Miriam has arrived!

As I'm sure most of you have heard by now, Miriam Ruth Reyes has arrived.  She was born on Friday, March 11 at 9:36 am, measuring 6 lbs. 12 oz. and 19.25". 

She is an incredible baby, and we already can barely remember life before her arrival!  (We also can barely remember what day it is, but we are pretty sure that is due to the lack of sleep we are experiencing as new parents.)  Similar to her behavior in the womb, Miriam is a very calm and quiet baby, who only fusses when having her diaper changed, getting a shot or needing to eat.  She has been very observant from her first day and spends 10-30 minutes after every feeding just staring around her with her eyes wide open.  We are absolutely fascinated by her and totally in love with her, and spend hours every day just watching her sleep, holding her and listening to her little noises.  We now realize that when new parents can't get anything done, it is more due to the amount of time spent staring at the baby, rather than a lack of sleep.  We are enjoying every second of being parents and are documenting it all.  In just a little over a week, we've got almost 1,000 photos of her and lots of video.  Here are a couple of photos: 

Sunny...in March...in WA?!?

First let me say that, of course, as I planned on talking about how gorgeous and sunny it is today, the sun went away.  It is still nice enough that we've got some windows open and can go outside with just sweatshirts on, and the best part is that it isn't raining!  About 2 weeks ago we got 4-6 inches of snow (see pictures below) which I loved!  However, it started raining soon after and very quickly melted all the snow, and has been raining on and off (more on than off) ever since, until today. 

A couple weeks ago I had to take several days off work and stay home on relaxed bedrest.  We had an ultrasound that showed baby was measuring a bit small and that her fluid level was low, so I had to stay home and do nothing but drink fluid and relax.  When we had our follow up ultrasound, her fluid level had greatly increased and she is measuring "long and lean", as we hear repeatedly from the doctor's office.  Her weight at the time was estimated to be 6 lbs 4 oz, with her tummy measuring in the 37th percentile and her arms and legs (length wise) in the 97th percentile.  We think she'll end up being taller than me some day, but we'll have to see! 

I went back to work this past week and have to say, I work with some wonderful friends and colleagues.  They have been more than helpful in watching my class while I take breaks, covering my bus duty, walking my class to lunch and back, and just being there in general if I need something.  In the beginning I felt bad that I wasn't doing those things on my own, but I have to admit it is nice to have those extra couple minutes to relax and put my feet up before the kids return from lunch or specials!  And I suppose, with less than 2 weeks until baby girl's due date, I can let people start to take care of things for me.  My energy level is definitely starting to slow down, and luckily we've had some pretty easy nights at home so I can rest up and be ready for my next day of work. 

We have everything completely ready for the baby, with the exception of her bassinet.  Her room is completely put together, clothes washed and put away, furniture assembled, curtains up, and even her car seat has been installed.  Her bassinet itself is ready to go, but right now we are storing it in her room until she arrives, at which point we'll just wheel it into our room.  It is nice to relax and know everything is ready, for whenever she may decide to arrive!  We've even got the house put back in order after our construction (for the water leak) was finished.  I'm not feeling the need to get down on my hands and knees and scrub the floors though, so luckily Mario has finished his test and is wonderful about doing things around the house.  :)

Here are some pictures of me and the baby's nursery, which is completed.  We can't believe that in just a couple weeks, there will be an actual baby here using all of these things!  (And I'm sure you all can't wait as well, both for her arrival and to hear her name, after months and months of not knowing.)  :) 

7th inning stretch!

I've decided to title this next 1.5 weeks in our life the "7th inning stretch", which may only serve to show how little I know about baseball.  With a little less than 4 weeks until baby girl is due, we've got a lot to do in the next little bit of time, only to hurry up and wait soon after that.  Of course, most of the reason we are rushing to be done by next Friday is my own "like to be prepared extra early" personality, which Mario thankfully very cheerfully puts up with.  (He does get a lot of fun stories and jokes out of these occasions though.)  This is reminiscent to me of when we traveled to Chicago for Thanksgiving last year, and were at the airport (at our gate even!) with about 4 hours to spare.  We'll be all ready for baby girl soon, and then if she doesn't arrive for 3 more weeks after that, at least we'll be ready! 

Mario is diligently working to prepare himself for CPA test #2, which is next Saturday.  He is very dedicated and spends a lot of time studying, even to the point where he dreams (studies?!?) in his sleep about accounting.  :)  I know he'll be happy to have some weekends and evenings slightly more free once the test is finished, and I've promised him I won't have a long "to-do" list waiting for him on the other side of the test. 

I've been working hard to organize and arrange the baby's room, which is slightly difficult right now since we haven't put her dresser in yet.  I'm hoping in the next couple days we'll get that done, and that will allow me to finally put the rest of her clothes away!  I think I've found a perfect place for everything, but Mario joked that he may need me to draw him a diagram of where everything goes in her room.  Maybe my system of organization isn't as easily understood as I thought...

In addition to baby things, we've had a contractor at our house this past week to fix a leak...that it turned out didn't exist!  We thought we had a leak in the wall between the master bathroom and the baby's room, but there was no leak up on further inspection (which required cutting holes in several of our walls and ceilings).  However, we may have a leak in our water heater in the garage, and a neighbor just told us this morning that we've got a burst water pipe in the street.  Our street gets broken water pipes frequently (about 1-2 times a year) but with 8 houses in our cul-de-sac, the breaks luckily haven't been in one of our pipes since we first bought the house almost 5 years ago.  Perfect timing that it would happen now, the week of Mario's test and less than a month before the baby is due!  We are trying to see how much excitement we can squeeze in these last couple weeks before she arrives and our lives change forever.  :)

Speaking of the baby, she is doing very well.  She is pretty well positioned with her head down and her feet either sticking in my ribs or out the right side of my stomach.  She also frequently gets the hiccups throughout the day, which I think is adorable.  I'm sure she probably isn't quite as amused.  :)  We are anxiously awaiting her arrival; we can't wait to see who she looks like! 

It is a rare, beautiful sunny day in Washington here (although still a bit chilly) and I'm going to enjoy the sunshine while it lasts.  Here are a couple of pictures taken over the last couple weeks:

Next month is the month!!

It is hard to believe that we are already a week into February.  Just last night, Mario and I were talking about last summer when we first found out about the baby and shared the news, and now we are just over 5 weeks from her due date!  And now that we are in February, we can officially say she is due "next month".  :)

Things are busy here, both with work and anticipation of her arrival.  Mario is busy studying for his next CPA test, which is in 2.5 weeks.  I'm busy with the end of the quarter/semester and report cards, which go home this Friday.  We are both busy finalizing nursery details and doing baby things before she arrives, which this past weekend included 5 loads of baby laundry and putting together baby furniture. 

Here are some pictures of me (34 weeks) and various pictures of the nursery (still under construction).  Enjoy! 

Baby showers, root canals and head colds...oh my!

January has been quite an eventful month for us!  It is hard to believe it is February tomorrow, which is the last full month we'll have before the baby's arrival!  In February, we can start saying she is due "next month"! :)

My computer crashed this month, so I've been without access to as much internet and computer time as I'm used to.  Mario has a computer that I borrow, but he needs it to study and I'm working on being more productive with my time anyway!  We did order a new computer, but it arrived and we turned it on...only to receive an error message.  We promptly returned it, and I'm back to life without a computer for a little bit. 

Earlier this month, I had a horrific week where I ended up needing 2 root canals in 2 days, all the while fighting a head cold.  (Which has made a reappearance this week.)  It was an interesting experience, going to the dentist while pregnant and only using novacaine, the way most people experience the dentist.  My dental anxiety was definitely in full swing, but in the end I was happy to go so I wasn't in pain anymore! 

We had two wonderful baby showers this month.  One shower was a long distance shower from my family, and the other was a local shower with local family and friends.  They were both wonderful, and we have lots of great memories from the special events!  Highlights included Mario doing "wheelies" with our new stroller, him trying on the nursing cover, the men making diapers out of toilet paper, and receiving a very special plate/cup family heirloom set that was used by the generation before us.  We feel very blessed to be surrounded by family and friends who have shown so much love and excitement throughout this whole pregnancy, as well as now that the baby's arrival gets closer and closer! 

The end of this week marks the end of my 1st semester at school this year.  It is hard to believe that the school year is halfway over!  My class is still large (26) but we are having a blast studying rocks and volcanoes, as well as the (not so interesting to them, but necessary) concepts such as subtraction with regrouping and reading comprehension.  Mario's new (temporary) job is going well, and he has been studying a lot for his next test, which is in less than 4 weeks.  We haven't been watching a lot of football, although we will be watching the Super Bowl.  As I told Mario earlier this week, "I can't believe I'll be cheering for the Packers in the Super Bowl!  My Minnesota blood almost doesn't allow it."  :) 

Happy (almost) February everyone!  Have a wonderful week.

January, and I'm hoping for snow!

Happy New Year!  2011 has been busy so far, with both of us returning to work and our normal schedules.  In addition, we've got doctor's appointments every two weeks, a birthing class every week and Mario is still trying to study for his CPA exam, while finding time to finish the baby's room!  I've started nesting a bit and today took down all of our Christmas decorations, cleaned a bunch of kitchen drawers as well as our storage ottoman, all the while cheering for the Seahawks in their playoff game! 

We had an appointment this last week for another try at our 3D ultrasound.  We had an appointment during winter break for one, but baby girl was in the wrong position (breech) and we weren't able to see anything.  We rescheduled for last week, and we were happy to find out she has moved out of a breech position!  However, she felt like being stubborn and wouldn't move her hands away from her face so we could see her really well.  She moved every other part of her body and was definitely active and awake, but wouldn't move her hands away from her face!  We have another appointment later in January and if she doesn't cooperate then, we are going to wait until she is born to see what she looks like.  We joked after the last ultrasound that she is already trying to be more stubborn than Mario, even before she is born!  :)

I had a smooth week transitioning back to school, and it was nice to be in a schedule again.  My kids seemed happy to be back after the break, and we started pretty much where we left off.  Normally there are some behavior problems or at least settling down issues after a long break, so I was pleasantly surprised at how well the week went!  Of course, next week it is possibly supposed to snow on 2-3 days (and here, even an inch is a huge deal) so that may bring out some extra excitement in the kids.  (Who am I kidding?  It brings out extra excitement in me as well!!)

Mario starts his new, temporary assignment at work this week.  He'll be working in the same building but will be working in the Treasury Accounting section instead of the Accounts Payable section.  The job is scheduled to end right around baby girl's due date, and then he'll go back to his normal business analyst position. 

I'd love to be able to post 3D pictures of baby girl so you all could see, but as you read above, she wasn't feeling very cooperative!  You'll have to settle for pictures of me instead.  ;)  I'm about 30 weeks pregnant in these pictures, so we've got 10 weeks to go until our due date and 7 weeks until I'll be full term.  We can't wait for her arrival, but we are taking time to enjoy our last couple months together before she gets here! 

Almost 2011!

It is hard to believe that another Christmas day has come and gone!  We had a wonderful Christmas, surrounded by family, lots of good food and of course, rain.  It is Washington, after all!  We missed all of the family we weren't able to celebrate with this year.  

We are now in the home stretch of time until baby girl arrives!  We have about 9 weeks until I am full term, and less than 12 weeks until she is due.  We've got a lot to do in that time, but we feel like most of it will get done in January.  Mario is going to paint the room this week, and then we are going to start organizing her things in the room.  Mario has off work this week, and we are looking forward to spending some time together.  We realized today that the next time we have extended time off together, it will be that Mario took time off work for the baby's arrival! 

We hope you all have a wonderful start to the new year.  I'm not sure I can stay up until midnight, as I'm usually pretty exhausted by 8 or 9 pm.  I'm not as excited about being awake when 2011 arrives as I am about other events in 2011, so I may just give in and go to bed early.  :)  

December!

Happy December!  It is hard to believe another year has flown by, and it is again holiday season!  We've had a busy but festive couple of weeks, starting with a big "November storm" in which the area received 2" of snow that basically shut down our entire area.  Just two days later, Mario and I arrived at the airport extra early to fly to Chicago on the busiest travel day of the year.  After checking in online, bypassing the baggage area because we only took carry-on luggage, and waiting behind (only!) 10 other people in the security line, we arrived at our gate 4 hours early.  Mario was a good sport, and he watched a movie while I read a book.  I definitely wasn't stressed about traveling after we had all that extra time, and it made for quite a good story!

Thanksgiving in Valparaiso was a fantastic time.  We crammed in a lot of wonderful family time, great meals, bridesmaid dress shopping, a Christmas party, football game, shopping, and lots of games of "Signs", including the game that debuted Nathan's new signature move, the pants shimmy.  :)  We returned home with a lot of wonderful memories! 

The day we left for Chicago, Mario received the news that he passed his first CPA exam, the auditing section.  He now has 18 months (from the date of that first test) to complete the other three sections of the exam.  His next test is scheduled for the end of February, hopefully before baby M&M makes her debut sometime in March! 

Baby M&M and I are doing well.  People have started to tell me that I'm "finally looking pregnant", which I figure would happen eventually, especially since we only have approximately 3 months until her arrival!  She is at that stage where she is very strong, but still has a good amount of space to move and pack some power.  She can stop me in my tracks these days with a well-placed punch or kick, although for the most part she is a fairly calm baby.  We've gotten paint samples for her room and will be hopefully painting it before the new year, so we can start putting some furniture in there! 

I just have one week of school left until winter break.  I haven't been doing too much holiday preparation this week, but I have big plans to do lots of baking and fun holiday things once I start vacation. 

A week of thanks

Happy Thanksgiving week!  We are having a wonderful year this year, with a lot to be thankful for.  We are both extremely lucky to have each other, as well as wonderful family and friends.  This year, we are especially thankful for baby girl M&M, who will be joining us sometime early next spring.

In other exciting news, we got our first snow of the season earlier this week.  It snowed a little bit on Sunday night, then throughout the day on Monday.  We both love snow, even though this area pretty much shuts down for snow.  We go for a walk around the neighborhood anytime it is snowing, even with the 40 mph winds we had last night!  We are hoping for a very snowy winter this year.  Everything looks so beautiful covered in snow! 

Have a wonderful Thanksgiving.  We are thankful for your presence in our lives!

Baby M&M is a...

We found out last week that baby M&M is a beautiful, healthy little GIRL!  We are absolutely ecstatic and so excited to be welcoming a little girl into our lives.  We've (mostly Maran) already had a lot of fun shopping for little girl clothes.  They are all so cute! 

Our ultrasound was fabulous.  M&M cooperated right away, and the tech was able to tell us from the beginning that she was a girl.  She is growing right on track, and weighs about a pound now.  She is somewhere between 10"-12" long, with extremely long legs and arms.  (We told her we weren't surprised, since she is getting height from both of us!)  She was being a gymnast the whole time, with her knees most often seen right above her nose.  She doesn't like being poked and prodded, and tries to move away when the ultrasound or doppler gets too close to her.  The tech showed us that she has a lot of space, but she seems content to stay bent into a ball in a small section of space.  At one point during the ultrasound, she was turning around and playing with her hands and/or fluid, which was adorable.  It was almost surreal to see her kicking and punching on the screen while being able to feel it at the same time!  We were also able to see both of her kidneys, both sections of the brain and all four parts of the heart.  It is amazing how much detail shows up on the ultrasound! 

Here are some pictures of me, 21.5 weeks pregnant: