now, which is really weird to think about. It's flying by! I was reading some articles online and it's actually possible for a baby to be delivered at 20 weeks and survive! Of course the chances are slim, but it has happened. I hope that I don't have to deal with that, but it's really amazing that there is a tiny person inside of me that is so developed that with help it could survive in the world.

Here are a couple of pictures of a baby girl that was born at 20 weeks and survived. You can see that she is only the size of a pen!




Look at those tiny perfect feet! I cannot believe that people think it's ok to still have an abortion at 20 weeks. That makes me sick to my stomach.
Last week my boss Mark told me about a Doctor in the Midwest who would perform an abortion at any point in the pregnancy, even at 8 months. Last week that doctor was shot and killed in church. Both Mark and I agree that murder is terrible, but on the other hand, that doctor was murdering hundreds of babies. Since his death his clinic has been shut down and no more abortions will take place there. So he lost his life, but it's hard to see that as a bad thing. It's hard to know how to feel about that one.
Anyway, I need to get back to work. It's a normal busy Monday, I always have something to do!

Week 20

How Your Baby's Growing:

Your baby weighs about 10 1/2 ounces now. He's also around 6 1/2 inches long from head to bottom and about 10 inches from head to heel — the length of a banana. (For the first 20 weeks, when a baby's legs are curled up against his torso and hard to measure, measurements are taken from the top of his head to his bottom — the "crown to rump" measurement. After 20 weeks, he's measured from head to toe.)He's swallowing more these days, which is good practice for his digestive system. He's also producing meconium, a black, sticky by-product of digestion. This gooey substance will accumulate in his bowels, and you'll see it in his first soiled diaper (some babies pass meconium in the womb or during delivery).See what your baby looks like this week. (Or see what fraternal twins look like in the womb this week.)Note: Every baby develops a little differently — even in the womb. Our information is designed to give you a general idea of your baby's development.

How Your Life's Changing:

Congratulations! You've hit the halfway mark in your pregnancy. The top of your uterus is about level with your belly button, and you've likely gained around 10 pounds. Expect to gain another pound or so each week from now on. (If you started your pregnancy underweight, you may need to gain a bit more; if you were overweight, perhaps a bit less.) Make sure you're getting enough iron, a mineral that's used primarily to make hemoglobin (the part of your red blood cells that carries oxygen). During pregnancy, your body needs more iron to keep up with your expanding blood volume, as well as for your growing baby and the placenta. Red meat is one of the best sources of iron for pregnant women. Poultry (especially the dark meat) and shellfish also contain iron. Some common non-meat sources of iron include legumes, soy-based products, spinach, prune juice, raisins, and iron-fortified cereals.

Busy Busy Week...

We moved into our new apartment this week! We officially had everything out of our old place and into the new place by Wednesday morning. It's still a mess, but I hope to get most of it organized this weekend. One thing we still need and have NEVER had is a dresser!! I don't know how we have gone sooo long without a dresser, but I am fed up with it. I am determined to get one within the week so that I don't have to worry about shelves and hangers as much anymore.


It's fun to be in a new area... even if it is only 15 minutes away from the previous area. :) There are new restaurants and stores to check out. We're closer to work and the freeway, which is really nice. And we're literally 2 minutes away from Provo Town Center Mall. So far the only down sides to our new place are:


1. We don't have cable and Internet, like he led us to believe, so if we want that we need to pay for it ourselves.


2. The people that live upstairs have 3!!! Hound dogs. This morning we woke up at 5:30 AM to all 3 dogs howling like they were on a fox chase. It was insane. I could not believe how loud they were, it felt like our house was vibrating. I really hope that doesn't happen every morning. If it does, our landlord will definitely hear about it!


3. We don't have furniture to furnish a 3 bedroom home! And of course, we don't have money to acquire any. And, just my luck, no one is giving away any free or even CHEAP furniture in the classifieds. It seems like they are usually over-flowing with cheap/free furniture, but OF COURSE, not when I need it. I am really regretting selling our couch/coffee table/kitchen table/desk etc. before leaving the old place. I thought Joseph wouldn't be here to help me move and that I could easily acquire those things later on. Dumb.


Besides those things I am really enjoying our new apartment!


Joseph is doing really well on the sales team. His first 2 hours on the phone he made 2 sales. The next day he made 3. Yesterday, his 3rd day, he made 5 sales! Mark pays cash spiffs daily for sales, so his first day he earned $80 cash. The payment goes something like this:


2 sales before 12- $10

3 or more sales- $50


There are a lot more spiff payouts than that, but those are just examples. So on top of his hourly pay and on top of his end of the month commission check, he gets to leave work with cash. He doesn't get it everyday, but Mark keeps a running total of what is owed, so he gets it eventually. Plus Mark buys us lunch if the boys hit a certain amount of sales, which is at least 3 times a week. We are really spoiled and lucky to be working here!


When you earn a lot of cash Mark pays you in one dollar bills and he throws it up in the air, making it fun, and a little humiliating when you have to crawl around and pick it up:

19 Weeks

Week 19 of Pregnancy


Your baby's skin now has a protective coating, while you might be hoping for something to protect you from painful leg cramps.
One minute you're lying peacefully in bed and the next your calf muscle feels like it's about to explode. Leg cramps during pregnancy are pretty common (though no one knows exactly what causes them) and tend to strike at night. You might also be wondering about tingling and numbness in your fingers and toes about now. It's a weird sensation but totally normal, probably a result of your body's swelling tissues pressing on nerves. And speaking of weird, have you ever seen a mango dipped in cheese? Well, that's what your baby looks like this week due to a little growth spurt (she's about a half pound in weight and six inches long) and a substance called vernix caseosa. This greasy white stuff covers your baby's skin, protecting it from the surrounding amniotic fluid. (Without it, she'd look totally wrinkled as she entered the world.) The vernix sheds as delivery approaches, though some babies still sport a bit of the coating at birth.


Week 19 Pregnancy Tip: Feeling Baby Kick

Your sister said she felt her baby kick by this point in her pregnancy, and so did your best friend — but so far, you haven't felt a thing. Except those gas bubbles this morning…but those were gas, weren't they? Maybe, maybe not. Those first tiny kicks can be felt many different ways — anywhere, on average, between week 18 and week 22 — as the merest flutter or the most insistent slug. Or as gas bubbles that aren't gas at all (that's how I felt it that first time — and for days I was sure it was just all the dried fruit I'd been eating). Some of it has to do with a mom's size (the thinner you are, the more likely you are to feel movements earlier), some of it has to do with her muscle tone (the laxer the uterine muscles, the easier it is to feel those kicks — which is why second-timers generally feel them sooner), some has to do with the baby's position (when the baby kicks facing in, it's more difficult to perceive the movements). A due date that's off can also throw off your recognizing that momentous first kick. Don't worry — there's no mistaking the real thing once your baby gets that technique down — and gets big enough to pack a serious punch.

I haven't had a chance to take a picture of my belly yet, but I will try and get one tonight to post on here tomorrow. It's definitely noticable now. The change from last week is pretty crazy!! There have been a couple times that I'm pretty sure I've felt the baby, but of course I just don't know for sure!

Update

WE FINALLY GOT AN APARTMENT!!

It is a 3 bedroom 1 bathroom basement apartment in South Provo. I wish that the ad was still online so I could steal the pictures and post them on here, but he took it down. It's a cute little place with new carpet and flooring throughout, new paint, and new windows. I'm really excited about it! We'll be able to move in on June 14th.

Life has been pretty routine. Just working and walking and riding the bus all day, every day!

My cat has learned that if she leaps at me I will catch her so I now have to be on constant watch for a cat flying towards my chest. She loves to be carried around, I have created a monster. I have always wanted a cat that is more like a dog, constantly playing and following you and wanting attention. But now that I have it I wish I had one that would just lay on the bed by itself every once in a while. I mean HONESTLY, she follows me everywhere! (if you haven't noticed from the pictures I post where she is always present.) My mom sent Joseph and I a really cute baby carrier, which I will be giving to Joseph for Father's day. Don't worry, he doesn't read this blog so the surprise won't be ruined. I decided to open it up and try it out, with my cat Malky as the substitute baby, and she loved it. She did not want to get out. I don't know what I was thinking. Any way for her to be carried around she is going to love. Here's a picture of her in the carrier:

And here's a picture of how she sleeps with me at night. Alllll night. She insists on being as close to my face as I will let her be and there is nothing I can do to make her stay away.

She's a cute kitty. That's about all I have to say for now. I'm sure I'll have plenty to talk about once Joseph gets home!

18 Weeks

Week 18


How Big is the Baby at 18 Weeks Pregnant?
By 18 weeks pregnant your baby is now anywhere from 5 to approximately 6 inches long at 18 weeks and weighs a little over 5 ounces! In case you are wondering that is about the size of a small can of soup!

Your Baby's Growth and DevelopmentBy pregnancy week 18 your baby's heart is developed enough to show some signs of defects. Ultrasound may be used to help detect any structural abnormalities that might exist. Most babies will be born without any congenital abnormalities. If an early ultrasound does detect something abnormal, you can plan ahead for any interventions or surgeries that may be necessary to support your newborn baby after birth.

At pregnancy week 18 your baby is now starting to produce a protective covering along the nerves, called Myelin. This substance will be produced through the ninth month. By now your baby's genitals should be distinguishable, though you may not yet have the opportunity to view them at your health care practitioner's office.

Your Growth and DevelopmentYou should be able to feel your uterus now just below your bellybutton. You should definitely be showing a bit by now. Most women will have gained anywhere from 10 to 15 pounds at this point in time, though some will have gained less and some more. Your uterus is the size of a small melon by this point in time.

Changes in YouSleeping might start to get a bit more uncomfortable as your belly continues to expand during pregnancy 18 weeks and beyond. One of the best things you can do during your pregnancy is lie on your left side, particularly during the third trimester. This will help prevent your uterus from compressing a vein in your body called the inferior vena cava. This vein helps return blood back to your heart. If you haven't invested in a whole body pillow at this point, you might consider one soon.

Most women will undergo an ultrasound sometime between 18 weeks pregnant and 20 weeks pregnant. An ultrasound is typically ordered to help detect birth defects and ensure that the baby is growing properly. Your healthcare provider will examine your baby's placenta and umbilical cord and also determine whether or not the due date you have estimated is likely to be correct.

Many women have their husband join them during their ultrasound visit so they can enjoy the experience of seeing their miniature newborn baby together.

Here's a picture of my belly, I'm pushing it out as much as I can. It seems small for being into my 5th month!



And here is another that shows how you can barely even tell I'm pregnant yet :(