Week 28

Mar 13, 2011

By this week, your baby weighs two and a quarter pounds (like a Chinese cabbage) and measures 14.8 inches from the top of her head to her heels. She can open and close her eyes, which now sport lashes. This movement is more of a reflexive blink than a deliberate opening and closing, but it won't be long before she's batting those beauties at you.

A Great Bridal Shower, But a Trip to Remember!!!

March 12th
SSSOOO….it all started 2.5 years ago when auntie Andrea got engaged! Fast Forward to present day and I am driving to Wilmington to meet Dana so we can then go together to NJ for Andreas Bridal Shower J We are doing so well on time! We stop for gas…which this is totally important as we read further, and have a potty break! At this time we are about 10 minutes away J Then all the cars come to a stop, and move to the right to get off the highway….long story short, with all the rain, the highway flooded and it was shut down! It took us a lot of miles, a lot of headache, and lot of sitting through the same light, some delayed green signs, another bathroom break, which included a vanilla and chocolate milkshake, for us to reach Andrea’s house 4 hours later….ggggrrrr

Most importantly, we made it safe though, and have such a good story to tell later on!
The bridal shower was amazing! Andrea look fabulous! And it was nice to get dressed up, since Rob and I don’t do that often….well hardly ever. Though I like the thought of going casual, it is nice to be wined and dined once in a while in something a bit nicer than jeans and a sweater!

Saturday evening, we decided to hit the town! Being Prego, I get to be the DD all the time, which was amazing! I had a great time with my belly also!! We went to a nice dinner…a Japanese grill…..mmmmm And then headed home after…it was a long dinner! But we needed to get home since someone partied a bit to hard to fast….names shall remain nameless!! J J Once home, Baby Mendez put on a dancing show for everyone in my tummy! Moving from side to side, and doing all sorts of news fun tricks! What a funny kid already!!

Sunday came way to soon and we had to leave L BUT two weekends is the Norfolk Shower….sssooo game on!!!

Alyssa, Drcy, Andrea, Dana, Ashley S, Ashley R

Alyssa and Andrea

Ashley, Ashley , Dana

Ashley and Andrea

Darcy and Andrea

All of us!!!!

Abby and the baby

Mar 8^th 2011Abby and I were laying in bed just he two of us hanging out. She was able to see the baby move and roll around a lot. She got a kick out of my tummy moving and rolling from side to side with the occasional kick. At this time, this kid likes to roll instead of kicking…which is ok, because there are some times when a foot meet my ribs and it is TOTALLY NOT COOL!!! What a painful feeling!!

Girls real birthday

March 7^th, 2011
Happy Birthday girls!!! My girls are the BIG 5!!
Today was a pretty exciting day…cupcakes for school…dinner was steak, seafood, chicken, all kinds of good stuff!! The whole Mendez side was here enjoying dinner! We had a great time hanging out and eating a lot of food!
Happy birthday babies

Happy Birthday Girls!!

Mar 5^th, 2011
What a fabulous day today!!! it’s the girls birthday party!! They are getting so big! Monday they will be 5, but today is the BIG party day!!! Today consisted of Rob and I going to bed at midnight last night because we were blowing up to many balloons…..then waking up at 6ish for breakfast, coffee, and then more setting up for the party!

Our backyard was transformed from a normal backyard into a Hello Kitty / Tangled DREAM kids party. This was done in a nice orderly fashion….then….the misting rain came! BOO! We thought it would pass, then at 12:45, the party is to start at 1...here comes something more than a mist, and we move it all inside!
The magician came inside and did a great show! HE even levitated one of the girls! Every kid was amazed by the show, even thought he music was a bit to loud! Once it was turned down, the kids enjoyed the show MUCH more! There were lots of tricks, laughing, and much enjoyment.

While the magician was entertaining, Rob and Uncle Willy dressed up as clowns an handed out cotton candy and popcorn. They had the best face painting ever! Thanks to Aunt Flo…

Aunt Flow is a face painter who came to do lots of face painting for the kids here. There were probably close to 30 here that day…A LOT of kids and parents! She did such a wonderful job and had many compliments by numerous people at the party and the other entertainers!

Next came the petting zoo…..HOW COOL. We had a HUGE bunny, a guinea pig, a goat that ate everything, a kissing lama, a large pony, a small pony, and some other small animals. Way to cool! The kids got a huge kick out of it.

During this time, we also had a balloon sculptor, trampoline, and a large moon bounce. Kids got some neat things from the balloon guy. After the petting zoo came the BIG EVENT! The princesses….Princess Rapunzel and Princess Belle. The came to wish Abby and Nise a Happy birthday and give them their cakes J The cakes were beautifully decorated and tasted VERY good!!!

Soon everything began to wind down…so sad. Parents were leaving, kids did not want to go and cried when they were forced to leave. Soon it was jus the family. We got some food real quick, and then the mischief began. Rob has done fireworks for their last few birthdays…and this year was not going to be any different. It was just the case of where do we do it….

There is a school behind us, and the guys thought that would be a good area. HOWEVER, some of the guys didn’t know where the house was at night and if the cops caught them, to run to an unknown destination with a bag full of fireworks was a lot…so what do any intelligent almost 40 year old men do…SHOOT FIREWORKS OFF OF THE ROOF….yes the house roof! Thank goodness my homeowners insurance is up to date J

Anyways we had a great show from the roof of our sunroom J However….and there is a Big however…remember the cop talk earlier???….well we walk inside and there is a ring at the door…guess who it is….the COPS! Thank goodness for a cool cop…he wanted to make sure everything was ok. Also to say he does not arrest girls who have their face painted and who shoot off fireworks. So they got off J

You should see how the evening ended…by this picture it was a VERY successful day!

Week 27 - 91 days to go!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

This week, your baby weighs almost 2 pounds (like a head of cauliflower) and is about 14 1/2 inches long with her legs extended. She's sleeping and waking at regular intervals, opening and closing her eyes, and perhaps even sucking her fingers. With more brain tissue developing, your baby's brain is very active now. While her lungs are still immature, they would be capable of functioning — with a lot of medical help — if she were born now. Chalk up any tiny rhythmic movements you may be feeling to a case of baby hiccups, which may be common from now on. Each episode usually lasts only a few moments, and they don't bother her, so just relax and enjoy the tickle

Mar 6 2011

Sonogram day!!

Feb 23. 2011
I am fully convinced this baby is already a prince or a princess. Yes, we got all the measurements we wanted for the new sonogram J but without a little pushing and moving, etc. This baby did not want to cooperate in any way! The baby kept putting his hand over his face, turning away, not being a good baby J FYI, the difficult side comes form his daddy!!

Anyways, the girls went with me that day. They have been asking to see the baby and also asked if I would burp the baby out so they could see it….oh gosh girls, if it only worked that way, women would be so much happier!!! They were so good sitting watching the TV screen waiting patiently for the monitor to be turned around to see their new baby brother or sister. The lady doing the sonogram was fantastic! She pointed out everything to them, including the nose, face, eyes, cheeks, the baby swallowing, smiling, etc. I was very much intrigued. They didn’t want the appointment to stop at all. Abby kept asking the nurse to bring out the baby so she could hold her. Nise wanted me to burp it out to know if she was going to have a brother or a sister.

After the sonogram, the girls stayed with the lady to get stickers and have girls chat, and I went potty and weighted myself L L So far 10 pounds J I am happy with that, but I feel like it is a lot more than 10 pounds. I lost all tone to my body!!!

Once I came back we went into the room to meet the doctor. He was FANTASTIC!!! It was like I didn’t not exist, and the girls took center stage! But anything was better than the last doctor I had!

TO sum up our appointment, baby Mendez is in the 45^th percentile for height and weight. This was good to hear, bc the doctors did not want a huge baby right from the get go. I am healthy and most importantly the baby is healthy.

Next appointment is the 28 week glucose test and a checkup. Counting down to the third trimester!!!

Bon Jovi

Feb 27^th, 2011
Like Frankie said….I did it my way….
I went to my first concert as a Prego woman. I felt big, huge, large, going in and out of the Verizon Center BUT managed to fit into a pre Prego shirt J So that really helped! Rob has been working crazy hours and I have been spending a lot more time with my girls, so we had all of a few minutes to get ready for the concert! I think we both needed a adult break. This was a perfect event, and it is also the second time we have scene him together. And Bon Jovi is still a good looking man J We made it with plenty of time to spare and had a nice time enjoying the company. Also we were both excited to see how the baby would do with the music. Well to much disappointment, this baby didn’t move to much, then we came to the encore. This baby was a rockin’ and rollin’ I guess we have a future lover of Bon Jovi on our hands J I was getting kicked left and right and my tummy was moving a lot J the feeling never gets old.

Hello Gorgeous!



Week 26

Week 26
Feb 27 2011

ever heard of one of these??

this is what is going on inside...

The network of nerves in your baby's ears is better developed and more sensitive than before. He may now be able to hear both your voice and your partner's as you chat with each other. He's inhaling and exhaling small amounts of amniotic fluid, which is essential for the development of his lungs. These so-called breathing movements are also good practice for when he's born and takes that first gulp of air. And he's continuing to put on baby fat. He now weighs about a pound and two-thirds and measures 14 inches (an English hothouse cucumber) from head to heel. If you're having a boy, his testicles are beginning to descend into his scrotum — a trip that will take two to three days.

Happy Birthday Uncle Mike

Feb 26^th, 2011
So the Mendez family planned a nice get together to celebrate Uncle Mikes Birthday! He is ??? Years old! Happy Birthday Uncle Mike!! It was suppose to be Friday, but due to a power outage, it was cancelled. So Friday night we had a smaller family dinner for the girls, Robs parents, Rob and myself. What a fun evening yesterday was. However, Saturday we had the big dinner. Yummy and tasty. The girls made a cake for Uncle Mike. One was chocolate and the other was funfetti. I think it was yummier to eat the batter though. We had a great time making it! The girls got to do a lot of the decorating also for the cake…it was way to cute. My mistake though….leaving the cake out at Wita’s house on the table and the girls, Baby John (cousin) Uncle Willie, picking at it….well at least it looked good when it arrived J J all the picking must have meant it was good also!!! And it was….mmmmm

We all gathered and had a great time! I like having the family get together because it allows this Baby Dez to hear all sorts of voices, and hopefully recognize some when we have the big debut. So Baby Dez got to hear all his / her cousins voices, grandparents, Aunts, Uncles, etc. It was such a nice time! IT reminded me o much of the get togethers my family and I have. Eating, talking, eating, sitting at the table complaining we are to much, and eating again, finishing with dessert J It was such a wonderful time by all. IT was such a good time, I didn’t even give Rob a hard time about working to much on a Saturday evening and arriving fashionably late…like 2 hours late. Well at least the girls and I were on time J

Even being late it was a good time, Happy Birthday Uncle Mike, may you have many many more wonderful years!!!

Disney Princess on Ice

Feb 19^th 2011

So Rob and I took the girls to see Disney Princess on Ice! How cool! We had a great time! It was pretty enjoyable. BUT…the absolute best part of this whole experience this evening!!!! DRUM ROLL PLEASE!!! The lady who worked at Verizon asking me if I was ok….I said yes, I am ok, I just need to potty and the bathroom line was to long, so I need to wait, I wont be able to stand in line. Well as a formal Prego lady herself, she said in a stern voice…FOLLOW ME!! Well….kinda odd....but DEAL! I was on my way following this woman when she showed me a small hidden women bathroom. HELLO!! I fell in love with her, and so did my bladder! She was just amazing!

After much relief, I was able to go back and enjoy the second half of the show! The girls were in love with it, and thought it was so neat to see all the princess in one place skating…..OH! Did I mention we were front row…way to go rob!!!

Week 25!

February 21, 2011
Head to heels, your baby now measures about 13 1/2 inches. Her weight — a pound and a half — isn't much more than an average rutabaga, but she's beginning to exchange her long, lean look for some baby fat. As she does, her wrinkled skin will begin to smooth out and she'll start to look more and more like a newborn. She's also growing more hair — and if you could see it, you'd now be able to discern its color and texture.
~www.babycenter.com

Sonogram tomorrow….getting to see the baby is always a great feeling. I can not wait….4:00 come ASAP!!!

Nise getting beat up!!!

February 19, 2011
Saturday night, I was laying in bed and soon the pitter patter of feet come walking in the door. “Ashley (so cute in a tired voice!), I wanna snuggle!” Ok Nise, come on in! Well for an hour or so Nise and I had a wonderful conversation solving all the worlds problems. At night, this baby likes to move a lot. So I was telling Nise about the baby. She then laid her head on my tummy, and felt the baby moving. She thought this was the neatest thing ever. She is already getting kicked, punched…basically beat up by her young brother or sister. This baby will soon realize he or she has two older sisters, and will have to proceed with caution, because the way these two team up, this kid is a goner!!! Nise thought feeling the baby move and seeing the actual tummy move was a very neat experience. It was a cool experience to have with her and to see her in awe and amazement with what is inside the belly.

Nise then feel asleep on the belly, and woke Abby up the next morning saying Nise got to feel the bay, and Abby did not! UT OH….we all learned what happens next from fighting class 101!!! It began a bit of a fight. Of course the baby wasn’t moving at that time so we had to improvise….just contract the abs, and say it’s the baby moving….instant gratification for the girls! All is well, and another fight is diverted!

Both girls now tell everyone how their baby brother or baby sister is beating tem up already! What a funny story to hear over and over again. Baby Dez better watch it, because he will be out one day and have to face them!

kicking all night long!

February 18^th 2011
After coming home, Rob and I were chatting awake for 2 hours or more. I guess a lot has happened in the past day or so.

Anyways, finally relaxing watching some tv, knowing it was getting close to bedtime, the baby decided it was time to rock and roll. This kid has decided to be very active in the early AM and at nighttime. Seriously this movement when its bedtime, and before I have to get up is getting annoying!!! Lets get on a sleep pattern baby Dez!!!

Besides that, sine it was time to move around, Rob got to feel the baby move around a lot. He got to feel the heartbeat and lots of kicks with his hand! I thought it was a neat experience fort him to feel and he certainly got a kick out of being kicked!!!

Zoo Babies

February 18, 2011
Today was a super exciting day…..going to the DC zoo with Mrs. Mendez, Robs’ mom, Natalie,, Rob’s sister, Abby, Nise, And rob’s nieces and nephews, Lauren, Peter, John, and Sophia. It was such a gorgeous day! 75 and sunny!!!! We first got there to see the baby lions. I have decided I no longer want a dog, I would like to just have a baby lion, and keep it super cute and small before it gets big! But I was told no….baboon Rob you are not a lot of fun!!!

After the lions, we made our way around the zoo laughing and playing, enjoying the weather. We saw numerous animals, giant anteater, pandas, elephants, numerous birds, apes, and even the new baby ape! To cute!!! All the young kids got a huge kick out of these animals and mimicking them around the zoo.

It was a nice day to eat outside for a picnic enjoying each others company. This gave the kids a lot of time to run around and play. Burning off some energy! You could tell this on the way home when Abby and Nise feel asleep and didn’t wake up at all!!! They were totally worn out!!

They need to recharge because tomorrow is Disney Princess on Ice FRONT ROW!!!!!!

Abby, Nise, and Cousin John on top of the wagon enjoying the easy life

The new baby lions...i wanna take one home!!!!

My baby Nise and Baby Ariel

I want him also to come home!  A baby Ape

Sisterly love

Abby, John, and Nise with the Ape

reconizing voices...maybe???

There are times when Rob walks in saying hello and the baby begins to move a lot. I think Baby Dez is beginning to recognize Daddy’s voice J I hope this is true, and me not making this up in my head. But this seems to have happened more than once. What a cool feeling at any point to feel the baby move, but a special feeling for the baby to move when hearing Daddy’s voice.

Nice compliment….I mean…

So at some point over this past weekend Rob turned to me and said WOW!!! Did you get bigger from last night…..You are getting bigger everyday! Well….gggeeezzzz….Rob THANKS! I feel huge! This is during the time Abby was playing with the camera and they are some very unflattering pictures, but had to post my girls photography skills!!

New York weekend!!

Feb 11 - 13^th 2011
So if you knew Rob and I, we seem to always push the limits. We tend to plan things a bit last minute, which is very different for me, since I can be a bit more of a planner. However, I have to give a lot of credit where credit is due….it always works out for us. There have been numerous times we have done a lot last minute and it work out, not nicely, not great, BUT FANTASTIC!

We always talk about how great it works out for us! Well, we tried again this weekend. Once again, it worked out beyond wonders. We had one fail, but turned out to be the best thing ever!! So Rob, Thanks for a wonderful last minute weekend that could not have been more perfect! All 4 of us thank you very much J

Getting there was a lot of fun…I stayed awake the whole time! The girls fell asleep early, which was good for the long car ride J Rob and I made great time! WE got stuck in one accident at the Lincoln Tunnel, which somehow turned out to be my fault, but we popped in a movie, laid the seats back and watched a movie for 30 minutes.

Saturday we played all day long walking the streets, and eventually coming back for a nap. The girls woke up so early w excitement. After a fun day of walking around, going to top of the Rock to see the city from a different view, we ate at Roxy’s. The sandwiches were probably 10 inches high…HUGE!!! But oh my goodness ssssooooo good!!! After our nap, we woke up for our first ever Broadway play, Mary Poppins! It was a lot of fun, the girls got a kick out of it. BUT!! The best part…our seats were DIRECLTY…and I mean DIRECTLY in fron ton Mary Poppins when she floew away at the end of the play. The girls though this was the coolest thing EVER! They got to wake to each other…so of course Mary Poppins did this just for them!

Another note, Baby Dez seemed to like the singing of Mary Poppins. Baby Dez was certainly getting his grove on in the belly!

There were some major highlights of Saturday….Toys R Us, the LARGE Disney store, Rob getting into a nice argument with the taxi driver, seeing all the lights having our pictures taken with Mickey, Minnie, Pooh, Elmo, and Cookie Monster.

Sunday came way to fast. We were up and at ‘em early for n off Broadway show, a Gazillion Bubbles. Although they were a bit tired, they got a huge kick out of this...I think we all did. The show was amazing! IT really was a gazillion bubbles. There was also a cool laser show along with it. We also got to have our pictures taken within a Bubble. The four of us took a picture together, and it was a small space to stand on, which was tuff considering this belly of mine seems to be getting bigger and bigger!!!

We spent some time Sunday finishing walking around and seeing the sights. We accomplished a lot of sightseeing in a small amount of time. Though it was a busy weekend, we had an absolute blast seeing everything again. The girls can not stop talking about it again! They are extremely anxious to go again J

Minnie and the girls

Elmo and the girls

On top of the Rock

Look how small the building are in the background compared to them!!

M and M store!

Bubbles show!!

Thank you dear for a wonderul weekend!!  I think we all had a wonderful time!!!!!

23 weeks

Today is 23 weeks. This week was the sick week so the photo was taken on Thursday of this Prego week. I am not sure who has the bigger stomach here though. Rob is giving me a run for my money. So baby Dez, please grow to be a healthy weight, but give me a big tummy so I can beat Daddy’s new found tummy. J J You can totally see what I mean below. Please let me know your thoughts on who has the bigger tummy J