Girl Sout Trip to Peru

Evelyn and I have been in Girl Scouts since she was in third grade and she joined as a brownie.  The next year I became a volunteer with the troop.  Now I am co-leader of the troop which has given us both wonderful learning experiences.

Recently an opportunity has come up to travel with the Girl Scouts and EF Educational Tours on an adventure to Peru in August 2024.  This trip is an opportunity for both Evelyn and I to explore our world in a way we have never had the opportunity for before. We would spend 11 days exploring Lima, Cuzco and The Sacred Valley including Machu Picchu.  As with any Girl Scout trip, this will also involve a community service project so that we can make our world a better place in a meaningful way for the community! Unfortunately, I do not have any details on the project at this time as the determine the project much closer to when we are on our trip to ensure maximum impact for the project.

With the great opportunity also comes a high cost so I am reaching out to you to see if you would be willing to donate funds to help us go on this trip. EF Tours has a fundraising page for both Evelyn and I, if you are able to donate to the travel fund we would appreciate it, any amount will help!

I am very excited to see Macho Picchu, learn about the community and culture in Peru, and explore the world a bit more. -Evelyn

Evelyn's Page:

https://account.eftours.com/donations/4w7Q5q

My Page:

https://account.eftours.com/donations/nd9OqJ

Thank you for your consideration and help in sending us on this amazing journey.

I have started a Facebook page for anyone interested in following our experience from preparing and fundraising for the trip to photos on the trip:

 

Week #31

This week the baby is as big as a

 

(S)he's about 15.2 to 16.7 inches long and weighs about 2.5 to 3.8 pounds this month. (S)he's getting so big, (s)he is crowding my lungs. All five of baby’s senses are now fully developed! He also keeps getting smarter. Though I am getting more absent minded and forgetful. Hello “pregnancy brain”. From 31 weeks on, the symptoms should be about the same -- some may get worse, some may become bearable.

Total weight gain/loss: a ton...

Stretch marks: I'm so big now I don't really notice.

Sleep: Sleeping a lot and still very tired.  But I also wake up a lot at night.

Best moment this week: Realizing I only have 9 weeks left. Single Digits!!!

Movement: lots of movement

Food cravings: Chinese food.

Symptoms: lower back pain especially when I try to sleep.  Needing to go to the bathroom a lot. Fatigue.

Gender: boy. I guess?

Labor Signs: no thankfully.

What I miss: Not having to worry about what I am eating and exercising.

What I am looking forward to: Holding my baby.

Weekly Wisdom: One day at a time.

Milestones: Single digits! Only 9 weeks until the due date!

Feelings: Excited to be so close!

Week #27

This week the baby is a 

Rutabaga

At 13.6 to 14.8 inches and 1.5 to 2.5 pounds, she's not just getting bigger, she's getting smarter. Baby is practising inhaling and exhaling with her rapidly developing lungs getting ready to breath outside the womb. It's official: Baby's showing brain activity! And her brain will keep on getting more complex.

Total weight gain/loss: A lot

Maternity clothes: Yes and Jason's t shirts at night.  Poor guy is going to run out with me and the kids taking his shirts to sleep in!

Stretch marks: Yup. On my tummy and on my breasts.

Sleep:  Doing OK.  I am still very tired and need a lot of sleep.  The pain is not keeping me up as much :)

Best moment this week: Being done with the glucose tolerance test.

Movement: Lots of movement. As a bonus any time I start to worry the baby moves!

Food cravings: Eggs Omelets in the morning, egg salad sandwich.  And doughnuts on Friday though I did manage to avoid actually eating them.  I went to Moes instead...

Symptoms: lower back and hip pain still mostly at night or when o sit down just not when I sit to work. Getting up from reading to the kids is very pain full so I try to read in my room then have them walk to their rooms so I don't have to get up.

Gender: Thinking boy now due to the size.

Labor Signs: Hope fully not for at least 11 more weeks.

Belly Button in or out: flat

What I miss: gardening, bending and also getting up from squatting with out difficulty.

What I am looking forward to: summer and being more active.

Weekly Wisdom: Do what you can soon even that may be to hard but don't give up every thing either.

Milestones: The glucose test -the drink was as awful as I remember if not worse.

Feelings:  Mixed and chaotic. I have had a few bad times but am mostly happy if not worried.

Seeing the baby move

Today Evelyn and William got to see the baby move in my belly for the first time. As I was reading them a bed time story the baby started moving a lot. Rather than putting their hands on my belly as I normally do, I told them to watch.  I could see as soon as Evelyn saw the movement as her eyes lit up and she smiled.  William had a similar reaction immediately starting to define what he saw.  I love having them so excited.

Week #24

This week the baby is a 

Cantaloupe! Your 10.5-to-11.8-inch fetus weighs about 12.7 to 20.8 ounces and every week she gets closer and closer to being ready to survive (and thrive!) in the outside world.  At week 24, baby's progress is no longer just about internal stuff, it's about her looks too. With pinker, more opaque skin, she's looking more and more, well, like a baby. You, on the other hand, are probably experiencing some of the discomforts of the later months of pregnancy at week 24 -- leg cramps, backaches, swollen feet.

Total weight gain/loss: 8 lbs in 4 weeks seems a bit much maybe I can give up the decaff and omelette and go with tea and Yogurt with Granola.

Maternity clothes: I even need to switch my underwear at this point!

Stretch marks: Not that I can see.

Sleep: I have more energy during the day but am exhausted by the time the kids are in bed.  I am getting up more to go to the bathroom and still with some pain.

Best moment this week:

Movement: There seem to be lulls when i am active but the baby is moving well and always seems to realize when I am nervous as he or she moves when I need him/her to.

Food cravings: Omelettes in the morning though I'm not sure this is a craving right now so much as a habit, Yogurt and Granola, cookies though I am staying away from the latter reasonably well.
Symptoms: Hip pain though it is abating a little bit maybe because I have been more active.  Some trouble sleeping and swollen ankles already.

Gender: I don't know!!!

Belly Button in or out: Flat

What I miss: Running though I may start a little bit again. I have started to walk at lunch and am hoping for more exercise as well.

What I am looking forward to: Holding my baby.

Weekly Wisdom: Slowing down is fine just don't let yourself stop.

Milestones: Reaching viability! Not that I want the baby to come out now but being here is a good feeling.

Feelings: Prone to depressive bouts still but a little better than I was.  I was a bit surprised by the weight gain this week and will try a few modifications.

Too quiet

Today the baby has been too quiet maybe because I've been so busy and stressed trying to get stuff done at work. It just seemed like the baby does not want to move around too much today. I keep reminding myself that because the placenta is in front I will be feeling the movements a little less certainly little differently. I still like the reassurance of the moments. 

After the kids are in bed I grabbed some ice cream. I think the baby likes the ice cream because now she or he is doing aerobics. I feel a little better now time to go to sleep. Good night.

Seeing the baby move

I looked down as the baby was kicking me this afternoon and i could actually see my belly move with the big kicks!  Talk about a big distraction!

Don't laugh at pregnant women.

This morning Jason kissed the baby good morning and noticed my belly button and didn't know what it was, or rather it took him a minute to figure out what it was.  Despite me hitting him with a pillow f few times he persisted until at last I thought he had gotten over his humor.  Unfortunately he decided instead of trying to stop laughing he would crack a joke about my belly button about how he thought it was a mole that had been removed until he figured it out - starting the laughing all over again.  After hitting him with the pillow again i gave up and got in the shower.  What a way to start the day...

:(

Week #23

This week the baby is a 

Grapefruit! At about 10.5 to 11.8 inches and about 12.7 to 20.8 ounces, baby's not just getting bigger, (s)he's getting even cuter.  At 23 weeks, baby’s really getting ready for her big debut, listening in on what’s going on in the outside world.  The kids were excited to learn that the baby can hear them!

Total weight gain/loss:

Stretch marks: Not unless they are hiding under my belly...

Sleep: Still need a lot but getting better as time goes on.

Best moment this week: Aunt Sarah coming into town even though the baby was being stubborn and stopped kicking every time I put her hand on my belly.

Movement: Getting more regular though it is hard to feel when I am active on the weekends.  Also because the placenta is in the front the kicks I feel are all low or on the sides which is interesting.

Food cravings: Chocolate chip cookies, though I still have not had them.

Symptoms: Hip pain and swollen ankles.

Gender: I'm teetering between boy and girl, I still think the baby is a girl but since it was so big at the last ultrasound maybe it is a boy.  And Jason thinks it is a boy and he didn't look away at the ultrasound so maybe he saw something...

Labor Signs: None!

Belly Button in or out: Flat, already.

What I miss: I miss playing with the kids with out thinking - am i going to get kicked in the stomach.  or can i get through that with out getting stuck....  I miss exercising with abandon.

What I am looking forward to: Having a lower level of anxiety.  I feel like I am focused on all of the wrong things. And am trying to focus on the here and now instead of what was or what may occur.

Weekly Wisdom:  Live in the moment.

Milestones: No big milestones this week.

Feelings: Depressed, Anxious but determined and excited.

Week #22

This week the baby is a 

Papaya.  The baby has more developed eyes and lips (s)he is looking more like a newborn! (S)he sleeps 12-14 hours per day leaving plenty of time to get those kicks in!  The baby is starting to invade my space making me short of breath at times and my belly is really starting to grow!
Total weight gain/loss:

Stretch marks: Not that I have noticed but I am getting bigger faster so I'm sure I will see them soon.

Sleep: Need a ton of sleep but am not sleeping well due to the pain in the hip area.

Best moment this week: Having the kids feel the baby move however I'm not so sure they have really felt it as they didn't get excited until after I asked if they felt that ;)

Movement: More and more every day, it is very reassuring.

Food cravings: Sweets, chocolate chip cookies though I have avoided them so far. Still doing eggs in the morning and now eating lots of Yogurt though the later is less a craving and more necessity with all the antibiotics that I was on.

Symptoms: Still with the pain.  I am trying to exercise more and move around a bit more in hopes that it will help.  No luck so far but i am still hopeful.

Gender:  Jason thinks baby is a boy I think she is a girl.  I am so excited that baby will be surprised.

Belly Button in or out: Flat. 

What I miss: Pain free sleeping.

What I am looking forward to: Pain free sleeping as spotty as it will be.

Weekly Wisdom: Get up and move as much as you can. 

Milestones: Having the kids feel the baby move.

Feelings: Emotionally volatile this week.  very sad and anxious,  I would like to get more stuff done around the house.

More kids

Tonight at dinner Evelyn asked how soon after the baby was born could she ask the stars for two babies at a time.  I told her that mommy was not going to have any more babies after this one and could not understand why.  How do you tell a six year old how emotionally taxing not to mention, expensive and difficult it is to raise babies.  William brought up the twins which had me emotional to begin with.

Though earlier today I was having a hard time realizing that this week be my last baby.  This has been a hard pregnancy emotionally and physically I know I can't do it again and yet out makes me sad to think about it. I actually broke down and cried tonight.

My first toucher

Today I had that mile stone that we all dread once we start showing -  someone touched my belly.  It wasn't too bad but still not part of the pregnancy I enjoy.  At least the baby didn't kick her - I would have been mad if she felt the baby move before Evelyn and William!  If you didn't touch me before the pregnancy, or are not family, please don't touch me now!

Paranoia

I woke up this morning at roughly 5 am paranoid that I hadn't felt the baby moving yesterday or much last night.  During the day I had just figured that it was due to the fact that the kids and I were running around a ton and since the baby's kicks are not too terribly strong yet (and with the placenta being in front I only feel the low kicks anyway). I usually only feel them while I am sitting down.

This morning I was thinking that I should have felt them last night before I went to sleep and was poking my belly to see if I could get a response.  I even thought about getting out the Doppler however with Jason leaving for a week out of town I decided that I didn't need to make myself sick with worry if I couldn't find the heartbeat. (S)he did end up kicking me so I got back to sleep a little bit and am feeling a little better now.

Your young, really really young.

Tonight at dinner Evelyn was asking me when people stop growing.  I told her around 20.  She asked me if I was still growing because I looked young. "No really you look really really young, how old are you?!" So I told her how old I am and she told me that that is young.  " Really you are like a kid.  I think you should still be growing."  Then she wanted to know how old day was...

"Really that's really close.  You look like your a kid, day looks like an adult.  I think it's because he's so tall and your so short.  So he looks like an adult and you look like a kid.  Really I think you are going to grow more because you are so short.  Oh I know your big belly - does your big belly count?"

Slight Change in Plans :(

We were planning on going to strong to see spider man however due to Williams cough and such as well as my recent diagnosis of bronchitis et all, we took him to the doctor.  He had strep...  I didn't see that one coming.

Thankfully I had not told the kids of this surprise so that they were not too disappointed not to go. And we had a great day despite Williams illness as he was not acting very sick anyway.

Announcing the baby

Today was a big day at our house. I was finally well enough to get back to work although I was pretty tired today. Also, I have a ultrasound and doctors appointment yay. 

We got to see the baby lots during the ultrasound because there was a student there who wanted to learn how to do the Ultrasound so after the ultrasound tech was done it was the students turn to try I certainly wasn't going to turn down some extra time to watch the baby turn around in there. The baby's heartbeat was great we could see everything we needed to see and it looks like the baby is doing very well. The heartbeat is strong the baby seems very healthy which was very encouraging news to me. Watching the baby move around couldn't feel most of it which made me wonder if I really have been feeling the baby and the placenta was on the outside of the uterus which typically makes the baby harder to feel when they move. But during the doctors appointment she checked me out and everything was perfect. Exactly the way it should be and she got out the heartbeat monitor. I was telling her that I thought that I already was feeling the baby moving same as she was listening to the heart beat, the baby must have not liked the probe because (s)he kicked it.  The doc said that she had no doubt that I was feeling the baby move because she just felt the baby move to. That made me feel a little bit better and more confident.

Once I got back to work I started to tell my coworkers that I was pregnant not too surprisingly most of them kinda figured it out do to my size.  it is kind of hard to hide it lately but its still nice to tell everybody. I only gained 3 pounds since last appointment so that's a little better a good healthy amount for the baby. I am excited to tell more people tomorrow and I need to figure out how I'm going to announce it on Facebook I really do like the t-shirt idea I just don't know how I would do it this time. and I do want to do it soon.

The morning sickness begins.

Today I had my first episode of morning sickness.  As I leaned over the toilet getting sick my darling daughter asked me to please stop making that noise. Thankfully (for both of us) it did not last long.

Daddy asked William and Evelyn how we could tell if mommy had babies in her belly (It drove me nuts that he kept using the plural as I only have one baby in me and the kids are already excited to have twin siblings as they have asked the stars for twins... and it made me a bit sad too)

William (without hesitation): "We need to put a hole in her belly"
Dad: "We need to put a hole in her belly?"
William: "Yes, Sorry mom.  But we will fix you up when we are done."

Evelyn was a little more practical and told us that we should go to the doctor.

Jason then went into a long talk about measuring hormones in the urine and the ultrasound machine.  It was a bit much but he said if they dreamed of bats that maybe they could tell us if there was a baby in there.  And I said that maybe they will leave us a picture so we will be leaving out the Ultrasound tonight and they will know tomorrow.

Staying home

Usually I have a hard time deciding to stay home from work. Today however, there was no question: I had to stay home. I felt awful my head hurts among everything else.  I went to the doctor and despite being on antibiotics already I have developed a right ear infection, sinusitis and a mild case of bronchitis.  Now I get to finish up the antibiotics I was on and start a stronger dose of a different antibiotic. I am feeling a little bit better but no energy so be off work tomorrow as well. Let's hope this is the last illness with the pregnancy and that this new course of antibiotics doesn't cause another infection. I'm going to stay home tomorrow as well that way I can be back closer to 100%. Thankfully I was able to figure everything out with a little bit of help from my boss let's hope I'm feeling better on Wednesday.

Happy (Sick) Easter

Today was a good morning although Evelyn was excited to look for eggs at 3:15 am.  Daddy ended up cuddling with her for a bit before coming to bed. in the morning William came to get us first and found a few eggs in his room. We then sent him to check and see if Evelyn was awake so that she could look for eggs too!

We went downstairs and the kids looked for their eggs downstairs and had a blast after egg hunting I felt worse than I had before and went upstairs to lay down. Thankfully Jason took care of the kids will I stayed in bed with my cold and headache.

Mom and dad picked up Evelyn and William to take them to the JCC to play for a little while and Jason join them for dinner and nickels. I hope they had a lot of fun as I stayed home in bed I really hope I feel better tomorrow. I am happy that I'm feeling the baby move more I didn't feel him or her too much this morning but this afternoon he or she seems to have decided to have a dance party in my belly it can't wait til the kids can feel it too.

When Evelyn and William came home Evelyn came straight upstairs and asked me how I was doing and if I needed anything. I told her that I needed some apple cider so she went and asked daddy if I could have some. then William came into the room and asked me how I was doing and I told him that I was doing better and then I was getting some juice. William said that that was good and asked me if I needed anything else food or anything. I told him that Daddy had left a mushroom in the oven for me so that I was able to eat while they were away. then William told me that that was good, he said that they had gone to Grandma and Grandpa's house and they had dinner and they had some more food for me if I needed it so I could have some more. then as he was leaving he told me that he was glad I was doing better he hoped the baby was okay and that the baby wouldn't die. I told him that the baby was okay that made him happy he followed up with I hope the baby doesn't die but if he does I hope there's another. thankfully I've been feeling the baby move today so I'm not too worried just a little worried. And a little sad that my son has to worry about the baby too.

I hope everyone has a very wonderful Easter.