30 Weeks - One Quarter Left!

All About Mommy and Daddy - Through Ava's Eyes
Mommy asked me to do the blog tonight because she was very tired. I wasn't sure what to write about, so I am going to tell you all what mommy and daddy did this week. Every morning, Angelo and I get to cuddle with daddy for awhile when mommy first goes to work. On most days, he goes to work and puts us in our cage. One day this week, daddy got to stay home with us all day. We absolutely love it when he takes us on runs - which he did on this day. Poor Angelo, though, he tuckered out about half way through the run and daddy had to carry him. I, on the other hand, could run for miles! Mommy and daddy are going to enter us in the Wiener Nationals again this summer. I hope I win this time! Angelo has no prayer. Come down and watch us on August 8th at River Downs in Cincinnati!

Moving on, early Friday morning, it was storming really bad. I hate the rain and I hate going out to pee in the rain even more. This storm was different, though. The thunder was so loud and there was so much lightening. Daddy got a call at 5 a.m., which isn't unusual. It's usually something to do with his work. I could tell that this call was different by the way that daddy was reacting. When he got off the phone, mommy sounded scared, too, and he told her that his workplace had been destroyed by the storm. Daddy later said that it was a mini-tornado that hit his work! He left for work at 530 am that day and didn't get home until 9 pm. I could tell that mommy was really missing him when she got home from work. She took a nap with me and Angelo until 8 pm that night - Daddy would never let her do that!

The next day, Angelo and I got very excited because we were leaving to go on a trip. The worst part about it was that we had to be buckled in the back seat. Before mommy had this baby in her tummy, we got to be buckled up front with her. Now, mommy can't get comfortable when we are on her lap, so we have to go in the backseat. I am very sad about this and I cry for about the first 15 minutes or so. Then I cry some more periodically throughout the trip. I'm hoping that mommy will one day bring at least me back up there with her, but I'm starting to believe that it will never happen again. We finally got to our destination, which according to mommy and daddy, was Columbus, Ohio. We ran into the house of mommy and daddy's friends - Ashley and Chris. We were stopped in our tracks by what looked like a big horse and his name was Ben. Mommy later told me that he was a Newfoundland - a very big dog. He ended up being nice after he batted me and Angelo around first. Then mommy and daddy said me and Angelo needed practice with this small human named Isaac. Isaac pulled my ears, banged on me with his hand, pulled my skin, and yanked my collar. I remained calm and cool, though, because I knew that's what mommy and daddy wanted me to do. I have a feeling that kind of stuff might be happening a lot to me in the near future. Angelo just wanted to lick the small human. Mommy kept pushing him away from Isaac, so I'm guessing that we aren't really supposed to do that to small humans. Licking is fun! After a fun-filled day in Columbus, we went back home to see our sister Sophia.

Mommy and daddy spent the whole day today working on the house because all of Daddy's family came over to our house to celebrate daddy's birthday. Me and Angelo's favorite part was licking up all the crumbs that people spilled on the floor. Mommy also gave me and Angelo a bath, cleaned out our ears, and clipped our nails. She kept telling us that she does this because she loves us, not because she likes to see us upset - which we were. I guess love means suffering. Well, mommy needs to take over from here so I'm going to go lay on a pillow and cuddle up with my brother. I hope you all enjoyed my week!

Our Dreamgirl

Lidia, our love for you was brought to a whole new level this weekend. As you know, we got to see you in a 3D/4D ultrasound. We got to see your chubby cheeks, your round nose, your cute little hands and feet, and your beautiful eyes. It was so surreal because you looked like an actual baby. I know that you have so much more developing to do in the next 10 weeks, but you honestly looked like a full-term baby. You were very intent on keeping your hands and your feet in front of your face during most of the ultrasound. The ultrasound tech kept pushing on my belly to get you to move, but you wouldn't move much. I told her that you are used to being jostled around when I run and when the animals step on you, so I didn't expect you to care too much that she was rocking you all around. It's OK, though, because we got some pretty good pictures of you. And either lucky or unlucky for you, you resemble my newborn picture quite a bit. 10 weeks ago we saw you for the first time and 10 weeks from now we will get to actually hold you in our arms. There are no words to explain how full our hearts are already with love for you!

The major development going on this week is your brain. Your brain is now able to regulate your body temperature, which means that the soft hair covering your body, lanugo, will start to fall off (you won't need it to keep you warm anymore!). I have no doubt that your brain will grow big and you will be a very smart girl! Daddy and I are going to stare at your pictures, as we have been doing all weekend. Goodnight sweet Lidia!

29th Week - The Last of the Twenties

All About Us


Jason and I are currently relaxing after an exciting weekend with the Schneider family at Lake Cumberland. Lake Cumberland is in Jamestown, Kentucky and is about 3 hours south of our home. We got to the house that Jason's parents rented late Friday night and spent all day Saturday on the Lake. We rented a pontoon boat and a jet ski. We had fun getting out in the water and swimming around with the fishies. Jason was quite the speed demon on the jet ski, which is one of the reasons I refused to get on it. I have heard so many horror stories about jet skis that I decided to play it safe and stay on the boat and in the water. There's always next year! I thought that I could get away with no SPF for the first couple hours I was out there, but I was badly mistaken. My shoulders are now the same color of red as the red in the McDonald's sign. The rest of my body was pretty much saved, though. So in addition to all of the discomforts of pregnancy, I have to add sunburn to my list - with no one to blame but myself. Another lesson learned - no spf = a very uncomfortable and grumpy pregnant lady. Our sleep was a little compromised this weekend as well. I couldn't get comfortable due to many factors - backache, anxiety, sunburn, dogs, small bed, husband taking up too much room, etc. And lets face it, when you're sleeping next to someone who can't get comfortable, you can't get to sleep either - which was Jason's story. Lidia was up with us as well, poor thing. So here's to a good nights sleep tonight in our own bed- hopefully!


Squishy Squash



Hi my dear! You are now the size of a squash - strange comparison but I'm cool with it. You are a whopping 3 pounds and you are about 16 inches from head to toe. I am guessing that it is your foot that has been jabbing my upper right ribs these days, as the Doctor said that you are head down. Speaking of Doctors, we got to go to our monthly visit again this week. Mommy and daddy learned many things, one being that mommy has gained a total of 20 pounds so far. I was extremely surprised by this number, but have since been made aware that it is right on target for this stage in pregnancy. You, on the other hand, are a mere 3 pounds according to the doctor. That means that you are growing as you should be! We also got to hear your heartbeat again, at which time the Doctor said you were showing off. We have now seen 4 out of the 7 women doctors at our clinic, which means we only have 3 left to see. They have all been very nice and extremely knowledgeable. I have no doubt that you and I will be in very good hands no matter which one of them delivers you. Our next appointment was set for 3 weeks away instead of the typical 4 weeks- which is a sign that the end is in sight. The closer our appointments get, the sooner you will be here in our arms! Your daddy and I keep talking about next Saturday when we will get to see you again at our 3D/4D ultrasound. I have heard that the pictures we will get to see of you will be very similar to what you will actually look like when we get to see you in person. So you can imagine how excited we are for this! Don't worry, we will be sure to post pictures for all to see:) We will see you soon, Lidia!

28 Weeks

An Open Letter to My Husband, Lidia's Father

It has been one year. 365 days. 52 weeks. Not a day, week, or now year has gone by when I don't thank God for you. I am convinced that you are an angel sent down from heaven especially for me. This past year has been the best year of my entire life - all which can be credited to you, my husband. I had always heard that the 1st year of marriage was the roughest. I was prepared for the worst - the fights, slammed doors, thrown kitchen plates (ok, maybe not that extreme). But something else happened - the first year of marriage was awesome! Yes, we have had our fights, but the best thing about us is that we actually learned from them. Take a look back at where we were when we first were married - we were two different lives merging into one. We have made so many compromises in this past year that have made our lives so much better. For example, it really irked you how I would leave dishes in the sink, so I decided that I would make your life easier by putting them in their appropriate places. And you know I hated it when you left the seat up on the toilet and then blamed it on Angelo. Now, I can't even remember the last time I went to the bathroom and had to put the seat down. The great thing about our love is that we both want to make each other happy. The selfish lifestyle of single life is not remaining in our home anymore. We are a team in so many aspects. We all know I would have never been able to train and complete any of the 3 5K's I ran this year without you. Your motivation and confidence in me has made me feel like I can accomplish anything, as long as you are by my side. And I'm sure that all the home improvement projects you have done this year wouldn't have been possible without my help, motivation, and confidence in you. We have made some very important decisions together this year - from putting our house on the market to taking it off and from getting pregnant to naming our baby. One thing is evident, no matter what decision we make, as long as it is a mutual decision, it has always proven to be the best for us. As a girl growing up, I could have never imagined finding a love as strong as our love. My life before you was extremely empty - I was always thinking, "There's gotta be more to life." From the moment I met you I knew that I would marry you. You were it - you are more than anything I could have ever imagined a husband to be. My life is meaningful now that you have entered it and again, I thank God for you. Remember my Dad's toast at our wedding when he said that you would now be the man helping me through troubled waters? Well he was absolutely right. You have always been there for me in the still water, waiting for me to make it through the troubled water so you could catch me. I have no doubt in my mind that Lidia is going to be the luckiest girl alive to have a father like you. You and I will be teaming up again to be the best parents to Lidia that we can be. I am so lucky to have you, Jason Matthew. Happy 1st Anniversary - I love you!

3rd Trimester!

Hello baby! We have now successfully entered the 3rd trimester and Daddy and I are already so proud of what you have accomplished. I can now feel actual fluid movements from you - not just kicks and jabs. For example, I can feel and see what seems to be a leg or an arm moving across my belly. I can also feel when you change positions. You seem to like when mommy is having conversations with other people, as this is the time when I feel you move like crazy. I'm sure you have much to add to the conversation!

You are supposively able to dream now and I wonder what you are dreaming about. Could it be the day when you finally get to see your mommy and daddy? Because we certainly dream about that day! You are continuing to practice sucking and blinking and might even be coughing in there. You must be growing up a storm because there's not one day that goes by that someone doesn't comment on how big my belly is getting.

It's time for bed now, sweet one. You are so sweet the way you sleep when mommy does. Good night Lidia!

27 Weeks of Baby

All About Us

Baby Brain - yes, it is really a true condition and I have become a victim. Apparently, the blood flow to my brain is acting rather sluggish and causing me to work extra hard to remember things. My Jeopardy! skills are also suffering due to my brain's slow processing. People say that the reason this happens is due to the low blood pressure pregnancy causes. So, I apologize ahead of time if I forget important dates and certain facts I should know. Oh yeah, and don't hold it against me when I "forget" to shower on Sundays. :)

As far as other pregnancy symptoms I'm experiencing this week, just give me a checklist of possible symptoms and I could put a check by each and every one. Needless to say, this hasn't been the greatest week of pregnancy. I am very eager for the next 3 months to go by as quickly as possible so that I can feel like myself again. Yes, I'm whining, but boy does it ever feel good. Luckily for me, I have the most caring, understanding, and empathetic husband ever. He gives me a massage every single day without even being asked. We went to a Reds game last night with one of Jason's friends and he asked me, "When are you guys due?" I immediately shot back with, "We?! I am due at the beginning of September." But then I realized how selfish I was being by saying that and I apologized. Even though I am the one experiencing this pregnancy 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, Jason is too - just in a different way. And I don't think this happens with every husband/partner. I know that Jason feels every ache and every ounce of anxiety I have running through my body. I can tell this because he does everything in his power to make me feel better. He doesn't feel 100% unless I feel 100%. And that makes me the happiest woman alive. Well, that, and our dear Lidia.

Your First Reds Game!

Well hello my little crazy legs! I hope you were able to enjoy your first Reds game last night. We were part of a sold-out crowd of over 40,000 fans. And, we got to sit 7 rows back from the Reds dugout. What a night! I felt you kicking while we were there, but it was probably because mommy stuffed herself at dinner again. Speaking of dinner, you got to hear mommy's friend Jena and her husband Mark as we scarfed down food from Don Pablos. Their 2 boys are going to be a couple of your best friends! Also, you were a hit in Mommy's new shirt, as many people stopped to compliment us on it.

I cannot hardly believe it, but this week you are a whopping 15 inches! That would explain why in the mornings when I am laying in bed I can feel you wake up and hit me on both sides of abdomen at the same time. It's a great way to start my day! Next week, mommy has to officially start counting your kicks. This "kick count" insures that you are happy and healthy. As long as I count 10 kicks in 1 hour, 2 times a day, you are doing fabulous. I have no doubt in my mind that this will be easy. We both know how much you love to squirm around! You are also putting some more meat on those bones as you are weighing in at over 2 pounds. As far as developments are concerned, your eyes are now open after being fused shut for the past 7 months. It's supposedly pretty dark in there, so there's not much for you to see. But, you can at least practice blinking!

Our sweet Lidia, next week we will enter the last phase of this pregnancy and then you will finally be here in our arms. Your mommy and daddy dream about you every second of every day. We love you so much!