Happy Memorial Day!

Memorial Day is a day to honor all our countrymen who serve and have served.....to honor those who have fallen, and gave their life for my freedom.

So today, I thank you for your service.

Special thanks goes out to some of the following people:

My Dad: Alex Victor (United States Army, 1978-79)
My father-in law: Daniel Willoughby (United States Army, Vietnam, 1969-70)
My brother: Matt Wilkins (United States Marine, 2009-2010)
Cousin: Nicholas Grado (United States Army)
Cousin: Oscar Grado (United States Army)
Friend of the family: Archie Scott (United States Army, WWII, Beaches of Normandy)
Friend of the family: Michael States (United States Marines)
Friend of the family: Valerie Richardson (United States Army,Desert Storm)
Friend of the family: Omar Carroll (United States Coast Guard)
Friend of the family: Shyra Caroll (United States Army, Operation Iraqi Freedom)
Friend of the family: John Briones (United States Air Force)



Thank you again for your service. Because of you, I am free!

*Apologies if I have missed someone.

Ugh! The Glucose test!

Yesterday I took my Glucose test. I about nearly threw up when I drank it though.

Word of advice. Do you prefer your beverages cold, or room temperature? Trust me it makes a difference. I prefer my beverages room temperature. Hence, me almost throwing it up.

Yesterday I got up, ate my breakfast, waited two hours, and cracked open the bottle of "oh so yummy sweeeeeet, acidic, and flat lemon lime flavored" glucose drink. My nurse told me it was best to drink it cold, and so I heeded her advice.

Silly me! If I had been thinking about it, I would have drank it room temperate like I always drink my bottled waters. The first sip made me gag, and almost throw up. It was so much worse because it was cold. I even tried to heat it up a bit, but since I was supposed to drink it within 5 min, it didn't leave me a lot of time to "un-cold" it and drink it gone. I wish you could have seen me, you would have been laughing! I had to plug my nose AND drink it though a straw.

If drinking a nasty beverage that makes you want to throw up isnt't bad enough, they also have to draw blood from you. Not just a poke of the finger, but an actual blood draw. :(

I hate having my blood drawn...It always hurts after. Though it didn't burn as long as it normally does, because I asked for a butterfly needle, it still did burn..........and I have an ugly bruise to look at too. Poor me!

I am still awaiting the results. I am praying that I do not fail and have to go back for a 3 hour test. That would be a nightmare because I would have to drink it, and get poked three times.


Until next time,

Baby booties, are they okay looking?

I have been thinking of ideas to try and make money as thing are tight at the Willoughby household (as with most of this economy right?). So today I endeavored to make my first pair of baby shoes to see if I could make them good enough to sell. I'm not sure if they look good enough, what do you think?







Well, if you have any ideas on crafts that I might be able to make and sell, throw them my way. I can sew, and crochet a little bit. I'm a good cook, and baker too! So like I said, any ideas are appreciated.

Until next time,

Dr's Appointment Week 24.6

So today I had my Doctor's appointment. It was a nightmare of a wait. Our appointment was at 4:40 p.m., and we didn't leave until 6:00 p.m. Guess they scheduled too many appointments in the afternoon.

Anyways, on to the details:

I did not gain any weight at all from last Doctor's appointment on April 22 to this appointment. I weighed in at 171 pounds. Whoo Hoo! Hopefully I will not gain a lot of weight, and end up weighing less than I started out as when I deliver.

Baby Willoughy was being difficult to find the heartbeat. He ended up being on the left side of the belly going across the waist line (horizontally). His heartbeat was 157.

His heartbeat has been as following:
15.6 weeks-153
19.4 weeks-135
20.6 weeks-135
24.6 weeks-157

One other thing I was in awe of...last appointment the uterus was measuring near the belly button, NOW, it is in the middle of the upper abdomen. I was amazed how much it has grown in the last month.

Personally, I think that I am going to have a long baby. Joel is over 6 feet tall you know.


Guess what! I got the "drink" today too! I am supposed to take the glucose test this Monday. Yay! Whoo Hoo!....you can hear the sarcasm right? My doctor gave me lemon lime. Hopefully it won't be that bad, and hopefully it comes out normal. I'll let you know how bad it taste...lol.

Until next time,

24 weeks and 5 days

Would you consider this a baby bump? or just baby chubbies? I still think it looks like baby chubbies (see previous post for reference)

Monday night I threw Joel under the bus at dinner with a group of people from our church. It was actually quite funny though. The ladies were asking if Joel talks to the baby, to which I replied "No! He thinks it's silly!", and of course all the ladies told him that he should be talking to the baby. Well last night, he started talking to the baby. Made my heart soar, knowing that he cares.

I'm getting excited. The other day, I was in the store with Joel, and there was a baby girl in front of us. I just wanted to kiss her nose. I can't wait till I can do so to our baby boy! I know I have 4 more months to go, but if it goes as fast as the past few have been, Baby W will be here in no time.

I have decided to go with a vintage inspired nursery. I am currently looking for the following:

Vintage Baby scale, old wooden pull duck, vintage suitcase and hangers, leather button up shoes, glass bottle from 1920's or so, phonograph, old rocking horse, and whatever else I can think of.

The good thing is there are a lot of antique shops that I can look for these items in. I am currently bidding on a few on eBay, but with eBay, you never know if you are going to get the item, unless you are willing to pay a fortune, to which I do not have.

Joel and I went stroller shopping last week, and we found one that we really like. Since, we have not bought any big ticket items (crib, dresser, swing, etc) we have decided to splurge on a stroller. We are thinking about purchasing the UPPAbaby Vista Stroller:



Although it is expensive, this stroller has the option for becoming a double and triple stroller, and so we will not have to buy another stroller when we decide to expand out family. I also have another stroller in mind, if we cannot afford the UPPAbaby (with the help of family). I also like the Bumbleride Flyer. This one is a little more reasonably priced to which we can afford.



One other thing I have been thinking about, is birthing classes. I would really like to take "The Bradley Method" classes. I want to go natural, and the Bradley Method classes teach relaxation tips to help speed up labor. Maybe that's why I had that crazy dream (see below). The bad part is the class is $350.00. I don't know if I can afford to take the class though, so I am reading his book called Husband Coached Childbirth. I plan on contacting an instructor in the next week to see if they possibly take payments.



In the meantime:

What's new this week?

How far along: 24.5 Weeks

Maternity clothes: Transitioning to maternity clothes. I still wear regular clothes, and maternity is still too big. Maybe next week we will better fit into maternity...lol.

Total weight gain: As of last Dr. appt., 6 lbs, but tomorrow I will have a new weigh in. Look for tomorrows post for an accurate account.

Belly Button: An innie, but it looks like in another month it might pop out...yikes! That's gross. I think I will have to put a bandaide over it if that happens.

Best moment this week: Watching the baby move around the belly.

Food cravings: Sweets, I hope I do not have gestational diabetes.

Food aversions: Spicy food, because it give me heartburn. BOO HOO! I love mexican, and that seems to be the worst.

Gender: It's a boy! Check out the picture from our previous post.

Crazy Dreams: I had a dream that I delivered the baby at 6 months. In the dream, my labor was only three hours, and since I thought it takes forever, I never went to the hospital, and Joel had to deliver the baby at home. The funny thing was the ambulance came, but they said that the baby was fine, and that he did not have to go to the hospital. Crazy I know!

What I miss: My energy...I feel zapped at the end of the day.

What I am looking forward to: I finally decided on how I would like to decorate the nursery...drum roll...........Vintage inspired, (ie, toys, leather button shoes, old rattles, wooden pull duck, phonograph, etc...), and so now comes the fun part of getting it all together. Also, if I can, I would like to take "The Bradley Method" birthing classes. I am going to try and contact a teacher this week.

Milestones: The baby is moving all throughout the day. He is almost a foot long, and likes the right side of the belly.


Your baby's growing steadily, having gained about 4 ounces since last week. That puts him at just over a pound. Since he's almost a foot long (picture an ear of corn), he cuts a pretty lean figure at this point, but his body is filling out proportionally and he'll soon start to plump up. His brain is also growing quickly now, and his taste buds are continuing to develop. His lungs are developing "branches" of the respiratory "tree" as well as cells that produce surfactant, a substance that will help his air sacs inflate once he hits the outside world. His skin is still thin and translucent, but that will start to change soon.

Until next week,

For free from Kohl's

So I got a coupon in the mail the other day that said "Spend $10.00, and get $10.00 off". If you know me, I am always in search of a deal, and so I checked the sales rack, and found two items for the baby that added up to exactly $10.00. I figured I would have to pay the sales tax on it, but no...the coupon took the $10.00 off the subtotal, and so therefore there was not a balance left to tax, so basically I got the items for free. Crazy huh?

Here is a picture of the receipt:

Here is a picture of the items I "bought":

Aren't rompers so cute?

I know this was probably working the system, but I really didn't mean for it to work out that way. Next time, I will have to spend more than $10.00 so I don't feel like I am cheating. Anyhoo, here's to a good deal!

23 weeks and 1 day - The Mango Tango

I know it seems like every week, I am saying the same thing over, but I can't get over how quickly this pregnancy is going by. I mean, it seems just like yesterday that we announced to the church we were expecting a little one.

The last week has been an emotional one for me. A really good friends dad went on to be with the Lord, and I sold my car. But as sad as the situation was, it was also a joyous occasion.

Last Saturday, Cesar Virtucio, received the Holy Ghost (in accordance with Acts 2:38) as...yes that's right, as he was passing. All that were there in attendance of the passing, said it was a miracle. He was previously baptized in the wonderful name of Jesus (Sometime in February of this year), and seeking the Holy Ghost. Looking back, I realized how precious life really is. That same day he passed I was just in awe of how much the baby was moving, and how life was growing within my belly. How the Lord gives and takes away, but still "Blessed be the name of the Lord". He knows the plans He has for our life, and though things happen and we don't understand why, He has it all under control.

With that in mind, we were struggling financially to make ends meet, and so the decision was made to sell my car to help relieve some of the pressure. Not that I don't need my car, I do, but at the same time, there are plenty of families who get by with only one vehicle. It just means that I have to plan my days/time better if I want to go out. So we put my car up on Craigslist, and I refreshed it a couple of days later, and not more than two hours goes by, and I get a call. They came by last Thursday, liked the car, made an offer, and then I proceeded to see if they bank would settle the debt for less than the amount owed (I was upside down, so there was no way I would sell the car for what I owed). So this last Tuesday, the bank accepted the offer, and Wednesday, we went down to the bank to pay the debt off, and register it in their name. It was very emotional for me, because I was worried they would back out, or there was going to be some problem, or it wouldn't pass smog, but though there were a few hangup, they now have the vehicle, and I only need to have the the lien removed, and sign off on the title when it comes. TO GOD BE THE GLORY.

If you can, please keep our family in prayer, our financial struggles are not over yet. I desperately need a job, but at this late into pregnancy, I am not sure I will be able to find work. So if you could pray that my husband gets a better job, as things are tough for him there with all the changes they are making, we would really appreciate it. As I stated before, God knows the plans He has for our life, and so it is with a humble servant's willing heart, that I want to be found. We want to be where God wants us. I know sometimes my faith falls short, but He is there in my times of weakness.

What's new this week?

How far along: 23.1 Weeks

Maternity clothes: Still in my regular clothes, but I do wear maternity, when I feel that my clothes are a little too tight. I had yet another friend tell me I look great, and don't look pregnant at all.

Total weight gain: 6 pounds. I was so excited when I went into the Dr.'s office, and I weighted in at 171. My starting weight was 165, and so considering I was 5 months along when weighed, that's pretty good!!!

Belly Button: Still an innie, although it looks like it got deeper. It might just be that it has spread/gotten bigger.

Best moment this week: Feeling the baby move around daily. I noticed in church he responds to the preaching/music. He is really active during those times.

Food cravings: Watermelon

Food aversions: None.

Gender: It's a boy! Check out the picture from our previous post.

Crazy Dreams: Ok, so last week I dreamed my stomach was as hairy as a dog. It was really gross.

What I miss: My energy...I feel zapped at the end of the day.

What I am looking forward to: Setting up the nursery, and buying a stroller.

Milestones: Baby is moving/Tangoing daily, about 11 inches in length, and approx. weighs 1 pound. You can visibly see movements on the outside now. Joel got to feel the baby move again the other day. I find it's so special to share that with him.

Turn on the radio and sway to the music. With his sense of movement well developed by now, your baby can feel you dance. And now that he's more than 11 inches long and weighs just over a pound (about as much as a large mango), you may be able to see him squirm underneath your clothes. Blood vessels in his lungs are developing to prepare for breathing, and the sounds that your baby's increasingly keen ears pick up are preparing his for entry into the outside world. Loud noises that become familiar now — such as your dog barking or the roar of the vacuum cleaner — probably won't faze him when he hears them outside the womb.