Minted has done it again!
We went to JCPenny Portraits while Avery was only 2 weeks old to get photos done for his birth announcement.
I absolutely love how they turned out!
BUMPIE
When I discovered the BabyPics app, I completely got really excited about capturing my growing belly bump! It’s a great and easy photo-journaling tool to document your growing baby belly “bumpies” week after week. I’ve started when I was in week 16 and probably around week 28 is when you can start seeing some major belly growth!
He’s here!!! He’s finally here!!! Welcome Avery Grayson Reyes
APRIL FOOL’S BABY
I went in for my weekly OB appointment on March 31st and when they checked my blood pressure – it was high! So high that it was best that I head on over to Labor and Deliver! They were going to induce me since technically I was already full term.
I was not ready for this – but no one ever is…right?!?! I mean, I haven’t even packed my hospital bag yet!!! Luckily our car seat arrived the day before!
So we checked into University of Washington Medical Center at noon and on April 1st we welcomed baby Avery Grayson Reyes at 5:43 p.m.
My dearest Avery,
From the moment they placed you in my arms, you snuggled right into my heart.
xo,
momma
COUNTING DOWN TO BABY REYES
With my due date just around the corner, I’m sharing some maternity photos that Andy Shepard captured. Also, enjoy a few fun facts about my pregnancy below
Best Part of the First Trimester: Hearing our baby’s heartbeat for the first time! Andre and I scheduled an ultrasound at 10 weeks to check up on baby and make sure there was indeed a heartbeat. I’ve never been so nervous for anything in my life! Hearing that tiny heartbeat was the sweetest thing and really made the pregnancy feel so much more real.
Worst Part of the First Trimester: The nausea! It kicked in about week 10 and didn’t subside until around week 16. It was an all day, every day nausea that never went away. Also having to take the prenatal vitamin that was also making me feel nauseous which is why I ended up taking them right before I go to bed.
First Trimester Food Cravings: iced honey green tea
Best Part of the Second Trimester: Finally gaining my energy back and being able to get up and go somewhere. Pregnancy massages.
Worst Part of Second Trimester: The nausea that lasted the first few weeks into the 2nd trimester. Other than that, it was great! I had the most energy and felt the most like myself.
Second Trimester Food Cravings: Chocolates (all kinds), strawberry milkshakes, fried chicken, Eggos ice-cream (esp. ice-cream sandwich & haagan daaz mini),
Best Part of Third Trimester: My Baby Shower and having my best friends fly in from out of town to attend the shower! Getting to listen to baby’s heartbeat at weekly doctor visits!
Worst Part of Third Trimester: Finding a top to wear every morning since I basically rotate the 2 pairs of maternity jeans that I’ve purchased. My massive and annoying boobs.
Third Trimester Food Cravings: Cheetos Puffs, mango, yan-yan
I can hardly wait until our baby make their debut. Both Andre and I are so excited (and antsy) to meet the baby and already feel so blessed to be able to be their parents.
THE BEAUTY IN IMPERFECTIONS
When I first found out I was having surgery, one thought that came to mind was ‘I wonder how big the scar will be?’. I assumed it would be this ittybitty incision, and that it would be easy to cover up but boy was I wrong. I woke up to find my entire stomach covered up in bandages and days later after the covering was removed, I realized how big of a scar I had. So apparent it ran down my entire stomach ending a few inches past my belly button. I was sad to say the least, but looking back at it now, I have no reason to feel ashamed. I’m proud of what it means. It means I survived something that would have certainly killed me, if it weren’t for the wonders of modern medicine, perseverance, and a whole heap of love and faith.
And now, 4 years later, I’m growing a tiny human being inside and it’s the most wonderful feeling in the world. I never thought I would get to experience this having come a long way with this battle. So now, instead of being ashamed of it, I’ve learned to embrace it. Embrace the fact that I had to fight through some bad days to earn the best days of my life. And with my due date just around the corner, I know the best days have yet to come! I thank my lucky stars that I beat cancer’s ass and I’m still standing here today to tell my story.
Special thanks to Andy Shepard for capturing these amazing photos.
YOU’RE THE POT OF GOLD AT THE END OF MY RAINBOW
Now that the gifts have been opened, the food eaten, the games played and the mommy stories shared. The much-anticipated baby shower is over and now it’s time for the final step: Sending out thank you notes! I want to adequately thank my generous friends and family for helping celebrate this special milestone with me.
Since St. Patrick’s Day is just around the corner, I figure what better way to send out a thank you note than with a little “POT ‘O GOLD” since I’m one very LUCKY gal to have such amazing, beautiful people in my life!
I’m a huge Pinterest user and came upon this blog with the perfect saying and has “free” printable tags!
I purchased a box of thank you cards and personally handwritten each message to my guest using my calligraphy skills (which I’m still working on).
Here’s what you need to make these St. Patricks’ Day favors:
Materials:
Clear Plastic Tubes (I found these on Amazon)
Butterfinger ‘Nest Egg’ candy (luckily Easter is also around the corner)
Giant bag of M&M’s
Printable Tags
Ribbons
Make sure you clean and dry your containers. Add your candies to your container (I put the Butterfinger at the bottom and then filled the rest with M&M’s to make it look like the rainbow).
Cut out your tags, punch a hole at the top, and use twine to tie them onto your favors.
Happy St. Patrick’s Day
DREAM BIG, LITTLE ONE
I am so thrilled to be able to share photos from the most beautiful baby shower I have ever been to and even more excited because it was MINE! Ha, I still can’t believe it!!! I have to say, I’ve never had a party planned in my honor where I didn’t plan it myself or contribute. I have always been the planner and the crafter and the doer, but with this one my friends kept me completely in the dark, all I had to do was show up and pick my jaw up off the floor after I took in all the sweet details of the day.
So many of my dear talented friends hosted the shower and each brought their own expertise to make this a picture perfect event!
Special thanks to Mel, Stephy, Mur, Jaimz, Nancy, & Mich for all the work into organizing and putting together this memorable event. A big thank you to Stephy, Len, Chel, and Che for flying in to celebrate this joyous occasion with me. Erika for lending out her guest room. My sister Diane for the delicious cake made from Flour, Sugar, and More Bakery. Andy Shepard for taking amazing photos. And Gian Cruz for catering a delicious brunch!
31 WEEKS BUMP UPDATE
How far along?: 31 weeks and 1 day
Total weight gain: 16 pounds total. I gained 3 more pounds since my last checkup on January 18, which puts me at 147 pounds.
How big is baby?: The size of a pineapple. Weighing in at about three-plus pounds and measuring about 16 inches long.
Sleep?: So far so good! I sleep best on my left side and wake up just once to use the restroom.
Best moment this week?: Being told at our OB appointment today that baby is measuring right on track! Yay! Getting to read a bedtime story and feeling the baby kick right afterwards!
Worst moment this week?: Not fitting into anything cute. Feeling really fat instead of feeling preggo…thanks boobies…grrrr!
Movement?: Plenty! Baby moves around ALL of the time. It is the best feeling ever, and I find myself stopping everything to just really soak it in. Every movement, every little kick and hiccup, they tell me that everything is going to be okay.
Labor signs: Nope! Thankfully!
Food cravings?: Grapefruit, peanut butter sandwich, & ice honey green tea
Symptoms: A general ‘full’ feeling in my upper stomach. Low back pain, fatigue and shortness of breath has also gotten a lot worse as my lungs are all squished up now…ahh!
Stretch marks?: Belly is still stretch mark free
Belly button in or out?: Still an innie
What I miss: Being able to go bowling
What I’m looking forward to: If we’re having a little boy or a little girl!!! I think there are so few genuine surprises left in life I couldn’t think of anything better than letting this baby be one of them. I can’t wait for Andre to be the one who reveals to me what we’ve had (as tears stream down his face)!
28 WEEKS BUMP UPDATE
Hello, Third Trimester!!!
3 more months to go!
I’m ‘sorta kinda’ showing…if I wear really tight clothing, otherwise according to people I don’t even look pregnant….let alone be ‘only 28 weeks’ pregnant.
I had an OBGYN visit today as well as the big glucose test (which I passed..YAY!). We got to hear the baby’s heartbeat which was in the 150s.
I don’t have any weird cravings that most pregnant women talk about. I think it’s just their way of wanting to eat something pickled without feeling to guilty about eating it. The only maternity things that I’ve purchased are 2 pairs of Paige maternity jeans that I absolutely love!!! I wear them ALL the time.
Not only is the belly growing..but my boobs have become massive. And gross. And annoying. And FULL. And uncomfortable. I cannot stand to wear a regular bra for very long and I hate that sports bra gives me a uni-boob.
I have lower back pain and shoulder pain that easily goes away thanks to pregnancy massages! I still continue to take my prenatal pills that makes me feel nauseous but as long I take them before going to bed then it’s not so bad!
Absolutely LOVED the tumbling feelings in my belly. It’s weird and sometimes it hurts, but I wouldn’t trade it for anything. I also cannot seem to stop touching/rubbing my belly these days. I’m not sure what that’s all about, but it’s oddly soothing to me!
With 12 weeks to go:
- I’ve gained 13 pounds which puts me at 144. I’ve read weight can either continue increasing by a pound a week, or slow down to stall out completely as you get closer to term, so will see how that goes!
- No stretch marks (knock on wood). I don’t use any oil or cocoa butter.
- I am tired. No matter how exhausted I am I cannot fall asleep before midnight. I’ll start dozing off sitting up multiple times throughout the day, but when I lay down in bed I just can’t fall asleep.
- I walk. A lot. Everyday. To and from work so that’s has become my daily exercise.
MY ADVENTURE BOOK
There are a few things that I collect when I travel:
Snow Globes. Magnets. Site Pennies. and Postcards!
I stop collecting snow globes cause I don’t have space to display them, currently they are in storage bins (tear). I recently started collecting magnets and site pennies. Site pennies are the machines usually found in souvenirs shops and they usually cost only $.51 cents. I’ve always collected postcards cause they seem the easiest to store and put away since they don’t take up to much space!
So while clearing out the storage room, I came across my box of postcards and started to reminisce about all the wonderful places I’ve been to. I didn’t like that the postcards was just sitting in a box and wanted to find a way to show them off! So I did some research on ways to display postcards and nothing seems to catch my attention…until I came across ‘My Adventure Book’ the exact same book from the cartoon movie UP. I thought what if I place a postcard on each page with a picture from that place!
I bought new colorful paper to replace the poop brown color which was totally worth the extra time of cutting and hole punching each sheet of paper! I used my ever growing collection of washi tapes to place the photos on the pages.
And Whad’ya Know, My Adventure Book turned out amazing! Here are a few pages from some of my favorite locations!
Would love to hear how you guys displays items that you bring back from your travels!
THIRTY-FOUR
I personally love reading these types of posts, so I hope you enjoy finding out some new facts about yours truly! Let’s get started, shall we? To celebrate turning 34 today – here are 34 things you probably don’t know about me!
1. I’m horrible at giving driving directions!
2. I HATE PEAS!!! Always have!
3. Every time Resident Evil, Lord of the Rings, or Friends is showing on cable t.v., I will (pretty much) always watch it!
4. I can’t stand wearing socks. It’s annoying how they always tend to slip right off my shoes and then makes walking quite uncomfortable.
5. Collector of snow globes, pencils, and postcards!
6. I use to have a boxer name Casey and she was the best dog EVEEEEEER!!!!
7. I steam ALL my clothes – hardly ever iron, I can’t stand wrinkles.
8. I’ve been to 13 States and 10 Countries
9. While trying to get my driver license in Seattle, I failed the written test 3 times before passing. I never really studied and figure it was similar to driving in Guam! Boy was I wrong!
10. I’m a nail-biter, the only way I stop is when I have nail polish on!
11. Born in Philippines, raised in Guam, and became an adult in Seattle!
12. I don’t like cooking!!!! As well as baking!!! Annnnd cleaning the bathroom!!!!
13. I never learned how to do laundry till I moved to Seattle and I still get confused on which settings I should use!
14. I can never figure out how to spell February or definitely
15. I’ve once lied on my resume to get a job (which I got) only to get fired a few month later because I couldn’t figure out how to do my job! Oooops!
16. I don’t really have a favorite color. If shoved into the corner and manhandled until I came up with one, I might say grey … or dark green. But I might also change my mind as you walked away and say pink!
17. When I first moved to Seattle and started to attend Seattle Central Community College, I was placed in an ESL class cause I failed the English portion of the computer test. I retook the test cause come on now…people from Guam speak English!
18. I think of my favorite foods in terms of the texture they have. I love crunchy things!
19. The more excited I get, the louder I talk (which can make swearing all the more inappropriate)
20. I’m still scared of the dark and if I’m sleeping by myself I HAVE to HAVE the t.v. turned on!
21. Love bowling! I was in a bowling club back in Middle School and continue to bowl as least once a week after 10 p.m. at the Garage cause it’s happy hour!
22. My favorite shows growing up were Saved by the Bell and Beverly Hills, 90210. I am pretty sure I have seen every single episode. Zack Morris and Dylan Mckay were my crushes.
23. Counting this past election, I’ve only voted once in my life and that person didn’t even win! Pretty lame!
24. I once bought an essay paper online cause I just had too many things going or maybe I just forgot about it but whatever the case was I passed the class!!
25. I have no tattoos and the only piercing I have is on my ears! I’m a BIG wussy when it comes to pain!
26. The first car that I ever bought is a 2007 blue Honda Civic, which I’m still driving by the way!!! F car payments!
27. I can’t eat a banana because I hate the taste and texture but I don’t mind them in smoothies or made as ice-cream!
28. I didn’t like reading until 8 years ago. I hated it actually and couldn’t read more than a couple of pages before falling asleep. Now I read a couple of books a month.
29. I once got my hair burned off from a backyard 4th of July firework show!
30. I always wanted to be a flight attendant growing up!
31. My first concert was Dr. Dre at Showbox Seattle! Yep, I was a gansta at one point!
32. I borrowed my friends car and drove it to my last school day college only to come back out and realize it was stolen! The car was found 2 days later, a block from where I worked and for over 5 months I was driving the car using a screwdriver! Classic!
33. My gamer name is Camster and I enjoy playing Call of Duty Zombie.
34. I started blogging over 3 years ago when I was diagnosed with Leiomayoscarcoma (soft tissue cancer) and wanted a way to document my experiences so friends&family were kept up-to-date with any progresses made. Fast forward….I’m healthy and happy as ever and the reason why I continue to blog is because I enjoy documenting my day to day life experiences as well as my travel adventures!
Thank you to everyone who has taken the time to greet me whether it was on social media, phone calls or texts, or just taking the time to come visit me! Thank you!!! Love you guys!
xo,
cams
CELEBRATING NEW YEAR 2017 (SAN FRANCISCO STYLE)
We started off our NYE evening with an all-you-can eat/drink dinner at Prubechu located on Mission street! A Guam restaurant that serves Chamorro food with a twist! Their main course – the roasted pig – was indeed, the BEST! The skin was deliciously crispy and the meat was very tasty without the need for Mang Tomas (Filipino gravy).
Afterwards we headed back into the city to a Jazz nightclub called Biscuit and Blues to listen to Cafe R&B! The lead singer ‘Roach’ was phenomenal and very hilarious!
On New Year’s Day we sported our green and blue gear and made our way to Levi’s Stadium to enjoy the San Francisco 49ers lose to Seattle Seahawks 25-23!!!
As we move froward to the New Year, we look back on all the warm memories, feel proud of our achievements and take a lesson from our previous mistakes. Hope you all have a year filled with endless fun and laugher.
xo,
cammy
