26 WEEK UPDATE

Not much has happened this week. My BFF and her family are up visiting from Canada, so we’re off and about daily doing this and that. The weather here in Moscow is ridiculously hot, we’re in the high 20’s, than low 30’s . By the time they leave, week 27 is approaching we’re almost in the 40’s, it is officially too hot to sit outside, even for me.

My week 26 OB was uneventful. I saw my little Mia on the screen once again (yes I had another ultrasound, I love Europe). I gained 1 kg (2.2 lbs), my fundal height was 24 so I am measuring almost two weeks behind based on the dates my doctor gave me, but a little less than a week behind based on my original ovulation date.

My cervix is long and closed, so no delivering here anytime soon.

This upcoming week is exciting because it marks another milestone, the end of second trimester and the beginning of third. With less than 99 days left now the time before I leave for Canada is fast approaching. There is a lot still to be done, but thankfully things are slowly coming together. Our first big purchase was made courtesy of my best friend, and we now have our stroller.

Next appointment should be around 29 weeks.

We have a name!!!!

I had spent days on the computer looking up names for our baby girl. I looked through origins wanting to make sure that her name was Spanish or of Latin descent, I looked up names that had the name Anna in it because I wanted a part of my grandma’s name in it, or at the very least a part of the name grandma in it, and lastly I looked up names that had special meaning and would signify how important she was to us, and how much we had gone through for her to be us.

Of all the names I choose (Marisol = Maria / = sun, Chalina = form of rose, Damita = little princess, Elisa = form of Elizabeth, Ana Alagracia Granados = grace, Alba, Eliana, Eva or Ava, Elena, Nina, Mia (me – a), Antonia, Emma, Julia, Sophia, Emma Sophia, Adelina = noble, kind, winged) Ron didn’t like any of them, and shot them down no sooner than he had looked at the list.

Than one night out of the blue as our friends were visiting from Canada Ron must have spent two hours on the computer looking up names, and that night, his and my efforts paid off; we finally have a name for our baby girl. MIA ELIANA.

MIA: meaning, wished for

ELIANA: meaning, daughter of the sun and God has answered me

It fit all the criteria for wanting to name our baby girl, and I think very fitting for everything that we have been through in order to have this little miracle baby.

Coincidently, if you look up at my original list, both names on Ron’s list were also on mine that Ron had turned down before. I think he just wanted to be the one that “picked” out his princess’ name.

A week later and it has finally sunk in that our baby, our little girl, our miracle finally has a name, I can finally call her something other than her nickname, of Spook or Princess Spook. I can finally call her MIA.

22 week ultrasound picture

Isn't she just perfect!!!!

Traveling

Baby is the size of a papaya right now and she's already traveled to two major cities in Europe.

Here she is in front of the Eiffel tower in Paris

Stonehenge in England

and looking for Nessie at the Loch ness

These were so much fun to take, and will make great keepsakes for sure.

Baby Update

It’s 12:32 am on June 1, I’m 19w1d today, and for the last 15 minutes, there’s been a party going on in my tummy. I’m not talking about gas or constipation folks; baby girl is kicking and punching away in there.

By 21 weeks I can consistently feel baby kick. She likes to kick when it’s quiet and at night, maybe she feels alone.

At 22 weeks I am amazed to say the least at the power or her punches and kicks. I feel her all the time now. First thing in the morning, at night, when I’m sitting, when I bend over. It’s never boring in my tummy. I’m also very surprised by the occasional bladder punch. If I could send her a note, it would tell how amazingly uncomfortable those are.

It was around this time that we had our big ultrasound as well (the Anatomy scan) and everything turned out perfect. It was confirmed by our OB 100% this time that baby is indeed a girl and is as far as technology can tell, perfect and healthy. And by looking at her picture, a little chubby cheeked already. I wonder if I'll actually have a chunky baby this time?

By 23 weeks I can see her movements outside my tummy and can sometimes feel them on the outside as well. Ron has yet to feel or see, he is too impatient to keep his hand there for a minute to wait for her, and she isn’t very reliable at making her presence known when you want her to.

I just have to say it, but I am so in love with this baby girl already.