The Countdown Begins

So, we made it to LA and are getting settled in our home away from home. Truthfully, it's not so bad being away from NY at this time of year!

We are a little over 36 weeks now and things are moving right along. Kira came up to LA to spend the day with us on Saturday. We spent the afternoon sitting around chatting, feeling Coco move around (now that was AWESOME!!!), went out to eat and Kira and I (Victor) had an afternoon of beauty at the spa. (Chris opted for chatting on the phone and buying lots of moisturizers and hair products at CVS...). We had a wonderful time and it's really special to be able to share this time with Kira.

Kira started to feel "false labor" pains and Braxton-Hicks contractions on Friday night and they have continued. So, it looks like Kira's body is getting ready for the big day! Now the question is, when will that day be?!?! It will be a surprise to us all but no matter when it is we'll be prepared. If Coco hasn't come on her own by February 4th, Kira will be induced that morning.

In the meantime, we are trying to relax as much as possible while we wait to meet our daughter!

Stay tuned!

Coco at 32 weeks

Week 33 on Monday

It's hard to believe but Coco is due in 51 days! In some ways it seems like it has taken forever to get to this point and in other ways it seems like it was only yesterday when Chris and I started planning our family. We are thrilled to be where we are and are looking forward to meeting our daughter soon!

Kira and Coco are both doing great. Kira had her 32-week check-up yesterday (Friday, December 18th) and both she and Coco are excellent. At the last appt. (at 30-weeks), Coco was still in a breech position (meaning head up, not down as is preferred for birth). That is not that unusual but we were all praying that she would turn soon because if she stayed in a breech position we would most likely have to have a c-section delivery. (Usually babies turn into the heads down position sometime around 30 weeks.) We were thrilled to find out yesterday that Coco has turned and is now in the head down position! Yippee! Also, at the last appt. Coco was a bit camera shy so we didn't get a lot of good shots but yesterday she was camera ready and we got some incredible pictures of her adorable face. I know, we're probably biased but she is gorgeous! Take a look for yourself!

This week we will celebrate Christmas with our family and on Sunday (12/27), Jen (Chris' cousin) is hosting a (2nd) baby shower for us. This will be a very special week for us and we can't wait to share it with our family and friends.

Our next apt. is on December 31st and then we head out to LA on January 4th. Time is flying by but we are ready and super-excited!

Stay tuned and keep us in your thoughts and prayers.

Week 31

It has been a few weeks since we posted last. The time is flying by and we can't believe that our little girl will be here in about 61 days (or less!).

We have been busy getting the nursery ready and gathering all the stuff we need. It's amazing just how much stuff one little human being needs! That said, it's been really fun getting ready for Coco and it has been a real learning experience for us.

Kira is doing well...she has had a bad cold and an ear infection since last Saturday but other than that she's good. Coco is busy moving around though just about now, the space inside is probably staring to get a little cramped for her so she'll probably be sleeping more and moving less over the next few weeks. Apparently, she is about 3 1/2 lbs now and about 18 - 19 inches long....amazing! Over the next few weeks she won't get much longer BUT her weight will most likely double! Yikes, hang in there Kira!

We are doing good too. We are very excited and ready to meet our little girl. I (Victor) have been having a lot of trouble sleeping because I'm nervous/anxious and Chris (of course) is cool as a cucumber. I'm not nervous/anxious in a bad way. I'm just excited and curious and wake up thinking about things like: what will life with Coco will be like; what she will look like; wondering whether she'll like us (LOL!); will she be a good sleeper; will she and NeNe get along; etc.! I know I'll have the answer to all these questions soon and am just allowing myself to enjoy the excitement and nervousness. It's natural and although my hubby is very calm (on the outside), I know he's a little nervous too!!!

We also found a house to rent while we're in LA. It took a while but we did find a great place in West Hollywood and will be heading out to LA on January 4th to start the final wait for the big day. We plan to spend time with Kira and help her as much as possible over the last few weeks.

That's all for now. We will be updating you all every week through the big day so stay tuned and continue to keep us all in your thoughts and prayers.

Week 26

Tomorrow (Monday, November 2nd) will be 26 weeks for us! We can't believe it. Coco is just about finished with her second trimester! She enters her third trimester at the end of this week. Coco appears to have a committment to fitness just like her Daddies! She is jumping around a lot. We got this great note from Kira who gave us an update on what she is feeling.

"I'm doing fine...I haven't gotten sick(knock on wood) despite all the sickies in my house. Coco's doing great! Kicking and moving all around. I can definitely feel her kicks from the outside now. It works best when I'm lying flat on my back, so that my weight/stomach is evenly distributed. When's she's head down, kicking up, and I'm sitting on the couch, it feels like she's kicking me in the chest, but that's because when I'm sitting everything is more squished together. When I'm lying down, the kicks are more in the center of my stomach, since I'm streched out more. Hopefully, that makes sense,lol.

I was enjoying feeling her move around this morning around 6am, but then Ellie woke up, so my "bonding time" with Coco was over. Once I get up, and move around she's moves a little less. Time is flying by...I'll be 26 weeks on Monday. Coco is going to be here in 3 months!"

Let The Shopping Begin!

On September 21st, we had the 20 week ultrasound and found out that Lil' Snappies is a girl!!! We had no problem picking out a name. We both adore the name Coco. Our fashionista friends assume that we are naming her after Coco Chanel, but that is not the case. We just like the cute, two syllable names (like Nene).

We were thrilled. When Victor shared the news with his mother, I could hear her screaming on the phone all the way accross the room. I am sure we would have been just as thrilled if Lil' Snappies were a boy, but knowing the gender takes a lot of the mystery out of the pregnancy...almost like opening a present on Christmas. Some people like to open gifts on Christmas Eve, while others are very disciplined and wait until the actual day. We are clearly the former.

After the ultrasound appointment, we went over to Los Robles Hospital in Thousand Oaks where Kira will give birth to Coco. We met with the hospital administrator and got a tour of the facilities. The administrator referred to Lil' Snappies as "your daughter" for the first time...and my eyes welled up.

Then we decided it was time to celebrate with some shopping! We had been holding off buying any clothes, decorating the room, completing the registry, etc, until we knew the gender. Kira pointed us in the direction of the nearest baby store and we picked out a couple of cute little outfits. I can't imagine how silly Victor and I must have looked coo'ing over little pastel pink onesies. This is going to be fun!

The Planning Begins

We are happy to report that we are ALL (Kira included, now that the morning sickness has passed) starting to enjoy the pregnancy and now the planning is under way. 

We started working on our baby registry and boy (no pun intended) there's A LOT of stuff to get for our new little guy or gal. We really had no idea how much stuff a baby needed (well, I'm not sure they need all the stuff.....)! We've been learning about everything from pacifiers to bottles to bouncy chairs to infant transport systems (that's a fancy way of saying strollers!). Of course, there can't be just one brand or type of anything so the selection is, well, IMMENSE! We are chipping away at the list day by day and slowly but surely making progress. BUT, one of the things we haven't started buying yet is clothes! We find out if we're having a boy or girl on Sept. 21st so we've managed to hold off on buying any cute outfits (to date). 

Speaking of the gender of the baby.....have you voted yet???? Check out the pole (look to your right) we started on the blog and cast your vote! Boy or Girl? Just vote based on whatever pops into your head first. Don't think too much! Chris thinks we're having a girl and I think we're having a boy. Also, I found a cool at-home gender test and decided it would be worth a shot so I sent Kira a couple of the "Intelligender" tests to take. She took one and it said GIRL!!!!! That didn't make me change my mind though so I'm still saying BOY. What do you think???? No matter what we have, we will be THRILLED!!!

It's just amazing to be this far along. The time is flying by and before we know it, February 8th will be here and we'll be meeting our little one. We feel incredibly blessed to be sharing this experience with all of you and look forward to the weeks ahead!