Week 39: Excited!

Good morning sweet pea :)

I got to sleep in this morning until 8:30am! It was so nice and I feel so much more rested than I did yesterday. It's really pretty out and it's supposed to get into the 70s today so maybe your Daddy and I can go for a walk when we get home.

I really liked touring the Children's Center yesterday. Some of the babies in the infant room were teething so they all got frozen blueberries to eat. They all ended up with blue little faces when they were done. I also got a bit sad because I can't imagine giving you up to another person all day long, even now. But it'll be nice that you'll be around other children including little Sam. In the infant room this year there is a baby who is trilingual. He speaks Dutch, English, and Spanish. Wow! We hope that you'll be bilingual and maybe they'll be other children you can talk with in Spanish in the infant room next year.

I was trying some breathing techniques for labor last night and one of the books said I should hold an ice cube in my hand for one minute and try to do the breathing through the burn. Daddy got his stopwatch out and timed me. I was able to do it but I'm sure it's nowhere near labor pain. It was cute to see Daddy with his stopwatch though. He's so ready for you!

Well, back to work for me. Send your Lela Carmen good thoughts...she has another job interview today! I love you sweetie.

-Mommie
(39 weeks, 2 days)

Week 39: Your home away from home

Hi O. This morning your Mommy and I checked out what will likely be the place you spend most of your days when your Mommy goes back to work three months after you're born. It was so nice O! I think you'll love it! I loved it, and think your Mommy liked it too. The people there were so nice and the infant room, where you'll be, was nice too. They had cribs, toys, little chairs, a fridge and storage of each infant's personal stuff (like your diapers). There was also a little park just outside the room where once the weather gets nice they take children to. They had a playroom with a bunch of fun stuff for you to do and a studio where you'd be able to paint and do other arts and crafts work. The only sad part is that we didn't get five full days for you there, only 3 full and 2 half, so we'll have to work something out to get those half days covered for you. It's kinda crazy because I never would have imagined feeling so comfortable leaving you somewhere as I did there. Hope you like it O.

In other news...wouldn't it be funny if I stop working for you before your Mommy did? Well that's an idea that's on my mind of late because the idea of being at work and getting a call from your Mommy telling me it's time scares me, although my work is closer to where your Mommy works than our home is. I think though that you'll likely come out on May 10th, a Thursday. that's my guess, for the record. But any day now would be good with us. Hope all is well with you in Mommy's belly and see you soon.

Pa

Week 39: Titi Jomaira!

Guest Post from Titi Jomaira:

Hello Baby! This will be the last time I write you while you’re in Mommie, how exciting! Well, I just wanted to let you know how excited I am for your arrival. Now that the day for you to arrive is coming up, I’m getting even more excited than I was before. Mommie and Daddy have made the apartment so welcoming for you and everyone’s looking forward to meeting you. Mommie told me she has her hospital bag (or suitcase as she says) ready for the big day packed with any and everything. I’ve also gotten to meet Daddy’s family and Eduardo! So we will all see you soon. Can’t wait!

Love,
Titi Jomaira

Week 39: It can't be May already!

Hi O. So it's May 1st! Crazy huh? It seems like just the other day I was preparing to do thanksgiving with your Mommy's family (which by the way was great!) and then moving from North Carolina to Massachusetts (not fun). Your Mommy and I have since done so much to prepare for you! Besides reading about how to care for babies and taking classes as well, we've bought and put together tons of things, and now I got a new job to help cover the costs of your daycare in the near future! That's right O, I got a new job. I'm pretty excited because it's at a nonprofit and think in addition to getting paid a lot more money it will be a lot more fulfilling for me to do this kind of work.

Last night, as your Mommy told you, we went to a breastfeeding class and it was pretty good. The highlight was seeing a video that clearly showed how babies attach to a breast. Before this video it was all kind of foreign to me, like I know it can't be too complicated but there has to be something to it right? I think your Mommy also got a lot out of it too. We got home late and today, like yesterday I'm pretty tired so I'm looking forward to going home and hanging out with you and your Mommy (my best friend) and maybe watching a movie. See you soon O.

Love you.

Pa

Week 39: Happy Cumplesemana!

Hi sweetie!

Happy 39th week birthday!!

According to Babycenter, you are ready to greet the world! You continue to build a layer of fat to help control your body temperature after birth, but it's likely that you already measure about 20 inches and weigh a bit over 7 pounds. (Boys tend to be slightly heavier than girls.)

Your organs are fully developed and in place, and the outer layers of skin are sloughing off as new skin forms underneath. You continue to prepare for your grand entrance. Your endocrine system, which is responsible for hormone production, is gearing up for birth. You will secrete more stress hormones during birth than at any other time in your life. Once you're out of the womb, those hormones will help manage your bodily systems without the help of my placenta. These tremendous changes demand lots of effort and energy, but you'll be ready.

Your lungs continue to develop, too, right up until you're born. At the moment, the lungs are still working hard to manufacture surfactant, a substance that helps keep the many air sacs from sticking together when you take your first breath.

Right after that initial deep breath comes a wail worthy of an opera diva. The sound of your crying is a bittersweet experience; while no one likes to hear a child expressing fear or discomfort, a loud cry means you're breathing well. Don't expect to see tears yet; your tear glands won't produce tears when crying until you're a few weeks old. And if you don't let out that hallmark howl, don't fret: Some infants don't cry at birth. The important thing is that breathing gets started.

This is what you look like inside of Mommie this week:

This is what Mommie looks like this week:

I can't believe you're 39 weeks sweetie and that we'll be meeting you (in person) in a week or two. I remember back in September when I found out I was pregnant thinking that May was so far away and here it is!

Today is May 1st, also known as May Day or International Workers' Day. All over the US today there are going to be immigrant rights rallies. Immigrants, especially undocumented individuals, aren't treated very well in this country and the restrictions against them are getting bigger every day. Most of the people in the country you're going to be born in are immigrants, either forcibly or voluntary, except for the many indigenous peoples of the land. Your family is all made up of immigrants to this country with your Daddy's family from Costa Rica and my family from the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico. Eventhough your Daddy and I were born with American citizenship as you will be, I hope you remember to look out for all of your brothers and sisters who live in this country without status. Happy May Day sweetie!

Your Daddy and I went to a breastfeeding class last night in Belchertown. It was just us and another pregnant mommie who brought her mommie to the class. We got to see this DVD on breastfeeding and learn about how to attach a baby to your breast. I hope you're a natural sweet pea because it looked a bit complicated to me. I also got to practice nursing a doll but with my belly it was kind of difficult. I think we're all done with classes for now until your arrival. There's a lecture tonight that your pediatrician will be speaking on called, "Kids don't come with instructions but parents have lots of questions." It's geared towards children 2-6 years old and your Daddy and I thought about going but we probably should just relax at home tonight because we've both been very tired lately.

It's time for me to start working so we'll talk later. I love you sweetie!