In February 2018 we found out we were going to have a baby! Kid Kauffman will be born sometime in late September, early October 2018 (just in time for hurricane season again!). I thought it would be fun to document the process, Rincon/Puerto Rico style! Every 2 weeks we go out and take Beach Baby Belly Bump pictures to see the progress of the pregnancy. Growing a baby is slow and steady and before you know it, the tiny “apple seed” baby of a 6 week pregnancy is a 40-week watermelon! Having a baby is always a life-changing event, and having it in a land that is much different from your homeland is even more so!

I feel like I am already showing at 8 weeks, but it’s probably just bloat. The baby is still considered an embryo and is only the size of a kidney bean. We’re calling it the Bean for now. We’ve gone to our first doctor appointment right around 6 weeks after we found out from our home test.

I am forever grateful to our doctor -Edgardo Gonzalez Romero- who has helped us through each step of this pregnancy!

The doctor is very excited as are we! We have been going to him trying to conceive for about 2 years, so this was great news!  He ordered the first blood tests and everything so far looks good!

8 Weeks
8 weeks -Week of February  17, 2018

Photo Location: Steps Beach, Rincon Puerto Rico
Weight: 126lbs
Baby size: Kidney bean
Body Feeling: Starting to feel nauseous and knock-me down tired as if I was drugged with Benedryl
Mind Feeling: It still doesn’t seem real to me. My body doesn’t look that different and since we have tried so long to get pregnant, I am still trying to wrap my mind around it. 40 weeks sounds like a long time from now, but they give you 2 weeks straight away on the day you conceive so it’s really not that long!
Cravings/Aversions: Alcohol thankfully does not sound good at all since because of the nauseousness I feel like I am hungover all the time. Most foods don’t sound good either, so I am having a hard time eating. I crave watermelon though!

10 Weeks

10 weeks -Week of March 3, 2018

Photo Location: Trampa Rocks, Rincon Puerto Rico
Weight: 123 lbs
Baby size: Strawberry
Body Feeling: Still nauseous and very tired/exhausted. Also constipated and bloated. The baby bump seems to be mostly gas! haha  Britton has helped a lot when I just need to lay in bed because I am so tired. The belly is pretty much the same, but my breasts have already grown at least a size. I can’t believe it. I don’t need anymore in that area!!
Mind Feeling: Still adjusting to the idea. Somewhat nervous and very excited. I can’t wait till the 12th week to feel more confident in the baby “sticking” around and in telling people. I want to reach out to other moms and moms-to-be with lots of questions.
Cravings/Aversions: Most food still doesn’t sound good to me. I am trying to eat crackers and eat regular, small snacks. When I eat too much I feel sick and bloated and when I don’t eat I feel nauseous. Being pregnant is not all that fun so far! I have cut out all alcohol, but I haven’t completely quit caffeine though I have decreased at least by half.

12 weeks

12 weeks -Week of March 17, 2018

Photo Location: Parking Lots/Playa Antonio Beach, Rincon Puerto Rico
Weight: 124lbs
Baby size: Small lemon/lime
Body Feeling: Still slightly nauseous and tired but it is subsiding. Still having digestive problems, but I am happily welcoming the 2nd trimester!
Mind Feeling: Excited mostly. Starting to think of baby names. People have given us some nice gifts already and it seems more real when you see a little baby onesie or carseat. I still feel completely under-prepared. I don’t think I have changed a diaper in ??? 10 years? 20?  Can I handle this?
Cravings/Aversions: Food is starting to sound good again. But very specific foods. Like waffles! Yum! Trying to find non-sweet alternatives to alcohol is hard. Everything at a gas station is either super sugary, chemicals or just boring water. Tried cutting out coffee completely but it gave me the worst migraine headache I have ever had (Britton too), so I am just going to continue scaling back.
Doc Visit: We had an intravaginal sonogram and saw the baby for the first time. He/she even moved and wiggled for us. Still super tiny but awesome to see. An emotional day. So cool. Doctor calls this baby a “prime baby” which makes me feel extra special. We also visited the hospital in Moca where we will probably have the baby.

Big head and little dot hands and feet

14 weeks
14 weeks -Week of March 31, 2018

Photo Location: Pools Beach, Rincon Puerto Rico
Weight: 126lbs? (not sure)
Baby size: Large lemon
Body Feeling: Better and better. I have more energy and the general suckiness is pretty much gone. Clothes are starting to feel a little tight. I definitely need to get a new bra or two.
Mind Feeling: Excitement mixed with anxiety. Britton is nervous too and that makes me nervous. I start thinking of all the things we need before the baby comes. Time goes by too quickly!
Cravings/Aversions: The worst cravings are for something I can’t get like good Mexican/comfort food in Colorado. Farmer’s Inn in LaSalle, Rio Grande, Mom’s home cooking. Pretty much any advertisement for food makes me want it. I am trying to maintain a steady and healthy weight gain though! This may prove harder than I thought.

16 weeks

16 weeks -Week of April 14, 2018

Photo Location: Lala Beach, Rincon Puerto Rico (mirror image because I faced the wrong way)
Weight: 128lbs
Baby size: Orange/Grapefruit
Body Feeling: I feel good overall if still a little tired. Walking up the hill is harder. I definitely am starting to see a bump in my belly. They call it the “pipa” here. When I lay down flat on the ground I have a protrusion that feels hard and not soft like belly flesh. I can still fit my clothes, but they are tight. I try to do exercises and yoga every night before bed to help keep things in shape/flowing. I am in an awkward state where I just feel fat and people wouldn’t know *for sure* I was pregnant unless I told them.
Mind Feeling: Emotional. Mostly good emotions, but sometimes I just feel like crying. It’s all such a big change and I wish I had my family around. I am super sad that my dad and Britton’s mom won’t ever get to to meet this child (their grandbaby). I sometimes wonder if my hormones are doing this to me or if they are real. Are emotions every really real?
Cravings/Aversions: I have always been picky, so being picky when pregnant and in Puerto Rico is hard. There just isn’t the selection we had in Colorado. It is nice to see things like bananas growing again. Sometimes I get super hungry and just have to eat, like now! So we started buying breakfast cereal again because I can scarf it down when the mood hits. Also starting to make larger meals to have easy leftovers.

At 17 weeks we had another doctor visit/check and everything is growing great!

18 Weeks
18 weeks -Week of April 28, 2018 

Photo Location: Almendros Beach/Bote Milan, Rincon Puerto Rico
Weight: 131lbs
Baby size: Green pepper
Body Feeling: Healthy, but feeling pretty fat. The baby bump is definitely protruding now and my breasts have grown another size by now. I am racking my clothes for bigger things. My small stuff is getting hard to button at the waist, but I can still do it. I have much more energy and can even help mow the field though I try to stay more carefully on the flattish parts so I don’t slip or something. Sometimes get headaches and don’t know what to take, I normally take just regular aspirin, but not sure if I should now.
Mind Feeling: Definitely seems more real. I am adjusting to the idea and now that we have told pretty much everyone the excitement has mellowed. We think we have a good first name if it’s a girl, so that has been fun. Strange to think of the long game. Where this kid will be in 5 years (what school for kindergarten?!), 10 years, 20 years (college, out of the house?)! Having a kid makes you think about the future for sure but you also must be in the here and now. Still bizarre having this creature inside of me doing all sorts of things, growing and changing while I just go about life. Sometimes I think I feel it move, but I’m not sure. That “alien” part of having basically a parasite growing in me is still surreal.
Cravings/Aversions: There are not too many things I am avoiding or craving. But I do notice that I eat more in general, though I am trying to be conscientious about it so I don’t gain too much weight. Doctor said aim for 1 lb weight gain per week. Maybe craving dairy. I generally don’t like milk-products much, but I have wanted yogurt, cottage cheese and even chocolate milk, which is somewhat different for me. Maybe it’s because I read that Kid Kauffman’s bones are ossifying during this period.
Doc Visit: We had another visit to the doctor in week 17 and he said things look good, both the blood tests and the ultrasound. We tried to find out the sex of the babe but couldn’t be sure. He said at first he thought he saw a ball sack then he said he saw a “hamberguita” with two buns meaning a girl. So we’re not sure. He has ordered a test for us at the hospital in Moca when I am around 20 weeks with an ultrasound that is more modern and we will be able to check out all the organs including hopefully answering that big question of boy/girl? He also ordered the gestational diabetes tests and some other things before the next monthly visit.

Getting blood drawn and that orange liquid is super sweet to test my insulin reaction

20 weeks
20 weeks -HALFWAY! YAY! -Week of May 12, 2018

Photo Location: Rincon Balneario near Harbor Restaurant
Weight: 134 lbs
Baby size: Medium mango
Body Feeling: Much more energetic. I feel good overall. Sometimes I forget that I have “limitations” and start wanting to do the same things  I used to, then I get worn out. The belly growing is so strange to me. When I have the laptop I really feel the round bump that feels like a half-volleyball. I can’t believe I have basically a Chipotle burrito sized creature inside me! Still have trouble digesting and feel uncomfortable if I eat too much, but I am soo hungry sometimes I can’t help myself. I need to eat smaller portions more frequently.
I have bought a DD bra, but I don’t think it’s big enough (!!). And everyone says breasts grow more towards the end of pregnancy. Ay, Dios mio! I am also concerned about my weight gain. I would like to end at about 150-155 (25-30 lbs) but I seem to be gaining pretty fast. At least people tell me I look small for approximately 5 months though I feel huge!
Mind Feeling: I really shouldn’t be reading and watching so many pregnancy horror stories of difficult labors, premature and still births and all sorts of complications because it makes me a little nervous. I even had a Puerto Rican woman tell me not to go swimming in the ocean because a wave hitting my barriga could kill the baby (!). Every time we get tests ordered and done I have a sense of unease at first and then relief when I find out everything is going well. My blood sugar is good, my blood pressure’s fine, there is no indication of genetic disorders, etc. I still feel unprepared. We don’t even have a space for a nursery. I try to relate it to something I know about like raising baby turkeys and chickens and how they are really vulnerable at first, but get more and more independent with time. I have to remind myself that all of this is normal and natural and step by step we’ll get through it.
Cravings/Aversions: I really wish there were more choices in drinks that had something in them other than sugar. I have found that turmeric helps with my uncomfortable bloating, so I chop up and eat some of that with peppercorn. I also take a tablespoon of chia seeds a day and the occasional shot of prune juice (though I still don’t like it much) in order to try and keep things moving. Most food tastes really good to me right now for better or worse.
Doc Visit: We went to the hospital for our sonogram at about week 20 and then a week later to our doctor to discuss the results. Everything looks really good -nice brain, spine, umbilical cord, bladder, etc). The only thing it showed was that there is some minor hydronephrosis (swelling of water in the kidneys) which freaked me out when I first heard it. Now that I have read about it, it’s very common (the most common condition detected in sonogram affecting about 1-4% of all pregnancies) and not very concerning unless it progresses worse. It has excellent long term prognosis and often commonly spontaneously corrects, but it is now on our minds (add that to the list) and we have to do some follow-up ultrasounds now. Other than that we also found out it is a BABY BOY! We are so excited about our little guy.

Celebrating our baby BOY with my mom and doctor

22 Weeks

22 Weeks – Week of May 26, 2018
Photo Location: Borinquen Beach, Aguadilla, Puerto Rico 
Weight:135 lbs
Baby size: Spaghetti Squash/Papaya
Body Feeling: I feel like this isn’t really my body sometimes. Baby Boy is really bouncing around in there. So much so that Britton has even seen it when he pounds on me from the inside. He felt him kick or punch or do whatever karate he’s practicing in there. It is very surreal. Overall I still have a lot of energy and feel pretty good, but if my digestion gets backed up too far, I start feeling really sluggish and gross. Although I am much bigger and my “bump” is very prominent I had someone tell me they just though I was getting a little fat. lol The doctor was happy with my slower weight gain at the last visit so that was good. 
Mind Feeling: I am a ball of emotions. My mom came out to visit and that has everything rolled up in one. Fun, happiness, exhaustion, sadness at not having seen her and living so far away. I think I am also still trying to process that this is a little boy and not a little girl as I had envisioned! I don’t know how to relate as well to boys as I do to little girls. I am sort of a girly-girl myself and I hope I will be able to play and have fun with my boy. Britton reminds me that we don’t even know the personality of this kid and that we could be perfectly compatible in a way that I felt so comfortable with my dad growing up. I am also still so scared about the hydronephrosis even though everything I have read says it’s super common and almost always completely resolves without any or very little intervention. Some even say it is far too overdiagnosed. Britton is working on being a better person in order to be a better dad too. We are evolving into parents I guess. 
Cravings/Aversions: Nothing too much right now. I am trying to drink more cranberry juice in the attempt to help baby with his kidneys though this is probably just me trying to do something! At least I like cranberry juice! I have scaled back on some of the treats (like ice cream and cereal) since the doctor said to monitor my weight gain better and keep it slow. Overall, in spite of the persistent digestive issues, I can tolerate/enjoy just about anything pretty well as long as I eat slowly in small portions.

24 Weeks
24 Weeks -Week of June 9, 2018

Photo Location: Playa Buye, Cabo Rojo, Puerto Rico
Weight: 140 lbs (eek!)
Baby size: Cantaloupe (and a soccer ball sized uterus! Wow!)
Body Feeling: Baby boy has been kicking and stretching a lot. When he gets into an uncomfortable position like pushing his head outward, it feels very cramped and almost painful. I have to change positions like stand-up, sit-down, or lay down etc in order to encourage him to move out of that spot. I do like to feel him move though, it’s sort of nice to know he is happily exercising and doing somersaults. I still feel a little disconnected from this ever-growing body. I didn’t think I would get so big, so fast. My DD bra is too small and I don’t even know where to go for a DDD or an E (!), probably online. My belly button pops out like it is making a kissy face when I sit up and I can’t really see my crotch area anymore! So weird! On the plus side, I have been more regular lately. I credit it to ginger tea in the evenings.  
Mind Feeling: Very emotional. Sometimes I just feel like crying for no good reason *cough* hormones *cough*. Re-centering and focusing on the moment and what I am grateful for and not worrying about all the sundry things that could go wrong or that I’d like to get done before he arrives helps. I don’t particularly like being pregnant, but I know this is a very special time in my and Britton’s life story and I am trying to savor this moment. The baby is considered to have about a 50% chance of being viable outside of my body and now weighs about a pound and a half so that makes me feel pretty good. We will be getting another level 2 ultrasound for a follow-up on his kidneys soon so that’s on my mind as well.   
Cravings/Aversions: I seem to be craving things I can’t get. I had a huge craving for Arby’s: a roast beef sandwich, potato triangles and a jamoica shake. I also want pho soup (mmm) and sushi (which I can find here, but I am not technically supposed to eat). I have been hungrier than usual and eating way too much in general, especially craving high calorie/sugary-sweet things like ice cream and cookies which may account for the slightly higher weight gain. Not too much sounds bad, but my mood for foods change rapidly.

What a difference 2 months (or 4) can make!

26 Weeks

26 Weeks -Week of June 23, 2018

Photo Location: Los Tubos Beach, Manati, Puerto Rico
Weight: 142?? lbs (not sure)
Baby size: Red Cabbage or Large Cauliflower
Body Feeling: Definitely getting harder to get around, especially climbing our “Gnarly Hill.” I sometimes feel a pressure that is really strong and makes me super uncomfortable. I have to lay down or hang upside down to encourage our little guy to move. I’m much more sleepy and enjoy napping almost daily. And for the first time in my life, I am running HOT! I actually enjoy air conditioning now and seek out places with it such as the SUPER freezing Caribbean Cinema theatre. We also bought a little baby pool so I can sit in it on the deck in the shade under the fans with a cold drink or popsicle. I also have to be really careful to eat enough. I get dizzy easily if I don’t but feel stuffed if I eat too much.
Mind Feeling:Ups and down. I am still worried about the kidney thing. I am feeling a little more prepared for his arrival as we got a beautiful crib as a gift from a friend and I have talked with other recent moms. Our little guy has already put a whole new purpose on everything. We are now trying to save more money with the flower sales and cabana rental because of him. It seems everywhere we look there is something else that we feel we need for him directly (like doctor visits and health insurance) or because of him (like new tires to make the Mustang safer). Time is moving so fast!
Cravings/Aversions: There are not many things I am avoiding except that I don’t like to eat too much or I get very uncomfortable. Specific foods that sound good right now are anything that have mint chocolate to help cool me down. Things like mint chocolate ice cream, York peppermint patties, etc.
Doc Visit: We have had our Level 2 ultrasound test done twice, sort of. We went to Mayaguez to try and do it and had an abbreviated version. Then we were sent to Manati (where we got this week’s beachy photo). We are having a full tour of the island’s hospitals apparently! There is still hydronephrosis but it doesn’t seem to be as concerning to this doctor (Dr. Ramirez) as when he checked in Mayaguez. He was happy with the amniotic fluid and size of lungs which can sometimes be a concern with hydronephrosis. I like seeing little guy in these ultrasounds, but I’d rather it not be for this reason! So far the advice is to just keep monitoring and monitor some more after he is born. If the hydronephrosis doesn’t go away, then we may have to take some measures to help his urological tract after birth. So far, I guess being a parent already means worrying about our little one! But worry means care, and care means love!

28 Weeks

28 weeks –  Third (and FINAL) trimester! Week of July 7, 2018

Photo Location: Crashboat Beach, Aguadilla, Puerto Rico
Weight: 143 lbs
Baby size: Large Eggplant
Body Feeling: Wow what a trip being pregnant is. It is definitely hard on the body. I am starting to get easily winded when I walk, especially up steep inclines. I have to stop and sit often and my stomach constantly feels full with just a little bit of food. I feel like I am old, fat and decrepit. I am also super hot and in need of Tums often for heartburn. Sleeping is also more of a chore and I wake often to go to the bathroom. If it weren’t for the trade-off of a very much wanted little baby, I would not recommend pregnancy! And I hear that it only gets more challenging here to the end. 
Mind Feeling: This has probably been even harder than the body changes, because I never know when my mind is going to go bonkers on me like it did the other day in the grocery store when I just burst out crying and had to leave for a bit. I have always sort of prided myself on my cool demeanor and not letting feelings cloud my judgment, but all of that is out the window now. It’s not all bad, though. I am also so looking forward to meeting this little guy and the excitement grows daily along with my belly. 
Cravings/Aversions: We have been eating a lot of Subway lately, because it is quick, cheap and filled with vegetables. I also like soups even though they make me hot. So I also eat popsicles a lot. 

Our babe sucking his thumb
Doc Visit: We finally got the results from our follow-up level 2 anatomy scan sent to our main doctor. So far everything seems stable. No news is good news I suppose. Everything but the hydronephrosis is looking great, and with that they don’t even see a definite cause of any blockage and it still looks mild. So it just means more monitoring.

30 Weeks

30 Weeks – Week of July 21, 2018

Photo Location: near Pico de Piedra, Aguada Puerto Rico
Weight: 144 lbs? (not sure)
Baby size: Zucchinni
Body Feeling: Still uncomfortable, but I am finding more ways to handle it. I like the baby pool, cold popsicles, Tums, lots of pillows, loose clothes (especially dresses). Baby is moving a lot in there which is fun sometimes and uncomfortable others. The belly is prominent! No mistaking it now! And falling asleep is harder.
Mind feeling: Emotionally exhausted. Plus, I keep having strange dreams. I am already ready to have my body and mind back and baby in my arms, but I know I still have 10 weeks or so to go and I want him as healthy as possible. I am also starting to get more and more concerned about the birth process itself and doing it in Spanish in a Puerto Rican hospital. I think I will be fine, but it just adds to the anxiety a little.
Cravings/Aversions: I haven’t been as hungry as I was there for a while. I seem to fill up pretty easily. We have tried to go out to dinner for a few special meals but have been disappointed and since I am more sensitive to tastes I end up eating very little. Eating out/fine dining just isn’t as common here and the flavors I crave are hard to find.

32 Weeks

32 Weeks -Week of August 5, 2018
Photo Location: Playa Tres Hermanos, Anasco,  Puerto Rico
Weight: 145 lbs
Baby size: Squash
Body Feeling: I am feeling huge and uncomfortable, though my stamina seems to be increasing some. I can feel my uterus all the way to my diaphragm and that makes it harder to breathe. Sleeping is also difficult. I love feeling his little kicks and turns. He is head down already. Loco por llegar as they say here and he may get his wish to come early! Ya mismo!
Mind Feeling: Because of recent doctor visits I feel about as low as you can go. I have had fits of crying and depression that seem endless because I am so worried about baby’s health/kidneys. I feel sort of like my world has been rocked and I don’t have any control. There is nothing I can do to help him. I don’t know when, where or with whom I will deliver and that makes me even more anxious. I think I had a panic attack at the most recent doctor visit. Add the stress of the situation to the flood of hormones in my body and it’s almost more than I can take. What’s more, Britton’s dad died suddenly and we are mourning his loss.
Cravings/Aversions: I don’t want to eat much I am so sad. Aversions: doctors, hospitals and tests.
Doc Visits: I have heard the news that every mother/father fears when getting pregnant: that something is definitely amiss with the development of the baby. The most recent sonogram shows his hydronephrosis has worsened and one of the kidneys has probably suffered permanent damage from all the swelling. The other one doesn’t look as bad, but is still an issue. And because of this I may have to deliver early possibly in a bigger hospital so they can do an intervention on him when he comes. We have also talked with a pediatric urologist about all of this. He didn’t seem nearly as concerned as the perinatalogist and didn’t think I would need to deliver early unless the amniotic fluid goes down (I didn’t realize amniotic fluid is almost all baby pee). He does think we will need to do some sort of surgery when baby is born (or around a month old) to unblock the kink in his plumbing. Everything else looks perfectly fine though. He is growing big and strong and has no other issues! It is so weird. But this pregnancy stuff (and I have a feeling parenthood in general) is not for wusses. Let me tell you that!

34 Weeks

34 Weeks -Week of August 18, 2018
Photo Location: Faro la Ponderosa Lighthouse Ruins, Aguadilla  Puerto Rico
Weight: 147 lbs
Baby size: Pineapple (about as big as he will be long when born, but putting on weight)
Body Feeling: Being pregnant (in my opinion) sucks. Getting bigger and bigger just means it’s every bit harder to get around. It’s very difficult to get comfortable especially to sleep, but I definitely don’t want to stay on my feet very long. My back hurts and sometimes my front. Thankfully I don’t have any swelling (besides the belly and breasts) and can even still wear my rings. My belly button has almost popped out, but is still mostly an inny. It takes me a while in the morning to get “warmed up” enough to do much of anything. Baby boy is moving a lot in there. It’s very “Alien” feeling.
Mind Feeling: I feel much better than I did a couple of weeks ago, though there is still some lingering anxiety about the baby’s kidneys and the where/when/with whom i will deliver. Next week we go back to the maternal/fetal doctor (perinatalogist) and that makes me tense up with anxiety. I feel somewhat robbed of the silver lining of going through pregnancy that is expecting everything to be fine because I know it isn’t going to be “perfect.” I try to remember that many other far worse things could have happened and that I am in the home stretch (literally). I just wish I knew more so I could plan better.
Cravings/Aversions: I am definitely eating too many sweets and junk food just because it is so easy but am trying to limit it. We are trying to add in a lot more turmeric (anti-inflammation), coconut water (diuretic with high potassium) and cranberry juice (beneficial to urinary tract) to everything to help give baby anything we can to help his little kidneys.

Most recent profile sonogram pic

Doc Visits: Not too much to report here. I have been doing the non-stress tests and it’s hard for me to lay still for 30 minutes because I feel trapped and uncomfortable in the belts that monitor the fetal heart rate. Everything including the amniotic fluid is looking normal/fine. I am not looking forward to the level 2 doctor visit because I worry about worse news and I really want to deliver close to home and full-term and hope he doesn’t tell me otherwise.

36 Weeks

36 Weeks -Week of Sept 1, 2018 THE 9TH and FINAL MONTH!
Photo Location: Domes Beach, Rincon,  Puerto Rico
Weight: 148 lbs
Baby size: Romaine Lettuce (if it weighed over 6 lbs!)
Body Feeling: I am simply huge now and so everything I do is like carrying a 20 lb watermelon strapped to me and I can never take it off. I feel like I am actually doing a lot better and have more stamina than even a month or two ago. Maybe I am getting used to it! Baby is still moving a lot. I don’t have any stretch mark (knock on wood) nor any swelling still. I can fall asleep pretty easily, but if I awaken I have a hard time getting back to sleep. I can only sleep on my sides because obviously my belly is too huge and when I am on my back it aches. Sleeping/laying on my sides causes my hips to hurt a lot though.
Mind Feeling: I am still a rollercoaster of downs and slightly higher rises (I wouldn’t say I have many true Ups because I am constantly worried). At this point in my pregnancy you would think I would know when, where, how and with whom I am having this baby. But I know none of these things. Things seems to have stabilized for now with his kidneys, but that could change at any minute. Add hurricane season and family drama to the mix and see a crazy pregnant lady! I did have a fun and nice baby shower so that was one of my few “ups”.
Cravings/Aversions: I have been craving king crab legs and shrimp! There is only one Red Lobster in Puerto Rico though!
Doc Visits: I hate all these doctor appointments with conflicting advice. One says I can have the baby pretty much anywhere and then wait a week to see a urologist. The other says I need all the care available and wants me to go to Rio Piedras in the San Juan Metro area which adds a whole slew of logistical concerns (where to stay, how to get there since our car broke down at the last visit to Ponce, no one will visit, etc). At least everyone so far agrees things are going well with the pregnancy in general and if it weren’t for this stupid hydronephrosis this would be a textbook/easy pregnancy. In the last two weeks I have seen the perinatologist in Ponce, my main doctor (Gonzalez Romero) twice as well as done the fetal non-stress tests and MORE lab tests. I know that once the baby is born we will have a variety of doctor visits as well, but I am so ready to be done being a lab rat/science experiment and go back to being human again. It’s hard to believe but at one point in time they were considering 37 weeks to have the baby -next week!! (!!$$#&!). Thank God I got an extension to at least 39!

3, 5, 7 and 9 months

With Baby Aeden at 2 months old

Near Jobos Beach, Isabela, Puerto Rico -November 2018

Baby Aeden was born right around 38 weeks of pregnancy and so my beach baby belly pictures end there (we never had a chance to take the 38 week pictures). He was born a healthy weight of 7 pounds 4.5 ounces and 21 inches long in a hospital close to home! Most of my fears and anxieties about him vanished after he was born. His first sonogram after birth showed no hydronephrosis! Our most recent blood tests also show his kidneys are working fine. We will continue to monitor him, however.

The lead up and birth process was actually very quick and not as painful as I imagined a completely natural delivery to be. However, my placenta did not expel correctly (retained placenta) and it was not removed completely by the doctor (not my usual doctor). I experienced major hemorrhaging and infections and had to be in the hospital back and forth for about 2 weeks of our baby’s first 3 weeks of life getting surgery, blood transfusions (8 units!!), and IV antibiotics. It was very traumatic.

But now we are happily raising our little beach baby and I am working on getting my body back to pre-baby shape. Stay tuned to this blog for our new life with baby.